Somalia: Somalia Neighbouring States Summit (01.02.2023)

Somalia: What is ENDF mandate and mission inside the Federal Republic?

“BREAKING: Hundreds of Ethiopian troops and vehicles have crossed the border of Somalia into the town of Dolow in Gedo. These troops will open bases in Dolow and Beledhawo to support the Gedo Regional Administration” (The Daily Jubba, 06.08.2022).

Yesterday it was reported that the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) entered and deployed itself in the Gedo region of the Jubaland State. There been no announcement or memorandums officially published from either party. There has been official communication from the Federal Member State (FMS) of Jubaland. Neither has Villa Somalia or any of the Federal Government of Somalia spoken out on it either. Lastly, it has been silent from the Office of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia or the ENDF as well.

This is just troubling as the neighbour here is practically “invading” and occupying parts of border territories of Somalia without any concern. Especially, when we cannot know the mandate, mission or the goals of the operation. This is interfering and not respecting the territorial integrity. The Ethiopian government would have gone to war if the Sudanese Armed Forces went out of the contested areas around the border and did similar acts in the Tigray region. Therefore, this is questionable at best.

We know the Al-Shabab and the conflict with them has spiralled out lately. There been skirmishes on the border and the ENDF has defended it’s territories in the Ogaden (Somali) Region. That has been established and known about. As yet another conflict the ENDF has to deal with and use it’s capacity to take control over.

Some has stated and wondered why the new Somali President hasn’t visited Addis Ababa and such. He has been elsewhere in the Horn of Africa and visited allies. However, he never went to Ethiopia and visited Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. There been talks and rumours speculating that there been a fallout after Abiy lost his ally Farmaajo. Therefore, the recent act seems possibly like a revenge or a retaliation. Also, as the Al-Shabaab suddenly attacked Ethiopia too. It is all coincidently happening as the new Somali President is being in-charge.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has to both look into the leadership in Jubaland State and the Gedo region. If they allowed this with or without prior consent from the regional leadership. Secondly, the Villa Somalia needs to diplomatically establish why Ethiopian forces did enter and such. This is a clear indication that Mogadishu and Addis Ababa has lot of trouble brewing between them.

Abiy has possibly started another proxy-war and does so possibly by being allowed by regional leadership to enter. That is showing a lack of coordination and clear-cut policies of the Villa Somalia. They are showing weakness instead of strength. The neighbour is taking advantage of fragile and porous borders. In such a manner, that the integrity and the sovereignty doesn’t matter to it.

The next few days will be interesting. Especially to see how the new administration in Mogadishu takes it and acts. Because, this is happening on their turf and on their territory. The ENDF is the outsider and certainly has a questionable task to explain why they are there…

This will be monitored and followed. Since the signs are worrying and the air-silence isn’t making things any better. Peace.

Somalia: The Somali troops in Eritrea continues to haunt Mogadishu…

“Villa Somalia spokesperson Abdikarim Ali Kaar says a number of Somali troops in Eritrea are dead. The number was not given, but he did say that their parents are aware of the fatalities. “Some died naturally, and some perished while they were training.” Approximately 5,000 new recruits were sent secretly to Eritrea for military training by former president Farmaajo in 2019. Some of the troops were allegedly deployed into Tigray region to fight alongside Eritrean troops” (Arlaadi Media Network, 02.07.2022).

If you ever thought the truth would never be release. A new administration and a new President makes a huge difference in Somalia. The previous administration signed an agreement with Ethiopia and Eritrea. This alliance could be a reason for the deployment and training of Somali troops in Eritrea. It doesn’t make sense that they just perish and dies in an-mass on training-sites. That seems like a lie and some might have died of natural causes. This could easily happen, but not with thousands of men who was trained soldiers. No, that isn’t it and a cover-up.

