Somalia News Gazette

The Interim Commission for Parliamentary Election held an election for seat Hop #176 in Baidoa, the administrative capital city of Southwest State of Somalia.

The two candidates, Mukhtar Mohamed Mursal and Khadijo Samow Abdi contested the election.

Mukhtar Mohamed Mursal won the seat of Hop # 176 after Khadijo Samow Abdi resigned, and Mukkhtaar Mohamed Mursal was voted by hand and received 101 votes from the delegates in the forum.

Source: Somali National News Agency

Somali Police Spokesman, Sadik Adan Ali (Dodishe), recently spoke to SONNA Agency, announcing that approximately 100 police officers who are undergoing upskilling in Djibouti were seen off at the Aden Adde International Airport earlier today.

These officers will undergo a rigorous three-month upskilling program that will equip them with various essential police skills such as preventing violence, investigating crimes, and executing planned operations.

The Deputy Commander of the Somali Police Force, Brigadier General Osman Abdullahi Mohamed, also saw off the officers at the Aden Adde Airport and advised them to make the most of their upskilling period.

This is the 16th batch of Somali police officers to receive upskilling in Djibouti, aimed at improving the quality and knowledge of the Somali Police Force. This upskilling program is essential in enhancing the capacity of the Somali Police Force to effectively respond to security challenges and maintain peace and stability in the region.

Source: Somali National News Agency

The defense Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia, HE Abdikadir Mohamed Nur (Jama), met with Chinese Ambassador to Somalia, Mr Fei Shengchao, to enhance bilateral relations. The two leaders emphasized the importance of strengthening Somalia and China’s cooperation in promoting peace and security .

They also discussed the government’s agenda in countering terrorism and the need for lifting the arms embargo.

Minister Nur said he had a fruitful meeting with Mr. Fei and stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral relations. He also said they discussed peace and security issues, counter-terrorism efforts, and lifting the arms embargo on Somalia.

Source: Somali National News Agency

H.E. Mr. Abshir Omar Jama, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation On Sunday welcomed the new Ethiopian ambassador to Somalia in his office in Mogadishu. He received a copy of the credentials of H.E. Mr. Muktar Mohamed Ware, who represents the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the Federal Republic of Somalia.

The Minister expressed his hope that the ambassador would succeed and strengthen the ties between the neighboring countries.

Source: Somali National News Agency

In a successful operation on Sunday evening near the village of Mido, which is 26 km away from Afmadow District in Lower Jubba Region, the 5th Division of the 16th Battalion of the Danab Commando Force eliminated seven members of the Al Shabab group, including a leader named Asad.

The commandos also wounded five other militants and seized their weapons.

The operation aimed to destroy the base of the terrorist group that has been terrorizing the region for years.

Source: Somali National News Agency

_: The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has published two Country of Origin Information (COI) reports on Somalia, providing a detailed update on the security situation and shedding light on the difficulties that fighters and their families face when trying to disengage from Al-Shabaab. In doing so, the Agency continues to support EU+ asylum authorities with critical contextual information on a poorly reported conflict. The COI reports will further inform the next Country Guidance note on Somalia.

As found by the EUAA, the Security Situation in Somalia remains volatile, violence is indiscriminate, and the humanitarian situation very serious, with almost three million of internally displaced persons. Famine, while averted for the time being, is considered a strong possibility next Spring. The EUAA has recently reported that food insecurity is a principal push factor in many regions of origin that drive asylum needs in Europe.

While clan-based violence continues to be a serious concern across the country, the Al-Shabaab – anti-Al-Shabaab struggle remains the main conflict driver in Somalia, with most of the security incidents perpetrated by the armed group. In this context, the EUAA has explored existing avenues for members of the group to defect, desert or disengage. Formal (i.e., government-assisted) and informal options to exit the group and reintegrate society are, however, limited, and dangerous, including for relatives. Women and children related to former Al-Shabaab members often face stigma and integration challenges.

EU Asylum Situation for Somali nationals

Between July 2021 and December 2022, Somalis were the fourteenth largest group of applicants for international protection in the EU+. During this period, Somali monthly applications fluctuated between 1 200 and 1 700. Unsurprisingly, given Al-Shabaab’s desire to recruit young fighters, self-claimed unaccompanied minors accounted for 13 % of all Somali applicants in this period. Since July 2021, EU+ countries issued approximately 23 300 decisions at first instance on Somali applications, with 57 % of the decisions granting refugee status and subsidiary protection.

Source: EMM/ European Union Agency For Asylum

An important meeting was held in Nairobi, Kenya, between the Federal Government of Somalia and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank. The government’s delegation led by the Ministry of Finance will analyze the important issues for the requirements of the Debt Relief program in Somalia, and the development of the General Administration of Finance in the country.

The conference is also discussing how to focus on the completion of Somalia’s Debt by looking at the conditions and the important program to reach the point of completion.

The Minister of Finance of the Federal Government of Somalia, Dr. Elmi Mohamud Nur, who officially opened the meeting, said that it is important to implement the agreed conditions, stimulate domestic revenue and strengthen the process of the country’s General Financial Management (PFM).

“Today marks the start of the 5th review of the ECF program with the IMF. I will discuss the progress we have made in domestic revenue generation, the process of Public Finance and Good Governance. We are committed to further strengthening the financial regulation of our country” the Minister of Finance said.

The conference was also attended by the Ministries of National Planning and Justice, the Central Bank of Somalia, the Office of the President and the Prime Minister, officials and representatives from the IMF, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and other organizations that support Somalia.

Source: Somali National News Agency

Belgium is banning TikTok from government phones over worries about cybersecurity, privacy, and misinformation, the country’s prime minister said Friday, mirroring recent action by other authorities in Europe and the U.S.

The Chinese-owned video-sharing app will be temporarily prohibited from devices owned or paid for by Belgium’s federal government for at least six months, according to a post on Alexander de Croo’s website.

TikTok said it is “disappointed at this suspension, which is based on basic misinformation about our company.” The company said it’s “readily available to meet with officials to address any concerns and set the record straight on misconceptions.”

TikTok is owned by China’s ByteDance, which moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020. The company sought to distance itself from its Chinese roots, saying its parent company is incorporated outside of China and it’s majority owned by global institutional investors.

But the European Union’s three main institutions and Denmark’s defense ministry have already ordered employees to remove the app from devices used for official business. Similar bans have been imposed in Canada and the U.S.

The tussle over TikTok is part of a wider global rivalry between China and the U.S. and its Western allies over technological and economic supremacy.

De Croo said Belgium’s ban was based on warnings from the state security service and its cybersecurity center, which said the app could harvest user data and tweak algorithms to manipulate its news feed and content.

They also warned that TikTok could be compelled to carry out spying for Beijing, he said, without being more specific.

“We are in a new geopolitical context where influence and surveillance between states have shifted to the digital world,” de Croo said in an online statement. “We must not be naive: TikTok is a Chinese company that today is obliged to cooperate with the intelligence services. This is the reality. Prohibiting its use on federal service devices is common sense.”

TikTok said user data is stored in the U.S. and Singapore and pointed to new measures to ease European concerns by storing user data in European data centers.

“The Chinese government cannot compel another sovereign nation to provide data stored in that nation’s territory,” the company said in a statement.

Source: Somali National News Agency