July 1, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report
Somalia Marks 55th Independence Anniversary
1 July – Source: Goobjoog News – 89 Words
Official ceremonies were held last night in different parts of the country to mark the 55th anniversary of independence which falls on 1st July.In a well organized ceremony in the Mogadishu local government building, Somali president and the Primes Minister attended the celebrations and made speeches .President Hassan who took to the podium congratulated the Somali people of the Independence Day and wished them happy ending. In Puntland president Abdiwali Ali Gas has called on the federal government to guard the unity of the nation.
Key Headlines
- Somalia Marks 55th Independence Anniversary (Goobjoog News)
- Qaybdiid Lashes Out At Puntland Over Anti-Galmudug State Demos (Wacaal Media)
- UN Envoy Congratulates Somalia On 55th Independence Anniversary (Shabelle Media)
- Government Soldier Shoots Pregnant Woman Dead (Goobjoog News)
- Threat Us No Day We’ll Not Negotiate Our boundaries Says Somalia President (Somali Current)
- China’s Investment In Africa Shifting Towards Manufacturing: WB (China Daily/Xinhua)
- New Gun Charge Against Man Convicted Of Threatening FBI Agents (Star Tribune)
- It Has Suffered Yes But As Somalia’s Marks 55 years Of Independence These Are Its Happy Stories (Mail & Guardian Africa)
PRESS STATEMENT
AU Special Representative Sends A Message Of Goodwill To Somalia On Its 55th Independence Day
1 July – Source: AMISOM- 144 Words
The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, and Head of AMISOM, Ambassador Maman Sidikou has congratulated Somali President His Excellency Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the people of Somalia, on the occassion of the country’s 55th Independence Day.
Ambassador Sidikou noted that this was a definitive year for Somalia, because it was on the homestretch to Vision 2016 and lauded the people of Somalia for charting a new course for the country.
“Somalia is on the edge of a new dawn and all the progress made would not have been possible without the resilience of the Somali people. As the country commemorates Independence Day, I urge all Somalis to take stock of how far they have come and celebrate what unifies them as a country,” said Ambassador Sidikou.
Somalia became an Independent unified country on July 1st 1960.
NATIONAL MEDIA
Qaybdiid Lashes Out At Puntland Over Anti-Galmudug State Demos
1 July – Source : Wacaal Media – 218 Words
A presidential candidate for the upcoming state of Galmudug has taken issue with the semi-autonomous state of Puntland accusing it of fueling animosity by organization demonstrations against the new state. Speaking to the local media in Adaado, Abdi Qaybdiid said that they were not happy with the move by Puntland and called on the state to give the neighbours a chance to decide on their future. “We are surely not happy with Puntland state’s decision to blow the war trumpets at this point in time. I would therefore remind Garowe that residents of Mudug were not ready for any type of conflict but rather peaceful co-existence, unity and development” said Qaybdiid. He added that the local leadership expected congratulatory messages and closer working relations with the Puntland state and not fueling conflicts.
His sentiments come in the wake of increasing demonstration against the upcoming state in several parts of Puntland. Puntland is not happy with the annexing parts of Mudug region to the new state and has sided with parties that oppose the formation of Galmudug state such as Ahlusunna. The newly adopted constitution of Galmudug state indicates that its borders with Puntland was at Burtinle town in Nugaal region meaning the North Western part of Mudug was fully in the new state, a move Puntland vehemently opposes.
UN Envoy Congratulates Somalia On 55th Independence Anniversary
1 July – Source : Shabelle News – 242 Words
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia (SRSG) Nicholas Kay congratulated the people and Government of Somalia on their 55th Independence Anniversary. He commended the efforts they are making to overcome over two decades of instability as well as the progress achieved in the ongoing peace building and state-building processes.“We applaud the people of Somalia in their efforts to rebuild a more stable Somalia,” said SRSG Kay, on the strides taken in the state formation process, constitutional reforms and the establishment of the essential legislative framework with a view to achieving Somalia’s Vision 2016.
