February 13, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
President Farmaajo Freezes Government’s Bank Accounts Ahead Of The Inauguration
13 February – Source : Garowe Online – 172 Words
The President has temporarily suspended withdrawals from accounts of government departments until the incoming cabinet is formed. According to Sources, the newly elected President of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has issued an order to suspend withdrawal from the accounts in central bank and private banks in Mogadishu. The suspension of central bank withdrawals came following a meeting between President Farmajo and central bank governor Bashir Isse Ali on Saturday night. “All government accounts at the central bank and private money transfer companies were temporarily frozen after an executive order from the new President,” said an official who asked not to be named.
This comes as the new President is set to be inaugurated next week in Mogadishu and take over the office from his predecessor Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who has been in power since 2012. The move is reportedly aimed to prevent embezzlement and assets misappropriation during power transfer period. In the past four years, a colossal amount of money was reported to have been stolen from the central bank of Somalia.
Key Headlines
- President Farmaajo Freezes Government’s Bank Accounts Ahead Of The Inauguration (Garowe Online)
- Grenade Attack At Checkpoint Kills One In Mogadishu (Goobjoog News)
- Jubbaland President Holds Talks With UN Envoy (dhacdo.com)
- Newly Elected MP Dies In Mogadishu Hospital (Goobjoog News)
- Why Mogadishu Attracts Foreign Workers (BBC News Day)
- Famine Grips Somalia After Two-year Drought (Toronto Star)
- A New Test For Somalia Unity (Hiiraan Online)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Grenade Attack At Checkpoint Kills One In Mogadishu
13 February – Source : Goobjoog News – 123 Words
One person was killed and another wounded in a hand grenade attack in Mogadishu Monday morning. Security sources confirmed that a female bystander died while another sustained injuries after suspected Al-Shabaab members targeted a security checkpoint in KPP neighborhood with hand grenade. A witness speaking on condition of anonymity said that the attackers hurled a hand grenade at the security checkpoint killing a woman and another one was seriously wounded. “Some assailants threw hand grenade at checkpoint killing a mother who happened to be near the scene during the explosion and wounded the daughter who was with her. The police reached the area and cordoned off for investigation,” the witness said. The local administration in the area has not commented on the matter yet.
Jubbaland President Holds Talks With UN Envoy
12 February – Source: Dhacdo.com – 88 Words
The President of the Jubbaland Federal Member State, Ahmed Mohamed Islam has today received the UN SRSG for Somalia, Michael Keating who was accompanied by his African Union counterpart, Francisco Madeira. The three held talks regarding the situation of Somalia including the ravaging droughts, security and how the Federal Member States can support Somalia’s new government. During the meeting , the UN envoy thanked the Jubbaland leader for vowing to see a strong Somali government and for his role in the establishment of security forces in Jubbaland.
Newly Elected MP Dies In Mogadishu Hospital
13 February – Source : Goobjoog News – 163 Words
A federal parliament lawmaker Said Hassan Ghedi has died in a Mogadishu hospital after illness. Said Hassan Ghedi who was a lawmaker from Somaliland was pronounced dead at a hospital after a month long illness, according to Abdikarim Haji Abdi, the chief secretary of Somalia’s federal parliament. “I wish to confirm that one of Somali MPs called Said Hassan Ghedi passed away last night while receiving treatment at one of Mogadishu hospitals,” said Abdi.
Abdi condoled the family of the deceased MP noting it was a big blow to the family, parliament as well as the Somali government. “I wish the family, relatives and friends peace and calm at this time of mourning. I assure them that we share the distress at this difficult time and pray to God to give them courage to bear the loss,” Abdi said. He said the country had lost an intellectual and a dedicated individual who believed in change for development and worked very hard to realise success.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Why Mogadishu Attracts Foreign Workers
13 February – Source : BBC News day – Video: 1:31 Minutes
Security is still very fragile in Somalia even though a new president –Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, also known as Farmajo– was elected there last week. And yet, workers from African countries continue to work mainly in the capital Mogadishu.
