March 21, 2013 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

UN gives Somalia a vote of confidence for human rights progress

20 Mar – Source: Prime Minister’s Media Office – 269 words

The UN’s Independent Human Rights Expert on Somalia gave Somalia a vote of confidence on human rights Wednesday during a meeting with the Prime Minister in Mogadishu. Shamsul Bari said he had made previous visits to Somalia when he had been disheartened by the human rights situation. That situation had now changed.

“My heart is much lighter and full of hope on this visit,” Mr Bari said. “I’m hopeful because the rule of law and justice are taking root. People can relate to the government. There’s a bright future ahead.”

Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon welcomed Mr. Bari to Mogadishu and reiterated the government’s commitment to upholding human rights, emphasizing a number of steps it was taking.

In February, the government established an Independent Task Force on Human Rights with a limited, three-month mandate to investigate the killings of journalists and sexual violence against women. Working in close consultation with the UN’s Mr Bari, the government will adopt a Somali-owned Human Rights Roadmap later this summer. It will also be announcing a new Directorate General for Human and Minority Rights and Rule of Law.

Key Headlines

String of bomb attacks in Somalia’s capital empties beach restaurants holds back progress(Washington Post)
Statement by the spokesperson of EU High Representative(Al Shahid)
Kismayo harbour months after ouster of militant ruler(Radio Bar-kulan)
UN Security Council undermines humanitarian aid in Somalia(Alert News)
Puntland Maneuvers for Bigger Role(VOA News)
Somaliland Court Hands Down 2 years Sentence to Tribal King for been Involved in Seditious Activates(Somaliland Press)
Puntland arrests two men over child trafficking(Radio Bar-kulan)
Earth tremor felt in northern Somali town of Borame(Radio Bar-kulan)
Russian Pacific Fleet unit heads for Somalia to counter piracy

PRESS STATEMENT

UN gives Somalia a vote of confidence for human rights progress

20 Mar – Source: Prime Minister’s Media Office – 269 words

Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon welcomed Mr. Bari to Mogadishu and reiterated the government’s commitment to upholding human rights, emphasizing a number of steps it was taking.

“We have laws protecting human rights and the government’s political agenda will support those laws,” the Prime Minister said. “We know that the world is watching Somalia closely and we are fine with that. We will take the criticism we receive in this area constructively. We are working towards a position where there are no human rights violations in Somalia and we abide with human rights best international practice. We haven’t yet reached that point, but our direction of travel is entirely positive.”

SOMALI MEDIA

Kismayo harbour, months after ouster of militant ruler

20 Mar – Source:Radio Bar-kulan – 93 words

The Indian Ocean port of Kismayo, located some 500 kilometres from the capital Mogadishu has been the lifeline of al Shabaab militant group for the last five years. During its five-year old rule in the city, the group earned thousands of dollars though charcoal export and used the port as its arms supply route. Its seizure by Kenyan led allied forces in late last year signaled the demise of the militant group who has been on the back foot since mid 2011. The video below shows the current condition of the dilapidated Kismayo harbour.

Somaliland Court Hands Down 2 years Sentence to Tribal King for been Involved in Seditious Activates

20 Mar – Source: Somaliland Press – 125 words

A court in Hargeisa has on Wednesday sentenced a tribal king Rabbi Yusuf Abdillahi to two years jail sentence for defying a law which bans Somaliland citizens from engaging with the government of south Somalia. The tribal king was arrested by police last month when he returned to the country after attending a tribal leader’s convention organized by the Mogadishu government in October 2012 before the formation of the new Somali parliament. The state Prosecutor asked the court to hand down a stiff sentence to the tribal leader so as to deter future collaborators. King Rabbi has in the past visited Mogadishu a couple of times without seeking permission from the authorities but unlike previous times his last visit was seen as been of seditious nature.

Puntland arrests two men over child trafficking

20 Mar – Source:Radio Bar-kulan/Somaliweyn – 112 words

Authorities in Puntland say they have arrested two men on suspicion of being human trafficking cartels after they were found transporting seven young girls aged between five to seven years. Police intercepted the two men at a place called southern -checkpoint after officers suspected them of trying to sneak these girls out of the country. The suspects who claimed to be on their way to northern Somali town of Las Anod were transferred to Garowe for further investigations. Director General of Women and Family Affairs Ministry Abdikadir Yussuf Dahir told reporters that the girls, who were the subjects of a suspected human trafficking attempt, are now in the care of his ministry.

