September 12, 2016 | Morning Headlines
Electoral Talks On The Verge Of Collapsing As Leaders Walk Out
11 September – Source: Goobjoog News – 354 Words
The fate of elections set to start this month is on the verge of collapsing as talks among the country’s leaders at Villa Somalia hit a deadlock Sunday. According to reports two leaders have walked out of the talks. Sources close to the talks told Goobjoog News that Jubbaland leader Ahmed Madobe has gone back to Kismayo while his Puntland counterpart Abdiweli Gaas walked out of the talks as differences over the distribution of seats to the Upper House deepen.
During the NLF talks in August, the leaders indicated they were adding two seats to Somaliland communities for the Upper House, a development which has now threatened to derail the upcoming polls. The two sub clans of Warsangali and Dhulbahante which the NLF reserved two seats occupy the Sool and Sanaag areas which are contested by both Somaliland and Puntland.
On its part, representatives from Somaliland are demanding all of its three regions, including Sool and Sanaag be awarded three seats, making it 15. However Galmudug sees the two seats as benefitting Puntland. Galmudug and Puntland have had differences since the formation of the former in 2014. Sources note that Galmudug is of the opinion that even the three seats earlier given to Puntland which makes it superior in numbers to Galmudug be dropped and each state gets an equal share.
In June, the NLF distributed the 54 seats for the Upper House equally among all the six states meaning each state was entitled to 8 seats with a balance of 6 which were distributed equally between Somaliland and Puntland on account of their political maturity and status. A collapse of the talks will likely complicate the prospects of conducting the upcoming polls which start with that of the Lower House on September 24. The Upper House members is set for September 25. Furthermore, the IGAD heads of states Summit which was postponed from Saturday is slated for Tuesday. The Summit will be addressing the electoral issue as one of its main agendas.
Key Headlines
- Electoral Talks On The Verge Of Collapsing As Leaders Walk Out (Goobjoog News)
- Mogadishu Eid Shopping Confronted By IGAD Heads of State Summit (Radio Dalsan)
- Presidential Candidate Farole Calls On Somalia’s President To Hand Over Power (Garowe Online)
- AU Forces Arrest 2 Al-Shabaab Bombers In Southern Somalia (Xinhua)
- Mo Farah Wins Great North Run For Record Third Year In Row And Eyes Tokyo (The Guardian)
- How We Counter ISIS Al-Shabaab Recruitment Of Somali American Youth – Minnesota Chief Judge(Premium Times)
PRESS STATEMENT
AU Special Representative For Somalia Extends Best Wishes To The People Of Somalia, On The Occasion Of Eid Al-Adha
11 September – Source: AMISOM – 149 Words
The Special Representative of the African Union Commission Chairperson (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Caetano Madeira, wishes the people of Somalia happy Eid Al-Adha. “As we celebrate this feast of sacrifice, may we reflect on and continue to embrace the values of peace, unity, mutual tolerance and lasting reconciliation among the great people of Somalia,” said Ambassador Madeira.
“These are the values that have sustained Somalia in times of crisis and national distress and will continue to light its path to peace and stability. As we celebrate this day, let us also pray for continued unity among Somalis especially now that the country is readying itself for a more inclusive electoral process which will see it choose the leaders who will guide the nation for the next four years,” Ambassador Madeira added. Eid Al-Adha is the Islamic festival of sacrifice, marking the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
NATIONAL MEDIA
Mogadishu Eid Shopping Confronted By IGAD Heads Of State Summit
11 September – Source: Radio Dalsan – 174 Words
Residents in Mogadishu are preparing to celebrate Eid al-Adha, one of the two most important festivals in the Muslim calendar on Monday. But this year the residents in the Somali capital are expressing concerns about the closed roads due to preparation for the IGAD summit that will hosted in the city one day after the Islamic festival. For past three days, key roads in Mogadishu were no go zones for the public service vehicles, making it difficult for Mogadishu residents to prepare for Eid festivities.
President Hassan Sheikh has on Saturday asked Mogadishu residents to be patient as the country welcomes heads of states from the region. Hundreds of people were seen on Saturday and Sunday morning walking to and from city shopping malls in what is seen as last minute preparations for Eid festivities, public services vehicles were diverted from the major roads such as Maka Al Mukarama road.
Presidential Candidate Farole Calls On Somalia’s President To Hand Over Power
11 September – Source: Garowe Online – 422 Words
Former Puntland President and Somalia Presidential candidate Abdirahman Mohamed Farole on Saturday, has called on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to step down from office as his term expired on 10 September. In a press conference held at his residence in Garowe, Farole lamented the constitutional crisis Somalia is facing as a new president has not been ushered according to the country’s constitution.
“I call on President Hassan Sheikh Mahmud to immediately hand over power to the Parliament leadership, his term has expired today. He is no longer the President, the Parliament leadership should assume power until new President is sworn in,” said Farole. Farole described President Mahmud four year term as a failure accusing him for not upholding to the constitution, empowering government institutions and completing the country’s federal process.
“In 9 August, the National Leadership Forum (NLF) unlawfully extended the term of the executive power disregarding the Legislative body and the country’s constitutional process. The NLF had no authority to amend the constitution except draw an inclusive roadmap for the electoral process of the upcoming election,” added Farole.
