EUTM-S PIO – PRESS REVIEW March, 19th 2018

Jawari calls for re-deployment of Regular Forces in Parliament as he nods motion against him (HOL) - Lower House Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari on Sunday called redeployment of Regular Security Forces in the Parliament a day after AMISOM took over the security of the House. Speaking to media in Mogadishu, Jawari said the forces deployed recently in the Lower House should vacate. "We want the new forces to leave the Parliament, the regular Forces take over the responsibil6 and allow the House to conduct its business, failure to do so, We will declare armed militia have forcibly taken over the House of the people," Jawari vowed. Jawari refuted claims that he had accepted to resign after pressure against him mounted. “I came here by ballot according to the law and will leave this office in accordance with the same law," he responded. The speaker accepted the motion against him to be tabled before the parliament within 10 days. "The motion is now accepted and it should be tabled before the parliament within ten as per the House Standing Orders," he noted. The sentiment of the speaker contradicts the outcome of the Parliamentary Standing Committee which declared on

Wednesday that motion against Jawari was dropped after it failed secure threshold quorum. https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2018/Mar/157234/jawari_calls_for_re_deployment_of_regular_forces_in_parliament_as_he _nods_motion_against_him.aspx

Mogadishu mayor holds talks with AMISOM officials over Mogadishu Stadium Mogadishu (HOL) - The Mogadishu mayor held talks with AMISOM officials over Mogadishu Stadium. Mogadishu Mayor, Abdirahman Omar Osman on Saturday evening held talks with AU Special Envoy to , Francisco Madeira and AMISOM force commander, Lt. Jim Besigye Owoyesigire on means to vacate the biggest sporting facility. The sides agreed to chart out plans to hand over the premises to Somali Government. Last year, the country's assistant minister for Sport, Ahmed Omar Islow said that the mission withdrew a significant number of its troops form the stadium. Islow pledged that Mogadishu Stadium will be rehabilitated by the government following the conclusion of AU withdrawal process from the stadium as the football facility had been paralyzed since 1991 when Somali central collapsed. The government with AU amid calls by Somali Sports bodies to vacate the stadium is increasing. The continental forces have been occupying the stadium over seven years since after they forcibly took over the stadium from Al-Shabaab fighters. Mogadishu stadium which has a capacity to hold 60,000 people had been military base different forces including US forces, Al-Shabaab and AMISOM for over 27 years. https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2018/Mar/157231/mogadishu_mayor_holds_talks_with_amisom_officials_over_mogadishu_ stadium.aspx

Jawari demands security forces in parliament vacate, says motion on course

Lower House Speaker Mohamed Jawari has demanded the new security team deployed in parliament building must evacuate to allow the House conduct business failure to which, ‘we will declare armed militia have taken over Parliament’. Addressing the media Sunday, Jawari who is at loggerheads with PM Hassan Khaire added the motion against him which failed to be debated last week over quorum hitch can now be tabled before the House within ten days time noting it had secured sufficient backing of lawmakers to proceed. “The security forces who are in parliament must vacate immediately otherwise we will declare them as armed militia who have taken over parliament,” Jawari said in his third press conference since the motion failed last Wednesday. But the government has maintained the deploying of the security forces was a security procedure. The motion is now accepted and we just need to follow the requisite procedures to have it tabled within ten days in accordance with the House Standing Orders, Jawari added while calling on the House Business Committee to slot it a date. Responding to claims he had bowed to pressure to resign, Jawari said, “I am here according to the law and will leave in accordance with the same law. Those who are saying so are dreaming; let them wake up.” http://goobjoog.com/english/jawari -demands-security-forces-in-parliament-vacate-says-motion-on-course/ People must eat first, UK ambassador tells FGS and Somaliland over Berbera row UK ambassador to Somalia David Concar has called on the Federal Government and Somaliland to prioritise the plight of millions of who are starving adding a war of words over the Berbera port issue won’t help resolve differences. Ambassador Concar told Goobjoog News whereas the issue of sovereignty was crucial, the immediate problem afflicting the country-drought needs undivided attention from the leadership in Hargeisa and Mogadishu. “Matters of sovereignty need to be settled they’re very important. But first people must eat.” “The Federal Government of Somalia and the administration in Hargeisa need to get together soon to talk about all these issues and to have a very balanced objective discussions about what is in both their interests moving forward,” said Concar. “We do not think it helps either party on this issue for there to be a war of words, for there to be inflammatory rhetoric on either side. So we would encourage both parties to get around the table and calmly discuss what is in their best interest.” Concar says his country was making significant contributions to the humanitarian response noting it was imperative that starving Somalis are first attended to at the expense of any other pressing issue. “The U.K. is leading by example; we’re asking you to put money into this. We’re going first; we’re putting 85.6 million pounds on the table as an initial contribution from the UK. And I think donors, our partners respect that we’re not just telling them you’ve got to pay money, we’re putting money in ourselves you know.” Relations between Mogadishu and Hargeisa have thawed in the past weeks following the Berbera Port agreement granting Ethiopia 19% in new deal as Somaliland and Emirati ports operator DP World go with 30% and 51% respectively. Somaliland has maintained it would proceed with the deal as the Federal Government dismissed it as a nullity. http://goobjoog.com/english/people-must-eat-first-uk-ambassador-tells-fgs-and-somaliland-over-berbera-row/

