The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Somalia

  • Turkish airlines provide help to Somalia

    Turkish airlines provide help to Somalia

    As a global carrier and Turkish brand, Turkish Airlines takes pride in being the airline that flies to the most countries in the world, and that delivers an experience deeply-rooted in the legendary hospitality for which our nation is known.

    So Turkish Airlines listened when a humanitarian aid campaign that began completely organically on social media and called on our company – as the only airline that flies to Somalia – to use our global network and reputation for hospitality to help the people of Somalia.

    Jerome Jarre, a French social media star with 1.3 million followers on Twitter, drew attention to the hunger and drought in Somalia with his video, viewed 2.5 million times, calling for our help with the hashtag #TurkishAirlinesHelpSomalia, on Wednesday, March 15.  Following this call for action, high-profile Twitter accounts including Hollywood star Ben Stiller added their voices to the call for Turkish Airlines to support this campaign.

    The #TurkishAirlinesHelpSomalia campaign was immediately noticed and followed closely by our Directorate, and within the hour we had contacted Jerome by telephone. Turkish Airlines has worked with the popular French YouTuber in previous years on past digital projects.

    After responding that Turkish Airlines would like to answer their call quickly, Jerome and 5 friends from New York created content with the hashtag #TurkishAirlinesHelpSomalia, and then #LoveArmyforSomalia. The team of 6 had a network of more than 10 million followers and a primary purpose to raise social awareness globally, with their supporters snowballing in a few days to generate 1.3 billion potential views around the world.

    Following these developments, Turkish Airlines got involved in the project with its post “We love Somalia. We got the call for this meaningful flight” on Thursday, March 16 on its local and global Twitter accounts.

    “On Friday, March 17 – within two days of the start of the #TurkishAirlinesHelpSomalia hashtag – we granted official consent for carriage of 200-tonns of aid throughout 6 months, and transportation of the first 60-ton aid by a cargo flight dedicated to this campaign, which we announced via video captioned “Ready for take-off to help Somalia” on our Twitter and Facebook accounts.

    Following Turkish Airlines’ commitment to fly aid to Somalia, the social media stars launched a financial support campaign on “gofundme.com” to raise funds for the basic needs. With the goal of $2 million USD, the campaign has raised $1.8 million USD from 66,000 donors in just three days.

    Reaching millions of people in just a few days, this humanitarian aid campaign will undoubtedly provide contributions to Somalia.

     

  • World Bank to raise $1.6b to combat hunger in Nigeria, others

    World Bank Group President Jim Yong-Kim on Thursday said the bank was working toward raising 1.6 billion dollars to build social protection systems to end food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa and Yemen.

    In a statement made available to newsmen by the Head of Communications, World Bank Nigeria in Abuja, Mrs Olufunke Olufon, Yong-Kim said about 20 million people in Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen were on the “tipping point” of famine.

    “We at the World Bank Group stand in solidarity with the people now threatened by famine.

    “We are mobilizing an immediate response for Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen. Our first priority is to work with partners to make sure that families have access to food and water.

    “We are working toward a financial package of more than 1.6 billion dollars to build social protection systems, strengthen community resilience, and maintain service delivery to the most vulnerable.’’

    Yong-Kim said he was also working with the bank’s board of directors to secure the approval of new operations amounting to 770 million dollars, funded substantially through the International Development Association (IDA) Crisis Response Window.

    “The World Bank Group will help respond to the immediate needs of the current famine, but we must recognize that famine will have lasting impacts on people’s health, ability to learn, and earn a living.

    “So, we will also continue to work with communities to reclaim their livelihoods and build resilience to future shocks. We are coordinating closely with the UN and other partners in all areas of our response.

    “We know that resolution to this acute crisis will not be possible without all humanitarian and development actors working together.

    “We call on the international community to respond robustly and quickly to the UN global appeal for resources for the famine.’’

    Famine was officially declared on Feb. 20 in South Sudan, impacting approximately 100,000 people.

    There is a credible risk of famines in Yemen, Northeast Nigeria, and other countries, says United Nations (UN).

    Ongoing conflicts and civil insecurity are further intensifying the food insecurity of millions of people across the region, and there is already widespread displacement and other cross-border spill over.

    For instance, food insecurity in Somalia and famine in South Sudan are accelerating the flow of refugees into Ethiopia and Uganda.

    The UN estimates that about 20 million people in Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen are affected.

