Angry residents of Galkayo district in the Mudug region demonstrated today about the lack of security and increased instability in the region.

The demonstrators walked to the office of the Puntland administration in Galkayo and demanded answers about what officials were planning to do establish security in the area.

Commissioner of Mudug region for Puntland administration, Ahmed Ali Salad, promised the protesters that his administration will tackle the insecurity problem. “We will establish several security check points in Galkayo. Our security forces will increase their patrols,” he said.

The residents of Galkayo held the demonstration over the rising insecurity in the district. Several people including leaders of Puntland administration have been targeted in recent criminal attacks.

“We are angry because security in Galkayo is deteriorating,” said Said Ahmed, one of the demonstrators.

On Saturday, Commissioner for Galkayo Abdirahman Mohamud Hajji announced his resignation due to high insecurity in Galkayo. Mohamud said he could not do anything to change the situation and the only alternative he had was to quit. He also accused local security officials for failing to arrest gangs carrying out criminal activities in Galkayo.

On Monday this week, two people were killed and another person was injured in a clash between Puntland security officials and the local clan militia that previously seized the old Dayah military camp in Gaalkayo. The militia used the camp as a base to plan and launch attacks.

Puntland security officials accused the group of perpetuating most of the criminal activities that occurred in Galkayo.

©Somalia Report

Speaker Hassan

The Parliamentary Committe for Constitution and Legal Affairs of the Somali Transitional Parliament concluded a four day confernce in Nairobi, Kenya on Friday.

The conference focused on the remaining six months of the transitional period for the Transitation Federal Government (TFG). The committee agreed that the proposed draft constitution will be completed before August this year.

The parliamentary committee also agreed to establish an effective administration in Mogadishu city, including the drafting of city by-laws.

The TFG administration, led by Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, ealier promised that within its first hundred days, the TFG would stabilize Mogadishu and wipe out the militants. The one hundred day period ended last month and Al-shabab insurgents still control almost 30% of Mogadishu city.

“We want the international community to feel that we have to avoid a situation where there is no any administration in Somalia. We therefore extended the transition period for the house,” MP Mohamed Nur Shegow told Somalia Report.

©Somalia Report

Ambasador Agustin Mahiga

This parliamentary committee is the same group that proposed the extension of the transitional period for parliament. The move was criticized by local civil society groups, activists and the international community.

The conference was sponsored by America's National Democracy Institute (NDI). Representatives from the United Nations Development Program, civil society groups and the European Union were present as well as UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Ambasador Agustin Mahiga, and Somali Speaker of Parliament Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan.

Ambasador Mahinga challenged the MPs to wrap up the the TFG by saying, ‘Ending the transition period is an important step.’ He also urged the Legal and Constitution Committe to speed up and conclude the draft constitution.

Ambasador Mahiga and Speaker Sharif Hassan recently attended another meeting with members of the Pan-African parliament and Somali MPs in Accra, Ghana. That conference focused on the Djibouti peace proces that formed the TFG administration.

The Somali parliament is making every effort to justify its extension of the transitional period by three years. The current period will end in August of this year.

©Somalia Report

Maj. Nathan Mugisha

Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia Hon. Wafula Wamunyinyi, and Commander of the Forces for the Africa Union Mission for Somalia (AMISOM), Maj. Gen. Nathan Mugisha, on Saturday vowed to keep fighting for Mogadishu, during a press conference in Nairobi, attended by Somalia Report.

Wamunyinyi and Mugisha talked about the recent operational gains by the African Union and Somali forces on the ground in Mogadishu. They said AMISOM forces made some advancements in the battle for Mogadishu. They now fully control seven districts, they are contesting in six districts while the three remaining districts of Mogadishu city remain under the control of Al-Shabaab militants.

“The positions that we have seized in the past week break the grip of extremist militants in the city. The success of the Battle of Gashandiga is central to the aim of securing Mogadishu and ending the extremists reign of terror in the city,” said Wafula Wamunyinyi.

Maj. Mugisha said that their major success in the recent operation was the capture of Gashandiga base that previously served as Al-Shabaab’s major operational and logistical base, allowing the extremists to dominate the northern areas of the city.

