Saturday 30, Nov 2024 {HMC} Kenyan President William Ruto said Saturday that he and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni will help mediate a dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia, which threatens the stability of the region.

Landlocked Ethiopia, which has thousands of troops in Somalia to fight al-Qaida-linked insurgents, has fallen out with the Mogadishu government over its plans to build a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland in exchange for possible recognition of its sovereignty.

Somaliland has struggled to gain international recognition, despite governing itself and enjoying comparative peace and stability since declaring independence in 1991.

The spat has drawn Somalia closer to Egypt, which has quarreled with Ethiopia for years over Addis Ababa’s construction of a vast hydro dam on the Nile River, and Eritrea, another of Ethiopia’s foes.

“Because the security of Somalia … contributes significantly to the stability of our region and the environment for investors and businesspeople and entrepreneurs to thrive,” Ruto said at a news conference.

Several attempts to resolve the feud in Ankara, Turkey, failed to achieve a breakthrough.

Ethiopia’s government and foreign affairs spokespeople did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Somalia’s foreign minister could not immediately be reached by Reuters.

SOURCE VOA

Saturday 30, Nov 2024 {HMC} The closure of a free school providing education to more than 300 children from displaced families outside Galkayo has dealt a blow to families living in camps.

Danwadag School was the only educational institution for children in the camps of Danwadag, Donyale, and Iid-Gadud.

Somali diaspora stopped the financial support they had been giving to the teachers six months ago. The school administration said the diaspora funding organisation the school depended on seems to have collapsed.

Saido Ali Hersi, a mother of six, had her three elder children studying in lower and middle primary grades, but they have been out of school for months.
“I was hopeful when they were studying, but now my hopes have fallen. A child who was studying and reaching for a bright future is not the same as one who has been pulled back and left without a place to learn. There is such difference between children who are learning and those who are not,” she said.

Saido’s family have lived in Donyale camp since moving there in 2021 during a severe drought that claimed their 130 goats in Saaho, Mudug region. They had hoped to receive assistance from humanitarian organisations and were encouraged by the opportunity for their children to receive free education. With the school now closed, the family faces additional hardships.

This single mother earns a meager income washing clothes in Galkayo and receives occasional support from relatives. Despite her efforts, she cannot afford to send her children to private schools, the nearest of which is three kilometres away.

“I can’t afford the school fees. It would cost $30 a month for the three children, and even then when they come home, they’ll need food. I can’t even manage our daily meals. We survive on a single meal if we can find it. That’s our reality,” she told Radio Ergo.

Saido suffered from an undiagnosed illness that left her bedridden for two months last year, during which she used up her small savings. She had been running a small vegetable stall in the camp but could not restart the business due to lack of money to invest.

Sadiyo Abdi Farah, another mother affected by the school’s closure, remains worried about her children’s future. Her family of 10 depend on her husband bringing home no more than $5 on the best days from jobs on construction sites. Her six children, who had been attending Danwadag School, are now at home.

Sadiyo’s family moved to the camp in 2022 after leaving Galkayo city, where the cost of living was very high. They were evicted from their house after failing to pay $200 in rent and chose the camp for its affordability and the free education available for their children.

“I was proud when they were going to school, wearing their uniforms and looking forward to learning. Now they’re just sitting at home, with no hope for the future. It’s painful to see them like this,” she said.

The school principal, Hersi Ali Ahmed, has been working to find a solution but faces significant challenges. The recent rains damaged the school’s three metal-sheet classrooms. One classroom has already collapsed, and the other two are at risk of falling.

He said they will continue to fight for the education of the children, even if it takes years. The school had been operating for three years to provide education to children from displaced families.

“The school needs to be rebuilt, whether by the government, a humanitarian organisation, or the diaspora. It needs repair and the teachers must be paid. We need to ensure the children return to school and the community’s support is essential,” he said.

Parents in the camps have tried to pool resources to pay the teachers themselves but have been unable to raise sufficient funds. For many, the loss of the school is a devastating setback, not just for their children’s education but for their hopes of breaking the cycle of poverty.

SOURCE

Saturday 30, Nov 2024 {HMC} A boat transporting about 200 passengers to a food market capsized Friday along the River Niger in northern Nigeria, authorities said. At least 27 people were known dead, and more than 100 others, mostly women, were missing.

The boat was going from Kogi state to neighboring Niger state when it capsized, Ibrahim Audu, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency spokesperson, told The Associated Press.

Rescuers pulled 27 bodies from the river by Friday evening, while divers were still searching for others, according to Sandra Musa, spokesperson for Kogi state emergency services.

As of 12 hours after the incident occurred, no survivors had been found, she added.

Authorities have not confirmed what caused the boat to capsize, but local media suggested the boat might have been overloaded. Overcrowding on boats is common in remote parts of Nigeria where the lack of good roads leaves many with no alternative routes.

According to Justin Uwazuruonye, who oversees Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency operations in the state, rescuers had trouble finding the location of the capsized boat for hours after Friday’s tragedy occurred.

Such deadly incidents are increasingly becoming a source of concern in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, as authorities struggle to enforce safety measures and regulations for water transportation.

Most of the accidents have been attributed to overcrowding and the lack of maintenance of the boats, often built locally to accommodate as many passengers as possible in defiance of safety measures.

Also, authorities have not been able to enforce the use of life jackets on such trips, often because of the lack of availability or cost.

SOURCE VOA