Representatives from the UAE, US, UK, Qatar, Somalia and Turkey met on Tuesday and expressed concern at the conflict brewing in Somalia's northern breakaway region of Somaliland, Washington said.
At least 34 people were killed and 40 wounded in clashes between soldiers and anti-government fighters in the town of Laascaanood earlier this month.
“The partners expressed concern about the ongoing conflict … and called on all parties to adhere to the ceasefire, de-escalate, allow unhindered humanitarian access and engage in constructive and peaceful dialogue.” the US State Department said.
Somalia’s national security adviser Hussein Sheikh-Ali tweeted to say the Washington gathering was “a very productive meeting."
The region's government said on Twitter that armed men attacked army bases and state offices in Laascaanood early on February 6. It accused unnamed “traditional leaders” of recruiting the attackers and said it had thwarted the assault, just the latest clashes between the administration and groups that reject its authority.
Its government has faced particular opposition in Laascaanood and surrounding areas, where some clan leaders are seeking to rejoin federal Somalia and have accused the Somaliland authorities of failing to tackle insecurity.
Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991 but has not gained widespread international recognition for its independence.
The clashes in Laascaanood, the administrative centre of Sool region, came a day after a committee of local leaders, religious scholars and civil society groups said they did not recognise the Somaliland administration.
The group said it represented the interests of people in the regions of Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn (SSC).
“We have decided that the Federal Republic of Somalia will administer the regions until federalisation of Somali territory is completed,” the committee said.
Ahmed Elmi Karaash, vice president of the neighbouring semi-autonomous region of Puntland, said his region supported the committee's resolutions. Puntland has also claimed the town for itself in the past.
The statement came as the US also stepped up military assistance to Mogadishu to fight Al Shabab.
Sixty-one tons of weapons and ammunition arrived Tuesday in the Somali capital, as the country sees success in battling what the US calls “the largest and most deadly Al Qaida network in the world.”
Somali forces have recaptured dozens of communities held by Al Shabab in a major offensive launched in August.
The participants of the international meeting expressed concern about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Somalia caused by the worst drought on record.
While food security experts recently said that six million people are at risk from the drought, they no longer expect the country to face famine.
The latest assessment released Tuesday by the UN and partner organisations notes “very high mortality rates” in the worst-affected populations which include people who have fled to Mogadishu and the south-western city of Baidoa.
The new food security assessment says nearly 500,000 children in Somalia are likely to be severely malnourished this year.
The extent of the disaster depends, however, on the extent of rain in the coming weeks and the ability of the international community to mobilise aid.
Representatives of the six countries agreed to meet again within three months.
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Profile of Tamatem
Date started: March 2013
Founder: Hussam Hammo
Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
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Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
The biog
Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology
Favourite book: Between two hearts- Arabic novels
Favourite music: Mohammed Abdu and modern Arabic songs
Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
More from Aya Iskandarani
The major Hashd factions linked to Iran:
Badr Organisation: Seen as the most militarily capable faction in the Hashd. Iraqi Shiite exiles opposed to Saddam Hussein set up the group in Tehran in the early 1980s as the Badr Corps under the supervision of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The militia exalts Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but intermittently cooperated with the US military.
Saraya Al Salam (Peace Brigade): Comprised of former members of the officially defunct Mahdi Army, a militia that was commanded by Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and fought US and Iraqi government and other forces between 2004 and 2008. As part of a political overhaul aimed as casting Mr Al Sadr as a more nationalist and less sectarian figure, the cleric formed Saraya Al Salam in 2014. The group’s relations with Iran has been volatile.
Kataeb Hezbollah: The group, which is fighting on behalf of the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, traces its origins to attacks on US forces in Iraq in 2004 and adopts a tough stance against Washington, calling the United States “the enemy of humanity”.
Asaeb Ahl Al Haq: An offshoot of the Mahdi Army active in Syria. Asaeb Ahl Al Haq’s leader Qais al Khazali was a student of Mr Al Moqtada’s late father Mohammed Sadeq Al Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric who was killed during Saddam Hussein’s rule.
Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba: Formed in 2013 to fight alongside Mr Al Assad’s loyalists in Syria before joining the Hashd. The group is seen as among the most ideological and sectarian-driven Hashd militias in Syria and is the major recruiter of foreign fighters to Syria.
Saraya Al Khorasani: The ICRG formed Saraya Al Khorasani in the mid-1990s and the group is seen as the most ideologically attached to Iran among Tehran’s satellites in Iraq.
(Source: The Wilson Centre, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)
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The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Places to go for free coffee
- Cherish Cafe Dubai, Dubai Investment Park, are giving away free coffees all day.
- La Terrace, Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai, are serving their first 50 guests one coffee and four bite-sized cakes
- Wild & The Moon will be giving away a free espresso with every purchase on International Coffee Day
- Orange Wheels welcome parents are to sit, relax and enjoy goodies at ‘Café O’ along with a free coffee
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Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
