January 6, 2014| Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Puntland Electoral Commission releases presidential candidate requirements

05 Jan- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Garowe/Horseedmedia- 134 words

Puntland Electoral Commission has on Sunday released the requirements set for all presidential candidates to fulfill before the presidential elections on Wednesday. Speaking at a press conference in Garowe, Sadik Abshir Garad, the spokesman for the Electoral Commission announced that all candidates are now required to pay 10 thousand dollars to have their names registered, candidate must be a Muslim, over 40 years of age, has leadership experience and has no criminal records. Meanwhile, the commission urged all the presidential hopefuls to submit their final applications on Tuesday, a day before the elections. At least 15 candidates are vying for the top post in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland which is due to be held on Wednesday in Garowe, the administrative capital of Puntland.

Key Headlines

Prime Minister holds first meeting with UN Special Representative Nicholas Kay (OPM)
Puntland Electoral Commission releases presidential candidate requirements (Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Garowe)
Unknown disease affects nomadic villages in Lower Juba Somalia (Radio Dalsan)
Puntland parliament elects new Speaker (Somali Current/BBC Somali Service)
Bay and Bakool officials support three-region semiautonomous state formation (Radio Bar-kulan)
Prime Minister congratulates Puntland on election of new Speaker of Parliament (OPM)
Hundreds of newly trained forces join Somali army (Hiiraan Online)
Al Shabaab militia kidnaps WHO official in Bay region (Radio Garowe/Frontierfm)
Group prepares Somali refugees in Kenya for repatriation (Standard)
Dialogue between Somalia-Somaliland postponed for the third time running (Somaliland Informer/Somalilandpress)
14 die of diarrhoea in Sanag (Radio Ergo)
Mine blast kills two in Somali capital (Hiiraan Online/Shabelle)
Somalia faces logistical challenges in issuing new passports (Sabahi Online)
British weapons could be arming Somali pirates (independent)
Training helps Somalis get a fresh start (ICRC)

PRESS STATEMENT

Prime Minister congratulates Puntland on election of new Speaker of Parliament

05 Jan- Source: Office of the Prime Minister- 198 words

His Excellency Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed congratulates Puntland State of Somalia on the election of a new Speaker and two Deputy Speakers of the Puntland Parliament. The Speakers were elected by the 66 MPs of the Puntland Parliament and will serve a term of five years.

The Prime Minister, said: “I welcome these elections and want to congratulate the new Speaker, Saeed Hassan Shire, and his two Deputy Speakers, Abdihamid Sheik Abdisalam and Hussein Yassin Diriye, on their election by Puntland MPs. They now have a duty to serve both the Puntland Parliament and people of Puntland but also greater Somalia.

“The improved security and stability in Puntland have provided the safe environment for these elections to take place.

“Puntland is leading the way on the development towards a federal Somalia and the country is looking to them at this important moment in our nation’s history. I urge and encourage Puntland to ensure that the Presidential elections are peaceful, free, fair and transparent.

“I wish all candidates in the upcoming elections good luck and look forward to working with the newly elected President of Puntland State.”

Prime Minister holds first meeting with UN Special Representative Nicholas Kay

04 Jan- Source: Office of the Prime Minister- 264 words

His Excellency Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed, today welcomed The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia, Nicholas Kay, to Villa Somalia for their first meeting since becoming Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister thanked Special Representative Kay for the UN’s continued support rebuilding Somalia and looked forward to a positive and constructive relationship going forward. SRSG Kay congratulated His Excellency Prime Minister Ahmed on his appointment. The Prime Minister and Special Representative discussed the formation of a new Cabinet, roadmap to elections in 2016 and international support to Somalia through the New Deal.

“The relationship between the UN and Somalia goes back many years. We welcome your continued support and there is a lot we will be working together on this year, especially my government’s agenda of peace, security and nation-building,” Prime Minister Ahmed said.

The pair discussed the expansion of security operations against al Shabaab following the UN Security Council’s approved expansion of AMISOM forces and greater logistical support to the SNA. SRSG Kay passed on his condolences for the victims of the attempted attack on Al Jazeera Hotel.

“Our security forces in partnership with AMISOM continue to expand their area of operations and liberate further towns from al Shabaab control with the tempo of operations set to increase in the coming months,” the Prime Minister said. “We are in agreement that it is crucial that security and military operations are in coordination with the expansion of governance and local administrations on the ground in liberated towns and regions.”

