May 12, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somali president wants aid airlift for towns retaken from rebels

10 May – Source: Reuters – 327 words

Somalia needs help airlifting basic supplies to towns recently retaken by African Union-led forces because Islamist insurgents who were driven out from those areas are blocking aid convoys, the president told Reuters in an interview. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud accused the al Shabaab militants of trying to create food shortages in newly “liberated areas” to turn locals against the state – and said the aid would show people the benefit of returning to government control. “This is the al Shabaab propaganda … and why they are stopping the movement of goods,” he said in Mogadishu after talks with major donors on Friday on speeding up the pace of the rebuilding effort. “(An) airlift is very, very important.”

Key Headlines

President Hassan travels to Uganda (Radio Goobjoog/Dalsan/Mustaqbal/Kulmiye)
The Prime Minister concludes two-day visit to Marka and Qoryoley in Lower Shabelle region (Office of the Prime Minister)
HE President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud chaired the first High Level Partnership Forum (HLPF)executive meeting (Office of the President)
Demonstration to support President Mohamud in Mogadishu (Radio RBC)
Somali president wants aid airlift for towns retaken from rebels (Reuters)
Puntland Government Announces Plans to boost Democratization (Horseed Media)
65 Lawmakers table fresh motion against Interior Minister (Radio RBC/Bar-kulan)
China to help in repatriation of Somali refugees (Capital News)
Delegates from IGAD arrives in Kismayo (Radio Garowe/ Goobjoog)
AFM soldiers leave for EU mission off Somali coast (Times of Malta)
EU and Somalia celebrate their joint partnership in Mogadishu (Bar-kulan)
Al Shabaab awards AK-47 rifles to clan elders (Garowe Online)
Ex-Soldiers protest in front Ministry of Defense and Parliament for unfair dismissal (Somali Current)
UN: Outlook uncertain despite gains in Somalia (East African)
Beledweyne residents show support to Somali president (Bar-kulan)
UN seeks urgent funding to curb looming food crisis in Somalia (Shanghai Daily)

PRESS STATEMENT

The Prime Minister concludes two-day visit to Marka and Qoryoley in Lower Shabelle region

10 May – Source: Office of the Prime Minister – 583 words

His Excellency Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed concluded his successful two-day working visit to the towns of Marka and Qoryoley in Lower Shabelle region on Thursday (May 8th). The Prime Minister’s visit is part of his ongoing tour of different regions of the country to monitor the political and economic development of those areas as well to oversee the stabilization of areas that have been liberated.

Accompanied by cabinet members, members of parliament, and senior politicians from the region, the Prime Minister was warmly welcomed in both towns where he met with the Lower Shabelle regional administration, SNA and AMISOM officers who briefed him about the region’s progress and their ongoing operations to ensure security. He also met with community leaders, traditional elders and civil society groups who expressed their support for the government.

Addressing the community of Marka, the Prime Minister said:

“Thank you for the wonderful welcome you have extended to my delegation. I also thank the Lower Shabelle regional administration for their commitment to bringing peace and development to the region as we continue to emerge from this difficult phase of our country’s history.

“I am visiting to assess the progress of this community as well as your challenges in order to serve you better. My government is committed to serving the needs of this community, and others across the country. “Lower Shabelle is very important to our country’s economy due to the region’s agricultural prospects. We are committed to restoring the region’s infrastructure so that it can meet its potential.”

During his visit, the Prime Minister visited the General Hospital of Marka and met with patients who were injured in the last terrorist attack by al-Shabaab. He praised their courage and thanked them for their service to the country. Responding to the needs of the hospital, the Prime Minister pledged to facilitate assistance to the hospital. The Prime Minister concluded his two-day working visit to Lower Shabelle region in Qoryoley, which has been newly liberated from the terrorist group al-Shabaab.

Speaking to the people of Qoryoley the prime minister said:

“I am happy to be in this wonderful town and to see our people free from the tyranny of the terrorists. We will continue to support this community as it recovers and make progress.”

On his return to Mogadishu, the Prime Minister said:

“We had a successful trip and I was happy to visit and talk to the people of Marka and Qoryoley. I applaud the hard work of the Somali National Forces and AMISOM as they work with the communities of these two towns to ensure security. I was able to meet with the citizens of these two towns and they shared their experiences and concerns with me. My administration will continue to engage with the Somali people in a similar manner.”

The Prime Minister said the government will not stop its efforts to establish governance in all the regions of the country, and dismissed malicious rumors by terrorists who falsely claimed to have attacked his convoy as he returned to Mogadishu.

