November 21, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

I am not ready for violent motion, Somali Speaker

20 Nov – Source: Radio Bar-kulan/ Radio RBC – 104 words

The speaker of Somali national assembly Professor Mohamed Osman Jawari has said that he is not ready to facilitate a violent motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed. Speaker Jawari described the behaviors of the Somali parliamentarians in the national assembly as “a disgrace” to Somali people saying he expects the members to conduct themselves in a respectable manner. He urged Somali politicians to take part in resolving the political standoff between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheih Ahmed. Somali national assembly Jawari was speaking during a meeting with Somali politicians in Mogadishu on Wednesday.

Key Headlines

Somali teachers’ day marked in Mogadishu (Radio Mogadishu)
Heavy rains destroy IDP homes in Mogadishu (Radio Ergo)
Pro Sharif Hassan supporters demonstrate in Baidoa (Radio Bar-kulan)
High level delegation from Western countries arrive in Somaliland (Somalialand Informer)
AU to create rebranded Pan-African Parliament (Africa Review)
I am not ready for violent motion Somali Speaker (Radio Bar-kulan)
Impunity guaranteed for violence against journalists in Somalia (Reporters Without Borders)
Ethiopia consolidates its effort for regional public diplomacy: Amb. Dina (Walta Information Center)
Somali entrepreneurs cheer success (Reuters)
UK takes up Somalia’s case to Copenhagen: urges political stability (Star Africa/APA)
Act cautiously on UPDF allegations in Somalia (New Vision)

SOMALI MEDIA

Heavy rains destroy IDP homes in Mogadishu

20 Nov – Source: Radio Ergo/Radio Dalsan/Radio Goobjoog – 153 words

Dozens of displaced families have been left without shelter after rain destroyed their makeshift houses in Mogadishu. One of the camps affected is Darawishta camp, where at least 20 shelters were washed away. “We had non-stop rain last night and my makeshift house was washed away,” Mano Hussein, a mother of six, told Radio Ergo’s local reporter. She said she was sitting in the open all last night with her 10-month-old baby. Fatuma Adan, 70, also lost her makeshift house in the floods following the rain. She told Radio Ergo she was rescued by neighbours after she shouted for help. Her two granddaughters aged eight and 12 work as house maids to help her cover the basic needs. Madina Abdi, another affected mother, said the rain was still pounding and the flood waters had swamped her hut. The affected IDPs fear that outbreaks of disease will follow the rain, making them even more vulnerable.

I am not ready for violent motion, Somali Speaker

20 Nov – Source: Radio Bar-kulan/RBC – 104 words

Pro Sharif Hassan supporters demonstrate in Baidoa

20 Nov – Source: Radio Mustaqbal/Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Goobjoog – 106 words

The supporters of newly elected interim south western regional state Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan have peacefully demonstrated in Baidoa. The protest which was attended by the chairman of Baidoa Hassan Maalim Bakole has brought the business in the area to a standstill. Baidoa of chairman has urged the locals to cooperate with the new interim administration to achieve peace and development. He also called upon the new interim administration to closely work with the members of the public to achieve their goal. International community and federal government of Somali has welcomed the election of Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan as the new interim south western regional state.

High level delegation from Western countries arrive in Somaliland

20 Nov – Source: Somalialand Informer – 196 words

A high level delegation consisting of numerous ambassadors and diplomats from Western countries have arrived in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland on Thursday. According to reports, the delegation is to assist the country on development projects and the finalization of the democratic cycle. The delegation is said to stay in Somaliland for short period and once they touched down they were taken to the presidential palace in order to hold face to face meeting with the Head of State Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Silanyo. It is said that they will urge president Silanyo to remain vigilant that he must also be cautious not to let the country slide into anarchy and chaos as for instance the case of Somalia which is plagued by insecurity, terrorism and piracy. Other reports said that the current row in the parliament is the main mission of sending the delegation to the country is to make a major breakthrough to the political standoff in between the government and the speaker of the house of national assembly. Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Interior have greeted the delegation at Egal airport.

