International Crisis Group’s Erroneous Assertions on Late Premier

 

By Berhane Kahsay, Sept. 27, 2012
The International Crisis Group (ICG) is literally going out of its way to make a name for itself by disseminating white lies of the worst possible sort against Ethiopia. ICG is not a self financing organisation but it audaciously states that it is transparent, independent and above board. How it can remain beyond frequent arm twisting by fund contributors is really hard to believe. The ICG further claims that it is committed to preventing and resolving deadly conflicts worldwide but by its actions it has shown quite clearly that this is far from the truth. In any case, the ICG seems to have carved a niche for itself and funds are continuously flowing in its way.  In an effort to catch up with other institutions such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, it is coming up with headline grabbing unsubstantiated sensational stories.
A case in point is the premature announcement of the death of PM Meles by the ICG via G-7 which it swiftly denied as the source of the story when it was found to be an outright lie. It is pretty clear that the ICG is acting as a mouth piece for unfriendly government/s hell bent on disrupting Ethiopia’s unrelenting economic progress. Was the intention to incite an upheaval in the country? Does it seriously reckon that a little push could cause the two decades long economic success to come to a scratching halt? Who would benefit from this?
Egypt is the country that springs to mind for obvious reasons; it wants the Nile just for itself, and would gain immensely if Ethiopia was to revert to war, and perpetual famine and starvation. The Arab nation would love to hamper the phenomenal and spectacular transformation of Ethiopia into the leading economy of Eastern Africa. The probability of success, however, is very slim indeed.
The good news for Ethiopia is that Egypt is in a precarious situation at this moment in time. The country is in a state of turmoil as a result of the serious conflict that has opened up between the Muslim Brotherhood led government and the Salafi Al-Nur opposition party that is gaining ground and wants to turn Egypt into an Islamic state. To make matters worse, Barak Obama has publically stated that he no longer considers Egypt as an ally as it took its time to condemn the death of an American ambassador in Libya. The US considers Egypt as a Very Favoured Nation (VFN) alongside Israel and Turkey, and receives annual aid estimated to be around $5 billion. The Islamisation of Egypt, not to mention the other North African Countries, is seriously worrying the Obama administration and Israel. The moment may have come for the US to damp Egypt and make its way to the Horn of Africa and catapult the age old historical relationship with Ethiopia into a much higher level.  ICG would not be ecstatic about this, but one would expect it from a trash organisation that makes a living by knocking down assertive third world leaders like the late Ethiopian Prime Minister.

The folks at ICG haven’t got a clue the length Ethiopia has travelled since the over throw of the military dictatorship. Ethiopia is now stable and can with stand sudden and prolonged shocks without too much discomfort. The country was without a leader for weeks and nothing untoward happened over this period. Smooth transition of power has taken place without a hitch for the first time in the history of Ethiopia. A huge state funeral was successfully completed although chaos was predicted by the fringe groups in the Diaspora and the ICG. Millions of Ethiopians have clearly shown during the mourning of the late Premier how united they were, and as long as this unity is maintained, the stability and cohesion of the country would undoubtly stand the taste of time. The ICG was foolishly hoping to initiate chaos and uprising in Ethiopia similar to what is taking place in Syria, Yemen, Libya and other Arab countries but these failed to completely materialise.
The ICG didn’t limit itself to spreading pure lies and fabrications but was also involved in besmirching the good name of the late Premier of Ethiopia. Not long ago, it posted an article on its website titled ‘Ethiopia After Meles.’ This short commentary has exposed how little the ICG knew about the departed Ethiopian leader who managed to transform his country into one of the leading economic powers of the Horn region in just two decades. In the article the ICG describes the late Prime Minister as an authoritarian with poor human rights records. What made them think Meles was an authoritarian?  Authoritarians have the following characteristics in common but we fail to see how anyone of them listed below could have been linked to the late Premier:

• Demand total obedience; Meles was a champion of consensus politics and if it was not for this, the success registered in all spheres under his leadership would not have been possible. The sign of a good leader is that he takes the views and opinions of others into account, and this is exactly what he did when he was a guerrilla leader for seventeen years and prime Minister for the last twenty one years. Of course he was firm and decisive with those who were involved in destructive and harmful politics.
• Disallow freedom of speech; there are a number of free private presses and radio stations expressing their views without any restrictions provided they operate within the law of the land. Most of these are critical of the EPRDF government and yet they are functioning freely which an authoritarian leader would not permit. Of course there are those activists who claim to be journalists and call for the overthrow of a democratically elected government so that they could come to power where they were not able do so through free and fair general elections. Such people were prosecuted and put behind bars as they transgressed the law of the country. In the Western World you could be prosecuted for being homophobic or racist, why shouldn’t those who were calling for regime change through violent means be punished? It is simply tripe to question Meles Zenawi’s record on human rights because of the incarceration of the so called diehard political activists who masquerade as journalists and commit crimes of serious nature in collaboration with the arch enemy of Ethiopia.
• Prevent the right to assemble; members of the opposition and others have been able to freely gather in large or small groups to discuss issues of their concern in any part of the country without any fear or trepidations. They are also at liberty to organise legal demonstrations but the opposition have always toyed with the idea of conducting this outside the remits of the law. The right to assemble is guaranteed by the FDRE constitution that came into being after the EPRDF administration led by Meles came to power.    
• Restrict freedom of movement within the country; in today’s Ethiopia there is no restriction of movement and the People can travel from north to south and west to east freely as it is their right to do so. One can confidently state with absolute certainty that not a single Ethiopian can come forward that can claim that his or her freedom of movement has been curtailed.
• Deny the right to travel abroad; every Ethiopian is entitled to a passport and as long as the legal requirements are met, going overseas is no longer restricted to the very privileged few. The number of people queuing up at the entrance of the Immigration Office on daily basis wanting to renew their passport or apply for a new one is irrefutable proof.
•  Interfere with the judicial system; so far no one has come up with a shred of evidence to implicate Meles’s involvement in deflecting the due process of the law. In fact Meles was very magnanimous in his dealings with his political opponents and went the extra mile to accommodate them. On a number of occasions, his government pardoned those who were sentenced to long years of imprisonment for crimes they committed after only a few years. Respect for the rule of law was Meles’s paramount concern as this was extremely important for the maintenance of peace and stability needed for the re-construction of Ethiopia to continue unabated.
• Harshly treat opposition parties; the opposition have always been   treated fairly but they reciprocate by blaming the EPRDF of narrowing the political space in order to cover their failings. In actual fact, it is the electorates that have denied them the space and the votes they desperately crave and not Meles Zenawi. The political playing field is out there for grabs, but the opposition are refusing to take full advantage of it. There are problems here and there but they are surmountable.  A substantial number of political parties exist in Ethiopia today, but by and large, they do not have clear political programmes that they could present to the electorates. Their wish is to assume power by highlighting the perceived weaknesses of the EPRDF, but not on the strength of their manifestos. As a result of their inability to make headways, they have been gallivanting around the globe pleading with the international community to put pressure on the late Premier’s government to give in to their demands. The PM was firm and clearly demonstrated on many occasions that he had nerves of steel; he was not prepared to take any nonsense from those who were trying to deflect him from his resolute determination to improve the living conditions of millions of his people.

The article that appeared on ICG’s website seems to have been taken from the books of the disloyal opposition groups as everything that is contained in it is what we hear from them on daily basis. Some of the audacious staff the ICG stated in the article include: one party rule of the TPLF; --- Wrong! It is the EPRDF that is ruling and Ethiopia is an emerging multi-party democracy with failings here and there.  Meles’s successor will lead a weaker regime---- the solid foundation in place is what matters not whether Meles is here or not.   TPLF is failing to implement the policy of ethnic federalism----Such as? ; Curbed journalists, non-governmental organisations and religious freedoms--- activists and NGOs financed by foreign bodies have been taken out of play and religious freedom is enshrined in FDRE constitution. The recent disturbances by the very few Muslim fundamentalists were simply a struggle for power, and had nothing to do with curbing religious freedom at all.
Clearly the ICG knows very little about Ethiopia, and the article it authored is riddled with hearsay from beginning to end.  This is to be expected from a white colonialist entity with a clear agenda to test the stability of Ethiopia; ICG is not ashamed or unduly perturbed by the manner in which it treats black third world countries. It would not dare write such a preposterously interfering article against the rich and powerful petroleum producing countries such as Saudi Arabia where women are not even allowed to drive a car. Poverty is humiliating and that is why we are being treated in this unacceptable manner by this racist organisation. No wonder the late Premier was working day and night to make his country self sufficient and silence the parasites that want us to remain as foreign aid

A campaign of terror and mass executions in Ogaden

 

EthiopianReview.com

(SVT) — Swedish Television’s Africa correspondent Johan Ripås has become privy to further documentation, smuggled out of Ethiopia. The video evidence shows that whole villages have been emptied of inhabitants through executions and mass flight from terror.
“These atrocities are well known in Ogaden. But no proper evidence has reached the world until now,” says Abdullahi Hussein, a defected Ethiopian civil servant who smuggled out the material.
The task force accused of these atrocities is called the Liyu Police or Special Police. The unit was formed three years ago to combat the separatist rebel group ONLF. According to information obtained by Swedish Television, the Liyu Police has since spread terror in the Ogaden province by mass executions of civilians.
“They have deliberately recruited unemployed youths from the streets to the Liyu Police. These have then been drilled in carrying out executions,” says Abdullahi Hussein.
On May 16th 2010 ONLF, reportedly carried out a major attack against a Liyu Polices camp in southern Ogaden. Retaliation followed the next day. Early on the morning of May 17th the Liyu Police came to the village of Malqaqa in the same region. The locals were accused of having helped ONLF, and the task force opened fire on the unarmed villagers.
Swedish Television has met an eye witness to the event. Bashir Ali managed to escape the bullets.
“They split up into smaller groups, advanced methodically and gunned down everybody in sight. I counted 73 dead,” says Bashir Ali.
The Liyu Police are headed by the president of the Ogaden region, Abdi Muhammed Omar. In the video footage that was smuggled out you can see the president visit the neighbouring village of Malqaqa. Several representatives of the village talk to the president and thank him for coming. An elderly man suddenly grabs the microphone and speaks his mind about the attack on his village: “Since the Liyu Police came, lots of people in our villages Galaashe and Malqaqa have been murdered. People have fled and many are missing. Old people as well as young.”
Abdullahi Hussein was present on this occasion and can be seen next to the president in the video footage: “The old man was immediately arrested by the Liyu Police, on the orders of the president. I don’t know what happened to him. I just saw how they led him away.”
Abdullahi Hussein says, that at least one hundred people were executed in the village of Malqaqa during a couple of days in May 2010. There were probably many more. On the video footage that was smuggled out, you can see that the houses in Malqaqa now stands empty and abandoned.
You can also hear members of the Liyu Police desecrate a civilian they have just killed. They stomp on his head and poke his face with a stick.
“They gathered several people in the monastery of Malqaqa and stoned them to death,” says Bashir Ali who escaped the attack.
The human rights organization Human Rights Watch has recently received witness accounts of similar events.
“We have evidence that three villages were attacked by the Liyu Police in March 2012. Many men were executed, and several men were arrested and detained arbitrarily,” says Laetitia Bader of Human Rights Watch.
Abdullahi Hussein now lives in exile under constant death threats after having smuggled the evidence out of Ethiopia.
“The world must know. I did what every person would have done after seeing what I have seen,” says Abdullahi Hussein.