He said such unfounded claims were aimed at undermining the progress of the government and wanted to take the focus away from these important regional visits. The Prime Minister reiterated his commitment to staying connected to Somali citizens in all regions and said he will continue to visit and stay involved in the lives of all communities in Somalia.

HE President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud chaired the first High Level Partnership Forum (HLPF) executive meeting

09 May – Source: Office of the President – 786 words

Attended by more than 15 Ambassadors and international agency representatives, the Forum reviewed progress of the Federal Government of Somalia and the associated support of the international community in achieving activities outlined in the New Deal Compact, Vision 2016 and the Peace and State building Goals.

The HLPF oversees the implementation of the Somali Compact, which is the overarching platform to address Somalia’s peace- and state-building priorities between 2013 and 2016. The UN and international partners have committed to align their support in Somalia to the Somali Compact’s priorities in the areas of inclusive political dialogue; security; justice; economic foundations and revenue & services.

Speaking to the group, H.E. The President provided evidence that the Federal Government has delivered a wide range of agreed goals. Achievements presented include liberating three million people in 9 towns in 6 regions from the scourge of Al Shabaab. Development assistance support structures such as the Aid Coordination Unit and the Somali Development and Reconstruction facility have been established, to ensure that aid promised to Somalia is coordinated, delivered and monitored.

To ensure transparency and better fiscal management, the Central Bank has been revitalised through the appointment of a new Governor, Deputy Governor and Board of Directors, and the Financial Governance Committee, which delivers financial oversight has been set up. Infrastructure progress includes 35 km of rehabilitated roads in Mogadishu, and flagship projects such as building District Headquarters, courts, police stations, hospitals and water wells have been started in Jowhar and Merca.

The United Nations Multi-donor Trust Fund is operational with money beginning to flow to the Treasury, thus supporting the functioning of the Central Bank. Working groups for the five Peace and State building goals have been established and are in the process of identifying practical programs that will be delivered on the ground throughout Somalia. The plan to take Vision 2016 to the regions for consultation and discussion will be finished and consultation meetings will begin very soon.

The President said, “Somalia is meeting the targets for the New Deal. It was a pleasure to discuss our plans today with our friends in the international community and together reflect on what has been achieved already. All good things require planning and hard work to make them reality. We have spent many months finalising plans and strategies that are necessary to ensure that when we begin to deliver programs throughout Somalia that they are the right ones which will make the most difference.

“Sometimes progress is difficult to see- especially in the beginning- but we are looking forward to getting these programs ‘out in the sun’ where people can see that this government is working hard on their behalf.

“For example, we have been discussing setting up interim administrations for a long time.

The reality is that the planning stage of anything is never very visible, but tomorrow, we begin training a group of 165 Caretaker Administrators so that they are equipped to begin the task of interim District Administration. These people will be living and working in communities; their work and their results will be visible,” the President said.

Speaking at the Forum, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Mr Nicholas Kay, said, “Today, the international community and HE The President have reconfirmed their mutual commitment to moving forward quickly, together. There are many things to do and the risk is too great to be distracted now.

“We agreed that we were not satisfied with the progress that had been achieved. We need to go further and faster. We agreed a set of important actions needed to be done in the coming six weeks by the Federal Government and international partners,” he added.

Concluding the Forum, HE The President confirmed the Government’s commitment to immediate action, “Today, we took stock of where we are and committed to six areas that require speedy resolution. These areas include: finalising the Vision 2016 consultation plan and beginning consultations; the establishment of the Federalism Commission, National Election Commission and Independent Constitutional Review Commission; forming interim district administrations and setting up Peace and Security committees in these areas; security of supply routes for providing food and other goods to restored areas; activating an adequate humanitarian response; delivering $3million for peace-building activities; and establishing the Independent Advisory Panel as part of the Financial Governance Strengthening Program to provide expert advice on major concessions and contracts of high value and high risk.

“We have an ambitious agenda ahead of us, and I look forward to working with my colleagues across all Somali institutions and our international friends to deliver results that build a better Somalia,” the President ended.

Transcript of Press Conference by ASG Judy Cheng-Hopkins and SRSG Nick Kay Mogadishu (8 May 2014)

09 May – Source: UNSOM – 754 words

SRSG Kay: It is a great pleasure today to welcome Assistant Secretary-General Judy Cheng-Hopkins, who is responsible for peacebuilding in the United Nations in New York. Judy has long experience – 36 years – working in the United Nations. She has worked in humanitarian, development, disaster management positions in UNDP, UNHCR and WFP. And now the Assistant Secretary-General will explain a little about her mission and peacebuilding and then we will open it for your questions.

