EDITORIAL
US Should Join France And Somaliland In
Combating Piracy
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Early this month it was reported that troops on an unidentified warship killed and captured
Somali pirates who were menacing the waters of the Gulf of Aden. Some reports claimed that
the warship was American. Many Somalis lauded the action of the commanders of the
warship and saw it as a positive step in putting an end to piracy in the region. Unfortunately,
that initial jubilation quickly turned to consternation when it was revealed that the captured
pirates were released and allowed to safely go back to their operational base in lawless
northeast Somalia (Puntland) where they would most probably be planning new attacks. The
US government neither confirmed nor denied that the warship belonged to the US, and
Somalis interpreted this silence as confirmation that indeed it was a US warship, and that the
US had dropped the ball in the fight against piracy in the Gulf of Aden.
Many also noticed the contrast between the American action and the French response in April
this year when French troops raided Somali pirates and flew to jail in Paris the six Somali
pirates it captured. The French did it again on September 7 th when they attacked another
band of Somali pirates, again in northeast Somalia (Puntland), freed the two French hostages
that were held by the pirates, killed one of the pirates and whisked six pirates to jail in France.
The irony here is that Puntland, the head quarters of Somali piracy, is also the home base of
Abdillahi Yusuf, the President of the so-called Transitional Federal Government of Somalia
(TFG), who is backed by the US.
Although Puntland’s officials often make loud
pronouncements condemning piracy, there is substantial evidence that the officials of that
region are involved up to their eyeballs in piracy. The complicity of Puntland’s officials in sea
piracy and hostage taking, a fact that is widely known among Somalis, was finally confirmed
this week by the United Nations’ Special Representative for Somalia, Mr. Ahmedou OuldAbdallah, in a press conference in Djibouti.
Although several European countries and the US have made many announcements against
piracy, so far, it is France that has taken some serious steps to combat Somali piracy.
Somaliland, too, is doing its part as revealed by reports that it had facilitated
French moves against the pirates. The cooperation between France and Somaliland in
combating piracy is a good first step. Hopefully, the President of Somaliland’s recent visit to
France would result in deepening relations between the two countries and expanding it to
other fields.
With so much at stake when it comes to keeping the sea lanes open for maritime trade, the
US cannot be a bystander and should join this budding cooperation between France and
Somaliland.
FRONT-PAGE NEWS
Surge In Piracy Attacks By Puntland Gangs
Threatens To Close Down The Gulf Of Eden
The dramatic increase in Somalia’s pirate activity is said to have been fuelled by the
huge ransom money being paid, coupled with the ineptness of western naval forces
present in the region and the continued protection provided to the pirates by Adde
Muse and Abdillahi Yusuf
Hargeysa, Somaliland, September 20, 2008 (SL Times) – The growing escalation in pirate
attacks against ships threatens to shut down the Gulf of Eden, an international water way
which lies between Yemen, Somaliland and Somalia.
A surge in pirate activities off the coast of the Puntland region of Somalia in the last 2 months
has already disrupted Somaliland’s much-needed food imports and livestock exports as it
became too risky for commercial ships to go through the Gulf of Eden which is one of the
busiest maritime routes in the world.
Regional as well as global trade has been also affected.
With the flurry of pirate attacks, insurance premiums soared and the combination of these two
factors has already led to a substantial reduction in maritime traffic in the Gulf of Eden since
August this year.
According to the International Maritime Bureau, 55 ships have been attacked off the coast of
[Puntland] Somalia since January and 11 are still being held for ransom.
Somali piracy has a short history. It all began in 1991 following the fall of Somalia’s dictator
Mohamed Siyad Barre. In that year the first pirate group started its operations by hijacking
foreign trawlers fishing off the coast of Somalia’s Puntland region on the pretext that those
vessels were blundering the country’s fishery resources.
However the fishing boats were usually be released quickly after accepting to pay a small
amount of money to the kidnappers for “violating territorial waters”.
It was this type of extortion money that later spawned piracy along the coast of Puntland.
In the last five years, piracy has become a multi-million business that employees over 1000
people in Puntland. Illicit activities such as piracy, human trafficking and smuggling of small
arms and drugs now constitute the backbone of Puntland’s economy.
Both Puntland’s current ruler Adde Mussa and the president of Somalia’s transitional
government Abdillahi Yusuf are known to get a share of the income generated by pirates,
smugglers and traffickers in return for protection.
Now Puntland pirates are hijacking ships almost everyday in a sea lane that provided the
shortest route from the Far East to Europe via the Suez Canal. Many global shipping groups
have already announced that they would no longer be able to transit the Gulf of Aden, unless
concrete steps were taken to safeguard the waterway from the danger piracy.
Western naval powers such as the US, France, Germany and others maintain warships in the
region. However their patrolling of Somalia’s coast has largely been ineffective in terms of
countering piracy, human trafficking and smuggling of small arms and illicit drugs.
On the same day that French commandos rescued 2 of their citizens from Puntland pirates
earlier this week, another pirate group hijacked a chemical tanker.
Pirates Threaten Starving Somalis' Last Lifeline
ON BOARD THE VILLE DU QUEBEC, September 16, 2008 – Aid agencies fear an end to
navy escorts could cut off vital food aid to Somalia, because the rampant piracy in the region
has made the military protection essential.
Ninety percent of food aid is delivered to the Horn of Africa country by ship, the last lifeline for
starving millions since insurgents armed with surface-to-air missiles make air and road
deliveries too dangerous.
On Tuesday, the Canadian frigate 'Ville de Quebec' left the Kenyan port of Mombasa and was
waiting for a World Food Programme cargo ship bound for Mogadishu with 5,000 tones of
basic food goods.
The UN World Food Programme on Tuesday welcomed an EU decision to help combat piracy
off the cost of Somalia, but appealed for a naval escort to help get aid to the strife-torn Horn
of Africa country.
The international community stepped in to secure the humanitarian response, with France
becoming the first country to escort WFP shipments in November 2007 and the Netherlands,
Denmark and Canada also chipping in.
But the WFP's Somalia chief, Peter Goossens, expressed concern Tuesday that nobody has
stepped up to continue the rotation, which he said had helped discourage pirates from further
attacks on aid cargos.
"We have another two weeks of the Canadians, till September 27. So far we have no
indication of any concrete proposal to assist us. That is now worrisome," he told AFP by
phone.
"Most countries, if they were willing to do it, would need time, their ship would have to come
to Somalia. That is going to take a couple of weeks, so I'm afraid we are already looking
again," he explained.
Making matters worse, Somalis lived off their UN food reserves during the last changeover,
when there was a six-week hole between the Dutch navy finishing its escort duties and
Canada taking over.
"Even if one country tomorrow would say OK we will do it, it takes time for them to get ships
there, so I'm afraid I'm going to see an interruption in the escorts again," said Goossens.
The UN agency had not been able to build up any significant reserves in country stocks, he
warned. "So, if we have another gap, the effects are going to be felt immediately by the
population."
Aid agencies say the situation in Somalia is more critical than ever before because of
spiraling violence, a searing drought and inflation on basic commodities at 400 percent over
the past six months.
They say 3.2 million Somalis depend on humanitarian aid for their survival and the UN
predicts the proportion of the country's 10 million inhabitants needing assistance will soar to
40 percent by year’s end.
Pirates armed with guns and rocket-launchers have intercepted dozens of ships over the past
year, demanding high ransoms and disrupting traffic on one of the world's busiest maritime
trade routes.
The state of disrepair of the road network in Somalia and northern Kenya means that only 15
percent of planned food aid could be trucked to Somalia.
Even so, countless roadblocks manned by freelance gunmen have rendered such an option
extremely dangerous: six Somali WFP drivers have been killed since the start of the year.
But Goosens is adamant that the humanitarian crisis in Somalia is one of the worst in the
world and that relief shipments needs to continue, regardless of the risks.
"We decided to go ahead. Basically, the situation in Somalia is too bad, we feel it wouldn't be
responsible on our side to stop the shipments. But the risks are enormous," he said.
The international patrols recently organized off the coast of Somalia are struggling to curb the
number of attacks by pirates, who operate on speedboats.
According to Andrew Mwangura, head of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme,
the ransoms demanded by the pirates are rarely inferior to 1.5 million dollars.
In 2005, the WFP had already been forced to halt its aid shipments to Somalia after two if its
cargo ships were attacked by pirates. In 2007, at least three of its ships was targeted.
Source: AFP, Sept 16, 2008
Somali Business Concerned Over
Mogadishu Airport Blockade
MOGADISHU, September 19, 2008 — Somalia's business community on Thursday
expressed concern over the closure of Mogadishu airport by a radical Islamist group, arguing
the move was tantamount to self-inflicted sanctions.
Somalia's Al-Shebab movement earlier this week warned that all flights should cease as of
September 16, arguing that the airport was an instrument of Ethiopia's military occupation of
Somalia.
Commercial activity at the airport has since been frozen but Somali traders in Mogadishu as
well as among the diaspora in Nairobi are concerned that the measure will only further stifle
an already agonizing nation.
"It's disastrous, a black era for the people of Somalia because the airport is a facility that
serves everybody, not only the foreign forces as the Shebab say," said Muktar Adan Sanka, a
trader who sells medicines in Mogadishu.
The Shebab did not elaborate on the action they would take if flights continued but their
decree came amid intelligence reports that the militia received a new delivery of surface-to-air
missile.
"The airport is generating money that helps Ethiopian troops get revenue, the premise is
under the direct control of Ethiopian troops," the Shebab said in a statement posted on the
Internet on Saturday.
The airport is used for both commercial and military flights but is also the main base for the
Ugandan contingent of the African Union peacekeepers, who were reinforced by Burundians
earlier this year.
"How dare they close this airport, which everyone uses, including those who made that
decision? We must not keep silent otherwise we will let them destroy our livelihood," said
Abas Mumin, another trader.
"They took this fateful decision at a time when traders were reviewing the maritime option
because of the surge in piracy," he explained.
Attacks by marauding pirates off the coast of Somalia and rogue checkpoints dotting the
country's ragged roads further complicate trade and the much-needed delivery of food aid.
A large Somali diaspora lives in Nairobi, where many of those who could afford to leave the
war-torn country have settled and started businesses.
"Since Tuesday, we've been unable to fly or send commercials goods to Mogadishu. The
airport is not operational despite the Somali government pledge it would remain open,"
Nairobi-based trader Ahmed Aydarus complained.
"Direct flights to Mogadishu from Nairobi and Dubai were the most useful ones, people get
food and medicine from there," he said.
"If there was a nearby airport through which people could bring their shipment it would be
okay, but the nearest airport we can safely use is in Berbera or Hargeysa" in Somaliland, said
Amina Hassan Bilan, another trader.
Abdi Moalim Abdillahi, another Nairobi resident, said he resented the presence of foreign
troops in his country as much as the Shebab do but argued that closing the airport was selfdefeating.
"Unfortunately, the airport closure simultaneously punishes the occupying force and increases
the Somali people's suffering," he said.
The government in Mogadishu has attempted to convince traders and commercial airlines
that the airport could still be used.
"The Shebab have no powers to stop flights as they are not in control of the airport. They only
used the media to terrify people," presidential spokesman Hussein Mohamud Mohamed
Hubsired told AFP.
But his reassurances fell on deaf ears in Nairobi, where the business community argued it
would be foolish not to take the Shebab seriously.
"We know that three planes were shot down by Somali insurgents last year and they might do
it again. Hubsired shouldn't say such things," said Sirad Haji Hassan, who is in the importexport business.
"People should not be used as target practice for the insurgents' new missiles," she added.
Source: AFP
LOCAL & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
Somaliland Representatives To Take
Part In Workshop For African
Parliaments
Written by Scidev
Kampala, Uganda, September 18, 2008 – Representatives of parliaments from 13 countries
across Africa will attend a workshop in Kampala, Uganda next week to develop the skills
needed to inform Parliamentarians about the scientific aspects of the issues they face in
making policy decisions.
The workshop has been organized by the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS),
the UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), and SciDev.Net (the
Science and Development Network).
Financial support has been provided by the UK-based Gatsby Foundation and
SciDev.Net. The workshop, which takes place from 22 to 26 September, responds to a need
identified by African nations for better communication between scientists and policymakers as
part of their efforts to build science and technology capacity.
A key group of policymakers that can benefit from improved communications are members of
national parliaments.
The purpose of the workshop is therefore to help increase the extent to which policymaking
across Africa — in areas such as health, agriculture, environmental conservation and climate
change — is based more firmly on scientific evidence.
"Parliamentarians are increasingly required to tackle policy issues with a basis in science and
technology. They rely to a large extent on parliamentary staff to provide them with the
information they need to scrutinize government effectively," says Chandy Nath of POST
Parliamentary staff therefore often act as 'middlemen' in the communication between
scientists and policymakers.
However, as few staff come from a scientific background, they may lack the skills needed to
relay scientific information effectively to parliamentarians.” "The main role of the workshop is
to provide an introduction to some of the skills required by parliamentary staff to improve the
communication process. A secondary function will be to reinforce the importance of
communicating with scientists."
Participants in the workshop have been selected from the staff of African parliaments —
including clerks, researchers and librarians — from Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya,
Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Somaliland, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and
Zambia.
The conference will be opened by Rt. Hon. Edward Ssekandi Kiwanuka, Speaker of the
Parliament of the Republic of Uganda. The Parliament has already been working with POST
and other organizations, such as the Ugandan National Academy of Sciences and the UK
Royal Society, to identify ways of strengthening its capacity to handle science issues.
The workshop will combine hands-on training from course tutors — such as science
communication experts, scientists, and policy advisers — with group discussion where
participants share best practice and present their own ideas.
Those addressing the workshop will include Charles Wendo, a science journalist who is the
editor of the Saturday edition of New Vision, one of Uganda's leading newspapers. The
meeting will also hear presentations from Kevin Urama, Executive Director of ATPS, and
David Dickson, Director of SciDev.Net, who will present the results of an international survey
carried out by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) in London into the information needs
of policymakers.
Teaching material produced for the workshop will subsequently be made widely available,
with the aim of stimulating similar workshops in other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. The
workshop will be held at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala.
For more, visit: www.scidev.net
Source: Africa Science News
Somaliland Seeking Security Ties With
Western Nations
By Alisha Ryu
Nairobi, September 17, 2008 – Somaliland, which has been seeking recognition from the
international community for its independent status from the rest of Somalia, is said to be
increasing security ties with France and other western nations. VOA Correspondent Alisha
Ryu has the story from our East Africa Bureau in Nairobi.
Associate Professor Iqbal Jhazbhay at the University of South Africa tells VOA that a French
Special Forces operation in April that enabled France to take six captured Somali pirates back
to Paris was partly accomplished with the help of Somaliland authorities.
"The French government decided to use the landing strip in Berbera to undertake such a
mission, despite the fact that it has a military base in Djibouti," said Jhazbhay. "It was done
with extreme sensitivity. It was just a few people who knew about it. I think the French were
concerned that if they used Djibouti, there could have been a leak and the mission may have
not worked."
Jhazbhay says he believes the French may have used the landing strip in Somaliland's main
port city again Tuesday to transfer six more pirates to France. A Special Forces team
captured the pirates after freeing a French couple seized earlier this month in their yacht off
the coast of Somalia.
French military officials tell VOA that both missions were conducted from warships at sea and
its military base in Djibouti.
Jhazbhay says top-level Somaliland ministers and security officials have told him that they are
cooperating with France and other western countries on piracy and terrorism issues.
He says officials in the Somaliland capital Hargeysa are hoping that the strategy will lead to
the recognition of Somaliland as a sovereign nation.
"Their ultimate goal is recognition. Somaliland government's agenda is to engage with France
on the level of more security cooperation, given that France is the current chair of the
European Union," added Jhazbhay.
Jhazbhay notes the strategy has already produced some positive results. Somaliland
President Dahir Riyale Kahin is in Europe this week for meetings with French President
Nicolas Sarkozy's top Africa advisor in Paris and with officials in Germany and Britain.
The trip follows visits by French, British, and American diplomats in Hargeysa in recent
weeks.
Jhazbhay says the West has also stepped up efforts to strengthen democracy in the
breakaway republic and is seeking Somaliland's help in the global fight against terror.
"The European Union has formally taken a position and so has the United States to support
Somaliland's democratic process. In this context, the International Republican Institute from
Washington has opened an office in Hargeysa and the European Union has taken a formal
decision to fund the registration process of voters in the upcoming presidential elections on
March 29th, 2009," continued Jhazbhay. "The United States has on-going discussions with
the Somaliland government at the level of the U.S. ambassador in Ethiopia and low-level
officials visiting Hargeysa. There have been exchanges of intelligence on terrorism issues and
how to better secure Somali coast."
Somaliland proclaimed independence from war-ravaged Somalia in 1991 after the fall of the
last functioning government. Since then, it has made notable progress in establishing a
constitutional democracy and maintaining peace within its borders. But no country has
recognized Somaliland amid fears that doing so could lead to the fragmentation of Somalia
and other African states.
Source: VOA
Pirates Enjoy A Wealth Of Shipping Information
As They Run Havoc
Kenya's Leading Role In Surge Of Somalia Pirates
Coastal communities between Bander Qasim and Eyl look out for ships to hijack on a daily
basis.
Nairobi, September 17, 2008 – Staggering number of ships seized in Southern Somalia
coastal lines must step up new efforts to significantly suppress shipping information misuse .