September 24th, 2012

Obang’s letter to PM Hailemariam

 

Negash

 “Meaningful Reforms, Reconciliation and the Restoration of Justice”

SMNE Urges New Prime Minister to Take Bold Steps That Will Lead the Country to a New Ethiopia

An Open Letter to Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn,

September 26, 2012

His Excellency Hailemariam Desalegn,
Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia
Office of the Prime Minister
P.O. BOX – 1031
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Dear Prime Minister Hailemariam,

We are writing this letter to you, first of all to congratulate you in your appointment as the new prime minister of Ethiopia—only the third Ethiopian leader to assume this position within the last nearly forty years and the first of the three to assume it through a smooth transition—only because the former prime minister died; yet, this is an unprecedented development in Ethiopia’s recent history and we urge you to take hold of your God-given opportunity to help bring truth, honesty, justice, equality and reconciliation and healing that are so needed by for the survival of our severely wounded and divided nation. It is a significant moment to seize if you are to make a historical and meaningful contribution to a genuinely more inclusive Ethiopia where the humanity of each and every Ethiopian is valued more than their ethnicity, the religion they practice, the region they come from or their political party membership.

You are now the leader of Ethiopia; meaning you are the leader not only of the EPRDF or the TPLF or the leader of those who agree with you, but you are also the leader of all Ethiopians, including those who disagree with your party and have been labeled by them as enemies or extremists. Based on the presumption that you will assume your position of responsibility to all the people of Ethiopia—something which hopefully will be proven through concrete action within a very short period of time—we are writing to you, as the new head of the country, to urge you to boldly implement meaningful change from the status quo—moving Ethiopia from a deeply entrenched system that excludes the majority of Ethiopians to one that will free all within our society to realize their God-given gifts.  

Mr. Prime Minister,

For your information, the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia (SMNE), of which I am the executive director, is a social justice group, established specifically to break the pattern of Ethiopian destruction that has led ethnic-liberation fronts like the TPLF from grievance, to resistance, to revenge, to overthrowing the Derg, to taking control of the country, to making the country landlocked through splitting it in two, to implementing a system of ethnic-apartheid-domination, to presenting a false picture of a unified Ethiopia through a flawed system of tribes (nations and nationalities)  rather than as the Ethiopian people in order for a tiny elite from one ethnic group to cover up a system of ethnic, crony, party, and regional favoritism, to the present stage which is the exploitation of the oppressed and the rest of the people by a few in the TPLF who run the entire country under the pseudonym of the EPRDF.

We in the SMNE strongly disavow any right of any oppressed group to use their past oppression as an excuse to tyrannize or subjugate others; yet, this is exactly what the TPLF has done, in company with the EPRDF. It is epitomized in the recent case of a young person who applied to Addis Ababa University but was rejected because the “quota” for Amharas had been met rather than accepting students based on giftedness, academic credentials and drive. One’s ethnicity should never give you preferred status or be the basis of rejection. This is wrong and immoral.

This was the reason the SMNE was created; not as a political party but as a movement to empower and unify all diverse Ethiopians around these principles in order to build a New Ethiopia where we value the humanity of everyone, not only those like ourselves. We stand for a country where the “system” is structured and well-protected by checks and balances to protect the rights of all for until then “no one will be free until all are free.”


For a “New Ethiopia” to emerge, it means the old Ethiopia must be reformed. You are in a position to drive those reforms forward. Without such reforms, we know many will reject being part of an Ethiopia where they have been oppressed, marginalized, discriminated against, mistreated and/or seen as “impediments to be removed” rather than being accepted as active and contributing partners and beneficiaries in the life of Ethiopian society. This is something we all know is true. Such an Ethiopia is an old Ethiopia, a dying Ethiopia and an Ethiopia that must be discarded if we are to become a New Ethiopia that is good for everyone.

