|
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.
garowe online editorial
Somalia’s deceitfully structured government near collapse
The Garowe Online Editorial Board has long reiterated its opposition to a bloated 550-seat Somali Parliament composed of clan warlords, war profiteers and so-called Islamist moderates who lack grassroots support within Somalia’s powerful Islamist community. And the so-called Government of National Unity that controlled very little territory ceded whatever little areas they controlled to the armed opposition on Sunday, May 10, after four days of heavy fighting not seen in Mogadishu since the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops in Jan. 2009.
Who is to blame for this new round of violence and mass displacement of Mogadishu civilians? Certainly, Col. Abdullahi Yusuf is not around anymore and the finger-pointing cannot reach his exiled home in Yemen. Yusuf’s Ethiopian army allies have retreated back to Ethiopia and continue to watch from the border as Islamist militia battle for whatever is left in Mogadishu. The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), a 4,000-strong peacekeeping force with bases at the airport and port facility, is under-manned and ill-equipped to face off against Mogadishu’s militants without immediate and sustained international support.
And Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, the U.N.-recognized President of Somalia, has very little recognition inside the country as violently demonstrated by the bullets and mortar barrages that have made him and his weak government no different than that of Ethiopian-backed former President Abdullahi Yusuf. As they say in Mogadishu, Sheikh Sharif has “lost touch” with the Islamists’ grassroots community – a gap that has been quickly filled by former ally-turned-rival Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, whose return to Mogadishu last month has inspired a new round of warfare unseen among Islamists in Somalia’s contemporary history.
U.N. Special Representative Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah might be excellent at producing promising statements about developments in Somalia, but he is detached from the realities and complexities of Somali politics as he has been the leading campaigner for President Sheikh Sharif and the so-called Government of National Unity whose parliament is under mortar attack and whose President hides behind AMISOM tanks. The international community has long been criticized for repeatedly recognizing, funding and supporting the “top-down approach” for the re-institutionalization of a national government in Somalia. But Mr. Ahmedou has taken that historic precedent to a new level by empowering a single faction, virtually with no constituents and no territorial control, and dressing up the faction leaders in shiny suits to pose for pictures with U.N. officials and world diplomats.
this assigns way too much autonomy to ould-abdallah, who only puts a u.n. face, i.e., a pretense of legitimacy, on this latest phase of structuring an administration that attempts to undercut the islamic revolution currently underway in somalia. he did not instigate any of this. the u.s. intelligence community was working to peel sheikh sharif off from sheikh aweys long before ould-abduallah rcvd his mandate.
The ‘Ahmedou Project,’ with the creation of a 550-seat Parliament facing logistical and security problems in Somalia, and the installation of an ‘Islamist President’ with minimal support within the Islamist community, is near collapse in the face of a fast-changing political landscape in Somalia. The millions of dollars that funded the ‘Ahmedou Project’ and the Djibouti-based peace process have thus far led to the outbreak of an Islamist civil war in Mogadishu. That money could have been better spent feeding the Somali masses facing war, displacement, drought, disease, and all-around desperation, mostly in the south-central regions ravaged by nearly 20 years of instability.
more likely, an intensification of an “islamist civil war” has been the desire outcome of this project all along. we watched this take shape w/ the fracture in the ARS, at one time still unified in the spirit of the ICU’s grassroots revolution, that ended w/ sharif’s contingent relocating from asmara to djibouti & interfacing openly w/ the members of the “international community”.
this is nothing new, really, if you go back & study histories of colonial projects, esp in muslim territories of north africa & the western middle east. they worked to peel off the less militant faction in order to exploit divisions & tensions and exert control over the shape of group reactions, while preventing the further political strengthening of an islamist agenda in somalia. despite differences across clans & that of the two self-declared republics in the north, somaliland & puntland, from the remainder of the country, somalia is actually quite a homogenous nation-state. there’s really only one core language & more than 90% of the population are sunni islam of the shāfi‘ī school of fiqh.
