Topi lyambila
Feb 24, 2007

Somali Demo outside No. 10 - UN in the firing line as well. -' Somalia for Somalis' Pleeease!

'Leave Somalia to the Somalis' - That appeared to be the general consensus and message on thelips of the over hundred Somalis gathered outside Number 10 Downing Street -London on Friday afternoon.

The demonstration that included men, women and children was called by the Somali activist in the UK to protest at what they called the wrong-full invasion last month of US-backed Ethiopian troops who reinstated interim president Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed.

Abdisalam Issa-Salwe (Lecturer -Thames Valley Uni) - "Let all stake holders sit down and talk - We want peace in Somalia -I do not support anyone in partivcular as long as whoever it is brings civility to Somalia.

The demonstration was also timed to coincide with the ‘medical’ visit by the Somali Head of State who arrived in the UK last Sunday. The President has refused to meet with Somalis in the UK. During an interview with BBC World Service President Abdullahi Yusuf refused to be interviewed by the Somali Service reporters – who he claimed are biased against his Government. Until the Ethiopian invasion, the interim Government had been operating away from the capital Mogadishu in the remote town of Baidoa.

Stop the Chaos and let the children play

A debate scheduled last night in North London and expected to be attended by an interim Government representative went on without the guest. The debate hosted area Member of Parliament Dawn Butler MP for Brent South was attended by over 60 Somali Nationals from in and around London. Brent has a remarkable population of Somali immigrants.

Activists Hussein (left) and Junayd - "Women and children continue to die in Somalia - there must be an end to this Mr. Abdullahi and your sponsors -hear Us"

On the same token, those at the meeting and those at the demonstration today, hold the same views, that the Ethiopian troops must immediately vacate Somalia and totally condemned the US involvement in the process saying many people have been killed and the fighting still continues to today with women and children the biggest culprits.

Speaking at the demonstration, Abdisalam Issa-Salwe, a lecturer at the Thames Valley College echoed the sentiments of those gathered by reiterating that there is need for collective talks by Somalis. “We do not want to be dictated upon, it is our responsibility as Somalis to come together and debate the future of the country, and we want our country back to where it belonged 20 years ago.” According to Mr. Abdisalam, there is no need for foreign intervention in Somalia as the Somalis are capable of handling their own problems amicably.

Asked about the need for peace-keepers, many of those present said they are opposed to the peace-keeping troops as they are already biased and are silent supporters of Abdullahi who they claimed is one of the worst Warlords ever who was responsible for the deaths of thousands of men, women and children. “He has the blood of Somali children on his hands, so how can he come back and pretend he is the ‘Mister Right’ for Somalia? That is why he had to employ foreign troops backed by his foreign masters the US.”

We shall support Daddy - That is our legacy - Please let there be Peace!

The UK Somalis and indeed Somalis world-wide, say the Islamic Courts had brought civility back to the streets of Mogadishu and for the first time in 16 years normality was creeping back to Somalia.

Undisclosed sources have claimed President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed is in the UK apparently to seek treatment for a Liver infection.

Source: Kenya London News