May 15, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
A Forum Of 88 Members Of Parliament Announced In Nairobi
15 May – Source: Jowhar.com – 119 Words
A new forum composed of 88 MPs in the Federal Parliament have converged in Nairobi electing Abdirashid Mahamed Xidig as their chair. Under the auspices of the ‘Horosocod’ forum, the MPs plans to marshall support for efforts against the government of Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Khayre and is said to have the blessing of more than 100 MPs.
The chair, Abdirashid Mahamed Xidig is viewed as an influential person who can mobilise support for the new forum in parliament. President Farmaajo and Prime Minister Khayre have seen strong opposition against their government by MPs. The latest move will be detrimental to the progress Somalia and could see a return of the squabble and wrangling between the various arms of government.
Key Headlines
- A Forum Of 88 Members Of Parliament Announced In Nairobi (Jowhar.com)
- Government Workers Given A Day Off To Celebrate 15 May (Hiiraan Online)
- Minister of Information Opens Editorial Guidelines Training to Somali Journalists (Jowhar.com)
- Puntland Vice President suspends Director of Immigration Department (Garowe News)
- 17 Dead From Hunger Near Mogadishu Amid Drought (Shabelle News)
- Three Tales Of Mogadishu: Violence A Booming Economy … And Now Famine (The Guardian)
- A Journey To Somaliland: Africa’s Self-made Country (Rudaw)
- A Crucial Lifeline is Restoring Dignity For Drought-affected Families in Somalia (ICRA.org)
- After Conference There Is Ray Of Hope For Somalia (The Standard)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Government Workers Given A Day Off To Celebrate 15 May
15 May – Source: Hiiraan Online – 109 Words
The Federal Government of Somalia has today given its employee a day off in order to celebrate the Somali youth day which is celebrated annually to honor the formation of the Somali Youth League (SYL) who spearheaded the fight for the country’s independence. The announcement to declare the day a public holiday in a bid to mark the day was announced by the Minister for Information.“On behalf of the Somali government we have given the public sector workers a day off in order to celebrate the 15th of May,” said the Minister for Information, Abdirahman Omar Osman. The Somali government annually celebrates the formation of Somalia’s first political party.
Minister of Information Opens Editorial Guidelines Training to Somali Journalists
15 May – Source: Jowhar – 409 words
The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Abdirahman Omar Osman “Eng. Yarisow” and the Minister of Women and Human Rights, Deka Yasin Haji Yusuf, have today launched a workshop on editorial guidelines and capacity building for Somali Media. The two-day workshop organized by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism is attended by journalists representing radio and television stations, regional state media representatives and members of the private media. Minister Eng. Yarisow said that “this is the first workshop of its kind as attended by all media representative from all parts of Somalia.”
The topics covered in this workshop are vital for the building the capacity of Somali Media and Editorial Guidelines is very important in terms of improving the media production accountabilities of journalists to help them serve their communities. “I thank the facilitators, Abdirahman Koronto, a senior advisor at the Ministry of Information and Hussein Jabiri who are both well experienced in training journalists.” said Eng. Yarisow. “I call on the participants to take advantage of this workshop given to them, and convey the message to other journalists who did not have this opportunity.” The minister said. The Minister of Women and Human Rights, Deko Yasin Haji Yusuf said that it is necessary that the media focuses on protecting the rights of the children. “The media must protect the rights of children and should not broadcast information relating to children or their voices without receiving the consent from their parents or guardians.” said the Minister of Women & Human Rights.
Those who spoke at the event ceremony include, Deputy Minister, Abdirahman Iidan Yonis, Director General, Abdirahman Yusuf Omar “Abdalla” and the Director of Training & Capacity Building, who pointed out how important the workshop is and the benefits the media will gain from it. The participants acknowledged the importance of the workshop and said that they will take advantage of this opportunity given to them and will share the knowledge with other media outlets. It is the first time such workshop is held in Somalia by the Ministry of Information to benefit a wide ranging of media representatives including the regional state journalists. The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, H.E Abdirahman Omar Osman (Eng.Yarisow) has finally said that this kind of workshop will continue for all media representative including the private media.
Puntland Vice President suspends Director of Immigration Department
15 May – Source: Garowe Online – 170 words
The Vice President of semi-autonomous region of Puntland, Abdihakim Abdulahi Omar Amay has suspended the Director of Immigration Department, Mohamud Farah Ashkir on Sunday, According to a decree from the office of the Vice President, the recently appointed official was suspended from his post after being convicted of doing actions against his responsibility and public service. Although the reason behind Ashkir’s suspension remains unclear, reports indicated he was accused of fraud and embezzlement.
