Not time yet to exit Somalia, US officials caution

Wednesday August 30, 2017

Any withdrawal from war torn Somalia by the African Mission Union in Somalia (AMISOM) must be gradual and tactical, senior security officials at the United States African Command based in Germany have advised.

The officials say the Somalia security situation remains fragile and any withdrawal could hamper negatively the major gains achieved so far in the Horn of Africa country.

“The baby (Somalia) is still young and needs company,” a senior AFRICOM security official who did not want to be identified said.

Various African countries contribute to the more than 20,000-strong force in Somalia, where they continue to engage the Al-Shabaab militia for a decade now under AMISOM.

Kenya, a key partner in the force and a victim of the Al-Shabaab insurgency has contributed soldiers but a section of political leaders have been calling for their withdrawal.

This is after tens of Kenyan soldiers were killed in several attacks inside Somalia by the terrorists who continue to pose a serious security challenge in the East African region.

Uganda may also withdraw its soldiers, a move official at AFRICOM believe may weaken the AMISOM force.

“Resurgence for Al-Shabaab is not good for the region security…” one of the senior advisors at the military camp said.

“Al-Shabaab does not want stability in the region. The pressure must continue to be piled on them.”

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta recently affirmed his commitment to the continued stay of his soldiers there despite resistance from a section of Opposition leaders.

Kenya has paid the ‘price’ through wanton killings by the militia who lately been targeting security officers through ‘small’ attacks using Improvised Explosive Devices (IED).

On April 2, 2015 the militia attacked Garissa University College, an institution in Northern Kenya that boarders Somalia killing 148 students in one of the country’s worst attacks.

This was followed by a series of other attacks targeting non-locals in Northern Kenya and others part of the country, more so the capital Nairobi.

– Local solutions to African challenges –

But through concerted efforts by all players, security officials at the US African Command say “just a little bit more patience and the enemy will be defeated.”

Al-Shabaab has lost a lot of ground due to the continued ‘campaign’ by AMISOM but they say they still have the capacity to launch attacks.

“Al-Shabaab group of today is not the same with the one of 2010,” another officer, of the rank of a major said.

The group has also been weakened after factions emerged in 2015. One group supports ISIS while the other one has its allegiance to the Al-Qaeda terror group.

– US role in restoring stability in Africa –

The US Government through AFRICOM has mapped out hotspot areas in the African continent in a bid to help local authorities eliminate some of the main security challenges.

They are also working with the African Governments to empower security agencies.

In Somalia, they have committed to enhance the capacity of the Somalia National Army and that of neighbouring countries, in a bid to eliminate the threat of terror posed by Al-Shabaab.

Of the support extended to the region, it includes some modern choppers set to be given to the Ugandan army, while Kenya’s army continues to receive intensified training among other areas cooperation.

According to United States Africa Command Deputy Chief of Communication Jon Dahms, the main focus in Africa is “to neutralize Al-Shabaab threat, degrade violent extremism organizations in Sahel, Libya and the entire North Africa region, contain and degrade Boko Haram (in Nigeria and other parts of West Africa).”

He says the command helps in identification of any security challenge while the African forces are involved directly in the operations.

“This has been made possible through multi-bilateral agreements among all players,” he said.

The AFRICOM mission entails coordinating the kind of support that will enable African Governments and existing regional organizations such as the African standby force to have an enhanced capacity to provide security when needed.
 

Raiisul Wasaare Khayre oo hadallo qiiro badan oo taariikhi ah ka jeediyay kulankii ciidamada.

Raiisul Wasaare Khayre oo hadallo qiiro badan oo taariikhi ah ka jeediyay kulankii ciidamada.

Young Female journalist uses the power of media to advocate for peace in Somalia

Monday August 28, 2017

Leyla Osman Mohamud talks passionately about the role of media in achieving peace in Somalia, but her actions talk even louder than her words.

“I always wanted to be part of the change for peace so that future generations can live a life better than me,” says this young journalist, adding that she cheated death on numerous occasions while on assignment.

Leyla witnessed the suffering of innocent civilians as a result of a senseless, decades-long war, and that experience prompted her to become a radio war correspondent.

“There were times when I got caught up in crossfire while reporting. One time, my colleagues were killed right in front of me. It was a horrifying experience that left me shattered,” Leyla recalls.

In another incident, the young broadcast journalist escaped death by a whisker when an artillery shell smashed a building she was in, while reporting live in Mogadishu. “Many people listening to the live report thought I was dead,” she says.

These two experiences were reason enough for Leyla to quit her profession, but she decided to continue and use the power of media to advocate for peace. Now a producer, presenter and newscaster at Goobjoog, a leading multi-media news organization, Leyla is determined to fight the root causes of conflict and war in her country.

“Somalia has experienced conflict for so long, and media must fully embrace its role in building peace,” she says.

Leyla’s beliefs are shared by her confreres. Yusuf Hassan, a veteran journalist, says that media can contribute to peace by credibly informing audience on relevant issues. “If the media broadcasts nothing but the truth - that is a cornerstone for peace,” Yusuf adds. Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimu, Secretary General of the National Union of Somali Journalists, adds: “Media is the channel through which dialogue can be forged to achieve peace.”

Leyla says that being a popular figure on TV and radio can be rewarding, but has its downsides in a country considered one of the most dangerous places to work as a journalist.

“It is can be very scary being a journalist in Somalia, particularly Mogadishu. I cannot go out without covering my face,” she says, but remains optimistic that all her good work will not be in vain.

Leyla strongly believes that female journalists in Somalia can play an even bigger role in fostering peace and security, given their persuasive skills.

“Women are the backbone of the society, have a better understanding of their communities and great love for people. Female journalists are in a better position to come up with the best programmes on peace and development,” she adds.
 

Kagame’s inauguration excites, attracts 20 heads of state

Independent.ug

Monday August 28, 2017

President Paul Kagame on Aug.18 pledged to work for Rwandans with pride and honour as he made his inauguration speech at Amahoro National Stadium in the country’s capital, Kigali.

The major highlight of the inauguration, which came 14 days after Kagame won the Aug.4 polls with nearly 99 percent, was that over 19 heads of states mostly from the African continent attended.

“Today is a day of celebration and a day to thank each of you,” President Kagame said during his inauguration speech, “The presence of so many brothers & sisters from around Africa honours our nation deeply and gives us strength. We thank you. Africa has been with Rwanda when we needed you most.”

