Ecoterra Press Release 226 – The Somalia Chronicle June – December 2009, no 38
Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
March 15, 2010
ECOTERRA Intl.
SMCM
Somali Marine & Coastal Monitor
ECOTERRA INTERNATIONAL - UPDATES & STATEMENTS, REVIEW & CLEARING-HOUSE
2009-08-08 SAT 16h41:53 UTC
Issue No. 226
A Voice from the Truth- & Justice-Seekers, who sit between all chairs, because they are not part of organized white-collar or no-collar-crime in Somalia or elsewhere, and who neither benefit from global naval militarization, from the illegal fishing and dumping in Somali waters or the piracy of merchant vessels, nor from the booming insurance business or the exorbitant ransom-, risk-management- or security industry, while neither the protection of the sea, the development of fishing communities or the humanitarian assistance to abducted seafarers and their families is receiving the required adequate attention, care and funding.
"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." George Orwell
EA ILLEGAL FISHING AND DUMPING HOTLINE: +254-714-747090 (confidentiality guaranteed) - email: somalia[at]ecoterra.net
EA Seafarers Assistance Programme EMERGENCY HELPLINE : SMS to +254-738-497979 or sms/call +254-733-633-733
"The pirates must not be allowed to destroy our dream !"
Cpt. Florent Lemaçon - F/Y Tanit - killed by French commandos - 10. April 2009 / Ras Hafun
NON A LA GUERRE - YES FOR PEACE
(Inscription on the sail of F/Y TANIT - shot down on day one of the French assault)
"... obligation to fight oppression and cruelty wherever it appears, and that any group of people who are degrading another group of people have to be fought against with whatever tools we have available to us. "
B. H. Obama - US-American President, who said also: The world has changed ! YES, WE CAN !
Clearing-House: Cut out the clutter - focus on facts !
(If you find this compilation too large or if you can't grasp the multitude and magnitude of important inter-related complex issues influencing the Horn of Africa - you better do not deal with Somalia or other man-made "conflict zones". We try to make it as condensed as possibly.)
Breaking:
2 Yemeni Ships released
The two motorized dhows were arrested early July by Somaliland authorities in Zeila for alleged trafficking in humans. The case had caused a serious stand-off between Somaliland and Yemen, who detained a wealthy Somali livestock trader and others in Aden as bargaining chip to press for the release of the two vessels and 6 Yemeni crew. The vessels are reportedly now on their way back to Yemen.
News from sea-jackings, abductions, newly attacked ships and vessels in distress
Status of Abducted Vessels and Crews in Somalia
Summary: Today, 08th August 2009, at least 9 foreign vessels plus three barges are kept in Somalia against the will of their owners, while at least 179 seafarers suffer to be released.
Cases not completely closed:
M/V JAIKUR I: Seized Oct. 2, 2008 - The 21,040-tonne general cargo ship was detained after a dispute with the owners over damaged cargo. All foreign crew were with the help of ECOTERRA released and repatriated. The vessel is still held in Mogadishu harbour due to an insurance dispute between vessel-owner and cargo-owners.
MS INDIAN OCEAN EXPLORER: Seized March 2009. The 35-metre boat was built in Hamburg as an oceanographic research vessel and later used as tourist diving boat. All 7 crew of Seychelles nationality were released and repatriated against a ransom. The vessel was allegedly looted and then sunk by the pirates off the coast of Harardheere, but so far no independent confirmation or evidence for the actual sinking received.
S/Y SERENITY - The fast catamaran was sailing for Madagascar from the Seychelles with three people aboard, when it was seized in March 2009. Later it was attached to and pulled by the hijacked Taiwanese FV WIN FAR 161 and kept between Harardheere and Hobyo until it allegedly sunk in bad weather at the coast near Garacad. The sinking was confirmed by different sources, but evidence is not produced yet. The 3 men crew with Seychelles nationality is held hostage but cared for together with the crew of FV WIN FAR 161.
BARGE NN - an unnamed barge is held at Kulule (near Bendar-Beyla) since mid march. Ownership and circumstances not yet clarified.
S/Y JUMLA or YUMLA ? - a mysterious yacht kept near Dinooda.
MT AGIA BARBARA: INDIAN AND SYRIAN CREW STILL WANTED FOR MURDER - vessel escaped from Somalia after the murder to the UAE - unhindered by international naval forces. See our previous updates.
Cases in negotiations:
FV WIN FAR 161 - The Taiwanese fishing vessel was seized April 6, 2009 near the Seychelles. It had then been involved in the attack on MV ALABAMA and is now still moored about 7 nm from Garacad. The crew of 30 (17 Filipinos, six Indonesians, five Chinese and two Taiwanese) is still together and on board. The ship's skipper and first engineer are Taiwanese nationals. The 700-ton long-liner is owned by a Taiwan company, which regularly sent their vessels into Somali waters from the Seychelles - a key transshipment point for poached tuna from the Indian Ocean to Japan.
FV MOMTAZ 1 - Egyptian fishing vessel, detained for illegal fishing since 10. April 2009 at Ga'an in Northern Somalia with 18 crew plus 3 minors. Vessel is not IOTC (Indian Ocean Tuna Commission) authorized. No valid fishing licence.
FV AHMED SAMARAH - Egyptian fishing vessel, likewise detained for illegal fishing since 10. April at Ga'an with 16 crew plus three minors. Vessel is not IOTC (Indian Ocean Tuna Commission) authorized. No valid fishing licence.
T/B BUCANEER with 2 Barges - Seized April 11, 2009. The Italian tugboat, owned by Micoperi Marine Contractors, has a crew of 10 Italians, five Romanians and a Croatian, and was seized towing two barges in the Gulf of Aden. The vessel is held near Ga'an (28 miles from Lasqoray) but due to the barges at offshore location (N 1127 / E 04737) near Cadcado. 8 of the 16 men crew are held on land. The Italian-flagged and UAE operated tugboat is said to have been detained for attempted dumping of toxic waste. International organizations, experts and the UN have been invited to inspect the content of the two barges. The validity of the claim could not yet be established, since the company didn't respond to questions requesting a declaration of the content. The owners have already paid around 500,000 US Dollar - allegedly to coerce the sea-shifta to not disclose any information - while the sea-shifta demand 3 million.
MV IRENE E.M.: Seized April 14, 2009. The St. Vincent and the Grenadines-flagged Greek-owned bulk carrier was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden. Its Filipino crew of 22 remains unharmed, but food and water have become scarce. The vessel and crew are held near Garcaad. Negotiations are slow.
MV ARIANA: Seized May 2, 2009. The Ariana was seized north of Madagascar en route to the Middle East from Brazil. Some of the 24-strong all-Ukrainian crew were reported to have medical conditions - especially one person is serious. The ship, flying a Maltese flag, belongs to All Oceans shipping in Greece, but neither the shipping company nor Ukrainian officials have responded to calls for medical attention.
MV VICTORIA: Seized on May 5, 2009. The Antigua and Barbuda- flagged cargo vessel was hijacked by eight pirates in the Gulf of Aden on its way to the port of Jeddah. The 146-metre ship has a crew of 11 Romanians, aged between 22 and 64 and includes one woman. The vessel and crew are held 8nm off Eyl.
MV CHARELLE: Seized on June 12, 2009. The 2,800-tonne cargo ship carrying was captured 60 miles south of Oman. The vessel is owned by shipping firm Tarmstedt International. Seven of the 10 member crew are Sri Lankans. The vessel is German owned but operated from New Zealand. The company lost a substandard vessel the MV GLOBAL ISLAND during the Tsunami at the turn of the year 2004/2005, because it had bribed its way out of Mombasa harbour and sunk in rough Somali waters. The German captain and a Kenyan went missing while about 10 other crew were rescued by the US navy.
MV HORIZON 1: Turkish cargo ship with 23 crew of Turkish nationality - including one woman - on board was captured in the early morning hours on 08th July 2009. The vessel was taken in the safety corridor set up by the navies and is at present shadowed by Turkish naval forces while it is held by Somali sea-shifta at the Somali Puntland coast near Eyl. One sailor was injured during the initial attack by broken glas. The sea-shifta have allegedly found a larger amount of money on the vessel. Negotiations are not forthcoming.
MV HANSA STAVANGER has finally docked in Mombasa.
