July 28, 2016 | Morning Headlines
Ex-Somali MP Behind UN Mogadishu Attack Described Legislators As “Apostates”
27 July – Source: Radio Dalsan/Agencies – 169 Words
Ex- Somali Member of Parliament behind the car bomb attack at the United Nations gate in Mogadishu believed members of the Somali National Assembly were “apostates”.
Salah Nur Ismail, also known as Salah Badabado, described fellow MPs as “apostates” serving the interests of the foreign occupation shortly before his defection. In a separate address released online moments before driving himself to death in a car loaded with explosives, the former legislator condemns his own sons for taking a “cowardly” path after declining to join him in the “pro-Al-Shabaab war”.
The man, who graduated from several institutions now controlled by the Al-Shabaab armed group and who headed key learning centres for a while before his death, was born in Sanag region and schooled in Northern part of Somalia, now referred to as Somaliland.
More than 20 people are believed to have been killed in the twin car bomb explosion in the capital of Mogadishu on Tuesday. The attacks appeared to target the UN compound and the entrance of the Mogadishu International Airport.
Key Headlines
- Ex-Somali MP Behind UN Mogadishu Attack Described Legislators As “Apostates” (Radio Dalsan/Agencies)
- Goobjoog Media Group Welcomes Release Of Two Somali Journalists In Mogadishu (Goobjoog News)
- Somali Government Reaffirms Its Commitment to Fighting Female Genital Mutilation (AMISOM)
- Suspected Shabaab Militants Destroy Communication Mast In Lafey Mandera
- Saudi Arabia Condemns Terror Attacks In Somalia France (Arab News)
- Somali Presence Big In State DNC Delegation (Minnesota Public Radio)
- Somalia – Will Its Refugee And Displacement Crises Ever Be Solved? (Transconflict)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Goobjoog Media Group Welcomes Release Of Two Somali Journalists In Mogadishu
27 July – Source: Goobjoog News – 175 Words
Goobjoog Media Group has welcomed the release of two Somali journalists who had been behind the bars for ten hours in the north of the Somali capital Mogadishu.
“We indeed welcome the news that our colleagues have their freedom back,” Hassan Mohamud Mohamed, the director of Goobjoog Media Group said. Journalists Abdiweli Jama’a Barre and Zakaria Hussein were both detained in Godjiliow Detention Centre. The two were released at 3:00PM local time in Mogadishu.
They were arrested from Bakar Market on Tuesday evening while taking supper at hotel in the capital. The motive behind the arrest of the two journalists remains unknown. Somali journalists have lately been subjected to many difficulties including killings, arrests, forced closures of media outlets, threats, and have occasionally faced criminal charges.
Two journalists were killed in Mogadishu this year and over the last three weeks alone 10 journalists have been arrested in Somalia. All were released without charges according to the National Union of Somali Journalists. The latest incident involves two journalists detained in Jowhar and four others in Kismayo.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Government Reaffirms Its Commitment to Fighting Female Genital Mutilation
27 July – Source: AMISOM – 487
The Federal Government of Somalia has reaffirmed its commitment to ensure female genital mutilation (FGM) and other forms of gender violence are eliminated.
The pledge was made at a forum held in the Somali Capital, Mogadishu, on Wednesday and attended by women leaders from all the regions in Somalia, officials from the federal government, representatives from regional states, religious leaders, legislators, clan elders and members of the civil society.
Addressing the well attended forum, Somalia’s Attorney General Attorney General Ahmed Ali Dahir supported the push for legislation to end FGM. “We need to specifically fight FGM. We need an enabling law. Let us harmonize our demands with the law. We should be specific about FGM and not mix it up with circumcision in general.”
The Attorney General emphasized that Somalia needed to develop homegrown solutions to eradicate retrogressive practices; arguing that adopting policies from outside Somalia may be counterproductive in the fight against female genital mutilation.
The meeting was organized by the Ministry of Women and Human Rights and the Office of the Prime Minister in conjunction with Ifrah Foundation, with the support of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and was officially opened by the deputy Minister of Women and Human Rights Ms. Mumina Sheikh Omar.
“The Constitution bars circumcision in general but does not specify which type. Since the Constitution we have in place is still provisional, the Sharia takes precedence. Let us follow Sharia law but you can discuss and give us your views,” the deputy minister told participants at the forum.
Calls for a complete end to the age old practice was strongly supported by the Minister of Religious Affairs, Abdulkahdir Sheikh Ali Baghdad, who said FGM is a cultural practice that has no place in Islam.: “It is forbidden to cut the private part of a girl because it is like any other part of the body. It is like the eye, tooth or the ears. If you abuse it, it is like you have abused any other part and I will not be ashamed to say it.”
AMISOM Gender Officer, Mane Ahmed, who spoke on behalf of AMISOM, reiterated the Mission’s commitment to supporting efforts to end the practice, which is deeply entrenched in Somali culture. According to Ms. Ifrah Ahmed, the Founder of Ifrah Foundation, the conveners of the meeting, intense lobbying for legislation against FGM will continue. She said her organization would work with the Ministry of Women and Human Rights and partners such as AMISOM, to ensure appropriate legislation is passed.
