NATIONAL MEDIA
24 October – Source: Goobjoog – 188 Words
The Upper House on Thursday passed the National Revenue Bill paving way for Presidential assent after its earlier approval by the Lower House. Out of the 54 members who make up the Senate, 31 members voted in favour of the Bill. The Bill seeks to among others entrench revenue collection into law and update previous legal frameworks guiding revenue collection and utilization. It also seeks to streamline revenue collection and create an effective mechanism through which the government can extend tax collection beyond the capital Mogadishu.
Revenue mobilization remains an integral part of the economic recovery process and financing of the budget. The Ministry of Finance’s attempts to impose tax collection within Mogadishu last year ran into headwinds with lawmakers questioning the rationale since the only existing laws dating back to 1962 did not provide sufficient legal guidelines on the exercise. Finance Minister Abdirahman Beileh who was present at the Senate during the passage of the Bill today applauded both Houses for passing the Bill noting it was a significant step in the debt relief process. The Bill will now be presented to President Mohamed Farmajo for assent.
24 October – Source: SONNA – 287 Words
Somali National Army stand for defending the land, sea and air of the country from enemies. To achieve these goals, they carryout massive operations across all regions of Somalia and combat terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab and Daesh. Over the past months, several locations that used to be under the control of the terror group Al-Shabaab have been liberated. The ongoing military operations by the Somali national army, supported by its allies against Al-Shabaab, have covered several provinces across south central of Somalia. Some locations were under Al-Shabaab control for the longest time cutting off supplies and basic needs from its inhabitants. With the help of the government these locals received much-needed assistance and vowed to work with the government.
The biggest achievements include the fall of Awdhegle and Barire which used to host Al-Shabaab’s illegal courts. People used to be summoned to these areas to be extorted and threatened, thanks to the national army their control of these areas have been lost. These intensive operations have dealt the terror group with significant blow weakening their terror capability. The era of Al-Shabaab is about to be concluded if the government continues to put the same pressure and already signs have started to emerge, These signs include; series of defeats suffered by Al-Shabaab in the battle fields, internal divisions,reduced spiritual and field leaders, decline of foreign fighters in their ranksand forced recruitment of local fighters. The above-mentioned tremendous victories by the Somali Army has resulted in a series of defections by commanders and militants from Al-Shabaab who are trying to escape in order to avoid crackdown by government troops. The government of Somalia has promised not to prosecute defectors but rather rehabilitate them back to the society.
24 October – Source: SONNA – 976 Words
President of the Federal Republic of Somalia H.E. Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo along with a high-profile delegation travelled to Russia to attend Russia-Africa forum that was held in Sochi, Russia. The first-ever Russia-Africa summit and business forum was held from 23-24 Octoer in Sochi, Russia, with over 50 heads of state invited, trade experts and investors to focus on strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation between Russia and Africa. During the forum, leaders discussed several topics including economic growth, investments, security and the fight against terrorism. This forum was chaired by the Russian president Vladimir Putin who stressed that he has high hopes on this forum to bring great results and huge investment opportunities to Russia and Africa. At the same time, The Somali president’s delegation included the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ambassador Ahmed Isse Awad, Minister of Defense Hon. Hassan Ali Mohamed (Amar dambe) and the Director-General of Villa Somalia Mr. Nor Dirie Hersi (Fursade).
Mogadishu and Moscow shared strong diplomatic relations rejuvenated by military cooperation before the break out of the civil war in the early 1990s.Russia had a military base in the port city of Berbera before fall out with Siyad Barre regime. Russia had huge cooperation with Somalia ranging from military, business and education. The current government of Somalia led by His Excellency Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has re-established connection with Somalia;s former ally. In September, the Somali president hosted the Russian Ambassador to Somalia at his office, Villa Somalia. They both agreed to reestablish the bilateral relations that used to exist before the fall of Somalia’s central government…..
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
23 October – Source: UNSOM – 596 Words
On a visit to the Somali capital today, a high-level delegation of United Nations and African Union officials welcomed the Horn of Africa country’s achievements in women’s participation in its peace, security and development efforts– while also calling for further progress. “After decades of conflict and amidst the ongoing violence the people of Somalia still faces, the country has made enormous strides on its path to peace and stability. In our short visit here, we have heard from government officials and civil society leaders how Somali women taking part in peace and security efforts has helped advance society towards an inclusive and peaceful future. This is the future the people of Somalia rightly deserve and which the United Nations and African Union fully support,” said the UN delegation’s head, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed. “However, much more remains to be done, especially to ensure gender equality, including women’s full participation in the ‘one person, one vote’ federal elections next year. We welcome recent gains, especially in the areas of human rights, civic and political participation, access to justice and basic services,” the Deputy Secretary-General added. Ms. Mohammed was joined by the African Union Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, Bineta Diop, and the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga.
The aim of the one-day visit was to express the UN and AU’s commitment to work with the Somali people in their pursuit of peace, stability and credible elections. The delegation underscored the importance of women’s meaningful participation in political, peace and security efforts, particularly in relation to countering violent extremism, holding elections and advancing development efforts. The delegation also expressed its strong support to the critical role played by AMISOM and IGAD in consolidating the peace process in Somalia. While in Mogadishu, the Deputy Secretary-General met with Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre and cabinet ministers from the Federal Government of Somalia to hear about government policy. The full delegation met the Chairperson of the National Independent Electoral Commission, Halima Ismail Ibrahim, and a group of women civil society leaders who discussed the upcoming ‘one person, one vote’ elections and countering violent extremism, among other topics. The AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security also met with female peacekeepers…..
