European Union Training Mission Somalia

Transcription

1 European Union Training Mission Somalia PRESS SUMMARY 14 December 2018 In Media stat virtus

2 SUMMARY TITLE UPDATE 2-Somalia arrests ex-islamist militant running for regional presidency PAGE 2 Robow still dangerous, govt says as it pulls him out of polls race 4 Plane carrying Robow lands in Mogadishu 5 Somalia Mps Protest Robow Arrest Accuse Amisom Troops Of 6 Taking Sides Somalia: Baidoa gripped by the deadly riots over abrupt arrest of 7 Robow Eritrean president arrives for first visit to Somalia, minister says 8 Prime Minister of Somalia arrives in Doha 9 European Union Training Mission in Somalia the Somali National 10 Armed Forces creating the bases, developing the structure, consolidating the results European Union European External Action Service representatives 12 visited EUCAP Somalia SWS electoral committee releases presidential election schedule 13 Banadir Regional Administration Held Weekly Meeting With 14 District Commissioners AMISOM Starts The Process Of Handing Over Military Academy To 15 The Somali National Army Two Somalia gov t officials arrested in Mandera, Kenya 17 Government of Italy grants UNFPA Somalia three million Euros for 18 the reduction of maternal mortality in Somalia War and hunger in Somalia 20 We need to keep the fires of cross-border solidarity burning Killed In Renewed Clashes Between Somalis & Oromos In 24 Ethiopia EUTM - SOMALIA 1

3 UPDATE 2-Somalia arrests ex-islamist militant running for regional presidency December 13, 2018 Somalia arrested on Thursday a former Islamist militant who seeking election as a regional president, sparking clashes between his supporters and security forces. The arrest of Mukhtar Robow in an area where al Shabaab militants retain a presence after a long civil war heightened tension between Somalia s central government and semiautonomous regions where elections are scheduled over the coming months. The Internal Security Ministry in Mogadishu said its forces had arrested Robow on the suspicion that he had brought militants and weapons back to the southern city of Baidoa, the capital of South West region where he is running for president. The ministry asked Robow to denounce his ideology of terrorism...and support the federal government of Somalia. Robow, a former prominent al Shabaab insurgent and group spokesman, publicly renounced violence and recognised federal authority in August Sponsored Stories Earlier on Thursday, Robow s spokesman said he was also beaten by Ethiopian troops, who are part of an African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia, in the course of his arrest. A spokesman for Ethiopia s foreign ministry said he had no information on any Ethiopian involvement in Robow s arrest. Baidoa residents said the arrest sparked off clashes between Baidoa militiamen loyal to Robow and Somali and Ethiopian security forces. EUTM - SOMALIA 2

4 There are casualties. We see Ethiopian tanks being moved into the town. Now there is sporadic gunfire. Tension is very high now and all shops are closed, Ahmed Abdullahi, a Baidoa shopkeeper, told Reuters. Analysts said Robow s detention would only heighten his standing in South West. A thoroughly daft move on part of the Ethiopians. They have now made him a martyr, increased his popularity even more, Rashid Abdi, Horn of Africa Project Director at International Crisis Group, said on Twitter. The U.S.-backed Mogadishu government tried to bar Robow s presidential candidacy in South West, citing remaining U.S. sanctions against him. But the state electoral commission last month dismissed Mogadishu s demands and accepted his candidacy. South West will be the first of Somalia s seven semi-autonomous regions to hold presidential elections in the coming months, a critical juncture in a growing power struggle between the U.S.-backed central government and regions where militants retain a presence following a long civil war. However, on Dec. 1 the commission postponed South West s vote for the third time, saying it was not sufficiently prepared amid lingering tensions with Mogadishu. Somalia has been trying to claw its way out of the embers of the civil war that engulfed it in 1991, when clan warlords overthrew a dictator and then turned on each other. Al Shabaab has sought for over a decade to topple the central government and implement its strict version of Islamic law. It was driven out of the capital in 2011 but maintains a foothold in some regions including South West. EUTM - SOMALIA 3

