November 19, 2014 | Daily Monitoring Report.

Main Story

Somali donor funding conference opens in Copenhagen

19 Nov- Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 187 words

An international donor conference for Somalia has opened in Danish capital Copenhagen. The two-day High Level Partnership Forum (HLPF) co-chaired by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the United Nations is aimed to maintain momentum in the political transition process and foster dialogue and reconciliation in Somalia.

The conference brought together Somali federal government and regional representatives, civil society and the international community representative.

“The HLPF will be a critical opportunity to review progress and chart the way ahead for the implementation of the New Deal Somali Compact,” said UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Somalia Nicholas Kay.

“Much has been achieved, particularly through the concerted and joint efforts of the federal government. But significant challenges remain,” he added.

Danish Ambassador Geert Aagaard Andersen, European Union Special Representative for the Horn of Africa Alex Rondos, EU Special Envoy to Somalia Michele Cervone d’Urso, Italian Ambassador Fabrizio Marcelli, Swedish Ambassador Mikael Lindvall and British Ambassador Neil Wigan are also attending the meeting.

The United States which was earlier invited to the conference has cancelled its participation over recent political tension between the President and the Prime Minister.

Key Headlines

  • Somali donor funding conference opens in Copenhagen (Radio Bar-kulan)
  • Six districts in southern and central Somalia have been affected by drought (Radio RBC)
  • Jubaland authorities welcome new SW regional state President (Radio Bar-kulan/Dhanaan Online)
  • Bulo-Burte administration claims victory over clashes with Al-shabab ( Radio Goobjoog)
  • Over-counter drugs fuelling TB threat in Puntland (Radio Ergo)
  • Workshop on the drafting of AMISOM’s action plan on child protection (AMISOM)
  • President Hassan welcomes the formation of South West State of Somalia (Radio Goobjoog)
  • Puntland court sentences six men to death for al-Shabaab links (Horseed Media)
  • Mandera County officials warn of al-Shabaab plot (Sabahi Online)
  • Puntland’s new terms for visitors (Daily Nation)
  • Ethiopian delegation visits Somaliland administration (Government of Ethiopia)
  • Journalist killed in Somalia the third this year (AFP/Daily star)
  • Kenya police carry out fresh raid on Mombasa mosque (AFP/Yahoo News)
  • Minnesota man who returned to rebuild Somalia killed in Mogadishu (MPR News)
  • Somali state budget spending to stay flat in 2015 (Trust.org/Reuters )
  • Feature: Somali boy’s painful struggle in street ( Xinhaunet.com)

PRESS STATEMENT

AMISOM Welcomes the Formation of an Interim Southwest Administration in Somalia

19 Nov- Source: AMISOM-  229 words

The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia – Ambassador Maman S. Sidikou – welcomes the formation of the Interim Southwest Administration in Somalia, and subsequent election of Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan as its interim leader.

The Interim Southwest Administration brings together three regions namely Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle under the country’s Federal system.

Delegates from the three regions have been meeting in Baidoa in a reconciliation conference endorsed by the national government and supported by various regional and international partners. The conference is part of myriad efforts to help set up an inclusive administration that will spearhead ongoing stabilization efforts in Somalia.

373 delegates – out of 396 – elected former parliamentary speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan on Monday(November 17, 2014) as the administration’s leader for a period of 4 years.

“We are pleased to hear the people of Southwestern Somalia have joined hands and elected Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan. This is an important step in the realization of peace and stability in Somalia, which is actually our main mandate as AMISOM. I also wish to commend AMISOM forces in Baidoa who have provided a conducive environment for these elections – and the reconciliation conference as whole – to proceed without fear. It has resulted in renewed hope for the people of Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle,” Ambassador Sidikou said.


UN Envoy looks forward to HLPF Copenhagen

19 Nov – Source: UNSOM – 118 words

Ahead of the start of a High-Level Partnership Forum (HLPF) in Copenhagen on 19 November, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia, Nicholas Kay, has urged the Federal Government of Somalia and its international partners to remain focused on delivering the tangible benefits of the New Deal to the Somali people.

“The New Deal is about the people, for the people and with the people of Somalia,” said SRSG Nicholas Kay. “It is the process of ensuring that after more than two decades of conflict and instability, the Somali people are able to reap the benefits of improved security and governance. The United Nation will do its utmost to support Somalia on the journey ahead.”


