NAIROBI, May 25, 2007 – Armed Somali gunmen hijacked an Indian dhow near the main port of Mogadishu late Thursday in the latest attack in a surge of piracy off the Somali coast this year, Kenya 's maritime official confirmed on Friday.
Andrew Mwangura, coordinator of the Seafarers Assistance Program (SAP), said the pirates seized the Al Aqeeq merchant sailing vessel but the identity of the crew onboard and their nationalities have not been established.
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MOGADISHU, Somalia, May 25, 2007 - Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin arrived here Friday for his first visit since an Ethiopian offensive last month ended some of the worst fighting in the Somali capital's volatile history.
The minister, accompanied by some 30 officials, met President Abdillahi Yusuf Ahmed and Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi on his arrival in Mogadishu.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia- Abdillahi Duale, Somaliland’s foreign minister challenged African states and the international community to recognize the independence of Somaliland yesterday May 17, 2007 on the eve of the 16th anniversary since the proclamation of the independence of the Horn of Africa nation.
Duale alluding to the analogy of a judge who continues to maintain that both feuding sides are right in regards to the question of Somaliland’s recognition that has pitched Somaliland and Somalia against each other has said that the international community cannot continue to say that both sides are right when their claims are contradictory.
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Fardusa holds one of her surviving children. The 1991 Somali conflict devastated her family and her life |
Puntland, 24 May 2007 - The current violence in Somalia's capital may have abated, but its effects on people's lives will undoubtedly rage on for years to come. Fardusa Wali Elmi is still living in a Puntland camp 16 years after conflict in Somalia displaced her. She tells WFP spokesperson Anja du Toit how an easily-treatable disease devastated her family as she fled unrest in 1991.
Editorial: Shabait
May 23, 2007
The 24th of May is the date of triumph on which we closed the chapter of struggle for independence by securing national independence and sovereignty and embarked on a new chapter of the struggle for peace and development. Hence, the dates and moments that have enabled us to experience freedom should always occupy a treasured place in our hearts and memories in addition to being points of reference in our decision-making and work endeavors.
Mogadishu, 26 May 2007 - Abdifitah Shaweye and Mohammed Osman, assistant chairmen of Mogadishu mayor, survived a roadside bomb explosion on Saturday, according to Shaweye.
Shaweye told Shabelle by phone in Mogadishu that the bomb was remotely blown up as the military convoy carrying the officials was passing at Ex-Control Intersection, on the north outskirt of the Somalia capital Mogadishu.
Kampala, 26 May 2007 - UGANDA should not have deployed in Somalia, renowned African scholar, Prof. Ali Mazrui, has said.
"Ethiopia made a mistake to interfere with the affairs in Somalia. It complicated the situation," Mazrui told over 1,000 Rotarians during a conference at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kampala last week.
New York, 25 May 2007 - A second round of food distribution for some 32,000 people displaced by violence in Somalia has begun despite continuing volatility, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced today.
According to the agency, the new distributions began yesterday in three areas of the country, which has not had a working Government in 16 years and recently saw heavy fighting envelope the capital, Mogadishu.
Addis Ababa, 25 May 2007 - Troops from Burundi and Nigeria will soon join the Ugandan forces on a peace-keeping mission in Somalia, according to New Vision news paper.
Ugandan Chief of Defence Forces, General Aronda Nyakairima, told the parliamentary committee on defence that Burundi would deploy in a few weeks' time while Nigeria was preparing a battalion for the war-torn Somalia, according to the newspaper.
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Addis Ababa, 25 May 2007 - Addis Ababa - Prime Minister Meles Zenawi yesterday held talks with the Speaker of the Parliament of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur.
The talks held between Prime Minister Meles and Speaker Mohamed Nur centred on current situations in Somalia.
After his talks with Meles, the TFG Parliament Speaker told journalists that discussions focused particularly on the Somali national reconciliation conference, expected to be held soon.
President Isaias Afwerki (left) and Secretary of the African general assembly, Dr. Abdusalam Al-Tureik |
Asmara, 25 May 2007 – President Isaias Afwerki met and held talks in the afternoon hours today at the Denden hall with a Libyan delegation that arrived in Asmara to participate in the 16th independence anniversary of Eritrea. Secretary of the African general assembly, Dr. Abdusalam Al-Tureik, led the Libyan delegation.
Mogadishu 26, May 2007 - Insecurity has become a widespread problem in the coastal town of Merca, about 100 KM south of the capital Mogadishu. Local armed militiamen embarked on random killing and robbery.
Shabelle correspondent in Merca, Yusuf Keynan, reported Saturday that one person was killed and two others were wounded after unknown gunmen opened fire at a busy shopping area in the town.