Mr. Prime Minister,

Who would have ever thought that a young man from the Boloso Sore district of the Wolayita Zone in southern Ethiopia, who walked to school some kilometers away with his younger brother, whose dream was to become a doctor, would be the new prime minister of Ethiopia and the leader of more than ninety million people? This may only be about God’s plan to use you, as someone from one of our rich and proud ethnic groups in the South and from a humble beginning, to help bring the family of Ethiopians together to plant a garden for the future of all of us. This garden of beautiful, multi-colored and multi-shaped blooms symbolizes the over 80 different, but all precious, ethnicities of Ethiopia.

The fertile soil of this garden must start with clean and repentant hearts, with our minds open to the truth and by souls filled with pure intentions. Transformational change must be based on love rather than hatred; dialogue rather than violence; reconciliation rather than vengeance; restored justice rather than oppression. This is the only way we can pass on a blessing rather than a curse to the next generation of Ethiopians. We now call on you, Mr. Prime Minister, to move Ethiopia in this new direction. This was the reason the SMNE created—to bring respectful dialogue as we honestly confront our problems so that we might carve out solutions. This is not only about the people but it is about doing what is right in the eyes of our Almighty God who sometimes calls some of us, like yourself, to do very difficult things, but promises to be faithful to those who trust Him and walk in His ways. By what you decide to do, you will show who you will please. These are moral issues with clear directives that lead to freedom of souls, people and nations.

We in the SMNE also posed such moral choices to Meles in two open letters, on two occasions, Open Letter to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, and read in English.. Or  read in Amharic.. but he chose to close his ears and ignored us like he ignores the majority of Ethiopians. Instead, he continued to advance his own plans of pleasing those he considered to be his own. We were not surprised, but look where it has led us as a people and now he is gone. Today, you can make a difference, but only if you recognize God’s call in this unique opportunity. Are you willing to take whatever steps God has given to you to do your part in bringing light and life back to Ethiopia?

Mr. Prime Minister,

Our people have suffered so much. If you go from one corner of our beautiful country to each of the others to listen to the people—starting from the south to the north and from the east to the west—you will hear the same stories of their pain, grief, suffering and hard lives. These heartbreaking stories do not come only because of the difficulties of life we all face, but much of their hardship, poverty, lack of opportunity and abuse has come as the result of government policies and harmful actions. Even their chronic poverty and lack of food security can be related to the lack of freedom, the lack of property rights, the failure of the rule of law, the rampant corruption and regime repression.

A nation is like a body. When one part of the body is inflicted with pain, it affects the rest of the body. This one body we call Ethiopia, which is shared by all of us—binding us together—has suffered so much in the hands of the people who have been in charge. These leaders who have led our country all these years are the ones who have failed in their responsibilities to nurture, protect and care for all the people of Ethiopia who are loved by God and precious to Him. It is not an easy responsibility you are being asked to assume, but nevertheless, this responsibility for leadership is now in your hands. If you choose to do what is right in God’s eyes, God will help you, but if you choose to continue to oppress the people and to unfairly exploit them and their resources, you will be on your own. 

Mr. Prime Minister,

We know that many Ethiopians are assuming that the TPLF is in total control of you and these people are watching every action you take to prove it. They assume the TPLF is simply pretending that a Southerner is leading a country, when in truth; it is those on the TPLF Central Committee who are doing so. This is the general speculation of the people, but it may not be true.

We know you know much of what is wrong in Ethiopia and might want to change it but will have limits set on you by some, but you may find many, even within the TPLF, who recognize the opportunity to jump from a sinking ship of the TPLF and they may help you more than most expect. We know you cannot do it alone. We also know your party cannot do it alone. The only way is to do it together with the rest of the people of Ethiopia and through the power of God as He works in the hearts and minds of the people to accomplish purposes greater than we can now see.
God may have placed you in this position for such a time as this, but if you do not rise to the purpose, God will find another way. Up until now, the TPLF has not been with the people, but you must reach out to them; especially to your enemies or the people with whom you may disagree with and take concrete action even if it is not popular.

Mr. Prime Minister,

Ethiopia needs deep reforms, not simply cosmetic reforms that skim the surface. All political prisoners must be released. Political space must be restored. You must meet with the political oppositions. Repeal laws that block civil society and freedom of expression and information. Stop the land grabs and the human rights abuses by the Ethiopian military and security forces. They are on the Ethiopian payroll. Stop religious repression and government interference in religious affairs. Call for National Reconciliation and tell the people within the TPLF/EPRDF that they are needed parts of this beautiful body—the country of Ethiopia. They will not be harmed and will have a deserved place in a New Ethiopia for they are “us.” Those who committed crimes will face justice but not on the street. This beautiful country of all of us will not survive by pretending. Ignoring the problems without taking an active role in bringing meaningful change will bring consequences none of us want. Take the necessary bold moves that must be done for the wellbeing, safety and security of our people.

We all live once and have opportunities that will pass us by if not taken. This may be the moment for good that God planned in advance for you. Stand up for the harassed people of Ethiopia. Our country needs transformation and you cannot do it alone. In light of this, reach out to people and be on their side. You are appointed to be a leader of all the people. May God give you the words, the strength, the wisdom, the openings and the support you need to change the direction of Ethiopia from doom to dawn; giving your all to provide a structure to bring reforms, reconciliation and justice so that a dying nation may be revived; so that the favoritism of an unjust ethnic-apartheid system be ended, the shackles of injustice unlocked and a people and nation be inspired to lift up their hands to their Creator God. 

