Sydney Morning Herald - 18 April 2006 - The news out of Puntland, a semi-autonomous state of Somalia, has not been good since Range Resources began exploring for minerals and petroleum in late February.
If Somali sources are to be believed, about 10 people have died in a clash between soldiers loyal to Puntland's president and a regional clan opposed to the Australian company's exploration project..
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Addis Ababa, April 22, 2006 – Ethiopia and Djibouti on Friday signed a power interconnection project agreement, enabling Ethiopia to supply electric power to Djibouti.
Under the agreement signed in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, the power interconnection project will cost over 535 million birr (61.64 million U.S. dollars) and is expected to be finalized in 2009.
The East African – 18 April 2006 – Nairobi, A three-and-half year old girl, Aisha-Luul, last month became a victim of the latest fighting in Mogadishu. She sustained a serious injury after being shot in the arm by a stray bullet while standing outside of her family's house at SOS sub- district in the city.
The fighting erupted in mid February when a new coalition calling itself the "anti-terrorist" group was formed to counter the growing influence of islamist groups in the city. Hardened warlords in the capital have reportedly established a partnership with some wealthy businessmen to challenge heavily armed religious leaders who are running a network of islamic Courts.
Although name calling is nothing new in Somalia, especially among the bitter political rivals, the new coalition of the warlords call their islamist foes "terrorists", while the Sheikhs call the warlords "demons." Many people are shocked by the intensity of the violent confrontations, but the events have a clear background.
Americans In Horn Of Africa Using New Weapon In Terror War
AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar, April 18, 2006 – American forces are using an unconventional approach to fighting terrorism in the Horn of Africa, the senior enlisted adviser at U.S. Central Command said.
(PressZoom) - "The weapon systems down there are well-drilling equipment and shovels, and building schools and hospitals, and training border patrols and counterterrorism forces," Air Force Command Chief Master Sgt. Curtis Brownhill said. "It's an elaborate civil affairs and security effort that is all about building capacity and confidence."
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ROME, Italy, April 16, 2006 — U.S. naval forces were dispatched toward the waters off Yemen's coast Sunday after an appeal from a crew aboard a sailboat who feared they were about to be attacked by pirates, but a Navy official said it was "a false alarm."
Earlier, Italian port authorities in Rome said a Dutch and two U.S. warships in the area were dispatched to aid a U.S.-flagged sailboat under attack by pirates, after an Italian ship in the area picked up a distress call.
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NAIROBI, Apr 20, 2006 – The United States on Thursday appealed for calm in Somalia, urging leaders to work together and exercise restrain as tension mounts over a new round of fighting for control of the capital, Mogadishu.
A statement issued by the US Embassy in Nairobi urged the Somali leaders to seek reconciliation through dialogue, calling on all parties to cooperate with the Transitional Federal institutions.
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April 20, 2006 – Country Profile Somalia
The lack of government control and the presence of Islamist activity—conditions shared with Afghanistan—made Somalia a prime target for the US government in its war against terrorism. Particular concern was focused on Al-Itihad and the Al-Barakat conglomerate, which included a money transfer facility thought to be financing terrorist operations.
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ADDIS ABABA, April 18, 2006 – Ethiopia is building three hydropower dams at a cost of $1.4 billion and hopes to generate millions of dollars in foreign currency by exporting excess electricity to three neighboring countries, officials said.
The dams -- harnessing power from rivers cascading from Ethiopia's rugged, towering mountains -- are expected to produce a total of 1,155 Megawatts, the official said on Tuesday.
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Explosion kills three, wounds 37
Ethiopian Reporter - 22 April 2006, A blast in Gedeo town, southern Ethiopia has killed three people and wounded 37 others, state-run television said on Tuesday.
It said the blast occurred on Saturday, a busy market day, in the town of Gedo 150km west of the capital Addis Ababa.
The country has been hit by a series of explosions in recent months in what police have said is an attempt by unknown culprits to destabilise the country of 72-million.
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Mogadishu Faction Fighters Regroup
NAIROBI, April 19, 2006 – Two factions which recently clashed in Mogadishu are moving militias to strategic positions for a fresh round of fighting for control of the Somali capital, residents said on Wednesday.
Up to 90 people died last month in Mogadishu's worst battles in years, between militias linked to the Islamic courts and those tied to the Mogadishu Anti-Terrorism Coalition, comprising most of the capital's powerful warlords.
Nairobi, Kenya, April 20, 2006 – Kenya has viable deposits of crude oil and gas, a workshop was told on Wednesday.
