Somalia Elects a New President

Somalia Elects a New President

By Faisal A. Roble

On September 10, 2012, Somalia’s newly seated law makers elected a new president, Hassan Sheik Mohamud. President-elect Mohamud was the dark horse of this election where he was largely unknown until a week ago when he declared his candidacy. Up until today, Somalia had not democratically elected a president for more than 45 years of its 52 years of existence.

President-elect Mohamud, an academic and a former employee of UNICEF, won in a run-off land slide victory, beating the formidable incumbent president Sheikh Sharif Sheik Ahmed. In the second round, the final vote count was 190 for president-elect Sheik Mohamud vs. 79 for the defeated Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.



In the opinion of many Somalis, the result speaks of a mandate extended to the president-elect and a determination that Somalis want to move ahead with a new vision, divorcing themselves from the gridlock and accusation of corruption that has captivated previous administrations.

With a new and qualitatively superior parliament that has elected a well-received speaker on August 20, 2012, president-elect Mohamud is poised to harness huge enthusiasm and positive reception so far expressed by Somalis of all shades.

Following the final count, the outgoing president made a rare but well-received concession speech in front of the very body, the Parliament, which handed him an unexpected pink slip. Former president Sharif SheikhAhmed extended an olive branch both to the parliament and to the president-elect, pledging to work as a private citizen towards the betterment of his wounded nation.

EEqually important is that former Prime Minister, Dr. AbdiWali Ali Gas, had graciously conceded a defeat after a disappointing first round of the competition. In his brief speech, Dr. AbdiWali urged his compatriots to forge ahead with more positive changes and not to reverse the course of progress so far travelled. Nonetheless, Dr. Gas would go into the history books as the Prime Minister that had advanced the cause of normalization and pacification of this tumultuous nation.

There are few lessons learned from this election:

Candidates from Mogadishu and its environs undeniably dominated the first and second round of the election as the results testify;
Candidate Farmajo’s populism and his popularity with certain sectors in the Diaspora community was not well received by the law makers;
The highly educated diaspora based candidates did poorly, with the exception of the former Prime minister who received 30 votes in the first round to the winners 60 votes.


So, what are the attributes that earned Mr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud this coveted position of Somalia’s presidency? One attribute that stands out is he is unique bread among Somalia’s educated class. He is both a member of the Diaspora and those who stayed behind

While he can claim to possess attributes of the Somalia’s bourgeoning Diaspora communities, he had also shared the pain and sufferings of its downtrodden masses that have been locked up inside Mogadishu. Whereas he is westernized educationally with his training at the former Faculty of Education, Lafole, India and SUNY-affiliated SIDAM institute, he had stayed behind for the good part of the last 22 years in Mogadishu serving the displaced, educating their children and engaging in peacemaking among Mogadishu’s rival groups.

Now, he faces the arduous task of forming a government of quality and high degree of ethics. With the expectation to be met, president-elect Mahamud needs all our support.

Faisal A. Roble

Email: fabroble@aol.com

A new Dawn and new beginning for Somalia

A new Dawn and new beginning for Somalia

By Ali H. Abdulla 

It is indeed a great day for Somalia. A day on which it got rid of two abhorrent individuals with similar sounding names, and who many accuse of being corrupt and ready to even sell pieces of the country to the highest bidder. It is a suspicion confirmed by the UN Monitoring Group for Somalia in its latest report.



I would like to congratulate the new president of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud who looks presidential, sound presidential and will hopefully live up to the expectations of millions of Somalis all over the world. I met him nearly a year ago in Dubai in a function that celebrated the Unity of Somalia and he gave a talk that portrayed him as a man of vision. I can recall clearly that one of his acquaintances told me then that the professor was going to run for the highest job in Somalia. I am glad that he did and won convincingly without resorting to dirty tricks or bribery as has been the custom for a long time in Somalia.

President Hassan has the monumental task of rebuilding a shattered nation that was dictated to by regional powers and UN functionaries such as Mahiga, a figure that many Somalis love to hate and would like to see the last of in the coming weeks. I hope that the first presidential decree will be to declare as him as persona-non-Grata.

Whether the new Somali parliamentarians heeded the advise of the most candid Presidential Candidate, Salad Ali Jelle, who in his campaign speech asked the members to grab any bribes offered to them but to vote their consciousness, or whether they lived up to their oath of allegiance to Somalia and the Somali people, we should thank them for a job well done.

My first advise to the new president is to pick his Prime Minister carefully and ignore the cursed 4.5 formula and to take his time to find a person with whom he can have a good working relationship that is not marred by conflict as we have become accustomed to from his predecessor who sacked two Prime Ministers.

My second advise to him it to stand up for Somali Unity and to do his best to bring our brothers in Somaliland back into the fold. He also needs to avoid more bloodshed in Somalia and reach out to our young and misguided warriors who were led astray by extremist elements who imported alien concepts to our country. Reconciliation within the Somali family will help us get rid of the thousands of foreign forces in our land and get back our lost pride and reclaim our true sovereignty.

Finally, let us thank professor Jawari and his two deputies for managing the difficult task of electing a credible president. We are grateful to them for a well managed process that was not marred by angry parliamentarians slugging it out with metal chairs. Let us not forget our elders who spent many months away from their families to help us reach where we are today.

Somalia ha noolaato

Ali H Abdulla
Email: aliegeh@gmail.com

MADAXWEYNAHA CUSUB EE SOOMAALIYA HA LA YIMAADO SIYAASADDA LABA DAL OO WALAALO AH.

Doorashadii Madaxweynha Soomaaliya oo  uu ku guulaystay Xasan Sh Maxamuud ayaa doorkii hore oo ay ay isu soo sharaxeen 22 murashax ayaa u dhacday sidan oon hoos idiinku muujinayo inta cod heshay, iyagoo ay jiraan rag aan hal codna helin oo uu ka mid yahay Maslax Maxamed Siyaad, taas oo ka dhigan in xataa naftiisu u diiday inay u codeyso. Waa amuur la yaab leh, ruuxa isagu isu codeyn waayey, yaa uu cod ka sugaayey.

Natiijada doorashada Musharaxiinta

Cabdi Wali Gaas 29 cod
Cabdullahi Cadow 24 cod
Shariif Ahmed 63 Cod
C.raxman Baadiyow 20 Cod
Cabduqadir Cosoble 27 Cod
Yusuf Garaad 8 Cod
Mohamed Gacal 1 Cod
Mohamed Farmaajo 13 Cod
Xasan Shiikh 59 Cod
Saciid Lugoole 1 Cod
Ahmed Samatar 8 Cod
Xaaji Yasin 2 Cod
Sakariye Xaaji 1 Cod
Cabdi wali shiikh 3 Cod
Maxamed OOmaar 1 Cod
Cabdi Wali Goonjeex 3 Cod
Cumar Salaad 2 Cod

Waxay doorashau u dhacday daah-furnaan iyo hab dimuquraadi ah soona jiitay indhaha bulshada caalamka. Waxa barlamanku xajiijiyeen inay ka door bidayaan ragga dalka joogay ee dhib iyo dheef dadkooda la wadaagay, ragga qurbajooga ah, iyo inay doortaan aqoonta ooy ka baxaan dagaal oogayaal.

Haddana arrintani waxay ina tusaysaa in hab qabiil lagu heshiiyey oo ah in loo daayo beesha Hawiye, Abgaal Madaxnimada, halka la filayo in Daaroodna qaato Raisal Wasaaraha oo weliba loo filaayo Majeerteen. Faalo kale ma leh ee ma laga yabaa in arrintani ku noqoto Soomaalida mid joogta ah oon ku eekaan xiligan dib u dhiska.  Aan u rajeeyo inay ku eekaato xiligan dib u dhiska, walow waxa loo bartaa caado noqoto.

Waxaan leeyahay Madaxwyne Xassan Sh. Maxamuud hanbalyo, bogaadin iyo guul iyo guul. Dardaaranka ugu muhiimsan een u dirayaa waa inuu noqdo nin eega danta guud iyo nabadgelyada lana dagaalama musuqmaasuqa oo aanu inna u dulqaadan in la daco hantida guud, waa inuu iska jiraa eexda iyo qabyaaladda, waa inaan shisheeye wax u yeedhin, waa inuu naftiisa ku kalsoonaadaa oo uu yeeshaa go'aan adag iyo hoggaan awood leh. 