Mr. Prime Minister,

As for us, in the SMNE, we are always ready to do whatever we can because we are part of this body of Ethiopia and humanity and are committed to the betterment of all our people. We will not compromise in what we believe meaning we cannot settle for pretense without change, for small goals when we need deep reforms or for benefits for only a few for no one will be free until all are free.

We must care about all our Ethiopian sisters and brothers so that Ethiopia is a better Ethiopia rather than a beggar Ethiopia; an Ethiopia where our children can live in whatever part of the country they want; where they can live and flourish rather than risking their lives as they flee beyond our borders for freedom and opportunity; an Ethiopia where Ethiopians dispersed throughout the world can feel safe to return home to help rebuild this beloved country of ours—a country of freedom and opportunity for all.

We believe this is doable and have hope in our people from every ethnic group, region, religious group, and political group from all over the country that they will rise to the challenge by doing their share. As long as there is strong leadership that puts the interests of humanity ahead of the self-interests of a few; there is no reason that will prevent our Ethiopia from overcoming the negative images for which we are known throughout the world as  a starving and dying people.

In conclusion, if you choose to take these strong steps forward, we understand that it may cost you great sacrifice, but you will be choosing the side of righteousness. The people will know it and stand by you! The past is the past and we must move ahead. Take that step now! May God help us all!

In hope,

Your brother,

Obang Metho,
Executive Director of the SMNE
910-17th St. NW, Suite 419
Washington, DC 20006 USA
Phone 202 725-1616
Email: Obang@solidaritymovement.org.
Website: www.solidaritymovement.org
 

September 28th, 2012

Somalia Human Development Report Finds Youth Essential To Country's Future

 

The Huffington Post  |  By Clare Richardson Posted: 09/28/2012 8:53 pm EDT Updated: 09/29/2012 9:53 am EDT

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After 21 years of civil war and a 2011 drought that triggered what was called the "worst humanitarian disaster in the world" at the time, Somalia at last has a glimmer of hope. The country faces a potentially transformative moment as violence abates, a new government takes hold, and the largest youth generation in Somalia's history sees the possibility for change.
A report released Friday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) finds that with over 70 percent of Somalis under the age of 30, youth empowerment is key to stability and growth in Somalia's future. The report urges an emphasis on youth as agents of peace-building and positive change, rather than victims or aggressors. It explains:

[Youth] are most often depicted in two ways: as helpless victims, unemployed, growing up in hopelessness, and subjected to forced labour and recruitment into militias; or as criminals or child-soldiers who are inherently violent and easily manipulated by others into becoming perpetrators, and are easily recruited by groups prone to violence.

This is the first time in over a decade that significant socioeconomic data have been collected in Somalia, and the UNDP hopes to share its findings with the new administration in Mogadishu.
Somalia's recent history has been grim, with three-quarters of the population living on less than $2 a day. Unemployment among 15- to 64-year-olds has increased from 47 percent in 2002 to 54 percent today. Ravaged by conflict and poverty, the country has not had an effective government since Mohamed Siad Barre was deposed in 1991.
In the past year, however, Somalis have experienced greater relative stability. The report's findings are "cause for hope," Sima Bahous, regional director of the regional bureau for Arab states at the UNDP, said during a meeting in New York on Friday.
Somalia's fledgling government also showed promise this month. On Sept. 10, the parliament chose Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, an activist with experience in conflict resolution, as president.
"[Mohamud] has won respect for his work in civil society and education, being one of the founders of Mogadishu's Simad university, where he was a lecturer and served as its first dean for 10 years until he resigned to enter politics," the BBC explains.

Hizbul Islam's split from al-Shabaab further isolates militant group

 

By Mahmoud Mohamed in Mogadishu

September 27, 2012

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Hizbul Islam's decision to break away from al-Shabaab is a sign that the al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group is disintegrating from within, Somali analysts say.

• Hizbul Islam leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys addresses his supporters on April 24, 2009, in Mogadishu. Hizbul Islam announced it is splitting from al-Shabaab after the two merged in December 2010. [Abdurashid Abikar/AFP]

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Hizbul Islam spokesman Mohamed Moallin told the Somali media on Monday (September 24th) that his group has decided to leave al-Shabaab after in-depth consultations with the group's leadership.
"The fact that Hizbul Islam decided to break away from al-Shabaab confirms that it is internally divided and splintered," Farhan Abdullahi, a Mogadishu-based political analyst, told Sabahi. "Mass defections from al-Shabaab, which have become ever more apparent, are proof that the group is on the verge of collapse."
Abdullahi said the pace of mass defections within the ranks of al-Shabaab has increased because of military pressure on the group. This is because the Somali National Army, with the backing of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), has surrounded the last remaining al-Shabaab strongholds.
"It is clear that the defectors have realised that they can no longer endure the mounting military pressure by the allied regional forces, which is why they decided to leave al-Shabaab and join the Somali government," he said.
More than 200 al-Shabaab fighters surrendered with their weapons to Somali and African Union forces in Jowhar on Saturday (September 22nd) in the biggest defection from the al-Qaeda-allied organisation in a single day.
"Public differences between al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam surfaced in March when the leader of Hizbul Islam Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys directed scathing criticism towards al-Shabaab's leaders," Abdullahi said.
At the time, Aweys described al-Shabaab's acts as far removed from the teachings of Islam, accusing them of spilling the blood of Muslims and killing innocent civilians.
In early June, an al-Shabaab commander told Sabahi that a group of al-Shabaab leaders, including Aweys and Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Ali, known as Abu Mansur, met in the village of Janaale in Lower Shabelle to discuss starting political negotiations with the Somali government.

