November 14, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report
UN Offers To Conduct Capacity Building Workshop For South West Electoral Body
14 November – Source: Halbeeg News – 299 Words
The United Nations Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) has offered to conduct a capacity building workshop for the members of the South West electoral coordinating committee, who are destined to preside over the upcoming presidential poll in the regional state. The move is geared at strengthening their abilities in conducting the exercise.
The deputy head of UNSOM, Mr. Rai Zenenga, made the commitment when he met with South West acting President, Abdikadir Sharif Shekhuna, who is also the Speaker of the regional assembly. During the meeting also attended by other South West government officials in Baidoa on Tuesday. Mr. Zenenga underlined UN’s commitment to see a credible and fair elections take place in the region. UNSOM also agreed to dispatch election observers to monitor the poll exercise.
“We have a stake in the elections in the sense that we want to see a credible one, (but) we don’t support any particular candidate,” said Mr Zenenga, the UN Secretary General’s Deputy Special Representative for Somalia: “We are here to support the process and make it more transparent and more credible so that the result is not contentious and is accepted widely.”
The UNSOM official also held a meeting with South West presidential candidates and traditional elders in Baidoa. Their meeting focused on the need to hold peaceful, free, fair and credible elections. He also had a separate sitting with representatives of South West traditional elders in Baidoa on Tuesday. Presidential aspirants have recently called for postponement of the election scheduled for 17th November 2018 to a later date. This view is shared by traditional elders, who have have separately postponed the polls citing interference from the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS). Fifteen members of the electoral coordinating committee, who resigned last week over “interference by FGS” are yet to be replaced.
Key Headlines
- UN Offers To Conduct Capacity Building Workshop For South West Electoral Body (Halbeeg News)
- Somaliland Bans Night Events (Radio Dalsan)
- Warring Sides In Central Somalia Urged To End The Hostility Through Dialogue (Radio Shabelle)
- Somalia Moves To Join EAC Bloc (Chimp Reports)
- Shabaab ‘Brides’ Face Seven Fresh Charges After Acquittal (Daily Nation)
- Sanctions Are Being Lifted Against Eritrea. Here’s Why (The Conversation)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somaliland Bans Night Events
14 November – Source: Radio Dalsan – 142 Words
Somaliland authorities have banned all night events, in a move designed to “curb immorality” in the country. At a press conference held by the breakaway region’s Deputy Interior Minister, Mohamed Muse, the government ordered that all social gatherings and events in hotels will no longer operate beyond 11:50 pm.
“The police are hereby ordered to take action against organizers and participants of any event that stretches beyond 11: 50pm,“ Muse told reporters in the Somaliland administrative capital of Hargeisa. Recent swoops in major towns of Somaliland have led to confiscation of alcohol and marijuana, which authorities are clamping down on. However, the move to ban night activities in private hotels has elicited debate among Somaliland youth. A number of youths interviewed by Radio Dalsan in Hargeisa, Burao and Berbera protested at the government decision saying it infringed on their democratic rights.
Warring Sides In Central Somalia Urged To End The Hostility Through Dialogue
13 November – Source: Radio Shabelle – 153 Words
Several people from two warring clans in Galgaduud region have been killed and dozens others injured in clan clashes. The Federal Parliament’s leadership has urged both sides to end the fighting, which has displaced hundreds of families from their homes.
The Deputy Speaker of Federal Parliament, Mahad Awad, has termed the clashes as unfortunate, saying it was unacceptable to see two brotherly clans shading their blood: “On behalf of the Federal Parliament, I call upon the warring sides in Balanbale town to end their hostilities,” he said.
Mr. Mahad called on the elders in the affected region to resolve their differences for the common good of the country. The DPM proposed the holding of reconciliation meetings in the region with a view to unite the people. His call comes a day after the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) deployed hundreds of soldiers in the area to intervene in clashes between two clan militias.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia Moves To Join EAC Bloc
13 November – Source: Chimp Reports – 270 Words
Somalia has revived its interest in joining the East African Community (EAC). The Ambassador of Somalia to Tanzania, Mohamed H. Abdi made the request while paying a courtesy call on Amb Liberat Mfumukeko, the Secretary General of the EAC.
Abdi said the “long-term development of each EAC economy was influenced by the success of the regional integration efforts” and that “individual EAC economies are too small to compete effectively in international markets.” Mfumukeko praised Somalia for their interest in joining EAC. He assured Amb Abdi that the “process is on course” and the Secretariat will be sending a preliminary team to Somalia later this month to assess the level of readiness of Somalia as the preparation for the verification exercise team which will be constituted by the EAC Council of Ministers.
Somalia continues to grapple with terrorism. But the restoration of peace in Mogadishu and other areas has given investors hope of a better future. Article 3 (3) of the EAC Treaty sets out conditions for membership; including adherence to universally acceptable principles of good governance, democracy, the rule of law, observance of human rights and social justice.
Others are contribution towards the strengthening of integration within the East African region; geographical proximity to and inter -dependence between it and the Partner States; establishment and maintenance of a market driven economy. Present at the meeting were the EAC Deputy Secretaries General in charge Planning and Infrastructure as well as Finance and Administration, Engineer Steven Mlote, and that of Productive and Social Sector, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo, Counsel to the Community, Dr Anthony L. Kafumbe and other officials from the EAC Secretariat.
Shabaab ‘Brides’ Face Seven Fresh Charges After Acquittal
13 November – Source: Daily Nation – 433 Words
Three women who were acquitted of terrorism charges, including being members of Al-Shabaab and conspiracy to carry out an attack, have been charged again. Ummulkheir Sadri Abdalla, Khadija Abubakar Abdulkadir and Halima Adan, who were accused of being Shabaab brides, were cleared in October. While ruling in their favour in October, Chief Magistrate Evans Makori said the prosecution failed to prove their membership to the terror group or even that the videos they were found with were to be used to instigate terror activities.
