November 1, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report
Turkey Announces $4m Support To Somalia Polls Budget
01 November – Source: Goobjoog News – 302 Words
Turkey will provide $ 4 million to finance Somalia’s elections and ensure the elections are secured from any forms of insecurity, Turkish Ambassador to Somalia Olgan Bekar has said. Bekar said the elections were a turning point for Somalia’s history noting his country was keen on supporting Somalia to ensure the elections are conducted in a transparent and secure environment.
“We attach great importance to the security of the election and to ensure the necessary funds for election budget. In this regard I would like to announce Turkey will provide a 4 million dollars budgetary support to the Federal Government next week,” Bekar said during the marking of Turkey National Day in Mogadishu.
Bekar observed the elections are an important component of Somalia’s recovery process and that all parties involved must put efforts to actualize the dream of a transparent and fair poll in Somalia. “2016 will be a real threshold moment for the state building and peace building process in Somalia. We call all stakeholders to seize the momentum and activity engaged with the view to achieve an inclusive, fair and credible election process,” the envoy added.
Turkey’s contribution to the electoral process in Somalia adds to a list of other development efforts Turkey has put into Somalia’s recovery. In the last five years, Turkey’s development aid support for Somalia has hit a $100 million mark in security and socio-economic spheres.
Somalia’s electoral budget is estimated at $14 million with 60% to be contributed by the international community while the Federal government is expected to offset the remainder. Bekar stressed the elections should be led and owned by Somalis to ensure public confidence in the process. The elections should be free from any kind of manipulation. The election process should be Somali led process and conducted under Somali ownership, the envoy noted.
Key Headlines
- Turkey Announces $4m Support To Somalia Polls Budget (Goobjoog News)
- Daesh Fighters Are Present In Qandala Says The Town’s District Commissioner (Jowhar.com)
- Somali Women Fight For Promised Share Of Parliamentary Seats (Goobjoog News)
- Puntland’s SIEIT Shed Light On The Delayed Parliamentary Election (Garowe Online)
- Somali Man Jailed In Danish Explosives Case (CPH Post)
- Somalia’s Southwest State Ready For Upcoming Lower House Elections – FIEIT Chairman (AMISOM)
- Evangelicals Reach Out To Muslims Somali Population (SC Times)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Daesh Fighters Are Present In Qandala Says The Town’s District Commissioner
01 November – Source: Jowhar.com – 140 Words
Jamaa Mohamed Kuurshe, the District Commissioner of Qandala in the Bari region has confirmed that fighters loyal to the terrorist group known as Daesh are still in the area days after reports emerged that they have withdrawn from the town. The district commissioner said he is in Bosaaso, however he is receiving reports from residents of the town who fled their house using boats.
“I am in Bosaaso, there is still the presence of Daesh fighters in the town and a few residents. A lot of people have been displaced who have already arrived in Bosaaso and other areas,“ the district commissioner said. The district commissioner also mentioned the presence of warships in the waters of Qandala who as he said are monitoring the situation. He added that Puntland forces are also planning on retaking the town.
Somali Women Fight For Promised Share Of Parliamentary Seats
01 November – Source: Goobjoog News – 229 Words
Leaders for National Women Association have met with the authorities of Somalia’s southern regional state in Kismaayo to push for concrete action on the reservation of 30-percent seats for women parliamentarians. The lobbying meeting for affirmative action for Somali women was attended by officials from the Somali Ministry for Women Affairs, the chairperson of the Somali Women’s Organization, Batulo Ahmed Gabale, some of the newly elected senators, and officials from jubbaland administration.
Speaking at the meeting, Gabale lauded the commitment expressed by Jubbaland to meet the 30 percent quota. “We are happy with the clear political plan of Jubbaland State. We are also happy with the Indirect Electoral Implementation Team of Jubbaland for the clear decision on how the slots for women will be shared among various clans. If a woman competes against a woman, the seat belongs to women and that is fine.” Gabale said.
She called on the traditional elder and Somali people to support the women’s quota. “We appeal to the Somali people and the traditional elders to make sure women get their 30% representation,” she urged. Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail Fartaag, who is was elected into the Upper House said both genders deserved equal treatment. “I appreciate women. They too have rights. They have rights to live, rights to education, rights to opinion, rights to vote and rights to participate and to contest for seats,” Fartaag remarked.
Puntland’s SIEIT Shed Light On The Delayed Parliamentary Election
01 November – Source: Garowe Online – 239 Words
In a press conference held in the state capital of Garowe, the State Indirect Electoral Implementation Team (SIEIT) has discussed the progress in the Lower House election in Puntland region. During the press conference, Chairman of Puntland’s SIEIT, Khaliif Aw Ali, has talked about the delays in the selection process of Lower House candidates and attributed it to the disagreement on the women quota and other reasons. He also said that the registration process for the candidates has already commenced.
However, according to the revised schedule of the electoral process endorsed by the National Leadership Forum (NLF) – comprised of Leaders of Federal government and regional states- the Lower House election was set to take place between 23 October to 10 November. Ali noted that the state electoral body has urged regional clans to expedite the process by bringing forward their candidates and Electoral College lists who will vote for the candidates competing for the seats in the upcoming Lower House chamber of Federal Parliament.
