June 19, 2018 | Morning Headlines
Somaliland Frees Journalist Following Presidential Pardon
18 June – Source: Halbeeg News – 125 Words
Somaliland authorities have freed a local journalist named, Mohamed Aden Dirir who was serving 18 month in jail following presidential pardon. Mr. Dirir was sentenced to 18 months in jail on October 2017, after he was accused of publishing fake news and material deemed to be ‘undermining and bringing the state into contempt. This is part of presidential pardon for over 500 prisoners in Somaliland jails.
Early in May this year, activist and poetess Naima Ahmed Qorane, has been released from Prison, after receiving presidential pardon. Following intervention by elders and Human Rights activists, the president of the breakaway Somaliland Muse Bihi Abdi, has announced the absolution from the sentence in a statement from his office. The release was welcomed by Somaliland Human Rights Centre.
Key Headlines
- Somaliland Frees Journalist Following Presidential Pardon (Halbeeg News)
- Somali Government Defends President Farmaajo’s Agreement With Ethiopian PM (Shabelle Media)
- Somali Ministry For Petroleum Drafts Bill To Manage Petroleum (Halbeeg News)
- Amanda Lindhout’s Kidnapper Gets 15 Year Sentence (BBC)
- Al-Shabaab Attacks On Lamu-Garsen Road Drop Police Say (Daily Nation)
- Back To Mogadishu: Thirty-One Years Later (Wardheere News)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Government Defends President Farmaajo’s Agreement With Ethiopian PM
18 June – Source: Shabelle Media – 134 Words
The minister of Information for Somalia’s Federal government, Dahir Mohamud Geelle has explained a recent deal between president Farmaajo and Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed. Speaking at a press conference in Mogadishu on Monday, Geelle said the deal was only a trade cooperation and investment in the ports of the country, denying claims of a merger.
The minister’s remarks came following an interview by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in which he announced that Somalia will unite with his country in the future. Ahmed made the statement after paying a one-day visit to Somalia on Saturday and held talks with Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo in Mogadishu. The two leaders agreed on the joint investment in four key seaports between the two countries, and the construction of roads that would link Somalia to mainland Ethiopia.
Somali Ministry For Petroleum Drafts Bill To Manage Petroleum
18 June – Source: Halbeeg News – 294 Words
Somalia has drafted regulations to manage the country’s petroleum and mineral resources sectors, following an agreement between Somali Federal Government and its member states agreed, on the management of the petroleum and mining sectors in Somalia. Following three years of deliberations, the leaders on both sides jointly agreed to clarify the management and administration of petroleum and mineral resources in Somalia. The objective of the agreement is to gain a common vision between the government and the states, on the management of the petroleum and mining sectors in Somalia.
The ministry will have to provide a framework through which both the government and the states can participate in the exploration and production of resources; to obtain revenue from the exploration and production of these resources. Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed, the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources said, the agreement authorizes the ministry to issue permits and manage the petroleum and mining activities in Somalia. “The finalization of this agreement marks a new chapter in the progress and development of the Federal Republic of Somalia,” Mr. Ahmed said, pledging to work on the accelerating the endorsement of the draft bill.
“The Ministry will work in close collaboration with the federal member states in swiftly implementing all legislation and policies, monitoring and following up on all licenses issued prior to this agreement,” he noted. Mr. Ahmed said the agreement will enable Somalia to avoid conflicts over resources and embark on a route to sustainable development. “It is indeed a great day for Somalia to agree that the Somali people own their petroleum and mineral resources, and that the federal government of Somalia and federal member states are the representative of the people and are responsible for the fair distribution of petroleum and mineral resources,” the minister indicated.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Amanda Lindhout’s Kidnapper Gets 15 Year Sentence
18 June – Source: BBC – 330 Words
A Somali man has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for his role in the kidnapping of a Canadian journalist in Somalia, according to Canadian media. Ali Omar Ader, 40, was found guilty in December on a charge of hostage-taking charge for his involvement as a negotiator in the kidnapping. Ader was arrested in Ottawa in 2015 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Amanda Lindhout and Australian photojournalist Nigel Brennan were taken hostage near Mogadishu in 2008.