We know by the reports of the time and the start of the conflict. There was deployment of Ethiopian, Eritrean and Somali soldiers inside Eritrean territory. That was done in preparation of the “Law Enforcement Operation” which started in November 2020. Therefore, the belief that they just perished and didn’t return. While there was public outcry and people wanting news about their loved ones. Just shows the truth of what happened. Since soldiers returning in caskets would have been the righteous things to do. However, this was a secret mission and this is why it wasn’t a publicly known enterprise of the then Villa Somalia.

This is why other sources revealed it. Now, the new administration isn’t denying the existence and the deployment of forces to Eritrea. However, they are not reporting or verifying the further use of them within the Tigray region. Which to me seems like the reason for the movement of troops to Eritrea in the first place.

This is why these reports was reported about last year.

UN Expert Report:

“In addition to reports of the involvement of Eritrean troops in the Tigray conflict, the Special Rapporteur also received information and reports that Somali soldiers were moved from military training camps in Eritrea to the front line in Tigray, where they accompanied Eritrean troops as they crossed the Ethiopian border. It is also reported that Somali fighters were present around Aksum. The Government of Somalia denied the participation of Somali soldiers in the Tigray conflict” (Situation of human rights in Eritrea – Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, 12.05.2021).

On the 17th January 2021 this was reported and I wrote about it then:

“With that in mind the Somali Guardian have today released a report that 2500 Somali trained soldiers who enlisted to a Qatari Military Service was flown to bases in Eritrea ahead of combat. These soldiers was destined and taken to military camps within Eritrea for the sole purpose of participating in the conflict in Tigray” (Minbane – ‘Ethiopia: Abiy’s Regional Conflict in Tigray’ 17.01.2021).

What I will say in the end… that is a mystery that the remains haven’t been returned to the mourning families. Neither has there any revelation of the agreement and direct arrangement between Mogadishu and Asmara. This is why the “natural death and perished” while training seems like another spin-and-another twist of the involvement of Somali troops in the conflict in Northern Ethiopia or the Tigray region. Time will tell if they release more information and be more honest about it. Now, the cat is out of the bag, but the whole deal is far from released to the public. Peace.

Somalia: President’s Special Envoy for Drought Response Appeals for Immediate Assistance to Drought Affected Population in Elwak, Gedo Region (25.06.2022)

Somalia: World Food Programme (WFP) – As rains fail again, catastrophic hunger looms over Somalia (06.06.2022)

Food insecurity and malnutrition worsen across Somalia as risk of famine increases amid historic fourth failed rainy season.

MOGADISHU, Somalia, June 6, 2022 – A historic fourth consecutive failed rainy season, skyrocketing prices and an underfunded humanitarian response have resulted in a 160 percent increase in people facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity, starvation and disease in Somalia. With no end in sight for the devastating drought affecting the country, the risk of famine looms larger than ever. An urgent increase in support from the international community is essential to avert famine.

A new report from the Famine Early Warning Network and the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, based on a rapid assessment by multiple United Nations agencies, shows that 7.1 million Somalis (close to 50 percent of the population) now face crisis-level food insecurity or worse through at least September 2022. Of those, 213,000 people face catastrophic hunger and starvation, a drastic increase from the 81,000 forecast in April. More areas are at risk of famine, particularly in the south of the country in regions where insecurity and conflict makes humanitarian access more challenging.

These figures reflect a food security situation that is expected to deteriorate rapidly over the coming months. United Nations agencies and partners are now focusing their limited resources on famine prevention to protect the country’s most vulnerable, as meteorological organizations warn that another below-average rainy season could follow later in the year.

“We are staring at a potential calamity; failure to act now will be tragic for scores of families in Somalia,” said Adam Abdelmoula, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator. “Somalia is in danger of entering an unprecedented fifth consecutive failed rainy season, meaning hundreds of thousands of people face the risk of famine. Famine cost the lives of 260,000 Somalis in 2010-2011.This cannot be allowed to happen again in 2022. It is urgent that more is done to avert this risk and done now,” he said.

