KDF Edge Closer to Kismayu, Over 50 Militants Killed in Ops

The Kenya Defense Forces have twice this week attacked Al-Shabaab defense positions outside Kismayu in their effort to storm the port city.Though there are complex AU and UN commitment issues affecting the assault of Kismayu besides various military related constrains, Kismayu will definitely fall, KDF has reiterated. On 29th August 2012, KDF alongside TFG, SNA, and Ras Kamboni made a strategic military move against Al-Shabaab militia positioned between Afmadow and Kismayu.KDF artillery units attacked Cag Libaax, near Afmadow, Lower Jubba, killing dozens of defenders who had formed long defense lines forcing a retreatKenya Defence Forces also attacked Aglibah area near Beles Qooqani and close to Kismayo where 50-Al-Shabaab militants were killed.KDF destroyed the defense lines of the militants besides capturing 4 technicals, a water tanker and a truck.

The objective is to destroy their ring of defense around Kismayu before storming it.A Convoy of KDF on resupply mission was attacked by Al-Shabaab between Kulbiyow & Badhaadhe

Somali Americans For Mitt. Anti-Terrorism Voters Somali-Americans

If He is elected President of these United States, He will work with all His energy and soul to restore that America, to lift our eyes to a better future. That future is our destiny. That future is out there. It is waiting for us.

Al-Shabaab stronghold Kismayu 'on last legs'

Soldiers of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) celebrate after capturing key Al-Shabaab militia base in Afmadow, southern Somalia earlier this year. Photo

Somali pro-government and allied forces have almost surrounded the port town of Kismayu ready for a takeover assault, according to the Somali government's Juba region spokesman Aden Ahmed Hersi.

“The Kenya navy is just 15 miles away,” said Mr Hersi. He added that apart from land forces, Kismayu was under air surveillance.“We are committed to remove the black banner (Al-Shabaab’s symbol) and raise Somalia’s blue colour flag all over Jubaland,” vowed the spokesman.Meanwhile, army officials in Somalia’s Juba region have confirmed that more fighting has taken place between the provincial town of Afmadow and the port town of Kismayu, 500 kilometres south of Mogadishu.The Thursday fighting was a continuation of the attacks by pro-government forces on positions held by fighters loyal to Al-Shabaab, the radical Islamist group.Brigadier-General Ismael Sahardeed, the commander of Somali government force in Jubaland, claimed that the allied forces killed nearly 60 Al-Shabaab militants.He added that the allied troops destroyed a number of vehicles during the attacks.“We are going to employ a carefully crafted strategy to seize Kismayu,” said Brig-Gen Sahardeed. “We are employing military tactics to capture the town (of Kismayu) within a week.”Earlier in the week, Amisom troops and government forces had seized the town of Marka, 110 km south of Mogadishu.Afterwards, Amisom force commander Lt Gen Andrew Gutti said the capture of Marka would enhance security across Somalia by denying the terrorists a base from which to launch attacks.

Somali Forces Advance on al-Qaeda-Linked Militia’s Stronghold

African Union-backed Somali government forces advanced to within 50 kilometers (31 miles) of the port city of Kismayo, one of the last bastions of al-Qaeda- linked militants, an army official said. Fighting in the villages of Aglibah, Janaay, Abdulle and Birta Dheer yesterday left at least 60 al-Shabaab fighters dead, General Ismail Sahardiid, commander of forces in the Lower Jubba region, said on state-run Radio Mogadishu today. The army plans to approach Kismayo “carefully” and the port city may be seized from the Islamist al-Shabaab militia “within a week,” he said.

Kismayo is a strategic target for government forces because it is a key supply route for al-Shabaab and a source of taxes the group collects, according to the United Nations. The Somali army, aided by African Union peacekeepers, along with Ethiopian soldiers, have been gaining territory from al-Shabaab since seizing the capital, Mogadishu, in August 2011. Three days ago, the troops captured the port of Marka, 110 kilometers south of Mogadishu.

Al-Shabaab said it killed “dozens” of Somali forces in yesterday’s fighting, which took place in villages that are situated on the road between the town of Afmadow and Kismayo. Residents of Kismayo are concerned that an attack by Somali government forces may also result in heavy casualties, said Ibrahim Abdu Sheikh, a local businessman. “Heavily armed al-Shabaab forces are driving around the city in their battle wagons, while many armored vehicles have been placed on the outskirts of the city,” he said in a phone interview today. Al-Shabaab has led an insurgency against Somalia’s UN- backed government since at least 2006, and still controls parts of territory in southern and central regions. via - bloomberg.net

Divisions weaken al-Shabaab as Somali forces approach Kismayo

Al-Shabaab has witnessed increased internal divisions as Somali and allied forces move to eradicate the group from the remaining areas it controls in central and southern Somalia, officials and dissident fighters say.Colonel Adan Shire Rufle, a Somali army officer in Lower Juba, said 50 al-Shabaab fighters on August 24th defected from the group and voluntarily joined the army after witnessing the militants' aggressions and strict version of sharia law. Rufle said dissidents carrying Kalashnikovs, rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns peacefully turned themselves in to Somali forces in Afmadow after escaping al-Shabaab's ambushes. "We expect further splinters and ideological divisions within the al-Shabaab structure, as some elements have expressed interest in surrendering and asked us for refuge from the takfiri traitors," he told Sabahi. Backed by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Somali forces have started tightening the noose around the remaining militants by attacking al-Shabaab forces around Afmadow as it progresses towards the group's stronghold of Kismayo. ..read more

AU troops capture Shabaab stronghold

African Union troops in Somalia are edging closer to seizing Kismayu after the capture of Marka, the third largest port in southern Somalia.The forces, which are operating under the umbrella of the Africa Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), pushed the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab out of the town, which has been one of militants’ key havens.

According to military sources, the dawn operation by Ugandan and Burundian forces which also included the Somali National Army met little resistance as they advanced to the nearby Shalamboot, where they erected a defence pillar. “The capture of Marka is critical for Amisom’s future operations to liberate the city of Kismayu, the extremists’ largest source of illicit revenue,” said the military in a statement to the media. Amisom spokesman Ali Aden Hamoud confirmed the capture, saying the troops seized towns and villages without casualties. After the Kenya Defence Forces captured various towns in southern Somalia which culminated in the liberation of Afmadow town in June and the defeat of Al-Shabaab from the Afgoye corridor by the Somali National Army, Ugandan and Burundian forces, many Al-Shabaab commanders fled to Marka and other southern towns like Jillip and Buale.Marka has been an exit point for international fighters and their families escaping through the Indian Ocean waters as they flee from the ongoing crushing of Al-Shabaab. (READ  more)

Somalia: a long road ahead

New MPs pray during the inauguration ceremony for members of Somalia’s first parliament in twenty years.


By Hanna Ucko Neill, Global Conflicts Analyst

Somalia marked an important milestone last week, as it swore in its new and first formal parliament in 20 years, but another key measure of its progress – the selection of a new president – has failed to materialise. Some real progress on its political transition, women’s rights and security has given Somalia an undeniable feeling of optimism and forward momentum. But each area of progress faces old realities: the ‘roadmap’ to transition and the parliament itself are marred by corruption and intimidation, women’s rights face huge challenges from the prevalent political culture, and the al-Shabaab insurgency remains a security threat despite some significant military gains by African Union forces. Somalia’s ability to leave these problems behind decisively depends on the new government – which may not be fully formed for some time.

...more

AMISOM congratulates Somalia on inauguration of new Parliament. also UN envoy welcomes election of Speaker of Parliament in Somalia

PRESS RELEASE


(For immediate release)

AMISOM congratulates Somalia on inauguration of new Parliament

Nairobi – August 21st, 2012; The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia, Ambassador Boubacar Diarra has congratulated the people of Somalia on the inauguration of a new parliament, the first to be sworn in on Somali soil in over twenty years.

Ambassador Diarra applauded the steps taken so far to end the transition to representative government. “This is a historic moment. Today Somalia has a new beginning with a new political framework based on a popular and legitimate provisional constitution,” he said.

