September 16, 2015 | Daily Monitoring Report
Diarrhoea Outbreak Kills Two Children In Bal’ad
16 September – Source: Goobjoog News – 224 Words
At least two children under the age of five years were confirmed dead due to diarrhoea outbreak in Bal’ad district as reported by health workers in the area.Reports indicate the outbreak of diarrheal disease in Balcad and its sorounding areas has left the available health centre overcrowded.One of the health workers in Bal’ad town has confirmed death of the two children:“This week the disease has killed two children, under the age of five, as more than 15 people were hospitalised.” He added, “the residents in the district lack facilities such as proper healthcare and in addition to that, new cases of diarrheal disease are reported hour after hour.” He confirmed to Goobjoog FM that the death of the children was due to contracting waterborne diseases after drinking contaminated water.
Fatima Ahmed, a mother living in the village, who brought her child to Bal’ad town, expressed concern over the health situation of residents of the village:“There are no medical facilities in the the town, the situation of the people is a saddening one, the health workers who were volunteers have stopped their work due to lack of medicine,” Ahmed said. She urged the Federal Government of Somalia, local and international humanitarian aid agencies and Diaspora Somali community to deliver emergency support to Bal’ad residents.
Key Headlines
- Diarrhoea Outbreak Kills Two Children In Bal’ad (Goobjoog News)
- Killing Of Somali Media Worker Draws Condemnation From UN official (Hiiraan Online)
- Deputy Police Commissioner Oversees Security Operations In Baladweyn (Wacaal Media)
- New Agreement With UNHCR In Support Of Returning Refugees In Somalia (RBC Radio)
- Thailand Alleged With Detaining Asylum Seekers (Nation Multimedia)
- Foreign Ministry Hosts Workshop On Investment Opportunities In Somalia (WAM Emirates News Agency)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Killing Of Somali Media Worker Draws Condemnation From UN official
16 September – Source: Hiiraan Online -123 Words
The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending the freedom of the press today denounced the recent killing of a Somali news editor.“I condemn the killing of Abdullahi Ali Hussein,” said Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):“Extremists must not be allowed to stifle freedom of expression with their violence and intimidation,” she continued. “Free and vibrant media, with committed journalists, have an essential contribution to make to the rule of law and good governance in Somalia.” The editor for the news website Waagasucub, Abdullahi Ali Hussein, was shot dead in the capital, Mogadishu, on 8 September. Statements issued by UNESCO on the killing of media workers are posted on a dedicated webpage.
Deputy Police Commissioner Oversees Security Operations In Baladweyn
16 September – Source: Wacaal Media – 95 Words
Senior police officers toured Baladweyn town’s neighbourhoods in a fact finding mission on Tuesday night. Led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police Mukhtar Hussein Afrah, the officers oversaw a security operation along major roads in the town aimed at beefing up security in the area. Commissioner Muktar walked along as the operations went on meeting face to face with members of the public, who gave him fast hand information and their experiences. The visit comes days after a section of Federal MPs, who visited Baladweyn, reported a huge presence of Al-Shabaab remnants in the area.
New Agreement With UNHCR In Support Of Returning Refugees In Somalia
15 September – Source: RBC Radio – 208 Words
Today, the Ambassador of Italy to the Federal Republic of Somalia, Fabrizio Marcelli, and the UNHCR Somalia Acting Representative, Ms. Bushra Halepota, signed an agreement to provide financial assistance to UNHCR in Somalia. The event took place in the presence of the Somali National Commissioner for Refugees and IDPs, Mr. Ahmed Nur, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Somalia to Kenya, Jamal Mohamed Hassan and the Special Envoy of Federal Republic of Somalia on Children’s and Migrants Rights, Ms. Mariam Yassin Hagi Yussuf. The agreement refers to a grant of 1 Million Euro aiming to support the UNHCR project, “From Emergency Response to Durable Solutions: Providing Assistance to Arrivals from Yemen and Supporting the Return and Reintegration of Somali Refugees”. This project combines assistance to new arrivals fleeing the conflict in Yemen, who reach the northern shores of Somalia, and enhances the pursuit of durable solutions and sustainable reintegration for refugee returnees in their areas of origin in south and central regions of Somalia.This initiative is part of a wider contribution of Italy to UNHCR in the refugees and IDP sector started in the past few years for a total amount of 4.7 million Euro for activities carried out all over Somalia.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Thailand Alleged With Detaining Asylum Seekers
16 September – Nation Multimedia – 281 Words
The Human Rights Watch Wednesday alleged that Thai authorities have wrongfully arrested 64 asylum seekers, including seven children, from Pakistan and Somalia. In its press statement Human Rights Watch said the 64 asylum seekers possess “person of concern” documents issued by the United Nations refugee agency so they must be immediately released from an immigration detention. The agency said Thai officials and police raided an apartment complex in the Pracha Uthit area of Bangkok on Thursday, and arrested scores of Pakistani and Somali asylum seekers. Sixty-four were quickly tried for overstaying their visas, fined, and sent to the Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Center in Bangkok, Human Rights Watch said. Among those detained are 7 children, the youngest age 14. Detention of migrant children is particularly damaging to their health and well-being, it said. “People who are seeking refugee protection should not be detained,” said Bill Frelick, refugee program director at Human Rights Watch, said in the press statement. In Somalia, ongoing fighting in the south and central parts of the country has caused considerable harm to civilians, which may make Somali asylum seekers eligible for international protection under UNHCR’s Refugee Convention mandate or under its broader mandate to assist in providing protection in situations of forced displacement resulting from indiscriminate violence or public disorder.
