By Somalilandtimes network
Juba, Sudan, Feb 15, 2006 — President Omar al-Bashir, said the people of southern Sudan are free to vote for separation in the referendum in five years’ time, the Sudan radio service reported.
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By Somalilandtimes network
Nairobi, Kenya, Feb. 16, 2006 – At least seven people have died of dehydration in Somalia over the past month as severe water shortages from a killer regional drought force many to drink their own urine, an aid agency said on Thursday.
By Somalilandtimes network
Borama, Feb. 15, 2006 – A Somaliland court sentenced 28 youth to eight months in prison on Wednesday 15 February for holding a dancing party to celebrate the Valentine's Day on February 14, as reported by Somaliland press.
By Somalilandtimes network
Addis Ababa, Feb 11, 2006 – The Somaliland authorities are offering land to Ethiopian business people in a free trade zone in Berbera, a port of the Gulf of Aden.
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By Somalilandtimes network
Nairobi, February 14, 2006 – Three of the five suspects arrested by local detectives and their Interpol counterparts over alleged plans of a terrorist attack targeting Cairo, Egypt, are Kenyans.
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By Somalilandtimes network
The Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority (EBA) has granted the first ever licenses to two private commercial FM radio operators. This is a move that many consider as a significant step after the promulgation of the broadcasting proclamation in June 1998.
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By Somalilandtimes network
ICRC Press release, Feb. 15, 2006
Nairobi/Geneva – The Horn of Africa's worst drought in a decade has led to acute shortages of water and food, decimated grazing lands and cereal production, and killed large numbers of cattle in the worst affected parts of southern Somalia and in the Somali Regional State in south-eastern Ethiopia.
By Somalilandtimes network
NAIROBI, Feb. 13, 2006 – Militias in Somalia are looting shipments of aid for drought victims and forcing aid drivers to pay bribes, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
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Attacked Vessel Drifts From Somalia
By Somalilandtimes network
Seychelles Island, February 14, 2006 – The owner of a Dominican Republic registered cargo vessel claims that his ship was attacked by gunmen off the coast of Somalia on December 21 but was rescued by U.S. Navy personnel who arrested two formerly armed men who allegedly invaded the ship.
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Two Marine Helicopters Crash Off The Coast Of Djibouti
By Somalilandtimes network
WASHINGTON, February 18, 2006 — Two Marine Corps transport helicopters carrying a dozen troops crashed Friday off the coast of Djibouti, and two were rescued in the initial search, the Pentagon said.
The status of the other 10 aboard the CH-53E choppers was not immediately known, officials said.
A search-and-rescue mission by troops from the United States, Djibouti and France was under way, according to a statement issued by Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, a U.S.-led military force headquartered at Camp Lemonier, a French military base in Djibouti.
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New Legislative Leaders Criticize Media Coverage Of The House As Inadequate
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Speaker of Somaliland parliament Mr Abdirahman Ero (centre) and 1st deputy Speaker Mr Abdi-aziz Samale (left) and 2nd deputy Speaker of parliament Mr Bashe Farah (right)
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By Somalilandtimes network
Hargeysa, February 18, 2006 – The leaders of Somaliland House of Representatives have criticized the extent of coverage given to the parliament by the local media as being low.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Abdirahman Ero complained earlier this week that the Somaliland media was paying only a scant attention to the activities of the parliament. He accused the press of neglecting parliamentary news items such as the reports presented by the House Select Committees.
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By Somalilandtimes network
Hargeysa, Somaliland, February 18, 2006 – A new mass grave containing at least the remains of 7 people was discovered in a suburb area located to the north of the Somaliland capital Hargeysa.
A Somaliland Times reporter who visited the site of the mass grave could only identify remains of 7 bodies tied together by ropes.
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By Somalilandtimes network
 The delegation entourage at Hargeysa international airport
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Last Sunday on 12 Feb 2006, a delegation of mainly Asian business men based in the Gulf States of Emirates, Sri-Lanka and Singapore arrived on board a private plane at Hargeysa Egal International Airport from Dubai for a three day business consultation and meetings with the Somaliland government.
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By Somalilandtimes network
Hargeysa, Somaliland, February 18, 2006 – Pupils at Al-Baraka Elementary Intermediate and Secondary schools donated their pocket money allowances on last Wednesday for the rebuilding of Hargeysa bridge project.
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By Somalilandtimes network
Baidoa, Somalia, February 18, 2006 – The moment of truth is fast approaching for the much delayed conference of Somalia ’s dysfunctional parliament that is supposed to take place on Feb. 26th. The would-be participants cannot agree even where exactly in Baidoa should the meeting be taking place. First it was said that the meeting will take place in a school building called “11 th of January”. Later, Sharif Hasan “the speaker of parliament” announced it would take place at a spot called “ADC”.
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By Somalilandtimes network
Evanston, Illinois, February 18, 2006 – On Monday, Feb.13, 2006 a roundtable discussion entitled “The Politics of Somaliland’s Self-Determination” took place at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA. The Somaliland Times is pleased to share with its readers some of the insights of the distinguished participants.
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International News
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By Somalilandtimes network
In US Navy photo, remains of rocket-propelled grenade are seen off coast of Somalia, Nov. 7, 2005 after cruise liner Seabourn Spirit was attacked by pirates
Mogadishu, February 13, 2006 – Since the fall of Somalia's last functioning government in 1991, Somalis have become used to the warring factions fighting each other with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. But, the use of homemade bombs the U.S. military calls "improvised explosive devices" is steadily increasing in Somalia, raising fears that a new, far more deadly phase of insecurity has begun in the lawless Horn of African country.
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Out Of Africa, And In Limbo
By Somalilandtimes network
Unlike Australia, Malta has abandoned indefinite detention for asylum seekers but tensions remain, writes James Button.
Malta, Feb. 15, 2006 – THEY made the long, dangerous journey by land and sea. Some boats sank, people drowned. Such immigrants were new to the island nation. Alarmed, it locked them up. Soon there were protests inside the detention centers and from the United Nations.
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U.S. Steps Up War Against Somali Pirates
By Somalilandtimes network
Nairobi, Kenya, Feb. 11, 2006 – The United States Navy has put Somali pirates operating in the Indian Ocean on notice: They will be intercepted, pursued, arrested and handed over to coastal states for trial (or taken to US navy base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba).
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Teen's Death 'Could Have Been Stopped
By Somalilandtimes network
Camden Town, UK, Feb. 15, 2006 – THE BRUTAL murder of a teenager in Camden Town could have been prevented, according to a Somali community leader.
Abdiwali Mohamud, chairman of the Camden Somali Forum, said a lack of co-operation between the police and the Somali community was to blame for the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Maher Osman outside Camden Town Tube station on January 28.
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Morocco To Send Financial Aid To Mauritania, Djibouti, Somalia
By Somalilandtimes network
Morocco has decided to send financial aid to Mauritania, Djibouti and Somalia.
Morocco has decided to send financial aid to Mauritania, Djibouti and Somalia which are facing difficult conditions due to the bad weather, reported MAP news agency.
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Editorial
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The Speaker of the House of Representatives Parliament and his two assistants in the job argue that the Somaliland media hasn’t been covering the parliament adequately. They especially claim that there has been no regular coverage of the activities of the House Select Committees in the print press.
The complaints may be justified when the significantly reduced media coverage of the parliament in the last 2 months is taken into consideration. However it would be unfair to generalize and say that all media sectors or all individual media outlets behaved equally the same in the way they have treated parliamentary news.
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Special Report
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REPORT ON FAMILIARISATION TOUR TO SOMALILAND
In November 2005, the Centre for Human Rights began investigating the possibility of a third destination for the LLM field trip. The reasons for increasing the number of field trip destinations to include Somaliland include the following:
• Somaliland is a state in the making; it would be ideal for students on the programme to have a first hand experience of this.
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Opinions
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Cartoons Put A Great Religion To The Test
By Bashir Goth, Abu Dhabi , UAE
To Muslims, Islam is the religion of peace and reason. The holy Qur'an is said to be the greatest miracle given to Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam. Other prophets were given visual and tangible miracles. Jesus Christ's miracle was to raise the dead, restore the vision for the blind and heal the leper.