Collectively, humanitarian agencies have reached 2.8 million people between January and April 2022 with lifesaving and livelihood assistance through drought assistance and famine prevention programmes, but the new assessment clearly indicates that the scale of assistance currently being delivered and funding from the international community is not yet sufficient to protect those most at risk.

Food prices affecting the most vulnerable

Somali families are increasingly unable to cope with soaring food prices as local food has become scarce due to consecutive seasons of poor or failed domestic production, livestock deaths, and imported food prices reaching record levels – in part because of supply chain impacts due to conflict in Ukraine. In parts of the country, food prices have risen 140 to 160 percent, leaving poor families hungry and destitute.

“We must act immediately to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. The lives of the most vulnerable are already at risk from malnutrition and hunger, and we cannot wait for a declaration of famine to act,” said El-Khidir Daloum, WFP’s Country Director in Somalia. “It’s a race against time to prevent famine and WFP is scaling up as much as possible, prioritizing our limited resources to save those most at risk. But as these new figures show, there is an urgent need for more resources to meet this escalating hunger crisis,” he said.

Around 3 million livestock have died due to the drought since mid-2021, and the decline in meat and milk production has also led to worsening malnutrition, particularly among young children in pastoral areas who are dependent on local supply. As of May 2022, an estimated 1.5 million children under the age of five years face acute malnutrition through the end of the year, including 386,400 who are likely to be severely malnourished – an increase of 55,000 compared to previous estimates.

The malnutrition crisis is likely to worsen as the nutrition situation deteriorates further in the affected areas, with children and vulnerable people the hardest hit. “This is a child crisis. It’s not only about water or nutrition, but also about children losing education, falling vulnerable to child protection issues and having poor health; all impacting their future,” said Angela Kearney, UNICEF Somalia Representative. UNICEF has supported the treatment of more than 114,000 children with severe acute malnutrition between January and April 2022. “We are treating children but now we need further funding to prevent a famine and protect the future of every Somali child,” she said.

Grim situation as humanitarian funding falls far short

The grim food security situation is unfolding as humanitarian funding from the international community has so far fallen short of coming close to what actors need to avert a famine in the country. The 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan is currently only 18% funded. “The support required has not yet fully materialized, and hundreds of thousands of Somalis are at a very real risk of starvation and death,” said Etienne Peterschmitt, FAO’s Representative in Somalia.

“It’s a tragedy to see the level of distress that rural communities in particular are experiencing, and we are being limited in what we can do to prevent this extraordinary suffering. We’re calling on the international community to act fast while we still have some hope of preventing collapse of livelihoods, further and potentially massive population displacement from rural areas to IDP camps and widespread famine in Somalia,” he said.

Somalia: “The drought has brought despair. I don’t know what will become of us”: Families on the move as drought takes its toll on Somalia (06.06.2022)

The country is experiencing its fourth consecutive failed rainfall season with harrowing impacts for families and children, raising fears of a repeat of the 2011 famine.

MOGADISHU, Somalia, June 6, 2022 – Somalia’s crippling drought, the worst in at least 40 years, has forced more than half a million people to abandon their homes in search of food and water in the last four months, with mothers terrified they will also lose their children, Save the Children said today.

The country is experiencing its fourth consecutive failed rainfall season with harrowing impacts for families and children, raising fears of a repeat of the 2011 famine that killed over a quarter of a million people- half of them children under five. Experts are warning there is now a credible risk the next rainy season in October – December will also fail, which would further deepen the already severe humanitarian emergency.

With the prolonged drought combined with inadequate humanitarian funding, globally disrupted supply chains, and food prices skyrocketing due to the conflict in Ukraine, mothers in the country are telling Save the Children they are unable to feed their children and fear for their lives.

55-year-old Suad, a farmer, lives in a camp in the Sanaag region. She arrived at the camp four week ago with her seven children and disabled mother after the drought killed off her livestock.

