June 23, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report
Second Traditional Elder Slain in Baladweyne in Two Days
23 June – Source: Goobjoog News – 163 Words
A traditional elder by the name Hassan Adan Deqow has been killed in Baladweyne on Tuesday night, making it the second elder to be killed in two days. On 20th of June another elder Mumin Barre was killed by gunmen who later fled the scene. There are no apparent motives behind the killings of the traditional elders who are the backbone of the Somali society. According to Somali customary laws, elders are among those protected by laws even when captured in the battle field. Here in Baladweyn, authorities talk of a hit list for elders by militants who see them as a strong voice against their agendas. Some elders are even forced to flee the city to Mogadishu and elsewhere. Some have sought the protection of African peacekeeping troops based in Baladweyne.
Key Headlines
- Parliament Speaker Says Galmudug State Is A Product Made in Somalia (Goobjoog News)
- Galmudug: Leading Presidential Candidate Calls On Federal Government To Incorporate Ahlu Sunna Wal Jameeca In Cadaado Talks (Jowhar Online)
- Jubbaland Head Of State Leaves For Addis Ababa As State Seeks To Bring Ethiopian Troops To Come To Its Territories (Wacaal Media)
- Leadership Training For Mogadishu Women (Radio Ergo)
- Uganda’s Police Issues Security Terror Alert (New Vision)
- 2 Minnesota Women Invited To Sit At Obama’s Table At Annual White House Ramadan Dinner (Star Tribune)
- Mayors Urge Federal Action On Somali Remittances (Ballard-News Tribune)
- Al-Shabaab Continues To Impact Somalia And Kenya (Chicago Monitor)
- Remittance Companies Help To Build Somalia (The Star Kenya)
PRESS STATEMENT
UN Special Representative welcomes the swearing-in of members of the parliament of the new Galmudug Interim Administration
23 June – Source: UNSOM – 202 Words
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia (SRSG), Nicholas Kay, welcomed the swearing-in of members of the parliament of the new Galmudug Interim Administration that took place in Adaado today.
“I congratulate the Federal Government, Minister of Interior and Federal Affairs Abdirahman Mohamed Husen, the Technical Committee, and the Elders of the Central Regions for accomplishing this important step which represents significant progress towards the federalization of Somalia. I also look forward to the successful completion of the remaining stages of the central regions state formation process, including the election of a President and the formation of the new administration.
UNSOM will continue to extend its full support to the state formation process until its full completion and urges all stakeholders to remain committed to constructive consultation, compromise and reconciliation. Ensuring a fair and inclusive process as the Adaado Conference elects the President of the Galmudug Interim Administration will contribute towards the establishment of durable peace and stability not only in this region but also for the whole of Somalia. The United Nations remains committed to supporting the nation’s peace and state-building process.”
NATIONAL MEDIA
Parliament Speaker Says Galmudug State Is A Product Made In Somalia
23 June – Source: Goobjoog News – 234 Words
Prof. Mohamamed Osman Jawari the speaker of Somali federal parliament who attended the swearing in ceremony for the newly elected MPs of Galmudug State assembly has commended the formation of the state.“You are the first regional state that I can describe as product made in Somalia, you are a role model to the rest of the country, I wished the other emerging states would follow suit this model of state building” said Jawari. He thanked the local leadership for listening to his advices as a Somali elder and implemented things according to his advice “I never thought that my advices would be rejected in my own constituencies and surprisingly accepted in [the] regions Mudug and Galgudud” said the speaker to a loud applause from the new deputies and traditional elders in attendance.
But the speaker has warned against practices by some other regional states of cutting relationship with the federal government “This new state would not exist without the federal government, and the federal government cannot exist without the member units, it’s not good and cannot be accepted for a regional state to say we cut ties with the federal government” argued the speaker. He made clear that these exercise of state building is not about empowering individuals but instead is about building vibrant institutions which are founding stones for strong Somali state.
