September 7, 2018 | Daily Monitoring Report
Somalia Unveils Project To Improve Municipal Infrastructure Delivery
07 September – ESI Africa – 239 Words
The government of Somalia in association with the World Bank launched the flagship infrastructure project in Somalia. The Somali Urban Resilience Project (SURP), worth $9 million, will be the country’s first national test case for municipal infrastructure delivery. “The World Bank’s role in Somalia is about working with and through government and building the capacity of the authorities to spearhead reform and development,” said Hugh Riddell, World Bank country representative for Somalia. “The SURP will allow us to build on the initial work in urban resilience and to expand this agenda across the country,” Riddell added.
Somali Urban Resilience Project is a national urban resilience project that aims to pilot the use of country systems at the sub-national level and strengthen municipal governments,’ capacity. Initial interventions will begin in Mogadishu and Garowe and will expand to Kismayo and Baidoa. These cities were chosen as they experience rapid and large influxes of returnees and Internally Displaced Persons.
The project follows the commitment by the German government to allocate €23.4 million ($26.7 million) via KfW Development Bank to support the rehabilitation of urban infrastructure in Somalia in January 2018.“Germany recognises the result of World Bank collaboration with Somali authorities through the Multi-Partner Fund, and sees its intervention in urban infrastructure crucial for the development of Somalia,” said Andreas Holtkotte, regional director of KfW. “The contribution will strengthen municipal planning and implementation capacity to improve access to basic infrastructure.”
Key Headlines
- Somalia Unveils Project To Improve Municipal Infrastructure Delivery (EPI Africa)
- President Farmaajo Tours Scene Of Howlwadaag District Attack Upon Arrival From Foreign Trips (Jowhar.com)
- UN Says 8 Journalists Killed And 94 Media Workers Arrested In Somalia Since 2016 (Halbeeg News)
- Shabaab Persecutes Kenyan Fighters For Spying Backing Islamic State (The Star)
- Djibouti Hails ‘New Era’ Of Ties With Foe Eritrea (Daily Nation)
- Ahmed Hassan ‘ Charity Is Necessary In Somalia’ (UNSOM)
NATIONAL MEDIA
President Farmaajo Tours Scene Of Howlwadaag District Attack Upon Arrival From Foreign Trips
06 September – Source: Jowhar.com – 220 Words
President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo returned to the country yesterday from foreign trips in China and Eritrea and headed straight to the scene of last week’s attack in Howlwadaag district, Mogadishu, to assess damage caused and console families of the dead soldiers. After his arrival in Mogadishu, the President also visited the Quranic school and the Masjid, which were massively damage by the blast, carried out by the Al-Shabaab terrorist group. The President had just returned from the Forum On China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing and Asmara for a tripartite meeting with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed..
At the scene of last Sunday’s attack, President Farmaajo met with some of the family members of the deceased soldiers and the parents of the injured children. He thanked the local community for the help and support during the trying times of last week: “The bombing of the mosque and the Quranic school, which was a learning centre for our children indicates that the terrorist group is hell-bent on the massacre of every somali person –adults and children — included,” said the President.
The President called on the residents of Howlwadaag and the other districts of Mogadishu to take part in the community “self help” programme meant at rebuilding public facilities that were destroyed by members of the Al-Shabaab group.
UN Says 8 Journalists Killed And 94 Media Workers Arrested In Somalia Since 2016
07 September – Source: Halbeeg News – 369 Words
Eight journalists have been killed and over 30 others injured in Somalia since 2016, a United Nations (UN) report has stated. The report, launched on Thursday by the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), says Al-Shabaab remained the main perpetrator of killings and injuries against journalists and other media workers in the horn of Africa nation.
Michael Keating, the head of UNSOM said the number of armed attacks against members of the Fourth Estate decreased — thanks to intervention efforts by the Somali government. The report noted that the number of journalists and other media workers killed decreased by 27 per cent compared to January 2014-August 2016.
Despite this positive result, the report says the number of people arrested and detained on charges related to the exercise of freedom of expression increased by 70 per cent. The report accuses some of the regional states in the country for carrying out arbitrarily arrests against 94 journalists and other media workers. “Somalis cherish freedom of expression. It is an essential part of their culture. It is vital for all Somali citizens to be free to express their opinions, especially as the country prepares for the 2020-2021 elections,” the UNSOM head said: “For freedom of expression to become a reality, Somalia must guarantee the independence of the media, bring media legislation in line with the Provisional Federal Constitution and regional and international human rights standards, and repeal laws criminalizing the dissemination of ‘false news’.”
