September 2, 2013 | Morning Headlines.

Main Story

Demonstrators in Mogadishu welcome Addis Ababa agreement

01 Sept- Source: Radio Dalsan/Radio Mustaqbal/Radio Mogadishu/Dhanaan Online- 117 words
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the centre if Mogadishu to welcome last week’s agreement signed in Addis Ababa between the federal government of Somalia and Ras Kamboni militia in Kismayu. The demonstration which was organized by Mogadishu’s regional administration attracted hundreds of women and men who have been joyfully celebrating the agreement. The mayor of Mogadishu Mohamud “Tarsan” who spoke at the demonstration condemned the people who rejected the deal.

Key Headlines

The African Union concludes a two-week long workshop on International Humanitarian Law for the Somalia National Army (AMISOM)
Somali president receives new Ethiopian ambassador (Radio Mogadishu)
Chief officer of Burundi State arrives in Mogadishu (Radio Mustaqbal)
President Hassan sends message to Puntland administration(SNTV/Radio Mogadishu)
War erupts between allied forces and al Shabaab on the outskirts of Baidoa
(Radio Shabelle)
“Obstacles on confirming the security” Somali president says (SNTV)
UNSOM to establish regional office in Kismayo (Raxanreeb)
Galmudug president arrives in Mogadishu (Radio Bar- Kulan)
Somaliland: Ethiopian Airlines resume flights to Hargeisa (Somaliland Press)
Somali national army officers Ahlu Sunna re-open big military base(Radio Mogadishu)
Somali PM set to meet Saudi Arabian officials (Radio Mogadishu)
Barclays closure of remittance accounts to cut lifeline for Somali refugees
(Standard)
Dubai anti-piracy conference to focus on rebuilding Somalia(National)
France hails Somalia Jubba agreement (afriquejet)
Mogadishu TEDx talk challenged by security threats (AP)

PRESS STATEMENT

The African Union concludes a two-week long workshop on International Humanitarian Law for the Somalia National Army

30 Aug- Source: AMISOM- 231 words

The African Union (AU) has today concluded a training workshop aimed at improving understanding and compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and Human Rights for officers of the Somalia National Army. The Human Rights Section of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) contributed in facilitating the training.

The training, which started on 20 August 2013, was conducted in two phases with a total of 59 officers benefitting. During the training, the officers were taken through critical aspects of IHL especially those aspects that are applicable to the Somalia context; the protection of victims and civilians in armed conflicts; the rules of the conduct of hostilities; the protection of detainees; the protection of humanitarian and relief personnel and objects; and acts of war crimes in non-international armed conflicts as well as command responsibilities.

The training resulted, among others, in the adoption of a forward looking strategy and action plan, the need for train-the-trainer courses and the publication, in Somali language, of a code of conduct for the Somalia National Army.

The AU Special Representative for Somalia and Head of AMISOM, Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif thanked the Political Affairs Department of the AU Commission for funding the training. He also expressed his appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Uganda for hosting the training and the Durban, South Africa-based African Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) for the logistical support provided for the conduct of the training.

SOMALI MEDIA

Demonstrators in Mogadishu welcome Addis Ababa agreement

01 Sept- Source: Radio Dalsan/Radio Mustaqbal/Radio Mogadishu/Dhanaan Online- 117 words

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the centre if Mogadishu to welcome last week’s agreement signed in Addis Ababa between the federal government of Somalia and Ras Kamboni militia in Kismayu. The demonstration which was organized by Mogadishu’s regional administration attracted hundreds of women and men who have been joyfully celebrating the agreement. The mayor of Mogadishu Mohamud “Tarsan” who spoke at the demonstration condemned the people who rejected the deal.