Congratulations must be sent to the French officers responsible for the latest attack to counter
against pirates in Somalia's break-away tribal enclave of "Puntland State of Somalia". As
predicted in an article titled "Somalia sea pirates seek revenge; to kill French hostages", the
abandoned small coastal village of Baargaal; a traditional piracy staging post once again
suspected and routed by
French commandos. These initiatives by France may proof more effective rather than heeding
to misinformation from the corruption renowned country Kenya, often encouraging capitulation
to pirates
Kenya enjoyed a huge influence over Somalia matters including air traffic control and sea as
Somalia's state structures to monitor air and sea still remain non-existent since 1991. As a
result, pilots and ship captains desperately depend upon communications with Kenyan control
centers. It is this access to shipping information and trust what is currently suspected of being
abused by certain Kenyan officials.
Exactly one month ago, a man calling himself Andrew Mwangaru representing the self styled
East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme blamed Somalia's "Al-Shabaab" who are
active a great distant far away from the current invested coastal lines of Somalia and said
"The entire Somali coastline is now under control of the Islamists". Not only is this misleading,
but astonishingly counter productive in finding solutions to combat sea piracy.
The whole of the Somali coasts from Northern Kenya to Djibouti can be considered as
"Islamist stronghold" since its inhabitants are Islam believers. However, there are many
evidences of ships far away from coastal lines that are being seized and is enough to
conclude more complex web of sophisticated tools at their disposal. Kenyan advice to keep
clear of "Somali Coast" will not only fail, but increase the tally of ships falling victim to such
heinous criminals. Not only are the pirates aware of the ships locations and routes, more
detailed information regarding ship details and their respective declared cargoes are also
supplied to them.
As a consequence, pirates pick and choose their victims whether for financial gain or revenge
as in the case of the French yacht. It is not surprising to witness hostages flown to Kenya
after the final payment is made as all nodes of the sea piracy enterprise stems from Kenyan
communication centers. France should not depend on shaky agreements to enter Somalia
territorial waters signed with an unpopular government in Somalia know as TFG (Transitional
Federal Government), but imperatively seize this opportunity to render such pirate staging
centers and hostage holding centers uninhabitable.
Current "Transitional Federal Government" is a facade government led by a president hailing
from the pirate invested self declared region of "Puntland State of Somalia". The TFG was
created in Kenya in 2004, built with a constitution similar to Ethiopia's "ethnic federalism".
This despite the Somali identity having no differences except tribal lineages and commercial
interests. Somalis in Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somaliland and Somalia all unite in accusing
the cancerous predatory imposed government for hijacking the "Somali identity".
"Puntland State of Somalia" is a stronghold of the TFG as the tribal enclave of current
president Abdillahi Yusuf who also enjoys huge support within for his role in subjugating
Southern groups by force with Ethiopian militias.
Source: PR-inside.com
Pirates Seize 2 More Vessels Near Somalia
Nairobi, September 18, 2008 – Maritime officials say pirates have seized two more ships as
they were navigating through the waters near Somalia.
The chief of the International Maritime Bureau in Kuala Lumpur Noel Choong said pirates
hijacked a Greek carrier, the "Centauri," south of Mogadishu Thursday. The ship was headed
to Kenya with a crew of 25.
A Kenyan maritime official, Andrew Mwangura, said pirates also seized a ship from Hong
Kong early Thursday.
He said that ship, the "Great Creation," was on its way to India from Tunisia when captured
off the Somali coast. The vessel also has a crew of 25.
Officials say both ships are being taken towards Eyl, a pirate's lair on the Somali coast.
Somali pirates are now believed to be holding more than a dozen ships and their crews
hostage.
Earlier this week, French President Nicholas Sarkozy called for stronger international action
to stop the pirates. With the two latest hijackings, 56 vessels have been attacked off the coast
of Somalia this year.
The Somali government is fighting an Islamist insurgency and lacks the power or resources to
stop the hijackings.
An international naval force patrolling the Somali coast has had little impact on the pirates'
activities.
Spain says it is sending a military aircraft to Somalia to guard against further hijackings. The
plane will relay any information it gathers to a European Union task force created to deal with
the issue.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
Source: VOA, Sept 18, 2008
Protecting UN Aid Ships Against Somali Pirates
ON BOARD HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC, September 19, 2008 — The commanding officer of
HMCS Ville de Quebec had to escort a United Nations ship delivering aid to the war-torn
country and after Somali pirates seized two vessels earlier this week, he knew it was a risky
mission.
As he watched the food aid containers offload at Somalia's Mogadishu port Thursday,
Commander Chris Dickinson breathed a sigh of relief.
The Canadian frigate began assisting World Food Programme (WFP) ships last month as
they go about transporting food supplies from Kenya to Somalia where at least 3.2 million
people are facing shortages.
Dickinson eventually lifted the onboard red alert signal when he was certain there was no
further risk of an insurgent rocket attack.
"It feels great. I always feel relieved at that stage," he said. "When I'm heading off again, I'm
looking forward to the next one."
Ninety minutes earlier, as both vessels entered Somali waters, the rise in tension and focus
onboard HMCS Ville de Quebec was palpable.
Silence quickly descended on board as the alert level was notched up to yellow and then red,
leaving only a gentle humming from the ship's engines.
Men wearing flak jackets and armed with assault rifles spread out along the deck, and in the
ship's command centre officers carefully orchestrated the final approach.
According to the commander it is during this latter stage in the voyage when they are the
greatest threat from speedboats laden with explosives ramming the hull or rockets fired from
the shore.
A brief anxious moment followed when officers caught sight of a small Somali fishing boat
stray from the mouth of Mogadishu port. But the threat was short lived.
"Normally, when we are at sea, the risks come from the pirates. But when we get to coast, it
becomes different: ashore violence and terrorist attacks," said Dickinson.
Outside a helicopter took off for a reconnaissance flight, while seamen lowered a speedboat
to fetch the Canadian naval officers from the Golina, the WFP cargo ship.
HMCS Ville de Quebec's escort ended two nautical miles (3.7 kilometers) off the Somali
coast.
Two speedboats carrying armed Ugandan soldiers from the African Union peacekeeping
mission in Somalia came to meet the Golina and guide it to the offloading point at the port.
Having completed its mission, the Ville de Quebec immediately heads back to the Kenyan
port of Mombasa, where the next WFP cargo ship is expected from the South African port of
Durban in a few days.
The WFP relies on naval escorts to protect its ships during food aid deliveries to Somalia
following a string of pirate attacks along the country's largely unpatrolled coastline on the
Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.
On Thursday Somali pirates seized a Greek ship, a day after taking a Hong Kong-flagged
vessel.
According to the International Maritime Board, 55 ships have been attacked off Somalia since
January and 11 are still being held for ransom.
However, for the WFP the problems do not end after arriving at the port. Ensuring the 4,000
tones of food is safely unloaded from the Golina and then delivered to the people is the next
big challenge.
"From the moment it (the food) lands in a port in Somalia, be it Mogadishu, be it Merka, the
first thing is that it needs to be stored," said Peter Goossens, the WFP's Somalia country chief
via telephone to AFP.
"Then we have to make sure that it doesn't get looted while stored, and then of course we
have to get it to its final destination," he added.
There are other challenges, including securing a transport contract, getting through the
various checkpoints and past the militias, all of which requires many bribes.
"The problem as well is that we're not moving just food but we're moving staff around," said
Goossens, who explained that a member of his team was killed a couple of weeks ago and
two more were injured in shootings.
"These are all complications that you face working in Somalia," he added.
Source: AFP
Nine Civilians Killed In Mogadishu Mortar Battle: Witnesses
MOGADISHU, September 19, 2008 (AFP) — Nine Somali civilians were killed Friday when
insurgents fire mortar shells on Mogadishu airport, drawing retaliatory fire from African
peacekeepers, witnesses told AFP.
The incident broke out minutes after a plane delivering goods for the African Union (AU) force
stationed at the airport landed, in defiance of a three-day-old insurgent "ban" on using the
facility.
Insurgents fired several mortar shells at the airport but many missed their target, local
residents said, adding that the AU forces fired shells back.
"Two houses close to southern Mogadishu's K5 intersection were destroyed by mortar shells
and seven dead civilians were found in the debris," said Ahmed Omar, a resident.
Another witness gave the same death toll.
"Five civilians were killed in a house near the Libyan embassy and two others died in a
neighboring house," said Bashir Abdillahi, adding that seven other civilians were wounded in
this incidents.
Several other witnesses said two civilians were also killed when mortar shells smashed into
homes in the southern Holwadag area.
"The insurgents did what they have been doing. They fired mortars shortly after a plane
carrying our supplies landed, but there were no casualties," Baridgye Bahuko, spokesman for
the AU mission in Somalia, said.
"I don't think that the AU forces randomly fire at civilians in residential areas, though we have
the right to defend ourselves from those who attack us," he added.
Somalia's Al-Shebab movement earlier this week warned that all flights should cease as of
September 16, arguing that the airport was an instrument of Ethiopia's military occupation of
Somalia.
Commercial activity at the airport has since stopped, despite government assurances that the
radical Islamist militia did not have the means to impose a blockade on the airport.
The airport is used for both commercial and military flights but is also the main base for the
Ugandan contingent of the African Union peacekeepers, who were reinforced by Burundians
earlier this year.
With the war-torn Somalia's roads dotted with rogue checkpoints and freelance gunmen and
its waters infested with pirates, traders have warned the airport's closure would only further
stifle an already agonizing nation.
Source: AFP, Sept 19, 2008
US Concerned Over Restrictive Aid Bill, Food
Situation In Ethiopia
ADDIS ABABA, September 18, 2008 (AFP) — The United States expressed concern on
Thursday over an Ethiopian bill that could restrict the activities of foreign aid groups and
sounded alarm bells over the food situation in the country.
The draft bill allows more government interference in the affairs of foreign NGOs and bans
them from working on issues related to ethnicity, gender and children's rights.
"We take the law seriously. We're concerned about it, and donors have raised the issue to the
government," USAID assistant administrator for democracy, conflict and humanitarian issues
Michael Hess told reporters in Addis Ababa.
The bill was unveiled earlier this year and slightly watered down in June, but it continues to
spark concern among the aid community. It now is due to be submitted to parliament after the
new session opens in October.
Hess said Washington, Ethiopia's staunchest international ally, was urging Addis Ababa to
reconsider the bill.
"We're in discussions with the government about the law. I think they'll continue refining it," he
said. "We have a healthy relationship with the government and Ethiopia is a strategic partner
to the United States."
Hess, who is on a four-day visit, also expressed concern over food delivery delays in
Ethiopia's restive Somali region, where almost half of the population requires food aid.
"We estimate that only 41 percent of distribution in July reached affected areas (due to
delays). We want to make sure that 100 percent reaches the beneficiaries," he said.
In early September, UN humanitarian chief John Holmes called on Ethiopia to grant aid
agencies more access in the conflict zone.
Hess said there was unfettered access in most areas, but stressed that some difficulties
remained.
"There are still tough areas but in the past few weeks there has been an improvement," he
added.
Ethiopia's military launched a bruising military crackdown last year after the Ogaden National
Liberation Front, an ethnic-based separatist group, attacked a Chinese-run oil venture, killing
77 people.
The United Nations says 4.6 million people in Ethiopia need emergency assistance while
another eight million require food relief due to the latest drought.
Source: AFP, Sept 18, 2008
French Commandos Free Hostages From
Puntland Pirates
PARIS, September 18, 2008 (AFP) — French commandos freed a couple seized by pirates
off Somalia in the second such mission this year, leading President Nicolas Sarkozy to call
Tuesday for an international crackdown on sea raiders.
The special forces operation, ordered by Sarkozy late Monday, came as officials said heavilyarmed pirates had attacked a Hong Kong-registered chemical tanker in the Gulf of Aden,
taking its crew of 22 hostage.
Thirty commandos killed one pirate and detained six others in an operation lasting less than
10 minutes to free Jean-Yves Delanne and his wife Bernadette, both 60, Sarkozy told a press
conference.
A French warship backed the commandos for the operation carried out at sea outside Somali
waters.
The six captured men were to be transferred to France, which is already holding six Somalis
seized in a commando operation in April.
The French leader said the assault was a "warning" to pirates plaguing the Somali coastline,
the world's most dangerous waters for merchant ships, fishing fleets and pleasure yachts
alike.
The hijackers captured the Delanne couple in their yacht the Carre d'As on September 2, and
were reportedly demanding a ransom of more than one million dollars, as well as the release
of their six compatriots.
Sailing enthusiasts based in Tahiti, the couple were on their way from Australia to France
when they were attacked.
Sarkozy said both were safe on the French warship, the Courbet, and were being taken to
Djibouti.
"This is a huge relief. All we can say is thank you, thank you so much," their daughter Alizee
told French radio.
French commandos staged a raid on April 11 to release a French luxury yacht, Le Ponant,
and its 30 crew.
The French president said he ordered the new operation after it became clear the pirates
were heading for their coastal base in the town of Eyl, in Somalia's northeastern semiautonomous Puntland region.
"France will not allow crime to pay," Sarkozy said. "This operation is a warning to all those
who indulge in this criminal activity. This is a call for the mobilization of the international
community."
Sarkozy said he backed the creation of a "marine police" to secure the region, and "punitive
action" against pirates, saying the issue would be raised at next week's United Nations
general assembly in New York.
He also thanked Germany and Malaysia for their help with the operation, without giving
further details.
The authorities in Puntland welcomed the French move.
"The state of Puntland encourages such steps and calls on other governments whose
nationals are being held to do the same thing," Puntland presidential adviser Bille Mohamoud
Qabowsade said.
Since July, 12 ships have been hijacked in the narrow waterway separating Yemen and
Somalia by pirates operating high-powered speedboats, according to the International
Maritime Bureau. Eleven are still being held for ransom.
Two rockets were fired at a French tuna fishing boat some 700 kilometers (435 miles) off
Somalia on Saturday, in a sign the pirates are moving further out to sea to evade military
patrols in coastal shipping areas.
In recent months, a multinational task force based in Djibouti has been patrolling parts of the
Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, where a pirate mothership is believed to be operating.
France and Spain called in July for the creation of an international force to tackle piracy in the
region, which is hampering the delivery of vital food aid to the lawless Horn of Africa nation.
The UN Security Council in June adopted a resolution authorizing foreign warships to enter
Somalia's territorial waters with the government's consent to combat pirates, though it has yet
to be implemented.
European foreign ministers agreed Monday to set up a special unit to coordinate the fight
against piracy off Somalia, raising the possibility of an EU naval mission to the region.
CPJ To Honor Five International Journalists
New York, September 16, 2008—The Committee to Protect Journalists will honor
courageous journalists from Iraq, Afghanistan, Uganda, and Cuba with its 2008 International
Press Freedom Awards at a ceremony in November.
Bilal Hussein of Iraq, Danish Karokhel and Farida Nekzad of Afghanistan, Andrew
Mwenda of Uganda, and Héctor Maseda Gutiérrez of Cuba have all risked imprisonment,
harassment, and, above all, their lives to report the news and stand up for press freedom in
their countries.
“These are the front-line reporters who risk their lives and their liberty to bring the news not
only to the people of their own countries but to a global audience,” said CPJ Board Chairman
Paul Steiger. “Their courage and determination have expanded the world’s knowledge in
critically important ways.”
“Our award winners embody what CPJ stands for—the right of journalists everywhere to
report the news as they see it,” CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. “We honor them
and stand behind them and their colleagues as they strive to keep all of us informed.”
Beatrice Mtetwa, a press and human rights lawyer in Zimbabwe, will receive CPJ’s Burton
Benjamin Memorial Award for lifetime achievement in recognition of her continued efforts to
ensure a free press in one of the most repressive regimes in the world.
The awards will be presented at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City on Tuesday, November
25. Jeff Zucker, chief executive of NBC Universal, is chairman of the black-tie dinner. Gwen
Ifill, CPJ board member and managing editor of PBS’ “Washington Week,” will be the host.
Here are the recipients of CPJ’s 2008 International Press Freedom Awards:
Bilal Hussein, a photographer for The Associated Press, risked his life covering Ramadi
and Fallujah in the volatile Anbar province in western Iraq. Hussein’s 2004 photo of Iraqi
insurgents firing on U.S. troops during the battle of Fallujah helped AP win a Pulitzer Prize in
photography. This same photo may also have led to his detention by the U.S. military.
Hussein was arrested by U.S. forces in April 2006 and held for two years without charge. His
case illustrates the U.S. military’s alarming tactic of open-ended detentions of Iraqi journalists.
All of the detained journalists have ultimately been released without any charges ever being
substantiated against them.
Danish Karokhel is director and Farida Nekzad is managing editor and deputy director
of Pajhwok Afghan News, Afghanistan’s leading independent news agency. The agency
maintains eight bureaus throughout the country, staffed and managed entirely by Afghans.
Pajhwok draws on a network of contributing local and foreign reporters who provide stories in
English, Pashto, and Dari.
Karokhel and Nekzad are also media rights activists in one of the world’s most dangerous
countries. Both committed themselves to the advancement of press freedom after the fall of
the Taliban. A prominent Afghan journalist, Karokhel is also an internationally recognized
authority on Afghanistan’s modernization. Nekzad, who will be honored in October by the
International Women’s Media Foundation, is one of the country’s leading activists for women’s
rights. During a flurry of attacks on female journalists in Afghanistan last year, she and some
of her staff came under threat from Islamic groups angered by Pajhwok’s reporting. Nekzad
never stopped working, despite being greatly concerned about her safety. She has affirmed
her commitment to staying in Afghanistan regardless of personal risk.
Andrew Mwenda, founder and managing editor of the newsmagazine The Independent,
is one of Uganda’s most outspoken and best recognized journalists. A press freedom fighter
throughout his career, Mwenda resigned last year as political editor of Uganda’s leading
independent daily, The Monitor, arguing that government intimidation had compromised its
editorial freedom. This year, despite repeated harassment by police, Mwenda launched The
Independent, a hard-hitting publication critical of the government. In April, after Mwenda
published two stories criticizing the Ugandan Army and its role in northern Uganda’s civil war,
police raided his office and detained him along with two other reporters. He has faced
persecution from the government and police throughout his journalism career: His political talk
show on KFM, “Tonight with Andrew Mwenda,” was banned several times and he has been
slapped with dozens of defamation lawsuits in recent years.
Héctor Maseda Gutiérrez was part of Cuba’s flourishing independent press movement
when he was arrested and jailed along with 28 other journalists in Fidel Castro’s massive
crackdown on political dissidents in March 2003. The following month, Maseda Gutiérrez was
sentenced to 20 years in prison for acting “against the independence or the territorial integrity
of the state.” Maseda Gutiérrez began working as an independent journalist in 1995. He later
founded, along with veteran journalist Manuel Vázquez Portal, the independent news agency
Grupo de Trabajo Decoro, which published reports critical of Cuba in foreign media. Maseda
Gutiérrez delved into social problems in Cuba and began to write long investigative pieces,
including a series on the brutality and human right violations in Cuban prisons published
shortly before his arrest. At age 65, Maseda Gutiérrez is the oldest of 22 journalists still
behind bars in Cuba today. He managed to write his memoir, Enterrados Vivos (Buried Alive),
smuggling the manuscript out one page at a time. The book was published in the United
States in 2007.
Burton Benjamin Memorial Award: Beatrice Mtetwa, Zimbabwe
Beatrice Mtetwa is a tireless defender of press freedom in Zimbabwe, where the law is
used as a weapon against independent journalists. The country’s leading human rights and
media lawyer, Mtetwa has fearlessly stood up against the lawlessness of the Mugabe
government. She has won acquittals for dozens of journalists arrested under Zimbabwe’s
repressive media laws.
Mtetwa represented Barry Bearak, the Pulitzer-Prize winning New York Times correspondent
who faced criminal charges in Zimbabwe last April. She defended Bearak and a British
freelancer against charges of “practicing journalism without a license” and won their release
from jail. Bearak, who is based in South Africa for The New York Times will travel to New
York to present this award.
Mtwewa has endured her own torment at the hands of Zimbabwe’s brutal regime. Last year,
she was beaten with clubs by the police. It was the second attack on Mtetwa in five years.
The Burton Benjamin Memorial Award is named in honor of the late CBS News senior
producer and former CPJ chairman who died in 1988. Mtetwa, a 2005 recipient of CPJ’s
International Press Freedom Award, is the first person to be honored with both awards.
“Mtetwa’s courageous efforts on behalf of journalists in Zimbabwe demonstrate her
unflinching commitment,” CPJ’s Steiger said. “She is richly deserving of the Burton Benjamin
Award, given for lifetime achievement in the cause of press freedom.”
The International Press Freedom Awards, now in their 18th year, are the centerpiece in CPJ’s
annual fund-raising effort, providing more than a third of the budget for our press freedom
advocacy efforts around the world.
To attend the awards dinner, see our online reply form.
For more information about the award winners, and for information about CPJ’s work or CPJ,
visit our Web site at www.cpj.org or call 212-465-1004 x105.
Islamists Threaten To Shut Down
Mogadishu Airport
MOGADISHU, Sept 14, 2008 – Somali Islamists have threatened to stop planes using
Mogadishu's main airport as part of an escalating insurgency rocking the Horn of Africa
nation.
The hardline Islamist group Al Shabaab, which is fighting the Somali government and its
Ethiopian military backers, said it would stop planes from landing after midnight on Tuesday.
"We banned all planes from Mogadishu after confirming that American spies, the African
Union, Ethiopians and the infidel government troops use the airport," said a statement in
Somali on www.kataaib.net, one of several sites used by the militants.
The sea-front airport in south Mogadishu is used for government and commercial flights.
African Union (AU) peacekeepers and some visiting U.N. missions also fly there.
Aid groups tend to use other landing strips.
"We warn the Somali businessmen: Ethiopia gets revenue from Mogadishu airport. (AU
mission) Amisom and Ethiopians also transport their injured and dead soldiers from this
airport," said the statement that appeared at the weekend.
The African Union has 2,200 peacekeepers in Somalia, mainly based at the airport. They
have done little to stem violence and the pan-African body wants to hand over to the United
Nations.
The airport has suffered a string of attacks since Islamists launched an Iraq-style insurgency
in 2007. Several times, shells have hit about the time President Abdillahi Yusuf has taken off.
UGANDAN SOLDIER KILLED
There was no immediate response to Al Shabaab from the government. But an AU
spokesman said such threats were not new.
"The airport is not for Amisom but for the Somali people," added AU spokesman Barigye BaHoku. "It would hinder first of all the Somalis who need medicine, who need to leave when
sick. So this threat means they don't care for the Somali people."
A local airline official, who asked not to be named, said he had received a warning from Al
Shabaab.
The threat reflects the growing confidence of one of the main players in the Somali war. The
group recently led an Islamist takeover of the southern port of Kismayu, giving it a strategic
sea access and proximity to the Kenyan border.
Al Shabaab appears to have stepped up activities, and widened its sphere of targets, since
being put on Washington's terrorist list earlier this year.
In the latest attack, suspected Islamists laid a roadside bomb and fired on a peacekeepers'
convoy inspecting for mines in Mogadishu on Sunday, AU staff said. One Ugandan soldier
died and two others were wounded in the melee.
There was also fighting between Islamists and AU troops at the Kilometer 4 area of
Mogadishu on Sunday, locals said.
"Two of my kids are missing and what I hear is only the constant crash of mortars," resident
Seinab Farah said.
Somalia's civil war has killed more than 8,000 civilians since last year -- and an unknown
number of combatants.
One million people are living as internal refugees. (Writing by Andrew Cawthorne)
Source: Reuters
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Kidnapped Alta. Journalist Appears Healthy In Video
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The footage, broadcast by Al Jazeera shows Amanda Lindhout, of Sylvan Lake, Alta., was
released on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008.
They were kidnapped on Aug. 23, along with a Somali journalist and two guards, near
Mogadishu.
Jeremy Kroeker told CTV Newsnet he was relieved that his friend appears to be alive and
well. However, he said he is worried that her captors seem to be making a political statement
rather than one motivated by a possible ransom.
"They didn't make any further demands for money," Kroeker said from Calgary.
"There was no money mentioned, there was only the concern for our government's
involvement in their country, which is concerning."
The Qatar-based network said their captors are members of the so-called Mujahedeen of
Somalia -- a group that accuses the governments of Canada and Australia of contributing to
the "destruction" of Somalia.
Earlier this month, the Montreal-based Reporters Without Borders said the group had
demanded $2.5 million in ransom for the release of the three journalists. However, there was
no mention of the money in the new footage.
The video shows Lindhout wearing a long red head covering.
Al Jazeera reports that the two prisoners appeal in the video to their governments to work for
their release.
Kroeker met Lindhout in Damascus, Syria two months ago, while the TV and print journalist
was waiting for a visa to enter Iraq to work as a correspondent for an Iranian network.
He said she was well researched and knew the risks she faced by working in conflict zones -and thrived on the challenge of telling important stories in dangerous situations.
"She just exudes optimism," Kroeker said. "She's one of the most positive people I've met.
She takes any obstacles that are in her path and she uses them as challenges she will
overcome one way or another."
Source: CTV, Sept 17, 2008
Italy's Prodi To Head Panel On Africa
Peacekeeping
Saturday, September 13, 2008
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi will head a panel
that will consider how the international community can support African Union peacekeeping
operations, the United Nations said on Friday.
The six-member U.N./AU panel of "distinguished persons" will start meeting in New York on
Monday. It is due to submit a report to the Security Council by the end of the year, U.N.
spokeswoman Michele Montas said.
"The panel will consider lessons from past and current African Union peacekeeping efforts
and explore possible options to enhance the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of
resources for African Union peacekeeping operations mandated by the Security Council,"
Montas told reporters.
The panel is being set up under a Security Council resolution passed in April.
AU peacekeeping missions have had a chequered history. A 7,000-strong mission in Sudan's
Darfur region was ineffectual and is being replaced by a 26,000-strong U.N./AU force.
Another force in Somalia is at only about one quarter of its intended strength.
African officials have repeatedly said the outside world needs to support AU peacekeepers
with funds and equipment.
Prodi's center-left Italian coalition was defeated in an April election by a center-right alliance
headed by Silvio Berlusconi, who replaced him as prime minister. Prodi is also a former head
of the European Commission. (Reporting by Patrick Worsnip, editing by Ross Colvin)
Source: Reuters, Sept 12, 2008
Top Republican Says Palin Unready
Senator Chuck Hagel could be influential with independent voters
18 September 2008 Senior Republican Senator Chuck Hagel has voiced doubts about Sarah
Palin's qualifications for the vice-presidency.
John McCain's running mate "doesn't have any foreign policy credentials", Mr Hagel told the
Omaha World-Herald.
Mr. Hagel was a prominent supporter of Mr McCain during his 2000 bid for the US
presidency, but has declined to endorse either candidate this year.
He was opposed to the Iraq War, and recently joined Mr McCain's rival Barack Obama on a
Middle East trip.
'Stop the nonsense'
"I think it's a stretch to, in any way, to say that she's got the experience to be president of the
United States," Mr. Hagel told the Omaha World-Herald newspaper.
And he was dismissive of the fact that Mrs Palin, the governor of Alaska, has made few trips
abroad.
"You get a passport for the first time in your life last year? I mean, I don't know what you can
say. You can't say anything."
Mr Hagel also criticised the McCain campaign for its suggestion that the proximity of Alaska to
Russia gave Mrs Palin foreign policy experience.
"I think they ought to be just honest about it and stop the nonsense about, 'I look out my
window and I see Russia and so therefore I know something about Russia'," he said.
"That kind of thing is insulting to the American people."
BBC North America editor Justin Webb says Mr Hagel's opinion of Mrs Palin will have an
effect on independent voters.
A senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Mr Hagel was a close ally of Mr
McCain, but the two men parted company over the decision to go to war in Iraq.
Mr Hagel skipped this year's Republican National Convention in favour of a visit to Latin
America.
Mr Hagel's decision to accompany Mr Obama this summer on a trip to Iraq and Israel, as part
of a US Congressional delegation, led to speculation that he would throw his support behind
the Democratic nominee.
However, a spokesman for the Nebraska senator insisted in August that "Senator Hagel has
no intention of getting involved in any of the campaigns and is not planning to endorse either
candidate".
Milk off shelves as China's safety scandal
grows
By GILLIAN WONG – 1 hour ago
SHIJIAZHUANG, China (AP) — China's food safety crisis widened Friday after the industrial
chemical melamine was found in milk produced by three of the country's leading dairy
companies — prompting stores, including Starbucks, to yank milk from their shelves. The
recalls come as evidence is mounting that adding chemicals to watered-down milk was a
widespread practice in China's dairy industry.
Sipping from a carton of milk at a news conference, the chief financial officer of one of the
companies, Mengniu, apologized for the tainted milk. But he insisted only a small portion of
the company's inventory had been contaminated and that the tainted milk came from smallscale dairy farmers.
"Large-scale milk farms are very disciplined. They won't take the risk to do something like
that," Yao Tongshan told reporters in Hong Kong.
The crisis was initially thought to have been confined to tainted milk powder, used to make
baby formula that has been blamed in the deaths of four infants and for sickening 6,200 other
children.
But tests found melamine in samples of liquid milk taken from China's two largest dairy
producers, Mengniu Dairy Group Co. and Yili Industrial Group Co., as well as Shanghaibased Bright Dairy. The chemical, which is used in plastics and fertilizers, can cause kidney
stones and lead to kidney failure.
All batches that tested positive were being recalled, China's product safety watchdog said in a
report on its Web site. It pledged to "severely punish those who are responsible."
Melamine, which is high in nitrogen, makes products with it appear higher in protein.
Suppliers trying to cut costs are believed to have added it to watered-down milk to cover up
the resulting protein deficiency.
A senior dairy analyst said farmers were cutting corners to cope with rising costs for feed and
labor.
"Before the melamine incident, I know they could have been adding organic stuff, say animal
urine or skin," said Chen Lianfang of Beijing Orient Agribusiness Consultant Co. "Basically,
anything that can boost the protein reading."
But he and others expressed skepticism that so many farmers would know to add melamine
to milk. The chemical is not water-soluble and must be mixed with formaldehyde or another
chemical before it can be dissolved in milk.
"Farmers can't be well-educated enough to think of melamine," Chen said. "There must be
people from chemical companies contacting them and telling them it's a good idea."
The product safety agency and the Health Ministry declined to answer questions Friday about
how widespread the practice of adding melamine to milk was believed to be.
"I don't know if this is an industrywide problem, but it is definitely not a single case. It is on a
massive scale," said E.R. Hong, an executive of Hua Xia Dairy Ltd., a U.S.-owned dairy farm
east of Beijing that has not been accused of supplying tainted milk.
The crisis highlights the growing influence of dairy products in the Chinese diet. Milk is not
part of the traditional Chinese diet, but the country's economic growth and the increased
availability of refrigeration have brought about a wide range of products, with flavored milk
and sweetened yogurts among the most popular.
Though per capita consumption of dairy products in China is still low at 1.5 ounces per day,
increasingly affluent Chinese consumers are paying more attention to their health and view
milk as highly nutritious, particularly for children.
The crisis has raised questions about the effectiveness of tighter controls China promised
after a series of food safety scares in recent years over contaminated seafood, toothpaste
and a pet food ingredient tainted with melamine that was blamed for the deaths of dogs and
cats in the United States. In 2004, more than 200 Chinese infants suffered malnutrition and at
least 12 died after being fed phony formula that contained no nutrients.
Reactions to the latest recalls were immediate.
Starbucks Corp. said its 300 cafes in mainland China were pulling all milk supplied by
Mengniu, though the Seattle-based company said no employees or customers had fallen ill
from the milk.
Major Hong Kong grocery chains PARKnSHOP and Wellcome ordered Mengniu liquid milk
removed from their shelves Friday, a day after products made by Yili, including milk, yogurt
and ice cream, were taken off. Singapore suspended the sale and import of all Chinese milk
and dairy products Friday.
Meanwhile, two distributors of Sanlu baby formula said the company ordered them to pull its
products off shelves in early July, weeks before it announced its milk powder was
contaminated.
The statements raised further questions about when the company and government knew the
formula was contaminated.
Sanlu received complaints as early as March and tests in early August found the milk powder
contained melamine. However, no recall was ordered until Sept. 11, after its New Zealand
stakeholder told the New Zealand government, which then informed the Chinese officials.
One of the distributors, Zhang Youqiang, said Sanlu ordered all formula with production dates
from 2007 to July 2008 be yanked from shelves.
"Then things got weird. In early August, they came to us again and said all the new Sanlu
baby milk powder we had just put on the shelves" did not meet a government standard
unrelated to product quality, said Zhang, who declined to name the distributor he works for in
Hebei province.
Another distributor, Liang Jianqiang, said he also took Sanlu baby milk powder out of stores in
July. "They told me there would be a new formula that's better quality. They did this again in
August and September," he said.
Phone calls to Sanlu rang unanswered Friday, and its Web site was not working. China's
quality watchdog did not respond after asking that questions be faxed over.
Associated Press writers Chi-Chi Zhang in Beijing, Dikky Sinn in Hong Kong, Alex Kennedy in
Singapore and Bonnie Cao in Beijing contributed to this report.
A customer chooses milk in front of shelves cleared of tainted milk products at a supermarket
in Shanghai, China eastern province on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008. China's latest tainted
product crisis widened Friday after government tests found the industrial chemical melamine
in liquid milk produced by three of the country's leading dairy companies. (AP
Photo/EyePress
A child receives an ultrasonic inspection for kidney stones at a children's hospital in Chengdu,
in southwest China's Sichuan province Friday, Sept. 19, 2008. Thousands of worried parents
have filled hospitals, many hovering over sons and daughters hooked to IV drips after drinking
milk powder tainted with melamine, a toxic industrial chemical that can cause kidney stones
and lead to kidney failure. Some 1,300 babies, mostly newborns, remain hospitalized, with
158 suffering from acute kidney failure. (AP Photo/Color China Photo)
Parents and their children wait for health inspection at a children's hospital in Chengdu, in
southwest China's Sichuan province Friday, Sept. 19, 2008. Thousands of worried parents
have filled hospitals, many hovering over sons and daughters hooked to IV drips after drinking
milk powder tainted with melamine, a toxic industrial chemical that can cause kidney stones
and lead to kidney failure. Some 1,300 babies, mostly newborns, remain hospitalized, with
158 suffering from acute kidney failure. (AP Photo/Color China Photo
Charges Dropped Against Soldier In Somali
Death
Clayton Matchee is assisted by family members as he arrives for a military hearing at Court of
Queen's Bench in Saskatoon, Tuesday, July 23, 2002. (Jason Allen / THE CANADIAN
PRESS)
CTV.ca News Staff
Mon. Sep. 15 2008
Charges against a former Canadian soldier accused of torturing and murdering a Somali teen
while on a peacekeeping mission in 1993 have been withdrawn, military officials said Monday.