Siyaasadiisa Soomalilandna ha ahaato mid run ku dhisan oon malo awaal iyo riyo ahayn. Waa inuu ka shaqeeyaa siyaasadda laba dal oo walaalo ah oo wax wada qabsada taas oo danta Soomalinimadu ku jirto. Yaan waqti kaga lumin dib u raadin aan suuragal ahayn iyo midnimo aan la helayn. Dadku waxay u baahan yihiin dib u dhis dhaqaale, bulsho iyo caafimaad, uma baahan muran iyo colaad hor leh. Aan ka wado shaqayno inaynu helno hab iskaashi oo ay u aayaan dadweynaha labada dal, taas ayey guushu ku jirtaa. Noqo Madaxweynihii ka midho dhalin lahaa wada hadalka labada dal.

Alle ha garansiiyo halka dantu ku jirto. Soomali meel ay joogaanba waxaan u rajeynayaa nabad iyo horumar.

Axmed Xasan Carwo 

 samotalis@gmail.com

The Best Man for Somalia’s Presidency – Who is it?

The Best Man for Somalia’s Presidency – Who is it? 

By Faisal A. Roble

In few days, a body of 275 men and woman representing Somalia’s disparate clans, who often engage in warfare than in each other’s welfare, would elect a post- transitional president. So far, more than 32 individuals, overwhelmingly men and political carpetbaggers from the bourgeoning Somali diaspora communities, have officially filed their applications. Despite this historic election taking place in an imperfect political environment, getting to the Promised Land (permanent government) is the goal of the exercise.

At the outset, I personally feel comfortable with no guilty conscious to state that those who deserve the least should not be elected. The following criteria should be observed to weed out the unqualified:

A religious fundamentalist (past and present) who may contribute or have contributed in the past to the erosion of the open and liberal version of Islam in Somalia should not become the next president. There are clouds hanging over some of the front runners, who are known to have either aided or abated al-shabab or piracy; these individuals should be denied the privilege to lead the country.


Candidates who are not adequately educated or do not possess any tangible skills to lead Somalia out of the socio-political quagmire in which it has been drowning for the last twenty years must not occupy Villa Somalia.


Those who wield power by agitating or polarize the community on wedge issues in such an already fragile society of Somalia must also be barred from sitting on the seat of power lest there is that fear that such individuals can submerge Somalia in a renewed crisis.


Those who had shown signs of megalomania or a behavior of tantrum as exhibited bySharif Hassan in his videotaped threat targeted against Abdurrahman Hosh, Minister of Constitution, should never be given a chance to take any leadership role, let alone giving such a person the privilege to lead Somalia.

But who are the candidates we can trust? Without having each candidate’s s resume at hand, one can only go by the personal knowledge one possesses about them. I personally have fair knowledge about nine candidates’ qualifications and abilities:

Dr. Ahmed Ismael Samatar, professor of Political Science, and a world class scholar needs no introduction. Ahmed, who declared that he will work for a $1 salary monthly, has for some time now eloquently explained what ails Somalia. If elected, he says he will draft a dynamic vision for Somalia and lead it out of its endemic political crisis, hunger, warfare and inferiority that engulfed it for the last 20 years. In a private email I once exchanged with Ahmed, I told him: “you are at the pinnacle of your scholarship that it is Somalia that needs you and not the other way.”


Dr. Ahmed Muumin Farah Warfa, professor of Agriculture, comes to the frying pan with a lot of academic and professional experience. He has worked as researchers and professional both in Somalia and abroad. Warfa has shown me in our frequent telephonic conversation for the last one year to be an inclusive and a no-nonsense man, with an unparalleled level of willingness to reach out the other side of the aisle.


Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdi Hashi possesses extensive experience in international finance and about fifteen years of past employment with the World Bank. He is an all-round intellectual and well acquainted with Washington DC. The son of former vice president of Puntland, Mohamed Abdi Hashi, Dr. Abdirahman would make a great leader if, in addition to his credentials, he possesses an ounce of his father’s honesty and forwardness.


Dr. Bashir Nuur Looyan, Ph.D. in agriculture is a friend and both a former student of mine and a soccer mate; he is young and a true Balaja Carab kid with a lot of energy to implement radical ideas. He has a wide range of political connections to world leaders. He could be someone to mend the breach Somalia had sustained and help it heal its wounds.


Ali Abdale Guuri, a friend and an honest patriot with disability, is someone who would challenge the status quo in a never-seen way.


Dr. Abdirahman Badiyow, an academic of the Muslim Brotherhood, is a critical thinker and a well known quantity in Mogadishu’s fledgling educational institutions.

Mr. Yasiin Issa, a close friend and a graduate of management buttresses his education with integrity and honesy. As a former colonel in the now-defunct Marine of Somalia, and a long time employee of the County of San Diego, California, he comes to the candidacy with both professional and military credentials. He could help Somalia and its search for secure cities in a meaningful way.


Mohamed Hirsi Khalif of Islamic Bank also comes to the podium with multiple experiences and the most important one being his days at the Islamic Bank. He could help foster good understanding between Somalia and the rich and deep-pocket Arabs across the Red Sea.


Mohamed Farmajo, former Prime Minister, has a populist streak and a can-do attitude.

Each and every one of these candidates is highly educated and seems to be up to the task. I could see voting or accepting each and every one of them as the next president of Somalia.
However, one candidate stands out with the biggest chance than the rest – that is the sitting Prime Minister Abdiwali Gas Ali. Prior to joining the TFG, Dr. Ali was a professor of economics at Niagara University in Buffalo, New York. Dr. Ali joined the faculty in August 2003. He has a Masters of Public Administration from Harvard University, a Certificate of Taxation from Harvard Law School, and a Masters of Economics from Vanderbilt University; a Ph.D. in economics from George Masson University.

Dr. AbdiWali Ali has the unique advantage of boosting his credentials beyond academia. In the last one year, he has accomplished the impossible:

(1) He has succeeded through sheer discipline and tenacity to implement the excessively fastidious and fussy Roadmap,

(2) He has finished the stalled and controversy-mired Draft Constitution and literally made the defiant and illusive transition a reality. Somalia today has a living constitution which could be perfected through s serious of amendment as needed in time; Going to election is one-step forward,

(3) He helped bring peace to Mogadishu by closely partnering with the AMISOM troops and the nations that fund it,

(4) He was able for the first time to bring together regional leaders (Faroole of Puntland, Caalim of Galmudug) and the sitting president, Sharif Ahmed, the result of which has been the signing of Garowe agreements. Prime Minister AbdiWali was also instrumental in the establishment of the Jubaland administration, otherwise a tough terrain for the last twenty years,

(5) He showed a higher sense of good judgment by assembling a capable and cooperative cabinet that showed collegial and cordial culture in their day-to-day discharge of their national duty,

In the final analysis, leading a nation requires both a vision and a craft. Moreover, to succeed a leader could use friends and family support. In the case of Prime Minister Abdiwali, a decent and honest family man, his other half, Dr. Hodan Essa, herself a professor of economics in New York, is an asset. Watching them complement each other reminds us of the 1992 interview the Clintons (both of them are lawyers by training) gave to 60 minutes. In it, Hillary said: “You get two with one price,” suggesting that if elected, the White House will be occupied by a competent and capable couple. A couple of Somalis with Ph.Ds. in economics occupying Villa Somalia is a far cry than when a dictator or a Muslim cleric occupied it. This is indeed a high standard, even at Western norms.

A prudent first step by the eventual occupier of Villa Somalia should include inviting for consultation some or all of qualified contenders (AbdiWali, Ahmed Samatar, Warfa, Issa, Hashi, Looyan, Khalif, Guure, Badiyow, and Farmajo) to draft a plan to move forward.

My departing words to winners and non-winners are none other than Mark Twain’s wise words: “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it,” and hope the next president deserves our loyalty.

Faisal A. Roble
Email: fabroble@aol.com

AMIIR IYO SIYAASADDA SOOMAALIDA

Mogadishu Safer, but Still Dangerous

Mogadishu Safer, but Still Dangerous-voa

A Ugandan police officer serving with the African Union Mission in Somalia's first Formed Police Unit stands at the top of an armored personnel carrier at a police station in the capital Mogadishu,

RELATED ARTICLES

Somalia Experiences Lively Election Campaign
Somalia Swears in New Parliament

Mohammed Yusuf

August 24, 2012
MOGADISHU — Today whoever visits Somalia's capital will tell you how significantly security has improved in the city. Ordinary Somalis don’t have to face the constant street fighting they endured during the last two decades. But those involved in the process of bringing stable institutions and government to the war-torn country still face an element of danger. Targeted killings in the city are on the rise.

