Arbaco 16-Octo-2024 {HMC} Somaliland Electoral Commission has imposed a fine of 10 million Somaliland Shillings each on the Kulmiye and Waddani political parties for beginning their election campaigns ahead of the official start date.

The Commission’s Ethics Committee announced on Tuesday that both parties had violated the electoral code of conduct. “We have fined the two parties, Wadani and Kulmiye, 10 million Somaliland shillings each and suspended their campaigns,” said the Chairman of the Ethics Committee.

The committee also banned the use of government vehicles for campaign activities. Following the committee’s decision, Candidate Abdirahman Irro suspended his campaign, which had been scheduled to seek votes in the western areas of Somaliland. Irro cancelled his planned trip to districts including Sabowanaag, Addadley, Balli-Maatan, Qoton-Daba, and Balli-Kalil, in compliance with the Commission’s order.

“The trip has been cancelled in compliance with the order issued tonight by the Ethics Committee of the National Elections Commission of the Republic of Somaliland,” Irro stated.

The official campaign period for the upcoming parallel presidential and party elections will commence on October 19 and end on November 10, just two days before voting day. Seven new political organizations will each be given two days to campaign, while the three major parties will have three days each.

The 2024 Somaliland elections will determine the next president for the coming five years and the three political parties shaping the country’s political landscape for the next decade.

Source Hiiraan Online.

Arbaco 16-Octo-2024 {HMC}

Italy has pointed the finger at bureaucratic red tape for its abrupt halt in issuing visas to Somali nationals—a move that left many puzzled. Ambassador Pier Mario Daccò Coppi, in a rare candid statement, dismissed rumours of political maneuvering, attributing the freeze to administrative snags in the visa processing system. The Italian government, he assured, is working to untangle the mess, promising a swift resolution to the ongoing disruption.

Daccò Coppi, speaking from Rome, was quick to quash any speculation that Italy’s move was tied to Somalia’s political landscape. “This is a temporary administrative pause—nothing more. There is no political angle here,” the ambassador said, firmly batting away the notion that Italy might be following a broader geopolitical agenda. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is closely monitoring the situation and will resolve it as soon as possible.”

The Italian Embassy in Mogadishu made the suspension official in September via a brief post on X (formerly Twitter), confirming that its Nairobi office—which handles visa applications for Somali passport holders—had stopped processing Schengen visas. No explanation was given at the time, but the decision immediately sparked concerns among Somalis looking to travel to Europe.

Though Italy claims the suspension is purely technical, the timing aligns suspiciously with the European Union’s wider clampdown on Somali passport holders. In July, the EU recommended tightening visa restrictions for Somali nationals in an effort to push Somalia into accepting the return of individuals who had entered Europe through irregular means.

Daccò Coppi was careful not to explicitly link Italy’s decision to the EU’s stance, but the connection is difficult to ignore. With migration issues dominating European politics, Italy’s visa freeze may be part of a larger, unspoken strategy. However, the ambassador maintained his focus on technicalities, steering clear of the migration debate.

Despite the visa suspension, Daccò Coppi emphasized Italy’s long-term commitment to Somalia’s development. “We are here to help Somalia progress,” he said. “Italy has always been invested in Somalia’s future, and that won’t change because of temporary administrative hiccups.”

Daccò Coppi reiterated that Italy’s role in Somalia is strictly developmental, not political. Italy has been involved in a range of projects, from infrastructure development to training Somalia’s civil service and security forces. “We want to focus on Somalia’s growth. Politics? We leave that to Somali leaders and their government,” he added, distancing Italy from any perception of interference.

Daccò Coppi also expressed his desire to visit regional states such as Jubbaland and Puntland, underscoring Italy’s intention to engage across Somalia, not just in Mogadishu. “Our commitment spans the entire country,” he said, hinting at future collaborations that extend beyond diplomatic formalities.

When asked about the escalating tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia, Daccò Coppi didn’t mince words. The ambassador described the strained relationship as a missed opportunity for regional cooperation.

“It’s unfortunate that this situation escalated. Both Somalia and Ethiopia share deep historical ties, and diplomacy should have prevailed,” he said. “Ethiopia has the right to access the sea for trade, and Somalia has every right to maintain control over its coastline. This should have been resolved through diplomatic channels, not in the way it has unfolded.”

Though his comments were measured, Daccò Coppi clarified that Italy has no interest in getting involved in the dispute. “We’re here to build—not to meddle,” he said, closing the door on any possibility of Italy playing a mediating role in the regional conflict.
For now, Italy’s visa suspension for Somali nationals remains in place, but the Italian government insists it’s working on a solution. Whether this is a short-term administrative hiccup or a sign of deeper, unspoken shifts in European migration policy remains to be seen.

