Soomaaliya oo marti-gelisay 30,000 oo qaxooti iyo magan-gelyo-doon ah Maanta waxa dunida laga xusaa maalinta Qaxootiga Adduunka, bahda Qaramada Midoobay ee ka hawlgasha Soomaaliya waxay maanta ku baaqday in la ilaaliyo guulihii laga gaaray yareynta dhibaatada heysata qaxootiga ku sugan Soomaaliya, iyadoo dalku uu xoogga saarayo ka-jawaab celinta aafada COVID-19. “Hay’adaha Soomaaliya waxay dadaal dhab ah oo hagar la’aaneed u galeen taageerada iyo dhowridda xuquuqda magan-gelyo iyo badbaadinta dadka ku barakacay colaadaha, cadaadis ay ka carareen iyo saameynta isbedelka cimilada. Arintan waxaa sii adkeeyay aafada cusurka COVID-19 – waa in [hay’adaha Soomaaliyeed] lagu amaano dadaalladooda,” ayuu yiri Wakiilka Gaarka ah ee Xoghayaha-Guud ee Qaramada Midoobay u qaabilsan Soomaaliya, James Swan. “Maalinta Qaxoontiga Adduunka waxay ku soo beegantay waqti ay Soomaaliya ka jirto khatar saddex-geesood ah – ka-sokow aafada COVID-19, dalku wuxuu la tacaalaayaa la-dagaallanka ayaxa iyo fatahaado. Arrimahaan waxaa ka dhashay caqabado aan horay loo arag, laakiin waxaan aragnay adkeysi iyo waxqabad muuqdo oo ay muujiyeen dadka soo barakacay oo kaalintooda ka qaatay sameynta is-bedello, iyagoo ku dhaqaaqay hawlo [kaladuwan] sida sameynta maryaha sanka iyo afka lagu xirto (face masks) iyo saabuun. Waa in aan garab istaagnaa oo aan xaqiijino in guulaha la gaaray aan la lumin,” ayuu yiri Wakiilka Xafiiska Ergeyga Sare ee QM u qaabilsan Arrimaha Qoxootiga (UNHCR), Johann Siffointe. Ugu yaraan 2.6 milyan oo Soomaali ah ayaa ku barakacay gudaha dalka, iyadoo sidoo kale dalku uu martigeliyay dad ka badan 30,000 oo qaxooti iyo magangelyo-doon ah, oo badankood ka yimid Itoobiya iyo Yemen. Gudaha Soomaaliya, qaxootiga iyo dadka barakacayaasha ah waxay si gaar ah ugu nugul yihiin cudurka faafa ee COVID-19 maadaama tiro badan oo dad ah ay ku nool yihiin xarumaha mashquulka badan ee magaalooyinka iyo deegaanada dadka barakacayaasha ah (IDPs).

Somalia: On World Refugee Day, UN calls for continued efforts to help refugees and displaced people in Somalia Marking World Refugee Day, the United Nations in Somalia today called for continued efforts to alleviate the plight of refugees and displaced persons in Somalia. Despite significant efforts by the Somali authorities, there are still at least 2.6 million Somalis who are internally displaced, and the country hosts more than 30,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, mainly from Ethiopia and Yemen. “I pay tribute to the resilience and courage of refugees and displaced persons, and all those fleeing conflict or persecution. I assure them that the United Nations is committed to their protection and to helping to rebuild their livelihoods. We also support the Somali government to uphold their right to asylum and protection. This has been made more challenging by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, James Swan, “World Refugee Day comes at a time of a triple threat for Somalia – in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country is dealing with effects of desert locusts and flooding. These have presented unprecedented challenges, yet we have seen remarkable resilience and contributions from displaced persons who are doing their part to make a difference, with activities such as making face masks and soap[AR1] . We must stand with them and ensure that the gains are not lost,” said the Representative of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Johann Siffointe. In Somalia, refugees and displaced populations are particularly vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic due to the large number of people living in congested urban centres and settlements for internally displaced people (IDPs). Nearly 800,000 Somali refugees continue to reside in the Horn of Africa region, with outflow figures in recent years in sharp decline given Somalia’s progress in peace and security. Over the course of the past decade, many refugees have decided to return home and UNHCR has assisted with voluntary repatriation of more than 90,000 Somali refugees. World Refugee Day celebrates the extraordinary courage and resilience of the forcibly displaced and pays tribute to the generosity of host and donor governments and populations. The theme of this year’s Day is ‘Everyone can make a difference, Every Action Counts’ and comes against a backdrop of the global COVID-19 pandemic and calls for equality. Xigasho