The UN says 19 media outlets (seven TV stations, five radio stations, five websites and two newspapers) were either closed by federal or member state authorities, suspended or blocked for broadcasting news, or alleged affiliation with Al-Shabaab, or dissemination of ‘false news’ considered to be endangering national security.
The report attributes this spate of violations to the November 2017 presidential elections, expressions in support of Somali unity, and the Tukaraq conflict between “Somaliland” and Puntland in May 2018. The UN called for swift implementation of measures to protect journalists and other media workers, and the prosecution of perpetrators of violations against media workers and political actors. The UN also wants the Somali Federal Human Rights Commission to be established.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Shabaab Persecutes Kenyan Fighters For Spying, Backing Islamic State
06 September – Source: The Star – 311 Words
Al-Shabaab has increasingly been persecuting Kenyan fighters over spying allegations, attempted desertions and pledging allegiance to the Islamic State. This has instilled fear among them, leading to more divisions between Muhajireen (foreign fighters) and Answar (native Somalis). On April 2, Ahmed Yusuf Hassan and Ahmed Nur Osoble, both Kenyan fighters, were executed by al Shabaab firing squad at Buq Aqable in Hiraan region. They were accused of collaborating with the Somalia government and Amisom forces.
Other Kenyan militants executed recently by their Al-Shabaab masters over spying claims include former Moi University student Jared Mukaya Omambia alias Abdulaziz. Abdulaziz is a Nairobi recruit, while Abdallah Talal Musa alias manman and Faraj Abdulmajid are from Mombasa. Credible security sources indicate the terror group is looking for a key Kenyan commander who disappeared after being deployed for operations along the Kenya-Somalia border.
Moulid Mohammed Bilal is in hiding to evade capture and possible execution by the Somalia-based terror group. Bilal, a Kenyan Ogaden from Abdalla Abdi Karim sub-clan, was born in December 1972 at Hulugho in Garissa. He is married to two wives. Before joining Al-Shabaab Bilal was a Duksi (Madrassa) teacher at Tumtish and Garabey. He is reported to have recruited some of his students and Ogaden clansmen into the terrorist organisation.
Al-Shabaab leadership made him a commander because of his background and knowledge of Garissa. Security and media reports indicate another senior Kenyan commander Ahmed Iman Ali has fallen out with his terror bosses. He is seeking to defect from the group or pledge allegiance to the Islamic State. In August last year, Al-Shabaab’s second in command Mukhtar Robow defected to the Somali government. The latest attempt by Iman to defect, Bilal’s hiding and prosecution of fighters shows divisions between Kenyan commanders and Al-Shabaab’s leadership. The source said the terror group could be steadily losing Kenyan support.
Djibouti Hails ‘New Era’ Of Ties With Foe Eritrea
07 September – Source: Daily Nation – 522 Words
Djibouti on Thursday hailed a new era in its relations with rival Eritrea, whose foreign minister paid a surprise visit to the country as part of a regional bid to soothe tensions between the neighbours. The two small Horn of Africa nations have been at loggerheads for decades over the disputed border region of Doumeira, and clashes erupted in 2008. Qatar brokered a peace deal in 2010 but relations have remained strained.
Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf said his Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh was visiting to “open a new era in relations between our two countries. Now it is the time for peace”. Echoing the sentiment, Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesman Meles Alem welcomed the fact that the countries “have agreed to normalise relations and iron out their differences.” Saleh was accompanied by his Somali counterpart Ahmed Isse Awad and Ethiopia’s Workneh Gebeyehu who travelled to Djibouti to “advance dialogue” between the two nations, Ethiopian state media reported. Their visit came a day after the presidents of Somalia and Eritrea and Workneh met in Asmara.
It is the latest rapprochement in the region after Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a peace pact in July ending two decades of cold war after a two-year border war that broke out in 1998: “I think it is cooling off, peace and stability that will lead to regional integration,” said Youssouf: “Today the message that we have for the Djiboutian people, the Eritrean people and all in the region, is that the Horn of Africa is heading towards peace.”