©Somalia Report

AU Rep Wafula Wamunyinyi

Somalia Report asked Maj. Mugisha if AMISOM forces have blocked the Bakara market. “Bakara market is still operating as usual,” replied Mugisha. However, the industrial road better known as ‘wadada warshadaha’ remains under the control of AMISOM forces. The road links many locations of Mogadishu city including the Bakara market and Mogadishu sea port.

The government on Friday blamed Al-Shabaab for putting road blocks in the road that leads to the port minimizing the operations of that port. Mogadishu sea port and the Bakara market commercially depend on each other. Bakara market is the main source of revenue for Al-shabab militants while Mogadishu sea port contributes the largest share of the TFG’s budget.

Police are looking for members of a gang that is believed to have perpetuated most of the criminal activities that occurred in the city.

“Two people have been killed and another one was seriously injured by the police,” Abdirizak Ali, a resident of Galkayo told Somali Report. Abdirizack is struggling to understand why the operation which seemed simple and started peacefully near the Garsore area ended with deaths.

The security officers also established a check point in Garsore neighbourhood of northern Galkayo.

Residents of Galkayo last week protested over high insecurity in the district. They demanded the local administration to take action against the deteriorating security situation.

Former Commissioner Returns

Meanwhile the commissioner of Galkayo district for Puntland administration, Abdirahman Mohamud Hajji, who resigned from his position two weeks ago returned to resume his duties. During a private visit to Nairobi last week, the Commissioner told Somalia Report that he decided to return to work after the local citizens urged him to do so. Before he begins work, however, he needs to be approved by Puntland administrators.

“Although I sent my resignation to the president of Puntland, my people told me I should not do so. I was told to report back to duty while I was in Nairobi,” Hajji said.

The commissioner complained that some security officers in his administration were hindering his job as they were corrupt and scandalous, which is why he resigned.

Galkayo remains one of the most notorious areas in northern Somalia. Its complexity is also increased by the two authorities (Puntland and Galmudug administrations) which are controlling the North and the South of the district respectively.

The refugees who are mostly from Belet Hawo district of the Gedo region settled in Mandera’s Mio Stadium and complained that the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has ignored them.

“We were displaced by conflict from our homes. We have no food, no shelter and the UNHCR is ignoring us,” Halima Hussein, complained to Somalia Report.

Salad Isak says the UN refugee agency has done little to help them. “All they did is to send officials here who come with empty promises. We are tired.” Isak told Somalia Report.

They asked the UNHCR to settle them in on of the recognized refugee camps in Kenya where basic needs are available. However, all the refugee camps in Northern Kenya are already over populated.

The demonstrators also asked other international aid groups to help them with food and other relief supplies.

Although some of the refugees in Mandera’s Mio Stadium are willing to return to their homes in Belet Hawo, the border still remains closed by Kenyan security forces.

Mandera Residents Also Complaining

The recent fighting between Al-shabab militants and forces allied to the Somali Transitional Federal government in Belet Hawo, not only affected the Somali nationals fleeing the conflict, but it is also a frustration to Kenyan-Somalis. Residents of Mandera district rely on imports from Somalia, but the sealed border has made business difficult.

Mandera and Belet Hawo rely on each other for a variety of goods. Business between the two districts was doing well some before the clashes broke out. But as Abdisalan Mohamed who is a resident of Mandera explained, the conflict has seriously damaged the once booming business at the border.

“I am a businessman. The closed border means no income and no business for me. I am just staying at home,” Abdisalan told Somalia Report.

The prices of domestic goods have also increased. Goods that are exported to Belet Hawo from Mandera such as the widely used “Khat” among the Somali community is on high demand in Belet Hawo but can not be transported through the border.

Khat traders are mostly women who are single mothers or supporting families such as Halima Said. “My two children came for their half term holidays from school two weeks ago. They are asking for school fees which I promised the school that I will pay at this time. I begged the principal and I again have to carry forward the debt,” complained Said Halim.

Many of the Somali businessmen who used to operate in Belet Hawo fled the fighting. Their business properties have been destroyed as a result and they can’t imagine their business returning to normal.

Hussein Nur, a former trader in Belet Hawo said, “The last time I was leaving my shop, I only left with the money I had in cash. Goods worth $3400 were in my shop. I know my shop is one of the many business premises that were vandalized.” Hussein expressed his concern by saying, “It will take us time for business between Mandera and belet Hawo to return to normal.”