UNICEF Somalia Monthly Review June 2003 Flight ban affects Contents… A fact finding mission comprising humanitarian representatives of the African Union, Flight ban and IGAD operations… the Inter-Governmental Authority on talks…1 Development (IGAD) and Arab countries visited Somalia to assess the Political and security The Government of Kenya announced a update…2 ban on flights to and from Somalia on 21 security situation and recommended the deployment of peace-keeping June 2003, citing concerns for possible Programme troops in the country. The mission also terrorist related activities. As a result of Updates… the ban, UN and European Community urged the international community to put more pressure on participants in Humanitarian Organization (ECHO) Health … 4 flight operations for Somalia that are the ongoing Somali National Peace and based in Nairobi were grounded. The Reconciliation Conference in Kenya to Nutrition… 5 UN continued to make diplomatic efforts agree on a broad-based government. to have the issue resolved. (Editors The mission was led by Major-General Water and note: The ban was lifted on July 5, Joseph Musomba of Kenya with some Environmental 2003) 21 members. Sanitation…. 5 Education… 6 Due to the prevailing instability and lack In Mogadishu, Abdinur Darman was endorsed by his supporters to stand for of central government in Somalia, most Youth…7 UN agencies and NGOs have their main President of Somalia when elections bases of operation in Nairobi. The flights are held. Various personalities in HIV/AIDS…7 are the lifeblood of their operations Somalia have indicated interest in the bringing in personnel and vital supplies. Presidency in anticipation of elections Child Protection… 8 being held in the future. In Kismayo, President Abdiqassim Salad Hassan of southern Somalia, Mogadishu-based Special Interest… the Transitional National Government faction leader Osman Ali Hassan 'Atto' (TNG) of Somalia had appealed to the and the Deputy Chairman of the Gender… 3 government of Kenya to lift the ban. Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA) based in Baidoa, Mr Ibrahim Habsade, Emergency held talks with representatives of the Preparedness ..as IGAD peace talks Jubba. Valley Alliance which controls Training…3 Kismayo. The talks centred on issues continue… DAC Pictorial…4 The Somali National Peace and related to the ongoing peace talks in Kenya. Reconciliation Conference in Kenya was Advocacy Film in the extended after the deadline set for the Works…5 establishment of a government and for the election of a president passed in Day of the African mid-June. A dispute over the number of Child…8 parliamentarians for a future Somalia created a deadlock in the process. UNICEF Somalia Monthly Review 2 The chairman of the Somali Patriotic Central and Southern Somalia was Movement (SPM) Gen Aden Gabyow markedly different. Fighting in the UNICEF who was one of the participants at the Medina district of Mogadishu between Operational peace talks, died in Nairobi and was militia loyal to Muse Sudi Yalahow and transported back to southern Somalia his rival Umar Mohamed “Finish” Areas… for burial. He was buried near the village claimed the lives of 10 people including of Bua'le. The late Gabyow served as a brother to Muse Sudi. The cause of Minister of Defence during the Siad the fighting is yet unclear, however the Northwest Zone – Barre regime. two rivals who are from the same sub- Hargeisa Office clan have been fighting for control of Awdal the district since Umar Finish defected Political and security West Galbeed from the Muse faction last year. update Togdheer Sahil A heavy explosion was reported in Sool Following mediation by elders and Mogadishu at the former Presidential Sanaag religious leaders in Northwest Somalia Palace (Villa Somalia) currently a base ('Somaliland'), the main opposition party for the Hussein Mohamed Aideed Kulmiye, officially accepted the results faction. According to sources close to Northeast Zone – of 'Somaliland's presidential election as the area, the explosion was caused by Bossaso Office per the decision of the Supreme Court a round fired from a heavy gun which upheld the results of the elections following a dispute. At least two people Bari held in April 2003 that declared the died and 10 others were wounded in Nugal incumbent Dahir Riyale Kahin of the the explosion. It was reportedly the Mudug Unity of Democrats (UDUB) party the largest explosion to occur in Mogadishu winner. since the collapse of the Siad Barre regime. It caused many families to flee Central and Following earlier reconciliation moves, from their residences, especially in Southern Zone – President Abdullahi Yusuf of Puntland Bondere and Wardhigley districts. Baidoa, Jowhar, announced a cabinet incorporating Mogadishu and representatives allied to General Adde In Baidoa, three teenage school girls Kismayo Offices Muse who was allied to his rival Jama were killed on 18 June, apparently in a Ali Jama. retaliatory killing. UNICEF issued a Galgaduud statement condemning the killings and Hiran The security situation