Somalia Conference London May 7, 2013 - Live Updates

[Che -Guevara]

[Che -Guevara]

Follow the Somalia Conference online

[oba hiloowlow]

Inshallah tomorrow will be a great day for Somalia

[Che -Guevara]

Don't know about great day. It's an opportunity for sure.

[Che -Guevara]

Somalia needs a Marshall Plan, president says before aid meeting

 

Monday, May 6, 2013

By Katrina Manson

 

Somalia needs its own Marshall Plan to recover from decades of poverty, civil war and terrorism, says the country’s president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

 

Mr Mohamud made his appeal for a large-scale, comprehensive aid package as more than 50 nations and organisations, including the US, Turkey and the African Union, meet in London on Tuesday to discuss Somalia’s future.

 

The conference is intended to secure and co-ordinate international support for seven key areas, including administrative and security improvements in a country whose instability has damaged global trade and given Islamist militants territory to operate.

 

“In Somalia today we have the level of destruction of Europe in 1945 – the same level of displacement, the same level of shattered economic aspects,” Mr Mohamud told the Financial Times during a flight from Mogadishu on his way to co-host the London conference, adding that two million Somalis had fled their homes.

 

“But added to that are two very dangerous, complex phenomena – in the Europe of 1945 there was no terrorism and there was no piracy.”

 

Donors such as the EU and US have already spent billions trying to wrest Somalia from the grip of warlords and al-Qaeda-linked militants who still control much of the southern countryside, mount regular attacks and attract jihadis from abroad. Pirates based in Somalia have hijacked 149 ships in the past eight years, reaching as far as India and the Seychelles.

 

An estimated 260,000 people died in a two-year famine that ended last year, according to figures by the UN last week.

 

Mr Mohamud says more aid is needed to make good on recent gains. On the streets of the capital Mogadishu, Somalis are pouring money into renovating bullet-ridden brickwork and painting bright murals on shop fronts to advertise everything from burger bars to hairdryers as domestic trade picks up. Scaffolding reaching several storeys high shapes the skyline. Beachgoers relax and women can swim in the sea for the first time in years.

 

But peace and a political settlement are some way off. Although al-Qaeda-linked militants were cleared out of Mogadishu 18 months ago under sustained pressure from UN-backed African peacekeepers, they still mount regular deadly attacks.

 

Mr Mohamud spoke to the FT only hours after a car bomber killed at least seven people in a suicide attack that had targeted his minister of the interior, who is tasked with heading the war on the Somali militant group al-Shabaab.

 

“We are seeing the signs of decline of the conflict . . . but these types of attacks – roadside bombs, suicide bombs – will continue for some time. They are the characteristics of extremist groups in urban warfare,” said Mr Mohamud, who escaped an assassination attempt two days into his presidency.

 

“I’m living under constant threat but the risk is worth taking. My country is moving [forward] from the dark days of the anarchy,” he said of the period from 1991 when civil war took hold.

 

“What we are requesting is a Marshall Plan – we need a similar engagement from the international partners, particularly European and the US and the Gulf states,” he said, referring to the huge American programme to kick-start European economies after the second world war.

 

Two more conferences, in Tokyo and Brussels, will also address Somalia’s needs this year.

 

Mr Mohamud’s new government, selected in September last year, is the most promising and representative in years. Last month, it won recognition by the IMF, which could pave the way for large grants and loans if it can clear its debts and implement more accountable forms of spending money.

 

Donors, whose money was embezzled by previous administrations, are unlikely to commit funds unless the country signs up to stricter transparency rules.

 

Some, such as Turkey and Norway, have already started multimillion-dollar programmes and others such as Qatar and the World Bank are preparing plans.

 

But for the time being the government is so short of cash, controls so little turf and collects so little in taxes – mostly from port revenues – it cannot hope for financial stability without international assistance.

 

“Somalia is recovering from 22 years of anarchy and statelessness and recurrent and intermittent conflict  . . .  ,” said Mr Mohamud. “We have a very clear plan about moving the country from emergency . . . to development in the future.”

