February 19, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.

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Somali Prime Minister Arrives in Kenya

19 Feb – Source: Hiiraan Online/Radio Kulmiye/Radio Mogadishu/Bar-kulan – 169 words

Somali Prime Minister, AbdiWeli Sheik Ahmed, is in the Kenyan capital Nairobi for talks with top Kenyan government officials. The prime minister arrived in Kenya on Tuesday and was received at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Kenyan officials and the Somali Ambassador to Kenya Mohamed Ali Nur.

The Somali Prime Minister’s visit comes amid increasing calls by the Kenyan government to have Mogadishu speed up the repatriation of the refugees living in the United Nations-designated camps in Kenya.

Along with holding high level meetings with Kenyan officials, the prime minister will also hold meetings with Somali Diasporas living in Kenya and representatives from the Somali refugees in Kenya.

“We are very happy to be in Kenya on an official tour. Somalia and Kenya share the same concerns and particular interests. During my stay in Nairobi I will meet with top Kenyan government officials and we will discuss issues relating to the consolidation of cooperation between the two neighbouring states,” Somali Prime minister told the media later on Tuesday.

Key Headlines

Somali Prime Minister Arrives in Kenya (Hiiraan Online/Radio Kulmiye/Radio Mogadishu/Bar-kulan)
Violent conflicts hit Mogadishu’s districts (Radio Shabelle)
Puntland leader calls for more Turkey aid (Radio Garowe)
Several killed in Kismayo as security forces hunt down suspected al Shabab militants (Hiiraan Online)
Funding critical for ‘fragile’ humanitarian situation in Somalia stresses UN official UN New Centre)
Puntland President lays down foundation stone for reconstruction of Sunajif bridge (Radio Garowe)
Some aid groups affected by mobile Internet shutdown in Somalia (Devex News)
Kenya is hostile to refugeesclaims Amnesty (Star – Kenya)
12 Somali journalists receive media awards ( Sabahi Online)
The last days of Mogadishu’s old town (African Review)
Somali army denies weapon diverting claims (CCTV)
Stop! Somali traffic police try to restore order (AP)

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali Prime Minister Arrives in Kenya

19 Feb – Source: Hiiraan Online/Radio Kulmiye/Radio Mogadishu/Bar-kulan- 169 words

Along with holding high level meetings with Kenyan officials, the prime minister will also hold meetings with Somali Diasporas living in Kenya and representatives from the Somali refugees in Kenya.

Violent conflicts hit Mogadishu’s districts

19 Feb – Source: Radio Shabelle – 205 words

Officials from the Dharkenley district administration in the Banadir region informed Shabelle radio that armed groups attacked a military base in the district. The attacks have reportedly caused immense fatalities to Somali Federal Government’s forces including death and severe casualties.

The district officials refused to comment on the condition of the soldiers injured but have indeed confirmed it bought solemn damage. On the other hand, information we’re receiving from some environs in Mogadishu districts tell us that those areas witnessed heavy fighting.

The fighting between the Federal government’s forces and fighters from al Shabaab occurred in the Ceymis “Insurance” neighbourhood of the Yaaqshiid district and some other localities in the Dayniile district, both constituted under the Banadir region. Sounds of artillery being fired were heard.

The President of Somalia on Tuesday held a meeting with the national security officials where they discussed the recent insecurity incidents and way to curb.

Puntland leader calls for more Turkey aid

19 Feb – Source: Radio Garowe – 267 words

The President of Somalia’s Puntland Government Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas has called on Turkey government to step up more humanitarian and development assistance in the northeastern region on Tuesday.

Addressing hundreds of Turkish aid recipients in Nugal regional district of Dangorayo where he arrived to warm welcome as part of his first regional tour since being elected to the state’s top political job on 8th of January 2014, President Gaas commended Turkey for its role in providing financial and humanitarian aid with the Somali people.

“I extend my profound appreciation to Turkey, we are looking forward to getting more help from [Turkish government],” urged Puntland leader. “Puntland is a peaceful area and we aren’t at a stage to receive assistance alone but we are now working on change and progress”.

