Somaliland: Family Bread-Winning Young Orphan

As the debate of street children and child labour rages in the country the big question mark is does Somaliland have better Economic prospects than Ethiopia?

Master Abdiqani 11 yrs old Hargeisa news vendor

by Yusuf M Hassan

Regular newspaper buyers in Hargeisa are familiar with a young vendor who plies his trade in the city's main streets.

The vendor Abdiqani Feisal is an 11 years orphan who has been vending newspapers in the streets of Hargeisa for the last two years thus supplements what his Khat selling mother manages to put on the table daily.

"I earn between 15,000-20,000 Somaliland shillings everyday from my work as a newspaper seller" Master Abdiqani told Somalilandsun during an encounter at the Bar Hargeisa area where he is to be found around 12 pm daily putting his accounts in order.

According to the youthful newsvendor the about $3 he accrues daily comes from commissions paid by the publishers whose arrangement range between 500-1000 sh for each newspaper sold thus the income depends on marketing aggressiveness.

A 9-year old shines shoes outside a commercial area in Hargeisa

Master Abdiqani Feisal who was orphaned 5 years ago after his father suddenly died of causes he could not explain to us said that he helps his mother feed the family of five, three sisters, himself and mother, by selling newspaper in the morning and attending school in the afternoons.

Said he, "Am a class 4 pupil at Ahmed Gurei primary school in Ahmed Dagan estate of the capital city where we also reside in a one room rented house"

Despite being an orphan Master Abdiqani is no different to numerous other children of his age that are forced by circumstances to work thence help feed their families in a country where single mothers are increasingly taking the responsibility of breadwinners.

According to Sophia Abyssinia who is a single mother and sole family breadwinner "Not only widows and orphans are gradually taking over as family breadwinners but even those whose husbands and fathers are alive as well"

The 46 years old mother of six children and a widow herself attributes the anomaly of women and children taking over family responsibilities to the menflock addiction to the herbal stimulant Khat that has resulted in their loss of interest in traditionally male responsibilities of caring for their wives and children.

Said she, "I have known clients that spend $10 daily on Khat while their families go hungry"

While the capital Hargeisa and other major cities in Somaliland are host to a large and growing number of children working either as newsvendors, shoe-shiners, hawkers, and or beggars few of them are somalilanders by citizenship.

Following recent media reports that child labour is rampant in the country Somalilandsun consulted the ministry of labour and social services which is responsible for child welfare and officials said the government has done and is doing whatever necessary to alleviate difficulties encountered by children especially orphans.

According to the ministry most towns in the country have government and community managed orphanages where the needy are accorded full board and education at no cost while others are supported while in family residences.

On the issue of the reported exacerbating prevalence of child labourers in the country the social welfare ministry attributes this to citizens of a neigbouring country, read Ethiopia, who upon entering Somaliland illegally with adults engaging in menial labour and sending their children to the streets either to work as car-washers or shoe-shiners but mostly as beggars.

Shoeshining kids from Ethiopia

Does Somaliland have better Economic prospects than Ethiopia?

"I am 10 years and I help my parents feed the family from my daily begging collection in the streets of Hargeisa" Ms. Leila a 10 years old girl old of Ethiopian origin told Somalilandsun during an encounter at Jaylani Barbershop last March .

Adding that she never attended school either here or in Ethiopia thus a professional beggar the shy girl said "Every morning either of my parents brings me to town where I join up with other children for a day's job of begging and return home in the evening when either of my parents comes to collect me and my day's collection of cash and foodstuffs"

The Young Leila whose future seems to be destined for the dustbin is among an increasing number of youthful beggars from a particular tribe in Ethiopia who ply the streets of Hargeisa city and other major towns where they hustle people for donations especially those changing money or buying goods.

It is not only Young Leila's age-mates who engaged in the lucrative begging duties but boys of all ages as well not to mention the women who straddle babies and sit at vantage street points or outside mosques during prayer hours.