So, noo sheeg when will this 'madax xanuun' stop for you when kuwa kale ku deystaan. Tusaale hadduu Axmed Madoobe ama mid la aragti ah beri dhaho NFD ayaa ka mid noqonaayaa and be a colony under Kiinya? Jawaabtaada maxee noqoneysaa marka 'madax xanuun' ma rabnee waa inaa u dhaafnaa Jubbooyinka oo meesha uu rabo geeyo. What about in maamulka Waqooyi Bari? Hadduu beri Deni ku dhawaaqo waa goostay waa aqbaleysaa miyaa oo 'madax xanuun' ma rabtid? How about Hiiraan? Haddee dhahaan Soomaali Galbeed iyo deegaanka Feerfeer ku darsameynaa. Xariijintaada halkee ku egtahay noo sheeg.

It is getting bad in Xabashiland.

Unwavering humanitarianism: Turkey’s COVID-19 aid to Somalia and beyond Turkey sent 5,000 locally manufactured intensive care ventilators to Somalia on May 2 in an effort to assist the country’s frail and overburdened health infrastructure in tackling COVID-19. The ventilators were developed and manufactured while the pandemic was wreaking havoc around the world by a consortium of Turkish firms including Biyosys, ASELSAN, Baykar and Arçelik, underlining Turkey’s industrial capacity and capabilities in addressing COVID-19. This venture, in itself, marked a huge achievement on Turkey’s part during the pandemic. The ventilators, along with diagnostic kits, overalls and masks, will be pivotal for Somalia in addressing the spread and treatment of the coronavirus. A 25-year civil war coupled with terrorism have undermined and stunted the development of Somalia’s health and education sectors. Mogadishu’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Hospital, also known as the Digfer Hospital, alongside small privately owned hospitals and clinics, serve close to 3 million residents in the capital city. This pandemic will prove challenging for Somalia, and the country needs humanitarian assistance for its health sector. Turkey’s humanitarian policies and its health infrastructure have proven their stability and competence in the face of the pandemic. Turkey's health minister, Fahrettin Koca, announced that over 1 million tests had been carried out and the number of recoveries doubled as of May 3. Nevertheless, Turkey has faced a barrage of smear campaigns in international media about its handling of the crisis. However, Turkey expanded its humanitarian assistance in these dire times to Somalia, the Balkans and 55 other countries, including Britain, Italy, Spain and the U.S. Turkey in Somalia Since the 2011 famine and Turkey’s immediate and effective humanitarian intervention, the two nations have developed strong ties that transcend humanitarianism and geopolitics. Indeed, the relationship between Turks and Somalis in East Africa dates back centuries to the Ottomans and the era of Ahmed Gürey. Ottomans helped Somalis in repelling Portuguese naval invasions and colonialism in the 16th century. Moreover, Turkey has proven itself with its unwavering humanitarian actions and social capacity-building efforts in Somalia and all over Africa, doubling the number of its embassies in Africa in the last decade. Besides, Turkey is playing a crucial role in Somalia’s state-building efforts and in ameliorating its security and military sectors. Despite numerous terrorist attacks targeting Turkish civilians in Somalia, Turkey has remained a consistent and reliable partner in Somalia’s redevelopment. Turkey’s health aid to Somalia during this pandemic crisis is timely and much needed. Somalia lacked critical equipment in treating those infected with the virus. As of May 3, the COVID-19 case count in Somalia stood at 710 infected and 31 deaths. However, due to the dearth of testing kits, the number of deaths is believed to be higher. The mayor of the country's capital Mogadishu, Omar Mohamud Mohamed, also known as Omar Mohamud Finnish, confirmed that there have been many unconfirmed COVID-19 deaths. Experts have already predicted that COVID-19 will