January 5, 2012 | Morning Headlines.
 |
PRESS RELEASENational Security Committee met about the parliamentary crises05 Jan – Source: TFG – 292 words An ordinary meeting was held yesterday by the National Security Committee. The agenda of the meeting was about the Security situation of the country and the current political crisis in the Parliament. The meeting which was chaired by the President of Somalia, H.E. Sheikh Sharif sheikh Ahmed and was participated by the Speaker of the Parliament, the Prime Minister of the TFG, the deputy Prime Minister The Committee taking into account the difficulty situation the country is in, the existing security and political condition of the country and the persistent meetings which have caused fighting among the members of Parliament, and to safeguard the name and the honour of the nation, have decided on the following: a) That today’s meeting, and the preceding ones, which caused the fighting, are illegal as well as null and void. b) That an investigation should be undertaken immediately in connection to the crimes committed against persons and the damage to the national property and the parliament building. c) In order to stop the reoccurrence of further crisis and to get the country out of the difficulty situation it is in; the completion and the approval of the new constitution as well as the selection of the new parliament should be speeded up. Finally, the National Security committee is requesting from all the members of the parliament to respect the Transitional Federal Charter which is the basis of the countries’ laws. |
Key Headlines
|
|
PRESS RELEASEThousands of Women gathered at the Somali National Theatre in show of support for Garowe meeting05 Jan – Source: TFG – 240 words A group of women from Banaadir province matched in a single file in the road between the Somali Youth League (SYL) monument and Xawo Tako while celebrating a day they named “the match of the Three thousand Somali women”. The occasion was organised by the ministry of Women and family affairs and Hodan Isse, the wife of the Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali was the guest of honour at the occasion. Flowers were place at the Hawo tako monument which is a sculpture erected in her honour. Hawo Tako was one of the freedom fighters of the country. The women finally gathered at the Somali National Theatre where they performed plays, sung songs and made merry. The women showed their support and appreciation for the Garowe consultative meeting which was held on 21 to 23 December 2011. They also commended the 30% allocation of women in the constituent assembly. They asked the government to give the women their designated share of the constituent assembly in the Garowe meeting. The women wrapped clothing of white and green colour around their heads. The white symbolized how they love peace and the green implied prosperity, the women said. Meanwhile, the wife of the Prime Minister, Hodan Isse, the minister of women Aasho, legislature Khadijo Diiriye, Batuula and other women leaders delivered speeches at the occasion that touched on different issues which all focused on the unity of the women, supporting peace and also support the transitional federal government. Press release on the cabinet session, Mogadishu, Jan 5th 20125 Jan – Source: TFG – 324 words In a meeting held by the Somali cabinet which was chaired by Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, the ministers discussed a number of issues among which was the security issues, the humanitarian activities and also appointment of ambassadors and embassies in foreign countries. The ministers affirmed that there is improved security and serenity in Mogadishu but said there is need for coordination and cooperation between the public and the government in order to maintain security. Every region of the capital should be responsible for maintaining security, the ministers agreed. The committee of ministers tasked for drought issues presented a report. The report examined how the humanitarian activities are going on. The committee said the resettlement of the IDPs is so far making progress and some 1500 families were resettled. The government’s policy is to help the IDPs to resettle and create development programs that will aid them. The minister for foreign affairs who is also the deputy prime minister brought the name of Khalif Kadiye Muse before the ministers for them to debate on his suitability to be the ambassador of Somalia to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The minister explained the experience and expertise of Khalif Kadiye to the minister adding that he has vast experience in diplomacy. After a lengthy discussion, the cabinet minister unanimously agreed Khalif Kadiye Muse to be the emissary of