September 6, 2016 | Daily Monitoring Report
Over Twenty Killed, Thirty Others Injured In Clan Clashes In Central Somalia
06 September – Source: Goobjoog News – 202 Words
At least twenty people were killed and more than thirty people injured after a fierce fighting between two clan militias broke out the in outskirt of Galkayo town of the Mudug region. Residents said the clashes occurred between the two rival clan militias in Sarjimaale village, 35km northwest of Galkayo where heavy weaponry was used.
Abdi Omar, a resident in Sarjimaale village said the clash erupted after militias attacked base of another clan militias in the village. Elder Mohamed Ali Farah in the region condemned the bloodshed and called on elders of the two warring sides to resolve their differences amicably.
“This is aimless fighting, bloodshed in Sarjimaale have caused loss of several people. It is unfortunate this to happen after being in the civil war. I am calling for peace and I say concerned elders should dialogue and stop the bloodshed now,” elder Farah said. The village has witnessed a recurring scene of infighting between clan based militias, which in the past two weeks alone have left more than 10 people dead.
Key Headlines
- Over Twenty Killed Thirty Others Injured In Clan Clashes In Central Somalia (Goobjoog News)
- Leaders Meet In Mogadishu To Wrap Up Poll Talks (Goobjoog News)
- PM Calls For End To Political Crises Ahead Of Election (Shabelle News)
- Puntland State Protests Federal Government Ban On Khat (Garowe Online)
- Al-Shabaab Beheads Two Elders For ‘Supporting The Government’ (Bernama)
- Security Beefed Up As Mogadishu To Host IGAD Summit (Voice of America)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Leaders Meet In Mogadishu To Wrap Up Poll Talks
06 September – Source: Goobjoog News – 269 Words
The National Leadership Forum will meet in Mogadishu today in what is likely to be the last meeting before the elections which are set to start later this month. The Forum which is composed of the President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the House and regional administrations leaders will be expected to dispose of remaining issues ahead of the polls. Notably among those issues is achieving the 30% quota for women in both Houses of Parliament.
The exact time President Hassan Sheikh’s Mohamud mandate will end is expected to strongly feature in the talks. A letter addressed to the leaders by UN Special envoy Michael Keating seen by Goobjoog News this week proposed that the President’s mandate come to an end a week after the October 30 Presidential poll which translates to November 6.
The UN further proposes a moratorium period to come into effect immediately to bar the President and Parliament from making any major decisions as they wait for the new administration. Prime Minister Omar Sharmarke said yesterday the NLF will iron out remaining issues before the country goes into elections.
The meeting comes ahead of the IGAD heads of states and governments scheduled for September 10. The leaders will also likely discuss on the preparations for the meeting which will be the first one since 1985 to be held in Somalia.
PM Calls For End To Political Crises Ahead Of Election
06 September – Source: Shabelle News – 114 Words
The Premier of the Federal Government of Somalia HE Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke has called for a solution for the long-standing political crises in the country. Mr Sharmarke who announced his candidacy for presidencyon Monday at a press conference in Mogadishu said Somalia needs a way-out for the current standoff.
“Somalia has been stressed by lack of collaboration and political deadlock over the past 20 years, enough is enough, this should be solved for to move Somalia onward,” he said. Somali PM Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke said Monday that he will run for presidency in the forthcoming election which is scheduled to take place onOctober 30, 2016.
Puntland State Protests Federal Government Ban On Khat
06 September – Source: Garowe Online – 231 Words
Puntland government issued a statement slamming the Somali Federal Government’s decision to ban Khat planes from entering Somalia airspace. Federal Minister of Aviation and Transportation Ali Ahmed has announced on Monday that the Somali government has banned Kenya’s Khat planes from entering its airspace effective 6th September.
The Minister affirmed that any violation to the government decision will have a serious consequence. The Minister didn’t give further information regarding the reasons behind the sudden ban of khat planes. However, Puntland government spokesperson said to local media on Monday afternoon that the “Federal Government’s decision to ban khat planes from entering Somali airspace doesn’t concern Puntland state. Our country is Federal and each state is entitled to self governing its own affairs,” added the spokesman.