in Somaliland and the increased targeting of children Middle Shabelle Northeast Somalia ('Puntland') was through violent acts. A week earlier on Lower Shabelle relatively calm, save for an incident in in June 11, bandits had commandeered a Benadir Gardho, Puntland, in which clashes school bus in Mogadishu which left Lower Juba between rival miltia resulted in three three children slightly wounded. Middle Juba people killed and two girls wounded in Gedo cross fire. Bay Bakool UNICEF Somalia Monthly Review 3 Baidoa was host to the main UNICEF Some six people suspected of office in Central and Southern Somalia involvement in robbery and looting of Emergency until July 2002 when conflict broke out vehicles on the main road between Preparedness between members of the Rahanweyn Beled Weyne and Bulo Burte were and Response Resistance Army (RRA) that controlled arrested by the local Islamic Court after training for the town. This led to intense inter-clan a gun-fight. One Islamic Court UNICEF staff… fighting and insecurity in Baidoa and militiaman died and two bandits were surrounding areas. It currently serves injured in the incident. Clan elders later To enhance the as a UNICEF liaison office and is run by met in Beled Weyne to discuss how the capacity of UNICEF a minimal presence of Somali national Islamic Court could deal with rising staff, a National staff. insecurity. Emergency Preparedness and The security situation in Middle Shabelle In Abudwak district of Galgadud region, Response planning region to the north of Mogadishu was fighting intensified between rival clans. workshop was held fluid as tension over control of parts of Galgadud borders Middle Shabelle to for international and the region heightened between militia the north. The fighting broke out national staff based allied to rivals Mohammed Dhere and following a retaliatory killing and has so in Nairobi and others Muse Sudi. The situation calmed after far claimed more than 25 lives, of which from the rest of Somalia. It was held talks between the two leaders. the latest was a participant in a youth in Hargeisa, However, travel along the main road Leadership and Organizational Northwest Somalia. linking Mogadishu to Jowhar was Development (LOD) training in Belet suspended for UN staff due to Weyne. The participant was on his way insecurity. In a clamp down on banditry, back to Abudwak. Due to the fighting, four people were arrested by the forces families fled to areas around of Muse Sudi after looting attacks on Dhusamareb. civilians aboard mini-buses. In Kismayo, three civilians were killed In the same region, fighting broke out in in banditry incidents. The victims were El-dhere village between rival militia a car-washer, an electrician and a after one group attempted to wrest farmer. In a separate incident, some control of the village from the other. militia complaining over unpaid salary About 10 people were killed in the arrears blocked the road from Kismayo fighting and many families forced to flee town to the airport. Following mediation to surrounding areas. In Hiran region, an by the Jubba Valley Alliance, the issue increase in illegal roadblocks, banditry was resolved. Save for the killings and and other criminal acts was reported. the militia incident, the situation in Kismayo and its environs was relatively calm. GENDER: A workshop to discuss various issues related to gender was held in Hargeisa. The forum was attended by 40 people from the local administration and civil society. The workshop discussed ways in which to provide more information about gender and equality. At the end of the workshop, the participants formed a gender committee for Galbeed region. The members are four women and three men. The committee elected the headmistress of one of Hargeisa's main schools as chairperson and has an MP and journalist among its officials. UNICEF Somalia Monthly Review 4 Day of the African Health programme regions of Puntland through local Child pictorial authorities and SRCS. highlights In Central and Southern Somalia, UNICEF organized a workshop in UNICEF distributed supplies for Burao, Somaliland, to sensitize health ongoing immunization activities to workers and dispel misconceptions on Beled Weyne, Wajid, Kismayo, issues related to immunization of Jamame, Shibis, Waberi, Tieglow, Luq, children and women. Some 25 people Jowhar and Wardhigley districts. In including physicians and nurses from other activities in support of EPI, both the private and public sector UNICEF conducted training for 181 A girl and boy below keenly watch participated. health workers from partner organisations and the community in the performance by acrobats at Day of Expanded Programme on Immunization Tieglow and Bulo Hawa. The trainees the African Child (EPI) campaigns were conducted in the included vaccinators, registrars, team celebrations in five regional capitals of Somaliland. It leaders, social mobilisers and Burao, Northwest supervisors for EPI activities in the two Somalia on June took the combined effort of 77 16, 2003 immunization teams to see the districts.