Expressing pleasure over investment opportunities, President Gaas noted that Turkey business community members who are willing to invest in Puntland will be welcomed with open arms.

Several killed in Kismayo, as security forces hunt down suspected al Shabaab militants

19 Feb – Source: Hiiraan Online – 183 words

At least seven people have been killed in the southern port city of Kismayo over the past 24 hours after security forces carried out a series of raids to hunt down suspected al Shabaab militants in the city.

The operations came after the Head of Security for the Jubba interim Administration, Isse Kamboni, was gunned down by one of his body guards on Monday night. It was later revealed that the perpetrator, a close relative to Isse and a former al Shabaab member who defected from the group, reunited with al Shabaab after carrying out the assassination.

Reports say that scores of people have been detained during the raids in the city on Tuesday. According to witnesses, the security operations have affected the city’s businesses, as hundreds of security forces have been stationed across the city.

Somaliland Home affairs minister meets with local media

19 Feb – Source: Somaliland Informer – 205 words

Somaliland Minister of Interior Hon. Ali Mohamed Waran Ade on Tuesday held meeting with media fraternity in the country. The essence of the meeting was to urge the media to refrain and shun when it comes to disseminating media reports that can create rifts among the community rather than forging the national cohesiveness of the society.

The attendees brainstormed into important issues during the gathering and it became quite important for the media to play significant role in the forthcoming voter registration which is expected to be conducted across the country. The Minister of Home affairs has spoken at the gathering and thanked media representatives that attended the meeting and added that they discussed on selling the tangible strides and achievements to the international community.

The minister said that they discussed with media practitioners on avoiding and shunning from all reports that can sink the country into state of anarchy and chaos and articles based on rumors and guesswork.

The media should inform educate about the public on issues that creates antagonism, acrimony and hatred among the society. It is urged that media should have sense of responsibility about the country and must support on development projects that are being implemented in the country.

Puntland President lays down foundation stone for reconstruction of Sunajif bridge

19 Feb – Source: Radio Garowe/Horseed Media – 79 words

President of Puntland state, Abdiweli Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, Tuesday laid foundation for the reconstruction of main bridge at Sunajif District washed away by the Cyclone storm.

President called for the speedy reconstruction of the bridge and the damaged parts of the highway connecting major towns of Puntland and Somalia. President pledged his immediate support to the project’s start and completion.

Ministers and government officials accompanied the President during his visit to Sunajif District, including Interior, Security, Information, Environment Ministers, Nugal Governor, Mayors and Puntland Security Commanders.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Kenya is hostile to refugees,claims Amnesty

19 Feb – Source: Star-Kenya – 351 words

The Transparency International has accused the Kenyan government of widespread intimidation, abuse of human rights and withdrawal of services against Somali refugees. Deputy regional director Sarah Jackson, in a strongly worded statement released yesterday termed Kenya as ‘hostile territory’ for Somali refugees.

“The environment in Kenya is now so hostile that some refugees feel they have no option but to return to Somalia where the ongoing conflict in parts of the country continues to destroy lives. This is tantamount to forced return,” she said.

The report titled “No Place Like Home” the rights body revealed how life for Somali refugees has been made ‘unbearable’ since the government announced its intention to repatriate more than half million Somali refugees last year.

12 Somali journalists receive media awards

18 Feb – Source: Sabahi Online – 225 Words

Twelve Somali journalists were recognised with media awards in ceremonies held in Mogadishu, Hargeisa and Garowe on Monday (February 17th). The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), in collaboration with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia, presented awards to four journalists from southern and central Somalia in a ceremony held at Makkah al-Mukarama Hotel.

Four journalists in the Puntland federal state and four others in the Somaliland region were also recognised for exemplary work in four categories — access to basic services, children and youth, gender and investigative journalism.

“The quality of the winning entries and the professional style of presentation employed by the winners in the four categories is a testimony to the dedication and rising professionalism amongst the Somali media talent,” said UN Resident and Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Somalia Philippe Lazzarini.

“Somali journalists have over the past years shown a remarkable dedication to highlighting the humanitarian and development issues in the country,” he said. “The UN is committed in building a strong, vibrant and responsible media for the benefit of all Somali people.”

