November 12, 2013 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

Puntland president nominated committee on the tropical cyclone

12 Nov- Source: Radio Mustaqbal/Radio Garowe/Somali Channel- 115 words

The president of Puntland State Abdirahman Mohamed Farole has officially nominated committee to rescue the people affected by the tropical cyclone which hit Somalia’s Puntland.

In press conference held by in Garowe, the president has said that the committee will attend to the rescuing the people facing dire condition of life after the cyclone which hit parts of East region in Puntland.

President Farole has also on called the international community to support Somali people affected by the storm. The officials of Somali federal government have also appealed for similarly urgent humanitarian assistance to help population affected by the cyclone.

Key Headlines

Interview with Somalia foreign affairs minister Fawzia Yusuf Hajji (Radio Ergo/Universal TV)
100 feared dead in Somalia storm(AFP)
Kenya Somalia reach agreement with UN agency on dignified return of refugees (UN News Centre)
Puntland president nominated committee on the tropical cyclone (Radio Garowe)
Galmudug sends delegation to end clan warfare in Ba’adweyne (Radio Bar-Kulan)
Somalia Appeals for Aid After Cyclone Kills More Than 100 People ( Bloomberg)
Storm hits Eyl Beyla Dangorayo (Puntlandi)
Teenage boys paralysed by Polio in Bardhere (Radio Ergo)
Somalia:Wagosha Movement rejects Mogadishu outcome on Jubba talks(Mareeg online)
Al Qaeda working with al Shabaab Boko Haram (The Star- Kenya)
Somalis will not be forced back home (Daily Nation)
Terrorism: Why Dadaab refugee camp is no longer at ease (The Star -Kenya)
Somalia Premier League under way in Mogadishu (Sabahi online)
Al Shabaab hotel bombing will not hamper progress: Somali leaders (Sabahi online)
Rare Tropical Cyclone Strikes Somalia (NASA Earth Observatory)
Nairobi attacker lived in a refugee camp (Shanghai Daily Agencies)

SOMALI MEDIA

Puntland president nominated committee on the tropical cyclone

12 Nov- Source: Radio Mustaqbal/Radio Garowe/Somali Channel- 115 words

The president of Puntland State Abdirahman Mohamed Farole has officially nominated committee to rescue the people affected by the tropical cyclone which hit Somalia’s Puntland.

Galmudug sends delegation to end clan warfare in Ba’adweyne

12 Nov- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 152 words

A delegation from Galmudug Administration has on Monday arrived in Ba’adweyne locality in Mudug region with a mission to bring together two warring clan militias in the area.

The delegation led by Galmudug Minister for Interior, Ahmed Mohamud Hassan is expected to meet with clan elders and local administration officials.

Mohamed Said Ahmed, the local administration chief told Bar-kulan that his administration discussed with the delegation about bringing the clan warfare in Ba’adweyne and Amara locations to an end.

He added that the minister asked the local administration as well as clan leaders to work together in bringing lasting peace between the sides.

The clan warfare in Ba’adweyne and Amara localities which started two years ago has claimed the lives of over 200 people while injuring many more.

Many families have also been displaced after armed militias burnt down few villages in one of the most fierce clan conflicts in the region.

Somaliland Foreign Minister appoints representative to African French speaking countries

12 Nov- Source: Somaliland Informer- 54 words

Somaliland appoints Rashid Isse Gabobe to the post of her representative to African francophone countries. Although the post is new to Somaliland foreign policy, it will be paramount importance for the tiny unrecognized country to lobby support within the African French speaking countries.Somaliland’s Foreign Minister, Mohamed Biihi Yonis has appointed the new ambassador.

Interview with Somalia foreign affairs minister Fawzia Yusuf Hajji

11 Nov- Source:Radio Ergo- 791 words

Radio Ergo Journalist Muhyadin Ahmed Roble asked the foreign affairs minister, Fawzia Yusuf Hajji, to explain the purpose of the tripartite agreement signed between Somalia, Kenya and the UNHCR, and what it will mean for one million refugees in Kenya.

FYH: The signing of the Tripartite Agreement is as a result of discussions and debates that have been going between us, our Kenyan counterparts and representatives from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for a long time on the fate of Somali refugees and the voluntary repatriation of refugees. It is an agreement that we are all happy and committed to implement. It is about the fate of one million Somali refugees living in Kenya. Some 600,000 of them including women and children live in the refugee camps while 400,000 others are urban refugees mainly based in Nairobi and Mombasa.