spread in Africa like nowhere else in the world and that the current figures are a major understatement. This would be a catastrophe for a continent with poor health infrastructure and capacity in dealing with this pandemic. Humanitarianism vs. isolationism Ever since the COVID-19 outbreak morphed from an epidemic into a pandemic, Turkey had increased its humanitarian assistance to many countries. Historically during pandemics, people, politics and markets do not fare well, as fears, anxieties and uncertainties translate into utter confusion among the public and governments. These were followed by lockdowns and occasional curfews. Geopolitically, many countries embraced isolationism in their policies, curtailing their exports of critical medicine and equipment. Italy, one of the hardest-hit nations, lambasted its neighboring countries and accused the European Union of abandoning it in a time of crisis. On April 1, Turkey delivered medical aid to Italy and Spain, two countries whose health systems were overwhelmed by the pandemic. Furthermore, Turkey partially authorized the transfer of ventilators to Spain amid rumors that the equipment was confiscated. Moreover, Turkey hastened humanitarian aid dispatches across the Balkan region. Again, on April 12, Turkey sent medical aid to Israel and Palestine. While isolationist policies, ‘‘our country first’’ narratives and media choruses have indeed increased during this pandemic, it is time for global solidarity and humanity, and transcending parochial isolationism and right-wing populist-laden pandemic-induced nationalism. COVID-19 is a global pandemic and only a well-coordinated global effort, coupled with humanitarian assistance to economically weaker countries, will mitigate its casualties. This pandemic has surely tested the global political order and the entrenched neoliberal capitalist market systems – and they utterly failed. The U.S.' decision to defund the World Health Organization (WHO) and a looming imminent economic crisis reflect a global order shattered by the pandemic. Social scientists are already envisioning the emergence of a new global order in the post-pandemic era. Political scientist Talha Köse observed how the global order that emerged after the 9/11 attacks ‘‘failed to maintain cooperation, solidarity, consultations and joint action’’ and that we are doomed to repeat this history in the post-pandemic world unless drastic changes are implemented. If we have learned anything from this pandemic, it is that global cooperation and solidarity are vital. The world is an inherently interconnected network of economic markets, geopolitics and societies. Pandemics do not recognize or discriminate between national borders, ethnic groups or religious and political affiliations. In our post-pandemic visions of global order, humanity, solidarity, humanitarian assistance and cooperation should be central to our modus operandi and the impetus for a "new world." Xigasho

Ah, blatantly ignoring once again the habar-isku wacasho of the wretched sewage-dwelling secessionist vermin cheap shots against me and other Soomaalis on this very thread. Now I know - as I and others suspected - you are a sock-puppet of another wretched secessionist, one that is too scared to use his secessionist user name on here. Which is obviously against SOL's rules. Should that be the case, we will see. And let this be my last time responding to you. I don't give my attention to qashinqubka boosaneerada ku nool waxee qoraan; garacyadaan mar Qureyshta sheegto, marna Xabashi, marna the illegitimate agoomo of Queen Elizabeth never get my attention. However, should they cross the line by putting their head out of their secessionist boosaneero holes, garuun madaxa loogu garaaco sugaayo. No mercy from me for waxee u barteen in loo turo, loo dulqaato, loo samro as Soomaali government and Soomaalida kale do - no more.