Suad told Save the Children that the previous drought in 2017 devastated her livestock. At the time, she had 400 cows and goats and was left with just two, although she was able to recover some of them. Now, the drought has left her with almost nothing, and this time she fears she will not be able to salvage what remains of her pastoralist lifestyle.

She said: “The drought has brought despair. I don’t know what will become of us. I can’t feed my family, I feel helpless. How can you provide a living for your children when you’ve lost your livelihood? It’s a very difficult time, we’re all on the move in search of a better life.”

Sitting from across her mother,12-year-old Samia, said: “If we had rain, life would be so different. I wouldn’t need go out in search of water and I would have more time for my studies.”

The number of new arrivals to camps in Hargeisa from drought affected regions is rising daily, Save the Children said. Saud is among 524,000 people in Somalia who have been forced to abandon their homes in search of food and water in the last four months. Across Somalia, 6 million people are suffering extreme hunger, with over 81,000 living in famine like conditions. The UN estimates that 1.4 million children could be acutely malnourished by the end of this year if the deteriorating situation is not addressed.

As the threat of famine looms, with estimates suggesting as close as next month, the UN warns, an urgent and timely scale up of humanitarian assistance is required to avert death and devastation for families across Somalia.

Mohamud Mohamed, Save the Children’s Country Director in Somalia, said:

“We saw this coming. A two-year drought in Somalia and the Horn of Africa, which has decimated crops and livestock and eroded people’s ability to cope, with mothers having to make the difficult choice of putting their children to sleep hungry. Malnutrition rates among children is on a steady rise and the UN has warned that as many as 350,000 children could die by the summer if we do not act and yet the window of opportunity to act and avert a catastrophe is shrinking with every passing day.

We are calling on governments and the international community to make the right decision and prevent the suffering of millions of people and possible deaths of thousands of people from this climate-induced hunger. A localized response that targets saving lives and livelihoods must be prioritized including supporting local food production, protecting the poorest, and making food affordable.”

Save the Children is working to help affected communities in Somalia to cope with the immediate humanitarian effects of drought. We are providing emergency water supplies, treating children who are malnourished, supporting education systems so that children do not miss vital learning while displaced by drought, running health facilities, and providing cash and livelihood support to the most vulnerable.

Somalia: OCHA – Somalia Humanitarian Fund allocates US$20 million for drought emergency (03.06.2022)

The new allocation will focus on underserved, hard-to-reach areas and complements the $14 million Rapid Response grant from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund.

NEW YORK, United States of America, June 3, 2022 – The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Mr. Adam Abdelmoula, launched a new allocation of US$20 million from the Somalia Humanitarian Fund (SHF) to provide immediate assistance to communities at risk of famine in priority locations.

“A disaster is unfolding in Somalia due to severe drought,” said Mr. Abdelmoula. “In several areas, the risk of famine has increased, and scores of Somalis are on the brink of catastrophe. I am concerned that a huge number of people will starve to death unless we rapidly scale up the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those most affected.”

In February, the SHF allocated $25 million to mitigate the impacts of severe drought. About 836,000 people benefitted through multi-sectoral integrated interventions. The new allocation will focus on underserved, hard-to-reach areas and complements the $14 million Rapid Response grant from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) that aims to address the worsening food crisis and multi-sectoral needs of communities severely affected by the drought.

The CERF grant will target priority locations in South West State, Banadir, Mudug, Lower Shabelle and Togdheer regions with lifesaving water, sanitation and hygiene, food security, health, nutrition and protection assistance while the SHF will focus on clusters in Hirshabelle State, Galgaduud, Toghdeer and Sool, Banadir and Bay regions.

Somalia is the most drought-impacted country in the Horn of Africa; at least 6.1 million people have been affected of whom 771,000 have abandoned their homes in search of water, food, and pasture. At least 1.5 million children are facing acute malnutrition, and over 3,170 AWD/cholera and 2,460 measles cases have been confirmed since January.