215 out of a total of 275 MPs were sworn in last evening in Mogadishu, substantially more than the 185 required for the new Somali Federal Parliament to convene with a functioning majority. Mr. Mussa Hassan Abdulle, a former army general was appointed interim Speaker. The inauguration comes just three weeks after a National Constituent Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a provisional constitution for the country, which replaced the 8 year old Transitional Federal Charter.

Ambassador Diarra paid tribute to the Traditional Elders and the Technical Selection Committee for diligently executing their duties in challenging circumstances. He urged them to complete the important work of appointing and vetting the remaining MPs. He also urged the new Parliament to move expeditiously to elect a Speaker and President.

Ambassador Diarra reaffirmed the African Union’s commitment to supporting the country’s peace process saying that AMISOM would enhance security in Mogadishu during this critical period.

“We will continue to work with the new authorities selected by the representatives of the Somali people to ensure that ordinary citizens can go about their daily lives in peace and security,” he said.

A year ago, the Somali National Army with the support of the AMISOM forces pushed the extremist group al Shabaab from the city, ushering in the longest period of relative peace the capital has experienced since the collapse of central government in 1991.

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For more information, please Contact;

Mr. Eloi Yao, Spokesperson, E‐mail: amisommediacentre@gmail.com

UN envoy welcomes election of Speaker of Parliament in Somalia

Somalia parliamentarians select a former labor minister as speaker in secret ballot

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s parliament Tuesday elected former labor minister Mohamed Osman Jawari as the new speaker. The speaker’s selection by 228 legislators is a step toward the election of Somalia’s next president.

Jawari, who led in the first round of voting, was challenged by Ali Khalif Galaydh, who once had been Somalia’s prime minister during the U.N.-backed caretaker government whose mandate expired on Aug. 20. Galaydh, who was prime minister from 2000-2001, pulled out in the second round of voting, saying he favored Jawari for the post. Jawari was then declared the winner.The process to select the Horn of Africa’s next government has been criticized for corruption and threats of violence, international observers say, even as some praise it as a watershed moment in the Horn of Africa nation’s road to peace and stability.


A group of Somali elders has been tasked with selecting the full list of 275 parliamentarians, but the election of the speaker apparently went ahead without the complete number.It is not clear when a new president will be sworn in.Somalia has lacked a stable government since 1991, when the overthrow of the dictator Said Barre ushered in violence as rival clans jostled for power. Observers say the different interests of Somalia’s clans have to be carefully navigated by the technical committee and elders who are helping to select the country’s next leaders

2 major blows hit Somalia’s Al-Shebab

Somalia’s Islamic insurgents and affiliates of Al-Qaeda suffered two major setbacks today.In Kenya, their backer, Muslim cleric Aboud Rogo Mohammed, who was on US and UN sanction lists, was shot dead today, his wife said.In Somalia, a joint force of African Union and Somali soldiers dislodged the group from the Somalia port of Marka, the latest in a string of bases to be wrested off the extremists, officials said.“We have taken Marka, we entered alongside the Somali government forces this morning,” said Colonel Ali Houmed, the spokesman for the African Union mission in Somalia (AMISOM).“There was some fighting, but not so heavy, most of the Shebab had fled.”The loss of Marka, some 70 kilometres (45 miles) south of the capital Mogadishu, is another major blow for the insurgents, who have been on the back foot for several months.The loss of Marka leaves the Shebab with two major ports in southern Somalia — Barawe and the key rebel bastion of Kismayo — although an international naval blockade has already greatly squeezed maritime access there.The Shebab abandoned their last fixed bases in Mogadishu a year ago, where they have since reverted to guerrilla tactics, claiming a series of suicide attacks and roadside bombs.Haniya Said, wife of the slain Kenyan cleric narrated how her husband was killed today: “A car behind us aimed at my husband, they shot him on the right side,” she said, screaming in grief after the shooting in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa.Witnesses said the car was riddled with bullets. A photograph released by his supporters showed his bloody corpse slumped behind the wheel of a car.“He died as we rushed him to hospital. Why have they killed my dear husband?” Said said, before she and her children were taken to the hospital.Thousands of angry protestors gathered in Mombasa following Mohammed’s killing, blocking off streets around the mosque where he had often preached, setting fire to vehicles and chanting slogans in his support.Others reported running battles with the police.A police source confirmed Mohammed had been killed.“He has been shot dead, he was in a vehicle with his family including wife and children when they were attacked,” the source told AFP. Regional deputy police chief Joseph Kitur confirmed a shooting incident, but gave no further details.Mohammed was placed on a US sanctions list in July for “engaging in acts that directly or indirectly threaten the peace, security or stability of Somalia”, specifically for recruiting and fundraising for the hardline Shebab.The United Nations Security Council placed a travel ban and asset freeze on the cleric in July, saying he had provided “financial, material, logistical or technical support to Al-Shebab”.He was the “main ideological leader” of Kenya’s Al Hijra group, also known as the Muslim Youth Center (MYC), the UN said in July. The group is viewed as a close ally of the Shebab in Kenya.Mohammed “used the extremist group as a pathway for radicalisation and recruitment of principally Swahili-speaking Africans for carrying out violent militant activity in Somalia,” the UN said.MYC leader Sheikh Ahmad Iman Ali, in a message posted on Twitter, said: “We are on the right track when our leaders get shahadah (martyrdom).”“He will remain in our hearts forever,” the MYC added.Another message offered the grim warming that the “kuffar (unbelievers) will pay” for his death.Mohammed had “repeatedly called for the violent rejection of the Somali peace process” the US said, noting he had often advocated the use of violence against both the UN and the African Union force battling the Shebab in Somalia.He “urged his audiences to travel to Somalia to join Al-Shebab’s fight against the Kenyan government” the US Treasury said.Kenyan police arrested the preacher in January, seizing firearms, ammunition and detonators, later releasing him on bail.He was previously acquitted of the 2002 bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel near Mombasa which killed 15 people — 12 Kenyans and three Israelis — as well as three suicide bombers.

The cleric is also alleged to have introduced Fazul Abdullah Mohammed — the late head of Al-Qaeda’s east Africa cell, shot dead last year in Somalia’s war-torn capital Mogadishu — to at least one of the men who helped him carry out the twin US embassy bombings in 1998.The bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam killed 224 people.Mohammed, born on Kenya’s Lamu island, was aged between 43 and 52, according to different aliases.

AFP Reports

Al-Shabaab suspect Rogo killed

Rogo Mohammed before the Mombasa Chief Magistrate where he was charged for being in possession of illegal firearms in this file photo. Mr Mohammed is among three Kenyans whose assets have been frozen by the US over alleged links to Al Shabaab. Nation Media Group
update on Cleric ‘was plotting attacks’ in Mombasa




Daily Nation Monday, August 27, 2012

Al-Shabaab suspect Aboud Rogo was on Monday killed in a drive-by shooting in Bamburi area, Mombasa, while taking his sick wife to hospital.The deceased was facing charges of illegal possession of weapons. In the case, police said Mr Rogo was plotting attacks at a Catholic church, the Likoni Ferry and Nyali Bridge.Mr Rogo was shot near the Pirates beach while driving a van that had six other passengers.According to his wife, Haniya Said Saval, their van had been trailed by another car for a while. The car overtook them and in the process 18 bullets sprayed on Mr Rogo.Mr Rogo's van swerved off the road where died on the spot. His father in-law was also hurt in the hand.

AU troops in Somalia take key town from militants ,AMISOM & Somali Troops Capture Marka

A spokesman for African Union forces in Somalia says they have seized the port city of Merca from rebels linked to al-Qaida.Mission spokesman Col. Ali Aden said on Monday that Merca, a coastal town south of the capital that is noted for fishing, was a key stronghold for al-Shabab militants, who have been gradually losing territory since they were pushed out of the capital, Mogadishu, in August 2011.Aden said Merca was taken on Monday morning after "some fighting." He did not say how many were killed or wounded.Somalia is in political transition after the mandate of a U.N.-backed caretaker government expired on Aug. 20. The Horn of Africa country is trying to select a new parliament and a president. Somalia has lacked a stable government since 1991.

