November 12, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Armed men kill chief immigration officer of Adan Abdulle airport in Mogadishu

11 Nov – Source: Dalsan Radio/Radio Goobjoog – 85 Words

A Shooting claimed the life of one person and two other civilians sustained injuries after men on board of a luxurious car were attacked at KM 4 in Mogadishu today. Eye witness told Goobjoog FM that chief immigration officer of Adan Adde airport Mohamud Abdi Adow aka Dhabarey was killed during the attack. The armed men blocked the car of the officer and opened fire before disappearing from the scene.

Key Headlines

Jawari adjourns parliament session due to heightened tension (Radio Goobjoog/Radio RBC)
Armed men kill chief immigration officer of Adan Abdulle Airport in Mogadishu (Dalsan Radio/Radio Goobjoog)
Grenade explodes in Kismayo municipality facility (Garowe Online)
East African journalists elect new leadership after suspending the former leaders (Dalsan Radio)
South African charity prioritizes orphans and disabled people (Kismaayo.com/Mareeg.com)
Mogadishu residents lament kindergarten teachers’ murder (Sabahi Online)
Shouting match whistles halt debate on sacking Somali PM (Reuters)
US not sending delegation to Somalia meeting due to political turmoil ( RTT News)
90 killed as al-Shabaab takes Somali island (Voice of America)
UN envoy lauds collective progress in Somalia urges unity stability from leaders (United Nations News)
Poor rains then floods lead to food crisis in Somalia (Mogabay News)

SOMALI MEDIA

Jawari adjourns parliament session due to heightened tension

11 Nov – Source: Radio Goobjoog/Radio RBC – 242 Words

Federal parliament building in Mogadishu turned chaos ahead of today’s session where a vote on no confidence motion was to commence, but members of federal parliament started shouting and making noisy whistles. The attendance register of the parliament has gone missing in a move that has worsened the situation, minute after minute the tension in the parliament building was growing.

The speaker of Federal parliament Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari walked out of the hall after the whole area turned disorderly and noisy. Banadir police commander Mohamed Yusuf Madale who reached the parliament has taken meeting with the speaker of federal parliament and his assistants in the building, it is not clear what their meeting was all about but it comes after speaker Jawari walked out of the parliament building due to chaos.

Our reporters say some members of the parliament were carrying placards written with words like “no votes for cash.” The speaker of federal parliament tried to commence the session after meeting Benadir police commissioner but walked out of the hall for the second time as the noise and whistle by the MPs persisted. Finally the speaker Mr. Jawari officially adjourned the session to unspecified date.

Armed men kill chief immigration officer of Adan Abdulle Airport in Mogadishu

11 Nov – Source: Dalsan Radio/Radio Goobjoog – 85 Words

Grenade explodes in Kismayo municipality facility

11 Nov – Source: Kismaayo.com/Garowe Online – 130 Words

Suspected Al Shabaab assailants threw hand grenade into the municipality facility of the southern port city of Kismayo on Tuesday morning, injuring five municipal workers. The hand grenade- throwers reportedly fled from site of the grenade explosion. Jubaland security forces stationed in nearby police compound reached Kismayo municipality, pushing ahead with search operation right away. The hand grenade explosion marks the third terror attack to be reported within 48 hours. On Monday, two separate landmines hit troop-transport vehicles in Kismayo’s Fanoole and Guul Wade neighborhoods. Meanwhile, Jubaland forces are advancing towards strategic Kudhaa Island on the Indian Ocean which fell to Al Shabaab on Sunday after heavy gun battle. Militants without prior notice vacated Kudhaa on Monday afternoon according to residents.

East African journalists elect new leadership after suspending the former leaders

11 Nov – Source: Dalsan Radio – 686 Words

The Eastern Africa Journalists Association (EAJA) has today elected a team of new leaders as part of its efforts to strengthen its position as a leading advocacy organization for the rights of journalists in Eastern African Region. The new leadership was elected at a General Meeting of the association in Bujumbura, Burundi. The Meeting confirmed Mr. Alexandre Niyungeko from Burundi as Secretary General to replace Omar Faruk Osman from Somalia who was suspended from the position in January a meeting in Addis Ababa over integrity issues. Anteneh Abraham Babanto from Ethiopia was elected as the new president in an acting capacity at the Bujumbura meeting to replace Dr. Muheldin Idris Ahmed who was suspended from his position along with an Executive Committee Member Kenedid Ibrahim after the assembly rejected their attempt to lift the suspension of Omar Faruk and re-install him to his former position of Secretary General. Kenedid was replaced by Glorias Martha Musiime from Uganda.

The assembly said Muheldin had failed to demonstrate leadership and chose to block the members from proceeding to hold the General Meeting which had been convened procedurally and with his agreement. His attempt to call of the meeting was thwarted by members and he thereafter walked out in the middle of the uproar. Kenedid also attempted to disrupt the ongoing assembly before he walked out. The delegates accused the two leaders of attempting to impose Omar Faruk on them as the Secretary General even before the meeting could receive a report on the integrity questions that had led to his suspension in January. The delegates resolved to proceed with the general meeting as earlier planned and based on the agenda that had been circulated to all delegates before the meeting.

