November 25, 2014 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Speaker of the Parliament announces the postponement of all parliament sessions due to the political rift

24 Nov – Source: Radio RBC – 178 Words

The Speaker of Somalia Parliament Mohamed Osman Jawari has announced the postponement of all Parliament sessions due to the current political in-fighting within the country’s leaders over a motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister which led to the parliament divided, RBC Radio reports. A letter signed by the Speaker this afternoon, said following Monday’s session which ended with disruption and chaos and that followed two other previous violent sessions, the Parliament chair decided to postpone all parliament sessions until an effective and lasting resolution can be found toward the controversial motion of no confidence.

The Speaker’s statement noted his concern over the growing political rift within the government leaders and warned that such internal rift could lead the country into crisis which Somalia will bear. The urgent decision from Speaker Jawari came after the third session of the parliament was disrupted by rival lawmakers on the third week over the controversial motion and led the chair of the house not to get the access to chair the sessions at all.

Key Headlines

Speaker of the Parliament announces the postponement of all parliament sessions due to the political rift (Radio RBC)
Iran: we will recruit special forces for Somalia (Dalsan Radio)
Sharif Hassan due to reach Mogadishu (Radio Goobjoog)
Teachers in Mandere town fear for their lives (Dalsan Radio)
President PM hold special meetings with the rival MPs over the motion (Radio RBC)#
Somali MPs call for withdrawal of Amisom (The East African)
Kenyan shilling nears 3-year low after attacks shares fall (Reuters)
Freed Somalia towns feel besieged (The Wall Street Journal)
Al-Shabab doesn’t want a truce with infidel powers (The Atlantic)
Missing: 14-year-old Somali girl from Southall area (Getwestlondon.com)

PRESS STATEMENT

AMISOM and Humanitarian actors launch the Somalia Country Specific Guidelines to promote a clear distinction between Military actors and Humanitarian actors

24 Nov – Source: AMISOM – 261 Words

November 24, 2014: The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) together with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today launched the Somalia Country Specific Guidelines to govern relations on civil-military coordination in Somalia. The Somalia Country Specific Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination Guidelines were launched at a ceremony attended by the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia and AMISOM Head of Mission, Ambassador Maman S. Sidikou and the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to Somalia, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator (DSRSG/RC/HC) – Mr. Philippe Lazzarini.

The guidelines aim to establish agreed principles and practices for constructive civil-military relations between AMISOM and humanitarian actors, operating within the same environment in Somalia. Speaking during the ceremony, the SRCC reiterated the commitment of AMISOM to provide conducive environment for humanitarian assistance to reach the Somali people. “AMISOM is mandated by the UN Security Council to provide a safe environment that facilitates timely delivery of humanitarian aid. This has been done and we will continue to provide all the necessary support to humanitarian agencies. I would like to see humanitarian efforts have a lasting impact on the Somali people, especially the women and children. They cannot wait another day for help,” he said. Mr. Lazzarini added that such guidelines are very important in ensuring better structured relations and in turn more effective aid delivery. “The relationship between humanitarian agencies and AMISOM is very important. These guidelines will ensure better, mutual, understanding and better implementation of our respective mandates,” he noted.

SOMALI MEDIA

Speaker of the Parliament announces the postponement of all parliament sessions due to the political rift

24 Nov – Source: Radio RBC – 178 Words

Iran: we will recruit special forces for somalia

24 Nov – Source: Dalsan Radio – 113 Words

Iran parliament speaker Ali Larijani who was in Jabuti with Somalia speaker of parliament Mr jawari promised that they are going to assist Somali government in the fight against Al-shabaab insurgents. Mr Ali also said that they are going to recruit Special Forces for Somalia to fight against the group, adding that they will work closely with African countries in the fight against pirates and islamist group saying that Iran is ready to work with Somali government. Iran is among the countries who support The federal government of Somalia and their military ships operate in Somalia water. The two speakers met in Djabouti during the launching of Djabouti parliament new building.

Sharif Hassan due to reach Mogadishu

24 Nov – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 80 Words

The newly elected president of South West Somalia- three regions Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan is expected to reach Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia late today. This will be his first visit to Mogadishu since he was elected as the president of South West Somalia last week. Sharif Hassan is expected to meet the top leaders of Somalia, the president of the republic of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud welcomed the election of Sharif Hassan as the president of South West Somalia.