Among the Africans leaders who attended was Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, who doubles as the chairman for the East African Community; Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyata, South Sudan’s Salva Kiir, Namibia’s Hage Geingob, Gabon’s Ali Bongo Ondimba, the acting President of Nigeria, Niger’s Mahamadou Issoufou, CAR’s Faustin Archange Touadera, among others.

The others included; Brahim Ghali of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger, Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of Niger, President Edgar Lungu of Zambia, Macky Sall of Senegal, Sasou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo and Hage Gottfried Geingob of Namibia.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat and former Botswana President Festus Mogae also attended. The Tanzanian President Pombe Magufuli was represented by former Tanzania President Benjamin Mkapa, who came in the presidential chopper.

Kagame used the opportunity to thank Africa for standing with Rwanda throughout its trying times.

“Nothing gives our people greater pride than contributing together with you to the greatness of our continent,” he said, “Standing alongside us are friends of Rwanda who have always kept our country in their hearts and worked hard to advance it.”

The overwhelming attendance of African leaders was a major acknowledgment of Kagame’s pivotal role in turning Rwanda into a major player on the continent.

Uganda’s President Museveni appeared to confirm that when he posted on his Twitter account that Rwanda has over the past two decades rebuilt itself into a “stable nation”, registering strong economic growth and development adding that he looked forward to making bilateral ties between the two countries even stronger.

“Rwanda is now a key player on the regional, continental and global arena, with commendable engagements within the EAC and the African Union,” reads Museveni’s statement.

Kenya’s Uhuru said his visit to Rwanda was geared towards strengthening the strong ties and strategic partnership that exist between our two nations– especially infrastructure development projects like the Northern Corridor Integrated Projects.

Apart from African leaders, Kagame also recognized the contribution of his two contenders in the race– opposition party leader Frank Habineza and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana, who shared the remaining one percent of the vote in the elections.

Kagame said that by bringing their message directly to citizens, together, they created a positive environment where no vote was cast against anyone but rather all cast for.

Away from the candidates, Kagame acknowledged the leaders and members of the eight political parties that joined RPF to nominate him as their candidate.

He said that RPF had collaborated with these leaders for 23 years with deep mutual respect to repair the social fabric of our devastated nation.

Kagame’s swearing in ceremony was presided over by Rwanda’s Chief Justice Sam Rugege. The ceremony marked the beginning of the incumbent’s 7-year term in which Kagame is expected to further industrialise Rwanda.

“You are going to see a major drive aimed at industrializing Rwanda in these coming years,” said an insider when asked what the president was likely to focus on in his new term.

The country’s Vision 2020 targets industrial contribution to GDP of 26% by 2020. And under Kagame’s leadership Rwanda has already made major strides in positioning as Africa’s hub for technology, pharmaceutical research and conference tourism.
The Rwandan business environment has already created startups including mobile technologies company Hehe Ltd.

Initiatives like YouthConnekt, connect young people to role models and resources to realize their dreams. It is these initiatives among others that have attracted international billionaires like China’s Jack Ma to Rwanda.

When he visited East Africa last year, the billionare who was accompanied by 38 other billionares only decided to visit Rwanda and Kenya. Ma’s visit was seen as a major vote of confidence in the innovation and business environment of a country where it now takes only six hours to register a business.

Over all, Kagame is praised for transforming the country’s economy. By creating a good business environment, Kagame’s leadership has enabled the small country of 12 million people grow Foreign direct investment to as high as $323 million in 2015, up from $40 million in 2005, according to the World Bank.

Amidst all this, Kagame has had to deal with all manner of criticism especially from the international community.

At the inauguration, he appeared defiant and pledged to forge ahead. Every attempt that was made from within and especially from outside to denigrate the process and glorify the old politics of division, he said, only made Rwandans more defiant and more determined to express ourselves through the vote.

“Our experience is that we will be vilified anyway no matter what, Kagame said, “So we might as well do what we know is right for our people.”

27 Ethiopians illegally resident in Saudi Arabia arrested

Monday August 28, 2017

Authorities in Saudi Arabia late last week announced the arrest of 27 Ethiopians illegally resident in the Gulf State.

The Arab News portal reports that security agents in a town located north of the capital Riyadh undertook a swoop on a farm leading to the arrests. It added that they were arrested for residency and labour violations.

The arrested party includes 13 men and 14 women. Saudi forces are said to have formed secret teams that gathers information on undocumented residents in the country.

It is not known whether the Saudi authorities will arraign the 27 persons before court or that they will deport them.

Ethiopia was the most visible country over the last few months when Saudi issued a directive for all undocumented migrants to voluntarily leave of face arrest and prosecution.

The East African nation secured thousands of exit visas for its nationals and flew them back home. The government, however, expressed worry over the refusal of many others to take advantage of the two amnesty regimes.

Most rich Middle East countries hire thousands of domestic helpers from Africa and Asia. Most of these women often complain of abuse from their employers.
 

Path to war in Africa, via Germany

Sunday August 27, 2017
By Emran Feroz

A US Air Force MQ-1 Predator is an unmanned aerial vehicle and a deadly precision weapon used in President Barack Obama's drone war to eliminate al-Qaida terrorists. DPA

While the world is focusing on Donald Trump’s foreign policy plans in Afghanistan and West Asia, the U.S. is continuing, without much media scrutiny, its proxy wars in Africa. Recently, it became evident that the U.S. military’s newest ally in the region could be the genocidal regime of Omar al-Bashir in Sudan. This is not surprising. In fact, the U.S. has already allied with dozens of dictatorial regimes and militias on the African continent. All of them are part of the ongoing shadow war in the region, including regular air strikes by drones or conventional jets, and secret operations of commando units on the ground.

The heart of U.S. secret wars in Africa lies in Stuttgart, Germany, where AFRICOM (the United States Africa Command) has been based since 2007. The Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart-Moehringen is known as AFRICOM’s command centre with 1,500 personnel, including military and U.S. federal civilian employees. The Kelley Barracks is a huge building complex, including a sports centre, a day nursery, a hotel and a theatre. In 2013, two German media outlets revealed that illegal drone strikes that were taking place in Somalia were coordinated from Stuttgart and that these activities were against German law. In the past, civilians have been murdered by such attacks.

In October 2016, it was reported that AFRICOM was expanding its drone warfare in Africa when military personnel and unmanned aerial vehicles were transferred to a base in Tunisia. In 2016, U.S. drones carried out 14 strikes in Somalia, killing up to 292 people, including five civilians. Libya, another war-torn African country, was bombed by the U.S. 496 times last year. The U.S. has drone bases in Niger and Djibouti as well, while the American shadow wars are being fought in almost 50 African nations.