General security has improved in Mogadishu, but journalists, aid workers, and people working for government institutions still face threats to their lives.

Eight journalists and media professionals have been killed in Somalia this year, and suicide bombers tried unsuccessfully to attack the meeting where Somalia's new constitution was passed earlier this month.

The U.S. envoy to Somalia, Ambassador James Swan, praised individuals working with the government despite daily threats against them.

“Let me just say we are very much impressed at the courageousness, not only for media organs but also for example members of the technical selection committee and other involved in this transition process," said Dwan. "They have shown courage, great integrity, a genuine commitment to change here in Somalia.”

The technical selection committee that Swan mentions is working to screen and approve members of Somalia's new parliament. The committee recently rejected more than 60 nominated legislators because of their connection to and involvement in Somalia’s civil war.

This step has angered many warlords in the city and residents fear war may break out between warlords' militias and the African Union (AU) peacekeeping force, known as AMISOM.

Mogadishu has enjoyed a year of peace since AU troops along with Somali government forces drove the militant group al-Shabab out of the city last year.

The threat of street violence has not disappeared entirely. Nearly every street and alley in Mogadishu has a checkpoint administered by clan-based militias who portray themselves as official police.

Informed sources familiar with these checkpoints tell VOA that payment is made to the commander of each checkpoint, and depending how frequently one uses these checkpoints, drivers can pay up to $20 a day or about $200 monthly.

For militiamen manning these checkpoints, it is the only way they can earn a living.

Ambassador Swan said the security forces in the country, both African Union and Somali government forces, must provide a more secure environment for individuals and institutions affiliated with the country’s transition process.

The United Nations special representative for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, warned no one will be allowed to disturb the relative peace which the country has enjoyed for the last year.

“The force commander of AMISOM, he has given assurance to the international partners and to the process that AMISOM is fully equipped, is fully alert, is on top of the situation and we do not expect the peace that has been won so dearly to be disturbed," said Mahiga.

The peace will be tested in the coming days as the final members of the new parliament are selected and lawmakers then elect a new president. The United Nations hopes the process will give Somalia its first stable central government in more than two decades.

Kenya Warns Against Flights in Somalia Amid Arms Shipments

Bloomberg

Kenya Warns Against Flights in Somalia Amid Arms Shipments
By Sarah McGregor and Paul Richardson

(Updates with report Eritrean ambassador summoned in first paragraph.)

Nov. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Kenya warned aircraft against flying over an area of Somalia where arms shipments may have been delivered to al-Shabaab, as it reportedly summoned Eritrea’s ambassador about allegations his country is supplying weapons to the militants.

At least three aircraft have landed in southern Somalia carrying weapons suspected of being for the al-Qaeda-linked militia, which is being targeted by Kenyan military forces that began an incursion into Somalia on Oct. 16. Two of the aircraft landed in Baidoa, 224 kilometers (139 miles) northwest of Mogadishu, army spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir said.

“We know Baidoa is being used to deliver weapons,” Chirchir said today in a telephone interview in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. “Every time we have a delivery, we are going to take that aircraft down.”

Kenya’s government accuses al-Shabaab of murdering a British tourist in Kenya and abducting at least four visitors and aid workers, damaging a tourism industry that is the East African nation’s second-biggest foreign-exchange earner. Al- Shabaab denies the charges.

While heavy rainfall has hampered the advance of Kenya troops, the military is targeting 10 Somali towns, including the port of Kismayo, which is a main supply route for al-Shabaab, and warned residents there to be cautious.

Chirchir said last month Kenyan forces are “willing to celebrate Christmas” in Kismayo if it takes that long to arrive there. The army hasn’t provided any schedule for its planned advance or details on the size of its force.

Al-Shabaab Fight

Al-Shabaab has been fighting Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed’s United Nations-backed government, which is supported by a 9,500-member African Union force, for four years and controls most of southern and central Somalia.

“All aircraft are hereby warned not to land in Baidoa,” Chirchir said in a statement on his Twitter account yesterday. “Anyone violating this will be doing so at their peril. Further unauthorized flying over the region will be considered a threat.”

Two aircraft that landed at Baidoa may have departed from Eritrea, the Nairobi-based Standard newspaper reported on Nov. 2, citing unidentified websites in Somalia that quoted al- Shabaab. A third aircraft may have also originated in Eritrea, the Daily Nation, based in Nairobi, said yesterday.

Eritrea denied it is supplying arms to al-Shabaab and said there is no evidence it has any military involvement in Somalia, according to a statement e-mailed by the country’s Foreign Ministry on Nov. 2.

Ambassador Summoned

“We don’t know what the source of the shipment is,” Chirchir said today.

Eritrean Ambassador Beyene Russom met Kenyan Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula after the diplomat was summoned to discuss allegations his country was involved in shipping arms to al-Shabaab, the Daily Nation reported today, without citing anyone. Russom wasn’t immediately available for comment on the report, an assistant at his Nairobi-based office who declined to be identified in line with embassy policy, said by phone.

Eritrea may be providing financial and logistical support to armed opposition groups in Somalia and other countries including Uganda, Djibouti and Ethiopia, according to a July report by the United Nations Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea.

Nairobi Bombings

Kenya’s navy yesterday intercepted a skiff carrying suspected militants, killing all 18 people on board, Chirchir said. Al-Shabaab has threatened to retaliate against Kenya.

Last month, two bomb blasts in Nairobi killed one person and injured 28 in attacks the government said were inspired by al-Shabaab. A man arrested in connection with the bombings, Elgiva Bwire Oliacha, was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to charges including engaging in organized criminal activity and of being a member of al-Shabaab.

Chirchir also warned Kenyan livestock traders not to sell donkeys to al-Shabaab militants, who are using the animals to carry weapons.

“The locals use donkeys to fetch water for domestic use, however, due to the heavy rains water-fetching is not feasible,” he said. “Any large concentration and movement of loaded donkeys will be considered as al-Shabaab activity.”

--Editors: Karl Maier, Vernon Wessels, Heather Langan

To contact the reporters on this story: Sarah McGregor in Nairobi at smcgregor5@bloomberg.net; Paul Richardson in Nairobi at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Louis Meixler at lmeixler@bloomberg.net

Somalia: Sierra Leone to Send Troops

Somalia: Sierra Leone to Send Troops
By JOSH KRON- Newyork Times 

Sierra Leone will send 850 soldiers to an African Unionpeacekeeping mission inSomalia, a military official said Thursday. The official, Lt. Col. Ronnie Harleston, Sierra Leone’s military attaché to the United Nations, said the troops would deploy in the middle of next year. They will join approximately 9,000 peacekeepers from Uganda and Burundi, who are currently trying to secure the Somali capital, Mogadishu, from Islamist rebels. Djibouti plans to contribute 850 troops to the force this month. The force has a mandate for 12,000 peacekeepers, but African Union officials say they would need 20,000 to try to pacify the entire country, which has been in a state of civil unrest for roughly 20 years.

Africa awash with conflicts and weapons

Somalia’s uneasy peace

by Glen Johnson

Abdullahi walked slowly past makeshift stalls in a crowded Mogadishu market, dragging his right leg. He’s in his fifties and unemployed, and relies on overseas remittances sent by his daughter to survive. In 2007 he was shot by Somalia’s increasingly powerful Islamist militia, al-Shabab (Youth). The bullet blew a hole through his right leg, just below his groin.
Like many Somalis, Abdullahi is a casualty of the conflict between Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and al-Shabab. He says he supports the TFG but doesn’t know whether it can succeed. “But it has to,” he said. “Look at the roads, look at the rubbish: this is what 20 years of no government does. We cannot have another 20 years of war.”
With renewed violence in October, the uneasy peace that has hung over Mogadishu since al-Shabab withdrew in early August may be over. Most analysts explain the withdrawal from the capital city by pointing to rifts that emerged within the organisation when it attempted to define who it should be fighting. Should it fight the ‘near enemy’ or the ‘far enemy’? Should it be national in its focus, or international? Part of the global jihad or not? Pressure from other militia notably the Sufi-oriented Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa compounded the organisation’s problems; so did the drying up of remittances from the Somali diaspora.
According to William Reno, of Northwestern University in the US, al-Shabab placed emphasis on ideology at the expense of political pragmatism, and fought on too many fronts at once. “They’ve overplayed their ideological hand and annoyed enough people so that, in the end, the communities they control are turning against them and starting to look to other people.” Reno, who has extensive experience throughout Africa, thinks that in some ways al-Shabab has pursued the sensible alternative when trying to figure out how to unite communities to use religion. “But,” he added, “in trying to articulate a religious idea they are too ideological. So they are insensitive to the political calculations and compromises they have to make.” (Al-Shabab’s ideological persuasion is Takfiri, an ultra-conservative interpretation in which the killing of apostates forms the core conceptual basis. Un-Islamic cultural practice is banned and a strict version of sharia enforced.)
In 2008, for example, a 13-year-old girl, Asho Duhulow, was raped by three militiamen. She took her case to a Kismayo court administered by al-Shabab and identified her assailants. The men were released, but Asho was charged with adultery (1). She was taken to a local sports ground, buried up to her neck and stoned to death. According to reports, al-Shabab militiamen opened fire on people who attempted to intervene, killing one.