AMISOM & Somali Troops Capture Marka




PRESS RELEASE



AMISOM

Monday, August 27, 2012

Mogadishu - Somalia troops with the assistance of the African Union MissionTroops, have this morning pushed Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists out of Marka, the third-largest port in Southern Somalia. The dawn operation met little resistance as the AMISOM and Somali National Army troops steadily advanced to Shalamboot and established a defensive position there. Located 90 kilometres south of Mogadishu, Marka has been under the brutal rule of the extremists since November 2008. In recent months, many of the al Shabaab’s top commanders have been fleeing towards the town following a string of defeats by the allied forces. The capture of Marka is also critical for AMISOM future operations to liberate the city of Kismayo, the extremists’ largest source of illicit revenue.

This important achievement comes at a critical time for Somalia as the country’s newly inaugurated Parliament prepares to elect a Speaker and President for the country, and bring to a close 12 years of transitional governments. AMISOM Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Andrew Gutti, said the capture of Marka would enhance security across Somalia by denying the terrorists a base from which to launch attacks. “AMISOM is committed to supporting the peace process in Somalia and this operation will not only bring relief to the population in Marka, but will also help in the liberation of Kismayo,” he said. “Our aim is to ensure that all the people of Somalia can freely participate in the process of national reconciliation,” he added. He also urged the population to remain calm and asked for their cooperation as AMISOM continues to consolidate security within the town. This leaves Jowhar, 90 kilometres to the north of Mogadishu, as the last remaining strongholdof the extremists in the regions of Banadir, Lower and Middle Shabelle which comprise Sector 1 of AMISOM area of responsibility. Since the UN Security Council boosted AMISOM troop numbers to over 17,000, the force has been expanding outside Mogadishu and has helped the Somali government by providing a secure environment and recovering more territory, as well as ensuring law, order and justice.

Source: AMISOM

magacyada xildhibaannada cusub, baarlamaanka dowladda cusub ee Soomaaliya

Xubnaha magacyadooda waxay kala yihiin:



BEESHA SHANAAD

1. Bashiir Maxamed Jaamac


2. Biibi Khaliif Maxamed

3. Burci Maxamed Xamza

4. C/llahi Colaad Rooble

5. C/raxmaan Cabdi Cusmaan

6. C/weli Ibrahin Sheekh Muudey

7. Caadil Sheegow Sagaar

8. Cabdinaasir M. Cali

9. Dr Aadan Xaaji Ibraahim Dauud

10. Faarax Sheekh C/qaadir maxamed

11. Fahmo Axmed Nuur

12. Ibraahiim Saalax Dayfullah

13. Jeylaani Nur Ikar Sh. Suufi

14. Khadiija Maxamed Diiriye

15. Maryan Aweys Jama

16. Maxamed Axmed Keynan

17. Maxamed Cumar Caymow

18. Maxamed Cumar Dhalxa

19. Maxamed Cumar Maxamud

20. Maxamed Maxamuud Xeyd

21. Maxamuud Maxamed Jimcaale

22. Mohamed Warsame Mohamed

23. Mustafa Maxamed Cabdullahi

24. Saaqa Aden Mohamed

25. Shariif Maxamed Siidi

26. Shariif Maxamed Xasan

27. Tahliil Abdi Mohamed

28. Xasan Ibraahim maxamed

29. Xuseen Maxamed Muuse

30. Yuusuf Maxamed Ismaaciil

31. Yuusuf Xeyle Jimcaale

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DIGIL MIRIFLE

                                             Mohamed Osman Jawari  the new speaker
1. Aadan Ibrahim Dhaayow


2. Aadan Sheekh Maxamed

3. Abukar Cabdi Cusman

4. Aweys C/lahi Ibrahiim

5. Axmed Mayow Cabdulle

6. C/laahi Cabdi Garuun

7. C/llahi Xaaji Xasan

8. Cabdi Macalin Aden

9. CabdiKaafi Macalin Xasan

10. Cali Aadan Xuseen

11. Cali Sheekh Maxamed Nuur

12. Cusman Libax Ibrahim

13. Cusman Mukhtar Maxamed

14. Dr. Ibrahiim Xuseen Cali Saalax

15. Dr. Muumino Sh. Cumar

16. Dr.Khaalid Cumar Cali

17. Eng Maxamud Maxamed Bonow

18. Fadumo Nuur Maxamed

19. Fowziya Maxamed Sheekh

20. Ibrahim Cali Cumar

21. Ibrahim Isaakh Yarow

22. Isaaq Maxamed Cali(Riino)

23. Isaaq Maxamed Maxamuud

24. Isgow Derow Isaq

25. Khaliif Sh. C/laahi

26. Luul Cabdi Aadan

27. Macalin Cali Aadan

28. Maryan Macalin Isaaq

29. Maxamed Cabdi Cali

30. Maxamed Cali Xuseen

31. Maxamed Cusman Jawaari

32. Maxamed Isaaq Cusmaan (Fanax)

33. Maxamed Kheyrow Maxamed Yusuuf

34. Maxamed Mursal Borow

35. Maxamed Rashiid Maxamed

36. Maxamed Sheekh Xasan

37. Maxamud Macalin Yaxye

38. Maxamuud Cabdi Xuseen

39. Mayow Mustaf Xasan

40. Mohamed Nuuraani Bakar

41. Muna Ibrahim Abiikar

42. Mustaf Mukhtar Gudow

43. Nuur Cali Aadan

44. Saalim Aliyow Ibrow

45. Samaan Maxamed Sheekh

46. Sayid Cali Cabdulkadir Macalin

47. Sh.Shaacir Sh.Maxamed

48. Sharif Maxamed Cabdalle

49. Sharif Xasan Sh Aden

50. Xabiibo Maxamed Kheyr

51. Xasan Cusman Xuseen

52. Xasan Macalin Xuseen

53. Xuseen Cismaan Xuseen

54. Xuseen Maxamud Sh Xuseen

55. Yacquub Cali Maxamed



Lix xildhibaan ayaa ka maqan beesha Digil iyo Mirifle

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DAAROOD

1. A/weli Maxamed Cali Gaas


2. Aadan Sidiiq Maxamed

3. Abdi Barre Yusuf Jibril

4. Abdi Mohamed Ali

5. Abdirashid Mohamed Hidig

6. Abdirisak Osman Hassan

7. Abdiwahab Ugas Husen Ugas Khalif

8. Abdulahi Bile Nor

9. Abdulahi Haji Dayib

10. Abdulaziz Abdulahi Mohamed

11. Ahmed Ismail Mohamed

12. Ali Ahmed Mohamed

13. Asad Maxamed Yuusuf

14. Axmed Aabi Aadan

15. Axmed Cusman Ibrahim

16. Bare Ugas Geedi

17. C/fataax Nuur Mataan Cabdi

18. C/laahi Maxamed Ciise

19. C/llahi Maxamed Xirsi

20. C/llahi Xasan Rooble

21. C/llahi Yusuf Xasan

22. C/llahi Yuusuf Cali

23. C/nasir Maxamed Cabdulle

24. C/qadir Aden Nuur

25. C/rashiid Xaaji Deerow

26. C/raxman Xoosh Jibriil

27. C/waxid Cabdullahi Jama

28. Cabdi Cabdulaahi Maxamed

29. Dahir Haji Gelle Farah

30. Da'ud Abdikarim Sh. Omar

31. Dr. Abdulkadir Abdi Hashi

32. Dr. Cabdi Cali Xasan

33. Dr. Cali Khaliif Galayr

34. Hamza Sh. Husen

35. Hassan Abshir Farah

36. Isse Mohamed Ahmed

37. Mahdi Ali Osman

38. Maxamed Axmed Maxamud

39. Maxamed C/lahi Xasan

40. Maxamed Iidle Geedi

41. Maxamud Cali Magan

42. Mohamed Abdi Yusuf

43. Mohamed Ahmed Kulan

44. Mohamed Ismail Shuriye

45. Mohamed Sh. Aden Hirale

46. Mohamud Hayir Ibrahim

47. Muse Ahmed Ismail

48. Muse Hassan Abdulle

49. Muse Sheekh Cumar Jiis

50. Nuur Faarax Jaamac

51. Prof. Mohamed Abdi Mohamed

52. Saado Cali Warsame

53. Saalax Axmed Xuseen

54. Sacdiya Careys Ciise

55. Saciid Abdulahi Mohamed

56. Sadiiq Abdikariim Maxamed

57. Sahra Jama Ali

58. Siyaad Maxauud Shire

59. Xuseen Khalif Jama



Laba xildhibaan ayaa ka dhiman beesha Daarood


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DIR

1. Aamino Cumar Jaamac


2. Abdulaahi Hussein Ali

3. Abdulaahi Cisman Ducaale

4. Abdulahi abyan nuur

5. Abdulahi Cumar Abshir Cumar

6. Ahmed Dhimbil Roble

7. Axmed Aadan Axmed

8. Axmed Aadan C/raxman

9. Axmed Xuseen Xasan

10. Busharo Cabdi Diriye

11. C/lle Xaaji Cali Axmed

12. C/naasir Gaarane mohamed

13. C/qaadir Sh. Cali Ibrahim

14. C/qafaar Mohamed Oomar

15. C/raxman Maxamud Caateye

16. C/risaaq Daahir Maxamud

17. C/xakiim Cige Guuled

18. Caashakoos Maxamuud Cumar

19. Cabdalle Boss Axmed

20. Cabdi Xaashi C/llahi

21. Cabdirahman Ahmed Suge

22. Cabdullahi Qayad Barre

23. Cadar Abdi warsame Isaaq

24. Caddo Maax Faarax

25. Cali Xasan Guyow

26. Cisman Cilmi Boqare

27. Dr Siciid Mohamed Ali

28. Dr. Ibrahim Suleyman Xaaji Nuur

29. Duniya Maxamed Cali

30. Faaduma Xasan Cali

31. Faduma Odowa Rageh

32. Faysal Cumar Guuleed

33. Gen Siciid Xasan Geedi

34. Ismaciil Xassan Jaamac

35. Jaamac Axmed Maxamed Muse

36. Jaamac Axmed Maxamud

37. Jamaal Xasan Ismaaciil

38. Khadar Biixi Caalin

39. Khadra Ahmed Ibrahim

40. Mahad Cabdalle Cawad

41. Mahad Mohamed Ducaale

42. Maxamed Axmed Gurxan

43. Maxamed C/laahi Kaamil

44. Maxamed Cabdi Xayir

45. Maxamed Cali Xagaa

46. Maxamed Ismaciil Barkhadle

47. Maxamed Xasan Aadan

48. Prof Ahmed Ismail Samatar

49. Ridwan Hirsi Mohamed

50. Sahro C/qadir C/raxman

51. Saynab Maxamed Caamir

52. Xiis Hassan Aadan

53. Xiis Muuse Cawl Cali

54. Xuseen Arab Esse Xayd

55. Xuseen Cabdisalaan

56. Yusuf Dirir Abdi

57. Zakariye Xuseen Aare



Afar Xildhibaan ayaa ka maqan Beesha Dir





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HAWIYE

1. A/qadir Cosoble Ali


2. A/raxman Ibrahim Ali

3. Abdirahman Kulmiye Hirsi

4. Abdisamad Maxamud Xasan

5. Abdulkadir Mohamed Aden

6. Abdullahi Jama Hussein

7. Amina Mohamed Abdi

8. Axmed Geedi Jimcaale

9. Bashiir Addow Alassow

10. C/laahi Goodax Barre

11. C/laahi Maxamed Adan

12. C/llahi Ali Axmed

13. C/qadir Cali Cumar

14. C/qadir Macalin Nuur Maxamed

15. C/qadir Sheekh Xanafi

16. Caasha Xaaji Cilmi

17. Cabdi Axmed Dhuxulow

18. Cabdisataar Sh. C/salaam Sh Xasan Barsame

19. Cali Nuur Xuseen Cali

20. Cali Yuusuf Cusman

21. Ciise Wehelie Maalin

22. Cismaan Maxamed Cabdi

23. Cumar Cali Nuur Cumar

24. Cumar Islow Maxamed Abukar

25. Cusman Xaaji Cali

26. Daahir Aamin Jeesow

27. Daahir Xasan Cabdi

28. Dr Khaliif Maxamed Xaaji Xasan

29. Hassan Macalin Maxamud

30. Jawahir Axmed Cilmi

31. Mahad Maxamed Salaad

32. Maryan Cariif Qaasim

33. Maxamed Abukar Islow

34. Maxamed C/laahi Xasan

35. Maxamed Cabdalle Faarax

36. Maxamed Hasan Ibrahim

37. Maxamed Maxamud Guure

38. Maxamed Maxamud Ibrahim

39. Mohamed Ahmed Nur

40. Mustafa Sh. Cali Dhuxulow

41. Naciimo Maxamed Gacal

42. Nadifo Maxamed Osman

43. Nuur Iidow Beyle

44. Nuur Maxamed Xuseen

45. Qaali Axmed Diiriye

46. Sacdiyo Cumar Sheegow

47. Samira Xasan Cabdulle

48. Shuriye Mumin Afrax

49. Ubax Tahliil Warsame

50. Xalimo Xasan Cumar

51. Xasan Macalin Maxamed

52. Xasan Shiikh Maxamud Calasow

53. Yuusuf Geele Ugaas



Sideed xildhibaan ayaa ka maqan Beesha Hawiye

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Report: Al Qaeda in Somalia recruits Somali students in Pakistan by Ali K Chishti

Report: Al Qaeda in Somalia recruits Somali students in Pakistan by Ali K Chishti

Groups linked to Al Qaeda in Somalia are using the international terror network to recruit Somali students in Pakistan and train them to carry out terrorist attacks in Europe, security analysts fear. Al Qaeda chief Dr Ayman Al Zawahiri announced the merger of Somali terrorist group Al Shabab with his organization on February 10 this year, to create Al Qaeda in East Africa, or AQEA. "They plan to move from their conventional base in the Afghanistan and Pakistan region to more vulnerable African countries," said Carl Adams, a counterterrorism expert based in Dubai. In early 2012, hundreds of fighters from the Middle East and Pakistan left Somalia, apparently to help defend Al Qaeda territory in Yemen, where a new president is likely to use his popular mandate and American support to mount an offensive against the international terrorist network."Al Qaeda is weaker than it was 10 years ago, with Osama Bin Laden, Anwar Aulaki, and other key leaders no longer in the picture. But it remains a top threat," FBI Director Robert Mueller said a speech in July. "And in recent years, we have seen new threats from Al Qaeda affiliates in Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen."

According to estimates from Security Foundation Inc, there were over 97 instances of Somalis being used by Al Qaeda to carry out attacks around the world since 2011 - a 300% increase.In a recent plot, two Somali students were recruited from Karachi - being seen as the new financial and recruitment hub of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan - to carry out suicide attacks in Europe. The two men were to be trained in weapons and explosives in a remote area of Balochistan, according to intelligence sources, by sectarian outfit Jandullah, originally formed by Jamaat-e-Islami activist Atiqur Rehman on the instruction of Al Qaeda number three Khaled Sheikh Muhammad in Karachi in 2002."They were to be sent to The Hague to carry out 26/11 type fidayeen attacks," the source said. There are 5,000 to 8,000 Somali students in Pakistan, according to intelligence sources. "Most of them study medicine and pharmacy," said an official from the Intelligence Bureau (IB). "Yes, we have taken precautions and have registered all foreign students living in Pakistan. But nothing else."Why would Al Qaeda use Somalis from Pakistan to carry out attacks in Europe? "Why not," responds Carl Adams. "Most Somalis in Pakistan are educated and their parents support them from Middle Eastern countries. They have easier access to the outside world compared to those living in the war-ravaged Somalia."One of the two men intended to travel to Europe as Christians - one as David Azubuike, 21, with a Spanish passport, and the other as Jonathan Boipelo (no details) on stolen passports. Al Qaeda's Hamburg cell chief Muhammad Atta also traveled to Karachi before 9/11 on a stolen passport.

