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US Taps $45M In Gear
For Terror Fight In Somalia |
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A
US Predator drone in Afghanistan. The strike
in Somalia means armed drones are operating
in six countries. Photograph: Joel Saget/AFP/Getty
Images |
Washington, July 2, 2011 — The Pentagon is sending
nearly $45 million in military equipment, including
four small drones, to Uganda and Burundi to help
battle the escalating terrorist threat in Somalia.
The latest aid, laid out in documents obtained by
The Associated Press, comes as attacks intensify in
Somalia against the al-Qaida-linked terror group
al-Shabaab, including an airstrike late Thursday
that hit a militant convoy, killing a number of
foreign fighters, according to officials there.
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Medics evacuate a bomb blast victim in
southern Mogadishu last week. A survey
released last week ranks Somalia as the
world’s most dysfunctional state. Picture:
AFP |
Washington, July 2, 2011 – An American lobbyist
supporting Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government
is accusing the United States and the United Nations
of shortsightedness in failing to support a popular
and successful political leader in the war-torn
country.
“There is no explanation for this fiasco,” said
lobbyist John Zagemy. “Only excuses.”
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Nairobi,
Kenya, July 2, 2011 – Somalia marked 51 years of
independence late Thursday with a midnight
flag-raising ceremony at the presidential palace in
Mogadishu. The government says it was the most
peaceful independence ceremony it has ever held,
while Somalis in Nairobi ask what there is to
celebrate.
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Demonstrations turned violent in the
Hamarwyene district of Mogadishu during a
protest in support of the prime minister.
Two boys were slain in the second day of
protests . |
By Greg Jaffe and Karen DeYoung,
Washington, July 2, 2011 – A U.S. drone aircraft
fired on two leaders of a militant Somali
organization tied to al-Qaeda, apparently wounding
them, a senior U.S. military official familiar with
the operation said Wednesday.
The strike last week against senior members of
al-Shabaab comes amid growing concern within the
U.S. government that some leaders of the Islamist
group are collaborating more closely with al-Qaeda
to strike targets beyond Somalia, the military
official said.
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President Mwai Kibaki addressing Heads of
State and Government and other delegates
during the summit. |
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, July 2, 2011 – President Mwai Kibaki has
urged African leaders to consolidate their efforts
towards ensuring lasting peace and stability in the
Sudan and Somalia.
The President also emphasized that the AU Assembly
of Heads of State and Government should take
measures to ensure that other international actors,
particularly the UN Security Council, are responsive
to the African perspectives on conflict resolution,
peacemaking and sustainable development.
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Seoul, S. Korea, July 2, 2011 – At the moment, no
South Korean ships or sailors are held by Somali
pirates, infamous for demanding high ransoms and
their inhumane treatment of captives.
Despite this, ship owners and crew members who have
to cross the vast Indian Ocean live in fear that
they might be the pirates’ next target.
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FOOD LINE: Somali women and children wait to
receive food at a local NGO in partnership
with the world Food program (WFP) at the
Dharkenley feeding center, south of
Mogadishu on Jan. 31. (AbdirashidAbikar/AFP/Getty
Images) |
Nairobi, Kenya, July 2, 2011 – A second year of
drought in the Horn of Africa has created a
humanitarian disaster for some 10 million people,
the United Nations reported Wednesday.
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By Dennis Romboy
Salt Lake City, USA, July 2, 2011 — Wary of
questions from FBI agents regarding the whereabouts
of her teenage son, Somali refugee Lul Noor Abdi
lied.
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Displaced Somali children wait for
humanitarian assistance from local residents
at a neighbourhood in southern Mogadishu
(AFP/File, Mustafa Abdi) |
New York, July 2, 2011 — A drought and high food
prices have brought increased malnutrition to
Somalia, where the situation is "rapidly
deteriorating," a high-ranking United Nations
official said Wednesday.
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Somaliland President Invited To Southern Sudan
Independence Celebration |
Gen. Salva
Kiir
Mayardit,
the
president of
the
government
of Southern
Sudan
Hargeysa,
Somaliland,
July 2, 2011
(SL Times) –
Somaliland
President
Ahmed
Sillanyo has
received an
official
invitation
to
participate
in the
independence
celebration
of Southern
Sudan which
will take
place in
July 9th.
Somaliland’s
president
accepted the
invitation
and will
lead a
delegation
that will
travel to
Southern
Sudan to
take part in
the
celebration.
Somaliland’s
people
reacted with
joy and
appreciation
to the
invitation
which they
see as a
validation
of their
struggle for
independence
by fellow
Africans.
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CEO Of Dahabshiil Gives Keynote Speech On Global
Money Transfer And Telecoms Industries At The
University Of Oxford |
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Abdirashid Duale, CEO of Dahabshiil |
London, UK, July 2, 2011 (SL Times) – Abdirashid
Duale, CEO of Dahabshiil, one of Africa's largest
money transfer companies, gave the keynote address
at a conference on the Somali Media and diaspora
hosted by Oxford University from 29-30 June. The two
day event, the first of its kind to focus on
important issues facing the Somali diaspora
community, explored in particular how developments
in media and communications shape the way the
diaspora engages with and influences the population
at home politically, economically and culturally.
