‘President Sheikh Sharif not coming to Hargeisa’ – Faisal Ali Warabe

‘President Sheikh Sharif not coming to Hargeisa’ – Faisal Ali Warabe

HARGEISA — SOMALILAND Opposition Leader Faisal Ali Warabe has rejected claims the leaders have invited Somalia’s interim President to Hargeisa for a state visit.

A week after meeting President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed in Dubai for the first formal talks in decades, the leader of UCID Party denied local media reports of a planned visit by the TFG leader.

Faisal was part of a large opposition, parliamentarian, government delegation including President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo that met the TFG leader in UAE last Thursday. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen long-term and multifaceted cooperation.

“These reports are fabricated and baseless. Sheikh Sharif has no business in our affairs nor do we have plans to invite the administration there here,” he said during a press conference he held in Hargeisa.

He said inviting him will send the wrong signal not only to the international community but also to the Somali people. He insisted until relationships were clarified between Somaliland and Somalia — there will not be any invitation.

President Silanyo and his Somali counterpart signed the Dubai Statement to pave the way for cooperation on number of fields including combating terrorism, piracy and to hold future formal negotiations on economy, borders and legal matters. The meeting was held on the sidelines of Dubai’s second international anti-piracy conference.

Faisal Ali Warabe was part of a delegation that included the former President and other opposition leader Dahir Riyale Kahin of UDUB Party, Muse Bihi, the chairman of the ruling Kulmiye party and members of parliament and civil services.

Somalia and Somaliland have not had a relations since the collapse of the Somali Republic in 1991 but signs towards close ties is slowly emerging since talks have been initiated in Britain few weeks ago.

Somalilandpress



http://islaamdoon.blogspot.com/

A Tale of Sanitation: What Somalia Teaches Us

A Tale of Sanitation: What Somalia Teaches Us
huffingtonpost.com

The confirmation of cholera deaths in Somalia offers a chilling reminder of what happens when there is no safe water and inadequate sanitation. The refugee crisis in Somalia is fueled by the worst drought in the horn of Africa in over 60 years.

This humanitarian disaster is a glaring example of the international community's failure to uphold basic needs and rights of some of our planet's most vulnerable people. As we struggle to respond to this humanitarian catastrophe, we must remember that Somalis are in need of more than access to food, but also safe water, sanitation, shelter and healthcare.

For many of Somalia's poorest citizens, who have walked for days and miles, drinking contaminated water, and staying in crowded camps, deadly diseases including cholera may be a tragic but predictable end result. Up to 100,000 people have crowded into Mogadishu, seeking shelter, food and water. More arrive each day in Mogadishu and in overflowing camps in neighboring Kenya.

Experts estimate that more than 29,000 children under the age of five have already died from the combination of drought, famine and illness. Diarrhea is on the rise in overcrowded shelters where there is a shortage of safe water and large numbers of weak and malnourished children. These conditions provide a breeding ground for infectious diseases, including measles, cholera and pneumonia. On August 18th, Tarik Jasarevic, a spokesperson for the World Health Organization,said, "We don't see the end of it."

Unfortunately this comment could apply to more than just cholera. The world has watched for more than two decades as the Somalis have struggled to finally build a nation and live lives in dignity. We know that goals for development, peace and security cannot be achieved if we do not act quickly to get humanitarian relief to Somalia. We cannot stand by while more than one third of Somalia's citizens face disease and starvation.

In 1993 as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, I helped to open up humanitarian corridors in Sudan that prioritized people over politics. These corridors made it possible to get vital supplies to the people who needed them in a more timely fashion. It is a failure of shared humanity if we do not respond quickly in a similar way to the situation in Somalia.

The Somali women and children who are the cornerstone of family life and economic stability need more than immediate assistance -- they need hope for the future. The international community must support the building of infrastructure and institutions that will insure that Somalia can feed and care for its own people. Somalia has the eighth highest birth rate in the world, with the average family size around seven. Population pressure clearly impacts resource distribution and economic security in Somalia.

The much needed infrastructure should include early access to primary care as part of the emergency response and a viable public health infrastructure for the nation. The primary care package must include immunization, essential medicines and family planning services.

There is no reason a child should die of diarrhea or hunger, and no reason for a woman to die in childbirth. The women of Somalia must be able to give birth safely and plan for the number and spacing of their children. Saving the lives of women and children by the provision of basic care, including access to family planning services, safe water and sanitation must be our priority.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jan-eliasson/somalia-cholera_b_952719.html

IN MOQADISHU ,THEY SLAUGHTERED THE CREAM OF THE BEST

IN MOQADISHU ,THEY SLAUGHTERED THE CREAM OF THE BEST.