Teachers in Mandere town fear for their lives

24 Nov – Source: Dalsan Radio – 121 Words

Teachers in Mandera Town fear for their lives after the incident in which more teachers were killed. Most victims of the in Mandera bus attack were teachers who were known in the town, The secretary of the union of teachers in Kenya Wilso Sossion told Star news paper that it not safe for teachers to teach in remote areas like Mandera. He said the government must take the responsibility of the death of the 19 men and the 9 women whom were killed in Mandera and called of teachers to move from north part of the country for their safety and he also condemned the Saturday attack. The United States, United Nations, AMISOM and the President of Somalia have all condemned the attack.

President, PM hold special meetings with the rival MPs over the motion

23 Nov – Source: Radio RBC – 214 Words

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his embattled Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed have held separate meetings with the rival members of the country’s Federal Parliament to discuss the standing no confidence motion ahead of Monday’s parliamentary session, RBC Radio reports. The separate meetings which were convened behind closed-door were aimed at each leader to grab more confidence from the parliamentarians over the motion which was tabled two weeks before against the Prime Minister. According to sources who spoke with RBC Radio, both President and Prime Minister emphasized the need for calmness and democratic representation during the parliament while each leader was pushing his views toward the motion. “The President wants to see the motion win, while the Prime Minister is struggling to break the motion.” a MP who attended both meetings said.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Somali MPs call for withdrawal of Amisom

23 Nov – Source: The East African – 491 Words

Somali MPs attending a conference for the Pan African Parliament in Addis Ababa have demanded the immediate withdrawal of Kenyan and other Amison forces from Somalia. The MPs said an independent force would reduce suspicion between the countries in conflict and those contributing to the peacekeeping forces. Member of Parliament Abdulaziz Abdulahi, who is leading the Somali delegation to the forum, called for withdrawal of all foreign forces. “We are calling on Africa and the world to help the Somali government build capacity for their own forces, so that the people of Somalia can take responsibility for their territorial peace and harmony,” Mr Abdulahi said at the conference.

Although he praised Kenya for helping liberate many parts of Somalia, including Kismayu, the MP said the Kenyan military’s continued stay was not good for either country. “Kenyan and other foreign troops must leave now. They must invest the resources at their disposal to facilitate the rebuilding of Somalia’s military instead,” Mr Abdulahi said. Earlier this month, the Kenyan Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations asked the government to cut ties with Somalia following the decision by Mogadishu to take Kenya to the International Court of Justice over a maritime boundary dispute. The MPs claimed that the move was hostile and undiplomatic.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Kenyan shilling nears 3-year low after attacks, shares fall

24 Nov – Source: Reuters – 386 Words

Kenya’s shilling weakened to close near three-year lows on Monday after Islamist militants ambushed a bus and killed 28 people near the Somali border at the weekend, threatening the country’s ailing tourism industry. At the 1600 GMT close of trade, commercial banks posted the shilling at 90.05/90.25 against the dollar, weaker than Friday’s closing level of 90.05/15. Earlier this month the shilling weakened to 90.25/35, its lowest level since November 2011.

“The attack on Saturday has hurt business sentiment. There are jitters among the business community, foreign investors and banks are in panic-buying mode. No one wants to be short on dollar,” said Sheik Mehran, head of trading at I&M Bank. Bouts of insecurity in the short term tend to have a bigger impact on the shilling than on the country’s stock market. The attack at the weekend unfolded far from Kenya’s tourism hotspots, but traders worry it will add to the idea that Kenya is unsafe.

Somalia’s Islamist al Shabaab militants have claimed responsibility for the attack on Saturday, when gunmen shot dead 19 men and nine women. Kenyan forces said they hit back, killing 100 militants. The central bank sold dollars on Thursday and Friday last week to prop up the shilling, on both occasions offering dollars when the local currency was around the 90.30-level.

Freed Somalia towns feel besieged

23 Nov – Source: The Wall Street Journal – 1, 028 Words

Women slip into this southern town in the middle of the night with sacks of rice for sale—a lifeline for residents and a move that demonstrates the continued threat from surrounding Islamist militants. Hudur is one of a number of towns that African Union forces have liberated from al-Shabaab this year only to become isolated government outposts, leaving residents stranded and rebels in control of commercial lifelines. The troops freed Hudur, a town of some 20,000 about 60 miles from the Ethiopian border, from al-Shabaab militants in March. They were followed by swarms of exiled residents eager to go home. The returnees and a new district commissioner showed how the Somali government was seeking to establish control of the country beyond the fortified capital city of Mogadishu.

