Somalia: Puntland – Statement in Response to Falsehoods by the Secessionist Entity of Somaliland (18.05.2018)

South Sudan: Omer Eshaq Mohammed from Lol State resignation letter to Maj. Gen. Rizik Zacharia Hassan (18.05.2018)

South Sudan: Hon. Ustaz Lewis Anei Madut-Kuendit resignation letter to President Salva Kiir Mayardit (18.05.2018)

Statement by the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union at the Second High-Level Revitalisation Forum of South Sudan: Addis Ababa, 17 May 2018

South Sudan: Centre for Inclusive Governance, Peace and Justice (CIGPJ) – Press Statement (17.05.2018)

Opinion: Is the launch of Somali Shillings (SOS) – A IMF sponsored Bond-Notes?

“S-O-S, please someone help me

It’s not healthy for me to feel this

Y-O-U are making this hard”Rihanna on ‘SOS’ released 14. February 2006

This is what it seems like, it doesn’t seem like economic viable effort or worth enterprise, when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) needs to loan and get donor aid valued $41 million United States Dollars, it seems more like quick rich scheme, than anything else. Borrowing funds to print currency never seems like a good idea, especially when the state has itself 300 external stakeholders keeping this in order and fragile alliances all over. You can wonder who will benefit from the Somali Shillings (SoS).

Out of the measure of doing so, 26 million will go to procurement and printing the shillings, the 4 denominations they are put in. This all is done in measure against counterfeit, but nearly none of the loaned or donor-funded money will go to that, only 0.06 million US Dollars. Meaning a measly and insignificant amount money will actually go to stop the counterfeit currency floating around.

That is why I am suspicious, if they are just thinking of printing them, and dropping them in the markets in Mogadishu, how will this benefit the citizens and the Federal Republic itself?

Because it seems like another piece of Bond-Notes, where the funding of the enterprise is bound on foreign currency and foreign bound loans, which makes it an extra debt on the state. As the IMF is co-sponsor and the one behind the enterprise, they are securing as a foreign entity, the national and federal currency. Which happens to be SOS. All of that should send the smoke-signals and the tapping on the floor. Send the signal “SOS”.

Because they state: “This letter provides IMF staff’s assessment on the readiness of the Central Bank of Somalia (CBS) to issue a new national currency under Phase I which will be limited to exchanging the counterfeit Somali shilling notes currently in circulation with new currency” (IMF, 11.05.2018). That is why I question it too, since so little of the funding for the project goes to counterfeit operations, will it be successful? Do they think the magic wand of new paper-money will compensate for the one that is counterfeit right now? How will they go about the exchange from old to new, and will they do that with all currency or will they accept the old-counterfeit to get rid off all fake currency floating around?

Seemingly, it seems like borrowing more money, to print a new line of SOS, which is an SOS to the world. Also, where the IMF needs a huge sum of money, to procure and print them, while the state only get scraps and no direct plan to really eradicate the counterfeits. Because they are only putting up a Counterfeiting Framework, but not initially working against it. Meaning, it is just borrowing and printing new shillings, without any purpose of actually combatting the problem itself. Which is rare thing to do.

Let see how this goes, but I hope this is not a IMF sponsored Bond-Notes project, because that is how it seems like, borrowing funds and donor funding to get new currency floating. Not a good idea, more issues as I see it. That is just me though. Peace

South Sudan Council of Churches: Statement at the High-Level Revitalisation Forum (HLRF) – (17.05.2018)

United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) boosts protection for civilians targeted by warring parties in Unity (17.05.2018)

Congestion at the site is creating huge challenges for humanitarian agencies who are returning to the area to respond to the urgent need to supply food, clean water and medical services for the displaced families.

JUBA, South Sudan, May 17, 2018 –  Up to 150 peacekeepers are being rapidly redeployed to the Unity region to boost the UN Mission’s efforts to protect civilians being deliberately targeted by warring parties.

“What we are witnessing on the ground is the deliberate killing of civilians as well as the sexual violation and abduction of women and children. Homes and livelihoods are being systematically destroyed in a way that prevents families returning to their homes and being able to support themselves,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Mission in South Sudan, David Shearer.

“Our fresh deployment will enable peacekeeping troops to patrol deeper to reach remote villages where the worst atrocities are taking place to create a protective presence and deter further fighting. It will also support the reinforcement of our base at Leer where many civilians are seeking sanctuary,” said David Shearer.

Thousands of civilians are fleeing the intense fighting as armed forces make their way down from Koch towards Leer. At least 30 villages or settlements have been attacked. UNMISS peacekeepers and human rights teams have witnessed the bodies of civilians killed during the fighting left unburied, dozens of huts burnt to the ground, cattle raiding and the destruction of critical services such as boreholes, medical clinics and food stores.

“The atrocities that we are documenting are a clear violation of human rights and international humanitarian law. Two aid workers have been killed and two wounded in the past month. Those responsible must be identified and held accountable for their actions,” said David Shearer.

A site next to the UN base at Leer previously held approximately 500 internally displaced people but the surge in violent clashes has increased numbers to about 2000. Almost 70 per cent of those seeking shelter are children.

Congestion at the site is creating huge challenges for humanitarian agencies who are returning to the area to respond to the urgent need to supply food, clean water and medical services for the displaced families. UNMISS is working closely with the agencies to support the safe delivery of aid.

The Mission continues to engage with local authorities and to urge the warring parties to stop the fighting and adhere to the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement signed by all parties just five months ago.

Somalia: Council of Interstate Coooperation (CIC) – Communique 13-16 May, 2018, Baidoa

South Sudan: UN humanitarian chief urges parties to cease hostilities, protect civilians and aid workers (16.05.2018)