1.1 million new refugees around the world in 2012, with a total of 45.2 million displaced and Syria a major new source.

There were 1.1 million new refugees around the world in 2012, the highest rise in new refugee numbers since 1999, statistics published by the United Nations on Wednesday show.

The annual UNHCR global trends in displacement report highlights that last year 7.6 million people were newly displaced due to conflict or persecution, with a total of 45.2 million people around the world in situations of displacement, meaning that more people are refugees or internally displaced than at any point since 1994.

On an average day in 2012, 23,000 people were forced to flee their homes around the world, which is more than total number of people claiming asylum in Australia for the entire year.

In a statement to the press Rick Towle, the UNHCR regional representative in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, said: “This reminds us that the number of refugees and asylum seekers in Australia remains relatively small by global standards.”

The remarks follow Towle’s comments made on Monday that expressed serious concern at the “sharp deterioration” of the way Australia protects asylum seekers who arrive by boat. In a statement delivered at the beginning of Refugee Week, Towle also condemned the ”increasingly negative and, at times, mean-spirited” nature of the debate on irregular maritime arrivals to Australia.

The fresh statistics point to conflict in Syria as a “major new factor in global displacement”. More than half the world’s population of refugees came from five countries; Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Syria and Sudan.

They indicate an alarming number of unaccompanied or separated children claiming asylum, with a total of 21,300 asylum claims made last year. Europe received two-thirds of these, with Indonesia receiving 1,200.

The statistics reveal that Australia had 0.3% of the world’s refugees at the end of 2012, or just over 30,000. Pakistan had the highest number of refugees with 1,638,456, which is 16.58% of the world’s total.

Australia had 2.14% of the world’s asylum seekers at the end of 2012, with just over 20,000, South Africa had the highest number with 230,442, constituting 24.6% of the total number of asylum seekers globally. In total there were 10 countries that housed more asylum seekers than Australia.

Towle said that whilst Australia still housed relatively few of the world’s refugees and asylum seekers the government should be praised for its commitment to financing global refugee protection.

“Australia’s annual contribution to UNHCR’s global protection programmes is more than $50m, helping us to provide life-saving relief to refugees in emergencies such as we are currently seeing in Syria, Sudan, Mali and the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as the protracted situations of refugees from places like Afghanistan and Myanmar.”

National Security Agency Director Keith Alexander told a House committee Tuesday that more than 50 terror threats throughout the world have been disrupted with the assistance of two secret surveillance programs that were recently disclosed by former defense contractor Edward Snowden.

More than 10 of the plots targeted the U.S. homeland, Alexander told the House Intelligence Committee, including a plot to attack the New York Stock Exchange.

“I would much rather be here today debating this,” Alexander told lawmakers, referring to the programs’ value, “than explaining why we were unable to prevent another 9/11” attack.

At the rare open committee hearing, Alexander and Deputy Attorney General Jim Cole told lawmakers that both surveillance operations — a domestic telephone tracking system that collects records of millions of Americans and an Internet monitoring program targeting non-citizens outside the U.S. — have been subject to rigorous oversight to guard against privacy abuses.

“This isn’t some rogue operation that some guys at the NSA are operating,” said Alexander, also an Army general.

Deputy FBI Director Sean Joyce described another threat Tuesday that was neutralized by the surveillance programs: Investigators used the phone tracking system to identify an operative in San Diego who was providing support to terrorists in Somalia.

Joyce also referred to two disrupted plots that were disclosed last week as having been thwarted by the surveillance operations, including a 2009 plan to bomb the New York subway system.

In that case, authorities used its Internet monitoring program to identify overseas communications involving Najibullah Zazi in Colorado, who was later convicted in connection with the subway attack plan.

“This is not a program that is off the books,” Cole said, outlining the executive, legislative and judicial controls attached to both surveillance operations.

In the plot against the stock exchange, Joyce said investigators identified a former New York accountant working with contacts in Yemen who were in the early stages of planning an assault against the exchange.

Joyce did not name the man. In court documents, however, he is identified as Sabirhan Hasanoff, 37, who pleaded guilty last year to providing support to al-Qaeda. Hasanoff was not charged in a plot against the stock exchange, but prosecutors, while arguing for a harsh prison sentence, alleged in court documents that Hasanoff “cased the New York Stock Exchange” at the direction of a senior terror leader in Yemen.

