Africa Comments (4)
As b real documented in the older Africa Thread, there are currently lots of weapons moving into and around Somalia. Al-Shabab is bringing up 'tanks' to Mogadishu and another showdown with the induced government and its supporting UN troops may come soon. In the north unknown low-flying planes were observed above Garowe, the capitol of the semi-autonomous Puntland.
Unknown aeroplanes which are said to be low flying have been spotted tonight in various residential areas in Garowe [north-eastern Somalia], Puntland region. The true identity of these planes are not yet known, however, some have said that they belong to the American Navy based along the Somali coast and particularly Puntland and are fighting piracy and terrorism in the Horn of Africa.
One of the planes flew at a very low range and could be seen by residents of Garoowe who are concerned about possible military operation that might be carried out by these planes along the Puntland coast.
Low flying planes at night is a bit curious. Reconnaissance drones tend to fly high. Someone delivered something overnight by parachute?
More on Africa in the comments.
Posted by b on May 9, 2009 at 01:46 AM | Permalink
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Posted by: b real | Jun 4, 2009 12:26:17 AM | 102
press release from the united nations piece of sh!t political office for somalia (UNPOS)
Former Somalia senior military officials to meet in Washington, DC
Nairobi, 03 June 2009 – Former Somali senior military officials will convene on the 4 and 5 June in Washington DC at a meeting organized by the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) under the auspices of the Somali Ministry of Defence.The meeting will serve as a preparatory forum that will solicit support and participation from prominent Somali military leaders with follow-up meetings expected to be held in late July.
In keeping with the Djibouti Agreement and the Government’s commitment to build up security institutions, the meeting will look at the structures of Somalia’s military before the collapse of the state and the best ways to address the current and future security needs.
“We are expecting this to be the first of several fruitful meetings,” UN Special Representative for Somalia Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah said. “The senior military officials that will participate in this meeting are respected for their past professional experience during a period in Somalia’s history when it was called upon to help train soldiers from other African nations.”
During the meeting, the participants will discuss best practices and the way forward for security sector development.
“This is a great opportunity for Somalis to find within their past some solutions to their future,” Mr. Ould-Abdallah said.
Posted by: b real | Jun 4, 2009 12:29:55 AM | 103
dutch video showing foreign fighter training TFG2 soldiers - around the 1:40 mark
Posted by: b real | Jun 4, 2009 12:38:48 AM | 104
same thing happened to ethiopia's ENDF
Somalia: UPDF go months without pay
Discontent is brewing within the Ugandan peacekeeping contingent under the African Union (AU) Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) with soldiers alleging they have spent months without pay.Originally the soldiers, under the Uganda-AU understanding, were supposed to receive an allowance of $500 on top of their salaries. $100 of this is given to them in Mogadishu to cover accommodation and food while the rest is credited on their bank accounts in their respective home countries.
The money is released in a lump-sum from the AU Peace Fund to defence ministries of the respective governments, who in turn should deposit it on the soldiers’ accounts.
However, Ugandan soldiers in Mogadishu have written to The Independent complaining that they have not received their allowances since November 2008. They also say families of their fallen comrades have not been compensated yet AU releases the money every month. This has sparked suspicion among the Ugandan contingent that their allowances have been diverted by their Ugandan superiors. “This money is being used by these corrupt officials for their personal gains yet our families are dying of hunger,” wrote one of the soldiers who requested for anonymity for fear of reprisals.
The soldiers also say that whereas the AU increased their allowances from $500 to $750 effective December 2008, Ugandan authorities have not formally communicated these changes or reflected them in their salary disbursements. Interestingly, the Burundi contingent on the same mission did not only receive formal communication about the increment, but have also been earning about $750, up from $400 since January this year. Uganda and Burundi are the only countries who have contributed troops to AMISOM.
The soldiers say the most affected belong to UGABAG 2 contingent which was deployed in October last year. The soldiers say they were instructed by the defence ministry to open new bank accounts different from the ones they already held where part of their allowances would be deposited. Left without explanation why their accounts have not been credited, the soldiers suspect the new accounts system was instituted to deny them chance to monitor their earnings.
Sources at AMISOM say there has been a salary crisis and confirmed complaints that peacekeepers haven’t been paid.
...
AMISOM’s spokesman, Maj. Barigye Ba-Hoku, said: “The contract is not between the soldier and AU but AU and the country. So the responsibility of paying the soldiers doesn’t lie with AU but with the government. To claim that a commander in Somalia can eat their money is baseless. Commanders don’t touch any money.”
Uganda’s army spokesman Maj. Felix Kulayigye said the AMISOM troops have not received their allowances since December. But he blamed the AU’s bureaucracy for delaying the release of money.
“We got information yesterday [May 22] that the payment process has been cleared and now we are waiting for Bank of Uganda to do its part and the money will be credited to their accounts,” Kulayigye said.
But soldiers in Mogadishu say that in what seems a move to calm the growing discontent, they were on May 16 paid $300 and told it was for November up to January. “Commanders after realising that we will get to know [the] fact[s], they started silencing everyone who talk[s] on that matter and worse still denying us access to communication and this was done by confiscating our mobile phone[s],” wrote one of the soldiers.
He said even the money turned out to be fake dollars and they refused it. He said commanders pointed out some soldiers as being behind organising the refusal and “they are now expecting action from above.”
Defence Minister Dr Crispus Kiyonga told parliament in February that AU owed Uganda Shs45 billion for AMISOM where the country has up to 2600 troops. This is debt accrued from unpaid and redeployment allowances, injury/disability and death compensation, as well as self-sustenance allowances.
The AMISOM is funded by USA, Britain, Sweden and EU, which last month pledged about €60 million to boost security in Somalia, part of which went to AMISOM.
Posted by: b real | Jun 4, 2009 1:01:36 AM | 105
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Sudan Seeks Foreign Blocks, Plans to Double Oil Ouput by 2015
US to host conference on Sudan peace accord
Posted by: b real | Jun 4, 2009 12:17:31 AM | 101