Open Society Wednesday May 30, 2018Many diaspora actors have a desire for stronger inclusion in policy processes that concern the Somali region and diaspora engagement. This offers opportunities for development agencies.Former Deputy Mayor of Mogadishu speaks at a conference between Somali diaspora returnees and locals to promote good relations, June,2017. Wikicommons/AMISOM - Mohammed Imam Nur Ikar. Some rights reserved.Diaspora groups have been recognized as
development actors in policy circles since the early 2000s. Most attention has
been paid to remittances sent to developing countries, whose volume is triple
that of official development assistance. However, disaster relief, development
projects and knowledge transfer are significant development contributions as
well. Somali-Swedish diaspora engagement in the Somali region is a case in
point, with activities ranging from water provision in drought-affected areas
to promotion of women’s rights. Programmes supporting such involvement may
strengthen its development potential but institutional and administrative
constraints risk undermining the impact. 
Since the outbreak of civil war in
Somalia in 1991, Somali refugees have settled all over the world, including
Sweden. Somalis are well known for their transnational engagement in their
erstwhile homeland, providing a lifeline in times of crisis and contributing to
long-term processes of change. Sweden has become a significant hub for Somali
diaspora engagement, with a rich and diverse civil society engagement.
Ads By Google There are numerous registered
diaspora associations supporting development in the Somali region, including
women’s associations, NGOs and umbrella organizations. Informal diasporic
networks spanning several continents, mosques and businesses are also diaspora
actors. Two diaspora support programmes exist, offering matched funding for
Somali-Swedish diaspora associations working with development and for social
entrepreneurship.
Diaspora projects receiving matched
funding typically concern sustainable development, gender equality, human
rights and job creation, in line with Swedish development priorities. However,
many diaspora activities are self-funded through donations from Somalis in
Sweden and sometimes globally. These projects tend to focus on health, education,
water provision and drought relief. 
No matter whether their activities
receive external funding or not, many diaspora actors explain their involvement
as motivated by a sense of moral obligation in the face of suffering. “It’s
like you have an obligation to give back” as one female activist put it, while
a man explained how his development engagement was kicked off by a visit to his
native town. Being devastated by the poverty he encountered there, he decided
to do something himself. “There are opportunities in Sweden and there is
funding for organizations”, he said and continued, “there is nobody else; who
can it be rather than us?” “There is nobody else; who can it be rather than
us?” 
Opportunities and challeneges
Somalia is a significant partner
country for SIDA, being the fourth
biggest recipient in 2016. Both SIDA and Somali-Swedish diaspora groups thus
have extensive engagement in the Somali region. On the one hand, SIDA has a
strategic interest in cultivating a strong relationship with Somali-Swedish
development actors to further contributions in alignment with overall Swedish
priorities and interests. On the other hand, progress in development and
reconstruction in the Somali region is of huge importance for Somali-Swedes.
Likewise matched funding for diaspora engagement makes it possible to upscale
certain types of diaspora involvement. There are thus mutual opportunities and
interests. 
However, it would be naïve to think
that the relationship between the development industry and diaspora groups is
all roses. One challenge concerns development modalities and priorities.
Diaspora engagement tends to be flexible and cross-sectoral, spanning the often
strict division between development and humanitarian relief in development
cooperation agencies. Furthermore, some diaspora actors are simultaneously
involved in family affairs, collective development projects, and perhaps a
political career. They do not necessarily have a detached or neutral position
vis-à-vis the target areas and populations, in other words, but may be
personally involved at several levels. This causes skepticism among some
development professionals concerning the effectiveness and compatibility of
diaspora activities with development cooperation. Some diaspora actors are simultaneously
involved in family affairs, collective development projects, and perhaps a
political career.
Conversely, some diaspora actors
question the appropriateness of Swedish development priorities and a
rights-based approach that they characterize as out of touch with realities on
the ground, while others emphasize the importance of gender equality, for
example, and human rights. No matter what, diaspora actors call for more
reconstruction and service delivery in contexts of abject poverty and
post-conflict – like in much of the Somali region. Another challenge is
extensive administrative procedures in combination with relatively short
project duration periods of projects receiving matched funding. Most diaspora
associations are run by volunteers and the excessive time spent on application,
accounting and reporting constitutes a considerable constraint for many
activists. What should be done?
Diaspora engagement in development is
significant, long-term, and may benefit hard-to-reach populations. While it may
be upscaled by matched funding, it is not determined by such support. That
said, diaspora engagement is no silver bullet to development and there are no
quick fixes. So what should be done? 
First, introducing enhanced
flexibility vis-à-vis reconstruction activities and service delivery as well as
faster and simpler administrative procedures would facilitate involvement in
diaspora support programmes. It would also have wide resonance among diaspora
actors and in the Somali region. This is important given the continued fragile
situation and occurrence of complex crises.
Second, intensifying dialogue between
policymakers and diaspora groups may enhance partnerships and mutual
understanding. Many diaspora actors have a desire for stronger inclusion in
policy processes that concern the Somali region and diaspora engagement. Here
it is a final consideration that such collaboration offers opportunities for
development agencies and diaspora actors alike.
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• “Finally, I have been freed” – 150 Somali migrants return home after detention in Libya - UNSOM
• Statebuilding without the State: Getting beyond “chicken and egg” in Somalia - OECD
• President Kenyatta holds bilateral talks with Somalia President -
• Minnesota crimes part of Islamophobia documentary - Kare11
• Maryland man sentenced to 35 years for conspiring to aid Somalia's Al Shabaab - Reuters
• Two groups seek intervenor status at former child refugee's judicial review - CP
• Police clear biggest migrant camp in Paris - AFP
• Three al-Shabab militants sentenced to death over attacks - Xinhua
• People fleeing conflict in northern Somali town of Tukaraq fall prey to wild animals - Radio Ergo
• Appeals court upholds Minneapolis' authority to restrict Karmel Mall expansion - Star Tribune
• UN pledges 2.7 mln USD to help Somaliland communities affected by cyclone - Xinhua
• Two TV channels shut down, journalists arrested in Somaliland - RSF
• Donald Trump Drones On - War Is Boring