Other speakers at the event included academics from
both within and outside Oxford University, along
with journalists from the BBC, Al Jazeera, VOA and
other media institutions including several prominent
Somali outlets.
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President Cuts Ribbon For SOS Orphanage |
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Ahmed Sillanyo, the president of Somaliland
cuts ribbon new constructions for SOS
Orphanage in Hargeysa, Somaliland
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Hargeysa, Somaliland, July 2, 2011 (SL Times) –
President Ahmed Sillanyo participated in a
ceremony inaugurating new constructions that are
part of SOS run orphanage. The ceremony was also
attended by the head of SOS Mr Helmut Kutin, the
president’s wife, Amina Sh. Muhammad Jirde (Amina
Waris), Edna Adan Ismail, ministers, the first
deputy chairman of parliament, Hargeysa’s mayor
and other distinguished guests.
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Somaliland Police Raid Terrorist Hideout |
Hargeysa, Somaliland, July 2, 2011 (SL Times) –
The newly re-appointed police chief of
Somaliland, Muhammad Saqadi Dubad held a press
conference at his office in which he displayed
to the public a cache of weapons, ammunition,
and vehicle license plates that they found in a
house that they had recently raided. The house
was located in the capital’s New Hargeysa area.
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Djibouti Celebrates Independence |
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Djibouti, July 2, 2011 (SL Times) – The Republic of
Djibouti celebrated its 34th independence
anniversary on June 27th.
Among the participants were President Ismail Omar
Guelleh, government ministers, and the diplomatic
corps in Djibouti. President Guelleh gave a long
speech in which he spoke about Djibouti’s foreign
policy, the Horn of Africa, and the catastrophic
situation in Somalia.
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Hargeysa, Somaliland, July 2, 2011 (SL Times) –
Dahabshiil money transfer company gave a 10 days
training to its security. Speaking about the
training they gave, Suleiman Muse Hassan, the head
of Dahabshiil security, said that among the topics
they taught were security, respect for customers,
handling terrorists, investigating criminal
activities, and report-writing. He also stressed the
importance of getting an education and acquiring new
skills; and to support his point, he gave examples
from the sayings of Prophet Muhammad.
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Uncertain citizen An estimated 95% of women
in Somaliland are victims of genital
mutilation. This and other social challenges
can be tackled if countries worldwide
recognize the enclave as a state. (Reuters) |
Analysis by Patrick
Mazimhaka And Greg Mills
Fifty years ago the
protectorate of Somaliland gained independence from
Britain. Five days later, on July 1 1960, it elected
to join Italian Somalia in a union. The marriage did
not work; Somalia descended into military
dictatorship, civil war and chaos. In 1991,
Somaliland elected to go it alone, establishing the
conditions for peace through a home-grown Islamic
democracy.
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Nairobi, Kenya, July 2, 2011 – US military forces
landed in Somalia to retrieve the bodies of dead or
wounded militants after a US drone strike targeted a
group of insurgents, Somalia’s defense minister said
on Friday.
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Obama Afghanistan War
Policy to Shift to Covert, Drone Tactics |
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Washington, July 2, 2011 – President Barack Obama's
counter-terrorism adviser outlined on Wednesday an
evolving military strategy that will increasingly
rely on targeted, clandestine strikes rather than
conventional military operations.
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Syria Defies Assad
With Largest Protests So Far |
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In this photo released by the Syrian
official news agency SANA, Syrian supporters
of President Bashar Assad carry a giant
national flag during a protest in al-Qarya
village, in the southwestern Suwayda
province on Friday
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Damascus, Syria, July 2, 2011 – The Syrian regime
was looking increasingly isolated yesterday as
hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the
streets in some of the largest rallies of the
uprising, despite an unprecedented attempt by
President Bashar al-Assad to reach out to his
political opponents.
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Malabo,
Equatorial Guinea, July 2, 2011 – African leaders
called on Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi not to take
part in talks to resolve the nation’s conflict
between his forces and rebels seeking to end his
four-decade long rule.
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A Study Report by
the
Brenthurst Foundation
Executive Summary
This Discussion Paper
considers the case for Somaliland’s formal
recognition following the recent 20th anniversary of
its declaration of independence (18 may 1991) and in
light of the secession of Southern Sudan.
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Members of the Somaliland community in
Britain's capital celebrate the 20th
anniversary of its declaration of
independence from Somalia
during a demonstration in London on May 18,
2011. (Reuters photo)
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By Peter Tatchell
This year’s civil war in Somalia has killed
thousands of people and created over half a million
refugees. Democracy, the rule of law and respect for
human rights are almost non-existent in Mogadishu,
where war, banditry, corruption, hunger, illiteracy,
disease and unemployment are the norm. Somalia is a
failed state that has failed its people.
