I read the article “The invention of Faysal Roble” by Mr. Mohamed Haji (Ingiris) posted on Hiiraan-online on October 25, 2010 with mild indignation. Mild; because the writer said he is a young man, and it shows. I could literally see in the article the warts of growth on his face. As one grows, stubborn warts, not so much spots of ugliness as markers of adolescence, sprout; the voice deepens, reinforced by generalized truculence and stubbornness. And then you know you can no longer sleep in the same blanket with nubile girls, without causing human consequences!
You begin to behave in the village for you to be called a person, in our village parlance, tightening your Macawis so little beings do not sprout accidentally under your raging passion. It is exactly at this time of your growth that elders notice the change and one so perceptive poet of the past aptly summarized the emotions inside the body of a young man when he said “Baaluqa ismood wiil hadduu buuryo-goys yahaye, bisqinbaa rag kuu gaysa oon biidna kuu tarine”. So, the barbs the young man threw at Faysal Roble of Wardheernews are part of the adolescence in our thinking as Somalis, as we slouch towards the maturity of debating issues coolly and abstemiously. Hence, no need for overreaction.
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Friday, 29 October 2010
Resumed Clashes Displace More than 30,000 People in Somalia
More than 30,000 people has fled their homes since October 17, on the outbreak of clashes between Al-Shabaab and Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa, a militia group allied to the transitional Somali Government, announced the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on Friday.
The U.N. refugee agency noted that a further 7,100 refugees, mostly women, children and the elderly, were squatting at Border Point One, a stretch of closed boarder between Somalia and Kenya, and the number is continuing to grow.
"Their security and health conditions are deteriorating by the hour," said the UNHCR, stressing the urgent need to relocate the refugees in dire situation.Read More
The U.N. refugee agency noted that a further 7,100 refugees, mostly women, children and the elderly, were squatting at Border Point One, a stretch of closed boarder between Somalia and Kenya, and the number is continuing to grow.
"Their security and health conditions are deteriorating by the hour," said the UNHCR, stressing the urgent need to relocate the refugees in dire situation.Read More
Somali forces sell weapons to Islamists
A former commander in the Somali military has admitted that government soldiers sell arms to insurgents seeking to topple western backed government. A former Chief of Staff of Somalia's Military, major general Yusuf Hussein Osman, says unpaid soldiers offered to sell their guns and ammunition to the enemy
Mr. Osman who served as the chief of staff in 2009 said the soldiers are not being paid their $100 monthly wage a long period.
“The biggest source for rebels’ arms is government forces. Unpaid soldiers get money from rebels and then hand to their arms”, said Maj.General Osman in an exclusive interview with AfricaNews.
Those who sell their guns to Islamist insurgents are part of hundred of Somali soldiers trained with U.S. and EU funds in the neighbouring countries. The soldiers were trained in Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Uganda and Sudan.
Only United States spent $6.8 million to train almost 2,100 Somali soldiers in Djibouti and Uganda over the past year.
he European Union also paid €5 million ($6 million) for the training 2,000 Somali forces in Uganda.Read More
Mr. Osman who served as the chief of staff in 2009 said the soldiers are not being paid their $100 monthly wage a long period.
“The biggest source for rebels’ arms is government forces. Unpaid soldiers get money from rebels and then hand to their arms”, said Maj.General Osman in an exclusive interview with AfricaNews.
Those who sell their guns to Islamist insurgents are part of hundred of Somali soldiers trained with U.S. and EU funds in the neighbouring countries. The soldiers were trained in Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Uganda and Sudan.
Only United States spent $6.8 million to train almost 2,100 Somali soldiers in Djibouti and Uganda over the past year.
he European Union also paid €5 million ($6 million) for the training 2,000 Somali forces in Uganda.Read More
Bomb scare as 'sinister' packages found on planes bound for US
A major security alert is under way in the UK, US and Middle East tonight after "sinister" packages were discovered on board two cargo planes after they landed in the Midlands and Dubai.
The plane that landed in the UK had begun its journey in Yemen and was bound for the US.
American authorities were carrying out checks at several locations, including airports, as security officials sought to determine whether al-Qaida-inspired terrorists had found new vulnerabilty in western security or whether the scare was a false alarm. As the investigation continued, the US government announced it would enact new aviation security measures.
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The plane that landed in the UK had begun its journey in Yemen and was bound for the US.
American authorities were carrying out checks at several locations, including airports, as security officials sought to determine whether al-Qaida-inspired terrorists had found new vulnerabilty in western security or whether the scare was a false alarm. As the investigation continued, the US government announced it would enact new aviation security measures.
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Somalia in shambles
We look at Somalia's stability and security situation and discuss what can be done to help the fractured nation recover.
Is there any hope for stability in Somalia? The future looks bleak as it deals with a growing Islamic insurgency and power struggles within its already weak central government.
Despite the presence of a 7,000-plus African Union force, President Sharif Ahmed's government controls only a few areas around the capital, Mogadishu Read More
Is there any hope for stability in Somalia? The future looks bleak as it deals with a growing Islamic insurgency and power struggles within its already weak central government.
Despite the presence of a 7,000-plus African Union force, President Sharif Ahmed's government controls only a few areas around the capital, Mogadishu Read More
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Islamist Insurgents Execute Teenagers in Somalia
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s most powerful Islamist insurgents, the Shabab, executed two teenage girls on Wednesday after deciding they were spies, setting off fears among residents, officials and witnesses said.
The two teenagers — one 18, the other 14 — were shot by firing squad in the center of the town of Beledweyne, near the border with Ethiopia, witnesses said.
Pickup trucks with big loudspeakers drove into the town, ordering the residents to watch the execution. Residents were also told to switch off their cellphones and were warned not to take pictures, a prohibition that has been enforced at some Islamist executions in the pastRead More
The two teenagers — one 18, the other 14 — were shot by firing squad in the center of the town of Beledweyne, near the border with Ethiopia, witnesses said.
Pickup trucks with big loudspeakers drove into the town, ordering the residents to watch the execution. Residents were also told to switch off their cellphones and were warned not to take pictures, a prohibition that has been enforced at some Islamist executions in the pastRead More
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Ethiopia: Tigrayans accused of taking over Afar resources - ION
•According to ION, more ethnic Tigrayan businesses are taking over ethnic Afar state resources in northeastern Ethiopia. Similar problems have been reported nationwide (particularly in the fertile SNNPR and Oromia regional states) since Prime Minister Meles Zenawi came to power in 1991. In the past, the OFDM Oromo opposition party has accused the Meles government for not implementing his own "ethnic federalism" policy in the country since only one ethnic group dominates the economy, politics and military of Ethiopia. PM Meles Zenawi's wife Azeb Mesfin currently manages the Endowment Fund For The Rehabilitation of Tigray (EFFORT), the business empire of the ruling party that dominates nearly all sectors of the Ethiopian economy. Read More
Ethiopia - Holland Car presents its trailer bus for mass transportation
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - At Megenagna bus station in Addis Ababa blue white minibuses are milling around. They hunk, cut each other off and thus fight for customers. From every sliding door a wayala yells his destination and jumps aside nimbly when customers besiege his bus.
It’s an all too familiar scene. For many years now, the minibus has been the most popular way of transportation in Addis Ababa, but this is about to change, according to Tadesse Tessema, CEO of Holland Car. Soon his first so-called trailer bus will be in operation. The bus is able to carry about three hundred passengers, the equivalent of twenty minibuses. Addis Ababa will be an experimental garden. Thereafter, the main goal is to expand to other African countries. “It’s basically a can with eight wheels,” Tadesse says
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It’s an all too familiar scene. For many years now, the minibus has been the most popular way of transportation in Addis Ababa, but this is about to change, according to Tadesse Tessema, CEO of Holland Car. Soon his first so-called trailer bus will be in operation. The bus is able to carry about three hundred passengers, the equivalent of twenty minibuses. Addis Ababa will be an experimental garden. Thereafter, the main goal is to expand to other African countries. “It’s basically a can with eight wheels,” Tadesse says
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G-10 member Ethiopia's economy to grow by 8% - IMF
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Ethiopia's economy is expected to increase by 8 percent in the upcoming year. This would make Ethiopia the second fastest growing African economy after Angola.
The top ten biggest economies in Africa and their GDP world ranking in 2009 was South Africa (32), Egypt (42), Nigeria (44), Libya (64), Sudan (66), Tunisia (74), Ethiopia (83), Kenya (85), Cameroon (93) and Tanzania (94) according to IMF. The ten countries make up the G-10 or the Group of Ten largest African economies.
