STORY: Somalia moves to develop an inclusive National

Action Plan to prevent and counter violent extremism

DURATION: 6:10
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
RESTRICTIONS: This media asset is free for editorial
broadcast, print, online and radio use. It is not to be sold
on and is restricted for other purposes. All enquiries to
thenewsroom@auunist.org
CREDIT REQUIRED: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: SOMALI/NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 27/MARCH/2018, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide shot, participants present at the seminar

2. Med shot, Mahdi Mohamed Guled, Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia and
Engineer Abdirahman ‘Yarisow’ Omar Osman, Governor of Banaadir Regional
Administration
3. Close up, Mahdi Mohamed Guled, Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia
4. Wide shot, participants present at the seminar
5. Med shot, participants present at the seminar
6. Close up, a participant who was at the seminar
7. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) Mahdi Mohamed Guled, Deputy Prime Minister of
Somalia.
“We are here today to launch this consultative workshop on reviewing and
implementing Plan of Action on the prevention and countering violent extremism
which was locally duped ‘Tolerance and Dialogue. Countering violent extremism
through military means is the last resort. There should be an active awareness
campaign on ideology and to cut the source of funding and revenue of violent
extremism. The only way we can combat this is to listen to the perspective of the
religious leaders and to address this problem from a Somali perspective.”

8. Wide shot, journalists cover the proceedings during the seminar

9. Med shot, journalists cover the proceedings during the seminar
10. Close up, a journalist covers the proceedings during the seminar
11. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) Engineer Abdirahman ‘Yarisow’ Omar Osman, Governor
and Mayor of Mogadishu.
“I am happy the office of the Prime Minister is spearheading such an important
task and coordination efforts and operationalization of countering violent
extremism. We are at the final phase of developing an inclusive National Plan
with Federal Member States and this requires our implementation. I commend
the PCVE office’s efforts which requires our collaborative efforts.”

12. Wide shot, participants present at the seminar

13. Med shot, participants present at the seminar
14. Close up, a participant who was at the seminar
15. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) Abshiro Ahmed Maalim, Deputy head of the Somali
women group.
“Women’s role in the prevention of violent extremist is big. We have formed a
committee at federal and state level to conduct awareness on the dangers of
violent extremism. This is a collective problem that affects us on daily basis;
bringing us constant fear and bombings. Whenever a suicide bombing occurs, a
woman is either a mother to dead or a husband to the victim. Women are mostly
vulnerable to such problems.”

16. Med shot, participants present at the seminar

17. Med shot, participants present at the seminar
18. Close up, a participant who was at the seminar
19. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) Adar Ali Mohamed, Director at the Ministry of Women
and Human Rights Affairs.
“The extremism ideology has held this country hostage for a long time. It is time
we unshackle ourselves. We welcome this workshop on countering violent
extremism. The victims of this scourge are mostly women since they are the
mother to the victim and the perpetrator. I believe women can play a big role to
counter violent extremism and they can bring valuable information in the
neighborhoods in which they live in.”

20. Wide shot, participants present during the second day of the seminar
21. Med shot, Yahye Ali Ibrahim, National PCVE Coordinator
22. Close up, Yahye Ali Ibrahim, National PCVE Coordinator
23. Wide shot, participants present during the second day of the seminar
24. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) Yahye Ali Ibrahim, National PCVE Coordinator.
“The intent of the workshop was to acquaint ourselves and work towards
implementation of the National Strategy on PCVE and the Action Plans. The
government will embark on an ambitious campaign to conduct awareness based
on tolerance and dialogue. We want the Somali public to know their role; to
prevent bloodshed of their fellow citizens which is wantonly transgressed against
every day. They are part of us; they are Somalis. We have decided to collectively
tackle this issue and there will be a big conference where we will bring together
all Somali religious leaders.”