The presidential candidate has commended the press statement by leaders of the opposition parties and presidential candidates – Coalition for Change – in the capital Mogadishu, on Friday urging President Hassan Sheikh Mahmud to step down from office. “As election timeline approaches the NLF has failed again to move forward the electoral process for Parliamentary and Presidential elections. They have already delayed the election once, we will not accept another term of extension or disregard for the country’s constitution,” said Farole.
He also described the NLF decision to increase the Upper House’s members as a violation to the constitution. Somalia’s Provisional Federal Constitution (PFC) states that the Upper House of Federal Parliament comprises of 54 members and is to be distributed evenly to all 18 regions or to the Federal Member States, he said.
The Presidential aspirant also called on the International community to stand neutral, effective and have responsible role in dealing with Somalia’s affairs. The press conference comes amid growing opposition against President Mahmud’s term extension. Federal government and parliament’s term ended in August and September respectively and new lawmakers and President are due to be chosen in the same month.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
AU Forces Arrest 2 Al-Shabaab Bombers In Southern Somalia
11 September – Source: Xinhua – 310 Words
African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM) backed by local forces on Sunday arrested two Al-Shabaab bomb experts in southern region amid heightened security ahead of a regional summit to be held on Tuesday. The pan African body said the two bomb experts were arrested during security operations in Lower Juba, outside the southern port city of Kismayo.
“The determination of Somalia National Army and AMISOM to rid Somalia of Al-Shabaab is an assurance to the people that they will continue to enjoy peace and security,” AMISOM said in a brief statement issued on Sunday.
The militant group did not comment on the latest operations by the AU and SNA forces which come ahead of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development summit to be held in Mogadishu. Heavy security is underway across the Horn of Africa nation especially in Mogadishu to enhance the security, seal all loopholes and make sure the significant summit takes place successfully.
Mo Farah Wins Great North Run For Record Third Year In Row And Eyes Tokyo
11 September – Source: The Guardian – 630 Words
Mo Farah revealed his desire to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after becoming the first man to win three consecutive Great North Runs. Farah ended his remarkable season with a convincing victory in the Newcastle to South Shields half-marathon with a time of 1hr 0min 04sec. He raised his hand down the home stretch to mimic an Alan Shearer goal celebration.
Farah was pushed for much of the race by the American Dathan Ritzenhein but kicked on down the slope with one mile to go, having learned the same tactic from Kenenisa Bekele when losing out to the Ethiopian in 2013. He finished eight seconds ahead of Ritzenhein.
The 33-year-old, who defended his 5,000m and 10,000m Olympic titles in Rio last month, is expected to retire from track racing after next year’s world championships in London and turn his attention to the marathon. “I think it would be incredible if I can go for another Olympics,” Farah said. “But in athletics we don’t take anything for granted. I’ve got to look after my body and get through each year as it comes rather than plan ahead.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“We haven’t had any terrorist event locally. This is all about keeping people from going over there and fighting and losing their lives or coming back here as radicals which is big concern to us.”
How We Counter ISIS, Al-Shabaab Recruitment Of Somali American Youth – Minnesota Chief Judge
11 September – Source: Premium Times – 1,572 Words
Minnesota has arguably the largest Somali community outside East Africa. There are more than 25,000 people of Somali origin living in the twin cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Regrettably, this congregation of Somalis has become a fertile recruitment ground for terrorist groups like Al Shabab and the Islamic State who are luring disgruntled youth from the state to become terrorists.
The following is an excerpt of a discussion between John Tunheim, the Chief Judge of the United States federal court for the district of Minnesota, with 2016 class of the World Press Institute (WPI) fellowship on what the United States authorities are doing to counter the recruitment drive of these militant groups.
Question: How is the justice system in the state handling cases of terrorism particularly among the Somali community where youth are being recruited by the Islamic State and other Islamist groups like Al-Shabaab? I ask this because there are complaints of ethnic profiling among the Muslim community in the Twin Cities authorities.
Judge Tunheim: There is actually a lot going on right now to try to tether the recruitment efforts. The recruitment efforts are very sophisticated. I have watched the videos; they are pretty good. Just by way of background, the first cases we had here are people who had been to Al Qaeda training camps. Those were the cases that I had. And then we had a small group of young men that were disappearing and they were going there, in some cases for the first time since they were two or three years old and fighting for Al-Shabaab.
The first one was in 2003; individuals who were led to train in what was Bin Ladin’s camps probably in Pakistan. Then the next wave was young men disappearing and who were recruiting or fighting for Al-Shabaab, which is a terrorist organisation in Somalia. Many of them were killed. The next cases were people in the Somali community (who) were sending money over there to support Al Shabab. Giving aid or material support to terrorist organisations, which is a federal crime in the United States.
They claim they were just sending it to charity organisations who were supporting people with food, clothing and blankets and that sort of things; and then the proof in the case was these charities were fronts for Al Shabab. There were two women, older women, who were convicted. And then the next groups are people who already left; there were people who were caught.
There are nine cases we are attending to now – individuals who were caught on their way over to Syria. The FBI has worked hard in the community and infiltrated some of these groups and the individuals were arrested either at the JFK Airport and in one case at a warehouse in the Mexican border on their way to Syria