Path to Islamisation

Yet, Somalia does not have a history dominated by Islamic extremism and most analysts note that al-Shabab’s ideology is an odd fit for Somalis. Political Islam emerged in the 1960s as Muslim Brotherhood ideology spread through the Horn of Africa and Egypt’s al-Azhar University funded religious schools in Mogadishu.
In the mid-1970s former president Siad Barre introduced a new family law, ostensibly promoting gender equality as part of his agenda of “Scientific Socialism”; this granted women equal rights in the area of inheritance. Abdurahman M Abdullahi wrote in an essay entitled Women, Islamists and the Military Regime in Somalia, that the law enraged Somalia’s religious leaders who saw it as a secular assault on Islam at the level of the family. An Islamist movement began to crystallise.
Saudi Arabian Wahabbism was imported into Somalia in the 1980s, via Saudi charities. By 1984 al-Ittihad al-Islamiya had emerged as a composite of two other radical groups. It morphed into a militant group in 1991, but suffered a series of stinging defeats in the mid-1990s.
The Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) was formed in the early 2000s; its basis is an ad hoc collection of Islamic courts that had administered justice in Somalia following the collapse of Siad Barre’s regime. By 2006 the UIC was seriously challenging Mogadishu’s warlords and took control of the capital in June, bringing stability but enforcing a strict form of sharia. The UIC was unacceptable to both Ethiopia and the United States, for geopolitical reasons. In December 2006 Ethiopia, acting as a crude proxy for the US, formally launched strikes against the movement and quickly overwhelmed it. Al-Shabab, the UIC’s youth wing, emerged. Led by Sheikh Aden Hashi Ayro, who is said to have received training in insurgency tactics and explosives in Afghanistan in the 1990s, the organisation began waging war against the TFG and soon controlled much of south and central Somalia (2).

The view from Bakara market

Some of the people perched behind temporary stalls were from Bakara market, which was closed by the TFG as it sought to secure Mogadishu after al-Shabab’s withdrawal. One storekeeper said he felt as if he was on holiday, but did not think the peace would last long. “Shabab was making problems for the people. It was better they leave us. [But] these people are from Bakara. By day they come here and sell, at night they fight with the government.”
Others claim al-Shabab cannot regroup, but express concerns about whether the TFG will act responsibly: the TFG is known to be corrupt and there are doubts over whether a western-style centralised system of governance is relevant or can be effective in a clan-based Somalia. But everyone agrees that further US involvement in the country would shatter the temporary peace. As Abdullahi put it: “We need help now, but then they [the international community] should leave.”
But recent reports that the US is expanding its capabilities throughout the Horn of Africa, while unsurprising, do not bode well, and could threaten Mogadishu’s shaky peace, while strengthening al-Shabab’s international factions.
It is clear the US is at war in both Yemen and Somalia. How it manages those wars will determine the damage to the region. Washington’s Somalia and Yemen strategy seems similar to its Pakistan strategy: by targeting leadership figures normally with drone strikes operational inefficiencies emerge over time and hinder the ability of jihad networks to carry out attacks. The networks then fragment as disagreements over how to counter US tactics emerge, amid an overall environment of rotating leadership, probably characterised by competition between potential leadership figures. Efficacy is lowered and the threat becomes localised, rather than global.
But this strategy lacks an end game. As the civilian casualties mount, the likelihood of ordinary people aligning themselves with the US’s targets increase. And so the US gets stuck in a pointless rut. Expanded US engagement in Somalia gives al-Shabab’s international factions a propaganda boost and could swing the balance in its favour while healing basic rifts within the group

http://mondediplo.com/2011/11/13somalia

'Somaliland is part of Somalia': PM Abdiweli Gas

'Somaliland is part of Somalia': PM Abdiweli Gas

Somalia’s interim Prime Minister Prof. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gas has told the BBC Somali Service that the separatist region of Somaliland is “part of Somalia,” asserting political words that are sure to ignite a tough response from Somaliland’s ruling administration, Radio Garowe reports.



Somali PM Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gas
Prime Minister Gas said that the international community “recognizes Somalia as one country” and commented that a “time shall come when Somali stakeholders including Somaliland will discuss how to strengthen the unity of Somalia.”

The Somali Prime Minister, who was appointed in June, is on a visiting trip to Denmark, days after he addressed the UN General Assembly in New York.

Somaliland, located in northwestern Somalia, unilaterally declared independence in 1991 but has not been recognized internationally.

Prime Minister Gas said the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia “recognizes Somaliland as a state similar to Puntland,” adding: “What is important is to discuss areas of mutual cooperation and to agree on national interests.”

Speaking about Somali terror group Al Shabaab, Prime Minister Gas: “Within the one-year mandate of my administration, we shall remove terrorist groups from all of Somalia like the way we removed them from Mogadishu.”

GAROWE ONLINE

Prime Minister of Somalia's statement GENERAL DEBATE OF THE 66TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Prime Minister of Somalia's statement GENERAL DEBATE OF THE 66TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY Prime Minister of Somalia's statement GENERAL DEBATE OF THE 66TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY Mr President, Mr Secretary-General, fellow delegates, ladies and gentleman: Mr President, let me take this opportunity to congratulate you on your election as President of the Sixty Sixth Session of the United Nations General Assembly. I would also like to congratulate our Secretary General of the United Nations on his re-election for a second term. We Somalis would like to thank him for his leadership as he put Somalia on the top of the agenda despite having too many competing priorities. We hope that Somalia will become peaceful and stable during his tenure. It is my honour to address you for the first time as the Prime Minister of Somalia. I come before you mindful of the enormous challenges of this important moment in our history and determined to act boldly in the cause of peace, justice and stability, not only on the Horn of Africa but on the African continent at large and in the world as a whole. The United Nations was founded on the conviction that the nations of the world could come together in the spirit of cooperation to tackle their common problems for the sake of the whole of humanity. I wish to speak of the challenges facing Somalia whose effects have found ample expression in the current dire situation in the country, and some of which threaten each country represented here. Let me take this opportunity to thank the Prime Minister of Turkey for his genuine leadership and for highlighting the plight and the suffering of those people aggected by the famine. The seemingly unending humanitarian crisis in Somalia has many and varied causes. Decades of conflict, the demise of the central state, poor and kleptocratic leadership and struggles between clans for limited resources, exacerbated by cycles of devastating droughts, have created chronic food shortages, an underdeveloped economy and has driven the population to despair. In recent years, the global terrorist organisation, Al Qaeda, has sought to exploit these divisions and weaknesses to plot and execute attacks on the rest of the world. Our people know only too well the destruction that a few people, blinded by an ideology of extremism and terror, can wreak on a country. It is this small minority, primarily the Al Qaeda affiliated group al Shabaab, that is responsible for the current famine that is spreading throughout the country through their polices of systematically looting grain stores; forcible recruitment of and extortion from farmers and their families; and preventing access to the most affected regions in the south to aid agencies. However, the threat they pose is not limited to our borders. Foreign fighters have sought to export their noxious extremism to the rest of the Horn, recruiting and sponsoring acts of terror in neighbouring countries such as Uganda, where last year they murdered 76 innocent people. The insecurity they have created in the south of Somalia has led to a large influx of refugees into Kenya and Ethiopia, straining resources and spreading instability across the region. They are also actively planning to strike further afield. Just this week, one of the leaders of the al Shabaab said the group is committed to continuing its battle against the government of Somalia and also seeks to destroy both the United States and the United Nations. It is also a well known fact that the al Shabaab have been focussing their recruitment and radicalisation efforts on Somali Diasporas in Australia, Europe, Canada and in the USA. Clearly, the battle against Al Qaeda is one in which we all have a stake and in which we all, therefore, have responsibilities. In Somalia, we have been doing what we can, within our limited resources, to fulfill our obligations in this regard. Barely a month after US forces killed Osama bin Laden, one of his most wanted deputies, Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, was shot dead by Somali security forces on the outskirts of Mogadishu. Shortly thereafter, with the aid of African Union forces, the Somali National Army succeeded in forcing the extremists to withdraw the bulk of their forces from the capital. As a result, we are now able to begin to provide needed humanitarian assistance to the city’s ever increasing population of internally displaced persons who are fleeing the areas still held by the extremists where the famine has hit hardest. Though the extremists’ retreat from Mogadishu is a welcome development, it may herald a new and more dangerous phase of the conflict as they increasingly turn to asymmetric tactics such as suicide bombings and the use of improvised explosive devices targeting the civilian populace. As we continue build up our capacities, our security agencies are alert to this threat and have already successfully disrupted a number of planned attacks, including several targeting the hungry at feeding centers. Mr. President, Terrorism preys on decaying states, exploiting the poverty and the ungoverned spaces to radicalize, recruit and plan. This is why the extremists have consistently fought against the Somali Peace Process and sought to destroy the institutions it has generated. Somalia’s leaders are redoubling efforts to achieve national reconciliation and entrench democratic governance. Three weeks ago, with the help of our international partners, we hosted a National Consultative Conference in Mogadishu -the first - during which the transitional institutions and representatives of regional administrations came together to adopt a Roadmap to the re-establishment of permanent, legitimate and representative government for the country. This conference, the culmination of Somali-led reconciliation initiatives dating back to the Arta Declaration of May 2000, represents the best hope for Somalia to establish a firm political foundation from which to rebuild. The Roadmap is a significant achievement for the Somali Peace Process. Its adoption marks the first of many steps on the path to the eventual conclusion of the transition process in a responsible and productive manner. It has also shed light on the remaining transitional tasks, including the drafting and promulgation of a new constitution. The Transitional Federal Institutions have committed to meeting the specific timelines and benchmarks for their implementation as outlined in the Roadmap and this will allow the Somali people to monitor our performance in this regard.  The support of the international community is also crucial to ensuring its success. Indeed the Conference itself would not have taken place but for the continued engagement of the international community. Let me also take this opportunity to express my gratitude, on behalf of the entire nation, to the African Union, and especially Uganda and Burundi, for the support they have given and the sacrifices they have made so far in this worthy cause. The fact that the Conference was safely held in Mogadishu is testimony to the achievements in security that their forces have made possible in the city. I must also thank all the countries represented here for the bilateral and multilateral support given to both the transitional institutions and the AU Mission in Somalia, without which none of what has been achieved, would have been possible. Going forward, as we embark on the final leg of the transition process, we will continue to need your help and support. The Roadmap has illuminated the path and though dangers may lie in the shadows, we will not divert from it. We ask that you continue to accompany us on this journey and continue to provide needed resources as we advance towards full sovereignty Despite the remarkable progress we have made so far, the gains we have made remain fragile and consolidating them will require resilience and unity from all. It is critical that the Somali Army and AMISOM are urgently reinforced so they can prevent a security vacuum in the areas of Mogadishu recently vacated by the fleeing extremists, and make the city safe for both residents and aid workers. The immediate deployment of the extra 3000 AMISOM troops already authorized by the UN Security Council would be a crucial first step. Along with this, I have asked the Security Council to reconsider the request from the African Union to expand the force strength to 20,000 troops and provide them with the necessary resources and support, including an air and marine component, so that the zone of safety can be expanded to include the rest of the country. In addition to this, we must also begin to demonstrate to the people the fruits of peace and democracy and to reverse the harmful effects of radicalisation. Somalia needs the help of the outside world to rebuild its economy and provide jobs for the millions of our young people who have been deprived of opportunities by the anarchy of the past two decades. We must show them that there is a better alternative to the gun. The effort must begin at home. Let me be the first to acknowledge that, in the past, we Somalis made mistakes, which eroded the trust the international community has in our institutions. Somalia can and must do better. In this time of national crisis, we the Somali people must set aside our differences and come together to confront the perils. Reconciliation must become our mantra as we work to further the peace process and create an environment conducive for the delivery of aid. We in the political class must also accept our responsibility for the errors of the past and resolve to do better. The Somali people have had enough of war and hunger; enough of political wrangling and corruption. They demand, and indeed deserve, a government that puts the national interest before personal ambition; one that fosters unity, not division. The Transitional Federal Government is making efforts to reverse this and to instil a sense of patriotism and responsibility. We are making good progress in injecting professionalism and transparency into revenue collection and economic management systems, as well as to strengthen internal mechanisms governing dispersal of government money and create a more open and accountable fiscal and monetary system. The Central Bank of Somalia is up and running and the economic reforms have resulted in the doubling of revenue from the Mogadishu Seaport and quadrupled those from the Aden Ade International Airport. The funds are being reinvested in provision of services to the people as our current capability allows. For example, 15 per cent of the revenue collected from the Seaport has been set aside for the rehabilitation of the city. As a result, for the first time in twenty years Mogadishu is being cleared of rubble; roads are being repaired and streets lit; markets, hospitals and schools are reopening. A register containing the names and biometric data of all members of the security forces has been compiled and our soldiers are receiving their allowances regularly. As required by the Roadmap, we have also embarked on the process of identifying nominees to the Interim Independent Anti-Corruption Commission and we are formulating a National Fiscal Budget for the coming fiscal year. As with the gains in the security sector, in order to entrench and safeguard these reforms, and to deliver on the expectations of the Somali people, we in the Transitional Federal Government must improve on our performance and create necessary conditions for the growth of the Somali economy. However, the scale of the challenge is such that we will continue to rely on the help of our international partners. It is understandable that in the prevailing global economic environment, many in the wealthier countries will be tempted to look to their own problems to the detriment of providing aid and investment to their poorer cousins in the developing world. I would caution against this. The visionaries who founded this body understood that it was impossible to secure economic benefits for a section of the global population for as long as these remain a distant dream for the rest and sought to establish an interlinked global political and economic infrastructure which ensured that citizens in every country could participate in, and partake of the fruits of, global prosperity.  I therefore urge the international community to continue its generous support for the emerging economic institutions as we strive to rebuild the destroyed infrastructure and to jump start economic activity in the areas our forces are securing. To the business community, I say Somalia is truly Africa’s sleeping giant and a relatively small investment here will go a long way. With the longest coastline on the continent, bountiful and unexploited natural wealth and an entrepreneurial tradition that dates back to the Roman times, a peaceful Somalia would be a force for moderation and an engine of growth and prosperity for the region and for the continent. Further, the integration of Somalia into the global economy will have a considerable and beneficial impact on the phenomenon of piracy from our shores, which imposes huge costs on global trade. As has been noted by many observers, the lasting solution to this menace is not to be found in policing the high seas. The regeneration of a vibrant economy on the land, providing jobs and opportunity for all, is the sole antidote. Mr. President, The humanitarian situation in Somalia remains dire. The UN has declared famine in a sixth region which means that up to half the population is now facing the prospect of starvation. Many of these continue to come to the capital seeking refuge and over half a million have already arrived. To deal with this situation and to oversee the delivery of humanitarian assistance, a high level cabinet committee has been created and, as per its recommendations, the government has established several camps to house and feed them. A Disaster Management Agency, comprising members of the civil society has also been established and we are working with UN agencies such as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Food Program to synchronize our efforts to deal with the famine. On behalf of the entire Somali nation, I wish to express my gratitude for the pledges of assistance that have been received from governments and humanitarian agencies around the world. The greatest need, however, continues to be felt within areas still under the effective control of the extremists, where access by international humanitarian agencies is severely restricted. The insurgents are also hampering the freedom of movement of millions who are trying to reach help either in Mogadishu or in neighboring countries. Without urgent interventions to change this situation, it is estimated that up to three-quarters of a million people may perish in the next few months. Though normal to above-normal rainfall is expected to return in the next three months, this is unlikely to result in a significant easing of the crisis in the short term since the harvest would not be expected till February. In any case, the production from the short rain season only accounts for a third of total annual cereal production. The displacement of farmers by the current famine will only further reduce the expected yield. In fact, the UN has indicated that it expects the famine to spread to the rest of the south by the end of the year. It is therefore critical that we accelerate efforts to reach those in al Shabaab controlled areas, while at the same time ensuring that international humanitarian workers are afforded a measure of security against attacks and kidnappings by the insurgents. As I noted earlier, the international community must urgently reinforce our efforts to extend the zone of safety for aid workers beyond Mogadishu and into these areas. In the meantime my government will continue to work closely with humanitarian agencies to collect and share information on needs and we stand ready to cooperate with all actors to ensure aid gets to the most critically affected populations wherever they may be. As stated before, the challenges I have outlined have been aggravated by the increasing cycles of devastating drought that we experience as a result of the changes in global climate patterns. We in the Horn of Africa have been affected more than most. As I speak, the region is experiencing its worst drought in a generation and the scale of the suffering in my country is testament to price we are having to pay. There needs to be a concerted effort not just to address the causes of climate change but also to mitigate the adverse effects, especially in countries such as Somalia that have contributed little to the problem but are bearing the brunt of its consequences. In this regard, let me reiterate the appeal issued during the recent Summit on the Horn of Africa Crisis held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, for developed nations to facilitate the transfer of technology and building up of the capacity of developing nations to adapt to these challenges. Somalia will require assistance to improve water resource management and reduce our reliance on rain-fed agriculture even as we strive to implement the targets agreed to at the Nairobi Summit of ten percent forest cover and irrigated land by the year 2017. Furthermore, we fully support the right of Palestine to become a full member of the Community of Nations. We believe the two-state solution for the Palestinian – Israeli problem, where Palestinians should be allowed to live in peace and dignity in their own homeland. We have all seen the changes happening in the Arab World and the international community must support the peaceful and democratic aspirations of the people. We must all support the National Transitional Council of Libya in order to bring peace and stability in that country. In conclusion, today the future of Somalia hangs in the balance and with it the prospect of peace, stability and prosperity on the Horn of Africa and security for nations across the world. Resolute global action in support our efforts is now required if we are to consolidate and build on the gains already made, and extend them to the rest of the country for the sake of future generations. Thank You. -- Abdirahman Omar Osman (Eng. Yarisow) Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister of Somalia & Spokesperson of the Government Tel: +252615479911 or +252699998854 E-mail: ayarisow@opm.gov.so E-mail: engabdirahman@gmail.com