 Insiders say that most of the children carried by the begging women are hired ones as it is believed that young hungry children carried by their seemingly hungry and dirty mothers elicits the sympathy of Somalilanders. True or not we are not sure as most women queried claim the babies are actually theirs thus the continued prying on the naïve somalilanders.

As for the boys, once they learn the ropes of the towns they are reported to rebel from their duties as begging family bread winners, abscond from home and thus join the cadre of glue sniffing shoe-shinning street boys and ultimately juvenile criminals.

According to journalists Latifa Yusuf Masai of Somalilandsun most of the children have been dumped in the cities to work for their parents who are mainly from a neigbouring country

Said she, "In the recent past all major towns in the country have seen an influx of large quantities of street children who operate as shoe shiners, beggars and carwashes but have no permanent abode"

Meanwhile concerted efforts to alleviate the suffering of street children in the country are needed urgently.

This is according to the chairman of the Committee for promotion of good deeds and deterrence of misbehavior Sheikh Mohamed Haji Mahmud Hiire during a press briefing in his Hargeisa offices where he termed the livelihood of the ever increasing numbers of street children as deplorable.

The head of the committee which operates nationwide to promote good Islamic conduct said that the nation that is experiencing an upsurge of children living in the streets needs concerted efforts by all stakeholders thus come up with strategies to alleviate the malady

beggars of all ages in Hargeisa said to be from neighbouring Ethiopia

"The large number of girls living in the streets is a clear indication that things are getting out of hand" said Sheikh Hiire who urged the government and well-wishers to support the Miskin kalkal project operated by his organization thus broaden services availed the street children and orphans.

According to journalist Barkad Dahir of Sabahi online Last year, the Somaliland Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the international non-governmental organization Save the Children created income-generating programmes for 85 poor families as a way to prevent parents from sending their children to work. The ministry also collaborated with international non-governmental organization SOS Children's Villages to finance small-scale business opportunities for 45 more families.

In 2012, the ministry created a centre to rehabilitate homeless street children in the Mohamed Mooge district of Hargeisa, Khalif said, adding that the centre now houses 140 boys and girls.

The ministry this year plans to count the number of child workers in Somaliland, Khalif said, without elaborating on what new policies, if any, the regional administration plans to pursue in order to protect children from being exploited.

Illegals at the refugee registration centre in Hargeisa

While the republic of Somaliland is home to some 23,000 refugees from various countries and 84,400 from Somalia dubbed IDPs it is host to an estimated over 100,000 illegal's who apart from being unaware of the requirements for registration as an alien are behind the ever increasing and now almost out of control of street children and child labourers.

Meanwhile as the debate of street children and child labour rages in the country the big question mark is does Somaliland have better Economic prospects than Ethiopia?

Don't close Somali cash 'lifeline', charities tell Barclays

In the latest attempt to save Somalia's cash "lifeline", nine aid agencies call on Barclays Bank to scrap plans to sever money transfer accounts.

JAMAL OSMAN Reporter

It is is the only bank in the UK still providing this service. However, it plans to close all the accounts of Somali money transfer firms by the end of this month.

There is a perceived legal and reputational risk of providing banking services to the sector. The concern is that criminals and terrorists could use the existing system.

The banking rules are illogical, cold hearted and counter-productive.Mark Goldring, Oxfam

However, millions of Somalis depend on money sent to them by relatives living abroad. Somalis in Britain, for example. send over £100m a year to friends and families. The country has no formal banking system and money transfer operators provide the services people in the UK would expect from a bank.

'Cold-hearted'

The agencies, which include Oxfam, CARE and World Vision, said that Barclays needs to put on hold for a year its decision to close accounts.

This will give time for governments and banks to agree appropriate regulations to keep open a lifeline to ordinary families while addressing concerns relating to money laundering.

"The banking rules are illogical, cold hearted and counter-productive," said Mark Goldring, chief executive of Oxfam.

