September 5, 2016 | Morning Headlines
End President’s Mandate On November 6, UN Tells Somali Leadership
04 September – Source: Goobjoog News – 670 Words
The mandate of the President should end on November 6, 2016 and a moratorium be effected to ensure the Federal Government and Parliament do not take any major decisions, the UN has said. In a letter seen exclusively by Goobjoog News, UN Special Envoy Michael Keating has called on the National Leadership Forum which is set to meet this week to come up with a clear date when the mandate of the President lapses.
“The NLF should agree on a clear date when the mandate of the President/the executive comes to an end. We propose that this should be no later than one week after the envisaged date of the Presidential election (30 October), i.e. 6 November 2016. We also propose that you agree that a moratorium period should take effect immediately, during which the Federal Government and the Federal Parliament refrain from taking any major decisions,” the letter reads.
Constitutional timeframe
The NLF announced in August the President will stay in office until the election of a new president on October 30. President Hassan Sheikh’s term is constitutionally set to come to an end on September 10 while that of Parliament ended on August 19 but the House voted to extend its stay until the tenth Parliament is in place. Addressing a range of other issues, the letter warned the NLF against reopening any talks regarding the electoral formula observing such a move could ‘unravel the original compromise reached at the end of last year and based on which the Upper House was included in the electoral process.
Key Headlines
- End President’s Mandate On November 6 UN Tells Somali Leadership (Goobjoog News)
- Protest Turns Violent In Las Anod 2 Killed And 4 Wounded (Garowe Online)
- Somali Central Bank Scam Was Theft And Not A Case Of Graft – President Mohamud (Goobjoog News)
- Five Dead As Roadside Bomb Hits Minivan Near Afgoye (Garowe Online)
- Somali Gov’t Will Protect Security Of 2016 Polls Candidates Internal Security Minister (Goobjoog News)
- Jubaland Allows Refugees To Cross The Border (Garowe Online)
- Hiran-Middle Shabelle Convention Postponed (Garowe Online)
- Int’l Community Confirms Funds Support For Somali Election 2016 (Garowe Online)
- UN Urges Somalia To Boost Press Freedom (AFP)
- VOA Somali Town Hall: President Tells US Teen It’s Safe To Visit (VOA News)
- Four IS Fighters Arrested In Southwest Somalia (Xinhua)
- AU Seeks Help To Curb Use Of Explosive Devices In Somalia (Xinhua)
- ISIS And Medical Students What Is The Link? (Daily Nation)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Somali Central Bank Scam Was Theft And Not A Case Of Graft – President Mohamud
04 September – Source: Goobjoog News – 300 Words
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has for the first time weighed in on the Central Bank fake currency scam which saw a senior bank employee disappear with a half a million dollars late last month. President Mohamud distanced his government from allegations the scam could have been part of a wider scheme to fleece public coffers to bankroll certain candidates in the upcoming polls noting it was a case of pure theft.
“What happened at the Central Bank was a case of absolute theft and cannot therefore we be said to have been a corruption scheme,” the president said. Mohamud said the Attorney General and the police were already investigating the matter and that all those involved would be brought to book. Central Bank Governor Bashir Issa Ali announced on August 25 a cashier, Muhidin Mohamed Hassan had disappeared with $530,000 after exchanging fake notes with genuine ones at the bank.
“The cashier delivered fake dollar notes, exchanged with the clean notes and went away with the legitimate notes for some time before finally disappearing. The amount missing is $530, 000,” said Ali. Former central bank governor Yussur Abrar resigned in 2013 after seven weeks in office citing gross corruption and underhand dealings in the bank to undermine the recovery of the country’s frozen assets.
Meanwhile the President has defended his administration over claims the insecurity being witnessed in the country could be as a result of some of the policies by his government. Responding to a question during a tall hall session connecting audiences in Mogadishu and Somalis in Minnesota, US, the President said terrorism was a global phenomenon and not just a Somali problem. “Things that are happening in Mogadishu happen in Paris, Turkey and other major cities in the world. We did our best,” observed President Mohamud.
