July 17, 2012 | Daily Monitoring Report.
UN warns on graft consequence in Somalia
17 Jul – Source: Financial Times/Hiiraan Online – 390 words
The corrupt political elite at Somalia’s helm could “fuel continued instability and conflict, potentially reviving the fortunes of an embattled al Shabaab”, according to the report by the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, which is researched by experts who recommend individuals for sanctions to the UN Security Council.
The report, a copy of which has been obtained by the Financial Times, says more than 70 per cent of all government income goes missing. In one example, it cited the disappearance of $1.5m in passport fees in the 18 months to the end of 2011, equivalent to 60 per cent of fees taken. Authorities even gave a diplomatic passport to a top pirate, it says.
Key Headlines
- Turkish deputy premier to visit Somali capital on 17th of July (Midnimo Online)
- Prime Minister of Somalia honours Somali athletes with a luncheon (SONNA)
- Somali President nominates new administration leaders for Galgadud Region (Radio Mogadishu)
- Clarification: Office of the Prime Minister of Somalia condemns allegations contained in news reports Monitoring Group (Jowhar Online)
- Three alleged al Shabaab militants surrender to TFG (Bar-Kulan)
- Three Kenya police killed near Somali border-police (Reuters)
- UN report urges sanctions against corrupt Somali leaders (News International)
- More than 3000 people flee Somalia monthly (Prensa Latina)
PRESS RELEASE
UN Special Representative for Somalia condemns the murder of former Trade Minister in Mogadishu
17 Jul – Source: UNPOS – 129 words
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Dr. Augustine P. Mahiga, has condemned yesterday’s murder of a former Trade Minister in Mogadishu, allegedly by Al-Shabaab. The Former Minister and current. MP, Mohamed Abdinur Garweyne, was killed and at least six others wounded by a car bomb attack in front of the Bin Ali Hotel in the capital’s Hamarweyne neighbourhood.
“These cowardly attacks will not be allowed to derail the on-going peace process”, said SRSG Mahiga, “as the transitional period draws to a close we must all redouble our efforts to ensure that the Somalis seize this golden opportunity for peace and stability.”
The SRSG sends his condolences to the friends and family of Mr. Harweyne and calls on the Somali authorities to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
Somalia Prime Minister sends condolences for the death of the legislator Mohamud Abdi Ibrahim Garweyn
16 Jul – Source: OPM – 149 words
To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return
The Prime Minister of Somalia Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali sends his heartfelt condolences to the family, relatives and the people of Somalia for the death of the Mohamud Abdi Ibrahim Garweyn. He prayed to Allah to rest him in His paradise. Deceased Mohamud Abdi Ibrahim was the target of a landmine explosion in Mogadishu. The Prime Minister recalled of his deep friendship with the deceased and working relationships.
“To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return. Death is inevitable and everybody will test it. We praye to Allah to have mercy on him, to give his book in the right hand and give patience to the Somali people for his departure”, the premier said.
SOMALI MEDIA
Turkish deputy premier to visit Somali capital on 17th of July
17 Jul – Source: Midnimo Online/ Caasimadda Online/Radio Mogadishu – 122 words
The Turkish deputy prime minister, Bekir Bosdag, is expected to arrive in Mogadishu today. Intense preparations are ongoing in the capital for his arrival with government officials present at the city’s airport to receive the official.
Security forces have cordoned off the road that links the airport to the presidential palace. Only pedestrians can use that road. The mission of his trip to Mogadishu is not yet known but reports say it is related to humanitarian issues. It will be his second visit to Mogadishu, as he first came to the Somali capital in March of this year.
Turkey is implementing development projects in Somalia following a pledge made by Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, who visited Mogadishu during last [year’s holy month of] Ramadan.
Prime Minister of Somalia honours Somali athletes with a luncheon
17 Jul – Source: Radio Mogadishu/OPM/SONNA/Somali Channel – 221 words
Somali premier Abdiweli Mohamed Ali has yesterday organised a luncheon for the Somali athletes who are to participate in the International Olympic Games in Britain on 27th of this month.
The minister of Employment, Youth and Sports Mohamud Jirde said the government of Somalia participated in the training of the Somali athletes for them to be ready for the competition. The Prime Minister organised the luncheon for the athletes to show his appreciation and support for the role of the youth at the international area “I am happy to see Zamzam and Mohamed eat lunch with us. We are proud of them because they will be representing us at the International Olympic Games which will be held in London”, the premier said adding that the athletes will represent the flag of Somalia and the Somali people. He wished them success in the competition. The luncheon attendees included the Minister of Defence/Deputy Premier Hussein Arab Isse, Ministers from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Somali Olympic Committee, legislators and officials from the administration of Banadir.
