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Training for Somali Team Fails to Start After Row
Training for members of the Somali Public Service Commission was called off yesterday after the 10 commissioners boycotted sessions.
They wanted the training to be officially opened by the Somali minister in charge of the civil service.
Officials at the Kenya Institute of Administration (KIA), where the training was to take place, said the commissioners reported on time but refused to start the lessons.
"They are insisting that the training has to be opened by their minister in charge of civil service. I understand the minister is still in Somalia but we are doing all we can to have them start learning as we await the minister," said KIA director Margaret Kobia.
But some of the commissioners who talked to the Nation said they would not start the training funded by the UN Development Programme-Somali before the official opening by the minister.
Workers at KIA said the commissioners had on Sunday night declined to accept accommodation at the institution claiming that the rooms were sub-standard and did not have television sets.
"They gave us a hectic time. We had to call senior officials to sort out the matter," said a worker.
It took the officials at KIA several hours to convince the commissioners to accept the rooms.
Dr Kobia said the commissioners were free to organise for alternative accommodation outside the institution if they were not comfortable.
The 10 commissioners are in the country for a one-month training after which they will return to Somalia to recruit public servants.
Posted on Tuesday 28th February at 17:36:25 Parliament Adjourned For a Week
NAIROBI, 28 February (IRIN) - Sharif Hassan Shaykh Aden, speaker of the Somali transitional federal parliament, adjourned the session for one week on Monday to give members of parliament time to consult individually.
The opening ceremony of the first session of parliament to be convened inside Somalia since the transitional government was established in late 2004 had been held on Sunday.
"The adjournment was something we all agreed on," said parliamentarian Isak Muhammad Nur.
There is a need for members who have not been in the same venue "to resolve any personal differences before we get into difficult discussions about policy and other issues", he added.
"There was an overall agreement within the top leadership [president, prime minister and speaker] to thrash out contentious issues before they were brought to the floor of the parliament," said Muhammad Ali, a former Somali MP.
One MP said parliament is expected to debate some controversial issues when it reconvenes, including a request by the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) for peacekeeping troops and the role of Somalia's immediate neighbours in such a force.
The leaders of the TFG "were afraid that some MPs were preparing to bring a no-confidence vote," said a source in parliament who requested anonymity. "They basically want to avoid anything that would create a confrontation and make sure that any agenda presented had the support of most MPs."
Posted on Tuesday 28th February at 17:32:45 Somalis Pushed Into Sea And Drown
A boat sailing from Somalia forced all of its 137 passengers into deep waters off the Yemeni coast, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says.
More than 30 of the migrants have drowned. Survivors that reached shore on Monday night says dozens more, including children, are missing.
Thousands of Somalis and Ethiopians attempt to cross the Gulf of Aden each year, many hoping to reach Europe.
Fearing Yemeni coast guards, smugglers often force their passengers overboard.
The smuggling networks target migrants and asylum seekers and an estimated 100 people a day arrive in Yemen between September to March - when sailing conditions are at their best.
However, the UNHCR says the risks of the voyage are extremely high, with passengers often paying the ultimate price.
"Smugglers torture, rape and shoot their passengers if they complain. It's very dangerous," UNHCR's Peter Kessler told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.
Those aboard in this incident were Somalis and Ethiopians, including men, women and children.
Bodies have been washed up along the southern coast of Yemen east of Bir Ali.
"It is a sign of the fragility of the situation in Somalia and more and more Ethiopians are also opting to escape on this route," Mr Kessler says.
"It's clear that the political insecurity, especially after the election in Ethiopia, are driving more people from that country to seek asylum."
UN staff in Aden say they are taking care of the survivors, giving them medical help and food.
Posted on Tuesday 28th February at 17:31:34 Ahmed Seeks Unity As Somalia Moves Forward
Baidoa, Somalia - Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed appealed for unity on Sunday as a transitional parliament opened its first session on home soil since relocating from exile last year.
Powerful warlords controlling Mogadishu skipped the session owing to tension in the capital.
"This is a historical opportunity for the Somalia parliament, government and the people," Yusuf told lawmakers gathered in Baidoa, about 250km north-west of Mogadishu.
"Let us choose between serving our people or being put on the bad list of history as people who promoted confrontation among Somalis and lacked the skills to administer a modern Somalia," he said.
"Somalis are fed up with hostilities, displacement and endless violence. The people want peace, freedom and to live under the rule of law."
Officials said the warlords chose to remain in Mogadishu, where tension runs high after clashes between allied warlords and a militiamen attached to the city's Islamic courts claimed at least 33 lives and displaced hundreds last week.
"The warlords are still overseeing the situation in Mogadishu because the ceasefire with Islamic courts militia is not viable enough to let them leave," a parliamentary official told reporters.
Other lawmakers said the parliamentary session, the first inside Somalia since the assembly relocated from exile in Kenya in June, was a good start.
"This is a good start for the Somali parliamentarians if they come together and want to amicably resolve differences through dialogue," said Abdirahman Iddi, minister of parliament and government relations.
The ceremony was also attended by the United Nations political officer for Somalia, Francois Fall, who said the international community expected the Somali leaders to pursue peace.
"It hardly needs repeating here today, but the future of your country is in your hands," Fall said. "You have arrived at a crossroads and you have a choice that should be easy to make."
"It is a choice - either to allow anarchy and chaos to prevail in your country - or to lead the Somali people towards reconciliation and reconstruction, peace and prosperity. The Somali people and the international community expect you to make the right choice," he said.
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who last month mediated truce talks between Yusuf and parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, sent a congratulatory telephone message and called on the MPs to work for the unity of the government.
"I urge the parliamentarians to continue (working) to create a national, stable government," he said. Adan later adjourned the session, but it was unclear on the Monday's programme.
Security was tight at the venue, a former warehouse recently renovated and fitted with sound and air conditioning systems. Security officials used metal detectors to conduct body searches on those who attended.
With the exception of presidential security, the MPs were banned by Aden Mohammed Saransor, the warlord controlling Baidoa, from carrying weapons.
The transitional government, formed in late 2004, is Somalia's 14th attempt to restore a central authority in the war-shattered nation that has lacked a functioning government since 1991.
Since its appointment, the government has been rocked with deep divisions between a faction led by Yusuf and Gedi and another led by Adan and the warlords who control Mogadishu.
The president and his prime minister set up shop in the northern town of Jowhar, about 90km north of the capital, because of insecurity in Mogadishu.
Last month, under heavy international pressure, the two camps agreed on Baidoa as a compromise venue to try to solve disagreements that have scuppered the restoration of authority.
The parliamentarians are also expected to renew appeals for humanitarian aid for up to two million people threatened by a drought-induced famine. - Sapa-AFP
By Ali Musa Abdi
Posted on Monday 27th February at 17:45:25 Militia Attack On Puntland's Mps
At least three people have died after an exchange of gunfire near the parliament of Somalia's autonomous province of Puntland.
Gunmen loyal to Planning Minister Abdurrahman Farole entered the building on Sunday, before being forced out by security forces on Monday.
The overnight siege and the clashes may be linked to Monday's deadline for MPs to approve or reject a new cabinet.
Mr Farole has since been sacked by Puntland President Mohamud Muse Hersi.
Puntland declared itself an autonomous region within Somalia in 1998, but - unlike neighbouring Somaliland - does not want full independence.
Journalist Jamal Abdi told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that the security forces moved in just before the MPs were due to convene and so they were not present during the exchange of gunfire.
Two militiamen and a civilian were killed.
Posted on Monday 27th February at 17:40:42 Calls For Patriotism As Mps Meet In Baidoa
NAIROBI-GALKAYO, 27 February (IRIN) - Somalia's interim President, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, has opened the first-ever session of parliament to be held inside the war-ravaged Horn of Africa country with a passionate appeal for patriotism.
"If we have any measure of patriotism, it is shameful enough for us to witness an era of Somalia's decline which is not brought about by foreign assailants but by our collective indiscretion," Yusuf said.
"Each one of us should choose between serving our citizens or go down in history as the leaders who failed to lead their people and promoted hostilities," he told the legislators. "This is an opportunity we should seize to govern the people and the country."
Some 205 of the 275 members of the Somali transitional parliament (MPs) are attending the session, which started on Sunday in Baidoa town, 240 km southwest of the capital, Mogadishu.
However, prominent Mogadishu-based faction leaders where absent, including Deputy Prime Minister Hussein Aydid, commerce minister Muse Sudi Yalahow, national security minister Mohamed Qanyare Afrah, public works Minster Usman Ali Ato and reconstruction and resettlement minister Bare Hirale, who is based in Kismayo.
"They were delayed, but we expect them to be here before the week is over," Isak Mohamed Nur, who is also the local MP for Baidoa, told IRIN on Monday.
Other sources said the powerful Mogadishu faction skipped the session due to tension in the city following heavy fighting last week between the Islamic courts and militias loyal to the faction leaders.
Baidoa was chosen to host the meeting because it was seen as a compromise venue, where the various Somali factions could meet.
Yusuf, along with Prime Minister Ali Muhammad Gedi and their allies are based in Jowhar, 90 km north of Mogadishu, while the speaker of parliament, Sharif Hassan Shaykh Adan, and other MPs are based in the capital.
Speaking during Sunday's opening session, the speaker echoed the president's sentiments and called upon fellow parliamentarians to work towards ending hostilities and promoting understanding and development.
"I urge my fellow brothers and sisters to end hostilities and eradicate doubts that exist between them," Adan said. "The country and its people need you to salvage them from suffering. Our children lack better healthcare and education and it is we leaders who can turn things around."
Gedi urged the MPs to commit themselves to promoting harmony.
"This is an opportunity to kick-start the stalled transitional federal government's activities. We fought each other for long, we should forgive each other," he said.
The UN special representative for Somalia, Francois Lonseny Fall, said: "You have a choice that should be easy to make; either to allow anarchy and chaos to prevail in your country or to lead the Somali people towards reconciliation and reconstruction, peace and prosperity."
Posted on Monday 27th February at 17:39:48 Somalia Makes Its Mark At AU Ceremony
Addis Ababa - Somalia has signed all the 31 treaties and conventions of the African Union (AU) at a ceremony at the headquarters of the Union held in the Ethiopian capital, becoming only one of four member states to do so, AU said Monday.
Foreign Minister Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail of Somalia was quoted as saying the signings "indicated that my country is coming back to the international family of nation".
He pointed out that after being isolated from the international community by 14 years of civil war Somalia was trying to keep up with the pace of diplomatic, economic and political developments on the continent.
Ismail, who was accompanied during the signing by ambassador Abdikariu Farah of Somalia to Ethiopia, noted that as his country had been the founding member of the Organisation of African Unity, the predecessor of the AU, "the government of Somalia was fulfilling its obligations by signing all the treaties and conventions of the AU".
In doing so, he said, Somalia was also showing that "it is coming back to life and wants to play its full and rightful role in the AU and the international community". - Sapa-DPA
Posted on Monday 27th February at 17:38:41 President Calls For Deal To Avert Anarchy
BAIDOA, Somalia, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Somalia's president urged the interim parliament on Saturday to act to stave off anarchy on the eve of its first session on home soil since one held in Kenya a year ago that was marred by fist-fights.
President Abdullahi Yusuf landed at an airstrip outside the south-central city of Baidoa and appealed to assembly members to reach a final deal to end a paralysing government split.
He joined parliament Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, titular head of a rival faction, and more than 200 members of parliament already in town for Sunday's session.
The 275-member parliament is to meet for the first time in Somalia. It met in March in neighbouring Kenya and proceedings ended in fist fights, chair-throwing and a smashed ballot box.
That solidified a rift in the government and Somali MPs say this meeting, agreed by Yusuf and Hassan last month, is the last best hope to rejuvenate the faltering administration.
"We want to urge our colleagues from the cabinet and the parliament to end their differences so we can save the people of Somalia from anarchy," Yusuf told reporters after arriving. "We want to ensure we come up with a lasting agreement here."
Hundreds of supporters braved the heavy downpour that coincided with Yusuf's arrival -- the first in months in the drought-ridden region -- and lined the potholed streets of Baidoa, dubbed the "City of Death" during a 1992 famine.
More than 1,000 gunmen have been forced outside Baidoa, a city of 800,000 around 240 km (150 miles) northwest of Mogadishu. Uniformed police only will be allowed in the city.
Prime Minister Mohamed Ali Gedi is due to arrive on Sunday. Foreign diplomats are expected too.
Parliamentarians said it was not clear whether a powerful coterie of Mogadishu warlords including National Security Minister Mohamed Qanyare would attend.
MILITIA VIOLENCE
Militias backing the Mogadishu warlords clashed with those loyal to the capital's Islamic courts last week, killing at least 38 in the worst violence in the city in recent memory.
Though a ceasefire has been in place since Tuesday, residents say negotIations are not finished.
Qanyare and the other warlords lead the faction that split with Yusuf and his allies over where the government should first be located and if foreign peacekeepers should be allowed in.
Those debates top parliament's agenda on Sunday, along with basic issues like establishing committees.
Formed in late 2004 in Kenya, this government represents the 14th attempt to restore central authority to a country whose last national president was ousted in 1991.
Now the government is based in Jowhar, 90 km (56 miles) north of the capital, and Yusuf and his allies say Mogadishu cannot be the government's base until it is freed from the control of warlords.
The warlords, Hassan and almost half of parliament say the capital must be the seat of government as the interim constitution demands.
Since parliament last met the two sides have boosted their weapons stocks in defiance of a U.N. weapons embargo.
By Guled Mohamed
Posted on Saturday 25th February at 18:39:34 Business Or Show Business in Parliament
The road towards the approval of the 2006 budget, through the House of Representatives, seems to be not all roses as expected but thorny.
This year's budget exceeds all previous budgets and is for the first time in front of members that were elected by the people.
The majority are in the House for the first time and for the first time have made expected and unexpected visits to the main customs and sources of government income, to find out whether the budget is how it is presented by the financial responsible for it or whether there discrepancies that has to be altered.
Twenty days ago the budget was presented to the House of Representatives. It is a budget with an increase from that of last year to most of the government institutions and an increase of 50% to the House of Parliament. This is an increase that is reasonable for the legislative to cover their basic needs and free them of being given diaries and copies of the constitution and disseminating these hand out through the media.
Such publicity is seen by many political observers and political commentators in bars and teashops as belittling our honoured members of parliament.
The economic Committee of the House of Representatives, fact-finding missions to Berbera and the main customs in the country is being commended by those who follow events in the parliament.
Members in the House of Representatives have questioned in detail and in camera, the minister of Finance and senior finance ministry officials. The question and answer session in camera will continue today (Saturday). No one knows how long, they will last, but those who follow events are eager for the results.
People commend the House of Representatives for not adjourning. But the question that persists in the minds of critics in the town is "Will the efforts and hard work of the Economic committee, in particular, and the House of Representatives in general be a show - similar to their predecessor - for the public or will the nation profit from these efforts?"
Time will be the judge and the next few days will unveil the truth.
Posted on Friday 24th February at 18:18:42 Welsh Parliament Invites Somaliland Parliament
The Chair and the Director of Somali Advice & Information Centre has today announced that "Welsh Assembly "Parliament" issued an Official invitation to Rt. Hon. Saleban Mohamed Adan, Chairman of House of Elder (Gurti) and Rt. Hon. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi, Chairman of House of Representatives.
Mr.Abdikarim Adan, The Director said," We are very proud to lead and manage the forthcoming historical tour of the UK by Somaliland Parliamentary Delegation. The Delegation during their visit in London and Cardiff will meet with Local, Regional and Central Government officials, elected Members of the UK Parliament, Government Ministers, Welsh Assembly Members and Local Councillors in Wales and England as well as many International NGOs based in the UK.
Mr. Ahmed Hassan Arwo, Chairman of Somali Advice & Information Centre, said" We are extremely honoured that, our association once more has successfully lobbied for this great invitation, which will offer good governance and practical experience to the newly elected Somaliland Parliament. Our success is shared by all UK Somaliland Communities in different cities and counties. We always strife to build a fruitful bridge between our home country and our adopted nation. This visit will inject a huge experience to enhance the performance of the new born democracy, learned from the mother of all parliaments, the British Parliament. I wish to express our appreciation and extend our congratulations to the Welsh Assembly Government and to Westminster Parliament for making this historical event a reality."
"Cardiff Somaliland Community elders welcome this milestone visit, which will present them an opportunity to meet political leaders of their home country. They spelled loud and clear their gratitude and delight, with the successful efforts of Somali Advice & Information Centre in undertaking this landmark tour." said, Mr. Ahmed Arwo.
Finally, Mr. Ahmed Hassan Arwo, said, "On behalf of the Community I nominated Mr. Abdikarim Abdi Adan who initiated, in our name, this noble task, to be the main lead Officer for the Tour, and I am sure he will be supported by prominent community members in each city, as need may arise."
Posted on Friday 24th February at 18:17:51 Somali Mps Look To Legislate, A Year After Brawling
BAIDOA, Somalia, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Nearly a year after they brawled, threw chairs and punches at each other in Kenya, Somalia's interim parliament is to meet inside the anarchic country for the first time.
The parliament will meet in the city of Baidoa, seen as a neutral venue away from the capital Mogadishu, seat of powerful warlords, and Jowhar, temporary home of the interim government.
President Abdullahi Yusuf and Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan on Jan. 5 agreed to hold a parliament meeting inside Somalia within 30 days in a bid to reactivate their faltering government after more than a year of paralysis.
At the previous session last March deputies threw chairs and punched one another at a posh hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, where the government was set up in 2004 in the 14th attempt to restore central authority to a country whose last national president was ousted in 1991.
"People really need a government. We hope this time parliament will meet and work peacefully to end the anarchy in our country," speaker Hassan told Reuters.
Hassan said the MPs plan to choose committees, decide on how long they will meet and revisit the debate over allowing in foreign peacekeepers.
LAST BEST HOPE
In what many call the last best hope for this administration more than 100 MPs have come to the city.
They arrive outside the town in motorcades escorted by pickup trucks known as "technicals," carrying heavy machine guns and militiamen chewing the amphetamine-like qat leaf.
"No guns or technicals will be allowed in the town, only 400 uniformed policemen will be patrolling the city," local elder Mahamud Haji Mohamed told Reuters.
More than 1,000 gunmen have camped outside Baidoa, a city of 800,000 around 240 km (150 miles) northwest of Mogadishu, he said.
Foreign diplomats, President Yusuf and Prime Minister Mohamed Ali Gedi, who some MPs have said they want to remove, should arrive on Saturday.
"We have not met since March 17 when we fought in Nairobi's Grand Regency hotel. Now we are friends," Mogadishu MP Abdirashad Aden Abdullhi told his former foe, Jowhar-based MP Hassan Isak Yaqub, as the two hugged.
The two MPs symbolise one of the main rifts in the government, namely where it should make its initial home.
The government is based in Jowhar, 90 km (56 miles) north of the capital and Yusuf and his allies say Mogadishu cannot be the government's base until it is freed from the control of warlords.
Mogadishu warlords in the cabinet, speaker Hassan and almost half of the 275-member parliament say the capital must be the seat of government as the interim constitution demands.
Since parliament last met the two sides have boosted their weapons stocks in defiance of a U.N. weapons embargo.
A number of hotels and restaurants have sprung up or been spruced up for the meeting in Baidoa, dubbed the "City of Death" during a 1992 famine that killed hundreds of thousands.
Drought threatens the country with famine again this year, according to the the United Nations.
Dozens of shoeshine boys have set up shop on the pot-holed streets, looking for work to relieve their crushing poverty.
"I think it will be good if we have a government because then I can get a better job than shining shoes," one of the boys, Kamal Mohamed, said.
By Guled Mohamed
Posted on Friday 24th February at 18:16:13 Over 10 Million Suffer from Africa Drought
More than 10 million people in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda and Tanzania are in urgent need of food due to excessive droughts and meagre harvests, Christian Aid reports.
The government of Kenya has declared the famine conditions affecting parts of the country a national disaster and has called for national and international efforts to raise much needed aid to provide food for about 2.5 million people, almost 10 percent of the population, over the next six months, according to Action by Churches Together (ACT) International.
Christian groups are currently offering aid to help Kenyans suffering from the food emergency crisis. According to the Information and Communications Minister Mutahi Kagwe, the number of Kenyans at risk from the food crisis has increased to 3.5 million, up from 2.5 million.
Recently, Christian Aid has given £20,000 to its partner Northern Aid in Kenya, to provide water to people hit by the devastating drought with more funds likely to follow shortly.
Northern Aid works in northern Kenya with pastoralists, the animal-farming communities who live and move with their cattle to find water. The pastoralist communities of northern Kenya have been the hardest hit by the droughts, with many cattle having died of thirst.
Food for the Hungry International’s (FHI) Keith Wright says, "It's accelerating as people lose more and more livestock. That's really what they rely on for food, and as they die they really run out of resources quickly when that happens. So, what we're seeing, unfortunately, the situation getting worse every day," says Wright.
With little access to food and water, many suffering from the drought have evacuated to towns looking for help.
Posted on Friday 24th February at 18:14:03 Authority Bans Lawmakers From Carrying Weapons
Authorities controlling the Somali town of Baidoa banned lawmakers from carrying weapons to the conflict-scarred southern outpost which will serve as the venue for the weekend parliamentary session, officials has said.
Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA) commander Aden Mohamed Saransor said his security men would confiscate weapons from any of the 275 lawmakers expected to attend the landmark meeting on Sunday in Baidoa, about 250 kilometres (155 miles) west of Mogadishu, the first parliamentary gathering on home soil. "Neither ministers nor parliamentarians would be allowed to carry weapons. Let them trust us because proper security mechanisms are in place," said Saransor, who has been tasked by RRA chief Mohamed Ibrahim Habsade to oversee security.
"We have taken adequate security measures to make everybody safe. No need of carrying weapons. RRA security men manning checkpoint at the roads linking Baidoa to other towns are confiscating weapons in order to limit arms circulation," he added. The RRA controls vast swathes of the Bay and Bakol regions in Somalia, a nation of up to 10 million people. It was not clear whether the order also covers Somali transitional President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi and parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, all expected to arrive in Baidoa on Saturday. About 130 MPs are already in Baidoa and some of those who have yet to arrive are warlords who have never travelled in Somalia without heavily-armed militiamen and are yet to comment on the
order.
The quorum for a session in the 275-transitional federal assembly, which is expected to discuss the future of the country's splintered government, is 138 people present. A deep rift over the seat of government between a faction led by Yusuf and Gedi and another led by Adan and the warlords who control Mogadishu has prevented the lawmakers from meeting since they left exile in Kenya last year. Under heavy international pressure the two camps agreed to a compromise last month whereby the parliament will meet in Baidoa and iron out the disagreements that have scuppered the restoration of a functional authority. In addition, they are expected to renew appeals for humanitarian aid for up to two million people threatened by a drought-induced famine in the country.
Somalia has been without a functioning central government for nearly 15 years and Yusuf's government is the latest in more than a dozen attempts to restore stability to a nation that has been wracked by warlord-fuelled violence since the 1991 ouster of strongman Mohamad Siad Barre.
Source : Sapa
Posted on Friday 24th February at 18:12:47 Somali Speaker Urges Cabinet Talks
MOGADISHU - The speaker of Somalia's transitional parliament has urged the unruly lawmakers of the war-torn Horn of Africa nation to attend their first meeting on home soil.
The 275-member assembly expects to sit in the conflict-scarred town of Baidoa, about 250 kilometres west of Mogadishu, on Sunday for the landmark session to discuss the future of the country's splintered government.
"We will carry out a roll call on Saturday and proceed with the opening ceremony on Sunday. There will be no postponement, no delay or change of plan," parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan said.
"We expect to receive a written explanation from those who cannot make it to the session," he added.
"Those who are outside the country should come to Baidoa. This is not a suggestion but an order for the MPs to fulfill their national duty."
The session is expected to be attended by President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi and invited delegates from the international community.
A deep rift over the seat of government between a faction led by Yusuf and Gedi and another led by Adan and the warlords who control Mogadishu had prevented the lawmakers from meeting since they left exile in Kenya last year.
Under heavy international pressure the two camps agreed to a compromise last month whereby the parliament will meet in Baidoa and iron out the disagreements that have scuppered the restoration of a functional authority.
In addition, they are expected to renew appeals for humanitarian aid for up to two million people threatened by a drought induced famine in the country.
Somalia has been without a functioning central government for nearly 15 years and Yusuf's government is the latest in more than a dozen attempts to restore stability to the nation, which has been wracked by warlord-fuelled violence since the 1991 ouster of strongman Mohamad Siad Barre.
The session takes place amid heightened tensions in Mogadishu, where days of factional fighting have left at least 33 people dead.
Rival factions reached a truce late on Wednesday.
As a result, Mohamed Ibrahim Habsade, the warlord controlling Baidoa, said he had taken measures to boost security, notably pulling out needless militia from the regional outpost.
"Safety for our guests is our priority...Mechanisms to safeguard the MPs and other foreign dignitaries are already in place," he added, refusing to reveal the measures.
Years of fighting and neglect have taken their toll on Baidoa its one paved street is ridden with potholes and dirt sidestreets are littered with trash.
The drought that has hit the region has caused the town's population to swell from 50,000 to as many as 80,000 as people abandon their parched villages in search of food and water.
By Ali Musa Abdi
Sapa-AFP
Posted on Thursday 23rd February at 18:11:40 East Africa Needs More Aid Fast -- U.N
NAIROBI, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Donors have just weeks to send more emergency aid to avert a famine menacing 11 million people in drought-stricken east Africa, the United Nations said on Thursday.
The new U.N. special envoy to the Horn of Africa, Kjell Bondevik, said deaths from famine had so far been "fairly limited" but would quickly grow in the absence of a fast, coordinated response.
"I urge the donor countries to fund the U.N. appeal and the efforts of the international community. The people of the region need this support ... we are talking about weeks, (rather) than about months," he told a news conference.
Scores of people and tens of thousands of livestock have already died from hunger in one of the region's worst droughts in years, after rains failed last November.
Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia have been the worst affected.
"There has been an international response to the appeals but it is not enough," said Bondevik, who was Norway's prime minister from 1997-2000.
He said the biggest fear was that the next rains expected in March might also fail, plunging the region into famine.
"We hope there will be rains in the next season, but we don't know," he said. "If it won't happen, we will go from crisis to disaster ... We need the food in place, now."
Aid agency Oxfam said on Thursday that donor funds to tackle the famine in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia are two thirds short of the $574 million needed. "Money given in three months will be too late for many," it said in a statement.
In Kenya, where 3.5 million people are at risk, Oxfam said only 8.2 percent of the $225 million needed was pledged.
Donors have reacted angrily to corruption scandals rocking President Mwai Kibaki's government, but Bondevik said Kenya must receive full support in dealing with the drought.
"Corruption is a problem ... but corruption is no excuse for not helping the people of Kenya," he said. "This is not to do with the leaders of the country, it has to do with fellow human beings in need of food."
Aid agencies say food shortages have sparked clashes between nomadic tribes in Kenya and driven thirsty children in Somalia into drinking their own urine.
In Burundi, where the government says famine has killed over 250 people, President Pierre Nkurunziza this week ordered all employed citizens to give up a portion of their income to the relief effort.
Bondevik said more must be done to tackle the root causes of drought in the region, including global warming.
"One of the main root causes is climate change. This has to be dealt with globally," he said. "But we also have to deal with the (local) problems of infrastructure, water, roads."
Posted on Thursday 23rd February at 18:07:12 The Rise Of Somalia's Islamic Courts Tips Balance Of Power
Mogadishu - Calm has returned to the Somali capital Mogadishu as people return to their homes after fleeing four days of heavy fighting between a group calling itself Alliance for Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism and the city's hardline Islamic court militias.
Following the fighting, the worst in recent years, the two sides are currently in talks aimed at agreeing a ceasefire.
Yet many Somalis say that the continuing battle for control of Mogadishu has revealed the Islamic courts to be an increasingly influential power base in a city dominated by rival warlords.
The warlords-turned-politicians formed the new alliance to curb the growing power of the brutal but efficient courts, which are currently the only functioning law enforcement agency in the war- scarred city and are widely support by a population tired of conflict.
One of the main leaders of the Alliance, Mohammed Qanyare Afrah, who is also a government minister in the transitional government has accused the courts of having links to the al-Qaeda terrorist network and has threatened to capture and hand over the court leaders to US forces.
The sharia courts' union is led by a charismatic 45-year-old imam, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed Siyar, a hardliner who was largely unknown in Somali politics until his election to the head of the courts union.
Some of the courts' leaders are former members of al-Ittihad al- Islami, a militant Islamist organization thatis listed by the United States as a terrorist organization.
Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweis, a former al-Ittihad leader, and currently a leader of the Sharia courts union has repeatedly denied any al-Qaeda link, but makes no secret of the court's ambition to install Islamic rule in Somalia.
Some community leaders told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that while there are militant Islamist leaders within the courts' leadership, they fear that Somalis will baulk at any hint of foreign intervention in its religious affairs.
The courts first emerged in the southern part of the city in 1992 as the Islamic disciplinary unit that amputated the right hand of a 20-year-old youth accused of stealing.
It has since steadily rose in prominence and power, with its brand of rough justice respected by many locals who say it does not discriminate between social status and clan affiliation.
The courts' militia of about 1,500 members are reportedly well armed, more disciplined than other militias and their numbers are periodically bolstered by fighters of warlords who agree with the courts' faith-based political agenda.
Last year the courts raided film dubbing studios, after banning the watching of movies during the holy month of Ramadan, calling them immoral. Mogadishu has a thriving business of more than 800 video kiosks where the city's residents can watch mainly action flicks for a small fee.
Meanwhile, rival factions of President Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed's transitional government are preparing for the first parliamentary session on Somali soil since the divided administration was formed in Nairobi, Kenya in 2004.
It is widely expected that the emergence of the Islamic courts as a political and military force will be high on the agenda at Sunday's scheduled meeting, where all 270 legislators are expected to convene together with representatives from the international community.
The row between the president, interim Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi and parliament speaker Sharif Hassan has paralysed the fledgling administration, prompting two rival government bases - one in Mogadishu led by Hassan, and one in Jowhar 90 kilometres from the capital, where President Ahmed has been holed up.
Posted on Thursday 23rd February at 18:05:57 MPs Set For Baidoa Parliamentary Meeting
NAIROBI, 23 February (IRIN) - Preparations for the first meeting of the Somali transitional federal parliament inside the war-torn country are on schedule and members have started arriving for the session, one of the organisers said.
The 26 February meeting is due to take place in Baidoa town, 240 km southwest of the capital, Mogadishu.
"The plan to hold the session in Baidoa is on track. As of this moment everything, including the conference hall and accommodations, is in place," Isak Mohamed Nur, who is also the local MP, said.
All militias have been moved out of the town and encamped in former military barracks, he added.
"We have 400 specially selected men who will provide the security," Nur told IRIN on Thursday.
The members of the interim parliament (MPs) have been arriving in Baidao over the past two weeks. Some 42 Mogadishu-based MPs arrived on Wednesday.
"We expect another batch from Puntland today [Thursday]," Nur said. The last batch, he added, would arrive on Friday from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
"If all goes according to plan, most of the cabinet and government should be in Baidoa by Friday [24 February]," he said.
Nur said President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and Prime Minister Ali Muhammad Gedi were expected in Baidoa on Saturday. The president would open the session the following day.
The historical meeting was announced by the speaker of the parliament, Sharif Hassan Shaykh Aden, on 30 January in the presence of Yusuf, after days of consultations with Gedi in Nairobi.
At a three-day meeting in Yemen in early January, Yusuf and Gedi agreed to convene the first session of parliament inside Somalia within 30 days.
Posted on Thursday 23rd February at 18:02:27 UN Calls to Protect Somali Civilians
United Nations, Feb 22 (Prensa Latina) UN officials Wednesday called on Somali leaders to protect the civilian population from the combat in Mogadiscio.
UN official in Somalia Francois Lonseny Fall expressed his concern of the deaths and numerous wounded, including children, from the combat in the capital.
Lonseny urged leaders of the forces to respect the security of the civil population.
Special representative of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan condemned the forced expulsion of thousands of families from their homes due to the continuous heavy artillery fire.
"It is totally unacceptable that lives, houses and security of Somali civilians are threatened by this violence and I call on leaders of those forces in Mogadiscio to peacefully resolve their differences," Lonseny Fall added.
Stage of conflict since the fall of the Muhammad Siad Barre regimen 15 years ago, Somalia is affected by a severe drought which has left over two million people in need of emergency support.
However, UN and World Food Program humanitarian help has been suspended due to piracy of ships and goods.
Posted on Wednesday 22nd February at 18:03:34 Elders Mediate Truce In Somali Capital
Clan elders sought Wednesday to broker a ceasefire in Somalia's capital Mogadishu after at least 33 people, mostly civilians, were killed in days of fierce fighting that residents called the fiercest battles in five years.
Heavily armed rival militiamen still patrolled the streets while the elders held talks with their factions to end the clashes that erupted over the weekend in a district controlled by several warlords, an AFP correspondent said.
"We have been seriously discussing a ceasefire since last night and we will continue until we stop the bloodshed," said one elder mediating the truce. "Both the warring sides have shown their willingness to stop the violence."
"Despite their commitment for peace, each side is coming in with tough conditions that might break this temporary truce," he added.
The clashes pitted gunmen backed by the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism (ARPCT) -- a coalition of warlords -- against Islamic court militia along a road in southern Mogadishu's Daynile district.
Witnesses said skirmishes began on Saturday moments after the warlords launched the ARPCT, an initiative believed to be backed by Washington, aimed at curbing the influence of Islamic extremism in Somalia as well as fighting the possible presence of terrorists there.
But the elders said the fighting between the Mursade and Habergider subclans of the larger Hawiye clan, was sparked by an attempt to have southern Mogadishu under the full control of one of the two groups.
"It is complete interclan fighting," said the elder, who requested to remain unnamed. "It had nothing to do with Islamic extremists."
Hundreds of displaced families stayed away from their homesteads fearing a possible resurgence of violence, after some residents on Tuesday said they had known nothing as bad in five years.
"We will only go back to our homes after we see a complete return of peace. We do not want to be trapped or killed by stray bullets," said Ahmed Mohamoud.
In Nairobi, the UN secretary general's special envoy to Somalia Francois Fall urged the factions to end their hostilities and to respect the security of civilian populations caught in the indiscriminate crossfire.
"I am deeply troubled by reports of recent fighting in Mogadishu and the news that civilians, including children, are among those who have been killed and wounded," Fall said in a statement.
"It is totally unacceptable that the lives, homes and security of Somali civilians should be the theatre for such violence. I appeal to those in charge of these forces in Mogadishu to resolve their grievances peacefully," he added.
The appeal comes as factions in the splintered Somalia transitional government prepare to hold their first parliamentary session in the regional town of Baidoa, about 250 kilometres (155 miles) west of Mogadishu, on February 26.
Rival wings are headed by President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and parliament Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, who have disagreed on where to locate the seat of the government since relocating from Kenya in June last year.
Yusuf and his Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi have set shop in the provincial outpost of Jowhar fearing that Mogadishu is too unsafe while Adan and several warlords have rejected this, insisting that Mogadishu is the legitimate capital.
Somalia has had no functioning central authority since the 1991 ouster of strongman Mohammed Siad Barre plunged it into a theater of bloodletting between warlord-led militias who control various fiefdoms.
© AFP Agence France-Presse
Posted on Wednesday 22nd February at 20:04:44 Warlords Start Peace Talks
The Somali capital, Mogadishu, is calm following four days of fighting between rival militias.
Local leaders, including traditional elders and the city mayor, met on Tuesday to discuss ceasefire plans.
More than 20 people died in the recent clashes, which were the most violent seen in the capital in several years.
Violence broke out when some militia leaders formed an alliance to fight supporters of unofficial Islamic Sharia courts that have emerged in Mogadishu.
Many of those killed were civilians hit by stray bullets.
'Scary'
A witness told AFP news agency on Tuesday that he had seen two people die and 15 wounded in a clash in southern Mogadishu's Daynile district.
"The place is full of blood and it is very scary," he said.
The main airstrip there, which is used by aid agencies and businessmen, was closed during the fighting. told AP news agency that a woman was killed and two children injured when a mortar exploded near a milk factory.
Clashes between armed groups have been common in Somalia since former military leader Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991. The country has been without a functioning government since then.
Over the weekend, a group of MPs urged both sides to stop fighting.
The fighting pits a new group, the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism, against the Islamic courts' militia.
But AP reports that gunmen from other groups have taken advantage of the fighting to go on a looting spree.
Scholars killed
Hundreds of families have fled their homes around the former military academy.
The BBC's Hassan Barise in Mogadishu says at least five warlords-cum-ministers in the transitional government are behind the new alliance, opposed to the Islamic courts.
The courts have set up Mogadishu's only judicial system in parts of the capital but have been accused of links to al-Qaeda.
Their critics accuse the courts of being behind the killing of moderate Muslim scholars.
On 26 February, the country's parliament is due to meet for the first time on home soil since it was formed in Kenya more than a year ago.
Posted on Wednesday 22nd February at 20:01:31 UN Envoy Appeals to Warring Factions in Mogadishu
As heavy fighting continued in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, the senior United Nations envoy for the fractured Horn of Africa country today appealed to the leaders of the warring parties to end their hostilities and respect the security of civilian populations caught in their crossfire.
"I am deeply troubled by reports of recent fighting in Mogadishu and the news that civilians, including children, are among those who have been killed and wounded," Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative François Lonseny Fall said.
"I am also alarmed by reports that hundreds of families have been forced from their homes by the indiscriminate exchange of fire from heavy weaponry. It is totally unacceptable that the lives, homes and security of Somali civilians should be the theatre for such violence.
"I appeal to those in charge of these forces in Mogadishu to resolve their grievances peacefully," Mr. Fall concluded.
Somalia, which has been torn by factional fighting ever since the collapse of President Muhammad Siad Barre's regime 15 years ago, is at present also suffering the effects of a severe drought and nearly 2 million people need emergency aid.
Last year a plague of piracy closed the usual supply lines by sea that the UN World Food programme (WFP) used and forced the agency to open an arduous, more expensive 1,200-kilometre land route from the Kenyan port of Mombasa.
Posted on Wednesday 22nd February at 19:57:52 Mogadishu "Calm But Tense" - Residents
NAIROBI, 22 February (IRIN) - After days of heavy fighting, a tentative calm has returned to the Somali capital of Mogadishu, with no reports of clashes since Tuesday night, local sources told IRIN.
"There is an unofficial ceasefire in place, and it appears to be holding," Abdullahi Shirwa, of the Civil Society in Action, one of the groups mediating between the warring sides, said.
The fighting, which began on Saturday, pits armed militias who are reportedly loyal to a new alliance of faction leaders against armed militias of the Islamic courts.
The newly created coalition - the Alliance for Peace and Fight Against International Terrorism - comprises several Mogadishu-based faction leaders. Its members include, among others, Muhammad Qanyare Afrah, Muse Sudi Yalahow, Omar Finnish, Bashir Raghe and Abdirashid Shire Ilqeyte.
"The city is calm but tense, with a few more businesses open today than yesterday," Shirwa added.
The fighting has claimed the lives of more than 25 people and wounded some 150. Casualty figures were expected to rise after the fighting stopped, hospital sources said on Wednesday.
A mediation committee led by elders and civil society groups reportedly arranged the temporary ceasefire, said Ibrahim Omar Shaaweye, mayor of Mogadishu. "We have a temporary ceasefire in place, but we hope to have a permanent one in place by the end of the day," he said.
Mediation efforts are still in progress, but attempts to arrange a meeting between the two sides have so far been unsuccessful.
"We have formed a committee to disengage the forces, which are still facing each other", said Shaaweye. "We want them to return to the positions they held prior to the outbreak of the hostilities."
Meanwhile, many of the 1,500 families displaced by the fighting are still crowded into makeshift shelters. "We hope to return them to their homes once we have a permanent ceasefire signed," said Shaaweye.
Posted on Wednesday 22nd February at 19:56:13 Thousands DisPlaced As Mogadishu Clashes Continue
NAIROBI, 21 Feb 2006 (IRIN) - Thousands of people have fled the northern and northeastern suburbs of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, since clashes between militia groups started over the weekend, a top city official said.
An estimated 1,500 families had been displaced by the continuing clashes, Mogadishu Mayor, Ibrahim Omar Shaaweye, told IRIN on Tuesday.
Some 25 people had been killed and 150 wounded, he added.
"There was a flood of people pouring out of the Dayniile and Gubta areas [in north and northeastern Mogadishu and the epicenter of the fighting] this morning [Tuesday], looking for safety," the mayor said.
"Almost all the dead and wounded were civilians," said a hospital worker.
"Many of them, women and children," he added. "The casualty figures are expected to go higher once the fighting stops, yet we still have no figures of the dead for the fighting groups."
The conflict, which started on Saturday, pits armed militias who are reportedly loyal to a new alliance of faction leaders against those of the Islamic courts.
The newly created coalition - the Alliance for Peace and Fight Against International Terrorism - comprises several Mogadishu-based faction leaders. Its members include, among others, Muhammad Qanyare Afrah, Muse Sudi Yalahow, Omar Finnish, Bashir Raghe and Abdirashid Shire Ilqeyte.
Shaaweye told IRIN by telephone that the fighting on Tuesday was "less intense" than the previous day, but "shells were landing in a number of places".
A few businesses had reopened, and there were some buses on the road. Schools had not reopened due to the uncertainty of the situation, he said.
He added elders and civil society groups were speaking with both sides and trying to reach a ceasefire. "I am hopeful that within the next few hours we will have a permanent truce," the Mayor said.
However, Hassan Ade, a local resident, said city dwellers were bracing themselves for a continuation of the fighting. "Both sides are reportedly receiving reinforcements and have been buying ammunition in the market, so everyone expects the fighting to intensify."
The violence erupted when armed militias reportedly loyal to Mogadishu militia leader, Abdi Nure Siyad, also known as "Abdi Wal", attacked those loyal to Islamic courts located in a former military academy south of city. Siyad denied starting the violence.
Witnesses said militiamen had used rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machineguns, small caliber guns and mortar shells.
Posted on Tuesday 21st February at 19:49:27 Somali Warlords Battle Islamists
At least seven more people have been killed on the fourth day of the heaviest fighting seen in the Somali capital for several years.
Supporters of some of Mogadishu's militia leaders have clashed with an armed Islamist group which says it is trying to establish law and order.
Their opponents say the Islamic courts are terrorising local people.
More than 22 people have died since fighting began on Saturday - many of them civilians hit by stray bullets.
'Scary'
A witness told AFP news agency on Tuesday that they had seen two people die and 15 wounded in a clash in southern Mogadishu's Daynile district.
"The place is full of blood and it is very scary," he said.
The main airstrip there which is used by aid agencies and businessmen has been shut.
Another witness told AP news agency that a woman was killed and two children injured when a mortar exploded near a milk factory.
AP also reports further deaths in the city centre and that two more people have died of their wounds in hospital.
Clashes between armed groups have been common in Somalia since former military leader Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991. The country has been without a functioning government since then.
Over the weekend, a group of MPs urged both sides to stop fighting.
The fighting pits a new group, the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism, against the Islamic courts' militia.
But AP reports that gunmen from other groups have taken advantage of the fighting to go on a looting spree.
Scholars killed
The fighting has also led to the closure of the Daynile airport, used by many aid workers.
Hundreds of families have fled their homes around the former military academy.
The BBC's Hassan Barise in Mogadishu says at least five warlords-cum-ministers in the transitional government are behind the new alliance, opposed to the Islamic courts.
The courts have set up Mogadishu's only judicial system in parts of the capital but have been accused of links to al-Qaeda.
Their critics accuse the courts of being behind the killing of moderate Muslim scholars.
On 26 February, the country's parliament is due to meet for the first time on home soil since it was formed in Kenya more than a year ago.
Posted on Tuesday 21st February at 19:44:30 Fighting Rocks Somalia's Capital
eavy fighting has again flared in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, after 10 people were killed on Saturday.
A BBC correspondent in the city says at least five people have died after rocket-propelled grenades and anti-aircraft guns were fired.
The fighting pits a new group, the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism, against the Islamic Courts' militia.
Peace talks are due next week, aimed at restoring authority after 15 years.
Families flee
Most of those killed and wounded over the weekend were civilians hit by stray bullets, says the BBC's Hassan Barise in Mogadishu.
Hundreds of families have fled their homes around the former military academy following the heaviest fighting in Mogadishu for several years.
Over the weekend, a group of MPs urged both sides to stop fighting.
"We remind the warring sides that no-one ever won a war during the past 15 years of fighting," said a statement read out by Culture Minister Abdi Hashi Abdullahi.
Our correspondent says at least five warlords-cum-ministers in the transitional government are behind the new alliance, which is battling the Islamic Courts.
The courts have set up Mogadishu's only judicial system in parts of the capital but have been accused of links to al-Qaeda.
Their critics accuse the courts of being behind the killing of moderate Muslim scholars.
Our correspondent says the latest fighting is not linked to the first meeting in Somalia of the transitional parliament since it was chosen in August 2004.
The MPs have been divided over whether Mogadishu is safe enough to host the new government.
Mr Yusuf and his supporters say it is too dangerous and has been based in Jowhar, while others, led by Parliament Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, insist that the president does not have the authority to change Somalia's capital.
The meeting is to be held on 26 February in the town of Baidoa - seen as a compromise between the two factions.
There has been no effective central government in Somalia since 1991 and rival warlords have divided the country between them.
Posted on Monday 20th February at 17:35:07 Fifteen Killed As Militias Clash In Mogadishu
NAIROBI, 20 February (IRIN) - At least 15 people have been killed and hundreds of families displaced in fighting that started on Saturday between rival militias in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, witnesses said.
The violence erupted when armed militias reportedly loyal to Mogadishu militia leader, Abdi Nure Siyad, also known as "Abdi Wal", attacked others who guard the Islamic courts which are located in a former military academy south of city.
Siyad is a member of a newly created group - the Alliance for Peace and Fight Against International Terrorism - which comprises several Mogadishu-based faction leaders. Other members include Muhammad Qanyare Afrah, Muse Sudi Yalahow, Omar Finnish, Bashir Raghe and Abdirashid Shire Ilqeyte.
The weekend fighting subsided, but resumed on Monday "with intensity," Hassan Ade, a local resident, said. "I can hear the sound of heavy weapons as I speak to you now," he told IRIN.
Siyad denied starting the violence.
"I was attacked by these people [Islamic court militias] and I am defending myself," he said. "These groups are only after one thing - power and are hiding behind Islam."
Abdullahi Shirwa, a member of Civil Society in Action, an umbrella organisation made up of over 12 groups in Mogadishu, however, said the fighting was an attempt by the alliance "to arrest the influence of the Islamic courts", which, he said, has brought a semblance of order in areas they control.
Shops, secular and Koranic schools were closed and public transport disrupted as fighting raged.
Hospital sources said many of the dead and wounded were civilians hit by stray bullets. They included women and children wounded by mortar and artillery fire.
The number of those wounded in various hospitals on Sunday stood at "over 100", a local doctor said. Most of the wounded were taken to the Medina and Hasan Jis hospitals, he said.
"In our hospital we treated 100 injured - 50 of them serious," Shaykhdon Salad Ilmi, a doctor at Medina said.
Elders and civil society groups were trying to mediate between the combatants. In a statement issued on Monday, the Civil Society in Action urged an immediate cessation of hostilities.
Posted on Monday 20th February at 17:32:53 Clash Over Scarce Water
The severe drought in East Africa has led to fighting over water resources between Somali tribes in Ethiopia.
At least 12 people have died and over 20 have been wounded in clashes in Yamarug village on the Somali border.
Fighting broke out on Wednesday after the drought in the region increased competition for water and pasture.
The clashes were between members of the Marehan and Majereteen factions of the Darod clan. Parts of Somalia are in the grip of the worst dought in 40 years.
"The fighting has not stopped and miltiamen from both sides heading to reinforce the area," an unnamed local official told the AFP news agency.
The Ethiopian government is sending a fact-finding mission to the area, an Information Ministry official told AFP.
Tensions
Observers say there had been long-standing tensions between the two factions in the area, but they had lived alongside each other peacefully before the drought made water resources scarce.
In southern Somalia, people are starting to die from thirst as a result of the drought, aid agency Oxfam said this week.
The World Meterological Association has warned the Horn of Africa will remain in the grip of a drought until at least April.
The United Nations estimates more than 11m people in parts of Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Tanzania and Burundi need food aid for the next six months.
Posted on Friday 17th February at 18:17:49 Somalis Urged To Help Police Catch Killers
A TOP policeman who is overseeing the investigation into the murder of a Somali teenager in Camden Town has urged the community to help catch suspects who fled the scene.
Detective Superintendent John Sweeney, from the Murder Investigation Team, said police are still hunting the men who jumped from a bus after Mahir Osman was stabbed to death in Camden Town on January 29.
The 18-year-old from Adelaide Road was killed while he was waiting for a bus in Camden High Street.
Police arrested 24 men near the scene but others smashed windows and jumped out of a 253 bus in Camden Road to escape.
Det Supt Sweeney said: "No further arrests have been made. If people have information about these people then they can contact us, investigations are ongoing.
"There are several people and their role is a matter for investigation. They were on the bus when the other 24 were arrested."
Of the 24 arrested, 23 answered bail at Charing Cross police station last week.
Det Supt Sweeney added: "One man didn't turn up on the return date. Inquiries in relation to that are ongoing and we are still confident that we can bring about a successful resolution to this case.
"The senior investigating officer is aware of the position and has the matter in hand."
All 24 men are expected to return for further questioning in April.
It is believed student Mahir was caught up in a fight between Somali gangs from Camden and Haringey.
CCTV footage from the scene is being studied and police have sent weapons and clothes from the scene for forensic tests.
Police have yet to charge anybody in relation to the murder.
Det Supt Sweeney added it was vital the investigation was carried out quickly and thoroughly.
"You can't just say that because 30 people were there, 30 people are responsible for murder.
"Every individual has to have their case looked at along with forensic, witness and CCTV evidence so we can establish the criminal liability of each individual.
"It is in everyone's interest - not least the police - that the inquiry is conducted as speedily as is possible in order to bring about a resolution for the family.
"However the need for speed
cannot ever compromise the integrity of the investigation."
Meanwhile members of the Camden Somali Forum and other community leaders met on Sunday at St Pancras Church Hall, in Lancing Street, to discuss issues around the murder.
Members of the community and police have acted to stop revenge attacks following Mahir's murder.
Abdiwali Mohamud, chairman of the Camden Somali Forum, said: "The Somali community in Camden acknowledges the existence of several problems affecting our integration into the mainstream society and is committed to being part of the solution.
"We do not seek special treatment, but it is useful to remember that many in our community have experienced the trauma and upheaval of civil war and flight, and that this can be difficult to overcome if one loses the hope of making a new life here."
Posted on Friday 17th February at 18:17:01 Warlords Plunder Drought Aid
February 17, 2006: Fighting between tribal militias spilled over the border into Ethiopia, leaving at least 17 Somalis dead over the last few days. The fighting is over control of water and pasture land.
February 14, 2006: Pirates have forced the UN to send in drought aid by truck, but this is not working because warlords are attacking the convoys. In some parts of Somalia, the effects of the drought are causing the death rate to rise sharply.
Off the coast, the U.S. Navy rescued a 3,000 ton cargo ship that was being plundered by pirates.
February 13, 2006: Most of the warlords agreed to a truce so that the newly selected parliament could meet, for the first time, inside the country. The truce does not apply to plundering aid convoys and other forms of larceny. That's considered normal business.
February 10, 2006: In the last year, there have been several IEDs (roadside bombs) used in Somalia. It appears that one or more Islamic radical groups believe that the IED, because of its widespread use in Iraq. In Somalia, the IEDs are used against the UN and the transitional government, both of which are opposed by Islamic radicals. Some of the IEDs appear to have gone off as they were being set up, as these weapons are very much improvised. Apparently the design of the Somali IEDs was obtained from the Internet or television news.
February 9, 2006: Pirates freed twelve Filipino fishermen they had held for five months. The pirates had demanded $500,000 ransom for the men, but how much was actually paid was not revealed.
Posted on Friday 17th February at 18:13:54 Heavy Fighting On Ethiopia-Somalia Border Kills 12
Rival Somali sub-clans battled over pasture and wells just inside Ethiopia leaving at least 12 dead and more than two dozen wounded in a second day of fighting on Thursday as competition for water and pasture heats up in the drought-stricken region, officials said.
The clashes in the Ethiopian village of Yamarug began on Wednesday between heavily armed militia members from the Marehan and Majereteen factions of the larger Darod clan in a dispute over the precious resources, they said.
Yamarug is a remote and desolate outpost in southeastern Ethiopia only about 30 metres from the border with central Somalia and eyewitness accounts of the fighting were sketchy.
At least 12 and as many as 17 people were reported to have been killed, according to officials in nearby towns in Somalia where the wounded from the two factions were brought for treatment.
A nurse at the hospital in Galkayo, where the Majereteen casualties were brought, said the facility was treating 17 injured fighters who spoke of the same number being killed on both sides in the two days of fighting.
"They are saying the same number were killed," the nurse told Agence France-Presse on condition of anonymity.
In the town of Abudwaq, where the Marehan casualties were brought, a district official said the nine wounded spoke of 12 people being killed although he said the actual number would likely rise.
"The fighting has not stopped and miltiamen from both sides heading to reinforce the area," the official said.
In the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, an official with the information ministry confirmed the clashes but could not confirm their seriousness or any casualties.
"There were clashes between Somali subclans at the border," the official said. "We have sent out a fact-finding mission and are waiting for the results of the investigation."
Tensions between the two factions have run high for some time but they have managed to live together in the Yamarug area for years without violence, according to Somalia observers.
They said those tensions likely erupted into fighting due to the scorching drought that has hit East Africa, threatening more than eight million people with starvation in four countries, including Ethiopia and Somalia.
About 3,4-million people -- 1,7-million each in southeast Ethiopia and southern and central Somalia -- are at-risk and in need of dire assistance to stave off famine, according to UN agencies. - AFP
Posted on Friday 17th February at 18:11:31 ADRA Improves Access to Quality Education
Silver Spring, Maryland–In Somalia, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is helping people gain improved access to quality education by building new schools, training teachers, and providing supplies and scholarships for teachers and students in need of additional learning resources.
This project, known as the Basic Education Development (BED) project, is being implemented in 21 community schools; 16 in the Nugal region and five in the Hiran region. It was launched in November 2004.
The BED project consists primarily of two components: basic education for children, with an emphasis on improved access for girls to quality primary education and functional adult literacy for women. Currently, the project has benefited 6,746 children and 723 adults.
“ADRA has really changed my life,” said 14-year-old Maryan Hassan Mohamed, a student at the Jalalaqsi Primary School in the Hiran region of Somalia. Maryan lost a leg to a gunshot early in her childhood during Somalia’s civil war. For many years, Maryan was unable to go to school because the closest school was too far from her house. “One day I saw big trucks unloading stones in an open square near our house. ADRA …was constructing a school for our community,” she continued. “I was overwhelmed with joy as tears filled my eyes; it was as if I had gotten fresh legs to run…my number one expectation is to continue with my education up to degree level and become a teacher so that I can teach other children in our community.”
The project, which is valued at an estimated $1,890,072, is funded by the European Union (EU), in partnership with the ADRA offices in Germany and Somalia.
ADRA has been operating in Somalia since 1992 implementing emergency relief and development interventions in different sectors. Since then, ADRA has managed over 50 projects funded by different donors in eight sectors, namely: water, primary health care, education, food security, infrastructure, institutional capacity building, micro-enterprise development, and emergency response interventions. ADRA is present in 125 countries worldwide providing individual and community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, or ethnicity.
Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.
Posted on Thursday 16th February at 18:00:37 Hundreds Of Thousands Affected By Water Shortages - Oxfam
NAIROBI, 16 February (IRIN) - Hundreds of thousands of people in drought-hit areas of Somalia are facing dehydration, with some having to drink their own urine as chronic water shortages persist, aid agency Oxfam International said on Thursday.
"The situation is as bad as I can remember. Some people are dying and children are drinking their own urine because there is simply no water for them to drink," Oxfam quoted Abdullahi Maalim Hussein, an elder who accompanied the organisation on its recent mission to the affected areas, as saying.
Douglas Keatinge, Oxfam Great Britain regional media officer for the Horn, East and Central Africa, said the agency had carried out an assessment in January in Gedo and Lower Juba regions, both in southern Somalia, where deaths from dehydration had been reported.
The assessment found that pastoral families had to survive on only one-twentieth of the daily water supply recommended by minimum humanitarian standards.
"Many families are surviving on just a 20-litre jerry can of water for three days," Oxfam said in a statement on Thursday. "This is equivalent to 830 ml, or three glasses, of water per person per day for drinking, cooking and washing."
Due to the water shortage, some families had to walk as many as 70 km in temperatures of up to 40 degrees centigrade, Oxfam said.
"The situation will get worse unless swift action is taken," said Mohamed Elmi, Oxfam regional programme manager. "People cannot survive on just three glasses of water a day when the temperature is hitting 40 degrees."
"Without water, children will die and the livestock on which pastoralists depend will end up as rotting corpses around dry wells," Oxfam warned.
Oxfam expects to start emergency water operations next week for up to 200,000 vulnerable people and their animals, targeting areas along the Kenya/southern Somalia border, the lower parts of Gedo, and the Lower Juba regions.
"We are also carrying out further assessments in the worst-affected areas, so that we can scale up the intervention in appropriate areas," Keatinge said.
According to the United Nations, 1.7 million people in Somalia are in need of urgent relief aid because of the drought, described as the worst in a decade. Some areas have recorded their driest months since 1961.
Posted on Thursday 16th February at 17:53:03 Gunmen Clash In Ethiopia, 13 Die - Sources
MOGADISHU, Feb 16 (Reuters) - At least 13 people died when rival Somali groups fought gun battles in a remote Ethiopian village, kinsmen in nearby Somalia said on Thursday.
The kinsmen, speaking from two Somali towns where the dead and wounded were taken, said the fighting between the two sub-clans living in Ethiopia started on Wednesday over control of a dam in the drought-hit region and was still going on.
In the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, the information ministry confirmed a clash in the village of Yamarugleey about 40 km (25 miles) east of the Somali border, but had no information on casualties or the cause of the violence.
"The Federal Affairs Ministry and officials of the Somali regional government (in Ethiopia) have dispatched a joint mission to investigate the causes of the clash," a ministry spokesman told Reuters.
Many ethnic Somalis live in Ethiopia's eastern Ogaden region and have close family links across the border with Somalia.
Somalia, where similar clashes are frequent, has had no central government since former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted by clan militias 15 years ago.
Residents in the Somali towns of Abudwaaq and Galkaayo said the fighting involved the Marehan and Majerten sub-clans. They said that apart from the dead, 48 wounded had also been brought to the two towns.
They said fighting was heavy and the victims had been taken to Somalia for treatment because that was where their kinsmen were.
"There are 12 dead bodies and 20 injured people in the hospital in Abudwaaq," Abdinasir Haji, a resident of the Marehan-dominated town more than 700 km (450 miles) north of the capital Mogadishu, told Reuters by phone.
Ahmed Dirie, a hospital official in the Majerten town of Galkaayo, said one person died in the hospital from gunshot wounds and the death toll might rise.
"We understand fighting is still going on, it's very sad," he said by phone.
Ahmed Sugule, a Marehan traditional leader in Abudwaaq, said elders from both groups were in contact in a bid to end the fighting. (Additional reporting by Guled Mohamed in Nairobi and Tsegaye Tadesse in Addis Ababa)
Posted on Thursday 16th February at 17:51:08 Teen's Death 'Could Have Been Stopped'
THE BRUTAL murder of a Somali teenager, believed to have been a result of warring gangs in Camden Town and Tottenham, could have been prevented, it has been claimed.
Abdiwali Mohamud, chairman of the Camden Somali Forum, said a lack of co-operation between the police and the Somali community was to blame for the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Maher Osman outside Camden Town Tube station on January 28.
He said: "The police should have told us what was going on between the gangs. I'm not saying they knew exactly this was going to happen but before this other accidents have happened."
It is believed the attack was the result of rivalry between Somali gangs from Tottenham and Camden. Mr Mohamud related the tragedy to an incident in Tottenham in December when a 21-year-old was stabbed and hit over the head with a paving slab in clashes between Somali youths.
Mr Mohamud added: "If we had known these youths were preparing themselves to attack in Camden some people would have done something - parents would have made their children stay at home."
l Twenty-five arrests were made following Maher Osman's death. Twenty-four of the men have been bailed to return to central London police stations in early April, pending further enquiries. A 25th man was released with no further action.
Posted on Wednesday 15th February at 18:10:30 UN Calls For Safe Access As ICRC Steps Up Aid
NAIROBI, 15 Feb 2006 (IRIN) - United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Maxwell Gaylard has called on Somalis and their political leaders to ensure the safe transport of food aid to drought-affected people in the southern regions.
"It is imperative that community elders, religious and political leaders, businessmen and militia create an environment conducive to impartial and independent humanitarian operations," Gaylard said in a press statement on Tuesday.
He warned that the humanitarian situation in Somalia could rapidly deteriorate.
Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has stepped up its emergency operations for at least 500,000 people in areas affected by drought and armed violence in Somalia and Ethiopia.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ICRC said it was particularly concerned by the situation in southern Somalia, where severe drought had compounded an already dismal humanitarian situation.
Somalia, which has suffered 15 years of civil strife, "has the highest number of weapon-wounded casualties in the whole of Africa," and lacks basic health and education services, ICRC said.
The agency has this week distributed two months' worth of food rations to 48,000 people in Bakol region and 58,000 people in Gedo region, both in the southwest of the country.
"The drought is making an already dire situation worse for the majority of people in southern Somalia," said Pascal Hundt, the ICRC’s head of delegation in Somalia.
"In this difficult and precarious situation, we are working with the Somali Red Crescent to bring assistance to the most vulnerable people in isolated rural areas," he added.
In Ethiopia, ICRC said, the drought is concentrated in the southern areas of the Somali Regional State. The agency said it was helping at least 300,000 people by improving access to drinking water, providing free treatment for livestock, distributing food and seed and providing medical supplies to health facilities.
Posted on Wednesday 15th February at 18:08:38 Somalia Drought Could Soon Turn Deadly
The worst drought to hit Somalia in a decade could soon begin claiming lives in the Horn of Africa nation, the international Red Cross warned on Wednesday.
"People aren't dying of hunger today in Somalia, but that could change fast," said Pascal Hundt, who heads the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) mission there.
"If there is no rapid, effective response to this crisis now, and if there is no rain in April, the situation is going to get worse, and people will start getting hungry -- and will start dying," Hundt told reporters at the ICRC's Geneva base.
The rains normally arrive in the region in April, but have mostly failed over the past four seasons and forecasters say the outlook is poor this year.
Two million Somalis are currently affected by drought, out of a total population of up to 12-million.
Even in the best-case scenario, said the ICRC, if the rains arrive as normal in April the first harvest will not be ready until July.
At present, Somalia is in a "pre-famine" situation, the aid group warned, in particular because livestock pastures have withered.
In coming weeks in Somalia's south-western Gedo region, about 80% of livestock is likely to die, it said.
"We are seeing a process of spreading poverty," said Hundt. "People have sold the few goods they had, and they can't sell their animals because they are no longer worth anything on the market. They are running out of ways to survive"
In an effort to help nomads in the region, which borders Ethiopia and Kenya, the ICRC is buying livestock from herders, which enables communities to buy grain, and is handing out meat to the most vulnerable.
Last month, the aid group bought 25 000 goats, which helped feed 150 000 people.
Jacques de Maio, the ICRC's head of operations for the Horn of Africa, said people are increasingly competing with animals for scarce water resources. Aid workers have come across children whose heads have been ripped off by hyenas at waterholes, he said.
The drought, which is also affecting four million people in Kenya and a million in Ethiopia, is of particular concern in Somalia because the country has been ravaged by 15 years of civil war.
The conflict has not only killed between 300 000 and half-a-million people, but has also wrecked public services, leaving people to fend for themselves.
Regular clashes between rival militias force many people to flee their homes, increasing the problems caused by the drought. They also place an extra burden on medical services: across Africa, Somalis are the most likely to suffer from bullet injuries, noted De Maio. -- Sapa-AFP
Posted on Wednesday 15th February at 18:07:24 Poor Weather Blamed For Somali Boat Accident
Mogadishu - At least three people drowned and dozens of others were injured when their overcrowded boat capsized off the coast of southern Somalia on its way to unload food aid for drought victims, officials said on Wednesday.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, apparently in high seas, near the port of Merca, about 100km south of Mogadishu, when the boat carrying 120 people flipped over as it headed for the larger aid ship, they said.
A nurse at the Merca hospital told AFP that three people had been killed in the accident and several dozen injured, most not seriously.
A police official confirmed the death toll and said the people on the smaller boat had been contracted to unload the cargo vessel, which was carrying food aid for the relief agency CARE International.
"The incident is under investigation," the official said.
Relatives of the dead and wounded blamed the owners for crowding the boat with too many workers in a bid to speed up the unloading operation.
"This is an old fishing boat that should not carry more than 30 to 50 people," said Asha Hassan Nurto, whose nephew was among those hurt.
"The owners had no concern for poor labourers and packed them in like they were goods."
The owners of the boat blamed bad weather for the accident.
About 1,7 million people in southern and central Somalia are threatened by famine due to a scorching drought that has left many millions more across east Africa at risk of starvation.
Posted on Wednesday 15th February at 18:05:49 Parliament Will Meet In Baidoa, Confirms President
GALKAYO, 14 February (IRIN) - Somalia's top leaders have confirmed that the country's transitional parliament will hold its first joint meeting on Somali soil in the south-central town of Baidoa, 240 km southwest of the capital, Mogadishu, on 26 February.
Interim President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed told reporters on Monday that he had agreed with Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi and parliamentary speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden that the parliament would meet as planned.
The president held a three-day, closed-door meeting with he prime minister and the speaker in Galkayo town, in the self-declared semiautonomous region of Puntland. The speaker was accompanied by Public Affairs Minister Osman Ali Ato and Yemeni ambassador to Somalia Ahmed Omar, among others.
"I called this meeting after I realised we doubted each other after the [5 January, Aden] pact and the decision we reached in Nairobi [to allow parliament to convene at Baidoa]," President Yusuf said.
The pact, signed by the president and speaker in the Yemeni city of Aden, called on "the members of the parliament and government to put aside their fruitless squabbles and differences, urging them to unite, placing the supreme interest of the nation above other interests".
"Our other aim is to eradicate doubt before the first parliamentary session starts and sort out differences between us. We all agreed on common things, and this is a historic agreement," Yusuf added.
The three-day meeting in Yemen between agreed to convene the first session of parliament inside Somalia within 30 days.
On Monday, the speaker told reporters that the president, the prime minister and himself had agreed to work towards promoting better understanding between members of the parliament.
Gedi, in a brief address to reporters, said he backed the decision reached by the president and speaker and urged all other Somali leaders to support them in their course of restoring governance in Somalia.
In January, the speaker and the president first announced the Baidoa meeting in Nairobi. Gedi did not attend the announcement, as he had already left the Kenyan capital for Jowhar, the temporary base of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG). Observers said he had been unhappy about the decision - an indication of continuing rifts within the TFG.
Ever since the TFG moved in June 2005 to Somalia from Kenya, it has remained divided over two key issues: the deployment of peacekeepers from neighbouring countries and the location of the seat of government.
Yusuf, Gedi and their supporters are based in Jowhar, 90 km north of Mogadishu, because they consider the capital unsafe. Other MPs, led by the speaker, are in Mogadishu.
Posted on Tuesday 14th February at 17:56:47 Community Help Needed in Somali Drought Relief
Somalia is one of the countries worst hit by the current drought. Nearly two million people are reported in need of urgent assistance and protection. Many livestock have died due to lack of food and water.
As a result, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, Maxwell Gaylard, is appealing to local communities, political and business leaders for help. From Nairobi, he tells English to Africa reporter Joe De Capua why local help is needed to ensure protection of humanitarian workers and supplies.
“First of all, they’re very much part of the communities. And you can you can safely assume that many of their relatives are involved and directly affected and these people will help in any case. But the main thrust of that message is to persuade every Somali that we can, of influence or without influence, to provide the framework within which we can help, for example, security,” he says.
Asked how the security situation in Somalia is affecting aid distribution, Gaylard says, “It varies throughout the country. But Somalia has gone through…15 very bad years and in some parts of the country there is still conflict. The security situation is fragile in a lot of other parts where there is no conflict. And of course there is a history not so long ago when the United Nations and the international community did try to help and it’s gone very badly wrong.”
The situation is not at the point where he fears to send out food convoys, but he says he does not want to “underplay the seriousness of the entire security situation,” especially in south-central Somalia. Gaylard says the international community still needs to do more when it comes to emergency assistance for the country.
Posted on Tuesday 14th February at 17:55:44 DJIBOUTI: Drought Forcing People Into Towns, Says President
DJIBOUTIVILLE, 13 February (IRIN) - Djibouti is facing a humanitarian crisis as a result of consecutive years of drought. In an interview with IRIN on 9 February, President Ismail Omar Guelleh talked about his government's plans to contain the situation. Below are excerpts.
QUESTION: Is the current drought in the region more serious than previous ones?
ANSWER: It is not, but our problem is we get a lot less rain than the rest of the countries, so this makes it more problematic. Many people have already lost their livestock and moved to towns. It is the rest who are now under threat and who we are trying to save.
These are recurring droughts. We need to take that into account and plan accordingly and do what we can for ourselves instead of blaming God every time. For example, when it rains, we may get 5 million to 10 million cubic meters of water. Most of that will end up in the sea. A few days later we experience a shortage of water. We could save a lot by harvesting water.
We therefore decided to take a number of steps. In this country, peoples' lives depend largely on livestock. When they start dying, people are in trouble. We have put in place a plan to irrigate some of the land around water wells in order to produce animal feed. It could be one hectare, two, three, four or even 10. Whatever is produced will be stored and given out during the dry season.
We also need to harvest water and build water catchments. This, in my opinion, will alleviate some of the problems we face.
We are also planning to plant one million palm trees to produce dates for human consumption. Our soil is conducive to this type of tree. The Saudi government has agreed to provide 20,000 seedlings. We have also set up a research facility to experiment in producing seedlings that will mature in two years and produce fruit.
Q. How many people are affected by the current drought, and which areas are most affected?
A. Our estimates are that 150,000 people [out of a population of 700,000] are seriously affected by the drought. Almost all regions are affected, but the hardest hit areas are the coastal regions, the north and the northwest.
Q. What has been the international community's response to the drought in the region?
A. In terms of response from the international community, I have been informed that Japan has pledged the equivalent of US $700,000, and that is it. We are used to this sort of thing. When you make an appeal it takes between 6 months and 8 months before any response.
We also suffer, I believe, from a certain amount of neglect. Recently, the European Union announced that it was donating €5 [US $6 million] to the countries affected by the drought. They named Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. We were not even mentioned. It is like we are the forgotten country. Maybe it has something to do with our small size.
So instead of waiting until people start dying, we decided to mobilise our own people, from school children to businessmen. Every family should give what it can, even if it is one kilo, or half a kilo, to try and help their compatriots. This campaign has also taught our people that they also can help each other. It created solidarity. This has been very, very successful. Now we are trying to dispatch what has been collected to the affected areas with the help of our armed forces.
Q. Does the increased migration to Djibouti from other countries in the region give you more concern about security?
A. Since our independence we [have] had a flood of people coming, not only to Djibouti but to transit through here. Some came to work, others [when there was no phone system in Somalia] to make an international call to family and relatives in the diaspora or for medical reasons.
Now, the newest phenomenon is the migration by boat to Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Last week our police detained more that 150 people in the north of the country. This latest group was from Ethiopia.
Q. Does this new phenomenon worry you in terms of security, not just in your country but in the sub-region as a whole?
A. No, not really. We are used to this by now. These people are economic migrants and do not pose any serious security problem. Sometimes they may engage in minor criminal activity, but nothing serious that would affect the overall security of this country or the region.
Q. Do you think then that the threat of terrorism from the Horn of Africa is exaggerated?
A. At the beginning, it was not - due to the history of our region from 1993. Look at what happened in 1998 in Kenya and Tanzania [United States embassy bombings]. Look at what happened in 2000 and 2002 in Yemen. All these are part of the big threat of terrorism in our region. The motivation of the American presence here, at that time, was to fight that threat. They have succeeded in their mission. Except for minor incidents of piracy in the Indian Ocean, we have had no serious terrorist incident in this area.
Q. Has the American presence been helpful to the Djibouti economy?
A. Yes, it has been very helpful. First, a very important part of our people has found work there. Then, we have companies from countries like Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, which are working with the Americans, who have also hired local people and are spending money in our country. These companies have also established [themselves] in our free zone. All this has had a positive impact on our economy.
Q. Coming back to the sub-region, how are Djibouti's relations with its neighbours, specifically with the new Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia?
A. We are here to help any government chosen by the Somali people. We support the TFG as we supported the TNG [Transitional National Government] before it. Our aim is to see Somalia re-establish itself for the sake of the Somali people, who have been suffering for the last 15 years.
With regard to our other neighbours, we have very good relations. As the headquarters of IGAD [Inter-Governmental Authority on Development] we have, as we must, access to all of them.
Q. Since the TFG relocated to Somalia, it seems to be having the same problems the TNG had with faction leaders and establishing its authority throughout the country. What do you think is the problem, and do you foresee a solution?
A. The main problem is the lack of support from the international community. We cannot ask a drowning person to swim and save himself without giving a lifeline. That is what we are telling the Somalis, and it is not fair. We have seen what the United Nations and the international community is doing in Liberia and Democratic Republic of Congo. In Congo, the UN is spending over $200 million per year. In Ethiopia-Eritrea similar amounts are being spent. Why is it so difficult for the international community to assist the Somali government to disarm and demobilise the various militias and put pressure on the warlords?
No one is doing anything. That is the main reason why any government - call it TFG, TNG, or whatever - will not succeed. It is a question of a lack of commitment from the international community.
Posted on Monday 13th February at 17:39:11 Somali Leaders Vow To Work Together, End Rifts
NAIROBI, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Somalia's president, prime minister and parliamentary speaker appeared to put aside their differences on Monday and vowed to work together to end anarchy in the Horn of Africa country.
President Abdullahi Yusuf, Prime Minister Mohamed Ali Gedi and Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden promised to promote reconciliation and unity among the country's 275 legislature for the benefit of the Somali people after a three-day meeting.
The three leaders urged feuding Somalis to "stop inter-clan wars and meaningless hostilities" in a joint statement released on Monday in Galkaayo, 735 km (456.7 miles) north of Mogadishu and obtained by Reuters in Nairobi.
"The President, Speaker of parliament and the Prime Minister will work closely together in the remaining interim period of the Transitional Federal Government in order to achieve confidence and unity among the national leaders."it said.
The trio also promised to ensure the successful opening of the Somali parliament in the town of Baidoa on Feb. 26.
The deal for parliament to meet in lawless Somalia has raised hopes among Somalis that the government can finally put a stop to the anarchy that has plagued the country since former strongman Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted in 1991.
"It's very positive, it shows that we are going in the right direction." said Mohamed Ali Nur, the coordinator of Somali affairs in Kenya. "It is really good to see that our top three leaders have reached an agreement."
The interim government was formed in late 2004 following protracted talks among rival Somali factions in Kenya.
It returned to Somalia last year and has been split into two factions, one based in Mogadishu and the other in the provincial town of Jowhar.
Posted on Monday 13th February at 17:36:24 Somaliland Offers Land
At a meeting held in Addis Ababa, officials of Berbera Port asked Ethiopians to take land in Berbera to be used for building warehouses.
Mr. Ali Umer Mohammed, general manager of Berbera Port, said the port administration was developing a free trade zone in Berbera. Ali Mohammed said the administration had already prepared a 25 sq.km. plot of land near the port.
The fee trade zone has electric power, water, telephone lines and other utilities. "This is the first phase of a free trade zone development," he added. Mr Mohammed said Ethiopian business people could acquire plots of land in the free trade zone, adding that the cost of the land was negotiable.
Last November, the Ethiopian government started importing goods through Berbera Port, 910 km east of Addis Ababa. So far, the port handled 1,500 tonnes of cargo that belongs to state enterprises. The Somaliland authorities invited Ethiopian business people to visit the port.
Source : The Reporter
Posted on Sunday 12th February at 17:41:59 Somalis Flee Knysna After 'Racist' Clashes
A number of Somalis living in Knysna have allegedly fled the area after violent clashes with local residents this week, resulting in a number of their shops being looted.
The clashes were sparked when a Somali shopowner was allegedly robbed by seven local men at the Sanlam Mall shopping complex.
Police spokesperson Billy Jones said the robbers were pursued by the shopowner who tried to recover his goods. He said the man drew his licensed firearm and fired two warning shots in the air.
Jones said that it is alleged that one of the robbers, an 18-year-old man, tried to grab the gun and in the struggle was shot in the neck.
He is still in a serious condition in the George Hospital.
Jones said four men had been arrested in connection with the robbery and that both the Somali shop-owner and the injured man were facing charges of attempted murder.
Three of the alleged robbers and the Somalian appeared in the Knysna Magistrate's Court this week but the cases have been postponed. All the men are still in custody.
Jones said the shooting had led to a violent confrontation between Somali shopkeepers and local residents in which a number of spaza shops were damaged.
He said that residents had threatened to assault shopowners, but that the police had arrived on the scene to intervene.
"The situation was very volatile but the area is currently reported to have calmed down," he said.
Ahmed Dulane, of the Somalian Association of South Africa, said he had been told that at least one shop had been burnt down and 29 had been looted.
He said most of the shopowners had since left the area and gone to Port Elizabeth or George.
"They can't do business now because they have lost everything - their homes and their shops.
"I don't think they will return anytime soon."
He said the discrimination from the local residents was extremely worrying.
Ashraf Mahomed, provincial co-ordinator of the South African Human Rights Commission, said they viewed the allegations of looting and destruction of property of vulnerable groups like Somalians in a very serious light.
He said they were concerned about the extent to which the communities response to the robbery incident was attributable to racism and xenophobia: "If this is the case then we should remind ourselves of our recent past and commit (ourselves)to fostering equality and dignity that is so important to our democracy."
Posted on Sunday 12th February at 17:40:23
Somalis Feared There Would Be A Murder
A SOMALI leader has this week admitted Camden Council was warned that tragedy would strike the community unless action was taken to provide services for youngsters.
Mahir Osman was stabbed to death near Camden Town tube station two weeks ago, just days before his 19th birthday, after being caught up in a street fight between gangs from Camden and Haringey.
Omar Yusuf, coordinator of the Somali Community Centre in Gospel Oak, said: "We had been in contact with Camden Council for some time and we knew something like this would happen. We have been campaigning for something to be done.
"We have been talking to youngsters who were involved in gangs but came back to the mainstream. They have been round the table and have been saying they need a community centre or facility of their own.
"Something needs to be done for them to bring them back to the mainstream."
Since Mr Osman was murdered police and council officials have been in regular meetings with members of the Somali community.
One of the main concerns was that Somali youths in Camden would seek revenge for the killing of the student.
Mr Yusuf continued: "There has not been a backlash but we are worried that if those arrested did not answer bail there could be problems."
He added: "The police have been doing everything they can and good can come out of these meetings we are having.
"We are going to bring together the police and families directly so they can talk first hand."
Councillor Raj Chada, leader of Camden Council, said he did not think providing a youth centre was the answer to address the issues.
He said: "There have been calls in the media for more youth clubs but I truly believe that youth clubs alone are not the answer.
"All children and young people need more than somewhere to go and hang out with their friends for a couple of hours and those at risk of offending need dedicated, specialised help and support."
He added: "We know that Somali leaders plan to meet with representatives from other boroughs to address the issue of youth tensions and we fully support them in this action.
"All of us must do everything we can to ensure that other young men and women and their families do not suffer similarly."
matt.eley@hamhigh.co.uk
--
Police continue questioning 24 suspects
THE 24 Somalis arrested in connection with the murder of teenager Mahir Osman have been back at police stations for more questioning.
The men all answered bail at stations in the borough on Tuesday, Wednesday and yesterday.
Police are yet to charge anybody in connection with the incident where Mr Osman was fatally stabbed.
Officers have also hit back at criticisms from the family about interview techniques.
Mahir's brother Faisal Osman, 24, claimed police had offered counselling only to go on and quiz him about Somali gangs in the area.
A Met Police spokeswoman said: "The family are all kept informed by family liaison officers regarding reasons for asking about the victim's background. It is not in our interests to do anything that that upsets or distresses any family member."
Meanwhile Home Secretary Charles Clarke has announced there will be a knife amnesty.
He was confronted by members of Mr Osman's family on a visit to Camden Town last week.
He said: "When I was in Camden I met the family of Mahir Osman, 18, who was stabbed outside Camden tube station. This highlighted to me the importance of taking all knives and offensive weapons off the streets."
The nationwide amnesty will take place from May 24 to June 30.
Funeral arrangements have yet to be confirmed for Mahir Osman. The student's cousin is Italian footballer Fabio Liverani and he had planned to travel to Rome to watch him play.
Posted on Sunday 12th February at 17:38:47 AU Supports Somali Split
Hopes of recognition for Somali-land’s 15-year independence have been raised by the favourable report of an African Union mission that visited the territory last year.
The report, a copy of which the Mail & Guardian has obtained, comes at a time when signs of a new flexibility in African thinking on boundary issues are emerging. It suggests that official African aid be tapped by this country of 3,5million people that was effectively destroyed by the Somali dictator Siad Barre.
With the fall of Barre in 1991, the former British colony broke its union with southern neighbour, the former Italian colony of Somalia. Since Barre’s departure, Somalia has been without an effective government.
But Somaliland has pulled itself up by its bootstraps. It has had a referendum to adopt a democratic Constitution and has organised presidential and parliamentary elections. Independent international observers have endorsed all of these.
The Organisation of African Unity refused to recognise Somaliland’s independence, citing the maxim that there would be chaos if colonial boundaries were not observed in post-independence Africa.
Unions between Senegal and Gambia, and Egypt and Sudan, among others, have been broken without affecting the recognition of these countries.
The AU mission accepts this, stating in its report that Somaliland’s “case should not be linked to the notion of ‘opening a Pandora’s box’. As such, the AU should find a special method for dealing with this outstanding case.
“The lack of recognition ties the hands of the authorities and people of Somaliland, as they cannot effectively and sustainably transact with the outside to pursue the reconstruction and development goals.
“Furthermore, given the acute humanitarian situation prevailing in Somaliland, the AU should mobilise financial resources to help alleviate the plight of the affected communities, especially those catering for the internally displaced persons and the returnees.
“Finally, given also the high potential for conflict between Mogadishu and Hargeisa, the AU should take steps to discuss critical issues in the relations between the two towns. That initiative should be taken at the earliest possible opportunity.”
Iqbal Jhazbhay, an Africa analyst at the University of South Africa, says the report illustrates a new mood in the AU, an organisation Somaliland has officially applied to join. “The AU-sponsored peace deal in Sudan allows for a referendum, five years from now, on whether the south wants to go it alone. This could not have happened if it were business as usual. The AU now goes for results, and takes account of subjective facts and practical realities,” says Jhazbhay.
“The AU clearly recognises the stability created in Somaliland and the infrastructural development. It is determined to bring peace to the horn. It is looking at post-conflict reconstruction and it has the capacity to handle these issues.”
Posted on Sunday 12th February at 17:35:42 New Immunisation Drive Against Polio
NAIROBI, 10 February (IRIN) - A new round of polio immunisation is due to begin in Somalia on 20 February to stem the spread of the disease, which has infected more than 150 people across the country, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has said.
"The continued spread of polio throughout Somalia is of major concern," UNICEF Somalia said in its latest monthly review.
"There are currently 167 confirmed cases of polio [two in Sool, two in Bay region, 11 in Lower Shabelle and the rest in Benadir]," it added. "For 2006 alone, 21 cases of acute flaccid paralysis are pending lab confirmation."
One round of sub-national immunisation days was held in southcentral Somalia in January.
"The first cases of polio to re-emerge were in Mogadishu in September 2005 ending the country's three year status as polio-free," the review noted. "By the end of 2005 there were 362 cases of acute flaccid paralysis associated with polio."
Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that affects mainly children under three years of age. It invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours.
Posted on Sunday 12th February at 17:33:48 Top Somali Leaders To Heal Rifts Before Parliament Meets
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somalia's president, prime minister and parliamentary speaker are expected to meet to mend rifts before parliament convenes for the first time in the country later this month, officials said on Thursday.
The meeting between President Abdullahi Yusuf, Prime Minister Mohamed Ali Gedi and Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden is a critical precursor to the parliament session due on February 26.
Whether the parliament can meet as agreed in the southern city of Baidoa is seen as a major test of whether the anarchic country's transitional government can heal a deep split that has all but paralysed it.
The trio's meeting is expected in Yusuf's hometown of Galkaayo in the semi-autonomous northern region of Puntland, after Hassan arrives on Friday.
"There are no major problems between us, but I am ready to discuss any outstanding issues with them," Hassan told Reuters from Baidoa.
Yusuf and Gedi are in Galkaayo already, and the three are expected to iron out last-minute security details, outstanding issues and plan the agenda.
"The meeting in Galkaayo aims to remove small differences and some misunderstandings among them," Information Minister Mohamed Abdi Hayr told Reuters.
Late last month, Gedi criticised a decision by Hassan and Yusuf to convene parliament, saying he had not been consulted. His comments suggested continued divisions within Somalia's transitional administration.
"The prime minister is interested in solving the crises between him and the speaker," government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari told Reuters from Galkaayo.
The deal for parliament to meet in lawless Somalia has raised hopes among Somalis that the government can finally put a stop to the anarchy that has plagued the country since former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted in 1991.
The interim government was formed in late 2004 following protracted talks among rival Somali factions in neighbouring Kenya.
It returned home last year, but has very little control over the country of approximately 10 million and has been split into two feuding factions, one based in Mogadishu and the other the provincial town of Jowhar.
Posted on Friday 10th February at 17:36:49 Somalia's 'City Of Death' Shocks Speaker
Baidoa, Somalia - The speaker of Somalia's parliament on Tuesday appealed for international help for millions of Somalis threatened with starvation as he visited this drought-hit central town.
In Baidoa to assess conditions for the first meeting of the Somali legislature in its own country here later this month, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan said the world could not ignore the suffering of the Somali people.
"I am urging the international community to help the people of Somalia at this critical time," he said in the town dubbed the "city of death" after thousands perished in the last drought-related famine in 1991-1992.
"I have never seen Baidoa as dry as it is now since my childhood," Adan said. "This is a serious disaster."
Two million people in central and southern Somalia are among about eight million in four countries across East Africa that are at risk of starvation because of the drought, according to the United Nations.
While UN and international aid agencies are supplying relief, their efforts are vastly complicated by insecurity in anarchic Somalia, which has been without a functioning central government for nearly 15 years.
Deep divisions in the country's current transitional government have exacerbated the problem and Adan's visit to Baidoa, about 250km west of Mogadishu, is part of an effort to patch up the rifts.
The split between the two factions - one led by President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and the other by Adan and warlords who control Mogadishu - have prevented the parliament from meeting and fuelled fears of even greater unrest.
Under heavy international pressure, the two sides agreed on January 30 that parliament would convene in Baidoa on February 26 for the first time since the government left exile in Kenya last year.