BY AHMED ARWO

The burial of butchered ministers.

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

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

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

Dr. Qamar Adan.

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

Prof. Ibrahim Addow

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ahmed Arwo

samotalis@gmail.com

SAMOTALIS GROUP ON THE FACEBOOK:

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

http://samotalis.blogspot.com/

SOMALIA: Minister rejects Al-Shabab's education warning

SOMALIA: Minister rejects Al-Shabab's education warning

NAIROBI, 22 September 2009 (IRIN) - The government and education officials in Somalia have condemned and dismissed a statement by the Islamist group Al-Shabab warning schools against using "un-Islamic" text books provided by the UN and aid agencies.

"The government and the education fraternity make sure that any books that are being used in our schools do not violate our religion and culture, so their statement does not concern us," Education Minister Ahmed Abdullahi said on 22 September.

He said Somalia needed all the help it could get in the education sector, as in all other sectors, and "we will welcome any help that meets our needs".

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was singled out by Al-Shabab's spokesman on 20 September.

However, UNESCO Somalia told IRIN by email: "The four pillars of UNESCO's mandate cover education, science, culture and communication, and under culture falls religion. It is therefore surprising to read that our organization could be promoting the use of 'un-Islamic subjects' in textbooks."

Furthermore, "the very limited available textbooks are not UN textbooks but textbooks produced by Somali Education Authorities with the assistance of its national and international partners in order to provide the country with the materials necessary to maintain a minimum of basic education services, at least," it said.

Blocking children's progress

Abdullahi accused Al-Shabab of being against the interests of the Somali people, particularly children.

"The one thing Somali children need more than anything else is peace and they [Al-Shabab] are the ones engaged in violence that affects our children," he said.

The minister called on Al-Shabab to engage in peaceful dialogue and stop the violence.

A civil society source, who requested anonymity, told IRIN Al-Shabab was trying to muscle in on the education sector. "They don't have much involvement with education and I think this is their way of saying, 'we are players now'."

He said Somali schools were struggling to provide a modicum of education and "if they [Al-Shabab] were to succeed then it will kill what little education our children are getting".

After the collapse of Somalia's central government in 1991, schools and universities were destroyed as the city was torn apart by militia. But private schools have been gradually re-established over the past few years.

Rare peace

Meanwhile, the Somali capital Mogadishu enjoyed a rare day of quiet with no violence on 22 September - a day after the end of Ramadan.

"For the first time in a long while we enjoyed a very quiet day with no sound of guns," said Hassan Mahamud, a local journalist.

There is, however, a palpable fear among the population that the violence will resume "with a much greater frequency", he said.

Early Deyr rains have arrived in the city. "The rains have been welcomed but there is also fear of the effects they will have on those who live in the open," he added.

ah/mw[END]

Mrs Hureh’s pregnancy was deemed “high risk” because she had given birth nine times previously.

Dad's grief over mum's hospital death

Sep 18 2009 by Ben Glaze, South Wales Echo

A COMMUNITY has rallied round to help a grieving dad raise his 11 children after his wife died giving birth to twins.

Ifrah Hureh died just four hours after giving birth to her son and daughter after being given a drug she should not have received.

Cardiff coroner Mary Hassell yesterday ruled that neglect at the city's University Hospital of Wales contributed to 38-year-old Mrs Hureh's death from natural causes after an expert said giving her the drug Syntometrine was a "critical and unforgivable error".

Since her death in March last year while giving birth to twins Ali-Ibrahim and then Fatima, the capital's Somali community has come together to help Mrs Hureh's husband Ibrahim Yassin bring up his six daughters and five sons aged from 18 months to 17.

The family moved to the city just over two years ago, the first nine children all being born in Somalia.

Ibrahim Harbi, from Cardiff's Somali Integration Centre, said last night: "It's a very well-known story within the community.

"He has 11 young children and we had to offer support, not just with things like translation and solicitors, but practical help too.

"Relatives help look after the twins and everyone is doing as much as they can.

"The family has a lost a really lovely woman."

But Mr Harbi, who hoped lessons would be learnt from the tragedy thus preventing similar deaths, said while friends and relatives could step in when needed, nothing could replace the children's mum.

He added: "They've lost their mother and it's really difficult to compensate. Whatever we do is very limited by comparison.

"We can never replace her. We can offer support – and, of course, that'll help – but how are they going to be looked after in the long term?

"How will they cope without their mother?"

The two-day inquest was told "gross failures" in basic checks contributed to Mrs Hureh's death.