The last days of Mogadishu’s old town

18 Feb – Source: Africa Review – 1242 Words

Mogadishu’s Hamarweyne and Shangani areas are what you could call the old town of the Somali capital. In fact, Hamarweyne literally means the big city or old town. The two districts, both facing the Indian Ocean, are the nucleus of what over the centuries grew to become Mogadishu.

They host the oldest buildings, the largest number of colonial monuments, the most ancient mosques and arguably the remains of the biggest Roman Catholic Cathedral in eastern Africa. But all these landmarks that contain unique architecture have suffered over the past two decades through looting by vandals and shelling from the country’s motley of fighters in their long-drawn battle for supremacy.

Debilitating hostilities have continued to blow up as opposing sides in Somalia, especially in Mogadishu, squabble over power and the control of resources. Yet the danger to Mogadishu’s Hamarweyne and Shangani districts is unlikely to come from militants including loyalists of al Shabaab, the radical Islamist group that doggedly wages war in the city.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Stop! Somali traffic police try to restore order

19 Feb – Source: AP – 540 Words

“Stop!” a police officer in Somalia’s capital yells as a traffic light flashes red. Most of the cars keep going. Angered, he steps into the middle of the road and gridlock follows. Mogadishu recently began installing road signs for the first time, trying to end a culture of “anything goes” on the streets.

“We use sticks to stop cars, but they only listen to gun-toting soldiers,” the police officer says.

Large parts of the country’s residents are unfamiliar with traffic laws, increasing the pressure on traffic police struggling to impose order in the streets in a dangerous and chaotic city with a population estimated at up to 3 million.

“They haven’t seen law and order for two decades. It feels like we are starting from scratch,” said Gen. Ali Hersi Barre, the city’s traffic police chief.

Re-launched in 2011, Somalia’s traffic police lack basic equipment like police cars. They also lack modern laws to enforce. Authorities are working on adopting new traffic laws to replace an outdated law passed by Somalia’s parliament in 1962. That law calls for fines in a currency no longer in use.

Somali army denies weapon diverting claims

19 Feb – Source: CCTV – 01:59 min

Somali army denies weapon diverting claims.

Funding critical for ‘fragile’ humanitarian situation in Somalia, stresses UN official

18 Feb – Source: UN News Centre – 469 words

Despite some stabilization, the humanitarian situation in Somalia remains fragile and it is vital that the international community stays the course to ensure that millions of people in the Horn of Africa nation receive the assistance they need, a top United Nations relief official said today.

“For Somalia, it does come down to the funding,” John Ging, Director of the Coordination and Response Division in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told a news conference in New York.

“Right now, we are very worried about the prospects for funding,” he stated, noting that only 4 per cent of the $933 million sought this year for humanitarian operations in the country has been received to date.

This is a “very ominous” situation in light of the needs in the country, said Mr. Ging, who paid a three-day visit to Somalia last week. Donor attention and action is vital, he added, to prevent a situation similar to that seen in 2011, when some 260,000 people in Somalia died of famine.

Some aid groups affected by mobile Internet shutdown in Somalia

18 Feb – Source: Devex – 365 words

Not only local businesses have been affected this week by the mobile Internet shutdown in Somalia — aid groups have also experienced difficulties.

Hormuud, the country’s major telecommunications operator, closed down its mobile Internet service more than a week ago after reportedly receiving threats from al Shabaab. A source on the ground told Devex the company had reportedly stopped paying protection money to the militant group, while other reports claim al Shabaab feared the service was making it easier for Western intelligence agencies to spy on them.

The shutdown has led humanitarian organizations to experience lags in communication, which is having an impact on data collection and project monitoring. An NGO that requested anonymity shared with Devex that retrieving reports from the field has become increasingly difficult, thereby causing delays in donor reporting and feedback.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“We need to find a way to make serious people start from the bottom. Both in government and corporations, most high ranking officials started from the bottom and climbed their way up the ladder in many years of service. Nobody starts from the top!”