Cabinet approves the National Independent Electoral Commission, the Boundaries and Federation Commission and a $216 M budget for 2015

19 Nov – Source: Office of the Prime Minister – 300 words

His Excellency Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed today chaired an extraordinary Cabinet meeting in Mogadishu. The Cabinet unanimously approved the legislation for the National Independent Electoral Commission in order to hasten the democratization process of the country and realization of 2016 vision.

“Somalia has made huge strides towards its democratization and the realization of its 2016 vision in order to hold a free and fair election that same year. The approval of the legislation for the National Independent Electoral Commission signals the progressive goals of the Government led by H.E Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed. The Government is committed to work on the completion all activities that will ensure the General Elections are held in 2016,” said the Deputy Prime Minister H.E Ridwan Hersi.

“The Government has submitted a number of legislation to the Parliament and there are 23 other legislations planned to be presented in the coming period. The government is always committed to work and co-operate with other initiations, particularly the Federal Parliament.
Furthermore, the cabinet has also approved the legislation for the Boundaries and Federation Commission which will expedite the federalization process of the country. “It’s another milestone that the cabinet approved today the legislation for the Boundaries and Federation commission which is important for the realization 2016 vision,” Mr. Ridwan Hersi said.

Moreover, the Cabinet also approved a $216M budget for its fiscal year 2015 which will be mainly allocated for security sector which is main challenge for FGS. “The budget comprises revenues of the FGS and Foreign Aid donated by friendly country and International Organizations. The Government made a great progress in terms of Public Financial Management in retrospective to the 201 3 and 2014 budgets, to manage the resources accordingly as we establish credible and functioning institutions,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali donor funding conference opens in Copenhagen

19 Nov- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/BBC Somali Service- 187 words

An international donor conference for Somalia has opened in Danish capital Copenhagen. The two-day High Level Partnership Forum (HLPF) co-chaired by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the United Nations is aimed to maintain momentum in the political transition process and foster dialogue and reconciliation in Somalia.

The conference brought together Somali federal government and regional representatives, civil society and the international community representative.

“The HLPF will be a critical opportunity to review progress and chart the way ahead for the implementation of the New Deal Somali Compact,” said UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Somalia Nicholas Kay.

“Much has been achieved, particularly through the concerted and joint efforts of the federal government. But significant challenges remain,” he added.

Danish Ambassador Geert Aagaard Andersen, European Union Special Representative for the Horn of Africa Alex Rondos, EU Special Envoy to Somalia Michele Cervone d’Urso, Italian Ambassador Fabrizio Marcelli, Swedish Ambassador Mikael Lindvall and British Ambassador Neil Wigan are also attending the meeting.

The United States which was earlier invited to the conference has cancelled its participation over recent political tension between the President and the Prime Minister.


Six districts in southern and central Somalia have been affected by drought

19 Nov – Source: Radio RBC – 172 words

In Gedo, about 70 per cent of residents have been helped by scaling up the response in Gedo in October as humanitarian partners managed to reach over 150,000 people with emergency water trucking, 130,000 with cash for work activities and 70,000 people with food. Road access is severely constrained in 28 of 42 districts in southern and central Somalia. It is critical that key supply routes are secured to enable commercial traffic and humanitarian access.

According to UNOCHA, Over 1 million Somalis are unable to meet their basic food requirements, an increase of 20 per cent since February this year. This is the first time the number of people in need of life-saving assistance has increased since the end of the devastating famine in 2011, an indication that the modest gains made in the last two years are being reversed. A further 2.1 million people are on the verge of slipping into acute food insecurity, bringing the number of people in need of humanitarian aid to 3.2 million.


Jubaland authorities welcome new SW regional state President

19 Nov – Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Dhanaan Online – 105 words

The interim Jubaland administration has welcomed the election of former Somali national assembly speaker and current Member of Parliament as the new President of South Western Regional State on Monday. Jubaland administration spokesman Abdinassir Serar has welcomed the election of Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan saying Jubaland authorities will closely work with the new regional state in Baidoa. He said interim administration in Kismayu will welcome any regional state that is formed as per the constitution and laws of the federal republic of Somalia. Serar added that Jubaland and south western regional state will cooperate in the fight against Al Shabaab militant group in the country.