Arbaco 16-Octo-2024 {HMC} Israeli forces carried out airstrikes Wednesday on Beirut’s southern suburbs, sending plumes of smoke rising from at least two neighborhoods.

The Israel Defense Forces said its fighter jets struck a Hezbollah underground weapons warehouse.

The attacks followed Israel’s latest evacuation order that warned people to leave areas in Beirut that the Israeli military said were near Hezbollah facilities.

Israel also reported more than 50 projectiles were fired from Lebanon Wednesday, while Hezbollah said it launched missiles at an area in northern Israel.

The latest Israeli strikes in the area of Lebanon’s capital came a day after the United States said it expressed concerns about such attacks to Israeli officials.

“When it comes to the scope and nature of the bombing campaign that we saw in Beirut over the past few weeks, it’s something that we made clear to the government of Israel we had concerns with and we were opposed to,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.

Meanwhile, the United States is demanding that Israel boost its humanitarian aid to famished Palestinians in Gaza within the next month or face the possibility that the United States would cut its military aid supporting Israel’s year-long war against Hamas militants.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told top Israeli officials in a letter Sunday that Washington has “deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and seek urgent and sustained actions by your government this month to reverse this trajectory.”

Miller said the message was meant to be a private diplomatic communication but confirmed its veracity.

For months, even as Israel’s fight against Hamas has raged on, the U.S. has repeatedly pressed Israel to ramp up its humanitarian assistance — food, water, medical supplies, fuel and other goods — to Palestinian civilians. But the humanitarian effort has waxed and waned, the effort hampered by the theft of goods by the militants, continued fighting near drop-off sites and disputes over entry points into Gaza.

While some left-wing U.S. lawmakers have urged the administration of President Joe Biden to cut off military aid to Israel to pressure it to reach a cease-fire deal to halt fighting, the United States has continued to supply it, most recently on Sunday when Biden said he ordered the Pentagon to send Israel an advanced.

Source VOA

Wednesday 16 Oct 2024 {HMC}  As a helicopter hovers close to an elephant, trying to be as steady as possible, an experienced veterinarian cautiously takes aim.

A tranquilizer dart whooshes in the air, and within minutes the giant mammal surrenders to a deep slumber as teams of wildlife experts rush to measure its vitals.

Kenya is suffering from a problem, albeit a good one: the elephant population in the 42-square-kilometer (16-square-mile) Mwea National Reserve, east of the capital Nairobi, has flourished from its maximum capacity of 50 to a whopping 156, overwhelming the ecosystem and requiring the relocation of about 100 of the largest land animals. It hosted only 49 elephants in 1979.

According to the Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Erustus Kanga, the overpopulation in Mwea highlighted the success of conservation efforts over the last three decades.

“This shows that poaching has been low, and the elephants have been able to thrive,” Kanga said.

Experts started relocating 50 elephants last week to the expansive 780-square-kilometer (301-square-mile) Aberdare National Park in central Kenya. As of Monday, 44 elephants had been moved from Mwea to Aberdare, with six others scheduled for Tuesday.

Tourism Minister Rebecca Miano oversaw the translocation of five of the elephants Monday, saying: “This will go down in history as a record, as it is the biggest exercise of its kind. It is the first time we are witnessing the translocation of 50 elephants at a go.”

The process started at dawn and involved a team of more than 100 wildlife specialists, with equipment ranging from specially fitted trucks to aircraft and cruisers. A fixed-wing aircraft conducted aerial surveillance to track down herds of elephants, which naturally move in small families of about five. The craft was in constant communication with two helicopters used to herd and separate the elephants to ensure they were relocated with their family units.

Aboard one of the helicopters is a spotter, on the lookout for elephants, and a veterinarian with a tranquilizer gun.

Once an elephant is sedated, a ground team of veterinary specialists and rangers rush to find it and clear thickets to make way for transport crews. Its vitals are monitored as another group of rangers works on lifting the massive animal, weighing hundreds of kilograms, onto specialized trucks, to be driven 120 kilometers (74 miles) to their new home.

Kanga, the wildlife service director, said the relocation was also aimed at curbing human-wildlife conflict.

Boniface Mbau, a resident of the area, said, “We are very happy that the government has decided to reduce the number of elephants from the area. Due to their high numbers, they did not have enough food in the reserve, and they ended up invading our farms.”

A second phase to relocate 50 other elephants is planned, but the date has not been disclosed.

The project has cost at least 12 million Kenyan shillings ($93,000), the wildlife agency said.

Kenya’s national parks and reserves are home to a variety of wildlife species and attract millions of visitors annually, making the country a tourism hotspot.

SOURCE VOA