September 18, 2018 | Morning Headlines

Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire on Sunday night participated in an introductory ceremony of the self-reliance, or Is-xilqaan, program in Mogadishu. Banadir region Governor, Ministers, Members of Parliament along with citizens came together for the Is-xilqaan program implementation ceremony. PM Khaire emphasized to participants the importance of the self-reliance program stating that it is an opportunity to rebuild the country, whilst providing a better future for the youth.

The Prime Minister encouraged Somali citizens to contribute monetarily and volunteer their time, and participate in programs for national interest. Khaire stated “Citizens must come together to rebuild the country as a whole through the is-xilqaan program.” In August 2018, during the Garowe meeting, the Cabinet officially approved “Is-xilqaan” program, where government and civilians will jointly rebuild roads, historical places and government institutions.

Key Headlines

• PM Khaire Launches Is-xilqaan Program In Mogadishu (Hiiraan Online)
• RADIO: Interior Ministry Warns Regional States Against Disregarding Constitution (Radio Muqdisho)
• TV: Puntland Discusses Enforcement Of Anti-Rape Law (Somali Cable TV)
• Ministry Of Interior Declares To Support Free And Fair Elections In Regional States (goobjoog.com)
• Somalia And Djibouti To Deploy Troops To South Sudan (theeastafrican.co.ke)
• Third Girl Dies in Somalia After Genital Mutilation (VOA)
• Dur-Dur Band: Dur-Dur Of Somalia: Volume 1, Volume 2 And Previously Unreleased Tracks (Pop Matters )

NATIONAL NEWS

RADIO: Interior Ministry Warns Regional States Against Disregarding Constitution

17 September 14:45:40 – Source : Radio Muqdisho – 123 Words

The Federal Government’s Interior Ministry has issued a strongly worded statement warning regional states against disregarding the Constitution. In a press release, the Ministry said it was following keenly developments in the regional states with regard to the upcoming elections.

The statement singled out the conflict between leaders of the Galmudug state, as a case in point: “The ministry wishes to emphasize the importance of respecting the Constitution and the duration of occupying public offices.

This will ensure that elections are held as scheduled in order to avoid any possibilities of extension or litigation.” The Interior Ministry further promised to assist all state governments in executing the upcoming elections by ensuring fairness and transparency.

---

TV: Puntland Discusses Enforcement Of Anti-Rape Law

17 September 17:23:30 – Source : Somali Cable TV – 118 Words

Puntland’s Ministry of Justice and Religious Affairs presided over public discussions on the anti-rape legislation, which lawmakers of the regional state passed into law two years ago. The legislation was however only signed into law recently.

The meeting held in Garowe, the capital city of Puntland, was attended by ministers of Justice and Women Affairs, the Attorney General, Members of Parliament, and a huge number of civil society organizations.

The Justice minister, Salah Habib Jama, explained to members of the press that among the obstacles undermining enforcement of the rape law, is the idea of relatives of the victims and the accused persons agreeing to an out of court settlement.

---

Ministry Of Interior Declares To Support Free And Fair Elections In Regional States

17 September – Source : goobjoog.com – 113 Words

The Ministry of Interior, Federalism and Reconciliation has promised to watch closely the upcoming elections in the regional states and ensure they are free, fairand conducted in accordance with the Constitution of the country. In it’s statement released on Monday, the ministry also promised to follow closely the federalism process in the country’s elections.

The Interior Ministry further called on leaders of the Galmudug state to end the latest political wrangles and to return to the agreement signed in Villa Somalia on 06/12/2017.  The move comes at a time when there are frosty relations between the Federal Government and the Federal Member States .

 

---

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Somalia And Djibouti To Deploy Troops To South Sudan

17 September – Source : theeastafrican.co.ke – 325 Words

Regional bloc Igad has mandated Somalia and Djibouti to deploy troops to South Sudan to safeguard security and the implementation of the peace agreement. The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad), in a statement to the media on Monday afternoon, said Somalia and Djibouti have been endorsed by the regional bloc to be among the South Sudan peace guarantors.

The endorsement was made during the Igad Extra-Ordinary Summit held in Addis Ababa on September 12.“Igad shall request the UN Security Council to review its mandate on deployment of regional protection force to South Sudan and allow Sudan, Uganda, Djibouti and Somalia as guarantors, to contribute forces to enhance the protection and security,” the Igad statement reads.

“The Summit resolves that Igad shall engage the UN Security Council to ensure that the Regional Protection Force (RPF) is fully deployed to execute its mandate in accordance with the UNSC Resolutions 2304/16 and 2406/18.”

The statement added that the outcome of the Summit further mandated the Igad chiefs of staff to assess the operational needs and elaborate the tasks of the RPF in light of the current situation in South Sudan, as a basis for a securing endorsement from the African Union Peace Security Council and the UNSC.

It further stated that the regional bloc was committed to stand in solidarity with the people of South Sudan and their leaders in their endeavour to attain peace, stability and economic progress. Additionally, Igad called upon the government and the opposition groups in the war-torn country to prioritise the implementation of the Permanent Ceasefire on Cessation of Hostilities, Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Access.

Somalia is one of the most fragile states in the region and tops the list of security worst-hit countries on the continent. Its security has been mostly guaranteed by the African Union peace keepers deployed by Kenya, Uganda and Burundi.

---

Third Girl Dies in Somalia After Genital Mutilation

17 September – Source : VOA – 286 Words

A 10-year-old girl has died in Somalia due to complications from female genital mutilation (FGM). Mumtaz Qorane was the third child to die in the country this week after undergoing the practice, which is also known as female circumcision. Dr. Mohamed Hussein Aden tells VOA’s Somali service that the girl underwent the procedure three days ago in the countryside near the town of Goldogob, and contracted tetanus afterward.

He said a medical team sent to bring her to a hospital in the town of Galkayo was told Monday morning that the girl had died. Aden received an emergency call about the girl’s grave condition on Sunday while talking to VOA Somali about the death of two sisters, Asiya Farah Abdi Warsame and Khadija Farah Abdi Warsame, who bled to death following FGM.

Doctors and activists said the girls died in Bur Salah village about 75 kilometers west of Galkayo, but the mutilation took place about a week ago near Galladi, across the border in the Somali region of Ethiopia. Galkayo hospital is the main health facility used by nomads who live along the border areas between Somalia and Ethiopia.

Dr. Mohamed Hussein Aden said the two girls who died in Bur Salah were aged 10 and 11, adding, “There is no other way to describe it, it’s brutal.” Activists are demanding an end to female circumcision, calling it a dangerous ritual with no practical benefits. The practice involves removing part or all of the clitoris and labia for non-medical reasons. The World Health Organization (WHO) says cutting, often performed on girls 15 and younger, can result in bleeding, infection, problems with urination and complications with childbearing.

---

OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE

 

Dur-Dur Band: Dur-Dur Of Somalia: Volume 1, Volume 2 And Previously Unreleased Tracks

17 September – Source : Pop Matters – 635 Words

It’s hard to imagine that, not so long ago, Dur-Dur Band was almost lost to the broader musical world, obscured by time and Somali political upheaval. Ever since Awesome Tapes from Africa reissued the 1987 cassette Volume 5 back in 2013, the band has become a staple for any collector of vintage African music. Now, Analog Africa returns with 18 more tracks from the legendary 1980s group on the heftily named Dur-Dur of Somalia: Volume 1, Volume 2 and Previously Unreleased Tracks.

Of varying technical quality, the recordings are invariably full of what makes Dur-Dur Band so captivating even decades after their initial rise to fame in Mogadishu: entrancing funk, disco beats, and East African melody. Somalia, the tip and southern border of the Horn of Africa, wraps around Ethiopia, a nation that has long been seen as the world music jewel of East Africa. Though Ethiopia bears the distinction of having never been colonized by the European groups that ripped apart the rest of the continent, including its eastern neighbor, Somali popular music also has certain aesthetic features that mark it as East African.

The modes and brass here will strike a literal chord with fans of classic Ethio-jazz, while hypnotic choruses recall any number of trance-like traditions, especially those found along the Nile. Dur-Dur Band was, in fact, almost blackballed from the Somali music scene for focusing on those sounds less meant for a global market – which is where the disco comes in. Dur-Dur Band is often specifically marketed as retro Somali disco, especially in retrospect. Certainly, the repetition lends itself well to the unstoppable quality of disco, as do the horns and synths that make up the bulk of Dur-Dur’s sound. The production values, though, make the Dur-Dur sound stripped-down by necessity.

The group’s straight reggae jam “Diinleeya” embraces this with slow and open textures, while “Caashaqa Maxaa Il Baray” compensates with singer Sahra Abukar Dawo’s voice in full melismatic force over psychedelic electric guitar. Never does the group sound like a thin take on their more orchestral disco influences; to the contrary, differences in resources force the group to make something entirely unique, a style that is funk, is jazz, is Somali, is global – and is sometimes none of those things, but is surely infectious.

Between the tracks of Volume 1 and Volume 2 are the two previously unreleased tracks, which could hardly be more different from each other as samples of Dur-Dur’s music. “Salkudhigey” is fast music for sweaty dance floors, rising vocals soft over a genius guitar ostinato and staccato trumpets. On the other side of the Dur-Dur spectrum, “Haddi Aanan Gacaloy” has soulful organs and reggae backbeats, a sweetly-crooned jam for a distant VIP lounge. They are fantastic finds, no question.

A detailed booklet tells the abbreviated tale of Dur-Dur Band’s rise from radio-run singing competition winners to superstardom, and it makes for an enlightening read. The narrator of the story is lead singer Shimaali Ahmed Shimaali – another good move on the part of Analog Africa, a label that, unlike many, typically makes at least an effort to get the original artists of a reissue involved.

It also includes the thrilling tale of label founder Samy Ben Redjeb’s “discovery” of Dur-Dur in 2007 and his death-defying ventures into Somalia – and these come across as a little unnecessary and perhaps even inappropriate next to the actual story of a singer who had to flee his own country and risk musical obscurity. On the whole, though, Dur-Dur Band continues to be one of the most transfixing East African pop groups of the 1980s, and this release is a stellar collection of even more gems.

---