"I am more than happy to say that all 24 crew members have now undergone proper medical attention," Torsten Ites, a senior naval officer in the European Union's anti-piracy Operation Atalanta, told a news conference in Mombasa. "The pirates took everything, including toothbrushes," Cmdr. Torsten Ites told journalists in Mombasa, but was mum on the ransom.
"They are slowly but surely recovering ... They are optimistic and eager to start their lives in freedom away from the pirates." Journalists did not have access to the crew, who are expected to be flown home soon.
Cargo-owners, who had eagerly waited for their goods since more than four month are, however, frustrated concerning the way the shipping company LEONHARDT & BLUMBERG, the Cargo handler in Dubai and the insurance assessor are dealing with them. Several cargo owners have reportedly now undertaken legal action, while one consignee already identified looted goods from his shipment on pictures from Somalia.
With the latest captures and releases now still at least 9 foreign vessels with a total of not less than 179 crew members are accounted for (of which 42 are confirmed to be Filipinos) and are held in Somali waters. They are monitored on our actual case-list, while several other cases of ships, which were observed off the coast of Somalia and have been reported or had reportedly disappeared without trace or information, are still being followed. MV JAIKUR 1 remains in Mogadishu harbor, but is an insurance and not a piracy case - all foreign crew was evacuated. MV INDIAN EXPLORER and S/Y SERENITY are allegedly dead ships. Over 134 incidences (including attempted attacks, averted attacks and successful sea-jackings) had been recorded for 2008 with 49 fully documented, factual sea-jacking cases (for Somalia, incl. presently held ones) and the mistaken sinking of one vessel by a naval force. For 2009 the account stands at 151 attacks (incl. averted or abandoned attacks) with 47 sea-jackings on the Somali/Yemeni pirate side as well as at least three wrongful attacks (incl. one friendly fire incident) on the side of the naval forces. More than 116 Somalis are held in foreign prisons under charges of piracy.
Mystery pirate mother-vessels Athena/Arena and Burum Ocean as well as not fully documented cases of absconded vessels are not listed in the sea-jack count until clarification. Several other vessels with unclear fate (also not in the actual count), who were reported missing over the last ten years in this area, are still kept on our watch-list, though in some cases it is presumed that they sunk due to bad weather or being unfit to sail. In the last four years, 22 missing ships have been traced back with different names, flags and superstructures. Piracy incidents usually degrade during the monsoon season in winter and rise gradually by the end of the monsoon season starting from mid February and early April every year. Present multi-factorial risk assessment code: GoA: YELLOW IO: YELLOW (Red = Very much likely, high season; Orange = Reduced risk, but very likely, Yellow = significantly reduced risk, but still likely, Blue = possible, Green = unlikely). Allegedly still/again two groups from Puntland alone are out hunting on the Gulf of Aden and in the Indian Ocean, where also groups from Harardheere have set out again, despite the heavy seas and the rough weather.
Directly piracy or naval upsurge related reports
Pirate sub-clan fighting kills at least 17
The toll of gunbattles between militiamen of two HabrGedir sub-clans, which started on Tuesday - a day after the sea-shifta of MV Hansa Stavanger had received 2,7 mio US, stands now at 17 people killed and 30 wounded in and around Harardheere, a pirate stronghold on the coast of Somalia, witnesses said.
Though elders had tried to halt the skirmish, renewed fighting began overnight and became heavier on Saturday morning, forcing most of Haradheere's residents to flee.
Some local witnesses say: "The two clans are fighting over land and a girl who was raped in the forest." but others insist that it is over ransom money.
"Unfortunately, the battles spread into town."
Somalia has been torn by civil war since 1991, and the government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed controls only small pockets of the capital Mogadishu.
One pirate in the central Somali town said to REUTERS he was worried the bloodshed would hurt the sea gangs' profits.
"We are afraid our business will stop if the clashes continue," the pirate, who gave his name as Mohamed, said in Haradheere.
"We are all members of these two clans, and we are worried that this fight might end up being taken out onto the ocean."
In the late afternoon only single, remote shots could be heard.
Ecosystems, marine environment, IUU fishing and dumping, ecology
Bayaanka Isbadallo Dhaqan
Isbadallo Dhaqan ...
Deegaan,waxqabad,lashaqayn an kahorimanayn dabeecada.
Ogoow si indheergaradnimo ah in noloshu adagtahay in lafahmo.
Dhis oo dhiirigali ismamul dhaqaale heer gobol ah.
Qiimee dhowridda dhammaan noocyada kaladuwan ee noolaha.
Tixgali iskutiirsanaanta noolaha,maadaama ay ogyihiin in waxkala reebaaya ayan jirin.
Utixgali si iskumidah dhammaan qaababka nolosha.
Difaac oo taakulee naf.
Umuuji caruurta kalgacayl iyo taakuleeyn shuruud la'aan ah,kana shaqee xuquuqdooda.
Ogsoonoow xeerarka deegaanka iyo mideeynta jiritaankooda.
U arag muusiga iyo ciyaaraha dhaqanka qeeyb muhiim u ah soojeedinta dareekooda iyo xamaasadooda dhaqan ahaan.
Kunooloow dhulka nolol,uguna dhaqan si karaamaleh.
Faham sida loobeero cuntadooda.
U bogida kawarhaynta dareenkooda.
Udabaaldeg nolosha.
Iskaashi kasamee xaga baahida fikirka ama ufikir si lamidah.
Lawadaag aqoontooda.
Faham,iswaafaji siday howsha usocoto.
Lama aqoonsan jirkooda,fikirkooda ama dareekooda.
U arag ra'yiga sidi aalad oo kale.
Xaqiiqso inaysan jirin qalad ama sax.
Waxba lagama oga,wax kusaabsan arimahooda bulsho,marhore ama mustaqbalka.
Kawarhaynta nuxur ahaan waxay yihiin,waa nolol iyada xitaa.
Qaad masuuliyadda xamaasadooda.
Laga warhayo lana qiimeeyo xiriirkooda laxirira noloshooda iyo sida muuqata waxaan nooleeyn ee kuhareereeysan.
Tixgali muhimada iyo midnimada xikmada haweenka.
Tixgali muhimada iyo xikmada dhaqamada asalka ah.
Tixgali muhimada shaqsiga leh aqoon guud.
Loofahmo in bedelka xeerarka marxaladaha sidii mid muhiim ah.
Kashaqee dhanka kaladuwananshaha iyo madaxbanaanida faracyada.
Kaqeeyb qaadashada iyo abuurista xiriir wadadhaqan laga sameeyo halkay ku nool yihiin.
Kaweeci kutiirsanaanta iibsiga, ahadana waxsoosaarayaal masuulah.
Raadinta wadooyin taasoo lagufurfurayo xisahooda iyo kartidooda.
Lahaansho geesinimo,u adkeysasho iyo diidida shuruucda,kuwaasoo u adeegaaya ismaamul,iskufilaasho iyo isasiin sharci darro ah.
Wargalin kusaabsan qaabka lacageed ee xilligan iyo mujinta qaab casri ah oo adoonsi.
Muujinta iyo qaadicida wixi laxiriira nolosha,dhaqanka,bulshada iyo dhaqamada takooran si indheergaradnimo ah.
Qaadicida lahaanshaha gaarahaaneed nooc kastaba.
Rabitaanka midkasta oo horumarinaya kaliya horumar.
Qiimee bii'ada iyo nidaamada bini'aadamka ee kusaabsan faa'iido kororsi.
Diid lamidoobidda iyo bankiyada kushaqeeya faa'iido kororsi.
Udood wadalahaanshaha dhulka iyo keynta.
Udood wadalahaanshaha biyaha.
Udood wadalahaanshaha dhirta iyo xayawaanka kaladuwan iyo aqoon.
Kawarhaya in kaqayb qadashadooda howsha socota laysla qabanaayo waqti kasta.
Ogolaaw dhammaan furfurida noloshooda.
(copyleft: ECOTERRA)
Declaration of Cultural Revolutionaries
Cultural Revolutionaries
live, act, work with and not against nature
know that life is too complex to understand it intellectually
build and support local, self-governed economies
value and safe-guard diversity of all kind
value interdependence, since they know that nothing is separate
regard themselves as equal to all life forms
protect and support life
love and support children unconditionally
work on themselves towards greater awareness
know about ecological principles and integrate them into their life
see music and dance as an integral part of their expression and communication
live on an animate earth and regard it as sacred
know how to grow their own food
appreciate their sensory awareness
celebrate life
cooperate
make the shift from thinking ´either, or´ to thinking ´as well, as´
share their knowledge
understand and integrate process as a way of being
are not identified with their body, thoughts or emotions
see the mind as a tool
realize that there is no right or wrong
are not identified with any social tag, their past or their future
are aware that the very essence of who they are is life itself
take responsibility for their emotions
are aware of and value their relationships to their living and seemingly non-living surroundings
value and integrate the wisdom of women
value and integrate the wisdom of indigenous cultures
value generalist knowledge
are aware of change as one of the core principles of evolution
work towards diversification and decentralization
engage in and create bonds to the place where they live
turn from dependent consumers to responsible producers
are looking for ways so that their interests and talents may unfold
have the courage to resist and disobey laws that render self-rule, self-provisioning, and self-sustenance illegal
are informed about the current money system and identify it as a contemporary form of enslavement
identify and boycott biological, cultural, social and philosophical monocultures
boycott monopolies of any kind
question everyone who promotes one solution
value environmental and human ethics over profit maximization
boycott corporations and banks operating for profit maximization
reclaim land and forests as common good
reclaim water as common good
reclaim biodiversity and knowledge as common good
are aware that they participate in the process of co-creation at all time
allow life to unfold through them
Anti-piracy measures
Fort McHenry on piracy front lines
By Philip Ewing
Aboard the Dock-landing Ship Port McHenry in the Indian Ocean
"Coalition warship, coalition warship, this is Victor Quebec Uniform Lima Nine — I have five small boats, a lot of boats, they are coming alongside me."
The Middle Eastern-accented voice on the bridge-to-bridge radio was palpably tense. It described small vessels filled with men approaching from its starboard side. The master of the bulk carrier Wappen von Berlin, home-ported in London, was afraid he was being attacked by pirates.
"All engines ahead flank for 24 knots!" called the Fort McHenry´s officer of the deck. The twin diesels aboard this 22-year-old gator surged to life, and the ship began cutting a path toward the vessel in distress.
But the Wappen von Berlin wasn´t hijacked. When its master talked again later with the Fort McHenry crew, he again reported a number of small boats alongside — but they were different boats. The earlier ones had moved on.
False alarm.
But enough merchant vessels off the lawless coast of Somalia have been seized by hijackers — eight remained in pirate hands as of early August — that every mariner in the area is on edge.
"With the current rise, everybody automatically thinks, ´Pirates!´" Lt. j.g. Forest Banks said. "You will get some false calls, some false cries — you really can´t blame them."
Navy Times visited the ship as part of a group traveling with Navy Secretary Ray Mabus on a trip through the Middle East. The tour began at Bath, Maine, on Aug. 1 and took him to Djibouti, Fort McHenry and later to Bahrain and Iraq.
Although many Americans may have stopped thinking about piracy off the Horn of Africa after the Navy rescued the captain of the cargo ship Maersk Alabama, international warships continue to patrol in the Gulf of Aden and in the western Indian Ocean. It´s been relatively quiet for several weeks, but the consensus in this part of the world is that as the monsoon season ends, pirate season will resume.
The late summer and early autumn mean calmer seas in this part of the world, much easier conditions in which to bring small boats alongside large vessels, climb aboard and hold crews at gunpoint. Fort McHenry and the other warships of Combined Task Force 151 expect more attempted hijackings in the coming weeks, Banks said.
Until the action at sea picks up, however, Fort McHenry is slowly mowing the lawn in its patrol box, training for pirate encounters and hosting reporters eager to see the ship fight pirates. Almost all of them have gone away disappointed. A camera crew from the cable channel Spike TV came aboard to film a program called "Pirate Hunters" and hunted exactly no pirates during their time onboard, crew members told Navy Times.
Adjusting to uniforms
One break in the routine came Aug. 3, when Mabus and his staff arrived on the ship in a Marine CH-53 Sea Stallion flying from Camp Lemonier, Djibouti.
Mabus toured the ship during his visit — even climbing down to the oven-hot machinery spaces, where the twin diesels still churned at full power — and ate lunch with sailors and Marines.
The ship´s company wore Navy Working Uniforms, complete with their eight-point covers; Mabus later said he liked their "military" look. Fort McHenry´s crew still spends much of its time in coveralls, sailors said, but the blue-and-gray camouflage uniforms seemed generally popular.
Command Master Chief (SW/AW) Andrew Thompson said that for all-hands events such as hosting the Navy secretary or coming into port, the NWUs worked well.
"It took a little adjustment at first, but when the crew is lined up they look much sharper. It creates a better appearance," he said. "They like them; they´re comfortable. For some of ´em, that´s all they wear."
But one junior sailor complained the NWUs were too heavy and hot to wear in the boiling waters off Africa, and another said its sleeves were uncomfortable when rolled up above the elbow, Marine-style.
Fort McHenry is scheduled to continue its pirate patrol for a few more weeks before crew members enjoy some liberty in Bahrain. Their ship has been plugging along since it sailed in May from Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Va., although crew members acknowledged it took effort to keep everything working as designed.
The ship´s executive officer, Lt. Cmdr. Brian Goldschmidt, said one concern was having enough fresh water.
"When we´re underway, the Marines are either in the shower, working out or eating — they don´t have anything else to do, so the ship goes through a lot of water," he said. Water hours for the crew have become common.
For his part, Pvt. Keith Burnett said he was enjoying his float aboard Fort McHenry, which is carrying elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.
"I really can´t complain," Burnett said. "It´s been a good experience. It´s my first time out of the country. But to be honest, I´d rather be in Afghanistan."
The Marines sitting next to him in the crew´s mess nodded in agreement.
No real peace in sight yet
President Shariff received with volleys of mortars in Mogadishu - 6 killed
At approximately 3:50pm local time Saturday, Somali president Sheikh Shariff Sheikh flanked by top government officials has returned from an official trip at the Kenyan capital Nairobi where he has met with the US-American secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
Shortly after President Shariff Sheikh Ahmed landed at the airport a string of mortars were fired towards the airport and, so far one of the mortars has landed into a nearby house and has killed 1 person and injuring 4 others. When the President has reached at the presidential palace hails of mortars were as well fired towards the palace, and in return the AU peacekeepers in the presidential palace retuned fire to where they estimated the mortars were coming from - particularly at Bakara market the busiest commercial center in Somalia.
"I have seen five dead people with my own eyes and 14 others perhaps seriously wounded the death toll may be more than that" said Halima Adan a vegetable selling mother in Bakara market, speaking to Somaliweyn radio.
The result of the shelling by the AU protection force was the death of 5 people and the wounding of 14 others.
Heavy combat in Mogadishu
Fighting between Somali government soldiers and Islamists has on Saturday morning erupted in the Somali capital Mogadishu.
"It was around 11:00am local time when I first heard the simultaneous sounds of the different kinds of weapons such as mortars, heavy machineguns and as well as the once which are fired from the shoulders like rocket propelled grenades etc., and in fact I was exactly the battle between the government soldiers and the Islamists, which is taking place in Abdi Aziza one of the oldest districts in Mogadishu, and I live in the immediate district which is next to Abdi Aziz. I am also a father who has recently fled from Karan district in northern Mogadishu after series of clashes between the government soldiers and the Islamists have taken place in Karan district. I think the fighting may escalate further and I and my family may become victims of the fighting. I have nowhere else to go after this very district where I am now is also engulfed in fights," said Haji Barre Gedi, a father of an extended family of 10 speaking to Somaliweyn radio on Saturday morning when the fighting was still in action.
So far 6 people were reported to have been wounded in the battle and yet there are no death reports.
As from May 7th 2009 there had been continuous fighting in Mogadishu between the government soldiers and the Islamists which have caused the uprooting of thousands of people from their respective houses due to the clashes.
In the past couple of days the inhabitants of Mogadishu had experienced a little bit of tranquillity, despite sporadic gunshots heard here and there. This lull seems to have ended after President Sheikh Sharif met US-American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who only had to offer 40 more tonnes of weapons and ammunition to Somalia.
Sheik Aweys condemns US policy on Somalia
The leader Hizbul Islam rebel group, Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, has condemned US policy on Somalia on Saturday and described the US policy as atrocities.
"We thought the Obama administration would positively change Somalia's politics, but it has worsened," Aweys said.
"The United States supported the invasion of the Ethiopian troops and the African Union troops who are currently in Somalia," Sheik Aweys added.
He accused the United States of destroying Somalia. A statement from the group said the United States is pressuring Eritrea of its rejection against the Ethiopian invasion to Somalia.
"We know that the United States is sending military equipment to the country to weaken the Somali people," the statement added.
The group of Hasasn Dahir Aweys is allied with Al-Shabaab in fighting against the Somali government.
Sheik Aweys and Sheik Sharif were once close friends but they split up when Sheik Sharif reconciled with the Transitional Federal government and became president in January 2009.
Somalia has been torn by civil war since 1991, and the government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed controls only small pockets of the capital Mogadishu.
Hizbul Islam denounces US government.
Hizbul Islam one of the Islamists factions in the Somali capital Mogadishu and an opponent to the government of Somalia led by his Excellency Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Aden has on Saturday released an official communiqué in a written form saying that they are absolutely against the American involvement in the Somalia politics.
This is the translation of the communiqué which was written in Arabic, and had the signature of the chairman of Hizbul Islam Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys
The involvement of America in the Somali politics will not achieve anything prosperous but things will be on the other way from the frying pan to the fire.
In the first place we thought that the administration of the current President of America Obama will be quite different from that of his predecessor George Walker Bush on the side of how he will be dealing with the Somali people how he approaches the Somali politics, but to our point of view there are no changes at all things like father like son.
We can see that President Obama has followed the enmity steps of his predecessor towards the Somali people.
We acknowledge that the American government is using highly advanced modern tactics in colonizing the entire universe, while earlier to use to help all movements which are in quest of freedom. We are also fully a wear that America has used the forces of Abyssinia for the eradication of the Somali people right in their soil, but with the help of the Almighty Allah their dreams remained pending.
Likewise we know that America has deployed modern weaponries in Somali, and is planning to deploy additional weapons in the near future this will create no stable atmosphere in Somali.
The problems of America to the Somali population started since when coalition troops led by America reached Somali in the year 1992 calling themselves to be restoring peace in Somali while killing tens of Somalis each day.
In the bottom line of the communiqué Hizbul Islam urged the government of America to halt its involvement in the Somali politics.
Hillary Clinton's gift for Somalia's Islamists by Savo Heleta
After meeting with the Somalia's president in Kenya, US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, pledged full American support for Somalia's interim government.
Clinton added that the Obama administration "would boost military supplies and other aid to the Somali government."
For the last eighteen years, Somalia has been a symbol of anarchy and complete state failure. The country has had no effective government nor was it able to offer even the most basic services to its citizens since 1991.
The previous fourteen attempts to form a functioning government of national unity comprising the country's main clans have been unsuccessful.
During this time, warring clans and groups fought over territory and power while the civilians suffered in what the United Nations agencies describe as one of the biggest humanitarian disasters in the world.
It is estimated that about one million people have died in Somalia from famines and fighting since the early 1990s. About three million Somalis – one third of the population – currently depend on humanitarian aid for their daily survival.
Currently, the Somali interim government is fighting for its own survival against al-Shabab Islamist militias who control much of the country and the capital Mogadishu.
The government of Somalia, on the other hand, controls only a few blocks in the capital.
The al-Shabab leaders say they will fight the government until they take over Somalia and implement a strict form of Islamic law in the country.
A spokesman for al-Shabab said that "any US assistance to the government would not stop its forces from fighting and predicted a repeat of the 1993 Black Hawk Down experience."
Instead of helping the government of Somalia, Hillary Clinton's pledge of support may turn out to be a great gift for Somalia's Islamists.
The support for the weak puppet government is very likely to backfire as the al-Shabab will now be able to mobilize more support in the country and abroad to fight the Western and American–backed interim Somali government.
Ould-Abdalla railroaded Obama Administration into failed strategy for Somalia By Mohamud M Uluso
The UN Envoy for war-torn Somalia (SRSG), Ahmedou Ould-Abdalla has brazenly railroaded Obama Administration into failed strategy for Somalia and is forcing to add Somalia to the "Axis of evil" countries-Iran, Iraq and North Korea. He is engaged in aggressive political campaign based on war on terror because it attracts huge resources and guarantees impunity for all sorts of abuses.
The critical issues for the Somali people like the "responsibility to protect innocent civilians", conflict resolution and state-building, national sovereignty, territorial integrity, security, dignity, transparency and accountability are all antithetical to Ould-Abdalla agenda.
SRSG failed to help alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in the South Central Regions as a result of Djibouti process and to diffuse the political crisis and contradictions failing Somalia. On July 29, the UK Representative at the United Nations has affirmed that Mogadishu has been emptied of its civilian´s population. Now the question is, "Who the Transitional Federal Unity Government (TFUG) and AMISOM are protecting in Mogadishu?" The answer is "their special interest".
The majority of the International Community remains skeptical about Ould-Abdalla theatrical performance. Because of ghost Government confined in less than 3 miles square, the carnage continues in Mogadishu while SRSG sees the decline of violence in Lower and Middle Jubba, Gedo, Bay, Bakol, and Lower Shabelle regions all controlled by Islamists. It is absolutely fallacy and dangerous to train national police or military forces before legitimate political and administrative authorities are established in Somalia.
The hastily and underhandedly formed Government, the threat of Global Jihadists (Al Qaeda), the war on terror, and Ethiopia´s determination to control Somalia are major obstacles to reconciliation and peace in Somalia. The imminent takeover of Mogadishu by Islamists has shocked Obama Administration and possibly halted the search for alternatives. However, Andrew Bast suggests that as hardhearted it seems, the smartest response might be to let Al Shabab try to seize Mogadishu.
The creation of Green Zone in Mogadishu, characterization of AMISOM and TFUG actions as part of global resistance to terrorism and giving IGAD=Ethiopia a leading role on Somalia´s issues are intended to deepen the Somali crisis. The meeting of former military officers in Washington, D.C. reinforces the view that Obama Administration´s policy towards Somalia rests on the war on terror rather than on rebuilding a collapsed state and it also confirms that Ould-Abdalla is running the show.
As follow up to his June Op-Ed, "Why the World should let Somalia go to the dogs" , on July 20, SRSG published another op-ed in Washington Post under the title "The World´s Duty to Somalia" in search of support for TFUG. Some readers of the Op-Ed have observed that the idea that Somalia has legitimate government is bad joke or it seems questionable that a government that cannot fend off a few 100 foreign fighters, experienced or otherwise, is a government at all.
On July 24, he wrote his 16th letter to Somali Diaspora "Jaaliyada" as progress report. The messages in the letter were far from the realities. Coincidentally, the Somali-Canadian Diaspora challenged Ould-Abdalla´s propaganda campaign when they met him in Ottawa on July 31, 2009. They found his presentation and answers not substantive, evasive, short and patronizing.
There are many lies peddled around. The first one is that former associates of President Sheikh Sharif rejected the invitation to peace through dialogue. The fact is that Sheikh Sharif decided to abandon his political belief in exchange for personal political and material gain and acted without internal deliberations as per agreed framework. He also reneged on agreements signed in Sana´a, Yemen and betrayed his followers. Instead of extended hands, stakeholders wanted the ownership of a peace process that responds to the problems and aspirations of the majority of the Somali people.
The second lie is about Eritrea´s role in the Somali conflict. Eritrea supported the armed Alliance for Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) led by Sheikh Sharif. The problem is that "former Islamic Leader" wants to accuse his former forces and foreign supporter as "armed terrorists and foreign enemy". Somalia and Eritrea share the ultimate goal to make sure that Ethiopia abandons once for all its "imperial" conquest and "oppressive political culture" and practically accepting peaceful co-existence and respect of people´s rights. The life imprisonment of Bashir Makhtal in 2009 and the death sentence of his Grandfather Makhtal Dahir in 1950 are clear evidence of Ethiopia´s tyrannical culture.
The third lie relates to Djibouti Peace Process, which was farce. It was a UN coup d´ etat in which TFG leaders were removed from power and ARS Faction led by Sheikh Sharif and Sharif Hassan were installed. The former Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, ARS counterpart, occasionally appears with Ould-Abdalla in the Somali Diaspora gatherings for propaganda purpose.
The fourth lie is the claim of positive developments achieved by TFUG. The Representative of Russian Federation at the UN Security Council has dispelled such lie when he said, "While we understand his (Ould-Abdalla) hopes for positive developments in that situation, the overall picture is extremely alarming. …..Unfortunately, as the security situation remains totally unacceptable and unsatisfactory, it is now difficult to talk realistically about the possibility of expanding the United Nations presence on the ground in Somalia." This lie is the cruelest one.
The hope is that Obama Administration formulates a comprehensive strategy that focuses on rebuilding the disintegrated Somali State in view of the needs and complex problems of the Somali people. This will strengthen the respect of American Leadership inside and outside Somalia.
Alshabaab: "The" Number One Enemy of Islam and Somali People
By Dalmar Kaahin
For almost two decades politically polarized warmongers, acting like spoiled children who refused to share a sandbox, held Somalia hostage. But never before have Somalis seen a terrifying group like Alshabaab cult. From a victorious group that evicted Ethiopian troops from Somalia to a barbaric enemy of Islam and Somali society, Alshabaab is the most loathed faction in Somalia today. This religious cult pretends to advocate for the rule of Sharia laws yet undertakes the most un-Islamic acts; it screams about the presence of foreign troops in Somali soil, yet Alshabaab parachutes foreign suicide bombers into the country. Worse yet, the Western Media uses Alshabaab´s barbarism as a powerful propaganda tool against Islam. And above all, this ruthless group brought death and destruction to an oasis of serenity amid chaos in Horn of Africa: the democratic republic of Somaliland.
Alshabaab´s hypocrisy in abundant supply, it advocates for the rule Sharia, but it carries out the most un-Islamic acts of violence—suicide bombings. For starters, in the Somali world suicide bombers remain foreign ideologies that Alshabaab imported to the country. It is a new phenomenon that frightens the Somali people. So far, Alshabaab targeted government officials and civilians alike with suicide bombings. Without a doubt, suicide bombings are against the teachings of Islam. Clearly, any Muslim scholar that you speak to will tell you that suicide bombing is one of the most un-Islamic acts—a guaranteed ticket to hell; yet Alshabaab in the name of its version of Islam conducts what Islam resolutely forbids.
Equally, new to Somalia and as gruesome as the suicide bombing is the limb amputations. While in every neighbourhood of Mogadishu women are raped and people are mugged—never mind securing the rest of the country—Alshabaab horns its skills to chop up body parts of young boys caught shoplifting. But what does Islam say about limb amputations?
To amputate thieves´ arms or legs strict conditions must be met: first, a functioning Islamic state with its security forces, economy, justice and health care systems should exist. Second, the state must prove beyond shadow of a doubt that the government can provide jobs for the thieves, but they resort to stealing. Before, the perpetrators lose their limbs, the president of the Islamic republic—if required—must testify in a court of law that it is not his/her government that fails them, but they let themselves down. Third, the owner of the stolen goods must insist not to forgive the perpetrators, which will never happen in the Somali society. Fourth, the perpetrators and community should have time to evaluate what is at stake. During this period the community convinces the owner to forgive the thieves. Currently, Somalia is far from a nation that can be applied to Islamic laws.
But Alshabaab devises a brutal campaign of terror and argues such an atrocity is based on Islamic Sharia law. Destroying cemeteries, killing civilians and displacing them, among other atrocities, Alshabaab carries out a barbaric war against the Somali people. However, among Somali Islamic scholars Alshabaab´s barbarism has nothing to do with promoting Sharia. "Before Sheik Sharif's election you were all fighting for an Islamic leader, but now you have no excuse," the chairman of the Somali Clerics Council, Sheikh Nur Barood Gurhan states.
http://hiiraan.com/news2/2009/Feb/somali_clerics_council_endorses_president.aspx (Sheik Sharif is the current Somali president, or more precisely: the besieged mayor of Mogadishu.)
Now don´t forget: many members of Alshabaab fighters are in fact from former warlords´ militias. In the past, some of these militias who currently call themselves Alshabaab raped Somali women and girls, looted businesses, and murdered countless innocent people in the name of defending not Islam or Somalia but the interest of their tribes. (Back then, tribes were the new sports on the block.) These gangs just changed shirts. In that case, shouldn´t Alshabaab´s Sharia applied to its members? Of course not, because Alshabaab zealots accept only the part of Islam that favours them. That is, they exonerate themselves from their horrendous crimes—without a tinge of regret—yet preach us about Islam.
Also, while Alshabaab screams about the presence of the African peacekeeping forces known as UNISOM in Somalia, it [Alshabaab] parachutes foreign suicide bombers into Somalia. Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, the leader of Hisbul Islam—an ally of Alshabaab—unequivocally admits receiving support from Eritrea and foreign fighters. He states, "Eritrea supports us…there may be two or three Arabs who were moved by Islam to fight alongside us."
http://markacadeey.com/may/20090523_1e.htm
Now, admittedly, when attacked the UNISOM forces´ indiscriminate slaughter against civilians provide Alshabaab yet another reason to wage war. Worse yet, the current Somali regime´s imprudent strategy to associated with Ethiopia, and signing bogus maritime deals with Kenya which allow Kenya to steal a large chunk of Somalia´s territorial waters, among other blunders, provide Alshabaab a cause to wage war. See these articles about the scandalous treaty:
http://somalilandpress.com/4335/for-sale-somalia%E2%80%99s-territorial-waters/
http://www.unforum.com/UNheadlines571.htm and http://tinyurl.com/njjxgy
But the maritime treaty isn´t as scandalous as the Western Media´s malicious propaganda campaign against Islam. The Western Media could not be happier with Alshabaab´s un-Islamic barbaric acts. For instance, with respect to Somalia´s turmoil almost every article that you come across, or every channel you flip states, "Alshabaab enforce strict Sharia laws". What kind of Sharia? Without a doubt, this is the invaluable propaganda that the Western Media rejoices. And to make sure that an undiluted ignorance—the worst disinformation of the century, a condoned Islamaphobia—spreads like a wildfire, none of the Media groups invite Islamic scholars to clarify whether Alshabaab practices Islam, or barbarism. Instead, the Media invites the so-called Western experts who repeatedly regurgitate the same stale propaganda against Islam. Through the thick lenses of the West, Islam and terrorism are synonymous words, and so are Sharia and limb amputations.
But in the long run these deliberate fear-mongering tactics and unabated Islamaphobia will harm the Western image and inadvertently recruit more groups like Alshabaab.
And who created this monster? Of course, Alshabaab came to power when U.S. commissioned Ethiopia to invade Somalia in December 2006. Ethiopian troops fled; U.S. failed its mission; Somalia inherited the monster.
But Somalia is not the only victim of Alshabaab. The democratic republic of Somaliland also received the wrath of Alshabaab. It detonated one of the worst suicide attacks in Somaliland´s history in October 2008. Over twenty two civilians lost their life. The scares of the bomb attacks are still visible in Hargeisa, Somaliland capital. And while panic-stricken Somalilanders focused on local suspects from Somalia, I asked a simple question: "Is Canada Harbouring Terrorists Who Attacked Hargeisa, Somaliland capital?"
http://www.maanhadal.com/articles/Is_Canada_Harboring_Terrorists.html
One year later, Canada´s National Post Newspaper answers my question and details how Alshabaab sympathizers from Canada planned to spur chaos in Somaliland: http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=1472963 Similarly, a brainwashed Somali-American from Minneapolis was among the suicide bombers that sent body part flying over rooftops in downtown Hargeisa.
Now, Hargeisa is only 280km from U.S. bases in Djibouti. Additionally, Somaliland border guards near Djibouti are poorly trained and barely equipped to stop suicide bombers and terrorists. Therefore, God forbid but it will be a matter of time before Alshabaab attacks U.S. bases in Djibouti. And that is why it is paramount for the U.S. not only to train and equip Somaliland forces but also base some U.S. forces near the border between Somaliland and Somalia to stop suicide bombers destined to attack U.S. base in Djibouti.
Surely, just as the Alshabaab terrorists bombed Somaliland in 2008, so too they could detonate deadly explosives against U.S. bases in Djibouti. Hence, the U.S. must stop Alshabaab at the border between Somaliland and Somalia and not at the gates of the U.S. military bases in Djibouti. The indisputable fact is: the ONLY wall that separates Alshabaab suicide bombers and U.S. forces in Djibouti is Somaliland. If this wall is thick enough, Alshabaab will have less chances of attacking the U.S. interests in Djibouti.