5 Robow still dangerous, govt says as it pulls him out of polls race The Ministry of Internal Security had already sent warnings to Mukhtar Robow against contesting in South West presidential elections and today December 13, the federal government arrested him, the statement read in part. The government has also accused Robow of delivering weapons and militants to Baidoa adding the former Al-Shabaab leader who defected to government August 13, 2017 has not quit his radical ideology, and can still do arm to the people of Somalia. Robow s arrest now clears the way for the government s choice for the South West presidency following months of disputes over the matter which saw former president Sharif Sheikh Adan resign and pull out of the race under pressure from Mogadishu. Former Labour minister Abdiaziz Mohamed aka Lafta Green has been fronted by the Federal Government for the South West presidency. Meanwhile the South West elections committee said Thursday the elections would proceed December 19 as earlier announced. Prior to denouncing Robow, the government had on several occasions escorted and provided him security during visits to Kismayu and Baidoa. December 13, The Federal Government has justified its arrest of Mukhtar Robow who is one of the candidates in the South West state presidential elections noting the former Al- Shabaab number leader had not denounced terrorism and still remains a threat to the Somali people. In a statement following Robow s arrival in Mogadishu Thursday afternoon, the Ministry of Internal Security said Robow had on several occasions failed to heed the government s call to quit the presidential race on grounds he was still not done with the U.S over sanctions it imposed on him in EUTM - SOMALIA 4

6 Plane carrying Robow lands in Mogadishu December 13, 2018 Reports from Aden Adde Airport are indicating that Mukhtar Robow Abu Mansoor just landed in Mogadishu in a private plane. Muktar Robow was transported from Baidoa capital of South West stater after he was arrested by Amisom forces. Close sources have confirmed for Goobjoog News that the private plane that landed Adan Adde international airport was carrying Mukhtar Robow. On the other hand, heavy protests against the deportation of Mukhtar Robow are recently ongoing in Baidoa town. EUTM - SOMALIA 5

7 Somalia Mps Protest Robow Arrest Accuse Amisom Troops Of Taking Sides On Dec 13, 2018 A section of Somali Mps have condemned the arrest of leading presidential candidate in the southwest election Mukhtar Robow terming it a human rights violation. In a statement issued by mainly proimpeachment motion Mps the lawmakers accused the government of using Ethiopian Amisom soldiers to solicit for their local political agenda. The Mps demanded President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo to tale responsibility for the violent skirmishes that hit Baidoa on Wednesday. Casualties are reported in the violent protests that followed Robows arrest. They re totally condemning the arrest of robow since it amounts rights violation. Plus farmajo should take the blame for the violent skirmishes in baidoa. We will forward a complaint against the same to the AU representative in Somalia who is in charge of Amisom affairs the Mps said. The statement farther says that the Speaker of the Lower House should immediately convene a session to table the Farmaajo impeachment motion. Among the reasons why the Mps had seek for President Farmaajo to be sacked was alleged interference in the southwest elections. Robow was arrested by Ethiopian troops following gunfight with his militia after a consultative meeting with other presidential candidates at the Baidoa Presidential Palace. EUTM - SOMALIA 6

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9 Eritrean president arrives for first visit to Somalia, minister says December 13, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki arrived on Thursday for his first-ever visit to Somalia, Eritrea s information minister said, in another sign of rapidly changing relations in the region following Eritrea s rapprochement with one-time foe Ethiopia. Isaias landed in Mogadishu and headed to the Somali president s office, Reuters witnesses. Security was tight in the capital, they said. President Isaias s historic visit is part and parcel of the consultative Tripartite Summits of the Heads of State and Government of Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, Yemane Meskel said on Twitter. The three countries have been mending their sometimes fraught relations since Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office in April. In July, Somalia and Eritrea said they planned to establish diplomatic relations as ties improved across the Horn of Africa following Eritrea s rapprochement with Ethiopia. Past Somali administrations had accused Eritrea of supplying weapons to anti-government Islamist insurgents. Asmara has repeatedly denied this, saying the accusations were concocted by its enemy, Ethiopia. In 2007, Eritrea walked out of the East African bloc IGAD in protest as Ethiopian forces entered Somalia to fight militants. medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed%3a+reuters%2fworldnews+%28reuters+world+ne ws%29&&rpc=401 EUTM - SOMALIA 8

