May 23, 2013 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somali lawmakers withdraw confidence vote against PM

22 May- Source: Reuters- 429 words

Somali members of parliament shelved a vote of confidence against the prime minister on Wednesday, but warned the government it would face further parliamentary rebellions if it did not do more to improve the economy and security. Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon has led a cabinet, in place since the election of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud last year, that has been lauded for bringing Somalia back into the international fold after two decades of conflict and civil war.

Key Headlines

Somali PM meets AU envoy in Mogadishu (Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Mogadishu)
Motion against Somali PM withdrawn (Universal TV/Shabelle/Radio Garowe)
Somaliland President Receives French Ambassador (Somalilandpress)
Khartoum Pledges to Continue Supporting Somalia’s Government (Qurbejoog Online)
Syria strife sends Somali refugees on the run (Al Jazeera)
Al Shabaab raids areas near Beled-Weyne kill civilians (Radio Bar-kulan)
Polio cases found in Kenya and Somalia WHO says (AP)

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali PM meets AU envoy in Mogadishu

22 May- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Mogadishu/Hiiraan Online/Jowahar Online- 288 words

Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon has received high delegation led by the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. A press release issued from the office of the Prime Minister stated that the meeting between Somali Prime Minister and Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia was focused on the country’s security, as well as the recent successful operations by the joint troops of AU Peacekeeping forces and Somali Federal government troops against al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militant group. Prime Minister Shirdon thanked African countries whose troops are in Somalia supporting the Somali Federal government. Amb. Mahamat Saleh Annadif who was also speaking at the joint conference said that African Union is very much determined to bring peace and stability back to the volatile Somalia that had been hit by two decades of civil-war. “African Union is marking its 50th anniversary since the continental organization was formed, I arrived in Mogadishu to celebrate with the Somali people on the marking of the organization’s anniversary, a colorful ceremony will be held in the Somali capital, Mogadishu on Thursday,” said amb. Mahamat in the news conference.

Motion against Somali PM withdrawn

22 May- Source: Universal TV/Shabelle/Radio Garowe/Hiiraan Online- 204 words

Somali Parliament Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari chaired a parliament session Wednesday with 200 MPs, to discuss a confidence motion against Prime Minister Shirdon’s government. Speaker Jawari announced that “many MPs have withdrawn from the motion”, which was submitted to parliament’s leadership last week. “The motion is now supported by 53 MPs, which is lesser than the 55 MP requirement for a motion to be discussed in parliament,” said Speaker Jawari.One of the 93 Mps who proposed the motion speaking to the parliament said that they chose to withdraw their support for the motion after they carefully observed the situation of the country and the work done by some ministers.

Somaliland President Receives French Ambassador

22 May- Source: Somalilandpress- 303 words

President Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud (Silanyo) today in the Presidency received the republic of France Ambassador to Kenya, Somalia and Somaliland Ambassador Etiennce De Poncins, Hargeisa. President Silanyo and French ambassador held lengthy discussions in which they explored ways to enhance future bilateral relation between the Somaliland and the republic of France.

Khartoum Pledges to Continue Supporting Somalia’s Government

22 May- Source: Qurbejoog Online/Bar-kulan- 142 words

Sudanese president Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir has pledged to continue supporting Somalia’s government. The Sudanese president made those remarks during a meeting today with a visiting Somali ministerial level delegation led by Somalia’s Defense minister in Sudanese capital, Khartoum. During the meeting, Somalia’s defence minister Abdihakin Hajji Mohamud Fiqi presented to President Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir a message from his counterpart Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud, Somali president. Abdihakin Hajji Mohamud Fiqi, the defense minister of the Somali Federal government discussed with President Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir over the role of Sudanese government helping Somali people as president Al-Bashir vowed to continue the support for the Somali Federal government.

Al Shabaab raids areas near Beled-Weyne, kill civilians

22 May- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 105 words

Al Shabaab militant group is reported to have raided Duduma-Qaris and Saba-Hume areas, located in the north-western side Beled-Weyne town of Hiiraan region in central Somalia, and looting civilians properties. The al Qaeda-linked group killed at least four civilians in Duduma-Qaris area including a traditional elder dubbed Hussein Aden Torri who was about 90 years old while 7 years old child was killed after the militant opened fire at Saba-Hume area. Hiiraan region police boss Col. Isaq Ali Abdalle said that the Somali government troops wiped out al Shabaab militant group from those areas, adding that al Shabaab fighters and government forces clashed in some other parts of the region.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Syria strife sends Somali refugees on the run

22 May- Source: Al Jazeera- 1247 words

It has been a strenuous 9,000-kilometre journey across the Atlantic to the US for Amal Kahim Jama and her Somali family. Fleeing civil war in Syria, they were recently forced to leave everything behind and rebuild their lives – yet again. Buildings she used to walk by in the heart of the Syrian capital, Damascus, have been reduced to rubble: a vestige of what once was a vibrant metropolis. It is an all too familiar image for Jama and the thousands of Somalis who fled to Syria in the 1990s to escape their own civil war. Jama and her five children left the capital Mogadishu in 2005. As threats to their safety increase, the wait to be transferred to another host country for the second time is raising fear and uncertainty among the Somali community in Syria.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somali lawmakers withdraw confidence vote against PM

22 May- Source: Reuters- 429 words

Polio cases found in Kenya and Somalia, WHO says

21 May- Source: AP- 127 words

The World Health Organization says the Horn of Africa is experiencing an outbreak of polio with cases confirmed in Kenya and Somalia. WHO said Wednesday that a 4-year-old girl near the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya and two of her contacts tested positive for polio, the first confirmed cases in Kenya since July 2011. A case in Somalia was confirmed earlier this month.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“Sources in Kismayo have confirmed that Sheikh Madobe is due to visit Nairobi later this week for talks with the Kenyan Government, but speculation the Jubaland leader may also meet the Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud could not be ascertained”.

Poll puts Nairobi-Mogadishu ties at risk

22 May- Source: Daily Nation- 753 words

Kenya’s testy and troubled relations with Somalia are once again on the rocks.The election of Sheikh Ahmed Madobe as President of Jubaland on May 15 by clan delegates in Kismayu has opened a huge chasm between Nairobi and Mogadishu and created a febrile atmosphere inimical to dialogue. As Kenya continues to warmly applaud and welcome the developments in Juba as positive and Mogadishu insists it will not recognise the new leadership in Kismayu, the stage is now set for a bruising diplomatic row certain to cause a major setback in bilateral ties. The risks of a new potentially destabilising diplomatic tempest appear a near certainty and the consequences too blindingly obvious and grave to contemplate.