Somali president receives new Ethiopian ambassador

01 Sept- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Mogadishu- 89 words

The Ethiopian government has appointed Wondimu Asaminew as its new ambassador to neighboring Somalia. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud received the credentials of Ethiopian Ambassador to Somalia Wondimu Asaminew on Saturday after Asaminew arrived in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamed and ambassador Asaminew discussed a wide range of issues including the deepening of bilateral relations between the two countries. Ambassador Wondimu Asaminew is set to replace outgoing ambassador Abdiasis Ahmed Adam who has been Ethiopia’s envoy for the war-ton Somalia since 2011.

Chief officer of Burundi State arrives in Mogadishu

01 Sept- Source: Radio Mustaqbal- 239 words

The chief officer of Burundi National Forces arrived in Mogadishu where he had meetings with top government officials. The arrival of the commander of Burundi’s Military Forces Niyongabo was aimed to supervise and monitor the troops from Burundi in Somalia as part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). The commander met with president of federal government of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the acting prime minister and deputy prime minister of Somalia Miss Fowsiyo Yusuf Haji Aden, minister of defense Abdihakin Haji Mohamud Fiqi, as well as General Dahir Aden Elmi Known as “Indho-Qarshe”. The chief officer from Burundi also visited barracks where government and Burundi troops are in the capital.

War erupts between allied forces and al Shabaab on the outskirts of Baidoa

01 Sept- Source: Radio Shabelle- 124 words

Fighting between Ethiopian forces allied with Somali government troops and al Shabaab erupted last night at Gansahdere district in Bai region. The fighting started when the allied forces attacked al Shabaab bases in Gansahdere town. The heavy fighting which lasted for hours caused several casualties including both deaths and injury casualties, as well as the destruction of an unknown value of properties. 5 civilians died on the spot resulting from the heavy machinery that was used during the fighting.

UNSOM to establish regional office in Kismayo

31 Aug- Source: Raxanreeb- 110 words

The new United Nations Support Office for Somalia [UNSOM] is intending to establish a regional office in Kismayo, Lower Jubba region. The establishment of the office is part of UNSOM’s efforts to reach out to Somali regions under the federal government of Somalia. UNSOM has already promised that its first plan is to expand its presence in Somalia and to reach out the people of Somalia. The announcement came days after a peace deal reached in Addis Ababa by the federal government of Somalia and the Kismayu interim administration.

Somalia congratulates Malaysia for its 56th Independence Day celebration

01 Sept- Source: Hiiraan Online- 112 words

The Federal Government of Somalia has extended its well wishes and congratulations to Malaysia on its 56th Independence Day celebration. Ambassador Zakaria Haji Abdi in a statement said: “On behalf of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the people of Somalia, I am delighted to congratulate all Malaysians as you celebrate your 56th Independence Day on Aug 31”.

Galmudug president arrives in Mogadishu

01 Sept- Source: Radio Bar-kulan- 118 words

A delegation led by president of Galmudug authority Abdi Hassan Awale (Qayb-did) has arrived in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Speaking to the media shortly before departing Galkacyo, Mr Qayb-did stated that his trip to Mogadishu is related to the upcoming Brussels conference for Somalia on September 16. He added that some other senior figures of his administration will accompany him to the Brussels meeting. Abdi Hassan Awale (Qayb-did), president of Galkacyo-based administration expressed his expectation over the conference, hoping that it will be a successful one. The Federal Government of Somalia and The European Union (EU) are to co-host “The New Deal for Somalia Conference” in Brussels on 16 September 2013.

Somaliland: Ethiopian Airlines resume flights to Hargeisa

01 Sept- Source: Somaliland Press- 274 words

An Ethiopian 737 Boeing airplane made history by been the largest airplane to make a landing at the newly opened 2.4 Kilometers of runway at Egal International airport as the national carrier of Ethiopia added Hargeisa to its growing list of international destinations. Hon Mohamud Hashi Abdi, the Somaliland Minister of Aviation, was among those who witnessed the event as the largest airplane ever to make a landing in the 58 year history of the airport.