Turkish aid reaches Somalia despite obstacles

Turkish aid reaches Somalia despite obstacles

18 September 2011, Sunday / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL

Turkey continues to reach out with aid to Somalia in spite of political conflicts in the region and a slow international response.
Ambulances donated by Turkey began serving the people of famine-ravaged Somalia last week in the capital of Mogadishu. The Ministry of Health sent two ambulances, and the Turkish Cooperation & Development Agency (TİKA) donated five more to the country, where millions of people are on the brink of starvation. The words “From the Turkish people to the people of Somalia” are written on the sides of the fully equipped ambulances, which were sent by to ship to Mogadishu.

Çadır Hospital Chief of Staff Dr.Cemal Bulut said the ambulances are being operated by medical teams primarily coming from Turkey. The ambulances have begun transporting Somali people in need of medical attention, Bulut said.
Meanwhile, people and provinces across Turkey continue to organize to provide aid to those starving in Africa. The Ankara Governor's Office collected TL 19,278,256 in aid for Somalia. The governor's office, in a written statement, said that the provision of aid from Ankara to Somalia and other African countries whose people are in danger of starvation is continuing.

Turkey continues to try to provide aid to the country's people in need, even though internal political conflicts are a threat in southern Somalia. The Somali government banned foreign aid workers and journalists from entering areas under al-Shabaab insurgents' control last Thursday and Friday, according to a Reuters news report. Two Turks who went to a rebel area in southern Somalia to distribute food earlier in the week were also briefly detained. Mogadishu's Mayor and Governor Mohamud Ahmed Nur told Reuters that the government wants the aid to reach their people, but he also does not want those coming to help to get hurt. 

 
The head of a coalition of Britain's leading aid organizations said the international community is now playing catch-up in Somalia after its initial slow response, AlertNet reported Saturday. Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Chief Executive Brendan Gormley said there must be a boost in sustainable, long-term aid to Somalia if future hunger crises are to be avoided. 

Somalia: Pirates Led Abducted British Woman to Harardhere Town

Somalia: Pirates Led Abducted British Woman to Harardhere Town
Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)

Mogadishu — Reliable sources say a British woman abducted from the border between Somalia and Kenya has been led to Harardhere of Mudug region, a stronghold of Somali pirates for the past hours.

The sources said that two boats carrying the woman whose husband reportedly shot dead by the abductors near the border between Somali and Kenya reached at the coast of Harardhere town of Mudug region in Somalia.

Witnesses assured to Shabelle radio that the woman was in the hands of the Somali pirates and led to the forest of Harardhere town shortly after the boat carrying the woman reached at the coast of Hobyo in same region.

Abdullahi Mohamed Farah, a scholar in Harardhere town confirmed to the Shabelle radio that the health situation of the woman was alright saying he had seen her in the town having ear-devices on heard.

Latest reports from the town where the pirates took her say that she had been detained in parts of Jubba regions in southern Somalia though the pirates lastly took her to their strongholds in Mudug region.

Armed gangs had kidnapped a British couple from the border between Somalia and Kenya who had reportedly killed the husband of the women in parts of southern Somalia.

Somalia: Galkayo mayor warns about 'targeted killings of intellectuals'

Somalia: Galkayo mayor warns about 'targeted killings of intellectuals'

The new mayor of Puntland's Galkayo city in northern Somalia has warned the public about targeted killings of community leaders including intellectuals, Radio Garowe reports.

Mr. Saeed Abdi Farah, who was appointed as Galkayo mayor on 24 August 2011, told reporters in Galkayo that his administration shall prioritize security matters.

"I urge the public to work with the administration and with government security forces," said Galkayo's new mayor. He noted that the new administration will focus on developing and strengthening community relations, particularly in security matters.

"We should not hide criminals and anti-peace elements...I urge the public's cooperation with the police and security agencies," said Mr. Farah.

A former military man, Mr. Farah was appointed at a time when Galkayo is under attack from Al Shabaab terrorist group, according to Puntland's government.

Galkayo violence

Earlier September, Puntland government forces launched a two-day counterterrorism operation, killing at least 60 militants and detained more than 20 war prisoners. The government publicly showed the war prisoners, who hail from different regions of Somalia, most notably Bay and Bakool regions ins southern Somalia.

Since 2006, Al Shabaab terrorist group has been blamed for a series of killings and bombings targeting community leaders, intellectuals, businesspeople and government officials in Puntland. In Galkayo, more than 30 people have been targeted and killed over the past two years, according to Puntland police documents.

Puntland government officials say that Galkayo' Garsoor neighborhood, which was the target of government counter-terrorism operations earlier this month, is a source of instability whereby Al Shabaab terrorist cells maintain a secret presence.

Reporter's shooting

On 14 Sept 2011, Radio Galkayo reporter Ms. Horriyo Abdulkadir Sheikh Ali was shot and injured by unidentified gunmen, days after she publicized a special report on the independent radio station describing the security operation as "targeting Al Shabaab."

Local journalists, who spoke with Garowe Online on condition of anonymity, said Ms. Horriyo received threatening phone calls after reporting about the security operations in Galkayo. Puntland security officials believe that Ms. Horriyo was targeted by Al Shabaab terrorist group. Relatives say the reporter is at the hospital in stable condition.

The attempted killing of Ms. Horriyo, who is from Galmudug but works in Puntland, is "proof" that terrorist cells are behind the violence in Galkayo, say government officials.

Since its formation in 1998, Puntland State of Somalia has been relatively stable, with its own state government, security forces and policies.
http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_Galkayo_mayor_warns_about_targeted_killings_of_intellectuals.shtml

The Famine in Somalia, and How to Help

By NICHOLAS KRISTOF

My Sunday column is about the famine in Somalia, threatening 750,000 lives in the coming months. I’ll probably have one more column from Dadaab Refugee Camp, and I should make the point that at Dadaab the conditions aren’t so bad, relatively speaking. The problem for the refugees is the starvation in Somalia and the difficulties getting to Dadaab.

I’m sure readers will want to know how to help. Most aid groups are operating in Dadaab, but very few are operating effectively in the Shabab-controlled areas of Somalia. In Dadaab, I visited projects of CARE and the International Rescue Committee, and there are many more active there. Here are some lists of organizations compiled by The Washington Post, MSNBC News and ABC News.

I’d welcome your comments on the column, or suggestions about how to help.

Is there a country called “Somalia”? A Widespread Misconception

Is there a country called "Somalia"? 