Cutting this lifeline would be a disaster for millions.Mo Farah

"It leaves families already struggling to make ends meet to go without. Closing money transfer companies' bank accounts is likely to drive the money transfer business underground making it even more difficult to regulate. It will also hit the Somali economy hard just when the country is trying to get back on its feet."

Last month, campaigners delivered a petition signed by more than 20,000 people to 10 Downing Street.

Mo Farah, originally from Somalia, threw his weight behind the movement. The double Olympic champion spoke personally about the crucial role remittances have played for his family and his foundation.

"Cutting this lifeline would be a disaster for millions," he said. "The small sums sent home by British Somalis each week enable family members to buy food, medicines and other life essentials.

"I have been sending money home for a number of years and the Mo Farah Foundation, along with some of the world's biggest international charities and organisations, including the United Nations, rely on these businesses to channel funds and pay local staff."

Stable Somalia

Somalia is one of the poorest countries in the world and slowly recovering from a famine that struck two years ago. Nearly half the population live on less than $1 a day and more than two million people have had to flee their homes due to fighting and food shortages.

The government's position flies in the face of the UK's policy on Somalia. Mark Goldring

Families depend on the money for basic costs such as food, schooling and healthcare. It is believed that 40 per cent of families in parts of the country receive some form of remittance and that the money is integral to their survival.

The agencies also called on the UK government to work with the banks and money transfer agencies to find a long-term comprehensive solution. Failing to do so undermines the government's commitment to help efforts to build a stable Somalia.

"The government's position flies in the face of the UK's policy on Somalia," said Mr Goldring. "Britain has shown a genuine commitment to help Somalia rebuild itself and move beyond its 'failed state' label, but is not doing enough to address this failed state of anti-terror banking rules.

"Somalia will find it hard to work its way out of poverty and instability while its people are needlessly denied the financial support from their loved ones abroad."

Source: channel4.com

 

Somalia: Somali Ministers Call On Barclays to Maintain Remittance System

A number of Somali ministers expressed concern over the effects of tightening regulations on the international banking system, saying they hinder the Somali diaspora from supporting their families through remittances, the Somali Prime Minister's office said Thursday (September 5th).

The ministers called on Barclays and other international banks to maintain the current remittance system.

"We are deeply concerned the situation of the money transfer business, which is the main source of income to millions of people and contributes a significant percentage to the regional economy," Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Fowsiyo Yusuf Haji Aadan said during a cabinet meeting.

"Stopping the diaspora support system will have a negative impact to the livelihood of the Somali community and other similar communities around the region," she said.

Barclays set September 30th as the deadline when new regulations take effect.

Source: sabahionline

Somalia

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Somalia: "We Killed CIA Representatives in the Attack in a Restaurant in Mogadishu" Says Shabaab.

 

Extremists spokes man Abu Muscabd said that the attack on Saturday killed CIA members in the Village restaurant in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The Spokesman was speaking on Shaba'bs Radio Andulus based in Baraawe district. He said the Jihadists conducted suicide attacks and specifically targeted CIA members at Village restaurant.

"The owner of the restaurant is an MI6 intelligence agent for the British", he came here to give up the source "said Abu Muscab . The spokesman said the explosions were pre-determined ones and have been conducted on enemy's areas, he added in his statement that the Islamists had reached their objective of the operation according to him. Last September, the same restaurant was attacked by Shabab which killed civilians, journalists and civil society members.

Source: Dalsan Radio

Genel Pulls Out Somaliland Staff

 

Anglo-Turkish oil company Genel Energy has started pulling its employees out of northern Somalia following a sudden spike in violence in the volatile Horn of Africa nation, the company said Monday. “In the face of a deteriorating security situation we are temporarily suspending our seismic operations,” said a Genel spokesman. Somaliland authorities weren’t immediately available for comment.

Genel’s decision to halt its early-stage oil exploration campaign in Somaliland, a breakaway northern region noted for its relative stability, comes in the wake of a twin bombing Saturday in Mogadishu
that killed 20 people.

