February 6, 2013 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somali court sends alleged rape victim and journalist to jail

05 Feb – Source: Reuters – 428 words

Mogadishu, a Somali judge on Tuesday jailed a woman who said she had been raped by soldiers and a journalist who interviewed her, finding them guilty of making up the story to besmirch the government.
The verdict and one-year jail sentences drew condemnation from Somalia’s union of journalists. Human rights groups have called the trial politically motivated, aimed at covering up rampant sexual abuse of women by the security forces.
“They fabricated a story to hurt the government,” Judge Ahmed Aden said in court.
The judge suspended the sentence of Luul Ali Osman, 27, until after she had stopped breastfeeding her baby. Freelance journalist Abdiaziz Abdinur was to begin his jail sentence immediately, the court ordered.

Key Headlines

Somali PM launches Human Rights Task Force( Office of the Somali Prime Minister)
Somali govt pledges ‘end to AU troop presence’ at soccer facility( Hiiraan Online)
Somali woman who alleged rape given jail term (BBC/AP)
With increased security health care improves in Somalia ( IRIN News )
IFAD grants Somalia 1.5mln USD to tap Diaspora investment (Daily Monitor )
Puntland’s Galkayo mayor fired (Bar-kulan)
Somaliland: Security Threat Exaggerated Say’s Deputy Information Minister (Somaliland Press)
Somali security forces conduct operations at Bakara Market (Radio Kulmiye)
Al Shabaab rebels back on Twitter after suspension (Reuters)

PRESS STATEMENT

Somali PM launches Human Rights Task Force

05 Feb – Source: Office of the Somali Prime Minister – 642 words

Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon today launched an Independent Task Force on Human Rights to tackle what he called a “culture of impunity” over human rights abuses in Somalia.
The new body, established after extensive consultations with the Speaker of the Parliament and members of civil society groups, will investigate the broadest range of human rights abuses, including the organized killing of journalists and sexual violence against women.

It consists of 13 prominent and respected Somalis. They include a human rights defence lawyer, civil society activist, human rights campaigner, doctor, a religious leader, distinguished police officers and a representative from the media. Four of the members, including the chair, are women, including a peace activist, a lawyer, an educationalist and leaders of Somali women’s organizations. All members of the Task Force will serve as volunteers.

The taskforce will have a three-month mandate, on completion of which it will issue a public report detailing its findings and recommendations. The Chair of the Task Force, Maryam Yusuf Sheikh Ali, a leading human rights lawyer, welcomed the formation of the temporary body and said it would do its utmost to investigate the highlighted troubling issue of human rights abuses.

“I am honoured to chair this new Task Force and I would like to assure my fellow Somalis, together with our international partners, that we are aware of the great responsibility we have accepted today, we are completely serious about this work and we are totally committed to our investigation of human rights abuses.” Speaking at the launch of the Task Force in Villa Somalia, Mogadishu, the Prime Minister said he would not avoid taking difficult decisions, including prosecutions where necessary, following the Task Force’s report and findings.

“The first step to take when addressing any problem is to admit there is one. We will not hesitate to take the appropriate action, however though that may prove. This is all about instituting accountability and showing that nobody is above the law. Where it is found that crimes have been committed, we will seek to press charges. Today we want to send the strongest message that human rights abuses have no place in today’s Somalia. It won’t happen overnight, but we must consign them to history.”

The new Task Force will pave the way for the establishment of the permanent Human Rights Commission, which will sit in Parliament. This body will be able to investigate human rights abuses committed during a longer period and on an ongoing basis. Referring to the spate of killings of journalists in 2012, the Prime Minister emphasised he would do everything in his power to promote freedom of expression. He was committed to defend journalist’s rights to do their work, including the investigation of any human rights abuses.

“It cannot be right that Somali journalists should routinely risk death just for doing their work, which is an essential pillar of a modern society. The simple and unpalatable truth is that for all the journalists who have been killed in Somalia, there has never been a single prosecution. That is unacceptable in any civilized society. Everyone knows we must do better and this is my pledge to you today.”

The Prime Minister said the new Task Force specifically would be investigating allegations of widespread rape and sexual abuse, especially of women in Internally Displaced People’s camps. It would also be investigating the background to a court case that is ongoing in Mogadishu to review whether due process had been followed. The Prime Minister has repeatedly expressed his opposition to holding anyone in detention without charge.

“The simple fact is that sexual violence against women is completely unacceptable and must never go unpunished,” he said. “We cannot say we have made progress until those who commit these crimes are brought to justice. My government’s final target is to eliminate these inhuman practices.”

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali govt pledges ‘end to AU troop presence’ at soccer facility

05 Feb – Source: Hiiraan Online – 114 words

With the Somali Football federation still struggling to get the country’s national facility ‘Stadium Mogadishu’ back into its hands from the AU military, the country’s federal government pledged to end the AU troop presence at stadium Mogadishu In an unspecified future time. Deputy Minister for sport Bashir Mohamed Jama announced the pledge during a joint visit by the ministry and SFF officials to the site on Monday. The visit was part of the SFF campaign to have the facility free from military once again. After the hours-long visit the deputy minister and SFF secretary General held a joint press conference to give details of the importance of Monday’s visit to the Chinese-built facility.