 

 

http://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2013/May/29231/somalia_needs_a_marshall_plan_president_says_before_aid_meeting.aspx

[Che -Guevara]

London Conference On Somalia - Placing Human Rights At the Center of Reform

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

Human Rights Watch

Monday, May 06, 2013

 

Throughout Somalia's armed conflict, successive transitional governments and international actors have overlooked widespread human rights abuses by all parties. The failure to address these abuses and the culture of impunity in which they have taken place has contributed to ongoing conflict and insecurity. A substantial improvement in the respect for human rights and accountability for serious abuses is now essential. Given the scale and nature of the crisis that has wracked the country for two decades, the needs are significant.

The 2013 London Conference is an important opportunity for the new Somali government to convert its positive public commitments into its security and justice reform agendas. The conference offers the government and international supporters the chance to identify and commit to concrete measures that will help to enhance human rights protection and accountability, particularly for the most vulnerable citizens including women, children and displaced people.

 

The Somali government and its supporters should focus commitments to urgent reforms in the following areas:

 

Vetting in Security Sector Reform

 

Throughout the conflict in Somalia, Human Rights Watch has documented serious abuses by the Somali security forces, including the army, police, intelligence agencies, and government-affiliated militia. Abuses documented include murder, rape, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, and looting. These abuses were committed with almost complete impunity.

 

For example, a March 2013 Human Rights Watch report documents the involvement of government military forces and affiliated militia in abuses against the displaced population in Mogadishu, including rape, beatings, looting of assistance, arbitrary arrests and detention, and clan-based discrimination. Victims of abuses told Human Rights Watch repeatedly that they have nowhere to turn to for redress and do not trust the authorities. Creating a relationship of trust between the civilian population and the security forces, first and foremost with the police, is critical.

 

Accountability must be central to security sector reform. Clear command and control structures should be put in place and both the army and the police should be appropriately vetted, trained, and held to account for abuses. The responsibility of vetting should be shared between the Somali government and the countries offering training and assistance to recruits.

 

Army

 

Vetting measures to remove abusive commanders and individuals from existing forces and new recruits should be an immediate priority. The government should take these short-term steps to send a clear message that abuses will be investigated and abusers will be held to account:

 

Government and military officials at the highest levels should immediately issue clear and public orders to ensure that the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF) and allied militias comply with international humanitarian and human rights law; and

 

Suspend SNAF personnel against whom there are credible allegations of abuse until the allegations are properly investigated and appropriate disciplinary or criminal prosecutions carried out.

 

Medium-term measures should include:

 

Establishing clear vetting procedures to identify and remove individuals responsible for serious abuses, including sexual violence, during recruitment and integration of new forces into the SNAF;

 

Establishing hiring criteria that includes an individual's human rights record, setting up an information database into which formal and informal information on human rights records can be deposited, and establishing clear complaints procedures;

 

Ensuring that all recruits are individually vetted; and

 

Ensuring that the human rights and humanitarian law components of trainings given to existing and new recruits is reinforced and includes training on responding to sexual violence and other issues of particular concern.

 

Establishing an accountable, rights-respecting army will also mean ensuring that children are excluded from these forces. In a 2012 report on abuses against children in Somalia, Human Rights Watch documented the continued presence of individuals under age 18 within the Somali forces, including within government affiliated militia, and highlighted the need to ensure that stringent screening procedures are in place prior to further recruitment or integration.

 

The government, with assistance of international actors including the United Nations, should therefore:

 

Prioritize the speedy implementation of the national action plan against the recruitment of children, signed with the United Nations;

 

Establish rigorous and systematic screening procedures to ensure that no one under the age of 18 is conscripted into the armed forces and that all recruits, including those integrated from militia forces, are screened according to the same high-level standards; and

 

Cooperate with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other child protection agencies to demobilize children within government forces and affiliated militias and transfer them to appropriate civilian rehabilitation and reintegration programs.

 

Police

 

As part of the reform of the police, the government, notably the Ministry of Interior and National Security, should take similar short and medium-term measures aimed at establishing vetting measures as outlined for the army above. The government should also seek to establish or strengthen codes of conduct, a public complaints unit in which members of the public can file grievances against the police, and an internal police oversight body to investigate misconduct. Such mechanisms will require financial and political support in order to be effective.