A car bomb and a suicide attacker struck a restaurant in Somalia’s capital in the worst violence since an assault on a United Nations compound in June. The Somali militant group al-Shabaab, which has struck Mogadishu multiple times in recent months, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Helmed by former PLC Chief Executive Tony Hayward, London-listed Genel began prospecting for oil in Somaliland after acquiring a set of licenses in the area last year.

It doesn’t produce any crude oil in Somaliland, whose decision to grant exploration rights to companies like Genel has incurred the wrath of Somalia’s recently elected central government.

Mogadishu maintains that any licensing of oil exploration is the sole responsibility of the federal government. However, Somaliland — which built up a degree of autonomy during two decades of civil war — says that it has the right to attract investment in the areas that it controls.

*Source: WSJ*

Somalia: Puntland Steps Up Fight Against Al-Shabaab in Golis Mountains

Photo: Shabelle

Somalia's Al-Shabaab drill in November 2008

Galkayo — Puntland security forces have increased security operations between Galgala and Bosaso, resulting in a drop in attacks by al-Shabaab militants hiding out in the Golis Mountains, security officials and residents say.

"We have foiled planned attacks in which they wanted to carry out explosions in the city," Bari region Police Chief Osman Hassan Awke told Sabahi. "We would not have been able to achieve that if the public did not assist us. The people we are targeting [in our operations] are terrorists."

The Golis Mountain Militia, led by Mohamed Said Atom, formally pledged its allegiance to al-Shabaab in February 2012. Galgala, from which it often launches its attacks, sits at the foot of the mountain range and provides access to strategic roads to the port of Bosaso, 60 kilometres north-east.

The militia has carried out ambushes along the road between the towns of Bosaso and Kalabeyr, as well as limited attacks on a checkpoint at the entrance to Bosaso, said Osman Mohamed Farah, an officer with the Puntland armed forces.

"Sometimes they fill the roads with large rocks to damage the vehicles of the armed forces and carry out intermittent attacks on the checkpoint at night even though their situation has not been the same recently," he told Sabahi.

In response to the attacks, the regional administration in May launched a series of security operations in Bosaso and surrounding areas.

These included a sweep by government forces of mosques, Qur'an schools, houses and business centres, which led to the arrest of some locals suspected of ties to al-Shabaab, Farah said.

"The people we suspect of having ties with terrorists are [hunted] from all of their hiding places," he told Sabahi. "People who are captured during government sweeps are [prosecuted] based on the rule of law."

The security operations seem to be successful, according to Galgala resident Jibril Haji Hussein, who served as a general under the Mohamed Siad Barre government.

"The Puntland administration has prevented [militants] from accessing important locations such as along the sea where it has deployed extra troops," he said. The combination of stepped up security measures and the influx of al-Shabaab troops coming from southern Somalia needing to recuperate after their losses there have forced the Golis militia to feel the pressure and reconsider some of their operations, he said. "[Militants] have decreased their attacks."

Monitoring traffic from southern Somalia:

Puntland officials are on the lookout for suspected al-Shabaab members and have started questioning citizens coming from southern Somalia. Despite the inconvenience and delays the public faces at checkpoints, travellers who spoke to Sabahi said they welcomed the security operations and want to collaborate to ensure everyone is safe.

Yurubey Abdow Ali, 41, recently arrived in Bosaso from Afgoye with her two sons, aged 17 and 20. "It was my first time in Bosaso, but my husband works there," she told Sabahi. "When we came to the [checkpoint], we were taken out of the vehicle. We were approached by a soldier who asked us where we came from."

Yurubey's two sons were questioned about the purpose of their trip and whether they knew about al-Shabaab or had ever used weapons, she said. "My sons are not among the people who concern themselves with such things because we were farmers," she said. "We were let go ... The troops treated us well while they were questioning us. We were not threatened or harmed in any way. I saw them as people who were doing their jobs and I welcome that."

Another passenger, 26-year-old Abdullahi Yasin Elmi, described his experience at a checkpoint. "I was in a bus when I got to the checkpoint. I was taken off of it and was asked for my full name. After I answered all of the soldiers' questions I was released," he said.