A Widespread MisconceptionThe Somali inhabited areas at the horn of Africa was called 'Somal' and 'Beri Somal' by the Arab traders from Arabian Peninsula before the Europeans arrived. However, the Europeans divided area into three parts – British Somaliland, French Somaliland and Italian Somalia.


The people of Somaliland (former British Somaliland) signed an agreement with British over its presence in Somaliland. The agreement renamed the territory 'Somaliland British Protectorate' similar status of the then South Yemen and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The agreement included that British should leave Somaliland anytime the people ask to leave, which led peaceful departure of Englishmen. The new country named State of Somaliland for four days, in which State of Somaliland signed MoU and agreements with other nations including Britain; these agreements are archived today at UN. State of Somaliland enjoyed similar status of that of State of Kuwait during such four days.

French Somali Coast was called today's Djibouti, but after public uprising against General De Gaulle of France, the area was renamed as "Issa and Afar Territory". The word Somali name was removed from the name, as the majority of the revolutionists were originated from Somaliland. This triggered the anger of the General De Gaulle, who ordered deportation of the Somalis with Somaliland origins. After independence in 1977, the "Issa and Afar Territory" became Republic of Djibouti.

About the Italian Somaliland, Italy colonized using the people as slaves where the Somalis were used as human bridge over the wet streets of Mogadishu. It was reported that Italian colonizers use to walk on top of the Somalis to reach their cars at their residential parking areas in Mogadishu. It was the ugliest form of slavery. Italy destroyed the Islamic culture of the society and even intermarried.
Italy remained until defeated during Second World War, the territory became under the administration of British . On Nov. 21, 1949 UN General Assembly passed a resolution placing Italian Somaliland under UN Trusteeship for ten years(Italy was designated the administering country.) n 1956, Italy formed local administration for the Italian Somaliland and a new name "Italian Somalia" was introduced.
Part of the new name "Somalia" is originated from Latin, which means the land of Somalis.

Somalia consists of "Somal" and "ia". The definition of a noun suffix "ia" among other applications is a name of place or territory in this case: Somal +ia means somal territory.

In accordance with UN decisions, Italian Somaliland, renamed "Somalia", was granted internal autonomy in 1956 and independence in 1960. Britain proclaimed the end of its protectorate in June, 1960, and on July 1 the legislatures of the two new states created the Somali Republic.

What happened was that on the morning 1st July 1960, the members of the Somaliland Legislative and those of the "Somalia" Legislative met in a joint session and the Constitution which was drafted in "Somalia" was accepted on the basis of an acclamation, with no discussion and later a Provisional President was elected.

It was common practice to have land or "ia" after the name Somali; the Somali politicians of 1960 decided to omit these two suffixes, and Somali Republic was overwhelmingly accepted. In Somali language Somali Republic means (Jamhuuriyada Somaliyeed) and (Jamhuuriyada Somaliya) as some practice nowadays.

After fall of the unity government, in which State of Somaliland and "Italian Somalia" united, during 1991, Somaliland claimed back its sovereignty with all legal grounds. The international law permits such reclaim as long as the agreed government varnished.

Late President of Somaliland and Former Prime Minister of State of Somaliland in 1960 and Former Prime Minister of Somali Republic until 1969 military coup, Mr. Mohamed Ibrahim Egal gave detailed explanation on video about the name "Somalia" and how the Somali Republic were hijacked by southern Somalis. Refer the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DuYaDhDR9I&feature=related
All these historical highlights ensure the political gap between the people of Somaliland and that of "Somalia". Although the people of both countries share language and religion but that is not enough to unite people, as we see many countries who share religion and language. Now both retained names before 1st July 1960 Somaliland and Somalia.

By Abdulaziz Al-Mutairi

Email: az.almutairi@yahoo.com

US drones kill 17 al-Shabab fighters

US drones kill 17 al-Shabab fighters



Sunday, September 18, 2011

Seventeen al-Shabab fighters have been killed in drone attacks by the US military that targeted their bases in southern Somalia, Press TV reports.

On Friday, three high-ranking members and 14 fighters of the al-Shabab militant group were killed when the US military used remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicles in an attack on Dhoobley town, which is located near Kismayo, the capital of the lower Juba region and a port city about 500 kilometers (310 miles) south of the Somali capital Mogadishu, a Press TV correspondent reported on Saturday.

On Thursday, nine civilians were killed and 30 others wounded in US airstrikes on the outskirts of Kismayo.

Somalia is the sixth country where the US military has used remote-controlled aircraft to conduct deadly airstrikes.

The United States has also used drones in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Iraq, and Yemen.

Somalia has been without a functioning government since 1991, when warlords overthrew former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

Strategically located in the Horn of Africa, Somalia remains one of the countries generating the highest number of refugees and internally displaced persons in the world.

A Country in Transition: The Lure of Clan-Based Regional States in Somalia*

A Country in Transition: The Lure of Clan-Based Regional States in Somalia* By Mohamed Shamun Omar

 "… you shall not go to Mecca , oh nomad, the road you have followed leads to Turkistan…" Medieval travel sign in Afghanistan warning strayed pilgrims.

 THE COLLAPSE of the authoritarian government in Somalia in 1990 has been the catalyst of enormous change both at a personal, and at an institutional level with the emergence of clan-based regional states. No one can fault these regional groups for their desire to do better in the absence of a central authority, and for having aspirations for political expression. But, the hasty formation of these ethnic enclaves tends to respond to the calamity of Somalia in silos, often lacks deliberative and transparent processes, and presents the issue as mere functional problem of lack of a central government and how to fix it. This raises a number of concerns over the presumed benefits of clan-based regional states, reinforcement of clan loyalty, and more importantly their "optimal units of collective choice."

A variety of factors are in-play when one seeks to decipher whether the right choices were made in the formation of clan-based regional states in Somalia including the recent forfeited regional independence; claims of political exclusion and oppression; the agenda of few elites and ambitious single-minded leaders. Appreciating the historical import and traditional factors of Somali society, and the modern concept of regional statehood, requires us to analyze the issue of regional states in Somalia decisively and boldly, and beyond the simple functional problem of lack of a central authority. Any analysis of this matter should be informed by local and regional factors.

Ethnicity and clan loyalty is deeply entrenched in the cultures and traditions of all Somalis, and have been on the rise since the demise of the last central government. To a large degree, clan politics has encouraged the formation of clan-based regional states in Somalia causing all ethnic groups to devote large resources to make sure their group is mobilized, often at the expense of other groups. Decisions that are made by distinctive groups would only be representative of particular groups' preference, and often hostile and in an unwise quest in increasing the welfare of their members relative to that of others. The lack of risk analysis, participatory and consultative decisions making process that has been the trademark of many decisions to form regional states in Somalia should not be taken lightly by individual groups involved. It should be weighted carefully against inherent risk of clan supremacy, the dilemma associated when parties are only presented with two choices-form a regional state, or doom as a clan with the intent to manipulate the outcome, and many other important and unattended issues of shared resources, regional-central relationship, and regional instability. 
 
The newly formed regional states in Somalia have little or no previous statehood experiences. Their creation and boundaries are arbitrary at most, and lacks clear, deliberate and due process. Compounding the current difficulties is the absence informed citizens, lack of democratic institutions, and the nomadic nature of Somalis who might not pay much attention to border demarcation lines. The mixed family composition nature of Somali families due to inter-marriage also tends to enforce cross-border movement of individuals from various regions. All these factors combined to create a complex case of territorial claims and counter claims, poorly conceived regional states, disruption of some commerce lines, access difficulties to families and friends due to travel restrictions, and above all a nation crying for clarity of purpose and leadership. The recent skirmishes at Soul and Sanag, the border dispute between Puntland and Somaliland, the quest for Galmudug and the tension in Galka'ayo, clashes over Somali flag waving groups in Borama, and current round-up of southerners in Puntland are all telling signs of unattended crises due to hastily formed clan based communal states.

Although some of these regions enjoyed relative security compared to other regions, early rhetoric of the presumed benefits of regional states as being a vehicle of larger stability in Somalia has largely not materialized. There are credible evidences that the current clan-based regional states contributed to the creation of new dynamics of multiple deadlocks, accelerated race for group dominance, "Pareto-inferior noncoopertive outcome", and what Thomas Hobbes called Bellum omnium contra omnes, the war of all against all in his ground breaking work of Leviathan.

Moreover, the emergence of shadow economy, powerful clan merchants, and war profiteers seem to facilitate the creation of ethnic enclaves under the name of regional governments.

