Sunday April 14, 2024

The Nairobi National Museum recently hosted the inaugural Somali Cultural Festival and Business Expo. This event, the Somali ID Festival and Business Expo, aimed to celebrate and promote Somali culture within Kenya while providing a platform for businesses to network and showcase their products, which hold significance in the Somali community.

During the event, Ahmed Muhammad, the CEO of Asali Media Events and one of the organizers, emphasized its focus on cultural preservation. He stated that the festival is dedicated to supporting and preserving cultural diversity, fostering unity, and promoting understanding within Somali society.

Karin Mati, a business manager at Royal Media Services, commended the organizers for their efforts in making the event a success.

Reflecting on the significance of the festival, a participant expressed the importance of bringing together communities across Kenya. They highlighted the aim of debunking misconceptions about Somali culture and expressed gratitude to the National Museums of Kenya for providing a venue to celebrate culture and heritage.

Saturday April 13, 2024

Ubah Isse Siyad outside her home Photo: IOM 2024

In Beergadid, a small village in the arid landscape of Somalia’s Mataban district, a story of resilience is unfolding. At the heart of it, we find Ubah Isse Siyad — a mother of four working to defy the odds in a land where water is scarce, and trees are a rare sight.

Ubah lives in a community grappling with the harsh realities of environmental degradation, deforestation, and soil erosion. Across Somalia, the impact of climate change manifests in a relentless cycle of droughts and floods, which pose a grave threat to the livelihood and well-being of its inhabitants. Droughts cast a shadow of uncertainty over the country, leading to water scarcity, failed crops, and heightened food insecurity. Then, floods menace the same terrain during the rainy seasons, causing widespread destruction, displacement, and — in some cases — loss of life.

Despite her best efforts, Ubah was struggling to protect her agricultural livelihood from these threats. She remembers attempting to plant trees around her house, but they failed to grow because she lacked the necessary knowledge, tools, and resources.

Recognizing the need to find solutions that can assist families like Ubah’s, the Ministry of Women and Human Rights in Hirshabelle State partnered with the International Organization for Migration to run a reforestation and tree planting campaign led by and for women.

Alongside 80 other participants, Ubah immersed herself in workshops and training sessions to gain practical skills in effective tree planting and environmental conservation. After she was provided with essential materials including seedlings and protection fences, Ubah embarked on a mission to transform her surroundings. She shielded the newly planted trees from grazing animals and human interference, striving to give them the best possible chance of survival in Mataban’s harsh environment.

But Ubah’s contribution didn’t stop there. In addition to planting trees in her own yard, she took it upon herself to care for and protect the trees in her community. Using the skills she acquired from the campaign, Ubah became a guardian of the environment, doing her best to ensure that the trees she planted would continue to grow and flourish for years to come.

I am grateful for receiving trees to plant at my home. I promise to protect them so we can use them for shade and environmental benefits,” she explained. “As a woman leader in Beergadid Village, I believe in the value of leading tree planting efforts for reforestation and combating climate change.

Ubah uses her berket — a large water tank with a capacity of 10,000 litres — to sell water to her neighbours during times of scarcity. The berket helps her earn a small income, but she can also use water from the tank to refresh the trees she planted in her village as part of the campaign.

Through her proactive efforts and resourcefulness, Ubah not only transformed her immediate environment but also contributed to the overall resilience and sustainability of her community. Her story serves as a shining example of how individuals can make a meaningful difference in the face of environmental challenges, inspiring others to join in the effort to create a more sustainable and resilient future for all.

This activity was made possible with funding from the European Union.

Saturday April 13, 2024

FILE – U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on his administration’s efforts to pursue deterrence and diplomacy in response to Russia’s military buildup on the border of Ukraine, from the White House in Washington, U.S., February 18, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

The United States has extended the national emergency, declared in 2010, for another year regarding the situation relating to Somalia, which continues to represent an “unusual and extraordinary” threat to US national security and foreign policy.

This is made known White House in a statement. “On April 12, 2010, by Executive Order 13536, the President declared a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to address the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States from the deteriorating security situation and the persistence of violence in Somalia; acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, which have been the subject of United Nations Security Council resolutions; and violations of the arms embargo imposed by the United Nations Security Council,” the statement reads.

Further measures were taken on July 20, 2012 with Executive Order 13620 issued by then-President Barack Obama. “The situation regarding Somalia continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For this reason, the national emergency declared on April 12, 2010 and the measures taken on that date and on July 20, 2012 to address this threat shall continue to be effective beyond April 12, 2024,” the statement concludes.