Protest Turns Violent In Las Anod, 2 Killed And 4 Wounded
04 September – Source: Garowe Online – 154 Words
At least 2 people killed and 4 others wounded after violent demonstration broke out in Las Anod, the capital city of Sool province of Somalia, Garowe online reports. The protest started after angry people held a rally against recent killing of Dahabshiil Bank official. Local police attempted to break up the demonstration but turned violent after killing a civilian identified as Mohamed Awad.
The event drastically escalated when the angry crowds gathered and raided the police station, burning a police vehicle, damaging equipment and releasing the prisoners from the station. Witnesses told GO that one police officer got killed and three others wounded in the clashes.Tensions have been reportedly high as civilians burned tires blocking main roads of the city, subsequently local authority deployed army forces to revive the situation and restore order. Sunday’s violence happened in a city beset with a history of violence and distrust between police forces and local community.
Somali Gov’t Will Protect Security Of 2016 Polls Candidates, Internal Security Minister
04 September – Source: Goobjoog News – 154 Words
The Somali Minister of Internal Security, Abdirisaq Omar Mohamed has reiterated the government’s commitment to the safety of political candidates in the upcoming elections. Mohamed said that he is working in coordination with security forces to keep all candidates safe. “People who have high risk are given special protection, but they can and they must understand that we are going to emphasize those areas where the situations have previously been determined as the most risk for the candidates.” he said.
Over 14 presidential candidates will be joined the presidential race with the incumbent president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The moves at a time when Al-Shabaab who wants to overthrow the UN-backed government, vowed interrupt the upcoming elections. Somalia is scheduled to hold a limited franchise election, in which ordinary citizens do not participate. A UN-sponsored election team recently announced a presidential vote on Oct. 30 and parliamentary elections from Sept. 24 to Oct. 10
Five Dead As Roadside Bomb Hits Minivan Near Afgoye
04 September – Source: Garowe Online – 146 Words
At least 5 are reported to have been killed in a bomb blast near the Southern Agriculture-rich city of Afgoye in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle province on Sunday, Garowe Online reports. A witness who did not want to be named, told GO by phone that 5 Govt soldiers aboard a minivan were killed when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle at Wayo-arag area, some 8Km south of Afgoye town.
“Five Somali government soldiers died in the attack which was used a remote-controlled landmine targeted on their vehicle,” Said the witness. He added that the minivan has left Muri and was en route to Afgoye district, 30Km South-west of Mogadishu, Somali capital at the time of the explosion. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Al Qaeda-linked terror group of Al Shabaab has carried out similar attacks in Lower Shabelle region in the past.
Jubaland Allows Refugees To Cross The Border
03 September – Source: Garowe Online – 233 Words
Jubaland State have announced that it had allowed refugees repatriated from Dadaab camp to cross the Somali border, Garowe online reports. The new decision came after Jubaland state has recently blocked returnees at Dhobley area located at the border between Kenya and Somalia amid concerns by the state officials for lack of resettlement plans and resources for the large returnees coming to the region.
Refugees at the temporary Dhobley camp have complained about the bad conditions they going through after they left their homes in Dadaab camp. They appealed to the Somali and Kenyan Government to intervene in the matter and return to Somalia. Speaking to the media Jubalnad’s Interior Minister Mahamed Warsame Darwiish has confirmed that a meeting between Jubaland State and UNHCR officials has concluded yesterday and the two sides agreed to allow refugees to enter the region, also agreed not to forcibly repatriate the remaining refugees until resettlement plan is being finalized and urged partners of the tripartite agreement to speed up the work plans for resettlement.
The returnees are allowed to enter the region or proceed to their perspective destination but the resources to support such large returnees is limited, added the Interior Minister. Kenya Government had decided that it will permanently close Dadaab camp at the end of 2016, citing reasons of national security claiming that Dadaab camp has become a safe heaven for Al-Shabaab terrorist group.
Hiran-Middle Shabelle Convention Postponed
04 September – Source: Garowe Online – 219 Words
The second phase of the state formation conference which was expected to open on Saturday in Jowhar district, the regional capital of Lower Shabelle region has been postponed for another period, Garowe Online reports. IGAD especial envoy to Somalia Mohamed Abdi Afey and the interior minister of Somalia Abdirahman Odawa have announced last week the Hiran and Middle Shabelle inter-regional state formation conference will kick offon Saturday (3rd September), but it failed over the absence of some participants.