10 Prime Minister of Somalia arrives in Doha 13 Dec 2018 The Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hassan Ali Khairi, and his accompanying delegation arrived in Doha yesterday, on a visit to the country. Upon his arrival at Hamad International Airport, the Somali Prime Minister was welcomed by the Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, Yousef bin Mohammed Al Othman Fakhro, and the Somali Ambassador to the State of Qatar, Abdul Razzaq Farah Ali. Doha EUTM - SOMALIA 9

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13 European Union European External Action Service representatives visited EUCAP Somalia Representatives of the European Union European External Action Service visited the Mission and its main Somali interlocutors from 3-11 December The EU delegates from the Civilian Conduct and Planning Capability (CPCC) and the Crisis Management and Planning Directorate (CMPD) whose responsibilities in Brussels include planning and advising functions in relation to the work of civilian CSDP Missions such as EUCAP Somalia, called in the Mogadishu HQ, the Hargeisa field office and the Nairobi support office. EUCAP Somalia s advisors briefed the CPCC/CMPD delegates, Simone Barenghi and Viktorija Budreckaite, on the respective activities and accompanied the delegation visiting their Somali colleagues. Meeting and visits to interlocutors included: Attending a hand-over ceremony of three boats donated by Sweden to the Somaliland Coast Guard on 2 December in Berbera (Somaliland), facilitated by the Mission, and meetings with Somaliland authorities (3-5 December). In Mogadishu (5-8 December) a visit to the Mogadishu Port and the Somali Police Forces Maritime Police Unit, meetings with the Somali Police Forces Deputy Police Commissioner, with the Somali INTERPOL National Central Bureau, meetings with representatives with the Somali Ministry of Justice, AMISOM and the UNSOM. In the Somali capital, the CPCC and CMPD delegation also held joint meetings and working sessions with the whole EU Family entities deployed in Somalia (EUCAP Somalia, EUTM Somalia, EUNAVFOR Atalanta and the EU Delegation to Somalia). In Nairobi on 10 December the Delegation held working sessions with Mission personnel of the support office and meetings with Nairobi-based EU interlocutors. EUTM - SOMALIA 12

14 SWS electoral committee releases presidential election schedule December 13, 2018 The Southwest presidential election committee has today released the election schedule ahead of 19the December According to the updated election schedule released by the committee indicates that on15th Dec, the committee will discuss the process of the election. The timetable further indicates that the presidential candidate s debate will be conducted on 16 and 17th Dec. On 18th Dec the committee will conduct a general training for the election supervisors. In the statement, the electoral commission chairman, Shacir Omar Beylei, says the commission will conduct the Southwest presidential election on 19th Dec The Federal Government has today arrested Mukhtar Robow who is one of the candidates in the South West state presidential elections noting the former Al-Shabaab number leader had not denounced terrorism and still remains a threat to the Somali people. Meanwhile, the South West elections committee said Thursday the elections would proceed December 19 as earlier announced. EUTM - SOMALIA 13

15 Banadir Regional Administration Held Weekly Meeting With District Commissioners 13 December 2018 The weekly meeting was held to discuss the Development Plan in 2019 for BRA. The Mayor of Mogadishu Abdirahman Omar Osman was chairing the weekly meeting and discussed about the drainage master-plan activities in the capital and the security issues. The meeting was held in the Local Government Center in Warta Nabada District. 17 District Commissioners of Banadir Region displayed their activities in 2018 including social activities, anti-corruption, and broadening the basic services. The mayor thanked the district for working with the local community, police and security agencies, as this had reduced terrorism activities from Al-Shabaab. This meeting also focused on drainage and sewerage system of the capital city how to repair it before the rainy season. Banadir Regional Administration made a study and assessed the sewage system of the capital city of Somalia. The mayor praised the people of Mogadishu of participating in the Is-Xilqaan (Self-voluntarily) program, as volunteers are rebuilding the theatre, the museum, Mogadishu stadium and the national library that is currently ongoing. EUTM - SOMALIA 14