Mrs Hureh's pregnancy was deemed "high risk" because she had given birth nine times previously.

Staff failed to spot her worryingly high blood pressure – a symptom of the condition pre-eclampsia – so it was not reported to doctors.

And Mrs Hureh was later given Syntometrine, which is used to stimulate the womb and help deliver the placenta – but should not be given to women with pre-eclampsia.

Ms Hassell said: "All the opportunities that were not taken up to recognise her high blood pressure culminated in what has been described to me as 'a critical and unforgivable error'.

"Those treating Ifrah know that Syntometrine should not be given to a woman suffering from pre-eclampsia.

"Nevertheless, they gave her Syntometrine because they didn't recognise the pre-eclampsia and didn't check again immediately before giving as to whether it was contra-indicated. "The plan to give Syntometrine had been made some weeks earlier, but this had not been reviewed immediately before the drug was administered."

Ms Hassell added: "Although I recognise some parts of Ifrah's care were very good and everyone looking after Ifrah wanted the best for her, in some aspects there was a gross failure to provide basic medical attention.

"Because of her death the treatment of women will improve, both at UHW and nationally and we have heard the circumstances surrounding Ifrah's death are now used as a teaching example." Outside court, Mr Yassin, speaking through an interpreter, said: "There's nothing to bring a wife back.

"They are children without a mother.

"However, it's very pleasing to see that as a result of the memory of her, women's lives will be saved."

Abdikarim Abdi Adan, director of Cardiff's Somali Advice and Information Centre, said he was shocked by the "catalogue of errors" revealed.But he added: "The thing that's reassuring is that the coroner's office sent officers to speak to the hospital and to recover the facts.

"That's really reassuring to us as a community in Wales, regardless of what background we are."

After the inquest, Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust nurse director Sue Gregory said: "We have expressed our sincerest apologies to Mr Yassin and his family and have carried out an internal investigation to establish more about the circumstances leading up to Mrs Hureh's death.

"This investigation uncovered deficiencies in the care we provided to Mrs Hureh and helped us identify changes to our systems and practices to reduce the risk of such a sad event happening again. "We now also ensure our midwives undertake specialist training to help identify and treat critically-ill women. "We would like to reassure Mr Yassin and the public we have learned from this incident and improvements have been made in the women's unit as a result."

Somali group seeks US raid revenge

Somali group seeks US raid revenge

Nabhan was wanted over a deadly bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel in Kenya in 2002 [GALLO/GETTY] Members of Somalia's al-Shabab group have vowed to avenge the killing of an al-Qaeda suspect in a US raid in the southern part of the country. Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, wanted over a deadly hotel bombing in Kenya in 2002, was killed in a helicopter raid along with al-Shabab fighters on Monday, according to unnamed US officials and Somali sources. A senior al-Shabab commander said the group, which the US says is sheltering al-Qaeda leaders, would retaliate. "Muslims will retaliate against this unprovoked attack," the commander told the AFP news agency. "The United States is Islam's known enemy and we will never expect mercy from them, nor should they expect mercy from us." Somali witnesses to Monday's raid said up to six helicopters flew over a village in Barawe district, an area about 250km south of the capital, Mogadishu, before two of them opened fire on the car carrying Nabhan. Paula Roque, an African security specialist talking to Al Jazeera from Pretoria, said that removing Nabhan was "quite an important step". "It could weaken any organisational links that are being set up between al-Qaeda and al-Shabab, even though these are yet to be confirmed, but they do surely have ideological links. "Nabhan had involvement with al-Qaeda as far back as 1998. He could have been implicated in several terrorist attacks that were taken forward by al-Qaeda." Strategic risk Roque added that killing Nabhan could be counter-productive as he would be viewed as a "martyr". In depth Inside Story: What next for Somalia Riz Khan: Somalia - From bad to worse Video: Rageh on Somalia Al-Shabab: Somali fighters undeterred Somalia at a crossroads "If the human intelligence was so good to have located Nabhan in two isolated trucks, they could have liaised with the Somali government and captured him. "They could have had him extradited to Kenya to try him for crimes committed against its citizens. "So, in one sense, it works in counter-terrorist strategy combating al-Qaeda. In another sense it doesn't as it creates national symbols." Daniel Volman, a director of the African Security Research Project in Washington, echoed that sentiment. "I have always argued that it is a mistake to treat terrorism as a military threat, because it does not pose a direct military danger to the United States. "[Terrorism] is a terrible crime, and should therefore be treated as a law enforcement issue, in which case the objective should be to bring people to trial, to show that there is a case against them, to convict them and then legally imprison them - not to carry out illegal murders abroad like this," he told Al Jazeera. Volman added that the raid, if confirmed to be carried out by the US, "shows that the Obama administration has decided to continue to pattern established under the Bush administration - of carrying out what can only be labelled assassination or murder without regard to international law". Fighting on Sheikh Bare Mohamed Farah Khoje, an al-Shabab spokesman, said after the attack that al-Shabab would continue its fight against the Western world. "Al-Shabab will continue targeting Western countries, especially America ... we are killing them and they are hunting us," he told the Reuters news agency. "We wish we could eradicate them all. We will never forget our brothers who were targeted illegally by the United States." Nabhan, born in Kenya, was high on the FBI's list of most wanted "terror" suspects. He was wanted for questioning in connection with the car bombing of an Israeli-owned beach resort in Kenya which killed 15 people and the near simultaneous attempt to shoot down an Israeli plane leaving Mombasa airport in 2002. Nabhan was also suspected of involvement in recruiting some of the 500 foreign fighters currently believed to be in Somalia. 'Surgical precision' Ernst Jan Hogendoorn, Horn of Africa project director at the International Crisis Group, said the "surgical" precision of Monday's raid showed the US has specific intelligence in Somalia. "I think it will certainly make al-Shabab leaders much more cautious when they are operating because obviously the United States has very precise intelligence about their movements," he said. The US military has launched several air attacks inside Somalia in the past against individuals blamed for the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. In May last year, US aircraft killed Aden Hashi Ayro, the then-leader of al-Shabab and allegedly a senior al-Qaeda member, in an attack on the central town of Dusamareb.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