"We take all these threats very seriously," the Netherlands embassy said in a comment. "We are working closely with our Pakistani counterparts to eliminate such threats."

Marginalising women in Somali politics - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

Marginalising women in Somali politics - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

SomaliTalk.com » Shiikh Shariif, Shariif Xasan, Axmed Siilanyo iyo Cabdiraxman Faroole oo sheegey in Meless Zanawi uu ahaa Saaxiib aysan marna iloobi doonin

SomaliTalk.com » Shiikh Shariif, Shariif Xasan, Axmed Siilanyo iyo Cabdiraxman Faroole oo sheegey in Meless Zanawi uu ahaa Saaxiib aysan marna iloobi doonin

Al-Shabaab resorts to selling hyena meat to fund military operations

Thursday, August 23, 2012 (tf.sf) Al-Shabaab has begun pushing the sale of hyena meat in the southern Somali port city of Kismayo as a means to raise money for its military operations ahead of the impending battle against Somali and allied forces, analysts say. Somali clerics for centuries have considered the consumption of hyena meat prohibited by Islam since the animal eats the dead flesh of humans and animals.

This new push is one of many signs that point to the growing financial desperation of the al-Qaeda-allied group as Somali and allied forces continue to takeover al-Shabaab strongholds throughout the country.

To convince residents to eat the meat, which is also often diseased because the animal is a scavenger, al-Shabaab merchants have been using old black magic myths to prey on those who do not know better, said Suleiman Abdi Guled, a cook at Hotel Alkhalej in Mogadishu who has family in Kismayo.According to people who practice black magic, hyena meat is good for breaking spells and protects against illness and the evil eye."It is a worrying sign because it is outside of [Somali] tradition to eat hyenas, especially when there are other animals available for consumption," he said. "Al-Shabaab is a lost group that is trying to use hyenas and black magic myths for its military operations."Khalif Mohamud, a merchant in Kismayo, said al-Shabaab makes money from the trade by controlling the slaughtering of hyenas.

"Al-Shabaab runs the city's main slaughterhouse and we have to pay money to slaughter and skin the animal after hunting it," he told Sabahi.

Hyena meat -- religiously sanctioned or prohibited?

Somali cleric Sheikh Mohamud Awabdulle Ariif said people are prohibited from hunting and eating hyenas under sharia law."Hyenas are among the most treacherous and gluttonous of animals, as they hunt sheep and eat human flesh," he said. "They also dig up graves and take out and eat the corpses, in addition to eating animal carcasses, insects and the remains of other prey."Mursal Issac, a civil society activist in Mogadishu, said al-Shabaab's weakened financial state has led the group to resort to trading in charcoal and hyena meat to finance its military operations."Hyenas are dirty animals that eat dead carcasses, which is why I call on our brethren in Kismayo to refrain from eating its meat," he told Sabahi. "We are blessed by God with land and sea animals, and I think it is better to stay away from this animal."Issac said al-Shabaab is attempting to bolster its fragile state of funding because it fears military defeat at the hands of the Somali army and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).Sagal Hassan Ali, who works in a small restaurant in the Via Afmadow suburb of Kismayo, said she would not eat hyena meat and would not even dare hunt this vicious animal.She told Sabahi she resents the local market turning into a trading ground for this meat.

Al-Shabaab splintering

Sociologist Mana Moalim Ino said selling hyena meat in Kismayo's markets serves the interests of militants who have taken up arms against Somali government and AMISOM forces.Nonetheless, she told Sabahi that the failure, despair and defeat that al-Shabaab's leadership suffers from will spell victory for the allied forces.Ino said the Somali army, backed by AMISOM, will expel al-Qaeda and its Somali followers from its hideouts in Kismayo, Marka, Boali, Baardheere and Jowhar."So far, our armed forces have been vindicated in their fight against al-Qaeda," she said. "These victories have given us hope that the Somali army is still doing well, is not divided along tribal lines and is not hopelessly incapable."Over the past six months, al-Shabaab has lost its most important strongholds and positions in Mogadishu, as well as the towns of Afgoye, Balad and Afmadow. Allied forces have also dealt serious blows to al-Shabaab in the Gedo, Lower Juba and Middle Juba regions.Due to recent losses, al-Shabaab has been engaging in new tactics, launching propaganda campaigns and terrorist attacks in Kenya, and assassinating journalists in Mogadishu.

As Ethiopia looks beyond strongman Meles, fears of instability ( video)

As Ethiopia looks beyond strongman Meles, fears of instability ( video)

Meles Zenawi: An Obituary

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has died aged 57 in a hospital "abroad", the government says.

Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia’s longtime dictator, died today after a two-month battle with terminal illness. He was 57. Hailemariam Desalegn, deputy prime minister and foreign minister; has been appointed as acting prime minister.

Legesse Zenawi Asras, alias Meles Zenawi Ares, was born in Adwa on the 8th of May, 1955. The name Meles was his name de guerre and was an honor to a revolutionary university student with the same name who was executed by the Mengisto regime. Meles graduated from Wingate Secondary School with distinction and won a scholarship to Addis-Ababa University. In 1975, after two years studying medicine, he interrupted his studies to join the Tigrean Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF).

He was the founder of the TPLF’s Marxist-Leninist League of Tigray. He gradually maneuvered himself to the top leadership of the TPLF; and became the chairperson of both the TPLF and the EPRDF and head of the executive committee, head of government, and commander –in- chief of the armed forces. Out of the 36 Executive Committee members of the EPRDF, his wife, Azeb Mesfin, is the only female member; however, it should be noted that she was a guerrilla fighter in her own right before their marriage. He was the prime minister from 1995 until his demise, and held the post of president from 1991 to 1995. He had MBA from the Open University in the UK, and MSC in economics from Erasmus University in the Netherlands. He was reported to be austere in his habits, and his capacity for work was unmatched. Moreover, he expected from his subordinates complete loyalty, dedication to the service of the people, and was perceived not to be corrupt. His accomplishments were impressive: he was the darling of the Western donors, and billions of aid dollars were poured into the country every year. Ethiopia is the biggest recipient of foreign aid in Sub-Saharan Africa; its annual growth is estimated to be 9%, which is the best growth in any non-oil producing country. Meles had hugely invested in the country's infrastructure, uplifted millions of his people from poverty; and raised his profile by being regularly invited to represent Africa at the G8 and G20 meetings of economically advanced countries of the world. He had promised to step down in 2015, but broke similar promise in 2010. Due to his pervasive dictatorial powers, the population of Ethiopia, which is estimated to be over 70 million, was not told the whereabouts of their Prime Minister, or what his state of health was? Meles had not been seen for the last two months, and he even missed the African Union (AU) summit held in his capital.

Who will emerge as the strong man in Addis Ababa is not clear. Potential successors are unlikely to fill the shoes of a giant like Meles, and Ethiopia may well experience power struggle and fragmentation worse than the one Somalia went through. The exception will be if the army and the security apparatus remain intact, impose order, take over the country, or put their decisive weight behind an individual successor.

Against strong opposition, Zenawi’s TPLF created ethnic-based federal system, claiming with justification, that it was the most sensible course of political dispensation appropriate to Ethiopia in order to eliminate the centuries old oppression by one ethnic group and its culture. He introduced the decentralization of the language system; so that each federal unit is able develop its culture. Amharic, though, still remains dominant as the medium of communication between federal components and the central government.