Bulo-Burte administration claims victory over clashes with Al-shabab

19 Nov – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 116 words

The administration of Bulo-Burte district in Hiran region claimed victory over clashes with Al-Shabab in Yooman locality in the outskirts of the town. Bulo-Burte district commissioner Abdiaziz Duurow Abdi told Goobjoog FM that the battle embarked on after government forces and AMISOM troops attacked Al-shabab hideouts after getting tip-offs.

The commissioner confirmed that they inflicted big casualties to the group adding that two soldiers, among them a Djiboutian died during the fight. Finally Mr. Durow said the situation is stable and government forces together with African Union peacekeeping troops are in full control of the town. Al-shabab have declined to give comment about the clashes in the area.


Over-counter drugs fuelling TB threat in Puntland

19 Nov – Source: Radio Ergo – 216 words

The World Health Organization’s representative for Puntland has called on pharmacists to stop selling or prescribing tuberculosis drugs. Ali Abdi Isse said the number of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Somalia was rising, with 700 cases in Puntland alone.

He said repeated incorrect use of TB drugs was the main cause of increasing drug-resistance TB. He warned health workers at private and public clinics not to prescribe drugs, but to refer patients to TB centres for correct and free treatment. “Don’t prescribe TB drugs. Just refer patients to the relevant centres,” he urged local doctors.

“MDR TB is on the increase, it is not easy to treat patients with this condition. Treatment takes up to two years and drugs are very expensive.” Meanwhile, he called on health workers at TB centres to double their work for the community, increase awareness campaigns and welcome patients in a friendly manner, while he urged patients to ensure they completed the TB treatment cycle.

Puntland and south central Somali regions have the highest cases of MDR TB, according to Ali. Most of these patients go for treatment to the country’s only MDR TB centre in Hargeisa. Others go to neighboring countries like Kenya. Puntland has 11 TB centres with Bosaso, Galkayo and Garowe hosting the highest number of TB patients.


United States welcomes the election of the first interim South West administration president

19 Nov – Source: Radio  Dalsan/Radio Mustaqbal/Radio Goobjoog – 199 words

U.S. Special Representative for Somalia (SRS) James P. McAnulty welcomes the November 17 election of Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan as President of the Interim South West Administration (ISWA) comprised of Bay, Bakool, and Lower Shabelle regions in southern Somalia. The United States congratulates all stakeholders for their constructive work and diligence over the past months that made the election orderly and credible.

We also recognize the critical role the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) played to help facilitate the reconciliation process and subsequent election, and urge concerted action to continue working towards meeting the Vision 2016 timelines for completion of the state formation process.

“The United States welcomes this historic election and encourages the leadership of the ISWA to establish an administration that promotes inclusion of all communities in these regions, delivers essential services to its citizens, and furthers peace and stability. We also encourage the ISWA to engage in productive dialogue with the FGS leading to its eventual formal recognition as a federal member state,” said SRS McAnulty.


President Hassan welcomes the formation of South West State of Somalia

19 Nov – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 140  words

The president of the republic of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud welcomes the formation of the Interim South West State of Somalia in Baidoa. The President congratulated the elected President Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden and urged all stakeholder to complete the process while considering inclusivity and full engagement of all stakeholders in the area.

He sent similar congratulations to the people of South West Somalia for their historic success of creating a regional state, He called the public to remain united  and work towards stability and prosperity of the region. The offices of Somalia Prime minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed and the Speaker of federal parliament Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari have not given comments about the recent election in Baidoa. President Hassan’s remarks comes after Speaker Jawari on Monday said any result against the decisions of the government will not be recognized.


Workshop on the drafting of AMISOM’s action plan on child protection

19 Nov – Source: AMISOM – 262 words

Since its deployment to support Somalia in peace-building and stability in 2007, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), a regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union, ensures peace and security in Somalia.

AMISOM has zero tolerance for child abuse and takes the responsibility to ensure that no violation takes place in all its operations and as a mission commits itself to the implementation of effective mechanisms to prevent and address all forms of abuse against children.Therefore, AMISOM has taken the lead in mainstreaming child protection when performing its duty.