"It is a great history that Baidoa will be hosting the Somalia parliament after a decade-long civil war," Adan told thousands of town residents who turned out to greet him.
"We have ended our hostilities and we will be working together for the pacification of Somalia," he said. - Sapa-AFP
Posted on Wednesday 8th February at 20:03:52 Somaliland's Claim To Recognition Is “Consistent With The AU Charter.”
Talking to VOA, Matt Bryden, the director of the Horn of Africa Project of the ICG, says the breakaway republic’s claim to recognition is “consistent with the AU charter.” Bryden adds, “Having once been an independent state, Somaliland’s claim to independence is probably stronger than that of territories such as Eritrea and Western Sahara, that are already members of the AU.”
He told English to Africa reporter Ashenafi Abedje that today’s statement by the Ethiopian foreign minister doesn’t change the Ethiopian position on Somaliland. He says Ethiopia “has long maintained a de facto relationship with Somaliland, falling short of full diplomatic recognition.” He says this includes close cooperation on a number of trade and security issues.
Ethiopia says despite its trade relations with Somalia’s breakaway enclave of Somaliland, it does not support the sovereignty of the self-declared republic. Ethiopian foreign minister Seyoum Mesfin says Somaliland deserves to be rewarded for creating peace out of anarchy, but no one should confuse Ethiopia’s trade links there as recognition of its bid for nationhood. Last year, the Ethiopian government sent a formal delegation to the former British Somaliland and signed deals to boost cross-border trade and use the Berbera port. Many saw the agreements as a tacit recognition of Somaliland’s much-rebuffed bid for sovereignty.
Bryden says recognizing Somaliland is a decision to be made collectively by the African Union and not by individual member states. He says he sees no contradiction in Ethiopia actively trading with Somaliland and not officially recognizing it. Bryden says Ethiopia is simply pursuing its national interests, which he says include “having a stable and cooperative neighbor, and having access to the Gulf of Aden.” He adds Ethiopia also requires a relationship with southern Somalia.
Posted on Wednesday 8th February at 20:01:45 Somalis Protest Over Death During Police Raid
MORE than 600 people took to the streets of Plumstead last weekend to protest over the death of a 22-year-old Somali man.
Nuur Saeed died on January 24 from injuries it is alleged he sustained in a raid by Woolwich police at his flat in Plumstead exactly two weeks earlier.
The Somali community in Woolwich staged a picket outside Plumstead Police Station last Saturday.
They chanted "Justice for Nuur" and "Our reality - police brutality" before the protest ended at 5pm.
An investigation into Mr Saeed's death is being undertaken by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
A spokesman for the Somali Action Refugee Group said: "We think we made our point and now we'll just have to wait and see what the results of the investigation are."
Asad Hussain, of the Justice for Nuur campaign, added: "Nuur was a normal boy. How could such a tragedy happen? We need to know what took place.”
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police, who would not comment on the IPCC investigation, said: "There were no arrests and the protest passed off peacefully.
"We were aware of the plans to protest and an appropriate policing operation was put in place."
Police raided a house in Sandbach Place, Plumstead, on January 10.
According to a police statement, Mr Saeed was found "to be suffering from head injuries on the ground below the balcony of the second floor premises".
He was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich by ambulance and later transferred to Kings College Hospital, where he died on January 24 from complications arising from massive brain injury.
The matter was referred to the IPCC on the day that Mr Saeed died, and officials decided the matter should become an independent investigation.
IPCC spokesman John Wadham said: "I would like to extend my sincere condolences to the family and all parties involved in this inquiry.
"I can reassure the family and community that there will be a full and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident".
The Justice for Nuur campaign is also seeking to highlight alleged police mistreatment of Somali men and women in Woolwich.
A spokesman said: "We are demanding an immediate and independent investigation into Woolwich police's harassment of young men, especially those from the Somali community."
A spokesman for Woolwich Police said: "This is simply untrue. All Greenwich police operations and activity are directed against criminals to prevent and detect crime and to protect and support victims of criminality. We would never seek to criminalise any part of our community.
"If someone feels they have not been treated fairly then the police has a robust system for dealing with any complaints.
"If anyone has a complaint about the behaviour of a police officer or member of police staff they should contact their local police station so the matter can be properly investigated and appropriate action taken."
The IPCC is appealing for any witnesses who may have seen Nuur Saeed on the balcony or who may have any other information about the incident to contact them by telephoning 020 7166 3115, sending a fax to 020 7166 3565 or an email to
nuursaeed.inquiry@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk.
scott.sinclair@archant.co.uk
Posted on Wednesday 8th February at 19:59:54 Two Killed And Two Others Wounded
Firefight has erupted inside the police Station of Jowhar, killing Two persons and wounding two others.
The shout out is reported to have erupted; after a commander of the Regional administration was detained in the Police Station.
The police Station was later assailed by men from the detained Commander who were going to free him but Guards at the Police Station put up a stiff resistance.
The dead one is said to be one of warring the militias.
Reliable Sources in Jowhar confirmed to Shabelle Radio that there is a high tension in the town and all business centres were closed.
Residents in Jowhar are very terrified since it had been long times to their ears hear sounds of Bullets in their town.
Jowhar is the seat to Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, particularly the wing led by President Yusuf and Prime minister Gedi and it is controlled by a warlord called Mohamed Dhere who turned the town into a very peaceful place.
Source : Shabelle media
Posted on Wednesday 8th February at 19:57:05 Foreign Minister On Diplomatic Offensive
Dakar, Senegal, 02/08 - Foreign minister Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia on Monday expressed hope that his country, with the assistance of members of the African Union and the international community, would soon emerge from its current state of disorder with a well-entrenched government.
Somalia has had no central government since the ouster of dictator and President Siad Barre in 1991, an event that sparked a civil war whose anarchy continued to affect the smooth operations of the transitional government, led by the President Abdullahi Yousuf Ahmed and Professor Ali Mohamed Ghedi as Prime Minister.
Speaking during an interview at the PANA offices in Dakar, Sheikh Ismail said he had come to Senegal to encourage the authorities to assist war- torn Somalia consolidate peace through Dakar`s influence within the West African region and the AU.
"Senegal occupies a very prominent place in Africa, particularly in the West Africa region. We would like the (Senegalese) authorities to take our message of hope to the AU and other places," the minister said.
He added: "Senegal has played an active role in mobilising aid for Somalia, in addition to bringing African opinion and international opinion to seek assistance for us."
The transitional government has five years to set up national institutions, disarm the militias, draft a new constitution and restore general order to the country before conducting multiparty elections at the end of this period.
At the moment, however, due to insecurity posed by the armed militias, the transitional government has been unable to set up its operations in the capital Mogadishu.
The result is that part of the transitional government is in Jowhar, 90 km north of Mogadishu, while another part is based in the Baidowa, a town located 270 km west of the capital.
Foreign minister Sheikh Ismail described Mogadishu, the country`s war- torn capital, as still incapable of hosting the government due to widespread insecurity.
Another challenge facing the government, he said, was an acute shortage of funding to set up the needed structures of government, not to mention the country`s overall infrastructure like office buildings and roads.
"We are in a very critical situation financially. Despite being promised a lot of funds, very little has been received," he said, but added: "We are always hopeful that gradually the international community will come to assist Somalia."
Sheik Ismail noted that government premises were not in the hands of the transitional government, having been occupied by various persons during the civil war to a point where the minister has to share his a two-room office with several other civil servants, who are trying to set up part of a civil service structure as regards his ministry.
The minister, when asked about the current allegations of potential terrorists in the region, he said he could not rule out that his country had become a haven for the unruly types.
He cited the increase in acts of piracy, most of whom were based on Somali territory, as sign that all was not well in his country despite his government`s efforts to wrestle its way from civil disorder.
The minister said his current mission will also take him to The Gambia and Gabon, and then Congo Brazzaville, to consult with President Dennis Sassou Nguesso, the current AU chair. vvv
Posted on Wednesday 8th February at 19:55:14 ADRA Launches New Energy Policy Project In Somaliland
Silver Spring, Maryland - The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has launched another energy project designed to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods through promoting accessible, cost-effective and environmentally sound energy services for the people of Somaliland, Somalia.
The project, which is known as facilitating Somaliland’s Energy Policy Dialogue (SEPD) will have its main project office in Hargeisa, the capital city of Somaliland, with the specific objective of facilitating the development of an energy policy and regulatory framework document for Somaliland through working with non-state actors (NSA).
The SEPD project places a high priority on access to improved energy services to households and businesses leading to improved livelihoods. In Somaliland currently, energy supply to most businesses, urban schools, health facilities and households is limited to diesel generator sets and kerosene which are relatively expensive and polluting. This affects the profitability and/or financial viability of commercial and social activities of businesses, institutions and households. Thus for any meaningful structured and sustained socio-economic development to take place in Somaliland, an elaborate guiding energy policy and regulatory framework is integral.
This energy project runs from February 2006 to December 2006 and targets the civil society including women groups, ministry of Commerce and Industry and the private sector, which are classified as non-state actors. It will have 191 direct beneficiaries and 3,000 indirect ones. The indirect beneficiaries will be reached through media campaigns and later, it is anticipated, the entire population of Somaliland will be reached, benefiting a total of 3,300,000 people.
The project, which is valued at nearly $120,000, is funded primarily by the European Union, in partnership with the ADRA office in Somalia.
ADRA Somalia has been operating in Somalia since 1992 implementing emergency relief and development interventions in different sectors. Since then, ADRA has managed over 50 projects funded by different donors in 8 sectors namely: water; primary health care; education; food security; infrastructure; institutional capacity building; micro-enterprise development and emergency response interventions. ADRA is present in 125 countries around the world providing individual and community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, or ethnicity.
Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.
Posted on Tuesday 7th February at 17:13:17 Six Killed And Five Injured In Rural Area
At least six people reported to have been killed and five others injured in BuurMagood a rural area of Hiran region near the somali border with Ethopia after a fighting broke out between two group of militiamen.
This fighting reported to came about after one of the militia group sprayed fire on a truck accompanying by other militimen, the fighing lasted for three hours.
the truck is said to be heading to Ethiopia
the injured were taken to a hospital in to baladwei
Source : Shabelle Media
Posted on Tuesday 7th February at 17:11:31 One Murdered In Somalia During Protests Over Drawings
Police fired in the air Monday to disperse stone-throwing protesters demonstrating over cartoon deemed offensive to Islam, triggering a stampede in which a teenager is killed in northern Somalia . Hundreds of protesters threw stones at police and aid workers after attending a peaceful rally in the northern port city of Bossaso , sparking the stampede in which a teenage boy was killed, said businessman Mohamed Ahmed, a witness. Protests over the cartoon broke out in three other Somali towns, as they have around the Muslim world. Some 300 members of the paramilitary police were later deployed in Bossaso, capital of semiautonomous Puntland. Officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
In Dhusamareb, capital of the central Galgudud Region, hundreds of protesters condemned the Western media, reserving their fiercest criticism for the Danish newspaper that originally published the caricatures.
"Apologies are not enough," said regional governor Yusuf Eyow. "There should be some measures taken against that particular newspaper."
The protests were organized by Islamic scholars in an anarchic country where fundamentalists are increasingly projecting themselves as an alternative to the warlords who have turned Somalia into a patchwork of fiefdoms.
Somalia has had no effective central government since opposition leaders ousted former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.
Protests have erupted around the world since the cartoons first appeared in the Danish newspaper the Jyllands-Posten.
A children's book writer complained to the Jyllands-Posten that he could not find an illustrator for his book about Muhammad. The paper put the problem to several cartoonists, and published their depictions of Muhammad in September. The Danish cartoonists not only showed Muhammad's face, but added such flourishes as a bomb-shaped turban.
The drawings were reprinted by several other papers in Europe or elsewhere either to illustrate stories about the controversy or to make a point about freedom of speech, reports the AP.
Posted on Monday 6th February at 18:46:06 President Met Officials From Ethiopia And AU
Reports coming from the provincial capital city of Mudug Region, in central Somalia say, the Somali President Mr: Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed met officials from AU and Ethiopia there.
The aim of this meeting is said about how to find a solution to the rift which has recently developed between President Yusuf and Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi.
Cause of the rift between the two leaders is over, where the coming session of the Parliament is to be held.
President Yusuf has given his full support to the announcement by Sharif Hassan, Somali House Speaker to be held in Baidoa, but Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi rejected that idea though he backtracked from his earlier objection today.
The meeting between President Yusuf and these officials from Ethiopia and the African Union was closed door and no journalist was allowed in.
These officials reached Galka’yo yesterday and they were holding series of meetings with President since then.
Source : Shabelle media
Posted on Monday 6th February at 18:44:13 Six Killed In Clash Over Land In Somaliland
HARGEYSA, 6 February (IRIN) - At least six people were killed and more than 30 injured when rival Somali clans clashed over land on the outskirts of Hargeysa, the capital of the self-declared republic of Somaliland.
The fighting, which erupted on Saturday, pitted the Arab sub-clan against the Eidagale, both of whom live in Dumbuluq estate. Residents said it started over the disputed construction of a building.
Both sides used heavy machine guns and overwhelmed policemen who had been sent in to restore order. The army was eventually called in after six shops had been burned and properties looted.
At least six bodies were lying at the Hargeysa general hospital morgue on Saturday evening, including those of two women and a child.
Ismail Adan Osman, the interior minister, told reporters that 19 policemen were amongst those injured.
Somaliland President Dahir Riyale Kahin called an emergency meeting of his cabinet and appointed a six-man committee to mediate between the two sides, according to a statement from his office.
Land-related clashes have occurred in the past in Somaliland. In April 2004, four people were killed in Burao when fighting erupted between policemen and squatters who were allegedly occupying school land.
In June 2003, a group of armed men attacked and killed two construction workers who were putting up a building on a disputed piece of land in the port town of Berbera.
Posted on Monday 6th February at 18:42:34 Doubts Over US Firm In Deal With Somalia
Mystery surrounds the operations of a US-based company, two months after it struck a controversial multi-million dollar contract with the Somali Transitional Federal Government to end piracy off the Horn of Africa's coastline.
But a TFG Cabinet minister Hassan Abshir insists Top Cat Marine Security, with which his government signed a two-year $55 million deal, is not only real, but also ready to combat persistent insecurity along the country's 2,000-kilometre-long coastline.
Mr Abshir, the Fisheries minister, sealed the deal in Naiorbi, with Top Cat's head of research and development Peter Casini.
Among those who witnessed the pact was Somalia's Prime Minister Mohamed Ali Gedi.
Telephone disconnected
But investigations by the Sunday Nation found that Top Cat's office in Manhattan is actually nothing more than a call-answering operation. There's no indication of Top Cat officials working there. The company's telephone number at its former headquarters in South Carolina has been disconnected.
A State Department official suggested that the TFG's contract with Top Cat for anti-piracy operations may well result in violation of the United Nations' arms embargo against Somalia.
