June 16, 2016 | Morning Headlines
Somali Federal Parliament Amends Articles In Provisional Constitution
15 June – Source: Goobjoog News – 176 Words
Somali Federal Parliament moved with speed on Wednesday to make crucial amendments to article 60 and 136 of the provisional constitution to save the country from a possible transitional crisis.
Article 60 of the current constitution, which stipulates that “the term of office of the Federal Parliament is 4 years from the day of the announcement of the election results” was amended to, “the term of the office of Federal Parliament ends from day that new Parliament takes the oath”.
The second article-136, clause two [In a referendum held concerning the Provisional Constitution as amended, held before the end of the first term of the House of the People, the electorate of the Federal Republic of Somalia may adopt the new Constitution by a majority vote in favor of the final version of this Constitution] was equally amended to, “referendums concerning the provisional constitutions will be held after the upcoming tenth Somali parliament replaces the current parliament”.
208 of members of the Parliament voted for the amendment of the articles. A surplus of the 2/3 votes required to amend an article in the constitution. The move, according to constitutional law experts, is geared towards ensuring a smooth political transition after the August/September polls.
Key Headlines
- Somali Federal Parliament Amends Articles In Provisional Constitution (Goobjoog News)
- SNA AU Troops Conduct Mine-clearance Operation In Lower Shabelle (Shabelle News)
- Global Somali Diaspora Lashes Out At Trump For Making Derogatory Statement Against Somali-Americans (Goobjoog News)
- WFP Investigating The Origin Of Expired Food Aid Destined For Drought Victims (Radio Dalsan)
- UN Backs Kenya’s Stand On Closure Of Dadaab Refugee Camp (Daily Nation)
- We’re Tired of Camp Life Somali Refugees Say As They Leave Dadaab (Daily Nation)
- Suspected Al-Shabaab Militants Shell Parts Of Somalia’s Capital (Bloomberg)
- Has Kenya’s Brinkmanship Over Dadaab Worked? (IRIN News Agency)
NATIONAL MEDIA
SNA, AU Troops Conduct Mine-clearance Operation In Lower Shabelle
15 June – Source: Shabelle News – 112 Words
Somali National Army (SNA), along with African Union troops carried out a joint mine -clearance operation in parts of Lower Shabelle region on Wednesday. The operation was conducted between Bufow and Shalanbood areas near Marko town, where the allied troops secured their supply routes from land-mines believed to have been planted by Al-Shabaab.
The development comes a day after AMISOM convoy was targeted in a roadside bomb at Addow Dibille, a small village outside Afgoye district, 30 kilometers southwest of Somali capital, Mogadishu. At least two civilians died in a shootout after the land-mine bomb attack on their convoy on Tuesday, according to residents.
Global Somali Diaspora Lashes Out At Trump For Making Derogatory Statement Against Somali-Americans
15 June – Source: Goobjoog News – 223 Words
Global Somali Diaspora called comments by US Republican Party’s presumptive nominee Donald Trump about Somali community in Minneapolis “dangerous” and “hate filled” discourse.
In press release statement Global Somali Diaspora said Trump is busy planning how he could isolate America, for real “Americans” from the rest of the scary world. “Donald Trump’s ignorance no longer ceases to amaze. From building walls across the US-Mexican border, to expelling those who do not share his hateful, small view of the world; Trump is busy planning how he could isolate America, for real “Americans” from the rest of the scary world” GSD said in press statement
Trump made aggressive comments against Syrians, Somalis and Afghans in America after worst mass shooting incident in the United States history. Omar Mateen, 29 years old, American born, but with Afghan heritage carried out the attack which killed 49 people and wounded scores at gay nightclub in Orlando, California.
In the statement GSD invited trump to learn more about the hard working and contribution of the Somali community in America “GSD would like to invite him to learn more about Somalia and the hardworking, positively contributing American Somali community who care about the future of their home, America. Evidence shows that rather than posing a threat, Somali Americans are helping to rebuild America as a community, individuals and professionals” GSD said
WFP Investigating The Origin Of Expired Food Aid Destined For Drought Victims
15 June – Source: Radio Dalsan – 156 Words
World Food Program (WFP) has said it is investigating how expired food aid was imported into Somalia. Senior official at World Food Program office in Mogadishu has told Somali National News Agency (SONNA) that they are investigating the matter.
Somali Police have on Tuesday seized a shipment of food aid at Aden Abdulle Airport in Mogadishu. The food aid which was meant for drought affected people mainly in the northern part of the country was found to be expired. Further investigations by Somali airport police wing concluded that most parts of the shipment which was delivered by WFP was contaminated and was no longer fit for human consumption.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
UN Backs Kenya’s Stand On Closure Of Dadaab Refugee Camp
16 June – Source: Daily Nation – 455 Words
The United Nations (UN) has finally bowed to Kenya’s firm stand on the closure of Dadaab camp and pledged to seek funds to ensure the refugees are repatriated safely.
Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed said President Uhuru Kenyatta and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon held a meeting on the sidelines of the European Union Development Day summit in Brussels, Belgium on Wednesday and agreed to ensure the refugees are treated with dignity.
Ms Mohamed said Mr Ban had said he understood Kenya’s decision and its determination to close the camp and that he had thanked Kenya for hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees from neighbouring countries for many years: “The UN secretary-general said he understands Kenya’s decision to close the refugee camp,” she said at the Sheraton Brussels Hotel.