Wednesday May 30, 2018By Aly Thomson Former child refugee grew up in N.S. foster care, but officials never applied for his citizenshipAbdoul Abdi came to Canada as a child refugee with his sister and aunts. He was never given citizenship. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)Two advocacy groups are seeking to intervene in the judicial review of the case of Abdoul Abdi, a former Somali child refugee fighting to stay in Canada.Lawyers for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and Justice for Children and Youth argued in Federal Court on Tuesday that their groups would offer unique perspectives about the issues surrounding Abdi's case.The Canada Border Services Agency detained Abdi, who was never granted Canadian citizenship while growing up in foster care in Nova Scotia, after he served about five years in prison for multiple offences including aggravated assault.The application for judicial review seeks to challenge the government's decision to refer his case to a deportation hearing, arguing the decision was unreasonable, unfair and contrary to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and international law.Some children in care left unprotected from deportationAds By Google Both groups argued before Justice Ann Marie McDonald in Halifax that their positions would assist the court in arriving at a decision in Abdi's case — one they claim will have wider implications for vulnerable youth in Canada."Young people who have grown up in the care of various child welfare organizations across the country are often placed in a position where they are not provided with adequate protection, in the sense that they haven't been provided with an opportunity to apply for Canadian citizenship," Jane Stewart, a lawyer for the Justice for Children and Youth, said outside court."They're then exposed to the jeopardy of deportation as adults in a way that other young people may not be. It's a situation that affects Mr. Abdi, but unfortunately it's a case that affects young people across the country. His situation isn't unique and it's a situation that plays out over and over again."Nasha Nijhawan, a lawyer for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, said her organization wants to ensure that any time government is making a decision such as this, "it does so in a manner that's in accordance with Charter values and takes into account any Charter issues that are raised by the facts of that case.""It raises questions about where the Charter fits into that analysis and how Canadians or permanent residents of Canada might expect the protection of their rights and freedoms in that context," said Nijhawan."It's a question of perpetuating disadvantage against someone who has suffered disadvantage in the past."Abdi 'stressed' by situationBut Heidi Collicutt, a lawyer representing the Minister of Public Safety, argued the groups did not meet the criteria to be intervenors in the case.Collicutt argued the groups do not offer a unique perspective, but rather bolster and supplement Abdi's position.McDonald reserved her decision.Abdi's lawyer Benjamin Perryman said his client is feeling stressed ahead of the judicial review hearing, scheduled for June 19 in Federal Court in Halifax."He's still in this place of limbo," said Perryman. "When the government of the country you've lived your whole life in is seeking to deport you to a warzone, that is obviously stressful, and that uncertainty I think would be crippling to most Canadians."Abdi's
case has prompted supporters to call on the Nova Scotia government to
intervene on his behalf, and sparked protests at events with federal
leaders including a town hall earlier this year with Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau in Lower Sackville, N.S. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)Abdi came to Canada as a toddlerAbdi, who was born in Saudi Arabia in 1993, lost his mother in a refugee camp when he was four and came to Canada with his sister and aunts two years later. He was taken into provincial care shortly after arriving in Canada.He was moved 31 times between foster homes. He lost his native language and developed behavioural problems that advocates say were not adequately treated. Those issues led to problems with the justice system and his non-citizenship put him at risk of deportation.Abdi's case has prompted supporters to call on the Nova Scotia government to intervene on his behalf, and sparked protests at events with federal leaders including a town hall earlier this year with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Lower Sackville, N.S.
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• “Finally, I have been freed” – 150 Somali migrants return home after detention in Libya - UNSOM
• Statebuilding without the State: Getting beyond “chicken and egg” in Somalia - OECD
• President Kenyatta holds bilateral talks with Somalia President -
• Minnesota crimes part of Islamophobia documentary - Kare11
• Maryland man sentenced to 35 years for conspiring to aid Somalia's Al Shabaab - Reuters
• Somali-Swedish diaspora engagement in the Somali region - Open Society
• Police clear biggest migrant camp in Paris - AFP
• Three al-Shabab militants sentenced to death over attacks - Xinhua
• People fleeing conflict in northern Somali town of Tukaraq fall prey to wild animals - Radio Ergo
• Appeals court upholds Minneapolis' authority to restrict Karmel Mall expansion - Star Tribune
• UN pledges 2.7 mln USD to help Somaliland communities affected by cyclone - Xinhua
• Two TV channels shut down, journalists arrested in Somaliland - RSF
• Donald Trump Drones On - War Is Boring

