Daawo Waraysi Xiiso Baddan oo uu Bixiyey Faysal Cali Waraabe

Why Somali people in London protested against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud?

Somali community in London protesting against President Hassan Sheikh's policies

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Mohamed A Hussein
Sunday, May 12, 2013

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met serious protest by Somali community in London against his policy, when he went to attend the second Somali Conference hosted by British Prime Minister David Cameron on May 7, 2013. This is the first time that a Somali president’s policy was opposed by many Somali communities representing different regions from North, Awdal state to the South, Jubbaland States over the creation of the federal states based on the constitution.

Somali Community in London expected, among others, that the president would implement the transitional federal constitution which allows any two or more states to form regional administration which becomes, after its inauguration, a member state of the Somali federal government. However, I believe there are three core reasons why London Somali residents protested against the president’s policy.

First, the protestor felt that the president focused to get international recognition and financial aid instead of aiming continual reconciliation among Somalis who after all expected from the president to at least implement transitional federal constitution agreed by all. This policy of centering international recognition and international financial aid without real reconciliation among Somalis is what made the previous transitional government fail. 

Immediately after president was elected by the parliament selected by traditional elders, the president, like his predecessor, started to travel international in order to get both recognition and financial aid, thinking that once he gain both, the rest of the Somali people will come to Mogadishu,  looking for their share of financial aid. But the President fail to recall that policy is what made others to miscarry.

President also ignored the fact that Somali government’s recognition by International community was not achieved due to his effort of traveling international, but it was attained because International community sought to end the transitional government of Somalia. That is why the transitional government was ended at end of august 2012 by IC following 8 months roadmap with understanding indicated both in the roadmap and constitution that reconciliation should continue the next four years until final constitution, based on one person one vote, agreed by all is adopted.

Contrary to the media report controlled by the government which reported only residents of Mogadishu organized to support the London conference, demonstrators in London consist of people represented by Markhir, Jubbaland, Awdal , Khatumo and Puntland states, who felt that the president came short of their expectation that Somali, after its recognition by international community, would continue reconciliation meeting inside Somali until final constitution agreed by all is implemented.

Second, the demonstrators accused the president that he changes his policy toward forming regional administration depending on the constituency. President's first trip inside Somalia was in Hiiraan region where the president declared that Somali people agreed, as indicated in the constitution, federal government of which the regional leaders will be elected by constituency, underlining that the days the government would nominate governor from Mogadishu is over.

Few months later after USA recognized his government, the president changed his heart toward this policy of forming regional administration when he stated publicly that the process of building regional administration in Jubbaland state was not approved by the Somali government and those who are trying to form state have no right to represent without getting approval or consulting with the government.

Later on when president visited in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he stated, in response to the accusation of his policy over the creation of regional administration,  that he did not say that Jubbaland people can’t establish their regional administration while accepting Hiiraan people to elect their own leadership.

Days later, back in Mogadishu after consulting the local elders, he changed his position again, this time, uttering that those who claimed they represent Jubbaland state can’t speak for the region and accused Kenyan government of interfering internal affair of Somalia by supporting that administration.

The fact on the ground is however that the people from lower, central Jubba and Gedo region are finalizing the creation of Jubbaland State following the completion of its constitution. They expect the president of the state and speaker of its parliament to be elected in the coming days.

Besides changing his position in regard of the upcoming states based on the advises he gets from local elders of Mogadishu, the President failed to even recognize the only two States – Punt land and Galmudug - participated actively in the roadmap process which ended the transitional government. These two states accepted to be part of the Somali federal government with understanding that reconciliation would continue and those states will run their affair until all the states to be member of the federal government are created based on the transitional constitution.

Finally, London protestors blamed the president of turning the capital city into clan enclave where the president, the governor and mayor and everyone else who has position worth mentioning are from the same clan as president. Instead of Mogadishu being capital city for all Somali people, it is became a city of one clan related to the president.

The elders of Mogadishu said publicly that the city belongs to them and they would not accept anyone saying the city is for all. Few people from the other areas who returned to Mogadishu witnessed the reality when they encountered those who occupied their property, telling them to leave or else. As result, those who returned to Mogadishu ended up either leaving or selling their property for whatever they were offered before they were forced to leave.

Few independent Medias reported the issues of public and private property occupied by internal displaced people who claimed now they own those properties since no one claimed for last twenty years or so. However, president did not even talk about that issues which is the basis of reconciliation and reclaiming Mogadishu as capital city of Somalia.