 

In addition, the Somali authorities should ensure that its police can respond to the needs of the most vulnerable members of society. Establishing a competent and accountable police force in Mogadishu, capable of providing basic security and redress, is key and should not be overlooked in the effort to extend security control over new areas vacated by al-Shabaab.

 

Furthermore, the Somali authorities and donors supporting the police should give special attention to the security needs of women and girls in the process of police reform, particularly by:

 

Ensuring that police officers at all levels receive appropriate training on human rights;

 

Recruiting more female police officers to act as focal points in police stations;

 

Supporting specialized training for police and other security personnel to assist investigations and prosecutions of sexual violence;

 

Adopting procedures to protect the confidentiality of persons reporting sexual assault;

 

Taking all necessary measures to protect women's security, particularly at camps for internally displaced Somalis where they face a significant risk of rape. Ensuring that sufficient, competent, and trained police are deployed to protect these displaced communities;

 

Appropriately discipline or prosecute police or other security forces responsible for sexual violence ;and

 

After the above measures have been adopted, directing the police to conduct public outreach to strengthen trust in the police so that more cases of sexual violence and other crimes will be reported.

[Che -Guevara]

Accountability in Justice Sector Reform

 

Establishing a justice system in Somalia capable of delivering justice in accordance with international standards both to victims of abuse and to criminal suspects is a top priority. It will require extensive and ongoing attention and support. The recent deeply flawed and groundless trial of a woman who alleged rape by government forces and a journalist who interviewed her has highlighted the many failings of the current justice system. Somali police, rather than investigating the rape allegations, expended their very limited financial resources on discrediting this woman's character. In addition, the April 14, 2013 attack on the Mogadishu court complex underscores the importance of ensuring protection of judges and lawyers, who are often working at great physical risk.

 

While strengthening the justice system is a long-term challenge, the government can take some immediate steps to improve respect for due process and fair trial rights. The government should:

 

Publicly commit to protecting basic fair trial rights of all defendants, including the rights to legal counsel, to presumption of innocence, to present a defense, and to an appeal;

 

End trials of civilians in military courts; civilians should only be prosecuted in civilian courts; and

 

Immediately impose a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolishing the death penalty.

 

While the government has publicly committed to combatting sexual violence, Somali authorities need to take meaningful steps to prevent crimes against women and girls from continuing with impunity. Any justice sector reform needs to effectively address and respond to sexual violence and take into consideration the barriers that women and girls face in accessing justice, including stigma and victimization. The government should:

 

Properly fund and support the Office of the Attorney General in its investigations and prosecutions of sexual violence cases;

 

Provide specialized training to professionals to conduct forensic examinations;

 

Build the capacity of prosecutors and judges to effectively deal with cases of sexual violence; and

 

Revise the penal code and other legislation to ensure that all forms of sexual violence can be appropriately prosecuted and that the punishment is proportionate to the crime.

 

While the government, and particularly the president and prime minister, have publicly committed to tackling the climate of impunity surrounding the many killings of journalists in the country, much more needs to be done for these commitments to become a reality. Concrete action would send an important message that the new government is committed to the right to free expression and accountability more broadly. The government should:

 

Initiate effective and impartial investigations into the killings of journalists, and fairly prosecute all those responsible.

 

Finally, given the scale and nature of the human rights abuses committed in Somalia, addressing them will require tackling longstanding impunity. Even a significantly strengthened national justice system will not be able to tackle this alone, but will need to be reinforced by international efforts. The government and international actors should therefore:

 

Call for and support the establishment of a United Nations commission of inquiry-or a comparable, appropriate mechanism-to document and map serious international crimes committed in Somalia and recommend measures to improve accountability.

 

International and National Human Rights Monitoring

 

The establishment of strong and independent oversight mechanisms, both international and national, that are capable of systematically monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation in Somalia is crucial to improving the human rights situation.

