By Somalilandtimes network
Baidoa, Somalia, March 25, 2006 – As expected, not much is happening in Baidoa. Although the meeting was supposed to resume after being adjourned two times, and the two deputy heads of “parliament” were supposed to chair the sessions while the “speaker” was attending the IGAD conference in Kenya, no meetings took place.
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By Somalilandtimes network
Honorable Ikran H. Daud Warsame
In a society dominated by male chauvinism, it is a rarity to mention women who made history in our society, except few. However, women, NOT MEN, have always remained the source of inspiration, hope, strength, courage and resilience for most Somalis, both men and women, for generations.
By Somalilandtimes network
BORAMA, Somaliland, March 23, 2006 – The Governor of Somaliland's Awdal region, Mahmoud Sheikh Abdillahi, inaugurated on Wednesday, 22 March 2006, new offices and class facilities built by UNESCO at Amoud University.
Around 90 Die In Somalia Militia Battles
MOGADISHU, March 24, 2006 – Heavy fighting between rival Somali militia linked to Islamic courts and a new "anti-terror" alliance has killed about 90 people in the last three days in the capital Mogadishu, residents and local radio said on Friday.
Hundreds of Somalis have fled the capital and businesses have closed during the latest flare-up between fighters loyal to the powerful courts and warlords linked to a recently-formed political group called the Mogadishu Anti-Terrorism Coalition.
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By Somalilandtimes network
This file photo shows the USS Cape St. George, a guided missile cruiser with a crew of about 400.
(CNN) -- Two U.S. Navy ships skirmished with a group of suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia Saturday, killing one and wounding five, the Navy said.
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By Somalilandtimes network
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mar 21, 2006 - The Ethiopian Airlines (EAL) is set to launch services to Juba, south Sudan as of May 1, the airline said Tuesday.
In a statement available to international media, EAL said it will serve Juba, the capital city of South Sudan, four flights a week, returning same day to the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
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March 23, 2006: On February 26th, the Indian motorized dhow Bhakti Sagar, with about 25-30 crewmen, was captured by pirates in Somali waters northwest of the port of Kisimayo. Bhakti Sagar was carrying rice, and had departed Kisimayo some hours earlier, after depositing some of her cargo. Since then, the ship has been anchored inside Somali waters near Harradene, south of Mogadisciu, with some of the crew and a number of pirates aboard. Meanwhile, the pirates have been demanding ransom for the ship and her crew, initially set at $100,000 but since increased to about $300,000.
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By Somalilandtimes network
Use of ‘chewing drug’ needs to be addressed
BY Lord Victor Adebowale
London, UK, March 22, 2006 – I was encouraged by the fact that last week’s issue of The Voice (March 13) sought to extend the debate around khat and raise awareness of some of the issues surrounding this rarely discussed drug, which remains legal in the UK.
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IGAD Regrets Failure To Deploy Peacekeeping Force In Somalia
By Somalilandtimes network
Nairobi, March 15, 2006 – Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a peace brokering regional grouping of East African governments, on Monday regretted over failure by regional governments to deploy peacekeepers to Somalia a year after it was mandated to do so.
Ethiopia Does Not Benefit From Camels: Official
By Somalilandtimes network
Addis Ababa, March 13, 2006 – Though Ethiopia has a high population of camels, it has not benefited from it as desired due to the low attention given to it, according to an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Mulualem Tarekegn, team leader of epidemiology and diseases control with the ministry, told journalists on Sunday that though Ethiopia has over 1.3 million camels, much has not been done to exploit the resources.
Seabees 'Waging Peace' In Djibouti
By Somalilandtimes network
Djibouti, Mar. 13, 2006 – They take off their construction gear and lay down the rifles to mingle with the village schoolteachers who mostly speak English, and they play basketball with teenagers who speak Afar and French - all part of what Seabees call "waging peace."
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By Somalilandtimes network
THE master of a general cargo ship attacked by pirates off Marka, east coast of Somalia, yesterdays rammed the gang’s boat as it tried to come alongside..
According to the latest weekly report from the ICC International maritime bureau the armed raiders chased the cargo ship underway and fired at the vessel leaving bullet holes in the bridge, lifeboat and superstructure. There is no information on what happened to the pirates.
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Somaliland Warns Puntland Either To Withdraw Militia Forces Or Face Immediate Consequences
By Somalilandtimes network
Hargeysa, Somaliland, March 25, 2006 – The government of Somaliland has warned Somalia’s regional state of Puntland to withdraw its armed militia men from Somaliland’s north eastern territories or face immediate consequences.
The warning came in a press statement issued yesterday by Somaliland’s Foreign Affairs minister Ms Edna Ismail following clashes in earlier this week between Puntland militia forces and the Warsangeli clansmen in the most north-easterly part of Somaliland’s Sanag region that borders Somalia’s Majeerteen enclave of Puntland.
