Djibouti
The Djibouti Ambassador to Somalia, Dr. Aden Hassan Aden met with the new Governor of Benadir and Mayor of Mogadishu, Abdirahman Omar Osman (Engineer Yarisow) on Tuesday (January 6). Dr. Aden said Djibouti would assist rebuilding roads and other infrastructure in Mogadishu, adding that plans were underway to link the cities of Djibouti and Mogadishu as development partners. The Governor invited the Mayor of Djibouti to visit Mogadishu to discuss more possible assistance and partnership in the future.
Eritrea
At the beginning of this week, the Israeli government issued deportation notices to 20,000 male asylum seekers, from Eritrea and Sudan, giving 60 days to leave the country for an unnamed African country in exchange for $3500 and a plane ticket. Those who do not accept will be imprisoned indefinitely. President Isaias said all those who wished to return home “have every right to do so,” but said migrants from Eritrea and Sudan had paid a “high price” to human traffickers to reach Israel and said they needed fair compensation to start a new life in their home country, $50,000, rather than $3,500
Kenya
President Kenyatta, inaugurating a Sh28.3 billion cement clinker plant, in Kajiado country on Wednesday (February 7) called on all politicians to get down to work and focus on serving Kenyans. He said the time for “empty politicking” was over and leaders must embark on serious work to avoid short-changing the electorate. The elections are over, he said: “The people of Kenya have chosen their leaders. They now expect you to set aside distractions, games, and sideshows and focus your efforts on building our nation.” The President also announced plans for new cement and steel factories in Nakuru and Mombasa in the next four years.
President Kenyatta, speaking at the passing-out parade at the military Recruits Training School in Eldoret, praised the Kenya Defence Forces for their efforts in fighting Al-Shabaab. He said the troops in Somalia and those deployed to Boni Forest in Lamu County had been able to neutralise the terrorist group’s plans in Kenya and in the region: “Our engagements have indeed degraded Al-Shabaab’s ability to attack in Kenya and elsewhere.”
Somalia
President Mohamed Abdullahi presided over the 6th meeting of the National Security Council this week (February 6-8) in Mogadishu. Those attending included Regional State Presidents and other senior officials from the Federal government, the Regional States and the Benadir Administration. The meeting was briefed on the security situation in the regional states and the agenda covered ways to stabilize the country before the 2020 general elections, the strengthening of cooperation between federal and regional security agencies and reforming the security sectors as well consideration of the building of the Somali National Army.
President Mohamed Abdullahi met the UAE Ambassador to Somalia Mohammed Ahmed Othman Al Hammadi on Wednesday (February 7) to discuss relations between the UAE and Somalia and ways to develop and strengthen their common interest. President Mohamed expressed his thanks to the UAE for its continued support to Somalia.
Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf of Somalia has been elected President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Judge Yusuf has been Vice-president of the ICJ since February 2015 and a judge at the court since 2009. He is one of the founders of the African Foundation for International Law, as well as chairperson of its Executive Committee. The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Established in June 1945, the court settles, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by states and gives advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly organs and agencies of the United Nations.
The Federal Finance Ministry said this week that the government needed US$60 million to print the new Somali currency to replace the old dilapidated notes currently circulating in the local markets. Finance Minister Abdirahman Duale Beyle said the government was working with the World Bank to meet the expense. The new currency will be printed “in the coming months”