Despite the overall economic growth in the country, Ethiopia still has one of the lowest GDP per capita in the world. A recent ranking put Ethiopia near the bottom of the world in prosperity index (107th out of 110 countries in the world).
The top ten biggest economies in Africa and their GDP world ranking in 2009 was South Africa (32), Egypt (42), Nigeria (44), Libya (64), Sudan (66), Tunisia (74), Ethiopia (83), Kenya (85), Cameroon (93) and Tanzania (94) according to IMF. The ten countries make up the G-10 or the Group of Ten largest African economies.
Despite the overall economic growth in the country, Ethiopia still has one of the lowest GDP per capita in the world. A recent ranking put Ethiopia near the bottom of the world in prosperity index (107th out of 110 countries in the world).
Somalia: Supreme Court urges Speaker to support Open ballot
Somali Supreme Court ordered the endorsement of newly-appointed Prime Minister should not be secret ballot as the Speaker proposing, the Court said.
In a statement, the court answered an official letter from the office of the President, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, over the prime minister’s approval, urged to the speaker to uses legally processes—open ballot.
“Article 33(5), 44, 49, and 71 of the TFG constitution and Article 82(2) of the 1960 Constitution ruled out that the vote for the appointed prime minister will be openly,” the statement read.Read More
In a statement, the court answered an official letter from the office of the President, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, over the prime minister’s approval, urged to the speaker to uses legally processes—open ballot.
“Article 33(5), 44, 49, and 71 of the TFG constitution and Article 82(2) of the 1960 Constitution ruled out that the vote for the appointed prime minister will be openly,” the statement read.Read More
Sixty thousand Somalis flee battle by Kenya border: UNHCR
GENEVA — About 60,000 Somalis have fled heavy fighting close to Somalia's border with Kenya over the past week, the UN refugee agency said on Tuesday.
The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said they fled during a lull in a battle between a militia group allied to the Somali government and Al Qaeda-inspired Shebab group for control of the border town of Bulohawo.
"Fierce clashes in the Somali town of (Bulohawo) on the Kenya border have driven some 60,000 Somalis out of their homes over the past week," UNHCR spokesman Andre Mahecic told journalists
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The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said they fled during a lull in a battle between a militia group allied to the Somali government and Al Qaeda-inspired Shebab group for control of the border town of Bulohawo.
"Fierce clashes in the Somali town of (Bulohawo) on the Kenya border have driven some 60,000 Somalis out of their homes over the past week," UNHCR spokesman Andre Mahecic told journalists
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Somalia Designated as World's Most Corrupt Country
Somalia is the most corrupt country in the world, according to Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index. With Afghanistan and Iraq also near the bottom, the group says conflict and corruption often go hand in hand.
Transparency International's index lists 178 countries, with Somalia designated the most corrupt nation. Its closest competitors at the bottom of the list are Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Iraq. Read More
Transparency International's index lists 178 countries, with Somalia designated the most corrupt nation. Its closest competitors at the bottom of the list are Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Iraq. Read More
Somalia’s New PM must resign: The TFG is hanging from the cliff by its nails
It is evident from the conduct of the two top leaders and their constituents that the infighting frenzy of the TFG has no end in sight. The president and the speaker of the parliament are trading accusation and counter accusations through the media which exposes how wide and far reaching their political divide is, especially when you reach the closing stages of the response from the speaker’s office – a plea for AMISOM forces to secure the Wednesday’s venue and to be extra vigilant during the business day coupled by a warning to Mogadishu mayor to stick to within the bounds of his job. This is the first time that members at the top echelons of the TFG feared for their lives not from the Islamists, but from within their faction.
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Sunday, 24 October 2010
Museveni sanitised Uganda’s politics
UGANDA has had its darkest hours during which the country suffered due to bad leaders. From Independence in 1962, it took us till 1986 to begin the long journey from a failed state to be among the civilized nations of the world.
This match was led by President Yoweri Museveni under the National Resistance Movement. What differentiates Museveni’s regime from the earlier ones is that he sanitised Uganda’s politics.
Several pundits have penned arguments for and against the 24-year rule of the NRM. But all Ugandans, both in the opposition and the ruling party, seem to agree that Museveni brought sanity to the political management of our country. Ugandans can, for once, sleep sure that no rogue shall mount a coup to disrupt their social progress. Ugandans can traverse the world proudly, waving their passports, not ashamed of their country of origin. Read More
This match was led by President Yoweri Museveni under the National Resistance Movement. What differentiates Museveni’s regime from the earlier ones is that he sanitised Uganda’s politics.
Several pundits have penned arguments for and against the 24-year rule of the NRM. But all Ugandans, both in the opposition and the ruling party, seem to agree that Museveni brought sanity to the political management of our country. Ugandans can, for once, sleep sure that no rogue shall mount a coup to disrupt their social progress. Ugandans can traverse the world proudly, waving their passports, not ashamed of their country of origin. Read More
Ethiopia's Oromo people celebrate once-banned festival
DEBRE ZEIT, Ethiopia — Cheered by the throng, Oromo dignitaries in traditional headdresses, lion skins and brightly-coloured velvet made their way to the edge of Lake Hora for an annual thanksgiving.
This was the yearly Irrecha festival when Ethiopia's biggest ethnic group, the Oromo people, celebrate the bond between man and nature.
"Irrecha is the culture of the Oromo people. Long before the Christians or the Muslims, the Oromo had their own practices and religion," explained Nourie Ula, a young Oromo attending the celebration earlier this month some 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of the capital Addis Ababa.Read More
This was the yearly Irrecha festival when Ethiopia's biggest ethnic group, the Oromo people, celebrate the bond between man and nature.
"Irrecha is the culture of the Oromo people. Long before the Christians or the Muslims, the Oromo had their own practices and religion," explained Nourie Ula, a young Oromo attending the celebration earlier this month some 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of the capital Addis Ababa.Read More
Somalia: Al Shabaab rebel Atom 'hiding in Somaliland': Report
SPECIAL REPORT
"Atom is living in Burao and Somaliland authorities have not taken any active steps against him," said a reliable source in Hargeisa.
Garowe Online
Special Report
Reliable sources tell Somali news agency Garowe Online that a man wanted as a terrorist by the Puntland government in Somalia, and whose assets were frozen by the Obama Administration this year, is reportedly "hiding in Somaliland", a self-declared separatist region in northwestern Somalia that is actively seeking U.S. and international aid.Read More
"Atom is living in Burao and Somaliland authorities have not taken any active steps against him," said a reliable source in Hargeisa.
Garowe Online
Special Report
Reliable sources tell Somali news agency Garowe Online that a man wanted as a terrorist by the Puntland government in Somalia, and whose assets were frozen by the Obama Administration this year, is reportedly "hiding in Somaliland", a self-declared separatist region in northwestern Somalia that is actively seeking U.S. and international aid.Read More
Somali fighters display soldier's body in Mogadishu
MOGADISHU — Fighters from Somalia's Al Qaeda-inspired Shebab group on Sunday displayed the body of a soldier believed to belong to an African force in Somalia in the streets of Mogadishu.
The rebel group claimed the dead soldier was a Ugandan who was killed during fighting late Saturday at one of the force's bases in Mogadishu. But a spokesman for the force known as AMISOM only confirmed that clashes took place.
"Our special units attacked the enemy base at Shaqalaha last night, killing several Ugandan soldiers," Shebab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamoud Rage told reporters in the capital.
"One of the dead bodies is here today so that all Muslims can witness the enemy loss with their own eyes," he added.
Rage said the Shebab attack on Shaqalaha was successful, claiming that insurgent fighters managed to enter the AMISOM base and seize military supplies.Read More
The rebel group claimed the dead soldier was a Ugandan who was killed during fighting late Saturday at one of the force's bases in Mogadishu. But a spokesman for the force known as AMISOM only confirmed that clashes took place.
"Our special units attacked the enemy base at Shaqalaha last night, killing several Ugandan soldiers," Shebab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamoud Rage told reporters in the capital.
"One of the dead bodies is here today so that all Muslims can witness the enemy loss with their own eyes," he added.