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Press Release By Somaliland Foreign Affairs
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By Somalilandtimes network
The government of the Republic of Somaliland wishes to communicate to all concerned, that another unprovoked attack has been perpetrated against the people of the Republic of Somaliland by the militia of the Puntland Region of Somalia. The attacks were against the villages of Majiyahan and Dhallan in the Sanaag Region of the Republic of Somaliland, and have caused loss of life, injuries, as well as the sequestration of civilians who they hold as hostages to this day.
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Area of last Sunday's conflict
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By Somalilandtimes network
Mijayahan, March 25, 2006 – A major conflict erupted last Sunday (19/03/06) between Somaliland villagers in eastern Sanag region and militia from Puntland. The fighting erupted when a hundred strong militia with five technical mounted heavy gun vehicles crossed over from Puntland into Somaliland territory, the fighting took place in an area 5km inside Somaliland border with Somalia.
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By Somalilandtimes network
Hargeysa, Somaliland, March 25, 2006 – Physicians in Somaliland has been unable to diagnose a disease that afflicted 3 sisters aged 15-yrs, 8-yrs and 12 months.
The 3 siblings lost teeth prematurely and suffered raptures in their skin and foot nails.
Ms Run Mohamed the mother of the 3 children says that despite being poor she has consulted every medical doctor in Somaliland to seek remedy for her daughters’ disease.
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By Somalilandtimes network
Professor Ali Mazrui
Hargeysa, Somaliland, March 25, 2006 – Dr. Ali Mazrui, one of Africa’s best-known thinkers and philosophers, is expected to wind up his 5-day long visit to Somaliland today.
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By Somalilandtimes network
Press Statement - The Media
Many in the news media have approached me several times for the last two weeks wanting to know more about my pending employment with CARE international since Haatufnews disclosed that the Minister of Planning has contacted CARE Nairobi to block the appointment. As part of my character, which is very private in nature and as part of my professional integrity that respects the process in place, I have refused to comment prematurely.
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Last week, I was asked by a friend to accompany him to Koodbuur police station to file a complaint against a man who had threatened him with a gun. The man was with 3 other men and a woman. My friend was approached by these people one night around 10pm while he was with 2 of his associates. The woman could be heard saying ‘That’s him, that’s the guy‘, then one of the men approached my friend, wearing a large Kashmiri shale
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By Somalilandtimes network
The breakaway republic of Northern Cyprus is set to host the first ever world cup for nations that don't exist. Recognized only by Turkey, which invaded the Mediterranean island in 1974, Northern Cyprus will host the 16-team Viva World Cup in November 2006.
The tournament is being organized by the New Federation Board, a new organization set up by a group of Swiss, Belgians and French to cater for 'countries' outside of UEFA. With more than 90 pitches and a number of stadiums, the biggest holding 28,000 people, Northern Cyprus was given the right to host the tournament at an NF Board meeting in London in June, where the organization’s first 17 provisional members were elected.
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International News
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International Day For Elimination Of Racial Discrimination
Statement by Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Europe should fight hidden racism and discrimination
Strasbourg, 20.03.2006 - Sometimes, racist people commit acts which are as stupid as they are outrageous. Burning down a Roma settlement or vandalizing a Jewish or Muslim graveyard, for example, is offensive and causes great distress, but it is visible, blatantly illegal and relatively easy to deal with. Or, at least, more difficult to ignore.
However this form of racism and discrimination is only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface of apparent equality, people belonging to ethnic, religious, sexual or any other minorities, continue to be confronted with various forms of intolerance and discrimination.
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Feed Gunmen To Save Somalia, East Africa Urges
By Somalilandtimes network
NAIROBI, March 20, 2006 – East African leaders on Monday urged backing for a plan to keep Somalia's peace efforts alive, including giving food to militiamen in a country where millions are facing drought-induced famine.
Roughly 3,000 gunmen were put in camps outside the city of Baidoa last month, to make it safe enough for the anarchic country's parliament to meet there - on its home soil for the first time in 15 years.
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By Somalilandtimes network
WHY THE HRF?
The Humanitarian Response Fund (HRF) for Somalia was established in 2004 to address humanitarian emergency gaps and meet the needs of the drought affected pastoral community in northern Somalia and parts of South/Central. At the time, the drought was reported as being the worst in severity and duration in living memory. After a short reprieve in early 2005 as a result of adequate Gu season (long rains) and effective humanitarian action, many parts of the country have regressed following the failure of the Deyr 2005 (short rains) particularly in the South/Central areas resulting in 2.1 million people in a state of Humanitarian Emergency and/or Acute Livelihood Crisis (Food Security Analysis Unit (FSAU/FAO)Post-Deyr January 2006). The drought is the worst in a decade with combined annual cereal crop production at 50% of the pre-war average.
