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14 September – Source: AMISOM – 337 Words
The Deputy Force Commander in charge of Operations and Plans at the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Maj. Gen. Nakibus Lakara has said AMISOM troops are forging ahead with clearing and securing various main supply routes, mentoring Somali Security Forces, and conducting joint offensives with the Somali National Army as dictated by the Somali Transition Plan. On Thursday, Maj. Gen. Lakara was in Jowhar, the headquarters of the AMISOM Sector 5, controlled by Burundi troops, where he assessed progress made in implementing the mission’s Concept of Operations (CONOPs). He also inspected a Forward Operating Base in Gololey and interacted with the troops on issues relating to their welfare.
The CONOPs outlines the activities AMISOM has to implement under the Somali Transition Plan up to 2021, when AMISOM will hand over security responsibilities to the Somali Security Forces. Among those accompanying Maj Gen. Lakara were Chief Plans Officer, Col. Ben Gah and the Chief Operations Officer Col. John Patrick Otongo. Maj Gen. Lakara also instructed the commanders to forge ahead implementing the tasks outlined in the Concept of Operations, which include; clearing and securing main supply routes, intensifying mentoring of Somali Security Forces, and conducting joint offensives with the Somali National Army (SNA). “Opening and securing the Mogadishu-Jowhar-Mahaday-Tayagley main supply route is a priority, and I am happy to note that you have been able to persist in this,” Gen. Lakara stated. Burundi is one of the five countries contributing troops under AMISOM. Other troop-contributing countries are Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.
Maj. Gen. Lakara also urged the Burundian troops to conduct offensive operations, and counter Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), which target AMISOM convoys and civilians along the main supply routes. “To deal with Al-Shabaab, you must pursue them,” Gen. Lakara noted, before adding, “You must adopt measures to end the use of IEDs along the main supply routes.” Earlier, Burundi’s contingent commander, Brig. Gen. Richard Banyakimbona, said his troops would work on strategies to counter IEDs and, together with the Somali National Army, engage in civil-military activities to enhance relations with communities in liberated areas. Brig. Gen. Banyakimbona urged his troops to be steadfast, saying, “We will achieve a lot given that since we first deployed on the mission, we have scored victories against the extremists.” |
NATIONAL MEDIA
15 September – Source: Hiiraan Online – 173 Words
The second annual Puntland Investment Forum, bringing together entrepreneurs locally and abroad, opened on Sunday in Puntland’s administrative capital Garowe. The investment forum seeks to provide a platform for investors and entrepreneurs from Puntland and beyond to explore business opportunities features various activities including showcasing of products and presentations of business opportunities in the easterly State.
While officially opening the forum, Puntland President, Said Deni, said his government was committed to creating a conducive environment for business and investment in the region. “Puntland government has set up the investment policy which will enable you to Invest in Puntland in any sector and anywhere of your interest,” said Deni. While reiterating his government’s efforts in ensuring security in the state, Deni also called on banks in the region to provide competitive interests for investors and budding entrepreneurs. “I request all banks to reduce the interest rates as much as possible so that our youth can get Investment from banks which will create opportunities for many people.” The forum will run for three days.
15 September – Source: Hiiraan Online – 246 Words
The winners of the EU-funded poetry competition dubbed Silsiladda Nabadda were unveiled Saturday in Mogadishu. Five young poets were recognised for their award-winning submissions in a ceremony held in Mogadishu. The winners were drawn from a pool of submissions targeting Somalis across the globe. EU ambassador to Somalia Nicolas Berlanga Martinez said the competition not only presented an opportunity for young people to express their talents but also contributed to fostering peace and democracy in Somalia. “On the eve of the International Day of Democracy, we recall that democracy is about the people and most importantly the youth. Democracy is also about participation which is fundamental to peace, prosperity and the respect of human rights,” said Martinez. “Young poets’ contributions are like small pieces of radiography of Somali society, each one with its different tonality; but all of them full of aspirations for peace and reconstruction in Somalia.”
The recipients of the awards, as well as the shortlisted candidates, presented their poems during the event. According to a statement from the EU, the competitions helped to ‘bring back the revered and historic Silsiladda poetry tradition. The youth-driven initiative was open to all Somalis across the world and its aim was to hold a community-wide discussion among Somali youth on the concepts of democracy and peace. The competition received entries across all four corners of the world- reaching Melbourne, Bosaso, Stockholm, Hargeisa, New Delhi, Seattle, London, Lahore, Baidoa, Mogadishu among other global and local cities.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
13 September – Source: AMISOM – 459 Words
In areas liberated from terrorists and militants, the immediate pressing needs of the local population must be addressed through quick impact projects in order to build public trust and win hearts and minds. This was said during the training of Civil-Military Coordination (CIMIC) officers of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and Somali National Army (SNA) recently held in Mogadishu. CIMIC officers directly engage with communities and help to win the hearts and minds of the communities they work with. The joint training, supported by the UK Mission Support Team (UKMST) and the European Union (EU), was attended by 20 officers from AMISOM, SNA and the Danab Special Forces Unit who were drilled in civil-military coordination and defector rehabilitation awareness.