The wretched secessionist sewage-dwelling vermin in their boosaneero and qashinqub always wanting, needing to get my attention as a little frightened puppy. These jaad-addicted boosaneero creatures are trying hard to learn Afmaay by going into depths of online, searching Afmaay clips, a language their Soomaali-hating, cuqdad-ridden lives wish they had. Reer Afmaay are proud to have their language, proud in their heritage, culture and ways of life, confident in their Soomaalinimo unlike the sewage-dwelling secessionist garacs claiming Qureysh, then Xabashi and, by far the weirdest one, claiming to be illegimate orphans of British empire. Their insecurity is unparalleled in Soomaaliya.

Asagaa meeshaan la soo galay aflagaado. You can read his cheap shots on above and endless others, but obviously you wanted to ignore that. Eniwey, I have no time for this atheist as I ignore most of qashinka uu qoro.

Kenya oo sameysay ballan-qaad la xiriira Soomaaliya kadib guushii ay ka gaartay kursiga Golaha Ammaanka Kenya shalay ayaa ku guulaysatay kursi aan joogto ahayn oo ka tirsan Golaha Ammaanka ee Qaramada Midoobay, kadib markii ay codadkii loo baahnaa ka heshay tartankii kala dhexeeyay Jabuuti. Nairobi ayaa wareegga labaad ee doorashada heshay 129 cod, halka Jabuuti ay heshay 62 cod. Hogaamiyaha aqlabiyadda ee baarlamaanka Kenya, Adan Barre Ducaale, ayaa sheegay in dalkiisa uu ka shaqeyn doono wanaajinta ammaanka caalamka, gaar ahaan kan gobolka. Ducaale oo BBC laanta af-Soomaaliga u warramay ayaa sheegay in dalkiisa aanu kursiga u adeegsan doonin khilaafka kala dhexeeya Soomaaliya ee salka ku haya muranka xuduud badeedka labada dal. “Waxaan u maleynayaa in Soomaaliya ay kamid ahayd dalalkii noo codeeyay markii aan [musharraxa] ka ahayn Midowga Afrika…. Arinta badda waxay hor taallaa maxkamadda caalamiga ah ee ICJ. Soomaaliya waxay ogoshahay maxkamadda waxay go’aamiso, anagana sidoo kale. Dalal walaalo ah ayaan nahay, mana kala go’ayno,” ayuu yiri Adan Barre Ducaale. Guusha Kenya ayaa ka dhigan in bisha January 2021 ay muddo laba sano ah kamid noqon doonto 15-ka xubnood ee golaha ugu awoodda badan marka laga hadlayo ammaanka iyo xasilloonida caalamka. Go’aannada ay Kenya ku lug lahaan karto waxaa kamid ah cunaqabateynta, adeegsiga awood milateri si loo ilaaliyo nabadda iyo weliba doorashada xaakimiinta maxkamadda cadaallada adduunka (ICJ). Loolanka xooggan ee dhexmaray Kenya iyo Jabuuti ayaa daaha ka rogay khilaafka u dhexeeya qaar kamid ah dalalka Bariga Afrika. Soomaaliya ayaa taageertay hamiga Jabuuti ee kursigaasi, kadib markii uu dalkaasi yar ka horyimid go’aankii Midowga Afrika uu ku taageeray musharraxnimada Kenya. Soomaaliya iyo Kenya ayaa waxaa ka dhexeeya muran ku aaddan xuduud badeedka labada waddan, kaasoo hadda horyaalla maxkamadda ICJ. Xigasho

18 June 2020: Update on COVID-19 in Somalia. > New cases confirmed today: 23 > Somaliland: 19 > Benadir: 4 > Male: 23 > Female: 0 > Recovery: 39 > Death: 0 ------------------------------------ Total confirmed cases: 2,719 Total recoveries: 724 Total deaths: 88 For more information, please visit: Website: www.moh.gov.so Dashboard: www.moh.gov.so/en/covid19 WhatsApp: bit.ly/MoHSomalia

Rabi ha u raxmado. This is both against diinteena suuban iyo dhaqankeena wanaagsan. Ma si safe ah loo duugi waaye?