The announcement comes after the US embassy last Monday United States in Somalia has issued a “maximum alert” warning aimed at its compatriots residing in the capital Mogadishu, stating that it has received credible threats in several places in the city. 

In a note, Washington’s representation specified that all movements of its staff have been canceled for April 9th. On the occasion, the USA recalled that the fourth level of alert remains in force in the country, i.e. the one that urges people to avoid travel to Somalia due to episodes of crime, terrorism, kidnapping and piracy.

Saturday April 13, 2024

Baidoa (HOL) – At least two people were killed and several others wounded in inter-clan fighting in the Burhakaba district of the Bay region on Sunday morning, according to residents.

The conflict erupted between militias from two tribes living in the same district, which has been in dispute for the past few days.

The motive behind the fighting remains unclear.

Southwest state and federal officials have not yet commented on the deadly clash in the Burhakaba district.

However, Sunday’s fighting occurred alongside another clan clash on Saturday in the Barawe and Qoryoley districts in the Lower Shabelle region of the Southwest administration.

Saturday April 13, 2024
By Giulia Paravicini

A Somali man reacts during a march against the Ethiopia-Somaliland port deal along KM4 street in Mogadishu, Somalia January 11, 2024. REUTERS/Feisal Omar/File Photo

NAIROBI (Reuters) – Somalia will never accept Ethiopia’s plan to build a naval base in its breakaway region of Somaliland, but would consider granting Ethiopia commercial port access if discussed bilaterally, a senior Somali official said on Friday.

Landlocked Ethiopia sparked a diplomatic row with Mogadishu in January by signing a deal with Somaliland to lease 20 km (12 miles) of its coastline in return for recognising the region as an independent state.

Somalia called the deal illegal as it considers Somaliland as part of its territory even though it has had effective autonomy since 1991.

To defuse the acrimony, Kenya in consultation with Djibouti and eastern African bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has proposed a maritime treaty to govern how landlocked states in the region can access ports on commercial terms, a senior Kenyan official said on Thursday.

Before discussing port access bilaterally, Ethiopia must annul its agreement with Somaliland, Somalia’s state minister for foreign affairs Ali Omar told Reuters.

“Somalia will never accept (a) naval base,” Omar said. “Somalia is ready for commercial access in accordance with the international law of the sea.”

He added that Somalia was willing to discuss proposals so long as they meet the country’s interests which are to “safeguard (our) sovereignty, political independence and unity”.

A spokesperson for Ethiopia’s foreign ministry declined to comment.

Reporting by Giulia Paravicini; Additional reporting by Dawit Endeshaw in Addis Ababa; Writing by Hereward Holland; Editing by Alexander Winning and Richard Chang
 

Saturday April 13, 2024

Countries including France, India, Russia, Poland and the United Kingdom have warned their citizens against travelling to Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories and, in some cases, the wider region amid threats of an Iranian attack in response to a strike this month on its consulate in Damascus.

Iran has threatened reprisals against Israel over the strike in the Syrian capital on April 1, which killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members, including two generals, leading to fears of an escalation of violence in the Middle East.

The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs on Friday advised its citizens against travelling to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

In a statement on the social media platform X, the ministry added that relatives of Iran-based diplomats will return to France and French civil servants are now banned from conducting any missions in the countries and territories in question.

The UK told its citizens to avoid all but essential travel to Israel and Palestine over the “possibility of an attack on Israeli territory from Iran”.

In an update, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office warned against “all travel” to northern Israel, the Gaza Strip, areas near Gaza and the occupied West Bank – excluding occupied East Jerusalem and Route 1 between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Russia strongly recommended its citizens “refrain from travelling to the region”, emphasising security risks in Israel, Lebanon and Palestine.

“The situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone as well as in the area of the ‘Blue Line’ between Lebanon and Israel remains unstable,” its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Poland’s Foreign Ministry also advised against travel to Israel, Palestine and Lebanon.

“It cannot be ruled out that there will be a sudden escalation of military operations, which would cause significant difficulties in leaving these three countries,” it said in a statement. “Any escalation may lead to significant restrictions in air traffic and the inability to cross land border crossings.”

India’s statement covered Iran and Israel, calling on Indians not to go to the two countries until further notice in view of the “prevailing situation in the region”.

The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said Indian citizens who are in the two countries should observe “utmost precautions about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum”.