ASG Cheng-Hopkins: Salaam Alaykum. I am very happy to be here; I am here with my colleague from HQ, Patrice [Chiwota, Senior Programme Advisor for the UN Peacebuilding Support Office]. As the SRSG has said, I’ve had a long, long experience with the UN; in fact I have been to Somalia in my previous role with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), but now here looking at the peacebuilding prospects to see what the UN Peacebuilding Fund can do for Somalia in this country. This is my fifth day here, it is a five day mission basically; I have had meetings with the Prime Minister, with the Minister of Interior, with the Deputy Minister of Finance, the Speaker of Parliament. But I also wanted to see for myself away from Mogadishu what’s happening on the ground in the field, especially in the Shabaab-cleared areas, so I spent a day in Kismayo; I also spent the day yesterday in Hudur.

The Peacebuilding Fund was set up by the UN Security Council & UN General Assembly about nine years ago because it was felt there wasn’t sufficient attention, sufficient funding for peacebuilding opportunities as countries emerged from war. So while Somalia still has internal conflict, and still has a problem with Al Shabaab and with other groups, the feeling is that there are sufficient windows of opportunity in certain parts of the country where we should invest now in peacebuilding so that the sustainability of that peace can be preserved and not wait for the entire country to go into peace before we invest.

SOMALI MEDIA

President Hassan travels to Uganda

11 May – Source: Radio Goobjoog/Dalsan/Mustaqbal/Kulmiye – 95 words

The president of the Republic of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and delegates travelled to Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Minister for defense, Somali military commander and other officials of the federal government accompany president Mahmoud in his official visit to Kampala. The president is expected to meet his counterpart Yoweri Museveni and discuss many issues including bilateral relations between the two nations, strengthening the fight against al Shabaab by joint forces in South and central regions of Somalia. Uganda has sent the largest number of peacekeeping troops to Somalia to back the federal government of Somalia.

Demonstration to support President Mohamud in Mogadishu

11 May – Source: Radio RBC – 105 words

Public rally to back Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s leadership was held on Sunday in Mogadishu amid a tough political tense within the Parliamentarians and the presidency. The rally organized by the Benadir Governor also denounced lawmakers who last week signed a petition to call president Mohamud to resign from power. Hundreds of citizens from the districts of the capital city were gathered into the Konis football stadium where the demonstration took place. Security was extremely tightened as police, national intelligence units and members of the presidential special security guards were sent to the stadium and its surroundings to prevent any insecurity act. The aim of the protest is to show confidence to the president of the republic of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud who was called to step down by some members of the parliament.

Puntland Government Announces Plans to boost Democratization

11 May – Source: Horseed Media – 104 words

Puntland’s Minister of Constitution, Democratization and Federal affairs has presented the Ministry’s work plan in the upcoming five years (2014-2019), during a ceremony held in the state’s capital, Garowe. The Ceremony was attended by Vice President Abdihakim Amay, Deputy Parliament Speakers, several ministers and Representatives from the International Community. Delivering her speech, Mrs Sahra Said Nur outlined the key plans of her Ministry which will be mainly focusing on implementing and enhancing the Democratization process. Among the other plans are; Promoting Civic education, reforming the constitution, establishing an electoral commission and representing Puntland in the development of Federalism in Somalia.

65 Lawmakers table fresh motion against Interior Minister

11 May – Source: Radio RBC/Bar-kulan – 201 words

More than 60 Somali lawmakers tabled a fresh motion which calls on parliamentarians to revoke the vote of confidence from the Interior and Federal Affairs Minister Abdullahi Godah Barre. MP Abdinasir Garane who read the motion before the parliament session on Sunday, conformer that 65 legislators signed the motion. “According to the Provisional Constitution of Somalia, the minister has clearly violated the rights of the people by appointing regional governors and district commissioners without the will of the people of those regions.” MP Garane said. He said the parliament will need to review the responsibility of the interior minister Mr Barre. The Interior and Federal Affairs Minister Mr Barre had faced a week of tough parliamentary questioning on late last month in which MPs strongly criticized him for appointing commissioners and governors for Hiran, Afgoye and Bal’ad without giving the local communities their rights to choose their leaders.

