March 8, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report
Federal Government, Regional States Hold Meeting Nairobi
08 March – Source: Garowe Online – 347 Words
Somali Government and the Federal Member States are holding a special meeting in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi to discuss the future of the Horn of Africa Country. The conference came after Somali leaders agreed to form a joint electoral committee to advise on a voting system for the country in 2020 during their 6th National Security Council forum held in Mogadishu from 6th-10th February 2018.
Somali PM Hassan Ali Khaire has recently appointed the 10-member committee which is solely made of members selected from the offices of the leaders of Somali Government and the Federal Member States. Sources tell Garowe Online that the newly appointed committee is meeting in Nairobi to decide the agenda of the upcoming Somali leaders’ conference in Baidoa city, the interim administrative capital of Southwest administration. Pundits say the National Security Council and the joint committee have taken over the responsibilities of the institutions of the Federal Government of Somalia and the Federal Member States.
The Council which has been formed in mid-April 2017 in Mogadishu is made up of Federal Government and regional administrations holds consultative meeting after every 3 months. Somalia has seen clan-based elections since the collapse of the former central government in 1991. The 2017 electoral process was not a universal suffrage election, as conditions were not in place for a one-person, one- vote ballot. Instead, a similar committee worked on a system of indirect elections was held to form current Federal Parliament which subsequently elected President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo in a ballot.
Former Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his PM Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke preferred the 4.5 clan formula based election after failing the implementation of the multi-party politics and democratic polls in Somalia. Nairobi meeting comes amid deadlock over the constitutional review process after the joint Parliamentary Constitutional Review and Oversight Committee said Monday they’ve no confidence in Federal Minister of constitution Abdi Hosh Jibril. In the statement seen by Garowe Online, the committee accused the minister of impediment and lack of cooperation as well as intentionally dragging the constitutional review process for his personal benefit.
Key Headlines
- Federal Government Regional States Hold Meeting Nairobi (Garowe Online)
- President Farmaajo Holds A Closed-door Meeting With Benadir Region District Commissioners (Hiiraan Online)
- Mogadishu’s Jazeera Residents Cry Foul Over Eviction Order (Radio Dalsan)
- The Women of AMISOM; Pressing for Progress Towards 50/50 (AMISOM)
- As Climate Change Parches Somalia Frequent Drought Comes With Conflict Over Fertile land (PBS News)
- Women Entrepreneurs Carve Out A Living In Mogadishu Camps (ICRC)
NATIONAL MEDIA
President Farmaajo Holds A Closed-door Meeting With Benadir Region District Commissioners
08 March – Source: Hiiraan Online – 124 Words
The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has last night held a closed-door meeting with the district commissioners in the Benadir region. The meeting was attended by the Governor of Benadir, his deputies, the Interior Minister and other officials.
The President discussed with the officials of the Benadir region how the district commissioners can lead on stabilizing their respective districts calling upon them to be responsible for the security of the areas under their jurisdiction. The President called on the leaders to work closely with commanders of the stabilization force urging them to take part in the process. According to sources, the meeting chaired by the President ruled out rumours that the district commissioners will be axed soon.
Mogadishu’s Jazeera Residents Cry Foul Over Eviction Order
08 March – Source: Radio Dalsan – 172 Words
The residents of Jazeera in Mogadishu’s Wadajir district are complaining about an eviction order against them, Radio Dalsan reports. Representatives of the residents have complained that they could not reach the leaders of Banadir regional administration to address the matter. “We reached the Banadir headquarter. We were looking for the leaders of the region for three days but we could not get them” said Yussuf Ali who is an affected resident. “Doors were locked from us and we were told through a message that we should meet a committee set up for the issue” said Mr. Ali. “We were given names of the said committee but we are making it clear that they are not a committee for us” added Mr. Ali.
The locals accused Banadir Regional Administration and Defence Ministry for being behind the eviction order. On March 1, angry residents on a demonstration against the order walked along a road that passes in front of the Turkish military base in the area while chanting the slogan “we don’t want displacement”. “The order that has caused this tension was issued on February 17, when they came here and said that this land is a military land and Mayor of the city said we have given it out” said Sheikh Mohamed Kulmiye who was one of the demonstrators. “The people who live here do not deserve that and it does not make sense to them. Because they were there and were not consulted” the Sheikh said. “We love our military but it has many camps and there are no pressing challenges that makes it take over this land.” Sheikh Kulmiye concluded.
On February 18, 2018, Governor of Banadir region and Mayor of Mogadishu presided over the allocation of the said land in Jazeera to Somali National Army. The Turkish government was to use the land to open a modern military training camp for SNA.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
The Women of AMISOM; Pressing for Progress Towards 50/50
08 March – Source: AMISOM – 1398 Words
Under a clear sunny morning in Mogadishu, Somalia, two hundred women have gathered within the AMISOM basecamp, situated in the vicinity of the Horn of Africa country’s International Airport. Even if they are adorned in regular matching white, pink and blue t-shirts with uniform branding on their backs, it is hard to misunderstand what they are and who they represent.
