Good News For Somalis: Canadian Somali Appointed Chief of UN children’s fund UNICEF

New York - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Omar Abdi, a Canadian national born in Somalia, as Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

A Somali Canadian Omar Abdi  is currently serving as UNICEF’s Comptroller. Prior to that role, he served as UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Management (2007-2010), Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa (2006-2007), and UNICEF Representative in several countries.

Omar Abdi brings a deep understanding of UNICEF’s programmes and operations. Additionally, he has helped pioneer streamlining systems to strengthen results on the ground.

Omar Abdi has a doctorate degree in development economics and a masters in international development, both from Cornell University, as well as a bachelor’s degree (magna cum laude) in civil engineering from the Somali National University.

Profile,  Omar Abdi:

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has named Somali-Canadian Omar Abdi as Deputy Executive Director of the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

An Ottawa resident, Omar Abdi currently serves as Director of UNICEF’s regional office for the Middle East and North Africa in Amman Jordan.

Mr. Abdi is a native of Somalia and served for seven years in the Government of Somalia before joining UNICEF in 1992. He has served as UNICEF Representative in Liberia, Ghana and in Pakistan, and in other positions prior to becoming the Regional Director.

As UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, Mr. Abdi led the organization’s response to the October 2005 South Asia earthquake, which saw more than three-million people – half of whom were children – displaced in the northern regions of Pakistan. UNICEF led the UN’s initial response in the areas of water and sanitation, education, nutrition and protection, and launched a US$150 million “build-back-better” recovery plan.

“We are delighted to have a Canadian with such extraordinary experience serve in the highest levels of UNICEF,” UNICEF Canada President & CEO Nigel Fisher said from New York, where he is attending a two-day meeting of the UNICEF Executive Board. “Time and again Omar Abdi has demonstrated his unwavering commitment to providing the best possible results for children.”

Mr. Abdi succeeds Mr. Toshi Niwa, who was appointed in March 2004. 

The post has responsibility for the overall direction of Finance and Management, Human Resources, Management, and Information Technology. Mr. Abdi will also oversee UNICEF’s inter-governmental work and UN relations, as well as UNICEF’s office in Tokyo. 

This is the highest ranking position achieved by a Canadian in UNICEF. 

Stephen Lewis also served as UNICEF Deputy Executive Director from 1995 to 1999.

Source: geeskaafrika.com

XOGHAYIHII HORE EE ARRIMAHA DIBEDDA UCID, YUSUF BUDLE OO KA HADLAY XUDUUDA DJIBOUTI EE MAANTA LA XIDHAY IYO MADAXDA SOMALILAND EE XUDUUDA DHOOBAN EE LOO DIIDAY IN AY GALAAN DJIBOUTI.

Yusuf Budle: Dalkii 60,000 oo qof u dhinteen in lagu bedesho 60 baasboor waa nasiib darro.

Yusuf Budle ayaa maanta soo dhigay barta uu ku leeyahay Face-book-ga qoraal uu kaga hadlayo aragtidiisa ku salaysan xuduuda mar labaad maanta la xidhay iyo weliba madaxda badan ee loo diiday in ay galaan Djibouti iyaga oo marka hore si rasmi ah loo casumay.

Qoraalkiisa waxa uu ku bilaabay Yusuf sidatan:

 Xidhida mar kale la xidhay xuduuda u dhaxaysa S/land iyo Djibouti ma aha mid xaqiiqada ku salaysan ee waa mid xukuumadda Ismaaciil Cumar Geele ugu talo gashay in ay ku fuliso laba ujeedo oo kala ah

1-       In ay aduunweynaha usii buunbuuniso in ayna S/land nabad ahayn, record-kana ay gasho inta goor ee dalalka deriska ahi ka xidheen xuduudahooda S/land

2-       In ay si fool xun ugu bahdisho madaxda isdaba yaacaya ee ka kala socda xukuumadda S/land iyo xisbiyada qarankaba.

Su’aasha aan dadka reer Somaliland weydiinayaa waxa ay tahay: Cidda rabta in ay Djibouti wax ka riddo ama qarxiso, waxa ay si dhib yar uga soo wareegi kartaa dhinaca xuduuda u daxaysa Djibouti iyo Ethiopia. Haddii ay dhab tahay ilaalinta nabadgelyadu maxaa loo wada xidhi waayay dhamaanba xuduudaha Djibouti ay la leedahay dalalka deriska ah? Jawaabteedu waa ay cadahay waana labada arrimood ee aan kor kusoo sheegay.