Somalia to Iran. Lastly, the Prime Minister Abdiweli said he had met with the joint committee which comprises of the government, Puntland administration, Galmudug State and Ahlu Sunna on third of January. The premier formed the joint committee to realize smooth implementation of the constitution which constitutes giving ideas on the best way to realize its implementation and also preparation of constituent assembly which signifies representation of all Somali parties and stakeholders. The premier Abdiweli reiterated the inevitability of the ministries to offer services to the people urging them to reduce their journeys to outside countries and also interact with the public. SOMALI MEDIAIslamic aid agency donates food aid to Somalia05 Jan – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 169 words A faith-based aid agency, the Islamic Foundation of the Maldives has donated vital food aid to over 80,000 victims of famine in drought-stricken Somalia. In a press statement released today, the religious NGO claimed that the food aid which included rice, flour, sugar, dates and cooking oil was handed over to 84,040 Somalis. According to IFM, food items worth $23,683 were equally distributed among 10,050 households belonging to the four worst hit areas of Bay, Bakol, Lower Shabelle and Banadir. Bomb blast in Beledweyne05 Jan – Source: Garowe Online – 187 words A bomb blast went off Wednesday night when a grenade was thrown at a military convoy that was passing by in the city of Beledweyne capital of Hiran province, Garowe reports. Local forces alongside Ethopian troops recently conducted military operations that forced al Shabaab insurgents to flee the city of Beledweyne which was a stronghold for their terrorist organization. Heavy fighting in Southern Somalia05 Jan- Source: Somalia Report- 177 words TFG forces, with the support of the Kenyan Defense Forces, pro-government militias of Ras Kamboni and the Ahlusunna Waljamaa militia, have advanced on southern districts controlled by al Shabaab, according to reports from Lower Juba and Gedo. At least 25 people were killed and more than 40 injured when four separate instances of fighting broke out in Gedo and Lower Juba over the last 24 hours. The heaviest fighting took place in Hayo village near the Afmadow district, Lower Juba. Mogadishu elders attend one-day forum for experience sharing05 Jan – Source: Hiiraan Online – 426 words More than 50 traditional elders living Mogadishu attended a one-day forum for experience sharing. The objective of the forum was to strengthen the traditional elders’ roles in peace building through participation in decision-making and community cohesion. The participants watched a documentary film about traditional roles played by Somaliland traditional elders. Authorities in Abudwak warn of fake Somali currency in circulation05 Jan- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 117 words Abudwak District Commissioner, Hassan Abdi Alas, has on Thursday called on local traders in the district and the entire public to be watchful of fake Somali currency in circulation. The DC said the fake notes circulating in the district will lead to inflation in the area if precautions are not taken. He threatened that his administration will take actions against individuals found in possession of the fake notes. REGIONAL MEDIAAU agrees to increase AMISOM troops by over 500005 Jan- Source: Panapress- 269 words The African Union Peace and Security Council Thursday adopted a recommendation by regional defence chiefs to increase the troop size of its mission in Somalia by over 5,000. Defence chiefs from the East Africa grouping IGAD and AMISOM troops contributing countries on Wednesday met in Addis Ababa and developed a new strategy for AMISOM, in the wake of an Ethiopian incursion into the stronghold of the al Shabaab insurgents and a military operation by the Kenyan army in Somalia. Nine land mines fond at Ifo refugee camp05 Jan – Source: The Star – 100 words Nine landmines suspected to be the ones used by al Shabaab were found yesterday afternoon in an abandoned house at the Ifo refugee camp in Dadaab. According to a source, the explosives ere identified by police after being tipped off by a refugee who lives in the camp.