The conflict in Somalia has had devastating effects on families particularly children. Children in armed conflict are the most affected knowing their exposure to a variety of extreme circumstances, some of which are beyond their capacity to cope. Therefore, AMISOM (military, police, and civilians came together as one group) to share their experiences, best practices identifying challenges and priority areas that need to be addressed for the advancement of child protection in the process of peace building in Somalia.


Puntland court sentences six men to death for al-Shabaab links

18 Nov – Source: Horseed Media – 201 words

Puntland military court on Monday sentenced six men to death after being found of guilty links to Somalia’s militant group al-Shabaab. The six men, who sat in the dock dressed in yellow clothing, were found of having links with the extremist group who is also affiliated with Al-Qaeda. Their trial took place in the port town of Bosaso and lasted only for few hours.

Court judge said that the men were preparing to participate in a terrorist operation in the stable region of Puntland. In recent years, Puntland authorities have launched a massive crackdown on the network and its military has sentenced members and other individuals linked to the terror group tough punishments such as death penalty.

Last year, it executed 13 suspected al-Shabab members including a woman, after the military court found them guilty of orchestrating an assassination of a famous scholar Dr Ahmed Haji Abdirahman. But al-Shabab denied that none of them was part of the group.

Puntland forces captured last month the main base of al-Shabaab militants in the Galgala mountain ranges after years of fierce battle. Meanwhile the court postponed the trial of two former soldiers who have been accused for being involved in a murder case.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Mandera County officials warn of al-Shabaab plot

18 Nov – Source: Sabahi Online – 953 Words

Mandera County officials say they have escalated intelligence about a possible al-Shabaab attack in the Kenyan capital, but fear the authorities have not followed up on the warning. “We have strong intelligence which we have shared with security authorities, but we are disappointed that the authorities are not taking us seriously,” Mandera County Governor Ali Roba told Sabahi last week.

The governor said he shared information received from citizens with Mandera County Police Commander Noah Mwivanda on two separate occasions in October following explosions along Kenyatta Avenue. “The information we have is that al-Shabaab terror cells in Somalia will be crossing into Kenya and will liaise with their partners in Mandera to carry out attacks in Kenya,” Roba said, adding that the militants’ ultimate target is Nairobi.
Mandera has become a base for al-Shabaab militants fleeing joint operations in Somalia by Somali National Army and African Union Mission in Somalia troops, he said. “We are not mad to raise an alert of such serious nature,” he said. “We have credible information from citizens who care about the wellbeing of our country and it should not be ignored.” “The tips we have from the residents are that al-Shabaab [militants] have infiltrated Mandera and some more are making their way into Kenya from Somalia in preparation to strike,” he said.


Puntland’s new terms for visitors

18 Nov – Source: Daily Nation – 140 Words

The Ministry of Security in Puntland, a semi-autonomous state in North-eastern Somalia, Tuesday announced a series of conditions visitors will face. The ministry’s director-general, Mr Abdi Khadar Muse, stated that the conditions will be applied to all foreigners coming to Puntland for work, visit or tourism.

“A visitor to Puntland must have a passport that is valid for at least six months,” said Mr Muse. He added: “The person must produce a document showing the organisation where he or she belongs or any contract related with work to be done.” Further, he emphasized that a visitor must apply for a visa at least ten days prior to travelling. “Those coming to Puntland should not have visited countries currently affected by Ebola,” the official said. The ministry also announced that only citizens with identity cards could get permits to possess firearms.


Ethiopian Delegation Visits Somaliland Administration

18 Nov – Source: Government of Ethiopia – 250 Words

Ethiopia and Somaliland Administration have signed a trade and infrastructure agreement. Ethiopia’s Minister for Finance and Economic Development, Sufian Ahmed who signed this agreement stated that the agreement will enhance the economy Somaliland Administration and Ethiopia and that the appointed technical committee will make sure the accomplishment and the realization of the provisions of the signed agreement.

A high level Ministerial delegation led by the Minister for Finance and Economic Development, Sufian Ahmed and including the Minister of Transport, Workneh Gebeyenu, the State Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Ahmed Shide, the Director of Maritime and Logistic Services, Ahmed Tusa and other officials, arrived in Somaliland ,Hargeisa, on Thursday (November 13).