16 AMISOM Starts The Process Of Handing Over Military Academy To The Somali National Army 13 December 2018 A cadet training school occupied by African Union troops for the last eleven years, will soon be handed over to the Somali National Army (SNA). Jaalle Siyaad Military Academy in the Somali capital Mogadishu, served as a key operations base for the African Union troops at the height of the war against Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Shabaab militants and a Forward Operating Base from which the troops waged a fierce war against the militants, leading to the liberation of Mogadishu in The handover process of the institution is being undertaken within the framework of the Somalia Transition Plan and the United Nations Security Council Resolutions, which call for a gradual and conditions-based transfer of Somalia s security responsibilities to the Somali security forces. The African Union s Special Representative for Somalia, who is also the Head of AMISOM, Ambassador Francisco Caetano Madeira did an inspection tour of the academy today, to assess rehabilitation works currently underway at the military institution. We thank the Somali government for allowing us to occupy this place at a time when the war against Al-Shabaab was at its peak, Ambassador Madeira said. At that moment, we needed to liberate Mogadishu from the occupation of the Al-Shabaab, added the AU Special Representative, who was accompanied on the assessment tour by senior Somali National Army and AMISOM officials. The handing over of the (Mogadishu) Stadium and of the Academy is the second step forward, stated Madeira, referring to the sixty-thousand capacity Mogadishu National Stadium, which was vacated by AMISOM troops and handed over to the Federal Government in August The United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) is spearheading refurbishment works at the military academy ahead of its handover to the government. At least forty-eight (48) EUTM - SOMALIA 15

17 prefabricated buildings, a hospital, water treatment and power plants will be fully restored before the formal handover in We value the spirit of brotherhood from AMISOM and appreciate the rare sacrifices you have made to bring peace to Somalia, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Sheikh Madobe, the Somali National Army (SNA) Head of Operations told the delegation from AMISOM. Burundian troops currently occupying the institution are due to relocate to a Forward Operating Base in the outskirts of Mogadishu. This will be the third key institution handed over to the Somali government by the AU Mission since In July 2017 the Mission relinquished control of the Somali National University, which it had used as a military base for ten years, and handed it back to the Government. EUTM - SOMALIA 16

18 Two Somalia gov t officials arrested in Mandera, Kenya December 13, 2018 Kenya security forces in Mandera County have yesterday arrested two Somalia government officials. Ibraahin Guled the district commissioner of Elwak district in Gedo region and Colonel Warfare Sheikh Adan Faroole of Somalia national army were arrested in Mandera as they were travelling to Nairobi Kenya for visit. Sahal Maalim Adan the deputy district commissioner of Elwak district has confirmed the arrest of two officials to Goobjoog News and calls the Kenya security forces in Mandera to respect the rights of the two officials and release them from the custody. The two officials were found guilty of having an invalid Somali passport and Kenyan identification cards, said Sahal Elwak deputy commissioner It is still unclear why the Kenya security forces have arrested the two officials and they still remain in Kenyan security forces custody in Mandera town. EUTM - SOMALIA 17

19 Government of Italy grants UNFPA Somalia three million Euros for the reduction of maternal mortality in Somalia Published on 13 Dec 2018 Mogadishu, 12 December 2018 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic, via the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation Mogadishu Office, is making a contribution of 3 million Euros towards the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country Programme for Somalia for 2018 to In partnership with UNFPA, this generous contribution will support the Federal Government of Somalia s efforts towards social and human development, particularly in the Federal Government National Development Plan areas of health, youth, gender and institutional building. The Ambassador of Italy to Somalia His Excellency Mr. Carlo Campanile stressed the importance of supporting maternal and child health in Somalia, with a focus on reducing maternal mortality in the region. This contribution will prioritize the health of women and children in several regions, resulting in saving the lives of children and women in Somalia. The UNFPA Representative, Mr. Nikolai Botev, said the funding from Italy is significant in contributing to improved access to reproductive health services through enhanced reproductive health-care service delivery processes, increased family planning service uptake and increased reproductive health commodity security, obstetric fistula prevention and management, and strengthened capacities of national and local authorities. Part of the resources will be allocated to support vital health service provision in key hospitals. We are very thankful to the Government of Italy and the Italian people for this very generous funding, said Mr. Botev. He restated UNFPA s commitment towards its overall goal of working towards the reduction of maternal mortality with women, youth, and populations affected by humanitarian crisis, being the country programme s primary targets. EUTM - SOMALIA 18