Abdiweli Mohamed thanked the Ministry of Employment, Youth and Sports and the Somali Olympic Committee for their tireless efforts in preparing and mentoring the athletes. He added that the inter-district competitions will start on November. Competitions and sports bring about interaction between the people, the premier added.
Somali President nominates new administration leaders for Galgadud Region
16 Jul – Source: Radio Mogadishu/Somalia Report – 105 words
A statement released by the office of Somalia President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed announced that the president has appointed a new administration for Galgadud region of central Somalia after certain Galgadud districts were recently liberated from al Shabaab control.
Ahmed Yusuf ‘Iyow was nominated to be the governor of Galgadud region, Deputy Governor Saadaaq Sheikh Yuusuf Sheikh Ibraahim was nominated as chairman of the capital city, Dhuusamareeb Mo’alim Abdirahmaan Geed-La-Qorow as the chairman of Guri’el district Osman Iise Nuur.
“The Galgadud region is suffering from a lot of problems, including armed conflict, drought and water shortage, so we are urging the government to help the people of the region,” said the new governor.
Ethiopian troops kill “mentally-ill” civilian in Beledweyne
17 Jul – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 196 words
Ethiopian troops in central Somalia town of Beledweyne on Tuesday morning shot dead a mentally-ill man under unknown circumstances, locals say. Locals in the area told Bar-kulan that the man, known as Abass, was a local resident who they say suffered of mental illness.
The victim was arrested this morning together with several others after the troops conducted a swoop following two explosions that rocked the city early this morning. The man allegedly tried to escape from an open field where all suspects arrested during the crackdown were assembled and was shot dead at pointblank by the Ethiopian troops.
The latest death brings the number of known Somali civilians killed by Ethiopian troops to ten since crossing again the border into Somalia early last November in a bid to boost the push against al Shabaab militants in southern Somalia.
In early last February, four people were killed and two others were injured when Ethiopian troops in Beledweyne town opened fire on civilians at a bridge in the city after an explosion presumably targeting one of their water tanker trucks went off. A woman and a primary school head teacher were among those killed during that fatal incident.
Somaliland finance minister inaugurates new offices for tax
16 Jul – Source: Hadhwanaag Times – 99 words
Somaliland Minister of Finance on Monday inaugurated new offices for country land taxes under his ministry. The new offices for taxes were launched in the districts of Ahmed Dhagah, Ibrahim Koodbur and Ga’an Libah, all in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland republic.
He said that collecting taxes is of great value and interest for the republic of Somaliland. The Minister of Finance called for the people of the republic to pay taxes, noting that it is part of the building the nation. He thanked the parts which played a key role in building the offices, particularly USAID and IOM.
Clarification: Office of the Prime Minister of Somalia condemns allegations contained in news reports Monitoring Group
16 Jul – Source: Jowhar Online – 746 words
The Office of the Prime Minister of Somalia (OPM) condemns allegations contained in news reports appearing in some of the media on a “leaked Monitoring Group’s report” linking The Office of the Prime Minister to alleged corruption and misconduct.
The Office of The Prime Minister maintains that the allegations are absolutely and demonstrably false. This deliberate misinformation is intended to tarnish the good name and integrity of the Prime Minister and also constitutes defamation and libel intended to maliciously harm the hard-earned reputation of the Prime Minister.
Three alleged al Shabaab militants surrender to TFG
16 Jul – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 217 word
Three alleged al Shabaab militant fighters on Monday handed themselves to the Somali government forces in Lower Juba. Col. Mohamed Abdullahi, who is government official in Afmadow, told Bar-kulan that the three militant fighters surrendered to the government soldiers in the region together with their weapons.
He said two of the militants surrendered to government officials in Hosingow while the third one who sneaked from the militant group handed himself in at Afmadow, the second largest town in the region. Abdullahi stated that the trio will soon be moved to the border town of Dobley where there is a rehabilitation camp for defected militants.
The defectors decided to denounce their militancy and leave the group after they failed to receive their allowances, exposing them to harsh living conditions, according to Abdullahi. Their defection comes six days after a senior al Shabaab militant leader and his bodyguard surrendered to the allied forces in Garbaharey town of Gedo region.
Spate of sicknesses hit small town in Puntland
16 Jul – Source: Garowe Online – 181 words
At least 40 people are suffering from an outbreak in the town of Qol in Haylaan region of Puntland State of Somalia, Garowe Online reports. The symptoms of the sickness include chronic diarrhea and excessive vomiting and have led to over 40 people in the small town of Qol seeking medical treatment. Dr. Adan Mohamed Ali, who is part of the small staff of doctors in Qol, said that the outbreak and the lack of medical services in the town have caused the movement of individuals to seek treatment in Qardo and Garowe.