SOMALIA: Ubah Abdi Adood, "I am sure if we return we will be killed"

SOMALIA: Ubah Abdi Adood, "I am sure if we return we will be killed"

NAIROBI, 15 September 2009 (IRIN) - In the eyes of her family and relatives, Ubah Abdi Adood committed a serious crime by marrying a man from the "wrong" clan.

Adood, 29, fled her home at the end of 2008 not because of fighting but because of threats and beatings from those closest to her. Adood's husband, Mahamud Abdi, is from one of Somalia's marginalized minority groups, the Madiban.

Minority groups such as the Madiban, Gabooyo and Tumal, are often discriminated against, mostly for the work they do, such as shoemaking and iron-smelting. Though Somalis and Muslims, these minority groups have traditionally never married into the larger Somali clans and do not mix with them socially. Adood spoke to IRIN on 15 September:

"I knew Mahamud [husband] before we got married. We both grew up in Galkayo in the same area. But because of his clan, I never really paid any attention to him. I was married off young to a man who died shortly afterwards, and my family then married me off again - but that marriage ended up in a divorce.

"We met again in 2007 and we started seeing each other secretly. I fell in love with him. He is kind, gentle and handsome. I adore him.

"We decided to get married in secret. We did it in July 2007. That is when all my problems started. My family and relatives found out and immediately wanted me to get a divorce. I refused. I was beaten repeatedly by my brothers, cousins and uncles. He [Mahamud] was threatened and on one occasion shot at. He fled to the south side of Galkayo [the town is partly in Puntland and partly in south-central Somalia].

"My relatives found out that I was pregnant with Mahamud's child and tried to force me to abort. I had to sleep in friends' homes or hotels to evade them.

"My mother was the only one who tried to protect me. At one time they broke my mother's arm while she was trying to protect me from the beatings.

"I told them my husband is Muslim and that is all I care. I didn't break any laws, but they would not listen.

"Finally, my mother and I decided that I should leave before they killed me.

"I am now in Nairobi but even here I don't feel safe. I was recently attacked and now I stay indoors. I don't go anywhere. My husband fled to Ethiopia. I hope we will be reunited soon in a place we can both feel safe.

"I know we will never be able to return to our homes and live in peace. I am sure if we return to Galkayo we will be killed."

ah/cb[END]

Analysis: Keeping a lid on Somaliland

Analysis: Keeping a lid on Somaliland

15 Sep 2009 17:30:06 GMT

Source: IRIN

Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.

HARGEISA, 15 September 2009 (IRIN) - There is a need for all-inclusive consultation and support for local mediation efforts in secessionist Somaliland, which has recently experienced sporadic opposition and civil society-led protests over the indefinite postponement of national elections there, say analysts.

Initially set for April 2008, national polls were pushed to July, then 27 September, before being postponed indefinitely due to the current political situation.

In July, Somaliland president Dahir Riyale Kahin announced that he and the National Election Commission had decided to discard a recently completed hi-tech biometric voters' register, over the generation of an unreliable list, and would proceed with elections without it. This prompted opposition protests.