 

International human rights monitoring will enhance information on developments on the ground, inform policy and programmatic responses in all spheres, including in the security and judicial sectors, and build a body of evidence that will be crucial to long-term accountability efforts. It will also help to monitor the new government's progress. The Somali government and key donors should:

 

Support an enlarged Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) presence in the new UN mission and ensure that this presence has sufficient resources, including staff with expertise on sexual violence, and capacity to conduct significantly increased human rights monitoring and public reporting.

 

In addition, an active and independent national human rights institution may help to promote and protect human rights at the national level. If the Somali government through the parliament establishes such a commission, it should:

 

Ensure that the national human rights commission is set up and functions in accordance with the Paris Principles on National Human Rights Institutions;

 

Ensure that the commission has a broad mandate with the power to independently initiate investigations, to have unhindered access to witnesses, documents, and locations, including government officials and agencies, and to set its own priorities without government interference;

 

Ensure that commissioners have guarantees of independence, including terms of appointment, tenure and removal clearly specified in law; and

 

Dedicate adequate funding and material resources to the commission for it to effectively undertake its responsibilities.

 

The establishment of such a commission will not in itself contribute to an improvement in the human rights situation, and should not be seen as a replacement to internal oversight mechanisms within the security forces, an independent judiciary, a fair and competent justice system, and international human rights monitoring mechanisms.

 

Women's Rights

 

Curtailing violence and discrimination against women should be a top priority. High levels of sexual and gender-based violence persist in Somalia, creating long-term threats to security and to women's health. Women in IDP camps are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence. Along with the security sector and judicial reforms mentioned above, Somalia authorities should:

 

Ensure that women are able as a matter of law and practice to equally and fully participate in any future transitional processes;

 

Adequately respond to survivors of sexual violence. Health professionals should receive specialized training to provide care and treatment to survivors. The authorities should sufficiently fund treatment including medical, psychological and rehabilitation programs, and legal support; and

 

Support civil society organizations that protect and promote women's rights, including those acting on behalf of women's rights defenders.

 

Source: Human Rights Watch (HRW)

[Nin-Yaaban]

oba hiloowlow;946677 wrote:

Inshallah tomorrow will be a great day for Somalia

+100. Insha'allah ku dar.

[Che -Guevara]

David Cameron to host Somalia conference

 

Monday, May 06, 2013

 

 

UK Prime Minister David Cameron is to host an international conference in London to help Somalia end more than two decades of conflict.

The conference will focus on rebuilding its security forces and tackling rape - a largely taboo subject in Somalia.

 

Somalia is widely regarded as a failed state, hit by an Islamist insurgency, piracy and a famine from 2010 to 2012.

 

At least seven people were killed in a car bomb attack in the capital, Mogadishu, on Sunday.

 

Al-Shabab, which is part of al-Qaeda, said it carried out the attack.

 

Tuesday's meeting - which Mr Cameron will co-host with Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud - follows similar conferences in London and the Turkish city of Istanbul last year, amid growing international concern that Somalia has turned into a haven for al-Qaeda-linked militants.

 

'Dramatic change'

 

"I hope we can all get behind a long-term security plan - one that ends the Shabab's reign of terror forever," Mr Cameron said.

 

"I also hope we can improve transparency and accountability so people know where resources are going. We also need to continue the process of rebuilding the Somali state, with all the regions of Somalia around the table and the neighbouring countries too."

 

BBC Somalia analyst Mary Harper says there has been a dramatic change in the country in the past year.

 

There is a new government - the first one in more than two decades to be recognised by the United States, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other key players, she says.

 

Al-Shabab has lost control of the major towns, pirate attacks off the Somali coast have fallen dramatically and the famine, which the United Nations estimates claimed nearly 260,000 lives, is over, she adds.

 

However, massive challenges remain, as al-Shabab still has the capacity to carry out attacks and the government depends on about 18,000 African Union (AU) troops for its security, our correspondent says.

 

Somalia is also divided into a patchwork of self-governing regions, many of them hostile to the central government.

 

The breakaway state of Somaliland and the semi-autonomous region of Puntland say they will boycott the conference.

 

The conference will address an issue that was until recently completely taboo in Somalia - rape, especially of women living in camps for displaced people, our correspondent says.

 

Somali aid worker Halima Ali Adan told the BBC the decision to tackle the issue at the conference was a big step forward.