     

  • Nothing has changed in US visa policy for Nigerians-Ambassador

    Nothing has changed in US visa policy for Nigerians-Ambassador

    The United States (U.S) government has allayed the fears of many Nigerians over the Executive Immigration Order.

    According to the U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Stuart Symington, no Nigerian will be discriminated against on the basis of the order.

    Trump had signed an executive order barring citizens from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Sudan from entering the country for 90 days and also suspended the admission of all refugees for 120 days.

    Symington stressed that the Nigeria-U.S relationship  is a strategic one that must be sustained; adding that the connection between our two countries has been strong today and will continue to be strong tomorrow.

    He however stressed that in granting of visas, the full process must be followed and not religion.
    The envoy therefore emphasized that should there be any rejection, it should not be construed to mean discrimination, as every single conversation will be part of the process.

    Symington who briefed newsmen on the Executive Order on ‘Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorists Entry into the United States’ said  relating to Nigeria, nothing has changed.

    He also said that contrary to the report making the rounds, U.S has not reduced the visa time frame for Nigeria, saying that the two years multiple entry visa policy is still in place.
    Besides, he said those with valid visas have nothing to fear, as the validity of the visa will remain until the expiry date.

    Also, for a Nigerian with dual nationality affiliation with the seven affected Muslim countries, the ambassador said  he or she would not be banned from entering U.S.

    “Security is not the job of only one country. Let me reassure Nigerians that every single action the US takes would be on the basis of legality and due process no one will be discriminated against. No Nigerian would be denied visas because he or she is from a particular region of the country.

    “The new order now is for the US government to cross check as many that are coming into the US before issuing visas; we will not discriminate on the basis of religion in issuing visas to Nigerians. The two years visa is still valid contrary to reports we have heard in the media.

    “Nigeria’s leadership role is crucial in the world and Nigeria cannot be blacklisted. The importance of Nigeria in the world is legal.”

    Meghan Moore, Head of Consular U.S Embassy, Abuja explained that, “the  idea of how the US government decide the duration of Visa issuance is based on Nigeria government treatment to US travelers to Nigeria.  The US government generally issues multiple entry non-immigrant visas  with a validity of two years to eligible individuals who are travelling with the Nigeria passport. We issue as a general rule a two year visa and that has not changed. There  can be some exception based on some specific individuals.”

    What has changed, according to her is the period for visa renewal.

    “It used to be 45 month for visas renewal before now, but as a result of the new order, it’s now 12 month to renew visas. If not, registration and visa interview has to be carried out,” she explained.
    “Nigerians can use the DHL renewal process if their visas expire within 12 month.  If not, they have to schedule another interview with the embassy,” Moore said.

  • Somalia election: AMISOM needs 4,000 troops

    • 140 Nigeria police prepare for election

    The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has said it will require at least 4,000 more troops  from African countries in order to further liberate remaining regions of Somalia from the dreaded Islamic terrorist group Al-Shabab.

    The need to further decimate the ranks of the terrorist group becomes more needful as Somalia prepares for its first democratic elections in over 20 years in a conflict which has seen millions of the citizens become refugees all over the world.

    Somalia has one of the world’s most complicated democratic processes where clans and family heads elect members of parliament who in turn would elect the President. In the past two months, clans have been electing their representatives to the parliament while the presidential elections will hold before December 2016.

    AMISOM spokesperson in Somalia, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Kibet told The Nation that security for the election is paramount for the AMISOM troops. “Security is calm now even though it is unpredictable, we have been able to drive Al-Shabab out of Mogadishu, but we are yet to liberate Juba Valley from them, also Bakoo and Hiraan and along the coastline.

    “What they are doing now is to carry our insurgency attacks using vehicle bombs and laying ambush for our troops, but we are in control of the situation and hopefully we will be able to drive them out. Currently, we have 21,000 troops and for maximum effect we need to double that but for the immediate job at hand we will need minimum 4,000 troops,” Kibet said.

    As Somalia prepares for the election, a result of which will have far reaching consequences for the fragile peace of the war-torn country, Al-Shabab continues to intimidate and plan attacks to disrupt the process.

    “What they are doing now to stop the election is to intimidate and kill prominent leaders in the country, they acquired Somali National Army uniforms and identity cards but we have been arresting them, we have launched a counter-Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) strategy and more than 70 of them have been discovered.  It is a struggle against a determined enemy, but we are also determined,” Kibet revealed.