Rage said the Shebab attack on Shaqalaha was successful, claiming that insurgent fighters managed to enter the AMISOM base and seize military supplies.Read More
Dispute Delays Approval of New Somali PM
Photo: AP
Somalia president Sharif Sheik Ahmed, right, speaks, during the first session in parliament since he named the new prime minister, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. Speaker of Parliament Sherif Hassan Sheik Adan, is at left, in Parliament hall, Mogadishu, Somalia, 20 Oct 2010
A new political crisis appears to be brewing in Somalia, where leaders cannot agree how parliament should vote for the next prime minister.Read More
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Somali president weighs into PM vote spat
1 of 1Full SizeBy Ibrahim Mohamed
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somalia's president said on Sunday the decision to conduct a parliamentary vote to approve the new prime minister in secret rather than openly flouted the constitution, deepening a rift with the assembly's speaker.
Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, Somalia's second most powerful politician, on Sunday postponed the vote on the appointment of former diplomat Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed for the third time in a week.Read More
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somalia's president said on Sunday the decision to conduct a parliamentary vote to approve the new prime minister in secret rather than openly flouted the constitution, deepening a rift with the assembly's speaker.
Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, Somalia's second most powerful politician, on Sunday postponed the vote on the appointment of former diplomat Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed for the third time in a week.Read More
Friday, 22 October 2010
UN council asks details for AU Somalia force boost
1 of 1Full Size
By Patrick Worsnip
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Security Council countries voiced support on Thursday for boosting the African Union peacekeeping force in conflict-torn Somalia, but told the AU to provide more details of its plans first, diplomats said.
The AU wants to step up its AMISOM force to 20,000 from the current level of 7,200 but needs funding from the United Nations and Security Council authorization. It also wants the council to impose a no-fly-zone and naval blockade on Somalia.Read More
Thursday, 21 October 2010
Deg Deg Xoogaga Xarakada Al-Shabaab oo la wareegay degmada balad Xaawo
Muqdisho RBC Radio) Xoogaga xarakada Al_Shabaab ayaa la wareegay gacan ku haynta degmada Balad Xaawo ee gobalka Gado, ka dib dagaal halkaasi ku dhexmaray ciidamada dowlada iyo xoogaga Al-Shabaab.
Wararka ka imaanaya gobalka Gado ayaa waxa ay sheegayaan in ciidamada xarakada Al-Shabaab ay gudaha u galeen degamadaasi isla markaana ay iasaga baxeen ciidamada dowlada.
Wararka ayaa sidoo kale waxa ay sheegayaan in haatan uu dagaal ka socdo duleedka magaalada Balad Xaawo, kaasi oo u dhaxeeyo dhinacyadaan kala ah dowlada iyo xarakada Al-Shabaab.Sii Akhri
Wararka ka imaanaya gobalka Gado ayaa waxa ay sheegayaan in ciidamada xarakada Al-Shabaab ay gudaha u galeen degamadaasi isla markaana ay iasaga baxeen ciidamada dowlada.
Wararka ayaa sidoo kale waxa ay sheegayaan in haatan uu dagaal ka socdo duleedka magaalada Balad Xaawo, kaasi oo u dhaxeeyo dhinacyadaan kala ah dowlada iyo xarakada Al-Shabaab.Sii Akhri
Ethiopia troops enter Central Somalia to stop Islamists
MOGADISHU (Somalilandpress) — Some of the Somali regions that share a border with Ethiopia have been in a state of turmoil over the past few days. In the shifting patterns of this prolonged war in Somalia, the escalation of violence in the regions of Galguduud, Hiiran, Gedo and Bakool has illuminated some of the underlying geo-political dynamics that are at play in the volatile region of the Horn of Africa. More than 400 Transitional Federal Government (TFG) soldiers, accompanied by up to 300 Ethiopian forces, raided the town of Baladweyn, Hiiran, in order to bring an end to the Islamists’ rule in the region; in Galgudud, hundreds of Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama (ASWJ) rebels attacked Cadaado, the region’s business hub Read More
Ethiopian govt may ban cotton exports
| October 21, 2010 (Ethiopia) | |
 | |
 A proposal to ban raw cotton exports had been drafted by the Ethiopian Textile Industry Development Institute (ETIDI) and in all likelihood, the Ethiopian government is planning to impose the ban. The textile sector has been insisting on banning exports of raw cotton for the main reason that domestic demand for the white gold has outstripped the supply, and if it runs short, cotton will have to be imported by spending valuable foreign exchange. However cotton exporters are up in arms and have raised concerns over the proposal as they have already taken orders from international clients and if the ban was to be imposed, it would mean reneging on commitments. Another viewpoint put across by experts is to add value to the raw cotton in Ethiopia itself rather than exporting cotton, as it will help generate seven times more value against that generated by raw cotton exports, which could help in bring in much needed foreign exchange. | |
Ethiopia and China Looking east
Meles Zenawi’s new best pal
Oct 21st 2010 | ADDIS ABABA
The prime minister is my Facebook friendBriton freed by Somali gunmen arrives in Kenya
NAIROBI — A Briton held hostage for close to a week in Somalia arrived in neighbouring Kenya Thursday, a day after being released by his captors, officials said.
Frans Barnard, employed as a security consultant by the British charity Save the Children, was captured on October 14 along with his Somali fixer in Adado, a small town in central Somalia, when heavily-armed men stormed their guest house.
He was released on Wednesday following mediation by local clan elders, one of whom told AFP that a ransom of 100,000 dollars was paid. Save the Children said it was not aware of any ransom.Read More
Frans Barnard, employed as a security consultant by the British charity Save the Children, was captured on October 14 along with his Somali fixer in Adado, a small town in central Somalia, when heavily-armed men stormed their guest house.
He was released on Wednesday following mediation by local clan elders, one of whom told AFP that a ransom of 100,000 dollars was paid. Save the Children said it was not aware of any ransom.Read More
African nations call for air, naval blockade of Somalia
UNITED NATIONS — African governments on Thursday called on the United Nations to back a naval and air blockade of Somalia and for the international force in the war-torn country to be increased to 20,000 troops.
The blockade would stop arms reaching insurgent groups, led by the Al-Qaeda affiliated Shebab, which is trying to topple Somalia's transitional government, said Ramtane Lamamra, the African Union peace and security commissioner.
"The African Union is very concerned that the insecurity in Somalia is spilling over into the region," Lamamra told the UN Security Council, highlighting bomb attacks in the Ugandan capital in July claimed by Shebab.
The African envoy said an AU ministerial meeting had decided to strengthen the AU force in Somalia (AMISOM) in coming months "in order to bring its military component to 20,000 and its police component to 1,680."Read More
The blockade would stop arms reaching insurgent groups, led by the Al-Qaeda affiliated Shebab, which is trying to topple Somalia's transitional government, said Ramtane Lamamra, the African Union peace and security commissioner.
"The African Union is very concerned that the insecurity in Somalia is spilling over into the region," Lamamra told the UN Security Council, highlighting bomb attacks in the Ugandan capital in July claimed by Shebab.
The African envoy said an AU ministerial meeting had decided to strengthen the AU force in Somalia (AMISOM) in coming months "in order to bring its military component to 20,000 and its police component to 1,680."Read More
A Corrupt Militia
by Jonathan Ewing
Local militia, created by the government had by 2007 also begun to play a greater role in the counter-insurgency. One of their most important tasks was to protect construction crews from attack and the roads from being sabotaged by the ONLF.Read More
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
Underwriting repression: The case for tougher monitoring when we give aid Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/10/20/f-ethiopia-aid.html#ixzz12wFMQerR
Ethiopia is among the world's poorest countries, and the second largest recipient of international aid. (Barry Malone/Reuters) The international watchdog Human Rights Watch published a report this week that is an embarrassing look at the way billions of dollars in well-intentioned international aid to Ethiopia is too often being used by the government there as "political weapons to control the population, punish dissent and undermine political opponents."
The report, entitled Development Without Freedom: How Aid Underwrites Repression in Ethiopia, is a damning investigation into the politicization of international aid money in an African country that has struggled with war and hunger over the past generation and which has, in many respects, made considerable progress moving away from those catastrophes.Read More
Freed UK Aid Worker Feeling 'Marvellous'
1:38am UK, Wednesday October 20, 2010
Zimbabwe-born consultant Frans Barnard was working for Save The Children when he was kidnapped along with a Somali colleague.
Save the Children confirmed Mr Barnard, who was initially thought to hold dual Zimbabwean-British nationality, was "on his way to a place of safety".Read More
A British contractor freed after being held for six days by masked gunmen in Somalia has said he feels "bloody marvellous".