Famine Grips Somalia After Two-year Drought
12 February – Source : Toronto Star – 791 Words
In Somalia, the farm animals are dying. The water holes have dried up. The crops have failed. With no food, water or money, people are trudging off their land, taking the long, dry walk to the nearest town to look for help.A two-year drought the worst since the 1970s in hard-hit northern Somalia has seen three quarters of the country’s livestock perish, leaving pastoralists destitute. In the south, much of which is controlled by al-Qaeda-linked extremist group Al-Shabaab, the situation is almost as grim.
More than half the country’s estimated population of about 12 million needs emergency assistance, a sharp rise from 5 million in September to 6.2 million at present. Somalia has declared a state of emergency with around 336,000 acutely malnourished children facing the threat of starvation. According to humanitarian organizations, the hunger emergency bears the hallmarks of Somalia’s catastrophic 2011 famine, when 260,000 people died, mainly women and children, many of them prevented from leaving areas controlled by Al-Shabaab.
The nation is in need of a massive influx of aid.“We are undoubtedly in a crisis, but the situation will even get worse, especially if the April rains perform poorly,” said Dr. Fatoumata Nafo-Traore, Africa director for the International Federation of Red Crescent Societies. “We need to act decisively, we need to act massively, and we need to act now if we are to prevent a repeat of the awful scenes of 2011.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“It is no denial that the country needs serious state building efforts that require collective responsibilities and collaboration. It is an effort that is obliged to every Somali citizen to uphold and safeguard the strong values and the national principles of unity, justice and nationhood of the Somali people.”
A New Test For Somalia Unity
13 February – Source : Hiiraan Online – 630 Words
Fortunately, the Somali parliamentarians of the both houses voted for the right cause. They challenged not only their clannism upbringing but also the naked foreign agendas that dictated the political process of Somalia. A new chapter for Somalia has been turned over with beautiful lyrics and history was made. This nation has come from very far, full of series weak governments, intense clan warfare and protracted humanitarian catastrophes, which put the country on the top list of the failed states as well as the most corrupt of the world. It is a hallmark that is labeled to every single Somali person living inside or outside of the country. The current state of Somalia has nothing to be proud of and only makes you feel ashamed and humiliated.
It is no denial that the country needs serious state building efforts that require collective responsibilities and collaboration. It is an effort that every Somali citizen is obliged to uphold and safeguard the strong values and the national principles of unity, justice and nationhood of the Somali people. As a nation we must understand that we have passed the clan system in that very historic day of the election. The day that we have decided as people to depart from this deceiving elite-centric system that brought us where we are right now.
Therefore, it is time to pass another test as a nation. This will test our willingness to bring back the Unity “Midnimo” of Somali people. Although it is a fact that every Somali affiliates with a certain clan, but the uniting factor is that we are all one tribe called “ Somali” and therefore we should present ourselves as proud Somali citizens that uphold the harmony and the need of their Somali brethren. That will be our new hallmark “Somalia comes first” and if only we understand this formula then we could build a country and a nation we are proud of.
TOP TWEETS
@MOsabrie: It’s very sad issue agreeing to make your territory a battlefield 4 25yrs instead of development & investment #Berbera #Somalia #Somaliland
@GEEL_Somalia: As drought situation gets worse;Somali led market solutions happening. @GEEL_Somalia supporting livestock thro better feed/food techniques
@UNFPA_SOMALIA: Renewed commitment in #Mogadishu to #endFGM by educating women, girls and boys @UNFPA_Arab @BotevNikolai @Pilirani
@Vatescorp: #Somalia: Newly elected MP dies in Mogadishu hospital after illness http://ow.ly/GPxF308Ww4t
@Daudoo: After #Turkey established mil base in Mogadishu, #UAE was pushing to set up its base in Berbera as rivalry b/w 2 countries rise in#Somalia
@MuslimCharityUK: Water Wells: Giving New Life to Vulnerable Communities in Somalia thanks to @MuslimCharityUK donors Read more: http://www.muslimcharity.org.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
President, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo met with Italian Ambassador to Somalia , Carlo Campalina
Photo: M_Farmaajo