

UNSOM SG Michael Keating on the Somalia Election (16.12.2016)








The Special Representative of the African Union Commission Chairperson (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Madeira, condemns this morning’s terrorist attack in Mogadishu that killed more than 20 civilians.
A vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated a few metres away from the entrance of the seaport, where civilians normally gather.
“A deliberate attack on civilians going about their lives is not only heinous but also attests to Al-Shabaab’s lack of consideration for human life.
“By disrupting and taking the lives of innocent Somali citizens and denying them the right to go about their daily life freely, peacefully and in confidence, Al-Shabaab is desperately struggling to remain relevant after AMISOM and Somali National Security Forces have effectively prevented them from making true their decision to disrupt the electoral process which is now nearing completion,” Amb. Madeira stated.
Ambassador Madeira condoles with the bereaved families and wishes those injured in the attack quick recovery.
He calls for vigilance and urges members of the public to work closely with the Somali Security Forces and AMISOM to identify, unmask and stop these agents of evil, as they will use all means at their disposal to continue to maim, cause panic and kill, discredit and disrupt the remaining stages of the electoral process which represents a landmark in the unity and reconciliation effort of the Somali people.
For more information
Lt Col Joe Kibet – Force Spokesperson, Gaffel Nkolokosa – Public Information Officer,
Email: amisommediacentre@africa-union.org or amisommediacentre@gmail.com
Cell phone: (Somalia) +252 699 563 476 / +252 617 682 175 / +252 699 240 948;
(Nairobi) +254 727 771 599 / +254 700 333 415

Beginning this month, the UN agency was forced to reduce food ration by half for the refugees’ monthly entitlement, which will only last until the end of February if no further funding received.
NAIROBI, Kenya, December 8, 2016 -Forced to make a new round of cuts in food rations for refugees in Kenya, the World Food Programme (WFP) has appealed urgently for nearly $14 million to feed the 434,000 refugees living in Kenya’s Dadaab and Kakuma camps and in the new Kalobeyei settlement.
“We are appealing to donors to quickly come to the aid of the refugees, who rely on WFP food assistance for survival,” Annalisa Conte, WFP’s Representative and Country Director for Kenya, said in a news release.
WFP currently provides food relief to refugees in Kenya’s Dadaab and Kakuma camps, as well as the newly established Kalobeyei settlement. This assistance comes as cash transfers and food distributions. For those most vulnerable, the agency also offers specialized fortified foods to prevent malnutrition.
“WFP immediately requires $13.7 million to cover the food and cash needs for the refugees between December and April,” stressed Ms. Conte.
Beginning this month, the UN agency was forced to reduce food ration by half for the refugees’ monthly entitlement, which will only last until the end of February if no further funding received.
While cash transfers have not yet been cut, they are due to be exhausted by the end of January. If the agency is forced to discontinue the cash transfers, however, it will specifically affect 7,500 refugees in the recently launched Kalobeyei settlement, as the only form of food assistance they receive is cash.
“A generous and critically important $22 million shipment of food from the United States is en route to Dadaab and Kakuma and should be available for distribution by May,” Ms. Conte said, while warning: “But we have a dangerous gap in funding until then.”
She further reiterated that without an urgent response from other donors, WFP will completely run out of food for more than 400,000 people in Dadaab and Kakuma at the end of February.



Cadaado, 24 November 2016 – Members of the Federal Indirect Electoral Implementation Team (FIEIT) visited the Galmudug state capital today to push for timely completion of ongoing elections for seats in the federal parliament’s House of the People.
The FIEIT team met with senior state officials to discuss the status of the elections in Galmudug, which so far has filled 21 out of its 36 allocated seats in the lower chamber.
“Our visit today is to assess how the elections are going on in Galmudug. We are here to ensure that the process is finished on time, by 30 November this year. We want to encourage them to do keep doing the good work and where there are concerns, then we would address and find solutions,” said FIEIT Chairman Omar Mohamed Abdulle.
Mr. Abdulle said FIEIT would adhere to the election timetable it released in September. He said the timely completion of the electoral process would enable the country to have a new government and federal parliament before the end of 2016.
FIEIT is pressing state-level governments and electoral bodies to expedite voting for the remaining seats in the House of the People that have not yet been filled. A two-thirds quorum of members is needed in both houses of the federal parliament to hold a presidential election in the legislature, according to Somalia’s 2012 Provisional Constitution. The Upper House has crossed that threshold with 43 of its 54 seats already having been elected.
“We hope to have at least two-thirds of the members of the Lower House before the November 30 deadline. We now have a total of 145 members, if we get 35 more members, the country would have an institution that can sit and decide on issues,” Abdulle added.
His remarks drew support from the Vice President of Galmudug, Mohamed Hashi, who assured the FIEIT team that the state’s remaining 15 members would be elected before the end of this month.
“We did a lot of work to resolve disputes. We hope to finish the election of the remaining members of the Lower House by Monday or Tuesday next week,” said Mr. Hashi.
In other election news, the FIEIT and the Independent Electoral Disputes Resolution Mechanism (IEDRM) issued a joint press statement announcing they are investigating cases of electoral malpractice following allegations of corruption, intimidation and manipulation in the ongoing electoral process.
The two electoral bodies warned today that stern action will be taken on cases where proof of electoral malpractice is confirmed.
“When investigations confirm that serious malpractices have occurred, the FIEIT and the IEDRM will take appropriate and decisive actions,” said the two bodies in the statement. “Such actions will include nullification of the election results and disqualification of candidates who have committed the malpractices.”
The statement also expressed concern about the failure of some clans to comply with the 30 percent quota established by the National Leadership Forum (NLF) for women’s representation in the parliament. In the case of Galmudug, only three of the 21 members elected to the House of the People thus far are women.
“This rule needs to be respected in all the upcoming elections. Failure to fulfill this requirement will result in action by the FIEIT and IEDRM against the offending clans both in past and upcoming elections,” the statement warned.
Both electoral bodies urged all stakeholders to abide by the rules and regulations of the electoral process as defined and agreed by the NLF.



Mogadishu, 23 November 2016 – Senior military officers of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the Somali National Army will undertake major military operations to liberate areas still under Al-Shabaab control.
The plans for the offensive against the militants were firmed up during a three-day meeting in Mogadishu, chaired by AMISOM Force Commander Lt. Gen. Osman Noor Soubagleh.
In attendance was the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces of the Somali National Army (SNA) Maj. Gen. Ali Bashi Mohamed. “We are going to plan and come up with a common operation, fighting side by side against Al-Shabaab,” Lt. Gen. Soubagleh said.
The SNA Deputy Chief of Defence Forces said the meeting had further strengthened cooperation between the join forces, in countering militant insurgency. “We agreed to work closely to flash out the enemy from the country. There has never been a better time for SNA and AMISOM to come together like now,” General Ali Bashi noted.
The commanders will reconvene soon to finalize plans for joint operations.
Key issues discussed in the three day meeting included strengthening the SNA, in preparation for AMISOM’s exit from Somalia in 2018.
Dr. Omar Abdulle Alasow, the senior International Humanitarian Law/ Human Rights Advisor to AMISOM made a presentation to the senior military officers on the international rules governing the use of force in AMISOM and SNA military operations including the implementation of the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy (HRDDP) on UN support to non-UN security forces.
AMISOM has put in place mechanisms for preventing, mitigating and strengthening compliance of International Humanitarian Law, to reduce the risks of grave human rights violations by troops. “It also has policies designed to investigate and take necessary disciplinary measures against erring uniformed personnel,” Dr. Omar noted.
