January 21, 2014| Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somali lawmakers go through name list of new council of ministers ahead of vote

20 Jan- Source: Radio RBC/Radio Dalsan- 206 words

Members of Somalia Parliament were given 24 hours to read the names of the newly appointed council of ministers as well as the program of the country’s new government before they have to vote for its confirmation on Wednesday. Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed on Monday presented the names of his 55 member cabinet to the lawmakers asked for the vote of confidence. Within the new government’s 15-pages program , there are widely explained sections defining national security and stabilization policy, forming political reconciliation, social services delivery and as well as the fight against terrorism. Lawmakers will have time in the next 24 hours to have their say on the new cabinet and its proposed program to lead the country, while the Prime Minister will appear in a parliamentary questioning session on Tuesday (today). Parliament Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari who chaired Monday’s sitting told the lawmakers to be prepared for Tuesday’s session whereby the parliamentarians will start debate on the government program to lead the country. According to the Speaker’s announcement, on Wednesdaythe lawmakers will vote for the confirmation of the new cabinet which the new cabinet will need 51% of vote in favor for its program in order to function.

Key Headlines

UN Envoy to Somalia congratulates the Interim Jubba Administration (UNSOM)
Banadir officials religious scholars discuss security situation (Radio Bar-kulan/RBC)
Somali lawmakers go through name list of new council of ministers ahead of vote (Radio RBC/Radio Dalsan)
Jubba Interim Administration Inaugurated (Somalicurrent/Radio Garowe)
Ethiopian forces to join AMISOM (Walta Information Centre)
Turkey hosts talks between Somalia and Somaliland (Todayszaman/Cihan)

PRESS STATEMENT

UN Envoy to Somalia congratulates the Interim Jubba Administration

20 Jan- Source: UNSOM- 213 words

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia (SRSG), Nicholas Kay, has welcomed the establishment of the Executive Council of the Interim Jubba Administration.

“I congratulate Leader Sheikh Ahmed Madobe Islan on the formal inauguration of the Interim Jubba Administration, as well as the appointed Deputy Leaders and Ministers. This is a milestone in the process of implementing the 27 August Addis Ababa Agreement,” SRSG Kay said during the inauguration ceremony in Kismayo.

He highlighted the need for the Administration to represent all the people of the three regions, with a special emphasis on women’s participation.

“I commend the Administration for their commitment to implementing the agreement and I encourage you to build on the progress made so far. Key outstanding issues such as the handover of the Kismayo airport and seaport and the return and reintegration of militias must be resolved as a matter of urgency,” he said.

“The United Nations will continue to work with international partners to mobilise resources in support of the Administration’s key priority areas and in the context of the New Deal compact. UNSOM is present in Kismayo and will continue to facilitate dialogue, offer technical assistance and support the Federal Government and the Interim Jubba Administration in the state formation process,” Mr. Kay added.

SOMALI MEDIA

Banadir officials, religious scholars discuss security situation

20 Jan- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/RBC/Radio Mogadishu- 118 words

Banadir administration officials and members from Somali Scholars Council on Monday met in Mogadishu to discuss measures to tighten up the fragile security of the region. Banadir Governor who is also the Mayor of Mogadishu, Mohamud Ahmed Nur Tarsan said that the religious scholars have a major role to play in improving the security of the region. He said that his administration’s continued engagements with various groups in the region are part of many measures aimed at enhancing development and security gains in recent years. Meanwhile, Somali Scholars Council chairman Sheikh Bashir Ahmed Salad welcomed the call of scholars’ participation in the efforts to improve the situation of the region.

Somali lawmakers go through name list of new council of ministers ahead of vote

20 Jan- Source: Radio RBC/Radio Dalsan- 206 words

Members of Somalia Parliament were given 24 hours to read the names of the newly appointed council of ministers as well as the program of the country’s new government before they have to vote for its confirmationon Wednesday. Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed on Monday presented the names of his 55 member cabinet to the lawmakers asked for the vote of confidence. Within the new government’s 15-pages program , there are widely explained sections defining national security and stabilization policy, forming political reconciliation, social services delivery and as well as the fight against terrorism. Lawmakers will have time in the next 24 hours to have their say on the new cabinet and its proposed program to lead the country, while the Prime Minister will appear in a parliamentary questioning session on Tuesday (today). Parliament Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari who chaired Monday’s sitting told the lawmakers to be prepared for Tuesday’s session whereby the parliamentarians will start debate on the government program to lead the country. According to the Speaker’s announcement, on Wednesday the lawmakers will vote for the confirmation of the new cabinet which the new cabinet will need 51% of vote in favor for its program in order to function.