Wednesday May 30, 2018Maryland man sentenced to 35 years for aiding Qaeda-linked groupSomali boys chant as they watch hard-line Islamist fighters from Al-Shabab parade during a rally in the streets of Mogadishu on October 30, 2009. A U.S. citizen has been charged with supporting the Somali militant group. ABDURASHID ABIKAR/AFP/Getty Images A Maryland man was sentenced on Tuesday to 35 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to support the militant group Al Shabaab by travelling to Somalia to receive military training from the extremists, federal prosecutors said.Maalik Alim Jones, 33, was sentenced by US District Judge Paul Gardephe in Manhattan. A lawyer for Jones could not immediately be reached for comment.Ads By Google Jones pleaded guilty in September, admitting that he carried an AK-47 automatic assault rifle for Al Shabaab, which is allied with Al Qaeda.Al Shabaab, which seeks to overthrow Somalia’s Western-backed government and impose a strict version of sharia, or Islamic law, has carried out violent attacks in Kenya and Ethiopia.Jones was charged in January 2016. Prosecutors said at the time that Jones, who was born and lived in Maryland, travelled in 2011 to Kenya and then to Somalia, where he was brought to an Al Shabaab training camp.Authorities said Jones trained with the group for three months, learning how to handle weapons, including an AK-47 and rocket-propelled grenades.He then became a member of a specialised fighting force within Al Shabaab, known as Jaysh Ayman, that carried out attacks and raids across the border in Kenya and participated in a battle against Kenyan soldiers in the Somali town of Afmadow, prosecutors said.Jones was taken into custody by Somali authorities on December 7, 2015, while he was attempting to procure a boat to depart for Yemen, according to prosecutors.
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• “Finally, I have been freed” – 150 Somali migrants return home after detention in Libya - UNSOM
• Statebuilding without the State: Getting beyond “chicken and egg” in Somalia - OECD
• President Kenyatta holds bilateral talks with Somalia President -
• Minnesota crimes part of Islamophobia documentary - Kare11
• Two groups seek intervenor status at former child refugee's judicial review - CP
• Somali-Swedish diaspora engagement in the Somali region - Open Society
• Police clear biggest migrant camp in Paris - AFP
• Three al-Shabab militants sentenced to death over attacks - Xinhua
• People fleeing conflict in northern Somali town of Tukaraq fall prey to wild animals - Radio Ergo
• Appeals court upholds Minneapolis' authority to restrict Karmel Mall expansion - Star Tribune
• UN pledges 2.7 mln USD to help Somaliland communities affected by cyclone - Xinhua
• Two TV channels shut down, journalists arrested in Somaliland - RSF
• Donald Trump Drones On - War Is Boring