Mogadishu 23, May 2007 - Talks are going on between Kenya and international agencies to have genuine asylum seekers from Somalia allowed into the country.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the living conditions of the asylum seekers were getting worse due to diseases and lack of basic necessities like water.
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Headlines |
Hargeysa, Somaliland, May 26, 2007 (SL Times) – Somaliland president Dahir Rayale Kahin has blocked the release of Shuun Hersi Gelleh, a 70-year old woman, who was arrested on April 11, 2007 in connection with the demolition of a fence wall that had been built on her land by a real estate prospector by the name of Arab Ha Iswaalin.
Shuun Hersi has been suspected of tearing down the fence which was erected on her land at the western outskirt of Hargeysa.
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Minister of Finance, Awil Ali Dualle |
Minister of Public Works, Saeed Sulub Mohamed |
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Dr. Mohamed Abdi Gabose |
Hargeysa, Somaliland, May 26, 2007 (SL Times) – The Somaliland minister of Finance, Awil Ali Dualle, and the minister of Public Works, Saeed Sulub Mohamed, are scheduled to hold a press conference in Hargeysa today for the sole purpose of conducting personal attacks against Dr. Mohamed Abdi Gabose, leader of a new opposition organization called QARAN.
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26 May 2007 - The Somaliland Network of Human Rights Organizations was for a long time busy on how to deal with the National Security Committee that violates the rights and freedom guaranteed by the Constitution and the Universal declaration of Human Rights.
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Somaliland 's port in Berbera is the centre of the country's economy |
Berbera, Somaliland, May 21, 2007 – Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow reports from the breakaway territory of Somaliland, finding that stability has built a strong economy.
On the dusty streets of the market place in the Hargeysa, the capital, goods are displayed.
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![Ahmed issued a statement with Somalia's former house speaker to dismiss forthcoming talks [AFP]](201_clip_image001.jpg)
Ahmed issued a statement with Somalia's former house speaker to dismiss forthcoming talks |
Asmara, May 25, 2007 – Anti-government Somali leaders in Eritrea have called for a boycott of a peace conference next month, giving warning of further violence if it goes ahead.
Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, leader of the Union of Islamic Courts (ICU), and Sheikh Sharif Hassan Aden, a former Somali parliament speaker, issued a joint statement in Asmara.
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Ali Mahdi, conference chairman |
MOGADISHU, Somalia, May 19 2007 - The chairman of the Somali reconciliation congress said on Saturday that 1,325 delegates will participate at the June conference.
Ali Mahdi Mohamed, a former Somali president, said the 3,000 figure the government previously estimated was wrong.
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NAIROBI, May 25, 2007 – Egypt's ambassador to Somalia Saeed Mosry has been freed by the authorities in Somali's Puntland region after being held captive for five days. Ahmed al-Azahary, from Egypt's embassy in Nairobi said the envoy was released after the intervention of Puntland leader Ade Mosse.
Mr. Mosry was negotiating the release of three Egyptian vessels and their crew arrested for illegal fishing.
Warns against revitalizing ‘Greater Somalia’ quest
HARGEISA, Somaliland, May 25, 2007 – The Somaliland’s House of Elders, the Guurti, the highest legislative authority in the country in their session on Wednesday, have issued an official decree forbidding Somalilanders from participating in any conference in Somalia, in the name of reconciliation or otherwise saying that attendance.
“Anyone who attends in any of such conferences will be seen as a renegade and traitor and will be condemned for his betrayal of his country as high Treason” stated the decree saying that participation entails not recognizing the Independence and Sovereignty of the Republic of Somaliland
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The heaviest book in the world |
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, May 25, 2007 – Weighing 500 kilograms, and standing a meter tall, an Ethiopian book of signatures and vision statements is going to start enlisting signatories in 13 days time. The book, which aims to have 30 million vision statements for the millennium, is transported by a forklift and has three kilograms of silver binding on the side.
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Commentary
Written by: Jamal Ali Hussein, An International banker with an MBA from Harvard University, USA.
It was January 28th, 2007 as I boarded my plane from New York to London on my way to South Africa. I was reading the Financial Times when I noticed an article about Kosovo to declare Statehood, and how the European Union (EU) is setting the stage for Kosovo to be an internationally recognized State. I could not help myself asking questions like why on earth that the African Union (AU) is not playing the same role on my birth place of Somaliland?
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Thousands of civilians fled in early 2006 as the Islamic Courts fought a warlord coalition in Mogadishu. The Islamic Courts took over Mogadishu in June and most of the south and central areas of Somalia later. Throughout the year, the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) had little control. Conflict between the Islamic Courts and the TFG, supported by the Ethiopian army, broke out in December. The Islamic Courts were defeated and the Ethiopian force entered Mogadishu and placed the TFG in power.