The announcement of Puntland’s SIEIT comes after a press statement released by Somalia’s International partners criticizing leaders of Somali government, regional states and electoral commissions for the recurrent delays, corruption and intimidation practices in the Somali elections. Somalia is in race of time as the country is preparing to hold parliamentary and presidential elections that scheduled to conclude in November 30.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Man Jailed In Danish Explosives Case
01 November – Source: CPH Post – 200 Words
The city court in Aarhus has ordered that a 24-year-old Somali man be remanded to custody for four weeks in a case involving the discovery of explosives in the Jutland city. Judge Tina Rud announced the verdict following a preliminary hearing that had been held behind closed doors. The 24-year-old was arrested Sunday after police found explosives in a basement of an apartment complex in western Aarhus.
The Somalian refused to come out of the apartment willingly, so police shot tear gas into the apartment, after which he surrendered to police. The area was searched, but no other explosives were found. East Jutland police previously reported that the 24-year-old had been charged with possession of a small amount of explosives, but the closed door proceedings prevented the press from hearing the actual charges.
The prosecution and police justified the request for closed proceedings by saying that the case was still being investigated. “There are some things in the indictment that we need to have a little time to work with in peace,” police spokesperson René Raffo told Metroxpress. Raffo said that there is no evidence at this time to indicate that the case is related to terrorism.
Somalia’s Southwest State Ready For Upcoming Lower House Elections – FIEIT Chairman
31 October – Source: AMISOM – 514 Words
The Chairman of the Federal Indirect Electoral Implementation Team (FIEIT), Mr. Omar Mohamed Abdulle, has expressed confidence in the electoral preparations of the southwest state. The FIEIT chairman, accompanied by his team, spoke during an assessment mission to the southwest administrative town of Baidoa, on Sunday.
“The visit is part of a series of other visits, which we will make to Garowe, Adado and Jowhar in the coming days to take stock of how the preparations for the 2016 electoral process are going on and to decide when the elections will start,” Mr. Abdulle said.
The chairman and his team met with the State Level Indirect Electoral Implementation Team (SIEIT) headed by Mohamed Abdullahi Mursal. “We discussed with SIEIT, among other issues, the preparation of delegations and the registration of candidates, both male and female. We also discussed the venue of the elections, which is actually big, conducive and suitable area for the elections, where multifarious activities are currently going on,” Abdulle explained.
FIEIT inspected various sites, which will be used during the electoral process. “We also inspected the polling centers, which are eight (8). We also visited the staff facilitating various electoral tasks. We also checked on the logistical issues such as the ballot boxes, voting papers and designated areas for voting,” the FIEIT chairman said. The team expressed satisfaction with the high level of preparations for the electoral process.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“I think there’s a lot of misunderstanding … there’s an assumption (that) all Somalians are a threat or terrorists. We’re wanting to help dispel that.”
Evangelicals Reach Out To Muslims, Somali Population
01 November – Source: SC Times – 1,039 Words
In the days following the Sept. 17 attack at Crossroads Center mall, religious leaders from all over the St. Cloud community were visible at multiple press conferences. Christians supported their Muslim neighbors, urging peace and condemning the attack by a Somali-American man who made references to Islam. Absent were some leaders in the evangelical Christian community. The Rev. Matthew Molesky, a senior pastor at Calvary Community Church, was concerned. He and other leaders have built relationships with some in the Muslim community, but had still missed out on those plans.
“Because we just reached out to … the relationships with those leaders, said, hey, how can we help. We want you to know we love you. We would have been there if we would have known about that,” he said. Strengthening those connections between the evangelical community and the Somali and Muslim communities is just one of his objectives, Molesky said. Several months ago, a few evangelical pastors in the St. Cloud area started to get together to pray and talk about all the tensions in the community, he said, particularly tensions between Muslims and Christians.
“We gathered, not with any clear-cut objective, but just started working in conversations, how can we serve our community well,” he said. Then they started inviting people within their congregations — and evangelical leaders in particular. The group grew. “We were getting very encouraged of getting to know each other, seeing our church families partner together for the sake of our community, instead of in silos,” Molesky said. “I’ve been here nine years … and I’ve never seen that kind of collegial cooperation before,” he said.
TOP TWEETS
@DalsanFM : #BREAKING Mogadishu seaport deputy manager Abdiqani Osman kabreto has passed away after months of illness. #Somalia
@Amalow11: Warships reached at Coastal in #Qandale for battle #ISIS seize one week -Witness, #Somalia
@UNSomalia: Find out what standards candidates pledged to obey for #Somalia‘s electoral process. Check what the@doorashada2016 Code of Conduct says:
@Vatescorp : #Kenya: County Cmr says intelligence network of#alshabaab resides in Mandera, only the executors come from#Somalia http://ow.ly/HoZ7305J2ec
@PolGeoNow : Kenyan officials say wall betwen #Kenya and#Somalia will be completed by January 2017
@SamDualeh: #Somaliland and #Ethiopia to bolster ties. As well Ethiopia remains committed to #Somalia‘s peace.
@HIPSINSTITUTE: Here is our take on #Somalia‘s oil potential and the need for prudence; a report by @d_balthasar
http://www.heritageinstitute.
@Garadadde : #Somalia: New report sheds light on how $1 bln was stolen in Somalia http://www.alleastafrica.com/
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Outgoing Deputy Force Commander of AMISOM in charge of Support and Logistics, Maj. Gen. Nakibus Lakara was honored in a warm send-off upon the completion of his one-and-half-years tour of duty in Somalia.
Photo: AMISOM