January 9, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report
Al-Shabaab On The Run And Are Fleeing To Puntland, Says President Farmaajo
09 January – Source: Dhacdo.com – 112 Words
The President of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has said members of the Al-Shabaab group who are on the run have entered Puntland State where they are hiding from security forces. The president said with group feeling increasing pressure they have now resorted to escaping to other regions.
He specifically mentioned that the fighters who are running away from the regular airstrikes in Southern Somalia have now reached the Bari region in Puntland. He added: “When they feel pressure, they go to areas where they say they can get refuge. I am saying they have now entered the mountainous region of Puntland. We all have one enemy whether in Puntland or in Southern Somalia,”
Key Headlines
- Al-Shabaab On The Run And Are Fleeing To Puntland Says President Farmaajo (Dhacdo.com)
- Somalia President Cuts Ribbon Of Renovated Garowe Airport In Puntland (Horn Observer)
- Roadside Bomb Hits Military Vehicle In Mogadishu No Casualties (Radio Dalsan)
- Somali Federal And AMISOM Forces Clear Roadblocks In Hiran Region (Goobjoog News)
- Millions Of Children Across Somalia Vaccinated Against Measles In UN-backed Campaign (UN News Centre)
- After Years Of Conflict Somalia Eager To Recapture Former Glory As Tourism Destination (UNSOM)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia President Cuts Ribbon Of Renovated Garowe Airport In Puntland
08 January – Source: Horn Observer – 109 Words
Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, who has been on official visit to the federal state of Puntland, has on Monday cut the ribbon of the newly completed Garowe Airport, officials said. Puntland President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas said that they had been trying improve the standards of the airport to meets international standards.
“The federal government is required to cover the completion of the airport and cover the training for the airport staff and the equipment” said the Puntland President. President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo thanked Puntland government and its people for the democracy they have achieved and commended their struggle in constructing an international airport that has international standards.
Roadside Bomb Hits Military Vehicle In Mogadishu, No Casualties
09 January – Source: Radio Dalsan – 98 Words
A bomb explosion was heard Tuesday morning in parts of the Somali capital, Mogadishu which targeted the government forces, witnesses and police said. A witness, speaking to Radio Shabelle said a military vehicle transporting Somali soldiers came under roadside bomb attack near Shirkole junction in Mogadishu.
After the blast, the troops cordoned off the scene and halted public transport and people’s movement for a few minutes, according to the witness. It was not immediately clear the exact casualty figures of the attack and no group has so far claimed responsibility for the incident.
Somali Federal And AMISOM Forces Clear Roadblocks In Hiran Region
08 January – Source: Goobjoog News – 108 Words
Somali federal forces backed by AMISOM troops are clearing road barriers between Beledweyne and Mahaas towns in Hiran region, HirShabelle state. Speaking to the media, spokesperson for the Hiran administration Mohamed Ibrahim Dabaashe noted the ongoing security operation is smoothly running according to plans and eliminated Al-Shabaab fighters from their hideouts in some locations.
“The soldiers marched towards locations between Beledweyne and Mahaas towns. Al-Shabaab fighters disappeared into different ways” said Spokesperson Dabaashe. He also mentioned the government force and AMISOM troops did not meet any resistance during the operation. Al-Shabaab fighters has besieged several locations in Hiran region economically by cutting off feeding roads entering those locations.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Millions Of Children Across Somalia Vaccinated Against Measles In UN-backed Campaign
08 January – Source: UN News Centre – 347 Words
One million children aged six months to 10 years in Puntland and 4.2 million across Somalia were reached during a five-day measles campaign that wrapped up on Sunday, the United Nations has reported. “It is a priority for WHO [World Health Organization] to continue supporting the Ministry of Health and maintaining the close partnership with the local health authorities and partners to control disease outbreaks like measles and ensure high vaccination coverage for all Somali children,” said Dr. Ghulam Popal, WHO Representative to Somalia. “It is unfortunate that measles cases are still being reported while there is effective vaccine available,” he added.
The campaign was conducted in partnership with WHO, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Somalia’s Ministry of Health. In 2017, amidst a drought emergency, a total of 23,002 suspected measles cases were reported – alarmingly high compared to previous years. Among those cases, 83 per cent were in children under age 10.