SRSG Kay welcomed the progress in the state formation process throughout the regions, including the establishment of the Interim Jubba Administration (IJA), the Interim South West Administration (ISWA) and the Galmudug Regional Administration, in addition to institution-building in Puntland.
While noting the progress made on enacting key legislation to advance Vision 2016, he urged urgency on completion of the remaining key laws and institutions to be formed, such as the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) and Boundaries and Federation Commission (BFC). SRSG Kay also praised the bravery and sacrifices of the Somali National Army (SNA), Somali Police Force (SPF) and the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) in combatting violent extremism to restore safety and security in the country. “As Somalia enters the 56th year of its independence, we look forward to a smooth transition to a new political dispensation in 2016.” SRSG Kay said.
Government Soldier Shoots Pregnant Woman Dead
1 July – Source: Goobjoog News – 119 Words
Reports from Garbaharey in Gedo indicate that a government soldier has shot dead pregnant women who were famous in the town and wounded another man there.The women by the name Khadro Gedo Qorow is a businesswoman and the incident happened in her business premises in the town.
Though the real motive is not yet known, reports say that the soldier named Ahmed Bahare Ali was trying to shoot another man who was at the scene.According to Osman Haji Noor, the security chief of Garbaharey, the same soldier is accused of killing two other people for the past two years in the town.Angry residents have called on the government administration there to bring the soldier to book.
Threat Us, No Day We’ll Negotiate Our boundaries, Says Somalia President
30 June – Source: Somali Current – 129 Words
Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said his government will never negotiate Somalia boundaries with other countries saying it is a sacred and not negotiable.Addressing Somalia’s Federal Parliament on it is 55th anniversary, the President said his administration was threatened several times and pressured to give in, but were not scared off. “We were threatened ,pressured to give in and told to remain silent but we were not scared” explained the President.
The President stated his administration will always respect their neighbors, but will never tolerate any country taking any inch of Somalia’s territories. Somalia and Kenya are at loggerheads over long–running border disputes linked to lucrative oil and gas reserves in the indian ocean. Many Somali nationals lauded the President’s statement terming it as brave and courageous .
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
China’s Investment In Africa Shifting Towards Manufacturing: WB
1 July – Source: China Daily/Xinhua – 666 Words
Chinese investment in Africa is increasingly shifting towards the manufacturing sector as the Asian nation diversifies out of primary sectors such as agriculture and mining, the World Bank (WB) said Tuesday. Africa therefore needs to exert conscious effort to create a conducive environment to attract Chinese investment to help develop the continent’s under developed manufacturing sector, according to the report released Tuesdayat the Investing in Africa Forum jointly held by WB, China and Ethiopia at Addis Ababa. The WB noted in its report that while a large share of China’s investment in Africa has traditionally been in extractive industries and construction, investment in manufacturing had increased in recent years. According to the multilateral financial institution, China’s cumulative investment stock in the manufacturing sector in Africa grew 10 percent year-on-year to 2.4 billion U.S. dollars as at the end of 2011 and accounted for 15 percent of Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2013.
In terms of greenfield projects during the period 2003-2014, both the largest share of Chinese capital investment and the largest number of projects were in the manufacturing sector. “There is also a shift in FDI from China within the manufacturing sector towards higher value-added activities,” the WB said. China’s growing interest in Africa’s manufacturing also dovetails with the continent’s long-held call for an increase in foreign investment that enhances employment creation and technology transfer to the under developed continent. The WB said more Chinese companies were likely to outsource labor-intensive manufacturing operations in the face of increased competition and costs, and a more highly skilled labor market at home.
New Gun Charge Against Man Convicted Of Threatening FBI Agents
30 June – Source : Star Tribune – 690 Words
Three weeks after he was freed from federal custody following a conviction for threatening FBI agents who wanted to question his brother about alleged terrorism involvement, a Minneapolis man faces a fresh round of gun possession charges stemming from an incident late last year. Mohamed Ali Omar, 22, was charged last week with possessing a pistol in a public place without a permit, a gross misdemeanor. Minneapolis city prosecutors allege that Omar tried to hide the weapon on Oct. 16, when police arrived to investigate a report of a rowdy group near Findley Place Apartments near 32nd Street and Pillsbury Avenue S. in Minneapolis.