Puntland spokesperson has called Khat planes to freely arrive to Puntland region and do businesses as it is open for all Somali traders. This is not the first time the Puntland government challenged the Somali Federal Government decisions on various occasions.
The move comes as Puntland President Abdiwali Mohamed Ali arrived to Mogadishu on Monday to attend the NLF a conference on Somali elections is expected to begin on Tuesday. Somalia is considered the largest market for Kenya’s Khat – a stimulant leaf widely used across the Horn of Africa and about 16 planes carrying the Khat arrive in Somalia on a daily basis.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Al-Shabaab Beheads Two Elders For ‘Supporting The Government’
06 September – Source: Bernama – 137 Words
Two Somali elders have been beheaded by jihadist group Al-Shabaab after they were abducted from their homes in southern Somalia. The unidentified elders were executed in the outskirts of Bardale district in the Bay region for allegedly collaborating with the Somali Federal Government, local news portal Shabelle News reported.
“The elders were recently abducted from their houses in Bardale by Al-Shabaab. They have been beheaded at Turaburey area, 15km north-west of the town,” the news portal quoted Bardale police chief, Mohamed Isack. He added that the reason behind the execution is unknown but investigations are ongoing.
The militant group regularly carries out attacks against government, civilian or military personnel. Al-Shabaab is seeking to topple the Western-backed government and to set up an Islamic caliphate in the country.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“It is not [surprising] that leaders from the region gather in Mogadishu, because most of them have already paid individual visits to the city,” said Mohamed Aden, a university lecturer in Mogadishu. “But for a city like Mogadishu, hosting such a high level session would be a ‘hope reviving.”
Security Beefed Up As Mogadishu To Host IGAD Summit
06 September – Source: Voice of America – 592 Words
Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, which only a few years back was categorized by many as the most dangerous capital on earth, is preparing to host the 53rd summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) this weekend for the first time, following decades of civil war and instability in the war-torn horn of Africa state, officials said.
Leaders from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda are expected to attend the summit, focusing on political and security progress made in Somalia, the country’s upcoming 2016 elections, and the political crisis in South Sudan, diplomats said.
In an interview with VOA, Somalia’s Foreign Minister Abdisalam Omer Hadliye said this will be a historic moment for Somalia. “It is the first time Mogadishu or Somalia in general hosts such a high-level summit for more than 30 years. We see it as a historic signal and message to the world saying, ‘Somalia is coming back,’” Hadliye said.
The minister said he cannot rule out security concerns as Al-Shabaab, a terrorist group in Somalia — which also has been destabilizing the security of Somalia’s neighbors, mainly Kenya — continues to carry out suicide attacks in the capital. Just a week ago, a car bomb killed at least 25 people near Somalia’s presidential palace.
“Of course, I cannot rule out security concerns as long as terrorists continue to kill our innocent people,” Hadliye said, “but heavy security preparations are under way to tighten the security and make sure this significant session takes place with no incident.” VOA stringers in Mogadishu report that security has been stepped up in most parts of the city, and that security forces patrol the streets night and day.
TOP TWEETS
@amisomsomalia: #AMISOM’s Deputy Head of Mission, Hon. Lydia Wanyoto: “This is the moment that the Somali woman cannot miss. Stand up & be counted. #Somalia
@AstaritaMark : Listening to general secretary of #Somalia#redcrescent #fundraising in Somalia now that’s a challenge worth rising up to #skillshare2016
@amisomsomalia : This 30% quota is higher than the global percentage of women representation in parliament, which stands at 22.6%. #Somalia #somalia2016
@okkie2 : How Kenya and the U.N. have left Somali refugees facing dangerous choices http://europe.newsweek.com/
@GulfTimes_QATAR : Dubai’s DP World to manage Somaliland port #Somalia #transport #investment http://gulf-times.com/story/
@Eye_on_Somalia : #goobjoog Four Al-Shabaab senior officials killed in Lower Shabelle: Somali government troops have k…http://bit.ly/2c8Qp7W #somalia
@SagalAshour : Don’t miss out on your chance to add your voice to #Somalia first National #YouthPolicy #SomaliYouthhttp://www.somaliyouthhub.org/
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Somalia this year joined the countries exploring measures to increase women’s involvement in peace-building and reconstruction by increasing their participation in government.
Photo: AMISOM