The sentence was handed down on Monday in an Ontario Superior Court. During his trial, prosecutors claimed that Ader was the primary negotiator for the militants who captured the pair. Ader repeatedly pressed Ms Lindhout and Mr Brennan’s families for ransom money, the court heard. It was eventually paid.
Ms Lindhout and Mr Brennan were taken hostage at gunpoint while working on a story about displaced persons camps near the Somali capital. They were held captive by an unidentified militant group for 460 days before being released in November 2009. They have described having been brutally assaulted, tortured, and nearly starved during their captivity. The kidnapping of the two journalists and their eventual release was covered by media worldwide.
Al-Shabaab Attacks On Lamu-Garsen Road Drop, Police Say
18 June – Source: Daily Nation – 488 Words
Al-Shabaab terror attacks on security personnel and passenger vehicles are on the wane on the Lamu-Garsen road, Lamu County police say. Lamu County Police Commander Muchangi Kioi says the establishment of security camps in all hotspots prone to Al-Shabaab attacks on the road has been the main contributor to the drop in attacks. In March this year, the government announced establishment police and Kenya Defence Forces camps at Milihoi, Nyongoro, Lango la Simba and Mambo Sasa terror hotspots where militants have ambushed and launched attacks on security vehicles and public service buses.
Speaking to the Nation in his office on Monday, Mr Kioi also said the ongoing Operation Linda Boni had contributed to the reduction of terror attack cases in the region. Operation Linda Boni was launched by the national government in September 2015 to flush out Al-Shabaab militants believed to be hiding in the dense Boni forest.
Mr Kioi also said efforts by the security agencies to combat Al-Shabaab in Boni forest has resulted in the calmness being experienced in the county. “We haven’t witnessed any terror attacks on our roads recently. This is because we have increased general patrols in all areas across the county. We even established camps in some areas considered to be terror hotspot along the Lamu-Garsen road. I can generally say that there is more peace and stability in Lamu now. Cases of attacks have really come down,” said Mr Kioi.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“When Al-Shabaab is not killing innocent people and extorting money, it conducts secret mobile courts to settle disputes among citizens. The government’s court system is riddled with corruption, some claim it is justice for sale. This is how Al-Shabaab pitches its supposed fairness and honesty.”
Back To Mogadishu: Thirty-One Years Later
17 June – Source: Wardheere News – 1743 Words
Al-Shabaab has become the big elephant in today’s Somalia—and it’s a force to be reckoned with. While the organization was dislodged militarily from Mogadishu several years ago, it still maintains a sinister presence in the capital. This presence is so threatening that the government’s security forces do not venture into some areas of the city. Extorting local businesses is the group’s modus operandi and its lifeline for survival.
Most disturbingly, members of the radical group have melted into the city, so it is difficult to distinguish between actual Al-Shabaab members and those who are sympathizers. To paraphrase U.S. President Donald Trump’s conspiratorial phrase, there is a “deep state” in Mogadishu that revolves around the shadowy Al-Shabaab and its draconian brand of justice.
Terror by phone: Abdi is a family friend I haven’t seen since 1977. He has lived all his life in Mogadishu, fathered several children some of whom live in Europe, and engaged in various business ventures—some very successful and others not so much.
As a child, Abdi was like a big brother to me—kind, caring and generous. He was young, single, gainfully employed, and so committed to improving his life that, in his spare time, he took English classes at the American Mennonite Mission in Mogadishu. Occasionally, Abdi also took my cousin and me to a restaurant where we ate ravenously.
During my visit to Mogadishu, finding Abdi proved to be a Herculean task. I had his cell phone number, but the man did not answer. Finally, I asked my sister in California to try to call him, hoping he would answer an international call rather than a local one. She called him, but to no avail. After many calls, he finally answered. She asked him why he didn’t answer his phone, and he was as honest as one gets: “I only answer the phone for one hour every day,” he said, “from 5 to 6 p.m., so the kids can use the Internet.” “Hassan is in Mogadishu and he wants to see you,” my sister said. “Oh, let him text me.”