September 10, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report
Three Top Government Offices Bear The Brunt Of National Budget Deficit
10 September – Source: Goobjoog News – 244 Words
The Somali parliament has yesterday passed the amended 2015 budget which saw huge deficit after donor’s withdrawal of funds to the government. The budget was affected with cost cuts that have significantly touched the top three offices in the land. The parliament has gone against Finance Ministry recommendation of cutting down the salaries of security forces and civil servants to make up the shortfall; instead they targeted the three top offices with 30% cut of costs and others expenses, these are The Presidency, The Prime Minister’s Office and The Speaker’s Office.In total, these offices would have to let go some USD 2,048,400 in travel allowances and other expenses for the remaining six months of the financial year. According to budget report, some major reasons for the deficit include when $60 millions USD which were expected from the Government of Turkey and Arab League didn’t materialized, doubled up with ineffective tax collection mechanism by government. The salaries of armed security forces would be covered from the recently approved New Deal pack, this amount to USD 32,371,248.The parliament has however recommended that the Finance Ministry should keep up with new budget and to avoid any further deficit at all costs.The 2015 budget was estimated to be USD 239.942,191, and the deficit only affected the second half of the year from July to December, this amounting some $41 million USD which is 17.1% of the total budget.
Key Headlines
- Three Top Government Offices Bear The Brunt Of National Budget Deficit (Goobjoog News )
- The Attorney-General Warns Against Opening Official Accounts In Private Banks (Somali Current)
- Galmudug Soldiers Take Full Control Of Abudwaak Town (Shabelle News)
- Ahlu Sunnah Feels The Heat As Galmudug Piles Up Pressure (Goobjoog News)
- Minnesota ISIS Terror Suspect Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy (MPR News)
- Swedish Government Minister Visits Dadaab Refugee Camp (Norwegian Refugee Council)
- Are Somali Forces Fighting Alongside The Emirates In The War In Yemen? (Somali Current)
NATIONAL MEDIA
The Attorney-General Warns Against Opening Official Accounts In Private Banks
10 September – Source: Somali Current – 208 Words
The Attorney-General of Somalia, Dr Ahmed Ali Dahir has warned senior officials and governmental departments against opening private accounts at banks other than the Central Bank of Somalia. Dr. Ali said any individual found to have contravened the directive would be prosecuted. Dr Ahmed directed all governmental bodies to open bank accounts in the Central Bank, saying the government could monitor the movement of the funds since it is owned by the government. “Government bodies are hereby directed not to open accounts at private banks in a bid to strengthen the central bank,” he said.
He similarly warned officials in the revenue department against coming up with their own receipts in parallel to the government’s official record book, saying all tax-generated income should be recorded in one centralised book to shield unscrupulous officials against fleecing residents.“We cannot allow anyone to pocket the revenue collected from the hardworking Somalis,” he said.“We would also never allow the officials to harass the citizens in their line of duty. They should not be coerced to pay bribes,” he added.Dr Ahmed, who is the top legal advisor to the government, called on civil servants to serve the people, urging heads of departments and senior officials in the governments to deliver.
Galmudug Soldiers Take Full Control Of Abudwaak Town
10 September – Source: Shabellle News – 106 Words
The forces of Interim Galmudug Administration have taken full control of Abudwaak town in central Somalia from Islamist group of Ahlu Sunna Wajameeca militias following 2 days of battle.The combat started last Monday and continued till yesterday which killed at least 20 people including warring sides while more than 20 others were also wounded in the clashes, according to local residents.The movement of the transportation and businesses were paralyzed. The local residents started fleeing from the town in fear of repeated clashes, a villager told Shabelle Media based in Mogadishu.The situation is calm and things have returned back to normal on Thursday morning.
Ahlu Sunnah Feels The Heat As Galmudug Piles Up Pressure
10 September – Source: Goobjoog News – 172 Words
After losing strategic town of Abudwak to Galmudug State, the armed religious group Ahlu Sunna now blames the government for arming the newly formed state.In a fierce fight yesterday, the fighters from Ahlu Sunnah were driven out of Abudwak district after clashing with Galmudug minister and his loyalists in the district.
Deputy Chairman of Ahlu Sunna Ali Bashi Farah has told the media that the federal government would be directly held responsible of whatever happens there.“The National Intelligence and Security Agency vehicles were used in the fighting, and the arms were supplied by the government, and they were part in the fighting” said Ali Bashi. He called for the international community and friendly governments to keep an eye on the developing events there, which he warned would be devastating to peace building in Somalia. Ahlu Sunnah has refused to recognize the newly formed Galmudug and has since taken ground from Galmudug, including Abudwak. Now Galmudug seems to piling up pressure and trying to spread its authority to the Central Regions.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Minnesota ISIS Terror Suspect Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy
10 September – Source: MPR News – 848 Words
A man who said he thought he wanted to free and protect the Syrian people from the brutal crackdown of President Bashar Assad pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to support the terrorist group ISIS.Hanad Musse, 19, said Assad’s troops were “evil people” and he “wanted to fight his forces to free Syrian people from oppression.”