AMISOM and SNA continue to work jointly to stabilise Somalia and implement quick impact projects in areas liberated from Al-Shabaab. Some of the projects undertaken include rehabilitation of roads and schools, construction of boreholes and safe water points, provision of medical supplies and sports facilities. Through the implementation of these projects, AMISOM and SNA are able to address some of the immediate needs of the population and in the process build public trust and confidence. AMISOM Deputy Force Commander in charge of Operations and Plans, Maj Gen. Nakibus Lakara, called on the CIMIC officers to work closely with the communities in the liberated areas if they are to develop trust and a good working relationship with the people they protect. “You must focus on creating harmony with the local population and observe International Humanitarian Law and respect human rights if you are to win the hearts and minds of the people,” Maj Gen. Lakara told the CIMIC officers. AMISOM Chief CIMIC Officer, Col. Francis Kangwanda said, “CIMIC activities help in shaping the operational environment to the mutual benefit of both the military and civilian actors and therefore allows a (military) commander to achieve more.”
During the same event, 38 AMISOM police and military officers also completed a one-day training in project planning and stakeholder management. While closing the project planning training, Maj. Gen. Lakara told the officers that they had acquired lifelong skills which they could apply even after retiring from military service. “That is a tool you can now use to initiate a project, a project starts from identification; but identification that is based on needs,” said Maj. Gen. Lakara. The participants said the training had enhanced understanding of their roles as CIMIC officers, the handling of defectors as well as engaging with communities to identify needs. Major Justus Cheboi, an AMISOM battalion commander said, “When we return to the sectors or our forward operating bases, we should be able to engage with the local communities, to better understand their needs and how to relate with them.”
13 September – Source: AMISOM – 451 Words
The Somali Federal Minister of Youth and Sports has encouraged the youth to play a role in the country’s decision making processes by participating in preparations for the upcoming elections. Somalia is preparing for a “one person, one vote” election in 2020/2021. Minister Khadija Mohamed Diriye said this during an event in Mogadishu, organised by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), to mark Africa Peace Day on Thursday. She told the youth participants that her ministry was engaged in the ongoing pre-election processes to review the federal constitution and electoral law ahead of the 2020/2021 elections, and asked them to contribute to the processes through the ministry. “We have put efforts in reviewing our country’s constitution and the electoral law. There is a committee to ensure youth participation in the ongoing consultative process,” Minister Khadija said.
During the event, participants discussed and shared views on how they could raise awareness for fellow youth to participate in politics, the role of youth in nation-building and the importance of resilience in the face of political challenges. Minister Khadija added, “We want the voice of the youth to be louder than ever. There is a chance to add your voice where you are not satisfied.” According to Minister Khadija, the cabinet endorsed a national youth policy establishing a framework to guide implementation of pro-youth programmes for Somalia. The policy is pending approval by the federal parliament. Ms. Muna Hassan Mohamed, AMISOM Political Officer, explained that youth should not be left behind because they are a key constituency, and make up the largest proportion of Somalia’s population.
However, the lack of awareness of existing opportunities impedes youth political participation especially for young females, Muna noted. A key challenge affecting youth in Somalia is the high unemployment rate, standing at about 67 percent for youth between 14 and 29 years. This makes it one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, according to the United Nations. “This day is important for Somalia as it is an opportunity to raise awareness on the role of youth in development, economic and political participation,” said Muna. Aweys Hassan Mohamed, a youth participant at the meeting rallied his fellow youth to take up the responsibility to rebuild the country. “Every country develops and grows because of the input and participation of its youth. We need to be ready to take part in national development,” he said. Muna Osman Adan, another youth participant called for unity among youth in order to achieve their objectives as well as advocating for their right to political participation. “It is important for the youth to unite, shun tribalism and maintain solidarity in order to fully participate in the electoral process,” she said.
13 September – Source: International Committee of the Red Cross – 461 Words
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been supporting the health care system in Somalia since the collapse of the government in 1991, which led to the breakdown of the health care system and infrastructure. ICRC in collaboration with the Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS) started providing support by opening health posts, expanding them to health centres and hospitals offering care to those injured in the conflict. The ICRC is currently supporting the first aid program, primary health care, hospitals, nutrition activities and referral of patients from one level of care to the next depending on their needs (continuum of care). The SRCS runs the first aid program with the support of the ICRC first aid team. The program builds the capacity of the SRCS first aid volunteers and the community on first aid, equipping them with the necessary skills to respond to emergency situations and administer first aid care. In 2016, three First Aid (FA) action teams were initiated across 3 major towns namely Mogadishu, Galkayo and Las Caanod to respond to emergencies and refer the injured to hospitals.
