September 27, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report
President Farmajo In Saudi Arabia To Hold Talks With Saudi King
26 September – Source: Somali National News Agency (SONNA) 101 Words
A high level delegation led by Somali President Mohammed Abdullah Mohamed Farmajo have reached Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for two day official visit according to reports. At King Abdulaziz International Airport, the president was received by Prince Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Makkah Region, Dr. Musaed Al-Ayban, Minister of State, and Member of the Cabinet, who is the designate to escort the accompanying ministers; Dr. Hani bin Mohammed Abu Rass, Mayor of Jeddah Governorate; Mohammed Khayyat. President Farmajo and Saudi King Salman will hold bilateral talks on security, trade and other areas including diplomatic ties and the fight against terrorist.
Key Headlines
- President Farmajo In Saudi Arabia To Hold Talks With Saudi King (SONNA)
- Women Organization Official And Son Of The Chairperson Killed In Drive-by Shooting In Mogadishu(Goobjoog News)
- Shabelle River on the Brink of Flooding Risking 20 Villages Around Jowhar (Somali Update)
- UN Trains Somalia Security Forces On Humanitarian Law (Xinhuanet)
- The Battle For Survival In Somalia (Deutsche Welle)
- The Gulf Contest For The Horn Of Africa (Criticathreats.org)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Women Organization Official And Son Of The Chairperson Killed In Drive-by Shooting In Mogadishu
27 September -Source: Goobjoog News – 60 Words
A senior official of Somali Women Organization (SWO) and the son of the organisation’s chairpers have been killed in a drive-by shooting in Hamar-weyne, Mogadishu this afternoon. SWO Secretary General Anab Abdullahi Hashi and Ahmed Jama Hirsi, the son of SWO chairperson Ms.Battulo Sheikh Ahmed, were gunned down by armed men while driving along a street in Hamar-weyne district.
Shabelle River on the Brink of Flooding, Risking 20 Villages Around Jowhar
26 September – Source: Somali Update – 237 Words
About 20 villages in Middle Shabelle region are on the brink of possible flooding caused by the Shabelle River, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Said Hussein Eid has warned. In a news conference attended by senior ministry officials on Monday, Minister Eid has said following a recent assessment of the river water surface, it has risen into a level in which flooding is inevitable, risking to affect about 20 agricultural villages in Jowhar. “We have now alerted our partners of international agencies and governments to help us prevent the flooding,” he said.
Flooding in the two of Somalia’s agriculture-rich regions – Middle and Lower Shabelle – have become recurrent incidents every year, causing losses of crops and sometimes livestocks. Floods have always been attributed to heavy rains in Ethiopian highlands streaming down water to both Shabelle and Jubba rivers, but at times are resulted by breakage of river banks, according to United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization FAO-led Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU). Mr. Eid noted the need for urgent rehabilitation of the affected river banks and building new ones to help ease the risk of flooding. Mohamud Hassan, the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation predicted that if the flooding is not prevented, it will be very challenging to contain the losses caused by it. “The situation is worrisome. As we have now passed the drought, this is another problem looming” he added.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
UN Trains Somalia Security Forces On Humanitarian Law
26 September – Source: Xinhuanet
The United Nations said Tuesday it has started a two-week training session for 63 Somalia security forces on human rights and international humanitarian law. The UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) said participants will get a better understanding of their complex roles and duties in the protection of civilians, vulnerable and marginalized individuals and such groups as women and children.The training in Baidoa, South West state’s administrative capital, is attended by Somali National Army (SNA) and the South West Special Police Force.
South West state Minister of Women and Human Rights Nadifa Armey Abdullahi said the training will enable security forces to have a good understanding of human rights since they are dealing with different sections of the society. Similar training for SNA officers aimed at enhancing the capacity of the armed forces in human rights observance was held in Baidoa last week. UNSOM’s Human Rights and Protection Group is conducting the training as part of the mission’s mandate to support the rebuilding of Somalia’s security institutions.
The Battle For Survival In Somalia
27 September – Source: Deutsche Welle – Video: 3:30 Minutes
Half of Somalia’s population is now reliant on emergency aid. Attacks by Al-Shabaab, as well as the government’s strikes against them, are causing people to flee their homes in droves. Many of them seek refuge in camps in the capital, Mogadishu.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Both Turkey and Qatar have had long-term commitments to humanitarian aid in Somalia and have increased their support in recent months in response to the drought.[6] Qatar has attempted to hold talks between Gulf States and Somalia, where it encouraged Somalia to maintain its neutrality in the Qatar conflict.”
