February 23, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
Somalia’s News President Appoints Prime Minister
23 February- Source:Associated Press – 89 Words
Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has appointed a political newcomer as the prime minister just before he departed to Saudi Arabia for his first foreign trip since he was inaugurated.Somali-born Norwegian national Hassan Ali Khaire, the former executive Africa of the British energy explorer Soma Oil, was appointed as the new prime minister on Thursday morning. Mohamed, who was inaugurated as president on Wednesday, also holds U.S. citizenship. He was elected earlier this month in a step toward establishing Somalia’s first fully functioning central government in a quarter-century.
Key Headlines
- Somalia’s News President Appoints Prime Minister (Associated Press)
- Somali President Makes His First Trip (Puntlandi)
- PM Designate Pledges An Inclusive And Responsive Government In First Address (Goobjoog News)
- The New Government Will Prioritise The Galkayo Conflict President Says (Dhacdo.com)
- resident Farmajo Says Somalia Needs 20 Years To Fix Its Problems (Goobjoog News)
- Somali President Says No Quick Fix For Nation’s Woes (Daily Nation)
- Mohammed Abdullahi Farmajo Gives Horn Of Africa Fresh Hope (VOA)
NATIONAL MEDIA
PM Designate Pledges An Inclusive And Responsive Government In First Address
23 February – Source : Goobjoog News – 97 Words
Newly appointed Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Khayre has pledged to form a government that is responsive and meets the expectations of Somalis. In his first address following President Mohamed Farmaajo’s announcement Thursday morning of the PM designate appointment, Khayre said he will work towards delivering the needs and aspirations of the people. “I will form an inclusive government which meets the expectations and aspirations of Somalis. I will also consult widely with Parliament and the President,” said Khayre. The PM designate thanked the president for the appointment and pledged to do his best in the new assignment.
Somali President Makes His First Trip
23 February – Source : Puntlandi – 98 Words
The newly inaugurated President of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo embarked on his first trip on Thursday since taking office on February 8th. According to reports from Villa Somalia Mr. Farmaajo accepted an invitation from King Salman Bin Abdiasis of Saudi Arabia.The recurrent droughts in Somalia is the top priority item the two leaders are expected to discuss as the new president tries to garner further funding to tackle the drought situation in the country. Furthermore, the president is scheduled to perform Umrah, a non-mandatory lesser pilgrimage which may be performed at any time of the year.
The New Government Will Prioritise The Galkayo Conflict, President Says
23 February – Source : Dhacdo.com – 137 Words
The President of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo said resolving the Galkayo conflict will be a priority in his new administration. The president said his government will try and resolve the conflict at the grassroots level between the two warring sides.“Our government will prioritise a reconciliation process in the city of Galkayo in order to reach an amicable solution and lasting peace. Our government will come up with a solid process to build a peaceful bridge between the two brotherly communities and I am confident that this is achievable,” the president said.
The president added that it is a shame for two brotherly clans who live in the same city to be fighting this long. According to reports, the situation in Galkayo has been relatively calm for a few months since the clash between Puntland and Galmudug forces.
President Farmajo Says Somalia Needs 20 Years To Fix Its Problems
23 February – Source : Goobjoog News – 267 Words
The newly elected President of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has been inaugurated in the capital Mogadishu on Wednesday. The new President Farmajo who took the oath of office for a country beset by two decades of conflict has promised to restore the dignity of Somalia during his speech. “It will take another two decades to fix all challenges and problems in the country, but I pledge to restore the dignity of Somalia during my four-year term in office,” said President Farmajo.
“My upcoming Federal government will focus on security, rebuilding the national army and restore peace and stability. I call upon the Somali people to help us solve the fundamental problems,” he added. The inaugurated Somali President Farmajo said he is very grateful to the African Union forces (AMISOM) for their role in the war on Al-Shabaab, and their contribution to securing election sites. “African Union troops (AMISOM) have done a great job in Somalia over the past 10 years. They have sacrificed their life to help us achieve peace, they lost lives, we have to remember that,” Farmajo said.
The President who was elected on February 8, in Mogadishu by Parliament praised the negotiations with Somaliland, saying he is determined to continue the journey to restore the unity of the great Somalia. Farmaajo added his government will strengthen the cooperation between Federal government and regional administrations on security and constitutional process, economy, and justice for all Somalis. Finally, President Farmajo said his administration will be ready to welcome the defectors of Al-Shabaab, if they denounce violence, leave the terror group and join their brothers of Somalia.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali President Says No Quick Fix For Nation’s Woes
23 February- Source:Daily Nation -645 Words
Somalia’s new President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed sought to downplay high expectations of his new administration at his inauguration Wednesday, saying it would take decades to fix the nation’s many problems.”Our government is facing so many challenges and even though I will be doing my best, I also want to make clear for the Somali public that due to limited resources regarding economy and forces of security, what we could do is going to be limited,” he said.