Master Cpl. Clayton Matchee had been charged with the crimes after Shidane Abukar Arone,
16, was killed in March 1993 while Canadian troops were stationed on a humanitarian mission
in Somalia.
"The decision to withdraw the charges in this case was based on public interest
considerations," Lt.-Col. Bruce MacGregor, deputy director of military prosecutions, said in a
release.
"These included the fact that Mr. Matchee has a permanent brain injury and will never be fit to
stand trial."
MacGregor added that Matchee, who has had extended stays in hospital, "does not a pose a
significant threat to the community."
Arone's murder sent shockwaves through the Canadian military and underscored accusations
of ingrained violence and racism among Canadian soldiers.
The affair also made headlines because of the way it was handled by military officials, who
were criticized for downplaying the incident and covering up its severity.
Charges of second-degree murder and torture
On March 16, 1993, Arone was arrested trying to steal from a Canadian supply camp and put
under Matchee's watch.
While in custody, Arone was beaten, burned and suffocated to death, according to military
reports. Other soldiers later posed and snapped photos with Arone's bludgeoned and limp
body.
Matchee was arrested two days later and placed under military custody, where he tried to
hang himself with a string from his coat.
Though he survived, Matchee was left with extensive brain damage.
An investigation implicated other soldiers and found that Arone's screams would have been
clearly heard throughout the base.
In April 1994, a court martial ruled that Matchee was not fit to stand trial on the charges
because of the brain damage, and he was transferred to a hospital in North Battleford, Sask.
Source: CTV, Sept 15, 2008
FEATURES & COMMENTARY
Shelterbox Offers Hope When Disaster Strikes
Sep 17, 2008
By day, Dave Hallett is a mild-mannered director of information systems at Queen’s University
in
Ontario.
But when disaster strikes, Hallett slips into his role as a frontline worker for Shelterbox, an
international organization that provides aid to victims of the world’s worst catastrophes. Hallett
visited Lethbridge Tuesday night to speak about his experiences working with the
organization.
“When you get the phone call to go, there’s a bit of trepidation, because you don’t know
exactly what you’re getting yourself into,” said Hallett.
“You really kind of rally behind the people out there who need what you’re doing.”
Shelterbox got its start in England in 2000, the result of a worldwide Rotary Club challenge to
develop millennium projects. The organization operates by sending boxes filled with
necessities — a 10-person tent shelter, water containers and purification tablets, sleeping
gear, cookers, pots and pans, and dish sets — to devastated regions around the world. The
gear is manufactured in countries across the globe and each box costs about $1,200 to fill
and ship. Hallett explained shipping containers filled with hundreds of the boxes are
strategically placed around the world, ready to be shipped out at a moment’s notice.
Hallett travelled to Somaliland in October 2007 to aid with refugee relief efforts and to China
in June 2008 to help earthquake victims there.
“Not many people who suffer natural disasters think that someone is going to travel
thousands of miles across the world and give them something that might be better than
anything they’ve had before and not ask for anything in return,” said Hallett.
“When they realize that, the smile on their face is priceless.”
Shelterbox was one of the first organizations on the ground in Burma after Cyclone Nargis
devastated the country in May. The organization’s lack of a political agenda and ability to
mobilize quickly was key to its success in Burma, said Hallett.
Since its inception, Shelterbox has given out more than 50,000 boxes, helping more than
700,000 people in 47 countries. For more information, visit www.shelterbox.ca.
Source: Lethbridge Herald.com
Gender
Inequality
Economies
Shackles
African
Luísa Dias Diogo, Greg Mills and Ulla Toernaes
WHAT can a mother of six do when her husband’s sporadic contributions to the household
run dry?
Thirty-five-year-old Amina created a job — an extraordinary achievement for a previously
unemployed woman living in Djougou in northwest Benin.
A micro loan from a local organization helped her create a successful business. Today she is
selling cooked rice at the nearby school. One day, Amina says, she will open a restaurant.
Providing economic opportunities for women and creating entrepreneurs such as Amina
create positive ripples beyond just their immediate families. Not only are such women able to
improve their own income and welfare, changing their own lives and the lives of their children
in the process, but more than that, it is fundamental for creating economic growth and
development in Africa.
Africa needs a better future. Despite progress in many areas, the continent has largely been
left behind by globalization just as most countries in Asia, Latin America and eastern Europe
have surged ahead.
Without things changing soon, it seems unlikely that African countries will meet the United
Nations Millennium Development Goals, including that of gender equality, by 2015.
Inequality between men and women exists in spite of international agreements on gender
equality.
It exists in spite of equality between men and women being constitutionally ordained by most
countries.
And it exists in spite of the many studies that show that it is an economic win-win for men and
women when women’s participation in the work force is increased.
Then why is it that female participation in the labor market is so much lower than the
participation rate of males?
Why is it that women still get the lowest pay, the least education, access only to the most
unskilled jobs, and are mostly employed in the informal sector?
Only about 10% of all wages in Africa go to women, although women on average work 10-15
hours more per week than men. And African women own only around 1% of the continent’s
overall economy.
To address these and other key topics determining the future of Africa, the Danish Africa
Commission puts economic growth and employment in Africa at the top of the international
agenda.
Launched in Copenhagen in April, bringing together public and private sector notables, it is
chaired by Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The majority of its 18 members
are African.
The role of women is a critical part of the commission’s work, not just because it’s the
politically correct thing to do.
We know that economic growth and gender inequality are closely related: the less the
inequality the higher economic growth. Improving the African women’s lot, unleashing the
entrepreneurial energy of the many Aminas out there can only ensure a more prosperous
continental future.
But how?
To do so governments, labor market organizations, civil society and the private sector,
supported by international donors, should concentrate their actions by focusing on four key
actions that can unlock this great potential.
First, reduce women’s time burdens by investing in water supply and sanitation, energy for
household needs, access to public transport and investment in labor-saving technology
especially in agro-processing, opening up and adding real value to the rural areas.
Second, empower women in small- and medium-scale businesses, the engine room of
African economies, through access to micro-finance and skills training.
Third, facilitate female entrepreneurs by ensuring equal rights between men and women —
including rights to ownership — and by supporting women’s business and social
organizations, and by listening to and acting on their policy concerns.
Fourth, introduce targets for gender equality in public sector employment and promotion
through public sector reforms.
Africa’s women are a hitherto largely untapped source of huge energy and economic
potential. No one likely works harder worldwide than the rural Africa woman, tending her
crops, raising her family literally on her back, and traipsing hours every day for water and
other basics.
Properly harnessed, this energy can transform Africa, liberating its women from such burdens
and, at the same time, liberating the continent from underdevelopment.
Diogo is prime minister of Mozambique. Mills directs the Johannesburg-based Brenthurst
Foundation. Toernaes is minister for development co-operation in Denmark. All three are
members of the Africa Commission.
Global Maternal Mortality Crisis Unnoticed
By Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail
A woman dies every minute in pregnancy or childbirth somewhere in the world – mainly in the
75 poorest countries where access to trained professionals and cheap but effective medicines
is scarce. Health Editor Madeleine Brindley spoke to two Welsh women – MEP Glenys
Kinnock and nurse Angela Gorman – who are trying to make a difference
Cardiff, Sep 15 2008 – CHILDBIRTH for the majority of women, in the developed West at
least, is a joyous occasion and a time of celebration at the prospect of a new life.
But in the world’s 75 poorest countries – largely in Africa and South-East Asia – childbirth is a
deadly event, which claims the lives of more than half-a-million women every year.
In the world’s poorest and most conflict-torn countries a women’s lifetime risk of dying in
childbirth is one in eight – 500 times higher than that in Wales. In some parts of the world,
such as Afghanistan, it is one in four.
And for every death, around 30 more women will be left disabled.
Both Euro MP Glenys Kinnock, who is campaigning for women throughout the world to have
the same healthcare as expectant mothers in the West, and Angela Gorman, a Cardiff nurse
who set up the Hope for Grace Kodindo Trust to work in the Third World, initially in Chad, to
improve conditions for mothers-to-be, have horror stories which – in the words of the former –
will make most people’s blood run cold.
Indeed, there was a saying in Chad – the initial focus of Ms Gorman’s trust – that a pregnant
woman has one foot in the grave.
Mrs Kinnock said: “A few years ago I met a woman in Tanzania who was heavily pregnant
and had four of five children. She said that every time that she went into labor she said
goodbye and hugged each of her children.
“I have seen and have spoken to husbands who have desperately tried to take their wives to
some help – one man’s wife died in a wheelbarrow. He was so ashamed that this had
happened to his wife. His grieving was made even worse because of the memory of that.
“There was a woman in a hospital in Madagascar recently, who had a botched-up Caesarean.
She had come back to this terrible clinic and was dying of septicaemia in terrible conditions.
These things should not be allowed to happen.”
Women die in childbirth because of a lack of basic healthcare. Where maternal clinics are
available they are often over-stretched, struggling to cope with an acute shortage of birth
attendants and lack of equipment.
In the developing world most women give birth without even this bare minimum of assistance.
Complications during pregnancy – in Chad, eclampsia, which is rarely seen in the UK, is a
common and deadly complication – are often detected late and when they occur there is often
no emergency travel to reach medical help.
There is also a dire shortage of the most simplest of medicines and equipment – some cost
pennies – which could mean the difference between life or death.
Mrs Kinnock said: “One of the major factors is the lack of trained and skilled birth attendants,
and 40% of women give birth without any assistance at all and the deaths are terrible to
experience and see.”
And Ms Gorman, who will travel to Liberia next month and Somaliland in November, said:
“Conditions vary from country to country. I had thought the problems were pretty universal,
but in Chad it seemed that they had the doctors, what they didn’t have were the medicines to
treat the women. Once you provided the medicines, you were away.
“In one hospital where they look after 12,000 women a year, their mortality rate has dropped
from 14% to 2.3%.
“In Liberia, it is a totally different problem, they have no medical staff and the midwifes have
taken on roles for which they are not trained, they have done wrong things for the right
reasons because there is nobody else there.
“On the first day when we were doing workshops there with the midwives, two women died –
one from eclampsia and another woman was lying in the labour ward and I didn’t even realise
that she was dead initially. She had suffered an overwhelming infection following an illegal
abortion.
“It’s just a daily occurrence – it’s tragic. After 32 years in nursing. I thought I’d seen
everything, but I haven’t. It’s just incredible. We don’t appreciate what we have in this country.
“We have been astounded at the success in Chad – it’s going to be more difficult in Liberia,
because they need the medicines and the medical staff, but we have to take the view we are
going to achieve.
“Women go into the hospital in Chad not expecting to die, whereas a few years ago they
expected to die.
“There are other countries that need our help. I’ve had requests from Sierra Leone, Uganda,
Sudan – the need is huge. In Afghanistan one in four women are dying – it is dire.
“The sad part is it is achievable with relatively small resources, as we have shown.
“There’s a lot of work to be done. I describe it as looking up at Everest and then you have to
climb it, but we’re not going to stop.”
These shocking levels of maternal mortality constitute a global health emergency, and yet,
compared to other health crises, such as the global HIV/Aids epidemic, the plight facing
pregnant women goes largely unnoticed, either in the wider world or by individual
governments.
The international community signed up to a series of millennium development goals eight
years ago. The fifth is specifically designed to improve maternal health.
The aspirational target, signed up to by 189 United Nations member states, is to reduce the
maternal mortality ratio by three-quarters by 2015 and achieve universal access to
reproductive health.
But despite this, the target is not being met.
Mrs Kinnock said: “In some cases things are going backwards – more women are dying.
“A statistic that is really shocking is that 20 years ago the figures were the same as they are
now so that really shows that we’re not giving the importance that we ought to these women’s
deaths, which leave grieving children and families.
“Their lives could be saved if this was problem was given enough political will to make this a
priority.
“The international community has made a commitment for years now, but this year in
particular it has been reiterated, to meet the commitments in the millennium development
goals – all of them, on health and education and eradicating poverty by 2015.
“What Gordon Brown, in particular, was involved in doing at the G8 and in the Council of the
European Union was to say we can’t keep saying we’re going to do it, we need to have
benchmarks, we call to action.
“We say that in all our budgets we will increase over a two-yearly basis so when we reach
2010, we have made real headway.
“Some countries are not – the Italians, for instance, have a terrible record. The French are not
doing very well and other countries are also guilty of reneging on the commitments they have
made.”
The European Parliament this month acted to increase pressure on the international
community as it called on the European Council and Commission to prioritize action on and
increase funding for the fifth millennium development goal.
The resolution, which also calls for action to enable the training of and infrastructure for an
adequate number of birth attendants, was co-authored by Mrs Kinnock.
At least part of the answer is to ensure that Third World countries have the necessary
resources to properly equip maternal units and access to training and education to staff these
units with appropriately qualified staff.
“We need to have funds – it is about money,” Mrs Kinnock said. “Liberia is a very poor
country, it hasn’t long come out of a long and terrible civil war. Now they have a woman
president who is extremely courageous and actively working to improve her country.
“But how can she do that without funds? Most of the day in Monrovia they have no electricity,
no running water – how can you give healthcare in those circumstances?
“We need funds so governments can put in place a decent health system because the health
infrastructure is very poor, especially in rural areas.
“You need to have a decent health system with trained staff – they don’t all have to be doctors
and obstetricians – there are ways of doing it that can work very fast. We know what needs to
be done, we know how much it costs and, quite frankly, we also know what it costs if we don’t
do it and that’s more and more lost lives.
“Most women who die in childbirth die from hemorrhaging. There is magnesium sulphate,
which costs three cents and would save her life, but very often they don’t have it.
Zouzahbe’s story
ANGELA GORMAN met 38-year-old mother-of-five Zouzahbe at the General Reference
Hospital in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad.
She was 36 weeks pregnant and unwell, with a high blood pressure and eclampsia – a lifethreatening complication of pregnancy, which is rarely seen in the West, thanks to regular
ante-natal check-ups.
Together with her husband and sister, she had travelled for nearly four hours in great
discomfort to get to the hospital.
Her worried husband Gobnfanezouzahbe, a teacher, told Angela that they had already lost
two babies in late miscarriages and a five-month-old child from malaria.
At the hospital Zouzahbe was treated free of charge with magnesium sulphate, which had
been donated by Hope for Grace Kodindo, and her baby’s heartbeat was checked with an
electronic Doppler monitor, also donated by the charity.
Her blood pressure fell and she started to look better. Zouzahbe survived, but sadly her baby
did not.
Angela met Gonfanezouzahbe outside the labor ward and despite his grief he insisted that
God had sent them to his family.
Global effort for poorest
Oxfam Cymru has been working across the world to improve maternal mortality rates in some
of the poorest nations.
The charity believes that change is possible even in low-income countries, for example
women in Cuba, have nearly three times more chances of surviving pregnancy and childbirth
than women in South Africa, a much richer country.
It works on the basis that a trained midwife is a basic right not a luxury.
Properly trained, paid and supported, midwives offer the most effective path to universal
access to maternal healthcare.
In Yemen, Oxfam has been working with traditional birth attendants, providing midwifery
training for them to improve their skills.
The programme was developed in response to a lack of midwives and the inability for many
women to access healthcare. The difference midwives or trained birth attendants can make is
clearly demonstrated in those countries which have achieved dramatic improvements in
maternal health.
In Sri Lanka, where most of the population lives below the poverty line, the government made
a commitment to strengthen the entire health-care delivery system.
This has produced a reliable referral systems for complicated deliveries, with health services,
including family planning, offered free or at very low cost.
It also means that 97% of all births are attended by a skilled professional.
Just one more midwife could save the lives of 219 women. the World Health Organization
estimated in 2005 that 700,000 more midwives needed over the next 10 years to achieve the
fifth millennium development goal on maternal health.
On this basis Oxfam Cymru recommends:
An increase in aid delivery directly to health sectors in poor countries, by $36bn a year – $5bn
extra for maternal health care to fund the 4.25m extra health workers and 700,000 midwives
needed in developing countries;
Immediately abolishing user fees for pregnant women and children – as a first step towards
free health care for all. Oxfam believes that encouraging free public health services is the
best, and proven, way to help countries achieve the millennium development goals;
Scale up public health services – rich and poor women alike across the world chose public
facilities over private to give birth. Investment in health must therefore focus on scaling up
public not private health care.
As part of its latest drive to raise awareness of maternal mortality, Oxfam has been urging
knitters to create nine inch squares, which will form a giant blanket. Each square will
represent a mother who did not survive pregnancy or childbirth to be able to care for her
baby, because she couldn't access the medical care she needed.
The blanket will be handed to the UK Government on Wednesday as a patchwork against
poverty petition, to demand a world where everyone has access to free basic healthcare.
Once the petition has been presented, the blanket will be dismantled and sold in Oxfam
shops and at festivals to help fund its current midwife training project in Yemen.
To Save Puntland, Peaceful Elections Must Be
Held
Sep 14, 2008 – The faults are almost endless and have crippled the regional government,
which now exists only as an institution in name.
The situation in Somalia's northeastern State of Puntland has been worsening dramatically
ever since incumbent President Mohamud "Adde" Muse came to power in January 2005. The
faults are almost endless and have crippled the regional government, which now exists only
as an institution in name. Garowe, the administrative capital, has no police force because
Muse' s corrupt Ministry of Finance will not pay government employees. In Galkayo, a
strategic and economically vibrant town, suspects in police custody are gunned down inside a
jail and the culprits behind this callous act of criminality walk away in broad daylight.
