October 18, 2012 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Somalia MPs approve Shirdon as the new prime minister

17 Oct – Source: BBC – 96 words

Members of Somalia’s parliament have approved the appointment of Abdi Farah Shirdon as the new prime minister. The MPs unanimously backed the ex-businessman, nominated by newly elected President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Before the vote Mr. Shirdon said he would form “an effective government to deal with current situation”. Somalia has suffered more than 20 years of war and the election of Mr. Mohamud last month was considered the first fair poll in Mogadishu for 42 years. Addressing MPs, President Mohamud said he was confident the new prime minister would do something about the “country’s difficult situation”.

Key Headlines

Delegates from IGAD arrived in Kismayo Town (Radio Mustaqbal)
Members of the Somali federal parliament give vote of confidence to the new premier (SONNA/Radio Mogadishu)
Galmudug to remain uncovered as journalists go on strike (Bar-Kulan)
Three die in raid on terror cell (Daily Nation)
UN envoy welcomes Parliament’s endorsement of new Prime Minister (UN News Center)

PRESS STATEMENT

UN Special Representative for Somalia welcomes Parliament’s endorsement of Prime Minister Mr. Abdi Farah Shirdon

17 Oct- Source: UNPOS- 205 words

UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia, Dr. Augustine Mahiga today welcomed the endorsement by Parliament of Mr. Abdi Farah Shirdon “Saacid” as the Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia. All of the 215 members present endorsed his candidacy.

“The approval of Prime Minister Shirdon by the Somali legislature is further incontrovertible evidence of progress in Somalia.” SRSG Mahiga said.
SRSG Mahiga further commented that Parliament embodies the aspirations of all the Somali people and its overwhelming endorsement of the new Prime Minister signals an encouraging start of cooperation and confidence between two important arms of government.

“The United Nations Political Office for Somalia recognizes that by approving the new Prime Minister the Federal Parliament has cast a vote of confidence in the new leadership. I call on the new Prime Minister to appoint without delay a new Council of Ministers. There is much to do and little time to waste.”
The SRSG pledged to work in partnership with the new Prime Minister and his new government on the country’s new priorities and urgent needs as expressed in the Six Pillars outlined by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.”

SOMALI MEDIA

Members of the Somali federal parliament give vote of confidence to the new premier

17 Oct – Source: SONNA/Radio Mogadishu/Shabelle/Hiraan Online – 72 words

Members of the Somali federal parliament on Wednesday gave the newly appointed prime minister, Abdi Farah Shirdon a vote of confidence at a meeting which took place in Mogadishu. President of the Somali federal government, H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud attended the meeting with the law makers and asked them to give a vote of confidence to Mr. Abdi Farah Shirdon Sa’id, nominated this month.

Delegates from IGAD arrived in Kismayo Town

17 Oct- Source: Radio Mustaqbal- 112 words

Reports from Kismayo Town in Lower Jubba region state that delegates from IGAD have arrived on Wednesday in Kismayo. The delegates landed at an airfield of Kismayo town where they were cordially welcomed by the elders in Kismayo and the officers of Somalia’s government forces and AMISOM in Kismayo. The aim of the delegates to Kismayo is to oversee the security situation of the town.

Somalia set to reopen one of East Africa’s largest markets

17 Oct – Source: Somaliland Press – 106 words

Somalia’s Banadir State government unveiled plans to renovate one of East Africa’s largest open air markets after two decades of closure. Mohamed Yusuf Osman, Spokesman of Banadir government, told local media in Mogadishu that plans to rebuild the Hamarweyne Market were well underway. Mr. Osman further revealed that a lottery for the allotment of some thousands of plots has been postponed until the 25th of this month.

Galmudug to remain uncovered as journalists go on strike

17 Oct – Source: Bar-kulan – 112 words

A section of journalists in Galmudug on Wednesday announced they will go on strike following what they called “constant threats from politicians in the region”. Five journalists based in the region announced their decision not to cover unfolding stories in protest of continuous threats from politicians. The journalists, working for three TV channels and two radio stations, said they are committed to stay away from their professional activities in the region until they are assured of their safety.

President Farole returns to Garowe after visiting rural areas in Nugal region

17 Oct – Source: Garowe Online – 95 words

Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole returned to Garowe on Wednesday after touring coastal towns in Nugal region including a visit to the former pirate-hub of Eyl, Garowe Online reports. President Farole on his four-day tour visited many villages and towns in Nugal region, such as Qarhis, Hasbahale, Yombeys.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Three die in raid on terror cell

17 Oct – Source: Daily Nation – 65 words

Two suspected Al-Shabaab terrorists were killed on Wednesday in a raid by General Service Unit’s Recce squad and Anti-Terrorism Police in Likoni, Mombasa. A police officer died while eight others were seriously injured during the 2am raid in Majengo Mapya area following a grenade attack. ajengo Mapya resident Bakari Juma told the Nation the police surrounded the compound to ensure the suspects did not escape.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

UN envoy welcomes Parliament’s endorsement of new Prime Minister

17 Oct – Source: UN News Center – 130 words

The United Nations top political official for Somalia today welcomed the endorsement by the East African country’s Parliament of the new Prime Minister, Abdi Farah Shirdon, stressing that it signals an encouraging start of cooperation between two important arms of the Government. “The approval of Prime Minister Shirdon by the Somali legislature is further incontrovertible evidence of progress in Somalia,” said the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga.

Somalia MPs approve Shirdon as the new prime minister

17 Oct – Source: BBC – 96 words

Rice welcomes Somalia’s historic political transition

17 Oct – Source: IIP Digital – 106 words

After many difficult years, Somalia has had its first peaceful transfer of power in decades, and U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Susan Rice says developments such as its new provisional constitution and a newly elected speaker and president have inspired hope among Somalis “for the first time in many years.” “Among Somalis and the international community alike, pervasive despair has turned to cautious optimism as Somalia enters an historic new phase of national development,” Rice said October 16 at a United Nations Security Council debate on Somalia. “These promising developments have come through Somali-led efforts and are nothing short of remarkable,” she said.

Somaliland journalists under fire

17 Oct – Source: IRIN News – 98 words

Journalists in the self-declared republic of Somaliland are increasingly being harassed and arrested by security forces there, say officials. “More than 60 journalists were arrested in the first six months of 2012 compared to less than 20 journalists in the last six months of 2011,” Mohamed-Rashid Muhumed Farah, secretary general of the Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA), told IRIN.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“I have never lost hope for Mogadishu. Somehow, I knew that the city would recover from its destruction and decay. One thing I had faith in was the people of Mogadishu−the ones who fled, the ones who stayed, and others who joined them afterward. Those who fled kept up with news of the city.”

I Dream of Mogadishu

17 Oct – Source: Wardheer News – 1793 Words

I have not seen Mogadishu since 1987. In fact, I have not lived in my hometown since 1978. But I visited it briefly—not more than two weeks each time—about four times between 1978 and 1987. The Somali civil war started in January 1991 when President Siad Barre and his supporters were driven out of Mogadishu. What happened next in the capital is beyond comprehension.