September 11, 2015 | Morning Headlines
Proponents Of Motion Against Federal President Take Jawaari’s Advice, Opt For Dialogue
10 September – Source: Wacaal Media – 155 Words
A section of the MPs who tabled an impeachment motion against President of the Federal government of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud have agreed to resolve the crisis through dialogue as requested by Parliament Speaker, Mohamed Osman Jawaari. Led by Amina Omar, the 93 lawmakers agreed to bury the hatchet and resolve the standoff.
“We have not shelved the motion but we have taken Speaker Jawaari’s advise to go the dialogue way” said Amina. The legislators say after seeing the crisis brewing as a result of the motion, they resolved to end the standoff through dialogue. The MPs added that they also took into consideration the shrinking Parliamentary calendar as the end of its term was approaching first and more important issues were in their in-tray. The move by the MPs comes as another impeachment related motion is on the floor of the house. It was tabled by 120 members but is not clear whether they will as well take that route.
Key Headlines
- Proponents Of Motion Against Federal President Take Jawaari’s Advice Opt For Dialogue (Wacaal Media)
- Puntland Soldiers Set Up Roadblock Near Bossaso Over Unpaid Salaries (Garowe Online)
- Puntland President Set To Travel To Kismayo Tomorrow (Villa Puntland)
- Jubbaland Allocates Seats In The Assembly To Appease Disgruntled Clans (Goobjoog News)
- New Somali Youth Programs Launched Amid Terror Recruitment Concerns (MPR News)
- Selling Somalia: We Need Indomitable Investors Not Aid Says Foreign Minister (The Guardian)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Puntland Soldiers Set Up Roadblock Near Bossaso Over Unpaid Salaries
10 September – Source:Garowe Online – 133 Words
Striking soldiers have set up a roadblock near Bossaso port city for unpaid salaries by Puntland government, Garowe Online reports. The newly formed paramilitary units, dubbed ‘Birmadka’ were complaining of missing salaries, however Garowe Online couldn’t reach their commander, who is accompanying Puntland President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali on Galkayo trip, for comments. Interim Bossaso Mayor, Mohamed Saed Shabelle, has come under gunfire after he tried to quell the mutiny. One of Shabelle’s bodyguards was reportedly wounded in shots fired by soldiers trained at a camp in Qardo, some 160km north of the capital, Garowe. A delegation led by Bari Governor Yusuf Mohamed Waeys Dhedo is currently visiting extreme areas in vast Bari region. The strike comes as civil servants and security forces have been paid ‘spurious banknotes’ that got circulated in local economy.
Puntland President Set To Travel To Kismayo Tomorrow
10 September- Source: Villa Puntland – 84 Words
The President of Puntland government D.r Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas is scheduled to take off for Kismayo, the interim regional capital of Jubbaland, Villa Puntland Reports.Along with entourage, including ministers, lawmakers and senior presidential officials, President Abdiweli is expected to reach Somalia’s southern port town of Kismayo.The President is expected to attend the inauguration of Jubbaland President Ahmed Madobe in Kismayu.Puntland, Northern Somalia Semi-autonomous maintains strong ties with the fragile Southern Somalia state of Jubbaland, playing pivotal role during it’s establishment.
Jubbaland Allocates Seats In The Assembly To Appease Disgruntled Clans
10 September – Source:Goobjoog News – 178 Words
In a press statement, the Jubbaland State president Ahmed Mohamed Islam has agreed to allocate 10 more seats in the regional assembly to appease disgruntled clans in the three regions.The statement said that Jubbaland president has had consultation with federal President and the Prime Minister to bring a solution after the fallout over the formation of Jubbaland assembly.The statement has outlined reconciliation efforts undertaken by Jubbaland state for the past two years; this has brought several opposition figures into the state.
In another related development, two prominent Gedo politicians who have been spearheading calls to reform the assembly reached Kismayo and were welcomed by high ranking Jubbaland figures, including the deputy president.Ex MP Mohamoud Sayid Adan and Ahlu Sunnah Southern Somalia chairman Mohamed Aw Libah have pledged support for Jubbaland state. Mohamoud said, “I came here to support Jubbaland state and declare President Ahmed Mohamed Islam is the best leader”.These were among the fierce opposition politicians to Jubbaland and at some point fought against the state, but finally agreed to a peace deal with Ahmed Madobe.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
New Somali Youth Programs Launched Amid Terror Recruitment Concerns
09 September – Source: Minnesota Public Radio News – 742 Words
Federal officials and Somali-American community members will announce Wednesday a slew of new programs intended to make Somali youth more resilient to recruitment and radicalization by overseas extremist groups. The news comes on the same day that one of six young Twin Cities men arrested in April on charges of trying to join the terror group ISIS is expected to change his plea to guilty. Hanad Musse has a court hearing scheduled for 10 a.m.
The announcement about the community partnerships follows months of meetings held by U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger with Somali community members, foundations and corporations about a new federal pilot program launched in Minneapolis.The Building Community Resilience pilot project, which was initially called Countering Violent Extremism, was launched last year and has since generated intense debates in the Somali community. In a briefing with reporters Tuesday, Luger said the project has received about $1 million in funding from state and federal grants, corporations and foundations: “This is literally just getting done,” Luger said. “It has been both gratifying and very interesting work to be engaged in.”
He said Youthprise, a Minneapolis-based community foundation, will act as the project’s fiscal agent and determine which projects will receive funding. The U.S Attorney’s Office said it won’t be involved in those funding decisions. The pilot program has attracted the support of corporations such as Cargill and the Mall of America and non-profits groups including Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“There have been tentative signs of a return to some kind of normalcy – at least in Mogadishu – since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took office in 2012. But his government is still fragile, with frequent changes of prime minister, internal squabbling and accusations of corruption.”
Selling Somalia: We Need Indomitable Investors, Not Aid, Says Foreign Minister
10 September – Source: The Guardian – 970 Words
Somalia may be wracked by conflict, politically fragile and braced for potentially devastating floods, but Abdusalam Omer believes it is ripe for foreign investment. He admits his job is a tough one – in fact, his wife thinks he is having a “midlife meltdown” – but the Somali foreign minister Abdusalam Omer is determined to sell the Horn of Africa nation, insisting it has lucrative natural resources that could benefit intrepid investors.
“Somalia can be world leader in livestock,” Omer, a former central bank governor who was appointed minister six months ago, told an audience at London’s Chatham House this week. “We have the most goats. We have agriculture. We need a critical investment to come to Somalia and invest so Somali children can stay home and be happy.” Somalia has been locked in conflict since the fall of the dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Battles between rival warlords brought the country to its knees in the 90s, a disastrous intervention by UN and US forces cemented its reputation as a no-go zone, and, since 2005, the extremists of al-Shabaab have been fighting the government and African Union peacekeepers, known as Amisom. Al-Shabaab mostly withdrew from the capital Mogadishu in 2011 after an offensive by Amisom troops. Its forces are now based in southern Somalia, but they also carry out bombing attacks and assassinations in the capital, as well as in neighbouring Kenya.