Dowladda dhexe wey ku qaldaneyd inay ka saarto ergada Jabuuti u joogay madaxda ka soo jeeda Waqooyiga ee ka mid ah dowladda dhexe. Wasiir Dr. Beyle, Daljire Cabdixakiin Camey, guddoomiyaha Aqalka Sare Cabdi Xaashi iyo Wasiir Jamaal Maxamed Xasan. Kuligooda inay ka wada mid ahaadaan ayee ahayd ergada Jabuuti tagay. As I said dowladda dhexe does a lot of u samir, appeasement, conciliation iyo u dulqaadasho to secessionist pack, who do not do nothing but foul mouth Soomaaliya iyo ummadda Soomaaliyeed.

As long as Sool, Sanaag and Awdal exist, there won't be two systems at any time. All of dowladaha dhexe's policies from 2000 to this day waxee ku dhaqmaan u dulqaadasho, raaligelin, u samrid and appeasement to secessionist clique who rule Hargeysa. Dowladda dhexe have not used any aggressive actions to date, especially if the air force and navy are established. The secessionists will face a sea blockade and non-fly zones. That is why Muuse Muqayil is the first to speak against any military hardware acquired by dowladda dhexe, including the recent hubka dalka Masar dowladda dhexe ugu deeqday. It was light guns and secessionist are scared of it already. Imagine if tanks, diyaaradaha miigga iyo maraakiib dagaal dalka la keeno waxee ka dhihi lahaayeen. For kuwa isku sheegaayo inay dalka Soomaaliya ka go'een, they are the first to speak wax walba dowladda hesho. Waa kalsooni la'aanta iyo beenta ee ku noolyihiin.

He IS an atheist diintiisa ka baxay. If the dude has a problem with atheism then the dude should not have became one. Taas Rabigiis abuurtay ha u sheego. As long as he is atheist, he should not comment anything that heppens in Soomaaliya and about Soomaali people. Diintii ku caasiyeeyey marka amaan ha siiyo a country that is 100% Muslim. And Soomaalis on here have a right to know his atheism, for the dude cannot fool none. P.S. - Don't pretend to be someone that is new here as well. You are very well aware his aflagaado against me on here.

Why are blatantly lying, atheist Rabigiis ku caasiyeeyey? All over the SOL archive is me against the rise of Maxkamadaha and kuwii ku hoos jiray sida Barbaarta from 2006. I know Eebbe ma aaminsanid and lies are nothing but simple words for you, but you cannot fool none.

Sad day for all of us Soomaalis. Kenya defeats Djibouti to win a seat at the UN Security Council After both countries failed to gain enough support at first round, Kenya won the Africa spot with 129 votes against 69. Kenya has defeated Djibouti to get elected to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), after the UN General Assembly (UNGA) failed to choose between the two candidates during a first round. In Thursday's vote for the 15-member council's Africa seat, Kenya received 129 votes against Djibouti's 62. A first-round vote held the previous day had seen both countries failing to receive the required two-thirds majority of 128 votes. Kenya now joins Norway, Ireland, India and Mexico, which were elected on Wednesday as non-permanent members for a two-year term starting on January 1, 2021. The East African country will replace South Africa. In previous years, ambassadors from all UN member states had gathered in its vast UNGA chamber to vote by secret ballot, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the world body to adopt new rules. To avoid a large gathering and ensure physical distancing, ambassadors wearing masks were given time slots for voting and spread out in the chamber to mark their ballots. The UNSC has five permanent, veto-wielding members - China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States - and 10 elected members with seats allocated to regional groups and five new members elected every year. It is the only UN body that can make legally binding decisions such as imposing sanctions and authorising the use of force. Aljasiira

Koo qaaday, widaay. Waa arkaa adiga iyo Abtigiis inaa safaaradaha kala qaadateen. Aniga waa inaa meeshaas boos ka raadsadaa, awoowe, hooyadey aabaheeda, ka yimidee. Siiba meesha la dhaho Qabridahare waliba extended qaraabo of maamada wali ku sugan. Maxee qaaraan ONLF maamada ugu qaadeen Islii. Marka Abtigiis waaba dhaamaa oo qaaraanka ayaaba dhiibi jirnay. Waraa markii Xeerka Qaranka Soomaaliya la qoraaye jaad maa daaqeysay as usual? Here it is then: Qodobka 5aad. Afafka Rasmiga ah Afka rasmiga ah ee Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya waa Af-soomaaliga (Maay iyo Maxaa tiri), af Carabigana waa luqadda labaad.