To sum up, Alshabaab´s callous brutality against Somalis, its un-Islamic ideologies, and its unabated barbaric limb amputations, among others, now forced many Somalis to either stay frightened in their houses, or flee in droves. Also, this group´s brutal war to annihilate anyone that opposes its ideologies is unprecedented in Somalia.
With conviction, overwhelmingly the Somali citizens, the intellectuals, and the Islamic scholars, view Alshabaab as the number one enemy of the Somali society and Islam.
As for the West, it cannot abandon Somalia and watch while West-created monster: Alshabaab decimates the current Mogadishu regime.
The truth is: while Alshabaab is left to amputate and terrorise Somali people, the West uses this terror group as an indispensible propaganda tool against Islam. The fact is: if the U.S. and its allies want to annihilate Alshabaab they could do so easily. But why bother? After all, Alshabaab has very little chance or motive to detonate bombs in the Western countries (minus staged terrorism, of course), despite the ludicrous shrills from the West. And more important, to continue the Western imperial expansion, an enemy is always needed.
Similarly, both Ethiopia and Kenya desperately need Alshabaab to keep Somalia´s inferno burning.
Doubtless, once Alshabaab terrorists overrun Mogadishu and its environs, they will take their suicide bombs to the democratic republic of Somaliland—once again—where during its upcoming presidential election in September 2009 terrorists plan to detonate massive explosives at polling stations.
Nor will the U.S. bases in Djibouti escape Alshabaab terrorists´ attack, if U.S. doesn´t stop them before they enter Somaliland.
Teenagers desert from al Shabaab
Young fighters have started to desert from al Shabaab militant group which is fighting against the Somali fragile government led by Sharif Sheik Ahmed, sources told Mareeg online on Saturday.
"I have decided to leave this group because I have come to know that they are not fighting for the cause of the Islamic religion," said a young fighter who talked Mareeg Online on condition of anonymity.
He said fifteen other fighters of his group left al Shabaab on Wednesday and more other teenagers were on their way to defect from the group.
He also told Mareeg Online that the group became weak economically these days.
Al Shabaab is fighting against the government and admitted that foreign fighters were fighting along their side to overthrow the government.
Most fighters of al Shabaab are young teenagers who dropped out from schools in the capital Mogadishu and other teenagers from overseas.
Impacting reports from the global village
Eritrea denies deportation of diplomat by Lucas Barasa and Cynthia Vukets
Eritrean Ambassador to Kenya Salih Omar Abdu addresses journalists on Saturday.
Eritrea on Saturday emphatically denied that one of its diplomats and another national had been deported from Kenya for security reasons.
Ambassador Salih Omar Abdu however confirmed the country´s Foreign Minister was in Kenya to deliver a special message to President Kibaki, just two days after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vowed to act on Eritrea for allegedly supporting Somalia insurgents.
In an interview with the Nation at the Eritrean embassy in Nairobi, Mr Abdu said: "None of the Eritrean embassy staff has been deported for the last two and half years that I have been in the country and before."
The Nation had earlier reported that an Eritrean diplomat and a businessman had been expelled from Kenya. Immigration public communications officer, Mr E Njeru, said, "There are two cases involving Eritreans who were deported on security related grounds." But Mr Abdu said the reports were "groundless and baseless."
The envoy denied Mrs Clinton´s remarks that Eritrea was backing al-shabaab militias who are fighting the Somalia government and said Eritrea was not involved in efforts to destabilise the Ethiopian administration.
Although the Horn of Africa country with 5.5 million people sympathises with Somalis and wants their government reconstituted through comprehensive political reconciliation, the envoy said it had nothing to do with the al-shabaab.
Al-shabaab, which is believed to enjoy the backing of some foreigners, has killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands in its efforts to over-throw Sheikh Shariff Sheikh Ahmed government.
"Apart from Sheikh Ahmed who stayed in Eritrea for two years and hosting of conferences to try and bring peace to Somalia, Eritrea does not host the fighters," the envoy said.
He added that Sheikh Ahmed´s rival, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys also stayed in Eritrea. "Al-shabab has never stepped in Eritrea," he said.
According to the envoy, the Oromo Liberation Front that is fighting the Ethiopian government is "struggling for self-determination."
Mr Abdu accused Ethiopia of occupying Eritrea´s land, even after the latter fought for independence for 30 years and engaged in another war with it in 1998.
e said Eritrea severed links with Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for "blessing" the invasion of Ethiopian forces to Somalia despite a UN security council resolution that countries bordering it should not engage there.
Saying President Sheikh Sharif was hand-picked, Mr Abdu told journalists that for peace to return to Somalia, the issues should be left to them and that other countries should only act as facilitators.
He described Eritrea´s relationship with Kenya as good and cordial and that his presence in Nairobi was to help enhance this adding that his country´s Foreign Minister, Mr Mohammed was in the country to deliver a message from Eritrea´s President Isaias Afeworki to President Kibaki but could not disclose the subject.
Mr Mohammed who is said to have tried to reach the President Kibaki but in vain was to leave the country on Friday.
On Friday, Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula confirmed receiving the letter which he promised to pass on to President when he returns from a trip to Zambia next week.
Mr Abdu said Eritrea, which gained independence in 1991, is against dependence syndrome and that it was exploring for oil which could be struck by next year. The country is also rich in gold.
On Thursday, Mrs Clinton who is on a tour of Africa, warned of unspecified action against Eritrea but on Saturday Mr Abdu said the country´s Foreign Minister visit to Kenya had nothing to do with it.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Robert Wood would not elaborate on Mrs Clinton´s warning, but said the Obama administration believed Eritrea was supplying arms to militant groups. The Somalia fighting in June alone left more than 250 civilians dead and forced 160,000 others to flee their homes.
On the US Government's warning, Mr Abdu said he hoped the superpower would abide by international law as Eritrea was "innocent" and that there was no evidence it was backing criminals.
Yemen, Somalia in talks to assist disabled people
Yemeni Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Amat al-Razaq Humad met Saturday with Somalia's minister of Disabled and (their) Rehabilitation Mohammed Ali Ibrahim.
The meeting dealt with mutual cooperation between the two countries concerning the care and rehabilitation of the disabled and ways to strengthen the cooperation.
At the meeting, Ibrahim praised Yemen's support for Somalia in various fields, particularly receiving and providing aid for Somali refugees and displaced people.
Dutch place alleged jihadists in detention
A court in Rotterdam ordered the detention of a Moroccan and three Dutch citizens accused of trying to join Islamist rebels in Somalia.
A court in Rotterdam on Friday ordered the detention of a Moroccan and three Dutch citizens accused of trying to join Islamist rebels in Somalia, a court official said.
All four would be kept in custody for 14 days, lawyer Vincent de Winkel told AFP.
"They will appear at a later date before a court, which will decide on whether or not to extend their arrest warrant for a period that could run from 30 to 90 days," he added.
Kenyan police arrested the four men -- three Dutchmen and a Moroccan with Dutch residency papers -- on 24 July. On 30 July they were put on a plane to Brussels, where Belgian police arrested them.
At the request of the Dutch authorities, Belgium extradited them to the Netherlands on Wednesday.
The four men, each aged 21, are accused of having been on the way to join a Jihadist training camp in Somalia when Kenyan police intercepted them near the Kenya-Somalia border, according to the court.
Dutch media have reported the four were suspected of having aided Somalia's Shebab Islamist militant group.
The Al-Qaeda-inspired Shebab in Somalia have admitted to receiving backing from foreign fighters in their bid to topple Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
Ottawa won't say if DNA tests will help repatriate Canadian stuck in Nairobi by John Goddard / TORSTAR
Federal authorities refuse to assure a Toronto woman stuck in Africa that her DNA test results next week could settle the matter of her identity. Suaad Hagi Mohamud, who has languished in Nairobi for more than two months, describes her situation as desperate.
"I need to be home with my son," she said by phone yesterday from the Kenyan capital.
A question normally settled by a couple of long-distance calls has instead forced Mohamud into extreme acts of trying to prove herself.
When a Kenyan airport official challenged her four-year-old passport photo on May 21, she showed Canadian officials her Ontario driver's licence, OHIP card, social insurance card and Canadian citizenship certificate.
When officials rejected those, she hired a lawyer to make them take her fingerprints.
When potentially matching prints taken when she immigrated from Somalia 10 years ago could not be found, she went to court to make them take her DNA.