The Tripartite Agreement recognizes that it is time to think of facilitating and helping these refugees to go back to their home country voluntarily. It is a roadmap that designs strategies and policies that will facilitate the voluntary repatriation of refugees with internationally accepted standards. It is an agreement that assigns roles and responsibilities to all three parties.

People misunderstood that agreement, saying that they will be deported forcibly back to Somalia. That is not true and we have signed this agreement only for their good and interests. No refugee will be forced to go back home against his or her wish, and the agreement is protecting those refugees who are not ready to go back home.

We will only facilitate the return process of those who decided to go back voluntarily. More than 80,000 refugees have already returned to the country voluntarily. We are only to create a favourable situation whereby the remaining refugees can return safety and dignity. There is no hurry for repatriation of refugees. And no-one is taking them to an insecure place. The refugees will be prepared to go back to where they want freely and safely. We have agreed to collaborate with international community to mobilize the necessary resources for the resettlement of the returnees.

Ergo: What are the benefits of the agreement for the refugees?

FYH: The benefit of the agreement to the refugees is that they first want to go back and the agreement is committing to help those who are willing to go back. There is no life in a refugee camp. So, the refugees want to build a normal life for their families and children back in their country instead of living in refugee camps forever. We have signed the agreement to help those who want to build their lives back in Somalia and to facilitate their movement. The voluntary nature of the repatriation for Somali refugees has nothing to do with rumours that refugees are a threat to national security. They are not a threat to Kenya and that is not the position of the Kenyan government, according to what we hear from them. And the refugees benefit from this agreement because it protects those who are not ready to go back and helps those who are willing to return.

Ergo: So, how are you helping the refugees who decide to go back voluntarily?

FYH: We are facilitating their trip back home and any other support that might be necessary for their return. There are no homes and camps that have been prepared for them to move into. They will be asked where they want to go back and their needs. And then, they will be helped according to their needs. We are working with UN agencies to help the returned refugees get all the services they used to have in the camps including education and health services back in the country.

Ergo: Will you prepare camps to resettle the returned refugees?

FYH: No,..No.. They are going back to their original houses that they fled initially. There are no plans to build new IDP camps in Mogadishu because we are already struggling with more than more than a million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country and we don’t want to make that situation worse. There will be no camps for the refugees who will return. We will only help them to settle the places that they have originally fled from.

Ergo: Is Somalia secure enough for refugees to go back?

FYH: There are already more than 80,000 refugees who have voluntarily returned. They have returned to their homes. If it is not safe, the number of refugees wouldn’t have returned back to Somalia. We are here to help only those who have missed their home so much and are ready to go back now. The world is ready to help such people.

Storm hits Eyl, Beyla, Dangorayo

12 Nov – 12 Source: Puntlandi – 42 words

Storm hits Hafun districts along the eastern coast and across to Alula at the tip of the Horn of Africa. High winds and heavy rains caused flash floods and cut off roads to the coastal areas, killing at least 100 in Somalia Puntland storm.

Teenage boys paralysed by Polio in Bardhere

11 Nov- Source: Radio Ergo- 411 words

Hilowle Ismail Farah’s two eldest sons recently fell sick in their village in Bardhere district of Gedo region. The family are livestock herders and their village lies in a remote part of the district, where there are no health clinics or even doctors. The boys have been diagnosed with Polio. Both have been paralysed by the virus. As their father told Radio Ergo’s local reporter, they had not been vaccinated against Polio.

Father: My two eldest sons, Ahmed, 15, and Aden, 12, became sick all of a sudden two months ago in our home at Tarako village [50 km north of Bardhere in Gedo region]. We are a pastoralist family and our village is a rural area which has no hospitals, no doctors and clinics. We couldn’t manage to take them to the nearest town, which is Bardhere, therefore we have received no treatment and no doctor for them for a while. I just brought them here to Bardhere now and I am very worried about their future and their lives. They seem to have been paralyzed by Polio. We are just here in the town, but they are yet to receive any treatment.

Ergo: What did the doctors tell you about your children’s illness?

Father: They said it is Polio which they say makes people paralyzed and there is no treatment to make them recover. That is all they said and we are yet to receive further instructions and treatment. It is very deperssing and very painful to watch your children’s life and future at stake.

Ergo: How did your children begin to feel ill, what were the first signs you noticed?

Father: They were well and fine as any other ordinary person until they suddenly began to feel sick one day and had a very high fever on the same day. Sometime after, they stopped passing urine and their limbs stopped being able to move, they became like a dead body. We then realized they were paralyzed. They can only move their mouth to talk.