Wednesday May 30, 2018By John CromanAl Jazeera documentary on Islamophobia in the United States features the 2016 attack on five Somali men in Minneapolis, and the 2017 bombing of a Bloomington mosque. CAIR-MN Executive Director Jaylani Hussein decries shooting in Dinkytown, now investigated as anti-Muslim crime. MINNEAPOLIS -- The stories of two Minnesota hate crimes will reach a much wider audience, as part of a documentary by the Al Jazeera network, which is watched via satellite and the Internet across the world.The investigative report, Islamophobia Inc., explores crimes motivated by anti-Muslim sentiment and organized efforts to exploit hate and fear of Muslims in the United States. Those local cases featured in the report include the 2017 bombing of the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington and the 2016 attack on five young Somali men in the Dinkytown area of Minneapolis."The Minnesota story of these young men is one of the stories they were interested in," Jaylani Hussein of the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR, explained.Ads By Google "And while they were here another story developed, of the mosque being bombed, so those two stories became a feature in this documentary."In the Dinkytown case, the Somali men had been playing basketball near the University of Minnesota's main campus, and decided to go to a mosque for prayers. They were confronted by a group of patrons leaving a bar, and heard someone yell, "F--- Muslims."Abdirahman Hassan said the group ignored it the first time, and got into his car. He said one member of the group, later identified as Anthony Sawina of Lauderdale, leaned into the car and confronted the group directly."I told him, 'Why would you say such a thing?' And he put his head down in the window and says, 'F--- Muslims!' and 'What are you going to do about it'?" Hassan recalled Tuesday, in an interview with KARE."I said, 'What are you going to do?' And then he pulled out the gun, as soon as he pulled out the gun, two of my friends ran out of the car. It took me a little bit to register it was a gun. My eyes lit up with fear, lost my composure, freaking out, a lot of thoughts going through my head. 'Was I really going to die? Is this how I really end? Why'?"Investigators say Sawina fired multiple shots from a semi-automatic handgun through the window of Hassan's car as he sped away. Hassan said he heard a bullet whiz past his head, saw a bullet hole in the windshield, and then heard his remaining two passengers say they'd been struck and were bleeding.
Abdullahi Aden and Hussein Gelle both suffered bullet wounds to their legs, so Hassan drove them straight to University of Minnesota Medical Center nearby, still worried that the shooter may have followed them.Sawina was eventually tried and convicted of nine criminal counts and sentenced to 39 years in prison, something the documentary also covers. Sawina's attorneys have filed an appeal, which is still pending.CAIR's Jaylani Hussein said he hopes the Al Jazeera report will stir average Americans into action."A lot of people are not aware that, first of all, this is actually happening in the United States of America," Hussein told KARE."In fact, it’s not just happening to average people, it’s organizations that are mobilizing people to produce this hate, these acts of violence. Why did three men from Illinois drive so far, and pass so many mosques, to come and bomb a mosque in Bloomington?"
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• “Finally, I have been freed” – 150 Somali migrants return home after detention in Libya - UNSOM
• Statebuilding without the State: Getting beyond “chicken and egg” in Somalia - OECD
• President Kenyatta holds bilateral talks with Somalia President -
• Maryland man sentenced to 35 years for conspiring to aid Somalia's Al Shabaab - Reuters
• Two groups seek intervenor status at former child refugee's judicial review - CP
• Somali-Swedish diaspora engagement in the Somali region - Open Society
• Police clear biggest migrant camp in Paris - AFP
• Three al-Shabab militants sentenced to death over attacks - Xinhua
• People fleeing conflict in northern Somali town of Tukaraq fall prey to wild animals - Radio Ergo
• Appeals court upholds Minneapolis' authority to restrict Karmel Mall expansion - Star Tribune
• UN pledges 2.7 mln USD to help Somaliland communities affected by cyclone - Xinhua
• Two TV channels shut down, journalists arrested in Somaliland - RSF
• Donald Trump Drones On - War Is Boring

CAPITALNEWS Wednesday May 30, 2018President Uhuru Kenyatta Wednesday held talks with President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo of Somalia who is on an official visit in the country.The two leaders discussed bilateral issues and security matters including the continued support for African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in which Kenyan forces play a big role.Ads By Google The two leaders updated each other on shared security concerns as well as progress in regional efforts to bring peace and stability back to Somalia with the help of Kenya and other nations.President Kenyatta and his guest also discussed multilateral issues including Kenya’s push for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.President Mohamed said Somalia fully supports Kenya’s bid to sit on the UNSC.After a lengthy private meeting, the two Presidents later held talks that were attended by Deputy President William Ruto and leader of Majority Aden Duale.President Mohamed jetted into the country this morning accompanied by a high-level delegation of ministers and senior government officials.
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• “Finally, I have been freed” – 150 Somali migrants return home after detention in Libya - UNSOM
• Statebuilding without the State: Getting beyond “chicken and egg” in Somalia - OECD
• Minnesota crimes part of Islamophobia documentary - Kare11
• Maryland man sentenced to 35 years for conspiring to aid Somalia's Al Shabaab - Reuters
• Two groups seek intervenor status at former child refugee's judicial review - CP
• Somali-Swedish diaspora engagement in the Somali region - Open Society
• Police clear biggest migrant camp in Paris - AFP
• Three al-Shabab militants sentenced to death over attacks - Xinhua
• People fleeing conflict in northern Somali town of Tukaraq fall prey to wild animals - Radio Ergo
• Appeals court upholds Minneapolis' authority to restrict Karmel Mall expansion - Star Tribune
• UN pledges 2.7 mln USD to help Somaliland communities affected by cyclone - Xinhua
• Two TV channels shut down, journalists arrested in Somaliland - RSF
• Donald Trump Drones On - War Is Boring

Wednesday May 30, 2018By Dan Honig“The credibility of the Somali Government hinges largely on its ability to deliver for the Somali People.”
International partners clearly recognise the importance of using
country systems to achieve broader statebuilding goals, as this line,
taken from the May 2017 Communiqué of the London Conference on Somalia,
indicates. Yet, international partners continue to deliver aid primarily
through parallel systems, as the Government struggles to raise
sufficient domestic revenue to deliver tangible results for its people.Of an estimated USD 1.75 billion in official development assistance (ODA) for Somalia in 2017, only USD 103.9 million
was delivered on budget (approximately 6% of total ODA). Excluding
humanitarian aid from this calculation, the proportion of on budget aid
rises to 14%, which still lags significantly behind the use of country
systems in other fragile states. For example, donors delivered between
28-44% of development-focused aid on budget in the Central African
Republic, Mali and Liberia in 2015.[1]