The Gulf Contest For The Horn Of Africa
26 September – Source: Criticalthreats.org – 1887 Words
Effects of the Qatar crisis have not been contained to the Gulf. The crisis has diplomatic and financial implications for states in the Horn of Africa, where we have observed a competition for influence among the Gulf States and Turkey. Saudi Arabia and the UAE see the Horn of Africa as a strategic opportunity to enhance their capabilities in the Gulf of Aden to support operations in Yemen. Turkey diverges from Saudi Arabia and the UAE in its Horn of Africa priorities: instead of expanding its military presence in the region, Turkey’s strategy involves a combination of heavy investments and commercial contracts, hoping to boost its economic competitiveness in the region. Qatar has largely aligned with Turkey and prioritized a humanitarian response to the drought in Somalia. Long-term, all four countries are looking to counter Iran’s intent to expand its naval capabilities in the region.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt cut formal ties with Qatar on June 5, 2017, resulting in the withdrawal of ambassadors and bans on trade and travel. Saudi Arabia also expelled Qatar’s contingent from the coalition fighting in Yemen. The conflict has bolstered relations between Qatar and Turkey, which has responded to the crisis by providing food aid and recommitting to providing Qatar with increased Turkish military presence.[1] Saudi Arabia originally presented Qatar with a list of thirteen demands, including ending diplomatic and military ties with Iran, cutting ties to all terror organizations, and shutting down Al Jazeera. The list has since been shortened to six demands, but mediation efforts by the US and Kuwait have made no progress in ending the dispute.[2] Somalia’s strategic location and complex ties with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states placed Somalia, with both sides in the Qatar conflict persuading the nation to abandon its neutral stance.[3]
Qatar and Turkey can leverage political ties and substantial humanitarian aid commitments to pressure Somalia to maintain its neutral stance. Qatar maintains close ties with Somali President Farmajo, whose chief of staff previously worked on his campaign as a liaison with Qatar.[4] The United Nations Monitoring Group on Somalia has previously accused Qatar of influencing Somali electoral outcomes through its financing of preferred candidates. Qatar has subsequently lobbied these government officials to support policies that increase Qatar’s commercial competitiveness in Somalia.[5] Both Turkey and Qatar have had long-term commitments to humanitarian aid in Somalia and have increased their support in recent months in response to the drought.[6] Qatar has attempted to hold talks between Gulf States and Somalia, where it encouraged Somalia to maintain its neutrality in the Qatar conflict.[7] Turkey has also been in talks with UAE and Saudi officials, advocating for an end to the embargo on Qatar before the end of Ramadan (which did not occur).[8] Somali officials, however, remain committed to neutrality in the conflict.[9] Somalia’s federal government recently criticized the semiautonomous regions of Galmudug, Puntland, and Hirshabelle for cutting ties with Qatar.[10]
The Saudis are leveraging financial aid to pressure Somalia to cut ties with Qatar. Saudi Arabia offered $80 million to Somalia on June 11 in an attempt to persuade the country to dissolve diplomatic relations with Qatar and reportedly warned Farmajo that it may withdraw all financial aid if Somalia maintains neutrality in the conflict.[12] The UAE could leverage commercial contracts to influence Somalia’s stance, but it is unlikely to hold much weight as Farmajo already disapproves of the contracts with Somaliland and Puntland. The UAE is more likely to withhold support for Somali defense entities. The UAE recalled its ambassador to Somalia and reportedly deported Somali citizens as public disapproval of Somalia’s neutral stance in the Qatar conflict.[13]
TOP TWEETS
.@SomaliPM: Wound up my official visit to D.C with #IMF Tao Zhang, reaffirmed our joint commitment to work together on our fiscal reforms & debt relief
.@engyarisow: #Somalia celebrates World Tourism Day in partnership with SOMTA, Ministry of Info, Culture & Tourism & Jazeera Hotel
.@MoPIED_Somalia: MoPIED is glad to finalize the Youth Employment 4 Somalia agreement which is signed by both the MoPIED and its counterpart JICA.
.@Goobjoognews: #SOMALIA: Medical training institutions which fail to submit curriculum for approval to face $2,000 fine, new Bill
.@HarunMaruf: @HarunMaruf Sept 21, Deputy pres of Galmudug, Speaker said they opposed their leader’s position to side w Saudi-UAE block.Sept 26, Galmudug pres ousted
.@SOMTA_Service; Join us in celebrating the #WTD2017 in#Mogadishu #TourismSomalia
.@HarunMaruf: Three Somali regional admins (Puntland, Galmudug, Southwest) broke off with the federal govt position and sided with Saudi-led bloc.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Photo: @TheVillaSomalia
President Abdullahi Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo with Prince Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Makkah Region at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia.