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News Headlines
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Local
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Editorial |
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Features
& Commentary |
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International News
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Opinion |
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ahmed Omar
London, April 29, 2009 – THE ruling Labor
Group of councilors at Tower Hamlets in East London has
re-elected Lutfur Rahman as Leader of the local authority.
He secured a second year in office at the Group’s annual
meeting on Monday, the group revealed this afternoon.
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London, May 01, 2009 – The UN's refugee agency says it is
holding talks with the Somali Islamist group al-Shabab to
resume operations in areas under its control.
The UNHCR representative for Somalia, Guillermo Bettochi,
said al-Shabab had recognized the dire humanitarian
situation facing people in the region.
Read full text...
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By Howard Lesser
Washington, DC, May 01, 2009 – One week after international
donors pledged more than $200 million, primarily toward
security needs of a new government in Somalia, UN officials
are expected to address the humanitarian response to
Somalia’s refugee crisis. In London Friday, they will
discuss what is needed inside the country and in surrounding
areas to promote stability and improve conditions for more
than 260-thousand residents who have fled to overcrowded
camps in northeastern Kenya.
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CAIRO, May 01, 2009 – Egypt is to host an international
emergency anti-piracy conference bringing together an
unprecedented number of officials and experts in Cairo in
May, the organizers said on Thursday.
"An emergency summit has been organized... with the
government of Egypt, Somalia, Djibouti, Yemen, Jordan,
Panama, Malaysia, international agencies and industry
leaders," Phoenix Intelligence Support Services said in a
statement.
Read full text...
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Rageh Omar
Hargeysa, 29 April 2009 (Somalilandpress) — Somali born Al
Jazeera correspondent, Rageh Omar who rose to fame in 2003
for his distinguished coverage of the Iraq invasion for the
BBC, flew back to Hargeisa after many years living aboard -
to do a documentary film on displaced people from Somalia.
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Press Release
April 30, 2009
U.S. Embassy, Nairobi, Kenya
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, the
U.S. embassy takes the opportunity to reiterate its support
for the courageous journalists of Somalia. The United States
is a strong partner with Somali journalists in the quest to
realize an environment in which journalists can practice
their trade without fear of harm or intimidation.
Read full text...
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Afghan_Border
Washington, April 29, 2009 – A NEW report has shown that
battle-hardened extremists are filtering out of safe havens
along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border into East Africa,
bringing sophisticated terrorist tactics that include
suicide attacks.
Read full text...
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DJIBOUTI, Djibouti, April 29, 2009/African Press
Organization (APO)/ — The Somali Independent News Agency (SOMINA)
was unveiled today in Djibouti by Omar Faruk Osman Nur, the
secretary-general of the National Union of Somali
journalists, and Robert Ménard, the head of the Doha Centre
for Media Freedom. It is intended to be an independent
source of reliable and objective news about Somalia, one of
Africa’s most troubled countries.
Read full text...
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US Ship Captain Testifies on Piracy |
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Captain Richard Phillips
testifying on Capitol Hill, 30 Apr 2009
By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill, April 30, 2009 – U.S. congressional committees
have examined the problem of maritime piracy and steps the
U.S. and other countries are taking to deal with it. Captain
Richard Phillips, who was held for five days by pirates off
the coast of Somalia, testified before a Senate panel, while
U.S. officials appeared before a House committee.
Read full text...
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Social security’s role in recovery efforts may lead to
financing problems |
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27 April 2009
- Social security systems worldwide are responding to the
financial and economic crisis with innovative measures that
alleviate the social impact of the downturn. But the severe
pressure on schemes caused by the crisis may have policy
implications in the medium- and long-term, an international
gathering of social security administrators and experts has
heard.
Read full text...
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Somali
tips lead to slaying arrests |
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Wednesday, April 29, 2009
City police praised the Somali community for providing tips
that led to two arrests in connection with the slaying of a
20-year-old man who was found Sunday morning in Hermitage
Park.
"I want to thank members within the Somali community for
coming forward and providing us with valuable information in
relation to this homicide," said Deputy Chief David Korol
yesterday afternoon at police headquarters.
Read full text...
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In Seattle, Somalis denounce terrorism, piracy |
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By MANUEL VALDES
SEATTLE, April 30, 2009 – With headlines about pirates
hijacking ships and terrorist groups recruiting their
countrymen to fight in Africa, Somali community leaders in
the Seattle area are speaking out in an effort to counter
negative public perception.
"The media has portrayed a lot of negatives," said Mohamed
Mohamud, one of the organizers of an outreach event last
Saturday in the Seattle suburb of Tukwila that attracted
dozens of Somalis.
Read full text...
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Press Releases: South African Elections |
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Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:04:06
-0500
South African Elections
Robert Wood
Acting Department Spokesman, Office of the Spokesman
Bureau of Public Affairs
Washington, DC
April 28, 2009
The United States congratulates the people, political
parties, government and the Independent Electoral Commission
of the Republic of South Africa, on the successful
completion of their fourth national election.
Read full text...
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Somalia: Top UN Envoy Calls For Donors’ Pledges To Be Turned
Into Action |
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Internally displaced women and
children in Mogadishu, Somalia. |
Nairobi, April 27, 2009 – Following last
week’s over $200 million pledge by international donors for
Somalia, the top United Nations envoy to the Horn of Africa
nation today voiced hope that resources will be mobilized
quickly to promote peace and stability.
Read full text...
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Headlines |
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Political Parties Accept Mediation Results |
UCID
Party Faisal Warabe
Hargeysa, Somaliland,
May 2, 2009 (SL Times) –
The leaders of
Somaliland’s opposition
parties, Kulmiye and
Ucid, declared their
acceptance of the
results of the mediation
between them and the
government. The two
opposition leaders made
this announcement in a
press conference at
Mansoor hotel. The
Chairman of UCID said,
“although the mediation
committee did not cover
all the points that they
were supposed to
mediate, the opposition
parties accept the
results because they
care about the country,
Read full text...
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Pirates Sentenced In Berbera |
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Shashank Bengali / MCT
Farah Ismail Eid, 38, is serving a 15-year prison term in
Mandhera, for piracy off Somalia. |
Berbera, Somaliland, May 2, 2009 (SL Times) – A court in the
city of Berbera, Somaliland, sentenced two pirates to twenty
years in jail each. The two pirates were part of a nine
member gang who were caught about 80 km off the coast of
Berbera. Each of the remaining seven pirates was sentenced
to 15 years in jail.
Read full text...
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Somaliland's President Congratulates Zuma |
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Zuma |
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Hargeysa, Somaliland, May 2, 2009 (SL Times) – Somaliland
President Dahir Riyale Kahin sent a warm message of
congratulations to Jacob Zuma, leader of the ANC, for
winning South Africa’s presidential election.
In his message, President Dahir Riyale Kahin called Mr.
Zuma’s winning of the election a “historic victory” not just
for South Africa but for the whole African continent.
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Berbera, Somaliland, May 2, 2009 (SL Times) – A national
minority women’s organization (VOSOMWO ) held a conference at
the Maritime College in Berbera this week. The meeting was
attended by around 50 people representing a cross-section of
Somaliland’s minority communities, including elders, scholars,
representatives of political parties, and government officials.
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The government says it cannot hold the
elections until it has a complete voters’ register, but
opposition parties accuse it of incompetence.
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Somaliland’s President Dahir Riyale Kahin Photo/File
Abdulkadir Khalif
Hargeysa, Somaliland, April 30 2009 – Despite meetings between
the mediation committee set up by the government and opposition
parties in the Republic of Somaliland to look into issues that
might threaten the country’s security, Somaliland’s stability
remains rather fragile.
Read full text...
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“We
Will Not Seeking International Support for Recognition Of
Somaliland” |
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Lord Malloch-Brown, British Minister of State, Foreign
& Commonwealth Office
House of Lords’ Written Answers |
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Lord Malloch-Brown |
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Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Somalia:
Pirates
Lord
Laird (Crossbench)
To ask
Her Majesty's Government
whether they will ask Somali authorities for assistance in their
efforts to combat piracy in the region; and whether they intend
to pursue a policy of seeking international support for
recognition of this country within the former British colonial
frontiers of Somaliland.
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WFP
Bid To Boost Capacity In Berbera Port |
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WFP is to increase its food storage
capacity in Berbera, Somaliland, to boost its aid distribution |
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Berbera, Somaliland, May 2, 2009, 2009 – The UN World Food
Programme (WFP) is expanding its storage capacity in the port of
Berbera in Somaliland to boost aid delivery in the Horn of
Africa region, officials said.