Most of these operations are planned in and coordinated from Stuttgart, but not many locals seem to be aware of it. “The U.S. soldiers are here for years. It has become something normal for us. I think that many people don’t ask themselves what the soldiers do,” a local, who lives near the Kelley Barracks, said. In total, more than 34,000 U.S. soldiers are deployed in difference places in Germany.

Illegal operations

The German government itself doesn’t appear to be bothered much about AFRICOM’s activities. When it was revealed that illegal drone operations were taking place from German soil, Berlin’s reaction was practically non-existent. Not just the AFRICOM in Stuttgart is involved in these wars but also the Ramstein Air Base in southwestern Germany, which is considered the “heart of U.S. drone warfare”.

“Since three years, the German Foreign Ministry is ignoring media reports about the involvement of the Ramstein Air Base and the AFRICOM in extra-judicial killings that are against international war norms,” Andrej Hunko, a German parliamentarian of the left-wing Die Linke party, said in January. “U.S. activities at both places — Ramstein and Stuttgart — violate German laws and general human rights norms. These drone strikes are simple murder; assisting and supporting them makes the German government an accomplice in murder,” Karim Popal, an Afghan-German lawyer who represents NATO airstrike victims from Afghanistan, told this writer.

But the German government prefers to stay silent. In fact, it was Germany’s political elite who offered to host AFRICOM when the U.S. was looking for a new place while other European states rejected its request. Berlin just had one plea when the Americans opened the gates of their new commando centre – to do it quietly.

In 2016, U.S. drones carried out 14 strikes in Somalia, killing up to 292 people, while Libya, another war-torn African country, was bombed 496 times by the Americans

Guddiga dowladda u saartay dhacdadii Bariire oo loo qabtay mudo Shan cisho ah

Sabti, Augusto, 26, 2017 (HOL) – Ra’iisal wasaare ku-xigeenka xukuumada Soomaaliya Mahdi Maxamed Guuleed ayaa sheegay in guddigii loo xilsaaray dhacdadii Bariire looga baahanyaha in muddo 5 maalmood gudahooda ah ay warbixin kaga keenaan dhacdadaasi.

“Guddiga uu guddoomiyaha u yahay wasiirka amniga waxaa looga fadhiyaa muddo Shan cisho ah ay jawaaab uga keenaan dhacdada ka dhacday deegaanka Bariire “ayuu yiri ra’iisal wasaare ku-xigeenka xukuumada Soomaaliya.

Ra’iisal wasaare ku-xigeenka ayaa tacsi diray ehelada dadkii ku wax yeeloobay howlgalka, isaga oo intaa ku darray in dowladda ay ka xuntahay waxii ka dhacay Bariire islamarkaana ay ka go’an tahay sidii warbixin cad ah ay ugu keeni laheyd goobta uu falka ka dhacay..

“Dowladdu way ka xun tahay wixii ka dhacay deegaanka Bariire ee gobolka Shabeellaha Hoose wayna baareysaa dhacdadaasi, waxaana tacsi u dirayaa ehellada iyo qaraabadii dadkooda wax yeelada ka soo gaartay halkaasi”ayuu ra’iisal wasaare ku-xigeenka xukuumada.

Ra’iisul Wasaare ku-xigeenka xukuumadda Federaalka ah ee Soomaaliya Mudane Mahdi Guuleed Maxamed (Khadar) ayaa hadalkan ka sheegay kulan ay maanta isugu yimaadeen guddiga Amniga.

Dowladda Soomaaliya ayaa markii hore siyaabo kala duwan uga hadashay falka lagu dilay dadka rayidka, hasse ahatee war markii danbe ka soo baxay ayaa lagu sheegay in weerarkaas lagu xasuuqay dad rayid ah.

C/raxmaan Diini, Hiiraan Online 
diini@hiiraan.com

Police bury colleague killed by Al-Shabaab

Saturday, August 26, 2017

A police officer killed by Al-Shabaab militants in Garissa County has been buried.

Constable Brian Nyambu Malasi was laid to rest in Ngeti village in Taita Taveta County.

Mr Malasi was recruited into the National Police Service in 2015.

AMBUSH

He underwent training at the Kenya Police College in Kiganjo after which he was posted to Bodhai police station in Garissa.

The slain officer and his five colleagues were ambushed by Shabaab militants on August 15 while on patrol on Bodhai-Ijara Road.

Their vehicle was set on fire by the attackers.

PATROL

During the attack, one of the officers escaped uninjured.

County police commander David Kerina told mourners that the officers from Bodhai police station were in a Land Cruiser when they were attacked in Alijize around 1pm, and shot dead.

"They were on normal patrol duty when they met their untimely death.

"We condole with the family and ask God to give you strength in this trying time," he said.

The slain officer's mother also died from shock after viewing the body of her son.

"I was shocked when I was informed that the slain officer's mother whom we have been making arrangements with died shortly after the body of her son arrived home," Mr Kerina said.

BOINNET

Ms Josephine Egwha fainted and died after seeing the body of her son.

Her body was taken to Wesu sub-county mortuary on Saturday.

Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet, in a speech read by Mr Kerina, eulogised the officer as dedicated and hardworking.

"His untimely death is a blow to the family and to the nation. He will be remembered for the services he rendered to the nation," Mr Boinnet said in the statement.

Al-Shabaab has perennially been attacking police officers, particularly in Mandera, Lamu and Garissa counties.

US, Somalia review reports of civilians killed in raid

Saturday August 26, 2017

US Africa Command says it's assessing reports that 10 civilians were killed in an operation against Islamists in Somalia. American troops supported Somali forces in combat against al Shabaab militants.

---

US Africa Command - the American combatant command for the African continent - said on Friday that US forces had been working "in a supporting role" with the Somali army near the capital Mogadishu when ten people were killed.

PRESS STATEMENT: Civilian casualty allegations in Somalia - https://t.co/Hm8Bifm8Hu pic.twitter.com/1yCH0uSsVe

— US AFRICOM (@USAfricaCommand) August 25, 2017

"We take any allegations of civilian casualties seriously, and per standard, we are conducting an assessment into the situation to determine the facts on the ground," it added in a statement.

Conflicting reports

Local officials said ten civilians were shot dead in Friday's attack at a farm on the outskirts of the town of Bariire in the southern Lower Shabelle region. Three children were among those killed.

Initially the Somali army denied that civilians had been among the dead, insisting they were members of the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militia that seeks to impose strict Islamic law on the east African country. It later admitted that civilian casualties had been reported.