Here comes gaalkii Rabigiisa ku caasiyeeyey.Who did you worship today? Lacag? Madoobe? Kuwii atheist kaa dhigay? Adduun iyo aakhiraba waa seegtay, neef iska nool.

Red Cross fears coronavirus spreading silently in Somalia's displaced camps The new coronavirus could be spreading undetected through camps across Somalia hosting some 2.6 million displaced people, the Red Cross warned on Tuesday, as floods and conflict swelled the numbers fleeing into overcrowded settlements. Almost 500,000 people have been forced from their homes by recent floods in central Somalia, the United Nations said, putting further pressure on some 2,000 camps across the Horn of Africa nation, which has been mired in conflict since 1991. “We are concerned that many COVID cases are going undetected, especially in the internal displaced camps,” said Ana Maria Guzman, health coordinator for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in a statement. “Because of the ongoing conflict in Somalia, and also we are facing floods right now in Somalia, there is an increase in the number of internal displaced population into urban areas and this creates the perfect environment for infectious disease.” Somalia, which has a population of about 15 million people, has recorded more than 2,600 coronavirus cases and about 90 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Aid workers said the virus could spread undetected in the camps - where maintaining a safe distance and regular hand-washing are a challenge - with particular concern for the capital Mogadishu, host to some 800,000 displaced people. Officials from Somalia’s health ministry were not immediately available for comment. “So far, no COVID-19 case was registered at the camps in Mogadishu,” government spokesman Ismail Mukhtar Omar told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “The government has taken strong, important measures to curb the virus and raise awareness amongst internally displaced people ... the Somali government has managed to provide preventive materials, like hygiene kits, to the displaced.” Impoverished Somalia regularly suffers prolonged droughts and flash floods - threatening peoples’ livelihoods and worsening hunger amid ongoing conflict between its Western-backed government and the Islamist militant group al Shabaab. Most internally displaced people (IDP) live in congested camps in towns and cities across Somalia, dependent on daily wage labor and with limited access to quality healthcare and sanitation services. Acute watery diarrhea and measles have already been reported in some clinics, said Guzman. The ICRC is working with Somali Red Crescent volunteers to disinfect the camps, test people and trace contacts, she said, adding that it was a complex task as many people could not provide contact details or did not have mobile phones. “It seems incredibly likely to me that there are cases going undetected in IDP camps,” said Suze van Meegen, global advocacy advisor for the Norwegian Refugee Council, which recently conducted a study on the impact of COVID-19 in Mogadishu camps. “We spoke with community leaders ... nine of them reported to us that they thought there had been recent deaths as a result of COVID-19. This is just a perception but I think it’s indicative of the likelihood that there are cases in the camps.” Reuters