The closest he came to answering that question was when he stated in Minneapolis, Minnesota that Somali people should forget what happened before, and they should focus today otherwise they will miss tomorrow’s opportunity, which most of the people assumed that he meant people should forget their properties taken away in the past.  

Even local residents in Mogadishu accused the president of ignoring the security of the city, Mogadishu where recently reported targeted killing both the civilian brave enough to reclaim their property or journalists who tried to report the fact on the ground. The first day president was elected, he said his first priority one, two and three is safety, safety and safety of the capital and rest of the country and now it seems his first, second and third priority is obtaining financial aid of which there is no place secure enough to be invested, other than keeping it in the bank controlled by his ilk.

In order to move forward, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud needs to publicly state, without flip-flopping, his position relating to  reconciliation among Somalis, formation of the regional administration and the status of capital city where his own clan publicly declared the ownership of all in it, before Somali sovereign now recognized by IC is dealt again as transitional government.

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Mohamed A Hussein
Mohabdhus@aol.com

Somalia Prez’s luxury trip at your expense: £50k for London jaunt

Trip ... Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (second left)

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The Sun
Sunday, May 12, 2013

HARD-UP taxpayers are footing the bill for an African leader’s five-star London trip, we can reveal.

Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud enjoyed business-class flights, a chauffeur-driven car and rooms at the posh Dorchester hotel — at UK expense.

Five of his ministers and 14 flunkeys were flown to Britain and put up to attend a conference which saw millions more in aid handed to the war-torn country.

PM David Cameron joined other nations to back a £50million pot for Somalia at the gathering in Lancaster House last week.

Britain already provides £80million a year in aid. President Mohamud, 57, and his entourage had four nights at the Dorchester — where rooms start at £318 a night and the most expensive suite at £9,318 a night.

If the delegation stayed in the cheapest rooms, the hotel bill would have hit £25,440. Air fares are another £24,158. And a chauffeur-driven limo costs £400 a day — making the estimated bill at least £50,798. The Taxpayers’ Alliance said: “It’s ridiculous.”

The Foreign Office refused to reveal the cost but said the conference was “vital”.

DIPLOMATS and Foreign Office penpushers trousered £91MILLION in bonuses and top-up pay last year, figures reveal.

An allowance system saw them given extra cash for working abroad AND for working in London — plus money for extra luggage.

School fees and danger money were among 18 taxpayer-funded handouts unearthed by Tory MP Priti Patel.

She said: “Taxpayers will be shocked to see officials being bribed just to work in London.”

Policy Review: the Somali Conference in London

Friday, May 10, 2013

The leading countries of the International Community, international NGOs, regional organizations and front-line countries with interests in Somalia gathered in London on Tuesday, May 7th, 2013 for a one day conference on Somalia. This is a sign that the international community wants Somalia to rebuild. Even though progress toward peace and stability in Somalia lies on the shoulders of Somalis, it must be noted that the interest shown in Somalia has a deep impact on how Somalia can overcome the two decades of civil war it has suffered. The conference has underlined the progress made so far in Somalia: transition ended last year; a parliament established, and a president elected.

One of the main points that deserves our attention is that the international community came together to agree on practical measures to support the Federal Government’s plan in three key areas. These three key areas are: security, justice and public financial management.  However, the conference emphasized the political issues that are currently “outstanding.” Though the international community supported the dialogue between Somalia and Somaliland, and expressed its support for local elections in Puntland, it is equally important to note that the Federal Government needs to effectively engage regional authorities and solve any internal political differences that may exist. Just as importantly, regional authorities need to engage the Federal Government, and not to be obstacle to the political progress that the country needs to achieve. It is of the utmost importance that all sides have a will to compromise, and that the major domestic actors include actors within their territories that have issues of their own.

The machinery that can settle internal political crises is the judicial branch and the Somali Parliament, and it is very important that these two institutions fully take their responsibilities to settle disputes on the Provisional Constitution. As it happens in every international gathering, the international community agreed to create a partnership with Somalia, and they promised “a commitment to provide coordinated and sustained support for implementation of the Federal Government’s plans.”  The Somali actors cannot assume that international support will be forthcoming unless they move quickly to resolve their differences and conflicts.

On Security

Even though there are still challenges, there are improvements on security. AMISOM and Somali forces have pushed al-Shabaab back from many places in Somalia. The conference welcomed the extension of the mandate of AMISOM troops, and commended the partial lifting of the arms embargo by the UN Security Council. Piracy has been contained for multiple reasons, and the international community commended the Federal Government’s Maritime Resources and Security Strategy. Also, the international community underlined its “re-determination to work with Somalia to eradicate piracy and other maritime crimes.” AMISOM’s support is always acknowledged, but the main task for the Somali Government is to rebuild Somalia’s security institutions. Militias must be formalized and disciplined.