Prosecutors allege that Hasanoff was working with two operatives in Yemen–known by their aliases as “Suffian” and “The Doctor.”

Hasanoff, according to the prosecutors, prepared a “rudimentary” surveillance report on the alleged target and transmitted it back to the Yemen operatives.

Citing the stock exchange surveillance, the prosecutors argued that Hasanoff is a “terrible candidate for this court’s mercy.”

Hasanoff’s attorney was not immediately available for comment.

Lawmakers raised few questions about the intelligence officials’ authority to conduct the operations, despite the heated national privacy debate that was prompted by Snowden’s disclosures.

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., the panel’s chairman, said the programs were “designed” to protect Americans.

“Trust can wane when faced with so many inaccuracies,” Rogers said, noting the “mis-perceptions” about the surveillance operations caused by “wrong” news reports.

Maryland Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, the committee’s ranking Democrat, said Snowden’s unauthorized disclosures “put our country and allies in danger.”

“We need to seal this crack in the system,” Ruppersberger said.

Alexander said intelligence officials have “significant concerns” about the access to such sensitive information. He said about 1,000 so-called system administrators have access similar to Snowden. And a majority, like Snowden, are contractors.

“We do have significant concerns in this area and it is something we need to look at,” Alexander said.

Joyce said a criminal investigation into Snowden’s disclosures is continuing. Asked what he expected to result from that inquiry, Joyce offered a blunt assessment.

“Justice.”

“We strongly condemn the cowardly attack on the United Nations compound in Mogadishu. These futile attacks by Al-Shabaab are only aimed at disrupting the ongoing efforts by the Somali people to recover from years of violence in Somalia and will not deter our collective efforts to continue supporting the people of Somalia rebuild their country” said The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif.

Ambassador Mahamet Annadif praised the quick reaction of AMISOM Special Forces and Somali security forces and stressed that AMISOM will spare no efforts to stabilize Somalia.
The African Union and AMISOM today stand with the Somali people,” said Amb Annadif, as he sent his condolences to those who had lost loved ones in the attack and his prayers for the quick recovery of the wounded.

________________________________

For more information, please Contact;

Eloi Yao and Lt. Colonel Ali Eden Houmed, Spokespersons,

Cell phone: (Nairobi) +254702155126 ; E‐mail: amisommediacentre@gmail.com

“I condemn this senseless and despicable attack on innocent UN civilians this morning. The UN are our friends and partners, and the UN agencies offer us humanitarian help and support, so I and all Somalis are appalled that they should be the target and victims of such barbaric violence,” said the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister reassured Mogadishu residents that the Government remains in control of the security, stating that security forces swiftly dealt with the attackers and re-secured the compound.

“Somali and AMISOM security forces responded immediately to the situation after the initial explosion and have brought the situation under control. Sadly we must wait to hear the full details and confirmation of any casualties,” Prime Minister said. “All our thoughts and prayers are with our UN colleagues today. But Al Shabaab will not derail the peace process. They will not stop our recovery. Violence will not win.”

ENDS

Ahmed Adan
Prime Minister’s Media Office

Mogadishu, Somalia

Email: media@opm.gov.so
Phone: +252 (0) 616 44 00 28

By Ibrahim Hirsi, TC Daily Planet
Wednesday, June 19, 2013

“The Youth/Dhalinyarada” project, which consists of portraits and a short video narration of both the success and challenging stories of 13 Somali-American men, was among the featured exhibits at the June 16 Community Day at the University of Minnesota’s Weisman Art Museum.

“This project highlights the contributions these men are making in America,” said Mohamud Mumin, a photographer and the man behind the project. “The subjects of these photographs share the conflict they feel in just trying to be themselves. As much as they try to adapt, they often feel foreign at home, here in Minnesota.”

The men featured in “The Youth/Dhalinyarada” include community activists, young professionals, artists and athletes.

Mumin added: “The project explores their journey from Somalia to America, how they are engaged in their community and what it means to be young, Muslim, and Somali-American [living in Minnesota].”

To those at the event, it was a chance to meet some of the men and ask Mumin questions about the project.

Abdi Farah — well-known as “Abdi Phenomenal” — is one of the men in the project. He’s a Twin Cities spoken word artist, youth activist and an actor.