Somali teachers’ day marked in Mogadishu

20 Nov – Source: Radio Mogadishu/Radio Bar-kulan – 119 words

An event to commemorate Somali teachers’ day which was organized by Somali teachers’ union. The event which is celebrated on 21st November every year was held today in Somali capital Mogadishu. The chairman of Somali teachers’ club union Ali Sheikh Abdi has urged teachers to take part in the improvement of the security in the country. Ali called upon the federal government of Somalia and non governmental organization focusing on education sector to improve the status of Somali teachers for quality education to be achieved in the country. He added that Somali teachers deserve awards for the hard work and the resilience they have shown in their work at the height of the civil war in the horn of African state.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Act cautiously on UPDF allegations in Somalia

20 Nov – Source: New Vision – 340 words

On the November 6, 2014, one daily newspaper carried a story of UPDF officers who have been suspended for suspected ‘sexual’ offences while on tour of duty in Somalia. If this story is true, then it is absurd that UPDF leadership has taken such a humiliating and reckless measure against the highly acclaimed senior officers. Reckless because a controversial ethical blind spot is now being erroneously translated into a legal breach, humiliating because of the derogatory and embarrassment implication to officers’ personal respect, command respect and to their families. Nature of offence. Sexual exploitation and Abuse (SEA) is defined by the United Nations (ST/SGB/2003/13) as “any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.

AU to create rebranded Pan-African Parliament

20 Nov – Source: Africa Review – 334 words

The African Union is now finalising plans to establish a 275-member continental parliament whose membership will be drawn from outside the existing national assemblies. Current sitting Pan-African MPs nominated by their national assemblies and senates will be replaced by independently elected members from outside the existing parliaments. Over 100 legislators are meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to discuss the legal instruments for the creation of the rebranded Pan-African Parliament (PAP). The leaders are deliberating on the proposed protocol to the consultative Act of the African Union relating to the Pan-African Parliament, the African charter on democracy, elections and governance. The conference is also discussing the security situation in the East African region, which has been largely been under terror threats from the militant Al-Shaabab group based in Somalia.

Ethiopia consolidates its effort for regional public diplomacy: Amb. Dina

20 Nov – Source: Walta Information Center -322 words

Ethiopia has been exerting a tremendous effort to strengthen regional public diplomacy and ensure peace and stability, Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Ambassador Dina Mufti, in his briefing of current affairs to journalists said that Ethiopia has done its level best to bring an enduring peace, stability and regional integration. The country follows a win-win approach so that all countries in the region could benefit from mutual cooperation and economic integration, he added. According to the Ambassador, Ethiopia is playing a vital role not only in supporting Somalia in its effort to bring peace and stability but also in other social and economic operations. “Recently about 100 Somali students were given scholarship in various Ethiopian higher learning institutions,” the ambassador added.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Impunity guaranteed for violence against journalists in Somalia

20 Nov – Source: Reporters Without Borders – 652 words

Reporters Without Borders condemns journalist Abdirisak Ali Abdi’s murder on 18 November 2014 in Galkayo, in the northeastern semi-autonomous region of Puntland. This unclaimed killing has yet again highlighted the urgent need to break the cycle of impunity in Somalia, one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists. Also known as “Silver,” Abdi was in a restaurant when two gunmen walked in and shot him several times. He died shortly after being rushed to a hospital. He freelanced for various media including Radio Daljir, based in Puntland, and HornCable TV, based in the neighbouring region of Somaliland.

Somali entrepreneurs cheer success

20 Nov – Source: Reuters – 01:46 minutes

After years of conflict, a group of Somali expats have returned home to set up the country’s first soft drinks company. Using a South African brand and locally grown fruit, the company has created its own soda flavours. Melanie Ralph reports

UK takes up Somalia’s case to Copenhagen: urges political stability

20 Nov – Source: Star Africa/APA – 356 words

The United Kingdom has taken up Somalia’s case to an international meeting underway in the Danish capital, Copenhagen; where London is urging the leadership of the African nation to resolve their political differences and focus on security and stability. The UK Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, told the international forum on Thursday, that his country has demonstrated its commitment to Somalia when it co-hosted conferences in London in February 2012 and May 2013 to galvanize the international community into action.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“The Horn of Africa region is known for its civil war, terrorism and famine, it’s also home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world with large untapped natural resources. However, there is widespread unemployment, particularly among the youth, pervasive corruption and lack of transparency that are posing huge challenges, hindering economic development of many of the countries in the region.”

Interview with the managing director of HESPI Dr. Ali Issa Abdi

20 Nov – Source: Wardheernews – 653 words

WardheerNews (WDN): Dr. Ali Welcome to WDN, we are delighted to welcome you, before we delve into the interview, could you please share with us a brief background about yourself?

Dr. Ali: I am one of the privileged Somalis who were offered fellowships granted to the Somali state to study at top universities in the United States. Through this opportunity I completed a first degree in economics, an MBA in international Finance, and a PhD in economics at Washington University, St. Louis. I spent several years working with Citi Bank NY, the National Bank of Somalia and teaching at Universities in the United State in the 1970s. I worked at the International Monetary Fund for two decades plus assisting member countries of that institution in sound macroeconomic policy formulation and management. I left the Fund to be a founding member and the Managing Director of the Horn Economic and Social Policy Institute (HESPI).