Ideological differences

Abdirahman Mohamud, a political analyst who monitors fundamentalist groups, said there are ideological differences between al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam.
"From the beginning, al-Shabaab had adopted the al-Qaeda ideology, which knows no geographical borders and sees the whole world as an open space to stage its military operations," Mohamud told Sabahi. "Hizbul Islam, on the other hand, never leaned towards that approach, which has resulted in an ideological difference between the two sides."
Mohamud said Hizbul Islam was also not happy about the union of al-Shabaab with al-Qaeda and foreign jihadists in Somalia.
The Hizbul Islam spokesman acknowledged the clash of ideologies. "Hizbul Islam is no longer al-Shabaab's partner as there are political and ideological differences with the group," Moallin said.
"Military pressure, dwindling funds and supplies, loyalty to al-Qaeda, a rise in civilian deaths and tribal policies are all factors that have caused increasing and deep divisions within the radical Islamist factions," Mogadishu-based political analyst Ali Omar Mohamed told Sabahi.
"The two groups, al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam, were already divided from the beginning because al-Shabaab did not appoint any of the Hizbul Islam leaders to senior positions after the merger and al-Shabaab has also not put them on equal footing," Mohamed said.
Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys founded Hizbul Islam in 2009. He fought against the Somali Transitional Federal Government led by his former ally Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. The group joined al-Shabaab in December 2010. Since then, most leaders of the group were off the radar with the exception of Aweys.

Somalis look to future without al-Shabaab's takfiri ideology

 

By Adnan Hussein in Mogadishu

September 28, 2012

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The takfiri ideology imported by al-Shabaab is still a dominant part of life in the rapidly dwindling areas under the al-Qaeda-allied group's control, but many Somalis say they cannot wait until it is eradicated from the country's history.

• Police and soldiers gather at the site of a suicide blast in Mogadishu in March. Al-Shabaab has used takfiri ideology to justify attacks on innocent civilians. [Mohamed Abdiwahab/AFP]

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Takfiri ideology, an extreme offshoot of Salafi ideology, arose in Somalia in early 1990s after the collapse of the central government, according to Sheikh Mohamud Khalif Diriye, an imam at a mosque in Mogadishu's Waaberi District. Militant takfiris and their supporters then grew in strength at the beginning of 2004 with the dawn of the Islamic Courts in Mogadishu and its outskirts, he said.
Diriye told Sabahi that al-Shabaab uses takfiri ideology-inspired suicide bombings to intimidate and kill defenceless civilians, casting Somali society into turmoil.
"Somalis follow the path of Ahlu Sunna wal Jamaa and could never fall prey to takfiri ideology, which is manufactured and exported by terrorism," Diriye said. "The truth of the matter is that takfiris have distorted the true image of Islam."
"This mode of thinking breeds intolerance, internal conflict and extremism," wrote Abdirahman Abdullahi Baadiyow, a Somali politician and former presidential candidate. "Often, within Salafi ideology, takfir ideology permeates, which permits its adherents to easily kill other Muslims in simple pretext of labelling them 'apostates'."
Baadiyow pointed to al-Shabaab's attacks on indigenous Somali Sufism and its destruction of tombs of prominent Sufi scholars as evidence of the ideology's intolerance with traditional Somali Islamic practices.

Citizens speak out against takfiris

Deqa Mohamed, a 37-year-old resident of Kismayo, told Sabahi, "Takfiri ideology is threatening many families in Kismayo, Barawe and Burao and it will only spread unless there is a plan on the ground to contain and erase it from Somalia's modern history."
She said that al-Shabaab promotes takfiri thinking to legitimise its role in terrorising and intimidating civilians, including the use of illegitimate means to shed innocent blood, ignoring relevant sharia law.
Omar Mayow Abdirahman, a 57-year-old father of nine, said, "Takfiri is nothing more than fuel used to ignite fire and burn anything in sight. These people do not believe in peace, security and stability and cannot co-exist with those who do not implement their incorrect ideology."
He said al-Shabaab members find Somali religious customs insufficient, and thus do not engage with the local community. "For example, they rely on their own butcher to slaughter sheep in the name of Allah instead of buying meat from local markets since they complain that local butchers do not follow the halal method of slaughtering animals in Islam," he said.
"I confess to my fellow countrymen this bitter situation created by the radical al-Shabaab group that has hidden its head in the sand after its military defeat," Abdirahman continued. "It has exposed our men and women to devastating and illegitimate ideas and imposed upon us backward beliefs that smack of terrorism."
Ikram Mohamed Si'ou, a 24 year-old sociologist, said, "We cannot be naive when it comes to the behaviour of [followers] of the takfiri movement."
"We seek to distance and fight those who espouse a radical takfiri ideology as they kill innocent people so they can achieve their despicable objectives," she told Sabahi. "We will not allow al-Qaeda in Somalia to receive aid so they can create a terrorist base and incubators [across] the country. The dream of terrorists will not be realized in our land."