I came here to Bardhere, expecting that the doctors would treat them. But when we explained everything to them, the doctors said these were symptoms of :Polio. It is not something new to me. I used to hear about it and see people who became paralyzed by Polio.

Ergo: Did your children ever get vaccinated?

Father: No, they never received any vaccination.

Ergo: I can see your two children sleeping at two beds alongside, can they walk?

Father: No, they can’t walk. They can’t even wave their hands. Their legs are like dead persons’ legs. They are paralyzed. They can only move their mouth.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Al Qaeda working with al Shabaab, Boko Haram

12 nov- Source: the Star (Kenya)- 479 words

Al Qaeda has syndicated its operations with al Shabaab and Boko Haram in Africa exploiting weak governments to harm innocent civilians, a US report has said.

The solution according to United States Africa Command is to disrupt the terrorist group’s financial activities and undermine recruitment efforts by the violent extremists.

In a report posted on the Africom website presented before the US Senate on the state of terrorism in Africa, it said al Qaeda has syndicated its ideology and violence to its affiliates and adherents in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

The report published on March 7 this year was made public last month in the wake of the Westgate Mall attack in which more than 67 people lost their lives. The report was released in marking Africom’s fifth anniversary.

“This network of al Qaeda affiliates has already developed into a threat to US, regional interests and if left unchecked, could pose a threat to Europe and the larger US homeland,” the Africom report said.

Somalis will not be forced back home

11 Nov- Source: Daily Nation- 287 words

The repatriation of more than a million Somali nationals registered in Kenya expected to start in 2016 will be voluntary, the UN agency on refugees announced Monday.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) also announced that the agency will provide support to Somali nationals who would have chosen to return home.

“It’s very important to underline that no one is forcing Somalis to leave Kenya,” said Raouf Mazou, UNHCR’s representative in Kenya. Mr Mazou hailed Kenya for her accommodating hundreds of Somali nationals fleeing war from the Horn of African nation.

Terrorism: Why Dadaab refugee camp is no longer at ease

12 Nov- Source: Star (Kenya)- 954 words

The Dadaab refugee camp complex in Garissa County is home to almost half a million Somali refugees who fled their country due to two decades of civil war. The camps cover a total area of 50 square km and are within an 18km radius of Dadaab town. It comprises of Ifo1, Ifo2, Dagahaley and Hagadera camps.

Since its inception in the 1990s, the camps have been clouded in controversy ranging from smuggling of goods and weapons from the neighbouring Somalia to harbouring terrorists. But it is the latest terror attacks in the country that renewed claims that the camps house deadly gangs of terrorists that orchestrated and co-ordinated numerous attacks including the Westgate Mall attack that left 69 people dead and more than 200 injured.

After the September 21 attack, calls for the expulsion of Somali refugees out of the country have dominated parliamentary debates and took hogs of space in the local and international media.

Somalia Premier League under way in Mogadishu

11 Nov- Source: Sabahi Online-284 Words

The Somalia Premier League kicked off in Mogadishu’s Benadir Stadium Friday (November 8th), with the first match between Heegan and Gaadiidka teams ending 3-2 in Heegan’s favour.

The premier league is taking place in a modern stadium with an artificial turf for the first time after FIFA, the international governing body of football, renovated the Benadir Stadium.

Eight Somali football teams from Benadir, Lower Shabelle and Middle Shabelle regions will take part in league, Somali Football Federation Secretary General Abdiqani Said Arab told Sabahi.

“Benadir Stadium was built in 1956, but it suffered extensive damage [during the civil war],” Arab said. “However, after renovations that took place in the last two years, it has been upgraded to modern standards. The renovations ended on November 1st, and the premier league started on November 8th.”

Al Shabaab hotel bombing will not hamper progress: Somali leaders

11 Nov- Source: Sabahi Online- 695 words

Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon visited Madina Hospital Sunday (November 10th) to console the victims of al Shabaab’s bombing at the Makkah al-Mukarama Hotel, and he continued to assure the Somali people that such attacks would not derail the country’s progress.

“These cowardly acts of terrorism will not derail the progress made in Mogadishu and across Somalia,” Shirdon said in a statement after the bombing. “We — the Somali people and the Somali government — will stand shoulder to shoulder to defeat these killers. These terrorists will not defeat us but make us stronger.”
“I praise the commitment of staff at Hotel Makkah Al-Mukarama to repair and re-open the hotel as soon as possible,” he said. “Their commitment demonstrates that Somalis will not be beaten by these senseless killers even in adversity.” Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud struck a similar defiant tone.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somalia Appeals for Aid After Cyclone Kills More Than 100 People

12 Nov- Source: bloomberg-195 words

Somalia’s government appealed for international aid to help thousands of people affected by a tropical cyclone that killed more than 100 people in the semi-autonomous northeastern region of Puntland.