Galmudug: Leading Presidential Candidate Calls On Federal Government To Incorporate Ahlu Sunna Wal Jameeca In Cadaado Talks
23 June – Source: Jowhar Online – 213 Words
A leading presidential candidate in the race for the presidency of Galmudug has urged the Federal Government of Somalia to incorporate Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa’a in the ongoing talks. In a press statement, the candidate Ahmed Abdisalam said Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa’a has played a crucial role in the liberation of the central regions , and that it is not good for the federal government to leave out the group in the process of the formation of the new Galmudug state. “ It is not possible to turn a blind eye on the struggles made by Ahlu Sunna and its importance for the formation of an administration for the region. I urge the Federal government not to continue with the talks in Cadaado without their presence. I know they are ready on their part,” he said. Candidate Ahmed Abdisalam is one of the strongest candidates for the Presidency of Galmudug whose election is to be held in the district of Cadaado. The group , Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa’a which has recently taken control of the district of Dhusamareeb has in the past played down talks in Cadaado. Instead the group has announced plans to create an administration for the regions of Mudug, Galgaduud and Hiiraan. Finally , the candidate congratulated the new MPs on the swearing in yesterday.
Jubbaland Head Of State Leaves For Addis Ababa As State Seeks To Bring Ethiopian Troops In Its Territories
22 June – Source: Wacaal Media – 145 Words
President Ahmed Madoobe of Jubbaland has on Monday left the country for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. An official of the office of the president of Jubbaland told Wacaal Media on condition of anonymity that the trip was in connection with the second phase of a collaboration talks between the regional state and Ethiopia. Ethiopia has contributed forces to the AMISOM mission in Somalia and has reportedly promised Jubbaland up to 800 officers who could not be deployed as promised because AMISOM did not give them the green light. The pledge came after the interim Kismayu administration put forward a request for the same in the first round of the talks. However, regions that form the Jubbaland state were currently served by AMISOM sector two comprising of Kenyan and Burundi forces. Kenya has close to 5,000 troops in the area while Burundi has up to 150.
Leadership Training For Mogadishu Women
22 June – Source: Radio Ergo – 167 Words
Two hundred women took part in a nine-day leadership training course to prepare them for participation in the current political process. The participants were drawn from government and non-governmental sectors, as well as from recent university graduates. Shukria Diini, chairperson of Somali Women’s Studies Centre, organizers of the workshop, said Somali culture had downplayed women’s potential for leadership. She said women were discriminated against in political and decision making processes and more women needed to be involved in preparatory phases ahead of national elections scheduled in 2016. Sainab Mohamed Warsame, a 21-year old graduate from Mogadishu University’s faculty of economics, told Radio Ergo that the training course enhanced women’s capacity to participate in state-building and representation in political institutions. Sheekha Ali Said, from the Somali National Women Organization, said the 30 percent quota allocated for women was not being respected. Still, women expected to be able to play a significant role in the elections and had high hopes of the political process.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Uganda’s Police Issues Security Terror Alert
23 June – Source: New Vision – 754 Words
The Police in Uganda has heightened alertness to detect any possible terror attack on the country. “The Police and the other security agencies are taking extra security measures, including increased patrols, intensified access control at public places as well as checks on vehicles along highways,” a statement from the Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura, read. Kayihura reminded the general public that Uganda remains high on the list of targets by the al-Shabaab and other terror groups. He said efforts of security agencies alone was not enough. “Fighting terrorism requires combining the vigilance of security agencies with popular vigilance,” he said. The public has also been urged to be conscious of its surroundings at all times. “Take interest in what goes on in your neighborhoods. Be suspicious even of your shadow. Look out for a strange and suspicious looking person in the neighbourhood, demand for their identity.
“Examine their behaviour and detect any signs of panic, the way they speak, how they dress, like wearing overcoats when it is not cold. If you notice anything suspicious, inform any LC official or the nearest Police post or security officer,” Kayihura said. The public has also been urged to look out for suspicious or abandoned items like bags, cars, boxes, unexpected gifts, flowers, flasks, mails and parcels, abandoned suitcases, dust bins, electronics; like radios watches, cameras, mobile phones, television and other items with loose wires attached and immediately report to the authorities. The Police has also urged increased security and safety in all public places, especially shopping malls and major supermarkets. “We call upon proprietors of such premises to have a deep sense of responsibility and cooperate with the Police, and other security agencies to implement counter terror measures that we plan to institute (together with them) in their respective places,” he said.