GO has learnt that the postponement of the conference came after a boycott by Hiran elders who did not arrive in Jowhar over ‘broken’ promises and dispute with the federal government of Somalia.
Ugaas Hassan Ugaas Khalif who is one of the important traditional elders is still determined to stick to his decision of division of Hiran into two regions, then get its own federal state formed.
President of the Federal Government of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, with the support of IGAD is pushing the efforts to complete the process of formation of an administration for the two regions before 2016 election. Since January 2016, there have been delays and complexities surrounding the state’s formation process, over lack of consensus, mistrust between Hiran elders and Somali federal government. The is also a rivalry among clans in the two neighbouring regions.
Int’l Community Confirms Funds Support For Somali Election 2016
03 September – Source: Garowe Online – 191 Words
The International community said on Friday it will be providing approximately 60 per cent of the required budget to fund the forthcoming Somali election due to be held in October 30, 2016. In a joint press release, International partners – including the European Union, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States said the remaining election’s funds will be generated through candidate registration fees and resources from the Federal Budget.
International partners have committed funding, administered through mechanisms set up under the auspices of the United Nations, to ensure the electoral process can be implemented without additional delays and that a mechanism for timely disbursement is in place. Somalia’s international partners reiterate their support for the electoral process and stress the need for its implementation in a fair and timely manner.
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia Michael Keating stated that Somalia is approaching a critical time as parliamentary and presidential elections is near, “This is an exciting and very significant moment for Somalia. The full rules of the game must now be confirmed by the NLF, and the goalposts must not be shifted.”
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
UN Urges Somalia To Boost Press Freedom
05 September – AFP – 277 Words
The United Nations called on Somalia to do more to protect the freedom of the press and expression in a country where 30 journalists have been killed in four years. But in a report, the UN noted progress on the issue over the last five years. The report, drawn up by the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (Unsom) as well as the UN Human Rights Council, noted the adoption in January this year of a new federal media law, which “guarantees a number of freedoms, including the right to inform”.
But the report also expressed “concern about the law’s unclear terminology, which allows for subjective interpretation and undue restrictions to freedom of expression”. “Despite the vibrant media culture in Somalia – which hosts more than 90 media outlets and scores of websites and blogs – numerous violations aimed at journalists and political leaders” are documented in the report. These include killings, attacks, arbitrary arrests and detention, intimidation, harassment, closure of media outlets, confiscation of equipment and blocking of websites.
“The dangers facing media workers and public figures are illustrated by the fact that, between August 2012 and June 2016, a total of 30 journalists and 18 parliamentarians were killed in Somalia,” it added.
While the greatest threat to journalists comes from the Al-Qaeda aligned Al-Shabaab jihadist group, which has vowed to bring down the Somali government, the country’s security forces are guilty of numerous violations against journalists and politicians.
“Political activists and journalists are detained in the National Intelligence and Security Agency (Nisa) detention centre, together with Al-Shabaab suspects, with no judicial oversight,” lamented the report.
“In a worrying development, since February 2016, the Nisa has started using the media to show Al-Shabaab suspects confessing their crimes,” it added.
VOA Somali Town Hall: President Tells US Teen It’s Safe To Visit
03 September – VOA News – 422 Words
Answering a U.S. teenager’s question about vacationing safely in Somalia, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud said, “You can come back to Mogadishu — nothing will happen to you.” Mohamoud answered questions about terrorism and the Somali diaspora in a town hall hosted by VOA’s Somali service Saturday. The program is the first of its kind to connect Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, with St. Paul, Minnesota, home to the largest Somali community in the United States.
Extremism, unemployment, education
Both venues hosted crowds of Somali youth who asked the president questions on extremism, unemployment and education. The town hall was streamed live over the VOA Somali Facebook page. Ayduruus Ahmed Abdirahman, a teenager starting high school this fall in Minneapolis, asked the president in English how he would make the country safer so that kids such as himself would be able to return to their parents’ homeland for vacations.
“We’re tired of going to Ohio or Seattle for vacations when we have so many beautiful cities back home. But we hear about things blowing up there every day,” Ahmed said. “How can you convince our parents that want to bring us home for vacations that safety isn’t a concern?” The boy’s question was met with applause. “I assure for all Somalis that the insecurity will be handled soon. We are after the terrorists. We are in war with terrorists, but you can back to Mogadishu and nothing will happen to you,” Mohamoud said.