Environment minister Prof Kivutha Kibwana said information showed positive prospects of crude oil and gas, resulting in the intensification of exploration work.
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Rayale Seeking Change In The Leadership Of The Lower House
President Dahir Riyaale Kahin
Hargeysa, Somaliland, April 22, 2006 – Somaliland president Dahir Rayale Kahin has escalated his confrontation with the House of Representatives (lower house of Parliament) by refusing to put into effect at least 3 laws that had been passed by the legislators on last month.
The 82-seat House is controlled by the opposition alliance formed by UCID and KULMIYE parties which together won 49 seats.
Due to their majority, the opposition legislators were able to choose the house speaker Abdirahman Erro and his two deputies, Abdul Aziz Samale and Bashe Farah, from among their ranks. Though house leaders have demonstrated that they wanted to cooperate with the president by passing the highly controversial 2006 budget bill subject to minor changes, however the gesture was not reciprocated by Mr. Rayale.
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Majeerteenya Spreads Lawlessness In Somalia
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Majeerteenya militia
Baidoa, Somalia, April 22, 2006 – There has been reports that the Korean ship that was hijacked in southern Somalia will be released soon after talks between the owners of the ship and its captors. The Somali captors of the Korean ship insist that they are not common criminals and that the ship was fishing illegally in Somalia’s territorial waters. But whether the captors of the ship are patriots or common criminals, one thing is certain: Abshir Farah, the Minister of Fisheries in Somalia’s nominal government received money from the Korean ship in return for allowing them to fish in Somalia’s territorial waters.
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Audiance at NW Somaliland Society meeting in Seattle
On Saturday April 15, 2006 the Somaliland community in the Pacific Northwest had the honor of being visited by Kayse Ali Geedi, Chairman of UCID Party branch in USA and UCID Party campaign manager for parliamentary elections in Somaliland. Mr. Geedi met with Somalilanders in the meetings hall of the NW Somaliland Society.
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Addis Ababa, April 21, 2006 – The directors general of the Ethiopian Customs Authority and the Transport Authority declared that the Berbera [port] has now become an alternative port to Ethiopia through which its trade activities would be conducted.
Ethiopian Customs Authority director general, Sileshi Getachew, and Transport Authority director general, Kasahun Hailemariam, told WIC [Walta Information Centre] yesterday that as per the agreement reached between Ethiopia and Somaliland, the port is now open to serve as an additional outlet to the import and export trades of Ethiopia.
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MOGADISHU, April 22, 2006 – Tension soared in the capital of lawless Somalia as Mogadishu's powerful Islamic courts declared holy war on a militia alliance widely believed to be backed by the United States.
With many city residents already convinced new hostilities are imminent between the rival factions, Muslim clerics urged the destruction of the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism (ARPCT).
At a demonstration attended by hundreds in southern Mogadishu after Friday prayers, Sheikh Nur Ollow, an imam and senior Islamic court figure, told the crowd it was time to fight the warlords whose militias make up the alliance.
Militias From Majeerteenya On A Killing Spree
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Majiyahan, Somaliland, April 15, 2006 – Lawless militias from Majeerteenya (Puntland) have been busy spilling Somali blood last week. It began with killing of several civilians in Majiyahan (Somaliland) by militias from Majeerteenya who claim the territory is theirs. As if that were not bad enough, militias from Majeerteenya also murdered a businessman further south in Wajid (Bakool region). Most recently, militias from Majeerteenya were engaged in a shootout in which a number of the indigenous militias in Baidoa were killed. The militias from Majeerteenya often give contradictory excuses for their murderous activities.
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 Security alert: Armed homeguards form a shield around residents of Dukana location in Marsabit district camping at Dukana Primary School. This follows heightened tension between warring communities along the Kenya-Ethiopia border.Photos by William Oeri
Daily Nation, 23 April, Most Kenyans are too young to remember that the only external war that our army ever fought concerned what we now call North-Eastern Province (NEP). So the question is vexed: For what good reason did we pour untold resources to retain a region in which we were not really interested?
