July 12, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report
President Mohamud: I am Hopeful That The Somali People Would Give Me Another Chance
12 July – Source: Marka Cadeey – 307 Words
The outgoing Somali President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has indicated his willingness to keep his seat, hoping that the Somali people will give him one more chance to serve for them come September 2016 presidential elections. Mr. Mohamud, whose four-year tenure at the helm of the country’s top political office comes to an end on September 10, 2016, which gives him about two more months to spare before the September vote, claimed that he remains the undisputed choice to lead the country into peaceful and prosperous future.
However, the incumbent president stressed that the decision of who becomes the next head of state significantly rests with Somali people, despite the fact that the members of the upcoming parliament will, indeed, decide the fate of the next Villa Somalia occupant once again. Speaking on his prospect to remain on the hot seat, President Mohamud indicated that he is optimistic about the future, adding that he will always be humbled to serve his nation if he gets the privilege to finish the exceptionally magnificent task he started about four years ago.
Appearing on a one on one interview with London-based Universal TV, Mohamud was asked few probing questions, such as if he could predict the result of the forthcoming presidential race, and who he feels as his closest challenger among the contestants. President chose not to be dragged into a tricky prediction saga, but opted for rather diplomatic remarks, that he anticipates a free and fair electoral process, no matter the outcome. Although the current president managed to restore the country’s image on the international scene to some extent, many people believe that he utterly failed to expand his authority beyond the capital city. Nevertheless, the fact of the matter remains that whoever comes out victorious in the coming electoral race will have a huge task on his hands.
Key Headlines
- President Mohamud: I am Hopeful That The Somali People Would Give Me Another Chance (Marka Cadeey)
- Hobyo Administration Expresses Concern Over Increased Illegal Fishing (Goobjoog News)
- Spy Device Crashes In Mogadishu (Radio Dalsan)
- Coast Guard Boss To Head EU Mission In Somalia (Goobjoog News)
- Al-Shabaab Threat Strands Riders In Mandera Kenya (The Star)
- Member States Health Experts Prepare The Ground For IGAD Health Ministers Meeting (IGAD)
- PM Should Have Visited Somalia During African Tour: Chennithala (Manorama Online)
- Stateness First! Democratization Without State Is Putting The Cart Before The Horse (Wardheer News)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Hobyo Administration Expresses Concern Over Increased Illegal Fishing
12 July – Source: Goobjoog News – 387 Words
The administration of Hobyo town has expressed concern over the increasing of foreign vessels which are illegally fishing in Somali waters. Hobyo District Commissioner, Abdullahi Ahmed Ali said dozens of foreign trawlers began fishing illegally in masses off the country’s Indian Ocean coast. Ali said that as soon the international powers succeeded in bringing piracy under control, illegal fishing boats returned to Somali waters. Neither the EU nor NATO have a mandate to clamp down on the illegal vessels.
“NATO came because of the piracy, but the cause of piracy is the illegal fishing,” says Ahmed. “If NATO can chase away the pirates, then why not the illegal fishermen?” The local fishermen have been complaining that they had faced continuous threats from foreign fishing boats which are equipped with weapons. Abdi Ali, a fisherman in Hobyo underlined that the number of seafood has been decreased due the overfishing carried out by foreign vessels.
“Our job is in jeopardy, we have been several times chased by these vessels which are illegally taking our sea resources. We know that vessels benefit at the expense Somali fishermen and that is what has created the emergence of Somali pirates” he said. He added that they stayed at their fearing for their dear lives after vessels poured them with hot water and destructed their nets.
Some fishermen have gone missing while others are tortured by the trawlers who at times spray boiling water from cannons. While the world has shifted its attention elsewhere, marauding flotillas from countries such as Yemen, Iran and South Korea – in flagrant breach of international maritime law – have begun to plunder Somalia’s rich fishing grounds, plunging the local fishermen who hold up the town’s economy into financial ruin.
Overfishing, which devastated the livelihoods of coastal communities a decade ago, is regarded as the principal reason for the initial outbreak of piracy. The waters off Somalia’s 1,880-mile coastline are among the richest fishing grounds in the world, teeming with shark, tuna, sardines, snapper and lobster. The illegal fishermen, their rusty tubs flying flags of convenience and protected by armed Somali brigands from further up the coast, chase off local fishermen who come too close – ramming their boats, shooting at them or sabotaging their gear. It’s a deadly fight that has raged largely unseen and unreported.