Journalist Khader Mohamud Hared tweeted the two conflicted statements from Somalia's ministry of information.

Two contradicting statements on Bariire attack issued by Somalia Ministry of Information. pic.twitter.com/TXrh8reN8W

— Khadar Mohamud Hared (@khadarmh) August 25, 2017

A Somali commander said Al Shabaab militants started shooting at its forces when soldiers entered the farm, insisting that their targets were not farmers.African Union forces and soldiers recaptured Bariire, 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of the capital, Mogadishu, from the Islamist group just six days ago.

Local leaders 'not informed'

Two local officials accused the US troops of involvement in the deaths with one saying the raid was carried out without their knowledge.
"We are still confused on why the US troops did this terrible act in which they have killed at least 10 farmers," Ali Nor Mohamed, the region's deputy governor told the German news agency dpa.

Parliamentarian Mahad Salad took to Facebook to confirm the attack "at the hands of US troops," but later removed the post.
The Reuters news agency cited local elders as saying that instead of hitting Al Shabaab rebels, the US troops may have unwittingly been drawn into local clan feuds.

Lawmaker Dahir Amin Jesow said those killed were farmers who had armed themselves to defend themselves against a rival group.

Trump's new offensive

America's military presence in Somalia was bolstered in March by US President Donald Trump's order, granting new powers to intervene against al Shabaab in the Horn of Africa. But their involvement in the operation to weaken the Islamist group has not been without controversy.

Last September, a US airstrike on the Islamist militia in northern Somalia left a dozen Somali troops dead, leading local residents to burn American flags and posters of then US President Barack Obama in protest. Again, the US military was accused of being tricked into making the air raid against a rival of a Somali faction.

Madaxda dowladda Soomaaliya oo la kulmay wakiilka midowga Yurub ee Bariga Africa

 

Sabti, Augusto, 26, 2017 (HOL) - Madaxweynaha Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka ah ee Soomaaliya Maxamed C/laahi Farmaajo iyo Ra’iisul Wasaare Xasan Cali Khayre, ayaa maanta la kulmay danjiraha midowga Yurub u qaabilsan Barigga Africa, Alexandar Rondos iyo wafdi uu hoggaaminayo, waxayna ka wada hadleen howlaha ay midowga Yurub ka wadaan Soomaaliya iyo sidii loo dar-dargalin lahaa.

Ra’iisul wasaaraha Soomaaliya, ayaa sheegay in uu ku farxsan yahay kulan ka danjiraha midowga Yurub u qaabilsan geeska Africa oo ay Soomaaliya ka mid tahay, wuxuuna uga mahed-celiya howlaha muhiimka ah ee dalka ay ka hayaan iyo sida ay shacabka Soomaaliyeed u taageeraan xiligan muhiimka ah.

“Waxaan aad ugu faraxsanahay in midowga Yurub ay kordhiyeen ahmiyadooda shaqo ee dalka Soomaaliya,si ay u caawiyaan shacabka Soomaaliyeed, qaybna uga noqdaan horumarka ka bilowday dalka” ayuu yiri ra’iisal wasaare.

 

Madaxweynaha ayaa uga mahadceliyey Midowga Yurub doorkooda ku aadan arrimaha Soomaaliya, waxaana uu xusay in Soomaaliya ay sameysay horumar dhinacyo badan leh mudadii ay ay jirtay dawladda uu hoggaamiyo .

Alexandar Rondos, wakiilka midowga Yurub u qaabilsan bariga Africa ayaa cadeeyay in ay la jaan qaadayaan Soomaaliyada cusub, taasoo diyaar u ah iney samayso horumar, si bulshadeeda u helaan nabad iyo nolol.

C/raxmaan Diini, Hiiraan Online
diini@hiiraan.com

ISKU DAYGA INAADAN QUUSAN -

 Muuqaal ka soo jeeda  Punta Hermosa ee Gobolka Lima  ee dalka Peru`ayaa muujinaya in haweeney dirqi uga soo baxday  burburkii iyo dhoobadii ku soo rogantay halkaas, waxay haweynedu isku dayday in ay soo dhaarto dhulka adag, Allena u suurtageliyay.

Migrant traffickers brag about bribing British-backed Libyan coastguard

Andreas Solaro / AFP

Smugglers making millions of dollars from death and misery in the Mediterranean have been colluding with the British-backed Libyan coastguard, RT UK can reveal.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson vowed on Thursday to help solve the myriad crises blighting the north African state, unveiling a £9mn ($11.6 million) package of aid on a visit to Tripoli. 

Johnson also visited the Libyan coastguard to inspect their work after Britain, along with the EU, initiated a £78 million training and funding program.

The EU wants to pay the Libyan coastguard to prevent migrant crossings, trapping tens of thousands of victims of horrendous abuse in the country.

Despite the generous cash injections, thousands of people have made the crossing every day this summer.

Thousands are desperate to escape the lawless North African country, where black migrants and refugees are sold, beaten to death and imprisoned in squalid camps.

In messages seen by RT UK, a source involved with smuggling rings in the Sabratha area of Libya bragged about how they “pay” the coastguard to look the other way – which explains why the EU project has failed.

No Hajj for Qataris this year amid Saudi dispute

Saturday August 26, 2017

Doha, Qatar - For Muslim pilgrims in Qatar who hoped to perform one of the pillars of Islam, the annual Hajj that began this week is out of reach.

This is because Saudi Arabia - which oversees and manages Islam's two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina - has made it impossible for them to go.

Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims worldwide are expected to make at least once in their lifetime, if they are able to.

The Qatari Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, which regulates and organises the annual Hajj for Qatari citizens and residents, announced it hasn't received responses from its Saudi counterpart on travel logistics or security guarantees.

In June, Saudi Arabia and three other Arab nations barred Qatari nationals from their countries and set up a blockade to prevent goods from entering the Gulf emirate.

The official Qatar News Agency reported on Tuesday that Qatar's religious authorities "did not find any cooperation or positive response from the Ministry of Hajj, which has led to confusion and suspension of the regulatory process for Qatar's pilgrims".

The lack of communication and cooperation from the Saudi side ultimately means there will be no Hajj for Qatar's citizens and residents in 2017.

Saad Sultan al-Abdullah, director of international cooperation at Qatar's National Human Rights Commission, expressed concern that Muslims were being prevented from performing their religious duty.

"There should be no mixing between political disputes and Muslims' natural and human right to perform their religious duties," he said. "Politics and human rights must be separated."