 Eritrean  President Afewarki

Farewell to Former Comrades in Arms

During the struggle against the Derg headed by Mengisto, the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front [EPLF] and the Tigre Peoples Liberation Front [TPLF] were allies and coordinated their actions against their common enemy, the regime of Mengisto. A secret agreement was signed between the two liberation movements, headed by Isias Aferwarki and Meles Zenawi respectively, stipulating that, after the overthrow of the Derg regime, the TPLF would accept a referendum on the independence of Eritrea. Indeed, after the successful overthrow of the Derg, the referendum was held in Eritrea which obviously opted for independence, and Ethiopia under Zenawi recognized the independence of its former province. The two leaders, who were reported to be related, remained close until 1996 when Aferwarki, returning from a vacation in Kenya with his family and his inner entourage, stopped in Addis-Ababa and was offered by Zenawi to fly them back to Asmara in one of Meles’ helicopters. Aferwarki accepted the offer but while en route the chopper caught fire but managed to return to Addis Ababa and landed safely there. An angry Aferwarki was reported to have had told Meles to his face that the fire was an assassination attempt by Meles to eliminate him. Even though Meles supported the independence of Eritrea in 1993, but, within five years, the former allies were fighting a bloody conflict that lasted between 1998 and 2000 and resulted in nearly 100,000 deaths. Both were despots with inflated egos and couldn’t stand each other; however, Meles, with his guile and brilliance, had cultivated the West, as their indispensable man in the troublesome Horn of Africa region. Aferwarki, meanwhile, had been painted, with a considerable input from Meles, as the pariah of the Horn and has no supporters, regionally or internationally.

The border dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia remained unresolved due to the intransigence of Meles who was in collusion with the Western powers. The Ethiopian-Eritrean Boundary Commission awarded the Badame territorial dispute to Eritrea, but Meles Zenawi declined to enforce it; and Ethiopia continues to occupy and claim the disputed region.

Abdi Qassim Salad Hassan

The Undisputed Master of Ceremonies in Somalia

Since the implosion in Somalia, Meles had played a pivotal role in the affairs of his neighbor and traditional adversary. Until his death, no Transitional Federal Government (TFG) came to power in Somalia without his blessing, with the exception of Arta TFG. Meles shunned Abdi Qassim Salad Hassan PM Galydh's government because it came to existence without his input. It also showed, like previous Somali governments of yesteryears, signs of independence. He also persuaded his mentors in the West that Arta TFG was a government dominated by religious fanatics and; hence, should be shunned. This policy worked for Meles Zenawi well, as this TFG was unable to make any progress during its tenure. From then on, every reconciliation process for Somalia was sabotaged by Meles, as he financed and armed every Somali faction and warlord of any stripe. That resulted chaos and anarchy. Oddly, he was pursuing these deleterious policies while pretending to be an ardent supporter of Somalia’s central government. Meles had a strategic national agenda of his own. He discarded warlords and factions he created as soon as they ceased to serve his strategic agenda and, in turn, created new ones. He became a cunning master of how to manipulate Somali society with little effort and expenditure, because Meles found the weakest link: Clannism, an exploitable foible which had eluded his predecessors for centuries. No Somali leader of independent thought was able to effectively emerge so long Ethiopia exercised complete veto over the affairs of Somalia. Every Somali move was expected to be compatible with strategic agenda of Ethiopia. Under any guise, real or imagined, Ethiopian forces crossed the border all the time without the knowledge or the consent of the TFG, or the Security Council and repeatedly violated the existing arms embargo of the UN with impunity.

When the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) appeared to succeed in ridding the country of the scourge of warlords and armed factions, Meles persuaded his mentors in the West to foot the bill in the invasion of Somalia, in order to put an end to this potential, serious threat to the countries in the Horn of Africa. There were individuals within the Union of Islamic Courts who, by design or naivety, served the agenda of Ethiopia and it’s powerful backers and, hence, precipitated the invasion. Some of these clerics claimed, that they were on their way to hold the forthcoming Eid prayers in Addis-Ababa. Strangely, one of these figures held the defense portfolio of the UIC; but during the Ethiopian invasion he was nowhere to be found to defend the country, by mobilizing and leading his forces. He had suddenly left the country on the pretext of performing the Hajj. The invasion was brutal and caused huge destruction, displacement and about 10,000 deaths; and when the human rights organizations, including the UN suggested that a fact finding commission be formed to investigate the atrocities, the idea was nixed by the USA and its allies. When the political leadership of the UIC was forced to flee the country, it relocated to Asmara, Eritrea, Ethiopia’s mortal enemy. The move was exploited by Meles because he divided the UIC leadership into moderates and extremists, a classification the international community readily accepted without critical examination. Of course, the military wing of the UIC remained in the country to resist the Ethiopian invasion with the limited resources at its disposal but with the wide support of many Somalis in the Diaspora. It later became independent of the political wing of UIC in Asmara and took the name of Al-Shabab, and the rest is history.

The exception

The only time, in recent history, Meles opposed the fragmentation of the Somali state was in the case of Azania State, which was not his brainchild, but rather that of the Ogaden clan. His opposition was based on a far-sighted strategic reason: Azania is the creation of the Ogaden senior Kenyan Somali politicians, who consider themselves the dominant ethnic group in the area with the blessing of the Kenyan government, which sees it as a useful buffer state under its indirect control. Meles Zenawi saw the creation of Azania as a future destabilizing problem for Ethiopia, since it could be a source of support for the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), which has been involved in an on- going insurgency with the Ethiopian government. The opposition of Meles to Azania was partially assuaged, as the ethnic Somali politicians in Kenya had met several times with Meles and the ONLF, and promised to use their good offices to bring an end to the insurgency. Several meetings have already taken place in England between the two sides with the Kenyan Somalis in attendance.

Liquidating Domestic Opposition

Within the country, Meles did not tolerate opposition to his regime, even if it was constructive criticism within his party. He was believed to have eliminated his potential rivals by ousting them from their powerful positions in the party hierarchy or in the government, such as the founding military leader of the TPLF, Avegwi Berhi in 1980; the post- war Tigrean hero, Seeye Abraha in 2001. Serious questions remained unanswered as to the motive of the assassination of Kinfe Gebre Medhin, chief of security and immigration, in May 2001, who was shot and killed by major Tsehawe, as he entered the armed forces Officers Club in Addis. Tsehawe was tried, found guilty, and executed in August 2007. Kinfe backed Meles in a serious Central Committee party dispute in March 2001, which resulted in the expulsion of 12 senior members from the party. In any given time, there were a number of armed groups opposed to the Ethiopian government under Zenawi, the major ones being: the Oromo Liberation Front; the Ogaden Liberation Front; the Afar Liberation Front; and the United Western Somali Liberation Front. The latter, which was a rival of the Ogaden Liberation Front, ended its two decades of armed struggle in August 2010, and signed a peace accord with the government. All these fronts, to be effective in their struggle, must have bases to recoup, regroup, train, take care of their injured, and receive fresh supplies; and the ideal and often -sought bases were in Somalia. The two countries were, from time immemorial, traditional adversaries. .These bases have dried up, since Meles’ Ethiopia has had the final say in every part of Somalia. It was common for Somalia’s regional governments in handing over suspected liberation members to the Ethiopian authorities; or even the Ethiopians themselves crossing the border and picking up the suspects. Meles’ forces carried out scorched earth counter insurgency measures, which were rarely condemned by world powers that matter, in spite of the repeated reports by human rights organizations. It appeared that there was a colluded silence on the part of world powers about the atrocities of Ethiopia in Somalia and within Ethiopia; the repeated violation of territorial integrity of Somalia and the UN arms embargo which it repeatedly ignored with impunity.

The Marginalization of Ethiopia’s own Muslims

The presence of people of the Muslim faith in Ethiopia is recorded as far back as 615 AD when some of the early Muslims sought refuge in Axum, Tegrean province, which was then the seat of the King of Ethiopia, the Negashi, after they were persecuted by the Qureish of Mecca for their newly acquired faith of Islam. According to the latest 2007 census, Islam is the second most widely practiced religion in Ethiopia, after Christianity. The Muslim population in Ethiopia is officially recorded as about 30%, but the real figure is believed to be about 50% or more. Successive Ethiopian governments long held Muslims as agents of foreign powers and marginalized them. The Muslims, on the other hand, were reluctant to enroll their children in government schools, as the head of education in Ethiopia, for a long time, was the Abuna, the Pope, whose primary objective was to ensure that the Christian faith is only practiced in schools. The Flasha, who claimed to be of the Jewish faith, and one of the lost tribes of Israel that lived in Ethiopia from time immemorial were forced to convert to orthodox Christianity in the 19th century; many are now reported recanting their Christian faith and reverting to Judaism, in order to be eligible to emigrate to Israel.

