Post on 06-Mar-2021
European Union Training Mission
Somalia
PRESS SUMMARY
1st August 2018
“In ‘Media’ stat virtus”
SUMMARY
TITLE PAGE
Somali security forces carry out sweep in Afgoye town 2
SNA Seizes Assorted Weapons From Al-Shabaab In Gedo Region 3
Somali President set to visit town outside Mogadishu 4
Somali PM welcomed in Qardho town, Puntland 5
National Chamber Of Commerce Secretary Arrested At Mogadishu
Airport
6
Parliamentary Security Committee Meets Security Minister And
NISA Boss
7
Somali PM dissolves new cabinet 8
Free Ambulance Service Imperiled in Somali Capital 9
IGAD-UNSOM upbeat in ending Tukaraq fighting 11
Somalia: Yet another setback for AU's peace efforts 12
Khalifa Foundation assists 180,000 Somalis 14
How the Gulf crisis is destabilising Somalia 15
War on Indian Ocean piracy cost Sh140 billion last year 17
Defence Secretary Makes First Africa Visit 19
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Somali security forces carry out sweep in Afgoye town
July 31, 2018
Somali security forces have carried out a massive
sweep in Afgoye town located on the outskirts of
the capital, Mogadishu on Tuesday.
Local residents said Somali National Army (SNA)
soldiers seized assorted weapons and suspects
during the dawn operation which targeted several
villages in the town.
Authorities in the town declined to comment on the operation and the suspects they have
detained who are currently being questioned at a police station in the area.
Separately, Somali and AU forces launched security operations aimed at opening the main
roads linking towns in Gedo and Lower Jubba regions that were blocked by Al-Shabab.
Al-Shabab which Wants to topple the internationally recognized Somali government has
been fighting Somalia military soldiers in Southern Somalia.
http://radioshabelle.com/somali-security-forces-carry-out-sweep-in-afgoye-town/
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SNA Seizes Assorted Weapons From Al-Shabaab In Gedo Region
30 July 2018
Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers seized assorted weapons and a technical vehicle in a
covert operation in southern Somalia. Gedo Deputy Governor, Osman Nur Hajji, said soldiers
who acted on a tip off successfully engaged Al-Shabaab fighters near Luq district.
“Al-Shabaab was amassing its fighters in Kabis village when the Somali military attacked
them. Some of the assorted arms, ammunition and a vehicle were recovered,” he said.
According to Hajji, Somali military has taken over the bases of the group in the village:
“Government forces are now controlling Kabis village, which was previously under Al-
Shabaab,” Hajji affirmed.
However Al-Shabaab did not comment on the Gedo deputy governor’s sentiments. The
latest development comes barely five days after Somali military soldiers seized a cache of
weapons in Bardhere town. Most of the Al-Shabaab fighters fled the region following
intensive operation by the joint forces.
SNA and AMISOM forces have launched security operations aimed at opening up main roads
linking towns in Gedo and Lower Jubba regions that were initially blocked by Al-Shabaab.
The militia group, which wants to topple the internationally recognized Somali government,
has been fighting Somalia military soldiers in southern Somalia.
http://somaliamediamonitoring.org/july-31-2018-morning-headlines/
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Somali President set to visit town outside Mogadishu
July 31, 2018
Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, the President
of Somalia’s Federal Government is
expected to pay a visit to Afgoye district in
Lower Shabelle region.
Sources at Villa Somalia told Radio Shabelle
that president will arrive in the agricultural
town in the coming few hours.
On Tuesday, hundreds of Somali security forces, including presidential guards backed by
African Union peacekeepers, beefed up the city’s security ahead of the president’s arrival.
The purpose of the visit remains unclear, but this will become the 2nd visit of president
Farmajo to Afgoye, 30Km northwest of Mogadishu since taking office on 8th February 2017.
http://radioshabelle.com/somali-president-set-to-visit-town-outside-mogadishu/
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Somali PM welcomed in Qardho town, Puntland
July 31, 2018
Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Khaire has
on Tuesday arrived in Qardho, the
regional capital of Puntland’s Karkar
region located in northeastern
Somalia.
PM Khaire and his delegation have
received a warm welcome from the
district officials and civil society from all walks on arriving the town under tight security.