She stated: “It is now an internationally accepted fact that the closure of the Dadaab refugee camp is going to be done and the refugees have said they are not opposed to it”. The development is likely to bring to an end international criticism against Kenya after it decided to close down the largest refugee camp in the world because of mounting insecurity and environmental degradation.
President Kenyatta has stuck to his government’s decision despite pleas from UN High Commissioner for Refugees Fillipo Randi and Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Ms Mohammed said the repatriation would cost about Sh11 billion and that donors had so far only raised Sh720 million.
She said the repatriation had already started and that a total of 14,000 refugees had been flown back to Somalia. During the meeting, President Kenyatta said the camps had been used as bases by Al-Shabaab terrorists to plan and execute attacks on Kenya. It was also agreed that the African Union Mission to Somalia troops would join the UN peacekeeping force, a decision that would be ratified by the five permanent members of the world body’s Security Council.
We’re Tired of Camp Life, Somali Refugees Say As They Leave Dadaab
15 June – Source: Daily Nation – 356 Words
A group of Somali refugees Tuesday left the Dadaab refugee camp for Somalia under the voluntary repatriation programme, saying they were ready to start a new life back in their home country. This follows an earlier tripartite agreement between Kenya, Somalia and the United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
The agreement, signed three years ago, sought to have refugees voluntarily go back home. That agreement expires in September 2016, but only 5,200 of refugees from a possible 400,000 living in Dadaab have been repatriated through the programme.
On Tuesday, there was evident apprehension, anxiety and confusion at the Dadaab airstrip as the latest group of refugees left for Somalia. Speaking to the Nation at the airstrip the returnees said they are tired of refugee life and would want to start their own life back home. Some, however, said they were not certain whether the situation in Somalia had improved.
Asha Hussein, 34, who has been living in Efo 2 for the last six years, said she and her husband decided to go back to Somalia since they have been told that security in Somalia had improved: “We also have cattle there [so] we decided to go back to continue with our normal life although we are not so sure whether it is true security has really improved. Refugee life is also not good,” the mother of two told the Nation before she boarded one of the UN-hired buses.
A source that did not want to be named because they are not allowed to speak to the media on behalf of the government said the latest group in the voluntary repatriation comprised 237 refugees, majority of them women and children. The Kenyan government has been insisting that the Dadaab camp will be closed saying it has been acting as a hideout for Al-Shabaab militants who have been launching terror attacks in various parts of the country.
Suspected Al-Shabaab Militants Shell Parts Of Somalia’s Capital
15 June – Source: Bloomberg – 58 Words
Suspected Islamist militants fired mortars on densely populated areas of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, causing at least five explosions, police officer Ahmed Shiino said by phone. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the Tuesday night’s blasts, Shinno said. Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked group, has been fighting in Somalia since 2006 to impose a its version of Islamic law.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Kenya has called on the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, to help develop a plan for the repatriation of 315,000 Somalis from its sprawling Dadaab refugee complex – a move that might allow the extension of a controversial and unlikely November deadline for their return.”
Has Kenya’s Brinkmanship Over Dadaab Worked?
15 June – Source: IRIN News Agency – 997 Words
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi told a press conference in Nairobi on Monday that Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta had asked him: “give me a plan, and we’ll discuss it”.
Grandi said the plan was still being worked on “with our partners” and would be presented to the foreign ministers of Kenya and Somalia at a meeting in Nairobi on 25 June. “We’ll talk about these plans and possible extensions,” he added. “We’ll take it step by step.”
While the exact timing may be a matter for debate, Kenya has repeatedly said its decision in May to close Dadaab – which it regards as a “security threat” – is irreversible. Rashid Abdi, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, said Kenya was hostage to its own rhetoric. “It’s staked its reputation on closing the camp,” he told IRIN. It now, along with UNHCR, needs to find “a win-win solution for everybody”.
A leaked report by a Kenyan government taskforce to establish the modalities for return – which was obtained by IRIN – said Kenya would implement a “fast-track” repatriation of refugees from June to November this year, at an estimated cost of $200 million. While the eventual closure of Dadaab now seems inevitable, Grandi made it clear the taskforce’s deadline was unrealistic. He suggested that UNHCR’s plan could involve a much longer timeframe to close the world’s largest refugee settlement.
“The timeframe of a few months is very short. I’m sure [repatriation] will be longer than November, how long I don’t know,” Grandi said. “It will also depend on developments in Somalia to ensure security, and that is something I can’t guarantee.” A critical issue is financing. At a conference last year in Brussels, Western donors pledged $110 million (out of the $500 million requested) to fund voluntary return and reintegration. To date, only $7.2 million has been received, incensing Kenya over what it regards as the bad faith of the international community.
Grandi, who had met Kenyatta on Sunday, said he was “happy to hear the president say emphatically that any solution – and repatriation is obviously the best solution – has to be conducted in a manner that is humane, dignified, safe and respects international law and principles”. But even phased repatriation “doesn’t make the dilemma any easier”, said Abdi. As a result of the Al-Shabaab insurgency and the jihadist group’s aggressive recruitment of civilians, “you’ll be inserting people into an unsafe situation”.