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Analysis
By East Africa Policy Institute
There is a vigorous argument taking place in Hargeisa about the announcement of a new political association (QARAN) headed by veteran Somaliland politicians like Dr. Mohamed Abdi Gabose (former Interior Minister) and Mohamed Hashi Elmi (former Minister of Industry and Commerce). The big question mark is centered on the legality of establishing any new political association intending to become a political party when the Somaliland constitution allows the existence of only three national parties.
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International News
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Envoy urges support for national reconciliation, political inclusiveness
U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger |
Washington, May 25, 2007 - Somalis are “truly tired of the many years of chaos and conflict” and there is more reason to be hopeful about Somalia than ever before, says Michael Ranneberger, the U.S. ambassador to Kenya.
Ranneberger answered questions from an international audience about U.S. policy toward Somalia in a USINFO Webchat May 23. During the chat, he said that the Somali people, because of their years of suffering and privation, now are willing to work together. Because cooperation will be a new experience for them, it will not be an easy process, he said.
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“We are not happy with what is happening back home” Jamila Jamma, Waayah Cusub member |
Nairobi, May 18, 2007 – Deep in the heart of Little Mogadishu, a suburb in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, a pop group called Waayah Cusub (New Era) is causing a storm.
Frustrated with the traditional norms of living within the Somali community, which to a large extent restricts open expression; this group of young men and women are now using music to break the barriers.
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OMAHA, Neb. May 25, 2007 – Dozens of Muslim meatpackers in Omaha, Nebraska, are back on the job, after walking-out last week to protest not having enough time for sundown prayers.
Swift and Company officials had said sunset prayers could take too many workers off production lines at once, forcing them to shut down. More than half of the Muslim workers -- from Somalia -- decided to return to the production lines, after meeting with management and union officials.
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May 24, 2007
Last week, my colleague at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), Andrew McCarthy – the former Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York who led the prosecution of "Blind Sheikh" Omar Abdel Rahman as well as the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and who now heads FDD's Center for Law and Counterterrorism – forwarded to me some interesting material on Operation Somali Justice, the Drug Enforcement Administration's 18-month nationwide attempt to crack down on the traffic in qat (also known as khat).
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Editorial
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Shuun Hersi, a 70-year-old lady, has been incommunicado for 45 days without trial. She was arrested by the so-called Security Committee, an extra-legal apparatus used by the government of President Dahir Rayale to imprison any citizen alleged to present risk to public security.
Shuun was accused of demolishing a fence wall that one business tycoon, known as Arab Ha Iswalin, had built illegally on a piece of land belonging to the heirs of her father, Hersi Gelleh.
Editorial 2:
Urgently Needed: A Sensible US Policy Toward Somaliland And Somalia
It is too early to say whether the appointment of retired diplomat John Yates as special envoy to Somalia is going to help the situation in Somalia or not. It would depend among other things on what his portfolio entails and his government’s agenda.
But based on his recent statements, the outlook for US policy in Somalia does not look good because it is based on imposing the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) on Somalis, an overwhelming majority of whom hate and despise that nominal government. US policy toward Somalis is so lopsided that it has practically ceded the management of the June reconciliation conference to Abdillahi Yusuf and his minions.
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Special Report |
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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By Dalmar Kaahin, Ottawa, Canada
Yes, if you are still stuck on reinforcing a dead man’s policies, then May 18 is the “cleaning day.” Despot Gen. Siyad Barre—the former ruthless dictator who ruled Somalia for 23 years, with iron fist—named the 18th of May: the “cleaning day” or “Maalintii Nadaafada.”However, from the Somalilander’s prospective, May 18th is a day of joy; a contrast to October 21—a day of tyranny, where Gen. Barre’s cruel Army, an array of killing machines were showcased in a parade.
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The 16th Anniversary Of Somaliland Independence In Toronto
By Dr Omar Ibrahim Hussein
The Anniversary is a cherished annually observed event in Toronto. The anniversary was conducted meticulously and lavishly in a big Armenian Centre in East Toronto. I was one of the invitees and I was extremely excited about the occasion. This was my first participation in any national celebration since 26 June 1960 at the Independence Garden in Hargeysa. According to the invitation card, the party starts at 7 o’clock Sharp. Since the place was one hour drive away, I asked my wife to get ready at five o’clock for I know she gets ready in around one hour. My wife asked me what the time was for she thought I may have a different time.