Germany meanwhile warned its citizens to leave Iran specifically, saying escalating tensions could affect exit routes.

“In the current tensions, especially between Israel and Iran, there is a risk of a sudden escalation,” the Foreign Office said. “German citizens are at concrete risk of being arbitrarily arrested and interrogated and being given long prison sentences. Dual citizens with Iranian and German nationality are especially at risk,” it added.

Separately, German flagship airline Lufthansa extended its suspension of flights to and from Tehran until Thursday and will not use Iranian airspace during that time.

Real and viable threat, US says

The United States has restricted its employees in Israel and their family members from personal travel outside the greater Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beersheba areas.

An imminent attack by Iran on Israel is a “real” and “viable” threat, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists on Friday, adding that Washington would make sure the Israelis “have what they need and that they’re able to defend themselves”.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, President Joe Biden said: “We are devoted to the defence of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel, and Iran will not succeed.”

The top US commander for the Middle East, General Erik Kurilla, is also in Israel for talks with its military officials on security threats. His trip was moved up from a previously scheduled date “due to recent developments”, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said on Thursday.

After Kurilla discussed the tensions with Iran with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday, Gallant said the US and Israel were “shoulder to shoulder” in facing possible threats.

“We are prepared to defend ourselves on the ground and in the air, in close cooperation with our partners, and we will know how to respond,” the defence chief added.

The Wall Street Journal, quoting a person familiar with the matter, reported on Thursday that Israel was preparing for an attack by Iran as soon as Friday or Saturday.

Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, reporting from East Jerusalem, said the Israeli army announced that it was preparing on all fronts offensively and defensively.

“A couple of weeks ago, the Israelis increased their alertness level, calling up reservists and bolstering air defence systems,” she said, adding that Israeli officials said they were prepared for anything.

Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip since October 7 and sent in ground forces, killing at least 33,600 Palestinians and injuring more than 76,000. Hamas’s October 7 attacks on southern Israel killed more than 1,100 people there.

Israel has also stepped up strikes against Iranian personnel and allies in Syria and Lebanon and has traded near daily cross-border fire with the Lebanese group Hezbollah since the start of the war.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

Saturday April 13, 2024

Havana (Prensa Latina) Cuba on Friday expressed its willingness to continue to take steps to clarify the situation of Doctors Assel Herrera Correa and Landy Rodríguez Hernández, who were doctors kidnapped and are presumed dead.

In a statement published on Friday, the Foreign Ministry (MINREX) assured that Cuba maintains communication with the United States in search of information and “will not cease in hope or effort until it learns the truth.”

The Foreign Ministry stressed that the absence of information and a prompt and adequate response from the Government of the United States prevents it from having accurate elements to offer the relatives and the Cuban people a conclusive version of what happened.

“We await an official response to the inquiries that Cuba has respectfully presented, with elements that the civil and military agencies of the United States that operate in Somalia and in that region of the world can provide,” the MINREX noted.

It reiterated Cuba’s gratitude to the governments of Kenya, Somalia and other countries for their efforts.

The statement recalled that five years are marked on Friday since the doctors were kidnapped in Kenya, where they were serving as part of an intergovernmental cooperation agreement in which they participated voluntarily.

The MINREX stressed that since the news about “the vile and absurd kidnapping” became known, the governments of Kenya, Somalia and Cuba made countless and huge efforts to rescue the two physicians and return them home.

It noted that this unprecedented event in Cuba’s long history of International Medical Cooperation has been guided by the leader of the Revolution, Raúl Castro, and permanently monitored by the Communist Party of Cuba, the State and the Government, headed by President Miguel Díaz-Canel, and other authorities.

The MINREX indicated that on February 17, news was received about the alleged deaths of Assel Herrera Correa and Landy Rodríguez Hernández, victims of an air raid by US military forces operating in Somalia on February 15.

It stressed that despite the multiple efforts made by the Cuban Government, no information or evidence has been obtained that would allow us to reach definitive conclusions and clarify whether the doctors are still alive or confirm their deaths.

The Foreign Ministry explained that so far, it has been possible to specify that on the night of February 15, the Africa Command of the United States Armed Forces, responsible for operations in Somalia and other nations on the continent, carried out an air attack on the area where the Cuban doctors were.

“Given the nature of the conflict in Somalia and the impossibility of getting confirmation, in recent weeks Cuba has repeatedly requested, through direct communications and diplomatic notes to the US Government, precise information about the events that occurred,” the statement said.