Somaliland Ministry of Interior provides aid to Buhodle

20 Jan- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Somaliland Informer/Horncabletv/RBC- 14 words

Somaliland Minister of Interior, Ali Mohamed Waran-adde has delivered aid assistance to Buhodle in an attempt to enhance the capacity of the district hospital, the police station and the orphanage centers in the town. Meanwhile, the minister held a meeting with business communities, traditional leaders and civil society representatives to discuss business and security matters in the region. He noted that there is a greater need of cooperation between the locals and the district administration in order to improve the security and the basic services of the region. Waran-added later headed to Aricadde area to broker reconciliation talks between two local clan militias in that area.

Jubba Interim Administration Inaugurated

20 Jan- Source: Somalicurrent/Radio Garowe- 311 words

On 20th January, Somalia took a step further towards institution of an all-inclusive federal system, with the inauguration of the Jubba Interim Administration Executive Council. The administration was recognized by the Somali Federal Government in August last year and the Executive Council launched today, is comprised of the President, his two Deputies and 10 ministers. The ceremony comes as a result of months of reconciliation efforts, championed by IGAD brokered talks held in Addis Ababa last year.A reconciliation conference was then held in Mogadishu in November last year, followed by a two day visit to Kismayo by the Somali President H.E Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, to strengthen the reconciliation drive.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Ethiopian forces to join AMISOM

20 Jan- Source: Walta Information Centre- 429 words

Soldiers from Ethiopia’s National Defense Force in Somalia are set to be brought under the command of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). The African Union’s Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Smal Chergui, reportedly revealed this at a meeting of the AU’s security arm in Addis Ababa early last week. According to him, the move is expected to increase the capacity of AMISOM to secure areas liberated and to free up other areas currently under the control of the al Qaeda linked al Shabaab. “This will enable us, together with our brothers in arms from Somalia, to resume military operations against the terrorist group al Shabaab, in order to create favorable conditions for further progress in the political process and the successful holding of elections in 2016,” he remarked.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Turkey hosts talks between Somalia and Somaliland

20 Jan- Source: Todayszaman/Cihan- 278 words

Turkey hosted the third official talks between Somalia and Somaliland for the improvement of relations and political dialogue between the country and its autonomous zone on Jan. 16-19 in Ä°stanbul. Releasing a statement on Monday, the Foreign Ministry said that during the inter-delegation meeting, the two sides had agreed on a final statement. The creation of an office in Turkey to assure the steps that will be taken, the rules that will be followed, the resolution process and the institutionalization of talks is among the points that were agreed on during the meetings. The two sides also expressed a commitment to holding talks every 90 days.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“The masculinized configuration of governance and socially constructed gendered hierarchy undervalue women’s contributions.”

Masculinization of Somali Politics and Gender Disparity

20 Jan- Source: Somali Current-1086 Words

Against the backdrop of traditional Somali’s masculinity of politics, a few educated women rose to prominence between 1950s and 1960s to expand women’s access to politics. In order for women to claw their way in the male-dominated political landscape, a group of prominent female scholars and activists that included Fadumo Ureji, Dahabo Farah and Sirad Yusuf established Somali Women’s Movement in 1968 to foster women’s rights, empowerment, and equal opportunity in the polity. Having witnessed how women were subject to widespread discrimination that marked them as secondary citizens and women were outsiders to the formal structures of political life, such as holding elective office, those elitists campaigned real hard to get their voice heard. When Siad Barre government came to power on October 21, 1969, members of the Somali Women’s Movement met with the president and convinced him to include women in local, regional and national political processes. Because of women’s commonality, consistent struggle and persistent effort to promote equality yielded a concrete result. Somali president Mohamed Siad Barre appointed several women as ministers and ambassadors. Among the women who held prominent positions in the society were Raqio, Marian Farah, Ureji, Fadumo Omar Hashi and many others.