“We leaders of EAJA affiliate unions and associations have today taken a major step towards strengthening EAJA leadership to protect its integrity and solidarity to enhance its profile and capacity to serve its members and journalists in Eastern Africa, “said the new President Anteneh Abraham. He urged the newly elected team to works hard to serve the membership and called on all affiliates to work in solidarity and consultation to overcome the challenges EAJA had faced in the past. The meeting also admitted three new affiliate unions and associations. Uganda Journalists Union (UJU) was re-admitted after a three year suspension. Also admitted were the Association of Media Practitioners of Seychelles (AMPS) and the Seychelles and The Comoros Journalists Association. The admission of the three affiliates brings to 12 the number of affiliates to EAJA. Other affiliates are drawn from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia and Djibouti. Eritrea and South Sudan, although covered by EAJA in its work have not had any journalists unions affiliated to the association.

South African charity prioritizes orphans and disabled people

10 Nov – Source: Mareeg.com – 308 Words

The South Africa-based humanitarian organization, Gift of the Givers which has been active in Somalia for the past several years, has now turned most of its attentions to caring for street children, orphans and those living with disability to inspire changes in their lives. The aid group, which is believed to be the largest charity in Africa, has started special programme which mainly targets some of the community’s most vulnerable people after it took over two main centres which hold hundreds of orphans and street children providing them with food and basic education.

“We have been operating in different areas in the country, but the kind of campaign is mainly intended to make concrete changes in the lives of these children and as well as disabled peoples” said a charity staffer Said Ibrahim Hussein, who is also a long-serving vice president of Somali Sports Press Association. “We reach out to nearly a thousand people including children and disabled persons at least twice in each week—we have now drawn new plans to spread our humanitarian operations to the southern Lower Jubba region” Mr. Said Ibrahim Hussein explained in his press statement. The Gift of the Givers was active in Somalia since Tsunami hit parts of the country in 2005, but extended its Somalia mission in 2011 in reaction to what the United Nations described as the worst draughts in Somalia for decades.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Mogadishu residents lament kindergarten teachers’ murder

11 Nov – Source: Sabahi Online – 1, 120 Words

Distressed by the murder of two kindergarten teachers in the city’s Dharkenley district last week, Mogadishu residents are calling on the authorities to make all efforts to track down the killers and bring them to justice. The two women were killed November 2nd in a drive-by shooting near their homes as they made their way to the kindergarten where they worked. The assailants immediately fled the scene.

Dharkenley District Commissioner Adan Mohamed Omar accused al-Shabaab of being behind the attack and said security forces were pursuing those responsible. Fadumo Mohamud Omar, 25, and Fathi Mohamud Guled, 27, were close friends who taught at Alif Academy, a kindergarten for about 20 boys and girls aged two to seven, said school official Fadumo Ahmed, who requested to use an alias for security reasons. The academy opened in May and is the first kindergarten in Mogadishu since the civil war. “Our aim is to raise the children well and build their thinking skills and teach them using a modern method [of teaching] when they are under the age of five until they reach the age of seven,” Ahmed said.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Shouting match, whistles halt debate on sacking Somali PM

11 Nov – Source: Reuters – 380 Words

A debate on whether to sack Somalia’s Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed descended into chaos on Tuesday as his supporters blew whistles and shouted out slogans, forcing the parliamentary speaker to halt the session. The no-confidence motion, which Washington had warned could deepen political turmoil, was backed by lawmakers loyal to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud after the two men fell out over a cabinet reshuffle last month.

But politicians supporting the prime minister started beating on empty jugs, blowing on whistles and chanting “no motion” soon after the debate started, creating an almost deafening roar. “Due to noise, we hereby close the session today. Let it be another day,” parliament speaker Mohamed Sheikh Osman said after bringing the session to order about four hours later. He did not say when the debate would resume. Western donors who have promised to help rebuild Somalia after two decades of conflict worry that the removal of a second prime minister in less than a year will weaken the government and leave it rudderless in its fight against Islamist rebels.

US not sending delegation to Somalia meeting due to political turmoil

11 Nov – Source: RTT News – 184 Words

The United States has said that it is not sending a delegation to the High Level Partnership Forum on Somalia, Because Somalia’s leadership is distracted with political division. A meeting of the Forum is scheduled for next week in Copenhagen to review progress under the New Deal. The United States expressed deep concern over the recent political turmoil in Somalia. Actions to put forward a parliamentary motion for a vote of no confidence in the prime minister do not serve the interests of the Somali people, said a statement issued by US State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki.

She said the United States remains neutral in the dispute between the president and prime minister. “We are committed to the principles of the New Deal Compact which aims to build a sovereign, secure, democratic, united, and federal Somalia,” the statement added. Washington urged the Federal Government of Somalia to implement fully its Vision 2016 plan and rise above the political differences that divert from the important work of unifying the country under a federal framework.

