November 11, 2016 | Morning Headlines
U.S. Airstrike In Somalia Killed Local Militia, Not Al-Shabaab
10 November – Source: Reuters – 341 Words
A September U.S. air strike in Somalia killed local militia forces and not Al-Shabaab militants as the Pentagon had initially believed, the U.S. military acknowledged in a draft statement obtained by Reuters on Thursday. The Sept. 28 strike in Somalia’s Galkayo area killed 10 fighters and wounded three, the statement said. No civilian casualties were caused by the strike, it said. Somalia’s government had asked the United States to explain the strike, which it said had been conducted against forces of the semi-autonomous, northern region of Galmudug.
The errant strike illustrated the perils of Washington’s efforts to battle Al-Shabaab, an al Qaeda-aligned group, by working with armed Somali factions that are often feuding. Al-Shabaab has been responsible for numerous attacks, including the September 2013 siege of Kenya’s Westgate shopping mall that left at least 67 dead. The day after the Sept. 28 U.S. strike in Somalia, officials in Galmudug accused a rival region, Puntland, of duping the United States into believing members of its security forces were in fact Islamist rebels.
An Al-Shabaab spokesman told Reuters at the time it did not have any fighters in the area of the strike. The draft statement by the U.S. military’s Africa Command said the airstrike was carried out at the request of Puntland Security Forces “and our own assessment of the situation.” A PSF-led patrol had come under attack by a group of armed fighters and in response, “the U.S. conducted a self-defense strike to neutralize the threat, killing 10 armed fighters and wounding three others,” the statement said.
A review of the strike, which began Oct. 4, determined that “The armed fighters were initially believed to be Al-Shabaab but with further review it was determined they were local militia forces,” it said. “Operating under legal authorities, U.S. forces lawfully utilized self-defense to support the PSF in response to hostile actions conducted by the armed group against a partnered force,” the review concluded. “No U.S. forces were killed or injured as a result of this incident.”
Key Headlines
- U.S. Airstrike In Somalia Killed Local Militia Not Al-Shabaab (Reuters)
- Puntland Announces Start Of Second Phase Of Lower House Voting As Jubbaland And South West States Conclude Initial Round Of Polling (UNSOM)
- Hundreds Turn Out For Fursad Fund Inaugural Job Fair In Mogadishu (Hiiraan Online)
- Delegates From The Pan African Youth Union Encourage Somalia To Champion Peace (AMISOM)
- UN Renews Somalia-Eritrea Arms Embargo (Associated Press)
- Appeals Court Hears Arguments In Somali Terror Case (The San Diego Union Tribune)
- KDF Soldier Killed On Duty In Somalia Buried In Meru (Daily Nation)
- The Challenges Of Holding An Election In Somalia (The Conversation)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Puntland Announces Start Of Second Phase Of Lower House Voting As Jubbaland And South West States Conclude Initial Round Of Polling
10 November – Source: UNSOM – 469 Words
The State-level Indirect Electoral Implementation Team (SIEIT) in Puntland has announced that the second phase of voting for 25 members of the House of the People will begin on 14 November. A dozen members of the House of the People – as the lower chamber of the Federal Parliament is officially called – were elected in Puntland during the first phase of polling that ended on 6 November. “We will continue with the registration of the candidates and their accreditation tomorrow and the two days after that,” said SIEIT deputy chairman Khalif Aw Ali. “Then we will be ready for the voting process.”
In South West State, voting continued in the capital Baidoa for the third consecutive day. Seven members of the House of the People were elected today, bringing to 23 the total number of lawmakers elected from the state thus far. The newly elected members of parliament (MPs) include former MP Adan Ibrahim Dhaayow, Hassan Ali Mohamed, Mohamed Jama Mursal, Mohamud Moalim Yahya, Sheikh Shacir Mohamed, Ali Adan Mohamed and Khalid Sheikh Abdullahi.
Voting was held under tight security and monitored by observers. “The authorities responsible for the electoral process as well as the Somali security forces, in particular the police, deserve a lot credit for the successful management of the process and making sure that this very closely contested process went forward,” said Vikram Parekh, the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia office in Baidoa. “I think it is a good way forward.”