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EU Offers Regional Body Sh344m
By Somalilandtimes network
European Union Commissioner, Louis Michel (right), talks with Belgium Ambassador, Cristina Funes Noppen, during the IGAD summit on Monday. Pic by Jacob Otieno
Nairobi, March 21, 2006 – The European Union wants Inter Governmental Authority on Development (Igad) members to sign a treaty that would usher in stability, security and development in the Horn of Africa.
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Somaliland Politician Visits Minneapolis
By Somalilandtimes network
Minneapolis, MN, March 2006 – Just seven months ago, Ikran Hagi Daud Warsame was a full-time housewife and a bread-winner for her 18-member household in Borame, a remote town in the mountainous border between Somalia and Ethiopia. Little did she know that her next move would take her all the way to the White House for a full-fledged dinner with President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush—something no Somali president has done in decades.
Warsame, the mother of nine, made history last year when she became the first democratically elected woman to the 82-member, male-dominated Somaliland parliament. The only other female member in the parliament is appointed.
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Young Muslim Women Wear 'Aussie Hijab'
By Somalilandtimes network
Melbourne, Australia, March 21, 2006 – Sadia Ali, 20, knows her Australian flag headscarf might be confronting to some Australians, but that's the point.
The Somali-Australian was one of five young women from refugee families who nervously modeled the "Australian hijab" on the streets of Northcote in Melbourne for Tuesday's national Harmony Day.
Since the Cronulla riots, she had felt more fearful on the streets in general, Sadia said.
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Somaliland Congress must be fair and acknowledge their mistakes
By Somalilandtimes network
By: Dr. Shacabi, California, USA
The decision that Somaliland Congress deliberately ignored to include the University of Burao-yearly budget increases or allocated new funds while approving the other two Universities of Hargeisa and Amoud must be rejected any Somali Lander who values the importance of education as well as fair sharing distributions amongst the Somaliland Universities. The elected officials must be fair and follow the Constitutions of the Somaliland. They should be helping all Somaliland Universities and not ignoring those who need the most. Burao University needs allocated funds equally as the other two universities and I think it is a sad thing that I should be addressing these issues to the brightest and well –educated Somaliland Parliament that we ever had in the recent history.
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Editorial
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The latest atrocities committed by the militia of Abdillahi Yusuf against innocent Somaliland citizens living near the north easterly border with Somalia provide no reason to pretend that the stage for striking back and quelling aggression hasn’t been reached.
There is no type of aggression that Abdillahi Yusuf’s militia hasn’t yet tried on Somaliland in the last 8 years. Despite being targeted with endless series of provocations carried out by Abdillahi Yusuf’s clan militia which included the unsuccessful attempt to assassinate this country’s president at Las-Anod in December 2002 and the complete invasion and then occupation of Las-Anod in the year that followed, yet Somaliland has always exercised restraint.
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Special Report
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REPORT ON FAMILIARISATION TOUR TO SOMALILAND
In November 2005, the Centre for Human Rights began investigating the possibility of a third destination for the LLM field trip. The reasons for increasing the number of field trip destinations to include Somaliland include the following:
Somaliland is a state in the making; it would be ideal for students on the programme to have a first hand experience of this.
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Opinions
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Congratulations To Somaliland Parliament For Silencing Budget Nay-Sayers
By Mohamud Tani
My fanatic friends say the president is the Raphana who stole Sieta, the cabinet is the Dracula’s castle, the Guurti are masters of voodoo and witch-craft, the court is a seven-headed dragon thrown out from hell, the commission is a satanic centre, and now they added the list to the newly elected parliamentarians, calling them names from pharaoh’s new magicians to a bunch of spineless little wizards who cheated their way to the house by promising everybody that they will flute away the devilish Government and who shamefully did exactly the opposite- Sharing the nation’s spoils with horrible regime.
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By Rhoda A. Rageh
Somaliland has come about with sweat, blood and lifetime of devastation and it is being sold so stealthily. One wonders why would anyone submit to stupid ideas like getting our share of donors’ money and compromise the very ideals of our society? One also wonders why would these donors want to help us on conditions that compel us to be part of a government that does not exist, one that still has the properties seized from our people and one that we don’t want to be part of? If we, as intellectuals, politicians and even average citizens, fall for these stupid tactics, then it is our destiny to be with the South and we deserve the periodical genocides.
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By Nasir Omar Hirsi, London, UK
As a nation where can we look for inspiration and encouragement? I would suggest within our own selves, within our nations borders and far beyond our nation. Before looking for inspiration and encouragement far and beyond our national borders let us start to look for inspiration within ourselves and our nation. Somaliland is an epitome and embodiment of inspiration and encouragement, its recent history testifies this fact.