The storm, known as 03A, made landfall over the weekend, resulting in heavy rains and flash floods that left many coastal and inland areas inaccessible, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said in a statement e-mailed from the capital, Mogadishu. “Urgent assistance” is required for those stranded by the disaster, he said.

“Many are feared dead and hundreds of people have lost their homes and livelihoods, crops and livestock have been lost and whole villages badly affected,” Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon said in a separate statement.

Rare Tropical Cyclone Strikes Somalia

12 Nov- Source: NASA Earth Observatory-195 Words

Even as the devastating impact of Typhoon Haiyan began to emerge in the Philippines, Somalia too experienced one of the deadliest tropical cyclones in its history. Tropical Cyclone 3A moved over Puntland, Somalia, on November 10–11, 2013, causing flash floods that left more than 100 dead. The storm destroyed hundreds of homes and thousands of livestock, according to news reports.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this image of the cyclone on November 11, 2013, well after the storm came ashore. At its strongest, Tropical Cyclone 3A had winds of 74 kilometers (46 miles) per hour, making it the equivalent of a weak tropical storm.

As the storm moved ashore, it was forecast to dump 100-200 millimeters (4-8 inches) of rain, with potentially higher amounts in some regions. The average annual rainfall in Puntland ranges from less than 100 mm (4 inches) to 200 mm (8 inches).

100 feared dead in Somalia storm

12 Nov – Source: AFP – 452 words

At least 100 people are feared dead in a ferocious storm battering Somalia’s northeastern Puntland region, the local government said Monday, warning that hundreds more are missing.

The government in the semi-autonomous region described the situation as a “disaster”, with entire villages destroyed, and said it was appealing for emergency international aid.

“A tropical cyclone storm (has) wreaked death and destruction… the storm brought high wind speeds and torrential rains, causing flash floods,” said a statement from Puntland’s government.

“Information collected from coastal areas via irregular telephone contact over the past 48 hours indicates that up to 100 people might have been killed, while hundreds of other people remain unaccounted for,” it added.

Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole said the “crisis was immense”, with the government declaring the situation a “disaster”.
The government is organising relief efforts, but also appealed for international support.

“Preliminary information also indicates that homes, buildings, boats and entire villages have been destroyed and over 100,000 livestock lost, endangering the livelihoods of tens of thousands of local people,” the government said.

Nairobi attacker lived in a refugee camp

12 Nov- Source: Shanghai Daily Agencies- 391 words

One of the four Westgate Mall attackers once lived in a refugee camp of 50,000 Somali refugees in northwestern Kenya, two security officials said, highlighting Kenya’s interest in speeding up the return of nearly 500,000 Somali refugees to their home country.

Very little is known about the four gunmen who sprayed bullets into men, women and children inside Nairobi’s Westgate Mall on September 21.

Al Shabaab, a Somali militant group affiliated with al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the four-day siege of the mall that killed 67 people.

Somalia gets 888 emergency police line number

11 Nov- Source: BBC- 256 words

Police in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, have launched an emergency police telephone service for the first time in more than 20 years.

Residents can call the emergency number – 888 – and the authorities say a police car will be sent out.
Police spokesman Mohamed Yusuf Madaleh told the BBC it was part of efforts by international donors to revamp the country’s police service.

The government is fighting Islamist militants for control of the country.

The militant group al Shabaab has been driven out of Somalia’s major towns by a UN-mandated African Union force of some 18,000 soldiers, which is backing the government. But it still controls many towns and rural areas of southern Somalia – and frequently launches attacks in Mogadishu.

Kenya, Somalia reach agreement with UN agency on dignified return of refugees

11 Nov- Source: UN News Centre- 269 words

The United Nations refugee agency and the Governments of Kenya and Somalia today signed an agreement laying out the framework by which Somali refugees in Kenya could return to their homeland.

The agreement comes as between 30,000 and 80,000 Somali refugees have spontaneously returned to south-central Somalia since January, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said.

Returns must be made with “safety and dignity, and in accordance with international law”, Raouf Mazouand, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Representative in Kenya, told UN Radio.

He added that the timeframe for implementing the deal and the speed at which the refugees will take place is dependent on the situation in Somalia, “access to basic services in Somalia, access to livelihood, and security”.