Abdelmajid Mrari, head of the Middle East and North Africa division at the Brussels-based Alliance for Freedom and Dignity, criticised Saudi authorities for mishandling the situation.

"Mecca is not owned by any government. Mecca is for all Muslims," Mrari told Al Jazeera over the phone from France.

"The Saudi behaviour is a clear violation of Islamic values and norms, as well as all international human rights agreements and conventions."
Like other Muslim countries, Qatar has agreements with Saudi Arabia regarding Hajj that specify the number of pilgrims, travel arrangements, place of residence once in Saudi Arabia, and legal protections.

But since Saudi Arabia - along with Egypt, UAE and Bahrain - severed all ties with Qatar and laid the blockade against it on June 5, Qatari religious authorities have been unable get any answers from the Saudi government in order to organise this year's pilgrimage and guarantee the safety of Qatari pilgrims.

Last week, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia ordered his government to send Saudi-owned aeroplanes to bring Qatari pilgrims as his own guests and at his own expense.

Observers and international human rights organisations described that move as a political stunt designed to deflect criticism of Saudi Arabia for its behaviour towards Qatar.

Saudi's moves against Doha stand in stark contrast to the Hajj handling with Riyadh's arch nemesis, Iran. While Iran and Saudi Arabia have no diplomatic ties and are engaged regional diplomatic disputes and military entanglements, Saudi Arabia allowed Iran to organise its Hajj campaign.

It even opened Iranian coordination centres to oversee and manage its citizens inside Saudi Arabia.

Taliyaha ciidamada dowladda oo beeniyay in howlgalkii ka dhacay Bariire lagu dilay dagaalyahanno ka tirsan Al Shabaab

Sabti, Augusto, 26, 2017 (HOL) –Taliyaha ciidamada dowladda Somalia Axmed Jimcaale Cirfiid ayaa sheegay in howlgal ay fuliyeen ciidamada dowladda Somalia iyo kuwa Maraykan ah lagu dilay 10 qof oo rayid ah oo 3 ay caruur ahaayeen.

General Cirfiid ayaa sheegay in shilkaasi uu ka dhacay meel u dhow deegaanka Bariire uuna ahaa mid ku dhacay si aan kutalagal aheyn.

Taliye Cirfiid ayaa sheegay in shilkaasi uu dhacay kadib markii ciidamada huwanta ah iyo beeralay hubeysan oo ku sugnaa meel u dhow Bariire ay kala shakiyeen, kadibna ay rasaas bilaabatay.

Taliyaha ayaa beeniyay war ka soo baxay saraakiil dowladda ka tirsan oo sheegay in howlgalkaasi lagu dilay 8 ka tirsan al-Shabaab.

"Waxaan xaqiijinayaa in dadka dhintay ay yihiin rayid, haatanna maydkoodii wuxuu yaallaa cisbitaal Muqdisho ku yaalla" sidaas waxaa yiri Taliye Cirfiid.

War-saxaafadeed kasoo baxay wasaaradda Warfaafinta ee Soomaaliya ayaa lahu sheegay in howlgal Ciidamada xoogga dalka iyo ciidamada caalamiga ay ku qaadeen agagaarka Bariire ay ku dileen siddeed xubnood oo ka tirsan Al-Shabaab.

Sidoo kale Wasiirka Gaashaandhigga Soomaaliya C/rashiid C/llaahi Maxamed ayaa xaqiijiyay in howl galkii ka dhacay agagaarka deegaanka Bariire ay fuliyeen ciidamada xoogga dalka, isagoo xusay in baaritaan uu socdo.

Wasiirka oo la hadlayay Idaacada VOA ayaa sheegay in ciidamada xoogga dalka oo howlgal ku jira ay rag hubeysan soo rasaaseeyeen, isagoo xusay in laga codsaday markii hore in hubka dhigaan, balse ay diideen.

Dhinaca lale Taliye Cirfiid ayaa VOA u sheegay inuu la kulmay madaxweynaha iyo Ra'isul-wasaaraha, oo uu sheegay inay ka xumaadeen dhimashada rayidka.

Hiiraan Online,
Hassan Istiila
Hassanistiila@hiiraan.com
Mogadishu,Somalia

Qaxootiga Soomaalida ee Yemen oo ka qayliyay aqoonsiyada cusub ee UNHCR

Qaxootiga Soomaalida ee Yemen oo ka qayliyay aqoonsiyada cusub ee UNHCR (Moxamed Koronto ERGO/UNIVERSAL)

Dadka loo shaqeeyo Sacuudiga sida ay u cadaabaan dadka u shaqeeya ee Mus...

Dadka loo shaqeeyo Sacuudiga sida ay u cadaabaan dadka u shaqeeya ee Muslimiinta ah, iyadoo ay sidaas tahay ayay dadkuna ku sii qulqulayaan oo maciin iyo shaqo u doonanayaan.

Woman visiting Manitoba confronts self-proclaimed 'Nazi' after racist verbal attack

By Danelle Cloutier, CBC News
Thursday August 24, 2017

Kaniz Fatima said she felt a responsibility to confront a man who hurled racist and Islamophobic insults at her after she stopped to ask for directions. (Kaniz Fatima/Facebook)

A Calgary woman who came to visit her family in Manitoba this summer says she was shocked by the racist verbal attack she endured when she asked a stranger for directions.

In an exchange captured on video, a man who described himself as a "Nazi" told Calgary teacher Kaniz Fatima to take her "head towel off" because it "supports Muslims." He also told her to "go back to your country."

"His comments actually shocked me a lot and then I was scared too," she said.

Fatima was in Manitoba to visit family in early July. She and her family were driving about 100 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, when they got lost.

Fatima said when she stopped in a parking lot to ask a stranger for directions, he called her a "parasite" and hurled racist insults at her. A witness later identified to CBC the area as near Seven Sisters Dam.

Fatima posted a video her husband took of part of the encounter on social media this week.

"You are being racist," Fatima can be heard telling the man in the video.

"I'm a f--king Nazi," the man can be heard replying in the video. "Do you know what a Nazi is?"

He then goes on to demand that Fatima remove her head covering.

"This is my hijab. Why should I take it off?" Fatima can be heard replying in the video.

Two women passing by can then be heard confronting the man.

Fatima says she and her family eventually got in their car and drove away.

'Doesn't represent Canada'
"I felt a responsibility to talk against racism, to stand up against Islamophobia," Fatima told CBC News in an interview Wednesday.

"I felt like I need to uphold my Canadian values and stand up for inclusion and justice because this is our country and we belong to this country."

She praised the passersby who stopped to defend her.