Delegates from IGAD arrives in Kismayo

11 May – Source: Radio Garowe/ Goobjoog – 100 words

Delegates from IGAD arrived the port city of Kismayo, the headquarters of Lower Juba.

The delegates led by IGAD special representative to Somalia Mohamed Abdi Affey took meetings with top leaders of the interim administration of Juba in Southern Somalia. Abdullahi sheikh Ismail aka faratag holding told the media that their discussion with IGAD focused on security, reconciliation and strengthening the relations between IGAD and Juba administration, as IGAD plans to open office in Kismayo. On his side Mr. Affey said that IGAD will work closely with Juba administration to speed up development and maintain the security of the region.

EU and Somalia celebrate their joint partnership in Mogadishu

10 May – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 230 words

Somalia and its European Union partners have on Friday celebrated their joint partnership and marked the 64th Anniversary of the Schuman Declaration in Mogadishu. Speaking at a ceremony in the capital, the EU Special Envoy to Somalia Cervone d’Urso said that the European Union hopes that the “New Deal” will produce tangible results to the people of Somalia. “Everything we do in Somalia today revolves around the New Deal and we hope to translate in concrete terms the aspirations of the Somali people. We have a deep bond with the Somali people transcending formal relationships. Our people and cultures are intertwined”. He said. The EU Ambassador also reiterated EU commitment to strengthen Somali efforts to rebuild their cultural heritage. “Culture is what we are: our identity, our history, our language, our values, our arts, and the very core of a nation. Somalia has a rich and unique culture. This is a new beginning and we will open a cultural chapter in our partnership with Somalia”. He added.

Al Shabaab awards AK-47 rifles to clan elders

10 May – Source: Garowe Online – 195 words

Somalia’s al Qaeda linked al Shabaab group has awarded AK-47 rifles and military uniforms to eight traditional leaders in Middle Jubba regional district of Jilib of southern Somalia on Friday. According to Jilib residents Senior Al Shabaab officials attended a welcoming event that was held for the clan elders. Al Shabaab’s representative to Jubaland Abdirahman Hudeyfa said they selected the clan elders for the precious award because they garnered moral and material support for the militant group from their clans. “Of the attendants of this event, they [the awarded elders] are key players who took part in the fighting, at this time they are required to expose their chests to the battle tanks,” said the beleaguered al Shabaab’s representative.

Ex-Soldiers protest in front Ministry of Defense and Parliament for unfair dismissal

10 May – Source: Somali Current – 183 words

Hundreds of ex-soldiers soldiers from the Somali National Army have protested outside the Ministry of Defence and the National Assembly building in the capital Mogadishu today. The ex-soldiers were protesting against what they termed as unfairly dismal by the government on February this year. The former servicemen demanded the Parliamentary Defence Committee to explain why the ministry of defense through Somali army Chief General Dahir Adan ordered the dismissal of over 700 of them from the service. Several Members of Parliament that were present at the demonstration, have described the firing of hundreds of soldiers as ‘indecent’ and mentioned that their rights need to be protected.

Beledweyne residents show support to Somali president

09 May – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 122 words

Beledweyne residents have on Friday gathered to protest against the calls of some sections of the Somali parliament asking the president to resign amid accusations of incompetence and failure to live up to his promises. People from all walks of life reportedly participated in the demonstrations which were organized by youth groups in the region. Mohamed Abdullahi Burale is the chairman of Hiran youth association and he believes that the president deserves more time to fulfill his promises and to oversee the recent achievements in the peace and development fronts in the country.

REGIONAL MEDIA

China to help in repatriation of Somali refugees

11 May – Source: Capital News – 223 words

Visiting Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang has assured that his government will assist in the repatriation of Somali refugees, as part of their efforts to boost security in the region. The premier who spoke after a meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, Nairobi said China is committed to assist Africa, and Kenya in particular to be stable economies. “China supports the efforts of Kenya in safeguarding state sovereignty and stability, developing the economy and improving people’s lives,” Li said during a joint press conference on Saturday. “Just as I said to Mr President in our talks, China is prepared to provide supplies of assistance through Kenya for the repatriation for the Somali refugees.”