One wonders: What is the Puntland government doing? No surprises, since President Muse
is busy – indeed, very busy signing yet another "deal" with foreign firms in foreign capitals.
This time, its not Nugaal or Dharoor blocks for sale; no, the President has become more
practical and is now selling the key Port of Bossaso to the highest bidder. Exactly what the
government or the people of Puntland benefit from the new "deal" allowing a Middle Eastern
company to manage the region's only commercial port is not clear, because President Muse
has not formally presented any paperwork to the Parliament for ratification.
And therein lies the most critical point: the people of Puntland have willingly remained silent
for nearly four years, as corruption and incompetence ruled the day, only to avoid bloodshed
among kin. The people's patience should not be misconstrued for love of Adde Muse – rather,
the people's patience is founded on the noble idea that peaceful presidential elections will be
held in January, on time.
It is disheartening to hear reports that Muse and his corrupt officials are planning to open
hostilities on Puntland's borders with other Somali regions, including the republic of
Somaliland. It is even demoralizing when an official member of the Puntland government
raises serious allegations against administration officials, accusing them of importing
weapons and planning to begin a war in order to extend their term in office.
If that is Muse's ultimate plan, then he has made the unfortunate mistake of thinking that the
local clans will support him. Today's silence and patience is intended to wait for January's
presidential elections, but the idea of a term extension will spark bloodshed instantaneously
and Muse will be the sore loser.
Even among Muse supporters, there is the consensus that he is a failure beyond repair. But
all that is expected of his government in the remaining months is to hold elections in an
atmosphere of peace and fairness.
A failure to do so might lead to the demise of Puntland, which is already teetering on the
edge.
Garowe Online Editorial, editorial@garoweonline.com
Saudi Official: Death For 'Immoral'
Network Owners
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, September 14, 2008: A senior Saudi official said Sunday that owners
of satellite TV networks that show "immoral" content should be brought to trial and sentenced
to death if other penalties don't deter them from airing such broadcasts.
The comments by Sheik Saleh al-Lihedan, the chief of the kingdom's highest tribunal, the
Supreme Judiciary Council, were an attempt to explain a fatwa, or decree, he issued last
week, in which he said just that it was permissible to kill the network's owners.
Appearing on government-run Saudi TV Sunday, al-Lihedan seemed to be trying to calm the
controversy his original comments triggered, explaining that the owners of offending networks
should be warned and punished before possibly being brought to trial and executed.
Still, al-Lihedan, who is also a cleric, did not back down.
A prominent cleric condemned al-Lihedan's edict, saying it encourages terrorism and allows
"the enemies of Islam" to portray the faith as one that favors murder.
Al-Lihedan's edict was broadcast Thursday during the daily "Light in the Path" radio program
in which he and others pass rulings on what is permissible under Islamic law.
One caller asked about Islam's view of the owners of satellite TV channels that show "bad
programs" during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, which began two weeks ago.
"I want to advise the owners of these channels, who broadcast calls for such indecency and
impudence ... and I warn them of the consequences," al-Lihedan said. "What does the owner
of these networks think, when he provides seduction, obscenity and vulgarity?"
"Those calling for corrupt beliefs, certainly it's permissible to kill them," al-Lihedan added.
"Those calling for sedition, those who are able to prevent it but don't, it is permissible to
kill them."
Al-Lihedan, 79, did not name a particular TV channel or programs in the radio show, which
was taped a couple of months ago.
On Sunday, he said his "advice" was aimed at owners who broadcast witchcraft, indecent
programs, shows that mock scholars or the religious police and comedies that are not
appropriate for Ramadan.
Government-run channels in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia steer well clear of any
programming that could be deemed risque. However, on satellite broadcasts it is possible to
see Western music videos as well as American soaps and TV series, such as "Sex and the
City," that include some nudity.
"If they are not deterred by the punishment and continue corrupting people through the
broadcasts, then it is permissible for the relevant authorities to kill them after trials," alLihedan told Saudi TV. A transcript of the interview was carried by the official Saudi Press
Agency in Arabic and English.
Al-Lihedan's remarks surprised many in the Arab world, especially since many of the most
popular Arab satellite networks — which include channels showing music videos and special
Ramadan soaps — are owned by Saudi princes and well-connected Saudi businessmen.
Sheik Abdul-Mohsen al-Obaikan, an adviser at the Justice Ministry and a member of the
appointed Consultative Council that acts like a parliament, lashed out at al-Lihedan's edict,
telling Al-Jazirah newspaper it would "lead to sedition and lend support to terrorism."
"It came to them (terrorists) on a gold platter and they will exploit it quickly and act to recruit
our youths to take lives and blow up stations and the properties of the owners of the stations,
all based on this (al-Lihedan's) grave response," al-Obaikan was quoted by Al-Jazirah as
saying Saturday.
Saudi Arabia's judiciary is made up of Islamic clerics whose decrees, or fatwas, on everyday
issues are widely respected. Their fatwas do not have the weight of law. In the courts, clericjudges rule according to Islamic law, but interpretations can vary.
Source: The Associated Press
Somalis Under Attack With No Place To Hide
CONCERNED: East London undertaker Nazeer Obary, seen here at the Muslim section of
the East Cemetery opposite Buffalo Park, says this year he has buried eight Somali nationals
who were murdered in the city. Picture: NIGEL LOUW
2008/09/15
AN EAST London Muslim undertaker can attest to the fact that the city has not been kind to
Somali nationals who have left their country to seek refuge in South Africa.
Although Nazeer Obary is a plumber by trade, he has worked as an undertaker in the Eastern
Cape and Western Cape for the last 20 years. Over the last five years he has buried at least
30 Somali nationals – most of whom have died at the hands of thugs. Only one of the Somalis
he has buried died of natural causes.
This year alone, Obary has buried at least eight Somali nationals who have been shot. These
murders took place in Mdantsane, Ziphunzana and Orange Grove near the East London
Airport.
“It’s only young men under the age of 30,” he said yesterday, adding that he has buried only
one female.
Obary described the mood in the Somali community as desperate.
“They have nowhere else to go. They are running away from a war in their country,” said
Obary.
The plight of Somali nationals has recently come under the spotlight in East London, after a
spate of attacks resulted in the death of three Somali shop owners in the last two weeks.
The East London police made a possible breakthrough into these killings earlier this week,
when they arrested six suspects at a spaza shop in Amalinda Forest on Thursday.
The suspects were apprehended after police foiled armed robbers at the Somali-owned shop.
A seventh suspect was shot dead in a shootout between suspects and police who surprised
them following a tip-off.
Obary said Somalis are probably considered “soft targets” by criminals because they have
nowhere to run to. “They (Somalis) are frustrated because there is nothing they can do about
it,” he said.
Obary said he is called in when the state mortuary has completed an autopsy. Once the body
is handed over to the undertaker, it is washed, shrouded and buried immediately.
It is believed that Somali burial sites compromise 90 percent of the Muslim section of the East
Cemetery opposite Buffalo Park.
Obary has been involved in a number of burials for Egyptians, Pakistanis and Libyans. In the
last 20 years, he has had to send the bodies of about 14 foreign nationals back home.
“Somalis believe where you are, you are buried there. That is the correct way,” he said.
He called on communities that are now home to Somalis to stand up against crime. - By
CHERI-ANN JAMES
Djibouti: Building Brand Bin Laden
Will the tiny nation of Djibouti one day be the “Dubai of Africa,” host to the largest
suspension bridge in the world? Sheikh Tarek bin Laden, along with an alliance of
international investors and some $200 billion in capital, hopes so.
Shipping containers are used for more than just commerce in Djibouti.
Will the Horn of Africa one day be “the Dreamland”?
Djiboutian Prime Minister Mohamed Dileita Dileita and Tarek bin Laden see untapped
potential in Africa.
It looks good on paper, but how realistic is the ‘city of light’ on a conflict-torn coast?
Djibouti’s government seems ready to hand the keys over to Al Noor Holding.
By Jeff Neumann
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Inside a half-finished five-star hotel in Djibouti this past July, several hundred foreign
dignitaries, investors and journalists gathered for the first look at an ambitious plan to unite
two continents. Dubai-based Al Noor Holding Investment Company hopes to build a bridge
between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. But not just any bridge: Spanning 29 kilometers of
the Red Sea between Djibouti and Yemen, it will be the world’s largest suspension structure,
at points boasting 800-meter pilings and anchored at each side by brand new cities bearing
the same name: Al Noor City, or City of Light.
The estimated cost of the whole venture is somewhere around $200 billion (LE 1.06 trillion).
The visionary behind the project, Tarek bin Laden, the Saudi oligarch and half-brother of the
notorious Osama, hopes in 15 to 20 years time to see his dream of the bridge and both cities
become reality. But just how realistic is it?
Perhaps Djibouti’s only real asset today is its location at the junction of the Red Sea and the
Gulf of Aden. It has one of Africa’s smallest populations, estimated at around 500,000, and its
land size is comparable to Massachusetts in the United States. It is also bordered by Ethiopia,
Eritrea and Somalia — three nations that are embroiled in multiple conflicts and whose names
have long generated images of famine, despotism and anarchy.
Along the road between Djibouti-Ambouli Airport and the hotel hosting the project launch,
people wandered between single-story concrete buildings and shacks — some carried jerry
cans or bundles of sticks, but most walked empty-handed. Less than a kilometer away from
the five-star hotel, a naked child squatted beside a wall while groups of shirtless men slept in
ditches beneath the shade of trees.
The “Bridge of the Horn” is to have a six-lane highway and light rail lines for passenger and
commercial traffic, with the goal of one day handling 100,000 cars and 20,000 rail passengers
per day. There are also plans for a natural gas pipeline to run the length of the bridge from
Djibouti into Yemen and on to the Gulf.
If completed, the bridge will cross the aptly named Bab El-Mandeb, the Gateway of Tears. It
is the shortest point between Yemen and Djibouti and is named after the treacherous waters
made famous from centuries of taking ships and lives. There is also the deadly threat of
Somali pirates operating in the area, enough to warrant the permanent basing of an
international pirate task force and several thousand French Foreign Legion and US military
troops. Europe’s supply of oil from the Gulf passes through these straits, making security here
all the more vital.
And just as the Suez Canal controls sea traffic at the northern end of the Red Sea, the
Gateway of Tears owns the shipping lanes of the south. Not far from the hotel there is a sight
common to every port city from Buenos Aires to Shanghai: shipping containers. Stacked like a
multi-colored set of Legos, rows of metal boxes waiting to be filled with goods, loaded onto
ships and sent out across the globe.
This is the Horn of Africa.
A Bridge to
Guests at the launch were given a video presentation in the main ballroom and later held
roundtable discussions with designers, financers and project management teams. The
conference was held to entice those with deep pockets and even deeper ambition to get in on
one of the twenty-first century’s boldest schemes to date. Bin Laden’s Al Noor Holding has
already pledged to invest an initial $1 billion (LE 53 billion) and more cash will surely follow as
other investors fall in line.
Speaking on behalf of Al Noor Holding to open the ceremony was the company’s CEO,
Mohammad Ahmed Al-Ahmed. He compared the new city in Djibouti to Singapore, Hong
Kong and Dubai, adding that “They have done it, so can we.”
Computer-generated images of the city and bridge flashed across the screen as guests
flipped through booklets packed with photographs of construction sites, smiling children in
classrooms, golf courses and skyscrapers. Providing commentary with the images, Al-Ahmed
used words including “courage” and “good intentions.” Referring to the vast revenues that Al
Noor City will hopefully one day bring in, he said, “That money will be for everybody.”
The video referred to Djibouti as “the dreamland.” Alternating between French and English,
Michel Vachon, senior vice president of L3 Communications, a US-based defense contractor
that is running project management for both cities and the bridge, spoke briefly to the crowd
after Al-Ahmed. He promised success and pointed out his hopes of accommodating 100
million passengers at Djibouti Airport over the next 20 years.
The idea is for Al Noor City to cover some 1,000 square kilometers along the northern Djibouti
coastline, in what is now no more than hardscrabble desert populated by camels and nomadic
herders. During a lunch break, guests crowded around a light-up model at 1/30,000 scale,
which showed that the city will be divided into two parts: one for commerce and business
related activities — including a deepwater port and rail links — and the other for residential
and leisure facilities. It is here that Al Noor Holding envisions the birth of “a brand name for
Africa.”
One section of town, called Wisdom City, will house schools, a world-class shipping port and
free-trade zones. Then there will be Leisure City with resorts, boutique hotels, residential
blocks and a yacht club, while the bridge will land roughly in the middle of the two areas. The
glimpse of Djibouti I had just seen out on the road might as well have been a different planet.
The video showed a high-tech, prosperous society where the destitute Horn of Africa once
existed. One aspect of bin Laden’s grandiose vision would have upstart local entrepreneurs
building on the periphery of the free zone and contributing to a flourishing Djiboutian
economy. As the narrator on the video reminded viewers, “It’s not about what’s here today,
but what can be here tomorrow.”
However, the simple question of “Where does the bridge go?” remains.
Dean Kershaw, program manager at L3, acknowledges the dilemma: “You can’t build
something that doesn’t go anywhere.” As the plans now show, the foot of the bridge would
have passengers dropped off to nearby Ras Doumeira, an area where as recently as June,
Djiboutian and Eritrean troops traded shots, claiming at least 12 lives.
Citing historical proof that many of the world’s greatest cities sprouted up around bridges and
other crossings, Michael Mann, senior vice president at L3, said, “You’ll find that cities grow
on both ends of the bridge. You change the whole dynamics of the region. Where do those
roads come from? They come from some entrepreneur saying, ‘I’m going to build a factory
here and I’m going to build this link to get out to this road.’”
But building that link would be virtually impossible today —there are less than 400 kilometers
of paved roads in all of Djibouti.
The Alliance Raises Capital
If anyone were equipped to undertake such an endeavor it would be bin Laden and Al Noor
Holding. As pioneers of Dubai’s rapid ascension to the world stage, Al Noor Holding’s
subsidiary, Middle East Development (MED), has been involved in some of the United Arab
Emirates’ most visible and renowned development projects, including the Palm Islands and
Dubailand.
Al Noor Holding and MED don’t feel that financing the nearly $200 billion project will be an
issue and are adamant that that investors will clamor for a shot at getting in on such a
prestigious venture.
The first of three phases, or “tranches” (as Al Noor Holding refers to them), of investments will
go to “critical infrastructure” — building roads, upgrading the existing port and laying the
foundations for Al Noor City, Djibouti.
The project management office aims to complete its work within two years after framework
agreements are in place with the Yemeni and Djiboutian governments. At this point, investors
will be on board and significant construction will have already been well underway. A series of
cash infusions and corporate guarantees will come in the second phase. The third and final
phase of the fundraising side will be about “utilizing value” and raising capital through private
equity firms.
As the worldwide scramble for natural resources gains urgency, Africa has become hotly
contested ground between China and the West. The US military has been trying to establish a
base on the continent for AFRICOM, the command and control nerve center for its Africabased operations, since 2007. American and European companies have been extracting
natural gas from Algeria and oil from Nigeria for decades. For its part, China has been striking
lucrative oil drilling and mining deals in countries including Sudan, Angola and Zimbabwe in
exchange for everything from the construction of schools and wells to the sale of guns and
ammunition.
As a US-based defense contractor, L3 Communications is staffed by former military officers
and has a board of directors that includes John M. Shalikashvili, the retired chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces. Both Al-Ahmed and Vachon have in the past
worked for DynCorp, one of the world’s largest defense contractors whose missions have
included everything from training national police in Liberia to running security operations at
Baghdad International Airport and guarding Afghan President Hamid Karzai. It has also been
subject to several US Congressional investigations and audits alleging fraud over government
contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Among the nearly 60 companies already in the so-called “Al Noor Alliance” are defense
contractors such as Allied Defense Group, IAP and Lockheed Martin. Other partners like KBR
(formerly Kellogg, Brown and Root) and Bechtel have been involved in nation building
experiments from Bosnia to Iraq and Afghanistan. The alliance also includes several design
firms, investment houses, public relations firms and multinational real estate developers.
As one journalist from Hong Kong pointed out during the press conference, there are no
Chinese companies included in Al Noor Alliance. But Al Noor Holding says it is actively
looking for investment partners with no discrimination against nationality, and it is hard to
imagine that anyone with the right amount of money would be turned away.
Whether or not bin Laden will meet with the same success on the Horn of Africa as he has in
the Gulf remains to be seen. Whereas the UAE and Saudi Arabia have vast amounts of oil
reserves and established economies to support large-scale development projects, Djibouti
has virtually no natural resources or other means to sustain itself. Bin Laden is hedging his
bets that Djibouti can thrive on serving as an international shipping hub, with other world-class
moneymaking industries following suit.
There Goes the Neighborhood
Our scripted tour was originally to include a stop in Yemen, the other side of the bridge and
proposed site of Al Noor City, Yemen, but the government denied visa requests for
unspecified reasons at the last minute. A few days prior to our scheduled arrival, a bomb
attack struck Yemeni security forces in the eastern part of the country.
Yemen is notoriously secretive and is fighting an insurgency of Shi’ite Houthi rebels in the
northern part of the country. The rebels are allegedly backed by Iran and are attempting to
overthrow the authoritarian government. Travel outside of the capital Sana’a or the main port
city of Aden is hampered by security checkpoints and foreigners are generally required to
have a police escort away from the two cities.
Plans for Al Noor City, Yemen, state that the city will be even bigger than its sister in Djibouti,
at 1,500 square kilometers. It is to have similar facilities but on an even bigger scale. Just off
the coast of Yemen lies Perim, a 13 kilometer-long island that will serve as a land base for the
bridge before continuing on the remaining stretch to Djibouti.
Back on the African continent, land-locked Ethiopia is wholly dependent on Djibouti for access
to the Red Sea and its sea-borne trade due to the country’s hostile relationship with its other
neighbor, Eritrea — and the fact that Somalia’s ports are in shambles and controlled by
warlords. As a result, Ethiopian trucks and lorries must make a journey of around 800
kilometers from Djibouti’s port to Addis Ababa using decrepit roads through dangerous
territory. Otherwise, the dilapidated Djibouti-Ethiopia Railway is used for commerce between
Ethiopia’s capital and the Red Sea. Recently, DP World, a subsidiary of Dubai World, has
been looking into resuscitating the ageing railway, as well as installing a new oil pipeline.
Djibouti’s prickly northern neighbor, Eritrea, has been unpredictable in recent years and has
lashed out violently against both Ethiopia and Djibouti over various territorial claims. After a
30-year war, Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993. The two countries again
fought a series of running battles over a strip of sparsely populated desert that claimed some
70,000 lives between 1998 and 2000.
Somalia, the world’s premier failed state, has been partially occupied by Ethiopian troops
since ousting Islamist insurgents from power in January 2007. It has also been without a
functioning government since 1991 and the current transitional government holds little sway
outside of a handful of towns along the Ethiopian border.
In other words, Djibouti is wedged between some of the world’s longest running, bloodiest
conflicts and dangerously unpredictable neighbors — a region that at any given moment can
explode.
If You Build It, They Will Come
While the plan for Al Noor City focuses on mundane details — like speed limits on certain
highways, layouts for residential subdivisions and organic waste management — it lacks
specifics on major issues, like sovereignty. With the city operating as a free-trade zone, Al
Noor Holding will run civil governance, as opposed to the Djiboutian government.
Mann says that the city will be governed under the rule of law with “a focus on investors.”
Here is Al Noor Holding’s least-thought-out — and perhaps most important — aspect
regarding the city it is hoping to create. With a target population of 2.7 million by the time the
city is complete, having concrete plans for governance is essential.
Construction will begin in “base cities” — camps for workers living in modular units that will, in
theory, serve as the basis for civil society in Al Noor City. A project of this size requires an
incredibly large workforce, well over one million workers of various skill levels. Asked where
that workforce will come from, Kershaw said, “Well, certainly we’re looking at the local
economy as much as possible. But it’s going to come from the world. Face it: We’re building a
city in Djibouti, [a country] that has an entire population of what? 700,000?”
According to Kershaw, these “base cities” will serve a dual purpose as a center for
construction operations and a place where the Al Noor cities can “grow [their] own
bureaucrats that work within the city structure.”
“Is it actionable, can it be done? The answer is ‘yes,’” says Kershaw. Bin Laden has said one
major reason for building the bridge is so African Muslims can more easily make the Hajj
pilgrimage to Mecca. Today, if they can afford it, travelers must make the arduous journey
across the Gateway of Tears or through Egypt and by ferry across the Red Sea to Jeddah.
An acute shortage of arable land on the Arabian Peninsula may also be one reason for
constructing the Bridge of the Horn. Africa has large swaths of uncultivated land that are
suitable for growing agricultural products. But the ability to quickly transport produce from the
hinterlands of Africa to Al Noor City and the Gulf is decades away, as reliable rail and road
infrastructure is all but non-existent for thousands of miles in each direction.
There is no doubt Djibouti is seen as a foothold on a continent rich in oil, natural gas,
diamonds, coal and timber. Africa’s history is marred by hundreds of years of foreign powers
claiming territory to extract these precious commodities and the twenty-first century has so far
been no different. Recent wars have been fought over control of diamond mines and oil
pipelines.
With Gulf countries rapidly moving away from oil-based economies, companies like Al Noor
Holding and MED are stepping in with large-scale development projects promising cities of
the future. The race is on in Africa.
The Prophecy
“This is a noble experiment,” said Kershaw, adding, “Sheikh Tarek has a vision. It creates a
whole legacy for him.” Bin Laden did not speak during the launch or to journalists, but he
watched the presentation at the side of Djiboutian Prime Minister Mohamed Dileita Dileita. So
far, the Bridge of the Horn and Al Noor Cities projects have the full blessing of the Djiboutian
government, but whether or not the Yemenis are fully compliant remains unclear.
There are significant hurdles to overcome before bin Laden’s dream can come to life. Details
like sovereignty, regional and local security, funding and infrastructure all must be handled
before major steps on the construction side can take place. Attracting new investors and
keeping the governments of Djibouti and Yemen satisfied throughout the process will
ultimately hinge on all of these elements coming together.
Djibouti today is little more than an African port town surrounded by barren land, hunger and
war. On a street corner near the airport is Fun City, an abandoned amusement park. At a
small beach near the port, dozens of children swim, splashing each other and waving
excitedly as our motorcade passes, while a man sitting on a milk crate gives us the finger. As
we waited for our flight to take off, the only other aircraft on the tarmac were US military cargo
planes and helicopters, some fighter jets tucked under hangars and an Air Finland passenger
jet. It takes a wild imagination to see this place one day handling as many travelers as Dubai
International Airport, or for the streets to have an electric-powered commuter rail and highend shopping malls.
Executives from Al Noor and L3 are brimming with confidence as the project enters its first
phase of garnering funds and support. And they should be, because realizing bin Laden’s
bold dream depends on it. Vachon closed his opening remarks of the conference by saying, “I
may not be a prophet, but I can make a prophecy: Al Noor City will exist.”
Source: bt, Sept 13, 2008
Somalia: A Leadership In Despair
By Abukar Albadri
Journalist - Somalia
Wounded Somali government soldiers captured by Somali insurgents lie in the back of a van
in Mogadishu. (Reuters'photo)
The Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has experienced since its inception
ceaseless military and political blows. It had its leaders assassinated, its forces defeated and
driven out of control in most of the country by Islamic opposition forces, and it grew largely
unpopular among Somalis. Despite all that, TFG has survived thanks essentially to Ethiopia’s
diplomatic and military support.
TFG today suffers a new painful –and perhaps this time fatal – blow of clan-based internal
disputes between its members. It started between President Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed and his
Prime Minister Nur “Adde” Hassan Hussein when the cabinet decided to fire the mayor of the
capital city, Mogadishu.
The cabinet accused the mayor of taking anti-peace measures including attacks on civilians
and business community, but the president called unconstitutional the decision of the prime
minister to fire the mayor.
Amid the mediation talks in Ethiopia, the members of the parliament supporting the president
proposed “no confidence vote” motion to unseat the prime minister, but the latter survived the
vote. The members of the parliament supporting the prime minister then proposed their own
motion to impeach the president; and this is still waiting the vote.
President Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed, a former warlord and a leader of Darod clan mainly
dominant in the north-east of the country, is seen to run a frontline of clannish feuds and to try
to eliminate any powerful person from his rival Hawiye clan that may challenge him with the
power sharing.
On the opposite, the Prime Minister Nur “Adde” Hassan Hussein –a former Red Crescent
chief and member from Hawiye clan mainly dominant in the capital city in the south-central of
the county – puts all his focus on challenging the president instead of the growing insecurity
and the droughts that hit the whole nation.
“The prime minister and the leaders of the opposition groups who have negotiated a peace
deal are all from the Hawiye clan; they want to unite and face against the Darod clan of the
president,” Abdulrasak Hassan from the president’s office said.
Most members of the opposition Alshabab movement, stamped by the United States as a
terrorist group, are said to belong to the president’s Darod clan. They rejected the Djibouti
agreement between the TFG prime minister and the opposition Alliance for the Re-liberation
of Somalia (ARS) who are both from the Hawiye clan.
The TFG president was not happy with the agreement concluded with the opposition, which
did not include Alshabab, his clan brethren. Abdulrasak Hassan from the president’s office
said, “We can’t accept negotiation among actors of one clan.”
But according to the prime minister’s office, a peace deal is essential and it should be
supported because it will reduce the violence which, by its account, affects the Hawiye people
the most. Abdi Moalim, a member of the Premier’s office said, “Darod politicians want to kill
our [Hawiye] children and women and say they are terrorists.” Moalim said the government
should not discriminate between clans and should work for the security of all Somalis.
End of Patience
Amid such internal divisions inside TFG, the Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
announced in an interview with the Financial Times that the existence of his troops in Somalia
is not open-ended.
“Our obligation towards peace in Somalia is only one aspect," Meles said. “The operation has
been extremely expensive so we will have to balance the domestic pressures on the one
hand and pressures in Somalia on the other and try to come up with a balanced solution.”
“We didn't anticipate the international community would be happy riding the Ethiopian horse
and flogging it at the same time." President Zenawi added.
Zinawi’s words were translated in double meaning. On the one hand, they appear as simple
political maneuvers to threaten the conflicting Somali government officials and push them to
end their internal disputes. On the other hand, Zenawi’s words can also express a serious
Ethiopian plan to withdraw from Somalia after two years of failing to establish peace in that
country.
Sources close to the Ethiopian military recently confirmed that some Ethiopian tanks were
loaded from Mogadishu port and sent to Ethiopia through Barbara port in the northern
Somalia break-away region of Somaliland.
Divisions among members of Somali TFG are seen to benefit the Islamic opposition,
especially Alhabab, which rejected the Djibuti agreement and insists on fighting both the
government and Ethiopian forces.
Mohamed Ibrahim Fanah, an aid worker and political analyst, said: “This is a moment for the
Islamist groups; Ethiopians are worried and want to escape instead of protecting the
transitional government whose members are now busy with their conflict of interest.”
The Islamist opposition has vowed to intensify attacks on both government and Ethiopian
forces in the wholly month of Ramadan. Abdulrahim Issa Addow, one spokesman of the
militants said: “The more we fight while fasting for the sake of Allah, the more we succeed."
Fanah said the dispute among TFG members, followed by Ethiopian announcement of a
possible withdrawal, is a clear sign of TFG’s failure, its Ethiopian backers and the United
States that backs it behind the shades.
In the last 30 days, the TFG suffered excessive blows from attacks by the Alshabab who
intensified their attacks and captured several strategic towns in the south and the middle
regions in Somalia.
Source: Islam Online
Somalia's
Struggle
Determination
For
Self-
Thursday, September 18, 2008
By: Eugene Puryear
Islamic Courts threaten Washington's regional hegemony
Somalia, a geopolitically strategic location in the Horn of Africa on the Red Sea, the Gulf of
Aden and the Indian Ocean, has been the target of
imperialist domination since the 1880s.
Britain and Italy, as colonial powers divided the country
as part of the colonial scramble that divided almost all of
Africa in the 1884 Conference of Berlin. This scramble
has continued past 1960 when Somalia became united
and independent.
The proximity of Somalia to the oil-rich Middle East has
intensified the competition. Over the past several
decades the efforts of U.S. imperialism have splintered
the country into territories controlled by warlords and
embroiled in an internal armed conflict.
The conflict in Somalia gained media attention when the Southern port city of Kismayo fell to
forces loyal to the Islamic Courts Union on Aug. 22. Thousands of people fled the city and 70
were reported dead, according to the Aug. 25 edition of the newspaper The Australian.
Western sources often paint the ICU as an illegitimate force wreaking havoc and creating a
humanitarian crisis in Somalia, but a brief look at recent history shows the opposite is true.
Since 1991, Somalia has been without an effective centralized government. In 2004, the
Transitional Federal Government that had been formed in exile brought together a collection
of warlords who held control of the southern and southwestern portions of the country. The
former imperialist colonizers recognized the TFG, even thought the TFG had little support
inside Somalia. Simultaneously, the ICU emerged as an independent rival to the imperialistbacked TFG. The ICU, while having extremely conservative Islamic ideology, was able to gain
the support of the masses of people in the southern and southwestern parts of Somalia.
In 2006, Ethiopia, acting as a proxy force for U.S. imperialism, invaded and occupied
Somalia. Backed and supported by major western nations and their African allies, Ethiopia’s
goal was to secure the areas nominally under control of the TFG and restore some
semblance of a central government and stability to this strategically important country.
The invasion by Ethiopia was a direct response to the growth of the ICU in areas the TFG
claimed to control. The ICU created the first somewhat unified national government in
Somalia since 1991. However, the ICU did not control all areas of the country; Somaliland
and Puntland, for instance, formed independent states in the north and central parts of
Somalia. The ICU became the center for resistance to Ethiopia, their TFG allies and the U.S.
puppet master.
Washington gets Ethiopia to do its dirty work
The conflict broke out in early 2006 in Mogadishu. The ICU was able to expand the areas
under its control over the course of the year and push the TFG forces further and further
south. The ICU was able to consolidate most of the territorial gains by making agreements
with local tribal rulers. The ICU was able to gain enough control over the southern and
southwestern portions of the country such that a centralized and viable Somali state began to
emerge. By December 2006, the TFG warlord forces were more or less defeated.
But on Dec. 21, 2006, the balance of power shifted. Ethiopia invaded Somalia, displaced the
ICU and drove it underground, forcing the ICU to function as a guerilla movement again. By
early 2007, Ethiopia helped prop up the pro-Western TFG government by occupying the
areas of the country that had been controlled by the ICU. On Jan. 9, 2007, in one final blow to
the ICU government, Washington launched air strikes against one of the last cities held by the
ICU to assist the Ethiopian forces.
Since December 2007, the Ethiopian military, with air and sea support from the Pentagon,
has continued to occupy the southern part of Somalia, propping up the TFG government. The
United States justifies it support of the Ethiopian occupation as part of the "war on terror."
Washington claims the ICU has some links to Al Qaeda, and would use Somalia as a base to
attack U.S. interests in Africa and the Mideast. This reasoning is self-serving. It is possible
that the ICU has some ties with Al Qaeda; it more likely has ties with other militant antiimperialist resistance forces of an Islamic character.
A U.N. global arms trade document alleged that Egyptian and Saudi forces also provided
assistance to the ICU. Terrorism cannot be the main reason behind U.S. support for the
Ethiopian occupation and puppet TFG government. The demonization is meant to obscure
the history of U.S. imperialism in Somalia and its effort to strengthen its domination of the
region.
The Ethiopian forces occupying Somalia are acting as a proxy for implementing the National
Security Strategy doctrine of the United States. In the aftermath of the overthrow of the Soviet
Union, that doctrine stated that the foreign policy aim of the United Sates is to prevent the
emergence of any regional or international power that can rival the United States for global
domination.
The "war on terror" is a manifestation of this doctrine. It has been used to justify the invasion
and occupation of Iraq with the aim to strengthen U.S. domination of the Middle East. It has
been extended to Somalia to strengthen U.S. domination of the Horn of Africa. In Somalia, the
U.S. saw the ICU as a force opposed to the U.S. agenda that could become a regional power
to rival the United States. Therefore, in the interest of U.S. imperialism, the ICU could not
remain in power.
The Horn of Africa, which includes Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, and Djibouti, has been of
strategic importance to the United States for some time. Former Secretary of Defense James
Schlesinger hit the nail on the head when he stated, "The Horn of Africa is of particular
strategic importance due to its geographical proximity to the troubled Middle East." Somalia
sits right near the Suez Canal and some of the most vital international shipping lanes. In
addition, by ousting a government hostile to it in Somalia, Washington limits adversaries such
as China from strengthening their presence in the region.
Struggle continues
The ICU is not a homogenous force. Its continued resistance to imperialism and its proxies is
aided by the fact that other forces are fighting alongside its own against the occupation. The
capture of Kismayo shows that, despite the U.S-sponsored Ethiopian occupation, the Somali
people are determined to fight against the U.S.-backed warlords who have wreaked havoc on
the country since 1991.
The ICU and the Somali resistance, in spite of their conservative ideology, are being targeted
for no other reason than their desire to free Somalia from foreign occupation and domination.
Progressives should stand in solidarity with those who are resisting imperialist intervention.
Support for the right of self-determination is an essential component of an anti-imperialist
perspective.
Source: Party for Socialism and Liberation
Life In Somalia's Pirate Town
Pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia have been surging
A Canadian navy ship escorted a recent delivery of food aid to Somalia
By Mary Harper
BBC Africa analyst
Eyl, September 18, 2008 – Whenever word comes out that pirates have taken yet another
ship in the Somali region of Puntland, extraordinary things start to happen.
There is a great rush to the port of Eyl, where most of the hijacked vessels are kept by the
well-armed pirate gangs.
People put on ties and smart clothes. They arrive in land cruisers with their laptops, one
saying he is the pirates' accountant, another that he is their chief negotiator.
With yet more foreign vessels seized off the coast of Somalia this week, it could be said that
hijackings in the region have become epidemic.
Insurance premiums for ships sailing through the busy Gulf of Aden have increased tenfold
over the past year because of the pirates, most of whom come from the semi-autonomous
region of Puntland.
In Eyl, there is a lot of money to be made, and everybody is anxious for a cut.
Entire industry
The going rate for ransom payments is between $300,000 and $1.5m (£168,000-£838,000).
A recent visitor to the town explained how, even though the number of pirates who actually
take part in a hijacking is relatively small, the whole modern industry of piracy involves many
more people.
"The number of people who make the first attack is small, normally from seven to 10," he
said.
"They go out in powerful speedboats armed with heavy weapons. But once they seize the
ship, about 50 pirates stay on board the vessel. And about 50 more wait on shore in case
anything goes wrong."