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Stealing My Fish, Adding Insult To Economic Injury
By Faysal Diriye, Ottawa, Canada
Since the ban of livestock imposed on Somaliland by the Arabs, this illegal fishing is yet another economic slap in the face of Somaliland by a neighboring Arab country--namely Yemen.
Stealing fish from another country’s territorial waters is a common fish piracy operation; however, for Yemenis being aware catching fish outside their national territorial waters is haraam (forbidden), and still, continuously scooping out Somaliland’s rich marine resources is best described as unjust--an international theft. To Yemen being in the jurisdiction of another country or in Somaliland’s waters is irrelevant, never mind unjust. The question is for how long can we sit back and watch our fish stolen? These incursions continued for the past fifteen years, but very recently fish piracy became unbearable. Another mind-boggling question is; wasn’t the ban of Somaliland’s livestock harsh enough?
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By Mohamed A. Ali Baranbaro,
On February 2006, United Nation brokered negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia began in Vienna to decide Kosovo’s claim to independence. How the international community approaches these negotiations will be the interest of many nations. Kosovo’s claim is supported by the international community, Russia and many in the UN. In fact, many predict that the end of this year Kosovo will be granted full independence. If this is so, what will the implications be to other deserving nations like the Republic of Somaliland? And will recognition, as well as attention, just be limited to former soviet territories?
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Case Study Report
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The Ticking Bomb: The Educational Underachievement of Somali Children in the British Schools
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By Abdul Diriye
Despite constant attention from educational practitioners and policy makers, the underachievement of many ethnic minority pupils in British schools persists. There are countless studies relating to the academic achievement of ethnic minority students in general, however, it seems that the pupils of Somali origin have received less attention. This piece of writing examines the validity of the purported underachievement of Somali pupils in British schools. It also tries to explore the barriers facing the Somali pupils and the possible solutions.
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| FEATURES & COMMENTARY |
After 3 Years, Somalis Struggle To Adjust To U.S.
By Somalilandtimes network
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Abdiaziz Hussein plays with his 7-month-old twins in Hartford, Conn. His mother, Batula Gobow, also lives with the family. .
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HARTFORD, Conn. March 21, 2006 — "Bbrraannggg!" Abdiaziz Hussein and his family had been in their apartment only a day, and in the modern world not much longer. Still, he knew from the orientation class at the refugee camp in Africa what that sound meant: Fire!
Abdiaziz told his family — mother, wife and seven children — they had to get out. However, in his panic, he couldn't unlock the door.
He'd never faced double locks before, and now he flipped both furiously, first the top, then the bottom, until he couldn't remember which was which.
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Altering The Hijab To Rules Of The Game
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Young women wearing hijabs, the traditional Somali attire, play volleyball at a refugee camp at Dadaab, in northeastern Kenya. Three refugee camps around Dadaab are home to 127,000 people, most of them Somalis who fled the war in their country in the early 1990's and have lived in limbo ever since.
By Marc Lacey
DADAAB, Kenya, March 20, 2006 – Rather than the clingy and attention-getting athletic attire that Serena Williams favors on the tennis court, baggy and nondescript are what Farhiyo Farah Ibrahim and her volleyball teammates are after.
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By Somalilandtimes network
Faced with skyrocketing tuition and no financial help from parents, some college students are stuck in a round-the-clock cycle of classes and jobs.
Bloomington, March 16, 2006 – There are college students who nap -- and then there's Liban Mohamed. With two jobs totaling nearly 40 hours a week and a full course load, the Normandale Community College student has no time to snooze.
Mohamed is among the many students who must work long hours to cover the ever-increasing cost of tuition. A nationwide study by Junior Achievement last year found that 33 percent of college students are working to pay for college. And a record high 47 percent of incoming college freshmen said there was a good chance they'd need to get a job to help pay for college, according to a 2004 UCLA Higher Education Research Institute study.
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NORDEM Report 03/2006
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By Somalilandtimes network
Somaliland: Elections For The Lower House Of Parliament September 2005
Report by Ragnhild Hollekim, Stig Jarle Hansen and Geir Moe Sørensen
NORDEM, the Norwegian Resource Bank for Democracy and Human Rights, is a program of the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights (NCHR), and has as its main objective to actively promote international human rights. NORDEM is jointly administered by the NCHR and the Norwegian Refugee Council. NORDEM works mainly in relation to multilateral institutions. The operative mandate of the program is realized primarily through the recruitment and deployment of qualified Norwegian personnel to international assignments, which promote democratization and respect for human rights. The program is responsible for the training of personnel before deployment, reporting on completed assignments, and plays a role in research related to areas of active involvement. The vast majority of assignments are channeled through the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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