January 15, 2016 | Morning Headlines
Kismayo Forum Kicks Off Amid Political Differences
14 January – Source: Garowe Online – 138 Words
The all-important conference on the political transition later this year kicked off in the southern port city of Kismayo on Thursday amid differences among stakeholders. There are sharp disagreements on whether Somalia should adopt a hybrid transition model or continue with 4.5 quota, which is an arrangement of sharing out political positions on the basis of clans. In his opening remarks, Jubaland leader Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Madobe) asked President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to grab a historic opportunity in ensuring the success of the Kismayo conference.
Officials have hinted that the forum may drag on for the next four days. Initially, the political talks were marred by ultimatums and tough conditions set out by various regional caucuses ahead of the meeting. Puntland and Jubaland, for instance, are insisting on a region-based model while southern administrations continue to offer a cold shoulder to any shift from the traditional 4.5 power clan sharing formula.
Key Headlines
- Kismayo Forum Kicks Off Amid Political Differences (Garowe Online)
- South West State Proposes 135 Member Upper House (Goobjoog News)
- The Turkish Army Is Coming To Somalia (Hiiraan Online)
- Somalis Show Their Support To Young Inventor Via Social Media (Radio Dalsan)
- Somalia Bids Farewell To Legendary Poet (Garowe Online)
- Al-Shabaab Fighters Were Paid Sh10000 ‘Monthly Stipend’ (Daily Nation)
- Somalia Denies Inviting Al-Shabaab To Join Soccer League (Al Jazeera News)
- Somali-Americans React To Obama’s Final State Of The Union Address (MINN POST)
- Back To School For Somalia’s Journalists? ( BBC News)
NATIONAL MEDIA
South West State Proposes 135 Member Upper House
14 January – Source : Goobjoog News – 212 Words
The South West State has proposed to the creation of an Upper House in Somalia with a membership of 135, to be filled up by elders. These details are entailed in the state’s position brief to be presented at the National Consultative Forum in Kismayu, Goobjoog News can authoritatively reveal.
The new stand by South West State is a departure from the Provisional Constitution, whose Article 72 provides for a 54 member Upper House based on the 1991 regions which are 18 in total. The South West State proposes a 135 member Upper House consisting of elders, who participated in the election of the president in 2012. It is not however clear how the South West State will deal with cases where those elders are no longer alive or are incapacitated to serve.
The state argues that the creation of the House based on the 1991 districts(18) as contemplated in the Provisional Constitution is an “extension of the tribal civil war and domination by big clans through other means other than armed conflict” However, the state notes it is open to discussion on the possibility of designing an Upper House only if it serves a clear purpose and adds value to the national democratic institutions. It also acknowledges the federal member states which will have an equal number of representatives.
The Turkish Army Is Coming To Somalia
14 January – Source: Hiiraan Online – 406 Words
Turkey is building its first base in Africa. Last week, Turkish Foreign Ministry official Emil Tekin confirmed that Ankara has broken ground on a new military installation in Somalia. The Turkish army intends for the facility to be a training center for Somali troops. The fledgling Somali National Army — with the help of African Union troops and American commandos — has been fighting a war with Al Shabaab insurgents for years.
In addition to the new base, Turkey plans to open a school for Somali military officers. The announcement comes not long after Turkish officials announced in December that they will open a new base in Qatar that is slated to be home to as many as 3,000 troops. Though this will be Turkey’s first permanent military base in Somalia, the Turks are hardly newcomers. During the years of the Ottoman Empire, Turks frequently made their way to Somalia as both warriors and merchants. In 1969, Somalia and Turkey were among the founding members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
But like most countries, Turkey closed its Mogadishu embassy in 1991 as a result of the danger posed by the bloody civil war that enveloped the nation and led to years without a functioning central government. Turkish troops played a role in efforts to resolve the conflict. Turkish army Lt. Gen. Çevik Bir served as the force commander for the UNOSOM II peacekeeping operation that was stationed in Somalia from 1993-1995.