At times, the soft-spoken Musse displayed an unwillingness to implicate his friends. When he was asked if he was plotting with others to go to Syria, he repeatedly said, “I only speak for myself,” but eventually admitted to a conspiracy. He said he fell for ISIS’ propaganda and the terror group’s claim of building an Islamic state. “At the time, I thought it was a bunch of freedom fighters,” he told Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Davis.
Davis asked Musse several questions regarding his level of understanding of the conflict in Syria. Musse said knew the United States government deemed ISIS a terrorist group. He also acknowledged that he was aware of ISIS videos showing members took part in beheadings and kidnappings; he later learned that the group was raping Yazidi women. “Seems you are very knowledgeable about what was going on,” the judge told Musse.”I’ve committed a terrorist act, and I’m guilty of it, your honor,” Musse said.
Musse detailed his involvement in the alleged conspiracy, which he joined in spring 2014. That May, his cousin, Abdi Nur of Minneapolis, had traveled to Syria and began fighting for ISIS, prosecutors allege.
Swedish Government Minister Visits Dadaab Refugee Camp
10 September – Source: Norwegian Refugee Council – 395 Words
The Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation H.E. Ms Isabella Lövin visited NRC in Dadaab Refugee Complex on Tuesday, 8th September 2015, where she witnessed activities at the refugee help desks established at the Ifo Refugee Camp. Lövin held discussions on refugee issues with Dadaab’s Area Deputy County Commissioner, UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), World Food Programme and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and refugee leaders. She was also hosted to a thematic lunch dubbed “Return to Somalia” where NRC’s Area Manager in Dadaab was in attendance together with various other dignitaries.
The support for NRC programmes in Dadaab from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) started in 2010, helping youth to gain access to relevant vocational skill development programmes in Dadaab. As a result of this partnership, 4,000 out-of-school youth are able to access vocational skills opportunities accredited by the national industrial training authority in Kenya. “The partnership between NRC and SIDA has enabled more young men and women to access vocational and life skills training in 2015; as a result improving their livelihoods and preparing them for voluntary repatriation if they choose. It has provided them with opportunities to earn income, built their self-esteem and enabled them to fulfil a productive role in their communities”, says Neil Turner, Country Director for NRC in Kenya.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“While on an official visit to the Emirates with President Hassan Sheikh, Hadliye said the Somali government was in support of the continued effort to re-instate the democratically elected government of Al Mansuri Hadi that was overthrown by the Houthis,”
Are Somali Forces Fighting Alongside The Emirates In The War In Yemen?
09 September – Source : Somali Current – 268 Words
Reports have confirmed for the first time the presence of Somali soldier that are part of the joint forces fighting the Houthis Shia rebels in Yemen.Yemeni media has widely reported the sight of Somali forces clad in the military uniform of the Emirate’s forces. Dahabo Abdi Farah, the chairman of the Somali refugee community in the capital Sana’a confirmed the presence of the Emirate’s trained Somalis marching with the Arab forces. She said the community was concerned over backlash from the Houthis. “We are so scared because of this Somali forces. Their presence could pave way for the discriminated attack on the Somalis here (Sana’a, Yemen),” she said. A large number of Somalis are still trapped in the war torn Yemen, Abdisalan Umar Hadliye, the Foreign Affairs minister in the Federal Government of Somalia, has said Monday.
TOP TWEETS
@NaleyeAbdi:Prominent #Somali author @sahro warns Somali youth from endangering their lives in the sea. #Somalia.#Immigration.
@HarunMaruf :#Somalia: Media activists demand probe into the killing of an online journalist Abdullahi Ali Hussein in Mogadishu.
@UNDPSomalia;Creating Real Solutions for Communities in#Somalia through District Planning http://bit.ly/1gaW6A3
@nabadonline #Somalia -Jawaari threatens to resign if tag of war in tabling motions does not end https://shar.es/1vQyDl via@sharethis
@neptune_ms :Collective Effort by Maritime Industry and Naval Forces Keep Pirate Attacks Suppressed http://bit.ly/1JXXz7C #pirates #Somalia
IMAGE OF THE DAY
New Somali recruits for Somali Police Force (SPF) in a drill process.
Photo:AMISOM