According to Yusuf Abdi Gabobe, a veteran of the 1981-1991 Somaliland liberation war, the situation in Somaliland is alarming.

"Somaliland has experienced so many difficult situations but this is unique because it is not a matter that can be resolved traditionally. It is based on voter registration, elections, and a motion to impeach the president," Gabobe said. "For this reason, we are obliged to make wide consensus consultations to deal with the issue."

Protests

The 14 September re-opening of the House of Representatives, which had been shut days earlier after a scuffle among members of parliament, has not eased the conflict, Gabobe said. The closure sparked deadly protests in the capital, Hargeisa, on 12 September in which four people died and 22 were injured.

"The solutions must come from an all-party or stakeholder agreement. The National Election Commission, political parties, the upper and lower houses of parliament, traditional elders and civil society should be consulted; it is not an issue for one party," he said, adding that more public protests were likely.

The opposition-led house was set to debate an impeachment motion against president Riyale over the oft-postponed elections before its closure.

Somaliland is governed by an elected lower House of Representatives and an upper house comprising clan elders. The elders have twice extended president Riyale's mandate.

A Nairobi-based regional analyst who preferred anonymity told IRIN the recent violence showed that the crisis in Somaliland had changed from being "political to one of security and stability".

"It underscores the importance of political dialogue to defuse the situation," he said. "For things to improve, the rule of law must be followed. This includes the holding of credible elections based on an agreed formula."

"For any elections to be credible there must be changes in the electoral commission," he said. "In the short-term there has to be some sort of short extension for the government, but if it does not hold elections in that time, then the other option would be a caretaker government."

Nicole Stremlau, a research fellow with Oxford University's Comparative Media Law and Policy Programme, said the recent violence did "not necessarily mean that the country will erupt into civil war"... Things in Somaliland appeared to be settling down after Saturday [12 September] as the negotiations are continuing."

She said: "President Riyale believes his government should remain in power whereas the opposition argues a caretaker government should be put in place…

Riyale's term in office expires on 29 October.

More active role for media urged

A September report on the upcoming Somaliland elections, [http://pcmlp.socleg.ox.ac.uk] in which Stremlau and Gabobe are among the authors, said: "Just as Somaliland's pre-election period is proving exceptionally divisive and conflictual, there are strong indications to suggest that if the election is as close as predicted there will be challenges in the post-election period."

The report thus urges the media to be more proactive. "It [the media] can have a role in potentially exacerbating tensions and violence as well as mediating, appealing for calm and explaining the political developments to the population," Stremlau said.

"In recent years there has been little international attention on Somaliland as the focus has been on the south. But Somaliland has made significant progress and has held competitive elections in the past."

HRW report

Echoing this, a July report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), [http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/somaliland0709web.pdf] warned that 18 years of progress in security and governance were threatened by the delayed elections.

"Somaliland now faces a moment of real danger. The president may be intending to prolong his mandate without elections for as long as possible, and his administration risks doing lasting damage to Somaliland's emerging democratic system in the process," warned HRW.

HRW noted that there are also "severe limits to public willingness to openly challenge government actions for fear of threatening Somaliland's hard-won peace and stability or damaging its chances of international recognition."

It went on: "The president and his party have successfully exploited this widespread aversion to direct confrontation to occupy a space well past the legal limits of their power but short of what would trigger real public anger. Many Somalilanders lament that they are effectively 'hostages to peace'."

According to Stremlau, the international community must support local negotiation efforts: "The Somalilanders have shown an extraordinary ability to mediate themselves. This is part of Somaliland's success, particularly compared with the south where international involvement has further complicated and prolonged the violence."

maj-aw-ah/cb

© IRIN. All rights reserved. More humanitarian news and analysis: http://www.irinnews.org/

Somaliland American Council Condemns Rayale Government for Killing Innocent People

Somaliland American Council Condemns Rayale Government for Killing Innocent People

Press Release – September 12, 2009

SAC Condemns Rayale for Killing Innocent People & Closing the Parliament

Somaliland American Council (SAC) is dismayed by and condemning the actions of President Dahir Rayale's government that resulted for the death of innocent people who were exercising their right to demonstrate SAC also condemns Rayale government for closing down the people's house (the parliament). There are three reported deaths of innocent people today and dozens of injured people. The police fired live bullets on unarmed citizens who were demonstrating in front of the Somaliland parliament to show their support to the members and the leadership of the parliament. This is a direct violation of the Somaliland constitution, international human rights, and the young democratic process in Somaliland. The government action is precipitated when the parliament debated a motion to impeach President Rayale for failing to hold elections in Somaliland.