Upon insistence, the US confirmed that an attack took place in the area where the doctors were, but without precise clarification regarding the location, the text added.

It noted that US authorities have initiated an investigation; however, the MINREX stated that, to date, Washington has not responded with the seriousness or urgency required.

Saturday April 13, 2024

Mogadishu (HOL) – The commander of the Somali National Army, Major General Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyadin Addow, has revealed on Sunday that government forces will resume military operations against al-Shabab in south and central Somalia in the coming weeks.

Major General Ibrahim emphasized that the operations had paused due to the holy month of Ramadan.

“The national forces were on the defensive during Ramadan and increased the security of the areas they had previously liberated from the Khawarij enemies, but now the fighting will resume,” he said.

The commander also called on the Somali people not to give the so-called Zakat money to the group, as it would enable them to purchase weapons.

However, at least 27 al-Shabab militants were killed in a foiled attack near Bar Sangouni, close to Jamame district in the Lower Jubba region. The Ministry of Information stated in a release on Friday that government forces received intelligence that led to the prevention of the attack. It added that several members of the group were captured alive during the operation.

Ameyu Etana
Saturday April 13, 2024

Authorities in Ethiopia have started returning migrants stranded in the oil-rich kingdom of Saudi Arabia by flying 842 of them on Friday.

The goal of this programme’s third phase is to return 70,000 people in four months by operating 12 flights per week.

The government says they were in “difficult conditions” as most are undocumented and have been languishing in prisons and detention centres in the country.

However, the risk of them returning to Saudi is also high as thousands travel each year seeking better living conditions. Earlier this week, 38 Ethiopian migrants including children, died in a shipwreck off the Djibouti coast, Ethiopian officials said.

It is thought they could have been on their way to Saudi Arabia.

The kingdom hosts about 750,000 Ethiopian migrants, more than half of whom are believed to have entered the territory illegally, according to reports.

Saturday April 13, 2024

A criminal investigation has been launched into Bate Urgessa’s killing

Police in Ethiopia have arrested 13 suspects over the killing of a prominent opposition figure from the restive state of Oromia, official regional media reported.

The body of Bate Urgessa of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) was found dumped on a road outside the town of Meki on Wednesday, shortly after he had been arrested by “government forces”, the party said.

The United States, the European Union and Britain have joined rights campaigners in calling for a full investigation into the killing of Bate, an outspoken politician who had spent several years in and out of detention.

Police in the East Shawa zone where Meki is located have arrested 13 suspects over the shooting, the Oromia Broadcasting Network said on Facebook late Thursday, adding that Bate had been buried at a ceremony in Meki that day.

No details about the suspects were disclosed.

The 41-year-old Bate had been released on bail early last month following his arrest alongside French journalist Antoine Galindo in February.

But he was arrested again late on Tuesday by “government armed forces” at a hotel in his hometown of Meki, 150 kilometers south of the capital Addis Ababa, OLF spokesman Lemi Gemechu had told AFP.

“He was then briefly taken to a detention center in the city,” Lemi said.

Bate’s family said he was found dead on Wednesday morning on a road on the outskirts of Meki, he added.

‘Justice and accountability’

There have been calls at home and abroad for a full investigation into his death.

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) — an independent state-affiliated body — urged both the regional and central governments to conduct a “prompt, impartial and full investigation” into Bate’s killing.

The United States also called for a full investigation, the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs said in a statement on X on Wednesday.

“Justice and accountability are critical for breaking the cycle of violence,” it added.

The British ambassador in Ethiopia, Darren Welch, issued a similar message, adding: “As well as justice and accountability, political dialogue is needed to end the cycle of violence affecting civilians in Oromia.”

The EU ambassador to Addis Ababa, Roland Kobia, also said he supported the EHRC call, saying on X: “This is part of the need to ensure accountability and justice, and reconciliation.”

The largest and most populous region of Ethiopia, Oromia has been in the grip of an armed insurrection since 2018.

The OLF renounced armed struggle that year after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, himself an ethnic Oromo, came to power, prompting the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) to split from the party.

Federal forces have been fighting OLA rebels in Oromia ever since, while peace talks have failed to yield meaningful progress.

Classified as a “terrorist organization” and referred to as OLF-Shane by Addis Ababa, the OLA has been accused by the government of orchestrating massacres, which the rebels deny.

The authorities in turn are accused of waging an indiscriminate crackdown that has fueled Oromo resentment.

The Oromo ethnic group accounts for about a third of the 120 million inhabitants of Africa’s second most populous country.