SOMALI MEDIA

Puntland Electoral Commission releases presidential candidate requirements

05 Jan- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Garowe- 134 words

Dialogue between Somalia-Somaliland postponed for the third time running

05 Jan- Source: Somaliland Informer/Somalilandpress- 126 words

Somaliland Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Mohamed Biihi Yonis has announced that the talks between Somalia-Somaliland has been postponed for the third time running which was supposed to resume in Turkey this week. The FM said this at a press conference on Sunday at his office. He also said that the talks have been delayed due to request from the government in Mogadishu and that it is expected to open on the15th Jan. A delegation from Somaliland was supposed to leave for Turkey on Sunday but they also postponed their trip. It was just few days when Somaliland FM stated that the dialogue between the two sides were about to begin in Turkey which is facilitating the smooth going of the talks.

Unknown disease affects nomadic villages in Lower Juba, Somalia

05 Jan- Source: Radio Dalsan- 139 words

According to health officials in Somalia’s Lower Juba region, unknown disease has spread in the some parts of the region affecting at least three people up-to now. Adan Ibrahim Dhaqane who is a health officer in Hoosingo town has told Radio Dalsan that the unknown disease has spread in the nomadic villages where the pastorals live and the sanitation is poor. “People feel very sick and then start to vomit and diarrhea with internal bleeding,” Dhaqane said. The local health officials say that they believe the disease entered the area through the nomadic villages despite there were no any professional investigation made. Due to the dry winter season and water shortage in many parts of the rural areas in Somalia, the health officials are concerned that poor sanitation could help spread the disease.

Puntland parliament elects new Speaker

04 Jan- Source: Somali Current/BBC Somali Service/Garowe Online-109 words

Puntland Parliament has elected Said Hassan Shire as the new Speaker of the house ahead of the regional election on 8 January. Mr Shire won after beating former Puntland Parliament Speaker Abdirashid Mohamed Hersi who was his rival in the third round of the election. Four other candidates were running for the position. The parliament has also elected Abdihamid Shekh Abdisalam as The First deputy Speaker, while Hussein Yasin Dirie was elected as The Second Deputy Speaker. The Speaker and his deputies will take the oath the next two to three days. The regional parliament is expected to elect the puntland’s president, which nearly twenty candidates are contesting for.

Bay and Bakool officials support three-region semiautonomous state formation

05 Jan- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 116 words

Traditional elders and officials from Bay and Bakol regions held a meeting in Baidoa to support the idea of forming a three-region semiautonomous state in south-western Somalia. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamed has recently urged Somali politicians and delegates in Baidoa to work on the formation of a three-region semiautonomous state. Deputy Governor of Bay region, Shina Maallim Nurow who spoke at the meeting said that his administration welcomes the idea of the three-region state formation. Traditional elders from Bay and Bakol regions also expressed their contentment with the idea. Meanwhile, some Somali politicians who are participating in the Baidoa Conference have called for a five-region semiautonomous state.

Hundreds of newly trained forces join Somali army

04 Jan- Source: Hiiraan Online- 342 words

New contingents of Somalia’s armed forces have successfully ended months-long training sessions at the ill-equipped 21st military training base in the city of Dhusamareeb, the provincial capital of Somalia’s central Galgadud region on Saturday. Top Somali army officials, the region’s governor and high-ranking officers from the moderate Islamist group Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a attended a colourful ceremony on Saturday which intended to mark on the graduation of 600 new recruits who ended four-month long military training at the recently reopened 21st camp.

Al Shabaab militia kidnaps WHO official in Bay region

04 Jan- Source: Radio Garowe/Frontierfm/Risaala Radio-121 words

Gunmen from al Qaeda linked al Shabaab group Saturday abducted a Somali official working for the World Health Organization (WHO) in Bay region of southern Somalia. The WHO official whose name was identified as Dr. Abukar Hashim was providing medical services in vicinity that is situated about 15 km from Bay regional district of Buur-Hakaba when the gunmen kidnapped. Witnesses reported that Dr. Hashim was hand-picked from a group of people and immediately transported by car to the town of Dinsoor under heavy security. “Dr. Hashim has been kidnapped and we are feeling grave concern over his condition,” one of his relatives said. WHO has been carrying out immunization campaign in the region where al Shabaab militants still maintain presence.

14 die of diarrhoea in Sanag

04 Jan- Source: Radio Ergo- 137 words

At least 14 people have died in a diarrhoea outbreak in the rural villages of Elbuh and Hingalol in the northern region of Sanag. Dr Abdi Mohamud Muse in Elbuh village told Radio Ergo’s local reporter most of the deaths had been of children. The outbreak was first reported in mid-December last year. Dr Muse linked it to the deyr season rains and poor sanitation and hygiene in the area. Some 300 patients, most of them children, are estimated to be infected. Local doctor Ahmed Ashware said there are more than 80 patients in his village, Hingalol. Doctors operating in the two villages have said they are running out of basic drugs due to the large numbers of diarrhoea patients coming to the medical centres. They warned that more patients may die due to the drug shortage.