Somalia al-Shabab armoury 'destroyed in Kismayo'

 

Somali government troops have been advancing slowly on Kismayo with African Union (AU) soldiers

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Somalia - Failed State

• President's challenge
• Expat role
• New era?
• 10 things

Kenya's military says its jets have bombed the airport in the Somali city of Kismayo, destroying an armoury and warehouse used by Islamist militants.

The port city of Kismayo in southern Somalia is a stronghold of the al-Qaeda aligned group al-Shabab.
An al-Shabab spokesman said no-one was killed and no property damaged.
Kenyan troops are part of an African Union force trying to wrest control of the country from the militants for the newly elected UN-backed president.

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“Start Quote

I think this is the best chance Somalia has ever had in the past 22 years”

End Quote Augustine Philip Mahiga UN envoy for Somalia

Al-Shabab has been forced out of the capital, Mogadishu, and several other towns over the past year but still controls much of the countryside in south and central Somalia.

Some 10,000 people have fled Kismayo in the past week, the United Nations refugee agency estimates, as African Union forces (Amisom), government troops and pro-government militia slowly advance on the city - the last major al-Shabab base.
Kenya began its intervention in Somalia nearly a year ago after a spate of cross-border attacks blamed on al-Shabab.
Earlier in the week at the UN headquarters in New York, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki said he hoped Somali refugees living in Kenya would be moved to "liberated areas" of Somalia, state media reported.
Kenya hosts the world's largest refugee camp, Dadaab - home to some 465,000 Somalis who have fled fighting and famine over the last two decades.
Mr Kibaki called the situation "untenable".
'Aerial surveys'
The Kenyan army said three bombs were dropped on the airport.
"The explosions were very heavy and they rocked the airport," eyewitness Abdi Ugas told the AFP news agency.
Residents in the city have told the BBC Somali Service that they have been hearing frequent shelling into the city from international naval ships off the coast.

Aircraft are also often seen flying over, surveying the city, they say.
The UN special envoy for Somalia, Augustine Philip Mahiga, has told the BBC that he is more optimistic now than he has ever been that peace will come to Somalia.
"The pacification of the country by Amisom and the Somali forces is going apace and the political process following the election of the president by parliament is coming to a head with the possible naming of a prime minister any time this week and the formation of a council of ministers pretty soon," he told the BBC's Newshour programme.
He said the announcement earlier in the week that the Hizbul Islam group was leaving al-Shabab marked a critical stage for Somalia and presented an incredible opportunity.
"I think this is the beginning of a process which the new government will pursue constructively in order to engage in political outreach and reconciliation by many more elements within the Shabab. I think this is the best chance Somalia has ever had in the past 22 years."
Since the overthrow of President Siad Barre in 1991, Somalia has seen clan-based warlords, Islamist militants and its neighbours all battling for control

Allied forces capture parts of Kismayo

 

September 28, 2012

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The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) announced on Friday (September 28th) that allied forces had taken control of parts of Kismayo, the last al-Shabaab stronghold in Somalia.

• African Union Mission in Somalia forces in Marka on September 14th. [Simon Maina/AFP]

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"Operations are ongoing to neutralise specific al-Shabaab targets in Kismayo," AMISOM said in a statement, appealing to al-Shabaab fighters to give themselves up.
"We can confirm that AMISOM and Somali troops entered Kismayo early this morning and we have taken control of some parts of the city," AMISOM spokesman Aadan Hamud told Sabahi.
He said allied forces met little resistance from al-Shabaab, explaining that the militant group "had fled some parts of the city".
Meanwhile, the Kenyan Defence Forces announced on Friday that it had taken the entire city.
"Kismayo has fallen and with minimum resistance," Kenyan military spokesman Cyrus Oguna told AFP. "It was a joint operation both on air and ground; we finally entered Kismayo at 2 am."
"We cannot give casualty figures at the moment; the damage has not been assessed," he said.
However, al-Shabaab announced on Twitter that "Kismayo remains firmly in the hands of the Mujahideen."
"The enemy using military boats have deployed hundreds of soldiers on the coast late last night and the mujahedeen fighters are engaging in heavy fighting with them now," Sheikh Mohamed Abu Fatuma told AFP. "They are not very close to the city because the coast where they are now is around nine kilometres from downtown."
The UN refugee agency said there was no sign so far Friday of a major exodus of civilians from the city, from which an estimated 12,000 people fled over the past four weeks and whose total population is estimated at between 160,000 and 190,000.

Swiss 'reject' full ban on smoking in public spaces

 

 

Smoking restrictions have been applied unevenly across Swiss cantons

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Voters in Switzerland appear to have rejected a total ban on smoking in enclosed public places at a referendum.