His Deputy, Abdihakim Mohamed Farah (Dhagaweyne) has been temporarily appointed by Vice Presiden Amay as the acting Director of Puntland’s Immigration Department. Various government institutions were notified about the decision including Ministries of Security and Finance, Accountant General, Auditor General and Police commander. Ashkir who was appointed to the post by Puntland President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali (Gaas) a month ago is yet to comment on his suspension. The move comes while President Gaas is out of the country and according to the state’s constitution, the acting President mandated includes appointing or sacking officials while the President is absent.
17 Dead From Hunger Near Mogadishu Amid Drought
14 May – Source: Shabelle News – 144 words
At least 17 people, mostly women and young children have died from hunger and lack of water at sprawling Internally Displaced camps near Somalia’s capital Mogadishu in the past few days. An IDP camp administrator confirmed to reports, the deaths of the people, who were among thousands of locally displaced persons fled the drought-stricken regions in southern Somalia. Thousands have been streaming into Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, in search of food aid, to escape from dying of hunger and thirst due to the biting drought in the horn of Africa country. The deaths of the IDPs came as the Somali National Drought Committee officials said they collected large sum of money as donation that was allocated to assist the drought-affected people. The Somali National Drought Committee has been accused of misuse of the financial donations as people are dying of hunger and lack of water.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Three Tales Of Mogadishu: Violence, A Booming Economy … And Now Famine
15 May – Source: The Guardian, UK- 1224 Words
Somalia’s capital is buzzing: estate agents thrive and it recently hosted a TedX conference. But Mogadishu is facing a fresh challenge as drought forces half a million people to seek aid. Jason Burke visits a growing camp on the outskirts. Friday afternoon and the light is low across the waves breaking on the long shore. Behind the pocked and pitted seafront promenade, hundreds of children play football among their shattered homes. This, the ruins of the old port area of Somalia’s Mogadishu, is the war-torn city of the news stories, books and films. Less than a 10 minute drive away down a newly rebuilt double highway, the scene is very different: hundreds of young men and women stroll along the narrow band of sand left by the high tide; they paddle, swim and drink coffee or soft drinks in cafes. An ancient stretch limousine, hired out for weddings, noses through the traffic. Rickshaw drivers shout for fares.“There are two sides to Mogadishu. The horrible side … and then there is this,” says Abdirahman Omar Osman Yarisow, Somalia’s newly appointed information minister, who is sitting at a table in the Beachview hotel on the famous Lido watching the relaxed Friday afternoon crowds.
There are few cities with contrasts as stark as those of Mogadishu. It is six years since the Islamic militants of al-Shabaab withdrew from streets battered by 20 years of incessant warfare. But daily violence is a reminder that the group remains a formidable threat if it is restricted to rural zones. Mortar shells kill children. Aid convoys are hit by roadside bombs. Politicians are shot dead in the street. Gunmen raid military camps and hotels while suicide bombers attack seafood restaurants on the Lido.“The place next door got hit but nobody is bothered. We’re always busy. We don’t worry,” says Abdi Fata Jama, the 29-year-old manager of the Beachview hotel.
Despite the ongoing violence, the economy is growing, hundreds of expatriates are returning from the west or African nations, scores of colleges are opening to cater for the phenomenally young population and there is growing investment from the diaspora. Estate agents thrive. A two-storey house can cost nearly £100,000. Mogadishu just hosted a TedX conference.In the centre of the city, a new Peace Park equipped with a bouncy castle, swings, a football pitch and benches is thronged at weekends and evenings when temperatures dip.“Somalis are very brave, very resilient. No one can change when they are to die. So they ignore the problems … and the city is booming and moving on,” says Yarisow.
A Journey To Somaliland: Africa’s Self-made Country
15 May – Source: Rudaw – 199 Words
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia on May 18, 1991. It had been part of Somalia for 31 years and after decades of suffering and massacre at the hands of the central government of Somalia, says the foreign minister, they decided they had enough and embarked on a struggle for independence.
The Republic of Somaliland is not formally recognized by the United Nations or any country in the world, though they maintain good relations with a number of countries, especially neighboring Ethiopia, Djibouti and the United Arab Emirates.Unlike Somalia, Somaliland is peaceful and stable and a functioning government is in charge. The country has an elected parliament and president.
The economy of this Muslim country’s largely relies on its millions of livestock, but they are vulnerable to drought. In the past year alone millions of sheep and goat have died from the drought and their owners forced to move from the countryside to the bigger cities.Some foreign aid agencies have stepped in to help, but the Somaliland government wants to help the country and for that it needs international recognition which will enable them to sign trade deals, borrow money and engage in diplomacy on a global scale.