Hundreds of Puntland soldiers were deployed on the main streets of the town ahead of the
PM’s arrival, according to the residents, speaking to Radio Shabelle over the phone.
On 29th July, the PM and the high-level delegation, he was leading arrived in Garowe, the
administrative capital of Puntland state for the 20th anniversary of Puntland inception.
http://radioshabelle.com/somali-pm-welcomed-in-qardho-town-puntland/
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National Chamber Of Commerce Secretary Arrested At Mogadishu Airport
31 July 2018
Somalia’s National Chamber of Commerce General Secretary Shaafi Raabbi Kahin, was
reportedly detained by security officers at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport
upon returning from Brussels, where he attended the recently concluded Brussels-Somalia
conference.
The reason for the arrest of Kahin, who is also the chairman of Jubbaland Chamber of
Commerce, is yet to be uncovered. His diplomatic passport was also confiscated and he is
currently being held at a detention at the airport, according to Jubbaland Chamber of
Commerce members in Kismayo. The Airport authorities have not yet commented on the
arrest of the official.
http://somaliamediamonitoring.org/july-31-2018-daily-monitoring-report/
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Parliamentary Security Committee Meets Security Minister And NISA Boss
30 July 2018
Federal Parliament’s Security Committee on Sunday met with the Security Minister,
Mohamed Abukar Islow and the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) boss,
Hussein Osman Hussein. The committee engaged the two officials in in-depth discussions on
the security situation and ongoing security reforms in the capital of Mogadishu.
The security officials briefed the parliamentary committee on the latest security situation in
the country, particularly Mogadishu, and the ongoing security reforms aimed at bolstering
the security of the capital. Security Minister, Islow, said there were ongoing plans to
reexamine the security reform process in the capital, and singled out some of the leadership
changes in security organs including the stabilization force.
The deputy chairman of the parliament’s internal affairs and security, MP Mohamed Abdulle
Farah ‘Gesey’, who spoke to the media at the end of the meeting, said they will be
implementing all the points raised with the security bosses. Geesey said they also discussed
how to conduct the anticipated security operations.
http://somaliamediamonitoring.org/july-31-2018-morning-headlines/
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Somali PM dissolves new cabinet
7/30/2018
Somali lawmakers opposed the new government for reinstating a large number of ministers
who served in his predecessor's government.
MOGADISHU — Somali Prime Minister Omar
Abdirashid Sharmarke has dismissed his newly
nominated cabinet, a government official told
Xinhua in the wee hours Saturday.
"The PM decided to dissolve the newly
appointed cabinet due to strong opposition
from parliament," said member of Parliament Ali noor Bodaye, adding that Sharmarke is
expected to appear before the national assembly on Saturday to request more time to form
new government.
Sharmarke announced his new cabinet earlier this week. However, there has been a standoff
within the national assembly on approving the new cabinet, which largely comprised of
former cabinet ministers.
Sharmarke, former Somali Ambassador to the United States, was appointed as premier in
December last year, after his predecessor was ousted via motion of no confidence.
The international community has warned against the recurrence of violence in the horn of
African state due to unstable political standoff among the Somali leaders.
https://menafn.com/1097222862/Somali-PM-dissolves-new-cabinet
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Free Ambulance Service Imperiled in Somali Capital
July 31, 2018
Financial troubles, staffing shortages and
high demand threaten to halt the only
free private ambulance service in
Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.
"We have been providing this voluntary
service for 12 years with the help of
friends and other generous individuals in private business, but now the responsibility is
greater than our power," said Abdulkadir Abdirahman Adam, a dentist who founded Aamin
Ambulance. He cited a staffing shortage and an inability to cover costs.
At its peak, the service had 53 workers. Now, "only 20 people with 16 vehicles [are] providing
24/7 services to a growing city and huge population," Adam said, estimating the
metropolitan area at more than 2 million people.
Adam, who also teaches at a Mogadishu university, said the service has been running on
donations from individuals, such as "students who provided us $1 a month. That is not
enough to cover the needs of this city and its residents."
The service began in 2006 with a
single ambulance and a few drivers
and nurses in Mogadishu, risking
their lives while trying to save victims
of mortar fire, artillery shells and
random gunfire that have ricocheted
around this crumbling seaside city for
almost 30 years.