According to sources, out of the 40+ people suffering from the symptoms, 6 are in critical condition and have been taken to the nearest cities.
According to Dr. Ali, what caused the new spate is still undetermined but said that the majority of people who have come down with the sickness are pastoralists. Victims of the sicknesses have been given pain relief medicine but without the root of the problem identified its hard to find a cure, said Dr. Ali, who spoke to Puntland media on Sunday.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Three Kenya police killed near Somali border-police
17 Jul – Source: New Vision/Reuters/Daily Nation/Star – 184 words
Three Kenyan police officers were killed in an ambush in northeastern Kenya near the Somali border on Monday, the local police chief said, the latest in a rash of attacks in the region. Kenya has been hit by a wave of grenade and bomb attacks since its troops crossed into Somalia last October and has blamed al Shabaab, al Qaeda-linked militants, and the group’s sympathisers inside its lawless neighbour.
The attackers have targeted Kenya’s northeast, the capital Nairobi and the port city of Mombasa, threatening the country’s lucrative tourist trade. “Three administration police officers from Liboi have lost their lives. They were attacked while on the way back to Liboi,” Garissa county police chief George Kingi told Reuters. Liboi is a border town near Somalia.
“I can’t tell how many officers were injured. We have yet to secure detailed information in regard to the attack or point a finger at any group of persons behind the attack,” Kingi said. Al Shabaab formally merged with al Qaeda this year and has declared war on Kenya because of its incursion into Somalia.
AUPSC: Existing peace, stability in Somalia best achievement
16 Ju l- Source: Ethiopian News Agency – 185 words
The African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) said the existing peace and stability in Somalia is the best achievement of Africa in the ongoing efforts to maintain peace and security across the continent.
Speaking at a press conference here Monday Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union, Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra, lauded the success achieved in Somalia in the efforts to maintain peace and security.
He said the Ethiopian defense force, troops of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) and also the African peace keeping force are undertaking integrated activities towards the same goal. Ambassador Lamamra said recently the TFG army registered victory, which significantly contributes towards maintaining peace in Somalia.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
UN report urges sanctions against corrupt Somali leaders
17 Jul – Source: News International – 699 words
Corrupt leaders in war-ravaged Somalia should face immediate Security Council sanctions, a UN report said, stressing that 70 percent of state revenues were stolen or squandered.
The leaked report said key leaders at the very top of government — including the president and the speaker of parliament — were mired in scandal, boosting the cause of al-Qaeda-linked Shebab insurgents. It called for the UN Security Council to impose sanctions “with the least possible delay”.
Somalia’s Western-funded Transitional Federal Government (TFG) ends its mandate next month, with several members hoping to remain in power afterwards. Many are accused in the report of “pervasive corruption”.
President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and parliament speaker Sharif Hassan are among leaders named in allegedly corrupt deals, the report by the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea said.
UN warns on graft consequence in Somalia
17 Jul – Source: Financial Times/Hiiraan Online – 390 words
The corrupt political elite at Somalia’s helm could “fuel continued instability and conflict, potentially reviving the fortunes of an embattled al Shabaab”, according to the report by the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, which is researched by experts who recommend individuals for sanctions to the UN Security Council.
The report, a copy of which has been obtained by the Financial Times, says more than 70 per cent of all government income goes missing. In one example, it cited the disappearance of $1.5m in passport fees in the 18 months to the end of 2011, equivalent to 60 per cent of fees taken. Authorities even gave a diplomatic passport to a top pirate, it says.
“When you’re stealing $8 out of every $10 and a quarter of what’s remaining goes to the three top offices, that’s not corruption, it’s cannibalism,” Matt Bryden, co-ordinator, told the FT, adding al-Shabaab benefits in “fringe ways”, through for example the sharing of ammunition.
Al-Shabaab has suffered significant losses in the past year that could push it “to the point of rupture”, says the report, citing military defeats, loss of territory, revenues and rifts in its leadership. But the report warns that although it has lost access to several revenue-generating ports, markets and border posts, sanctions-busting trade partners have kept the militants well funded, and warns the group is “actively strengthening” its ties with other foreign extremist groups, citing both Kenya and Tanzania, as well as arms imports from Yemen.
The report notes neither UAE nor Saudi Arabia have applied new sanctions that forbid the purchase of charcoal from Somalia, al-Shabaab’s single most important source of revenue. Imports are in fact “steadily growing” and may have earned al-Shabaab $25m last year, up from $15m the year before.