Charges say that police found the loaded semiautomatic Glock .45 next to a nearby fence and that Omar admitted it was his and that he carried it because he previously had been shot. Charges say Omar had a permit to purchase a handgun but not a permit to carry one in public. The gun was confiscated, and Omar was released without charges until last week.
Omar’s attorney, Paul Applebaum, said his client carried the handgun because of the earlier shooting and threw it away because he didn’t want to be armed when confronted by police. Applebaum described the timing of the charges — eight months after the original incident — as “gamesmanship,” given that his client was just released from seven months in jail for the FBI threats. He was convicted by a jury in March and will be sentenced in September, but Applebaum said his time will likely be considered served. Omar was charged in November with threatening federal agents and an interpreter who arrived at his home looking for his brother. That brother, Guled Omar, is among several men charged with providing material support to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). He awaits trial. Another brother, Ahmed Ali Omar, left Minnesota to fight in Somalia in 2007. Deputy Minneapolis City Attorney Mary Ellen Heng, who heads the department’s criminal division, said Minneapolis police decided to wait until the federal charges against Mohamed Ali Omar were resolved. Prosecutors received the case from Minneapolis police three weeks ago. Omar, who was not arrested, is scheduled to make his first court appearance July 17.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
Somalia is positioning itself as a new oil and gas frontier. The government has helped to bolster confidence by green lighting a number of new projects to make access and investment in the oil and gas sector easier. This includes an expansion into the Mogadishu port to enable the transfer of rigs and the building of an entirely new port to handle other equipment needed by international oil companies.
It Has Suffered, Yes, But As Somalia’s Marks 55 years Of Independence, These Are Its Happy Stories
30 June – Source: Mail & Guardian Africa -968 Words
ON July 1, 2015, Somalia will be celebrating 55 years of independence – and doubtless it has been a tough and painful ride.The country had no formal government or parliament for more than two decades after the overthrow of President Siad Barre in 1991 which was followed by years of anarchy. It was not until 2012, when a new internationally-backed government was installed, that the Horn of Africa nation that had become a poster child of state failure, began to take baby steps toward recovery and a measure of stability once more in some parts of it. Despite the major challenges, Somalia has over its history still managed to pull together some feats, producing impressive results. Here are a few of the country’s success stories: In the 1967 presidential election, Somalia’s first president, Aden Abdulle Osman Daar, was defeated by Abdirashid Ali Shermarke, his former Prime Minister. His term as president ended on June 10, 1967. Daar accepted the loss and made history by becoming the first head of state in Africa to peacefully hand over power to a democratically elected successor.
Somalia has one of the most competitive telecom markets in Africa. Telecommunication firms provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest international call rates on the continent. The World Bank’s Global Financial Inclusion Database (Findex) recently revealed that Somalia was one of the most active mobile money markets: 26% of the population reported using mobiles to pay bills, which is the highest rate in the world, and 32% to send and receive money.With six out of 10 children not in school, those who went to school were a real minority in Somalia. One of the worst enrolment rates in the world. However, in September 2013 the Somali government, supported by UNICEF, launched its ambitious “Go to School” initiative providing free education for the first time in more than 20 years. During the past year, nearly 40,000 children in Central South Somalia, where enrolment figures have been lowest, have started formal primary education.
TOP TWEETS
@MinisterHashi:Happy 55th anniversary my fellow citizens#Somalia. I hope this year’s will usher in an era of consolidated peace, unity and progress!
@SomaliaNewsroom:#Somalia and UN Officials Doubt One Person-One Vote Elections for 2016 http://wp.me/p2mzkG-1kX
@UNSomalia :Big strides have been made in recent years and the country is progressing fast into the right direction.#HorumarkaanGaarney #Somalia
@Abdikarim_Abdi3:optimistic about the future of #Somalia. This yr marks the 3rd time I’ve been in Mogadishu for the anniversary of our country’s independence
@UKinSomalia :Congratulations to #Somalia on their#Independence Day. Time to celebrate achievements and look to the future
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Photo: AMISOM