Save the Children confirmed Mr Barnard, who was initially thought to hold dual Zimbabwean-British nationality, was "on his way to a place of safety".Read More
New PM of Somalia opposes 4.5 clan power-sharing deal
Somalia's newly appointed interim Prime Minister, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed "Farmajo," has opposed the 4.5 clan power sharing system in favours instead a 5-clan system, Radio Garowe reports.
Mr. Farmajo who spoke with a representative ladies from Banadir region where Mogadishu is located claimed his work is to bring peace and security in war-torn country.
"I haven't seen any place read 4.5 system in the new constitution, I believe it is a big issue that needs to be tackled—it can damage Somali people," said Farmajo.
On Oct. 14, Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia's President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed appointed as Prime Minister Mr. Farmajo almost a month after the resignation of former Premier Omar A.A. Sharmake.
Read More
Mr. Farmajo who spoke with a representative ladies from Banadir region where Mogadishu is located claimed his work is to bring peace and security in war-torn country.
"I haven't seen any place read 4.5 system in the new constitution, I believe it is a big issue that needs to be tackled—it can damage Somali people," said Farmajo.
On Oct. 14, Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia's President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed appointed as Prime Minister Mr. Farmajo almost a month after the resignation of former Premier Omar A.A. Sharmake.
Read More
Chaos in Somali parliament delays vote on PM
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somalia's parliamentary speaker postponed on Wednesday a vote to endorse the newly appointed prime minister after the Horn of Africa nation's assembly descended into chaos.
Lawmakers got into shouting matches over whether the vote should be conducted in secret or openly.
President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed last week picked U.S.-educated former diplomat Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed to lead his government after the previous premier quit, paying the price for failing to rein in a three-year Islamist insurgency.
Postponing the vote until Saturday, Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden proposed that it be held in secret.
Once nominated by the president, the prime minister's appointment must be approved by parliament.
Read More
Lawmakers got into shouting matches over whether the vote should be conducted in secret or openly.
President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed last week picked U.S.-educated former diplomat Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed to lead his government after the previous premier quit, paying the price for failing to rein in a three-year Islamist insurgency.
Postponing the vote until Saturday, Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden proposed that it be held in secret.
Once nominated by the president, the prime minister's appointment must be approved by parliament.
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Somalia: TFG lawmakers end session with no PM confidence-vote
Somali legislators met in the parliament to debated the confidence vote for the new Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo who was appointed earlier this month by TFG President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, Radio Garowe reports.
Reports say there was disagreement between the 380 lawmakers who attending Tuesdays session regarding the confidence vote.
The meeting that was chaired by the Speaker Sharif Hassan Aden also attended by President Sharif and newly- nominated Prime Minister. Both the President and Parliament Speaker of TFG appealed to the federal MPs to vote Farmajo as the country’s new Prime Minister so he could form a new government.
"I appointed the new Prime Minister for the reason that he can bring a solution to the crisis that TFG experiencing now, am appealing you to vote for him," President Sharif told the lawmakers.Read More
Reports say there was disagreement between the 380 lawmakers who attending Tuesdays session regarding the confidence vote.
 |
| Prime Minister-nominee Mohamed Abdullahi "Farmajo" from New York |
"I appointed the new Prime Minister for the reason that he can bring a solution to the crisis that TFG experiencing now, am appealing you to vote for him," President Sharif told the lawmakers.Read More
Somalia's New Prime Minister Under Scrutiny
Photo: AFP
Newly appointed Prime Minister for Somalia Mohamed Abdulahi speaks during a briefing at the presidential palace in Mogadishu, 14 Oct. 2010
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Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Peace Corps timeline: 1960 to 2011
It all started on Oct. 14, 1960, after a speech by President John F. Kennedy. Next year, the Peace Corps celebrates 50 years.
Oct. 14, 1960: In a 2 a.m. impromptu speech, presidential candidate and then-Sen. John F. Kennedy calls on students at the University of Michigan to volunteer to serve for one to two years in the developing world. Within weeks, students organized a petition drive and gathered 1,000 signatures in support of the idea, which became the Peace Corps.Read More
Peace Corps began 50 years ago with JFK speech
HICAGO — It was well after midnight at the University of Michigan when presidential candidate John F. Kennedy gave a short speech that would, in thousands of small ways, reshape the world.
“How many of you who are going to be doctors are willing to spend your days in Ghana?” he asked a crowd of students 50 years ago this week. “Technicians or engineers, how many of you are willing to work in the Foreign Service and spend your lives traveling around the world?Read More
“How many of you who are going to be doctors are willing to spend your days in Ghana?” he asked a crowd of students 50 years ago this week. “Technicians or engineers, how many of you are willing to work in the Foreign Service and spend your lives traveling around the world?Read More
Star story inspires Project Ismael; Toronto residents take up cause of mutilated Somali teen, work to bring him to Canada
The plight of one Somali torture victim has touched a group of Toronto residents who are working to bring 18-year-old Ismael Khalif Abdulle to Canada for a new life.
Responding to a Saturday Star story about the teenager's ordeal, prominent members of Toronto's Somali diaspora have formed "Project Ismael" and are fundraising and recruiting volunteers to support Ismael, in the hopes that immigration officials will grant him refugee status in Canada.
Ismael was a victim of Al Shabab, an Islamic militant group aligned with Al Qaeda that is attempting to overthrow Somalia's internationally-backed Transitional Federal Government.Read More
Responding to a Saturday Star story about the teenager's ordeal, prominent members of Toronto's Somali diaspora have formed "Project Ismael" and are fundraising and recruiting volunteers to support Ismael, in the hopes that immigration officials will grant him refugee status in Canada.
Ismael was a victim of Al Shabab, an Islamic militant group aligned with Al Qaeda that is attempting to overthrow Somalia's internationally-backed Transitional Federal Government.Read More
Somalia: Sharif met lawmakers to campaign over the new premier post
The president urged the lawmakers to support Mohammed Abdulahi Mohammed “Farmajo—who is the currently-nominated prime minister of Somalia.Read More
Men plead guilty to fraud, wire transfer charges
Two brothers from Somalia who were accused of $400,000 in food stamp fraud and of illegally transferring money overseas from their western Michigan store pleaded guilty Monday to federal charges, prosecutors said.
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Monday, 18 October 2010
Al-Shabab bans mobile phone money transfers in Somalia
Somali Islamist group al-Shabab has ordered mobile phone companies to stop their popular money transfer services, saying they are "unIslamic".
Mobile phone banking was introduced in the northern Somaliland region in 2009 and has now spread across the country.Al-Shabab and its allies control much of southern Somalia and one mobile phone company official said he had "no option but to obey" the order.Read More
Waxaa malintii labaad galay mudaharaad weyn oo looga soo horjeedo dowladda itoobiya iyo waliba cutub ay hogaamiyaan Cabdi iley iyo Cabdi fataax sheikh oo labaduba ka tirsan maamulka Melez zanawi oo lagu eedeeyay inta badan in ay xasuuqa ba'ani ka geesteen gobolka soomaalida
Mudaharaadkasi ayaa looga soo horjeeday tacdiyaadka loo geysanaayo shacabka soomaalida Ogaden iyada oo ay goobta mudaharaadka buux dhaafiyeen Masuuliyiinta jaaliyadaha ogaden,Caruur iyo waliba Hooyooyin oo intuba ku qeylinaayay Ereyo kadhan ku ah dowladda itoobiya iyo cutubyo ay kala hogaamiyaan labada masuul ee lagu kala magacaabay Cabdi iley iyo Cabdi fataax sheikh oo la sheegay inta badan in ay gobolka soomaalida ay si joogta ah uga fuliyaan arrimo la xiriiro xabsiyo,xasuuq,barakicinta shacabka dhulkaasi ku dhaqan Sii Akri
Madaxwayaha Dowlada Deegaanka Soomaalida Itoobiya oo si heer sare ah loogu soo dhaweeyay Copenhagen(Daawo Sawirada)
Madax-waynaha Dowlada Deegaanka Soomaalida ee Itoobiya ayaa waxa uu shirkii sida wayn loo wada sugayay ee casimada Denmark (Copan-hegan ) ka jeediyay khudbad dheer oo dhinacyo badan taabanaysa, isagoo kaga xog-waramayo xaalada horumarka dhabta ah ee wakhti -xaadirkan deegaanka ka jirta.
Madax-waynaha DDS Mudane Cabdi Maxamud Cumar ayaa khud-badan si wayn loo wada sugayay si qoto dheer ugaga hadlay dhamaanba kabayaasha dhaqaalaha hurumarka ee deegaanka laga hir galiyay
Sii Akhri
MIR: Somalia - The Next Afghanistan?