On Justice

This is the nucleus for any progress or lack thereof in every society. Because of lack of justice, Somalia has collapsed, and the only way that it can come back is by upholding the rule of law. It is the responsibility of the Somali Government to be a model for justice. This can be done by rebuilding the justice system of the country. The recommendations made by the conference that was held in Mogadishu from April 1-5 must be fully implemented, and consultations with the Somali legal experts must be continued.

On Public Financial Management

For the last two decades, the Somali economy was informal. This informality is no longer an option. It is important to note that during the transitional period, Somalia has been described as the most corrupt country in the world. This was the case, among other reasons, because of the lack of public financial management. However, the task that the Federal Government needs to undertake is to rebuild the entire economy. The Federal Government has many lessons to learn from the transitional period, and it needs to take the necessary steps to confront corruption. Experts on macroeconomics (Somalis and non-Somalis) who can handle the set up of the entire Somali economy need to be identified. A transparent banking system and financial regulations that can meet the standards of the global economy need to be put in place in Somalia and be obvious to all stakeholders.

Conclusion

The Somalia Conference in London was another step toward for rebuilding Somalia. However, in order to reach the goals agreed on by the international community, we recommend the following points to the international community, the Somali Government and all stakeholders

To the International Community

Translate your commitment to the rebuilding of Somalia into concrete action. The three practical measures of security, justice and public financial management are commendable.

Direct the International NGOs to closely work with the Somali Government in order to encourage peace and stability.

To the Somali Government

Focus on Security issues by rebuilding viable National and inclusive Security Forces, and recruit competent leaders/recruiters in the military and police forces.

Engage all stakeholders and listen to their concerns with open hearts to sort out any political misunderstandings.

To the Somali Stakeholders

Engage the Federal Government, and look at the bigger picture so that the system of governance that leads to peace and stability can come back again

The new government in Mogadishu has yet to prove its mettle

The Economist
Friday, May 10, 2013

AT THE end of the colonial era Somalia was arguably in ethnic terms the most homogeneous country in sub-Saharan Africa. The nearest to it was probably Botswana, which is four-fifths Tswana—and turned out to be peaceful and prosperous, suggesting to some that countries populated and run by a single big tribe have a better chance of stability than those with a hotch-potch of smaller ones.

Somalia, however, became a byword for conflict, poverty and ungovernability. Yet its ethnic homogeneity is misleading. Despite also sharing a single language and religion, it is divided into more than 500 clans and sub-clans, who are notoriously fractious and competitive. This, as well as their largely nomadic way of life, has made many Somalis fiercely loth to accept the edicts of a central government.

The last man to exert real authority from the capital, Mogadishu, was a military dictator, Siad Barre, who was ousted in 1991. His downfall was the cue for two decades of civil war. Can the country’s latest president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who was elected by parliament last September, do any better, while using democratic methods?

So far, so good. An uneasy peace holds in much of Somalia, thanks largely to a promise of federalism and decentralised power. Under the prodding of Britain, which has been leading a foreign push to put Somalia on its feet again, the new government accepts that the half a dozen or so of Somalia’s fiefs that enjoy a measure of autonomy should be given their head—and should be only gradually drawn back, if possible, into accepting central authority. So far the mosaic of clans, with their shifting alliances, have mainly held back from openly challenging Mr Mohamud’s government while they wait to see how resources and authority will be shared.

But Mohamed Omar, the foreign minister of Somaliland, a northern breakaway from the rump of Somalia, says the government in Mogadishu has achieved little despite its international backing. Both Somaliland and Puntland, a semi-autonomous north-eastern region, cold-shouldered a grand international conference on Somalia in London on May 7th. “The days when Somalia could be governed from the centre are over,” he said. “Anyone who brings them back will not bring peace.”

A former university dean and civil-rights activist, Mr Mohamud is well liked by foreign governments. In London they pledged $300m in aid in return for his promise of a “new Somalia”. But at home his writ only runs in the areas controlled by forces (mostly Ugandans, Kenyans and Ethiopians) under the aegis of the African Union. He is being closely watched for any signs of breaching his federal pledge.

Some worry that big tasks, such as completing a new constitution, outlining how power will be shared and setting up commissions to define boundaries and electoral systems, have yet to begin. Matt Bryden, a Canadian who runs Sahan Research, a Somali-oriented think-tank in Nairobi, notes that “none of the work has been done towards federalism,” letting critics allege that the government is more centralist than it admits. They fret that the new security forces and police will be dominated by Mr Mohamud’s powerful Hawiye clan.