Somaliland Foreign and International Cooperation Minister, Mohamed Younis Bihi said the two parties had agreed to cooperate together in the construction project of the Berbera Corridor, the road between Berbera and the border town Tog-Wajaale as well as discussed how Ethiopia will implement an electricity project aiming to expand the supply of hydro-electricity to Somaliland.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Journalist killed in Somalia, the third this year

19 Nov – Source: AFP/Daily star – 91  words

A Somali journalist working for a London-based television station became the third reporter to die in the war-torn country this year after he was killed Tuesday in the semi-autonomous Puntland region, police said.

Abdirisak Ali Abdi, who worked for Garowe Radio in Puntland and London-based Horn TV, was shot by a group of unidentified attackers in the town of Galkayo in the Mudug region. “The assailants have escaped after the shooting but the police are still in pursuit of the perpetrators,” said Hashi Dhaqane, a police official in the town said.


Kenya police carry out fresh raid on Mombasa mosque

19 Nov – Source: AFP/Yahoo News – 177 Words

Kenyan police officers on Wednesday carried out a fresh raid on a mosque in the port city of Mombasa, police said. “We conducted a security operation in the mosque, we will give details later,” said Richard Ngatia, the senior officer in the district of Kisauni where the raid took place.It came just two days after police raided mosques in the same city searching for weapons and radical supporters of Somalia’s Al-Qaeda affiliated Shebab militants.According to another police source, who wished to remain anonymous, grenades, bombs, oil and ammunition were discovered in the latest raid.

On Monday, security forces targeted the Masjid Musa and Sakina mosques in Mombasa. These raids resulted in the death of a 20-year-old, who police said had tried to throw a grenade at security forces and the arrest of more than 200 people. Thirteen of those arrested have been charged with possession of explosive materials and pleaded not guilty. The two mosques have been closed since Monday’s security operation. Following the raid, four people were stabbed to death in apparent revenge attacks.


Minnesota man who returned to rebuild Somalia killed in Mogadishu

18 Nov – Source: MPR News – 295 Words

A Brooklyn Park man who returned to his native Somalia to rebuild his homeland’s capital was fatally shot lateMonday. Family members of Abdullahi Anshoor say Mogadishu police told them a group of gunmen killed the father of three and took his car. Anshoor, 64, was a prominent civil engineer and city planner who fled Somalia after civil war broke out. He moved to the United States, became a naturalized citizen, earned a master’s degree and worked as a housing property manager.

But last year, he chased his dream of returning to Mogadishu. He left last summer to work on the reconstruction of the Somali capital, which has been battered by years of civil war. Anshoor was working for the International Organization for Migration, said his daughter, Maryan Ali. She said he was a true public servant who believed peace would return to his home country. “That’s what motivated him. He had hoped that things were going to get better,” Ali said. “It was a moment for him to participate and rebuild the future for Somalia.” Family members say the mayor of Mogadishu has vowed to track down Anshoor’s killers. It is not clear why he was murdered. News of his death is rippling throughout Minnesota’s Somali community.


Somali state budget spending to stay flat in 2015

19 Nov – Source: Trust.org/Reuters – 181 Words

Somalia’s government budget is expected to stay roughly unchanged in 2015, the deputy prime minister saidon Tuesday, as the government struggles to widen its tax base and convince donors to provide direct budgetary support. Ridwan Hirsi Mohamed said the Somali cabinet passed a budget worth $216 million, a slight decrease on the $218 million budget passed in 2014.
Somalia is still struggling to rebuild after more than two decades of conflict and the new budget will be dwarfed by donor spending, which is seen at about $1 billion in 2014. The government is battling an Islamist insurgency by the al Shabaab rebel group, and Western donors largely fund the Somali army and a 22,000-strong African Union peacekeeping force.


Feature: Somali boy’s painful struggle in street

18 Nov – Source: Xinhaunet.com – 840 Words

Three years ago, Mohamed Hussein was a determined school boy who wanted to be either a doctor or a civil engineer when he stayed in Mama Halima orphanage school in Mogadishu. Now the 13-year-old, however, sees his future as dark. Hussein was taken to Mama Halima school five years ago, where he was received as an orphan, given primary care and was accommodated, but it lasted only two years before he ended up in the street to struggle for survival.

