Weekly Press Conference on the Progress of the Government

Mogadishu, 25 October 2014 – The Minister of Information, Mustafa Duhulow, today addressed the media, providing an update on the progress of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) over the last week. The Minister discussed various issues: HE the President’s visit to El-Bur and Beledweyn; the Somalia Investment Conference in London; the delivery of food aid in Middle Shabelle region; a new Public Awareness Campaign regarding Somalia’s Marine Resources; more progress in the education sector; and finally, the progress of the Stabilization Plan.

The Minister of Information began with HE the President’s visit to El-Bur and Beledweyn: “On 23rd October 2014, HE the President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, visited El-Bur and Beledweyn. I was part of the delegation and the aim of the visit was to reach out to communities in regions, particularly newly recovered areas. El-Bur had been in the hands of terrorists for some time and the entire critical infrastructure in the area had been either neglected or destroyed. The President met key stakeholders in the area and listened to their concerns. In response, he made a commitment to provide basic services to the area as part of the nationwide Stabilization Process and the FGS’s policy of political outreach to all corners of Somalia. The President and his delegation was warmly welcomed in Beledweyn and had meetings with security forces (SNA and AMISOM), traditional elders and people from all segments of society. The aim of the visit was to speed up the process of stabilization and to identify the best way to provide basic services to the communities. The President encouraged local communities to start dialogue and reconciliation amongst themselves in order for them to take a leading role of their future governance.”

The Minister of Information spoke on the Somalia Investment Conference in London: “On 20th October 2014 a two day conference took place in London to convince companies and the international community to invest in the development of Somalia natural wealth in areas such as oil & gas. There were two separate conferences; one for African countries and how to invest the continent in terms of Oil & Gas and the other conference was focused particularly on Somalia. The aim of the latter conference was to highlight the potential of Somalia’s natural resources and to demonstrate that Somalia is ready for investment. The Minister of Water and Energy led the Somalia delegation while the former President of Nigeria chaired the African conference. The Rt Hon William Hague, the Leader of the House of Commons, stated that there is an opportunity to invest in Somalia that requires investing companies to priorities their activities so that the people of Somalia benefit from the revival of the country’s economy. Robert Sheppard, CEO of Soma Oil & Gas, who organized the Somalia conference, stated that they have been working with the Federal Government of Somalia over the last year in order to develop Somalia’s natural resources, in particular Oil & Gas.”

The Minister of Information spoke on the delivery of food aid to Middle Shabelle region: “On 21st October 2014, the Middle Shabelle Authority distributed food aid to 2500 families that were internally displaced and living near the airport. The Governor of Middle Shabelle, Ali Gudlawe, led the group that distributed the food aid, which consisted of sugar and flour. As part of the stabilization plan, the Ministry of Interior & Federal Affairs has allocated significant quantities of food aid to Middle Shabelle region. The families that received the food aid thanked the Federal Government and asked to be looked after on a regular basis. There are concerns that the flooding that started recently may worsen as the rainy season approaches. Internally displaced persons, some of them fleeing flooding in other parts of Middle Shabelle, have been joined by others fleeing recent clan fighting in the area, exacerbating the problem. It is part of the Stabilization Process that humanitarian aid reaches the regions most affected by the humanitarian crisis so that, in the longer term, these people are given opportunities to participate in the rebuilding of the nation and to develop the natural resources of the country such as agriculture and livestock, thus avoiding the constant threat of flooding, famine and violence.”

The Minister of Information spoke on the public awareness campaign regarding the development of Somalia’s marine resources: “On 22nd October 2014, the Ministry of Fishery & Marine Resources held a workshop to highlight the importance of developing the country’s marine resources and the urgent need to establish an independent committee that focuses the development in this area as the country has the longest coastline on mainland Africa. The committee will be diverse, representing all the regions of Somalia. FAO and the Italian Embassy facilitated the workshop. Representatives at the two-day workshop included ministers, MPs, representatives from the regions and the international community. Issues discussed included protection against illegal fishing in Somali waters, the richness of Somalia’s marine resources and the urgent need to develop it, the creation of jobs and many more issues. HE Mohamud Olow Barrow, the Minister of Fishery & Marine Resources, spoke to media and stated that the outcome of the two-day workshop is something that can raise awareness of the country’s vast and relatively untapped marine resources. The Minister hoped that more people would start fishing and developing other marine resources, which in turn could boost the recovery of the economy and create more jobs for young people. The Minister promised to extend the public awareness campaign into the regions.”

The Minister of Information spoke on further progress in the education sector in Somalia: “On 22nd October 2014, SIMAD University held a graduation ceremony for 29 students who completed their Master’s degrees. SIMAD and the Open University of Malaysia (OUM) conducted joint courses. This is a huge step forward in the education sector as students now have the opportunity to study towards post-graduate qualifications inside Somalia. Abdirahman Mohamud Salah, one of the 29 students completed his Master’s qualification, came first out of all the students studying, not just in Somalia, but, within the Open University of Malaysia, in the world. The President of SIMAD University, Abdirahman Mohamed Hussein (Odawa), stated that the university authorities have deliberately put more time, resources and commitment into producing quality students and teachers in order to enhance and develop their academic careers and the institution itself. SIMAD is a non-profit university that invests heavily in the development of the university. SIMAD and OUM signed a partnership agreement in 2012 so that students in Somalia could study towards their Master’s degrees without going abroad. The 29 students graduated with Master’s degrees in management, commerce, project management, technology and other subjects.”

The Minister of Information spoke finally on the progress of the Stabilization Plan in Somalia: “The Federal Government continues to stabilize the regions of Somalia including the capital city, Mogadishu. The aim is to provide an environment that is conducive for people to discuss and agree on their future governance. On 22nd October, the Ministerial Security Committee and AMISOM held a meeting to assess the progress of the stabilization process. At the end of the meeting the committee agreed to redouble its efforts to secure the country and, in particular, to stabilize and develop Mogadishu in order to deny terrorists the opportunity to harm civilians. It was agreed to conduct house-to-house security operations in Mogadishu and tat the best way to conduct these operations was with the support of the population. It was also agreed that any individual who is found guilty of collaborating terrorists will face stern action that could include their property being seized by the FGS. The Security Committee appealed to the public to support the efforts of security forces with a view to bringing peace and stability in Somalia. “