20 The Minister of Health and Human Services, H.E. Dr. Fawziya Abikar Nor expressed her gratitude to all who are contributing to improving maternal and child health in Somalia. She particularly commended the Government of Italy and UNFPA for continuing to be reliable partners towards improving the health and wellbeing of the Somali people. Many programmes and actions for improved maternal and reproductive health depend on an overall improvement in functioning of the health system and we re thankful for the strong relationship we have with the Government of Italy and UNFPA in the provision of the essential health services including new-born and maternal health services, said Dr. Abikar. EUTM - SOMALIA 19

21 War and hunger in Somalia Published on 13 Dec 2018 In Somalia, more than two and a half decades of armed conflict has had a devastating impact on innocent civilians. There are now more than 870,000 Somalis registered as refugees in nearby countries, and over 2.1 million people are displaced within the country itself. Insecurity has meant that aid agencies have often struggled to reach the most vulnerable communities. Twice in the last decade this conflict has combined with extreme drought to horrifying results. Hunger reached famine levels in 2011 when over 250,000 men, women and children lost their lives. Just six years later, similar devastation was narrowly averted during an even more severe drought, thanks in part to a rapid humanitarian response. While loss of life on such a scale may have been avoided, hundreds of thousands of people were still forced to abandon their homes and millions were left in desperate need of food. Right now, 1.2 million children are malnourished. That is half of all children under the age of five. There is hope When long and protracted conflicts rage on, the situation can seem hopeless. Our teams on the ground encounter desperately sad stories every day. But they have not lost hope. And they have good reason not to. Because they know that the incredibly difficult work they are doing is saving lives. The lives of young children like Yasmiin*. Treating hunger In March of 2017, Yasmiin was brought to one of Concern s nutrition centres in Mogadishu. She had walked for ten days with her mother Aamiina* from their rural village in search of food in the capital. Emaciated from lack of food, five-year-old Yasmiin weighed just 12 EUTM - SOMALIA 20

22 kilograms. Our staff immediately admitted her into our emergency nutrition programme. Just 9 weeks later, she was almost back to the weight that a healthy girl her age should be. *Names changed to protect identities Preventing hunger Treating hunger is a vital part of our work. But preventing it is our main goal. It is infinitely more challenging do to this in conflict situations, like in Somalia. But so long as people have access to the support they need, it is possible. One of the other aspects of our work in Somalia is working with communities to make them more resilient to the insecurity they are exposed to during on-going conflict. We have established self-help groups for women in vulnerable communities. Supported by cash grants from Concern, the women in these groups can start to save money. Pooling their resources, they can then assist each other with loans to start small businesses or to overcome problems in times of need. But it is not just the women who benefit, it is their families and wider communities. In fact, during the extremely challenging conditions of the 2017 drought, some of these selfhelp groups were able together to support families who had been forced to leave their homes in search of food. Members from 10 different groups collected items from their communities including rice, flour, soap, utensils, plastic sheets and clothes and distributed them to 68 families who had recently arrived in a nearby camp and had yet to receive any other assistance. Their collective strength and solidarity is proof that if we work together, we can make an impact in the face of hunger. EUTM - SOMALIA 21