Spy Device Crashes In Mogadishu
12 July – Source: Radio Dalsan – 72 Words
Surveillance device has on Monday afternoon crashed in Somali capital of Mogadishu. According to an eyewitness the device crashed at the busy Waberi district market on Monday evening. The Police arrived at the site and took the surveillance device which according witnesses is the size of big bird. No further details from the security agencies regarding the device and origin were provided. American surveillance devices operate inside Somalia to help the Federal government fight against armed group Al-Shabaab.
Coast Guard Boss To Head EU Mission In Somalia
12 July – Source: Goobjoog News – 328 Words
The Director of the Irish Coast Guard is set to leave his post to become Head of Operations for an EU mission in Somalia. Chris Reynolds was selected for the position following a public appointment process and it will be the first time that the Irish Coast Guard will be involved in an overseas mission. The EUCAP Nestor mission aims to assist the development and continued enhancement of maritime security including counter-piracy and maritime governance.
The mission carries out activities to reinforce coast guard functions, support the rule of law and the judiciary. Mr Reynolds has been granted special leave from the Irish Coast Guard to take up the position which will involve assisting Somali authorities to establish a constabulary-style Coast Guard with its related police and legal services. Mr Reynolds will be responsible for all operational activities and field offices of the mission and will cooperate closely with Somali Federal, regional and local authorities.
The Mission, which comprises 17 participating member states, had a budget €17.9m last year and its planned capacity is for 137 international staff and 39 local staff. This includes personnel in the mission Headquarters as well as country and field offices in Puntland and Somaliland. There is also an associated training centre in Djibouti. Mr Reynolds will depart initially for the Mission Administrative HQ in Nairobi, Kenya on July 19th and will return to his current role as Irish Coast Guard Director once his secondment is complete.
A spokesman for the Department of Transport said: “Following a public appointment process, Chris Reynolds was selected for this role. Secondment is normally for a period of 2 years, subject to how the mission evolves.” Chris Reynolds said: “I believe this is a recognition, on an international level, that we in the IrCG, both volunteer and professional, do a good job and that we have gained the respect and trust of all the communities we serve and all the partners we work with”.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Al-Shabaab Threat Strands Riders In Mandera, Kenya
12 July – Source: The Star – 187 Words
Hundreds of passengers are stranded in Mandera and Nairobi as buses plying the route indefinitely suspend operations. The suspension comes after an attack on buses, heading to and coming from the frontier county by suspected Al-Shabaab militants. Those affected are mainly passengers who travelled to Mandera to join their families for the Eid celebrations.
Some companies have said they will not resume services until security of passengers is assured by the government.
Mandera Bus Owners Association chairman Mohamed Bardad accused the government of laxity in dealing with the terror group. Bus owners said police refused to accompany their buses after five of their colleagues were killed in an ambush. On July 1, at least six passengers were killed when suspected militants or local criminals sprayed bullets on two buses.
A senior police officer, who did not want to be named, said the fighters are still in the area after they were spotted by residents. “The well-armed men are still within the Kenyan borders near the route. We do not know when they will attack next,” he said. Efforts to reach county commissioner Fredrick Shisia were unsuccessful.
Member States Health Experts Prepare The Ground For IGAD Health Ministers Meeting
12 July – Source: IGAD – 310 Words
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), with support from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and the UN Development Program (UNDP), this morning launched a Meeting of Experts of surveillance and response system of IGAD Member States in Nairobi.
IGAD-UNOCHA-UNDP are convening this meeting in order to prepare for an IGAD Ministerial Meeting scheduled for July 13th at the same venue to discuss the current Cholera outbreak and other communicable diseases in Mandera County of Kenya and surrounding areas, including across the borders to Ethiopia and Somalia.
Mr. El Sadeg Abdalla, Director of Economic and Social Cooperation Division-IGAD speaking for the Executive Secretary of IGAD, reminded the audience that part if the mandate of IGAD is to “coordinate response against any humanitarian crisis and disasters affecting any member country or a group of member countries”.