"This man doesn't represent Canada. The other two ladies who stood up for us, they truly represent Canada," she said.

Fatima, who came to Canada from Bangladesh in 2009, said she's never experienced anything like the racist attack before.

Even so, she said she has heard of similar encounters and feels people are currently more open about expressing racist views than they have been in recent history.

The political situation in the United States may be partly to blame, she said.

Helmut-Harry Loewen is a hate crime expert and member of an anti-fascist activist group in Winnipeg called Fascist Free Treaty One.

Speaking to CBC News last week, he said white supremacist groups are very much present in Manitoba and organizing, and attempts at recruiting within these groups are on the rise.

"Some have referred to it as the Trump effect, and we certainly saw that in Winnipeg just within days after Trump's election," he said.

"Posters went up downtown from various organizations. Some of them were posted on campus at the University of Manitoba promoting a kind of white students' union. All of this happened in the wake of Trump."

But Canada has its own problems with racism. The number of police-reported hate crimes against Muslims jumped by 60 per cent in 2015compared to the previous year, according to Statistics Canada.

Data released in June of this year showed there were 159 anti-Muslim incidents reported to police in 2015, up from 99 the year before.

On Thursday, Fatima's husband, Mohammad Alam, said the couple have filed a report with the Calgary Police Service, who told them the report will be referred to police in Manitoba.

Dream Refugee nonprofit counters stereotypes, fights isolation

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Thursday August 24, 2017
by Paige Elliott

“My family and I have been through trials and tribulations in our journey, but at the end of the day we made it.” It’s been three years since Mohamed Malim, a senior at Edina High School at the time, submitted these words as part of his Cecil E. Newman Scholarship-winning essay. Now a student at the University of St. Thomas where he will be a senior this fall, Malim has found a way to turn his trials into opportunities to help others.

In March of this year, Malim launched Dream Refugee, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, to help refugees share their stories and tackle the troubling climate of “exclusion, xenophobia and apathy,” according to press materials.

Malim explains, “With everything going on politically and how refugees are being labeled in a negative way with stereotypes, I just want to counter-attack that by sharing positive stories around the community of refugees. So, we go around local communities and share their stories.”

Personal experience fuels Malim’s passion for Dream Refugee. In the ’90s, his family left Somalia during the civil war for the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, where Malim was born. “My family and I were paired with thousands of starving, desperate people in the largest refugee complex in the world… Basic necessities such as clean running water, food, medications, proper schooling and a future seemed so out of reach,” recalls Malim on the nonprofit’s website.

“We stayed in a refugee camp for about three years, and we got out of the camp through a lottery,” Malim told the MSR. “Half of my family went to Europe and the other half went to America. We were fortunate to get out of that condition and have a better life.”

A new life came, but so did more struggle. “Although life here is great, life in America came with a new set of problems that we had to face. Learning a new language, feeling isolated around so many people, not fitting in, not knowing our way around, just to name a few.”

Malim hopes Dream Refugee can help ease that isolation for refugees by fostering understanding through storytelling, and by pairing new refugees with professionals in a new mentoring initiative that starts this fall.

Since the launch five months ago, the nonprofit has shared five stories from refugees on the website. The most recent story is of Ka Vang, director of Impact & Community Engagement at American Public Media. Vang gives a powerful account of her memories of a refugee camp in Thailand and the self-identity issues she overcame after arriving to America.

“We record the stories, and one of our [St. Thomas] colleagues transcribes it and edits and writes it in the words of the refugee,” said Malim of the narratives shared on the website. The organization holds fundraising events to pitch to potential investors. They also received a grant from St. Thomas and hope to do more grant writing in the future.

Dream Refugee is also on the move. The organization was recently invited to Canada to speak on refugee advocacy, and the nonprofit hosted its first World Refugee Day gathering at St. Thomas. Rep. Ilhan Omar was one of the speakers. “She is an amazing woman,” said Malim of Omar, the nation’s first Somali American lawmaker.

Malim lit up when recalling the 2014 Spokesman-Recorder Graduation Celebration, where he and other Cecil E. Newman Scholarship winners were celebrated. “It was a beautiful thing — just seeing all these other ambitious students and beautiful stories with goals of contributing to society and making an impact. That was my first scholarship…a very exciting time,” he said with a smile.

Although he didn’t quite remember the details of his essay, he did remember mentioning how the Edina High staff helped him power through his studies. He also remembers some of the struggles at the school. “One of the biggest challenges was the lack of diversity. Obviously you’re the only person of color in the classroom — it was all White people.

“At first, during the freshman and sophomore years, it was hard to break that barrier, but as I joined clubs and sports — football and track and field — that opened up things.” Malim still runs track at St. Thomas and is majoring in marketing with a minor in design. He also interns at an ad agency.

“I’ll be the first in my family to graduate from college. [Neither of] my parents got a high school diploma or even reached freshman [level] in high school,” said Malim, the oldest of six kids.

“[My parents] only have their skills, that’s it. And in my community education is a big factor. I just want to make my mom happy and my dad happy and break that barrier.”

Malim said he’d like to run Dream Refugee full-time when he finishes school, but his immediate future remains open. “I don’t have a plan. Every day is a new opportunity for me, and God has blessed me with a lot. God leads me,” he said. He added that his long-term goal is to work for the United Nations doing humanitarian work.

Ultimately, Malim said he sees himself continuing to draw upon his past to create opportunities for others. “My struggles and my parents’ struggles have [compelled] me to give back. It’s part of my DNA.

“I want people to know that no matter where you’re from or the tribulation you go through in life, giving back is one of the best and most rewarding things you can do.”

A Canadian Airborne soldier holds a wounded Somali teenager at gunpoint.

The pictures are haunting: A Canadian Airborne soldier holds a wounded Somali teenager at gunpoint. The teen is bloodied and beaten. He died soon after the pictures were taken.

Those photos and the killing of that teen were central to one the darkest chapters in Canada's military history, known as the Somalia Affair. 

But Clayton Matchee's wife said the man in those photos — later charged with second-degree murder and one who suffered permanent brain damage after trying to take his own life — was not the man she married.

He was not the man she knew before he deployed to the African country on a United Nations peacekeeping mission. 

"He loved life, he was a hunter, he was a good dad. He was a crazy person and fun to be around. He changed dramatically before he went to Somalia," Marj Matchee said during an interview at her home in Meadow Lake, Sask.

Marj Matchee said the antimalarial drug mefloquine — given to all soldiers who went to Somalia in 1992 — drove her husband "to madness" and was a factor in Shidane Abukar Arone's torture and the subsequent scandal that followed.

