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24 October – Source: AMISOM – 373 Words
The African Union Special Envoy on Women, Peace, and Security, Ms. Bineta Diop, wants women in Somalia to increasingly play an active role in ongoing efforts to restore peace and security in the country. Ms. Diop on Wednesday completed a one-day visit to Somalia, with the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms. Amina Mohammed. The visit to Somalia was part of a broader, joint UN-AU solidarity mission to the Horn of Africa countries including Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti, and Eritrea.
The two high ranking women also met the Prime Minister of Somalia, Hassan Ali Khaire, at his office in Mogadishu and held discussions on the upcoming landmark one-person, one-vote elections slated for 2020/2021, the constitutional review process, and the participation of women in politics. The AU envoy also visited the AMISOM Force Headquarters, where she laid a wreath in honour of AMISOM troops and the Somali security forces who died in the pursuit of peace for Somalia. AMISOM officials briefed the AU envoy on the contributions and progress of female peacekeepers. Ms. Diop, along with the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, Amina Mohammed, also met with Somali women and female youth civic leaders.
Since the establishment of AMISOM in 2007, the number of women deployed under the mission has, over the years increased with several women taking up frontline and active roles in driving combat vehicles like the tankers and Armoured Personnel Carriers, and positioned in the Forward Operating Bases (FOBs). Ms. Diop, whose role is to promote the protection and advancement of the rights of women and children affected by conflict in Africa, commended the female AMISOM troops for their active participation and contribution to restoring of peace and security in Somalia. “I salute the women of AMISOM who, along with the men, are defeating terrorists. Thank you for defending the lives of Africans,” Ms. Diop noted. The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Madeira, hailed Ms. Diop for championing the cause of women on the continent. “We are happy to have you among us because of your clear vision and commitment to championing policies on issues relating to women, peace and security, the protection of children, and women’s rights,” Madeira noted |
NATIONAL MEDIA
24 October – Source: Halbeeg – 157 Words
Warsheikh district official, Hassan Ali Hassa,n has succumbed to injuries sustained a month ago during a pistol training session. The deceased was accidentally wounded by the town’s Mayor Hassan Haji Mohamed during a pistol training session in September. He was nursing his wounds at Madina general hospital, where he was transferred from Kaysane hospital for further treatment. Somali government officials are a target for the armed group al-Shabaab, therefore, officials have taken security measures to familiarize themselves with weapons. However notable high-ranking officials including Ministers and military officials were accidentally killed by security agencies. In May 2017, the bodyguards for Somalia’s Auditor General shot dead Abbas Abdullahi Sheikh Siraji, the Public Works and Reconstruction Minister, in an apparent accident near the presidential palace in Mogadishu. Days ago, security guards of the Minister for Internal Security mistakenly shot dead Somali Special Force Commander General Mahaday in an accident. He was laid to rest on Tuesday following investigations.
23 October – Source: SONNA – 174 Words
The Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Hassan Ali Khaire, received a high-level delegation from the United Nations and the African Union at his office. The two delegations are in the country for an official visit. The UN delegation was led by the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mrs. Amina Mohamed, while the African Union delegation was led by Ms Bineta Diop, AU Special Envoy on Women Peace & Security. The two officials held talks with the Somali Prime Minister, who was accompanied by the Minister of Women and Human Rights and other officials. They warmly received the high-level delegation. The meeting was very productive and topics discussed include promoting peace in the country, resolving differences within, and increasing the role of women in politics and development programs. The visiting delegation recognised the government’s efforts in improving security and increasing women participation in decision making. They thanked Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire and his team for the warm reception and the hospitality they received while in the country.
23 October – Source: Somali Affairs – 186 Words
The Galmudug regional state’s Head of Government, Sheikh Mohamed Shakir Ali Hassan, who doubles as the leader of the Sufi group Ahlu Sunnah wal Jama’ah, on 22 October, appointed a technical committee to oversee the state election process. The move is in defiance of the Federal Government, which previously formed a similar committee that was rejected by the group. The appointment of the new committee also comes despite the fact that Somali Interior Minister Abdi Mohamed Sabriye is in Dhusamareb holding meetings with Ahlu Sunnah leaders. The Interior Ministry was preparing to bring members of the government-appointed technical electoral committee to Dhusamareb in the coming days, so the announcement of a new committee by Shakir bespeaks a new dispute in the Galmudug election process. The following are members of the technical electoral committee appointed by the government; 1) Abdullahi Farah Bille, 2) Ahmed Dhiblawe Asir, 3) Abdi Mohamud Fidow, 4) Mahad Hassan Nur Yussuf, 5) Salhan Hashi Farah, 6) Mohamed Ahmed Maalin, 7) Ali Bashi Farah Ali, 8) Sharmake Mohamed Warsame, 9) Yasin Sheikh Mohamed Abdirahman, 10) Muhudin Sheikh Abdullahi Osman, and 11) Abdishakur Isse Hashi.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
24 October – Source: Daily Nation – 90 Words
Police in Somalia have handed over two suspected members of the terror group Al-Shabaab to Kenyan authorities. The two, believed to have fled into Somalia after committing crimes in Kenya, were handed over on Wednesday, North Eastern Police Commander Mr Paul Soi said. Police reports stated that the suspects were handed over at around 11 am and taken to Garissa for further interrogation. The commander said they were found with several loaded firearms, which were also confiscated. “Investigations are ongoing. We shall address the media later,” the police boss said on Thursday.