Despite increasing needs, the 2022 Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan, which seeks US$1.5 billion to assist 5.5 million people, has only received 18 per cent of required funding (nearly $260 million) as of 31 May.

“I thank the SHF and CERF for providing desperately needed resources but urge other partners and donors not to forget the people of Somalia,” said Mr. Abdelmoula. “We are running out of time. Unless we act now, we are likely to experience the worst outcomes in coming months.”

Somalia: Office of Special Envoy for Drought Response – Press Release (30.05.2022)

Opinion: Farmaajo’s unwanted legacy

Yesterday after many hours the term of incumbent President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo ended. He had been staying in Villa Somalia on overtime. The Head of State have used all means to stay in power without an election. After the term ended in February 2021. He tried to have the Parliament to allow him to rule without an election for two years. That was later stopped and he had to reconfigure his stance and way forward as his time was up.

The problems of Farmaajo is that he came with a lot of promises and seems like a likeable guy. However, he was the sort of man that wanted to cling onto power. That’s why his allies even helped to offer and create own military units, which is the likes of Gorgor and Haram’ad. Together with the access of National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). Farmaajo has used this to sway member states and get his way. That is getting favourable characters in office and ensure he had loyal cadres inn every part of the Republic.

This is why the President has used insecurity and violence to get his way. That’s why he used soldiers and raids to spread fear. Farmaajo used this to get his men appointed and interfere in the Parliament. He took swift force and used all means to get rid of Jawari as speaker in Parliament. That was done by his Prime Minister Khaire, but on the merits of the Presidency. As the head of state wanted a man who served him there.

People calls him a dictator for a reason. He tried to sway it all and fix the elections as well. While he sacked his Prime Minister and appointed another one. The second PM became the viable force and the one that became his end. He followed the mission and ensured the election happened. Even as the President has done everything he could to stifle it and even throw shade at him. Prime Minister Roble was under-fire and was sought after as he held more meetings and collected the needed progression to make it happen. While Farmaajo tried to make it a farce and crack the code of “non-election”.

That is the sort of fella Farmaajo is and the soft messages to the President-Elect isn’t changing it. We know that Farmaajo didn’t want to leave and had no intention of leaving Villa Somalia. If he could fortified it and besieged it. He would… as he never intended to honour the September 17^th 2020 agreement. Which he wasn’t concerned about or hadn’t any heart to fulfil. Just like the man never tried or had the will of giving the public universal suffrage, because that could risk his longevity. As it is easier to manipulate a few MPs versus a whole population of eligible voters.

We can surely think this downfall will not be taken kindly in Asmara or Addis Ababa. For President Afewerki and Prime Minister Abiy he has been a useful leader. He has been part of their axis of alliance on the horn. These have been together in it all and found safe-haven from each other. Though in their meetings, the pictures from it… makes it seems like Farmaajo was the servant for the stronger personalities in Abiy and Afewerki. While Farmaajo also have to answer for the soldiers sent for training in Eritrea and their possible participation in the Tigray war. Therefore, there are many unanswered issues, which reflects what sort of government business Farmaajo did.

Just like he favoured the Turkish and was grateful for their training of soldiers. The President also was connected to Qatar. That’s why these sorts of alliance was important for his reasoning and diplomatic missions. He needed them and he served them a purpose on the Horn of Africa.

Farmaajo might be lost for some. His ways and mannerism isn’t favoured by all. Because, he used force and didn’t care if he violated people’s liberties or freedoms. As President he couldn’t care if he used force to get his will. That’s why many will celebrate his downfall. While others has lost their power-base and the one that could save them. It is always like that after an election and change of power.

Farmaajo had it all and had powerful friends. He didn’t have to worry. What is striking is that he had massive potential and could have used the resources for benefits of the public. He could have reformed in a manner, which haven’t seen before. However, he instead resorted into violence and militarism. That just shows what power does and how it can corrupt a man. Peace.

Ethiopia: Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) – ONLF Congratulates the New President of Somalia (16.05.2022)