In response to the outbreak, two rounds of vaccination campaigns were conducted in March and April of 2017, reaching 516,934 children aged nine months to five years. “Together with our partners, UNICEF was able to achieve great results for children and families affected by drought in 2017,” says Jesper Moller, UNICEF’s acting Representative. “However, the crisis is far from over,” he continued. “The threat of famine continues to loom large, and so does disease outbreaks such as measles.”
During the campaign, a support dose of Vitamin A will be administered to eligible children alongside the measles vaccine. Social mobilizers and health workers supported by WHO and UNICEF are also encouraging adults who are not fully immunized, or not sure of their immunity status, to get vaccinated as well. “The only way to protect children from this deadly disease is through mass vaccination campaigns. And we will remain vigilant and sustain our emergency efforts in 2018,” Mr. Moller concluded.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“It will take decades to make Somalia a viable tourism destination that can compete with the likes of Uganda, Tanzania and neighbouring Kenya. But the federal government’s Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, is moving forward with plans to promote the country and put Somalia firmly back on the map of international tourism,”
After Years Of Conflict, Somalia Eager To Recapture Former Glory As Tourism Destination
07 January – Source: UNSOM – 636 Words
Once, in the 1960s and 70s, it was known as the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean.” That was before decades of armed conflict and instability drove visitors away from Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, leaving a once-thriving tourism a distant memory. However, there are steps underway to return it, and the rest of the country, to its former glory as a haven for tourists seeking a mix of beach, culture and history – so much so that in some quarters, the country’s neglected tourism sector, while still in its nascent stages, is being touted as a potential catalyst of significant economic growth and employment in coming years.
That prospect received a boost last September when Somalia was admitted as the 157th member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) at the organization’s general assembly meeting in Chengdu, China. According to the UNWTO, which helps destinations position themselves in global tourism markets, the spread of tourism in industrialized and developed states has produced economic and employment benefits in many related sectors from construction and agriculture to telecommunications.
It adds that developing countries particularly stand to benefit from sustainable tourism and acts to help make this a reality. The outbreak of civil war in 1991 triggered the collapse of Somalia’s once-promising tourism sector, and for the ensuing 25 years the only foreigners who visited the country tended to be diplomats, aid workers, African Union peacekeepers and employees of the United Nations and other international organizations.
Though still modest, the number of bona fide tourists arriving from Europe, Asia and the United States has been on the rise in recent months. “Now we have lots of people daring to come to Somalia. (Last) year alone we hosted almost 40 non-Somalis, most of them Europeans,” said Noor Hassan, a tour operator with the Mogadishu-based Sahan Hotspot Travellers firm.
TOP TWEETS
@HarunMaruf: BREAKING: Humanitarian NGOs working in Somalia have strongly condemned recent forced evictions and destruction of 21 IDP settlements near Mogadishu leaving 5807 vulnerable households homeless. The eviction waa carried out by govt forces including police according to witnesses.
@Hamza_Africa: Rapists in #Somalia‘s northern region of#Somaliland now stand to face at least 30 years in prison.
@issafrica: Live online from Addis Ababa tomorrow: View on Africa: #AMISOM’s future in #Somaliahttps://issafrica.org/events/
@HarunMaruf: IED explosion has been reported at 21-October road just before 7am #Mogadishu time, targeting security forces on patrol, several casualties reported: sources. #Somalia
@MofaSomalia: In a formal ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The new Foreign Minister, H.E. Amb. Ahmed Isse Awad, takes office from the former Minister, H.E. Amb. Yusuf Garaad Omar Ahmed. #Somalia #Somali
@UN_News_Centre: A measles campaign, conducted in partnership with@WHO, @UNICEF & Somalia’s Ministry of Health, just vaccinated 1 million children aged 6-months to 10-years in Puntland & 4.2 million across Somalia. http://bit.ly/2EkkEUg
@ShabelleMedia: Somalia’s planning Minister arrives in Qatar for official visit http://radioshabelle.com/
IMAGE OF THE DAY
President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo officially inaugurates the newly constructed General Mohamed Abshir Airport in Garowe the capital of Puntland.
Photo: @TheVillaSomalia