The Somaliland government has been in office for 7 years and failed to hold elections so far; the government was elected to office for 5 years, at the end of its term in office, President Rayale failed to hold elections, then members of Guurti have extended the term of the government for 12 months once and 6 months the second time to hold elections; the election has not taken place yet, and the second 6months extension will expire at the end of October 2009. The reports from Somaliland last week indicated that President Rayale is planning to sent a 3rd request for extension to the Lower House of Guurti very soon.

The people are exercising their right to protest by demonstrating against the actions of the government to close down the parliament and its failure to hold the elections after being in office for 7 years. SAC calls on the Somaliland government to exercise restraint and respect the rights of its people. SAC calls on the people to strongly defend their rights peacefully and do not accept the dictatorial actions of the Rayale government. The people has suffered tremendously and paid dearly with over 100,000 lives lost (under Siad Barre's regime ) to gain these rights and they are prepared to die to protect their rights again.

The Somaliland parliament is doing the right thing to pressure the government to hold elections immediately and to give he people the right to choose their leaders. SAC calls on the members of Guurti to do the same; by standing with the people and protecting democracy in Somaliland. SAC calls on the "Guurti" to refuse to give 3rd extension to President Rayale – after his letter of request for 3rd extension is received in few weeks. Rayale's government has indeed damaged the hard-won reputation of Somaliland and its people. SAC calls on Rayale to resign and give the people the right to elect their president.

Rashid Nur
Somaliland American Council
www.somalilandamerican.com
contact@somalilandamerican.com

Disabled die in Somali mortar raid

Disabled die in Somali mortar raid

At least 12 former soldiers were killed in the shelling [Reuters] Disabled veterans are among 15 people killed after mortar rockets fired by fighters in Somalia hit a war veterans' hospital. The shells fired by opposition fighters missed their intended target in Mogadishu, the capital, and hit a residential area containing the hospital, Somali officials said on Saturday. "I was sitting in my wheelchair about 10 metres away from my friends when a mortar exploded and smoke and dust covered us all," Mohamed Abdi, 50, a paralysed ex-soldier said. "I saw my friends on the ground, with blood scattered everywhere like slaughtered goats." Three civilians also died and 15 other veterans were wounded in the attack on Friday. Overthrow attempt The mortars were believed to have been fired towards Mogadishu's port but landed in the residential area by mistake, officials said. Former army officers paralysed or missing limbs from the country's 1977 war with Ethiopia resided in the hospital, said Shiek Abdirisaq Oeylow, a government spokesman. Somalia has suffered civil war for the past 18 years and African Union peacekeepers are currently in the country aiming to back the government of Sheikh Sharif Ahmed. The government holds only a few areas of Mogadishu and al-Shabab, an opposition group, is attempting to overthrow them with the suspected help of foreign fighters. The US has accused al-Shabab of having links with al-Qaeda, which al-Sahbab denies.