The president, widely known by his nickname Farmajo, officially took office last week, but his inauguration was held Wednesday in the presence of several regional leaders.The ceremony took place in the highly secured airport zone to avoid an attack by the Al-Qaeda linked Shabaab group, which has threatened a “vicious war” against the new government.The election of the no-nonsense Farmajo — whose brief stint as prime minister in 2010-11 is fondly remembered — sparked elation in a country desperate for an end to decades of conflict and anarchy.But he warned the country that there would be no quick fixes.”Your problems were created during twenty years of conflict and droughts. A solution will need more than another twenty years,” he said.
Farmajo said he would focus on “the basic essential problems” but that his work would have to be carried on by future governments.President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, as well as delegations from Kuwait and Egypt, attended the ceremony.
Farmajo said that insecurity along with a cycle of droughts which have parts of Somalia at risk of famine were the main challenges facing his administration.The UN says about six million Somalis need humanitarian assistance, and three million are in the official “crisis” and “emergency” zone of food insecurity, which means they are suffering acute malnutrition and going long periods without meals.Somalia has not had an effective central government since the collapse of Siad Barre’s military regime in 1991, which led to decades of civil war and lawlessness fuelled by clan conflicts.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Unless Farmajo moves with speed to fulfil his pledge to rebuild the security forces and state institutions, tackle corruption, and unify the country, dissatisfaction could trigger a serious public backlash and further instability.”
Mohammed Abdullahi Farmajo Gives Horn Of Africa Fresh Hope
23 February – Source: Daily Nation – 1,654 Words
The election of Somalia’s new president Mohammed Abdullahi Farmajo offers the country’s international partners a new opportunity to step up efforts in advancing peace and stability in Somalia as well as the wider Horn of Africa. Yet the hopes of a stable future for war-torn Somalia may be short lived if the fraught regional dynamic, in particular the mistrust felt by regional powers, are not effectively unaddressed. Farmajo’s near-landslide election victory on 8 February is without parallel. Although the eruptions of joy across the Somali-speaking Horn and the shared jubilation of citizens and soldiers in Mogadishu is rightly giving way to more sober assessments, the view that a seismic shift has occurred will be difficult to ignore.
Ensuring that this election ushers in a new dawn, and that Farmajo’s new found political capital is well invested, a renewed diplomatic engagement by partners on numerous fronts will be required to support national-level reform and ease regional anxieties. The upcoming London Conference on Somalia, now expected in early May, represents an opportunity to do just that.Many hope that Farmajo’s credibility and popular support can be channelled productively. The national reconciliation talks, aimed at healing deep wounds from the civil war that broke out in 1991, have stalled and Farmajo’s strong mandate may be what’s necessary to resuscitate them.
Although the entire indirect election process was extremely corrupt, Somalis have completed a relatively credible presidential election that has resulted in a peaceful transfer of power. Farmajo’s cross-clan support – the biggest mandate strongest platform for any Somali president – is a rare demonstration of unity in the ethnically homogenous but clan-fractured country. The mandate is indispensable fin for making critical progress on multiple fronts, particularly on reconciliation, addressing corruption and finalising the constitution.A number of factors worked in Farmajo’s favour and helped seal his remarkable victory. First, Farmajo tapped into a growing anti-Abgal (a Hawiye sub-clan) mood and a widely shared antipathy to its the dominance of the Abgal, a Hawiye sub-clan that gave the country its and the fact that the last two presidents were Abgal.
TOP TWEETS
@Rooble2009 : Soma Oil Executive Cleared Of “Extremist Links” By UN Investigation https://www.buzzfeed.com/
@EU_in_Somalia : Security among top priorities for #Somalia President @M_Farmaajo #EU happy to pay stipends for 6800 @SomaliaPolice
@mukhtarainashe : #somalia Prime Minsiter designate accepts the nomination. Made first public statement. Great beginning.
@Agayare : Hassan Ali Khaire, #Somalia‘s newly appointed Prime Minister held his first press conference to accept his nomination. #Somalia @M_Farmaajo
@ChismaioCity : Four different successful fairs in four different regions of #Somalia. #SomaliYouth promoting the written language of Somali.
@ZainabSirad : Congrats 2 z newly appointed PM of #Somalia H.E Hassan Ali Khayre. I wish him a great success. May Allah guide you 2 z right decisions.
@RadioErgo : Schools close in southern #Somalia as children go to work to save #drought-stricken families.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
A new dawn for Somalia as President Farmaajo is joined by two former Presidents for his inauguration.
Photo: @DrAbdinaasir