Hotels, restaurants and bars are currently allowed to have rooms for smokers but critics say this harms the health of those who work in them.
Restrictions introduced two years ago were watered down after lobbying from the catering trade and tobacco firms.
With returns from nearly all 26 cantons counted, the full ban seemed to have been rejected convincingly.
Zurich newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung suggested voters had rejected the ban by nearly two-thirds.
In some cantons, more than 70% of voters rejected the ban, according to Geneva newspaper La Tribune de Geneve. Geneva itself bucked the trend by supporting the ban by 52% to 48%.
Geneva and seven other cantons have already imposed their own comprehensive bans on indoor smoking in places of employment while the remaining, smaller cantons have been less restrictive.
Measures 'extreme'
Jean-Charles Rielle, a doctor and member of the committee behind the proposal, told AFP news agency before the vote that they wanted to clear up the confusion.
"In the cantons where these laws [banning smoking rooms] are already in effect, we saw immediately... a 20% drop in hospitalisation due to cardiovascular incidents, heart attacks and these kinds of problems," he said.
However, Laurent Terlinchamp, president of Geneva's association of cafe owners, restaurateurs and hoteliers, said the proposed measures were extreme.
"In Geneva, where the law came in two years ago, we were told that a new clientele would start to come back to establishments," he said.
"But it's not the case today because profits are down 10% to 30% depending on the type of business."
La Tribune de Geneve suggests voters rejected a full ban because they did not want to force the smaller cantons into changing their local laws, and because of resentment at perceived state interference in people's lives.

Valencia: A Spanish city without medicine

 

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The Spanish regions are heavily in debt. People rely on them for free health and education, but they can no longer pay their bills - and they can't expect much help from central government, as it too struggles under a huge financial burden.

You always know if an interview is going to be fun if the interviewee has a sharp, diagonal fringe.
Paula, the pharmacist, has such a fringe, and a grin that suggests she not only understands English but could crack a few jokes in it. But she chooses to speak in Spanish. Because what is happening in Valencia is no fun.
The sign on the wall tells the story. "Important information. The government of Valencia owe this pharmacy for all the medicine we have dispensed to you in January, February, March, April and May".

“Start Quote

We are down to our last packs of insulin - we just have no money to buy the stock”

End Quote Paola Pharmacist

And not just this pharmacy. The government of Valencia - which runs the health system - owes a grand total of half a billion euros to the region's pharmacies.
Paula guides me into that back room that exists in all pharmacies, where the prescription drugs are kept. The problem is, now, there are not many drugs left.
"Look, this drawer is usually full," she says, pointing to where the suppositories are kept. Now there are only two packets."
She opens the fridge. "Look," she says, "we are down to our last packs of insulin. We just have no money to buy the stock."
I ask: "What happens if several people come in on the same day for insulin?" She makes two fingers walk along the back of her wrist. "They have to go around the neighbourhood to see if anybody else has it. It is the same with drugs for heart disease, stroke, anti-retrovirals."

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It is an ordinary pharmacy: clean, white, with the regulation green neon cross outside. Now quite a lot of the patients are having to do something which for them is extraordinary: they are having to pay - a bit - for their medicines. There is a sign on the door explaining the new charges.
The Spanish regions have an extraordinary problem. During the property boom which has now busted Spain, they were collecting some taxes - from, yes, property.
Now that source of revenue is gone, they are expecting the central government to provide them with the cash they need. But the central government is in trouble too: it cannot borrow - except at punitive rates.

“Start Quote

Valencia is littered with vanity projects that tell their own story”

End Quote

The regions cannot borrow either. Valencia's deep in debt and who does pharmacist Paula blame? She smiles bitterly. "That is a very hard question to answer," she says.
In the baking heat outside Valencia's cathedral, there are people who do not find that question hard at all. They are holding up a banner: "The Route of Waste".
Journalists sacked when a local paper closed have taken to doing "citizen journalism" - which today means organising a coach trip around all the various projects Valencia built in the good times.
There is the Formula One racetrack, which runs right through the city so the roads had to be redesigned. But the city has lost its Formula One race.

There is the America's Cup dock, with huge sheds for ocean-going yachts and a massive white control tower. But there is no more America's Cup racing in Valencia.
There is the Opera House, a cross between the one in Sydney and something you would imagine only in your more disturbed dreams - 400 million euros to build, 40 million a year to run - 15 performances a year.
"Yes I am proud of it," says Xabi, one of the tour guides. "Yes the architecture is spectacular. But I would rather have schools."

The opera house (right) is part of Valencia's "City of Arts and Sciences"

Whether by corruption - and there has been a great deal of that - maladministration, or pure bad luck, Valencia is littered with vanity projects that tell their own story.
The airport that has never seen a single plane land. The theme park built in a place where the summer heat rises above 40C (104F). The land bought at premium prices that is now worthless.
The local press were also on the coach trip. And the next day I find out what they were working on. Headlines about me! They say the BBC's "star economics expert" - thanks for the compliment, guys - has come to Valencia to (here is the subtext) pour scorn on their wonderful infrastructure projects. The story makes the regional daily and the national conservative daily ABC.
And not only that. There are now angry demands in the official weekly press conference of the government: Why are the BBC here? Have you given them an interview? Will you give us an interview about what you told them in their interview?
"It is Spain," sighs the financial controller of Valencia.
Yes, Spain - where the arrival of the foreign media is a juicy story for the local papers but where massive white elephant projects went unquestioned for a decade, and where the banks that funded them, boards stuffed with appointed politicians, have now gone bust. And where if you need some insulin from the health service, you had better hope you are the first in the queue.