Somali President postpones trip to Qatar

MOGADISHU (HOL) - President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has cancelled a three-day state visit to Qatar after dispute sparked between the leaders of executive and Lower House. The country has been facing looming political crisis since early this week when over 100 lawmakers tabled a motion against the Speaker, Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari. President Farmajo will mediate Speaker Jawaari and PM Kheire who have been trading accusations in recent days. The ongoing political stalemate between the two leaders spilled into public on Friday when the speaker held a press conference in Mogadishu accusing the PM of raiding the parliament.

Last Thursday, the Parliamentary Standing Committee dropped the motion against the speaker after it failed to secure the requisite quorum. The following day, the first Deputy Speaker, Abdiweli Sheikh Muday dismissed the committee's decision to quash the motion, saying the committee has not authority to decide the fate of proposition. https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2018/Mar/157228/somali_president_postpones_trip_to_qatar.aspx

Q&A: UK ambassador Concar to Somalia on the humanitarian situation in the country

Goobjoog News: Donors meeting in London last week upped the Somali Humanitarian Support for 2018 to $350m against a target of $1.5b. Do you foresee concerns the International Community may not sustain its support as it did last year considering several other global humanitarian needs? Amb. Concar: The London events of last week was about ensuring that consciousness is raised and awareness has been raised around the world very early. So the big achievement of last year was an achievement because the alarm about the possibility of famine was raised very early in the year and big in Somalia because humanitarian relief was then mobilized at scale very early on and this ensured that the needs of the people who were most in dang er could be met. Now this year we’re going to need to do something similar because it is clear that there are five point four million people in need in Somalia which is a huge number and at least half of those are any sort of critical condition. So the key purpose of the event in London was to remind the world and say look this problem hasn’t gone away. We did a great job last year working with the Somali government and the authorities but we’re going to have to do a great job this year and we’re going to have to do it despite these competing demands for a resources. So we are confident, we are not complacent but we are confident that this can be achieved. But if it’s going to be achieved it needs everyone to pull together and it’s going to need the international community

to dig deep into its pockets as it did last year to meet the funding gap that exists but a lot of money has already been pledged. One of the great successes of last year was that we really achieved a lot of relief through transferring money directly to individuals in drought stricken communities and those in need. So one of our priorities this year will be to continue with that; to do mobile money transfers to families in need to enable them to go to the local marketplaces and buy the food, buy the water that their families need. In addition to that we’ll be putting money as we did last year into treatment for severely acutely malnourished children. http://goobjoog.com/english/qa-uk-ambassador-concar-to-somalia-on-the-humanitarian-situation-in-the-country/

Defense HQs cuts military divisions to 13 in new reforms

The Somalia National Army has been restructured cutting

down the number of the military formations from 23 to 13, defense minister Mursal Abdirahman has said. Speaking to Goobjoog FM, Mursal said the new changes in the military structure was aimed at rejuvenating the force and injecting new blood for efficiency. “We have made changes in the organizational structure of the Somali army,” said Mursal. “We reduced the number of divisions from 23 to 13.” The minister added young officers who graduated in the last five years from military academies abroad have now been

co-opted into the leadership of the military. The changes come amid President Mohamed Farmaajo’s relocation to the Defense Headquarters where sources indicate the President was keen on streamlining the military to build a more efficient and professional force. Corruption allegations have severally been leveled against the military with cases of pilferage, salary payments and tendering being put to question. The National Security Architecture approved by National Security Council last year envisages the formation of a professional military force in preparation for take-over from Amisom. http://goobjoog.com/english/defense-hqs-cuts-military-divisions-to-13-in-new-reforms/

PM Khaire 1 Year Anniversary Event Cancelled Over Current Political Crisis

An event to mark Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire’s one year in office has been cancelled, Radio Dalsan has learnt. Radio Dalsan reporter visited the venue of the event scheduled for Sunday and confirmed the cancellation. All the preparations at the Sahal Hall in Mogadishu had been concluded in the premises that can hold up to four thousand guests. A source close to has told Radio Dalsan that President Farmaajo had called for the cancellation of the event “due to the current tension in the country”. Farmaajo was scheduled to leave for Doha Qatar on Sunday but postponed the trip to mediate the current political crisis pitting Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire and Speaker of the Lower House Mohamed Osman Jawari. Jawari accuses the PM of masterminding a vote of no confidence against him. MPs affiliated to the PM accuse Jawari of being an impediment to Parliament procedures. Khaire was appointed Prime Minister in February 2017 and confirmed on March 1. http://radiodalsan.com/en/pm-khaire-1-year-anniversary-event-cancelled-over-current-political-crisis/