Yaa ku guuleystay codeyntii loo qaaday Jabuuti iyo Kenya ee Golaha Ammaanka QM? Kenya iyo Jabuuti ayaa ku kala bixi waayey cod-bixintii ka dhacday xarunta QM ee loolanka labadaas dal ay ugu jireen helitaanka kursi aan joogto ahayn oo ka mid ah 15-ka kursi ee Golaha Ammaanka. Doorashadii maanta dhacday ayaa waxay Kenya heshay 113 cod, halka Jabuuti ay ka heshay 78 cod, taasi oo macnaheedu yahay in berri lagu laaban doono codeyn kale, maadaama Kenya aysan helin laba meelood saddex meel codadka ama 129 cod. Kenya iyo Jabuuti ayaa labadaba raadinaya inay beddelaan dalka Koonfur Afrika, waxaana dalkii guuleysta uu kursiga ku fadhin doonaa muddo laba sano ah. Codeynta labaad ayaa dhici doonta berri, waxaana haddii Kenya ay guuleystao ay noqon doonta markii saddexaad ee kursigan ay hesho. Kenya ayaa sidoo kale xubin ka ahayd Golaha Ammaanka 1973-74 iyo 1997-98. Jabuuti weligeed kuma guuleysan kursiga. Dowladda Soomaaliya ayaa horey u sheegtay inay taageereyso musharaxnimada Jabuuti, waxaana jirta cabsi ah in haddii Kenya ay hesho kursigan ay u adeegsan karto inay Golaha Ammaanka ka billowdo cadaadis ka dhan ah Soomaaliya, oo ku saabsan inay ka laabato kiiska badda ee Maxkamadda ICJ. Codeymihii kale ee maanta dhacay ayaa India waxay ku guuleysata kursiga xubnaha aan joogtada ahayn ee Golaha Ammaanka ee dalalka Asia-Pacific, halka Turkey ay ku guuleysatay madaxweynenimada Golaha Guud ee QM. Shan dal ayaa xubno joogto ka ah Golaha Ammaanka, waana Mareykanka, UK, Ruushka, Shiinaha iyo Faransiiska. 10-ka kursi ee kale ayaa waxaa labadii sanaba qabta dal ka mid ah 193-ka dal ee xubnaha ka ah QM. Xigasho