Abdi Aynte, the head of the Heritage Institute, a think-tank based in Somalia, complains that too many conspiracy theories abound. The president has no hidden agenda, he says, and “an incredibly hard job”. Still, some of Mr Mohamud’s opponents in rival clans are still backing the Shabab, the armed Islamists linked to al-Qaeda that previously dominated the country, to destabilise him. In the past month, scores of people were killed in two Shabab suicide-attacks in Mogadishu.

The United States, which has spent $1.5 billion channelled through the African Union to bring better security, and Britain, which promised another $280m in aid this week, are keen to take credit for gains in Somalia. “Somalia has begun a rapid recovery in the last year,” said Justine Greening, Britain’s development minister, at the conference. “But this will be put at risk if the Somali government cannot manage its own public finances properly, avoid future famines or tackle terrorism and piracy.” Quite so.

The UN’s integrated mission in Somalia

Friday, May 10, 2013

Experts, fear that with the integrated mission, striking a balance between military and humanitarian operations might be a challenge. UN Photo/Stuart Price

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NAIROBI, 10 May 2013 (IRIN) - Following the unanimous adoption of a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution setting up an integrated mission in Somalia, the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) will be set up for an initial one-year period beginning on 3 June; it will be based in the capital Mogadishu.

The UN defines an integrated mission as one in which there is a shared vision among all the UN actors at country level.

“This strategic objective is the result of a deliberate effort by all elements of the UN system to achieve a shared understanding of the mandates and functions of the various elements of the UN presence at country level and to use this understanding to maximize UN effectiveness, efficiency, and impact in all aspects of its work,” say the Integrated Mission Planning Guidelines endorsed in 2006 by the Secretary-General.

According to the resolution, the mission is intended to help Somalia build on the political gains made over the past year; assist the country to develop a federal system of government; review its constitution and hold a constitutional referendum; and facilitate preparations for presidential and parliamentary elections in 2016.

In addition, UNSOM will “promote respect for human rights and women's empowerment, promote child protection, prevent conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, and strengthen justice institutions.”

UN agencies working in Somalia are expected to move there. Many are currently based in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

In this briefing, IRIN looks at what an integrated approach means for Somalia.

What is the political, humanitarian situation in Somalia?

Somalia has recently made progress towards stability. In 2012, the country set up a functioning federal government under the leadership of President Sheikh Hassan Mohamud, the first such administration since 1990.

However, there continue to be huge political and humanitarian challenges. Insurgents, who still control parts of the country, continue to launch deadly attacks regularly, while more than one million Somalis are displaced due to conflict and drought. One million more have crossed into neighbouring countries, mainly Kenya and Ethiopia.

A 2013 report published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) revealed that over 250,000 Somalis, many of them children under five, died as a result of famine between October 2010 and April 2012. They were unable to receive any humanitarian assistance, in part, due to insecurity.

What is UNSOM’s role?

On 6 March 2013 the Security Council had, while partially lifting a 20-year-oldarms embargo on Somalia and extending the mandate of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), for another year, agreed with the UN Secretary-General that the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) had “fulfilled its obligation” and needed to be replaced by an integrated mission to give the Somali administration “a single door to knock on”.

The new mission, to be headed by a special representative of the Secretary-General would include, “the provision of policy advice to the Federal Government and AMISOM on peace-building and state-building in the areas of governance, security sector reform and rule of law (including the disengagement of combatants); development of a federal system (including preparations for elections in 2016); and coordination of international donor support.”

All the UN country teams, both political and humanitarian in Somalia, would be expected, with immediate effect, to coordinate all their activities with the head of the newly established mission.

The office of the UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia is expected to fall under the office of the special representative from the beginning January 2014.

What now for UNPOS and AMISOM?

With the creation of an integrated mission, UNPOS ceases to exist. Established in 1995 and headed by a special representative of the Secretary-General, UNPOS’s role was mainly political, facilitating political dialogue and peace-building activities. In his letter to the UNSC seeking the establishment of an integrated mission in Somalia, the Secretary-General said UNPOS had fulfilled its mandate and should “be dissolved and replaced by a new expanded special political mission as soon as possible”.

The Somalia Federal Government is largely propped up by the 18,000-strong AMISOM force.

A technical assistance mission to Somalia by the Secretary-General recommended in its report “use of local UN-contracted and trained security guards, the impending deployment of an AMISOM guard force in Mogadishu, and reliance on Somali National Security Forces (SNSF). If these are deemed insufficient, UN Guard Units or international private security companies could be utilized.”