Abdi Phenomenal took to the microphone, reciting a spoken work entitled “More Than Heroes,” which is about the challenges and hopelessness the Somali youth are facing.

In a poem, Phenomenal sent a message about how some of the Somali youth are “confused” with their “dreams broken” and have “no choice but to sell their dreams for a token.”

He continued reciting the poem, encouraging the youth to take the right path: Hope. Peace. Freedom.

Kaamil Haider, a University of Minnesota graphic design graduate, is another Minneapolis man, whose story is documented in “The Youth/Dhalinyarada.”

“I’m lucky to be selected as part of this project,” Haider said. “There is so much negativity in the media about Somali men. But Mohamud wanted to change that image, and because of that, I really wanted to support this.”

Brian Wiley, assistant professor at the University of Illinois, who works with Mumin on the project, said he learned a lot about the community through the project.

“When I first started working with Mohamud, I had really no reference to anything on Somali,” Wiley said. “You kind of learn things through the news, but it’s been an entirely different experience working side-by-side with Mohamud.”

The “Youth/Dhalinyarada” will be showcased July 13 through February 9 next year at the Weisman Art Museum.

Housed in a striking stainless steel and brick building designed by architect Frank Gehry, the Weisman Art Museum offers an educational and friendly museum experience. The museum’s collection features early 20th century American artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Marsden Hartley, as well as a diverse selection of contemporary art. A teaching museum for the University of Minnesota and the community, the Weisman provides a fresh, engaging arts experience through an array of programs and a changing schedule of exhibitions.

333 East River Road
Minneapolis, MN
612-625-9494
http://www.weisman.umn.edu

“Education must be at the heart of every civilised country’s agenda and Somalia is no different,” the Prime Minister said. “Through education we fight poverty, illiteracy and ignorance and we promote social development. Now that peace has returned to most of Somalia, we urgently need to re-establish our education system, which has been devastated by two decades of fighting. We have already lost a generation through war. Now is the time for Somalia to show what we can achieve together and reap the dividends of peace. Without education we will not build a new Somalia.”

The three-day conference, which brings around 150 education experts to the Somali capital, is hosted by the Ministry of Human Development and Social Services, supported by UNESCO and UNICEF. Apart from government policymakers, representation comes from regional authorities, religious leaders, academics, universities, diaspora Somalis, civil society groups, private schools and international partners.

The education experts will focus on the current education situation; access to basic primary and secondary education, especially to vulnerable groups; teacher education and a Somali curriculum; strengthening ministries; skills training; improving tertiary education. The conference is due to conclude with an agreed action plan that will deliver benefits to a new generation of Somali children.

“Every child has a constitutional right to primary and secondary education free of charge,” the Prime Minister said. “In recent years too many young Somalis have been led astray by false religious training. A new education system must deliver proper religious instruction, rise above clannism, improve the position of teachers and enhance the condition of school buildings.”

He called on the conference to rise to the challenge and develop plans for a national curriculum so that Somali children could receive the education and training they deserved.

“Today is hugely important for Somalia. Seeing all these education experts here today makes me proud to lead a country emerging from traumatic times. I commend your devotion to improving Somali lives and I congratulate you for making this conference happen. With your help we will establish a solid foundation for education in Somalia – from primary school to university – which will be the bedrock of our children’s brighter futures. They deserve nothing less.”

ENDS
Ahmed Adan
Prime Minister’s Media Office
Mogadishu, Somalia

Email: media@opm.gov.so
Mobile: +252 (0) 616 440 028

During a dawn raid on a house in the port city of Mombasa, police shot Kassim Omollo after he defied orders to surrender and returned fire, senior police officer Thomas Sangut said.

Police arrested Omollo’s wife, who gave information that led them to the home of the second suspect, Salim Mohammed Nyiro, also known as Abdullahi.

“He, too, defied and tried to draw a gun… but our officers gunned him down,” Sangut said.

Police found weaponry including assault rifles, grenades, a pistol, ammunition and improvised explosive devices at the properties, Sangut said.

Kenya has suffered a series of grenade and gun attacks since it sent troops into neighbouring Somalia in October 2011 in pursuit of insurgents it blames for kidnapping security personnel and Western tourists from its territory.

