NATIONAL MEDIA
18 July – Source: Halbeeg – 196 Words
Somali police have said no vehicle will be allowed to be parked main roads in the Somali capital Mogadishu. In a statement, Somali police deputy commissioner General Zakia Hussein vowed the government will confiscate vehicles parked the pavements of the roads. “We are making clear that any car found parked there, will be towed the security agencies,” said Zakia. The commissioner said the move was adopted to maintain peace and order in the city.
“Due to the security reasons, we hereby to announce that police ban on parking pavement of arterial roads in Mogadishu,” she stated. Previously, several cars parked alongside the city’s road went off killing a number of pedestrians and injured others. The move comes amid Somali forces stepped up operations to smoke out al-Shabaab sleeping cells in the city.
In a number of operations of the government forces several al-Shabaab suspects and other individuals linked to the group. Al-Shabaab lost the control of the city in 2011 after its fighters were defeated by Somali forces backed troops from African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Since then the government forces have been pushing al-Shabaab out of the major towns in south and central Somalia.
18 July – Source: Goobjoog – 135 Words
Jubbaland independent boundaries and the electoral commission have today officially announced the conditions for the candidates intending to participate in the presidential election of Jubbaland state. The committee also ordered that candidates must be from Jubbaland state, must not be married to a foreigner, must be a practising Muslim and should not be less than 40 years old.
The committee had also announced that the male candidates must deposit $30,000 to the polls body while their female counterparts will be required to pay $15,000. The candidate must be of sound mind, not convicted by a court before and have knowledge and experience required of a state president. Candidates contesting in the upcoming presidential election in Jubbaland state must submit their nomination papers from 16TH-22nd July 2019 ahead of the poll scheduled for August.
18 July – Source: Halbeeg – 126 Words
Somali National Army Deputy Chief of Staff, Major General, Abdi Hassan Mohamed paid a visit to the contingent from 14th October brigade at General Gordon military base in Mogadishu. General Hassan was in a mission to boost the morale of the unit who are expected to launch a new offensive against armed group al-Shabaab in forthcoming weeks.
The brigade received capacity building and extra equipment to fulfil their national duty during their stay at the military base. Somali National Army Deputy Chief of staff, General, Abdi Hassan Mohamed urged the servicemen to prepare for the liberation the areas still under the enemy. Somali security forces backed by the African Union peacekeeping troops have recaptured strategic towns previously controlled by the armed group in Lower Shabelle region.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
17 July – Source: Xinhua – 623 Words
China-Africa cooperation in peace and security, in line with an initiative announced by China last year, will play a vital role in boosting Africa’s quest towards stability, an Ethiopian expert said Wednesday. Costantinos Bt. Costantinos, who served as an economic advisor to the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), told Xinhua that the peace and security initiative, announced during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in September last year, provides a vital impetus to bilateral cooperation in peace and security.
The expert made the remarks as the first China-Africa Peace and Security Forum, organized by China’s Ministry of National Defense, is being held in Beijing this week. The forum has been one of the outcomes of the initiative. Costantinos said the initiative, or action plan, “aspires to continue to promote high-level exchanges between Africa and China so as to deepen traditional friendship, enhance political mutual trust, strengthen strategic coordination and cement the political foundation of China-Africa relations.”
According to the expert, the action plan has clearly stipulated its intent to support the operationalization of the African peace and security architecture. “The Beijing action plan is vital as it reiterates that China will increase defence and security assistance to Africa and the two sides will enhance cooperation and experience sharing in social governance, public security, peacekeeping, cybersecurity, anti-piracy and counter-terrorism,” the expert said.
The expert’s comment came as representatives of the Chinese military as well as nearly 100 security officials from 50 African countries and the AU, including 15 defence ministers and chiefs of staff, are attending the forum from July 15 to 20 in Beijing. The attendees will discuss the initiative of building a China-Africa community with a shared future that was raised at the 2018 FOCAC Beijing summit and focus on topics including China-Africa cooperation in peace and security, and regional maritime security.