Puntland’s Galkayo mayor fired

05 Feb – Source: Bar-kulan – 102 words

Puntland president Abdirahman Farole on Tuesday axed Galkayo mayor Said Abdi Farah from his position for allegedly being incompetent. In a decree from his office, president Farole accused the mayor of sleeping on the job saying public services in the district have been grounded under the helm of the sacked mayor. Farole appointed Ahmed Abdi Salad as the man to replace the axed mayor. Salad has served several other positions in Puntland’s Mugud region.

Somaliland: Security Threat Exaggerated Say’s Deputy Information Minister

05 Feb – Source: Somaliland Press/BBC Somali Service – 120 words

Somaliland government has responded to the announcement made today by the American government travel warning which dissuaded citizens against visiting the country. The Somaliland Assistant Minister of information Abdillahi Mohamed Dahir (Cukuse) dismissed the allegations of the existent of present dangers and security threats to foreigners in the country during an interview with BBC Somali service. “We have not changed our position regarding security which off course always remains a top priority to us as a nation, lets not exaggerate on the victories attained in the war against al Shabaab by assuming that the new ground gained from the militants means it is the end of threats in those place,” said the deputy information minister.

Somali security forces conduct operations at Bakara Market

05 Feb – Source: Radio Kulmiye – 114 words

Somali security forces have carried operations in Mogadishu’s Bakara market in abid to secure the area. A resident only identified as Mohamed told Radio Kulmiye the soldiers conducted the operations along the junctions of Aden Adde and Howadaag. In the recent days, there were operations ongoing in the capital were the security forces arrested scores of people, including suspected al Shabaab members.

REGIONAL MEDIA

IFAD grants Somalia 1.5mln USD to tap Diaspora investment

05 Feb – Source: Daily Monitor – 116 words

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has said it will provide a grant worth 1.5 million U.S. dollars to finance innovative Diaspora projects in Somalia in a new initiative to tap investment. IFAD said amounts ranging from 20,000 dollars to 100,000 dollars will be provided to implement projects such as cross- border investment in agriculture, improve food security and increase rural employment. “We must harness this often-times invisible investment in agriculture, particularly in post-conflict countries and fragile states. Helping the Diaspora invest in agriculture represents an opportunity to mobilize new resources to achieve our common goal,” said Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of IFAD in a statement issued in Nairobi on Monday.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somali woman who alleged rape given jail term

05 Feb – Source: BBC/AP – 106 words

A woman who accused Somalia’s security forces of rape has been given a year jail term for making a false accusation and insulting a government body. The journalist who interviewed her about the alleged rape, but did not report the story, was also found guilty by a judge in the capital, Mogadishu. Judge Ahmed Aden Farah said the woman would not go to jail immediately as she is caring for a young child. A BBC reporter in Mogadishu says there has been an angry reaction to the case. Many human rights groups and journalists say it is politically motivated, the BBC’s Mohamed Mwalimu reports from Mogadishu

Somali court sends alleged rape victim and journalist to jail

05 Feb – Source: Reuters – 428 words

With increased security, health care improves in Somalia

05 Feb – Source: IRIN News – 99 words

With security improved following the retreat of al Shabaab insurgents from urban areas of south and central Somalia, aid agencies have increased health services and expanded emergency healthcare, reaching previously inaccessible areas. “Somalia has experienced a relatively increased humanitarian space, and this has helped aid agencies to increasingly [provide] health services to the population who were earlier inaccessible,” Omar Saleh, UN World Health Organization (WHO) emergency coordinator for Somalia, told IRIN.

Al Shabaab rebels back on Twitter after suspension

05 Feb – Source: News Yahoo/Reuters – 148 words

Somalia’s Islamist al Shabaab militants, who have used Twitter to announce assassinations and bombings, are back on the microblog service two weeks after their account was suspended. “[Our new account] will function like the one they closed,” a spokesman who declined to be named said on Tuesday. Al Shabaab’s previous official Twitter account was suspended around January 24, days after group, which is aligned with al Qaeda, used the social media site to threaten to kill two Kenyan hostages. The group tweeted a link to a video of the abducted civil servants and threatened to kill them unless the Kenyan government released all Muslim prisoners in its jails.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“The only way Somalia can fight these enemies is for the Federal government, with the help of the international community, to start creating credible programs that can spread education and create jobs for the thousands of unemployed youth.”

The three enemies of Somalia: Clan, Kat and Fanaticism

05 Feb- Source: Wardheernews-105 Words

The above words are part of a famous Somali song by Maxamuud Tukaale Cismaan. It used to be delivered by two famous Somali singers (Maryan Mursal Ciise and Saado Cali Warsame) in the heydays of Somalia. Both of these singers were later forced out of their country by three dangerous enemies that are different from the ones mentioned in the song.
In the song above, Tukaale had hunger, ignorance and falling in love in mind. This article is about three different kinds of enemies that have somehow colluded to drag Somalia into becoming a failed state where anarchy, despair and hopelessness reign supreme.