On July 27 in Nairobi, a lab technician took swabs of skin cells from Mohamud's mouth.
Two days later in Toronto, a technician took swabs from Mohamud's ex-husband Asbscir Hussein and 12-year-old son Mohamed Asbscir Hussein for matching.
The samples will be compared to prove whether Mohamud is the boy's mother and rightful holder of the passport she was carrying when she tried to fly to Toronto.
DNA test results are expected Tuesday or Wednesday from Orchid Cellmark labs of Vancouver, but Ottawa refuses to assure the woman that a positive result will bring her home.
Spokespeople for the foreign affairs department and Canada Border Services Agency refused to say if the government would accept DNA tests as proof of identity.
If it doesn't, Mohamud's Toronto lawyer Raoul Boulakia said he would fold the test results into his federal court case to repatriate the woman, which could take months.
Refugee lawyer goes the extra mile by Raveena Aulakh for TorontoStar
Toronto lawyer Raoul Boulakia, who assists new Canadians and refugees, says he´s always "wanted to do something which had a moral purpose."
Suaad Hagi Mohamud's story has touched many people who want to help her and her son, Mohamed Abscir.
Michelle Wong, a Thornhill mother, wants to take Mohamed to Saturday's Blue Jays game after she read that the 12-year-old is a big Jays and Leafs fan.
Yorkville's Martin Robertson was appalled Mohamud is incurring a debt through no fault of her own. "If you get behind in rent, it's hard to make up."
He wants to help her financially after a trust fund is set up.
Takes on case of woman stranded in Kenya over disputed passport photo
Raoul Boulakia almost always has answers for his clients. But for questions about himself, good luck getting answers.
Years ago, a classmate at Osgoode Hall Law School asked why he was studying refugee law. She pointed out, in a well-meaning way, that he had very good grades.
Boulakia didn't have an answer then; he doesn't have one now.
"I just felt more fortunate than others to get a legal education and wanted to do something which had a moral purpose," says Boulakia. "I always felt that."
Boulakia's first case while still a student in 1987 involved a Chilean refugee. Two weeks ago, he took on the high-profile predicament of Suaad Hagi Mohamud, an ethnic Somali woman marooned in Nairobi who has come to be known as the "Canadian refugee."
In between, he's fought dozens of cases, mostly on behalf of refugees and new Canadians.
It's a sunny Sunday morning and he's sitting in his third-floor office in Yorkville. The room is crammed with filing cabinets, boxes of papers and three large chairs. This is where he spends 10 hours a day, 6 days a week – when he's not in court.
Montreal-born Boulakia, 43, studied political science at the University of Toronto before going to law school at York University and launching a solo practice in 1990. He handles a lot of legal-aid cases and says he was never attracted to the big bucks. "I think there are enough lawyers for that, and too few who do the rest of the cases."
An idealist, he goes the extra mile for clients. (He took up Spanish in law school so he could help Chilean refugees. He's also fluent in French because his father is Tunisian.) He finds it tough to say no to people who need help and feels awful when they lose: "I know that when I say no, people will not necessarily find someone who will help them."
He remembers a Haitian woman who sought help with her application for refugee status. He didn't have time then, so she went to another lawyer and lost. When Boulakia met with her later, he discovered crucial evidence hadn't been entered. He agreed to take up her case, and this time she won.
The depth of appreciation shown by clients astounds him. One person he helped wanted to pay him after getting a job. But since legal aid had covered the bill, Boulakia suggested he donate to Amnesty International instead. He did, in Boulakia's name.
Gestures like that don't surprise Abdul Qadir Ali, a settlement counsellor with Midaynta Community Services, which works mainly with Somali newcomers. He calls Boulakia, whom he has known for 10 years, an "angel."
"He's very generous – if clients don't have money, he refers them to legal aid. But if they don't qualify, he fights their cases for free."
In the early '90s, changes to the Immigration Act required refugees to possess a passport or "satisfactory identity document" to become permanent residents.
The law meant thousands of Somalis would be denied landed immigrant status, since Somalia had no functioning government and documents were unobtainable.
Midaynta challenged the rules with help from Boulakia and legal aid clinics.
Boulakia underplays his achievements.
"I think I learn a lot when I work with refugees," he says. "When you meet people from other cultures, it pushes your understanding of human experiences."
Reading about Suaad Hagi Mohamud – who had left a son behind in Toronto and, because of the disputed authenticity of her Canadian passport, didn't know when she'd be allowed to return from Kenya – Boulakia was shocked to hear she had no representation in Canada.
So he was ready to help when approached on July 18 by Asbscir Hussein, Mohamud's ex-husband.
Hours of preparation for court paid off when the federal government agreed to do a DNA test and asked that criminal proceedings against her be postponed.
Now, Boulakia's waiting for the DNA results. He wants a happy end to her story. And if there isn't one, he's ready to go to back to court.
Muslims hold protest over arrests
By Ally Jamah (EASt)
Muslims in Nairobi held a protest rally yesterday calling on police to release people arrested before the arrival of US diplomat Hillary Clinton.
Starting outside Jamia Mosque after the noon prayers, hundreds of Muslims carried placards and chanting, saying the community was facing renewed police harassment due to Mrs Clinton´s visit.
Al-Amin Kimathi, head of Muslim Human Rights Forum who convened the rally, said at least 12 Muslims, including a 20-month-old baby, are being held by police. None has been charged with any offence.
Mr Kimathi said: "We are calling on police to charge those detainees in court or release them immediately if they are innocent."
He declined to reveal their identities citing security reasons.
Kimathi also claimed several other detainees were minors under the age of 15.
The leader said the detainees, arrested over the past two weeks, are being held at Kileleshwa Police Station and Inland Container Depot Police Station in Embakasi, Nairobi.
Police Spokesman Eric Kiraithe declined to comment saying he was still consulting over the matter. The detainees were reportedly arrested in Eastleigh and the city centre.
Others criticised police, especially Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, for arresting Muslims arbitrarily.
and where are Faina's 33 T-72 battle tanks destined for GOSS? The governmental committee to investigate the matter has not reported yet.
Sudan´s hostility threatens warm ties with Kenya by Joe Kiarie for EAStandard
Internationally, one of Kenya´s strongest points is brokering a peace deal that ended more than 20 years of civil war in Sudan.
However, the recent incessant negative gestures from Sudan, experts say, are a slap in the face.
Over the past two years, the Government has been forced to officially confront Sudanese authorities over harassment of Kenyans in Juba and cattle rustling in northern Kenya, among other issues.
But the climax of the unfriendly gestures is harassment of two Cabinet ministers by Sudanese soldiers.
The harassment has prompted an official apology from Sudan, although Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula has warned Kenya would not tolerate such incidents in future.
Questions now abound as to what the future portends for the two long-time allies, with conflict experts saying Sudan´s gestures hold more than meets the eye.
International Centre for Policy and Conflict Executive Director Ndung´u Wainaina says the gestures could either have been provoked by a border dispute or Sudan´s efforts to assert its sovereignty after decades of dependence on Kenya.
"Kenya and Sudan have a border dispute over the ownership of the Ilemi Triangle," Ndung´u says.
He says the fact that the triangle is the gateway to unexplored oil reserves in Southern Sudan could be the reason for the conflict.
"This area is administered by Kenya but claimed by Sudan and the issue should not be taken lightly, especially after the Migingo dispute," Wainaina says of the area that measures between 14,000 and 10,320sq km, and which Ethiopia also claims.
He says it is also suspicious the Sudanese People´s Liberation Army (SPLA) soldiers have been manning a roadblock, about a kilometre within Kenya´s side of the border.
"Why? Other countries usually have roadblocks at the border post or within their own territory. It might be a plan to change the border post," he says.
A recent Cabinet decision requires that all Immigration offices be located at the border. The Immigration office is located at Lokichoggio township, about 10km from the border post.
Blocked at the border
Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang´ was last week forced to call off an official mission after Sudanese soldiers manning a roadblock on the Kenyan side of the border blocked him.
Kenyan Immigration officials were also recently harassed by Sudanese forces as they went to the border post to assess the ground before relocating office.
But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sought to ease the suspicion over Sudan´s gestures, saying although the harassment of the ministers was unfortunate, it should be treated as a case of few overzealous soldiers.
"We have a cordial working relations with Sudan," Prof Igara Kabaji, the director of public communications at the ministry, told The Standard on Saturday.