Main problem facing Somalia’s government

19 Feb – Source: Hiiraan Online – 1005 Words

I wanted to share with you my observation of my recent stay in Mogadishu, in regard with main problems facing the Somalia’s government. There are many problems facing the Somali government but I think the most striking and observable one , I found, is lack of low and middle ranking qualified human resources. When I say low/middle ranking, I’m referring to any government employee below ministerial level. Let me explain this.

Any institution in the world, including governmental institutions, relies heavily on the low/middle rank officers to carry out its day-to-day duties properly.

In the government’s case, it is the policemen/women, army soldiers, tax officers, immigration officers and civil servants that carry out the actual government duties. The top government officials are mainly to manage, direct and set the vision and strategies. Top level officials also make sure their subordinates perform and be accountable. It is low/middle level officers in each department that carry out the actual tasks. Low/middle level personnel are at the heart of the institution.

“There is an upside to detachment from external aid and political influence. In the right circumstances, being detached can promote co-dependence between local elites, leading to durable, authentic institutions: ‘legitimate institutions are those born through local political and social processes, and that these are largely shaped through the leadership process.’”

Somaliland v Somalia: great new paper on an extraordinary ‘natural experiment’ in aid and governance

19 Feb – Source: Oxfam Blogs – 751 Words

Could someone please clone Sarah Phillips? The University of Sydney political scientist has a great new Developmental Leadership Program (DLP) paper out on Somaliland, following her excellent paper a few years ago on Yemen.

Political Settlements and State Formation: The Case of Somaliland may not sound like much of a page turner, but it is brilliant. It explores one of those natural experiments beloved of researchers – what can we learn when two neighbouring countries part company and head off in different directions (North v South Korea, West v East Germany).

Phillips compares Somaliland v Somalia – while the first has emerged from the shared chaos of the 1990s (and a brutal effort by Somalia to put down Somaliland separatists) into the sunlit uplands of relative peace and stability (some taxation, rudimentary public services, security, two peaceful presidential transitions through the ballot box, including one to the opposition), the other is the quintessential failed state. How come?

Her conclusions do not make comfortable reading, for they trample on any number of received wisdoms. Try these on for size:

“I want people to know that the Somali people are very hard working people and they adapt to whatever environment they’re in. We have a lot of success stories, the Somali community here in the U.S. and even back in Somalia there’s a lot of good people working hard. And there’s the bad ones that bring the bad name — pirates and al Shabaab and all that other stuff.”

Barkhad Abdi’s Journey From Somalia To Hollywood

18 Feb – Source: WUWF – 463 Words

Somali-born actor Barkhad Abdi has won critical acclaim as well as an Oscar nomination and a British Academy Film award for best supporting actor in “Captain Phillips.”

Abdi plays the leader of the Somaili pirates who capture Phillips’ cargo ship. It was Abdi’s first film role. He tells Here & Now’s Robin Young that he found the first day of filming “really nerve wracking,” but that director Paul Greengrass “believed in me before I believed in myself.”

Abdi was born in Somalia, though his family left when Abdi was seven and war broke out. They moved to Yemen and eventually to Minneapolis, where Abdi worked in a number of jobs before landing the “Captain Phillips” role.

Top tweets

@unicnairobi #Humanrights training is underway for the#Somalia National Army. @UNSomalia explains here:http://bit.ly/1eQ3T4j pic.twitter.com/dx6DklNgSQ.

@SomaliPM I will have talks in Nairobi with top Kenyan government officials on key issues between Somalia and Kenya. pic.twitter.com/GWDXf5XTpK.

@amisomsomalia PHOTOS: A new center in #Mogadishu has begun to issue biometric identification cards to #Somali citizenshttp://on.fb.me/QqTSeN.

‏@UNLazzarini ‘Free education lures Somali kids from streets’#Go2school aims to reach 1 mln children @Arab_News @unicefsomalia http://bit.ly/1kuXg9w.

@Abdikhakim A Kenyan waiter 2 me: As I celebrate my 1st yr anniversary in Mogadishu,am more braver & bolder than a year ago! #Signs of Somali raising.

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Image of the day

Image of the day Newly appointed Somali Amb. to Ethiopia, AU and IGAD H.E. Ahmed A. Haji Adam presented credentials to IGAD ES @amb_mahboub. Photo: @igadcewarn.