"But I saw a man known to the soldiers who was immediately arrested with his arms behind his back and put in a car as soon as our vehicle arrived [at the checkpoint]," Elmi told Sabahi. "I cannot say where they took him or where he ended up, but he looked like someone on whom they had enough information."

Locals are also helping police and security forces in their mission against terrorism. "We take a major role in security," said Fadumo Nur, a member of the Bari Women's Association. "Since we are not armed [and cannot help on the battlefield], we help them by reporting suspicious activity."

"Until recently the situation in the [Galgala] area was very dangerous because there were ongoing battles, but now it has settled down," she said. Meanwhile, Galgala locals have reported that the whereabouts of Atom are unknown and that an individual by the name of Abduqadir Mumin has temporarily taken over his post.

"We are investigating that information and will not be able to anticipate findings before the security forces complete the investigation," Bari region Police Chief Osman Hassan Awke told Sabahi.

Source: sabahionline

URGENT GOOD NEWS FOR SOMALI POOR: Barclays' Somalia remittance accounts win stay of execution needed to find solution + Watch Video

NGOs welcome Barclays' move to extend deadline for money transfer accounts BUT say more time is needed to find solution

Mark Tran, theguardian.com,

Aid agencies are urging Barclays to further postpone its decision to close the accounts of money transfer companies beyond 30 September amid fears the move will cut a financial lifeline to Somalia just as it is getting back on its feet after years of war.

"It is a welcome sign that Barclays is reconsidering its decision to close accounts but a 20 days' grace period is just a short stay of execution," said Oxfam's chief executive, Mark Goldring.

"What is needed is a comprehensive solution, and there is clearly not enough time for the banks and the government to produce this by the end of the month.

"People in Somalia who rely on money sent to them from loved ones in the UK to pay for the very basics of life need some guarantee that this financial lifeline is kept open. The government and the bank do have come together and agree a workable solution."

Oxfam, Care and others say Barclays needs to wait for a year to allow time for governments and banks to agree appropriate regulations to keep open the flow of remittances to Somalis while addressing concerns relating to money laundering. Barclays has also come under pressure from Mo Farah, the double Olympic gold medallist, and Rushanara Ali, the Labour MP, to hold off.

About half of the 10 million population of Somalia and the self-declared breakaway Republic of Somaliland depend on remittances – worth more than $1bn (£639m) a year – from among the 1.5 million Somalis living overseas. The amount far surpasses aid to the country. Somalis living in the UK send more than £100m a year to friends and families.

Barclays wants to close the accounts of about 100 remittance companies on the grounds that many money service businesses do not have the necessary checks in place to spot criminal activity in compliance with anti-money-laundering laws, which have been tightened since the September 11 attacks of 2001.

Last week, the Somali government expressed its concern over the plan to close the accounts, which would affect Somalia more than other countries as it has no banking system.

"We are deeply concerned the situation of the money-transfer business, which is the main source of income to millions of people and contributes a significant percentage to the regional economy," said the deputy prime minister, Fauzia Yusuf Haji Adan. "Stopping the diaspora support system will have a negative impact to the livelihood of the Somali community and other similar communities around the region."

Development experts have criticised the decision as heavy handed. Kevin Watkins, the director of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), last week described the move as "unwarranted, unnecessary and a threat to some of the world's most vulnerable people".

In a letter to Antony Jenkins, the chief executive of Barclays, Watkins cited new research demonstrating that it is possible to maintain cash transfers to Somalia while maintaining due diligence.

"We found no evidence of large-scale diversion due to the money-transfer system," said Watkins. "To cite our report: 'despite the significant security and access challenges faced by humanitarian agencies, Somalia is an appropriate environment for cash interventions: it has an innovative, national system of money-transfer agents (*hawala), which regularly deals with billions of dollars from the diaspora. The market system is highly integrated and competitive as the country relies heavily on imported food'."