The Meles Zenawi government had nominated a Muslim Sect by the name of Ahbash to be in charge of the religious affairs of the Ethiopian Muslims. This sect was founded by an Ethiopian-- Lebanese scholar by the name of Sheikh Abdulla Al-Harari. The government controls and manipulates the Islamic Supreme Council, which implements the policies of the ruling party. There have been no elections for the membership of the council for 13 years. Ahbash is seen by the West as a friendly alternative to Wahhabi ideology which is seen as militant. Muslims have been restive in recent years, because they have been marginalized and discriminated against; they have not been allowed to build mosques or madrasas for their community; and recently 17 prominent Muslims leaders were arrested and are now in custody, in order to nip in the bud any Muslim agitation for equality with their peers. Amnesty International is protesting their prolonged detention and demanded they be released or charged with specific offence. .Up to now, the protests of Muslims have been peaceful, but no one can predict the future.

In Search of Dependable Sea Access

Meles Zenawi, in his all- encompassing strategy, had not neglected in seriously exploring his best options in having secure and dependable outlets to the sea. This is the reason he was partially financing the construction of a deep port at Tajoura, an Afar country, which is part of the Republic of Djibouti. This outlet to the sea will serve his home town, which lost access to the sea through the port of Assab, as a result of the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia. This new port will be a competitor to the port of Djibouti in the long run, and by extension between those of Somali ancestry and those of Afar ancestry. He was also pushing for the realization of the huge port project in Lamu, Kenya, where the construction of a multi- billion port is being planned to serve as a sea access for South Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya. This huge port project is being financed by the Chinese, and it is intended to provide a non-Muslim controlled sea for these countries.

Emasculating Somalia’s Leaders

In recent years, Somalia is repeatedly being humiliated by its neighbors with important members of the International Community in concert, because it lacked credible leadership with the necessary caliber, commitment, competence, stature and patriotism. These leaders, in the majority of cases, were imposed on the Somali people by the IC. Spearheaded by Ethiopia, as a strategy of balkanization and internecine conflict was/is being implemented. Somalis were/are oblivious to what was happening to their country as they were/are consumed by clannish and parochial conflicts fueled from without. It became the fate of Somali political leaders, under Zenawi, to be frequently summoned to Addis and be read the riot act whenever they were perceived to be deviating unwritten mandate. On the other hand, Somali leaders appeared to be competing for the ears and the favors of Zenawi and the IC. and had lost confidence in themselves and their people, having mistakenly concluded that Zenawi was the only Sheriff in town who could make them or break them.

It is ironic that Meles Zenawi died one day after Somalia was set to end the term of the Transitional Federal Government. Somalia’s expected election of new government coincided with Meles’ own demise. Of course, Ethiopia’s policy and design on Somalia is bigger than one man.

Ahmed Jama serve as political analysts Terror Free Somalia Foundation


Ahmed Jama E-Mail:dhoobay@yahoo.com

The White House Statement by the Press Secretary on Somalia’s New Federal Parliament

For Immediate Release August 20, 2012 Statement by the Press Secretary on Somalia’s New Federal Parliament


The United States welcomes today’s convening of Somalia’s New Federal Parliament. This marks an important milestone in completing the Roadmap to End the Somali Transition. We commend the people of Somalia for their hard work and unwavering commitment to a better future, and urge those remaining Somali communities that have not yet nominated their members of parliament to do so with urgency. We also call on all communities to work to increase the participation of women in the Parliament and other leading national institutions, now and in the future, as called for in the Provisional Constitution.



We look forward to Parliament expeditiously completing all remaining tasks. Parliament must now quickly adopt rules of procedure and hold elections for Speaker and then President. The United States reminds Somali leaders of their responsibility to the people of Somalia to fulfill their obligations to immediately end transition. Any attempt to impede the political transition will not be tolerated. All parties must work in a fair and transparent manner and will be held accountable for any failure to do so.



Today’s convening of a new Parliament marks another step towards ending instability and restoring governance. The United States will continue to work with the international community, regional stakeholders, and the people of the Somalia to promote transparency, good governance, and development to achieve a better future for the people of Somalia.

Ethiopian PM Meles Zenawi dead at 57

Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia's long-time ruler who held tight control over this East African country but was a major U.S counter-terrorism ally, died of an undisclosed illness after not being seen in public for weeks, Ethiopian authorities announced Tuesday. He was 57.Mr. Meles died Monday just before midnight after contracting an infection, state TV said.Hailemariam Desalegn, who was appointed deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs in 2010, became acting prime minister and will be sworn in as prime minister after an emergency meeting of parliament, said Bereket Simon, the communications minister. Parliament is controlled by Mr. Meles' ruling party and governing coalition, ensuring Mr. Hailemariam will be approved. No new elections will be scheduled, Mr. Bereket said.

Mr. Bereket did not say where Mr. Meles died, only that he was abroad for medical treatment. Officials had expected Mr. Meles to return to Ethiopia but a sudden complication reversed what had been a good recovery, he said.A European Union spokesman said that Mr. Meles died in Brussels.Mr. Meles hadn't been seen in public for about two months. In mid-July, after Mr. Meles did not attend a meeting of heads of state of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, speculation increased that his health problems were serious. Ethiopian officials gave no details and said the prime minister was in “very good” health and would return to office soon, but international officials said quietly it was unlikely he would recover.State TV on Tuesday showed pictures of Mr. Meles as classical music played in the background.

Opponents of Mr. Meles accuse him of killing and jailing opposition members and of rigging elections. Ethiopia's Somalia community in particular has suffered under Mr. Meles, who won his last election in 2010 with a reported 99 per cent of the vote.Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, offered his condolences to the Ethiopian people, praising Mr. Meles' development work and calling him “a respected African leader.” But he also expressed concern about the state of democracy in the country.Born on May 8, 1955, Mr. Meles became president in 1991 after helping to oust Mengistu Haile Mariam's Communist military junta, which was responsible for hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian deaths. Mr. Meles became prime minister in 1995, a position that is both the head of the federal government and armed forces.

The U.S. has long viewed Mr. Meles as a strong security partner and has given hundreds of millions of dollars in aid over the years. U.S. military drones that patrol East Africa — especially over Somalia — are stationed in Ethiopia. The U.S. goal for Somalia — a stable government free of radical Islamists — is in line with Ethiopia's hopes.Though a U.S. ally, Ethiopia has long been criticized by human rights groups for the government's strict control, and Mr. Meles' legacy is likely to be mixed: positive on the economic development side and negative on the human rights side, said Leslie Lefkow, the deputy director for Human Rights Watch in Africa.Mr. Meles brought Ethiopia out of a hugely difficult period following Mr. Mengistu's rule and made important economic progress, she said, but the ruling party has been too focused on building its own authority in recent years instead of building up government institutions.During Mr. Meles' election win in 2005, when it appeared the opposition was likely to make gains, Mr. Meles tightened security across the country, and on the night of the election he declared a state of emergency, outlawing any public gathering as his ruling party claimed a majority win. Opposition members accused Mr. Meles of rigging the election, and demonstrations broke out. Security forces moved in, killing hundreds of people and jailing thousands.In 2010 Meles won another five years in office while receiving a reported 99 per cent of the vote in an election that the U.S. and other international observers said did not meet international standards.Mr. Meles was the leader of a political coalition known as the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front. He was also the long-time chairman of the Tigray People's Liberation Front and has always identified strongly with his party.“I cannot separate my achievements from what can be considered as the achievements of the ruling party. Whatever achievement there might have been, it does not exist independent of that party,” Mr. Meles once said when asked what he thought would be his legacy.Under Mr. Meles, Ethiopia saw strong gains in the education sector with the construction of new schools and universities. Women gained more rights. And in the mid-2000s Ethiopia saw strong economic growth, which won Mr. Meles international praise. The International Monetary Fund in 2008 said Ethiopia's economy had grown faster than any non-oil exporting country in sub-Saharan Africa.Despite those gains, Ethiopia remains heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for 85 per cent of the country's employment. Per capita income is only about $1,000, or roughly $3 a day.Though he won accolades for economic progress, human rights groups have long denounced Mr. Meles' government for its use of arbitrary detention, torture, and surveillance of opposition members inside Ethiopia. The ONLF, an opposition group that mostly consists of ethnic Somalis, has openly clashed with the government, including in 2007 when Ethiopia sent troops to Somalia to fight al-Shabab militants.