AMISOM has always been involved in limited humanitarian assistance but it is not clear if this will continue with UNSOM.

The UNSC in its resolution, urges the newly appointed special representative to align closely with other stakeholders in Somalia, including UN country teams, the federal government, AMISOM, the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD), the European Union and “other regional, bilateral and multilateral partners”.

Experts, say the success of UNSOM will depend on whether it aligns its operations with the different actors in Somalia, some of whom may have qualms about sharing their areas of expertise and/or influence.

“The number of pivotal actors dealing with Somalia has increased as of late, not least as new donors have come in and stepped up their support. Hence, if the international community is serious about UNSOM and would like to see it fulfil its mandate, actors need to be aligned behind UNSOM,” Dominik Balthasar, an expert on Somalia at Chatham House, told IRIN. “Yet, this might possibly be a hard bullet to bite for other actors such as AMISOM or IGAD, as the participation of UNSOM is likely to restrict the roles they have played thus far.”

Abdi Aynte, executive director of the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS), a Mogadishu-based think tank, said: “With respect to its relations with AMISOM, the hope is that they become mutually reinforcing [and] not mutually exclusive [since] AMISOM is widely viewed positively.”

What are the merits of UNSOM?

UNSOM will merge the UN’s humanitarian and political operations in Somalia, providing an opportunity to harness the operational capacities of the many agencies into a single mission.

“It looks like an ambitious plan and is probably the most significant engagement in Somalia by the UN in decades,” Cedric Barnes, director, Horn of Africa programmes at the International Crisis Group, told IRIN.

HIPS’s Aynte said the integrated mission will provide a single international community narrative on Somalia, something he says the Somalis have wanted for a long time.

A unification of the development and humanitarian pillars in Somalia, others have argued, would help marshal the much-needed international funding to remedy the situation in Somalia while also “creating coherence and unifying strategies”.

Elmi Ahmed Duale, Somalia’s ambassador to the UN, described the resolution as important and said it had ensured “there was only “one door” to knock on, “as opposed to fragmented approaches in coordinating assistance”.

According to ICG’s Barnes, this will be dependent on how much the government is willing to cede in the new engagement.

“It would be interesting to see how this will play out with a government that might want to assert authority while at the same time fronting the issue of sovereignty,” Barnes added.

The fact that Al Shabab is listed as a terrorist group has made it difficult for many humanitarian agencies to have an engagement with it, at least for the purposes of offering humanitarian assistance in areas still under the group’s control.

Why the dissenting voices against UNSOM?

Humanitarians have voiced their concerns against merging humanitarian operations with political and military activities, arguing it would make their work in Somalia difficult as it runs the risk of delegitimizing humanitarian actors.

In Somalia, 2.7 million are in need of humanitarian assistance James Reinl/IRIN

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“As many Somalis continue to struggle to obtain the basic necessities for survival, such as food, health care, and protection from violence, humanitarian assistance must remain a priority and it must remain completely independent of any political agenda,” Jerome Oberreit, secretary-general of Médecins Sans Frontières, said in a statement.

“The humanitarian aid system must not be co-opted as an implementing partner of counter-insurgency or stabilization efforts in Somalia,” he added.

In March, InterAction, The International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) and Voluntary Organizations in Cooperation in Emergencies (VOICE), said in a joint statement that the decision risked jeopardizing the delivery of impartial humanitarian assistance in the country: “By requiring UN humanitarian coordination to fall under the political mandate of the new UN peace-building mission in Somalia, the neutrality, impartiality and independence of humanitarian action will be compromised.”

Russel Geekie, public information officer at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Somalia office, said: “The integration should not hamper the delivery of aid. In its most recent resolution on Somalia (SC resolution 2102, which follows up on 2093), the Security Council reiterated that impartial, neutral and independent humanitarian assistance must be ensured, wherever those in need are.”

According Chatham House’s Balthasar, integrating humanitarian operations into the broader politico-military stabilization plans “runs the risk of constraining humanitarian space, but that this does not necessarily need to be the case. Moreover, it should not be forgotten that humanitarian aid has always been political and that it has frequently been instrumentalized by a wide variety of actors - not least by those who oppose the government.” With an eye towards the dynamics surrounding humanitarian space in Somalia, he added that ever since Al Shabab had been put on the back foot, humanitarian actors who had become accustomed to negotiating with the insurgents to deliver humanitarian aid lacked clarity over who was in control and how to safely deliver aid.