Why the inconsistency? International partners appear to be stuck in a
“chicken or egg” conundrum in Somalia. On the one hand, they recognise
that using country systems is critical for building national capacity
and achieving broader statebuilding objectives. Yet, on the other hand,
the weakness of these systems is often the excuse donors cite for
avoiding the use of country systems. Given the explicit focus on
statebuilding in Somalia, prioritising short-term operational concerns
over the long-term benefits of government systems building appears to
run counter to the international community’s stated objectives.
Ads By Google Our recent World Bank and United Nations joint report
examines donors’ decision making about the use of country systems,
exploring both the perceived and actual risks and benefits associated
with such use.[2]
We find that a number of factors related to internal donor
decision-making practices preclude using country systems in Somalia.
These include:
A narrow focus on fiduciary risks. Fiduciary
risk is an important, but far from the only, consideration in
determining which tools are best for achieving desired outcomes.
Moreover, the risks and benefits of using country systems should be
considered not in isolation but, rather, alongside those of alternative
delivery channels, like the use of nonprofit, private sector or
multilateral implementers. Fiduciary risk and spending efficiency are
real concerns in Somalia, whatever the implementation modality. It is
less obvious that these concerns, taken as a whole, augur clearly for or
against the use of country systems. In short, donors’ internal
“plumbing” may be undermining their own higher level policy ends and
commitments.[3]
An asymmetric focus on short-term risks. Short-term
risks with the potential to grab domestic headlines, like the
misappropriation of funds, often weigh heavily on international
partners’ decision-making when it comes to using country systems. If
Somalia were to slip backwards into conflict, it would not be seen in
donor capitals as an aid success story. Its collapse would also not be
directly attributable to a particular donor project or even a particular
donor. The mechanisms for realising reputational risk and attributing
success may lead to an asymmetric focus on short-term risks, making the
tactics of international partners unduly conservative.
Insufficient focus on the benefits. Using
country systems can focus both donor and government attention on the
quality of those systems, both financial and non-financial (e.g.
payroll, human resources). Where used in Somalia, international
attention and resources shift from the operational challenges of a
parallel system towards those of government, creating “positive
spillovers” for country systems. This approach not only uses the muscles
of government systems, but also actually strengthens them, like
exercise for the human body. Using country systems can also, in many
cases, provide better value for money than alternatives. This is a
critical consideration in a high-cost, fragile environment like Somalia
where an estimated 30-60% of project funds are consumed by additional
overheads related to project monitoring and delivery.
To overcome these pitfalls, international partners could pursue a
more constructive way forward by replacing technical assessments of
Somalia’s country systems in isolation with an explicitly comparative
approach for choosing delivery modalities. Putting the short- and
long-term costs, benefits and risks side-by-side of NGO implementation
and government implementation, for example, and then choosing which is
best, may lead to a gradual increase in the use of country systems.[4]
No delivery modality is without risk; both country systems and
alternative delivery channels have drawbacks. But these options have
differing strengths, depending on the type of project, sector or
situation. In finding the right mix of tools, both government and
international partners need to focus more on the goal to which they are
jointly committed in Somalia: statebuilding.

Sarah Louis Cramerco-facilitates the
Somalia Use of Country Systems Working Group made up of government and
international partners, which works closely with the OECD-hosted
Secretariat of the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and
Statebuilding, to keep members informed and committed to tracking and
advancing progress on using country systems.
Use of country systemsrefers to a variety
of ways in which international partners can engage with national
counterparts to deliver aid ranging from alignment with national
priorities to direct implementation by government.

Notes
[1] Humanitarian aid was excluded from these calculations.
[2]
Members of the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and
Statebuilding recommitted to the need for greater use of country systems
in the Stockholm Declaration in 2016. International Dialogue on
Peacebuilding and Statebuilding 2016.
[3] This image draws from Bain, Booth, and Wild 2016.
[4] Use of Country Systems Working Group 2017. Interview #15; Interview #36.Dan Honig is an Assistant Professor of International Development, Johns Hopkins SAIS, and Sarah Louise Cramer, UN-World Bank Aid Coordination Officer for Somalia
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• “Finally, I have been freed” – 150 Somali migrants return home after detention in Libya - UNSOM
• President Kenyatta holds bilateral talks with Somalia President -
• Minnesota crimes part of Islamophobia documentary - Kare11
• Maryland man sentenced to 35 years for conspiring to aid Somalia's Al Shabaab - Reuters
• Two groups seek intervenor status at former child refugee's judicial review - CP
• Somali-Swedish diaspora engagement in the Somali region - Open Society
• Police clear biggest migrant camp in Paris - AFP
• Three al-Shabab militants sentenced to death over attacks - Xinhua
• People fleeing conflict in northern Somali town of Tukaraq fall prey to wild animals - Radio Ergo
• Appeals court upholds Minneapolis' authority to restrict Karmel Mall expansion - Star Tribune
• UN pledges 2.7 mln USD to help Somaliland communities affected by cyclone - Xinhua
• Two TV channels shut down, journalists arrested in Somaliland - RSF
• Donald Trump Drones On - War Is Boring