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Editorial by Garowe-Online (21 April 2006)
FOLLOWING ON THE HEELS of an article published by the Sydney Morning Herald on April 18th, Range Resources, Ltd., an Australia-based exploration company, announced today [Apr. 21] that they received a “letter of intent” from the Korean National Oil Company (KNOC) to partake in the research and development of northeastern Somalia’s potential oil and mineral reserves. This move, however, comes as the cloud of controversy over the legitimacy and legality of the “Puntland Agreement” has led to several skirmishes between the Puntland authorities and local clan militias opposed to exploration. Both Puntland and Range – signatories to the “Agreement – have continually dismissed press reports regarding deadly battles in villages less than 50 KM from the Red Sea port city of Bossaso. Is the risky business of exploring in anarchic Somalia risking the peace in Puntland?
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International News
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Lord Avebury (Liberal Democrat) asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will provide assistance to the government of Somaliland to enable them to comply with veterinary requirements that would enable exports of livestock to other countries in the region.
Baroness Amos (President of the Council, Privy Council Office)
The UK has no plans to provide such assistance, as the United Nations Development Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Bank have been engaged on this issue for several years in the region.
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Washington, April 20, 2006 – While Congress continues to debate the National Security Agency's program of warrantless wiretapping, another form of government scrutiny has largely escaped public notice. A growing number of private companies are now screening potential customers against a government watch-list of suspected terrorists. Financial institutions, credit bureaus, charities, landlords and even employers are checking names against the list -- a trend on a collision course with civil rights.
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The Official Celebration Party for the 15th Anniversary of the Re-birth of Somaliland is going to take place at Stratford Rex Theatre in East London on Friday 19th May 2006 7PM - 3 AM under the auspices of Avelite & Onkod Promotions in conjunction with SORAG Africa Lifeline and Somaliland Mission UK. This annual charity event is aimed to raise funds to help improve the Mental Health Hospitals in Somaliland through GAVO.
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Interpol Join Hunt For Killer
Cardiff, Wales, April 19, 2006 – AN INTERNATIONAL murder investigation has been launched to find the killer of a 22-year-old man who died in Wales three years ago.
Mohamed Musa died in April 2003, days after receiving series head injuries when he was attacked in Butetown, Cardiff in the early hours of the morning.
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BAT Shuts Down Its Ugandan Factory
Nairobi, Kenya, April 18, 2006 – Cigarette manufacturer British American Tobacco will close its Uganda factory end of this month to concentrate production in Kenya. The Kenyan factory in Nairobi already supplies some cigarette brands in the Ugandan market under a contract manufacturing agreement.
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Editorial
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Toward the end of last year the republic of Somaliland had formally applied for membership in the African Union. The submission of the application followed a visit made to Somaliland earlier in the same year by an AU fact-finding mission. Headed by Patrick Mazimhaka, the deputy chairperson of the AU’s Commission, members of the mission traveled freely in Somaliland, visiting the country’s major urban and rural centers.
Mr. Mazimhaka and members of his delegation met with ordinary Somalilanders, government officials, parliamentarians, leaders of the opposition political parties, representatives of the civil society groups including women organizations and clan elders.
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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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Somaliland Under Gag Order
By Ibrahim Jibah Ismail
Before I go into the subject concerning free press, let me document the latest news in respect to the attempted intimidation of Mr. Mohammed Hashi Elmi by the CID. Mr. Elmi is a respected leader and one of the founders of the SNM which liberated Somaliland from the oppressive clutches of Siyad Barre’s dictatorship. Mr. Elmi and the other valiant men of the SNM have dedicated their lives to promoting democracy in Somaliland. Mr. Elmi wrote an article questioning the hodgepodge nature of Somaliland’s budget recently passed by the newly elected Parliament. This budget was erroneous, lacked accountability and did not benefit the people of Somaliland as a whole. Mr. Elmi has raised important questions regarding this unbalanced financial document that should not have been passed without the accurate accounting outlined in the Somaliland Constitution. After the article was distributed on the Internet, the government sent the CID to Mr. Elmi to intimidate him for speaking the truth. Mr. Elmi is an honest man of honor who wishes to promote development and growth in Somaliland.
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By Ahmed M.I. Egal
The peoples of Africa and Arabia are closely interconnected by geography, kinship, history, religion, trade and culture, yet today, in the realm of international politics and diplomacy, they are separated by a yawning chasm of mistrust. The important question is why Africa and Arabia, which have so much in common and which, on the face of it, should form such natural allies in global politics, are in fact distant in the main and often antagonistic to each other underneath a thin veneer of surface amity? In point of fact, ten (Mauritania, Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia and the Comoros) out of the twenty two members of the Arab League (AL) are located on the African continent (the Comoro Islands are located off the East African coast) and are, therefore also members of the African Union (AU).
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By Farah Ali Jama, Ottawa, Canada.