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"Before this service, people used to transport the wounded with wheelbarrows and taxis
that charged expensive fees," said Fadumo Nur, who runs a midwifery center. "But now all
you need is to call 999 and then there is an ambulance at your door. If we miss this service,
we will go back to the dark days."
The United Nations' top diplomat in Somalia called for more support during a February visit
to the ambulance service office.
Aamin plays "an important role in providing the population a degree of comfort that when
something very bad goes wrong, there is someone they can turn to," said the envoy, Michael
Keating, who was quoted by the U.N. Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).
Aamin Ambulance maintains the only Mogadishu call center with a 24-hour emergency
helpline.
But staffing shortages, along with traffic issues, delay the ambulance service's life-saving
responses, he said. "We have many times witnessed mothers who called us from homes in
an active labor and, due to delays, they deliver babies in our vehicles on their way to the
hospital."
Aamin Ambulance is almost always found at sites hit by terror attacks or natural disasters,
often as the first emergency responder. Photos from the country's deadliest assault — an
October 14 truck bombing in Mogadishu that killed 512 and wounded more than 300 —
showed Aamin's first responders at the blast scene tending to injuries.
Earlier this month, Aamin Ambulance responded to a blast at Somalia's ministry of interior
affairs compound, transporting 21 people with injuries along with five bodies, the company
said in a tweet.
https://www.voanews.com/a/free-ambulance-service-imperiled-somalia-
capital/4508105.html
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IGAD-UNSOM upbeat in ending Tukaraq fighting
July 31, 2018
The regional bloc IGAD and the UN
Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) have
expressed optimism in ending the fighting
between Puntland and Somaliland forces
in Tukaraq of Sool region which has since
claimed dozens of lives. In a statement
Monday following a two days visit by both
IGAD and UNSOM mission teams to Puntland and Somaliland, the two bodies noted there
was commitment from the warring factions to end the fighting and find lasting peace.
“The leaders of both Somaliland and Puntland and all other interlocutors from both sides
reiterated their commitment to finding a peaceful solution, the statement read in part. The
joint mission which visited Puntland, Garowe, and Hargeisa in the past three days said both
Somaliland and Puntland ‘openly explained their positions, welcomed the ideas from the
joint mission as a good basis for taking forward the ongoing search for a solution, and shared
additional ideas for consideration.’
Tukaraq, located in Sool region has been the epicentre of deadly clashes between Puntland
and Somaliland with each side laying claim to the small village despite local and international
pressure to find an amicable solution. Forces from both sides last clashed in late May with
casualties reported from both sides and more families displaced.
The joint IGAD-UN team will now further elaborate the emerging ideas and clarify issues that
came up during the discussions, with a view to returning to Puntland and Somaliland for
further discussions in the coming days and weeks, the UN said.
http://goobjoog.com/english/igad-unsom-upbeat-in-ending-tukaraq-fighting/
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Somalia: Yet another setback for AU's peace efforts
7/30/2018
(MENAFN - SomTribune) The African Union Mission
in Somalia was supposed to be the ultimate African
solution to the ultimate African problem. Despite a
promising start, it hasn't quite turned out like that.
Last Thursday's Al-Shabaab attack on the mission's
Ethiopian contingent is another major setback. Early on Thursday morning, militants from
Al-Shabaab attacked a peacekeeping base in the town of Halgan, around 300km north of
Mogadishu. The base was manned by a contingent of Ethiopian troops, there under the
banner of the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom). As usual in these circumstances,
it's hard to know what exactly happened. The Islamist militants claimed a major victory. They
said their fighters had overrun the base, and killed at least 43 Ethiopian soldiers after a car
bomb destroyed the front gate.
Amisom, however, played the attack down, insisting that its troops remained in control. It
claimed to have repulsed the attack and killed 110 Al-Shabaab fighters. 'Attacks such as this
further demonstrate the despicable nature of Al-Shabaab, whose sole purpose is to spread
terror and continue the destabilisation of Somalia. Our resolve can only be rejuvenated, to
fight on until Somalia is freed of all elements of terror,' said the African Union in a statement
attributed to commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini- Zuma. Neither the Al-Shabaab nor
Amisom accounts can be taken at face value. Al-Shabaab has a long history of inflating
casualty counts for propaganda purposes, while Amisom has recently been accused (with
considerable justification) of covering up egregious failures after a previous Al-Shabaab
attack.