Abused, mistreated and regularly beaten by both the older street boys and members of the public, Hussein’s difficult life in the street is a legacy of cycle of violent war that torn his family apart and made him a lost boy. Today, Hussein lives under Politecnico Bridge in Waberi district in Mogadishu, with dozens of other street children whose lives depend on sniffing glues and trashes dumped by the restaurants. “I am a street boy, I am nothing,” Hussein said, responding a question about his name and age. “I am a glue sniffer. I am an orphan,” he continued.

The difficult journey that brought him to the street began in 2010, when stray bullets killed his mother in his home in the capital’s Hawlwadag district. His father was not in Mogadishu when his mother was killed, and he was told that his father migrated to Yemen and had never communicated back.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“I think we have a responsibility to produce the best artifact possible, to allow critique that is at least as rigorous (or generative) as that artifact (ignoring anything that fails in that). To pursue problems of imagination, which is an expansive exercise, and assists in contracted living and policy.”


Poet to watch: Ladan Osman

17 Nov – Source: Glappitnova.com – 539 Words

She was born in Somalia and raised in Columbus, Ohio. She earned a BA from Otterbein University and an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin’s Michener Center for Writers. In 2014 her poetry collection The Kitchen Dweller’s Testimony won the annual Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets and will be releasedApril 1, 2015. Osman lives in Chicago.

Mystical, down-home, and fearless, Ladan’s poems are unlike anything written before. There is a richness to her work that is magnetizing as she switches between myth and reality, blurring the already thin lines separating confession and meditation.

It is difficult not to trust the speakers in her poems. They seem so young but also wise, like a precocious child from a horror film who can see the ghosts but does not fear them; however, a warning of what they can do is always at the tip of her tongue:


“The trade in Somali charcoal is immense, amounting to at least $250 million per year, a third of which, according to UN estimates, lines al Shabab’s pockets.”


How the charcoal trade fuels al-Shabaab

18 Nov – Source: Foreign affairs – 840 Words

To take out al Shabab, one need look no further than charcoal. The United Nations has repeatedly called for countries in the region to disrupt the group’s trade in this environmentally destructive product, but, as the most recent Somalia UN Monitoring Group report revealed, such efforts have been lackluster. And so, with its patience wearing thin, the UN has now taken matters into its own hands by approving a naval intervention.

The trade in Somali charcoal is immense, amounting to at least $250 million per year, a third of which, according to UN estimates, lines al Shabab’s pockets. Most of the charcoal goes to buyers in the Gulf region, a dhow trip away from Somalia across the Arabian Sea. It circulates within the Gulf countries’ free trade zone and might then be distributed to markets in the Arabian Peninsula and further afield. In these markets, demand for Somali charcoal to fire meat grills and heat shisha pipes is particularly high because it comes from acacia wood, which burns longer and with a more pleasant aroma than charcoal sourced from most other regional suppliers. As a result, charcoal from Somalia sells for almost twice the price of that from Sudan or Nigeria.

Top tweets

@moneyacademyKE Somalia’s government budget is expected to stay roughly unchanged in 2015 as the government struggles to widen its tax base -Reuters

@LPNorthoverLooking forward to chairing event this morning at#Somalia conference on increasing #women‘s political participation.  Absolutely vital.

@MattBryden Black Market: Incisive commentary on #Somalia, Al-Shabaab and charcoal trade with Gulf States http://fam.ag/1EY9Yna  via @ForeignAffairs

@omabha Minnesota man who returned to rebuild Somalia killed in Mogadishu – Minnesota Public Radio Newshttp://dlvr.it/7YxQg5  #Somalia

@Mr_Omarsson Best wishes for today’s #NewDealSomalia@UNSomalia: #UN Envoy @Somalia111 #HLPF #Copenhagen.#UN #Somalia

@mustaqbalmedia Jubaland Administration welcomes the election of a new State President of South-West Somaliahttp://wp.me/p2mAgT-3FR  http://fb.me/6u8DbU5zh

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Image of the day

Image of the day

Somali President Hassan Sheikh greets Somali community members in Copenhagen. Photo:GlobSomDiaspora

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