MIR: Somalia - The Next Afghanistan?
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Inside Story - Who is fuelling Somalia conflict?
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Religious war in Somalia
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Rageh Omar talks about Somalia conflict - 16 Sept 09
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U.S.-backed War in Somalia Comes to Uganda, Threatens to Set Whole Region Aflame
A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford
The U.S. war against Somalia expands outwards and “has now blown back to Uganda,” the U.S. ally that, “along with the minority Tutsi dictatorship in Rwanda, is America's most reliable mercenary force in Black Africa.” Ethiopia and Kenya prepare to join Uganda in an offensive against the Somali resistance, to save America’s puppet mini-state in Mogadishu.
U.S.-backed War in Somalia Comes to Uganda, Threatens to Set Whole Region Aflame
A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford
“The bombing in Kampala must be understood in the context of the planned expansion of the war in Somalia.”
The bombs that exploded in Kampala earlier this month, killing 76 people and unleashing a wave of arrests and deportations by the Ugandan regime, are chickens coming home to roost from the U.S.-sponsored war in Somalia. U.S. corporate media routinely fail to note that the Ugandan military and other U.S. African allies are all that prevent the farcical U.S.-backed mini-government in Somalia from being evicted from the few neighborhoods it still controls in Mogadishu, the Somali capital. The rest of south and central Somalia belongs to the Shabab and another Islamist group, that earned their nationalist credentials in fighting Ethiopian troops that invaded Somalia with full U.S. backing in late 2006. The invasion interrupted a brief period of relative peace in Somalia and plunged the country into what United Nations officials called the “worst humanitarian crisis in Africa – worse than Darfur.”Read More
US is executing a genocide in Somalia: deputy Speaker
Mr Maalim accuses the US of instigating instability in Somalia mainly to create room for exploitation of mineral and marine resources on the Somalia coastline. Photo/FILE
By EMEKA-MAYAKA GEKARA gmayaka@ke.nationmedia.com and BILLY MUIRURI bmuiruri@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Saturday, October 16 2010 at 22:00
Posted Saturday, October 16 2010 at 22:00
Deputy House Speaker Farah Maalim is in a foul mood. And this has nothing to with the MPs who can’t resist the mildest temptation to cheapen debate on critical issues. Far from that. He is terribly angry with the US government.
As the Islamist group al-Shabaab continues to put Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government under siege, Mr Maalim is accusing the US of executing a genocide in that country.Read More
Sunday, 17 October 2010
Somalia: Government forces took control of Beled-Hawo Town
Mogadishu (RBC) Reports from Somalia’s- Ethiopian border say that government forces have captured Beled-Hawo town of Gedo region, after heavy fighting between Al Shabab group and government troops on Sunday.
Local residents in the town told RBC that government forced led by Colonel Barre Aadan Hiiraale, also Somali Parliament Member entered the town this morning. The residents confirmed that Al Shabab fighters evacuated the town.Read More
Local residents in the town told RBC that government forced led by Colonel Barre Aadan Hiiraale, also Somali Parliament Member entered the town this morning. The residents confirmed that Al Shabab fighters evacuated the town.Read More
ONLF Signs a Peace Pact with the Government
After 18 years of dissident struggle, the Ogaden National Liberation Front, ONLF, finally signed a peace deal with the Ethiopian government on Tuesday, 12 October 2010 at Sheraton Addis in the Ethiopian Capital, Addis Ababa. The Ethiopian government was represented by Dr. Shiferaw Teklemariam, Minister of Federal Affairs while Salahadin Abdurahim Mao, the front’s chairman signed the document. According to the agreement signed, all ONLF rebels who have been put behind bars for criminal charges would be released and exonerated.
Shiferaw said the talks that culminated in the signing of the protocol started when the two sides met in Washington last August. Pursuant to this initial deliberation a series of negotiations between the signatories at both managerial and societal level took place. The minister pointed out that the Ethiopian government did welcome the leaders of the rebel group and henceforth they would be provided with all the necessary financial support for further rehabilitation efforts.Read More
Shiferaw said the talks that culminated in the signing of the protocol started when the two sides met in Washington last August. Pursuant to this initial deliberation a series of negotiations between the signatories at both managerial and societal level took place. The minister pointed out that the Ethiopian government did welcome the leaders of the rebel group and henceforth they would be provided with all the necessary financial support for further rehabilitation efforts.Read More
Ethiopia: Ogaden's ONLF rebels choose peace over war
The peace signing agreement between Ethiopian government and Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) was conducted in Sheraton Addis Lalibela Hall. EF reports that ONLF "decided to be governed by the constitution and to follows the peaceful path. "
Several hundreds of innocent Ogaden civilians have died during the conflict between the ONLF and pro-government forces in the region. Human rights groups have accused the Ethiopian government of war crimes in the ogaden region while blaming the ONLF for massacre of non-Ogaden clan somalis and using civilians as human shield.
During the peace signing ceremony, speeches were made by Ethiopian government represenative Abay Tsehaye, the chairman of the Supreme Council of the ONLF Eng Salahdin Abdurahman Maow and the President of the Somali Regional state Mr. Abdi Mohammed Omar.
ONLF's Maow said "we have come to understand the destructive nature of war and that war is not the only solution"Read More
Several hundreds of innocent Ogaden civilians have died during the conflict between the ONLF and pro-government forces in the region. Human rights groups have accused the Ethiopian government of war crimes in the ogaden region while blaming the ONLF for massacre of non-Ogaden clan somalis and using civilians as human shield.
During the peace signing ceremony, speeches were made by Ethiopian government represenative Abay Tsehaye, the chairman of the Supreme Council of the ONLF Eng Salahdin Abdurahman Maow and the President of the Somali Regional state Mr. Abdi Mohammed Omar.
ONLF's Maow said "we have come to understand the destructive nature of war and that war is not the only solution"Read More
Statment on peace negotiations
October 1, 2010 — The Somali Ogaden Community of San Diego would like to issue the following statement regarding the fictitious “peace agreement” currently taking place between the Ethiopian regime and ONLF imposters most notably Salahadin Ma’ow.
Although multiple organizations have continuously called upon the Ethiopian regime to with hold from engaging in counterproductive “negotiations” the government continues to entertain individuals such as Salahadin Ma’ow who in no way shape or form represents the people of the Ogaden, and more importantly the ONLF. On July 28th the Ethiopian government also signed a “peace agreement” with the United Western Liberation Front (UWSLF) a liberation movement that has been inactive in the Ogaden region for more than a decade and whose current leader Ibrahim Hussein was once leader of Al Itihad Al Islami (AIAI), a U.S classified terrorist organization. Although the Ethiopian government hailed UWSLF’s peace agreement as a major success the situation in the Ogaden hasn’t changed. In addition, the Ethiopian armed forces have yet to halt their campaign of terror that includes the burring of villages, rapes, and massive destruction of foodstocks, livestock, and critical wells and irrigation systems. Read More
Yet another 'peace deal' in Ogaden
By Andrew Koriri
On the night of September 21, 2010, less than a week after hundreds of Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) armed fighters trained by Eritrea trespassed through Somaliland and entered into the Somali Region of Ethiopia (Ogaden), Senior Ethiopian regime officials were in Bole International Airport (Addis Ababa) to receive an “ONLF” delegation led by Salahadin Ma’ow Sh. Abdirahman. In the coming few days, most likely in the first week of October, the “ONLF” faction that chose peace with Ethiopia will hold conferences inside the Ogaden region. The plan is to organize one such conference in Gari’goan, a place of symbolic value for the ONLF, as it is where its first conference was held after the fall of the Derg regime. This will be followed by a large meeting with the ‘people’ in Kebri-Dahar to brief on the outcomes of the Gari’goan conference.