ever since the days of the colonialists there, continuous “projects” have been undertaken to frustrate ambitions for a unitary somalia. the gist of the externally-imposed transitional national govt program, which has at its core something called the ‘4.5 formula’ that essentially makes somali politics clan-centric, has now been retained by sharif’s regime. this is completely antithetical to his days as co-leader of the islamic courts union, which cut across clan lines & social heirarchies in the interest of implementing shari’a & somali nationalism. a very well-organized revolution based on pan-islamism & nationalism, that drove out of power the warlords propped up by the cia & ethiopia, and especially rejected the foreign meddling that worked to keep somalia in chaos since the cold war.
obviously this was interpreted as a dire threat to the “int’l community” and somalia’s neighbors, namely ethiopia & kenay, both of which have their own pieces of somali territories, replete w/ somali populations, bequeathed, illegitimately in the eyes of most, by colonial authorities and/or conquered w/ their assistance, and both have govts that are largely in the pockets of imperialist powers & hence are used accordingly in promoting & protecting their interests. not saying that they don’t each have their own national or special interests as well, however, in the era of the ‘american century’ which has as its pretext for preventing the rise of any challenging ideological alternatives a ‘global war on terror’, local interests take a secondary priority to that of their imperialist benefactors.
and so, in the case of somalia & counterrevolutionary tactics, a philosopy of ‘better to keep them attacking each other rather than us’ applies, no matter whether such fears are warranted or not. as was the case w/ the assessments of so many colonial security services, the real roots of organized resistance, namely political marginalization & direct socioeconomic factors, get overlooked (sometimes purposely) in order that blame can be fixated on external interference & mobilization. as if a population subjected to repression were incapable of analysing their own condition & responding internally. as if somalis would be just fine w/ their appointed leaders if weren’t that damn al-qai’da!
Posted by: b real | May 12 2009 5:56 utc | 9
AFRICOM’s $6 billion fiasco in Djibouti
when the Eritreans found out that the USA was building a major military base in Djibouti [google map] the Eritreans did what was prudent and made sure their military secured Eritrean high ground overlooking Djibouti.
It must have come as an unpleasant surprise for the USA military to find the entire AFRICOM base within potential range of Eritrean artillery, some 60 miles or so. One can only imagine the red-faced rage experienced by the generals in the Pentagon when they arrived at work one morning and were given the satellite images of Eritrean troops looking down from Eritrean soil on AFRICOM’s spanking new base being built on the Djiboutian coast. The Eritreans could, if they so desire, bring their artillery up onto the mountain tops and shut down the new AFRICOM base on a moment’s notice.
Eritrea, of course, is not stupid, and has no desire to start any war with the USA. Eritrea is not about to wave a red flag in the face of the USA military bull and there is no evidence or even suggestion that Eritrea has stationed any artillery overlooking Djibouti. On the other hand, Eritrea has lost a lot of blood winning its independence, something the USA was bitterly against from the very beginning, and very prudently made sure that its territory bordering Djibouti, very strategic high ground, was secure. Ethiopia has already occupied Eritrean territory on the Eritrean/Ethiopian/Djibouti border and continues to occupy Eritrean territory captured during the 2000 invasion. Eritrea, a fiercely proud and independent country, is not about to sit back and allow any further violation of its national territory.
To put it mildly, the USA is very unhappy having Eritrean troops in such a strategic position vis–vis their new base, which explains why the Djiboutian army attempted to capture the Eritrean military positions overlooking the new AFRICOM base last year. In short order, the battle hardened veterans of the Eritrean Defense Forces destroyed the Djiboutian invasion attempt and Eritrean boys still sit in their trenches overlooking the AFRICOM megabase in Djibouti.
What the generals in the Pentagon plan to do about this is anyone’s guess. The quick manner in which the Eritrean army crushed the Djiboutian incursion and the near mutinies reportedly taking place in the Djiboutian military over having to attack their former colleagues from Eritrea on behalf of the USA has left the USA with little room to maneuver.
The USA has tried bluffing Eritrea by ramming through a resolution in the UN Security Council demanding, in violation of international law and the UN’s own charter, that Eritrea withdraw its troops from its own territory. Eritrea has quite rightly denounced such demands and, with its bluff called, the USA is left with egg on its face.
One thing for sure is that the USA is not going to find it easy to swallow that fact that their new AFRICOM base in Djibouti has become a 6 billion dollar fiasco and made the USA military look like fools.
not sure how accurate the dollar amts the author cites are, and certainly the u.s. was not caught unawares that CJTF-HOA, which is an extension off the long-time french base, would be “within potential range of eritrean artillery”, but this scenario does help to explain the earlier flare-up which saw djibouti weakly claim to be the victim of an agressive border dispute w/ eritrea.
US seeks SA’s backing for Africom
SA is one of the major political powerhouses in Africa that US President Barack Obama’s administration will lobby to support the Command for Africa (Africom) programme.
The US claims to have the backing of Egypt and Kenya, which are considered influential states on the continent.
egypt? that’s the one african country excluded from the new combatant commands area of responsibility, although there has been mention of some form of overlap there b/w CENTCOM and AFRICOM to be defined in future memorandums.
During former p resident Thabo Mbeki’s time in office, Africom was met with scepticism by some members of the African Union (AU).
SA led the Southern African Development Community’s (Sadc’s) position against co-operating with the US on what was believed to be the militarisation of American foreign policy and aid.
The Obama administration believes that with the Bush administration out of the picture and a new leadership in SA , the attitude towards the US in general has changed.
…
The US believes there will be an increasing number of African countries buying into the Africom concept.
After talking separately to most countries, the US realises that these countries would like to be able to employ capable military forces, to strengthen their own security institutions, be able to support international peace efforts and peacekeeping, and have the ability to deter and defeat threats.
…and have an imperial superpower guarantee their regime’s backing against its opposition
or even its own allies
Museveni: I see no successor in NRM
He may have ruled Uganda for the past twenty three years but President Yoweri Museveni is still hesitant to hand over power, not even to members of the National Resistance Movement, of which he is the leader.
On Thursday the president told NRM Members of Parliament that while he would be “happy” to hand over power, he saw “nobody” ready to take on the daunting responsibility of leading Uganda.
Posted by: b real | May 16 2009 4:08 utc | 24
excerpt from latest commentary by abdikarim h. abdi buh @ wardheer news
Good Bye to Proxy TFG President Ahmedou Ould Abdallah’s:
Discordant Contract (UN – trusteeship): The hour of reckoning has just arrived
The proxy president of Somalia, Mr. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, is obsessed in misinterpreting the situation on the ground as he usually does by accusing the opposition forces of toppling a legitimate government. Nonetheless, the opposition forces are nationalists who are fighting for what is their inalienable right – to run the affairs of their own country in their own way and to flesh out the foreign sponsored TFG and its AMISOM mercenaries. The Islamist cadres are aware of the appalling intention of the international community and are committed to capture or disable the three remaining foreign fortresses- Airport, Sea port and the presidential palace – before the UN campaign of organising a deplorable peace spoiler force leaves the drawing room.
Mr. Ahmedou, the proxy Somalia president, is out of touch with reality and most probably lives in a bubble of his own or may be driven to insanity by his extreme view of keeping Somalia under UN trusteeship in perpetuity. “These extremists know that they do not have the support of the Somali people and that is why they have to bring in foreign fighters who are not connected to the situation in Somalia in any way,” Ould-Abdallah said in a statement. How on earth can he justify that the 5,000 strong foreign force of AMISOM troops equipped to the teeth are considered to have connection to the situation in Somalia? Despite his obviously expatriate assertions, the Islamists are enjoying the grass root support of their masses including a large segment of the Somali Diaspora who are labeled as foreigner fighters by the colonial officer as quoted above.
…
It is apparent that the war which has just started is the making of President Sharif who foolishly betrayed his comrades in arms in the misplaced assumption that the international community’s blessing could be translated into automatic local recognition – the guy lacks political experience and maturity and is not even aware of the old adage “that a political mistake committed can only be paid in blood.”
…
To safe Mogadishu from further destruction, the Sharif and his TFG should leave the political scene for the Islamists. The Islamists will definitely bring sustainable peace and stability at an affordable price as they demonstrated in the large areas they control. Somalia needs peace and security and its people are willing to temporarily trade off some of their liberties for the taste of this after sought product(peace) which the Islamists have the monopoly to deliver.
In contrast to Sharif, the Islamists are committed to earn the local recognition and relegated international recognition from the west at the bottom of their priorities. International recognition, the kiss of death in contemporary Somalia, comes with a lot of strings that are untenable and detrimental to the political independence, sovereignty and self rule of Somalia.
wonder who this anon ‘western diplomat’ ‘in mogadishu’ spreading FUD was – provided this wasn’t a fictional creation of al-sharq al-awsat or a poorly-constructed sentence…
In Mogadishu a Western diplomat has warned of the fall of Somalia into the hands of Al-Qaeda, stressing that Al-Qaeda supporters are heavily and openly present in various parts of the capital Mogadishu. The diplomat, who preferred not to be identified, added: “Al-Qaeda is basically present in the southern part of Somalia in the city of Kismayu near the border with Kenya. Estimates of their numbers vary, but there seems to be a plan to make Somalia a safe haven for Al-Qaeda, from which they would work to spread and establish an Islamic state in Somalia `Al-Qaeda style`.”
The same Western diplomat regarded this as possible, unless the Somali government moves in various ways to confront this plan. The source added: “The situation is serious and it has not been confronted decisively; consequently, of course, it expanded and still is expanding, and the opportunity is still there, but it needs a lot of more intensive work, the idea is for Somalia to fall and to establish a regime similar to that of Afghani Taliban. As a forgotten state, Somalia is suitable for establishing such a regime.”
Al-Shabab seizes another key town
Al-Shabab militants have captured Mahaday, a key town about 23 km north of Jowhar, the regional capital of middle Shabelle Region, witnesses said on Monday.
…
The seizure of Mahaday and Jowhar towns will be a big blow to the fragile government of Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed and the Shabab will take over the whole country.
Residents said al-Shabab captured the town with no resistances from the Islamic Courts Union who were controlling Middle Shabelle region.
Three districts of the four districts of Middle Shabelle region has now fallen to the hands of al-Shabab militants.
The Somali government has been amassing troops in Mogadishu to defe[at] al-shabab and their allies. Former warlords have been reportedly active in the activity of the troop mobilization in Mogadishu.
other rpts state that it was fighters from hizbul islam, not al shabaab, which took over mahaday, w/o any resistance. and sunday’s rout at jowhar was not just al shabaab. hassan turki had his fighters there too.
the previous warlord mayor of mogadishu, mohamed dhere, was at one time the warlord of jowhar, until he was defeated by the ICU in 2006. haven’t seen his name pop up in the news for several weeks but i would expect that he’s one of those mobilizing their loyalists to retake jowhar.
sheikh sharif is also from jowhar, so there is a symbolic aspect to its fall to the insurgency as well.
Government troops advancing to Jowhar, run over rebel commander
Sources say Somali government soldiers with more than seventy armored vehicles are reportedly advancing to Jowhar, a strategic town that connects Mogadishu and central Somalia towns.
Al-Shabab and Raskamboni fighters led by Hassan Abdulahi Hersi known as Turki captured the town from pro government Islamists on Sunday.
Residents in the suburbs of north Mogadishu said the government soldiers ran over a rebel, Islamist commander, Moalim Hashi with his militia and took from him three battle wagons.
Reports from Jowhar town in middle Shabelle region say there is fear that fighting could start in the town at any time since the government soldiers are heading to the town.
there aren’t too many govt soldiers left, esp after the reported defections over the last week. more likely, these are mostly assembled militias in the pay of the govt
Posted by: b real | May 19 2009 5:11 utc | 34
commentary taking the position ‘so what if there are “foreign fighters” among the insurgency’?
Somalia and the Question of Foreign Fighters
I am prepared to accept the notion that these numbers are entirely plausible. One cannot deny that it is quite possible for foreign fighters to find their way to Somalia in order to do battle against the forces of neo-colonial oppression.
What I find truly remarkable is the brazen hypocrisy of the Western world with respect to the concept of foreign fighter. Let us begin with the example of the British army, with respect to its use of foreign fighters. During the illustrious history of the British army, one is able to identify many instances of the British employing foreign fighters in order to satisfy their military objectives. One can speak of the King’ African Rifles, during the time of the British empire, and say many a dark skinned individual has carried arms in the service of the British Crown. Even in the present day, it is quite obvious that the British army cannot do without the Ghurka soldiers who famously come from the mountainous nation of Nepal.