“This meeting will enable to develop a contingency plan with specific strategies aiming at responding, preventing and controlling adequately the current cholera crisis and any other outbreaks in the region”, he said.
PM Should Have Visited Somalia During African Tour: Chennithala
12 July – Source: Manorama Online – 183 Words
The Congress’ Kerala unit hit out on prime minister Narendra Modi, who had compared the state to Somalia during the recent poll campaign, telling him that on his current African tour, he should have visited the African country too.
“PM missed an opportunity 2 include Somalia in his Africa trip so that he could know the difference between HDI figures of Kerala & Somalia,” tweeted opposition leader and senior Congress member Ramesh Chennithala.
Modi on his assembly election campaign for the NDA in May early this year said that “the child death ratio among Scheduled Tribes in Kerala is scarier than even Somalia” – provoking protests across the state.
He also cited media reports that said tribal children in Peravoor, another town from the temple town where more than 100 people died in a firework display recently, were seen foraging for food in a garbage dump to make his case that the state had not been properly governed.
Following these comments, there was a huge attack against Modi on social media while the Congress, which was ruling the state then, even approached the Election Commission.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Puntland should secure a legitimate political order based on rule of law before any kind of elections is talked about.”
Stateness First! Democratization Without State Is Putting The Cart Before The Horse
11 July – Source: Wardheer News – 928 Words
Recently, I read an interesting article from one of the Somali websites in which the author of the article claimed that, it is only five months from now, in December, when Puntland government is set to hold the municipal elections, quoting from Puntland president’s speech in March this year. Truly, I cannot verify independently if Puntland plans to hold a municipal election, but the interesting thing was as the writer posed: Will it be possible for Puntland to hold democratic elections in December of this year?
Not to be coy: I agree with Giovanni Carbone and Vincezo Memoli who wrote in 2013 “in present day Somalia, talking about democracy would largely amount to putting the cart before the horse”, reason being, Somalia is lacking a key political precondition for democracy: a viable state. Therefore why the government want to call for something we are unlikely to achieve in the near future? The answer can be that; democratization has become the buzzword of Somali politics in recent years.
Politicians of every stripe try to convince the people that the next government should come through free and fair elections. Despite the cogency with which democratization agenda is presented, practically, any operational success so far becomes unattainable.
The international community on the other hand seem committed to propound this failed agenda, but is understandable.
Nearly 27 years ago, Francis Fukuyama wrote his famous essay “the end of the history”. He envisaged that the triumph of liberal democracy marked the end of the history. His hypothesis is twofold; first, a liberal democracy coupled with capitalist market economy would ultimately lead to a greater prosperity. Second, the remaining autocratic regimes would succumb to democratic ideals and transit to democracy, because the world is dominated by a liberal hegemony that spreads democratic elections, this is the gospel of the international community.
TOP TWEETS
@amisomsomalia : We reassure the people of #Marka of our commitment to their security & our determination to render Al-Shabaab irrelevant. #Somalia
@Vatescorp : #Somalia: IGAD delegation arrives in Baladweyne, Hiran elders pulled out of Jowhar convention, dispute over elders
@Eye_on_Somalia : #allAfrica Al-Shabab Fighters Attack Somali Army Base: [Al Jazeera] Fighters from Somalia’s armed gr… http://bit.ly/29AlLjo #somalia
@HarunMaruf : Al-Shabab to release speech by its Emir Ahmed Umar Abu Ubaidah, the 1st since he became leader of the group in Sept. 2014: reports #Somalia
@DalsanFM_SOM : #Somalia BREAKING Intelligence and Security Agency @HSNQ_NISA claims the ownership of crashed small drone in Mogadishu on Monday.
@zahrakeen: @IsahaqHashi @SagalAshour @fqdayib I w’d like to think, despite pockets of violent acts from the militants #Somalia is in postwar progress.
@Vatescorp: #Somalia: #alShabaab Siege On Buloburde, Residents in desperate situation blame FGS for failure to break siege
@Vatescorp : #Somalia: Jubbaland president appoints regional level commission for upper house nominationhttp://ow.ly/bGbQ3029K9c
IMAGE OF THE DAY
An African Union delegation arrives in Somalia Monday to support the 2016 electoral process.
Photo: AMISOM