In June 2010, The Ethiopian regime also signed a peace deal with the United Western Somali Liberation Front (UWSLF), a defunct Islamist front with no armed presence in the region. The group’s leader Sheekh Ibrahim is now in the capital of the Somali regional State – Jigjiga, but there has been no change for the better in the security situation of the region since his group signed the peace deal. In fact, it got worse with clashes between the Government forces and the ONLF rebels becoming more frequent and more intense. In the month of September alone, the Ethiopian regime claimed to have killed over 120 rebel fighters, while the ONLF on its part issued a series of military communiqués in which it claimed to have killed several hundreds of Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF).Read More
On the night of September 21, 2010, less than a week after hundreds of Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) armed fighters trained by Eritrea trespassed through Somaliland and entered into the Somali Region of Ethiopia (Ogaden), Senior Ethiopian regime officials were in Bole International Airport (Addis Ababa) to receive an “ONLF” delegation led by Salahadin Ma’ow Sh. Abdirahman. In the coming few days, most likely in the first week of October, the “ONLF” faction that chose peace with Ethiopia will hold conferences inside the Ogaden region. The plan is to organize one such conference in Gari’goan, a place of symbolic value for the ONLF, as it is where its first conference was held after the fall of the Derg regime. This will be followed by a large meeting with the ‘people’ in Kebri-Dahar to brief on the outcomes of the Gari’goan conference.
In June 2010, The Ethiopian regime also signed a peace deal with the United Western Somali Liberation Front (UWSLF), a defunct Islamist front with no armed presence in the region. The group’s leader Sheekh Ibrahim is now in the capital of the Somali regional State – Jigjiga, but there has been no change for the better in the security situation of the region since his group signed the peace deal. In fact, it got worse with clashes between the Government forces and the ONLF rebels becoming more frequent and more intense. In the month of September alone, the Ethiopian regime claimed to have killed over 120 rebel fighters, while the ONLF on its part issued a series of military communiqués in which it claimed to have killed several hundreds of Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF).Read More
Ogaden rebels claim an important victory
After Malaysia's Petronas this week sold out its oil and gas interests in Ethiopia's turbulent Ogaden region to the Ethiopian-owned company SouthWest Energy, rebels in the Ogaden claim an important victory.
The Ogaden region in eastern Ethiopia, a sparsely populated area dominated by the Somali people, holds the country's largest proven hydrocarbon bearing sedimentary basin. Proven gas reserves are at 2-4 trillion cubic feet, but poor infrastructure and political instability has led to a slow development of the fields.
Oil and gas exploration in the Ogaden so far has been headed by the Malaysian company Petronas and the Vancouver-based Africa Oil Corporation. Ogaden rebels have on several occasions pressurized the foreign companies to leave the region.
Today, the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) claims its campaign against the "multinationals" has seen its first success. The rebels doubt that a real, market-based "sale" has taken place.Read More
The Ogaden region in eastern Ethiopia, a sparsely populated area dominated by the Somali people, holds the country's largest proven hydrocarbon bearing sedimentary basin. Proven gas reserves are at 2-4 trillion cubic feet, but poor infrastructure and political instability has led to a slow development of the fields.
Oil and gas exploration in the Ogaden so far has been headed by the Malaysian company Petronas and the Vancouver-based Africa Oil Corporation. Ogaden rebels have on several occasions pressurized the foreign companies to leave the region.
Today, the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) claims its campaign against the "multinationals" has seen its first success. The rebels doubt that a real, market-based "sale" has taken place.Read More
Ethiopia: Somali party urges factions to choose peace over war
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
October 16, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA) — The Western Somali Democratic Party (WSDP) called on the country’s rebels to stop insurgency and join the peaceful political process of the country.
The group, from the ethnic Somali region bordering Somalia and Kenya, lauded Tuesday’s peace deal between a faction of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and the Ethiopian government.
Speaking to the state-run Ethiopia Radio and Television Agency, Chairperson of the WSDP, Hirsi Dool Hirsi on Friday said, ‘the deal is crucial to bringing about peace and development in the Somali region’ of western Ethiopia.
He praised that the ONLF faction who signed the recent deal, led by Engineer Salahddin Maow for choosing the right path by recognizing the cumulative effects of war and underdevelopment.
Hirsi called upon the Somali Diaspora to come home and be part of the development endeavors as the insurgency was now over. The chairman also praised the United Western Somali Liberation Front for signing a similar peace accord with the government last August and called upon other factions to follow suit.
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SendOctober 16, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA) — The Western Somali Democratic Party (WSDP) called on the country’s rebels to stop insurgency and join the peaceful political process of the country.
The group, from the ethnic Somali region bordering Somalia and Kenya, lauded Tuesday’s peace deal between a faction of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and the Ethiopian government.
Speaking to the state-run Ethiopia Radio and Television Agency, Chairperson of the WSDP, Hirsi Dool Hirsi on Friday said, ‘the deal is crucial to bringing about peace and development in the Somali region’ of western Ethiopia.
He praised that the ONLF faction who signed the recent deal, led by Engineer Salahddin Maow for choosing the right path by recognizing the cumulative effects of war and underdevelopment.
Hirsi called upon the Somali Diaspora to come home and be part of the development endeavors as the insurgency was now over. The chairman also praised the United Western Somali Liberation Front for signing a similar peace accord with the government last August and called upon other factions to follow suit.
Read More
Friday, 15 October 2010
Analysis: Missed opportunities in Somalia
NAIROBI, 13 October 2010 (IRIN) - Weak leadership and internal divisions have prevented Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) from exploiting splits among its Islamist insurgent enemies, say analysts.
Al-Shabab and Hisbul-Islam insurgents have, in the past two months, intensified attacks against government forces and allied African Union (AU) troops. Clashes in Mogadishu between 1 and 3 October, for example, left at least 50 people dead and 174 wounded, according to local human rights organizations.
However, divisions within insurgent ranks have increased to a point where rival groups are close to confrontation, sources said, allowing TFG and the AU troops to make some gains. Read More
Al-Shabab and Hisbul-Islam insurgents have, in the past two months, intensified attacks against government forces and allied African Union (AU) troops. Clashes in Mogadishu between 1 and 3 October, for example, left at least 50 people dead and 174 wounded, according to local human rights organizations.
However, divisions within insurgent ranks have increased to a point where rival groups are close to confrontation, sources said, allowing TFG and the AU troops to make some gains. Read More
Moderate Somali Militias Clash, Undermining New Strategy
NAIROBI, Kenya — Fighting broke out in central Somalia on Friday between two moderate Islamist militias that the United States and others had been counting on, as part of a new strategy, to stave off the Shabab, the nation’s most powerful insurgents. Shortly before the clashes started, a Western aid worker was kidnapped from the same area.
Somali officials said that fighters from Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa, a moderate Islamist militia, abruptly invaded the town of Adado, setting off an intense street battle between them and the town’s forces in which at least half a dozen people were killed. Read More
Somali officials said that fighters from Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa, a moderate Islamist militia, abruptly invaded the town of Adado, setting off an intense street battle between them and the town’s forces in which at least half a dozen people were killed. Read More
Somalia: System of a down
On Thursday October 14, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the president of Somalia, appointed Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed "Farmajo" as his new prime minister. Mohamed, a Somali-American and a member of the Somali diaspora, is a relative unknown in the Somalian political scene. Systemically, institutional divergence prevents Somalia from establishing a strong system of national governance.
The appointment came after the September 21 resignation of former prime minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke - a result of a ongoing feud between himself and the president. That ended a bitter power struggle between the divided executive institutions of the presidency and the office of the prime minister.
Appointing Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who is new, young and professional, is in and of itself a step in the right direction. However, a revolving door of personnel changes fails to address the cause of toxicity that has restrained political development in Somalia. Read More
The appointment came after the September 21 resignation of former prime minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke - a result of a ongoing feud between himself and the president. That ended a bitter power struggle between the divided executive institutions of the presidency and the office of the prime minister.
Appointing Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who is new, young and professional, is in and of itself a step in the right direction. However, a revolving door of personnel changes fails to address the cause of toxicity that has restrained political development in Somalia. Read More
British security worker kidnapped in Somalia
Briton working for UK charity Save the Children taken by armed men in Adado
A British security consultant working for a UK charity was kidnapped last night by gunmen in a Somali town near the Ethiopian border.
He had been contracted by Save the Children to assess whether it was safe for the group to resume aid operations in the area. His Somali fixer was also kidnapped, but was reportedly released today.
They were seized in the town of Adado, which is under the control of clan bosses. It is also used as a base by piracy kingpins whose gangs have netted tens of millions of dollars in ransoms from hijacking ships.
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A British security consultant working for a UK charity was kidnapped last night by gunmen in a Somali town near the Ethiopian border.
He had been contracted by Save the Children to assess whether it was safe for the group to resume aid operations in the area. His Somali fixer was also kidnapped, but was reportedly released today.
They were seized in the town of Adado, which is under the control of clan bosses. It is also used as a base by piracy kingpins whose gangs have netted tens of millions of dollars in ransoms from hijacking ships.