Wednesday May 30, 2018Somali returnees from Libya fill immigration forms at Aden Abdulle International Airport, upon arrival in Mogadishu, Somalia, on 30 May 2018. UN Photo / Omar AbdisalanMogadishu, 30 May 2018 – Following several months of confinement in detention centres in Libya, 150 Somali migrants returned voluntarily to their home country today with transportation organized by the United Nations migration agency.  “I cannot find the right words to explain the anguish I went through in Libya. It was a difficult situation and I was held in detention for a long time,” said Mahad Abdullahi Hassan, soon after the transport plane landed at the airport in Somali’s capital of Mogadishu. “Finally, I have been freed and I have returned to my home country,” he added after being received by staff from the Somali authorities, the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Ads By Google The returnees had been rounded up by Libyan authorities as they attempted to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, with most of them held in government-run detention centres in the north African country for months. Today’s special chartered flight was provided by IOM, in collaboration with the Libyan and Somali governments and with funding from the European Union.IOM has tracked more than 660,000 migrants in Libya, where they are exposed to numerous risks, including smuggling, trafficking, kidnapping, abuse, detention and torture. The true number of migrants there could be closer to one million people.  Working with the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), IOM and UNHCR will oversee their resettlement and reintegration in the country. “UNHCR are providing cash-based transfers immediately for the next six months, as well as other support, and IOM is looking towards more needs-based reintegration support over the long-term, including vocational training, health, business support, psychosocial – whatever they need, we are trying to help them towards a sustainable reintegration,” said Mark Lewis, an official with the IOM Somalia Support Office.Harrowing experiences during their journeysThose present to receive the returnees included Somalia’s Ambassador to the Benelux and the European Union, Dr. Ali Said Faqi.He said the FGS had responded to the returnees’ pleas for help, after undergoing harrowing experiences, which included detention in Libya and treacherous journeys through Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, with many losing travelling companions to exhaustion and disease along the way.“We are very happy that we could help these boys because these boys go through a very difficult time there in Libya. The smugglers request a lot of money, they get kidnapped, they get beaten. They are exposed to a lot of harassment and abuse – nothing to drink, nothing to eat,” Dr. Faqi said.
“Finally, I have been freed” – 150 Somali migrants return home after detention in Libya from UNSOM on Vimeo.“So it is really a terrible situation,” he continued. “It is not only for the Somalis, but for all Africans who are there and I wish that this agony, this drama to end as soon as possible.” Upon arrival, the returnees had their paperwork processed and were examined by doctors to ascertain their health condition.  Today’s returnees are the first batch of 300 Somalis in Libya who are making voluntary return home. Before being relocated to their homes, they will be given temporary shelter at a reception centre in Mogadishu. Also, today’s return is the fourth and largest voluntary humanitarian return of migrants from Libya to Somalia; IOM carried out the first in February of this year. So far in 2018, IOM has helped 7,414 migrants return to their home countries from Libya, in addition to 19,371 IOM helped voluntary return last year. All migrants, who IOM helps return from Libya, are offered reintegration assistance, based on their vulnerability According to IOM, Somalia continues to be characterized by migration flows, with internal displacement and irregular migration constituting major challenges – every year, the thousands of Somalis who make hazardous journeys along regional migration routes are exposed to severe protection risks.  Somali returnees from Libya fill immigration forms at Aden Abdulle International Airport, upon arrival in Mogadishu, Somalia, on 30 May 2018. UN Photo / Omar Abdisalan
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• Statebuilding without the State: Getting beyond “chicken and egg” in Somalia - OECD
• President Kenyatta holds bilateral talks with Somalia President -
• Minnesota crimes part of Islamophobia documentary - Kare11
• Maryland man sentenced to 35 years for conspiring to aid Somalia's Al Shabaab - Reuters
• Two groups seek intervenor status at former child refugee's judicial review - CP
• Somali-Swedish diaspora engagement in the Somali region - Open Society
• Police clear biggest migrant camp in Paris - AFP
• Three al-Shabab militants sentenced to death over attacks - Xinhua
• People fleeing conflict in northern Somali town of Tukaraq fall prey to wild animals - Radio Ergo
• Appeals court upholds Minneapolis' authority to restrict Karmel Mall expansion - Star Tribune
• UN pledges 2.7 mln USD to help Somaliland communities affected by cyclone - Xinhua
• Two TV channels shut down, journalists arrested in Somaliland - RSF
• Donald Trump Drones On - War Is Boring

Kobaca dhaqaalaha Mareykanka oo rubaca koobaad gaaray 2.2.%, taasoo aad ugu hooseeyso halki laga filayey.

Go'aanka ay ka qaadatay Deegaannada Abkhazia iyo Koonfurta Osseto waxay keentay iney xiriirka dibloomaasiyadeed Georgia u jarto Dimishiq.