UN: Outlook uncertain despite gains in Somalia

10 May – Source: East African – 375 words

Some day, the warring parties in Somalia will have to hold peace talks, a United Nations’ special envoy has said. “Most conflicts end in some kind of political settlement,” said Nicholas Kay, the UN’s top diplomat for Somalia. But that day is not yet here, Mr Kay said in an address to a Washington think tank, the US Institute of Peace. The UN envoy offered a mixed assessment of the efforts to pacify Somalia, which has been torn by civil war for 23 years. It is not clear whether the federal government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will be able to conduct national elections as planned in 2016. The initial optimism about the president’s capabilities after his election in 2012 has proved excessive, the envoy said.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

AFM soldiers leave for EU mission off Somali coast

11 May – Source: Times of Malta – 185 words

A group of 22 AFM soldiers, including three officers, this morning left Grand Harbour for Somalia on the Dutch naval vessel HMLMS De Zeven Provincien. Before leaving they shared lunch with their families on board the ship. AFM Commander Jeffrey Curmi and Dutch Ambassador Rita Dulci Rahman spoke to the soldiers individually and wished them luck on their mission. Brig. Curmi thanked the soldiers for volunteering to take part in such an important mission and expressed his belief they would honour not only themselves but also their country. He also thanked their families for their sacrifice. Brigadier Curmi said the mission followed months of professional training in Malta and abroad with the Dutch forces.

Somali president wants aid airlift for towns retaken from rebels

10 May – Source: Reuters – 327 words

UN seeks urgent funding to curb looming food crisis in Somalia

10 May – Source: Shanghai Daily – 433 words

The UN top relief official for Somalia on Friday warned of a looming food crisis in the Horn of Africa nation and called for urgent funding to help reverse the crisis. Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Philippe Lazzarini warned in a statement that without intervention Somalia’s fragile food security situation is likely to worsen in the coming months. “If funding is not received in a matter of weeks, primary health care services for 3 million people, many of them women and children, may have to be shut down,” Lazzarini said in a statement. He said due to a combination of delayed rains, rising food prices and continued conflict, the humanitarian condition in Somalia is at risk of sliding back into crisis. Despite the serious situation, resources for Somalia in 2014 are critically low.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“But whatever the facts of who is doing what, when and why, what is clear is that there is a link between corruption and insecurity generally and terrorism more specifically. It is easy to ignore this link when we are in a climate of fear and easy to paint matters in black or white. But terrorism and insecurity are handled best by brains not brawn.”

The real enemy roams free as we hunt al Shabaab

10 May – Source: Daily Nation – 1188 words

There is more to the current “security operation” than meets the eye. Granted, Kenya is clearly suffering heinous terror attacks. They must be stopped, and soon. And they better be stopped using the law, rather than outside of it, or we will be all the worse for it. All the attacks have been swiftly attributed by the police — that inefficient, corrupt and unreliable force — to al Shabaab. And many of us have swallowed the police line, even though we consistently rate the police as the most untrusted and corrupt institution in Kenya. That incongruity happens when there is fear, frustration and anxiety. Human beings need to believe that someone is in control of a dire situation and that they know how to deal with it. But Al Shabaab has not claimed all the attacks, and those who have studied al Shabaab closely tell me that they always claim their deeds to show their power and strength. They proved this with the Westgate attacks in September last year and with the Kampala blasts four years ago. It serves their interests to “own” their attacks for that makes them larger than life. The official response to these attacks has been the racial and xenophobic profiling of al Shabaab Somali-looking people, conflating security and immigration, based on the fact that al Shabaab has deep roots in the Somalia conflicts.

“Make no mistake, Somalia is held in a nasty headlock by a neighbourhood tag-team unmistakably motivated by zero-sum objective. It is their so-called African solution (not so much of the extremist group al Shabaab) that is setting the Horn on fire.”

Somalia: African solutions for African problems?

09 May – Source: Al Jazeera English – 1023 words

One of the most potent intoxicants in Africa today is the canned phrase “African solutions for African problems”. While “ASAP” is an acronym that connotes a timely and efficient result, most if not all, operations that are veiled with the romantic motto, have proven that they are not indigenously conceived, funded or driven. Since this phrase entered the African lexicon in 2007, it has proved to be of no substantive value to the continent or its people. Contrary to what it was originally intended, the phrase has been taken hostage by domestic political sloganeers and foreign elements eager to advance zero-sum interests. It also became the ideological impetus that helped establish multi-national African forces such as AMISOM. As is clear in Somalia, this kind of politico-military system – especially when neighbouring states are directly involved – routinely contain or “solve” a problem by creating several newer ones that perpetuate dependency, exploitation and indeed subjugation. “When one asks a powerful neighbour to come to aid and defend one with his forces…These forces may be good in themselves, but they are always dangerous for those who borrow them, for if they lose you are defeated, and if they conquer you remain their prisoner,” forewarned Niccolo Machiavelli several centuries ago.