May 15, 2013 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somaliland administration bans UN flights

14 May- Source: Raxanreeb/Qarannews/Bar-kulan/Somali Channel- 350 words

A breakaway administration in Somalia’s Northern region of Somaliland has banned on Tuesday UN flights from its airports following anger at Somalia Federal Government’s take over itsairspace control declared on Monday, RBC Radio reports. Somaliland Civil Aviation Minister Mohamud Hashi Abdi issued the order against UN agencies alleging that UNDP and Civil Aviation Caretaker Authority of Somalia (CACAS) based in Nairobi violated previous agreement between Somalia government, UNDP and the Somaliland administration.

Key Headlines

Somali Government gives green light to the New Deal process launched in Mogadishu (OPM)
Somaliland administration bans UN flights (Raxanreeb/Qarannews/Bar-kulan/Somali Channel)
Government vows to eliminate illegal roadblocks ( Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Mogadishu)
Roadside bomb explodes outskirt of Mogadishu (Mareeg Online/ Shabelle/Radio Bar-kulan)
UNDP starts development projects at Bay region (Radio Shabelle)
Kenya security crackdown scares away livestock owners in Garissa (Radio Ergo)
$2.6m parachuted as ransom money to pirates (Emirates247/AFP)
Social media campaign countering Somali extremist (ABC News)
Two Sentenced in US for Supporting al Shabaab (VOA)

PRESS STATEMENT

Somali Government gives green light to the New Deal process launched in Mogadishu

14 May- Source: Office of the Somali Prime Minister- 398 words

His Excellency Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon today gave the green light to the implementation of the New Deal process for Somalia on behalf of the Federal Government.

Somalia embraced the New Deal process put forward by the G7+ group of 19 conflict-affected countries at a launch event attended by representatives of the EU, AU, UN, UNDP, and a wide range of diplomats and donors. The process brings together government, civil society and leading donors to bring structure to the aid and support Somalia receives. Aid effectiveness is crucial in fragile countries like Somalia, which is recovering from a long standing conflict.

“We are committed to collaborative and effective engagement with the international community and country-level stakeholders,” said the Prime Minister at the launch event. “This will ensure sufficient representation of all individuals and organizations who can influence the New Deal implementation for Somalia. The New Deal process for Somalia has already been agreed by the Council of Ministers, the Parliament, international partners and local stakeholders including civil society, the media and the private sector, and we have given it the final green light today.”

Prime Minister stated that the government will begin the process by establishing a taskforce to assess the causes and features of fragility and conflict. In this phase of work, fragility and resilience indicators will be identified to ensure that government can measure progress against peace-building and State-building priorities.

“The government will undertake the first phase of the New Deal principle, which is a comprehensive fragility assessment. Each country is different, and many areas of the reforms described in the process are already underway in Somalia. We have already initiated the National Security and Stabilization Plan (NSSP) and reforms on Justice, Security, and Public Financial Management, which are key components of the New Deal principles.”

Prime Minister underlined the importance of long-term and flexible support by international partners despite the challenges they face in structuring the aid plan. He also pointed out that aid fragmentation compromises long-term aid effectiveness and that it is necessary to have “one vision and one plan” for Somalia.

“Somalia needs continued commitment from international partners and significant political support for an extended period of time. In this regard, we are advocating for a compact that focuses on a relatively small number of issues that can be achieved within the timeframe of the agreement,” Prime Minster said in his speech.

SOMALI MEDIA

Somaliland administration bans UN flights

14 May- Source: Raxanreeb/Qarannews/Bar-kulan/Somali Channel- 350 words

Government vows to eliminate illegal roadblocks

14 May- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Mogadishu- 108 words

Somalia security officials have vowed on Monday that they will eliminate the illegal roadblocks that were set up by men dressed in the government forces uniform who extort money from motorists on the main highways between the capital, Mogadishu and some parts of the Lower Shabelle and Middle Shabelle regions. The Somali national army chief Abdirizak Khalif Elmi said that they will deploy Special Forces to deal with the rapidly increasing cases of road blocks set up by bandits dressed in Somali government troops’ uniform. This comes just days after truck drivers went on strike because of roadblocks in the main highway that links Shabelle region districts.

Roadside bomb explodes outskirt of Mogadishu

14 May- Source: Mareeg Online/ Shabelle/Radio Bar-kulan- 110 words

Two landmine aimed at federal government troops exploded near the ministry of defense offices in Mogadishu. A witness confirmed that the first explosion went off at a checkpoint near the ministry offices. He added that after the explosion, government troops arrived at the scene in large numbers, minutes later, another landmine explosions went off simultaneously causing some casualties. However, there are no statements released by the government about the explosions. Government troops have secured the area and have closed the industrial road that passes along the defense ministry.

