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 Somalia: Eritrea: Sudan: Somaliland: Ethiopia: Djibouti: Tigray: Kenya: Oromo:
Regional News Update:
 UN envoy & EU PSC sizes up Somalia challenges Mogadishu (HAN) June 12th, 2013- HAN & Geeska Afrika Online News. Restoring peace in Kismayo is a key challenges facing the UN's new special representative to Somalia.. The European Union's Political and Security Committee (PSC), the key body that contributes to define and monitor the EU's crisis response as part of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy, made its first visit to Somalia.
The EU PSC reiterated the EU's continued support to creating peace, stability and prosperity in Somalia and in the wider Horn region. They encouraged continued consolidation of the peace and governance achievements. President Hassan Sheikh and the PSC Ambassador's underscored that "The New Deal for Somalia Conference", which will be jointly hosted by Somalia and the EU in Brussels in September this year, will provide a unique opportunity to galvanise the international community around the New Deal and the Government's vision up to 2016. Read Full
Regional Security Update: Wednesday, June 12th:-Remarks at a Security Council Briefing on Somalia Thank you, Mr. President, Minister Simmonds, for hosting this session and thank you, Deputy Secretary-General Eliasson, for your briefing. I wish to welcome the presence of the deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of Somalia as well. At the outset, we would like to take this opportunity to express appreciation to former SRSG Mahiga and the UN Political Office to Somalia for their contributions to Somalia’s progress. Despite many tactical successes, al-Shabaab is not yet defeated. And there are others who wish to drag Somalia back into chaos. Recent terrorist attacks show that Mogadishu and many rural parts of Somalia are still vulnerable. UN Security Council looks to the Somali National Security Forces and AMISOM to continue their efforts to expand and maintain control over the country so that the Somali Government can improve governance and the rule of law. We applaud those regional actors who have played a positive role in supporting Somalia’s unity and sovereignty, especially in the early days of President Hassan Sheikh’s administration.

Somaliland: The UN Security Council also concerned about Somaliland’s decision on May 14 to ban UN flights over Somaliland airspace. This could harm the humanitarian situation there and affect the provision of food, shelter, water and sanitation, and other support by humanitarian organizations. OCHA estimates that approximately 413,000 people in Somaliland need humanitarian aid, including 39,000 children who suffer from malnutrition. More than 85,000 people remain displaced due to recurrent drought and conflict. Read Full
Ethiopia: UN envoy, Somali President call for an end to Kismayo fighting Mogadishu (HAN) June 9th, 2013- HAN & Geeska Afrika Online News. Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the new Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations H.E. Nicholas Kay in Mogadishu - Nicholas Kay welcomed the call for the President of Somalia to hold reconciliation conference for Jubba's regions as per the IGAD agreement on 24 May. UN offered to provide the resources to hold the reconciliation conference - this is a welcome to all Somalis who want to see an end to the conflict in Kismayo. Somalia facing emerging political threat.. -- The fledgling government in Somalia could face a volatile future given political rivalries developing along the coast, the U.N. deputy secretary-general said. Read Full Report

Ethiopia: Egypt attack proposals 'day dreaming' Mogadishu (HAN) June 5th, 2013- HAN & Geeska Afrika Online News. Egyptian officials tried to cool tensions with Ethiopia Wednesday over the new Nile River dam project by highlighting its "neighborliness" as the Ethiopian prime minister's spokesman insisted that nothing would stop the dam from being completed upstream from Egypt, which is wholly dependent on Nile River water. Read Full Report Interview With somaliland leader Ahmed Mahamoud Silanyo
Regional Security Update: Wednesday, June 5th: Official Kenyan Meeting with Somali President for regional Security Issues... (2 photos) Uhuru Receiving Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud at State Lodge, Sagana. (2nd Photo) First Lady Margaret Kenyatta with Somali First Lady Qamar Ali Omar at Sagana State Lodge. — at Sagana State Lodge. Sources: Senior Advisor & Spokesperson to the Presidency at Office Of the President of Somalia