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Somaliland: Major Improvements in Water Quality |
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Fetching water from a tanker: People's
access to safe water in Somaliland has improved due to the
availability of water purification tablets and digging of
shallow wells in rural areas - file photo
Hargeysa, Somaliland,
May 2, 2009 (SL Times) – Big improvements in water safety and
sanitation have been made thanks to availability of water
purification tablets, central water supply systems and
privatization of services.
Below is an article published by IRIN on April 30, 2009:
The availability of water purification tablets, digging of
shallow wells in rural areas as well as privatization of water
services have resulted in more people in Somaliland gaining
access to clean water and proper sanitation, officials said.
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Heavy Fighting Continues As Pakistan Army Battles Taliban |
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Pakistani forces park their tanks in
Lal Qila Maidan after taking over the area from Taliban in Lower
Dir, 01 May 2009
By Barry New house
Islamabad
01 May 2009
Pakistan's military said its forces have killed 55 to 60
Taliban militants in the last 24 hours in heavy fighting in
Taliban-held areas of the northwest.
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Rebecca Walsh
Washington, May 2, 2009 – The first 100 days is an artificial
journalistic deadline -- a "Hallmark Holiday," as press
secretary Robert Gibbs puts it.
We started judging America's presidents this way with FDR in
1933. The Great Depression didn't allow dawdling: Nearly 25
percent of the American work force was unemployed. Four out of
10 homeowners couldn't make their house payments. And half the
country's farms faced foreclosure.
One hundred days seemed like plenty of time.
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Ambassador Johnnie Carson |
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Tami Hultman
29 April 2009
Washington, DC — On President Barack Obama's 100th day in
office, his nominee to be the top administration Africa
policy official, Ambassador Johnnie Carson, told the Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations that, if confirmed as
Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, he will pursue a
broad, but focused, agenda to protect U.S. interests and
promote African development.
Read full text...
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The Global Fund Strengthens Its Effortsto Prevent Corruption |
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Code of Conduct and Sanctions Policy for Suppliers Will
Clarify Good Business Practices |
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In its constant
effort to prevent, detect and sanction anyone involved in misuse
of its financing, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis
and Malaria will within the coming weeks issue a Code of Conduct
for all suppliers of goods and services paid for with Global
Fund financing.
Read full text... |
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| An
Interview with Dr. Saad Noor, North American representative of
the Republic of Somaliland |
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By Bill Weinberg, WBAI Radio
New York, May 2, 2009 – Somaliland is a de facto independent
country in what is known in the media (none too accurately) as
"Somalia." It is an ironic situation that southern Somalia has
no effective government on the ground, but has a largely
fictional government that is recognized by the international
community; whereas in the northern part of the
country—Somaliland—exactly the opposite is true: it has a
functioning government on the ground, but no government that is
recognized by the international community.
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Held
in a Somaliland jail, a pirate leader says he was forced to take
to the high seas in search of fortune after foreign trawlers
wiped out the livelihood of local fishermen. |
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Somali Pirates
By Shashank Bengali
MANDHERA, Somaliland, April 29, 2009 — Their exploits have
turned the inky-blue waters of the Indian Ocean into a perilous
gantlet for ships and an unlikely security challenge for world
leaders. But behind the bare brick walls of a desolate former
British colonial prison here, five jailed Somali pirates didn't
seem very fearsome at all.
Read full text...
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By JERRY OKUNGU
An East African perspective
April 30, 2009
The pirate story on the coast of Somalia is as intriguing as
any fiction that has the power to capture the imagination of
mankind. It gets interesting when modern society recalls
that the last pirate attacks across international waters
were carried out by bandits more than two centuries ago.
Read
full text...
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Somalia – Why Isn't Secretary Clinton Connecting The Dots? |
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Clinton |
Ruth King
April 27, 2009
Former Clinton advisor Dick Morris once described Hillary
Clinton's trademark laugh, which erupts every time she
dodges media sniper fire, as "loud, inappropriate, and
mirthless. . ." That aptly described her predictable
response when asked about Somali pirates.
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full text...