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Somalis consistently rank as the least
employed of any race in Victoria, with
statistics placing between 32 per cent and
47 per cent out of work |
Melbourne, Australia, July 2, 2011 – Abdulkadir
Shire and Ali-nur Duale are masters of disguise. The
two Somali men, now in their 50s, have spent more
than 30 years between them applying for jobs in
Melbourne.
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By Christine Mungai
Two years ago, the Kenya government raised eyebrows
at home when it hired Chlopak Leonard Schechter and
Associates (CLS), a top lobbying firm in Washington
DC that also represents Google and Intuit.
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HUMAN rights advocate Faduma Salah Musse says she
will never give up her campaign to end female
genital mutilation.
The Oakleigh South woman and Springvale Community
Health Service worker travelled to her home town of
Erivago, Somaliland, recently to deliver a
medical-aid shipment to the neglected hospital and
urge locals to stop the barbaric tradition of female
circumcision.
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Arab Revolt Grinds On |
Months into
the Arab revolts, it is still not clear how things will
eventually turn out. The monarchies of the Gulf and Saudi
Arabia are not taking any chances. They implemented a range
of steps, including harsh security measures and financial
inducements. They have also sent military troops to Bahrain.
They are even trying to save the monarchies of Morocco and
Jordan by granting them membership in the Gulf Cooperation
Council.
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Every Child Matters |
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By Liban Obsiye
It is welcome news that a high profile individual
like the first lady of Somaliland has cut the ribbon
for the new construction of an orphanage or the
extension and renewal of parts of an old one. The
news is not clear on this but what is clear is that
with her presence and the entourage of high profile
NGO’s and their leaders, is that on African
Children’s Day, orphans and policy towards
disadvantaged children
in general was brought to the forefront of policy
makers minds. However, I fear that this is only for
this special day and that next week all will be back
to usual without the ribbon cutting ceremony.
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Dhiirrane: The Veteran
Who Lost His Mind!! |
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Authored By: Abdishakur Ali Mohumed (Good Lawyer)
and Translated into English by: Rhoda Rageh.
It is midday and the sun is very hot. It is summer
and most of the people have gone home to rest. Sweaty
and under severe wear and tear, he came to climb the
incline toward Xero Awr and Jigjiga yar provinces in
the city of Hargeysa. Sweat is pouring profusely
from all over his body. He
can’t speak because he is parched with thirst. His
hair is overgrown down his back in thread locks. He
is a thin man who is suffering from malnutrition and
hard times have both beaten him. He is wearing rag
that is severely worn out. He is wearing some rags
that neither keeps him clothed nor qualify him as
naked. His T-shirt is worn both at the back and at
the front. In his lower body, he is wearing an army
fatigue that has the right leg missing. He is
walking at a fierce speed while talking to himself
thus: “God is great. Siyad Barre is in the other
world and we have freed the country. We have
protected the Faith, and we have prospered the
people.” He
smiled to himself and said: “But these people give
no gratitude – Siyad Barre was better for them.
Everybody is looking for his pocket and the richer
one is the better he is.”
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‘Heart Of Darfur’- A
Truth-Based Story |
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Abdikadir Dayib Askar*
Ever since I was born, the sufferings and the plight
of African people have been ‘music’ to my ears.
Whenever I switch on TVs, all that jumps to the
screen have been bad news and a sort of desolation
going on in one part or another in Africa. True it
is that wars, poverty and dictatorship are familiar
to every child born and raised in Africa.
The times when atrocities from Africa flash from the
TV screens, the easiest one could do is to reach for
remote control and move to another channel. Because
simply we can’t hear our crying, watch our
wretchedness and see the corpses lying all over the
place.
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The Fate Of Somaliland
National Identity Of Peace & Reconciliation: The
Dialects Of Tradition And Modernity |
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By Adam Muse Jibril -
(Part
one)
Few weeks later, following the Presidential election
of June 26, 2010, a Western Scholar asked me this
question: “is Somaliland democracy sustainable?”,
and added …what you have done was an amazing
achievement, but what is next?
This question does, in fact, reflect not a simple
observation, but profound knowledge about the rough
road the transition to democracy in Africa is
traversing, with a particular attention to the
Somaliland’s spectacular democratic election
performance. These anxieties, which express highly
alert intellectual concerns, are both comprehensible
and timely. The presidential election of 26 June
2010, its outcome and the manner in which the
transition of power was conducted, had all exceeded
the boundaries of expectations of observers at home
and abroad. And thus were considered as mystic
accomplishment.
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Political Curiosity In
Somalia |
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By Butamire
I’ve heard the above statement uttered before but
I’d never thought of it in connection with Rwanda. I
could well imagine it being pronounced by an
aspiring president of a super power like USA about
his country but not by a third world leader about
their country, especially one on the African
continent.
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