Waxa aynu ognahay in xataa haddii xuduuda la xidhay, bal iskaba dheh’e, aanay adkaateen in xuduuda Lawya-Caddo si gaar ah albaabada looga soo furo dadka madax ku sheega ah ee ka socda S/land ee sida gaarka ah loogu soo diray casumaada gaarka ah. Goorma ayaa sarkaal ama madax qaran oo lagu casumay meher yar ay jid bacaad ah u mari jireen, hadana albaabada (imika aan idhaahee xuduudaha) laga xidhan jiray, weliba kasii darane inta ay iskaga soo noqon lahaayeen ay bacaadka u jiifaan laba maalmood iyo habeen si ay u dhawraan bal in mar’uun laga furo. Bahdilaada ka weyn ee lagu samayn lahaa S/land maxay tahay?

Ugu dambayn, waxa aan u sheegayaa dadweynaha reer Somaliland meel kasta oo ay joogaan iyo xisbi kasta oo ay taageersan yihiinba in loo baahan yahay in laga dagaalamo bahdilaada joogtada ah ee lagu hayo qarannimada S/land. Waa in aan la xisaabtanaa dhamaanba xukuumadda iyo xisbiyada qaranka ee arrinkan u suurto gelinaya xukuumadda macangaga ah ee uu ka taliyo Ismaaciil Cumar Geele. Goorma ayaynu ogolaanay in dalkii ay u nafwaayeen 60,000 (lixdan kun oo qof) oo reer Somaliland ah lagu bedesho 600 baasboor oo weliba si gaar ah loo siiyay shaqsiyaadka ugu ladan ama ugu awooda badan Somaliland? Waxa kale oo aanay dadka inta badani ogayn in ay baasbooradanu ahayn dhalasho Djiboutian ah ee ay yihiin oo keliya baasboor ku dhaca 5 sanadood oo aan dibna loo cuboonaysiin Karin, markii la doonana lagaga qaadi karo airport-ka siddii marar badan hore u dhacday.

Waxa aanan anigu fahmin shaqsiyan oo aan jeclaan lahaa in bal la iiga jawaabo danta S/land ugu jirta xidhiidhka Djibouti? Sida aynu wada ognahay waxa uu aduunweynaha Ismaciil Cumar Geele u cadeeyay in:

1- Somaliland wax la yidhaa aanu ogolayn/ ogolaana doonin.

2- Waxa uu ciidamo nabad ilaalin ah u diray Somaliya isaga oo ku xumaynaya S/land kana shaqaynaya wixii la odhan jiray Somali weyn.

3- Hadeerto waxa uu wadaa qorshe kii hore kasii daran oo lagu rabo in aduunweynuhu ku ogolaado in ciidamo la keeno xuduudaha S/land (dhinaca bariga iyo dhinaca galbeedkaba).

Taariikh ahaan haddii aan u noqdana: Xukuumaddii Djibouti waa xukuumaddii hir gelisay heshiiskii Mingiste iyo Siyaad Barre ee aakhirkii keenay in SNM lagaga soo saaro Ethiopia. Waxa aynu ognahay oo aanay sir ahayn in haddii aan u furno dekedda Berbera in ay dadka iyo dawladda Ethiopia si xor ah wax ugala soo degaan uu dakhliga cashuurta ee kasoo gelidoona Somalilan dekedda Berbera oo keli ahi yahay 1.2 Billion Dollars (yes, I mean Billion US Dollars).

Bal marka waxa aan jeclaan lahaa in la iga jaahil tiro meesha ay salaadu ka xidhmi laadahay? Mise waxaas oo dhan waxa ka muhiimsan 600 baasboor oo Djiboutian ah iyo woxogaaga lacagta xaqal jeebka ah ee la siiyo shaqsiyaadka gaarka ah?

Waxa kale oo aan weydiinayaa madaxda xukuumadda hadda jirta iyo weliba madaxda xisbiyada mucaaridka ee rajaynaya in ay berri dalkan hogaamiyaan: Muxuu yahay qorshaha inooga yaala Djibouti. Iyada warkeedu wuu cadyahee, muxuu yahay qorshahau.

Al Shabaab in East Africa Latesty Security Report

By James Miller

Multiple crises throughout the world—in Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, and now Israel—have pulled attention from growing violence in East Africa. Al Qaeda’s group in Somalia, al Shabaab, now has an operational reach that covers all of the Horn of Africa. Even within Somalia, al Shabaab continues to conduct significant attacks in the capital, Mogadishu, and in key cities like Kismayo, Baidoa, and Beledweyne. There exists a popular notion that al Shabaab is in decline due to the efforts of Somali forces and the African Union peacekeepers, a view echoed on June 3, 2014 by U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman.  But al Shabaab’s recent activity in the region belies any such claim.[1] Al Shabaab still controls significant territory in Somalia and in the past year, has been active in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Djibouti.