Dadka sigaar caba ee ku nool dunida ayaa lagu qiyaasay 1.4 bilyan oo qof , 80% dadkaas waxa ay ku noolyihiin waddamada soo koraaya.

Waxaa magaalada Nairobi ee dalka Kenya wali ku sugan wafdi uu hogaaminayo madaxweynaha Soomaaliya, Maxamed Cabdullaahi Farmaajo, kuwaasi oo booqasho rasmi ah ku joogo Kenya.

Madaxweynayeyaasha wadamada Soomaaliya iyo Kenya oo kullan ku yeeshay magaalada Nairobi ayaa ka wada hadlay arrimaha muranka badan dhaliyay ee xuduudaha labada dal iyo sidoo kale la dagaalanka arggagixisada.

The African Development Bank has participated in a signing ceremony that occasioned Italy’s contribution of €1 million to the Somalia Infrastructure Fund (SIF).
The ceremony was witnessed by Albert Mafusire, the African Development Bank’s Principal Country Economist for Somalia, who represented the Bank’s Deputy Director General for East Africa and Country Manager for Somalia, Nnenna Nwabufo; the Italian Ambassador to Somalia, Carlo Campanile; and the Federal Government of Somalia’s newly appointed Minister of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing, Abdifatah Mohamed Ibrahim.
The Somalia Infrastructure Fund is a Multi-Partner Fund with the overall goal of supporting Somalia to rebuild institutions, rehabilitate key infrastructure, and reinforce economic governance.
The SIF, which is administered by the African Development Bank, aims to contribute to the efforts of Somalia and its development partners to consolidate peace, establish the basic institutions of a functioning state, and to accelerate inclusive and sustainable economic recovery and development.
As a special fund, the SIF operates within the framework of the Bank’s Strategy for Addressing Fragility and Building Resilience in Africa: 2014-2019.
Ambassador Campanile acknowledged the Bank’s efforts in investing in infrastructure in Somalia, noting that the importance of the infrastructure needs assessment studies carried out by the Bank in highlighting the needs of Somalia in key sectors, including transport, energy, and water and sanitation.
Speaking on behalf of the Federal Government of Somalia, Abdifatah Mohamed Ibrahim pledged continuity of the work started by his predecessor and promised to facilitate all efforts by the Bank and its partners in the reconstruction process.
Speaking on behalf of the Bank’s East Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office, Albert Mafusire expressed gratitude to Italy for its support and partnership in rebuilding the country’s infrastructure, emphasizing the importance of infrastructure as an enabler of economic transformation.
Italy’s current intervention raises its total contribution to the SIF at about US $3.2 million and becomes the second-largest contributor to the fund after the African Development Bank. It also takes the total paid in contributions to the US $29.7 million, representing about 44% of total pledged contributions.
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Waxaa hoos u dhac weyn ku yimid tirada dadka caba sigaarka maalintii, iyadoo hal milyan ay hoos ugu dhacday tirada dadka isticmaala sigaarka marka la is barbar dhigo 2016-kii iyo2017-kii.

