September 3, 2013 | Morning Headlines.

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Somali president opens National Conference in Mogadishu

02 Sept – Source: SNTV/Radio Mustaqbal/Shabelle – 119 words

The president of the federal government of Somalia H.E Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has officially opened the national conference on political process and vision of 2016 in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The president of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud talked about a wide range of issues about the state. The conference was attended by the president, Deputy Prime Minister, Legislators, Ministers, Special envoy of UN for Somalia Mr. Nicolas Kay and other honourable participants.

Key Headlines

UN Special Representative Speech at the opening of the Vision 2016 conference in Mogadishu(UNSOM)
Somalia President: Elections to take place by September 2016(Africa Review)
Security tightened in Mogadishu as national conference starts in the capital
(Radio Dalsan)
Kismayo administration condemns Bay and Bakool regions’ boycott against Addis agreement (Radio Dalsan)
Bay and Bakool communities prepare for Southwestern convention
(Garowe Online)
Puntland gov’t do not recognize Mogadishu National Conference outcome
(Garowe Online)
Somali nationals jailed for firing at Malaysian soldiers (The Sun Daily)
Solar-powered lights stem sex assaults in Somalia (CBS News/AP )
Amanda Lindhout Who Was Held Captive In Somalia For 15 Months Opens Up About The Ordeal (IB Times)

PRESS STATEMENT

UN Special Representative Speech at the opening of the Vision 2016 conference in Mogadishu

02 Sept – Source: UNSOM – 1237 words

Your Excellency, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud,

Your Excellency, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister

Honorable members of Parliament

Excellencies, diplomatic corps

Ministers, Ministers of State and former Ministers

Mayor of Mogadishu

Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen

I am delighted to be invited to speak at the opening of this very important conference. As a recently arrived guest in your country, this is an opportunity to thank you for the hospitality you have extended to me and to the whole United Nations. I believe one of the duties of a good guest is to listen and learn. I have tried to do that in my first three months and look forward to doing that today as well. The entire international community has given the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) a very clear and strong mandate, which is particularly relevant to today’s conference. Two tasks in particular in UNSCR 2102 are:

First to use the UN’s “good offices” functions to support the Federal Government’s peace and reconciliation process;

Second is to support the Federal Government by providing strategic policy advice including on the development of a federal system, the constitutional review process, and subsequent referendum on the constitution, and preparations for elections in 2016.

I very much appreciate the initiative of the Federal Government of Somalia in organizing this impressive gathering, and also at very short notice.

A political process in Somalia that is broad and inclusive, that aims to review and complete the constitutional process, and prepare for credible, free and fair elections in 2016 has the full support of the United Nations. I see this Conference as an important initiative to take us down a critical but essential path. A path towards genuine democracy.

The United Nations supports the objectives of this conference, including developing a vision, and hopefully concrete ideas, to move Somalia towards that democratic objective by 2016. As I am still in the very early days of my mission, I would like to share with you three principles that are guiding my work:

First and foremost is the principle of Somali ownership and leadership. One year ago the country reached a turning point with the election of a representative and fully legitimate federal Parliament, Speaker and President. This time last year the paradigm shifted. One year later the shift is being given concrete form in the New Deal compact shortly to be presented to a conference in Brussels: containing Somali owned; Somali led peace and state building objectives.

My second principle is that you are not and should not be alone. The international community has had a mixed history in Somalia since your country fell apart in 1991. We have tried hard but with mixed results. Sometimes we have seemed to walk away. But for the last two years that has not been the case. Conferences in London, Istanbul, New York, Rome and Japan have demonstrated strong and united international commitment to Somalia. The presence and sacrifices of AMISOM show this commitment – at great cost in lives and money. Together we have tackled piracy and alleviated famine.

The UN has helped politically – and I pay tribute to the great role played by my predecessor Ambassador Mahiga. The UN has also persevered with humanitarian and development work. Today 760,000 Somali children attend UNICEF sponsored schools (half of them girls). 1.4 million have been asisited ibn the first half of 2013 by WFP. 4 million have been vaccinated against polio – although possibly 600,000 children remain unvaccinated, many in Al Shabaab controlled areas.

So my message to you is that UNSOM is with you and present in a way that it has not been before: in Mogadishu, Garowe, Hargeisa and shortly in Baidoa, Kismayo and Beledtweyne. UNSOM is based in Somalia. I have no house in Nairobi. You are not alone. We are here to help and we are here to stay as long as we’re needed.