Somali national army officers, Ahlu Sunna re-open big military base

31 Aug- Source: Radio Dalsan/Radio Mogadishu- 103 words

The leading officers of Somalia national army and senior commanders from Ahlu Sunna in Galgadud region have officially re-opened the former Somali military base in the region. The re-opening of the former military base came after a widely organized ceremony took place at Dhusamareb’s military base of 21 division. Gen Abdiurusak Elmi of Somali national army said that the base will now be both a training and administration base for the national army in Galgadud region in central Somalia.

Hundreds in Baidoa protest against Federal Gov’t

31 Aug- Source: Garowe Online/ Shabelle/Radio Mustaqbal- 192 words

Hundreds of people took to the streets in Bay, regional capital of Baidoa on Saturday against the recently signed agreement between the Federal Government of Somalia and Jubba Interim Administration, Garowe Online reports. The anti-government rally was organized by Bay regional administration and traditional elders, with demonstrators holding banners that read “anti- government slogans”.

President Hassan sends message to Puntland administration

31 Aug- Source: Radio Dalsan/SNTV/Radio Mogadishu- 119 words

As the relations between the federal government of Somalia and the Puntland administration have been cut off since last month, the president of the federal government has sent a message to the administration and the people in Puntland. Addressing the nation on Friday, president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said that he was very upset by the recent decision by Puntland authority in to break ties with the federal government of Mogadishu. “We are very sorry about the decision, but we should examine what motives have brought Puntland’s decision.” president Mohamud said. Somalia president said the federal government was not against adoption of the federal system in the country but insisted on the rules that serve federalism.

Somali PM set to meet Saudi Arabian officials

31 Aug- Source: Radio Bar-kulan/Radio Mogadishu- 99 words

Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon who is currently in Saudi Arabia is expected to meet the country’s Foreign Affairs minister. Somali government speaker Mr Ridwan Hajji Abdiweli stated that the Somali Prime Minister will meet Saudi Foreign Affairs minister in a bid to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries. Mr Ridwan added that Prime Minister Shirdon received an official invitation from the Saudi Arabian government, as he will brief them about the development of the war-torn country’s current political situation. Prime Minister Shirdon is also set to meet the Somali Diaspora community in Jeddah.

“Obstacles on confirming the security”, Somali president says

31 Aug- Source: Radio Mustaqbal/SNTV- 135 words
The president of Somali H.E Hassan Sheik Mohamud, speaking to the national radio and TV, said that there are obstacles about confirming the security of the state, including lack of sufficient weapons and training of the government troops. “We can’t confirm the security because obstacles exist, there are still government troops in the barracks who don’t have weapons” said Somali president H.E Hassan Mohamud. The president suggested this talk, speaking to the Somali community through the national radio and TV on Friday.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Dubai anti-piracy conference to focus on rebuilding Somalia

01 Sept- Source: National- 407 words

The third annual international counter-piracy conference to take place in the emirate will focus on rebuilding the nation of Somalia, according to the organisers. Unlike the two previous events, this year’s conference will concentrate on building the capacities of Somali institutions to develop security and economic growth, said Dr Theodore Karasik, the director of research at the Institute of Near East and Gulf Military Analysis. “Governments and international organisations will work together to focus on rebuilding institutions and identifying gaps that need to be filled,” he said.

Somaliland: Unsafe heaven to anti-peace elements

30 Aug- Source: Walta Information Centre- 401 words

Ethiopia, in collaboration with the Somaliland people, has made Somaliland and its vicinity unsafe heaven to terrorist groups and anti-peace elements. In his exclusive interview with WIC, Conciliate General of Ethiopia in Somaliland Brigadier General Berhe Tesfay said that Ethiopia has sacrificed a lot to help the Somaliland people to free the area from terrorists and anti-peace groups. In collaboration with both the Somaliland and the Ethiopian people, insecurity problems are now under control.

Barclays closure of remittance accounts to cut lifeline for Somali refugees

31 Aug- Source: Standard- 315 words

Having a simple meal in Somalia is a luxury. Poverty has inevitably increased since the early 1990s with 53 per cent of the population living on less than $1 (Sh85) a day. As a result, millions of Somalis depend on handouts from their families abroad, termed hawala. The money transfers are the lifelines of the country’s economy. According to United Kingdom’s Office of National Statistics, the British-Somalis send up to £150 million every year to their relatives back home. This far exceeds international aid.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

France hails Somalia, Jubba agreement

31 Aug- Source : afriquejet.- 149 words

France hails the agreement signed on 28 August in Addis Ababa by the Somali federal government and the interim administration of Jubba on the progressive integration of Jubba into the Somali federal state, the deputy spokesperson of the French foreign affairs ministry, Vincent Floréani, said on Friday in Paris. Speaking in a press briefing, he said that the signing of the agreement was an important step in the process to rebuild Somali’s federal State.

Kenya lists Al-Shabaab as organized crime gang

30 Aug- Source: Xinhua-203 words

Kenya has listed the Somali Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab as one of the 46 groups engaged in organized crime in the East African country. In a report launched in Nairobi on Friday, Kenyan Attorney General Githui Muigai described terrorism as a new form of organized crime in the country. “Organized criminal gangs are evolving in Kenya in unprecedented ways. The increasing incidents of the terror they unleash among citizens where lives are lost, property destroyed and injuries inflicted is very worrisome,” Muigai said during the launch of the report by the National Crime Research Center (NCRC) on Organized Criminal Gangs in Kenya.

Mogadishu TEDx talk challenged by security threats

30 Aug- Source: AP- 648 words

The short talks by artists and intellectuals at events known as TEDx have been held 7,500 times in more than 150 countries, but there may not be an event more challenging or dangerous as the TEDx talk being held in Mogadishu this Saturday. Then again, there may be no city in the world that needs its smartest and strongest voices heard as much as Somalia’s capital, which is clawing its way forward to move beyond its bombs-and-bullets past.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“I highly doubt that the more than 16 million people spread all over the world are al-Shabaab. “

Don’t condemn Somalis because of Shabaab

31 Aug- Source: Star- 873 words

During the recent fire escapade at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, many flights were tardy. My flight was to depart Entebbe International Airport-Uganda, in the afternoon but it left sometime after 8pm. As time went by, people came out of their cocoons and started conversing; sharing encounters of similar nature from past travels; agonising about their children; lamenting about the many hours they have been travelling and how tired they were.

It was during this ‘bonding time’ with fellow travellers, that I found myself seated in a café with other Kenyans also marooned at Entebbe waiting for Kenya Airways. As we analysed the events that were unfolding back in Kenya, my new friends occasionally switched to the Somali language to stress some things amongst themselves. It was nothing new to me and I never felt excluded since we come from a multi-lingual country and such instances are pretty common. So calling them a rarity would be a misnomer.

A couple seated at a table next to us-albeit thinking that they were whispering to each other and we couldn’t hear them said in a conspiratorial tone.

“The details of the bad things suffered by Ms. Lindhout and her travelling companion make for exceptionally grim chapters. Kidnappers grabbed them on their fourth day in Somalia, and their odyssey lasted more than 15 months. She was beaten, tortured and raped. She briefly contemplated suicide. In the end, their families raised $1.2-million and bought their freedom.”

After 15 months’ captivity in Somalia, a story of resilience

30 Aug- Source: theglobeandmail- 707 words
The question often asked, when Amanda Lindhout disappeared in one of the world’s nastiest war zones, was: Why?
Nobody instructed the young journalist to visit Somalia in the middle of a civil war. No editors demanded her coverage; her only steady job when she landed in Mogadishu was a regular column for the Red Deer Advocate, a small newspaper in central Alberta. When news broke that a 27-year-old freelancer had been kidnapped, some veteran correspondents asked each other why the rookie threw herself into such danger.