May 10, 2013 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somali FM urges Somali business communities to invest in Somalia

09 May – Source: Bar-kulan – 95 words

Somalia Foreign Affairs Minister who is also the Deputy Prime Minister of the Somali Federal government has urged the Somali Diaspora community living in UK to come and invest their war-torn nation. Addressing hundreds of Somali diaspora in the UK on Wednesday night, Ms Fawzia haji Aden asked the Somali people to invest and participate in the ongoing development programs in the country just like they have developed Dubai, South Africa and neighboring countries. Fawzia added that there are many ongoing process in terms of development programs and they will soon take it to the Somali national Parliament.

Key Headlines

Somali FM urges Somali business communities to invest in Somalia (Bar-kulan)
Mogadishu Mayor rejects established and emerging states (Garowe Online)
1 killed 5 others injured in Baidoa clashes (Bar-kulan//baidoanews)
Qatar offers $18m in support to Somali government (The Peninsula News)
Timely launch of a book in Mogadishu (Africa Review)
Somali President Vows to Divert Youth From al Shabaab (VOA)
Islamic Development Bank President reiterates support for Somalia (CPI Financial)

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali FM urges Somali business communities to invest in Somalia

09 May – Source: Bar-kulan – 95 words

Mogadishu Mayor rejects established and emerging states

09 May – Source: Garowe Online – 152 words

Governor of Banadir region – also Mayor of Mogadishu – Mohamud Ahmed Tarzan rejected federalism at an event in London on Wednesday, Garowe Online reports. Governor Tarzan at an event for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his delegation, which were in London attending the London Conference on Tuesday, stated that he was against “clan states” with their own flags. “These states with their own flags are built on a clan system; they are against the unity of Somalia,” said Governor Tarzan at the event on Wednesday. He made a similar comment in Switzerland earlier this week, stating that he was against current states in Somalia and the establishment of more states, a statement defying the Provisional Federal Constitution agreed by Roadmap Signatories last year during Governor Tarzan’s tenure. Tarzan recommended that all Somalis return to Mogadishu where he stated was representative of all Somalis and the “center, heart and mind” of Somalia.

1 killed, 5 others injured in Baidoa clashes

09 May – Source: Bar-kulan/baidoanews – 104 words

Reports from Baidoa, the capital of Bay region say that one person was killed while five others among them civilians and government soldiers were wounded after clashes among Somali government troops broke out in the southern Somali town. The clashes occurred at Mursal neighborhood in Baidoa on Wednesday afternoon, victims affected by the clashes are reported to have been admitted at Baidoa general hospital. Speaking to the media, Baidoa district commissioner Hassan Malin Ahmed (Bikole) said that the regional administration troops clashed with forces from the front line after they had been informed to leave the town and go back to their fighting positions.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Qatar offers $18m in support to Somali government

09 May – Source: The Peninsula News – 130 words

HE Qatari Minister Of State For Foreign Affairs Dr. Khalid Bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, has announced that his country has offered $18 million in contribution to the somali government to help carry out four pillars dealing with consolidating the infrastructure projects, the development projects, updating the management institutions and supporting the health care and education. HE Al Attiyah said in his address before the London Conference on Somalia that this comes in continuation to Qatar’s stand besides the brethren in Somalia and out of its due keenness to maintain security, stability and growth of the Republic of Somalia. The conference jointly organised by the governments of both Britain and Somalia aims at attracting international support to the somali government in quest of reconstructing the state after two decades of disputes.

Timely launch of a book in Mogadishu

09 May – Source: Africa Review – 155 words

On April 27, the work of three dedicated people was displayed at City Palace Hotel in northeastern neighbourhoods of the Somali capital.A book titled; Mogadishu Then and Now, was unveiled in the presence of two of its authors, Rasna Warah and Ismael Osman. Not present was Mohamud Dirios.
Warah, a Kenyan and the country’s Daily Nation columnist, opted in 2011 to work with Somali writers based in the US, Osman and Dirios, to compare and contrast the city’s past and present.The cover of the book bears the name Mogadishu shattered by bullets, a self-explanatory display of what Mogadishu had undergone.Pictures on the same cover show that the same city had experienced a glamorous past before suffering the destruction.The exhibition was fittingly sponsored by the local authority known as Dowladda Hoose of Muqdisho (Mogadishu municipal administration).Guests were already referring to the book as Muqdisho Shalay iyo Maanta (Mogadishu Then and Now).

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somali President Vows to Divert Youth From al Shabaab

09 May – Source: VOA News – 181 words

At a youth town hall meeting in London hosted by VOA, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said the fact that Somali young men are still joining the al Shabaab militants reflects a “weakness” of the country’s leadership. But he pledged renewed efforts to establish security and create jobs for the young people. The president told the gathering of about 80 young men and women that his focus on creating a secure environment in Somalia will generate investment and create jobs, providing alternatives for young people who join the militants for lack of other opportunities. He was elected only eight months ago, but he took some responsibility for al Shabaab’s continuing ability to recruit Somali youths. “The fact that they can convince a young man to die and take his life 100 percent and never come back, and we on the other hand are not able to convince him to live and have a decent life, is a weakness on our part, as politicians, religious leaders, elders and women’s groups,” Mohamud said. “Whoever we are, it’s a problem and a weakness on our part.”

Islamic Development Bank President reiterates support for Somalia

09 May – Source: CPI Financial – 136 words

The President of the Islamic Development Bank Group, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, in addressing the International Conference on Somalia in London, stressed that the IDB would cooperate with the Government of Somalia in a bid to rebuild and consolidate the public finance institutions through various methods such as staff training and transfer of knowledge and technology from IDB member countries. Ali stated further that the IDB would assist the Government in the fields of Islamic banking and finance and improve legislation on investment so that the private sector can play its role in economic and social development. He stated that the bank would remain a solid partner of Somalia in the latter’s efforts to ensure stability and development and would work with regional and international institutions to increase the flow of resources for the country’s development.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“In recent weeks, Somali officials have implemented new tactics, including an anti-piracy outreach campaign and the provision of employment opportunities for youths even as the government slowly extends its reach. The real test will come at the end of next year though, when international forces are scheduled to start reducing their patrols off the coast of Somalia.”

Is the reduction in Somali piracy permanent?

09 May- Source: Foreign Policy Blog-591 Words

International efforts to limit Somali piracy are having some effect, with the story dropping out of the headlines over the past year. In the first three months of this year, there were only five attempts and only one successful hijacking (a fishing vessel), according to the latest quarterly report from the International Maritime Bureau. This is a far cry from 2008, when piracy off the Somali coast resulted in 28 hijackings amid 237 attempts. The economic impact of piracy is considerable. The World Bank in April calculated that between $315 million and $385 million has been paid in ransoms to Somali pirates since 2005, though that pales in comparison with the estimated $18 billion that piracy costs the world economy each year.