Read More
When reality strikes prejudice
The common message against President Paul Kagame of Rwanda is that he is a “media predator.” The Ugandan “democracy” crowd claim I cannot host a show like Andrew Mwenda Live in Rwanda. Yet the threat to the show would not be Kagame perceived intolerance. The show would fail if it adopted the Ugandan format because of poor strategic positioning largely due to the fact that Rwanda’s political context is different.
Andrew Mwenda Live was a success because it was rooted in Uganda’s reality – of widespread government corruption and incompetence in delivery of public goods and services taking place alongside a rapidly growing economy. I knew myriads of our people who suffer one million and one indignities when trying to access basic public services in medical care and education, and many other Ugandans who see the unresponsiveness of power to the concerns of ordinary people would form the bedrock of my listenership.
However, I also knew that all statistical and even anecdotal evidence showed there was economic growth. There is a broad elite consensus in Uganda in support of this view. The middle and upper classes are accumulating wealth. I focused the show on debating corruption and incompetence which were increasing as rapidly as the economy was growing. This meant that the vast majority of Ugandans were not sharing in this growing wealth of our nation. Read More
The end of Al Shabab as we know is nigh: another white lie from the TFG
“The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a Wahabi State and yet the west has no problem dealing with it. I fail to understand the difference between Somalia under Al Shabab and Saudi Arabia under the Saud”
Al Shabab Al Mujahidin evolved from a fringe group within the Islamic Courts union (ICU) in 2006 to the strongest and most disciplined movement in Somalia that literally controls the South and central regions and also has presence as far as Puntland and Somaliland – no faction or movement ever got to such prominence in the two chaotic decades after the fall of Mr. Barre’s government. Al Shabab has so far dwarfed the concerted efforts of the local warlords camouflaged, by Ethiopia, as the transitional federal government (TFG) and the international community’s negative propaganda and military might. The strength of the movement is attributed to have come from its more lofty religious ideology which transcends the zero sum game of the traditional clan competition which epitomizes the failure of Somalia’s middle class and the fallout of the poorly devised unconstructive intervention of the US through its clientele states of IGAD countries which as consequence translated into a healthy dividend in favour of the movement – AMISOM contingent is the latest and more feeble projects of military nature are said to be in the pipeline.
Al Shabab is a movement oversubscribed by the disenchanted youth that grow up during the civil war and as such has no connection what so ever to the old establishments – the famous old clergy class like Sheikh Omer Faruq and his likes that schooled them in the Wahabi teaching or the household name politician class of yester years. The clergy and the politicians must realize that they can’t lead the kids they let down – Amir Mukhtar Abu Zubeyr was born three days after I sat for my GCSE examination in Shabelle Mennonite mission school . I can hardly relate to the Al Shabab people who grow up in a very harsh time when the only gift from the US are helicopter gunships and mass bombardments as opposed to the Peace Corps and educational materials we used to associate with the Americans during our formative years. Read More
Raisal Wasaaraha Cusub oo durbaba la dhaliilay
Anigu lama yaabanni shakhsiga la magaacabay khibrad la'aant uu u leeyahay siyaasadda Somaliya ee ceelka fog ku dhacday, islamarkaa lama yaabanni aqoondaridda iyo khibrad la'anta haysa Shariif Ahmed. lama yaabani Shisheeyaha doonaya in Somalia ay ku siijirto dagaalka, qaxa iyo darxumidda. Waxaanse la yaabanahay shacabka Somaaliyeed goorta uu baraarugidoono oo ka danqandoono hoggaan xumida iyo talo xumidda gacanta loo gashay wax magaradka imaankoodu daciifka yahay.
Ninkan dhalinyarada ah ee maanta la magacaabay waxay ka tarjumaysaa qofka magacaabay xilkas xumidiisa. Haddii qaabka loo dooranyo qof ay tahay reerka uu ka dhashay inuu noqdo reer hebel ee aan loo eegin aqoontiisa, khibradiisa, Illaah ka cabsigiisa, kartidiisa iyo wax la mid ah.Sii Akhri
Ninkan dhalinyarada ah ee maanta la magacaabay waxay ka tarjumaysaa qofka magacaabay xilkas xumidiisa. Haddii qaabka loo dooranyo qof ay tahay reerka uu ka dhashay inuu noqdo reer hebel ee aan loo eegin aqoontiisa, khibradiisa, Illaah ka cabsigiisa, kartidiisa iyo wax la mid ah.Sii Akhri
Thursday, 14 October 2010
'Rawlings Will Have It Difficult In Somalia'
Security Analyst Dr Kwesi Annin says former President Rawlings will have a difficult time trying to restore peace and order to war-torn Somalia.
Somali-American Is Named Prime Minister of Somalia
MOGADISHU, Somalia — The Somali president on Thursday named a Somali-American to succeed the prime minister whose resignation last month brought the weak transitional government to a standstill.
“After long consultations and prayers,” President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed said at a news conference in Mogadishu, “we have succeeded in nominating the right and proper person.”
“I hope,” President Sharif said, “that he will succeed in the difficult task ahead.”
The previous prime minister, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, resigned Sept. 21 after months of intense pressure from the president. Disputes between the two siphoned focus from the government even as Islamist militants increased their attacks. Read More
Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Newly appointed Prime Minister for Somalia Mohamed Abdulahi attends a briefing at the presidential palace in Mogadishu.
“I hope,” President Sharif said, “that he will succeed in the difficult task ahead.”
The previous prime minister, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, resigned Sept. 21 after months of intense pressure from the president. Disputes between the two siphoned focus from the government even as Islamist militants increased their attacks. Read More
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Ethiopia signs peace deal with Ogaden rebel faction
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By Barry Malone
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia signed a peace deal on Tuesday to end 20 years of war with a rebel faction that has comprised the main threat to foreign oil and gas firms in the disputed Ogaden region, both sides said.
Abay Tsehaye, national security adviser to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, welcomed the signing of the deal as something that would strengthen unity in the Horn of Africa country.
But the spokesman for a rival wing in the fractious Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) run by former Somali navy chief Admiral Mohamed Omar Osman called the deal "irrelevant", raising questions about its breadth and staying power.
The ONLF has sought independence for the mainly ethnic Somali province. The faction with which Addis Ababa sealed the deal says it represents 80 percent of fighters who have menaced energy stakes in the Ogaden, which borders Somalia.Read More
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Sheikh Ali Mohammed Hussein, the insurgent group's chairman of the Banadir region, said Mogadishans should not use medicine offered by AMISOM, claiming that the drugs may have been contaminated with the HIV virus. In Somalia, Signs of Discord Appear in a Militant Group
MOGADISHU, Somalia — The movement of Islamist fighters out of towns in southern and central Somalia in recent days, along with comments by government officials and insurgents, suggests that rifts have developed within the leadership of the country’s most powerful militant organization, the Shabab.
The disputes appear to involve clan loyalties and differences over strategy and policy, according to people affiliated with the group’s second in command, Sheik Muktar Roobow Abu Mansor. Among other things, the group’s leadership is divided over whether to allow international aid groups to work in territory held by the Shabab and the role of foreign jihadists within the group. Read More
The disputes appear to involve clan loyalties and differences over strategy and policy, according to people affiliated with the group’s second in command, Sheik Muktar Roobow Abu Mansor. Among other things, the group’s leadership is divided over whether to allow international aid groups to work in territory held by the Shabab and the role of foreign jihadists within the group. Read More
Friday, 8 October 2010
DHACDA UGUB AH – Omar Hashi Adan
Col. Omar Hashi Adan iyo wakhtigii is bahaysiga - in exile
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Col. Omer Hashi in Mogadishu durring the Djibout Agreement
Dhageyso Isaga oo Dawlad ah - TFG
The suicide bomber who killed Collonel Omer Hashi
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Col. Omer Hashi in Mogadishu durring the Djibout Agreement
Dhageyso Isaga oo Dawlad ah - TFG
The suicide bomber who killed Collonel Omer Hashi
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The Life Of The Shaheed - Aden Hashi Ayrow Part 1
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Al Shabaab - Aljazeera Interview With Shaykh Abu Mansuur Part 2
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Abu Mansur oo beeniye
Watch Abu Mansur denying the split of Alshabab
Sheikh Hassan Yacqub Alshabab Kismayo Governor denied the split of the movement
Watch Al Shabab kismayo Governor denying the split
ONLF Boss Admiral Mohamed on Ethiopian Colonization
Watch ONLF Admiral on Ethiopian Colonization Part One
Watch ONLF Admiral on Ethiopian Colonization Part Two
Al-Shabab commander says they are not divided
MOGADISHU( Mareeg.com) — A military commander and former spokesman of Al-Shabab Sheikh Mukhtar Robow known as Abu Mansur said Friday they were still united and sent a message to al Qaeda leader Osama Bin laden.