He said the Ilemi Triangle has not provoked any tension. He said the two countries are addressing the issue.
EU warns over funding as ex-MPs sue Kiplagat
By Beauttah Omanga (EASt)
The European Union has warned it would only finance the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) if a credible judicial solution is established to punish masterminds of post-election violence.
The warning came as five former MPs and other political activists were allowed by a Nairobi court to sue TJRC Chairman Bethuel Kiplagat and stop him from running the affairs of the commission.
They were also allowed to seek orders to quash the oath he took on Monday.
But a Nairobi judge, Justice Jeanne Gacheche, declined to grant them an order stopping TJRC from running its affairs pending the determination of the suit.
In the EU statement released yesterday, 20 diplomatic missions accredited to Kenya, said they were concerned with the Cabinet decision last week, and cautioned that TJRC could not replace a judicial mechanism in dealing with post-election violence. The Cabinet shut the door on a special tribunal and instead settled on local courts, causing uproar among the public and the international community.
In a statement released yesterday by the EU Presidency, the member countries said: "We believe a properly mandated TJRC can play a role in national reconciliation, but it cannot replace a judicial mechanism."
It went on: "When considering whether to provide financial support to the TJRC, the EU and its member states will take such concerns into account." The EU welcomed the Government pledge to speed up judicial and police reform, but criticised the Cabinet decision, saying it lacked clarity as to how the Government would deliver a credible judicial process and provide justice for victims of the violence.
"We note the negative reaction among many in Kenyan society and their perception that the Cabinet statement does not ensure that Kenyans achieve justice through a process that meets international standards on human rights and the rule of law," said the statement.
The EU said it would encourage the Government and Parliament to consult on the matter and reach a consensus that fulfills previous commitments. The EU emphasised the need for a credible judicial process, saying it would not only be of immense benefit to Kenya, but also contribute to its future relationship with the Government. The envoys noted that the public perception was that TJRC could be asked to be a judicial process for crimes committed during post-election violence.
The EU members demanded the Government adhere to an agreement signed between its representatives and the International Criminal Court (ICC), last month.
Government delegation
A Government delegation met ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo and the two sides agreed a special tribunal would be established by the end of next month.
If this did not happen, they agreed, the Government would refer the matter to the ICC. The EU statement indicated that the foreign missions were keenly following developments on how post-election violence crimes would be handled.
"The EU considers prompt implementation of reforms set out in the National Accord to be of critical importance for reconciliation, nation-building,
development, and prevention of further conflict. At the heart of our concern for Kenya is the risk of the country returning to violence," said the diplomats. The statement said the EU recognises Kenya´s key role in regional stability and the importance of its partnership with Kenya in addressing regional issues. Those who have sued Mr Kiplagat are former MPs Njeru Kathangu, Otieno Mak´Onyango, Koigi wa Wamwere, Moses Mwihia, and Kalembe Ndile. Others are Mr Oneka Mnanairi, Mr Stephen Musau, Mr Samson Ojiayo, Ms Beatrice Kamau and Peter Young. They were asked to file the main suit within 21 days.
All the parties will then go to court on September 8, for hearing.
We do not send pictures with these reports, because of the volume, but picture this emetic scene with your inner eye:
A dying Somali child in the macerated arms of her mother besides their bombed shelter with Islamic graffiti looks at a fat trader, who discusses with a local militia chief and a UN representative at a harbour while USAID provided GM food from subsidised production is off-loaded by WFP into the hands of local "distributors" and dealers - and in the background a western warship and a foreign fishing trawler ply the waters of a once sovereign, prosper and proud nation, which was a role model for honesty and development in the Horn of Africa. (If you feel that this is overdrawn - come with us into Somalia and see the even more cruel reality yourself!)
There is no limit to what a person can do or how far one can go to help - if one doesn't mind who gets the credit !
ECOTERRA Intl. maintains a register for persons missing or abducted in the Somali seas (Foreign seafarers as well as Somalis). Inquiries by family member can be sent by e-mail to office[at]ecoterra-international.org
For families of presently captive seafarers - in order to advise and console their worries - ECOTERRA Intl. can establish contacts with professional seafarers, who had been abducted in Somalia, and their wives as well as of a Captain of a sea-jacked and released ship, who agreed to be addressed "with questions, and we will answer truthfully".
ECOTERRA - ALERTS and pending issues:
PIRATE ATTACK GULF OF ADEN: Advice on Who to Contact and What to Do http://www.noonsite.com/Members/sue/R2008-09-08-2
NATURAL RESOURCES & ARMED FISH POACHERS: Foreign navies entering the 200nm EEZ of Somalia and foreign helicopters and troops must respect the fact that especially all wildlife is protected by Somali national as well as by international laws and that the protection of the marine resources of Somalia from illegally fishing foreign vessels should be an integral part of the anti-piracy operations. Likewise the navies must adhere to international standards and not pollute the coastal waters with oil, ballast water or waste from their own ships but help Somalia to fight against any dumping of any waste (incl. diluted, toxic or nuclear waste). So far and though the AU as well as the UN has called since long on other nations to respect the 200 nm EEZ, only now the two countries (Spain and France) to which the most notorious vessels and fleets are linked have come up with a declaration that they will respect the 200 nm EEZ of Somalia but so far not any of the navies operating in the area pledged to stand against illegal fishing. So far not a single illegal fishing vessel has been detained by the naval forces, though they had been even informed about several actual cases, where an intervention would have been possible. Illegally operating Tuna fishing vessels (many from South Korea, some from Greece and China) carry now armed personnel and force their way into the Somali fishing grounds - uncontrolled or even protected by the naval forces mandated to guard the Somali waters against any criminal activity, which included arms carried by foreign fishing vessels in Somali waters.
LLWs / NLWs: According to recently leaked information the anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden are also used as a cover-up for the live testing of recently developed arsenals of so called non-lethal as well as sub-lethal weapons systems. (Pls request details) Neither the Navies nor the UN has come up with any code of conduct in this respect, while the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program (JNLWP) is sponsoring several service-led acquisition programs, including the VLAD, Joint Integration Program, and Improved Flash Bang Grenade. Alredy in use in Somalia are so called Non-lethal optical distractors, which are visible laser devices that have reversible optical effects. These types of non-blinding laser devices use highly directional optical energy. Somalia is also a testing ground for the further developments of the Active Denial System (ADS) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD). If new developments using millimeter wave sources that will help minimize the size, weight, and system cost of an effective Active Denial System which provides "ADS-ACTD-like" repel effects, are used has not yet been revealed. Obviously not only the US is developing and using these kind of weapons as the case of MV MARATHON showed, where a Spanish naval vessel was using optical lasers - the stand-off was then broken by the killing of one of the hostage seafarers. Local observers also claim that HEMI devices, producing Human Electro-Muscular Incapacitation (HEMI) Bioeffects, have been used in the Gulf of Aden against Somalis. Exposure to HEMI devices, which can be understood as a stun-gun shot at an individual over a larger distance, causes muscle contractions that temporarily disable an individual. Research efforts are underway to develop a longer-duration of this effect than is currently available. The live tests are apparently done without that science understands yet the effects of HEMI electrical waveforms on a human body.
ECOTERRA Intl., whose work does focus on nature- and human-rights-protection and - as the last international environmental organization still working in Somalia - had alerted ship-owners since 1992, many of whom were fishing illegally in the 200 nm Exclusive Economic Zone, to stay away from Somali waters. The non-governmental organization had requested the international community many times for help to protect the coastal waters of the war-torn state, but now lawlessness has seriously increased and gone out of hand.
ECOTERRA members with marine and maritime expertise, joined by it's ECOP-marine group, are closely and continuously monitoring and advising on the Somali situation. (for previous information concerning the topics please google keywords ECOTERRA (and) SOMALIA)
The network of the SEAFARERS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME helped significantly in most sea-jack cases. ECOTERRA Intl. is working in Somalia since 1986 on human-rights and nature protection, while ECOP-marine concentrates on illegal fishing and the protection of the marine ecosystems. Your support counts too.
Please consider to contribute to the work of SAP, ECOP-marine and ECOTERRA Intl. Please donate to the defence fund.
Contact us for details concerning project-sponsorship or donations via e-mail: ecotrust[at]ecoterra.net
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Press Contacts:
ECOP-marine
East-Africa
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africanode[at]ecoterra.net
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For more information see this article in The Nation or this article in Wired News.
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