March 4, 2016 | Morning Headlines
East Africa’s EAC rejects Somalia’s Membership Bid, Approves S. Sudan
03 March – Source: Hiiraan Online – 270 Words
Members of the East African Community (EAC) have rejected a bid by Somalia to join the organization shortly after South Sudan’s membership was approved, saying that the country was unable to meet the organization’s membership requirement as a result of insecurity.EAC, an intergovernmental organisation of six countries in the African Great Lakes group cooperates in the areas of trade, travel, tourism and harmonization of tax regimes and other regulations. The organization is also an integral part of the African Economic Community.
The development had dealt a big blow to the Somali government long-running efforts to secure EAC’s membership which it considered as an important opportunity which could strengthen the country’s trade links with the rest of the region.However, Somalia’s government had protested the decision, saying that the horn of Africa nation had fulfilled most of the requirements, calling the conditions set forth by EAC leaders as ‘minors’.“We have fulfilled most of the important requirements, including the issue of taxation – therefore, I don’t think that the issue of insecurity was a considerable condition.” said Abdisalam Hadliye, Somalia’s foreign minister in an interview with the BBC Somali Service Thursday.
Mr. Hadliye indicated his country’s willingness to meet the remaining conditions to secure membership in the community.Despite the relative stability in the capital since the ouster of Islamist militants from Mogadishu and surrounding regions, the group continues deadly guerrilla attacks across large parts of the country.The group’s fighters have stepped up attacks in recent months and carried out three deadly attacks in the country since last week, killing at least 50 people and wounded dozens of others.
Key Headlines
- East Africa’s EAC rejects Somalia’s Membership Bid Approves S. Sudan (Hiiraan Online)
- Somali Defense Minister To Visit Kismayo (Shabelle News)
- Djibouti Protests Tycoon’s Terrorism Corruption Acquittal By UK Court (Hiiraan Online)
- Somalia Sentences Al- Shabaab Media Officer Arrested In Kenya To Death For Killing Six Journalists (The Star Kenya)
- Making Waves In Somalia: Yasmin (BBC)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Defense Minister To Visit Kismayo
03 March – Source: Shabelle News – 88 Words
The Defense Minister of the federal republic of Somalia Gen Abdulkadir Sheikh Ali Dini is expected to a pay a visit to the southern port city of Kismayo, headquarters of Jubbaland state.Reports say the minister will attend a reconciliation conference in Kismayo which aims to end the grievances of the people towards the power-sharing model of the interim Jubbaland state.The Kismayo meeting comes as Jubbaland state president Ahmed Madobe set to unveil his first cabinet ministers since his re-election in mid last year, according to sources.
Djibouti Protests Tycoon’s Terrorism, Corruption Acquittal By UK Court
03 March – Source: Hiiraan Online – 343 Words
Djibouti’s government has protested the acquittal of a business tycoon Abdourahman Boreh of terrorism and corruption charges by a UK court on Wednesday, calling the verdict ‘disturbing’ and vowed an appeal against it.A British court has acquitted Mr. Boreh, a former presidential candidate for Djibouti who has been battling the charges for years after he was expelled from Djibouti under the orders of President Ismail Guelleh on Wednesday and cleared him of all charges “The republic of Djibouti will pursue an immediate consultation with the relevant lawyers on how best we can act towards the verdict, including an appeal bid by the government.” The government said in a statement issued Thursday.
Speaking to the BBC Somali Service after the verdict, Mr. Boreh called the judge’s ruling as ‘victory’, vowing he would fight back against anyone who tries to hurt his reputation “Now, I can take a good break after that long battle – one week deep sleep, let me say.” He said.The ruling is the culmination of years of legal battle between Mr. Boreh and Djiboutian government which leveled terrorism and corruption charges against him, prompting international banks to freeze his assets. The Djiboutian tycoon had denied the charges.
However, a UK court had later repealed the decision and ordered international banks to unfreeze millions of dollars of assets of him frozen by them 2013.Djibouti’s government earlier raised question about Mr. Boreh’s proprietorship share in Horizon Terminal, an oil terminal with a 300,000 cubic meters capacity and contracts he allegedly signed with Dubai’s DP World.The company manages Djibouti port, Africa’s largest container terminal and Djibouti’s biggest employer.
The business tycoon has fled his country to Dubai and a Djiboutian court has later convicted him in absentia and sentenced to 15 years in prison. During the hearing, the court’s judge has accused him of being behind a number of hand grenades that were detonated in the capital, Djibouti city, including one thrown into a police station.He denied all charges, and accused the government of making up the charges
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia Sentences Al- Shabaab Media Officer Arrested In Kenya To Death For Killing Six Journalists
03 March – Source: The Star, Kenya – 289 Words
A former media officer for the Somali terror group al Shabaab who arranged news conferences in the years when the militants controlled the capital Mogadishu was sentenced to death on Thursday for the murder of six local journalists.The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab was pushed out of Mogadishu by African Union peacekeeping forces in 2011 but has remained a potent antagonist in Somalia, launching frequent attacks in its bid to overthrow the Western-backed government.
Somalia was plunged into anarchy in the early 1990s following the toppling of military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, and has been struggling to rebuild.Hasan Ali, chairman of the Somali military court, told reporters that Hassan Hanafi had admitted to killing one reporter and had been found guilty of killing five others.”He will be put to death as soon as possible,” Ali said.
Hanafi, 30, has said he joined al Shabaab in 2008 when he was working as a journalist for a local Somali broadcaster. He was arrested in neighbouring Kenya last year and then returned to Somalia for trial.He had been promoted to commander in 2009. The following year, he was seriously injured in fighting.”Al Shabaab killed many journalists but personally I killed only one,” Hanafi said after the sentence was announced. “But I am indifferent if you kill me. You will see if killings will stop even after my death.”
Al Shabaab, whose name means “The Youth,” seeks to impose its strict version of sharia law in Somalia, where it frequently unleashes attacks targeting security and government targets, as well as hotels and restaurants in the capital.The group was also behind deadly attacks in Kenya and Uganda, which both contribute troops to an African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“In my spare time, I write theatre plays. All our theatres were destroyed by the war and I felt this left a hole in our culture. As a young mother, I want to keep the art of theatre alive for the next generation,”
Making Waves In Somalia: Yasmin
03 March – Source: BBC – 201 Words
There aren’t many female writers in Somali society. Our poets and playwrights have traditionally been men.I work with BBC Media Action as a writer for Maalmo Dhaama Manta (A Better Life than Today), an interactive radio drama for young Somalis. It’s rare for a Somali radio show to have even one female writer, but we have two! I feel proud when I watch the actors as they act out my lines, raising awareness of the very real problems faced by Somali women, including early marriage, migration, and lack of access to education and employment.My favourite character is Ugasso, a beautiful and strong-willed woman who dreams of marrying a man from a different tribe. She wants, more than anything, to use her university education to change her life. It makes me happy to know that young listeners are inspired by the characters in the drama, whether it’s to continue their education or aspire to a better job.