September 17, 2013 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

EU pledges 650 million euros to back Somalia reconstruction plan

16 Sept – Source: Reuters/Al Jazeera/BBC – 182 words

The European Union pledged an additional 650 million euros (541.18 million pounds) in aid for Somalia on Monday to back a three-year reconstruction plan aimed at building on fragile security gains in the country. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso made the pledge as Somalia’s government and international donors met in Brussels to sign up to a plan designed to bolster security and build an inclusive political system. EU officials hope international donors at Monday’s meeting will pledge more than a billion euros in total to back the plan.

Key Headlines

Somali president addresses at Brussels New Deal Conference for Somalia
(Universal TV)
EU pledges 650 million euros to back Somalia reconstruction plan
( Reuters/Al Jazeera/BBC)
Protest overshadows Brussels conference (Bar-kulan)
‘New Deal’ to drive Somalia recovery from civil war (African Review)
20 UPDF officers face court over food theft ( Daily Monitor)
Al Shabaab: Brussels Donor Conference is ‘Belgian Waffle’(IB Times)
Uganda suspends officers sent to Somalia on AU mission(BBC)

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali president addresses at Brussels New Deal Conference for Somalia

16 Sept – Source: Radio Mustaqbal/Universal TV – 141 words

The New Deal Conference for Somalia opened in Brussels, center of Belguim State on Monday as the spokesman of Somali president Eng. Abdirahman Yarisow confirmed to Mustaqbal radio on the telephone line. The president of federal government of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has addressed conference, talking about wide ranges of issues relating to Somalia. The president expressed deep concern over the decision of Barclays Bank to suspend the remittances of Somalia. In the meeting, the EU representative for foreign affairs Catharine Ashton, the president of Djibouti H.E Ismail Omar gelle both praised the federal government of Somalia for the work it has accomplished during the one year of its existance.

Protest overshadows Brussels conference

16 Sept – Source: Bar-kulan/Raxanreeb – 128 words

Hundreds of Somalis against the Brussels conference on Somalia gathered outside the conference hall in Belgian capital, Brussels. Demonstrators in support of Khatumo state, a newly established regional administration in Sool, Sanaag and Ayn regions have traveled from various countries across Europe to express their disappointment over their administration not being invited in to the conference on Somalia. Djiboutian protesters against President Ismail Omar Gelle’s policy have also joined the protest. The European Union and the Federal Government of Somalia have co-hosted “The New Deal for Somalia Conference” in Brussels aimed to endorse the “New Deal Compact” that will commit the Somali people and their international partners to a set of key priorities and new support for the reconstruction of Somalia over the next 3 years.

President Silanyo Initiates Development Projects in Togdheer Region

16 Sept – Source: Somaliland Press/Universal TV – 98 words

Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud (Silanyo) Monday in a groundbreaking ceremony laid the foundation stone for the construction of the extension of a 1KM to the existing 2KM runway at the Burco airport in Togdheer region. President Silanyo after the ceremony attended a graduation ceremony held for more than 150 students at Golis University Burco. The president later in the day also laid the foundation stone for a new road which will link Burco and the Erigavo in the town Ina –Afmadoobe.

Baidoa residents demonstrate against Brussels conference on Somalia

16 Sept – Source: Radio Dalsan – 97 words

Hundreds of residents in the town of Baidoa, the capital of Somalia’s Bay region have demonstrated in the streets of Baidoa against the Brussels conference on Somalia New Deal. The demonstrators gathered in front of the office of the district commissioner chanting anti government slogans. The demonstrators chanted that the federal government of Somalia ignored their region and that they have already cut off the relation with the federal government. “We do not care about the outcome of Brussels conference because our input was not added into the project to develop Somalia,” one demonstrator said.

REGIONAL MEDIA

‘New Deal’ to drive Somalia recovery from civil war

16 Sept – Source: Africa Review – 142 words

International donors met Monday to approve a “New Deal” for Somalia, with the EU pledging another $870 million (650 million euros) to help drive its recovery from 20 years of civil war. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the EU had already provided aid worth $1.6 billion (1.2 billion euros) and the new commitment showed it would “remain engaged” with Somalia as it lays the foundations for the future. Somalia was regaining “its status as a fully fledged member of the international community,” Mr Barroso said, adding that much still needed to be done, citing continuing security and human rights problems. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said: “Somalia has been given a great opportunity to move forward.” As the meeting opened, EU foreign affairs head Catherine Ashton said President Mohamud faced one of “the most difficult challenges in the world”.

20 UPDF officers face court over food theft

16 Spet – Source: Daily Monitor – 108 words

Ugandan President Museveni has summarily recalled at least 24 UPDF officers from Mogadishu including Brig Michael Ondoga, the Commander of the Ugandan forces in Somalia, over alleged sale of food meant for soldiers. Sources told the Daily Monitor that the President has also cancelled Brig Ondoga’s new appointment as military attaché to Nairobi and ordered that he and 23 others face court martial.
Brig Ondoga was supposed to handover to Brig Dick Olum at the end of this month to assume his new diplomatic job in Kenya. But this new order might see him and 23 others begin long court battles in Uganda over alleged mismanagement of soldiers’ logistics.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

EU pledges 650 million euros to back Somalia reconstruction plan

16 Sept – Source: Reuters/Al Jazeera/BBC – 182 words

Uganda suspends officers sent to Somalia on AU mission

16 Sept – Source: BBC – 103 words

Uganda has suspended 24 army officers accused of corruption in Somalia while battling Islamist militants as part of an African Union (AU) force, a Ugandan army spokesman has told the BBC. The officers are accused of selling food and fuel, meant for troops, on the black market, reports say. The Ugandan contingent head, Brigadier Michael Ondoga, is among those being investigated. Uganda is the biggest contributor to the AU force of about 18,000. The force, funded mainly by the United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU) is fighting the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group in Somalia. Brigadier Ondoga has not commented on the allegations.

Al Shabaab: Brussels Donor Conference is ‘Belgian Waffle’

16 Sept – Source: IB Times – 98 words
Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab rebels have dismissed a key donor conference in Brussels as “Belgian waffle”. Diplomats and international officials are discussing a “New Deal for Somalia”, to release hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild the war torn country after two decades of conflict. Architects of the deal claimed that £3.2bn would be needed over the next three years, leading up to Somalia’s first proper elections in 2016. “Somalia has been in an emergency state for 22 years,” the country’s west-backed president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said. “Brussels will be the foundation for the recovery of this country.”

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS

“Working in fragile and conflict-affected states like Somalia is risky and it’s complex. But risks need tackling and management for development to take place. This is why forums like the New Deal, the Open Government Partnership (which five DFID countries are members of) and the Global Partnership (which all twenty eight DFID countries and many non-state actors are part of) can be so helpful.”

A new deal for working in risky places?

16 Set- Source: DFID Blog-950 Words

Here in the UK, many news stories we hear about Somalia are negative. Somalia is one of the world’s riskiest places, alongside countries like Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Twenty one out of the 28 countries that DFID works in are “fragile and conflict-afflicted”. But today there was a good news story. Like 5 other DFID countries, Somalia is joining the New Deal for Peace, a commitment between the Somali government and the international community to work together towards lasting peace and development. But what is this “deal” all about? One way of looking at it is as a safe space for countries like Somalia and organisations like DFID to actively manage development risks together.