Kayihura urged building owners to regulate access control to buildings/venues/events by putting in place guards who are who are alert, 24/7 at entry points, to check those accessing the premises and installing functioning metal detectors and dogs (if possible) to detect possible of explosives. “Security lights and alarms, should be placed along non-porous perimeter fences, be installed,” he said. Proprietors have also been urged to ensure that premises are kept neat and clean. All rubbish containers, excessive stock and equipment should be disposed off to decrease the possibility of bomb shelters. Educational institutions should implement the basic standards for safety provided to them by the education ministry. They should ensure that visitors to the premises are properly searched and entrances manned by trained security guards. Meanwhile, Kenyan authorities are holding eight people in connection with an attack on a Nairobi shopping mall and have released three others after the assault that killed more than 60 civilians and soldiers, the interior minister said on Friday.
2 Minnesota women invited to sit at Obama’s table at annual White House Ramadan dinner
23 June – Source: Star Tribune – 140 Words
Two women from the Twin Cities area are among guests that were invited to dine with President Barack Obama at an annual White House dinner held in honor of Islam’s holy month of Ramadan. Obama welcomed guests to the White House on Monday for a traditional iftar dinner, which follows daily fasting from dawn to sunset. The Star Tribune reports Munira Khalif of Fridley and Kadra Mohamad of St. Paul had been invited to sit at the president’s table. Khalif was accepted to all eight Ivy League schools and finished high school this year. Mohamad was St. Paul’s first female Somali-American police officer. U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison of Minneapolis was also set to attend the dinner. He was the first Muslim elected to Congress.
Mayors Urge Federal Action On Somali Remittances
22 June – Source: Ballard-News Tribune – 449 Words
Today in San Francisco, the nation’s mayors called on the federal government to find a workable solution that allows Somali families living in the United States to once again send money to friends and relatives still living in the Horn of Africa. In February, the Merchants Bank of California closed down all accounts of Somali-American Money Transfer Operators due to the increasing difficulty of complying with federal money laundering and terrorism financing regulations. That action has created new hardships for thousands of families in Somalia already struggling to meet their basic needs. The resolution adopted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors was sponsored by Mayor Ed Murray of Seattle and Mayor Betsy Hodges of Minneapolis. Minneapolis and Seattle are home to the largest and second-largest Somali immigrant communities in the United States.
“Like many immigrants, Somali-American families want to send financial support to their loved ones back home,” Murray said. “These refugees who have found a better life in the United States are doing what any of us would do for their family members. The federal government must find a path forward to allow these remittances to continue. Minneapolis is proud to be home to such a large and vibrant Somali community,” said Minneapolis Mayor, Betsy Hodges. “Their ability to send money home provides loved ones in Somalia with a critical lifeline that we must protect. Cash in suitcases in not a solution. I’m strongly requesting that banks work with Somali money wiring agencies so that hard-working residents of Minneapolis can help support their families.” More than two million people in Somalia are dependent on financial assistance overseas. Somalia receives approximately $1.3 billion in remittances each year. Funding from these accounts had provided for food, water, shelter and education. The effects of these account closures have been exacerbated due to Somali’s lack of a functioning commercial banking system.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
The Somali government has not been able to adequately provide for its people especially with the hovering threat of al-Shabaab. However, international support is motivating the government to continue efforts to rebuild the country whose people cannot afford to be ungoverned again.”
Al-Shabaab Continues To Impact Somalia And Kenya
22 June – Source: Chicago Monitor – 691 Words
The East African country of Somalia has struggled without a formal government for over twenty years. The result of an illegitimate government in the country has allowed extremist groups to take over large portions of Somalia and to threaten Kenya. Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahedeen commonly known as Al-Shabaab is the terrorist group controlling a majority of rural Somalia. In 2012, al-Shabaab was formally recognized by al-Qaeda as allies. They are estimated to have 7,000 to 9,000 combatants who are led by Ahmed Umar also known as Abu Ubaidah. Umar gained the leadership position in 2014 after former leader Ahmed Abdi Godane was killed in a U.S led air strike in Somalia. Earlier this year, the Garissa University College attack, which was carried out by al-Shabaab in Garissa, Kenya, killed 147 people and injured over 79. The gunmen held the university students hostage and killed those who identified themselves as anything other than Muslim. This attack proves one of the group’s objectives, which is to cause chaos in neighboring countries in attempts to spread their severe version of Sharia law. With decreasing popularity, international reports show that al-Shabaab has resorted to kidnapping young boys and turning them into soldiers.