The warming of ties in the Horn of Africa has seen Ethiopia and Eritrea re-open air links, embassies and trade routes. Eritrea and Somalia meanwhile established diplomatic ties in July after more than ten years of tensions over accusations Asmara backed Islamic militia.
OPINION, ANALYSIS & CULTURE
“Charity work was even more difficult during the civil war, pockets of the country were controlled by different warlords so moving from one area to another was almost impossible,”
Ahmed Hassan ‘ Charity Is Necessary In Somalia’
05 September – Source: UNSOM – 887 Words
Ahmed Diini Hassan knows only too well the importance charity work plays in the lives of the poor and vulnerable members of society. Born in 1956, Ahmed, who hails from Hiiran region, was orphaned at a tender age, leaving him dependent on charity of others. “I was only two years when I lost my mother, before I could even get over it, my father also died. It was the worst period in my life,” says Ahmed.
Having nowhere to go, in 1961, one of his relatives took him to the Somali capital of Mogadishu and registered him in a crowded government-owned orphanage, hosting more than 100 children. Feeling abandoned by relatives, Ahmed developed a strong bond with charity workers at the orphanage who acted as his foster parents. “I have never known how it feels to be raised by a mother or a father, and I credit charity workers at the orphanage for my upbringing and helping me acquire education,” says the Somali National University graduate.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in veterinary science and agriculture, in 1981, Ahmed landed a job with the Ministry of Livestock and Husbandry. Being busy at work did not mean forgetting the impact that charity can have. Ahmed continued to maintain strong links with humanitarian organisations, donating a portion of his salary every month to help vulnerable members of society, mainly women and children.
However, in 1991, Ahmed’s world was turned upside down – civil war broke out, the central government collapsed, and he was left jobless. Despite the challenges, Ahmed never gave up on his dream of establishing some sort of charity group. In 1995, he teamed up with six of his friends to establish a not-for-profit organisation called Somali Peace Line (SPL), which would later become one of the leading charitable organisations in the country. “Growing up in an orphanage is what drove me into charity work and my main objective was to help women and children who were worst affected by the civil war,” observes the 62-year-old and father of 11 children.
For the past 20-plus years, Hassan and his colleagues have risked their lives providing food, clothes, and school supplies to the most vulnerable, among them, orphans and internally displaced persons. “We also refer sick people to hospitals in Mogadishu, Jowhar, Galmudug and parts of Lower Shabelle and pay for their medical bills,” he adds.
TOP TWEETS
@HarunMaruf: BREAKING: Somalia to assume chairmanship of Arab Foreign Ministers Council next year, foreign ministry announces. The move allows Somalia to host the next session of Arab Foreign Ministers Council set to take place early 2019 in Mogadishu, a major boost for Somalia diplomacy.
@mpfsomalia: We investigated growth potential across sectors in #Somalia, and came to one, unequivocal conclusion:#Agriculture is key to poverty reduction and economic growth
https://www.worldbank.org/en/
@RadioDanan: #Ahmed_Yusuf and #Ahmed_Osoble, both#Kenyan jihadists were executed by Al-Shabaab firing squad at#Buq_Aqable. They were accused of spying for the #Somaligovernment and #AMISOM. Sources say Al-Shabaab is steadily losing #Kanyan Jihadist recruitment.#Somalia
@UNSomalia: New UNSOM #FreedomOfExpression report: 8 journalists killed, 32 injured, 19 media outlets closed/suspended from August 2016-July 2018. Progress made but more can be done to align #Somali media legislation with constitutional & int’l#humanrights standards: http://bit.ly/2Co8Eoj
@SomaliPM: I chaired the weekly cabinet meeting today where we debated critical national issues including, the ongoing Financial Reform, the “Isxilqaan” campaign and the Electoral Law 2020.
#NabadIyoNolol
@HarunMaruf: #Somalia: All eyes on Kismayo today as the 5 regional leaders are expected to issue a communique after 3 days of talks. Sources say the wording of the communique is being discussed with some leaders advocating for a strong-worded, pointed statement while others want it toned down
@DalsanFM: Farmaajo Invites ONLF Leadership To Mogadishuhttps://www.radiodalsan.com/
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire during yesterday’s weekly Cabinet meeting. Among issues discussed were the ongoing financial reforms and the electoral laws that should guide the 2020 elections.
Photo: @SomaliPM