A Crucial Lifeline is Restoring Dignity For Drought-affected Families in Somalia
15 May – Source: ICRC.org – 111 words
A cash injection is giving families in Somalia a lifeline that will see them through potentially one of the most severe droughts in recent history. 55,000 families have already received $100 each, which will help to improve their current situation. Isaaq Abdirahman, a 54-year-old farmer in a rural village in Bay region, lost all his crops to the drought ravaging many parts of Somalia. He moved his wife and children to one of the crowded IDP camps on the outskirts of Baidoa town where they have access to food and water from aid agencies. Isaaq remained behind to prepare his land for the April-June rainy season, known as the Gu.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“But giving aid to Somalia alone is not enough. Somalia has more than enough resources to feed and protect its people and generate the revenue required by the federal and regional governments. So yes, give more aid, but ultimately it is the people of Somalia who will decide the future of their country,”
After Conference, There Is Ray Of Hope For Somalia
15 May- Source: The Standard Media – 705 Words
Last week an international conference on Somalia was organised and hosted by the British government and co-chaired by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. This is the third major international conference of its kind since 2012. One thing is clear; the international community has finally started paying attention to Somalia. Since the fall of the government of Mohamed Siad Barre 26 years ago, our neighbour to the east has had more than its fair share of turmoil, conflict, famine and breakdown of all kinds of imaginable social order.
For more than 20 years the international community simply refused to organise any meaningful dialogue in Somalia. That is why the last three major international conferences are a welcome change. In last week’s conference world powers agreed on plans to support and train Somalia’s army and police to take over duties currently performed by the African Union. The presence of foreign troops might have been helpful in the beginning, but now the AMISOM forces have outlived their usefulness. What Somalia needs its own well equipped national army. Outwardly deceptive when Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (Farmajo) was elected president in February, a sense of hope engulfed the people of Somalia. There was jubilation and ululation around the globe especially by people of Somali descendant. Why did the election of their President excite the Somalis this time around? Having met President Farmajo last month in Kenya, he doesn’t really comes across as overtly charismatic.
When he gave his speech over dinner at a Nairobi hotel to a group of local Somali leaders and the business community, my attention drifted away shortly after he begun. His speech lacked the gravitas of a man given the task of lifting a country out of the pit. Yet all Somalis, including myself, have developed a sense of hope through him. The big question is; why this man and what is so special about him? Is he being guided by God? Remember even in Biblical times, vision and leadership was considered a God-given gift. God gave leadership to various individuals even when they lacked vital skills like in the case of Moses, he was appointed to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. But Moses was deficient in speech. He stammered and could hardly communicate to his followers, yet speech was a vital for his followers to understand what he was saying. Probably, Farmajo could be the Moses people of Somalia were hoping to get. The reason why President Farmajo reawakened hope for Somalia can be found in his tenure as a Prime minister of Somalia.
TOP TWEETS
@ZakiaHussen: On 15th May I officially became serving officer of the @TheSomaliPolice a decision I never regret taking. Serving #Somalia remains an honour
@Dahirkulane: President Farmaajo leads the 15th May celebrations in Mogadishu Benaadir #SYL #SomaliYouth #DhalinyaradaSoomaliyeed #NabadIyoNolol #Somalia:
@doamuslims: #Somalia – Heavy rains in Kalabayr town, Sool region after severe drought. People thanking Allah for his blessings. Alhamdulillah
@SomaliPM: My compliments to the Somali Youth and hope they rise to emulate the Youth of 1943 who stood to liberate #Somalia #nabadiyonolol.
@faoinsomalia: #SOMALIA: 6.7MN ppl food insecure. 3.2MN ppl facing starvation. 6 questions.
Join TOMORROW’S discussion using the hashtag #fightingfamine
@Goobjoognews: PM Khaire calls for international support for Somali refugees
@OCHASom: We are delighted to join everyone in celebrating #Somalia Youth Day. They hold a great promise. #SomaliYouth #DhalinyaradaSoomaliyeed
@SYLI_Somalia: #SomaliYouth are the backbone of our nation #SYL #NabadIyoNolol
@HarunMaruf: Pres Farmajo might bump into Pres Trump in Saudi Arabia during the Arab-Islamic-American leaders Summit in Riyadh on May 20-21: reports
IMAGE OF THE DAY
President, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo leads the celebrations to make the Somali Youth Day in Mogadishu.
Photo: Radio Muqdisho.