The introduction of strict anti-money-laundering laws in the US has been cited as a reason for Barclays' decision, after a $1.9bn (£1.2bn) fine imposed on HSBC bank by US authorities for failing to prevent money laundering by drug barons in Mexico. Barclays is the last UK bank to deal with remittance companies.

But Watkins said: "There is a world of difference between providing banking services to drug barons in Mexico and delivering a service that pays for health, education, food, housing materials and small enterprises in Somalia. If aid agencies can find a way to operate efficiently in Somalia then surely it's not beyond the capability of Barclays."

Barclays said it agreed with the ODI that this was not a crisis of its own making but rather the result of regulatory pressures. "As a global bank, we must comply with the rules and regulations in all the jurisdictions in which we operate," it said. "The risk of financial crime is an important regulatory concern and we take our responsibilities in relation to this very seriously."

Dahabshiil, a remittance company with extensive operations in Somalia and Somaliland, had previously had its deadline extended twice but had been told by Barclays that 30 September was the final cut-off date. Abdirashid Duale, chief executive, insists that Dahabshiil, which has 286 payout locations across Somalia is "fully compliant with all applicable legal requirements and industry best practice, and no breach of compliance has ever been indentified regarding our procedures or controls".

The remittances problem will be the subject of a UK government roundtable with banks, regulators and money service operators next Monday, the same day as a conference on Somalia in Brussels hosted by the EU and the Somali government to discuss national reconstruction.

The NGOs also called on the UK government to work with the banks and money-transfer agencies to find a long-term comprehensive solution.

Goldring said: "The banking rules are illogical, cold hearted and counter-productive. It leaves families already struggling to make ends meet to go without. Closing money-transfer companies' bank accounts is likely to drive the money transfer business underground making it even more difficult to regulate. It will also hit the Somali economy hard just when the country is trying to get back on its feet."

Watch Video of this exciting news:

Source: theguardian.com

Somalia: Outline Draft Agenda of A New Deal for Somalia: Brussels conference

 Outline Draft Agenda

Monday 16 September

1. Welcome address
   
   1. Introductory words by Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission (HR/VP);
   2. Introductory words by H.E. Mr Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia;
   3. Opening speech by H.E. Mr Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council.
   4.  
2. Political vision: A new political order
   Chairs: Catherine Ashton, HR/VP and Ms. Fawzia Yusuf Adam, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia;
   
   1. Keynote speech by H.E. Mr Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, on political progress and future vision for Somalia;
   2. Keynote speech by Mr Jeffrey Feltman, United Nations Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs.
    
   
3. Re-building Somalia’s social and economic foundations
   Chairs: Mr Andris Piebalgs, European Commissioner for Development, Mr Mohamud Hassan Suleiman, Minister of Finance and Planning of the Federal Government of Somalia, and Mr Makhtar Diop, Vice President of the World Bank for the Africa region
   
   1. Keynote speech by Mr Mohamud Hassan Suleiman, Minister of Finance and Planning of the Federal Government of Somalia, on Aid Architecture;
   2. Keynote speech by Dr. Maryan Qasim, Minister for Human Development and Public Services of the Federal Government of Somalia on the socio-economic re-construction and development priorities of the Compact;
   
   
4. Lunch for Heads of Delegations
5. Establishing the rule of law and security
   Chairs: Catherine Ashton, HR/VP, Mr Abdulhakim Haji Mohamud, Minister of Defence of the Federal Government of Somalia, and Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra, African Union Peace and Security Commissioner
   
   1. Keynote speech by Mr Abdulhakim Haji Mohamud, Minister of Defence of the Federal Government of Somalia, on the security and rule of law sectors of the Compact;
   
   
6. Closing session: Endorsement of the Compact and follow up
   Closing speeches inviting endorsement of the Compact and follow-up:
   
   • Catherine Ashton, HR/VP;
   • H.E. Mr Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia;
   • H.E. Mr Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission.
    
   
7. Press conference
   
   1. Speeches by H.E. Mr Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia and Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission (HR/VP);
   2. Q & A session.