Suspected Shabaab Militants Destroy Communication Mast In Lafey, Mandera
28 July – Source: Daily Nation – 101 Words
Suspected Al-Shabaab militants have attacked and destroyed a communication mast at Fino town, Lafey Sub County in Mandera.Lafey police boss (OCPD) Bosita Omukolongolo said the incident happened at 2am.
“There was heavy fire exchange between the attackers and our officers guarding the area but no casualty has been reported, ” he said. On June 26, another communication mast at Damasa in Lafey was destroyed by Al-Shabaab militants who run into neighbouring Somalia: “We are yet to know how many they were since the incident happened in night but all our officers at the scene can be accounted for,” said Mr Omukolongolo.
Saudi Arabia Condemns Terror Attacks In Somalia, France
27 July – Source: Arab News – 97 Words
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday condemned the terror incidents in France and Somalia. Two suicide bombings near a UN and AU base killed 13 in Somalia’s capital. In Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, a priest was killed by Daesh inspired terrorist.
A foreign ministry source said of the incident in France “this cowardly terrorist act is rejected by the Islamic religion, which enjoined the protection of places of worship and forbade its desecration.” Of the incident in Mogadishu, the kingdom condole the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery stressing “support for the republic of Somalia.”
Somali Presence Big In State DNC Delegation
27 July – Source: Minnesota Public Radio – 157 Words
Minnesota’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention has a noteworthy representation of racial and ethnic diversity, including three Somali-American delegates and one alternate.
Asad Aliweyd of Eden Prairie, a delegate supporting Bernie Sanders, was proudly boasting about the high representation Tuesday at the delegation’s hotel outside Philadelphia: “We have only one other Somali, from South Carolina. That’s it,” Aliweyd said. “Minnesota has the largest delegates of Muslims and Somalis in the entire convention.”
Aliweyd is joined by Abdul Ahmed, a Clinton delegate from Coon Rapids, and Samakab Hussein, a Clinton delegate from St. Paul. Fartun Weli of Minneapolis is a Sanders alternate. Aliweyd said he thinks the number of Somali-American delegate reflects well on Minnesota and its welcoming environment to immigrants. He said hopes to see even more political participation in the future: “We feel that we are part of the society, and we feel like we’re part of the DFL party, he said.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“With over a million people internally displaced across the country, additional refugees from Dadaab could surely overwhelm Somalia. There are, however, a number of approaches that can help secure a better, durable solution for IDPs and refugees – including building political will, ensuring local participation and inclusivity, engaging the private sector and instituting a bottom-up approach.”
Somalia – Will Its Refugee And Displacement Crises Ever Be Solved?
27 July – Source: Transconflict – 823 Words
Over the last two decades or so, the world has regarded Somalia as the most troubled region in the horn of Africa. The once peaceful and prosperous country is now plagued by conflict, violence and human rights abuses. A combination of human and natural disasters has generated a repeated waves of refugees.
UNHCR statistics show that, out of population of 12 million Somalis, nearly two million are either displaced within the country or have sought refuge elsewhere. The majority of these refugees and displaced people are young, disadvantaged families. This demographic, who were born and raised in camps and settlements, continue to struggle with normalising their status and integrating with the host community.
The recent decision of the Kenyan government to shut down Dadaab refugee camp, just a few days before the World Humanitarian Summit, came as no surprise. This was not the first time that Kenya has taken such a decision.
In April 2015, while visiting Nyeri County in Kenya, DP William Ruto gave the UN High Commissioner for Refugees three months to send Dadaab refugees back to Somalia, by which he said that Kenya would forcefully return them. Such forced repatriation of Dadaab refugees would violate the International Resolution 2198 and its associated principles of voluntary returns. The announcement created an international outcry, with some believing that Kenya, like Turkey, is using migrants as bargaining chips in a bid to get more support from the international community.
Today, Dadaab is the world’s largest camp with around 350,000 people. If it were considered as a Kenyan city, it would be the third largest. And to the world, Dadaab is just a refugee camp, full of tarp-covered domes. But to those born and raised on UN rations, it is home. In his lengthy essay, Why I call Dadaab home, Asad Hussein recalls how, growing up in Ifo going to school sometimes on an empty stomach, his love of Kenya and how words like “Refugee” were regarded as an insult, but have now become part of his identity.
In November 2013, Kenya signed a tripartite agreement with Somalia and UNHCR, defining procedures and outlines for the voluntary repatriation of refugees. So far nearly 5,000 Somali refugees have voluntarily returned to Somalia and 4,500 more have signed up to return.
However, this has also generated many questions about the procedure. Is Somalia ready for such an influx of refugees? Even in the context of voluntary return, the prospects for local integration and resettlement require a national and international strategy guided by long term solutions.