Either way, it's clear that Al-Shabaab is a far from the spent force it was supposed to be after
nine years and billions of dollars of Amisom effort. It is also clear that Amisom, supposed to
be a model for future African Union interventions, still has plenty of work to do if it wants to
leave Somalia more peaceful and stable than when it arrived. As Paul Williams, a long-time
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Amisom observer, described in a recent paper for the Royal United Services Institute: 'The
political imperative to take the fight to Al-Shabaab during 2014 and 2015, Al-Shabaab's
ability to adapt to changing circumstances, Amisom's various internal problems and the
weakness of the Somali National Army combined to leave the AU mission overstretched:
unable to hold the newly recovered settlements while simultaneously conducting offensive
operations.
Amisom was left vulnerable to Al-Shabaab attacks, especially on its main supply routes and
some of its forward operating bases. Al-Shabaab's ability to infiltrate the Somali security
forces and maintain a covert presence in Mogadishu also enabled it to carry out regular
asymmetric attacks on symbolic targets in the capital city.' The Halgan attack is yet another
example of these vulnerabilities. There's even a suggestion from some analysts that Al-
Shabaab is almost toying with Amisom, that its recent attacks may be part of a deliberate
strategy to target each Amisom troop contributing country in turn.
The pattern certainly supports this analysis: in June last year, Burundian troops came under
fire in Lego; in September, the Ugandans were targeted at their base in Janaale; about 141
Kenyans were killed in February during a major attack at El Adde; and, at Halgan, it was
Ethiopia's turn. The message is clear: no one is safe. Of the troop contributing countries, only
Djibouti has not suffered a major loss in the last year. Amisom's weaknesses mean there is
little that the mission can do to improve its situation. Jasmine Opperman, Africa director for
the Terrorism and Research Analysis Consortium, notes that Amisom is hamstrung by the
very obvious divisions between troop contributing countries, and its failure to win the trust
of local communities. All too often, it is also operation in the dark: 'Amisom lacks the quality
intelligence necessary to execute precise attacks on Al-Shabaab. Coupled with an inability to
deploy quickly, this allows space for Al-Shabaab to continue to attack Amisom positions,' she
said.
As Somalia prepares for a presidential election in August 2016, Amisom's weaknesses
become even more central to the country's immediate future. With the Somali National
Army still weak and under-equipped, Amisom is effectively the guarantor of those elections,
and needs to be in a position to protect the population. What Halgan, and El Adde, and
Janaale, and Lego have taught us is that the mission is not yet in a position to protect itself.
https://menafn.com/1097222864/Somalia-Yet-another-setback-for-AUs-peace-efforts
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Khalifa Foundation assists 180,000 Somalis
BERBERA, 31st July, 2018 (WAM) -- The Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation has
concluded its third relief operation in Somalia's Berbera region, distributing food aid
packages to 10,000 families affected by the drought.
According to a spokesperson from the organisation, the campaign was implemented in
accordance with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
with the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of
Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and close monitoring
by H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
Presidential Affairs, and Chairman of Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation.
The spokesperson said that a team from the foundation visited affected areas to assess the
severe damage caused to the lands, farms, crops and the cattle of many Somali families, and
in collaboration with the concerned local authorities, went on to provide thousands of food
baskets as part of efforts to alleviate their hardship.
The total number of food parcels distributed across the campaign's duration totaled 36,000,
benefiting 180,000 individuals.
http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302701528
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How the Gulf crisis is destabilising Somalia
July 31, 2018
The impact of the anti-Qatar embargo continues to have strange consequences beyond the
Gulf. Somalia is increasingly compromised by
its schizophrenic approach to Saudi Arabia,
Bahrain and the UAE on the one hand, and
Qatar on the other, exacerbated by a fragile
federal system in which constitutional
responsibilities for foreign affairs are stated
vaguely. Somali President Mohamed
Abdullahi Mohamed – better known as Farmajo — has tried to steer a neutral course
between the two camps, even if Saudi Arabia had offered incentives for Horn of Africa
countries to cut off ties with Iran in 2016 and, since 2015, to help with the conflict against
the Houthis in Yemen. The UAE was initially sceptical, viewing many of the Somali leader’s
key appointments as being too close to the Qatari point of view.