Egypt and Sudan were holding talks following a decision by Ethiopia to divert the Blue Nile Addis Ababa (HAN) May 30th, 2013- HAN & Geeska Afrika Online News. A “Ethiopia has repeatedly and publicly affirmed that Egypt’s water interests will not be harmed [by the construction of the Renaissance Dam] and we are following up on this,” Mohamed Idris, Egyptian ambassador in Addis Ababa, told HAN & Geeska Afrika Online News Reporter in Addis on Monday. Ethiopian dam not necessarily harmful to Egypt, mutually beneficial solution possible, says Egyptian ambassador in Addis Ababa. The construction of the dam was effectively initiated some two years ago following the signing of an agreement by most upstream Nile Basin states. Ethiopia will use the dam to generate electricity to meet its expanded development needs, with extra for exports. Read Full Report
Somali Troops and Kenyan loyalist Firefight rocks airport in Kismayu, Somalia Mogadishu (HAN) May 29th, 2013- HAN & Geeska Afrika Online News. A firefight began between militants and government troops at the airport in Kismayu, Somalia, while a government delegation was inside, defense officials said. Today al-Shabab militants are nowhere to be seen in the Somali port city of Kismayo, which was once their financial hub and their last major stronghold in Somalia. But those who united to defeat their common enemy in the city are now fighting for control of liberated areas and for who gets the big share of seaport revenue. Read Full Report
Regional News: Wednesday, May 29th:

Somalia: Violence in Somalia scares investors, aid workers Mogadishu (HAN) May 23rd, 2013- HAN & Geeska Afrika Online News. A spate of attacks by Islamic insurgents in Somalia's capital is forcing investors, businessmen and aid workers to have second thoughts about expanding operations in Mogadishu. But, the Oilmen ready for risky push into Somalia. Foreign companies are getting ready to undertake the risky business of exploring for oil in war-torn Somalia, a quest that could trigger new conflicts. Read Full Report Inside Story - To contain Al-Shabab
Regional News: Thursday, May 23rd:
Regional Security Update: Thursday, May 23rd: Ethiopian Government Playing At Being Good Neighbours? - Despite comments by Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn suggesting the pending withdrawal of his country's troops from Somalia, many experts have voiced doubts that Ethiopia will pull out of Somalia before it is capable of handling its security without assistance.
Somali Reconstruction and investment conference and exhibition 29 may press conference Nairobi (HAN) May 22nd, 2013- HAN & Geeska Afrika Online News. private sector players and key policy makers are set to meet end May in Nairobi to discuss investment and rebuilding of Somalia, as the country emerges from decades of civil war. Dubbed Somali recontruction and investment conference and exhibition, the meeting to be held on May 28 and 29 will bring top decision makers from international and regional development organisations, and participants from the public and private sector. Read Full

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GEESKA AFRIKA MAGAZINE - HARGEISA DAILY
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Upcoming Regional Photo News...

The Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud,
centre left, welcomes members of the
European Union's Political and Security
Committee in Mogadishu, Somalia Wednesday,
June, 13, 2013

The president of Somalia's
Jubaland state Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed
Islam (Madobe) has accused the Somali
Federal Government of "organizing clan
violence" in Kismayo and the Jubba regions. June 13, 2013

Somalia: Fighters loyal to Somali warlord
Ahmed Madobe strengthened control
of the key southern port of Kismayo,
residents said Monday, after days of
clashes between rival militia forces.
Mogadishu June 12th, 2013

Ethiopia has dismissed Egyptian talk of
military action against a giant dam it
is building on the Nile as "psychological warfare".
Dina Mufti, Ethiopia's foreign ministry spokesman,
said on Tuesday that his country was "not intimidated
by Egypt's psychological warfare and won't halt the dam's
construction, even for seconds."
Responding to a speech a day earlier by Egypt's
President Mohamed Morsi, in which he said Egypt
did not want "war" but would keep "all options open"
to avoid losing any water, Mufti said the project would
not be distracted by their neighbours.
Addis Ababa June 13, 2013

The United Nations Security Council
discussed Somalia on Thursday
(June 6th), hearing from Deputy
UN Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson,
the UK's Minister for Africa, Mark
Simmonds , Somalia's Deputy Prime Minister,
Fouzia Yusuf Haji Adan, and Dr. Tekeda Alemu,
Ethiopia's Permanent Representative,
speaking for IGAD.
New York June 12th, 2013

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and
the new Special Representative
of the Secretary General of the
United Nations H.E. Nicholas Kay
in Mogadishu 08 June 2013.

The new United Nations envoy
for Somalia Nicholas Kay (L),
accompanied by the Special
Representative of the Chairperson
of the African Union Commission
(SRCC) for Somalia Mahamat Saleh
Annadif, inspects a guard of honour
mounted by African Union Mission in
Somalia (AMISOM) forces in Somalia's
capital Mogadishu, June 3, 2013
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