Let us now discuss the habits of the modern American military hierarchy, with respect to the use of foreign fighters in the service of American national interest. One only has to look at the thousands of mercenaries—currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan—who hail from far flung places such as Croatia, Sierra Leone, El Salvador, South Africa, Poland, Guatemala, and The Philippines just to name a few. Indeed, by definition an empire is an entity capable of drawing its fighters from the many nations under both its political and military influence.
Now let us return to the question of foreign fighters currently operating inside Somalia. When one puts aside the unreasonable—and frankly ridiculous assertions of the US Department of State, the UNPOS, and the AU—it is easy to see that the vast majority of the foreign fighters currently inside Somalia are there as a result of a neo-colonial scheme designed to deprive the Somali nation of its God given right to national self-determination. I state, for the benefit of all Somali people, that the foreign fighters who are most unwelcome in Somalia are the 4300 AMISOM soldiers who currently protect the illegitimate and monstrous TFG of so-called President Shariif.
The only foreign fighters—to my knowledge—causing the Somali nation a great deal for suffering are the thousands of Ethiopian soldiers who periodically make incursions inside the Somali national territory. Such military incursions are not only illegitimate but they are brazen acts of state sponsored terrorism on the part of the so-called great powers of this world.
perception mgmt game continues & there’s a reason these anonymous fellas prefer to not link their names to their propaganda
Al-Shabab’s pyrrhic victory?
According to a political observer in the capital, however, the capture of Jowhar may be a sign that Al-Shabab has peaked.
“In my opinion this is as far they will reach,” he said. “They have entered hostile territory, where they are less popular than even the Ethiopians [troops] were.” The Ethiopian soldiers were invited by the Transitional Federal Government in December 2006 to help oust the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC).
Pointing to the recent defection of prominent opposition figure Sheikh Yusuf “Indha Cadde” to the government side, which he described as a boost, the observer said Mogadishu’s apparent weakness “may in fact work to the benefit of the government by galvanising supporters to take the offensive”.
Separately, a regional analyst, who requested anonymity, said: “The fall of Jowhar is less a sign of Al-Shabab’s strength than the government’s apparent disarray and paralysis.
“Either the opposition will maintain the initiative, fatally eroding the government’s authority and cohesion; or the crisis will provoke a determined and unified reaction from the government.”
that talking point of white eyed’s latest announcement being a “boost” for the vanishing TFG has certainly made the rounds in western media. that move, along w/ talk of sheikh sharif’s widespread popularity are grossly exaggerated – popularity inside somalia, that is. the west will pitch him as the last best chance (as prendergast stated before correcting his phrasing at the march CSIS panel) since he’s [1] on the dole and [2] their ideal of a “moderate” somali islamist, meaning he does what they request.
there are elements in the al shabaab mvmt, which is a front group & not any single militia, which are too extreme for the vast majority of somalis. some observers believe there are foreign provocateurs infiltrating some of the militias subversively working against the mvmt. but they are a minority & most of the islamist militas are supported based on [1] their ability to provide stability, security & order where there has been little, if any, for way too long, [2] their transcendance of clan politics, something that sheikh sharif’s TFG2 continues to exploit to this very moment, and [3] sovereignty & nationalist politics, first defeating foreign ethiopian forces, and now closer to toppling yet another narrow govt imposed on it by foreigners.
and if ethiopian forces are overtly entering into somalia again to block the islamists from taking over beletweyne & the rest, which would essentially complete their control of all of central & southern somalia save a few blocks inside mogadishu still held by the TFG2, it will actually be a boost for al shabaab & the rest
– – –
reuters: Anti-piracy body backs off on int’l maritime force
KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 (Reuters) – An international piracy conference on Tuesday backed off tough proposals calling for an international naval taskforce to be set up under U.N. auspices to fight Somali pirates after members disagreed over implementation.
…
The initial resolution from more than 60 countries and the European Union was watered down after a two-day conference in the Malaysian capital that brought together governments, navies and shipping bodies.
“The United Nations is invited to consider further the possibility of taking joint measures through the contact group on piracy off the coast of Somalia and its working groups to coordinate maritime force operations to suppress acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships off the coast of Somalia,” the final statement said.
