NATIONAL MEDIA
3 September – Source: Goobjoog – 139 Words
Prime Minister of Somalia Hassan Ali Khaire on Tuesday met with Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a (ASWJ) spiritual leader, Moallim Mohamud and Galmudug Chief Minister, Sheikh Shakir at the former’s residence in Dhusamareb, the administrative capital of Galmudug State. The closed-door meeting between the leaders discussed Galmudug administration issues and sought to dispel any mistrust between ASWJ and the top government leadership. Reports indicate that the Prime Minister has requested the leadership of Ahlu Sunna to take part in efforts to rebuild an inclusive Galmudug.
Ahlu Sunna leadership has recently accused the federal government of violating the agreements, but later announced that the disputed issues were resolved. During his stay in the region, Prime Minister Khaire is expected to open the Galmudug reconciliation conference tomorrow in which delegates will discuss the formation of an inclusive regional government in Galmudug state.
3 September – Source: Goobjoog – 100 Words
Somali forces backed by AMISOM troops repulsed an attack by Al-Shabaab fighters on their bases in Bulo Burte, Hiiraan region early Tuesday. According to government officials, the militants launched an offensive on the bases leading to a fierce confrontation which lasted about an hour.
The militants were, however, overpowered and forced to retreat, sources said. There were reports of casualties on both sides. Al-Shabaab, which has been waging war to topple the Somali government, targets military installations in the country. Bulo-burte is situated along the Shebelle River and is the second largest town in Hiiran after the provincial capital Beledweyne
3 September – Source: Garowe Online – 209 Words
The president of Somaliland received a red carpet welcome at Ambouli International Airport as he embarked on a visit to Djibouti.. President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti held a meeting with Somaliland leader Muse Bihi and his entourage at the presidential palace on Tuesday and discussed the relations between the two sides.
“The meeting between the two sides discussed a range of issues of mutual concern, such as cooperation between Djibouti and Somaliland, in terms of economic, media and trade relations,” said Guelleh in a Tweet. The trip by Bihi which becomes his second since 2017 comes barely two weeks after Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo paid a similar visit to Djibouti and had bilateral talks with his counterpart Ismail Omar Guelleh.
It remains unclear the aim of Guelleh for hosting Bihi as Somaliland presidency did not provide details. In 2011, the tiny Horn of Africa country dispatched hundreds of soldiers to the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia supporting the UN-backed weak Government based in Mogadishu which is fighting Islamist insurgents. The AU mission’s job is to defend the Government against Al-Shabab, the Al-Qaeda’s deadliest ally in East Africa and it has made some gains, pushing the extremists out of Mogadishu in August 2011 and other key areas.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
3 September – Source: Geelle Mag – 710 Words
More than one million children in Somalia under the age of five face acute malnutrition unless the international community drastically steps up funding for life-saving interventions, Save the Children warns. According to the latest figures, the current food crisis in Somalia has driven acute malnutrition to serious and critical levels in most parts of the country, exposing children to life-threatening risks of malnutrition and other diseases. At least 178,400 children are facing severe malnourishment.
Save the Children says funding shortfalls, conflict and instability are hindering aid reaching the most vulnerable children and families. Mohamud Mohamed Hassan, Save the Children’s Country Director in Somalia, said: “Our worst fears are being confirmed with a million children once again set to suffer through the degrading, miserable impacts of drought. Families have simply not had enough time to recover from the prolonged drought of 2017, where their herds died en masse and thousands of people were forced to move to camps to access food and water.” “What really concerns us is the frequency of these droughts. Pastoralist communities – families who depend on livestock for their income – need on average two seasons of good rains to recover from one poor season. The frequency and severity of drought in Somalia are unprecedented, and now even the hardiest of families are saying they give up in the face of this climate crisis.” “We need more support, now, to scale up humanitarian interventions and allow people to survive long enough to be able to adapt for the future,” said Mohamed, adding that the Drought Impact Response Plan – currently less than half-funded – must be fully funded to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe similar to the droughts of 2011 and 2017.
In total, at least 2.1 million people face crisis-level food shortages or worse. More broadly, 6.3 million people – nearly half the country’s population – will be food insecure between from October with Sanaag, the Bari regions of Puntland, Mudug, Galmudug, Hiran Bay and Bakol region in the Southern States expected to be worst hit. This follows a lack of rains. Seven out of the last eight rainy seasons since 2015 have been poor or failed across the Horn of Africa. Families are still reeling from a massive drought in 2016-2017- one of the worst on record – which affected 19.5 million people across East Africa……
2 September – Source: UNSOM – Words
Late and erratic rains during Somalia’s 2019 Gu cropping season (April-June) coupled with low river levels have led to the poorest cereal harvest since the 2011 famine and threaten an already fragile food security situation in the country. According to the 2019 Post-Gu’ data gathered by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) and Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET), cereal production was up to 70 per cent below average in southern for the Gu’ 2019 cropping season. The resulting shortfall is linked to abnormally high prices of sorghum observed throughout the season. Today’s Post-Gu 2019 Technical Release indicates that, in the absence of humanitarian assistance, up to 2.1 million people across Somalia face severe hunger through December 2019, binging the total number of Somalis expected to be food insecure by year’s end to 6.3 million.
Climatic shocks coupled with widespread poverty and vulnerability are key drivers that have trapped millions of Somali’s in severe hunger (IPC phase 3, “crisis” and IPC phase 4, “emergency”) and malnutrition. An estimated 2.6 million people remain internally displaced across the country, either scattered among host communities in rural areas or living in formal and informal settlements on the outskirts of urban centres. Widespread malnutrition persists across the country and 1 million children are projected to be acutely malnourished over the next year, including 180,000 who are likely to be severely malnourished—if interventions are not scaled up……
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“When Somali people see our work, they feel proud,” Adar said. “Lots of Somalis from the diaspora have bought our mats, which means the business has pleased Somali people.”
3 September – Source: Radio Ergo – 320 Words
A group of 50 Somali women refugees producing traditional handicrafts in the Dadaab refugee camps in northeastern Kenya is becoming self-reliant through the promotion of Somali culture. The group, called Yote Farsamo (meaning ‘all technical’ in a mix of Swahili and Somali), are weaving traditional mats, baskets, hats, fans, hand-woven traditional garments, and sieves for sale. Having started the enterprise last year, the group is now making a monthly average income of $5,000 that is divided among the members. “We get enough money from these items to support our children. We use the money to buy school uniforms for our children,” said Safiya Hersi.
Safiya joined the group after being trained in traditional weaving. As well as making a decent living, she believes their work promotes Somali culture that might otherwise be forgotten. “We are also re-igniting our traditional way of life!” stated Safiya. Barni Ali Mohamed, another member, said being part of the group has made her self-reliant. Her husband earns an irregular income doing casual work. She is able to put food on the table and pay the school fees. “This is the only livelihood I have right now. My 14-member family can’t survive on the little aid we get from the agencies. I use the income from this centre to feed the family,” said Barni, who learnt to weave as a girl growing up in rural Somalia.
“When we were taught these skills by our mothers, it was mandatory cultural preservation. The apprenticeship was handed down from mothers to daughters. Now I can see how useful that training was,” she said. Adar Haji Abdi, the group’s chairperson, told Radio Ergo that the business had expanded and they were selling to shops and at upmarket events in Nairobi. “When Somali people see our work, they feel proud,” Adar said. “Lots of Somalis from the diaspora have bought our mats, which means the business has pleased Somali people.” |