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Our National Day: Much Ado About Nothing
By Ali-Khadar Hassan Osman (Ali Kubbad)
With our National Day having just passed, our 16 th year anniversary requires some sober rethinking. While our nation was founded on great idealism and hope for the future, having triumphed against a great evil in our darkest hour in recent history, we have now returned to a state in which pessimism runs rampant. The actions of a certain political elite have resulted in the exploitation of our people and the betrayal of the ideals on which Somaliland was founded. It is incumbent upon every citizen, man and woman old and young alike, to ask the question of what we want. It is at this anniversary, though faced with an immense threat at our borders, a near extinct economy, and a kleptomaniac leader who has greatly abused his powers that we must make some of our toughest decisions yet.
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An Open Letter to Ruth Kelly
By Iftikhar Ahmad
According to Ruth Kelly, approved citizenship lessons may be introduced in Muslim schools and supplementary schools to eradicate extremism and violence in Muslim communities. Muslim schools help to strengthen community cohesion, not undermine it. This is the reason why all Teachers Unions do not like to see the rapid growth of Muslim schools after 9/11 and 7/7. According to a world wide survey, Islam was found to have little to do with radicalization or antipathy towards western culture. The war on terror has radicalized Muslims around the world to unprecedented levels of anti-American feeling.
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By Ivan Simic, Belgrade, Serbia
Hegemony is the dominance of one group over other groups, with or without the threat of force, to the extent that, for instance, the dominant party can dictate the terms of trade to its advantage; more broadly, cultural perspectives become skewed to favor the dominant group. The cultural control that hegemony asserts affects commonplace patterns of thought: hegemony controls the way new ideas are rejected or become naturalized in a process that subtly alters notions of common sense in a given society.¹
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By Ahmed N. Amin – Assad, Cardiff, Wales
Over the years, Africans looked up to the West for seeking political clout and fortunes to their countries but there seems to be a change in the making. China is now planning an investment in Africa at an unprecedented level. Spending $20bn in infrastructure and trade over a period of 3 years outstrips individual contributions from traditional donors and investors alike. For the first time in history, they hosted African Development Bank meeting which closed in Shanghai yesterday [1].
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By Abdirahman Ahmed Ali
Most commonly, the term constitution refers to a set of rules and principles that define the nature and extent of government. Most constitutions seek to regulate the relationship between institutions of the state, in a basic sense the relationship between the executive, legislature and the judiciary, but also the relationship of institutions within those branches. In the case of Somaliland, this term refers specifically to a national constitution defining the fundamental political principles, and establishing the structure, procedures, power and duties, of a government. Most national constitutions also guarantee certain rights to the people.
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| FEATURES & COMMENTARY |
May 24, 2007
During the first three weeks of May, the cycle of political devolution in Somalia that had set in after the military defeat of the Islamic Courts Council (I.C.C.) in December 2006 by Ethiopian armed forces supporting the country's internationally recognized but weak Transitional Federal Government (T.F.G.) continue, with tensions persisting among opposing actors and fractures surfacing within them.
The collapse of the I.C.C., which had sought to unify Somalia in an Islamic state based on Shari'a law and had gained control over most of the country south of the breakaway sub-states of Puntland and Somaliland, as an organized political faction left the T.F.G. with the challenges of providing security and reconciling disparate political forces in the country, which it has not yet succeeded in meeting.
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May 22, 2007
There is a thing that has stroke my imagination beyond control and comprehension. It is and will perhaps remain for too long without any plausible answer. This is the thing: Why is it that, whenever the microphones, cameras and pens of major news media in the Western world are directed to Africa, they only broadcast or publish negative news? Does it mean that nothing positive ever happens in the 53 or soon 55 countries (when South Sudan becomes independent in 2011 and between now and early next year, when Somaliland gains full-fledged international recognition), on the continent of Africa?
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WASHINGTON, May 22, 2007 - One dramatic act sets Ethiopia apart from the array of countries with poor human rights records that have become United States counterterrorism allies since the September 11, 2001, attacks: With U.S. backing, it invaded a neighboring country and overthrew a Taliban-like Islamist movement.
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By mahad sheikh
19 May 2007
As I was surfing the net in search of my daily doze of news about the war back home, which is a routine that became a habit of mine since the arrival of the Ethiopian invaders in Somalia, I came a cross quotes from AFP news agency’s interview with the AU Commissioner, Alpha Oumar Konare on Moday, May 14, 2007. I was deeply shocked and disappointed with the commissioner in particular and the organization in general when I read these quotes
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By Ahmed Kheyre, London, UK
No true Somalilander would waste their time attending the much delayed and much talked about Somalia reconciliation meeting slated for June 15th. It is going to be another charade of self-interest, self-publicity and self-delusion.
Somaliland has already had its dialogue and discussions and has reached a consensus. Somaliland is based on democracy and the rule of law. Whatever discussion that are going to take place among the conflicting groups in Somalia, this is frankly their own business.
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