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In Somalia, Where Can You Hide $100 Million? |
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"It is
up to the international community to address the causes of
piracy, not just react to its consequences. Rich and
powerful nations know that helping this African country get
back on its feet is crucial to combating piracy off its
shores, so why are they doing nothing?"
By Mohamed
Elmasry
Friday,
May 1, 2009 – Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been
making headlines for months. The story goes like this, or at
least this is what we’re told: a few lightly armed Somali
pirates in small boats manage to threaten big ships,
Read
full text...
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Countering Somali Piracy By Involving The Private Sector |
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Pirates
J.Peter
Pham, PhD
April 30,
2009
The piracy
off the Somali coast took on aspects of a tragicomedy this
past week. As I
reported last week, The Philippines-flagged chemical
tanker MV Stolt Strength, which was carrying a cargo
of phosphoric acid when it was seized by Somali pirates in
early November 2008 as it sailed through the Gulf of Aden,
was finally freed on April 20th,
Read
full text...
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Extremism Spreads North |
Central and south Somalia has been
a terrorist haven for some time. That much is well established.
Now there are indications that religious radicalization is
spreading further north, particularly in Puntland.
Here are examples of recent events in Puntland that support our
claim:
Read full text...
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OPINION |
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Somalia: Piracy vs. Blind Western Justice |
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By Dalmar Kahin
Somali teenagers, of course, remain potential pirates—a
menace to society. So to thwart chaos in high seas, the
“civilized” and “enlightened” Western world needs to not
only freeze the pirates’ assets—the fish—but also obliterate
their dens. For they [pirates] pose a threat to shipping
lanes; or more precisely, they create a formidable obstacle
to illegal fishing incursion into Somalia’s coast—a condoned
theft.
Read full text...
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Did President Riyale Come To Power By Accident Or By Design? |
By Mukhtar Mohamed Abby
Having served for so long in late president Egal's shadow,
his leadership skills were an unknown quantity beyond his
being a good listener who speaks little and whose behavior
in public seems stilted. Since Riyale, the incumbent
president had not been in the political arena prior to his
vice- presidency - he had been essentially unpopular figure
across the country let alone internationally. He was
overshadowed by the late president, and the father of
nation, Mohamed H. Ibrahim Egal,
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Remittances Foster Social Life Necessity For Somali
Emigrants |
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By: Dr. Shacabi, California, USA
After leaving their country for better lives abroad,
Somalian emigrants often send money to their native country
as remittances. The impact of these funds are staggering,
but they are better channeled in Compliance with following
the guidelines of USA Patriot ACT and FinCen Money Transfer
rules and regulations.
The physical disconnection of millions of Somali emigrants
from homes,
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A Moment With A Somali From The Diaspora |
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It is well known fact that there are Somalis living in every
corner of the world. These Somalis who have emigrated for
some reason or another make short visits back to their home
at some time. Some make the trip regularly while others make
occasionally or some never do it.
Read full text...
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The Plight of Single Life |
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“Human life begins from couples and ends to families. So,
live with a couple and get hand into your mouth” |
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By Ibrahim Rashid Mohamed
In this planet, the fit
mental people believe, the leading and power in the world
depends on the number of population which holds the country
while there are some other claims those from the western
countries which mention, it depends on the availability of
economic, education, technology and other resource but
really, they are going to mislead the health minded people
into a wrong path which against their deem of patriotism.
Read full text...
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Somaliland
Political & Constitutional Crisis & The 10 Commandments To
Build Stable & Enduring Democracy |
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The political
quagmire that The Republic of Somaliland is presently stuck
in is the product of the total absence of the System of
Checks and Balances that any democratic process should have.
Secondly, people have spent all their time and energy
discussing the symptoms of the disease, but it appears that
we have almost ignored to address the real causes of the
problem. As a result, the entire nation is moving around in
vicious cycle with no light at the end of the channel.
Read full text...
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Somalia Piracy: A Chicken Or An Egg? |
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BY KALUNDI SERUMAGA
APRIL 28, 2009
Which came first: the instability of the region due to
Somalia’s collapse, or Somalia’s collapse due to the
instability of the region?
Somalia’s story is a continuation of one that started
centuries ago, and that stretches far beyond her 3000 km of
troubled coastline. It is a story that is actually quite
commonplace in the African interior.
Read full text...