The women returned to court on Tuesday and faced Mombasa Senior Principal Magistrate Henry Nyakweba. They faced seven fresh charges that arose from the past case; they are now accused of arranging a meeting in support of the terror group, charges that were preferred after the prosecution amended the previous ones.
The prosecution said the women organised a meeting in Nairobi on March 27, 2015, the agenda being to cross into Somalia in support of the terrorists. They are further charged with conspiring with persons outside Kenya to carry out an act of terrorism, an offence they allegedly committed at Elwak on the Kenya-Somalia border.
In the third to seventh counts, the suspects are charged with having articles for use in committing the act of terrorism.
The prosecution told the court they were found with a Samsung laptop which had videos of slain controversial Muslim preacher Aboud Rogo, which they were also to use in the crime. The suspects denied the charges, saying they are similar to the ones they were acquitted of: “The charges are not true. We have been charged with the same offences and acquitted,” they said through their lawyer Hamisi Mwadzogo.
Mr Mwadzogo said he will rely on the chief magistrate’s judgment to prove his clients’ innocence: “We will rely entirely on this judgment to defend our case. We are ready to proceed with the case right now.” State Counsel Erick Masila said the prosecution was also ready to proceed as its witnesses were prepared. Last month, Chief Magistrate Makori acquitted the suspects of charges including being members of Al-Shabaab, conspiracy to commit terrorist acts and collecting information for the purpose of committing these crimes. They were also cleared of the offence of being in possession of articles for use in instigating commission of terrorist acts.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“In the past Somalia and Ethiopia were – along with Djibouti – the main proponents of sanctions against Eritrea. Now that they’ve reconciled, international support for UN sanctions has evaporated. The Eritrean government is likely to celebrate the lifting of sanctions as a major achievement. But their problems will not be at an end.”
Sanctions Are Being Lifted Against Eritrea. Here’s Why
14 November – Source: The Conversation – 914 Words
The United Nations Security Council is about to lift an arms embargo and targeted sanctions against Eritrea. UN Security Council resolution 1907, which was passed in 2009, noted that the Eritrean government was backing Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia government as well as other movements attempting to undermine the Ethiopian state.
The sanctions were strengthened over the years, particularly following Eritrea’s refusal to resolve its border dispute with Djibouti in 2011. The Eritrean government has routinely denied allegations that it armed these groups. To bolster its case it has pointed to the assessment of long-time ally, former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Herman Cohen, who declared that: All accusations against Eritrea regarding alleged assistance to the Islamist terrorist group Al-Shabaab in Somalia have never been substantiated. The Security Council established an expert monitoring group to report on the evidence of Eritrean activities. Over the years it has produced extensive reports, running into hundreds of pages. These gave the council plenty of reasons to ratchet up its isolation of the country.
So what’s changed? There have been three fundamental shifts. First, evidence that Eritrea is supporting Al-Shabaab has becoming increasingly thin. Second, the country is no longer as isolated as it used to be. Finally, the rapprochement between Ethiopia and Eritrea has changed the region’s dynamics. The monitoring group’s 2011 report was particularly important in presenting the case of Eritrean involvement in Somalia and its backing for Al-Shabaab. The experts obtained what the monitors described as firm evidence of Eritrean support for armed opposition groups throughout the region, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia and the Sudan. Support for these groups also involves Eritrean diplomatic, intelligence and PFDJ-affiliated networks in Kenya, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere.
The monitors went on to say that the: Government of Eritrea acknowledges that it maintains relationships with Somali armed opposition groups, including Al-Shabaab, but characterises these linkages as political (and, in one particular case, as “humanitarian”), while denying that it provides any military, material or financial support. Evidence and testimony obtained by the Monitoring Group, including records of financial payments, interviews with eyewitnesses and data relating to maritime and aviation movements, all indicate that Eritrean support for Somali armed opposition groups is not limited to the political or humanitarian dimensions.
TOP TWEETS
@Goobjoognews: SOMALI PARLIAMENT approves $17m to cover US military aid cut via @goobjoognews.
@MofSomalia: Watch this space! Starting tomorrow the Federal Government of #Somalia is sharing its expenditure update!
@Goobjoognews: #SOMALIA‘S UNDER 23 team will today face#Ethiopia in the 2019 Africa Under-23 Cup of Nations qualifier match. Best three teams from the Egypt tourney will proceed for the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan.
@Halbeeg_News: Military court in Puntland slaps 4 men with death penalty https://en.halbeeg.com/2018/
@SIDRAInstitute: We are pleased to release a new Study Report entitled “The Impact of the Role of Traditional Leaders on Politico-Governance in Somalia: Present Realities and Past Reflections”. Click this link to read the full reporthttps://bit.ly/2JYY33t.
@SMDCMediaCentre: The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has said it condemns what it called the “repetition of most violent crimes against trade unionists” and journalists in the Horn of Africa nation of #Somalia.
@AbdulBillowAli: In #Mogadishu for the launch of Somali Journalists Safety & Protection Manual. The booklet was prepared by @MAP_Puntland and provides an insight on journalist protection skills. Rights groups have ranked #Somaliaamong dangerous working environment for media workers.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Mayor of Mogadishu Abdirahman Osman Omar and his Djibouti counterart, Fatouma Awale Osman, and other delegates during a visit to the police academy in Dijabout.
Photo: @engyarisow