My third guiding principle is that we face essentially a political problem that needs a political solution. Yes, you face many challenges in the development, economic, security, governance and human rights sectors but the over-riding challenge is political. The heart of the political challenge appears to me to be quite simple to describe, even if rather difficult to solve. After 22 years of conflict, power and control of resources and revenue have fragmented. The strong centralist state has ceased to exist. Different regions and different people now hold different bits of power. That’s why you have decided a federal model is the only system that will work in this new reality. The task now is to agree among yourselves exactly how Federalism will work in practice. How will you share power, revenue, resources and responsibilities in a way that benefits all Somalia. These are difficult issues. But ones which need political solutions.

Finally, this is also why I am optimistic. In my brief acquaintance with Somalia I am struck by how Somalis have all the skills to solve complex political problems:

– a love of talking and debate; a love of words shown in poetry and politics;
– a strong sense of justice and fairness that puts emphasis on reconciliation and mutual respect;
– Great abilities and dedication with hugely inspiring examples in government and civil society of bravery and commitment, including from many young diaspora and especially women returning to “do their bit”.

– And last but not least, I am encouraged by the growing sense of urgency. To review the constitution, hold a referendum and then elections by 2016 is a mighty hill to climb. A year of quite slow progress has passed, but now I detect a real increase in the pace – Parliament worked unselfishly throughout Ramadan. Some of the key laws are drafted and commissions established, but more need to be. The Juba issue has at last been addressed. I congratulate warmly the parties on the political agreement reached in Addis last week. The New deal compact is nearly ready and consultations have happened in Baidoa, Garowe, and here. But more need to happen.

And now today, this conference has started. I hope it will be the first of many. You have a huge agenda to cover. After several days you may decide that each of the five themes requires itself a separate conference. If so, the UN will be happy to support you and perhaps you will choose to hold follow up thematic conferences in each of the major cities of Somalia. The discussions must not end here. Women’s voices must especially be heard.

Today is a landmark in the political process, but just one milestone in the long road to 2016. I look forward to being your travelling companion.

As the Federal Government, through this process, moves Somalia towards a genuine transition to democracy, the United Nations stands ready to support it in all aspects. In particular we will see how we can support the priority areas as the discussions broadens and national consensus is built around them. We will in any case, spare no effort in supporting the Government and the Federal Institutions in realizing the broad objectives of this conference.

I thank you for your kind attention. I would like to congratulate the President for organizing this conference. I wish you all the best for this important event and know you will engage in a spirit of compromise, mutual respect and inclusivity.

SOMALI MEDIA

Somali president opens National Conference in Mogadishu

02 Sept – Source: SNTV/Radio Mustaqbal/Shabelle – 119 words

Security tightened in Mogadishu as national conference starts in the capital

02 Sept – Source: Radio Dalsan – 99 words

Somali government forces tightened the security in Mogadishu as a national gathering started in the capital on Monday, with heavy police presence on the main streets. Residents in some of the districts of Mogadishu told Radio Dalsan that thepolice blocked some of the streets including the main road that links the airport and the Villa Somalia presidential compound.

Bay and Bakool communities prepare for Southwestern convention

02 Sept – Source: Garowe Online – 133 words

Bay’s regional capital of Baidoa is likely to host a huge convention aimed at forming a Southwestern State of Somalia as intellectuals and academics hailing from Bay and Bakool regions have been arriving in the town, Garowe Online reports. The convention which is intended to build a Southwestern State administration was called by tradition elders; the organizers urged Bay and Bakool parliamentarians and other Federal Government officials to join the upcoming convention. “As preparations are underway to establish a new administration here in Baidoa, we invited Digil and Mirifle politicians including Federal MPs and Ministers to Push Bay and Bakool local communities into an autonomy,” said Ali Shino, a spokesman for the organizers.

Kismayo administration condemns Bay and Bakool regions’ boycott against Addis agreement

02 Sept – Source: Radio Dalsan – 90 words

Officials of the Ras Kamboni-led administration in Kismayu have strongly condemned a boycott against the newly signed agreement in Addis Ababa where the federal government and local warlord “Madobe” agreed to form a three regions administration. The officials said that they were very upset to hear about the boycott from Bay and Bakool regions. “The Addis Ababa agreement is the only way to put forward the reconciliation of the country,” a statement from the Kismayu meeting said.

Puntland gov’t do not recognize Mogadishu National Conference outcome

02 Sept – Source: Garowe Online – 98 words

Puntland Government on Monday declared that it will not recognize the outcome of a National Conference kicked off in Mogadishu today, Garowe Online reports. Speaking at a press conference held in Puntland capital of Garowe, Puntland’s Minister of Information Ahmed Sheikh Jama said the“Puntland Government will not recognize the self proclaimed Mogadishu National Conference”. “It [the Federal Government] doesn’t adhere to the legitimate Provisional Federal Constitution (PFC) and didn’t perfect the use of federalism as a means of solving problems,” added Jama.