Over the past year, cracks have started to show internally. The argument was that there was
more to gain from Somalia siding with the Saudi-UAE faction within the GCC. Critics of
Farmajo cited migrant remittances, port opportunities and larger markets for livestock
exports if Doha was rejected. Mogadishu held the cards though; under the constitution, only
the federal government had the right to dictate foreign policy. The divide, forced upon
Somalia by the actions of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, risked straining the Somali constitution
unnecessarily, in a country which is still very much in the state-building stage of post-conflict
redevelopment. Last August, the Puntland region in north-east Somalia argued that Farmajo
had not consulted properly with its state administration about backing the UAE-Saudi
factions, and publicly backed a new strategic relationship with their axis. As Omar Mahmood
noted at the Institute for Security Studies, this was likely related to a decision by Dubai-based
P&O Ports to sign a thirty-year concession for Bosaso port, which acts as Puntland’s main
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harbour and is a major source of revenue. Similar declarations soon followed from the South
West and Galmagud administrations. Within days, the regional President of Galmagud was
voted out of office by a pro-Mogadishu faction, further dividing the country as allegations of
illegal meddling by the central government circulated. Even Galmagud was divided as
supporters of Mogadishu clashed with opponents.
Original Emirati fears that Farmajo secretly favoured Qatar (and Turkey) appear to be far
from ill-founded; he has brought the country closer to Doha and Ankara on several fronts.
Meanwhile, many of his interventions since, including the seizures of cash and raids on
officials’ homes, were justified by the idea that the UAE is sending money to his domestic
rivals. DP World’s efforts to build a port in Berbera, in the breakaway statelet of Somaliland,
have further enflamed internal tensions. Somali politics has come close to violence in recent
months. Should the federal system collapse, the likely winner, argued Crisis Group in a
recent think tank report, will once again be Al-Shabaab. Ironically, it is this kind of extremist
group upon which the UAE has built so much diplomatic capital by opposing.
It is fashionable amongst Middle East observers to say that speaking of the Sunni-Shia divide
is simplified orientalism, and that local issues are far more important. Unfortunately, seeing
the world through a Sunni-Shia divide is exactly how Riyadh and Abu Dhabi do things. What
is going on in Somalia illustrates perfectly how their world view, defined fundamentally by
being anti-Iran above all else, can be imposed on top of local rivalries and greatly exacerbate
them. This anti-Shia world view is already causing real problems in Qatar, based on a tenuous
claim that the ruling Al-Thani family is too close to Tehran. Qatar is rich enough and well
connected enough on the international stage to be able to shrug off the siege for the time
being. Somalia has no such luck. The country is relatively poor, weakly governed and with a
long history of fractious violence. Forced to choose between two camps abroad, it is dividing
itself unnecessarily. Farmajo is attempting to address Emirati meddling with proactive
measures, but is inevitably sweeping up rivals as he cracks down, adding to the divisions.
The fact that there are two camps for Somalis to choose from is clearly down to Riyadh and
Abu Dhabi’s reckless decision-making. What began with a siege on Doha may well not end
there; Somalia’s future lies in great part on whether the GCC bickering can be stopped.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180731-how-the-gulf-crisis-is-destabilising-somalia/
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War on Indian Ocean piracy cost Sh140 billion last year
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
About $1.4 billion (Sh140 billion) was spent
on the war on piracy in the Western Indian
Ocean bloc last year, a team formed to find
ways of fighting the menace says. The
Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of
Somalia (CGPCS) said the figures were the
latest from Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP), a programme of the One Earth Future Foundation.
The foundation is a privately funded non-profit organisation based in Colorado, USA. The
cost includes money paid by shipping operators for increased insurance due to piracy,
labour, armed guards and other protection measures, ransom paid by insurers and the cost
of naval deployments. More than 200 participants from 50 countries and organisations met
in Nairobi mid last month to discuss a global approach to combat maritime piracy. The forum
was organised by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), CGPCS, the Kenyan government and
the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Participants reiterated the
commitment of the region and the international community to fight piracy and its root
causes. The economic cost of piracy caused by groups in Somalia increased to $1.7 billion
(Sh170 billion) in 2016, from $1.3 billion (Sh130 billion) in 2015.