Al Shabaab voiced its intent and increasingly demonstrates its capability to conduct attacks throughout East Africa. Its first major international attack was in July 2010, when al Shabaab carried out twin suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda.[2] The absence of a second major attack and the start of a major offensive against al Shabaab in fall 2011 led many to dismiss the Kampala bombings as a one-off strike and to assess that al Shabaab had been significantly weakened. The group had lost control of territory and announced that it would focus on asymmetrical attacks, rather than holding land. Its continued threats against the regional troop-contributing countries (TCC) to the peacekeeping mission in Somalia appeared to be aspirational at best.

The spectacular assault on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, in September 2013 was al Shabaab’s second major international attack.[3] Al Shabaab cultivated its Kenyan network leading up to the Westgate attack, establishing partnerships with Kenyan extremist networks. Key partners such as al Hijra, a group comprised primarily of indigenous Kenyans, provided al Shabaab with an extensive fundraising and recruitment network in Nairobi and along the Kenyan coast.[4] The growth of these networks allowed al Shabaab to declare a pivot to Kenya on May 22, 2014, encouraging Muslims to take up arms against the Kenyan government.[5] Since then, al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for killing as many as ninety people in a series of attacks along the Kenyan coast in June and July.[6]

Al Shabaab has also focused its efforts on other TCCs. Of the six primary countries, al Shabaab has attempted attacks in four over the past year. Two al Shabaab operatives attempted, but failed, to bomb an October 16, 2013 World Cup qualifying match in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Ethiopian authorities announced the arrest of five Somali conspirators on December 19.[7] Uganda remains a target. U.S. Embassy Kampala has issued several terror warnings in the past year for Uganda, most recently citing a specific threat to Entebbe International Airport on July 3, 2014.[8] Al Shabaab has also been tied to the May suicide attack at a Djibouti restaurant popular among Westerners.[9]Though not all of al Shabaab’s attacks have been successful, its growing operational reach and regional influence is evident.

Al Shabaab’s activity and rhetoric suggest that the group will continue to conduct operations outside of Somalia. Al Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane’s May 2014 statement, expressing solidarity with Muslims in the Central African Republic (CAR), indicates that the group’s gaze extends beyond the TCCs.[10] Rumored al Shabaab correspondence with Nigeria’s Boko Haram and potential cooperation with Tanzanian extremist networks further evidence continued operational growth throughout Africa.[11] Al Shabaab’s observed activity, demonstrated operational capability and capacity, as well as expanded regional influence over the past year indicates that, contrary to popular belief, the group remains a dynamic threat throughout East Africa.   

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[1] Wendy Sherman, “U.S. Foreign Policy in Somalia,” United States Institute of Peace, June 3, 2014. Available:http://www.usip.org/events/us-foreign-policy-in-somalia

[2] Chris Harnisch, “Al Shabaab’s First International Strike: Analysis of the July 11 Uganda Bombings,” AEI’s Critical Threats Project, July 14, 2010. Available: http://www.criticalthreats.org/somalia/al-shabaabs-first-international-strike-analysis-july-11-uganda-bombings-july-14-2010-4532

[3] Paul Cruickshank and Tim Lister, “Al-Shabaab breaks new ground with complex Nairobi attack,” CNN, September 23, 2014. Available: http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/22/world/meast/kenya-mall-al-shabaab-analysis/

[4] Fredrick Nzes, “Al-Hijra: Al-Shabab’s Affiliate in Kenya,” CTC Sentinel, May 29, 2014. Available:https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/al-hijra-al-shababs-affiliate-in-kenya

[5] “Somalia’s Al-Shabaab chief says war ‘shifting to Kenya,’” AFP, May 22, 2014. Available:http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Somalia-s-Al-Shabaab-chief-say-war--shifting-to-Kenya-/-/2558/2323312/-/ict24e/-/index.html

[6] Drazen Jorgic, “Islamists kill 50 in Kenya, some during World Cup screening,” Reuters, June 16, 2014. Available: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/16/us-kenya-attacks-idUSKBN0ER0FF20140616

“Islamist militants kill 15 more in new attack on Kenya coast,” The East African, June 17, 2014. Available:http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Islamist-militants-kill-eight-more-in-new-attack-on-Kenya-coast/-/2558/2351298/-/10xuqxjz/-/index.html