Earth tremor felt in northern Somali town of Borame

20 Mar – Source:Radio Bar-kulan – 114 words

Reports from northern Somali town of Borame, say a minor earthquake has hit the town at around 1400 local time (East African Time) on Wednesday. Locals say there were no casualties or property damage reported due to the quake which they say is never new to them. Some frustrated locals have been reportedly seen camping outside their homes in fear of another quake in the area. Somaliland authorities have not yet commented on the quake that has hit the town. Earthquarks are frequent in the town and the surrounding area since a known geological fault line (the African Plate); which splits into two – the Nubian and the Somalian plate, runs through the region.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Statement by the spokesperson of EU High Representative

20 Mar – Source: Al Shahid – 166 words

Catherine Ashton on the Somali Supreme Court decision to overturn the verdict against a journalist for reporting on a Somali rape case. The spokesperson of Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, issued the following statement today: “The High Representative welcomes the successful conclusion of a legal process which led to the release of journalist Abdiaziz Abdnur Ibrahim by order of the Somali Supreme Court. The EU attaches great importance to the re-establishment of an environment where the freedom of expression and protection of journalists in Somalia is recognised as a fundamental human right and as a cornerstone of a free and democratic society.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

UN Security Council undermines humanitarian aid in Somalia

20 Mar – Source: Alert News – 142 words

Three global NGO consortia – InterAction, ICVA and VOICE – are dismayed at the Security Council’s decision for all UN functions in Somalia to be integrated under one UN umbrella. The NGO consortia believe this decision will jeopardize the delivery of impartial humanitarian assistance in the country. By requiring UN humanitarian coordination to fall under the political mandate of the new UN peace-building mission in Somalia, the neutrality, impartiality and independence of humanitarian action will be compromised. On 6 March 2013, in Resolution 2093, the Security Council mandated the creation of a new UN peace-building mission in Somalia and required that all UN functions be integrated under one umbrella. In doing so, the Council members contradicted the UN’s own 2012 Strategic Review in Somalia. This review found that conditions in Somalia were not conducive to integrating all UN functions under one structure.

Russian Pacific Fleet unit heads for Somalia to counter piracy

20 Mar – Source: NZ Week/Xinhua – 66 words

A unit of Russian Pacific Fleet ships left Vladivostok Tuesday night to undertake combat tasks in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, local media reported Wednesday. The unit comprises large anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleyev, frigates Admiral Nevelskoy, Peresvet and Oslyabya, ocean rescue tug Fotiy Krylov and sea tanker Pechenga. This is the ninth Russian unit dispatched on anti-piracy mission off Somalia coast in the northwestern Indian Ocean.

Puntland Maneuvers for Bigger Role

20 Mar – Source: VOA News – 108 words

The semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland is perhaps best known for its pirates. They’ve hijacked many ships and crewmembers demanding millions of dollars in ransom. But efforts are underway to develop Puntland and improve the quality of life for its people.Besides being home to many Somali pirates, Puntland is also known for its smugglers. They’re often hired by Somali and Ethiopians wanting to cross the Gulf of Aden to Yemen. Many migrants are robbed or killed in the process. It’s a tough image to shake, but Puntland is a work in progress, according to Paul Crook, whose chief technical advisor in Somalia for the International Labor Organization.

String of bomb attacks in Somalia’s capital empties beach restaurants, holds back progress

20 Mar – Source: Washington Post – 160 words

Isaq Ahmed lifted his head from his hands, his eyes clouded with tears, as he looked at the crowd gathered near the twisted wreckage from a car bomb blast that ripped open buildings and killed at least seven people in Somalia’s capital this week. As smoke filled the air, the 30-year-old car washer recalled another suicide blast that rocked a restaurant last year where he also works and killed more than 15 people. “I’d been feeling that peace was almost achieved, but I was wrong,” the grief-stricken Ahmed said before shuffling off to wash another car, despite the destruction nearby. “I don’t think I can keep working, because horrible images and agony are really weighing me down.” Mogadishu has seen a relative period of peace the last 18 months, after African Union troops forced al Shabaab militants out of the city in August 2011. The city has moved past a recent history of running street battles involving mortars, rockets and tanks.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“Given that cutting off child labour would represent a huge economic hit to global piracy, the Dalhousie Marine Piracy Project, working with the Dalhousie-based Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, is developing strategies to combat the issue, starting with raising awareness.”

Young pirates on the high seas: Limiting the use of children in piracy

20 Mar- Source: 890 Words

When an international naval vessel is being attacked by modern day pirates off the coast of Somalia or Nigeria, the crew is not scrutinizing the pirates’ appearances — they are focusing on staying alive. But if they did get a good look at the group of armed pirates, they would see that sometimes, up to one in three of them are children.

“You can get killed just as easily by a 10-year-old as by a 30-year-old,” says Hugh Williamson, lead investigator of the Dalhousie Marine Piracy Project. Children are being used in piracy for the same reasons they’re used in armed conflicts around the world: they are cheap, easily available and easy to lead, says Prof. Williamson. But the lasting impact on both the children involved and the piracy market is massive.