One of the surprise losers in today’s voting in Baidoa was the federal Minister of Finance Mohamed Adan Ibrahim ‘Farkeeti’, who lost by a single vote to Mohamud Moalim Yahya.
“This was a highly contested seat,” said Mr. Yahya, who made his political debut in this year’s electoral process. “Today’s session recorded the highest attendance from all stakeholders because my opponent (Farkeeti) is a very influential and popular person within the community.” South West SIEIT deputy chairman Sid Ali Abukar Baafo said voting would resume next week.
Hundreds Turn Out For Fursad Fund Inaugural Job Fair In Mogadishu
10 November – Source: Hiiraan Online – 207 Words
Hundreds of wide-eyed and eager young Somalis filled City Palace Hotel in Mogadishu Thursday morning for a chance to connect with local businesses and seek employment advice.’
The two-day event was organized by Fursad Fund, an independent trust fund, and it is the first time the organization held a job fair in Mogadishu. The event was organized in order to give young educated Somalis an opportunity to network and meet with employers looking for new hires in various industries. Among the businesses represented at the job fair are notable names in banking such as Dahabshiil, Premier bank and IBS bank; as well as internet service providers and advertising agencies, Somcast and Daaus.
The event also taught job seekers how to properly look for a job. The Somali economy has made positive developments since the establishment of government authority in Mogadishu as companies have either opened or reopened. Although the economy is geared towards construction and infrastructure, the retail and service industry have made strides recently. Unemployment and underemployment are serious problems as Somalia has among the highest rates in the world. Countless reports indicate this to be the main push factor for illegal migration among Somali youths as they head abroad at the prospect of finding employment.
Delegates From The Pan African Youth Union Encourage Somalia To Champion Peace
10 November – Source: AMISOM – 314 Words
A delegation from the Pan African Youth Union concluded a three-day official visit to Somalia Thursday, with a call to African leaders to engage youth in governance and peace initiatives. The team arrived in Somalia on Tuesday, at the invitation of the Federal Government of Somalia. “I have seen hope in the young people of this country, I have seen the will to change their country and they need support. They need to participate in governance, they need to be given hope, they have the right to dream and to dream big for change in Somalia,” the PYU President Ms. Francine FurahaMuyumba said.
During their stay, the delegates from Kenya, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, interacted with young female peacekeepers and Somali youth. They also addressed a youth conference on entrepreneurship. MsMuyumba was impressed with youth-led peace initiatives. “We need to see how we can have a special fund for Somali youth in entrepreneurship, to give hope to these young people, to show them that life is also important and things can be done differently,” Ms. Muyumba said.
On Thursday, the delegation paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Special Representative of the African Union Commission Chairperson in Somalia (DSRCC) Hon. Lydia Wanyoto. Hon. Wanyotodescribed the visit by the Pan African Union as critical in encouraging Somali youth to abandon acts of terrorism and radicalisation. “Bringing to Somalia young people from other countries who have made a difference, gone to school, who have other ideas to contribute to the development of their countries is very important,” Wanyoto said. Wanyoto said the presence of the young delegates during Somalia’s ongoing electoral process was important and sent a message to the elders to begin integrating young people in governance structures. The youth delegation also met with Somali President H.E Hassan Sheikh Mohamud who emphasized his commitment to enhancing conditions for youth in Somalia.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
UN Renews Somalia-Eritrea Arms Embargo
10 November – Source: Associated Press – 119 Words
The U.N. Security Council has renewed an arms embargo on Somalia and Eritrea citing a continuing threat from al-Qaida-linked Al-Shabaab militants. The 15-member council on Thursday approved the renewal of sanctions with 10 nations voting in favor and five abstaining.
“The sanctions are preventing Al-Shabaab from having the incoming weapons that they otherwise would,” Matthew Rycroft, the U.N. ambassador from the United Kingdom, which drafted the resolution, said before the vote. China, a veto-holding council member, abstained.