23 October – Souce: UN – 468 Words
Somalia has made “enormous strides on its path to peace and stability”, and Somali women’s participation in peace and security efforts has “helped advance society towards an inclusive and peaceful future”, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said on Wednesday. Ms. Mohammed’s one-day visit was part of a joint UN-African Union trip to the Horn of Africa region, focusing on women, peace and security. In Somalia, they emphasized the international commitment to the pursuit of peace, stability and credible elections in the country. She was joined by AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, Bineta Diop, and the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga. The importance of women’s meaningful participation in elections, efforts to counter extremism, and the economic development of Somalia, were underscored by the delegation, who met with Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre and cabinet ministers from the Federal Government of Somalia to hear about government policy in this area, as well as with female civil society leaders.
“The opportunity to hear from a diverse range of voices about the role of Somali women in different spheres of life drove home just how vibrant and engaged they are, and also how committed they are to ensuring that the role of women and gender equality is factored into all facets of life here”, said the Deputy Secretary-General. “This means challenging some outdated traditional views on the role of women and creating a space for them to be able to fulfil their potential.” However, the deputy UN chief noted that further progress is needed, when it comes to gender equality; the role of women in politics, peacebuilding and security; and women’s full participation in the “one person, one vote” federal elections, due around late 2020 and early 2021. Ms. Mohammed praised the engagement of Somali women in a range of spheres, and their commitment to ensuring that the role of women and gender equality is factored into all facets of life. “This means challenging some outdated traditional views on the role of women and creating a space for them to be able to fulfil their potential.”
23 October – Source: Courthouse News – 235 Words
Two accused Somali pirates were arraigned in Brooklyn Wednesday on terrorism charges alleging they kidnapped and held a U.S. citizen hostage between January 2012 and September 2014. Mohamed Tahlil Mohamed and Abdi Yusuf Hassan are being held without bail. In an Oct. 9 superseding indictment, prosecutors added firearms charges as well as hostage-taking conspiracy and threatening a U.S. national with a weapon of mass destruction. Short on specifics, the charging papers do not name the hostage, but California-bred journalist Michael Scott Moore confirmed to The New York Times that he was the victim when the first indictment in the case, against Tahlil, came down in 2018.
Moore was kidnapped on Jan. 21, 2012, in Galkayo, Somalia, and released Sept. 22, 2014. He wrote a book about his captivity called “The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast,” in which he described Tahlil as the “boss” of his captors, according to The Times. Moore’s mother negotiated a $1.6 million ransom payment to gain his freedom, Moore has said — down from the $20 million the pirates initially demanded. The count for hostage-taking conspiracy says the defendants threatened to kill, injure and hold Doe hostage until a third person and governmental entity paid in U.S. dollars for his release. Moore is the U.S. and German citizen, matching the indictment’s description of the hostage as a dual citizen…..
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“As part of the implementation of the Transition Plan issued in March 2018 by the FGS, AMISOM has started to gradually handover security responsibilities to Somali forces. Several important places were handed back to Somali security forces, including the Warsheikh Forward Operating Base, the Somali National University, Mogadishu Stadium, Jaalle Siyad Military Academy and Via Afmadow in Kismayo.”
24 October – Souce: Daily Sabah – 1165 Words
Once among the strongest armies in Africa, the Somali National Army (SNA) dissolved when the civil war broke out in 1991, a spectre that continues to haunt the Nation of Bards. But the flip side of the tragedy is that Somalia has reached a positive tipping point. After relentless efforts by the Federal Government of Somalia and its international partners to re-establish security in the country, the SNA finally began to take shape. A decade or so ago when the deployment of the African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission in Somalia was authorized under the U.N. Security Council resolution 1744(2007)13. It was expected when the African Union mission in Somalia would eventually come to an end and an interim U.N. peacekeeping mission will take over. However, that plan has since been changed to transferring security responsibilities directly to Somali forces, after the withdrawal of African Union troops from Somalia as stipulated in U.N. resolution 2431(2018). Things change so quickly! For the first time in three decades, in July 2019, 152 highly trained officers, including 81 lieutenants and 71 sergeants, graduated from the Turk-Som military training academy in Mogadishu. The military support from NATO member Turkey to the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) started soon after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had visited Mogadishu in 2011. Turkey spent fortunes to build its largest overseas military training camp in Mogadishu. It also trained and still trains hundreds of Somali soldiers in Turkey. The Somali people appreciate the moral and military support from the brotherly people of Turkey.
Apart from the continued support from Turkey and others, the FGS stepped up and pushed through with praiseworthy security sector reforms. Reforming and rebuilding the SNA has always been a priority for successive Somali governments but the jigsaw puzzle of an effective SNA was missing a piece, namely a national security architecture. In April 2017, the FGS and the Federal Member States (FMS) reached a historic political agreement on a National Security Architecture. The agreement focuses on the following issues: first, the numbers of Somali security forces and the civilian oversight role of the executive over the armed forces. Second, the distribution of Somali security forces at the federal and state level. Third, the command and control of Somali Security Forces and fourth, the fiscal responsibilities for respective Somali Security Forces at the federal and state level. To get the new security plan off the ground, the FGS conducted an Operational Readiness Assessment (ORA) of the National Army in 2017. The ORA was an attempt to understand the capabilities of the Somali Armed Forces. However, the study yielded some shocking results: Lack of basic equipment, including weapons, ammunition, communications kit and vehicles, inconsistent recruiting standards, army largely confined to defensive and localized operations, and on average battalions had only 63% of their authorized strength. It was a sobering reality.,,,,, |