AlShabaab Official Defects To Protest Zoobe Bombing

An Alshabaab top operator and bomb expert said to be behind several past explosions has defected the group after his dissatisfaction with the killing of over 600 people in the October 14, 2017, bombings. According to the Somalia National Army Adow Maalin Isaq surrendered voluntarily to the Somalia government. Isaaq was in charge of making IEDs that has become an effective method used by the militant against government forces and Amisom troops. Isaaq reportedly confessed to having defected after they were touched by the large number of casualties in the Zoobe bombing. Isaaq has claimed that many youths defected the group following the Zoobe bombing. SNA Commander of the 60th battalion Ismail Khalif Shire called on members of Alshabaab to defect from the group and benefit from the government pardon. http://radiodalsan.com/en/alshabaab-official-defects-to-protest-zoobe-bombing/

Somalia clans secure peace with death sentences and hefty fines Two rival Somali clans have signed up to a groundbreaking peace deal which aims to end the cycle of revenge killings. Following three weeks of mediation, the rival Sa'ad Yoonis and Ba'iido clans in the disputed Sanaag region reached an agreement on harsh new rules. Now, anyone found guilty of carrying out a revenge killing or vendetta will face a death sentence. The family of the perpetrator will also have to pay fine a $100,000 (£72,000). There has long been tension between many Somali clans due to rivalry and competition over resources such as grazing land for livestock or access to water. But vendettas going back generations have added to the violence and the cycle of revenge has been extremely hard to break. Ahmed Bahir Mahmood, an MP, said the hoped the new strict

measures would work. "The punishments that have been agreed are more severe than before. Now we have decided the person must be killed - life for a life - and his family must hand him in," he told the BBC. "If someone comes to a communal area like a bore hole or a grazing area with a gun then the army or the police should confiscate the gun. If he refuses to hand over the weapon they should shoot him straight away in the head." Reports from the Sanaag region, which is claimed by both the self-declared republic of Somaliland and by Somalia's autonomous state of Puntland say that last year 23 people were killed and 65 were injured during one incident involving the two clans. Earlier this year in response to that attack, 15 people were killed and 39 others were injured. The previous feuds have now been settled with blood money, and more has been paid for funerals. But now the rules have changed with the new punishments. Officials from Somaliland mediated the discussions, and under the agreement any perpetrators are to be handed over to the authorities in the capital, Hargeisa. Other death sentences have been commuted to lengthy prison sentences. In Somali society, if someone commits a murder and manages to escape, his clan is held responsible. As a result, many innocent people can easily become the victims of these vendettas simply because they happen to belong to a certain clan. For that reason, many Somalis are likely to support strict punishments to end the cycle of violence - if the rules could be replicated by other Somali clans in the region. https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2018/Mar/157232/somalia_clans_secure_peace_with_death_sentences_and_hefty_fines.as px

How an Ethiopia-backed port is changing power dynamics in the When Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Ethiopia became landlocked and therefore dependent on its neighbours – especially – for access to international markets. This dependency has hampered Ethiopia’s aspiration to emerge as the uncontested regional power in the Horn of Africa.

Recently, however, the ground has been shifting. As we point out in a recent article, Ethiopia has attempted to take advantage of the recent involvement of various Arab Gulf States in the Horn of Africa’s coastal zone to reduce its dependency on Djibouti’s port. The port currently accounts for 95% of Ethiopia’s imports and exports. It has done so by actively trying to interest partners in the refurbishment and development of other ports in the region: Port Sudan in Sudan, Berbera in the Somaliland region of Somalia, and Mombasa in Kenya. But it is Berbera, in particular, that will prove the most radical in terms of challenging regional power dynamics as well as international law. This is because a port deal involving Somaliland will challenge Djibouti’s virtual monopoly over maritime trade. In addition, it may entrench the de-facto

Balkanization of Somalia and increase the prospects of Ethiopia becoming the regional hegemon. Ethiopia’s interest in Berbera certainly makes sense from a strategic perspective. It is closest to Ethiopia and will connect the eastern, primarily Somali region of Ethiopia to Addis Ababa. It will also provide a much needed outlet for trade, particularly the export of livestock and agriculture. The development and expansion of the port at Berbera supports two primary pillars of Ethiopia’s regional policy. The first is maintaining Eritrea’s isolation. The aim would be to weaken it to the point that it implodes and is formally reunited to Ethiopia. Or it becomes a pliant, client state. The second pillar rests on maintaining the status quo in post-civil war Somalia. Simply put, a weak and fractured Somalia enables Ethiopia to focus on quelling persistent internal security difficulties. It also keeps up pressure on Eritrea. https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2018/Mar/157233/how_an_ethiopia_backed_port_is_changing_power_dynamics_in_the_ho rn_of_africa.aspx