Kenyan police said there are rising numbers of Islamist fighters gathering on the country’s border with war-torn Somalia and some are planning attacks during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Some of the militants belonging to the al-Shabaab group have tried to cross into the northeastern Kenyan counties of Wajir, Mandera and Garissa, the National Police Service said Wednesday on Twitter.
One group has been hiding in Somalia’s mountainous Gedo region and may be planning attacks on the Kenyan side, it said.
Al-Shabaab, an affiliate of al-Qaeda, has staged attacks that have killed more than 200 people in Kenya since the East African nation sent troops into Somalia in 2011 to prop up the government.
Al-Shabaab has waged a more than decade-long insurgency in a bid to impose its version of Islamic law in Somalia.
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IOM, the International Organization for Migration, in collaboration with the Libyan and Somali Governments and with support from the European Union, facilitated the voluntary return to Mogadishu of 150 Somali migrants stranded in Libya. The majority of them had been held in Government-run detention centres.
Migrants in Libya are exposed to numerous risks, including smuggling, trafficking, kidnapping, abuse, detention and torture. Through the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), IOM has tracked over 660,000 migrants in Libya. However, the true number could be closer to one million people.
“I lost everything in Libya; time, health and money,” said twenty-three-year-old Mohamed, who left Somalia for a better future. “But I will return to Somalia and start from scratch, build a better future away from the daydreams of illegal migration”, he added.
IOM is grateful to the Somali Government for the expediency in providing the returning migrants with the appropriate documentation and to the Libyan Governments for organizing exit visas. “The support to these Somali nationals wishing to go back to Somalia is the positive result of close collaboration with the Somali Government and UNHCR,” said Othman Belbeisi, IOM Libya Chief of Mission.
“This was a massive undertaking between the Somali government and IOM and I am very glad that we are finally able to assist this number of migrants in desperate need of humanitarian return assistance. In the name of the Somali government, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to IOM for their unwavering support to our migrants stranded in Libya,” stated Ambassador Ali Said Faqi, Special Envoy of the President of Somalia for Somali Migrants Stranded in Libya.
Upon return, representatives from the Federal Government of Somalia and IOM welcomed the returnees at the way-station in Mogadishu.
IOM will be fully screening all returnees and providing group psychosocial sessions in the immediate days after arrival.
Following these screenings, ongoing reintegration assistance will be provided through general support and complementary assistance, according to the project’s selection criteria.
This is the fourth and largest voluntary humanitarian return of migrants from Libya to Somalia. The reintegration assistance in Somalia is part of the larger EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration, which facilitates orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration management through the development of rights-based and development-focused policies and processes on protection and sustainable reintegration. The EU-IOM Joint Initiative, backed by the EU Trust Fund, covers and has been set up in close cooperation with a total of 26 African countries.
“The EU recognizes the importance of supporting stranded migrants who wish to return to Somalia and reintegrate with their host communities and I believe that, through this initiative, returning migrants will be able to lead meaningful lives and contribute to a rising Somalia”, said Pencho Garrido Ruiz, Chargé d’Affaires at the EU Delegation to Somalia.
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Muqdisho ( Sh. M. Network )-Dowladda Talyaaniga ayaa Soomaaliya ugu deeqday Lacag gaareysa $1.2 Million, taas oo loogu talagay in wax looga qabto arrimaha dib u dhiska dalka.
Talyaaniga ayaa Lacagtani ku wareejiyay hay’adda dib u dhiska Soomaaliya ee SIF , waxana munaasabadda lagula wareegayay deeqdaasi Lacageed goobjoog ahaa mas’uuliyiin ka kala socotay Bankiga Horumarinta Africa, DFS iyo Talyaaniga.
Wasiirka howlaha guud iyo dib u dhiska XFS Mudane Cabdifitaax Maxamed Ibraahim Geesey oo ka hadlay Munaasabaddaasi ayaa ballan qaaday in ay dardar galin doonaan dadaallada dib u dhiska ah ee ka socda Soomaaliya.
Dhankiisa safiirka dalka Talyaaniga u fadhiya Soomaaliya Ambassador Carlo Campanile ayaa ku amaanay Bankiga Africa dadaallada uu ugu jiro sidii dib u dhis loogu sameyn lahAa kaabayaasha dhaqaalaha Soomaaliya.
Hay’adda SIF oo hoos tagta Bankiga Midowga Africa ayaa qaabilsan dib u dhiska kaabayaasha dhaqaalaha ee Soomaaliya, iyadoona tan iyo markii la ansiyay 2016 -kii aruurisay Lacag gaareysa $29 Million oo wax looga qabanaya dib u dhiska Soomaaliya.
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Muqdisho ( Sh. M. Network )-Tartan aqooneedka faca weyne ee Shabelle waxaa caawa ku madlan degmooyinkam Shangaani iyo Warta Nabadd ee G/ Banaadir.
Shangaani iyo Warta Nabadda oo ku wada jira Group-ka D ee tartanka ayaa ku ku kulmi doona  is araga labaad ee tartanka bisha barakeysan ee Ramadaan.
Kulankii hore degmada Shangaani ayaa ka soo badisay dhiggeeda Dharkenley, halka degmada Warta Nabadda laga soo badiyay kulankii hore oo ay isku dhaceen degmada Xamarjajab ee gobolka Banaadir.
Tartamayaasha labada degmo ayaa haatan u tafa xeydana kulanka caawa, si ay degmo weliba u difaacato dhibacaheeda.
Sanadkan tartan aqooneedka Shabelle waxaa taaba gelineysa Jaamacadda Jobkey, halka Su’aal diyaarintuna uu yahay Adult Commercial Secondary School.
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Nairobi ( Sh. M. Network )-Dowladda Kenya ayaa sheegtay in ay soo badanayaan tirada dagaalyahannada Al Shabaab ee ku soo qulqulaya G/ Waqooyi bari ee dalkaasi.
Saraakiisha Booliska Kenya ayaa sheegay in ay ka war hayaan dagaalyahanno badan oo ka soo gudbay dhinaca Xadka Soomaaliya.
Waxaana ay tilmaameen in ay damacsan yihiin dagaalyahannadaasi in weeraro ay ka geystay gudaha dalkaasi
Sidoo kale saraakiisha ayaa intaasi ku daray in dagaalyahanno kale oo ka tisran Xarakada Al Shabaab ay ku dhuumaaleysanyaan Buuraleyda Gedo ee Soomaaliya , islamarkaana ay qorsheynayaan in ay weeraro ka fuliyaan gudaha dalka Kenya.
Al Shabaab ayaa weeraro ku qaadeysay Kenya, tan iyo markii Ciidamadeeda qeybta ka ah howlgalka AMISOM ay soo galeen Soomaaliya sanadii 2011-kii, waxaana Al Shabaab weeraradaasi ay ku dileen dad badan oo Kenyaan ahaa.
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