In addition to the first aid program, the ICRC supports SRCS in running of 29 primary health care (PHC) facilities (20 fixed clinics and 9 mobile clinics), all providing curative, preventive and promotion services. Nineteen of these health facilities also provide nutrition services to children under five years with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) across South Central Somalia. In 2018, the ICRC introduced the Basic Emergency Obstetric and New Born Care (BEmONC) services as a pilot project in two of the PHC facilities. In addition, community health-based program in Dalhiska and a community-based surveillance in Baidoa were also started as pilot projects with the aim of linking the PHC program to the community. The ICRC war surgery and emergency medical care for combatants and non- combatants across the country has a longstanding history. Presently, ICRC supports four hospitals with a total bed capacity of 410 beds in South Central Somalia. The hospitals are Keysaney (since 1992), Medina (2001), Kismayo (2013) and Baidoa (2014), all offering war surgery. In addition, Baidoa and Kismayo hospitals also provide inpatient nutrition care for SAM children with medical complications. In 2016, ICRC together with the Norwegian Red Cross provided 20 beds to Keysaney Hospital for the fistula surgery support. The SRCS does community mobilization and referral of patients with fistula from PHC facilities to hospitals. The overall support that the ICRC provides to different components of health are medicines, equipment, capacity building, staff incentives and running costs. The ICRC is supporting the transformation of health programs in Somalia with the collaboration of SRCS, Partner National Societies (PNS) and hospital management teams, to align ICRC health activities in Somalia with the concept of continuum of care.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“To see the efforts that are currently being undertaken is very important. To institutionalize, to bring the unity of the country back together for the purpose of supporting and responding to the needs of the people,” the head of UN peacebuilding efforts noted.”
14 September – Source: UNSOM – 669 Words
There is a need for sustained funding for humanitarian response to avert a deterioration in the food security situation, which threatens millions in Somalia who are already affected by the worst poor crop harvest since 2011, said the UN humanitarian chief, Mark Lowcock, on Thursday. Mr. Lowcock, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, was in Somalia together the World Bank Group’s Senior Vice President for the 2030 Development Agenda, Mahmoud Mohieldin, and the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, Oscar Fernandez-Taranco. During the visit, the senior officials witnessed first-hand the linkage between humanitarian, peacebuilding and development efforts in the country. In Baidoa, the delegation inspected donor-funded projects that support internally displaced communities. Addressing a press conference in Mogadishu, Mr. Lowcock said, “Notwithstanding all the action that has been taken to deal with the humanitarian needs some months ago, there is a continued need, which will need to be addressed by additional financing, just to safeguard the humanitarian situation over the next several months.”
According to the latest information provided by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization’s Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit and Famine Early Warning Systems Network, Somalia’s recent cereal cropping has been the worst since 2011. FAO blamed the fragile food security situation in Somalia on the delayed and erratic Gu rains between April and June, which negatively affected crop yields. This year’s humanitarian response plan for Somalia has received US$487 million, which is less than half of the required financing to deliver life-saving assistance for the year. The Federal Government of Somalia and the humanitarian community launched a Drought Impact Response Plan (DIRP) which has kept at least one million people from acute food insecurity up to September. Lowcock noted, “One million fewer Somalis are hungry today than we had thought would be the case; and that is because there was collective international response three months ago when it became clear the country was running into problems.” However, more funds are still required to mitigate the effects of the ongoing drought, and bring relief for up to six million people at risk of food insecurity. Forecasts indicate that Somalia will experience above-average rains during the upcoming Deyr rainy season expected between October-December. The World Bank Group’s Senior Vice President for the 2030 Development Agenda, Mahmoud Mohieldin said they would partner with authorities to support economic engagement for local communities. “We are engaged in a variety of projects, and all of these projects have been studied very well. Many of them are in partnership with the UN System, NGOs and of course the government,” Mr. Mohieldin said.
In Baidoa, the delegation visited community development projects and toured a sports facility, where they appreciated the priorities set by the communities and heard directly from community members what additional social impact projects they would want to see. The Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, highlighted the role played by the Somalia Peacebuilding Fund-supported Midnimo project in promoting social cohesion and durable solutions in a rapidly urbanizing environment. Mr. Fernandez-Taranco said, “Somalia’s full potential can only be realized through community-led approaches. We as the UN must listen to the voices of the people and align our support to their priorities.” “To see the efforts that are currently being undertaken is very important. To institutionalize, to bring the unity of the country back together for the purpose of supporting and responding to the needs of the people,” the head of UN peacebuilding efforts noted. He added, “So, here, the Peacebuilding Fund will be very much focused on aspects of reconciliation and strengthening the capacity of national institutions on conflict prevention and to manage and to build peace.” Later, after the delegation met with the Prime Minister of Somalia, the President of South West State and government ministers, Mr. Mohieldin mentioned that their discussions revolved around normalizing the relationship between Somalia and the international financial institutions, something which has the potential to bring a new beginning for the country. |