Speaking to the reporters in mosque in Mogadishu after Friday prayer, Sheikh Mukhtar denied news reports about disagreement of the group leadership.Read More
Al Shabaab Splits Over Foreign Terrorists
October 7, 2010: Despite the lack of reinforcements, AU (African Union) peacekeepers in Mogadishu have gone on the offensive. The 7,000 Ugandan and Burundian troops, and several thousand Transitional National Government (TNG) troops (trained by European instructors) have pushed al Qaeda out of many Mogadishu neighborhoods in the last week, leaving over a hundred people dead and several hundred more wounded. This has been aided by growing rifts inside al Shabaab. A major al Shabaab leader in Mogadishu (deputy commander-in-chief, Mukhtar Robow) has split with the terrorist organization and withdrawn his forces from the city. The weakened and disorganized al Shabaab forces are thus having a difficult time resisting the TNG/peacekeeper offensive. Robow's complaint is that foreign terrorists are increasingly taking over al Shabaab, sometimes killing those who object. Currently, six al Qaeda foreigners are members of the ten man Sura Council (the al Shabaab supreme command), versus four Somalis. This situation has already led to constant friction with fellow Islamic radical group Hizbul Islam, which opposes the growing power of the al Qaeda foreigners. The defection of Robow means al Shabaab has lost about a quarter of its gunmen. Al Shabaab is recruiting more teenagers (who are easier to recruit, but aren't as effective in combat) to replace the older, more experienced men. Al Shabaab also has to contend with the fact that most Somalis hate the Islamic radicals, and flee areas ruled by al Shabaab or Hizbul Islam. Read More
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Prominent Ethiopian Opposition Leader Released From Prison
Ethiopian opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa has been released from prison, 21 months after authorities revoked an earlier pardon and ordered her to serve out a life sentence for treason.
Hundreds of delirious supporters greeted Unity for Democracy and Justice Party leader Birtukan Mideksa as she arrived at the modest house she shares with her mother and six-year-old daughter. She walked the last two blocks on a plastic red carpet that had been spread down the middle of the narrow lane leading to her gate.Read More
Somali Government Capitalizes on Internal Divisions in al-Shabab
Just weeks after a major offensive to eliminate government forces in Mogadishu, a widening rift between key leaders of Somali insurgent group al-Shabab has improved the prospects of survival for the embattled transitional government. The rift has taken pressure off of government and international forces, allowing them to expand their area of control in the war-torn capital.
The Transitional Federal Government of Somalia on Monday announced that government forces, with the help of African Union peacekeepers have managed to take control of areas in Mogadishu previously claimed by al-Qaida linked insurgents al Shabab.
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Museveni wants Somalia airport and docks blocked
Entebbe
President Museveni yesterday asked the UN to enforce blanket security check over Somalia by declaring its airspace a “no-fly zone” and blocking seaports to defeat the al Shabaab. These drastic measures, Mr Museveni reportedly told a closed-door meeting with visiting members of the UN Security Council, are necessary since the Somali fighters replenish their arsenal with supplies delivered using water vessels.
Sources that attended the meeting said the President also proposed that instead of lobbying reluctant countries to contribute troops to the African Mission in Somalia, a few willing ones be identified and facilitated as “frontline” actors to achieve success. Read More
One year' to clean toxic spill in Hungary
The spill, which damaged bridges and houses, swept cars from roads Hungary says it will cost tens of millions of dollars and take at least a year to clean up the damage caused by a spill of industrial toxic red sludge.
Emergency workers are trying to stop the spill, from an alumina plant, from flowing into major waterways, including the River Danube
A state of emergency has been declared in three western counties after the chemical waste burst from a reservoir.Read More
Twin attacks strike at Western targets in Yemen
The vehicle was on its way to the British embassy with five staff on board Twin attacks on Western targets in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, have left one person dead and at least four injured.
Militants fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a British embassy car, slightly injuring one staff member as well as bystanders, officials said.In the other incident, a French national died when a guard at an Austrian gas company near Sanaa opened fire, security sources said.Read More
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Qiimaha maceeshadda oo kor u kacday Somaliland, sarrifka Lacagta oo aad hoos ugu dhacay iyo cabashada dadweynaha
alaado, 05 October, 2010 (HOL)- Suuqyada magaalooyinka waawayn ee Somaliland, waxa muddooyinkii u dambeeyay sare uga kacay sicirka maceeshada quutal-daruuriga ah.
Inkastoo ay suuqyada dalku haatan uu hadheeyay hoos-u-dhac laxaad leh oo ku yimi sicirka sarrifka lacagta dolarka, haddana waxa dadweynuhu aad uga welwel qabaan qiimaha maceeshadda quutal-daruuriga ah oo kor u kacay. “Qofka reer horjooge u ah ee 100 Dollar dibedda looga soo diri jiray, maanta wax uu u goynayaa ma jirto. Raashinkii halkiisii buu taagan yahay, Sarifkii lacagtuna aad buu hoos ugu dhacay,” sidaa waxa HOL u sheegay mid ka mid ah dadka lacagaha dibedda looga soo diro.SII AKHRI
An Open Letter to Gennet Zewide, Ethiopian Ambassador to India
| September 30, 2010 |
Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
7/50-G, Satya Marg, Chanakyapuri
New Delhi 110 021 (INDIA)
Tel : 0091-11-26119513 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0091-11-26119513 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, 26119514, 24675367
E-mail : delethem@yahoo.com
7/50-G, Satya Marg, Chanakyapuri
New Delhi 110 021 (INDIA)
Tel : 0091-11-26119513 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0091-11-26119513 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, 26119514, 24675367
E-mail : delethem@yahoo.com
Dear Ambassador Gennet Zewide:
The people of Ethiopia have a question for you and the government of Ethiopia you represent, “Why are you giving away our land to foreigners?”
Recently, during an interview on Indian TV:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsFyIeVD108&feature=related you made an outrageous offer to lease some of the most fertile land in Ethiopia to Indian investors; promising them long-term leases, government perks and land at giveaway prices. You said, “You don’t have to buy the land in Ethiopia because the government gives you the land for an almost negligible lease price for 25 to 50 years, which is then, of course, renewable. There are other government incentives as well.Read More
Meles Consolidates Power and Releases Birtukan Mideksa
| Name | Gender | Ethnicity | Assignment |
| Meles Zenawi | M | Tigre (Eritrean) | Prime Minister (PM) |
| Hailemariam Desalegn | M | Walayit | Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| Siraj Fegeta | M | Silte | Minister of Defense |
| Dr. Shiferaw Tekelemariam | M | Hadiya | Minister of Federal Affairs |
| Berhane Hailu | M | Amhara | Minister of Justice |
| Junedin Sado | M | Oromo | Minister of Civil Service |
| Sufian Ahmed | M | Oromo | Minister of Finance and Economic Development |
| Tefera Deribew | M | Amhara | Minister of Agriculture |
| Mekonnen Manyazewal | M | Amhara | Minister of Industry |
| Abdurahman Sh/Mohammed | M | Somali | Minister of Trade |
| Desse Dalke | M | Sidama | Minister of Science and Technology |
| Diriba Kuma | M | Oromo | Minister of Transport |
| Debretsion Gebremikael | M | Tigre | Minister of Communication and Information Technology |
| Mekuria Haile | M | Gurage | Minister of Urban Development and Construction |
| Alemayehu Tegenu | M | Amhara/Oromo | Minister of Water and Energy |
| Sinknesh Ejigu | F* | Oromo | Minister of Mines |
| Demeke Mekonnen | M | Amhara | Minister of Education |
| Dr. Tewodros Adhanom | M** | Tigre/Eritrean | Minister of Health |
| Abdulfetah Abdulahi Hassen | M | Somali | Minister of Labor and Social Affairs |
| Amin Abdulkadir | M | Afar | Minister of Culture and Tourism |
| Zenebu Tadesse | F | Amhara | Minister of Women, Youth and Children’s Affairs |
| Bereket Simon | M*** | Tigre/ Eritrean | Communication Office Head |
| Aster Mamo | F | Oromo | Government Chief Whip |
| Melaku Fanta | M | Amhara | Director General of the Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority Read More |
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