90 killed as Al-Shabab takes Somali island

11 Nov – Source: Voice of America (English) – 215 Words

Witnesses in southern Somalia say more than 90 people were killed in weekend fighting that saw militant group al-Shabab retake a key island in the Lower Juba region. Al-Shabab attacked pro-government forces on Kudhaa island before dawn Saturday, seizing control of it from the Interim Juba Administration (IJA). Residents tell VOA that al-Shabab displayed 43 bodies of IJA fighters on the beach after the fighting and later executed nine IJA members and eight civilians accused of working with the administration. Sources tell VOA that al-Shabab lost 31 men in the fighting, bringing the death toll to 91. Kudhaa, located 130 kilometers southwest of Kismayo, was captured from al-Shabab just two weeks ago by pro-government forces. The militants had used the island to export charcoal, a key source of revenue for the group.

UN envoy lauds collective progress in Somalia, urges unity, stability from leaders

11 Nov – United Nations News – 678 Words

Hailing the political and economic gains made in Somalia through the partnerships and collective efforts of Somalis and the international community, the United Nations envoy for the country urged political leaders there to resolve their differences or risk undermining the progress thus achieved. “Overall, Somalia, I still maintain, is moving in the right direction,” said Nicholas Kay, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, during opening remarks made yesterday at the High-Level Partnership Forum of the Somali Development and Reconstruction Facility Steering Committee.

“Whatever the difficulties we face…Somalia is in a better state today as a result of our collective efforts than it has been in a generation, and we should not lose sight of that,” he added. Progress made thus far has been the result of partnership, most notably between the Somalis, said Mr. Kay, who is also the head of the UN Assistance Mission (UNSOM), which is mandated to support peace-building and state-building as well as the Federal Government’s peace and reconciliation process. “The Somali-led state formation process has delivered concrete results,” he stressed, adding that the collective leadership between Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed, “has given Somalis and international partners faith and confidence in the Federal Government and in Somalia’s political future.”

Poor rains then floods lead to food crisis in Somalia

11 Nov – Source: Mogabay News – 457 Words

Four years after over a quarter of a million people perished in a famine in Somalia, the East African country is again on the verge of a possible humanitarian disaster. Flooding in southern Somalia, following months of little rain, has just exacerbated an already-precarious situation according to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). The group is calling for $49 million to provide emergency funding to programs already in place to stem the crisis. “We have a small and critical window of opportunity—we must seize it now if we want to avoid going the same way as four years ago,” said Luca Alinovi, the acting Head of Office at the FAO Somalia.

In all, the United Nations estimate that a million people in Somalia are in need of assistance. The group also reports that 218,000 children in the country under five are already acutely malnourished. “If we’ve learned anything from the devastation of the 2011 famine, it’s that early warning signs must lead to immediate action,” said Bukar Tijani, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa. “We know from experience that quick responses to early warnings are crucial to prevent disaster and are less costly than emergency responses to full-blown humanitarian crisis.” Poor rains this year in the country’s grain belts led to lower-than-expected harvests, in addition to water scarcity and livestock problems. Current flooding however now threatens to overrun crops grown along rivers, worsening the situation. The poor crop situation has led to a spike in food prices, an issue in other parts of Africa as well.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“The southern part of Somalia has seen civil conflict and destabilization for almost 24 years. This has led to the disintegration of the education system, with almost ninety percent of the schools damaged or destroyed. Two generations of Somali children have missed the opportunity to attend school.”

Education for Somalia’s Children is Key to the Future

11 Nov – Source: Internationalpolicydigest.com – 967 Words

Somalia is a poor Muslim country, where agriculture provides a meager existence in its arid climate, and people live on less than $2.00 a day. The country has one of the lowest primary-school enrollment rates in Africa with less than 25% of the children participating, of which one-third are female students. Somaliland has fared better than the rest of Somalia, with 44 percent of the children receiving an education. Ms. Hodan Guled, the founder of the Somali and American Fund for Education (SAFE) noted, “With basic reading skills, a child has the opportunity to be lifted out of poverty.” SAFE has been building schools in Somaliland, the autonomous northern state, which has not seen the violence that has devastated the rest of Somalia. The southern region has been destabilized by al-Shabaab Islamists since 2006. Somaliland has a population of 3.5 million, with an elected government that has proven it can govern justly, respects human rights, and the rule of law. Attacks in the south by al-Shabaab have not abated, even with the infusion of UN AMISOM Peacekeeping troops that have been there since 2011, to underpin the Mogadishu government.

In March 2013, I went to Hargeisa the capital of Somaliland, to visit two school projects that the Price Family Foundation was undertaking with SAFE. Being the rainy season traveling over the desert roads was treacherous. In the village of Alleybaday four classrooms were built at the Harcadaad Primary School. Student classes were divided into morning and afternoon sessions for 78 boys and 42 girls, ranging from grades one through four–with four teachers. Just months earlier classes were held under a tree. We then traveled across a similar rugged terrain to the village of Faraweyne, some 44 miles into the desert. There two classrooms were built at the Maraaga Primary School, to accommodate 50 boys and 30 girls in split sessions–with two teachers.