Neat in their sturdy boots, camouflage trousers and with vibrancy in each one of them, the women are a fraction of the eight hundred and fifty (850) female peacekeepers who currently make up part of the 22,130-strong force of the African Union Mission in Somalia, AMISOM, combating the militant group Al-Shabaab and other armed actors to enforce peace and restore stability.
They have gathered in the capital city today to take stock of their contribution to global peace, to mark International Women’s Day. Importantly, they are congregating to chart new ways to bolster this contribution for the sake of the ordinary woman, understanding vividly that their struggle for peace is critical for the rights of women and girls, not just in Somalia, but in Africa and the world.
As Climate Change Parches Somalia, Frequent Drought Comes With Conflict Over Fertile land
07 March – Source: PBS News – Video: 8:16 Minutes
Desert sand is slowly taking over Somalia. Just six years after the last major drought emergency, the rains have failed again — a devastating trend in a country where around 80 percent of people make their living on the land.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“Driven by land disputes, the evictions uprooted some 4,000 people from their homes and left them homeless, without access to health care, water, food, and other basic necessities.”
Women Entrepreneurs Carve Out A Living In Mogadishu Camps
08 March – Source: ICRC – 546 Words
Every morning at 8:00 a.m. Fatuma Ibrahim prepares for her usual rounds of trekking from house to house selling Baati and Garbasaar a traditional Somali cotton dress and head scarf. This has been her daily routine since she first set foot in Kalkal displacement camp in the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu, more than two years ago. The camp holds close to 800 displaced people who fled from their original home due to conflict and drought. “I was a farmer in a town called Galweyn in Lower Shabelle before a clan fight broke out and I had no choice but to run away with my eight children,” Fatuma said. On arrival to the camp in Mogadishu, she used her savings to start a small business selling clothes to her neighbors. On a good day she earns $3. Other times her customers buy clothes on credit.
Fatuma is one of the people in Kalkal camp to receive $255 over three months from the ICRC in an effort to help them make ends meet and grow their small businesses. “Now I can plan myself on how to use the money on food and buy a few more clothes for my business,” said Fatuma. The majority of women living in Kalkal camp are either widows or single mothers, according to camp leader Shamso Maalim. The outspoken 38-year-old has been in charge of the camp for 13 years and is responsible for advocating to humanitarian organizations for support on behalf of her community.
The cash transfers also helped the “go-to” henna artist in the camp – Sahra Adhan. The 39-year-old started practicing the art on a piece of paper which later became a collection of designs. “I have no money to buy equipment or salon space to apply henna and braid hair for my clients,” she said. Sahra moved to Kalkal from Balcad, Middle Shabelle, with her neighbors two years ago due to clan conflict and the worsening drought situation in Somalia that claimed their livestock and leaving their farms dry. “We moved in haste and I lost my art-book in the midst of the rush to get to a safer place,” she said.
Despite leaving her notebook behind, Sahra a single mother is using her henna-drawing skills to support herself her children. “I started drawing on my daughters and their friends hands to perfect my skill but now I have clients who are my neighbors coming over to my bush (tent) for henna application,” she said. “Most of them come when they are going for a wedding event or sometimes they just want to look beautiful.”
While conflict and drought have been constant struggles for the community, Shamso and her fellow committee members now face another challenge: an influx of people who were evicted from other parts of Mogadishu and need a new place to resettle.
TOP TWEETS
@SomaliPM: Met with US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan where we discussed ways of further strengthening the partnership between the two countries and the U.S. support for Somalia’s development.
#Somalia
@DrBeileh: Somali women play a major role in Somalia’s development & progress. Their selflessness is the glue that holds our nation together. We are proud of them. @MofSomaliareforms & policies will focus on advancing inclusive sustainable development every day #InternationalWomensDay
@radiogarowe: BREAKING: #Puntland President announces Presidential election will be held within the set time, January 2019 after facing political pressure.
@HarunMaruf: Mayor of Mogadishu announces plans to close all camps used by 500,0000 internally displaced persons “within 4 years time frame”. @engyarisow says plan is to either integrate IDPs into local communities or facilitate voluntary return to areas of origin in other regions of Somalia.
@NasirAbdirahman: Mogadishu residents and all Somali people want the return of peace in Somalia and the defeat of Al-shabab and blame the government for failure to do so but they should blame themselves for failure to pay taxes so as the government can buy sophisticated weapon to defeat Al-shabab
@Eye_on_Somalia: #Hiraan Bulaburde administration rescues two children from Alshabaab http://dlvr.it/QKBFWs #Somalia
@HarunMaruf: BREAKING: Somalia to protest to the African Union about the concession for port of Berbera, exploring other diplomatic measures, according to a senior Govt official.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Somali Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Khayre Met with US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan to discuss strengthening partnership between the two countries.
Photo: @SomaliPM