Somali leaders, including the prime minister and president, refute the allegations leaked in draft versions of the report. Somalia’s transitional federal institutions, which were set up by donors eight years ago in an effort to develop political stability in a country at war for the past 20 years, are due to hand over to more representative forms of government on August 20. Many observers fear the handover may be thwarted. “The same leaders are likely to re-emerge; the transition is likely to be a non-transition, more of the same for the foreseeable future,” says a diplomatic observer.
More than 3,000 people flee Somalia monthly
17 Jul – Source: Prensa Latina – 164 words
More than 3,000 people flee Somalia every month due to the drought in the region this year, said a report by the NGO Action Against Hunger. The situation in the Horn of Africa is fragile, a year after the first famine in this century was officially declared there.
In this context, the lack of food supplies is persistent. Availability has improved, but is still critical and continues to generate significant population displacements in Somalia, where an armed conflict continues between the guerrillas of Al Chabab and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and its allies.
In addition, the rainy season this year has been very poor, so food security is still precarious, leading more than 2.5 million Somalis to need humanitarian aid. According to Action Against Hunger, malnutrition rates decreased compared to 2011, mainly in refugee camps.
Efforts to tackle Somali piracy pay off: watchdog
17 Jul – Source: Reuters – 294 words
Tougher action by international navies and the use of private armed guards on ships have more than halved the number of Somali pirate attacks, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said on Monday. Last year, Somali piracy in the busy shipping lanes of the Gulf of Aden and the northwestern Indian Ocean netted $160 million, and cost the world economy some $7 billion, according to the American One Earth Future foundation. But in the first half of 2012, there were just 69 incidents involving Somali pirates, compared to 163 in the same period last year, resulting in a decline of a third in piracy worldwide.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Somalia has to entice investors with its goods; minerals, oil, natural gas, agricultural property, and whatever else it potentially sell to interested parties. And considering the level of interest nations like Turkey and the UK have taken, Somalia must have already pitched a hell of a campaign”.
How much money will it cost to rebuild Somalia?
17 Jul – Source: Dissident Nation – 1029 words
When the regime of former Somali president Siad Barre fell in 1991 the ensuing conflict damaged or destroyed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of infrastructure. Before the collapse of the last Somali regime, the Americans, Soviets, Italians, Iraqis, Emiratis, Chinese, Saudis, and a number of smaller partners took turns financing and constructing various parts of Somalia’s civil infrastructure and developing its manufacturing capacity.
Today, Somalia’s wide-eyed former partners no longer have any interest in the country. But Somalia is not left out in the cold since it still has possessions worthy of desire. The only reason why the Chinese built the roads and the Soviets built the ports and the Arabs built the refineries in Somalia was for a pragmatic ulterior motive.
To no one’s surprise, newcomers like Turkey, the United Kingdom, and even India are focusing on Somalia and offering to pick up where others left off. Even during war, Somalia still attracts old partners–China, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and a handful of former assistance-providing states are refocused on Somalia and wanting a piece of the pie they once lusted after.
Eritrea Urges UN to Drop Sanctions
17 Jul – Source: Blogs.VOA News – 206 words
Eritrea is urging the United Nations to lift sanctions against the country after a leaked U.N. report suggested Asmara no longer supports Somali al-Shabab insurgents.
The report by the U.N. Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, obtained Monday by news agencies including VOA, found no evidence that Eritrea directly supported al-Shabab in the past year.
The U.N. Security Council tightened sanctions against the East African country last year dur to concerns it was supporting Somali insurgents – a claim Eritrea denies. Eritrea’s U.N. envoy, Aray Desta, tells VOA the sanctions should be lifted because the latest findings of the monitoring group expose what he says were the “fabricated” accusations.
Top tweets
@apo_source UN Special Representative for Somalia condemns the murder of former Trade Minister in Mogadishu.
@unicefusa It was 1yr ago on Fri. that famine was declared in Somalia. We’ll be sharing #HornOfAfrica facts all week on progress made & work to be done.
@MohamedMascud #Eritrea Demands #UN Sanctions Be Lifted after a monitoring group said it found no evidence they supports #Somalia group#alShabaab.
@omabha #Somalia: Pity The Poor Pirates – Strategy Page:#Somalia: Pity The Poor Pirates Strategy Page July 17, 2012: Pirate http://www.strategypage.com/
Three #Kenya police killed near #Somalia border – policehttp://uk.reuters.com/
Image of the day
A Somali police officer stands guard next to a car destroyed in an explosion in Mogadishu, Somalia, July 16, 2012. Photo AP/ABC News.