Yemen, the country of the barren mountainous and a generally desolate country, which is inhabited by a backward, tribal, and closed society and, where reigns a hostile dictatorial regime and megalomaniac leaders that has always been on the wrong side of regional and international issues, sees itself differently and as a power to be reckoned with in the Gulf of Aden region. Even though, During the Cold War, Yemen was a firm ally of the Soviet Union and the Communist Eastern Block and in the 1990s, it was a staunch supporter of Saddam Hussein during both the Gulf War I & II, still sees itself on the right path then, and now, and on a righteous cause.
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Who Is Rolling Back The Frontiers Of Democracy In Somaliland?
By Ahmed Keyse Ali
In the latest issue of Haatuf, a Hargeysa based Somali language newspaper Abdirahman Yusuf Artan, a Kulmiye Member of Parliament paints a dismal picture about Somaliland. If his conclusions are correct, all one can expect is to witness the gradual unraveling of major accomplishments that Somaliland lobbyists use to convince developed countries that Somaliland deserves to be recognized as a sovereign state.
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By Omar H. Hussein Omar Hashi, Hargeysa, Somaliland
Research and development is an important process for business today. Consumer needs and wants are always changing and so it is vital for the business to meet these demands with R&D to hopefully exceed customer expectations. It is also important for businesses to keep with advances such technological transforms. Otherwise they will be left behind in the competition.
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Common Wealth States Must Take The Lead And Start Recognizing Somaliland
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By Osman Jama
The independence, freedom and democracy is sacrosanct and will march on no matter what. No army or force can defeat the will of people destined and determined to be independent. The gathering anti-democratic forces of repression, the remnants of the old discredited and doomed genocidal regime can not shake the will of these steadfast and courageous people of Somaliland. The rays of freedom emanating from this land will eventually illuminate all the troubled lands of the Horn of Africa. Freedom in this blessed land will grow, flourish and there is no turning back.
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SOMALILAND: ANOTHER COUNTRY
Somaliland is a beacon of stability in Africa but lack of international recognition is holding it back, writes Xan Rice
Hargeysa, Somaliland, April 19, 2006 – It was the little things: smiles; handshakes; driving from the airport without an armed escort; seeing a traffic warden, a public library, a government ministry building; not seeing a gun or hearing a gunshot. Even the weather seemed pleasantly different: a cool breeze floated over Hargeysa at night.
According to the map, this was still Somalia. Yet it felt like another country. "Because it is!" said Abdirahman Awil, a small, balding man who had invited me into his restaurant, suddenly becoming animated. "Somaliland is not Somalia - 100% of us know that, even 120%!"
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DISTINCTLY AFRICAN
Professor Ali Mazrui
By Ali A Mazrui – April 15, 2006
I AM chancellor of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Kenya, appointed by the head of state, President Mwai Kibaki. I believe that by appointing me, the president intended to convey the message that Kenyans abroad were not only welcome to come home, but they did not have to come back full time. I now go to Kenya two or three times a year, without giving up my American professorships.
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By J. Peter Pham, Ph.D.
Washington, April 20, 2006 – In early March, two American warships, the cruiser USS Cape St. George and the destroyer USS Gonzalez, were conducting maritime security operations off Somalia when a suspected "pirate" boat opened fire on them. Fortunately, there were no casualties other than one "pirate," who was killed when the navy vessels returned fire; twelve of his mates were detained by the Navy, which confiscated a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.
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First home-trained Somali police officers graduate
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NAIROBI, April 22 -- The first police officers from northeast and south Somalia trained in decades has graduated from the recently established Armo Police Academy in Puntland, northern part of the Horn of African nation, UNDP said Saturday.
The UNDP Somalia Office in Nairobi said in a statement that the154 cadets, of whom 19 are female, became the first home-trained police in the country since it lapsed into anarchy 15 years ago.
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By Ali A. Mazrui
Director, Institute of Global Cultural Studies and
Albert Schweitzer Professor in the Humanities
Binghamton University
State University of New York at Binghamton, New
York, USA
Public Lecture delivered at Hargeisa University under the Chairmanship of the President of the University, Hargeisa, Republic of Somaliland,Wednesday March 22, 2006.
The lecture was sponsored by the Academy for Peace and Development, Hargeisa, Somaliland.
Among the major causes of instability in postcolonial Africa are the artificial borders created by Europe’s imperial order in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This book is a major contribution towards our understanding of the link between the politics of identity and national boundaries.
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