 

"Sexual violence is something that was not ever spoken about in Somalia," she said.

 

"The international community themselves have seen the importance of this issue to be addressed as soon as possible because it is actually overwhelming."

 

Delegates from more than 50 countries and organisations are expected to attend the meeting.

 

On Monday, Qatar said Sunday's suicide attack in Mogadishu had targeted its officials, Qatar's official QNA news agency reported.

 

The four officials were travelling in armoured vehicles belonging to the Somali government when the convoy was attacked, it said.

 

None of the Qatari nationals were injured, QNA reported.

 

However, 10 other people were wounded in the attack, according to a BBC correspondent in Mogadishu.

 

Source: BBC

[Carafaat]

Marshall Programme was an economic aid programme to kick start the Economy of Europe that was

Completely destroyed by 5 years of the World War. The Somali Economy is booming and seeing growth.

What Somalia needs is not more foreign Aid and Tuugsi, but an own comprehensive and cohesive plan

For reconciliation and returning trust in governance. More aid won't make any diffrence.

 

We have seen the foreign tuugsi goverments of Abdiqasim Salat, Geedi and Sheick Shariif. Culusoow

Started out alright but I really hope his goverments won't become another Tuugsi goverment.

[Che -Guevara]

Easier said than done.

[Che -Guevara]

The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud gave the opening address at the Somalia Conference today.

 

This is the text of the President’s speech as drafted, which may differ slightly from the delivered version delivered today in London.

 

A few weeks ago, I planted a young sapling in the garden at Villa Somalia to raise the issue of deforestation, and it got me thinking - what does a young sapling need for it to grow into a strong, healthy tree?

 

It needs to be supported with a strong stake; it needs to be watered and fed; and it needs to be protected from animals that try to eat its soft bark and kill it.

 

And so it is with this young sapling we have all planted, called Somalia. We need support; we need assistance and investment; and we need protection from those who try to knock us over.

 

The first period of growth is always the most hazardous; where the most support and protection is needed. But as the bow thickens and strengthens, the tree needs less and less support, until finally it stands proud and tall and strong all on its own.

 

My vision is for a Federal Somalia at peace with itself and its neighbours and which poses no threat to the world; a Somalia with a resurgent economy, thriving small and medium sized business ventures and sustainable employment so that families are properly provided for; a Somalia with values of kindness, respect and human rights, all underpinned by an education system that harnesses our intellectual spirit.

 

So we are here today to begin a four-year process that must begin with considerable investment and support but which I hope will finish with very little.

 

Heads of State and Governments, Excellencies, Ambassadors, Special Representatives, Honored Guests – the Prime Minister and I welcome you to the second Somalia Conference in London.

 

Mr. Prime Minister, I wholeheartedly thank you and your government for your personal engagement in shaping our future and for your support in hosting this Conference. I particularly congratulate you for re-opening your Embassy on our soil in Mogadishu after more than two decades absence.

 

People may ask why Somalia matters at this time but there is a huge amount at stake right now: the future of our country, the security of the region and the wider world, and the removal of the piracy stranglehold on the Gulf of Aden.

 

I know you all understand this and I fully appreciate the political capital being invested to support Somalia.

 

Since the last meeting held here in London more than one year ago, more has been achieved than anyone would ever have imagined. In just one year the cornerstones of a new Somalia have been successfully and peacefully laid.

 

The political transition has ended and I stand here as the elected President of a sovereign nation, with an elected Speaker leading a new Parliament representative of all the regions and all communities and with a legitimate and effective government delivering our Six Pillar Policy Framework. Progress has defied the skeptics. Somalia has rejoined the world community.

 

Under my leadership, we offer the world a legitimate partner you can trust, hard at work to deliver an integrated national security plan; economic reform and new financial management systems; rule of law and judicial reform; and an environment conducive to commercial growth. We are achieving real progress week by week, month by month. But challenges do remain.