The attacks on neighboring countries has crippled foreign relations with Somalia and caused severe economic hardships. The 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack in Nairobi killed over 67 people and injured over 175 people. This mass shooting halted Kenya’s tourism and transportation system. These attacks as well as any future threats caused the United Kingdom and Australia to extend travel warnings to Kenya. These actions provoked Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to speak out.Kenyatta accused the foreign leaders of inaccurate information about Kenya’s security. Apart from resource exploitation in rural Somalia, al-Shabaab has found ways to generate profit in bordering countries. With several thousand members, the organization has struggled with their funding after being kicked out of Somalia’s capital city of Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab’s major funding comes from the illegal trade of sugar and charcoal between the Somalia-Kenya borders. Road blocking at the port of Kismayo in southern Somalia, has created profits of $38 to $58 million per year which, was made public by the Daily Nation. The protection of this port is crucial as businessmen from 86 different companies in both countries are threatened by the presence of the merciless militants.
“If remittance companies are prevented from operating what will be next? Will phone companies that allow calls to Somalia be shut down? Will airlines that fly to Somalia be prevented from doing so? Will it become impossible to send food, medicine and other necessities to Somalia? Where will this end?”
Remittance Companies Help To Build Somalia
22 June – Source: The Star, Kenya – 1, 351 Words
Shortly after the April 2 Garissa University College massacre, the authorities suspended the licences of all remittance firms, including my company, Dahabshiil. Dahabshiil is a global company, operating in 126 countries, 40 of which are in Africa. It complies fully with all international regulations. It is only our operations in Kenya that have been affected by the licence suspension. We are serving millions of customers from every corner of the globe. The President’s announcement on Thursday that he had asked the Central Bank of Kenya to allow 13 remittance companies to resume in Kenya is welcome news indeed. Although of course we are fully regulated, we are more than happy to make any changes if required by the Central Bank.
Remittances not only help reduce poverty by enabling people to help their loved ones pay for food, shelter, medicine, education and other basic necessities. The funds are invested in business, agriculture, construction, promoting development and creating jobs. For remittance firms that work in Somalia, it is striking how much the country has changed in recent years. For the first time in more than two decades, it has a government recognised across the world, including by the United Nations, United States and European Union. A sure sign of how much the situation has improved was US Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent trip to Mogadishu, the first ever visit by a US Secretary of State. And with US President Barack Obama coming next month to Kenya and Ethiopia, who knows if he, like Kerry, will make a quick stop in Somalia. Other countries are also heavily involved in the reconstruction of Somalia, including Turkey, Qatar and the UAE. Ministers from Igad recently held their regional meeting in Mogadishu.
Another key factor in the improved situation in Somalia has been the contribution of the contribution of its dynamic private sector, including Dahabshiil. It has helped rebuild the country, create jobs, provide investment funds and has, through its corporate social responsibility activities, supported health, education and sports. Security in Somalia is in a much better state than it was four years ago. With the help if the international community, including the Kenyan military, al Shabaab has been pushed out of most parts of the country, including the main towns and cities. Pirates no longer rule the seas, and the devastating famine of 2011 is over. Ironically, it is at this time of real improvement and hope for Somalia, that it is becoming more difficult to send remittances to the country. During Somalia’s worst of times, including the periods of control by clan militias, warlords and terrorists, there were no obstacles to remitting funds there. Now that most of the country is in the hands of an internationally recognised and legitimate government, the situation is becoming more difficult.
TOP TWEETS
@Fatumaabdulahi #Kenya‘s central bank lifts ban on 13 money transfer companies. What they don’t realise is it is 2 late, we have moved 2 banks in #Somalia.
@NewsKenyaBlog It’s not yet too late for KDF troops to leave Somalia to promote peace there http://bit.ly/1eARx2f
@Reuters The inside story on a decades-old sugar smuggling operation that is funding Somali militants: http://reut.rs/1J01uju
@MogadishuImages Magical expression of youth that want to find joy n hope better future. All possible with peace.#Mogadishu #Somalia
@MohamedMascud #Somalia‘s minister of Planning & International Cooperation Abdi @Aynte playing football in#Adado after midnight
@UNSomalia STATEMENT: UNSOM welcomes swearing-in of new members of parliament of new Galmudug Interim Administration #Somalia http://bit.ly/1Rqh9uB
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Somali Police Force and AMISOM Police launch operation ‘Secure Mogadishu’, joint patrols through the Ramadan period aiming to beef up security in Mogadishu city.
Photo: AMISOM