Joseph Akwiri, “Gunmen kill at least 29 in latest raids on Kenyan coast,” Reuters, July 6, 2014. Available:http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/06/us-kenya-attacks-idUSKBN0FB05R20140706

[7] Aaron Maasho, “Ethiopia says arrests five suspects in soccer match bomb plot,” Reuters, December 19, 2013. Available: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/19/us-ethiopia-bombers-idUSBRE9BI14F20131219

[8]“Possible Westgate-style attack in Kampala,” U.S. Embassy Kampala, October 15, 2013. Available:http://kampala.usembassy.gov/sm101513.html

“Potential for a Terrorist Attack in Kampala Feb/Mar 2014,” U.S. Embassy Kampala, February 10, 2014. Available:http://kampala.usembassy.gov/sm_021014.html

“Potential for a Terrorist Attack in Kampala May/June 2014,” U.S. Embassy Kampala, May 6, 2014. Available:http://kampala.usembassy.gov/potential_terrorist_attack_kampala_may_june_2014.html

“Possible Attack at Entebbe International Airport,” U.S. Embassy Kampala, July 3, 2014. Available:http://kampala.usembassy.gov/em-070314.html

[9] “Al Shabaab claims responsibility for Djibouti suicide attack,” Reuters, May 27, 2014. Available:http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/27/uk-djibouti-attacks-idUSKBN0E72AA20140527

[10] “Shabaab Leader Links France, Missionaries to CAR Attacks,” SITE Intel Group, May 14, 2014. Available at SITE.

[11] Sigi De Vos and Alexander Smith, “Boko Haram Trades Terrorist Tactics with Somalia’s Al Shabaab,” NBC News, July 6, 2014. Available: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/missing-nigeria-schoolgirls/boko-haram-trades-terrorist-tactics-somalias-al-shabaab-n140456

Tres Thomas, “Threat of Al-Shabaab and Extremist Attacks Grows in Tanzania,” Somalia Newsroom, July 11, 2014. Available: http://somalianewsroom.com/2014/07/11/threat-of-al-shabaab-and-extremist-attacks-grows-in-tanzania/

“Tanzanian police arrest 11 for undergoing al-Shabaab military training,” Sabahi Online, October 8, 2013. Available: http://sabahionline.com/en_GB/articles/hoa/articles/newsbriefs/2013/10/08/newsbrief-01

Djibouti Files Arbitration Against DP World Over Alleged Corruption in Port Deal

Government Says It Has Rescinded Concession to Run Africa's Largest Port

By 

 

 

ASA FITCH

 

DUBAI—The government of Djibouti has filed an arbitration case in London against Dubai's DP World, DPW.NDB +0.50% alleging the global ports operator paid bribes to secure a concession to run the Doraleh Container Terminal in 2000.

The Djibouti government said in an emailed statement that it rescinded DP World's 20-year concession and launched the case before the London Court of International Arbitration after out-of-court negotiations broke down.

DP World rejected the allegations, saying in a statement that it was "disappointed" in the government's decision to take legal action after 14 years of cooperation on the development and operation of the port, which opened in 2008.

The port is Africa's largest container terminal and Djibouti's biggest employer.

DP World, which operates more than 65 ports around the world, mostly in emerging markets, said it would continue to manage the Doraleh terminal pending the arbitration decision.

"We reject the allegations made and will vigorously defend our position during the arbitration procedure," DP World said.

Djibouti said the case sprang from an investigation of Abdourahman Boreh, the former chairman of the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority.

The government has launched numerous legal actions against the Dubai-based Mr. Boreh in recent years and obtained a global freezing order on his assets.

The government has alleged that he misused his government position to gain personal advantage. One major case is scheduled to go to trial in London next year.

Mr. Boreh couldn't be reached for comment, but has previously denied allegations against him.

Djibouti claimed in its statement that it uncovered evidence "indicating that DP World paid bribes and gave other financial incentives to Mr. Boreh while he was negotiating the Doraleh Container Terminal concession agreement with DP World, as well as afterwards."

The bribes, the Djibouti government alleged, were made through consultancy agreements and foreign shell companies.

"Although the government of Djibouti sought to resolve the matter through direct discussions, negotiations have now broken down, leaving Djibouti with no choice but to request arbitration to declare the concession agreement and related project documents rescinded for illegality and corruption," the government's statement said.

Write to Asa Fitch at asa.fitch@wsj.com