Foreign Ministry Hosts Workshop On Investment Opportunities In Somalia
15 September – Source: WAM Emirates News Agency – 205 Words
The Foreign Ministry today organised a workshop about opportunities for investment and development in Somalia which was attended by the representatives of federal and local departments and of different sectors in the UAE. The UAE side was headed by Assistant Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Khalid Ghanim Al Ghaith while the Somali side was headed by Foreign Minister Abdisalan Hadliye Omar.
Al Ghaith welcomed the Somali Foreign Minister and his accompanying delegation and praised the progressive ties between the two countries. He said the holding of this workshop reflects the two countries’ determination to strengthen cooperation to serve their mutual interests. He expressed the hope that such workshops would help open new avenues for cooperation in investment and in economic, commercial, food security, energy and civil aviation fields.
Minister Hadliye Omar extended thanks to the UAE for hosting the workshop and renewed his country’s desire to boost cooperation with the UAE in all domains. He also praised the UAE for its continuous support to the government and the people of Somalia through different development and humanitarian projects. The workshop also saw side talks and presentations about the available investment opportunities in Somalia, especially in the areas of tourism, energy, infrastructure, livestock, fisheries, oil and minerals.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“What Somaliland needs is a charismatic Parliamentary Speaker in the mold of the late Ahmed Mohamed Adan Qaybe, who was the Speaker of Somaliand Parliament for eight years. In 2005 Irro was appointed Speaker on an UCID Party ticket, but when he decided to form Waddani, one of the three Somaliland political parties, he refused to resign”.
Anger Gets The Best Of Somaliland Parliamentary Speaker
15 September – Source: RBC Radio – 349 Words
Somaliland Parliamentary Speaker, Abdirahman Irro, came to blows with his Deputy, Bashe Mohamed last week after the Speaker decided not to table a motion to vote on the privatisation of Berbera Oil Terminal again. A video clip posted on a Somaliland website shows the Speaker striking the first blow. Both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker spoke to the press separately and apologised to the public. Speaker Irro, who is also Waddani presidential candidate, alleges efforts were being made to appoint a second Parliamentary Speaker with similar powers, a move that ” can lead to the appointment of a second Somaliland President”.
Outside the parliament Irro quoted parliamentary rules against debating a motion again after it was rejected in a previous parliamentary session. If rules are on his side the Speaker should have closed the session officially and left the scene. The Speaker’s supporters allege that “people” in Somaliland presidency had masterminded the parliamentary brawl. Judging from remarks of one MP who described the Speaker as the ” Official President of Somaliland” , and an elder, Mr Sabayse, who made threats of violence ” if the law fails to work” it is the Speaker’s camp that had a sinister agenda at the Somaliland Parliament yesterday. The parliamentary scuffle is the second damage to Somaliland body politic for the last 4 weeks .
TOP TWEETS
@JamalMOsman:Rampant illegal fishing by foreign trawlers off#Somalia could push communities back to maritime crime, report warns.
http://news.yahoo.com/illegal-
@4DialogSK:No state is sustainable without some secrecy 4 its national security. N. Korea is z most secretive& #Somalia is z least! #BaastoMiirSyndrome
@stability_fund: Water & war: Life is tough in #Somalia, but it is getting better all the time http://bit.ly/1Lx98Re @DDawudAbdi
@SalahOsman0: Local demand 4 fish in #Mogadishu is growing. Because of improved security number of restaurants increased #Somalia
@Aynte: Gave an interview to @Goobjoognews on@MoPIC_Somalia activities among other things. #Somalia@abshiraxmad
IMAGE OF THE DAY
SRSG, Nicholas Kay, and Somalia’s Minister of Women Affairs and Human Rights Development, Sahra Ali Samatar, during the launch of the National Gender Policy Formation Process.
Photo: UNSOM