“Basically, the political situation on the ground appears to have become more, rather than less, complicated. In this situation, devising an integrated mission might not be the worst of all options for the sake of prioritizing stability and the establishment of functioning structures of governance,” he added.

ko/kr/oa/cb

COMMUNIQUE OF THE 21ST EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT OF IGAD,

The IGAD Heads of State and Government held its 21stExtraordinary summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 3 May 2013, under the Chairmanship of H.E Mr. Hailemariam
Desalegn, the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and
current Chairperson of the IGAD Assembly to discuss the political situation in the Federal Republic of Somalia.

The Assembly was attended by H. E. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya; H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. SalvaKiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan; H. E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda; H.E. Ali Ahmed Kharti, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of The Sudan; and H.E. Ahmed Ali Silay, Minister of International Cooperation the Republic of Djibouti.

Read the full comminque here

Somalia Conference - Aims

Somali woman walk past a billboard mural. AU-UN IST PHOTO / STUART PRICE

Somalia is emerging from more than two decades of conflict. Last year, Somalis in Somalia chose a new more legitimate parliament and Government. The Government has set out an ambitious plan, the Six Pillar Policy, for rebuilding the country. Security has also improved. Somali armed forces and AMISOM, with the help of their Ethiopian allies, have recovered towns and routes from Al Shabaab control. The diaspora are returning. The economy is starting to revive.

Last year, the international community supported the end of transition through conferences held in London on 23 February and in Istanbul on 1 June. This year, the new Government needs support if it is to bring about real change for the people of Somalia, and end the threats of terrorism and piracy, as well as the scourge of famine.

The UK and Somalia will therefore co-host a Conference in London on 7 May to provide international support for the Federal Government’s plans.

The Somalia Conference will be one of a sequence of events in 2013 that will support Somalia, including the G8 meetings, the Tokyo International Conference on African Development in early June and an EU-hosted conference in September on the New Deal for fragile states.

What will the Conference achieve?

The principal objectives of the Conference are:

• for the Somali Government to share its plans for developing the country’sarmed forces, police, justice sector, and public financial management systems;
• for the international community to agree how it will support the implementation of those plans; and
• for the Somali Government to outline how it intends to resolve the outstanding political issues within Somalia.

In addition, we expect the Conference to:

• Welcome dialogue between the Federal Government of Somalia and Somaliland to build trust and cooperation;
• Endorse UN Security Council Resolution 2093 extending AMISOM’s mandate, and reiterate their support for the work of the African Union mission;
• Endorse a UN Security Council Resolution mandating a new UN mission for Somalia, and reiterate their support for the work of the UN in Somalia;
• Agree a package of support for Somalia on Preventing Sexual Violence;
• Hear the latest on the Government’s maritime strategy; and
• Emphasise the importance of the orderly and voluntary return of refugees to Somalia, and look forward to an event on this issue to be hosted by Somali, Kenya and the UN.

Who will be invited?

The UK and Somalia are inviting over 50 partner countries and organisations, including the UN, African Union, IMF and Somalia’s friends and neighbours around the world.

Will there be opportunities for the diaspora and civil society to get involved?

A number of events in the run-up to the Conference will allow some issues to be explored in greater detail, including with the diaspora and civil society. These events include:

• a women’s event in the UK to discuss women’s empowerment, preventing sexual violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation;
• a debate hosted by Chatham House looking at how to achieve political stability;
• a meeting for donors on aid co-ordination hosted by the Department for International Development; and
• a trade and investment event on 8 May to highlight Somali business opportunities and promote inward investment, including by Somali diaspora businesses.

Further information

Find out more about the Somalia Conference2013

Watch a selection of videos from the UK and Somalia

Ban appoints British diplomat as new UN envoy for Somalia

Nicholas Kay

29 April 2013 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Nicholas Kay, a diplomat from the United Kingdom, as his new Special Representative for Somalia, it was announcedtoday.

Mr. Kay succeeds Augustine Mahiga of Tanzania, who has served as Special Representative and head of the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) for the last three years and will complete his assignment on 3 June 2013.

In the announcement of the new appointment, the Secretary-General paid tribute to Mr. Mahiga’s “exemplary leadership” in helping to steer the conclusion of Somalia’s eight-year political transition in the summer of 2012.

“The Secretary-General recalls with deep appreciation the fact that Mr. Mahiga’s contributions had laid the foundation on which the Federal Government of Somalia, with the help of the international community, can now further engage on peacebuilding and the consolidation of security and development initiatives in the country.”