She is now asking the federal government to reopen the inquiry into the Somalia mission.

"Twenty-five years later, I still think of Shidane Abukar. I still think that that kid could have had a life," Marj said. "I know that had it not been for mefloquine being ordered to be taken by soldiers … this would have never happened, ever."

The Somalia Affair 

Clayton was charged with second-degree murder and torture in connection with the 1993 death of the 16-year-old Shidane Abukar Arone, who was accused of trying to break into the Canadian Forces compound as a looter.

More than a decade later, those charges were dropped after it was determined Clayton was unfit to stand trial.

But the fallout from those charges was far-reaching. 

The Somalia mission ended in scandal after Arone's death was made public. The Canadian Airborne regiment was disbanded and charges laid against Master Cpl. Matchee, as well as Pte. Kyle Brown.

At an inquiry that followed, questions were raised about whether mefloquine may have played a role in the soldiers' violent crimes. But the inquiry wrapped up before those questions were answered. 

Clayton now spends most of his time in a veterans' hospital or with his parents; he requires round-the-clock care. He tried to hang himself in his cell just days after being charged and was left with severe brain damage.

Even though it has been 25 years, Marj said she hasn't given up her fight to clear her husband's name. While she said she understands the gravity of his crime, she believes he was not in his right mind because of the mefloquine.

Marj and other advocates will march on Parliament Hill on Sept. 19, calling for a reopening of the inquiry.

"Take another look at him again," she said. "Understand that as angry as you may be right now at him, you don't know the facts."

Marj also wants the government to look at mefloquine's use countrywide, as it is available to the public. The drug has been associated with psychiatric and physical side-effects, ranging from anxiety and insomnia, to vivid nightmares and hallucinations.

MP offers support

Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall would also like to see a re-examination of what happened in Somalia as it relates to the use of mefloquine.

Last year, the standing committee on veterans affairs held a two-week hearing in which Wagantall and other MPs heard from a handful of veterans who said they were adversely affected by taking mefloquine.

The soldiers who took the drug reported insomnia, anxiety, paranoia and depression, Wagantall said.

This spring, the government announced that mefloquine would now only be used in the Canadian Armed Forces as a drug of last resort. That announcement came after two government reports concluded there is no conclusive evidence the drug causes permanent, adverse neurological or psychiatric events.

Wagantall said the fact the drug is no longer a first option to fight malaria is a start, but she said other countries have gone further. Germany, for example, has banned the use of the drug entirely.

Wagantall said she hopes the Liberal government will do the same. "The whole situation needs to be reviewed — why this man Clayton Matchee was doing what he was doing?"

In a written statement, a government spokesperson said while there was a review of the use of mefloquine, there are no plans to reopen the inquiry or examine the use of mefloquine during the Somalia mission.

'I would like the truth to be told'

Most of all, Marj Matchee said she wants people to understand what happened in Somalia. She doesn't want her family name to be associated with one of the worst chapters in Canada's military history.

"For our daughter, and our grandchildren after, and our legacy, I would like the truth to be told," she said.

If she is successful in getting the inquiry reopened, she said Clayton will be the first to know.

"I'm going to tell him that the world knows how this thing happened, why he changed."Wagantall said the fact the drug is no longer a first option to fight malaria is a start, but she said other countries have gone further. Germany, for example, has banned the use of the drug entirely.

Wagantall said she hopes the Liberal government will do the same. "The whole situation needs to be reviewed — why this man Clayton Matchee was doing what he was doing?"

In a written statement, a government spokesperson said while there was a review of the use of mefloquine, there are no plans to reopen the inquiry or examine the use of mefloquine during the Somalia mission.

'I would like the truth to be told'

Most of all, Marj Matchee said she wants people to understand what happened in Somalia. She doesn't want her family name to be associated with one of the worst chapters in Canada's military history.

"For our daughter, and our grandchildren after, and our legacy, I would like the truth to be told," she said.

If she is successful in getting the inquiry reopened, she said Clayton will be the first to know.

"I'm going to tell him that the world knows how this thing happened, why he changed."

Minneapolis leaders eye vacant parcel for new Somali mall

Thursday August 24, 2017

The industrial site at 26th Street and Minnehaha Avenue has sat empty for years. 

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A long-vacant industrial parcel in south Minneapolis may become the site of a new East African marketplace.

A City Council committee directed city staff Tuesday to conduct a feasibility study at the city-owned site, located at 2600 Minnehaha Av. The study will determine whether the city should solicit bids for a cooperative public market there.

“The aim of this is to give success to startup immigrant-owned businesses in our city in order to eliminate disparities and ensure that community assets are preserved and strengthened, as well as to increase the tax base,” said Council Member Abdi Warsame.

Warsame pledged to find a home for the East African business community last winter, after raising concerns about the dependence business owners have on Basim Sabri and his family, who manage two shopping centers with the largest concentration of Somali businesses in the Twin Cities — the Karmel Square Mall off West Lake Street and the Village Market at the corner of 24th Street and Elliot Avenue S.

The potential new marketplace would be on the last redevelopment site in the Seward Place Industrial Business Park. The city completed pollution remediation there in 2013, and has spent years trying to find someone to redevelop the 1.5-acre parcel.

At the committee meeting Tuesday, Council Member Jacob Frey applauded the effort to turn the site into a marketplace. “This is no small endeavor,” he said. “I think this is a project that is ripe. It’s a project that I’m very excited about on behalf of the Somali community.”

The full council will vote on whether to order the feasibility study at its Aug. 31 meeting.
 

In Somalia, resilience can be strengthened through social protection

Thursday August 24, 2017

I have been working on assessing Social Protection mechanisms in Somalia for more than a year where we are trying to understand the country’s social protection landscape.  

In 2011, some 260,000 people died from famine. Given that 51.8 percentage of the population is poor with average daily consumption below $1.9 and 9 percent are internally displaced, it is only fair to despair over Somalia’s development, or lack thereof.

There is no denying that the country has suffered major losses due to climatic shocks as well as the civil war that had a huge impact on its social, economic and financial well-being. Other factors that have contributed to conflict and fragility are strong clan identities and land. Conversely, strong clan identities have also helped people survive famine and conflict.

But does that tell the complete story? Somalis have remained resilient in the face of these shocks. So, as development practitioners, we should try to look for missing pieces of this puzzle before designing any intervention.  

Despite the impression that Somalia may be in dire straits, the traditional structures and other coping mechanisms have protected Somalis against these continuous shocks.