The ONLF said Tuesday that Mr. Meles' death is an opportunity for a new government to “initiate a new era of peace, stability, freedom and justice for the people of Ogaden and not to pursue the failed policies of the past.”At the end of 2006, Somalia's UN-backed government asked Ethiopia to send troops into Somalia to try to put down an Islamist insurgency. Ethiopian troops moved into the country and captured Mogadishu, but the Somali population rebelled against what it saw as an occupation and Ethiopian forces withdrew in 2009.

Ethiopia again sent troops to Somalia in early 2012 as part of an increased international effort to pressure al-Shabab. Uganda, Burundi and Kenya all have thousands of troops in a coalition under the African Union, though Ethiopia's forces are not part of the coalition.Earlier in Mr. Meles' tenure, from 1998-2000, Ethiopia fought a border war with Eritrea, a conflict that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.Mr. Meles grew up in the northern town of Adwa, where his father had 13 siblings from multiple women. He moved to the capital, Addis Ababa, on a scholarship after completing an eight-year elementary education in just five.Mr. Meles is survived by his wife, Azeb Mesfin, a member of parliament, with whom he had three children.

State TV said funeral arrangements would be announced soon.

Search Home > News Somalia's Islamist rebels hail Ethiopia PM Meles' death

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali Islamist militants hailed on Tuesday the death of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi as an "historic day" and said Ethiopia, which has troops inside Somalia, would now crumble."We are very glad about Meles' death. Ethiopia is sure to collapse," Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage, the spokesman for Al Shabaab told Reuters.Meles twice rolled his troops across the border to help crush Islamist insurgencies.

Statement of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the New Federal Parliament (NFP)

Mogadishu, 20 August 2012 – The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia, Dr. Augustine P. Mahiga, offers his warmest congratulations on the remarkable occasion of the inauguration of the new Somali Federal Parliament. He pays tribute to the hard work and dedication of the Traditional Elders for identifying the candidates, the Technical Selection Committee (TSC) for diligently vetting the candidates and to all the Somali people at this moment of hope, optimism and progress.The SRSG also commends the work of the international observers to the TSC for their determination and diligence in assisting the Committee in carrying out its functions...more.. SRSG_statement_New_Parliament_20 Aug

Somali: MPs to be sworn in to historic parliament

Somalia's first formal parliament in more than 20 years is to be sworn in the capital, Mogadishu, marking an end to an eight-year transitional period.Security is reported to be heavy across the city with troops and police officers patrolling the streets.After choosing a Speaker, the MPs' main task will be to elect a new president - a vote expected within a week or two.Outgoing moderate Islamist President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, in power since 2009, is regarded as a favourite.Other strong candidates include Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali and former parliamentary speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden. It is a critical moment for the country which, since the overthrow of President Siad Barre in 1991, has seen warlords, Islamist militants and its neighbours all taking a hand in its affairs.With the help of African Union peacekeepers, the interim government has been able to gain control the capital, but al-Shabab - an armed group that has joined al-Qaeda - runs many central and southern areas of the country

'Favours and intimidation'

Members of the new parliament spent Monday morning at the country's main airport - one of the few areas of the capital considered secure - being accredited.The new parliament, to be made up of a lower house with 275 members and an upper house with a maximum of 54 members, will hold its first session later on Monday.So far, about 215 MPs have been chosen - enough for a quorum - by clan elders and vetted by a technical selection committee to eliminate people accused of war crimes.

The MPs' first meeting, likely to also happen at the airport for security reasons, comes on the day the mandate for Somalia's UN-backed transitional government expires.

Analysts say Somali politicians, the United Nations and other outside powers have been working frantically to ensure a new authority is in place. It has been a long and difficult process as the country has been without effective central authority for so long that numerous power bases have emerged.

The selection of MPs has not been without criticism.

Earlier this month, the UN special representative for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, said "favours, bribes and intimidation" had been involved during the appointments.

On Sunday, representatives from the international community flew into Mogadishu for final talks with Mr Ahmed and to resolve a problem over the issuing of identity cards for MPs.

The president had halted the identity cards after the selection committee rejected some proposed members of his clan.

But the process so far has been generally welcomed by the international community.

"The conclusion of the transition should mark the beginning of more representative government in Somalia," said a statement released by the UN.

"Whilst parliament remains a selected rather than elected body, it is essential that it cuts its ties with the past of self-interest and warlordism, and is populated by a new generation of Somali politicians, including the proper representation of Somali women."

Somali affairs analyst Mohammed Adbullahi Hassan says whoever is elected will have more legitimacy and the end of the transitional period means the country will no longer be considered a pariah state.

But the credibility of Somali politicians - accused in a recent UN report of "systematic embezzlement" - is an issue, he says.

The main criteria for president seemed to be "who has the deepest pockets", he told the BBC's Newsday programme bbc

Somali parliament to meet but presidential election delayed

MOGADISHU — War-torn Somalia's new parliament was due to convene for the first time Monday in the latest bid to end two decades of instability, but the election of a president has been delayed, lawmakers said.

Lawmakers would gather not in the city's parliament building, but rather Mogadishu's heavily fortified airport zone under the protection of African Union troops, due to fear of attack by Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab insurgents.The parliament's interim speaker Musa Hassan Abdallah appealed Monday to the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) for an "alternative place of safe haven" to meet, the UN said in a statement.Selection of the new legislature was the first performed inside Somalia for more than 20 years. Previous efforts were conducted outside the country because of the danger of attack posed by a range of warlords and Islamist fighters.The airport adjoins the base for the nearly 17,000-strong AU force, which has propped up Somalia's Western-backed leadership against attacks by the hardline Shebab.The new parliament was expected to hold its inaugural session on the airport tarmac, with the election of speaker and president expected in coming days."The presidential elections will not be held today," said lawmaker Aweys Qarni. "The election committee must still be convened.... There is still work to go before the presidential elections."Abinasir Garale, who served in the previous parliament and has again been picked for the new legislature, said lawmakers would go ahead with their inaugural meeting Monday and hold elections soon.

"In coming days the new parliament will select a speaker, and they will organise the election committee for the new president," he said.Despite delays, the process of forming a new government was hailed as an "unprecedented opportunity for greater peace and stability" in a joint statement from the UN, AU, United States and European Union issued Sunday."The conclusion of the transition should mark the beginning of more representative government in Somalia," added the statement, also signed by Norway, Turkey and East Africa's main diplomatic body IGAD, among others.Analysts have taken a far gloomier outlook on the process, suggesting it offers little but a reshuffling of positions.The international statement made clear lawmakers must change their behaviour from the actions of the previous parliament."Whilst parliament remains a selected rather than elected body, it is essential that it cuts its ties with the past of self-interest and warlordism," it said.There was no clear time-frame for when voting -- first for parliament speaker and two deputy speakers, then for president -- would take place.Outgoing President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, in power since 2009, is one of the favourites for the top job, though he is a controversial figure with Western observers.A UN report in July said that under his presidency, "systematic embezzlement, pure and simple misappropriation of funds and theft of public money have become government systems" -- claims Sharif has rejected.Multiple candidates -- over a dozen, according to diplomats -- are expected to run for the presidency, although official lists will only be declared once parliament has convened.Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali and the outgoing parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan are also contenders.Voting will be held by secret ballot, with up to four rounds possible to select the president.The names of more than 200 new lawmakers chosen by a "technical selection committee" from a list prepared by clan elders were published Friday.A remaining 75 names were still pending at the weekend because of inter-clan arguments, while some 70 others were rejected for failing requirements, including that they be innocent of atrocities committed during the civil war.Despite the new parliament convening at the airport, massive steps forward have been made recently in Somalia, with greatly improved security in the capital and members of the diaspora returning to invest in their war-ravaged homeland.A military advance by AU, Somali and Ethiopian troops has driven the Shebab insurgents from a string of key bases in recent months, but fighters have also staged a string of guerrilla attacks