    Also more than 140  Nigeria Mobile Policemen will be providing security for the elections, Nigeria has been mainly responsible for rebuilding the Somalia Police Force after the war.

    The spokesperson for the government of Somalia capital Mogadishu, Abdulfatir Oman Halare said the government is optimistic the indirect elections will be successful. “We are ready to hold the indirect elections not only in Mogadishu but also all over the country. The process has been on for a long time and nothing has happened to stop it, the Somali people hate Al-shabab and they have been giving us information about them, we have been arresting them and diminishing their ranks,” he said.

    Even though the city of Mogadishu still bears the ruins of decades of conflict, it was evident the people want to move on to better things. Large political billboards occupy strategic locations in the city and the candidates have been mobilizing the people to vote in an election that may determine the future of the country.

  • 140 Nigeria policemen for Somalia poll security

    About 140 Nigerians policemen that have been training the Somali police force will be involved in that country’s election, it was learnt at the weekend.

    Also, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) said it will require no fewer than 4,000 more troops from African countries to be able to liberate the remaining regions of Somalia from Islamic terrorist group Al-Shabab.

    Somalia is preparing for its first democratic elections in over 20 years after a conflict which has forced millions of the citizens to become refugees around the world.

    Somalia has one of the world’s most complicated democratic processes where clans and family heads elect members of parliament who in turn would elect the President.

    In the past two months, clans have been electing their representatives to the parliament while the presidential election will hold before next month.

    AMISOM spokesperson in Somalia, Lt. Col. Joseph Kibet told The Nation that security for the election is paramount for the AMISOM troops. “Security is calm now even though it is unpredictable, we have been able to drive Al-Shabab out of Mogadishu, but we are yet to liberate Juba Valley from them, also Bakoo and Hiraan and along the coastline.

    “What they are doing now is to carry our insurgency attacks using vehicle bombs and laying ambush for our troops, but we are in control of the situation and hopefully we will be able to drive them out. Currently, we have 21,000 troops and for maximum effect we need to double that but for the immediate job at hand we will need minimum 4,000 troops,” Kibet said.

    As Somalia prepares for the election, a result of which will have far reaching consequences for the fragile peace of the war-torn country, Al-Shabab continues to intimidate and plan attacks to disrupt the process.

    “What they are doing now to stop the election is to intimidate and kill prominent leaders in the country, they acquired Somali National Army uniforms and identity cards but we have been arresting them, we have launched a counter-Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) strategy and more than 70 of them have been discovered.  It is a struggle against a determined enemy, but we are also determined,” Kibet revealed.

    The spokesperson for the government of Somalia capital Mogadishu, Abdulfatir Oman Halare said the government is optimistic the indirect elections will be successful. “We are ready to hold the indirect elections not only in Mogadishu but also all over the country. The process has been on for a long time and nothing has happened to stop it, the Somali people hate Al-shabab and they have been giving us information about them, we have been arresting them and diminishing their ranks,” he said.

  • UN, AU envoys say Somalia is on right path to stability

    Top UN and AU envoys in Somalia have lauded progress made so far since the country pulled itself out of a prolonged civil war.

    The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission for Somalia, Francisco Madeira and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia Michael Keating also said separately the upcoming elections would help steer the country into prosperity.

    “I strongly believe that Somalia is on the right path to becoming a peaceful and stable nation, where citizens enjoy freedom and contribute to the nation’s prosperity,” Madeira said in a statement on Saturday as Somalia marked 56 years of independence.

    He said since the establishment of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in 2007, a lot has been achieved with the help of Somalis who want to live in a peaceful and prosperous nation.

    “The joint operations conducted by AMISOM and Somali security forces, for example, have liberated large swathes of the country, which were hitherto under the control of terrorist militants Al-Shabaab,” Madeira said.

    He said AMISOM, the government and regional states were working closely to stabilise and restore the rule of law in these liberated areas.

    “To this end, AMISOM has so far trained thousands of police officers, who have since been deployed to various parts of the country to maintain law and order,” Madeira said.

    The envoy said this year’s independent celebration, which was marked on Friday, was special for Somalis as they not only remembered the enormous sacrifice made by their forefathers in the independence struggle against colonialism, but also the progress made so far since the country pulled itself out of a prolonged civil war.

    “I congratulate all Somalis who have continued to work tirelessly to make Somalia great. Those who have sacrificed their lives to ensure that the country is stabilized and that residents enjoy the peace they yearn for,” said Madeira.

