NATIONAL MEDIA
21 October – Source: Hiiraan Online – 146 Words
A prominent elder was killed Sunday evening in Kismayo in what is becoming a spate of killings targeting elders in various parts of the country. The elder named Said Abdullahi is reported to have been shot dead by armed assailants Sunday evening. The assailants later fled the scene. The circumstances surrounding Abdullahi’s killing remain unknown but it adds to similar ones in the recent past. Jubaland State spokesman, Abdinur Ibrahim Hussein, confirmed the death of the elder noting investigations were already on to track down the killers. Another elder identified as Ibrahim Mohamed Ibrahim was gunned down last week in a similar manner in Afgoye in the outskirts of the capital Mogadishu. In the build-up to the parliamentary and presidential elections in Jubaland in August, a prominent elder named Sultan Rashid Duure Omar was shot dead as he left a mosque in Kismayo. The murders remain unresolved.
21 October – Source: Halbeeg- 214 Words
Mogadishu Municipality official, Zainab Habsey has returned in the country three months after the Banadir Region Administration attack. The District Commissioner for the Warta-Nabada District was among dozens of officials wounded when Al-Shabaab female suicide bomber detonated her explosives during security meeting in the regional headquarters on 24 July. Mrs. Habsey was airlifted to Turkey for specialized treatment. She thanked friends and family for the warm welcome during an event organised for her reception while vowing to continue serving her people. “The terror might have inflicted pain on us, but it never killed my spirit to return home to rebuild our nation and serve my fellow citizens. More than seven Banadir regional officials including the late Mayor of Mogadishu and the Governor of Banadir region, Abdirahman Omar Osman Yarissow were killed in the attack. Several people were arrested in connection to the attack by the Somali security agencies. Armed group Al-Shabaab claimed the responsibility for the attack.
20 October – Source: Radio Dalsan – 102 Words
Former Media Officer for the late Mogadishu Mayor Abdirahman Omar is under police custody. Abdinur is being held at the CID Headquarters. Dalsan Media has learnt that Ahmed Nur was arrested on Friday for allegedly operating the late Mayor’s Facebook account. The arrest followed reports that the late Mayor’s account had been seen to be active several times after his death. Dalsan has also learnt that the late Mayor’s family had lodged an official complaint on the matter. Abdinur’s family, however, says the former media official had handed over the Mayor’s laptop and social media account details to Yarisow’s son Mohamed Abdirahman.
20 October – Source: SONNA – 287 Words
The National Communications Authority (NCA) has today officially launched a consultation process for Somalia’s first licensing regime for the Information Communications and Technologies (ICT) sector. The meeting was attended by local stakeholders including telecom operators, ISPs, domain registrars, broadcasters, and relevant government institutions. The draft Unified Licensing Framework (ULF) would allow the provision of multiple services through the introduction of service and technology-neutral licenses that would promote innovation and consumer choice. In addition to categorization, the regime also comes with terms and conditions that the relevant licensees are required to comply with. In his opening remarks, NCA’s General Manager, Abdi Sheik Ahmed, said ULF is a product of year-long discussions and benchmarking with several countries in Africa and Asia. He said “We wanted to start from where the global trend is now. Therefore, our ULF does not only take local context into consideration but also has a forward-looking vision to encourage our companies to compete globally.” The participants applauded the salient features of the new regime and may bring an end to uncertainties in one of the most developed sectors of our economy as lack of formal licensing system created chaos in the sector and hindered further investment into the sector.
Somalia did not have an official licensing regime since the state-run telecom operator ceased its operations in 1991. The draft Licensing Framework is the latest interventions to regulate the sector as part of its economic reform agenda of the Economic Development Pillar of the current government. Other regulations developed include numbering and interconnection, which will soon be implemented. As NCA’s transparent consultation process, the draft ULF and its accompanying documents are posted on NCA website and stakeholders have until December 5th to comment on them.