Kenya vs. Djibouti: Who will represent Africa on the UN Security Council? Africa usually speaks with one voice when it comes to electing representatives on the world stage. So why are Kenya and Djibouti tussling over a seat on the UN Security Council? United Nations members voted in four new members of the powerful Security Council in New York on Wednesday, but failed to decide on which African nation should fill the African regional seat up for grabs. In Wednesday's vote, Kenya received 113 votes while Djibouti got 78. With both failing to gain the two-thirds majority needed to win the Africa seat on the council, the two countries will face off on in a second round of voting on Thursday morning. In the past, African nations have unanimously backed a single candidate. This year though, both Kenya and Djibouti are vying for the seat, currently occupied by South Africa, which will become vacant in January 2021. Kenya thought it had an early edge Back in February, Kenya thought it already had the seat in the bag: In a secret ballot in February, African Union member states nominated Kenya ahead of Djibouti, with 37 votes to 13, as their candidate for the seat. But then the AU's headquarters in Addis Ababa received a letter from Djibouti. The small French and Arabic-speaking country in the Horn of Africa demanded that the AU reconsider its decision. According to Djibouti's ambassador to the UN, the AU's support for Kenya is against the rules. During the vote, concerns were raised that if Djibouti were to be elected, then Africa would be represented by three francophone countries in 2021, with Niger and Tunisia filling the other two African seats. In the letter, Djibouti dismissed these concerns as absurd. After all, this has happened before: Most recently in 2001, when Mali, Mauritius and Tunisia were represented on the UN committee at the same time. Francophones vs. Anglophones? The diplomatic fronts hardened in the days before Wednesday's UN General Assembly vote because Djibouti continued to refuse to withdraw its candidacy. Roba Sharamo, director of the Institute for Security Studies in Addis Ababa, suspects geopolitical causes behind this. "Djibouti is likely to be urged by foreign powers to maintain his candidacy against all odds," said the security expert. "There were suspicions that maybe some French-speaking countries are behind it, but now it's becoming more and more clear that China is pushing Djibouti." In any case, Africa is giving a mixed picture, which isn't a good look for the continent. "I think ideally Africa should speak with one voice and only present one candidate," says Sharamo. Read more: Djibouti military base 'a manifestation of China's global interests' Is China behind the conflict? Kenyan political scientist Martin Oloo does not believe the alleged dispute between Francophone and Anglophone countries is the main issue in this case. "The AU wanted to encourage only one country to run," he told DW. "That we have two countries now explains the big division between the west and the east." Kenya — the candidate for the West — enjoys support from the US and most European counties. Djibouti, meanwhile, is the candidate of choice for China and Russia, which would work with it in many areas on the UN level. The importance of having three African, non-permanent members of the UN Security Council should not be undervalued, emphasizes Oloo: "China wants to keep this group, which is known as A3." China already exerts significant influence over both Djibouti and Kenya. But if push comes to shove, Oloo believes China would probably side with Djibouti. Both countries claim their candidacy is being supported by China. Experts view this as a sign of China's growing influence in Africa. "Both Kenya and Djibouti have maneuvered themselves into being greatly dependent on China," says Sharamo. "China is Kenya's largest creditor and also operates the largest ports in Djibouti." As a permanent member of the Security Council, China has been reluctant to speak out about this diplomatic conflict, instead declaring that it intends to "support Africans in resolving African problems in an African way." Africa: The game ball of the great powers? So what role could African countries like Kenya or Djibouti play in the Security Council? "The balance of power in the Security Council is very clearly distributed," explains Oloo. "On the one hand there is the US, which is mostly supported by the Europeans, and on the other hand, the Russians work in tandem with China." Oloo believes that so far, the African countries who have taken up seats on the council have been unable to formulate and implement their own interests. Even South Africa, who will leave the council at the end of the year to be replaced by Kenya or Djibouti, has failed to set its own course over the past two years, he adds. Liesl Louw-Vaudran from the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, South Africa, sees it differently. "South Africa achieved a lot in terms of strengthening the A3," she tells DW. "In the beginning of 2019 there was some controversy in the UN Security Council around the elections in DR Congo, but after that the South African diplomacy contributed to an independent African position." However, South Africa joined the Security Council at a difficult time, she points out. The elections in DR Congo left little room for other issues and since 2020, the work of the South African diplomats have been significantly limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she adds. Security Council reforms 'long overdue' There are already enough issues that Africa urgently needs to resolve at the UN level, says Sharamo, yet the voice of African states remains barely noticed. "Africa has long called for reform of the Security Council," explains Sharamo. "I think the African continent is a major player in the world and at the same time is a continent which is hosting a lot of peacekeeping missions. I think it is time to have an African country as a permanent UN Security Council member, as the world becomes more and more interdependent." Oloo has a more pessimistic outlook and does not think anything will change following the election of Africa's next representative on June 17: "Regardless of whether Kenya or Djibouti wins the vote, Africa will remain a disunited continent and therefore a 'game ball' of the great powers." Deutsche Welle

The first round was not good for Jabuuti. And for us Soomaaliya as well. If Kiikuuyo win that Golaha Ammaanka seat, they will use every available power to help themselves, especially the sensitive maritime case before International Court of Justice. _____________________ Kenya, Djibouti contest for UN seat heads to second round The contest between Kenya and Djibouti will head to the second round of voting on Thursday after the first phase saw Nairobi’s victory insufficient to win the UN Security Council seat. In the first round, Nairobi scored 113 votes against Djibouti’s 78. And although Kenya was firmly in the driving seat, the rules of the elections demand at least two thirds of the votes of eligible UN member states to be declared winner. On Wednesday, the election that started at 4pm Kenyan time (EAT) saw 192 of the 193 member states voting. Only Venezuela was barred from casting its ballot as it is still in arrears for its membership in the UN. It means Nairobi’s diplomats will have to work a lot harder on Thursday to lobby countries across the world for one more vote each to see off a Djibouti that rejected African Union’s decision to endorse Kenya, and went ahead to conduct parallel campaigns for the only seat allocated for Africa. The UN Security Council is the most powerful organ of the UN, charged with maintaining global peace and security. Its decisions, by law, must be obeyed by all UN member states, giving it prestige and power. Nairobi, if it wins, would be among the 10 non-permanent members, who often work alongside the permanent five (Russia, China, UK, US, France) to pass resolutions touching on global peace and security. Xigasho