23 October – Source: UNSOM – 383 Words
On a visit aiming to express her solidarity with the women of Somalia, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, has called for the full participation of women in the country’s peace, security and development efforts. As part of a joint UN-African Union (AU) solidarity mission to the region which has been ongoing for the past few days, Ms. Mohammed was in Somalia today. Her delegation included Bineta Diop, the AU’s Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, and Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa. “It has been a wonderful experience. What we have had is clarity as to where the Government intends to go with the reforms, with the plans, with the bills that they have put forward, with the recommendations and the processes for the elections,” she told journalists at the end of the visit. Earlier, she met with the Prime Minister of Somalia, Hassan Ali Khayre, and cabinet ministers. The meeting took place at the Office of the Prime Minister in Mogadishu. Discussions focused on the upcoming landmark one-person, -one-vote elections slated for 2020/2021, the process to promulgate a new federal constitution, the quota for elective positions for women, and women’s participation in other spheres of life such as the business sector. “We listened to the different constituencies, all in an effort to ensure the centrality of women in the rebirthing, in the healing of a nation that has so much opportunity and prosperity ahead of it,” said the UN’s deputy chief.
Ms. Mohammed also held separate meetings with representatives and women leaders from civil society organisations; the Chairperson of the National Independent Electoral Commission, Halima Ibrahim Ismail; and officials from the gamut of UN agencies and programmes working in Somalia. “We are very pleased to see that a woman heads the independent electoral commission. We believe that augurs well for the independence for the credibility and the inclusion of women,” she noted. The Deputy Secretary-General pledged that the UN would continue to support Somalia’s path to peace, putting at the centre the need for women and youth to participate in the post-conflict reconstruction efforts. “We urge everyone to come along on this new dawn to rightfully have the whole society to participate in a new era for Somalia,” she said.
22 October – Source: K5 News – 425 Words
A woman who came to the United States as a young refugee in the 1990s now leads the Seattle clinic where she was cared for as a patient. Dr. Anisa Ibrahim was recently promoted to be the medical director of Harborview Medical Center’s Pediatrics Clinic. She said the promotion brings her story full circle. “It’s one that I’m honoured and grateful for, but it’s also one that I’ve worked really hard, to be in a clinic that I am passionate for,” said Dr. Ibrahim. Dr. Ibrahim was brought to the U.S. in 1993 from Somalia when she was six years old. She said her family fled unrest from the Somali Civil War that began in 1992. “We got to Kenya in 1992, and by 1993 we were resettled to Seattle,” said Dr. Ibrahim. “That is a very short amount of time. The average amount of time a person spends in a refugee camp right now is 17 years.” She said she remembers a tuberculosis outbreak at her refugee camp, and her sibling getting the measles. When she arrived in Seattle, she and her sibling were treated at Harborview Medical Center’s Pediatrics Clinic. It was those experiences that made her want to become a doctor. “I can say I know life is tough in a refugee camp,” she said. “I know life is tough settling into a new country and not speaking English and not knowing where the grocery store is and being isolated from the rest of your family.”…..
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Currently, Mahamed supports polio officers to develop comprehensive microplanning for immunization campaigns in Somalia. He emphasizes fostering trust between frontline workers and communities since the polio workers in Somalia travel door to door to deliver the vaccine. The basketball games that he organizes in his spare time help to increase acceptance of polio workers in the community.”
22 October – Source: Global Polio Eradication Initiative – 445 Words
Mahamad combines sports with innovative polio immunization messages. Abdullahi Mahamed Noor, hailing from Mogadishu in Somalia, wears multiple hats. By day, he is an experienced and dedicated polio programme zonal coordinator. By night, you can find him racing down the court as president of the Somali Basketball Federation. Mahamed’s journey to end polio started in 1999, as a vaccinator in Adale District of Middle Shabelle in Southern Somalia. Since then, he has worked to combat multiple polio outbreaks in his country, including the current cVDPV outbreak. Mahamed strongly believes that eradicating polio isn’t just about delivering the vaccine. To maintain high immunity levels, the programme must deliver a clear message about the safety and importance of the vaccine and help communities become better informed. To achieve this goal, Mahamed uses his sporting connections to combine basketball with innovative polio immunization messages, with the objective of increasing awareness throughout his community.
Last year, Mahamed took advantage of a Vaccination Week to deliver messages on polio eradication at several basketball games held in Mogadishu. “When people come to the stadium, they see messages on polio awareness and how important it is to vaccinate children to build their immunity against polio virus. They pass those messages to family and community members,” he explains. From 1999 to 2010, a period during which Somalia suffered several polio outbreaks, the inaugural ceremonies of most of the major sports activities in Somalia would begin with statements encouraging people to vaccinate their children against polio. Currently, Mahamed supports polio officers to develop comprehensive microplanning for immunization campaigns in Somalia. He emphasizes fostering trust between frontline workers and communities since the polio workers in Somalia travel door to door to deliver the vaccine. The basketball games that he organizes in his spare time help to increase acceptance of polio workers in the community. “Part of my job is to convince families who refuse to vaccinate their children. I quite often use my experience of being involved in basketball to educate them on the benefits of polio vaccination and preventing disability related to poliovirus.”……. |