19 October – Source: Halbeeg- 214 Words
Somali President, Mohamed Abdullahi ‘Farmajo’ has launched the statues of Somali freedom fighters in the capital, Mogadishu on Friday. The Head of State, who was accompanied by senior government officials including the Governor of Banadir Region and the Mayor of Mogadishu, Omar Mohamed Mohamud Filish, inaugurated Hawa Tako, Sayid Mohamed Abdulle Hassan, Ahmed Gurey and Dhaqar Tur monuments along Maka Al-Mukarama road. The President said it is a proud moment for him and his government in taking a leading role in the restoration of the Somali national heroes statues after an absence of close to three decades. “I was proud to lead our nation today in restoring our historic monuments of Sayidka, Dhagah-tur, Hawo-Tako, Ahmed Gurey and SYL,” he said. “These figures are the pride of all of our Somali generations. Safeguarding our history reminds us of our historic journey and inspires our future,” he added
The Head of State urged fellow citizens in the country to unite by the principles of the national heroes and shun tribalism. The president also stressed the significance of the Is-Xilqaan Initiative which paved the way for the rehabilitation of key national structures such as the statues, the national theatre, national library, national archive and the Mogadishu sports stadium which will be reopened before the end of the year.
19 October – Source: Halbeeg – 177 Words
Somali Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Khaire, held discussions with Assistant Secretary of U.S Department, State Bureau for African Affairs, Tibor Nagy, in Washington DC. The two discussed ways to strengthen their partnership and enhance the progress made. Assistant Secretary U.S Department, State Bureau for African Affairs, Tibor Nagy reaffirmed his country’s commitment to support ongoing government-spearheaded reforms in various sectors. “Somalia is making impressive progress towards debt relief and security sector reform,” he said.
Somali Premier and Assistant Secretary U.S Department, State Bureau for African Affairs, Tibor Nagy also discussed preparations on upcoming elections in the country next year. “We also discussed the importance of advancing federalism and preparing for elections next year.” On his part, Somali Prime Minister, Hassan Khaire said the United States is a key ally to his administration and close cooperation between two states is very significant in the quest for national reforms. “US is a key ally in our quest to enhance our broad based national reforms, reaffirmed our commitment to our partnerships,” Somali PM said.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
20 October – Source: Reuters – 423 Words
Somalia will press ahead with poverty reduction efforts and a major regional ports and corridors initiative if international creditors forgive the country’s $5 billion debt this February, as expected, the country’s finance minister said on Sunday. Finance Minister Abdirahman Duale Beileh said he was heartened by progress made during discussions with officials from the United States, Somalia’s biggest creditor, Britain, and others during the IMF/World Bank annual meetings this past week. “Things are looking up … Everybody was positive,” Beileh told Reuters in an interview. He said the U.S. and other officials were pleased with Somalia’s strong performance in hitting key benchmarks in a program to work toward debt forgiveness. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on Saturday pledged the IMF’s full support for Somalia’s push for debt relief in the “near future.” The African nation has about $4.7 billion in external debt, which the IMF has declared to be unsustainable. The Fund is analyzing the exact grants needed from members to address Somalia’s debt arrears ahead of a board meeting in mid-November, Beileh said. Britain, the European Union and Qatar had offered to cover about $150 million of the roughly $330 million that Somalia owes the IMF, he said. The U.S. Treasury, which is owed $1 billion by Somalia, had played a role in encouraging support from other IMF members and was in talks with Congress about steps needed to erase the big bilateral debt pile. “They were very sceptical when our government started, but now they are saying Somalia has travelled enough,” he said.
Once it obtains debt relief, Somalia is negotiating to receive grants worth about $300 million per year for the next three years, Beileh said That will allow it to start spending on projects to reduce poverty by improving education and healthcare, shoring up water and electricity supply and investing in other critical infrastructure projects, he said. After 30 years with little international support, Somalia has needs “on every corner,” he said. “The country is in bad shape, and that is an understatement. You name it, we need it.” Beileh said Somalia was also working with neighbours Kenya, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Djibouti on a five-year, $15 billion project to establish ports and transportation corridors. Backed by the EU, the African Development Bank and the World Bank, the project will help boost trade in the region, he said. “Somalia is very committed to doing its part. I think we really have turned the corner. And when people are committed, they will do miracles,” he said.