There is a heavy emphasis on helping the poor and vulnerable, albeit along clan lines. Table 1 gives a snapshot of prevalent traditional safety nets -- social programs that provide cash in exchange for children going to school or regular health check-ups -- that are integral to Somali’s society. Other development actors are also implementing various small-scale programs to provide social protection.

Table 1: Traditional Cash and In-Kind Safety Nets

 

In addition to these forms of safety net, the mobile nature of Somali population has served as a coping mechanism where migration for better livelihood opportunities is a common phenomenon. Roughly 34 percent of the surveyed adult population (aged>15) have changed their dwellings over their lifetime.

Moreover, Somalis have traditionally engaged in pastoralism: a form of livestock production in which subsistence herding is the primary economic activity relying on the movement of herds and people. These pastoralists have adopted a nomadic lifestyle that relies on mobility to respond to the unpredictable supply of resources in the arid environment. And their livestock also provides them with a reliable source of nutrition not available without cash to others.

Lastly, remittances sent by the Somali diaspora have served as an important life line in which almost 21 percent of households received remittances in 2016. The total remittances sent back accounted for 23 percent of GDP in 2015, amounting to $1.4 billion.

Such huge receipt of remittances has been made possible by mobile money transfer initiatives like Dahabshiil and high rates of cell phone penetration (Figure 1). It has established the technological infrastructure that helped reach people even in remote areas, providing a secure medium for monetary transactions.

UK judge spares Somali migrant jail time for being ‘decent and hardworking'

Hiiraan Online

Thursday August 24, 2017

Judge Patricia Lynch QC  described the couple as 'otherwise perfectly decent and law-abiding people who have proved themselves to be hard workers and good citizens'. Credit: David Barrett

London (HOL) - A British Judge has given a Somali immigrant a suspended sentence for illegally entering the country with the assistance from her husband for being ‘hardworking people’.

Barwaaqo Ahmed, 43, flew into Stanstead Airport outside London last year from Munich and entered using someone else’s passport.

Ms.Ahmed and her husband, Saeed Osman Hersi, 43, have three young daughters including an eight-month-old.

Mr. Hersi also faced criminal charges for his role in assisting his wife in entering the UK.

Judge Patricia Lynch, QC, told Ms. Ahmed that under UK sentencing guidelines specified that she and her husband be placed behind bars.

“The long and the short of it is that the law is perfectly clear and I should pass a minimum custodial sentence,”

The judge opted for leniency and gave the East Dulwich couple a nine-month suspended sentence. She described the couple as being 'otherwise perfectly decent and law-abiding people who have proved themselves to be hard workers and good citizens'.

“I have to take into account, as I am entitled to, the article which looks after [the right] to family life,” she said. “I have to consider whether sending these two to prison immediately for some four and a half months [the couple would have served only half their sentences] is in the interests of the public. Clearly, the authorities are of the view that it is because it is so serious to enter this country with false documents.”

She also challenged the prosecution to appeal the sentence if they felt that the suspended sentence didn’t fall under an "exceptional circumstance.”

“If the Crown is of the view that my sentence is wrong then I encourage them to appeal me and let the Court of Appeal decide once and for all whether ‘exceptional circumstances’ are essential for suspended sentences when we are dealing with otherwise perfectly decent and law-abiding people who have proved themselves to be hard workers and good citizens.”

Last year, Judge Lynch made headlines after she called a racist defendant - accused of insulting and making racist slurs at Caribbean women - “a bit of a cunt” after he verbally abused her. The incident was sent to the Judicial Conduct Investigations office for review before being cleared of misconduct.

Safiirkii Ruushka ee dalka Suudaan oo meydkiisa la helay

Khamiis, Augusto, 24, 2017 (HOL) – Safiirkii Ruushka ee dalka Suudan Mirgayas Shirinskiy ayaa meydkiis laga helay barkada dabaasha ee qolkiisa magaalada Khartuum ee dalka Suudaan maalintii Arbacada shalay, sida ay sheegeen saraakiisha booliiska.

Saraakiisha ayaa sheegay in markii ay arkeen arintan si deg deg ah goobta u soo gaareen dhaqaatiir caafimaad, kuwaa oo baaritaanno ku sameeyay jirka meydka safiirka.

Shirinskiy, 62 sano jir ahaa ayaa la sheegay in uu qabay cudurka dhiig karka iyo cuduro kale oo iska caadi ah oo laga yaabo in uu u geeriyooday.

December sanadkii hore ayeey aheyd markii qof hubeysan uu toogasho ku dilay safiirkii Ruushka ee dalka Turkiga xili uu khudbad ka jeedinayay munaasabad farshaxan, iyadoo qofka toogashada geystay oo ahaa nin dhalinyarro ah ku dhawaaqayay erayo ay ka mid ahaayeen ‘’ Ma hilmaami doonno xasuuqa Aleppo iyo ma hilmaami doono Syria.’’

Wasaaradda Arrimaha dibadda Sudan ayaa ka tacsiyadeysay geerida Safiirka, waxaana ay ku bogaadisay dadaalkiisa diblomaasiyadeed.

C/raxmaan Diini, Hiiraan Online

Korane wants list of Garissa staff for audit

Thursday August 24, 2017

New Garissa Governor Ali Korane yesterday urged the County Public Service Board to present him a list of all workers.

He spoke on his first day in office after meeting board members.

Korane was accompanied by Deputy Governor Abdi Dagane.

This came after he took the oath of office in a ceremony at Garissa Primary School.

The board is headed by Harun Yussuf, who fell out with then-Governor Nathif Jama over what he said was interference by Jama in the board’s affairs.

Korane said he will not allow laxity among county employees.

The county has about 5,000 employees.

A number of them are said to have been employed without passing through the board — the county’s public recruitment agency.

The new county boss promised a change in county operations to fast-track development.

During campaigns, he accused Jama of taking advantage of desperate job seekers, duping them into believing he had the powers to employ county workers.

Korane said Jama was issuing appointment letters in total disregard of the hiring procedures.

He said Jama was engaging in “conmanship” and his actions were illegal.

This amounted to usurping the board’s mandate, he said.

Under his reign, Korane said, workers will be held personally accountable for their actions. He wants them to play by the rules.

“I have asked the board to furnish me with the list of staff in 10 days. From the list, we’ll know how to proceed,” he said.

“We wanted it [immediately], but they [the board members] were not ready. I’m ready to work with those who were legally hired through laid-down recruitment procedures.”

Korane said it is a criminal offence for anyone to be employed irregularly and added that established procedures must be respected.