25. Close up, a participant present during the second day of the seminar
26. Wide shot, participants present during the second day of the seminar

Somalia moves to develop an inclusive National Action Plan to prevent and

counter violent extremism

Mogadishu, 28 March 2018 - Somalia is taking concrete steps to develop a more

inclusive National Action Plan, aimed at preventing and countering violent
extremism in the Horn of Africa country.
The new plan, will factor in the views and needs of all stakeholders, including the
Federal Member States, to enable the implementation of a comprehensive strategy,
that will tackle violent extremism in a more decisive manner.

A two-day conference convened by the Office of the Prime Minister, to review the
existing strategy concluded in the capital Mogadishu yesterday, with calls for the
involvement of key sectors, in the development of the new national action plan.

“The only way we can combat extremism is to listen to different perspectives

particularly the religious leaders and address this problem from a Somali
perspective,” Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Mohamed Guled told participants during
the opening session of the review meeting, in Mogadishu.

Religious leaders play a critical role in dialoguing, opinion shaping and controlling
violent extremism in Somalia, thus the emphasis on their active participation in the
review exercise, expected to culminate in the implementation of a national strategy
on Prevention and Counter Violent Extremism (PCVE), as provided for in the
country’s Comprehensive Approach to Security (CAS), Strand 4.

Considered key in Somalia’s stabilization, the Comprehensive Approach to Security,

which falls under the National Security Architecture, is part of a security pact agreed
to by Somalia’s leaders in 2017

“Countering violent extremism through military means should be the last resort.
There should be an active awareness campaign on ideology and to cut the source of
funding and revenue to activities that support violent extremism,” stated the Deputy
Prime Minister.

The Mogadishu Mayor called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders to end
violent extremism in the country. “We are at the final phase of developing an
inclusive National Plan with Federal Member States and this requires an efficient
implementation. I commend the PCVE office for their successful mobilization of
communities and leaders around this issue” he said.

“This is a collective problem that affects us on daily basis; bringing us constant fear
and bombings. Whenever a suicide bombing occurs, a woman is either a mother to
the dead or a husband to the victim,” added Ms. Abshir Ahmed Maalim, the deputy
head of the Somali Women’s Association.

Ms. Adar Ali Mohamed, the Communications Director in the Ministry of Women and
Human Rights Development, added that women have a major role to play in
countering violent extremism. “The victims of this scourge are mostly women since
they are the mothers to the victims and the perpetrators. I believe women can play a
bigger role to counter violent extremism as they can bring valuable information from
the neighborhoods in which they live in and detect early signs of radicalization in
their communities,” stressed Ms. Adar.
The National PCVE Coordinator Dr. Yahye Ali Ibrahim reiterated the importance of
using religious leaders in efforts to end violent extremism, because of their immense
influence on society. “The biggest responsibility lies on the shoulders of the Somali
religious leaders and they are instrumental in the fight against extremist ideologies”,
he remarked.

The Federal Government plans to roll out an ambitious sensitization campaign, with
emphasis on tolerance and dialogue among all Somalis, once the review of the
national action plan is complete.

“We want the Somali public to know their role; to prevent bloodshed of their fellow
citizens, and we will achieve this with an agreed plan of action to deal with scourge
as united and well informed communities,” Dr. Yahye said.

Ms. Mane Ahmed, the Gender Officer with the African Union Mission in Somalia
(AMISOM) said the conference provided an opportunity for the AU mission to
support the Prevention of Violence and Counter Extremism Office and other
stakeholders, in ensuring that the National Action Plan adopts an inclusive approach,
with clear indicators of monitoring local and federal initiatives. Incorporating a
gender perspective in this important document will ensure the meaningful
participation of women to the PCVE efforts.

AMISOM facilitated the workshop, whose participants included senior Federal

Government officials, among them the Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Mohamed
Guled, Mayor and Governor of Banadir Regional Administration Mr. Abdirahman
Omar Osman Yarisow, the Counter Violent Extremism Coordinator Hon. Mustafa
Duhulow, the Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Mr. Abdihakim Hassan,
intellectuals, religious leaders, women and youth group and PCVE focal points from
Federal Member States.

END.