February 14, 2017 | Morning Headlines.

Puntland Military Court Sentences Alleged Al-Shabaab Members To Death

13 February – Source : Goobjoog News – 157 Words

A military court in Garowe city of the regional state of Puntland has sentenced seven suspects allegedly accused for being members of Al-Shabaab assassin squad. According to Abdifatah Haji Adan the chairman of Puntland military tribunal, the seven were sentenced to death after they were convicted of killing several people in Puntland . “The court sentenced seven men to death penalty, The court found these defendants guilty of being involved in the killing of several civilians and they confessed to it,” said Adan.

The seven men  are, Nuradin Ahmed Samatar (20), Ayub Yasin Abdi (32), Ali Ismail Ali (20), Hassan Adan Hassan (22), Abdihakim Mohamed Aweys (24), Mohamed Yassin Abdi (17) and Daud Saeed Sahal (18). The judge stated that the convicted men can still take an appeal if they are not satisfied with the verdict. The European Union, the United Nations and human rights campaigners have all urged Somalia authorities to suspend death penalties.

Key Headlines

• Puntland Military Court Sentences Alleged Al-Shabaab Members To Death(Goobjoog News)
• President Farmaajo Urged To Appoint A Competent PM (Shabelle News)
• Three Female Journalists Allegedly Beaten By Police In Hargeisa (Goobjoog News)
• Visiting UN Official Calls For Respect Of Human Rights During Military Operations (UNSOM)
• Somalia Sees Hope On The Horizon But US Partnership Is Needed (The Hill)

NATIONAL MEDIA

President Farmaajo Urged To Appoint A Competent PM

13 February – Source : Shabeele News 125 Words

The people in Mogadishu, the country’s capital have called on the newly elected President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo to pick a competent and efficient Prime minister. The residents of the capital say previous governments have been beset by disagreements between the President and Prime Minister over leadership, leading to political crises.

The new President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo was urged to appoint a prime minister who can revive Somalia, and fulfill the people’s needs for stable and prosperous state. The President is currently making consultations with people from all walks of life over the appointment of the new Prime Minister. Somalia is a country that has been plagued by more than two decades of conflict, following the overthrow of former military regime in 1991 by clan warlords.

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Three Female Journalists Allegedly Beaten By Police In Hargeisa

13 February – Source : Goobjoog News –  206 Words

Three female journalists have allegedly been beaten by police officers during a visit to a prison in the administrative capital of the breakaway Somaliland, Hargeisa. Warda Ahmed Rooble, Zamzam Abdulahi Osman and Ikraan Saeed Diiriye were allegedly subjected to physical harm at a prison in Hargeisa town when they were visiting a relative detained at the centre.

Osman who is recovering from injuries sustained during the attack at the prison said the trio were beaten up by the custodial corps inside the room where visitors meet with prisoners. “I and my two fellow journalists were visiting a relative at the jail. After inspection we were allowed to enter but then an officer in uniform started hitting us. He kicked me several times before I fell to the ground and he stood with his boot over my neck squeezing me on the ground,” Osman said during interview with Goobjoog News.

She noted that they had been detained for hours before they were released. She called on Somaliland administration to investigate the case expeditiously and prosecute the officers. “Up to now, no official has been held accountable for the torture. We call on the government to probe the matter and arraign those officers in court,” added Osman.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Visiting UN Official Calls For Respect Of Human Rights During Military Operations

12 February – Source :  UNSOM – 477 Words

The visiting United Nations Assistant Secretary General (ASG) for Human Rights, Andrew Gilmour, urged the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the Federal Government of Somalia to uphold the observance of human rights by its forces during upcoming joint military operations against the militant group Al-Shabaab.

Mr. Gilmour made the comments during a visit to the Jubbaland capital of Kismaayo and was accompanied by the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia, Michael Keating, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Francisco Caetano Madeira, and the Director of the United Nations Support Office in Somalia, Amadu Kamara.“We discussed efforts being made by Somali authorities to bring back security and the importance of it being done in compliance with human rights standards, and also the paramount importance of doing everything possible to avoid civilian casualties,” Mr. Gilmour said after a closed-door meeting with Jubbaland State President Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe.
The ASG thanked President Madobe for allowing the UN to open a human rights office in Jubbaland State.President Madobe expressed his gratitude to Mr. Gilmour for visiting Jubbaland and described his talks with the visiting delegation as fair, frank and honest.“We discussed a lot of issues focusing on human rights, military operations by AMISOM, the resumption of Operation Jubba Corridor and also issues of social development. There was consensus on all the issues we discussed,” said President Madobe.

OPINION, CULTURE & ANALYSIS

“Somalia longs to revitalize its relationship with the United States and envisions a new chapter in security, stability, economics and growth. There is no doubt about the challenges that lie ahead, but reconciliation and prosperity are achievable now more than ever,”

Somalia Sees Hope On The Horizon, But US Partnership Is Needed

13 February – Source: The Hill- 519 Words

The election of our new president, Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo” Mohamed, signals a progress and a continuing gradual departure from ethnic division. It heralds a new era of Somali unity. This peaceful transition of power further strengthens our commitment to fully adopt the principles of democracy.
The forthcoming effects of a secure and stable Somalia will ripple all throughout Africa, setting an example for other African nations to follow. A stable Somalia will secure a stable Horn of Africa — a region racked with crises that, if solved, can put an end to the cycle of violence and poverty off which extremism thrives.

The prevention and eradication of such extremism remains our priority. The Somali National Army and the African Union Mission to Somalia have succeeded in eliminating al-Shabaab insurgents in southern Somalia, and will continue to be vigilant and active in eradicating the extremist group from the country entirely. The United States and Somalia share this counterterrorism aim, and can continue to work together to bring forth a world free from the plague of al-Shabaab and al Qaeda, ultimately weakening other extremist groups in the process.

During his farewell address to the nation on Jan. 11, 1989, President Ronald Reagan referred to the United States as the “shining city upon a hill,” as he did many times before. “[H]ow stands the city on this winter night?” he asked. “After 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true to the granite ridge, and her glow has held no matter what storm. And she’s still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home.”

It is this image of America that all Somalis hold dear, as your nation has been a shining model for democracy, hope, liberty and rights. We Somalis have fought and shed our blood for the right to vote, the right to speak, the right to worship, the right to assemble and the right to live without fear or tyranny, and we have looked to America as both a model and an ally.As a result, we call on the American people to reconsider the travel ban and work jointly with our new administration to implement new, innovative and effective vetting measures for Somalis wishing to travel to the United States.