Mr. Kay is currently the Africa Director at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Prior to this, he served as Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Sudan from 2007 to 2010 and 2010 to 2012, respectively.

He was also the UK’s Regional Coordinator for Southern Afghanistan and Head of the Provincial Reconstruction Team for Helmand Province from 2006 to 2007. His career also includes diplomatic stints in Spain and Cuba, as well as 14 years of work as an English teacher in a number of countries.

As the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Somalia, Mr. Kay will be responsible for leading UN efforts to assist the country’s leaders and citizens to build peace, political stability and a hopeful future after decades of conflict.

Jubilee leaders pick fresh faces to first Cabinet

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto broke with tradition on Tuesday by parading four Cabinet Secretary nominees whose names they forwarded to Parliament for approval.

True to their campaign promises, they picked fresh faces from outside the political arena, nominating newcomers from the private sector, international organisations and top cream civil servants to make the first part of their Cabinet.

It was also a break with tradition as the President and his deputy, dressed casually in shirt sleeves and identical red ties, surprisingly unveiled just the first four of the expected 18-member Cabinet, promising to conclude the full team in due course.

Mr Henry Rotich, the Macroeconomics head at the Ministry of Finance, was named the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury, as Dr Fred Matiangi, the current Chief of Party of the Parliamentary Strengthening Project run by the State University of New York (Suny) was nominated as the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication and Technology (ICT).

Mr James Wainaina Macharia was fished from NIC Bank, where he was the managing director, and nominated Cabinet Secretary for Health, while Ms Amina Mohamed, an assistant secretary-general at the United Nations and Unep’s deputy executive director, was handed the challenging task of Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

President Kenyatta said he will not name the full Cabinet but “few names” for the National Assembly Committee on Appointments to start vetting. The 28-member committee was set up on Tuesday.

Breaking with tradition

“This is an ongoing process. The parliamentary team has been appointed and should start working immediately. The Constitution and the law requires that we forward the names for approval.

“Our commitment is to put in place a team that cannot just deliver on the Jubilee manifesto, but transform the nation of Kenya and ensure Kenya takes her place in the world. We will give you men and women of high integrity,” he said.

Stating that they were breaking with the tradition of announcing the names of the nominees in absentia, President Kenyatta and Mr Ruto paraded the proposed Cabinet Secretaries, cited their background and qualifications, family information and invited them to say a few words.

The nominees were part of dozens the President said they have been interviewing for the past fortnight.

First to be named was Dr Matiangi, most recently involved in a Suny-United States Aid Agency (USaid) programme helping to modernise Parliament.

The nominee expressed his delight at being nominated and promised to take the ICT sector in the country to a higher level.

“I thank you for affording me opportunity to join a dynamic Jubilee team. I promises to work together with the team and make our contribution. Together we will implement the Jubilee manifesto especially in the ICT set-up and move the country to the next stage in ICT development,” he said.

Second was Mr Rotich, the Cabinet Secretary nominee for the National Treasury, the docket which President Kenyatta served in the former government.

Citing the nominee’s CV, President Kenyatta said Mr Rotich was the head of Macroeconomics at the Treasury, a post that required him to take part in budget planning, and strategic coordination in areas of fiscal and financial management.

Mr Rotich has previously served at the Central Bank of Kenya, seconded to the World Bank locally and served the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.

He thanked President Kenyatta and Mr Ruto for the nomination, promising to spearhead the country’s Treasury.

“I thank you for the trust and confidence you have placed in me to spearhead economic management of the country,” he said.

Third came Mr Macharia who despite being a banker by profession, was handed the task of leading the Ministry of Health.

He promised to take on challenges posed by health sector. “I have encountered very challenging situations, but I believe with determination nothing can fail. I know health is different from banking, but with team work, we will achieve a lot,” he said.

Take on challenges

Ms Mohamed, the only female nominee of the four, was the last to be paraded as the Cabinet Secretary designate for Foreign Affairs.

“It is a great honour to serve this great country in this unique position. I am greatly honoured and humbled,” Ms Mohammed said.

On their decision to start with only four nominees, President Kenyatta and Mr Ruto pleaded with Kenyans to be patient as they went through dozens of CVs and talked with prospective candidates.

How Toronto's Muslim Community Uncovered the Would-Be Train Bombers

Police officers watch a train pass in a subway station in Montreal on May 10, 2012. (Reuters)

"They focused on demonizing Western society."

OLGA KHAZANAPR 23 2013, 4:30 PM 

After last week's deadly bombing in Boston, news that Toronto foiled its own terrorist attack might have come as a relief.