REGIONAL MEDIA

Somalia President: Elections to take place by September 2016

02 Sept – Source: Africa Review – 157 words

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud Monday said that the recovering Horn of Africa country remains on course to hold a general election in 2016. “By end of the term of the current Federal Government of Somalia (in September 2016), there shall be no attempts for extension of mandate whatever the excuse,” said President Mohamoud. He was speaking at a reconciliation conference in Mogadishu, the capital, and which is underway this week. He added: “No one can bring to the nation the excuse that government assignments were not completed in time, prompting a call for extension of the leadership’s term. “We must be mindful that we only have 36 months left.” The post-transitional government of Somalia was assembled in September 2012 for a four-year period. The conference is organised by the presidency and was announced only a few days ago. It focuses on, among others, developing the federal constitution, federalisation of the country, resource sharing and good governance.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Somalia nationals jailed for firing at Malaysian soldiers

02 Sept – Source: The Sun Daily – 163 words

Three Somalia nationals were sentenced to 10 years’ jail each, while four others to eight years imprisonment by the High Court here today after they pleaded guilty to firing at Malaysian soldiers in the Gulf of Aden two years ago. Judge Datuk Mohd Azman Husin handed down the 10 year-jail on Ahmed Othman Jamal, 30, Abdil Eid Hasan, 22, and Abdi Hakim Mohd Abdi, 22. The four Somalis who were sentenced to eight years’ jail were underage individuals. He ordered all of them to serve the jail sentence from the date of their arrest on Jan 20, 2011. The charge against them was read in English and translated into Somali. When handing down the decision, Mohd Azman said the court took into account their guilty plea, background, threat to the world community and other factors, and found the jail sentence meted on all the accused, including the juveniles, was apt. All the accused were seen smiling after Mohd Azman handed down the sentence.

Solar-powered lights stem sex assaults in Somalia

02 Sept – Source: CBS News/AP – 164 words

Chatting women sitting outside makeshift homes at night is a new scene in a once-dark refugee camp in the Somali capital. In a city where darkness brings the threat of attack, recently installed solar lights are helping to ward off sexual assault. Women living in Mogadishu’s hundreds of refugee camps often stay and don’t use communal bathrooms at home at night because of the threat men armed with knives and guns pose to them. With the installation of 79 solar-powered lights by the Danish Refugee Council in a camp known as Zone K, life has returned to Mogadishu’s nights. “It feels like we are starting a new life,” Sadiya Hussein, a mother of four, said while resting with other women on a sandy spot near their homes, which are made out of sheet metal or sticks and cloth. “Because of the lights we can come together to chat and get some fresh air. No rapist can sneak in now. It’s fully lit and better.”

Amanda Lindhout, Who Was Held Captive In Somalia For 15 Months, Opens Up About The Ordeal

02 Sept – Source: IB Times – 135 words

Waitress-turned-journalist Amanda Lindhout landed in Somalia in 2008 to report on the conflict plaguing the region, but within days of stepping into the war-torn country, Lindhout and her photographer companion, Nigel Brennan, an Australian, were kidnapped by local militia and held for ransom. During the 15 months they were held captive, Canada-born Lindhout was tortured and raped repeatedly by her teenage captors, Lindhout writes in her memoir, “A House in the Sky,” where she details the atrocities she endured in Somalia. “I understood that it was a hostile, dangerous place and few reporters dared go there. The truth was, I was glad for the lack of competition. I figured I could make a short visit and report from the edges of disaster. I’d do stories that mattered, that moved people,” Lindhout wrote in the book.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

“Only spoilers win if Barclays shuts shop for remittances.”

Somalia’s lifeline

01 Sept – Source: Somaliland press/Financial Times – 409 words

There will be many losers if, at the end of this month, Barclays enforces its decision to close shop for the Somali money transfer agencies holding accounts with the bank. Barclays is the last of the UK banks to respond with such caution to stringent anti-money laundering regulation introduced since 9/11. Because it has been, until now, the only bank willing to continue risking sanction, the remittances it handles have become a vital lifeline for Somalis.

Diaspora Somalis send about $1.3bn back home every year, roughly $500m of which comes from the UK. This is the only source of income for many Somalis. In the absence of a functioning banking system, aid agencies depend on the transfer agencies to get cash to where it is needed. Moreover, cash transfers, according to research to be published this week by Britain’s Overseas Development Institute, have been more effective than food aid in saving lives during recent famines, and are less likely to be diverted. Yet Somali agencies, which use an innovative system of trust to transfer funds, are being punished for the tiny fraction of clients who use their services to finance terrorism and launder ill-gotten gains.