Given all the other people involved in the piracy industry, including those who feed the
hostages, it has become a mainstay of the Puntland economy.
Eyl has become a town tailor-made for pirates - and their hostages.
Special restaurants have even been set up to prepare food for the crews of the hijacked
ships.
As the pirates want ransom payments, they try to look after their hostages.
When commandos from France freed two French sailors seized by pirates off the Somali
coast this week, President Nicolas Sarkozy said he had given the go-ahead for the operation
when it was clear the pirates were headed for Eyl - it would have been too dangerous to try to
free them from there.
The town is a safe-haven where very little is done to stop the pirates - leading to the
suggestion that some, at least, in the Puntland administration and beyond have links with
them.
Many of them come from the same clan - the Majarteen clan of the president of Somalia's
transitional federal government, Abdillahi Yusuf.
Money to spend
The coastal region of Puntland is booming.
Fancy houses are being built, expensive cars are being bought - all of this in a country that
has not had a functioning central government for nearly 20 years.
Observers say pirates made about $30m from ransom payments last year - far more than the
annual budget of Puntland, which is about $20m.
When the president of Puntland, Adde Musa, was asked about the reported wealth of pirates
and their associates, he said: "It's more than true".
Now that they are making so much money, these 21st Century pirates can afford increasingly
sophisticated weapons and speedboats.
This means that unless more is done to stop them, they will continue to plunder the busy
shipping lanes through the Gulf of Aden.
They even target ships carrying aid to feed their compatriots - up to a third of the population.
Warships from France, Canada and Malaysia, among others, now patrol the Somali coast to
try and fend off pirate attacks.
An official at the International Maritime Organization explained how the well-armed pirates are
becoming increasingly bold.
More than 30% of the world's oil is transported through the Gulf of Aden, and even though the
pirates lack the means to hijack huge tankers, there are reports that they have fired at them.
"It is only a matter of time before something horrible happens," said the official.
"If the pirates strike a hole in the tanker, and there's an oil spill, there could be a huge
environmental disaster".
It is likely that piracy will continue to be a problem off the coast of Somalia as long as the
violence and chaos continues on land.
Conflict can be very good for certain types of business, and piracy is certainly one of them.
Weapons are easy to obtain and there is no functioning authority to stop them, either on land
or at sea.
Source: BBC
Why Kenyan Women Crave Stones
Thursday, 18 September 2008
By Anne Mawathe
BBC News, Nairobi
Nancy Akoth is four months pregnant and like many women in her state has strange cravings.
Some women eat coal, gherkins or soap but Mrs Akoth craves soft stones, known in Kenya,
where she lives, as "odowa".
"I just have this urge to eat these stones. I do very crazy things, I would even wake up at night
and go looking for them," she told the BBC.
"I consulted my doctor and all he told me is that maybe I'm lacking iron and gave me
medication on iron, but I still have the urge to eat those stones."
Luckily for Mrs Akoth, she is not alone in craving stones and they are easily found on sale in
Nairobi's sprawling Gikomba market.
Among the fish-mongers and dealers in second-hand goods who flock to the market are
traders who specialize in odowa.
Stone-seller Stephen Ndirangu unsurprisingly says women are his main customers.
"Most of them buy the stones to go and sell them to women who are pregnant," Mr Ndirangu
says.
He says he sells one 90kg sack for about $6.
'Pleasant taste'
Although they are stones, they are too soft to break the teeth of Mrs Akoth and her fellow
cravers.
Nutritionist Alice Ndong says the stones have a bland taste.
"It's a pleasant taste. It doesn't have a tangy flavor or a salty or a sugary flavor. It's a bit like
eating flour," she told the BBC.
She says that because of their abrasive nature, the stones actually clean the teeth as the
stone is chewed and the finer particles pass through the mouth.
However, she warns this should not be used as an excuse to eat the stones as the habit can
also have harmful consequences.
"If somebody eats those stones and they don't take enough water, then they will actually get
severe constipation… It can actually be very dangerous," she says.
"It can actually cause things like kidney damage and liver damage, if you don't take enough
fluid because it will form a mass that cannot be excreted."
"When you eat these stones, it's like eating metal. The particles - because it's not food - are
not digested as finely as fruits or vegetables," she says.
'Irresistible'
The phenomenon of craving non-food items like soil or soft stones is referred to as pica, a
Latin word for magpie, the bird notorious for eating almost anything.
Researchers from the University of Nigeria interviewed 1,071 pregnant women attending a
prenatal clinic at the Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi.
At least 800 of those interviewed said they ate soil, stones and other non-food items during
their pregnancy.
But it is not only those who are pregnant who indulge in this habit.
Sylvia Moi still finds the soft stones irresistible, 14 years after she gave birth.
"I cannot do without it... Walking without it makes me feel bad, as if I'm lacking something [or]
I'm hungry," Mrs Moi says.
She says she would like to quit the habit but just cannot stop herself.
"When you eat it you look awkward, people think: 'What is it that you lack in you that makes
you eat that awkward stone,'" she says.
Infection
Experts say that the craving to eat odowa is largely due to a deficiency of vital minerals, like
calcium, in the body.
"Unfortunately, these stones don't offer a lot of calcium. They offer some other forms of
minerals like magnesium but not much calcium," says Mrs Ndong.
Research shows that these habits have negative side-effects on the women's health, ranging
from parasitic infestations, anaemia and intestinal complications
"The problem with these stones is sometimes they're not hygienic. I remember up-country I've
seen people just go somewhere, dig up and maybe people urinate in that spot," she says.
Experts warn pregnant women and others who enjoy eating odowa to try to ignore these
cravings for the sake of their health.
The researchers say that the women are better off eating a balanced diet, than remaining
hooked to the myth that their changing bodies need soft stones and soil.
Mccain And The Zigzag Express
In this crisis, the GOP candidate has swerved all
over the road.
Sep 19, 2008
John McCain's whole campaign is based on the idea that Barack Obama is risky, untested
and can't be trusted to protect the nation in a crisis. But this week it was McCain who seemed
unpresidential, as his Zigzag Express swerved back and forth across the median strip. His
approach to the greatest financial crisis since 1933 was erratic and off-key. Would his
presidency be any different?
McCain's first reaction to the climactic events of Sunday, Sept. 14, when Lehman Brothers
fell, Merrill Lynch was sold and AIG began to totter, was to repeat his longstanding sound bite
that "the fundamentals of the economy are strong." When Obama predictably leapt on this
clueless comment with a TV ad, McCain quickly backtracked by saying that he was merely
talking about the strength of "the American worker" and anyone who disagreed obviously had
a problem understanding the importance of working people. He told the morning shows that
he was a Republican in the mold of Teddy Roosevelt, though his true views on free-market
economics are more in tune with Herbert Hoover.
This year, that just won't do. So Tuesday, Sept. 16, was John Edwards Day in the McCain
camp, as the candidate raged against corporate greed. The goal here was to trade on his
reputation as a reformer of campaign finance to confuse voters into thinking he also had a
long record as a crusader against the sins of Wall Street. After all, the words "reformer" and
"regulator" sound similar. In truth, McCain voted in favor of every deregulatory effort that
came up for a vote during his 26 years in Congress and bragged well into 2008 about his
free-market "deregulatory" bent. As the The Washington Post pointed out, he did raise
concerns about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac after a report about shoddy accounting, but this
was never a focus of his legislative career.
Obama's gauzy attacks on McCain's "philosophy" made him sound like a philosophy
professor, which is not exactly the image he needs right now. But his hesitancy during the
week looked more prudent than McCain's forthright and impassioned arguments on all sides
of all issues. McCain opposed bailing out AIG before he supported it, then opposed it again.
He voted to confirm former representative Chris Cox as chairman of the Securities and
Exchange Commission in 2005 and uttered no criticism of him until this week when he said
Cox had "betrayed the public trust" and that he would fire him (though the president has no
power to do so). When that didn't go over well, he called Cox "a good man" and dropped talk
of trying to force his resignation.
The big fight of the week was over who had the most evil lobbyists on staff. The McCain
campaign launched a broadside at Obama for taking advice from Franklin Raines, a
disgraced former chief of Fannie Mae. But Raines was never an Obama adviser and had
much less contact with the Obama campaign than a top lobbyist for Fannie and Freddie had
with the McCain campaign. That lobbyist's name is Rick Davis and he's McCain's campaign
manager. "People with seven glass houses shouldn't throw stones," gibed the Obama
campaign. Obama himself, rising to the occasion, went after the hypocrisy of McCain's faux
populist attacks on "the old boys network" in Washington when he has several of the most
powerful lobbyists in town working for him. "The old boys network?" Obama said. "In the
McCain campaign, that's called a staff meeting."
Friday, when Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson announced the largest financial restructuring
in the history of the United States, was a time for sober reflection and nonpartisan leadership.
It would have been nice if politicians had a moment of honesty and announced "the era of Big
Government is back" or "We are all socialists now," but it's understandable why they did not.
President Bush, perceiving the requirements of the day, spoke in measured and bipartisan
tones. So did Obama. McCain, by contrast, used the solemn occasion to unleash more harsh
and tone-deaf shots at Obama. And he expects us to believe he wouldn't be a highly partisan
president when that suited his purposes?
My own experience with McCain on these regulatory issues dates back to 1995 when he
emerged from the dishonor of the "Keating Five" savings-and-loan scandal with a new fervor
for regulating money in politics but no apparent interest in regulating the abuses of a financialservices industry that had brought him such shame.
I remember attending that year's GOP Florida straw poll, where the scrambling for the 1996
presidential campaign was well underway. When I walked in the door, McCain was handing
out Phil Gramm for President literature. I asked, Why aren't you for Bob Dole? Fellow war
hero, treasured Senate colleague. McCain said that Gramm was an old friend and he liked his
views on the economy. But he's prickly, unappealing and obnoxious, I said, reflecting the
conventional wisdom in Washington. You can't possibly think he's the best person in the
whole country to be president! (One of the great things about McCain was that until this year
you could actually say stuff like that to him.) McCain laughed but loyally stuck with Gramm,
who spent millions going nowhere in the primaries. Four years later, Gramm, in character,
returned McCain's loyalty by endorsing George W. Bush.
More important, Gramm slipped language into 1999 legislation that essentially deregulated all
the fancy new Wall Street products that got us into this mess. His wife, Wendy Gramm, used
her position as chair of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission to legitimize the
questionable trading practices that led to the Enron scandal. Instead of recognizing that
Gramm's radical free-market views were out of step with the realities of the post-Enron world,
McCain hired him as his top economic adviser in the 2008 campaign. Had Gramm not said
that the United States is "a nation of whiners" in a "mental recession" but facing no serious
economic difficulty, he would have likely been McCain's secretary of the Treasury. The gaffes
meant Gramm had to resign his formal position with the campaign, but he has continued to
informally advise McCain on the economy (they appeared together at the Aspen Institute this
summer) and would likely be rehabilitated in a McCain presidency.
Or maybe not. With McCain, the United States would get the one thing investors most loath:
uncertainty. On Tuesday, President McCain would say one thing, on Wednesday another and
on Thursday and Friday he'd be back to what he said on Monday. At best, Uncle Ziggy would
drive us all over the road; at worst, we'd be back in the ditch.
Source: The Newsweek
OPINION
Fall of Kismayo, TGS in Addis Ababa,
Crumbling ARS and Puntland: Somalia under
Spotlight
By Abdulaziz Al-Mutairi
As I promised to my readers, this analysis will enlighten the real situation inside Somalia and
Somaliland, the fall and rise in the horn of Africa in addition to foreign hands in Somali Affairs.
Many Somalis, mainly from fake state "Puntland", call Somaliland secessionist state and
accuse Somaliland for dividing the failed state of Somalia; they accuse Somaliland for failing
the unity of greater Somalia; they accelerated their hate after Somaliland Armed Forces
secured its borders in the east with Somalia. However, "Puntland" supports the leaders of
Transitional Government of Somalia (TGS) in Mogadishu who kills the innocent people and
even led the Ethiopian invasion.
The human trafficking and Hijacking the International Vessels and Aid Workers is best
business in fake state of "Puntland".
Moreover, the Al-Shabab and remaining of Islamic Courts Union (ICU) captured the port city
of Kismayo in Jubbada Hoose Region from Warlord Barre Hiirale. The question is, Will
Islamist resist the Ethiopian Forces and rule the city? Hassan Turki, leader in Islamists in
Kismayo, is referred as Mad Mullah Junior by many Somalis.
ARS disintegrated into two groups led by Sheikh Aweys and Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and
Islamist fighters in Somalia disown the two leaders. The analysis focuses the below points:
I. Fall of Kismayo to Al-Shabab and Islamic Courts
II. The return of Mad Mulla
III. Crumbling ARS and Djibouti Peace Deal
IV. TGS bridges the gap in Addis Ababa, why not in Mogadishu?
V. Puntland and hijacking business
VI. Somaliland – A hostage for failed Somalia
I. Fall of Kismayo to Al-Shabab and Islamic Courts
KISMAYO City was small village used by fishermen mainly the Bajun tribes of Somalia; the
city is located on Indian Ocean. The Sultanate of Zanzibar came in Kismayo on 1872 and
passed to Great Britain in 1887 and Italia took over on 1924. Than the other Somali tribes
started moving into Kismayo.
Ogaden tribe emigrated from Kenya due to starvation and bad weather in addition to fighting
between Ogaden subtribes in the Northern Frontier Districts of Kenya. There is little water as
the area is semi desert. Also, Mareehaan of Darod and Cayr of Hawiye occupied the city very
recently and call themselves as Brothers of Galguduud (Walalaha Galguduud). Galguduud is
region in central Somalia dominated by Mareehaan and Cayr tribes.
Kismayo attracted aforesaid tribes due to its beautiful and green nature; the three tribes killed
and displaced the Bajun tribes, forcing them to relocate to other regions in Somalia. Bajun are
Somalis with African origin, as other major Somali tribes are Arab descendants. All Kismayo
warlords are neither Kismayo sons nor born in Kismayo.
Today, the city is under Islamist control after terminating warlord Barre Hirale of Mareehaan
tribe. The fighters instated Islamic rule in the city similar to that of Taliban in Afghanistan,
which restricts the personal freedom.
The Islamist appointed administration council to run the local affairs of the city led by Islamist
from Hargiesa, Somaliland. This is to avoid tribalism, win local support and downgrade
Somaliland as an integral part of Somaliland. Warlords Xasan Turki, Maxamad Saciid Xirsi
Morgan, Cabdurazaq Afguduud, Barre Hirale and Seeraar are warlords in Kismayo starting
from the fall of Siyad Barre Administration in 1991.
Turki uses religion as shield to achieve personal interest and others use tribalism as tool to
achieve their personal interest.
Morgan, Afguduud, Hirale and Seeraar support TGS Warlord Abdullah Yusuf (Known Butcher
of Mogadishu) because they mainly belong to Darod tribe. Morgan was General in Somalia
Army Forces and committed genocide in Hargiesa on 1988. He is wanted in Somaliland for
such killings. Morgan, who is practicing beard, tried to join the ICU in 2006 but failed to adjust
with lifestyle of the Islamist.
The Ethiopians and TGS are preparing to take back Kismayo from the Islamist, and Islamists
are preparing to defend the city. The civilians moved out of the city due to danger.
II. The return of Mad Mulla
In 1899 Mad Mullah, Mohamed bin Abdullah Hassan declared a Jihad on Somaliland and led
the Somaliland-British forces to dismiss Hassan as a religious fanatic, calling him the "Mad
Mullah." and drove his forces into dust. However, his return was noticed in Kismayo. His
grandson follows his footsteps, calling Somaliland as land of "Kefirs", exactly as Mad Mullah
Sr. did in 19th century. The grandson considers his warrior the Mad Mullah as father of
modern Somalia, unofficially.
Sheikh Hassan Hersi "Turki", "the grandson and Mad Mullah Jr." describes himself as
liberator of Kismayo and future warrior, who will drive the kefirs out of Somaliland (Kefir
means unbelievers; Senior Mad Mullah described Somalilanders as Kefirs). The media
reported the warlord of Kismayo, Barre Hirale fled without major resistance against ousted
Islamist militia. The Grandson, several times highlighted his willingness to fight against
Somalilanders in their homeland. But the question remains unanswered! Will he defeat
Somalilanders inside Somaliland or he will follow the footsteps of his lost grandfather…?
Today, Mad Mullah Jr. in middle of Islamists wants to reprint the black pages of his
grandfather’s history, as he applies, the same ideology of using religion to achieve his
personal and tribal achievements. The junior will be defeated just like his grandfather, the
Mad Mullah Sr.
The conservative Sufi leader Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah Hassan as "the Mad Mullah,"
though he was neither mad nor a mullah (traditional religious scholar); he considered him self
as angel, who will save Somalia from attacks of kefirs. The literature of Sufism that began to
be produced in the tenth century CE employed the term Sufi in a deliberate and selfconscious fashion to orchestrate the ethical and mystical goals of the growing movement in a
prescriptive fashion.
The Mad Mullah Sr. who armed his tribesmen and cronies could not win support of
Somalilanders as they were more educated than rest of Somalia; they rejected his campaign
against Britain. UK signed an agreement with Somaliland and stayed in Somaliland based on
these predefined terms and conditions. Both sides Somalilanders and UK government
respected the agreement, which led UK to leave Somaliland peacefully in 1960 without
bloodshed. These agreements are kept in Somaliland Museums as a part of Somaliland
history.