23 We need to keep the fires of cross-border solidarity burning Thursday December In 2012, my colleagues and I were at the Mandera Triangle, where the countries of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia meet, an area referred to by the US Department of State as one of the most conflict-prone in the world. We were on the Kenyan side, holding peace and security dialogues with the residents on how to end the violent conflict. The nights were lengthened by sounds of gunfire as the Ethiopian military and Somali insurgents engaged each other. In the dialogue, the Kenyan residents said they had inter-clan differences but most of the violence came from attacks from Somalia. A possible closure of the border between Kenya and Somalia would keep Kenyans safe, one of us quipped. The silence that followed this statement was broken by one of the two women in the room. No, she said. The border between Kenya and Somalia should not be closed. Our relationship as Kenyans with Somalia is that of kuombana moto (asking for fire). She was describing what people who grew up in African villages know all about. A fire was never allowed to go out because it was difficult to light a new one and matchboxes were hard to come by. In the event that the fire went out, a child would be sent to the neighbour to beg a burning ember. The child would run back as fast as possible, blowing furiously on the ember, thus ensuring it stayed alive long enough to start a new fire. This was kuombana moto. This practice emphasised the importance of good neighbourliness; you had to be on good terms because you never knew when you would need fire from your neighbour. How is Africa to deal with the dilemma of strengthening relationships and curbing insecurity that come with soft borders that are open but regulated as opposed to hard militarised borders that include walls and fences? Kenya and Uganda personify the colonial-boundary relationship quagmire through the example of the Awori family, which saw two brothers ending up as Members of Parliament one in Uganda and the other in Kenya. Aggrey Awori actually ran for president in Uganda in 2001, while his brother Moody served as Kenya s vice-president from 2003 to In those days, we would imagine how it would be if, for instance, Kenya and Uganda had presidents EUTM - SOMALIA 22

24 who shared a mother and father. I was reminded of this kuombana moto business in a conversation on the sidelines of the 2nd UN/Igad Peace and Security High Level Dialogue in Kampala last week. Some participants had witnessed the recent reopening of the Ethiopian and Eritrean borders first hand. As soon as the announcement was made, nobody flocked to any government office to seek legal papers. People just walked across the borders, resuming a life their ancestors had been used to. Trade and relationships have blossomed. Eritreans and Ethiopians can now ombana moto again. In the evening, we went to see the worldrenowned Ndere troupe, which describes itself as Africa s dancing encyclopaedia, showcasing breathtaking dances from all parts of Uganda. Rwangezyi Stephen, executive director of Ndere Centre interposed the dances with a rich narrative. I was surprised when Rwangezyi used the term soft borders to engage the audience. Rwangezyi said the ability to respect difference is explained by a pastoralist proverb that says, Those who do not value cows may mistake a full udder for an abscess. Rwangezyi then asked the audience what the most important part of the body was. Heart! Mouth! Spinal cord! Different voices piped up. He then asked each of us to imagine a glass of water in front of us, stretch out our hands and hold it, which we did. He then asked us to pick up the imaginary glass and bring it to our mouths for a sip, without bending our elbows. None of us could do so! He then asked us again to say which part of the body was most important. Laughing, we all shouted, Elbow! The moral of the exercise, Rwangezyi said, was that it did not matter which countries we came from, we were all human beings deserving respect even if we were different as we all needed each other! The elbow must be respected as much as the heart and spinal cord were. However, many Africans are not bothered by the lack of a kuombana moto official foreign policy as they routinely ignore borders and move without legal documents such as passports. In a pluralistic recognition of the value of what others have that they do not, exchanges have taken place for centuries between pastoralists, farmers and traders across what we now call borders. EUTM - SOMALIA 23

25 13 Killed In Renewed Clashes Between Somalis & Oromos In Ethiopia On Dec 13, 2018 Oromia regional authorities have confirmed that 13 people were killed and more than 100 injured in fresh intee-ethnic clashes between Somalis and Oromo near the border town of Moyale. Somali and Oromo activists blame each other for instogating this latest fighting. The death toll in #Moyale continues to rise, reports today confirm that a record number of homes and Somali owned businessss have been burnt down by armed oromo militias. As always, federal forces & the gov stand by as mass killings occur right under their noses. #Ethiopia Juweria B tweeted. Demonstrations were later held across the Borana zone in Oromia region asking the government to stop the violence in Moyale. The region said it was working to deliver help, including food, to affected civilians dispaced in the clashes. EUTM - SOMALIA 24