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By Farah Ali Jama, Ottawa , Canada .
Although the president knows the nature of our people, he is recklessly playing with fire and he should have known better. For, whoever tries to put down by force or intimidate or repress the innocent, poor, patient, and loyal Somalilanders and bans their right to stage peaceful demonstrations to channel their grievances in public and continues to unabatedly trample on their freedoms, Human Rights, and wellbeing to a pint that push comes to shove or, worse still, tries to back up their backs against the wall
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By Hassan Abdi Yare, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Somaliland media has adequately covered the issue of Joint Need Assessment (JNA), and I would not repeat the dignifying positions taken by the sincere representatives of our nation with regard to this issue. However, it is worth reminding our people that the JNA scheme, at best, sounds a cleverly designed sugarcoated poison that has been put together by unfriendly elements. Secondly, some of the local players are apparently prepared to compromise Somaliland's strategic interests in pursuit of either sincere tactical achievements or ill-fated dubious ends as illustrated below.
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Somaliland: Diplomatic Letter
To: H.E. Mr. Alpha Oumar
Konare, Chairperson,
African Union Commission
Dear Sir,
Somaliland American Guild urges the African Union to shift its current policy of noncommittal towards the Republic of Somaliland and address Somaliland’s fulfillment of all criteria required for statehood. Somaliland has legal validity to reclaim her independence under international law. The internationally recognized right to self-determination is attained when a distinct group is able to exercise its inalienable right regarding its political and economic future.
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Can Southern Somalis’ Wordlisms With The Support Of Italians Re-Invent Somaliland?
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1. Over the past weeks I have spent looking into the materials about JOINT NEEDS ASSESSMENT Program which was launched by UNDP/WORLD BANK for Somalia (i.e. including Somaliland). I have found out that the program is strongly based on the principles of the Federal Charter adopted in Nairobi, Kenya by Southern Somalis clan-based Parliament.
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New Regulations Restrict Somali Remittances
By Ismail I. Ahmed, Nairobi, Kenya
Approximately one million Somalis send US$1 billion back home every year, a crucial source of income for most of the Somali population. New regulations, however, as part of the 'war on terror', are restricting the flow of remittances into the country.
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| FEATURES & COMMENTARY |
International Help Needed To Stop People-Smuggling Across Gulf Of Aden
By Somalilandtimes network
Small fishing boats, like this one in Bossaso'o busy commercial port, carry up to 125 people when used to smuggle migrants from the Somali coast across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen. Smugglers charge $30 to $50 and sometimes throw their passengers out to swim as they near the Yemeni shore. © UNHCR/K.McKinsey
BOSSASO, Somalia, Feb. 14, 2006 – Deer, a strikingly beautiful Somali girl of about 10, lies on a striped plastic sheet on the ground inside a large tent, staring blankly ahead and barely registering the many people gathered around her.
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By Somalilandtimes network
Abdul Alasow (front) and business partner Ahmed Barkhadle prepare some sambuusa at their new restaurant, International House of Sambuusa. -John Cross
MANKATO — Feb. 13, 2006 – Abdul Alasow wears his new nickname — Mr. Goat — with pride.
The Somali native is excited to introduce goat meat dishes and other African and Middle Eastern fare at the new International House of Sambuusa restaurant.
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Please Help, If You Can, IBRAHIMEEYA ISLAMIC SCHOOL
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We are please to inform you that IBRAHIMEEYA ISLAMIC SCHOOL is an education center in Ghana. We teach Muslim youth, especially the needy and street children.
We teach Arabic, memorization and recitation of Holy Qur’an. We have about six hundred students (600) and hundred of them are memorizing of Holy Qur’an. we need about 700 copies of Holy Quran to distribute it to our students. We are therefore appealing to you to come to our aid with Holy Quran.
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Somaliland: NRC To Continue Operations
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By Somalilandtimes network
Oslo, Norway, Feb. 14, 2006 – The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) continues its humanitarian aid work in Muslim countries. Activities have been partly suspended or limited over the last week, due to the violence following publications of caricatures of the prophet Mohammed.
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