20 October – Soure: Anadolu Agency – 456 Words
Protests by refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa continued for a second week on Sunday, with demonstrators demanding the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) relocate them to another country. Following a series of recent anti-immigrant attacks that claimed 12 lives, protestors camped outside the UNHCR offices in Cape Town and the capital Pretoria said they did not feel safe in the country. “All we are asking for is protection by the UNHCR by sending us to another country where we shall be safe,” a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), who only identified himself as Pierre, told Anadolu Agency in Pretoria. Last month, angry mobs in South Africa looted several migrant-owned shops in parts of Johannesburg and Pretoria, accusing foreigners of committing crimes and occupying jobs meant for locals by accepting low wages. They also accuse migrants of unfair competition practices in the retail business, for which they seek a ban on ownership by foreigners. Protesting refugees also claim that they face difficulty renewing their documents at refugee centers across the country. Others claim they were harassed by officials and forced to pay bribes. South Africa is home to tens of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers from mostly African countries. As the continent’s most industrialized country, it has also attracted migrants seeking better economic prospects in the country faced with high unemployment and crime. “Protest leaders have been lying to refugees and asylum seekers that they will be resettled to other countries overseas that’s why they are protesting, ” Patrick Matenga, an activist working with Unifam, an organization helping refugees, told Anadolu Agency. “I’m discouraging my community members from engaging in the protests seeking resettlement, but instead encouraging them to integrate with South Africans,” Abdulqadir Mohamed of the Somali Association in South Africa told Anadolu Agency via telephone from Cape Town on Saturday. He said refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa were not confined to camps, as they were in most countries. “They have freedom of movement,” he said……
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Why is it worth attending? Because of the general feeling you get from experiencing genuine Somali culture through exhibitions highlighting traditional Somali artefacts and clothing, Somali foods, music, poetry, live arts, panel discussions touching on various important topics and critical conversations on the issues that concern the community at large; and if you are an art and cultural enthusiast, you are bound to love it.”
19 October – Source: Daily Nation – 943 Words
In the wake of the Nairobi International Book Fair and the Macondo Literary Festival comes the annual Somali Heritage Week, organised by the Awjaama Omar Cultural, Research and Reading Centre. This festival brings together the Kenyan Somali community to celebrate their culture, not as a separate group but as part of the collective Kenyan heritage, and to share with other Kenyans what makes them who they are. This year’s festival started on Friday at the Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi and will end Sunday. Entry is free. Among the events scheduled for the three days are an exhibition and a mural project; a photography exhibition; poetry sessions; a book fair; crafts sales; interactive storytelling, with performances by Zamaleo and Awjama Storytellers; screening of a film and performance of a play; and a series of panel discussions on various topics. The panels include local and international speakers from academia, authors, journalists, the corporate world, civil society, politicians and artists. Some of the subjects of discussion are: What is the role of traditional leadership in the modern world?; Somali corporate boardrooms: What is the representation of women and youth?; What are the challenges and opportunities?; and the role of youth in sociopolitical change and community development. The Saturday Nation’s Tom Odhiambo spoke to Hafsa Aden, a programme officer at the Awjaama Omar Cultural, Research and Reading Centre, about the festival.
Tom Odhiambo: Explain to the reader and potential attendee what the Annual Somali Heritage Week is all about.
Hafsa Aden: Somali Heritage Week is a cultural festival meant to shed light on the positive aspects of the Somali culture and who the Somali people are, unlike the negative image that has long been portrayed about the community. Why is it worth attending? Because of the general feeling you get from experiencing genuine Somali culture through exhibitions highlighting traditional Somali artefacts and clothing, Somali foods, music, poetry, live arts, panel discussions touching on various important topics and critical conversations on the issues that concern the community at large; and if you are an art and cultural enthusiast, you are bound to love it……. |