In 2011, then Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (now the country’s President) shocked Somalis during a visit by openly walking the streets and visiting refugee camps. Ankara signed a military training agreement with Mogadishu in May 2010, and has been an important partner in trade and foreign aid. In October 2013, the Somali government granted Turkish firm Al Bayrak a contract that will see the company manage the Port of Mogadishu for at least 20 years. The firm agreed that 55 percent of earnings from the port will go to Somali authorities while Al Bayark takes the remaining 45 percent as profit. Turkish businessmen, contractors and officials are a relatively common site in Somalia. On Jan. 1, unidentified gunman opened fire on a mosque in northern Mogadishu, killing one and wounding several, including a Turkish aid worker. While Qatari and Somali officials have welcomed the Turks with open arms, other countries have shown less excitement about Turkey’s more adventurous military policy.
Somalis Show Their Support To Young Inventor Via Social Media
14 January – Source: Radio Dalsan – 117 Words
Somalis have taken to social media such as Facebook and twitter in support of Guled Adan Abdi, from the northern town of Buhodle.The ambitious inventor, who wants to be car producer in Somalia, makes plastic toys from bits of discarded objects. He works out on how to motorise them by studying real cars.While his mother struggles to support the family by selling anjeera – Somali pancakes — young Guled is busy through inventions to fulfill his dream. The battery powered toy maker was invited by Puntland regional state President, who promised to support his education and innovational techniques.Somali nationals have called upon the government and other well wishers to support Guled in fulfilling his ambitious dream.
Somalia Bids Farewell To Legendary Poet
13 January – Source: Garowe Online – 122 Words
Somaliland President, Ahmed Mohamed Siilaanyo along with an entourage of state officials from his government, paid a final tribute to legendary poet Ali Sugulle Dun Arbed on Thursday. A division from armed forces received late Sugulle’s coffin covered with a national flag at Hargeisa International airport before being driven to the Nasa-Hablod graveside. A huge mourning crowd that included family members, relatives, fellow playwrights and singers, attended the state funeral accorded to poetry legend. Officials said, late Sugulle will forever be remembered for being a man of good virtue. Sugulle passed away at the age of 80 in Dubai on January 11.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Al-Shabaab Fighters Were Paid Sh10,000 ‘Monthly Stipend’
14 January – Source: Daily Nation – 321 Words
Al-Shabaab enticed its fighters with Sh10,000 every month to sustain attacks against Kenya, says a captured terrorist. Maalik Alim Jones, an American who was arrested in Somalia last month as he attempted to flee, told investigators that he was attached to a unit that carried out attacks in Kenya and was paid a $100 (Sh10,200) “monthly stipend”.
He was arrested on December 7 by Somali authorities and surrendered to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) agents, who questioned him. He was later charged in a United States court. The FBI findings were on Tuesday posted on the US Justice Department official website. The suspect is wanted by Kenyan authorities for the raid on the Baure military camp in Lamu, in which two soldiers died and 18 Al-Shabaab terrorists were killed on June 14 last year.
Jones is also wanted for the 2013 terror attacks in Mpeketoni and Hindi in which nearly 90 people died between June and July 2013. FBI special agent Mary Boese filed five terror-related complaints against him in the court showing he also fought against Kenyan troops in Somalia. The report says: “Jones was called to fight a battle in Afmadow, a town in Somalia. Jones brought his gear, including his AK-47 rifle, to Afmadow, where he and his unit immediately participated in a battle against soldiers of the Kenyan Government.”
Al-Shabaab lost that battle and suffered heavy casualties. Jones was injured by a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) missile. He was withdrawn from the battlefield and taken to hospital. After that he was involved in other missions. The battle in Afmadow is among the fiercest the Kenyan troops had with Al-Shabaab since entering Somalia in 2011.
Somalia Denies Inviting Al-Shabaab To Join Soccer League
14 January – Source: Aljazeera News – 216 Words
The Somali Football Federation on Thursday denied reports that it invited the al-Qaeda-linked rebel group Al-Shabaab to take part in the ongoing football league in the east African country. The BBC on Monday quoted the country’s football chief Abdi Qani Said Arab as saying that “if the militants like to play, they will be given a chance”. According to the report, Arab believes some Al-Shabaab members attend football matches in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. The football association dismissed the report as false:
“Football has nothing to do with politics. It is really very shameful experience that international media are going to mess something up,” the statement added. Al-Shabaab, which considers government officials and anyone working for the government as apostate, often carries out suicide attacks and targeted assassination against officials.