    He lauded the Somali leadership for setting clear timeliness for the electoral process during the just concluded National Leadership Forum held in Baidoa.

    The electoral process agreed upon by the leadership will herald a new dawn in politics as the country moves towards universal suffrage and achieving gender parity in leadership.

    In his statement, UN envoy Keating praised the entrepreneurship and perseverance of the Somali people as their country emerges from decades of uncertainty and conflict.

    “The last 56 years have been turbulent for Somalis. Their extraordinary political journey continues. Unfortunately, insecurity remains a major problem. But Somalia continues to make remarkable progress in so many fields, political, security and economic, defying even many Somalis’ expectations,” Keating said.

    The UN envoy praised the work of Somalia’s security forces and AMISOM to counter the menace of violent extremism and underscored the crucial role they continue to play.

    “Strengthening the capability of Somali National Security Forces is essential, not only to partner with AMISOM but also as part of Somalia’s state building objectives,” he said.

    Keating said the last few years have seen the gradual emergence of a federal state, of national as well as regional institutional capacity, and of laws and plans that provided a basis for meeting Somalis’ expectations.

    “Progress is tangible, and confidence is growing. But it is still vulnerable,” said Keating, noting that the overwhelming majority of Somalis have rejected violence as a means of resolving differences, but that Al-Shabaab remains a threat, especially to civilians.

  • Warmongers in Nigeria should come to Somalia and learn —Peace-keeping police chief Dundun

    HOW has the war impacted on Somali society and what lessons can we learn in Nigeria?

    Somalia has been in conflict for over two decades. When I arrived in 2011, there was massive destruction of both human and physical infrastructure. Anytime there is conflict in Nigeria, I say to myself, people that want to talk about conflict and war, put them in a plane to Somalia to see the catastrophic effect of war and they would go home peacefully.

    There is hardly any building in Mogadishu that was not affected by the conflict that took place here. The effect was devastating. A lot of people lost their lives. There is hardly a family that didn’t have a casualty. It is a big lesson for Africa.

    Is this your first mission outside Nigeria?

    No. I was in Liberia between 2004 and 2005 as a reform officer. I took part in the reform process and the rebuilding process of the Liberian Police Force. That mission was with the United Nations. Between 2006 and 2007, I was also in Darfur. I was the head of the training unit in Dafur with the African Union. This is my third mission.

    How many Nigerian police officers are here?

    We have a whole unit of Front Police Unit (FPU). In Nigeria, we call them the Mobile Police. It consists of 140 officers. And then we have individual police experts numbering 25. They are experts in various fields—trainers, reform police officers, staff officers in the headquarters, logisticians. I am the only member of the senior leadership team in the AU police.

    What were the initial challenges and how were you able to overcome them?

    Definitely, you have to draw from your past experiences. However, this mission is very unique. Although your past experience counts, this mission has its own peculiarities if you look at the culture of Somalia and the nature of the conflict that took place here.

    If you look at the security challenge, you know that we have a unique situation. I was in Liberia, but there was nothing like asymmetric attack or terrorism. The people of Liberia were tired of fighting and they accepted development. So it was very easy for Liberia to move from conflict situation to post-conflict development.

    I was in Darfur. Not as open as what we had in Liberia, but there was nothing like terrorism. But in this mission where we are faced with terrorists attacks, it becomes difficult. And the society is so fragmented. When you talk about clan system, it is difficult to operate freely.

    What we preach in the AU is community policing. You have to integrate your security measures with members of the community, which means you have to interact with them. Now, that interaction and coordination becomes handicapped because of the security challenges here.

    Members of the Police here do not have free access. They are afraid of attacks. That is the most serious challenge we face here. In fact, the UN does not go to where we have ongoing hostilities. There must have been a cessation of hostilities with ceasefire agreements signed. In Somalia, we have an ongoing conflict, yet we have a duty to perform. We have to strike a balance between these two extremes.

    Where is the Front Police Unit?

    They are deployed here in Mogadishu. The Individual Police Experts do not bear arms. They are trainers working in police academy, reform experts assisting the local police to draft laws and policies. When we noticed this big lacuna, we had to bring in the mobile police to provide operational support to the local police and also act as guards to the individual police experts when they go out.

    How will you rate the performance of the Nigerian police in Somalia?

    Excellent! They have done exceptionally well. Anywhere we go, it has been praises.

    Why can’t the police perform excellently back at home?

