June 14, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report
Death Toll Due To Heavy Rains Rises To 8 In Hargeisa Town
14 June – Source: Goobjoog News – 229 Words
The death toll due to torrential rains, which has lashed Hargeisa town in the breakaway Somaliland on Monday evening, climbed to 8 and injured over 26 people. Six more bodies have been recovered, taking the death toll in the area to eight, while twenty-six other were admitted to hospital. According to the Ahmed Dagah the District Commissioner, over 100 houses were destroyed including residential, commercial and public utilities which were mostly schools.
Sources from the mayor’s office say 41,000 people were affected in the entire town, and around 30,000 were moved to safer places. Mohamed Omar a resident of Hargeisa town said a wall of the house came down during the heavy downpour that rocked the town yesterday and lead to deaths of two people. Most of the roads were affected by floods.
Farah Osman, another resident in Hargeisa says he saw five people who were seriously injured and were taken to nearby hospital. Hargeisa Mayor Abdirahman Soltelco has visited the scene of the destroyed building hours after the incident. The downpours, the heaviest since the start of the rainy season, have caused flooding and landslides in many areas of the town. Soltelco, told the reporters that the roads twere impassable as a result of the heavy rain which started at 4pm. “The roads are flooded and fire engines cannot pass,” said Soltelco.
Key Headlines
- Death Toll Due To Heavy Rains Rises To 8 In Hargeisa Town (Goobjoog News)
- MP Says Hiiraan Governor Has No Power To Fire District Official (Shabelle News)
- Gunmen Execute Civilians In Revenge Attack (Shabelle News)
- Terror Measures Discussed In Crucial Puntland Meeting (Garowe Online)
- Construction Of Rehabilitation Center For Former Al-Shabaab combatants launched in Kismaayo(UNSOM)
- Somali Women Urged To Fully Participate In This Year’s Elections (AMISOM)
- Turkey Makes A Strong Statement With Massive Somalia Embassy (Daily Nation)
NATIONAL MEDIA
MP Says Hiiraan Governor Has No Power To Fire District Official
14 June – Source: Shabelle News – 100
Dahir Amin Jesow, who is a member of the outgoing Somali parliament has condemned the decision to sack the commissioner of Bulo-burte Abdulaziz Durow by Hiiraan governor. The Somali parliamentarian stated that only the interior ministry has the legitimacy to appoint and fire district administrators, according to the country’s constitution. “It was absolutely unlawful to sack a district official without having the legality, so that makes the sacking of Bulo-Burte district commissioner null and void,” said Somali lawmaker.
Gunmen Execute Civilians In Revenge Attack
14 June – Source: Shabelle News – 117 Words
At least four people, including a woman have been shot dead in apparent revenge killing over clan feud near the southern city of Jowhar on Monday night. A resident, speaking on condition of anonymity said the murder of the civilians occurred when unknown gunmen attacked Gololey village late last night.
Five other people were injured in the revenge raid and taken to hospital. People in the shooting area have expressed concerns and anger over the slaughter of the civilians. The Gunmen have committed robbery before they left the area, according to local residents who spoke to Radio Shabelle by phone from the scene. It is not the first time clan militiamen committed such atrocities or similar acts in the area.
Terror Measures Discussed In Crucial Puntland Meeting
14 June – Source: Garowe Online – 209 words
Puntland President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali convened a weekly security meeting at the State House in the wake of increased Al-Shabaab activities on Sunday. Vice President Abdihakin Abdullahi Haji Omar, top generals and leading intelligence figures attended the gathering held under the chairmanship of Ali. Security commanders briefed the President on the security situation and latest developments including Galgala landmine attacks and murder of woman peace activist in Galkayo.
Ali scolded security officials for their failure to gain tip-offs about Al-Shabaab terror activities, a presidency source who asked not to be named told Garowe Online. The meeting also focused on fresh measures to be adopted against terrorism and how strong the coordination among various security agencies is.
Officials agreed to step up surveillance, and boost vigil in close cooperation with the public. Puntland President at the end of the meeting ordered security agencies to enhance intelligence and hone tight security during the holy month of Ramadan when Al Shabaab resorts to rampages. Security Minister Abdi Hirsi Ali (Qarjab) was wounded in a crossfire of gunfire in Bossaso port city on May 5. Puntland Defence Forces (PDFs) are battling militants off and on in Galgala despite operation being hampered by bad weather and difficult topography in recent months.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Construction Of Rehabilitation Center For Former Al-Shabaab combatants launched in Kismaayo
14 June – Source: UNSOM – 443 Words
The construction of a rehabilitation center for disengaged combatants in Jubbaland state administration was officially launched on Monday, in Kismaayo. This is the fourth center to be established in Somalia as part of the government’s National Programme for the Treatment and Handling of Disengaged Combatants.
The construction of Kismaayo’s rehabilitation center funded by the German government, with the support of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), the Federal Government of Somalia, the Jubbaland State and other development partners. Officials at the ground-breaking ceremony noted that the construction of the center would give the youth who had received wrong ideology an opportunity to reform and be reintegrated into the society again.
During the ceremony, the Governor of Kismaayo, Abdirashid Ali Goni, said the center will provide accommodation and education to those who had quit the terrorist group. “Today we laid a foundation stone for the disengaged combatants in Jubbaland. This is meant to rehabilitate the youths who were misled through ideology so that they can be supported and given accommodation, vocational education and health and to enable them to rejoin their communities,” the governor stated.