The principal argument advanced here is that the hasty formation of clan-based regional states in Somalia without a national dialogue has resulted in the creation of a political situation that is not appropriate for cooperative outcome, and an environment that lacks trust and tolerance. The current state is a recipe for precarious and dangerous forces of clan supremacy and non-mosaic society that are inconsistent with the principles of Islamic teaching, modern statehood, democracy and human rights.  This proposition is not in conflict with the use of regional autonomy as a vehicle for ending political exclusion and clan humiliation that was the trademark of the last authoritarian government. But, a serious and sustained effort to work out Modus Vivendi within the existing Somali social norms and the use of modern conflict resolution tools has not been attempted thus far. And as such, the establishment of unfettered clan-based regional states in Somalia at this stage is geo-strategically unwise, politically premature, and morally detrimental.  

------
  
The author has a number of appointments including Resident Harvard Administrative Fellow; staff Environmental Management Engineer at Harvard University; researcher at University of Massachusetts Lowellwhere he conducts research on the nexus of sustainability and safety. In addition, he is appointed Commissioner of City of Lowell Green Building Commission.

----------
* A Similar version of this commentary article appeared on Somalia Research Report (Issue No. 8, Volume No. 2), U.K. based publication.

Org: Wardheernews.com

Fathia kastet ut av Norge – bor på en benk i Genova | TV 2 Nyhetene

Humanity in its ugliest form. She was tortures in Somalia,gang raped in Libiya and expelled from Norway...she is wandering streets of Genoa, Italy helpless and hopeless.
Fathia kastet ut av Norge – bor på en benk i Genova TV 2 Nyhetene

http://samotalis.blogspot.com/

IN MOQADISHU ,THEY SLAUGHTERED THE CREAM OF THE BEST

IN MOQADISHU ,THEY SLAUGHTERED THE CREAM OF THE BEST.

BY AHMED ARWO

The burial of butchered ministers.

They were so decent, so kind and more practicing-Muslim than most of us. Their faces tell a lot: determination, courage, kindness, honesty and integrity. They gave all they can and more without reservation. It is easy to destroy and quite simple to denounce and condemn an evil, but impossible to comprehend the mind of evildoer. How a person of an iota of humanity can attend graduation ceremony to kill doctors, teachers and socio-economic mangers, wrapped with environment of happiness and hope, witnessing the glittering lights of the eyes of young graduates, the smiling faces of their parents, the shine over their professors, the delight of journalists and all that attended to share a moment of happiness and satisfaction. It is beyond imagination. How cruel, how satanic and how low one can act. It is the scum of the worst evildoers that killed and maimed the cream of the best in Shamo Hotel, Mogadihsu at Thursday morning 3/12/2009.

What is the objective? What is the benefit? Who gains what? These are questions that need to be addressed without quick and immediate answers. Do not massage the facts nor jump into conclusions, let the search start thorough and mercilessly. Fetch far and near, friend and foe and reach where the evil dwells. One can say a lot. Speculations will flare, so the accusations, denials will follow so the conspiracies. It is a knotty task to profile and digest the mind of this ugly criminal. One of my friends as usual pointed fingers at far and away and beyond seas. .." I can swear it is not done by a Somali…it is an Israeli agents that want to discredit Islamic movements? It can be Ethiopia who wants to maintain state of lawlessness in Somalia, or even America to reason its critics that so called Islamic terror will spread if not defeated in Pakistan and Afghanistan if not to get an excuse for direct intervention? My friend's theory usually gets a nod of acceptance from the audience. I am not convinced with these accusations. Somalis were killing one another over two decades and the longer it goes, its climax will be beyond belief. It has to end or more of the same and worse is on the way.

Who are those who are killed and maimed? In addition to the innocent youth that put on over twenty years of study and preparation in unenviable circumstances for this day and their parents, there are three Ministers and score of the elite medical doctors and professors. Let me high light what I learned of the Ministers, without demeaning the immense value of doctors and intellectuals to the community. On the contrary their value is known to all and without contradiction. It is the politicians that many doubt their contributions. That is the sole reason I picked them from a list of undistinguishable stars whose light is put off pre-maturely. To start with summation, they were at the forefront of the few acceptable faces of the so called TFG.

Dr. Qamar Adan.

Dr.Qamar Adan Ali, Minister of Health, Dr. Prof. Ibrahim Hassan Addow Minister of Higher education, Mr. Ahmed Abdillahi Waayeel, Minister of Schools, and the Minister for Youth and Sports, Mr. Saleebaan Olaad Robleh were slaughtered in cold blood. They were of the same category in character and performance. I rarely know politics of Mogadishu, but from time to time my mind registers items of news I grasped from BBC and VOA Somali Services. Refreshing my brain-library, they were the best of them all. On top of her remarkable delivery of Health service in drastic situation, I remember Qamar with her sharp, courageous, and linguistic talent in debate, always wining convincingly. I will never forget how straight she was when debating with ardent critic abroad. She gallantly said" You are not foreigner, you attend every conference to establish a functioning Somali government, you join committees, you have been invited to join the government, but declined and always sooner the conference ends you condemn and criticize. Do not be outsider come and join us, we need you…." It hurted so much the conscience of the Prof. That it made him silent for a while and couldn't find suitable words to answer…." My sister you are one of the best Ministers and I hope many of them were like you." That is his conclusion. What attribute from the hard-talk Professor.

Prof. Ibrahim Addow

As to Prof. Ibrahim Addow, books will be written about his contribution to improvement of Somali education. He was a professor over twenty years in USA, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, as well as an executive banker in Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah. Where ever he was he was active among Somalis, breaching good and endeavouring for the empowerment of the youth with education. He returned to the chaotic Mogadishu to share his people their burden of terror and mayhem. He single-handedly established one of the best universities in Mogadishu. He decided to suffer in order to improve their dire situation.

As to the Ahmed Abdullah on the contrary he never parted away from the burning Mogadishu, yet he contributed enormously to the unbelievable development we witness of educating the warring nation. He built the first charitable secondary school that mothers dozens through out Mogadishu. He is a hero and pioneer of the good cause.

Lately the Minister for Youth and Sports, Mr. Saleebaan Olaad Robleh has died of injuries sustained in Thursday's suicide bombing, raising the death toll to 24. He was busy in filling the emptiness most Mogadishu youth suffer. Engage youth with sport will help them avoid the time to wander aimlessly between broken walls and rotten streets mapped with head-hunters for terror. There are football, basket and tennis ball clubs, and many more.

All in all they are of rare quality to replace. Their selfless sacrifice is recorded with golden ink and in perpetuity.

Let me remind you the rules and manners set by Islam, to conduct war even against the worst enemies. First Caliph Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) gave clear cut instruction to fight with noble spirit and utter kindness. He said:

"Stop, O people, that I may give you ten rules for your guidance in the battlefield. Do not commit treachery or deviate from the right path. You must not mutilate dead bodies; neither kill a child, nor a woman nor an aged man. Bring no harm to the trees, nor burn them with fire, lest those which are fruitful. Slay not any of the enemy's flocks. Take with you, food that you may need. You are likely to pass by people who have devoted their lives to monastic services; leave them alone, don't harm them"

There is a need to address. Reconciliation of warring factions must be open and limitless. That doesn't mean that the perpetrators of this disaster to be un-punished or leniently treated, on contrary it calls a parallel approach bring in distorted outlaws back to the community, break their support, and help to emancipate those indoctrinated with false dogma. International community should help to fund a major rehabilitation programme addressed to the lost generations that saw nothing but killing and destruction. Evildoers take advantage of this off track youth. Serving their needs properly will deny devil agents, the fuel they need to burn the nation. Instability is like cancer if not cured it spreads outwards. Somaliland should double its efforts to cement its security and contribute to hunt those who commit heinous crimes in Somalia. There is a drastic need of a protocol of cooperation for the common enemy. Over frontier cooperation is a time tested successful approach to defeat an enemy that if unchecked will take us all down the drain.

From the deepest of my heart, I share with Somalis every where their shock and dismay. Equally I would like to pass my condolence to parents, brothers, sisters and other relatives far and near of the victims of the Shamo Hotel Massacre. I do know that these innocent victims have relatives and friends through and across the Somali inhabited territories. May Allah bestow them the best of heavens,Janatul fardows. May Allah cure all wounded physically and mentally.

I pray Allah to bless peace and harmony where there is war and to withhold terror and instability were there is order and tranquility in all Somali states.Ameen.

Ahmed Arwo

samotalis@gmail.com

SAMOTALIS GROUP ON THE FACEBOOK:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=143687650990

http://samotalis.blogspot.com/