Football is the most popular sport in Somalia, a country of about 10 million people and Al-Shabab fighters, when not in the trenches, often take part in football games in areas under its control. Players in Al-Shabaab-controlled areas are not allowed to wear shorts and are encouraged to wear tracksuits which must reach below the knees.
Somali-Americans React To Obama’s Final State Of The Union Address
13 January – Source: MINNPOST – 485 Words
On a typical weeknight, the four flat-screen TVs inside the Capitol Café in Minneapolis buzz with European soccer matches, basketball games and reality shows. But that wasn’t the case on Tuesday night. The coffee shop was packed with scores of Somali-Americans who braved the bone-chilling cold to watch President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address. Those at the gathering included local political figures, educators and activists who came to learn about the president’s legislative agenda and national priorities — especially immigration and Muslim issues, which have recently dominated the headlines.
During his speech, the president painted a hopeful picture of the country’s future as he highlighted the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the recovering economy and his strategies to dismantle al-Qaeda leaders. Minneapolis Council Member Abdi Warsame was among the nearly 50 people at Capitol Café. “His speech was very inspirational and he spoke to the American people,” Warsame noted. “Barack Obama is very popular in our community. He’s an inspirational figure.”
Ilhan Omar, candidate for upcoming Minneapolis House District 60B, added that such political gatherings have become a tradition for the Somali community since Obama took office in 2008: “There are a lot of things that should resonate with new Americans,” Omar said of the speech: “Yes, we’re struggling with income inequality. We have one of the highest unemployment rates. We also have one of the highest poverty rates in Minnesota. So those kinds of things should resonate with our community, should give them the hope to continue and for them to sort of pay attention.”
Abdikadir Hassan, an organizer in Minneapolis, promoted the event on social media and even drove some to the café. “It’s important because we want the people to get involved and know the issues that they care [about],” he said. Meanwhile, two Minnesota Muslims were invited to attend the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., after Reps. Keith Ellison and Debbie Wasserman Schultz encouraged their counterparts to invite a constituent as their guest to the address.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Anyone can set up a website and claim to be a journalist. In some cases, stories have been published in order to blackmail public figures and businessmen and other members of the public. There are more than 1,000 websites operated by Somalis in the Diaspora – and the new media law will affect them too”.
Back To School For Somalia’s Journalists?
14 January – Source: BBC News – 543 Words
After more than two decades without any regulations, Somalia’s media is now bound by a new law which could put many journalists out of a job. It stipulates that they must all have a university degree in journalism – and also pass a government test when they register with the media commission, which will soon be set up. Some feel this is far too harsh a regulation given that during the anarchy of the long civil war, no universities offered journalism qualifications.
A university specialising in media has been established as the country emerges from years of conflict, but its students will not graduate until at least 2018. And one-year journalism master courses are not yet available: “We could all be put in jail for being illegal journalists in Somalia,” one colleague in the capital, Mogadishu, said. The new regulations fail to take into account the years of experience a journalist may have on reporting on Somalia’s complicated clan-based and religious violence.
However, others believe that given the danger of reporting in Somalia, journalists should be well qualified. According to the global media watchdog the Committee to Protect Journalists, 59 journalists have been killed in Somalia since 1992 – three last year. The law was drawn up in consultation with those involved in the media at home and in the diaspora, and is an attempt to tame web and social media content – some of which has been libellous or based on unverified information.
Anyone can set up a website and claim to be a journalist. In some cases, stories have been published in order to blackmail public figures and businessmen and other members of the public. There will now a fine of between $1,000 (£700) and $3,000 for anyone found guilty of libel. Though some question whether this will work as a deterrent given the large sums some are believed to extort. There are more than 1,000 websites operated by Somalis in the Diaspora – and the new media law will affect them too.
Some of them have representatives in the capital – and the authorities will have the authority to block sites that fall foul of the law. Other aspects of the media act, which came into effect this week, have been welcomed, including the section on freedom of speech. It says the media, including government-owned radio, television and websites, cannot be censored.