The director of the Disengaged Rehabilitation Programme from the Ministry of Internal Security for the Federal Government of Somalia, Malik Abdalla, appealed to the youth who are still part of Al-Shabaab to surrender and reintegrate into the society. “We are sending a message to the youths who were betrayed to come and surrender. We also want them to come out of the problems they are encountering because the people they are killing are Somalis like themselves, their mothers and brothers. We want them to become part of the community and Somalia at large,” said the director.
Somali Women Urged To Fully Participate In This Year’s Elections
13 June – Source: AMISOM – 618 Words
The Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia Ms Lydia Wanyoto has urged Somali women to pray for peace during the holly month and fully participate in the forthcoming electoral process. She noted that the country was making tremendous progress towards sustainable peace and women empowerment with the recent adoption of the National Gender Policy.
Addressing an awareness forum on Somali women participation in elections in Mogadishu, on Saturday, Honorable Lydia Wanyoto asked women to ensure the process was not only participatory but also inclusive. Describing Ramadhan as a special moment for prayer, the DSRCC asked Somali women to offer a special prayer for their country, adding that in August and September Somalia will be choosing its leaders through the agreed process.
“You’re part of the community; you’re the backbone of Somalia. We would like to mobilize and making sure that women are elected to different leadership positions, especially Parliament”, she added. The DSRCC said the Somali Constitution had set aside a specific percentage of seats for women in Parliament, emphasizing it was crucial for them to lay claim on those positions by actively participating in the electoral process.
Ms Wanyoto urged women to discuss among themselves and with elders to ensure the minimum of 30 percent quota set aside for them is realized. She thanked the Waaberi District Commissioner, Ms Hawa Kin Mohamed Ali and the Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development for organizing the forum that brought together women from different parts of the city.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Many people expected that we would leave Somalia in a short time. That has not happened. Instead, our continued presence has boosted the confidence of this nation,” President Erdogan said.
Turkey Makes A Strong Statement With Massive Somalia Embassy
14 June – Source: Daily Nation – 725 Words
On June 3, Somalia received a game changing delegation from Turkey. The plane carrying President Recep Tayip Erdogan together with his wife, Emine, and a large delegation landed at the city’s seafront airport. The dignitaries were received by a galaxy of Somali officials, led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud. The occasion was akin to a homecoming of long-lost nationals. Besides President Mohamoud, those who lined up to shake the hands of Turkish delegation included the Speaker of the Federal Parliament, Mr Mohamed Osman Jawari, the Prime Minister, Mr Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke, Cabinet ministers and MPs.
Even regional leaders from Puntland, Jubaland, Southwest and Galmudug states lined up to welcome President Erdogan and his delegation. “Kudos and keep the good spirit,” chanted the people lining up along the road and waving both the Somali and the Turkish flags. The story of the good fortunes was taking another turn.
Amid tight security by the Somali law enforcers and the peacekeepers serving with the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) and a unit of Turkish law enforcers, the Turkish delegation was driven to Mogadishu’ northern Abdulaziz District where President Erdogan and his Somali counterpart jointly opened a gigantic premise meant to house the Turkish Embassy in Mogadishu.
The new facility, which overlooks the popular Lido Beach, is the largest Turkish embassy in the world. It’s sheer size is a statement about the growing relations between Somalia and Turkey. Just after cutting the ribbon to declare the embassy building open, President Erdogan promised that Turkey would establish an army training camp in Somalia. “I may come back to open the camp,” he hinted.
Subsequently, the two leaders and their delegations held talks, culminating in their two governments signing a series of agreements. Major accords included taxation, livestock, investment promotion and bonds between the Somali National News Agency (Sonna) and the Turkish News Agency (Anadol).
Similar agreements were signed for the training for Somali Police Force, educational collaboration, health, energy and minerals. Other areas earmarked for bilateral cooperation between Turkey and Somalia was human resource development and the joint creation of employment opportunities. Ministers from both sides, including Somalia’s Foreign minister Abdisalam Hadliye Omar and his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuþoðlu, signed for both governments.
TOP TWEETS
@radiogarowe: #Somalia: Terror measures discussed in crucial Puntland meeting http://bit.ly/1YnN1qp
@Daudoo : BREAKING: Roadside bomb blast hits an #AMISOMconvoy in Abdow-Dibile area near #Afgoye town, troops cordon off the scene – Witness. #Somalia
@katymigiro 3h3 hours ago#UN tells #Kenya it cannot send all#Somalia refugees home by Nov as “still very insecure”http://tmsnrt.rs/1Pqr5ny
@Abdi_AlSheikh : Inclusion of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention ratification in Somalia’s National Development Plan -… http://dlvr.it/LYR9Vg #Somalia
@Mogadishu_News : #UPDATE: Female local #MogadishuAdmin official identified as Seinab Muhudin shot dead near her house in #Shibis distr- Witnesses. #Somalia
@muiska : #daily_nation Turkey makes a strong statement with massive Somalia embassy: President Erdogan promis…http://bit.ly/28xAXrg #somalia
IMAGE OF THE DAY
The Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia Ms Lydia Wanyoto has urged Somali women to pray for peace during the holly month and fully participate in the forthcoming electoral process.
Photo: AMISOM