“The agreement makes reference to about three years, but not as a deadline for the return of all refugees. It’s simply the time during which that agreement is going to be implemented,” Mr. Mazouand said.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“Meet the Somalis depict experiences many of us will never know, like fleeing a warzone with your children or, worse, leaving your loved ones behind. But more often, these stories portray the values shared amongst many of us, like the importance of family, well-being, and identity in an ever-changing world.”

Meet the Somalis: The illustrated stories of Somalis in seven cities in Europe

12 Nov- Source: Open Society Foundations-213 Words

Meet the Somalis is a collection of 14 illustrated stories depicting the real life experiences of Somalis in seven cities in Europe: Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Leicester, London, Malmo, and Oslo. The stories allow readers a unique insight into what everyday life is like as a Somali in Europe. Meet the Somalis is based on the firsthand testimonies of Somalis in Europe interviewed during six months in 2013.

The Somali community in Europe is a vibrant, diverse minority group, including people of Somali origin born in Europe, Somali refugees and asylum seekers, and Somalis who have migrated from one country in Europe to another. There are no accurate figures for the number of Somalis in Europe, but on the whole they are among one of the largest minority groups.

The illustrated stories focus on challenges faced by Somalis in their respective cities in Europe and issues raised in the Somalis in European Cities research, including education, housing, the media, employment, political participation, and identity.

“If Ethiopia decides to join AMISOM, it could allow Ethiopia to regain some of its strategic interests inside Somalia and to gain more influence in a key regional body such as AMISOM–even as Ethiopia and Kenya speak of efforts as a “joint operation.” It also could be seen as the most financially viable route in the short-term to countering the threat of al Shabaab.”

Ethiopia’s Financial and Strategic Interests Factor into Potential AMISOM Integration

11 Nov- Source: Somalia Newsroom-555 Words

Ethiopian government spokesperson Getachew Reda hinted that the country’s troops could join AMISOM in Somalia. This comes as the United Nations Security Council is soon expected to vote on a troop increase of 4,000 for the multi-national force currently capped at 17,761 troops.

After re-entering Somalia in November 2011, Ethiopian troops have operated independently. Getachew stated that “operational freedom” was a key issue that prevented Ethiopia from considering AMISOM integration earlier.

If Ethiopia were to join AMISOM, it could shed more light on how many of its forces are operating in Somalia–or at least how many of those would be operating on AMISOM’s payroll. Getachew vaguely described the number of Ethiopian troops in the country as in the “hundreds.”

“Somali refugees in Kenya should only return home voluntarily. That warning from the UN refugee agency came one day after it had signed a deal with Kenya and Somalia on the repatriation of half a million people.”

Weber: ‘Up to Somali refugees to decide’

11 Nov- Source: Deutsche Welle-384 Words

DW: Are conditions favorable for the peaceful return of refugees from Kenya to Somalia?

Annette Weber: It is a voluntary return, it will be up to the Somali refugees to decide if they really want to go back. My reading is that there are not many areas in Somalia which Somali nationals living outside the country consider safe. I think there is a lot of hope on the Kenyan side that they can somehow “push” people back, but I don’t see conditions in Somalia as being right to receive people.

So this is not a voluntary repatriation but a forced repatriation?

This is where one has to follow the process very closely – it is a process facilitated by the UNHCR (UN refugee agency). It is also part of their responsibility. There is a repatriation commission – the repatriation shall take place over the next three years. People shall be accompanied during repatriation and it should be voluntary. So if we stick to this this, only people who want to return will be facilitated. I don’t think anybody has a problem with this. You don’t actually need an agreement because people can always return to their home country. It could, however, be risky if it turns from a voluntary repatriation to a forced one.

Top tweets

@UN_DPA There is more opportunity and hope in #Somalianow than there has been for at least a generation, #UN official says http://ow.ly/qDI35

@BBCAfrica Refugee repatriation agreement – “Situation in#Somalia not stable for us to go back”, says refugee in Kenya since he was 5. #BBCNewsday

@Refugees “it would be inconceivable for refugees…to decide to go home [to #Somalia] & UNHCR not be there to assist”http://rfg.ee/qIqBu #Kenya

@WaaberiProject Watch Abdi Warsame Interview:He holds the highest national office for any #Somali-American in#Minneapolis http://fb.me/34M6rIwta

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Image of the day

Image of the day The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this image of Tropical Cyclone 3A that moved over Puntland, Somalia, on November 10â€“11, 2013, causing flash floods that left more than 100 dead. Photo: NASA