Four IS Fighters Arrested In Southwest Somalia
04 September – Xinhua – 136 Words
Four militants of the Islamic State (IS) have been arrested by Somali security forces during operation in the southwestern town of Baidoa. Mohamed Iska Aflow, Southwest Administration’s head of intelligence and security agency, told journalists late on Friday that the group’s commander in Bay and Bakool regions is among those arrested alongside his three collaborators.
He said the detained leader was in charge of IS’s terror operations in Bay region of southern Somalia. “Mahad Nuh Sidow, Abdiasis Hassan Mural and Mohamed Sheikh Isak were dispatched to terrorize and carry out bomb attacks in this regional state, we successfully held them and we are displaying them to the media at the moment,” Aflow added. The arrest comes a day after the United States added Abdulkadir Mumin, the Somali IS leader, to the terror list in East Africa.
AU Seeks Help To Curb Use Of Explosive Devices In Somalia
03 September – Xinhua – 149 Words
The Africa Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has called on international community to increase resources to help security forces counter use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the Horn of Africa nation. Speaking at a seminar which ended on Thursday, AMISOM Deputy Force Commander in charge of Support and Logistics Nakibus Lakara said countering the ongoing threat to life and security caused by IEDs in Somalia requires increased cordon and search operations and training for AMISOM and Somali security personnel on IED countermeasures.
“This is because some of the troop contributing countries have limited capabilities that are inadequate to defeat the use of IEDs,” he added. The AU official appealed for technical expertise and equipment to help counter the use of IEDs which have become the weapon of choice of the militant group Al-Shabaab. Lakara noted that the militants were manufacturing bigger IEDs, some weighing more than 80 kilograms.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“We have not reached a level where we have an active Isis threat in Kenya but what we have are people willing to join the terror group or sympathetic to them,” Major (Rtd) Bashir Abdullahi, a security analyst says. “And that we’ve people who subscribe to their cause within Kenya, that is a cause for worry.”
ISIS And Medical Students, What Is The Link?
04 September – Source: Daily Nation – 815 Words
A surge in the number of students being arrested on suspicion of joining the Islamic State (Isis) has triggered alarm on the group’s recruitment in Kenya. The Commission of University Education says at least 44 university students have abandoned their studies to join terror groups including Isis in Libya and the Shabaab in Somalia. Worry is especially growing over the number of students studying medicine who have been detained on suspicion of belonging to terror groups.
On Wednesday, the US government froze the assets of Somali resident Abduqadir Mumin, who it identified as the leader of the Islamic State in East Africa and warned its citizens against conducting any business with him. “Mumin, a former al-Shabaab recruiter and spokesman, pledged allegiance to Isis, along with around 20 of his followers, in October 2015, and has set up a base in Puntland, Somalia,” said the US State Department.
“Since then, Mumin has expanded his cell of Isis supporters by kidnapping young boys aged 10 to 15, indoctrinating them, and forcing them to take up militant activity,” it said. Unlike al-Shabaab which recruits directly, Isis increases its membership through the creation of franchises or raiding other terror groups for members. It is believed Mumin’s cell which calls itself “Jahba East Africa” is behind the massive recruitment for the Islamic State in East Africa.
NO MAJOR ATTACK
Al-Shabaab, which is believed to have been weakened significantly due to wrangles among its leadership and a sustained campaign against it by the African Union mission (Amisom), pledges its allegiance to al-Qaeda, a fierce rival to the Islamic State. Apart from the El-Adde base attack in which dozens of Kenya Defence Forces soldiers were killed after al-Shabaab militants raided their camp in Somalia, the militant group, which has killed hundreds of Kenyans in recent years, has not staged a major attack in Kenya this year.
The number of terror attacks on Kenyan soil dropped to 46 last year, 49 per cent lower than 2014 and the lowest since 2011 according to statistics by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, which is run by the University of Sussex in the UK. The university says Kenya has had 13 militant attacks carried out within its territory so far since January leading to 34 causalities. Last year saw 94 attacks while 2013 and 2012 had 48 and 52 attacks respectively. Security experts say while Isis has no reason to attack Kenya, the recruitment drive is a cause for worry.