UNDP starts development projects at Bay region

14 May- Source: Radio Shabelle- 94 words

The interim administration of Bay region has confirmed that the United Nations development programme agency has started development projects in the south central Somalia region. Governor of Bay region Abdi Adan said the projects will benefit locals who live in the region. The governor added that the projects are expected to kick off and his administration will cooperate with the UN branch so that locals would benefit from the projects. This comes after United Nations delegations visited the region on Monday.

Somalia: IOM assists Kenyans stranded in Bosaso to return home

14 May- Source: Horseed Media/ Universal TV- 225 words

Six Kenyan migrants workers stranded in Bosaso are due home on 15 May 2013 after they were rescued by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The six fishermen were abandoned by their employer at the port of Bosaso, Puntland in November last year. The fishermen, who were part of ten Kenyan crew members employed in a fishing vessel, left the port of Mombasa on 8 November 2102 aboard “F/V Royce I” for a ten day fishing expedition along the Indian Ocean and eventually docked at the Port of Kismayo.

Kenya security crackdown scares away livestock owners in Garissa

14 May- Source: Radio Ergo- 121 words

The gu’ rains are still falling all over the country making for plentiful pasture and water. It is generally a good time for livestock keepers and their animals all over Somalia and the region. However, in Northeastern Kenya, trading has been very slow with fewer animals available. Garissa livestock market is one of the largest in East Africa. It has been affected by the insecurity issues prevailing over the past few weeks. Security measures by the government have resulted in scaring away the pastoralists, who would normally bring a good number of their animals for sale. Muhumed Nasif, a livestock trader in Garissa, said he was stopped for questioning twice by armed security officers on his way from Fafi to Garissa.

REGIONAL MEDIA

$2.6m parachuted as ransom money to pirates

14 May- Source: Emirates247/AFP-353 words

The Saudi owner of an Algerian cargo ship whose crew was held by Somali pirates for 10 months admitted paying $2.6 million to free them in November 2011, an Algerian paper reported on Tuesday. The ‘MV Blida’, carrying 17 Algerians, six Ukrainians, two Filipinos, one Jordanian and one Indonesian, was captured by a gang of heavily armed pirates on January 1, 2011, on its way from Oman to Tanzania.Two of hostages were released for health reasons in October that year, with the rest freed the following month when a bag full of cash was parachuted from a plane.

Somalia roots for central system of governance

14 May- Source: Standard- 223 words

Somalia is pushing ahead with the formation of a central government against attempts by Kenya and Ethiopia to have a devolved system. According to IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly, the move threatens to derail the peace process in the horn of Africa as clans in the Jubba region — considered the country’s economic nerve centre — say the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) will have broken its promise to set up Jubbaland as an autonomous state in Somalia.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Social media campaign countering Somali extremist

14 May- Source: ABC News- 625 words

A new social media campaign has been launched to counter messages of extremism within the Australian Somali community. Religious leaders and youth workers have teamed up with the Community Relations Commission to send a positive message to young people who are struggling with a sense of belonging. Malik Osman, 24, who came to Australia when he was three, is leading the podcast project.

Two Sentenced in US for Supporting al Shabaab

14 May- Source: VOA- 210 words

A U.S. federal court has handed down prison terms for two men convicted of supporting Somali militant group al Shabaab. Forty-six-year-old Mahamud Sharif Omar was sentenced Tuesday to spend at least 20 years in prison on two separate jail terms to be served concurrently. Twenty-eight-year-old Kamal Said Hassan was sentenced to spend at least 10 years behind bars, also on two concurrent prison terms. Both men are residents of Minneapolis, a Midwestern U.S. city with a large Somali immigrant population.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“And it should be said that this happened in Somalia, but it was not Somalia that did this to us. These were gangsters. … It could have happened anywhere in the world. Now, it ended up happening in a place where the administrations don’t have a lot of power and so on, but this has not made us … have any bad feelings toward Somalia or definitely not Somalis.”

In Somalia, Surviving A Kidnapping Against ‘Impossible Odds’

14 May- Source: NPR-2189 Words

In 2011, Jessica Buchanan was an aid worker in northern Somalia, helping to raise awareness about how to avoid land mines. The north was the relatively safe section of the country; that October, she traveled to the more dangerous southern region for a training. The night before she left, she texted her husband, Erik Landemalm, also an aid worker in Somalia. She asked him a question: “If I get kidnapped on this trip, will you come and get me?”