UPDF Battle Group Feted For Role In Peacekeeping In Somalia
18 July – Source: AMISOM – 357 Words
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has awarded medals and certificates to a Ugandan battle group for its contribution to peace and stability in Somalia. The officers, belonging to Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) Battle Group 25, operated in Eljale, Bufow, Marka, Shalnabot, Qoryoley and Mashalay among other areas in South West State. “During the last 12 months, you have managed to implement the programme of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) by going to your Forward Operating Bases (FBOs) to fight the enemy and bring peace and stability to the residents of Sector One,” said the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Madeira, who presided over the medal award ceremony.
“The African Union is in Somalia not for any other purpose other than helping to liberate this country from the scourge of a ruthless and destructive Al-Shabaab,” Ambassador Madeira added. The SRCC commended the battle group for promoting dialogue and reconciliation among communities residing in its area of operation and also thanked them for rehabilitating flood water channels in Marka town and providing medical support to locals.
AMISOM Deputy Force Commander in charge of Operations and Plans, Maj. Gen. James Lakara, lauded officers of Battle Group 25 for supporting and mentoring Somali National Army (SNA) personnel in the Lower Shabelle region. “The battle group was deployed to Lower Shabelle and was headquartered in Eljale, that covered areas of Shanlabot, Mashalay, Qoryoley, Marka, and were mentoring Somali National Army officers in Elsalid and Barire,” said Maj. Gen. Lakara. The battle group commander, Col. Paul Muhanguzi, thanked the AMISOM leadership for their guidance and support which he said enabled the contingent to achieve its mandate.
“Battle Group 25 supported the Somali National Army in capturing Marka, which is the second largest city in the region. The 25th battalion has also supported and nurtured the local forces who were later recruited into the ranks of the Somali NISA (National Intelligence and Security Agency) force,” said Col. Muhanguzi. The officers took over from Battle Group 28 and were responsible for maintaining peace and security in parts of south-west Somalia.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
18 July – Source: Radiio Ergo – Words
Drought-hit families in a village in Dhobley, in southern Somalia’s Lower Jubaregion, are faced with a stark choice between buying water and sending their children to school. At least 200 children in Barwaqo village have been sent home following the closure of their school due to lack of funds. Hassan Salat Bulley, the village chief, told Radio Ergo that the school relied on the contributions of some 500 local families, who were all struggling to survive after the failure of the last rains. The school shut down two months ago. The families have been forced to choose between either buying water for their livestockand keeping their children’s education going. “Each family was paying five dollars towards the running of the school that has now been diverted to emergency water purchases,” the chief said. The water reservoirs in the village have dried up. Some of the families are walking 20km to get water from Dhobley town. “These families buy a 200–litre drum of clean water at four dollars and drive their animals to get water from the town. The situation could get worse if there is no quick response,” the chief warned.
Abdi Shukri Adan and his younger brother were pupils at the school. They are now hanging around at home. “I like education very much and I was hoping to be educated and later on to become an important person in the society,” Abdi told Radio Ergo. The children were being taught English, Kiswahili, mathematics, and science in the school’s three classrooms built of sticks. Deq Duble Ali, a parent, said circumstances had regrettably forced him to divert hisschool contribution to buy water to save his livestock from dying. “I am paying 125,000 Somali shilling ($5) every time I have to buy water for my 30 goats. Two of my children were students at the school, but I have no choice,” Deq said. Deq now travels 35 km away from the village seeking pasture for his livestock. He supports his family by collect firewood with a donkey cart to sell in the market. “I make $15 for a trip collecting and selling the firewood. I use this money to buy food and water for the family,” he said.
Shukri Bihi Nur, a member of the school committee, said the four teachers had left their posts because they had not been paid. “The salaries for the teachers have not been paid for two months. When the village failed to contribute money for the teachers, they moved to other schools,” she said. Ibrahim Isack, another parent whose daughter was at the school, expressed concern over the future of the village’s children. “Parents have the desire but cannot support the school. The families are poor, they would like to contribute but they are all in same state,” he explained. The school opened two years ago after the local administration and the elders joined hands. |