But Hudur and many other liberated urban centers now struggle to survive because African peacekeepers—backed by the U.S. and other Western governments—have yet to secure the areas around them. That raises questions about the pace of AU operations. “Liberating these areas is not a solution necessarily if the entry points and exit points are still blocked,” said Richard Downie, deputy director of the Africa program for Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies. “It’s very difficult to hold those areas and provide continued access.” If the AU troops and the Somali army aren’t able to widen control of rural areas, those towns could easily fall again. These same forces seized control of Hudur in 2012, only to relinquish it to al-Shabaab a year later, forcing government sympathizers to flee.

Al-Shabab doesn’t want a truce with infidel powers

24 Nov – Source: The Atlantic – 472 Words

The violent campaign between Kenya’s government and Somali militants is escalating. On Sunday, a day after members of the al-Shabab group executed 28 passengers on a Kenyan bus, Kenya’s Vice President William Ruto announced that the country’s military had crossed into Somalia and attacked al-Shabab camps where the bus attack was planned. The combined air and ground attack killed over 115 militants and, according to Ruto, “identified, followed and struck the perpetrators of these heinous crimes.” A spokesman for al-Shabab denied Ruto’s claim, and the attack could not be independently verified.

The most recent round of violence began last week, when the Kenyan government conducted raids on at least four mosques suspected of being staging zones for terrorist attacks, leading to the arrest of 350 Muslims. Kenya claimed that it found weapons such as hand grenades in the mosques, proving that the places of worship had been turned into strategic locations for al-Shabab militants. On Saturday, al-Shabab struck back. Members of the group boarded a bus in Mandera county, near Kenya’s borders with Ethiopia and Somalia, and separated Muslim from non-Muslim passengers. The militants then forced non-Muslim passengers to lie prone on the bus and recite passages from the Quran before executing them.

Missing: 14-year-old Somali girl from Southall area

24 Nov – Source Getwestlondon.com – 143 Words

Police are growing increasingly concerned for the welfare of a missing 14-year-old Somali girl from Southall. Ayan Omar was last seen at 7am last Wednesday (November 19) near Feltham Community College, Feltham. She sometimes goes by the name of Yasmin Mohamed, is of very slight build and often wears a headscarf. At the time of her disappearance she was wearing a black headscarf, a grey hooded zip up top, a navy jumper with a Feltham Community College logo, a pink and white striped t-shirt, navy leggings and pink and white striped trainers. She was also carrying a Nike ‘Just do it’ backpack. Ayan is known to frequent the Convent Way area of Southall and this is not the first time she has gone missing. Officers would urge anyone with information on her whereabouts to call police on 101 or Missing People on 116000.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“Somalis inside and the Diaspora were hopeful the establishment of the new government in September 2012 would be a game changer and the country would change course. There was a great deal of optimism that the new leaders will deliver. The international community had hoped that Somalia would soon stabilize.”

Is ’Damul Jadiid’ a serious threat to Somalia’s aspirations?

24 Nov – Source: Horseedmedia.net – 1, 710

It is nearly a month since Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed disagreed over a reshuffle on the cabinet. The friction between the top government officials has caused division between the cabinet itself and the country’s Federal Parliament. Two sessions of the Parliament was put-off in a noisy protest by MPs opposing a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister which was proposed by the Office of the President and close allies. In most of the world’s parliamentary democracies, it’s rare to see presidents and prime ministers bickering, since their roles and responsibilities are more or less distinct and rarely overlap. However, in many African governments, power struggles between presidents and prime ministers are quite common, even when the offices have clearly defined constitutional roles. But something’s not working. Somalia’s three most recent presidents have each appointed three prime ministers, a rapid turnover rate indicating ongoing infighting between representatives of competing clans who are loathe to cede power to each other. The political wrangle between the President and Prime Minister remains unresolved and the international community has expressed concern over the political turmoil which will significantly undermine the 2016 vision.

“Whether it is the picturesque Lido beach you are in love with, the children with the frail bodies and the broad smiles, or you just want to know what it takes to be a Somali tea connoisseur, Hamza’s photos are a fresh breath cast over the gloomy image that has defined Somalia for over two decades.”

10 Somalis you must follow on Instagram

22 Nov – Sahan Journal – 1, 137 Words

On Friday, we published an article about how social media has enabled Somalis — in Somalia and in the diaspora — to connect, discuss issues and, most of all, to celebrate the success stories coming in the heel of the country’s return of normalcy . One of those outlets that Somalis have started using is the photo and video-sharing site, Instagram. As we mentioned in our article, there’s no shortage of talent when it comes to amplifying Somalia on social media. The #Somalia hashtag on Instagram has over 85,000 posts (as of publication), with the #Somali tag leading at over 115,000 posts. Amidst all this, here is SAHAN’s 10 favorite Somalis to follow on Instagram.