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIASomalia and Ethiopia: Might things get better for once?07 Jan- Source: The Economist- 621 Words How many countries does it take to chase away a ragtag band of al-Qaeda fighters? In Somalia, the answer is a hatful. The country has a “transitional” government that has for years failed to put up a serious challenge to the al-Qaeda-linked Shabab militia. Backing the government are soldiers from Burundi, Djibouti and Uganda who are fighting the al Shabaab under an African Union mandate. African Union adds year to mandate of Somalia force05 Jan – Source: New York Time – 170 words The AU said Thursday that it had extended the mandate of its peacekeeping force in Somalia by 12 months and that it hoped to increase the mission’s size to close to 18,000 troops to help in the fight against al Shabaab rebels. The African Union’s Peace and Security Council urged the United Nations Security Council to endorse the expansion of the force “to take advantage of the unique opportunity created by the operations being conducted against al Shabaab in different parts of Somalia.” AU: Somalia’s al Shabaab being ‘systematically destroyed’05 Jan – Source: VOA News – 510 words Africa’s top security official says the allied military offensive currently underway in Somalia is systematically destroying the al-Qaida linked militant group al Shabaab. The AU is asking the UN to fund a final push aimed at crushing al Shabaab by August. The AU Thursday endorsed and sent to the U.N. Security Council a request to increase the strength of its AMISOM military mission in Somalia from 12,000 to 17,700 troops. Somali advocate represents refugee community at UNHCR ministerial meeting04 Jan – Source: UNHCR- 716 words Fatuma Elmi, a resettled refugee from Somalia, recently attended an international conference on the world’s forcibly displaced and stateless organized the UN refugee agency.The meeting took place last month at the organization’s headquarters in Geneva. For the past 15 years, Elmi has worked at Lutheran Social Services in Minnesota, helping new refugees find jobs and education opportunities in the United States. SOCIAL MEDIACULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDSA different taste of Somalia, with extras05 Jan – Source: Daily Nation – 591 Words Mark Gitonga relishes the days when he goes out to eat with his friends. The university student says that in the past few years, he has had to change his eatery joints in the central business district because of the rising prices of food. Now, he says, he has found a better alternative: Somali cuisine. “In Somali restaurants, the prices are a bit lower and the portions are bigger,” says Gitonga, as he takes a handful of rice. “I enjoy it here.” With the main market in Eastleigh almost full of eateries and cafés, most serving Somali cuisine, Somali restaurants are now spreading out to the Nairobi city centre. Following the opening of Al-Yusra Restaurant in 2007, several other Somali restaurants have been established in the commercial district. City Star Restaurant, Hamdi, Pronto, Rayan and Sagal are some of the restaurants that have set camp to compete for clients seeking an alternative gastronomy. The restaurants basically serve huge portions of food at relatively low prices. Also, they create a more serene environment that is radically different from their rivals in Eastleigh. They have been able to attract a sizeable number of customers who are eager to pay for economical yet quality food. “We are here to stay,” said Ahmed Farah, the manager of Hamdi Restaurant, which was opened in May 2011 just next to Trattoria Restaurant. “We try to offer a nice combination of pricing and food quality in order to attract and retain customers.” Pirate hijacking continues04 Jan- Source: Global Post Blog As piracy off the coast of Somalia continues, new research studies how these pirates invest money. Piracy emanating from the coast of Somalia is not going away. News of hijackings ebbs and flows with the monsoon seasons. The monsoons make the seas too rough for pirate skiffs to navigate for months at a time, but when the storms stop and the waters calm the pirates come out again. Every year. Without fail. Nobody yet has a solution to the problem. Some countries now permit armed private security guards on vessels flying their flag and many nations have contributed to the three international naval fleets that patrol the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, but this deals with symptoms not causes. Worth looking out for is this new research from which sets out to track the spending of pirates’ ill-gotten gains using satellite imagery. The study will be released on January 12 by the Royal Institute for International Affairs in London. SPECIAL COVERAGE: Two decades, one Somalia04 Jan – Source: Reuters AlertNet- 245 words Two decades after Somalia’s military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted, AlertNet brings you special coverage of the country which has struggled without a strong central government ever since. We speak to Somalis in Mogadishu about what life was like in 1991 and what it has become. There’s also a humanitarian snapshot, a timeline, a slideshow and a collection of things you might not know about the Horn of Africa country. |
|