At end of Mad Mullah Sr., UK-Somaliland coalition started bombing the Mullah and his
tribesman that resulted in the end of his era. The Mad Mulla could not bear the sound of the
aircrafts used against him and fled to unknown.
III. Crumbling ARS and Djibouti Peace Deal
After Ethiopians ousted the Islamic Courts Union in 2006, The Islamists seek support of
Eritrea and established their office in Asmara to remote control their fighters inside Somalia
against Ethiopia. Eritrea supplies full support to fail the traditional foe -Ethiopia. The Islamists
established Alliance for Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) on 2007.
The Warlords like Hussein Aideed joined ARS, which led many fighters in Mogadishu to
disown ARS including Sheikh Sharif and Sheikh Aweys. The Official Spokesman of Al-
Shabab Abu Mansour officially announced the disintegration of Al-Shabab from ARS. This
was beginning of ARS disintegration.
Apparently, Sheikhs Sharif and Aways lost the credibility and support of the people of Somalia
after they entered the politics. According to Somali Culture, Religion and Politics cannot share
under single roof. Sheikh Sharif and Sheikh Aweys even disagreed over political issues which
resulted in the disintegration of ARS into two wings: Djibouti and Asmara Wings. Also, the
constant interference of Asmara regime in ARS affairs angered Sheikh Sharif.
Due to the disagreement and nosiness of Asmara regime in ARS affairs led Sheikh Sharif to
shift his office to Djibouti. Somali websites reported that Sheikh Sharif took all official stamps
of ARS without the knowledge of Executive Committee of ARS including Sheikh Aweys. This
enabled Sheikh Sharif to sign agreements with TGS in Djibouti without consulting ARS
members in Asmara and having admiration between the Islamist fighters.
Djibouti Peace Deal between the TGS Prime Minister Nur Adde and Sheikh Sharif has
increased the difference between Sharif and Aweys. Sharif conditioned Ethiopian withdrawal
from all Somali areas in the agreement.
Moreover, TGS President Abdullah Yousuf disliked the peace deal and even asked the
parliament to "Vote on No Confidence" for Nur Adde government. Ethiopia and the Western
governments welcomed the deal but unfortunately the deal failed due to Sherif inability to
control the Islamist in Mogadishu.
This unveiled to the international communities that neither Sheikh Sharif nor Sheikh Aweys
can influence the Islamist fighters inside Mogadishu. Recently, Hassan Turki – The Mad Mulla
Junior in Kismayo – asked both Sheikhs to fear Allah the Almighty and clean their souls from
the dirty politics.
Today, the power isn´t in the hands of ARS Wings in Djibouti and Eritrea. The situation in
Somalia is deteriorating day after day, as the leaders of the militias´ loose control. The fighting
in Somalia will be independent guerrilla war, where every fighter will kill whom he sees as
infidel. This is the beginning of new era of fighting in Somalia, and Ethiopians and TGS will
remain as long as there is no stability in the country.
USA described Sheikh Sharif as modern Islamists, and blacklisted Sheikh Aways as
hardliner. Sheikh Aweys is wanted in USA
VI. TGS bridges the gap in Addis Ababa, why not in Mogadishu?
Two months ago, TGS President Abdullah Yusuf and Prime Minister Nur Adde visited Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia to settle their differences. Djibouti Peace Agreement between Adde and
Sheikh Sharif triggered the disagreement between Yusuf and Adde, because Yusuf did not
want negotiation with the Islamists until they stop the fighting against Ethiopia and TGS.
Also, Sheikh Sharif, who signed the deal on behalf of ARS, and TGS Prime Minister Nur Adde
are from same tribe "Hawiyo". Hawiyo are dominant of Mogadishu City and its suburbs. This
elevated the fear of TGS President Abdullah Yusuf that if Sharif and Adde sign the peace
deal, they will win the support of Ethiopia and if so, TGS President will not be required
anymore.
Mogadishu residents nicknamed Adde as peace-man. TGS President Abdullah Yusuf is from
Majeerteen tribe of Darood Clan: an old foe of Hawiyo tribe.
The leaders of Somalia, Abdullah Yusuf and Nur Adde could not settle their differences on
Somali soul due to fear of Abdullah Yusuf from Hawiyo tribe and Nur Adde´s desire to
establish peace in vicious Somalia.
Addis Ababa was trusted destination for both leaders, because Ethiopian Prime Ministers
Melese Sanawi is the man in command in Somalia. He installed Abdullah Yusuf and Nur
Addein in their current posts. Sanawi instructed both Yusuf and Adde to end their differences
in 24 hours else they will not go back Mogadishu, and Ethiopia will appoint another
administrator to Somalia. Highly reliable sources said that Ethiopian Military Commander in
Mogadishu General Gabre slapped the TGS President Abdullah Yusuf on the face.
This is the first time that Ethiopia runs the Somalia affairs; starting from 16th to 20th Century
Ethiopia was in defense from attacking Somalia. In 1977, Somali Forces captured many parts
of Ethiopia, and Addis Ababa asked Russia for help.
The unfortunate of Somalia started after collapse of Siyad Barre, and rise of General
Mohammed Farah Aideed – nicknamed Lion of Africa – and Ali Mehdi. The civil war spread
across the southern parts of the country until today.
V. NO "Puntland", NO Piracy in Somali Water
The fake state of "Puntland" was established on 1998 by current ailing leader of TGS
Abdullah Yusuf Ahmed. The state was based on tribes and even describes its citizens on tribe
bases. The tribalism ideology led "Puntland" to claim some parties of Somaliland.
In "Puntland", piracy, kidnapping and hijacking of ships is the best profession. The leaders of
"Puntland" including Adde Mouse take loin´s share in the revenues from the kidnapping the
foreigners and hijacking the ships from international water. "Puntland" administration allows
human trafficking to Yemen, where thousands of poor Ethiopians and Somalis carried in small
wooden boat. The "Puntland" human traffickers charge from $50 to $100 per person. Human
Rights accused "Puntland" for the illegal business.
For more information please read: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/72198
French Forces in Djibouti used force to release the hijacked French ship and arrested about 6
pirates. All six pirates were very close relatives of TGS Leader Abdullah Yusuf and are all
from "Puntland".
In 2007, Somaliland Forces with support of people of Sool expelled the "Puntland" militia from
eastern regions of Somaliland including Sool and Eastern Sanaag. The Laasanood city is
very stabilized and well-run by local authority appointed by Somaliland government. The
services restored in the city including clean drinking water at the first time of the history of the
city, even Somali governments failed to provide clean drinking water. Somaliland arrested
thousands of pirates in Sool region of Somaliland, who came from "Puntland". For more
information read:
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/60246
Taking control of Lasaanood, by Somaliland Forces, triggered anger between supporters of
"Puntland" who roar with revenge but they will fail against the well-trained soliders of
Somaliland. There are misled citizens of Laasaanood who support "Puntland" on tribe bases.
They call Somaliland "The Secessionists" and "Isaaq-Land". They believe in tribalism rather
than democracy. In Somaliland democracy and voting is backbone of the system in the
country, where only elected ones can lead the country.
However "Puntland" and misled citizens of Lasaanood, Somaliland support TGS Leaders
Abdullah Yusuf and his Ethiopian backers in Mogadishu. The revenge killing of innocent
citizens of Mogadishu is victory for people in "Puntland" and the misled citizens. They, blindly,
support Abdullah and Ethiopians because they hate Hawiyo – the residents of Mogadishu –
due to old bad feelings between them.
This reveals that "Puntland" supports Ethiopian occupation in Mogadishu because the man
who invited the Ethiopians to occupy Somalia is from their tribe. At the same time, they
oppose Somaliland after securing its borders because the Somaliland citizens in Sool and
Eastern Sanaag share same tribe with Puntland. The questions lingering in my mind are:
1. Can tribe be a nation? NO, it can’t.
2. Laasaanood belongs to whom? It belongs to Somaliland
3. Who overtook the administration of Lasanood? It is Somaliland – the Owner.
4. Mogadishu belongs to whom? It belongs to Somalis
5. Who captured Mogadishu? Ethiopians supported by "Puntland" tribesmen
The surprise is, "Puntland" is opposing Somaliland and supporting the Ethiopians by the
name of tribe. "Puntland" says ´We love Ethiopia because they support our tribesman
Abdullah Yusuf´ and ´we hate Somaliland because they took our tribesmen away´…This is
the ideology of "Puntland". It starts with tribalism and ends with tribalism. At the end,
Somaliland is Somali people but not Ethiopians.
Somalis support Somaliland because it protects its border integrity. In other hand, Somalis
hate "Puntland" because they handed over the entire country to Ethiopians.
VI. Somaliland – A hostage for failed Somalia
Starting from 18th May 1991, Somaliland has made notable progress in building peace,
security and constitutional democracy within its de facto borders. Hundreds of thousands of
refugees and internally displaced people have returned home, tens of thousands of landmines
have been removed and destroyed, and clan militias have been integrated into unified police
and military forces. UN, AU, IGAD, USA and Great Britain supported Somaliland peace
process and supply aid to Somaliland government.
A multi-party political system and successive competitive elections have established
Somaliland as a rarity in the Horn of Africa and the Muslim world. The African Union (AU)
needs to engage in preventive diplomacy now, laying the groundwork for resolution of the
dispute before it becomes a confrontation from which either side views violence as the only
exit.
Unfortunately, Somaliland is waiting diplomatic recognition from international community in
order to do business with them. Somaliland cannot trade with outside world, Somaliland
banks cannot exchange transactions with other banks, and certificates of Somaliland students
are not accepted. These are result of diplomatic embargo.
IGAD and AU sent fact-finding mission to Somaliland on 2005, and report was very positive
and even asked both organizations to consider the case of Somaliland. US Assistant
Undersecretary for African Affairs Dr. Frazer visited Somaliland on 2007 and she was very
happy with the progress made in Somaliland.
Somaliland is not asking aid or loans to the international community, it only needs to do
business with them. But the world is taking too long to response to freedom voice of
Somaliland and its self determination.
By Abdulaziz Al-Mutairi
Email: az.almutairi@yahoo.com
Picture: TGS Leader Abdullah Yusuf - Butcher of Mogadishu.
The Gulf Of Aden – A Deathtrap For
Somali Asylum Seekers
Washed ashore in Yemen, the body of a Somali woman forced to jump off a traffickers' boat
Mohamed Mukhtar
The Gulf of Aden has become a death-trap for Somali asylum seekers. In 2006, UNHCR
reported that 27,000 Somalis made the perilous voyage. 330 perished at sea and another 300
were reported missing. According to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), in 2007, 27,960
persons reached Yemen, 593 died and another 659 went missing. So far this year, according
to the UN, 25,859 people have arrived in Yemen. More than 425 have either died or gone
missing.
It takes two to four days to make the 180-mile trip between Somalia and Yemen. These
perilous journeys claim many lives and those who lucky enough to reach Yemen tell painful
stories of extreme thirst, hunger and exhaustion. Some passengers choose to jump into the
sea when they can no longer bear the thirst while others become crazy and start biting.
Unscrupulous smugglers beat and sometimes shoot passengers. Dead bodies are thrown
overboard into shark-infested waters. Passengers are frequently forced overboard at gunpoint
so the boats can make a quick getaway. Most passengers cannot swim and are left to the
mercy of the sea.
An exhausted 23-year old survivor recounted his experience with an MSF team on the beach
of Wadi Al-Barak, in Yemen, 30 km east of Ahwar: “The smugglers promised us in Bossaso
[Somalia] that we would be transported to Yemen in small groups with new fast boats, and
with proper food and water. However, the boat was an old one. They pointed at us with their
weapons and forced us to jump inside. We were 120 people, overcrowded; the trip took two
days. We did not receive food, nor water. Some of us were placed in the hull. Several people
died because of asphyxia, some others were thrown overboard, among them two children. In
order to intimidate us, they beat us heavily with their belts. One of the smugglers threw petrol
on us and showed off his lighter.”
The political instability and extreme poverty that have engulfed Somalia force Somalis to flee
from their country and take horrific voyages across the Gulf of Aden that often end in tragedy.
Sadly, Yemen offers no solution to their problems. Hussein Haji Ahmad, the acting Somali
Consul-General in Aden, once said, “There is no paradise here [Yemen]. They [refugees] will
not find a better life, only death at sea and broken dreams.” The search to find a safe place
and better life continues exacting an enormous price.
Mohamed Mukhtar
London, UK
Mohamed323@hotmail.com
Three Little Mice With A Heavenly Cheesecake
By: Ahmed Bashe Cabdi
ahmed2ash@hotmail.com
Note: This is a short free verse poem on the Somaliland presidential elections expected to
take place in the year 2009. Before you read the poem, I would like to say that as much as I
would like for the readers to grab the meaning and objectives of this poem, I would also
appreciate it if people do not feel offended by the verses below; I am hoping that readers take
this in the spirit of fun and understanding such as moments when I mention the former vice
president of America Dan Quayle of whose attributes I am sure we are all well aware of (what
is he up to these days, I wonder). Any comments or feedback will also be greatly welcome.
Dedicated to my good friend Abdillahi Hassan Abdillahi (Baxraawi) of Waaheen Media
Group
Right between Djibouti and Somalia,
Lies a fair little country,
Where just like those in America
We find ourselves in a bit of a quandary.
For every four years,
The people get ready to gather.
Except for this year, when bursting into tears,
Rayale was allowed not to give up power.
But that story is not quite new,
And I have other tales just as fine.
Like choosing someone true,
For the election of 2009.
Three contest for our beloved Somaliland,
Two are destined to make way.
So, who will claim our maiden’s fair hand?
Will it be UDUB, UCID or Kulmiye.
All have their pros and cons
I shall speak of each in turn
Like the one’s that are predisposed to con
And the others that still need to learn
Such as the party of the sheep UCID
Bits less sophisticate than the rest of the herd
Led by a leader known for being calm and placid
Except when he resembles ole VP Quayle the third
But that in no way compares to the party of UDUB
Treason and Corruption, their main tools in trade
For proof and lack of rhyme, look towards Europe
Where trails of debauchery hasn’t even begun to fade
And lastly to Kulmiye, the one that dazzled like pearls
Only the number 80 barred it a remarkable feat
But now, no more than a pack of starved jackals
Fighting one another over who gets the choicest meat
For our remarkable country, this is a really sad situation
Three parties! Three parties! And not one good enough
To stand up and claim the right to rule this fine nation
With its people ever quite sturdy and tough
But perhaps, it is you the People’s fault
I know I judge, but hear me out
We chose these three, have we not?
And if you haven’t, then no need to poutIf so inclined, you can just sit this one out.
Are Women In Somaliland For The Kitchen
And Household Chores Only?
By Ibrahim Adam Ghalib
Borama Awdal
The women in this country are not aware that the female voting population is more than 50%
and they can challenge the male dominated political life that allowed the marginalization and
socio-economic exploitation of women until today. They experience discrimination in terms of
equal access to the power structure that controls society and determines political and
economic issues. They became an important vehicle through which to control votes and
contribute to male candidates.
One aspect that divert the female votes are often men as husbands, fathers, uncles, brothers
and sons that advise them to stay out of politics and describe their involvement to be beyond
accepted bounds. Tribal barriers and old cultural prohibitions make women themselves to be
loyal to their related male candidates.
Most of the women of this country are un-educated and believe that women is only for the
kitchen and house hold works and cannot exercise their rights in the constitution to elect and
to be elected. These old traditions inhibit in the minds of women to accept the present statsquo of male dominated political structure.
In the last parliamentary election educated women candidates failed to secure seats in the
present parliament. They were separated along cultural and clan barriers that forced the
female population to exhibit their allegiance and to vote for their tribal related male
candidates. Specially married women could not find a constituency and were lost between her
father’s tribe and that of her husband.
The democratic constitution of Somaliland allows and guarantees the political rights of women
as men. Lack of education and the traditional cultural and clan boundaries that the women
believe more than the men made it impossible for women to succeed in politics. One only
woman hardly secured a seat in Awdal and even in her case the women votes was not
apparent in her voting result. She won her seat on a narrow margin and escaped defeat on a
small difference.
The women do not differentiate between the men that are supportive to their cause and those
who appear sympathetic to them but are in fact attempting to hijack women’s powerful votes
for their personal gains. The women so far did not understand that leaders cannot govern as
they once did and cannot manipulate the women on clan and old cultural prohibitions that
they used to rule against their wills.
Time has changed and they are required to advocate freely, communicate, educate and
provide the strategic tools that can change the status of women. The women organizations
that would have made a change are headed by few women not elected by the grass roots and
lack the capacity and resources to be independent and this placed stress to grow and not to
achieve its goals.
The important thing for these organizations to succeed is to elect the leaders in an open
democratic forum and to generate funds to grow through either program revenues or
community support. When they also elect their leadership in a democratic manner and
manage their financial resources in a transparent way the female membership will increase
and trust the organization.
We are in an election year and this is the time that the political parties will listen to them and
recognize that the women are a decisive force that will determine the outcome of the election.
It is time to promote women’s cause forcefully and bargain on the voting capacity of the
female population.
The women are required to participate effectively in the upcoming voter registration. If they
stay in doors, this will decrease their chances of success in future and the male domination in
the political structure will continue in the foreseeable future.
If women do not organize themselves magic moments will not come by itself that will make
sweeping changes in their favor. Struggle and more efforts on the part of the women will only
then bring about greater female representation that will determine the rules and how politics is
conducted in this country.
Email: kaalib33@hotmail.com