Source: Agencies

Somaliland Faces a Tipping Point

JAMIE LYNN DECOSTER 11 SEP 2009
WORLD POLITICS REVIEW

Amid devastated Somalia, a country mired for two decades in unforgiving conflict, Somaliland glows as an ember of hope. A moderate peace has held for 10 years in the autonomous region, reflecting a decade of efforts to expand governance, security and social institutions. Yet, despite it being a minor success in a sea of failure, regional and international organizations will not grant Somaliland status as an independent state, or give it a seat at the international roundtable. As another transitional government in Mogadishu fractures in the face of insurgent forces, and the international community scrambles to update policy positions, Somaliland must hear the sound of opportunity knocking. With pirates plundering merchant ships in the waters off its coast, and the port of Berbera bridging the supply line between Eritrea and Islamist militants in Somalia's south, Somaliland suddenly finds itself in a position to be a strategically important ally in the West's battle against terrorism and piracy. Somaliland has shown the international community that it is willing to play ball. Now it must prove it can be a reliable partner in promoting international peace and security by acting as a responsible, accountable and capable government. And the best way to do that is for Somaliland's current president to facilitate fair and legitimate elections as soon as possible. The region declared its independence from Somalia in 1991, after the bloody collapse of Siad Barre's regime. Since then, a multiparty democracy has evolved under a constitution that combines traditional qabil (or clan) styles of governance with Western models. Since then, Somaliland has held competitive and credible presidential elections in 2003 and 2005, both of which, though imperfect, were perceived by public opinion as legitimate. Following one of its parliamentary elections, Somaliland's political system was even able to carry out a successful transfer of power to the political opposition. Somaliland's progress is laudable. Its nascent institutions continue to nurture elements of state infrastructure. The Somaliland currency, for instance, is stable and managed by a central bank. The region's transportation system maintains buses that operate between four main cities, as well as other light vehicles that ensure rural villages' access to major towns. Among other bright spots is a strong, energetic civil society that expresses its opinions through various media forums, among which radio broadcasts and the Internet are favored. Unlike many of its neighbors, Somaliland's 30,000-strong army has been able to maintain a basic -- and rare -- level of security in the region, allowing people to live relatively free from repression. But there is still much to accomplish. A June 2009 Human Rights Watch report, "Hostages to Peace: Threats to Human Rights and Democracy in Somaliland," uncovered evidence that may shake the foundations of Somaliland's current stability. The report highlighted widespread poverty and rising unemployment, as well as very limited government-provided social services. In particular, it identified the lack of access to health care and education, and a dire need for judicial reform, as cause for concern. Such critical weaknesses test the regime's stability and make Somaliland more vulnerable to the spread of Islamist militancy from the south. Sadly, there is little prospect for relief because Somaliland, as an autonomous entity without international recognition as a sovereign state, is isolated from international development assistance. And Somalia's overall insecurity deters risk-averse aid organizations from operating there. Equally disconcerting, current President Dahir Riyale Kahin and his administration have exceeded constitutional term limits and repeatedly postponed elections without any legal basis. Worse still, the Somaliland election commission, under pressure from the Riyale administration, recently canceled this September's presidential elections, stating the current political crisis would impede any fair and democratic elections. No future election date has been set. In response, the opposition in Somaliland's Parliament has introduced a motion to impeach Riyale. This boiling political instability and divided government could very well undermine Somaliland's legitimacy, and perhaps even its survival, at a most crucial time in its brief existence. As Somaliland moves toward what may be a tipping point, the international community should stand with it as a potential partner to forestall any radical shift in the region's political order. If the United States intends to continue its containment policy towards Somalia to prevent instability from spreading, it must nurture Somaliland's successes and enhance its capacity to govern its territory. If Somalia's Transitional Federal Government fails, the United States will need to engage directly with Somaliland's governing institutions to further its own antiterrorism and counterpiracy objectives. Somaliland could be the ace in the hole in those efforts. In the short run, Somaliland's armed forces need security-sector training to oppose a growing insurgency originating from the south -- training that the United States could be in a position to offer. In the long run, engagement with the United States could potentially encourage the African Union and the United Nations to be more open to recognizing Somaliland's autonomy. But Somaliland's tempting array of diplomatic prospects is now in the hands of the Riyale regime. For Riyale to make his mark on history, his administration must first improve human rights conditions and actively engage in consensus-building with Somaliland's population. He must support and encourage free and fair elections, and respect their outcome by stepping down as president if need be. Instead of repressing Somaliland's media, he must embrace it. If the Riyale administration can act responsibly today, Somaliland may prevent the spiral of instability and chaos that too often marks the history of this African neighborhood from engulfing it, and instead create a legitimate, independent state. And if that happens, the ember of hope might just become a beacon for other successes to follow. Jamie Lynn De Coster is a master's candidate at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. The views expressed here are her own, and do not reflect an official position of the U.S. Navy or any other government department. http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/Article.aspx?id=4298

3 Killed in Somaliland Protests

3 Killed in Somaliland Protests
By VOA News 12 September 2009

Scene from the clashes between security forces and protesters in Hargeisa, 12 Sep 2009

Three people were killed and several others were injured in clashes between security forces and anti-government protesters in Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland.

Peaceful protests in Somaliland's capital, Hargeisa, Saturday turned violent after police tried to disperse crowds outside the parliament building. Demonstrators responded by throwing stones and other objects at security troops.

The opposition called for protests after authorities stopped a parliamentary debate Tuesday on a motion to impeach Somaliland's leader Dahir Riyale Kahin. The debate turned violent and one lawmaker pulled out a gun.

The president of the self-proclaimed republic angered the opposition by postponing the election set for September 27.

He is running for re-election but faces a stiff competition from two rival politicians.

Mr. Riyale called for calm and offered to talk with the opposition. He warned that violence may harm Somaliland's development as an independent nation.

Somaliland broke away from Somalia soon after former Somali leader Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted in 1991. Mr. Riyale took power in 2002.


Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

Press Release: Arrest of Radio Horyaal Director - Mohamed Osman Mire

Press Release. Arrest of Radio Horyaal's Director Mohamed Osman Mire (sayid) Media Rights Somaliland (MeRiS) came to know that Mr Mohamed OSman Mire (Sayid) – Radio Horyaal's director was arrested on Saturday 5.9.2009 and is now detained at the central police station in Hargeisa. Mr Mire was arrested while taking coverage of a parliamentary meeting regarding a proposed motion on Impeachment of the president of Somaliland Mr Dahir Riyaale.