China’s deputy U.N. ambassador said the sanctions were not conducive to strengthening cooperation between the countries in the region and said it hoped the council will take into account the changes on the ground and adjust the embargo accordingly.
Appeals Court Hears Arguments In Somali Terror Case
10 November – Source: The San Diego Union Tribune – 809 Words
A federal appeals court on Thursday weighed whether the sweeping federal government surveillance program that captured millions of phone records for nearly a decade violated the rights of four Somali men convicted in San Diego of terrorism charges in 2013. For more than a half hour, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals quizzed lawyers for the men and government prosecutors about the now-discontinued and once secret program.
The four men in the case are Basaaly Saeed Moalin, a San Diego cabdriver; Mohamed Mohamed Mohamud, the imam of a City Heights mosque; Issa Doreh, former president of a nonprofit group aiding the Somali community; and Ahmed Nasir Taalil Mohamud of Anaheim. They were convicted of funneling less than $10,000 to the terrorist group al-Shabab. The main evidence in the trial was excerpts of about 1,800 wiretap recordings of phone calls from Moalin to Somalia and to his co-defendants. Prosecutors said the recordings captured the scheme to raise the funds and wire transfer them overseas.
KDF Soldier Killed On Duty In Somalia Buried In Meru
10 November – Source: Daily Nation – 160 Words
A Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier who died in an attack in Somalia was buried at his home in Kaibu, Meru County. Lt Dedan Karithi Karuti died after the vehicle he and other soldiers were travelling in was hit by a home-made bomb on the Warei–Elwak road last week. The 26-year-old, a platoon commander of the 17th Battalion, joined the army as a cadet officer in September 2013 and had served for only three years when he died.
“Karithi was a disciplined and hardworking officer and ready to pay the price by protecting Kenyan territorial integrity in Somalia,” said Brig-Gen William Shume, commander of the 6 Brigade where Mr Karithi was a member. Brig-Gen Shume said the loss was painful. Captain Simiyu Wanyonyi comforted the bereaved family, saying Mr Karithi was a hero. Martin Murithi, a cousin, said: “We met a week before his death during a wedding in the village and we promised to meet during the Christmas holidays.”
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“Despite the complications and challenges of the electoral process in Somalia, it promises to be a game changer. Internally, new people and their ideas will be at the helm. Externally, it might be a demonstration that the country is finally coming into normalcy after many years of instability.”
The Challenges Of Holding An Election In Somalia
09 November – Source: The Conversation – 956 Words
Somalia is holding elections that are exciting, historic and complex. The election of the 54 members of the Upper House of Parliament has kicked off in the capitals of the various federal states. The election of the 275 members of the Lower House of Parliament (House of the people) has also started in some parts of the federal member states. The final election will be when the two houses vote on who should be president. That is planned for the end of November. The internationally-backed elections were scheduled to take place in August. But they were postponed because of logistical, financial and technical hitches. The government, for example, claims it didn’t have enough money to hold the elections. This was because the international community, supposedly, didn’t give Somalia the funding it had pledged.
These are the second elections in the country since 2012, the year a new constitution was adopted. This formed the first Federal Government for the federal state of Somalia, ending two decades of armed conflict. The new parliament elected Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as president. This was the first election held in the country since 1991. As one of the intellectuals and a reformist interested in restoring peace and stability in Somalia, Hassan Sheikh represented a new lease on life for Somalia.
These elections promise to be as exciting. The line up of the aspiring presidential candidates includes the former regional President of Puntland and a woman. The failures and successes of the elections will also reveal the level of political maturity in Somalia and whether the election model it is using works.
Unique election process
Somalia has a unique and interesting election process. Conditions are not yet in place for a one-person, one-vote ballot. Therefore clan elders represent the people in electing members of parliament who then elect the President. The 2012 constitution stipulates that by 2020 the people will vote for office bearers. In 2016, a total of 14,025 members of the electorate will choose the 275 members of parliament by secret ballot. 135 traditional elders are responsible for selecting these electoral delegates from their communities.