The cost had been trending downwards from $7 billion (Sh700 billion) in 2010 due to
counter-piracy measures. The 21st plenary session of the CGPCS chaired by Mauritius
Foreign Affairs minister and IOC chair Vishnu Lutchmeenaraidoo was an opportunity to
assess the status of maritime piracy in the Western Indian Ocean. Representatives of EU
NAVFOR Somalia and Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) identified rare cases of piracy since
the resurgence of attacks at the beginning of 2017 — namely two attacks in November 2017;
the alleged perpetrators are awaiting trial in the Seychelles — and one attack at the
beginning of this year. "We must not ease our efforts," stressed Lucthmeenaraidoo.
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Members of the Contact Group and the EU vouched for the extension of the mandate of the
EU NAVFOR mission until December 2020. EU NAVFOR Somalia, also known as Operation
Atalanta, is a counter-piracy military operation at sea off the Horn of Africa. Furthermore,
participants stressed the importance of stopping the threat of piracy. The mission will also
be given a broader mandate to cover all crimes and threats directly related to piracy.
Kenya’s Defence secretary Raychelle Omamo urged for heightened war on terrorism and
piracy saying they were connected. "We must fight these ills — piracy and terrorism — in
tandem because in many ways terrorism extends into the waters through piracy and piracy
extends to land through terrorism," she said. Mr Lutchmeenaraidoo added: "We cannot fight
effectively nor permanently remove piracy if we do not tackle all the crimes and threats that
feed on or are fuelled by piracy. “That is why I suggested that we start thinking about the
possible extension of the mandate of the Contact Group and that the outcomes be
submitted to the next plenary session for debate.”
“Members of CGPCS have confirmed the usefulness of this forum which allows the exchange
of on-going initiatives and offers a comprehensive outlook on the activities of the fight
against piracy,” a statement from CGPCS said. It noted that maritime security is emerging as
a key issue of development in eastern and southern Africa.
Foreign Affairs secretary Monica Juma said maritime security is key to the growth of the blue
economy. "It is becoming a very important foundation for strategies to create the blue
economy as a new pillar of prosperity for coastal communities and for improving their
livelihoods,” said Ms Juma. IOC secretary-general Hamada Madi added: "The potential of the
blue economy for growth and social progress will emerge only if we are able to collectively
provide safety at sea with the support of our partners in the international community. “The
CGPCS is thus an expression of a common goal to cooperate not only for regional stability
crucial for development in eastern and southern Africa, but also for the security of sea routes
in the Indian Ocean among the most important for international trade.” The next plenary
session of CGPCS will be held in 2019.
https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/shipping/War-on-Indian-Ocean-piracy-cost-
Sh140-billion-last-year/4003122-4690978-p680v8z/index.html
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Defence Secretary Makes First Africa Visit
Tue, 31/07/2018
Gavin Williamson (left) will go on to visit Somalia and Ethiopia after his time in Kenya.
The Defence Secretary has paid a visit to
Africa – his first time on the continent.
Gavin Williamson landed in Nairobi, Kenya
with a packed schedule - his first stop, the
British Peace Support Team in Karen on
the outskirts of the city. Britain funds
around 30% of the training courses that run at the International Peace Support Training
Centre, ranging from IED disposal, to promoting females in peacekeeping roles. It is this
training, and the difficulties women face in conflict, that the Defence Secretary has as a
priority. Mr Williamson then flew north to Nanyuki, where the British Army has trained
around six times a year for the last ten years. The battlegroup exercises take place across a
79,000 hectare ranch, however there have been concerns that the contract with its owners
would not be renewed. After a meeting with Kenya’s Defence Minister, Gavin Williamson
confirmed to land managers that licences were being renewed. This was a flying visit for
Gavin Williamson, though his African adventure continues beyond Kenya to Somalia and
Ethiopia. Building Britain's Relationships - Building and maintaining relationships has been
the focus for the Defence Secretary on this trip. As well as exploring areas of Kenya that
British troops live and work in, he met with his Kenyan counterpart to secure licencing
agreements for battlegroup exercises to continue in the country.
Thousands of personnel and their families have made their lives in east Africa promoting
peace. The Defence Secretary made no secret of the fact he wants British influence in this
area to spread further across the continent.
https://www.forces.net/news/defence-secretary-makes-first-africa-visit
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