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FILE - In
this March 23, 2009, file photo, Army Gen. William
"Kip" Ward, Commander, United States Africa Command,
speaks with The Associated Press during an interview
at the Pentagon in Washington. |
WASHINGTON, April 28, 2009 — There is growing evidence that
battle-hardened extremists are filtering out of safe havens
along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and into East Africa,
bringing sophisticated terrorist tactics that include
suicide attacks.
Read full text...
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Fighting Back |
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April 30, 2009:
The April 12th killing of three pirates by U.S. Navy SEAL
snipers, and the increasing aggressiveness of the
international anti-piracy patrol, and local groups, has
caused the pirates to be more careful and cooperate with
each other more. The pirates are increasingly getting
arrested, and failing to take ships. The anti-piracy patrol
is bringing in more maritime patrol aircraft, in order to
track pirate mother ships that are going far out (over 1000
kilometers off the coast) to threaten many more commercial
ships.
Read full text...
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Somali refugees have told the Mail & Guardian that South
Africa's high commissioner to Botswana, Dikgang Moopeloa,
stood by and watched as the Botswana police and military
beat them with batons and fists at the Ramatlabama border
post on the night of March 24.
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Ayesha
Abdilkadir(22) is one of the Somali refugees who
tried to flee to Botswana |
QUDSIYA KARRIM AND PERCY MABANDU
Johannesburg, South Africa, May 01, 2009 –The 95 Somalis,
who have full refugee status in South Africa, were trying to
return to their war-torn home because they feared further
attacks. The group included pregnant women and children.
Their attempt to cross into Botswana culminated in a 12-hour
stand-off in no-man's-land. It is understood that officials
from the United Nations, South African immigration services,
National Intelligence Agency and the South African Police
Service were also present.
Read full text...
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April 30, 2009:
Ethiopia’s withdrawal from Somalia left a vacuum there, but
it appears that Ethiopia has kept a significant number of
troops in the border area. Reports continue to crop up of
Ethiopian recon forces inside Somalia. This makes sense.
Somali Islamists and Eritrea make common cause with ethnic
Somali secessionists in Ethiopia’s Ogaden region. The
military wants to cut down on re-supply and infiltration.
Read full text...
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Yemeni Jews: Discriminated Against, but Still Patriotic |
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Written By Mohammed
Al-Asaadi
Synopsis: Yemenite Jews face daily discriminartion amidst a
Muslim population. The Media Line takes a look at some
Yemini Jewish families, their move from small villages to
luxurious housing compounds and their integration into
society.
[Sana’a, Yemen 27 April 2009] Sasa, 12, and 40 other boys of
the Jewish minority in Raida, Yemen have stopped going to
school. Sasa no longer plays as he used to, though he has
never really played like other children.
Read full text...
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Louis Wasser, Chronicle Foreign Service
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
With more ships opting to go around the Cape of Good Hope to
avoid Somali pirates rather than pass through the Suez Canal
and enter the world's most dangerous waterway, Egyptian
officials are concerned about a steep drop in revenue and
its effect on the nation's economy.
Read full text...
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Why Did France Resort To Violence Off The Coast Of Somalia? |
World Socialist Web Site - wsws.org
By Olivier Laurent
1 May 2009
The use of force April 10 to recover five French hostages
held off the Somali coast, on the yacht, the
Tanit,
demonstrates the contempt of the Nicolas Sarkozy government
for the lives of the French hostages and the Somali pirates,
as well as for French and Somali public opinion.
Read full text...
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Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing [Congressional
Documents and Publications] |
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Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc.
04/30/2009
I join the Chairman in welcoming our first panel to the
Committee. Captain Phillips' leadership and bravery during
and after the pirate assault on his ship have been
justifiably praised around the world. His dramatic rescue by
the Navy has again demonstrated the skill and courage of our
sailors.
Read full text...
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Small Steps May Go A Long Way |
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Dr. Terry Lacey
Development Economist
How do you build a winning political coalition from amongst
38 political parties, to fight a direct Presidential
election in Indonesia - the world’s third largest democracy,
with 171 million voters ? There is much talk of a jumbo
coalition to oppose the incumbent President led by the main
losing parties in the April 8th general election.
But President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono may prove small steps
can take a big country a long way.
Read full text...
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