While declining to comment specifically on the case of Top Cat, another State Department official said the US does not license exports of military items to countries that are under a US arms embargo. The ships that Top Cat says it will use in pirate interdiction actions would probably qualify as military items. The ships would also presumably be equipped with guns and other weapons.
A US-based company such as Top Cat would be subject to export licensing requirements regardless of where its military hardware would be imported from, the official added.
If a US company is found to be in violation of the licensing rules, it would be subjected to penalties under the US Arms Control Export Act. The official said the penalties would be financial and "of other sorts".
The Sunday Nation left four messages with Top Cat's answering centre in New York for Maryann Johnson, the company's vice president for public relations, but despite assurances that she, or another Top Cat official, would get back to us regarding the status of the Somalia contract, we never received a response.
And in Nairobi, Mr Abshir declined to discuss the deal with the Sunday Nation.
We wanted him to shed light on a number of issues including the existence of Top Cat, its capacity to carry out the contracted operations, when the work would begin, the procedure Somali government used to select the company, whether some consultants had been engaged, who would fund the deal and if it would be possible to implement the project as Somalia is under the UN and US arms embargo.
He only said: "They (Top Cat) are ready to come. When they come, I will call and give you all the details."
Media reports in the US indicated that Top Cat Marine Security had failed, at one point in 2004, to meet its payroll.
Failed business ventures
The Post and Courier, a newspaper published in Charleston, South Carolina, where Top Cat had been operating also reported that Mr Casini "is tied to a string of failed business ventures and corporate bankruptcies".
Last November, Mr Casini had denied the reports, when contacted by Sunday Nation in Nairobi just a day after signing the deal. He was reluctant to answer questions when contacted on the telephone. On whether the company had failed to meet its payroll, he said: "No. You may be talking about the wrong company. Our company is Top Cat Design."
However, Ms Johnson said the report "was written years ago, by a small town reporter whose sole source of information was a convicted felon. Top Cat was never contacted directly for comment on this article".
She had said the company, "remains financially secure and stable, with contracts around the world with some of the largest defence contractors."
She also said that Mr Casini was an employee and not the owner of the company and had been awarded the notable honour of being named one of the top three boat designers in the world.
Story by KEVIN J. KELLEY in New York and STEPHEN MBURU in Nairobi
Posted on Sunday 5th February at 17:01:47 Application for Membership in African Union
DDIS ABABA, Ethiopia- Republic of Somaliland, which has been seeking recognition from the international community as in independent country for years, has finally put forth an application to be a member of the African Union (AU).
To that effect, their application, along with a formal fact finding mission report which was undertaken by the AU last year, was read during the 6th summit of the African Union in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum this week.
It is to be recalled that the African Union had sent out a fact-finding mission headed by its deputy chairperson last May, 2005. The mission had drawn a report which was supposed to be presented in the summit in Sirte, Libya, but apparently was referred to the Khartoum summit.
Inside sources disclosed that the issue of Somaliland recognition calls for further deliberations and considerations over the matter. Sources also told SSI that some countries were in favour of recognizing an independent Somaliland while others had called for more deliberations.
This is an extremely important step for the recognition of Somaliland, says the Minister of Information of Somaliland, Mr. Abdullahi Duale.
“I think that the AU has a moral obligation to include Somaliland,” Duale said. “And I think they will follow it. The ball is definitely starting to roll.”
Meanwhile, the President of Somaliland Mr. Dahiir Rayaale Kahin, returned back from a long tour from Germany and Norway after undergoing a medical treatment and exploring business opportunities.
According to Mr. Abdullahi Duale, the president had a very fruitful business trip, having had business meetings with private sector and government bodies.
The Somaliland leadership is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts for an independent nation.
Somaliland has demonstrated to many observers that it is capable of democratic rule and effective conflict resolution. It is now concentrating on attracting business investments.
Posted on Thursday 2nd February at 19:21:00 Support Offered To Welsh Somalis
Somali people living in Wales are being given more support to access services such as health and education in an attempt to combat social exclusion.
The Somali community is one of Wales' oldest ethnic groups but is also one of the most economically deprived and excluded from mainstream society.
Only 5% of Cardiff Somalis are in employment, according to a report on social exclusion in Wales.
The assembly government-funded project aims to give information on services.
The idea of the all-Wales project has come from the Somali Integration Society (SIS) and was launched by Social Justice Minister Edwina Hart on Thursday.
Organisers say it is designed to improve the position of the Somali community in Wales, through the provision of practical advice, guidance, information and life skills.
The £234,000 three-year scheme is funded through the Welsh Assembly Government's ccmmunity facilities and activities programme.
It will focus on the key areas of health, employment and training, education and community safety and provide information to the Somali community on how to access the services.
Three workers will be employed to manage the project, including workers who will travel around the community offering advice.
Ibrahim Harbi, the co-ordinator of SIS, said he hoped the scheme would provide opportunities to equip people with the life skills, confidence, and information to enable them better access to key services to improve their health, education and employment prospects.
"Many Somalis in Wales have fled their homelands because of civil war and can often feel traumatised by this brutal experience, as well as feeling isolated and unable to access key public services," said Mr Harbi.
"SIS will be working with partner agencies through this project to positively change the lives of the Somali community, tackle social exclusion, improve social enterprise and let them fulfil their full potential".
Cardiff South and Penarth AM Lorraine Barrett said: "I am delighted to have been able to support the Somali Integration Society's new project.
"The Somali community in my Cardiff South constituency is the largest British-born Somali population in the UK and one of the oldest minority ethnic groups in Wales - yet it is also one of the most economically deprived and socially excluded communities.
"That is why this project is so crucial.
"Equipping the community with life-skills, confidence and information will help tackle social exclusion and improve the lives of the Somali community, not only in Cardiff but in all parts of Wales."
Posted on Thursday 2nd February at 19:18:44 A Delegation Led By Somali PM For Ethiopia
Prime minister Gedi, and the warlord who controls Jowhar Mohamed dhere together with minister of planning and international cooperation Abdi Risaq Jurile abruptly left for a visit to Ethiopia.
It is unclear the exact reason of the visit to Ethiopia by this delegation led by Prime minister Gedi but reliable sources in Jowhar confirmed to Shabelle that the visit is related to an invitation extended to the Prime Minister’s delegation by the Ethiopian Government.
The Ethiopian Government is attempting to immediate the new difference emerging the top trio of the TFG over the proposal to convene the Somali Parliament in Baidoa.
President Abdulahi Yusuf and the speaker of the Parliament Sharif Hassan Shiekh Adan have backed the idea to meet members of the Parliament in Baidoa while a group led by Prime minister Gedi oppose that.
Mohamed Dhere is a powerful warlord who relinquished his of MP to Prime minister Gedi after members of the parliament were elected in Kenya so he has a big influence in the Government.
He also hosted members of the Transitional Federal Government in Jowhar when the relocation back to the country started.
Source : Shabelle
Posted on Thursday 2nd February at 19:14:15 Trouble Looms In Somalia As PM Rejects Sit Of Parliament
NAIROBI, Feb. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- A rift has again emerged in Somalia following a decision by the president and speaker to convene the parliamentary session at home for the first time since it was created in neighboring Kenya about two years ago.
Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi has reportedly criticized the decision to call a key meeting of parliament in the town of Baidoa, 250 km southwest of Mogadishu later this month, saying the town is unsafe and that he was not consulted.
President Abdullahi Yusuf and Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan announced on Monday in Nairobi after consultations that the assembly session would be held in Baidoa on Feb. 26.
Analysts said on Wednesday the PM's revelations show continued divisions within Somalia's transitional administration, despite anagreement by the president's and speaker's factions to end a rift that has paralyzed efforts to restore government in the lawless country.
Gedi said the decision to convene the first meeting of parliament on Somali soil in Baidoa had been made unilaterally by the parliament speaker.
"The situation of Somalia today cannot be addressed individually. The president was neutral but the speaker ignored a tangible number of members of parliament," he said.
The announcement, which was made in the presence of interim president, came after days of consultations between the speaker and the president in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
Making the announcement, President Yusuf said he supported the decision on the parliament's planned meeting, and promised to travel to the southwestern town to officially open the session.
"I want to make it clear that I fully support the decision to convene the parliamentary session in Baidoa and will travel there to officially open it in accordance with the charter," Yusuf said.
Analysts and diplomats say the prime minister's change of mind stems from fears that he will face a vote of no-confidence at the first session -- a charge Gedi denies.
Gedi, who previously was allied to Yusuf's faction, said his priority was to ensure the security and stability of the Horn of Africa country.
Diplomats had said that fears among Somali factions that the government may be dissolved or key figures removed at the meeting may hamper its chances.
Yusuf and Gedi have been based in Jowhar, 90 km north of Mogadishu, while the speaker, backing by key Mogadishu-based faction leaders, has been in the capital, Mogadishu.
Baidoa is seen as a compromise between the two factions and preparations have already begun to clean up the town in readiness of the first parliamentary session.
Hundreds of Baidoa residents have gone onto the streets to celebrate the announcement.
Somali officials here said several lawmakers from Mogadishu andNairobi are traveling to Baidoa within the next three days as an advance party to lay the groundwork for the meeting.
The Somali leaders have been divided from the time the government was sworn-in mid-2005 with the speaker often accusing President Yusuf of undermining his authority granted in accordance with the interim constitution, the Somali Federal Charter.
The first parliamentary sitting in Somalia, analysts say, wouldbe a first for the fledgling Somali government since returning home from exile in June 2005 after its formation following a protracted peace negotiation process which produced a clan-based power-sharing accord.
The speaker is believed to control the Mogadishu warlords and is seen as a major power if the government is to gain support of the Mogadishu merchants and warlords, who have divided the countryinto a patch of fiefdoms for revenue administration.
Posted on Wednesday 1st February at 19:19:38 Postpone Parliament Meeting To 26 Feb
While the city of Baidoa was decided as venue for convening a key meeting of he Transitional Federal Parliament of Somalia (TFP), the president of the Somali Republic AbdullahYusuf Ahmed and speaker of the TFP Sherif Hassan Sheikh Aden announced here today postponement of the parliament meeting until 26 February.
The two leaders who have held their press conference today in the Kenyan capital said postponement of the parliament convening date was “for enabling all to complete required arrangements for the meeting and to ensure its success.” The Somali Prime Minister Ali Muhammed Ghedi did not announce his stance towards the agreement and returned to Somalia as he boycotted the press conference even before it had begun. However, the Somali president Abdullah Yusuf called on the international community for help for the return of the prime minister to the agreements as he was an effective party in the talks that resulted in the Aden Declaration.
Prime Minister Ghedi had earlier lashed out at the speaker of the parliament for his strong refusal to deployment of neighborly countries forces. The speaker Sherif was also refusing the temporarily shifting of the Somali capital to the city of Jawhar in northern Somalia where president Yusuf lives as a temporary headquarters until other political leaders living Mogadishu have finished militias control of it. The Aden Declaration, which had been welcomed by the international community, had announced all the parties’ agreement on holding the parliament key meeting in any city inside Somalia.
In today’s press conference speaker of the parliament appealed to the international community, and the neighborly countries in particular, for not hindering results of the latest efforts which he described as good. This will be the first time the members of parliament to convene on the Somali soil. All previous meetings were held outside Somalia and the last one was held in the Kenyan capital eight months before and ended with the famous battle with chairs and furniture. The two Somali leaders also expressed their thanks and gratitude for Yemen and Kenya for their efforts to establish peace and restoration of stability. Today statement has confirmed news about a primary agreement coinciding with announcement of Aden Declaration on 5 January, on shifting the government headquarters to Baidoa first and then to Mogadishu.
The talks that had been held in Aden were chaired by President Abdullah Yusuf Ahmed, who lives outside the Somali capital Mogadishu, and speaker of the parliament Sahrif Hassan Sheikh Aden, who is allied with the militias that control Mogadishu.
The Somali president had previously refused to move to Mogadishu for security reasons because it is under control of militias hostile to him and made the city of Jawhar, 90 k away from the capital, as a seat for his government.
The Somali Prime Minister Ali Muhammed Ghedi had last November been exposed to attempted assassination on his way to Mogadishu in his second visit to it from Jawhar, the seat of the interim government.
The Aden Declaration which contained five provisions stipulated that parties of the conflict should put aside their differences and work for the unification of the country. In most important of its provisions, the declaration included the agreement on “necessity of active coordination based on total respect of the principles and norms of the Transitional Federal Charter in accordance with normal state constitutional practices of permanent mutual consultations, so as not to allow any violation to the powers that the charters has attributed to each of the Transitional Federal Institutions of the country.” The declaration had also revealed overcoming the difference over shifting the interim government to the capital Mogadishu. The declaration also announced agreement that “the Transitional Federal Parliament should be convened within 30 days inside the country, with effect from today; to hold is official session in any place that may be agreed upon.”
Differences between the government and parliament, with existence of armed militias in the capital, have caused exceeding the 19 of last July as a final date fixed by the Somali government and parliament for the removal of all military barriers set up by former warlords who have now become members of the government and parliament following their formation in October 2004.
Posted on Wednesday 1st February at 19:15:51 Four Kenyans Starve To Death
At least four Kenyans are said to have starved to death at a Somali border town in the last two days.
The Kenyans are believed to be among over 30,000 pastoralists who crossed from Wajir to the war-torn Somalia in pursuit of water and pasture.
Speaking at a meeting between Wajir District security committee, International Aid organisations and Somali clan elders in Wajir town, a Somali elder, Abdirahman Said Aden, said six Somali herders also died.
The 20-man Somali delegation, which had come to appeal for humanitarian assistance to avert more deaths, said herdsmen from Kenyan had overstretched their limited water sources.
Area DC, Samuel Otieno, who chaired the impromptu meeting, directed security officers at the border to allow Somali registered vehicles to enter Wajir for water until the end of the dry spell.
Otieno promised them services at local health institutions to reciprocate their hospitality, but cautioned against smuggling firearms and other uncustomed goods.
Councillor Dakane Siyat said the drilling rigs provided to sink boreholes in 48 hours during President Kibaki’s visit in the province late last year had broken down.
Meanwhile, a humanitarian group has appealed for urgent medicine donations for the famine-stricken families in Eastern Province.
InterAfrica Community Development Services emergency co-ordinator, Bob Nasser, also appealed for food aid.
Elsewhere in Machakos, DC Osman Warfa said at least 100,000 people are facing starvation.
But Warfa told The Standard that adequate food had been distributed in the hard hit areas.
And the Mt Kenya Central Anglican Diocese has donated cereals, pumpkins, cabbages, bananas and clothes for hunger victims following an appeal by Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi.
Bishop Isaac Ng’ang’a said some of the donations would be handed over to the Murang’a DC.
Posted on Wednesday 1st February at 19:11:10 Back
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