 

Despite being militarily defeated, Al Shabaab have melted into society and begun a new phase of insurgency and a campaign of terror – an experience I know that Great Britain comprehends as well as any other. Our Constitution is only partially complete. Piracy must come to an end. Millions of Somalis still live in desperate conditions as refugees in neighbouring countries or as internally displaced persons in their own country. And we lack developed government institutions, schools, hospitals, roads, sanitation and other basic services.

 

As you will hear over the coming hours, however, we come to London to share with you our detailed plans to address these challenges.

 

We are rebuilding our armed forces. We are restructuring and developing our police force. We are reforming our justice sector. And we are revolutionizing our public finance management systems. We are driving Somalia from emergency to recovery; and from recovery to development and reconstruction.

 

Ultimately, however, it will be a Somali owned solution that will fix Somalia, but no country has ever recovered from such social and economic collapse without the help of the world. And so in partnership with our endeavors, we respectfully ask for your total and unflinching commitment, partnership and support. We hope that you will agree how you can support the implementation of our plans and put an end to our dependence on the international community.

 

The Federal Government of Somalia has now laid down the foundations for a new public finance management mechanism, which we believe will give enable our donors to agree funding arrangements with the confidence that funds will reach their intended recipient.

 

The progress that has been made in Somalia over the past three years would not have been possible without the courageous support of IGAD, African Union and our brothers and sisters in AMISOM and the ultimate sacrifice paid by many brave African soldiers. We owe to it their memory to ensure that we do not take one single step backwards.

 

The progress that has been made in Somalia over the past three years would also not have been possible without the committed support of the United Nations, the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union. We owe it to the publics who contribute to these governments and institutions to see this process through to a successful conclusion.

 

We are also indebted to the kindness and generosity of countries like Turkey, Norway, the Arab League member states and other countries. Your assistance over the past few years has spread hope and belief among our people.

 

We welcome UNSOM, the new United Nations Mission in Somalia, and we are grateful for the consultation offered in agreeing both the mandate and the appointment of the SRSG. We congratulate His Excellency Mr. Nicholas Kay on his appointment as SRSG. We are looking forward receiving him and the new UN mission in Mogadishu. I wish to thank Ambassador Mahiga, the outgoing SRSG, for his relentless and determined efforts in leading the design of the roadmap and seeing the transition through. Our best wishes and tributes go to him. The people of Somalia are eternally grateful.

 

Winning the war in Somalia has been proved. Winning the peace in Somalia will take patience and great skill. We are at a critical junction. The time is now.

 

We have little time today and lots to achieve. All of us, especially those in the background who have worked so hard to make this conference happen, will want to depart with a real sense of progress.

 

I thank you all for coming, and for your dedicated support. Together we can make Somalia strong again. A tree standing tall in the African bush with deep roots binding it securely to its region and offering shade and protection to its people as they rebuild their lives.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/somalia-conference-2013-opening-speech

[Che -Guevara]

Cameron Expresses Solidarity at Somalia Rebuilding Conference

 

 

Tuesday, May 07, 2013

 

 

British Prime Minister David Cameron expressed solidarity with Somalia as he opened an international conference Tuesday in London focused on coordinating efforts to rebuild the country after decades of conflict.

Mr. Cameron, whose country is co-hosting the conference with the Somali government, says "hope is alive in Somalia."

 

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says his country still faces challenges, including dealing with the militant group al-Shabab, but that Somalia looks forward to ending its dependence on the international community.

 

Britain says more than 50 countries and organizations were invited to the event, with a focus on Somalia's plans for developing its armed forces and addressing political issues, maritime security and the return of refugees.

 

It follows two international conferences held last year to support the country's move from a transitional government to a new parliament and elected president. Somalia had gone more than 20 years without stable central government, since the ousting of president Siad Barre in 1991.

 

African Union peacekeepers and militaries in the region have helped push al-Shabab out of major cities, but the militants have remained in control in areas of the south and still carry out sporadic attacks on the capital.

 

Britain opened a new embassy in Somalia last month. Turkey, Libya, Yemen and Iran also have embassies there.

 

Source: VOA

[Che -Guevara]

I couldn't find live stream dang it.

[Maaddeey]

Che, Universal & Cagmadhige is the best I could find:

http://new.livestream.com/accounts/2058831/events/2072662/player_pop_up