A plot to blow up a rail line between Canada and the U.S. was thwarted on Monday, and Canadian police have arrested two suspects, Chiheb Esseghaier, of Montreal, and Raed Jaser, of Toronto.

But the most surprising part of the story might be how the suspects were discovered: They were turned in, reports say, by leaders of their own community.

Muhammed Robert Heft, who runs Toronto's Paradise Forever Islamic Center, says that one of the suspects -- he won't say which -- started expressing extremist beliefs to a member of the city's Muslim leadership a year ago.

"They were espousing some views that were starting to ruffle feathers and make people uncomfortable," Heft said. "They focused on demonizing Western society and suggesting that there has to be some kind of retribution or revenge for the perceived grievances of this individual."

The community leader -- Heft declined to give his name -- became concerned, and suggested to Heft that he monitor the suspect.

"It went to a stage where it was a constant topic of conversation. The community leader realized that the person was not changing their views. They worried that something might eventually happen," he explained.

Heft says that when members of the Islamic community there regularly express extremist views, an Imam or other religious leader would call in Heft or another higher-up to try to convince the person of a more moderate point of view. If the person continued to try to gain converts to radical Islam, his name might be passed along to the police.

That's apparently what happened this time, and it worked. Reports show that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police believed the two suspects had the capacity to carry out the attack, but there was no imminent threat to the public, passengers, or infrastructure -- until Monday.

In a week of terrible news and, in some corners, rising Islamophobia, this is a small but promising sign that religious groups can be capable -- and sometimes incredibly deft -- at policing extremists within their own ranks.

Heft shrugged off the idea that some Muslims might oppose the religious leaders' practice of turning in militant members of their own religion.

"The vast majority gets it, they're proud of the fact that we're involved in the front lines," he said. "At the end of the day, they didn't want anything to happen in Canada either."


Source: The Atlantic

Wikileaks: Sheekada Dhexmartay Faroole iyo U.S Ambassador James Swan

Halkan ka akhriso qoraalka uu safiirka Maraykanaka ee Soomaaliya usoo diray wasaaraddda arimaha dibadda ee Maraykanaka ka dib kulan uu la yeeshay Abdiraxman Faroole, Madaxwaynaha Puntland. Qoraalkan waxaa shaaciyey degelka waerarka sirta ah kashifa ee loo yaqaan the Wikileaks

Reference id	aka Wikileaks id #218325  ?
Subject	Somalia - Puntland President Determined To Push For Greater Autonomy
Origin	Embassy Nairobi (Kenya)
Cable time	Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:10 UTC
Classification	UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Source	http://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/07/09NAIROBI1604.html
References	09NAIROBI1474
Referenced by	09NAIROBI1795
History	Time unknown: Original unredacted version, leaked to Wikileaks Wed, 24 Aug 2011 03:21: First publication, unredacted, however non-text content differs Thu, 1 Sep 2011 23:24: Original unredacted version published, with HTML goodies

Kenyan oil well releases 281 barrels per day in test drill

By EMMANUEL ONYANGO

One of Kenya’s six oil wells has been releasing 281 barrels of oil a day (bopd) in a drill test conducted by British explorer Tullow Oil.

Canadian reportedly killed in Mogadishu court attack

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

An attack that left more than two dozen dead in Somalia on the weekend appears to have involved a Canadian, news that is raising concern within Toronto's Somali community.

Militants' attack kills 29 at Somali courthouse

A Somali girl and her brother run to safety near the scene of a blast in Mogadishu Photo: REUTERS

---

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Mogadishu, Somalia (CNN) -- At least 10 heavily armed militants forced their way into a court building Sunday in Mogadishu, Somalia, and launched a deadly attack, according to a local journalist who witnessed the aftermath.

Uhuru, Ruto meet Cord's Raila and Kalonzo



From left: Deputy President William Ruto, President Uhuru Kenyatta with Cord leaders Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka when they held talks at State House, Nairobi on April 13, 2013. Photo/PPS



By NATION REPORTER

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto on Saturday held a meeting with Cord leaders Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka at State House where they agreed on the need to unite Kenyans.

Uganda: How UPDF drove al-Shabaab terrorists out of Mogadishu

Ugandan fighters serving under Amisom on guard in the outskirts of Mogadishu. PHOTOS BY RISDEL KASASIRA  

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Six years ago, when the group of the first Ugandan soldiers arrived at Mogadishu International Airport, they were welcomed by unrelenting mortar and sniper fire. The future was uncertain for Battle Group One under the commander of Col. Peter Elwelu, now, Brigadier and Third Division commander.