    When we are on international duties, we get all these accolades. Probably the dynamics, the complexities of the environment they work in are very different from what obtains in Nigeria. Probably the working tools, the motivation, training, etc.

    Is Nigeria the largest contingent here in Somalia?

    Yes, in the police.

    But is that not giving too much? We need these policemen back home.

    We are not giving too much. Don’t forget that these personnel, apart from bringing them to assist a fellow African nation, you are also exposing and training your officers for higher capacity back home. They will not be in Somalia forever. When they go back to Nigeria, they perform exceptionally well. It is a developmental process. You bring them to the international scene, they get the exposure, and when they go back home, they contribute better to policing in Nigeria. So don’t see it as giving too much.

    At the same time, we are developing the capacity of the officers. Look at the hierarchy of the Nigerian police. Even the present Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, went through this process. He was in Namibia where he performed so well. All these prepared him for the position he is now.

  • Buhari condemns increased global risk to journalists

    Buhari condemns increased global risk to journalists

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday in Abuja condemned the increased global risk to journalists in the performance of their professional duties.

    The President spoke at the opening of the Congress of the Federation of

    African Journalists hosted by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the president delivered a keynote address on the theme: ”The Political Change and the Safety of Working Journalists in Africa”.

    Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the risk came in the form of “harassment, arrests, detention and murder”.

    “According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 72 journalists were killed globally in the year 2015, the most recent information available in that respect. Eleven of the 72 who died in that year were killed in Africa.

    “The same year, out of 20 listed deadliest countries for journalists, five were from Africa – South

    Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo and Libya.

    “Also, 90 journalists are currently being detained in many countries.

    “It is, therefore, fitting that the safety of working journalists in Africa will be of concern to your organisation, the Federation of African Journalists, ” he said.

    The President said that journalists were targeted not only to restrict the free flow of information, but increasingly as leverage to secure huge ransoms and political concessions through sheer violence.

    He charged the Federation to work with the governments of their countries to remove the existential threats to media practitioners.

    He said the Federation could also work with other organisations committed to the protection of journalists.

    Such organisations according to him, include the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Federation of Journalists and the International Press Institute, to eliminate or reduce the risks to journalists

    “It is also important for media institutions to ensure the adoption of best safety protocols for their journalists.

    “They must develop and implement procedures and tools aimed at ensuring the physical and

    psychological safety as well as the digital security of journalists, ” he said.

    The President said his administration saw the media as a partner in progress, and “has never contemplated harassing, not to mention killing, any journalist” .

    “The media represents the eyes and ears of the world and attempt to

    silence it through the harassment, arrests, detention and murder of

    journalists, is akin to making the world go blind and deaf.

    “I can report to this Congress that not a single journalist is being detained or harassed in our country today.

    “The government of the day is not a threat to the media, and it is not about to stifle press freedom or deny anyone his or her constitutionally guaranteed rights, “he said.

    The president also noted that his Administration placed preference to security and welfare of its citizens.

    He declared the summit open and wished participants fruitful deliberations.

  • AU, Somalia forces recapture town from Al-Shabaab

    The Africa Union peacekeeping forces in Somalia, (AMISOM), supported by Somali troops, on Tuesday, recaptured the southern town of Janale from Al-Shabaab militants.

    Abdi Ibrahim Shamow, police commander for Lower Shabelle region where the town is located, said the joint forces took the town in the morning without resistance from the militants.

    “Al-Shabab militants attempted to make resistance, but failed and ran away from the town. They knew we were stronger than them, no casualties at all,’’ Shamow said.

    The joint forces have recently stepped up security operations in the region, according to the official.

    Al-Shabaab attacked the AMISOM base in Janale in September 2016 and took the town, claiming it killed 70 soldiers.

    The Islamist group has been carrying out frequent deadly attacks across the country, fighting to topple the Somali government.

     

  • Suicide bomber strikes while hugging official in Somalia

    An Islamist militant suicide bomber on Thursday blew himself and a local official up in the autonomous Somali region of Puntland after putting his arms around the official as if in a hug.

    Major Nur Ahmed, a Police officer, said that the deceased official, Saeed Ali, and the guards had been targeted as they attempted to enter a car.

    Witnesses said that two bystanders also died in the blast.

    Meanwhile, Sheikh Abu-Musab, al Shabaab’s Military Operation Spokesman, has issued a statement taking responsibility for the attack.

    “We killed Saeed Ali, the treasurer of Galkayo, and several police officers that were guarding him,’’ he said.