The attacks, which have targeted the capital Nairobi, Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast and its border with Somalia, have rattled investors and tourists in east Africa’s biggest economy.

Al Shabaab, which is linked to al Qaeda and wants to impose a strict version of Islamic law across Somalia, could not immediately be reached to comment on whether the suspects were in their ranks.

Police believe Omollo was an al Shabaab trainer and bomb-making expert and they had been trailing him for more than a year.

“He has been changing residence all the time. Today we would trace him in Kenya, tomorrow we would hear he is in Somalia. He is the main man who has been behind the radicalising and training of Kenyan youth in Somalia,” Sangut said.

“We had information that he had come back here to plan terrorist attacks in Mombasa and Nairobi.”

Shabaab has been substantially weakened in the last two years, losing Mogadishu and swathes of central and southern Somalia to Kenyan troops fighting as part of an African Union force.

Rebels have managed to continue making low-level raids across the border into Kenya.

(Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

Three ANCO Member nations didn’t show up for the meeting. They are the Tuvalu Islands and Liberia who delivered their justifications earlier and India who was banned by the International Olympic committee and that was because of the Indian government’s intervention in local sport.

Somali NOC was represented in the ANOC meeting by veteran president Abdullahi Ahmed Tarabi and his secretary General Duran Ahmed Farah.

Somali NOC secretary General Duran Ahmed Farah who issued an immediate press release as soon as the meeting came to an end on Sunday evening said that Somali Olympic committee was fully lauding for the wide range of development-related discussions and the tangible decisions taken during the two-day meeting which Somalia believes will help the promotion of sport in general and in particularly the developing nations like Somalia.

The ANOC meeting was presided by his excellence President Sheikh Ahmed Fahad Al-Sabah who made huge changes in terms of development since he came to office last year, according to Somali Olympic committee secretary General’s press statement.

The statement added that in less than a year president Sheikh Ahmed Fahad Al-Sabah’s leadership has successfully implemented all what he pledged at his first appearance after election last year.

“The most important things that the ANOC meeting adopted include the reformation of ANOC constitution and the ratification of the ANOC development plans—this is really a great move forward, because countries like Somalia will have more advantage from such huge development programs and in particularly our country where sports is emerging from years of conflicts” Secretary General Duran Ahmed Farah said in his press statement Sunday.

The meeting listened to the reports by the hosting cities of the upcoming Olympic Games who are: The city of Sochi Russia, the host scene of 2014 Winter Olympic Games, Nanjing who will host the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro the host city of 2016 Olympic Games, Pyongyang who will host 2018 winter Olympic Games and Lillehammer the host city of 2016 Youth Winter Olympic games 2016.

Also the cities of Istanbul Turkey, Tokyo Japan and Madrid Spain who are competing for the hosting of 2020 Olympic Games presented their work plans and programs in a bid to attract the attention of those with voting rights.

However the ANOCA meeting announced the host countries of the Association’s meetings for the next three years 2014, 2015 and 2016. They are Thailand, the United States of America and Brazil.

By Shafi’i Mohyaddin Abokar

Email:shaficiislow@yahoo.com

Mogadishu, Somalia: The Al Qaida-linked militants who once controlled the southern port city of Kismayo are gone, but a fight for control of the city has broken out and at least 10 people have been killed in the recent violence.

The competition is the first of its kind to be held in the war-devastated Sudanese regions of North Darfur and south Gordofan in a bid to encourage peace and reconciliation in the areas according to CECAFA secretary General Mr. Nicholas Musonye who is recognised as a regional peace campaigner through football.

The fitness test has been conducted by top officials from the CECAFA referees committee who showed their satisfaction with the power and the complete physical fitness of their referees including some young age referees who are for the first time expecting to officiate a CECAFCA tournament like Assistant referee Souleiman Sheik Bashir from Somalia who only this year became a FIFA referee.

But Somalia’s Wiish Haji Yabarow who was in December 2011 recognized as the best referee in the region was one of the front runner referees during the fitness test running examination in readiness for the competition which will commence on Tuesday 18^th of June.

Participating clubs have already been undergoing their training sessions in preparations for the tournament. The football clubs include Elman FC from the anarchic horn of African country of Somalia.

By Shafi’i Mohyaddin Abokar

CECAFA Media committee