Mine blast kills two in Somali capital

04 Jan- Source: Hiiraan Online/Shabelle- 214 words

An explosion that rocked parts of the Yaqshid District, north of the capital Mogadishu, claiming the lives of at least two people, one of them a civilian, witnesses told HOL on Saturday. Residents said that the blast targeting a Somali military vehicle killed one soldier and a bypasser when the explosion took place. Somali government hasn’t yet given details about the explosion. “The explosion seemed to be a land mine targeting a military vehicle in the Arafat neighbourhood in the Yaqshid district” the witness told HOL on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Group prepares Somali refugees in Kenya for repatriation

04 Jan- Source: Standard- 287 words

Following government announcement of plans to close Dadaab camp, volunteers are preparing families for what they termed as inevitable repatriation. Formal and informal volunteers have been convening town hall meetings or conducting door-to-door campaigns in the camp to encourage refugees to prepare to go back home. Interior and Coordination of National Government Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku in November ordered the closure of refugee camps and asked all aid agencies supporting the families to move their operations to Somalia.

Somalia faces logistical challenges in issuing new passports

03 Jan- Source: Sabahi Online- 564 words

A new process for obtaining passports requires Somalis to provide a birth certificate, an identification card from the local government and a certificate from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) proving they have no outstanding crimes.But with many municipal governments across the country non-functional and the CID’s operations limited to Mogadishu, the new passport process might not be available to most citizens, observers say.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

British weapons could be arming Somali pirates

05 Jan- Source: independent- 477 words

The Government has been forced into an urgent review over why nearly 44,000 guns in only 15 months were sent to tackle piracy in East Africa and a number of repressive regimes. MPs have accused the Business Department of a potential security risk, by approving the exports while failing to look into why British security firms needed so many assault rifles and pistols in countries with poor human rights records, such as Sri Lanka, Egypt and the Maldives.

Training helps Somalis get a fresh start

03 Jan- Source: ICRC- 4:11 min

In Somalia, decades of conflict and natural calamities have frustrated the normal coping strategies of its otherwise resilient population. To mitigate the impact of recurrent shocks to Somali livelihoods, the ICRC helps vulnerable groups start small businesses by offering vocational training to improve their skills, and then providing them with the capital investment or tool kits they need to start the business. This video shows examples of such programmes – training of young men as mechanics, carpenters and electricians and women as dressmakers.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“Scottish writer Karen Campbell’s latest book, This Is Where I Am, is a massive 464-page work of fiction — but there is no lag in the storyline. And while the pages turn, it does so in an absorbing manner — you cannot race through this book. It is written in the first person singular, so the first few pages take a bit of sorting, since the story is being told from the point of view of the two principal characters. It is clever writing that etches out the two characters just by the way they talk and think. One is a refugee from Somalia, and the other is a Scottish Refugee Council volunteer. One is male, African, tall, young and handsome. The other is petite, middle-aged, and recently widowed.”

A refugee’s tale

05 Jan-Source: Decan Herald-806 Words

Abdi, the Somali refugee in Scotland, is understandably all at sea in a strange land, far removed from the strife-torn Somalia that he fled, or North Eastern Kenya, where he and thousands of others stayed in a rough refugee camp. To confound matters, Abdi has a small daughter, all of four years, who has been in shocked with the horrors she has witnessed in the refugee camp at Kenya, that she has stopped speaking. Deborah is trying to come to terms with the death of her husband, and has joined the Scottish Refugee Council as a volunteer to try and piece her life back together. She is assigned to mentor Abdi, to help him get absorbed as a citizen of Scotland. It is an interesting relationship that builds up between these three wounded birds. The early pages have some wonderful imagery and interesting usage of Scottish words. Abdi is still trying to learn English, and there are several powerful passages when he tries to make sense of simple English terms like ‘breathing easy.’ Here, he compares the terrified holding of his breath while atop a tree and watching friends being butchered by soldiers, and then, “…when they go, you can ‘breathe easier.’”

“The world needs to introduce confidence-building measures for the Somalis and provide them with tools to forge their identity and pursue a stable and prosperous future. Only then will the forces of destruction be kept at bay.”

Somalia needs constructive international assistance

04 Jan- Source: Gulf News-233 Words

Recent bombings in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu seem to indicate that even though al Shabab, the banned terrorist group, does not have the support of the people its writ continues to run by the use of terror and mayhem. It is now a source of worry for Somalis, that this outfit which announced its association with al Qaeda in 2012, has now turned its focus from the rural areas of the southern and central parts of the country to focus on wreaking havoc on the cities. Somalia has ceased to function as a state. To deliver itself from the current problem, it must focus on working with international aid and financial organisations and haul itself back on track to create an environment for change — both for the people and for a stable state. The youth of the country, disillusioned with the apathy of the state, can easily fall prey to terrorist and fundamentalist forces who are looking to recruit to bolster their numbers.