So far no comment was received from the police and the government regarding his arrest. This is the 3rd time Mr Mire was detained in 2009. MeRiS is condemning this arrest and the other similar ones that has happened in Somaliland for the past few months. We are calling for the government to release him immediately and allow him to exercise his constitutional rights as a journalist. MeRiS is worried about the increasing acts of arrest, torture and intimidation by the government of Somaliland towards the media at a time when the presidential term is coming to an end.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Media Rights Somaliland MeRiS media.rights@yahoo.com Hargeisa, Somaliland

'Why I took up arms against Ethiopia'

The ONLF says these rocks conceal mass graves By Yannick Demoustier and Jonathan Alpeyrie BBC Focus on Africa magazine Ahmed, 35, is a member of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), one of a number of separatist groups fighting for the independence of the Somali-speaking Ogaden region in the east of Ethiopia. The previous evening, he had participated in an attack against Ethiopian troops near the town of Babile. "The assault lasted only a few minutes but we managed to kill nine government soldiers," he said. "We are no match for direct combat, so we must rely on quick surprise attacks." The armed resistance began in 1994 after the ONLF, then a political organisation, broached the idea of splitting from Ethiopia. The central government responded by imprisoning Ogaden leaders and, according to academics and human rights groups, assassinating others. 'Point of no-return' "In 1994, as a student in Dire Dawa, I was not allowed take the final examinations because I was an Ogadenian," said Ahmed. "I was arrested two years later on false charges of belonging to the ONLF. They kept me there for four years and I was beaten repeatedly, sometimes even subjected to electric torture. While in detention, my father was killed by government soldiers." On his release in 2001, he immediately joined the rebellion but his mother remains in jail in Jijiga. Fearing for his family, Ahmed convinced his wife to flee with their two daughters. "They are refugees in Kenya, I haven't seen them for three years. "There comes a point of no-return when you know you don't belong in this country," he said. 'Human shields' Over the past two years, the conflict has escalated following the ONLF's April 2007 attack on a Chinese-run oil exploration field. This resulted in the death of 74 people, including Ethiopian guards and Chinese workers. The central government calls the rebels "terrorists", however watchdogs have accused the government of human rights violations. In this village, they crushed babies' heads with stones and in another, they cut up bodies and scattered the parts to prevent remaining villagers from burying the dead Ahmed "This is a complete fabrication and these are unfounded allegations," said Berhanu Kebede, Ethiopia's ambassador to the UK. "The Ethiopian government has no intention of harming civilians, it is the ONLF that uses civilians as human shields." Near the deserted village of Galashe, which Ethiopian troops allegedly stormed in January 2009, Ahmed explains what lies beneath the numerous piles of rocks. "There are about 50 bodies under each pile. "The Ethiopian soldiers stayed here for a couple of months, they terrorised inhabitants, killing as many as 1,500 people." In Galashe and across Ogaden, civilians attest to the same horrors, the gang-raping of women, the burning of huts and killing of livestock. But the Ethiopian ambassador denied this claim. "This was recently the subject of an independent investigation and this has made it clear that no such crimes were committed. "This is a vast area with a population of 4.5 million, who are mostly nomadic and you won't see graveyards because people bury their relatives anywhere they can," said Mr Berhanu. The government has closed off all access to the Ogaden region. Ahmed believes the Ethiopian government is trying to cut them off from the local population which supplied the rebels with food. Rebel alert One of Ahmed's main tasks is to train the younger recruits. "They are very angry but it is important that they remember to stay organised, especially when things appear calm," he said. The rebels say that they cannot live under Ethiopian rule but we are a federal state. Berhanu Kebede The Ethiopian government has been trying to find a political solution to the problem. "We are approaching them through their elders to explain that the constitution provides enough political space for a peaceful resolution of the problem, but they must renounce the armed struggle and wage their political agenda peacefully," said Mr Berhanu. "The rebels say that they cannot live under Ethiopian rule but we are a federal state." Ethiopia remains one of the world's most aid-dependent countries, receiving more than $2bn in foreign assistance every year. Evidently, no aid reaches the Ogaden region despite the government's insistence that hostilities have ceased. "Why does the international community remain silent?" said Ahmed. "The UN must come to the Ogaden to see what [Prime Minister]Meles is doing to us." Yannick Demoustier is a French journalist for Rue des Pommiers news agency and Jonathan Alpeyrie is an independent photojournalist. BBC