November 3, 2017 | Morning Headlines
National Security Council Approves National Defense Plan
02 November – Source: Goobjoog News – 125 Words
The National Security Council which has held it second meeting in Mogadishu has approved the national defense plan. The meeting which discussed a number of issues was chaired President of the Federal Republic of Somalia and was attended by Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Kheyre , the army commanders and the leaders of the Federal Member States.
Information Minister, Abdirahman Yarisow said the meeting also saw an agreement reached by the Federal Government of Somalia and the Federal Member State to unite in the war against Al-Shabaab. The meeting also approved the force integration committee that comprises of members from the Federal government and regional administration. The national defense plan that today was approved by the National Security Council was prepared by the Somali Ministry of Defense.
Key Headlines
- National Security Council Approves National Defense Plan (Goobjoog News)
- Eminent Elders Call For Unity And Peace To Realise 2020 Election Goal (Goobjoog News)
- Global Charity Calls For Joint Efforts To Fight Pneumonia In Somalia (Xinhuanet)
- AMISOM To Work Closely With Federal States On Gender Mainstreaming In Somalia (AMISOM)
- Somaliland: From Fighting Famine To Election Fever (ITV)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Eminent Elders Call For Unity And Peace To Realise 2020 Election Goal
02 November – Source: Goobjoog News – 303 Words
A group of elders who participated in the selection of delegates during the 2016 elections and selection of MPs in 2012 have called on Parliament to remain focused and united in supporting peace and stabilization of the country. The 135 leaders meeting in Mogadishu Thursday said in a statement the process towards the realization of the one person one vote elections in 2020 was dependent on a united parliament. “We encourage and appeal to the leadership of parliament and the MPs of the two federal houses to aside their different thoughts that can derail the plans of stabilizing the security in the country in order to attain the process of the 2020 election of one vote one person,” a communique released Thursday read in part.
Addressing a wide range of challenges facing the country, the leaders also appealed for public support to the government and the military to win the war against extremist groups. “We appeal to the Somali public to support and stand shoulder to shoulder with the federal government and with partnership and funds to the military,” the leaders said while calling for vigilance especially among Mogadishu residents in light of recent attacks that have killed hundreds of people.
The leaders hailed the president’s move to invite federal member state leaders for a meeting in Mogadishu noting political stability in the country was key to addressing security challenges facing the country. The leaders drawn from all clans in the country each selected the average of 51 delegates who then elected Members of the Lower House during the 2016/17 elections. Unlike in 2012 where they had the direct role of selecting MPs, the leader’s role in 2016 was only confined to selection of delegates.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Global Charity Calls For Joint Efforts To Fight Pneumonia In Somalia
02 November – Source: Xinhuanet – 457 Words
International charity Save the Children has called for joint effort to fighting pneumonia, the forgotten killer disease in Somalia. The charity said in a report released on Thursday that pneumonia kills more than two children every hour in Somalia, even though it can be treated with antibiotics costing as little as 0.50 U.S. dollars. “The situation is worse in Somalia.
Food shortages as a result of drought in the country has left millions of children malnourished; making them more vulnerable to diseases including pneumonia,” Abdiqafar Hange, the Area Representative for Save the Children Puntland said during the launch of the report in Garowe. “We are doing all it take to save these children. We should not ignore pneumonia at this critical time,” Hange added. The report, Fighting for Breath is part of the global report which also marks the launch of Save the Children’s effort against pneumonia, which aims to save a million lives in the next five years.
The report indicates that 14,561 Somali children succumbed to pneumonia in 2015 alone -which is more than two children dying every hour. This implies 24 percent of all under five mortality is due to pneumonia. The situation may get worse if drastic measures are not taken to save children’s lives. Puntland Minister of Health Abdinasir Osman Isse who launched the report said the government has prioritized prevention and treatment of pneumonia.
AMISOM To Work Closely With Federal States On Gender Mainstreaming In Somalia
02 November – Source: AMISOM – 536 Words
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has reviewed its gender strategy plan to suit its new mandate and strengthen collaboration with the federal member states. The reviewed strategy took into account AMISOM’s exit strategy, the expanded role of the police and the various strands of the recently adopted Comprehensive Approach to Security and how to sustain the Mission’s achievements in Somalia after its withdrawal.
The plan was reviewed at a two-day workshop organized by AMISOM’s Protection, Human Rights and Gender Unit in conjunction with the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), held in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Speaking during the closing ceremony, Wednesday, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Francisco Madeira, hailed the exercise, which he noted had made the document more responsive to the Mission’s new mandate. “The new AMISOM gender strategy has addressed all gender dimensions in AMISOM’s work and exit strategy; the expanded role of the AUPOL (police component in AMISOM) and the Comprehensive Approach to Security,” Ambassador Madeira said.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“This may be all very detailed domestic Somaliland politics but it just shows how much has changed in a country where for most of this year, everyone was talking about the danger of famine, rather than the excitement of peaceful multi-party elections.”
Somaliland: From Fighting Famine To Election Fever
02 November -Source: ITV – 470 Words
For most of this year, I have been reporting on the catastrophic drought which has gripped Somaliland for almost three years, a drought which has also affected huge areas of Puntland and Somalia. I travelled across the length and breadth of the country – from the overflowing paediatric feeding clinics in the capital, Hargeisa, to the remotest nomadic communities in the far east of the country. Throughout that time I never thought I would see people in Somaliland turn out in their tens of thousands for a multi-party election. Yet that is exactly what is happening right now. A country that had been in the grip of hunger and disease is now in the grip of election fever.
As senior UK officials told me recently, Somaliland’s current presidential election is “one of the very few genuinely bright positive spots in region at the moment”. The UK has played an important role in making this happen, not just because it’s helped in the delivery of much needed aid to help avert a famine, but because it’s supported what international observers say is so far a peaceful and genuinely open, fair, one-person one-vote election.
Consider these facts, verified by the UK government, EU officials and international observers; Somaliland’s presidential election on November 13th will be the first ever election in Africa to use Iris-recognition software to register and monitor voting in order to prevent any electoral fraud, nearly 800,000 voters have been registered so far.
All three presidential candidates have held televised presidential debates – which went on for 6 hours. Faisal Ali Warabe, the candidate of the UCID party performed very well during debates. A veteran Somaliland politician, he is a colourful and outspoken operator who has a big personality. But observers say that UCID is very much built around him and is very much a vehicle for him.
Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi “Cirro” of the Waddani Party has gathered a lot of former ministers around him but he has been heavily damaged by being supported by the Federal Government of Somalia, from which Somaliland broke away 26 years ago. As such, he has been painted as someone who is in favour of closer ties with the rest of Somalia, something he strongly denies.
Most independent observers believe that the election is likely to be won by Musa Bihi Abdi, a former military commander before the civil war and a veteran of the Somaliland National Movement. He has campaigned hard in Somaliland’s troubled eastern regions and a landmark recent agreement with clans there has seen his campaign receive a significant boost. This may be all very detailed domestic Somaliland politics but it just shows how much has changed in a country where for most of this year, everyone was talking about the danger of famine, rather than the excitement of peaceful multi-party elections.