That was far weaker than a draft statement, seen by Reuters, that called for the United Nations to consider “the establishment of an international maritime force to suppress acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships off the coast of Somalia”.
A senior maritime official who attended the conference said: “Asking for the formation of an international maritime force has legal and political ramifications”.
“We are going forward too fast,” the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
…
Richard Farrington, Chief of Staff of European Naval forces, told the conference there are now 25 warships from the European Union, China, the United States and Japan patrolling 2.5 million square miles of waters off the coast of Somalia.
“We need 60 (vessels) in the Gulf of Aden and another 150 in the Somali basin,” Farrington said.
…
While some navies have taken robust action, others take the view it is not illegal to carry weapons in international waters and arrests cannot be made unless there is evidence of piracy.
if it were illegal there wouldn’t be 25 warships in the area
Posted by: b real | May 20 2009 5:25 utc | 36
commentary taking the position ‘so what if there are “foreign fighters” among the insurgency’?
Somalia and the Question of Foreign Fighters
I am prepared to accept the notion that these numbers are entirely plausible. One cannot deny that it is quite possible for foreign fighters to find their way to Somalia in order to do battle against the forces of neo-colonial oppression.
What I find truly remarkable is the brazen hypocrisy of the Western world with respect to the concept of foreign fighter. Let us begin with the example of the British army, with respect to its use of foreign fighters. During the illustrious history of the British army, one is able to identify many instances of the British employing foreign fighters in order to satisfy their military objectives. One can speak of the King’ African Rifles, during the time of the British empire, and say many a dark skinned individual has carried arms in the service of the British Crown. Even in the present day, it is quite obvious that the British army cannot do without the Ghurka soldiers who famously come from the mountainous nation of Nepal.
Let us now discuss the habits of the modern American military hierarchy, with respect to the use of foreign fighters in the service of American national interest. One only has to look at the thousands of mercenaries—currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan—who hail from far flung places such as Croatia, Sierra Leone, El Salvador, South Africa, Poland, Guatemala, and The Philippines just to name a few. Indeed, by definition an empire is an entity capable of drawing its fighters from the many nations under both its political and military influence.
Now let us return to the question of foreign fighters currently operating inside Somalia. When one puts aside the unreasonable—and frankly ridiculous assertions of the US Department of State, the UNPOS, and the AU—it is easy to see that the vast majority of the foreign fighters currently inside Somalia are there as a result of a neo-colonial scheme designed to deprive the Somali nation of its God given right to national self-determination. I state, for the benefit of all Somali people, that the foreign fighters who are most unwelcome in Somalia are the 4300 AMISOM soldiers who currently protect the illegitimate and monstrous TFG of so-called President Shariif.
The only foreign fighters—to my knowledge—causing the Somali nation a great deal for suffering are the thousands of Ethiopian soldiers who periodically make incursions inside the Somali national territory. Such military incursions are not only illegitimate but they are brazen acts of state sponsored terrorism on the part of the so-called great powers of this world.
perception mgmt game continues & there’s a reason these anonymous fellas prefer to not link their names to their propaganda
Al-Shabab’s pyrrhic victory?
According to a political observer in the capital, however, the capture of Jowhar may be a sign that Al-Shabab has peaked.
“In my opinion this is as far they will reach,” he said. “They have entered hostile territory, where they are less popular than even the Ethiopians [troops] were.” The Ethiopian soldiers were invited by the Transitional Federal Government in December 2006 to help oust the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC).
Pointing to the recent defection of prominent opposition figure Sheikh Yusuf “Indha Cadde” to the government side, which he described as a boost, the observer said Mogadishu’s apparent weakness “may in fact work to the benefit of the government by galvanising supporters to take the offensive”.
Separately, a regional analyst, who requested anonymity, said: “The fall of Jowhar is less a sign of Al-Shabab’s strength than the government’s apparent disarray and paralysis.
“Either the opposition will maintain the initiative, fatally eroding the government’s authority and cohesion; or the crisis will provoke a determined and unified reaction from the government.”
that talking point of white eyed’s latest announcement being a “boost” for the vanishing TFG has certainly made the rounds in western media. that move, along w/ talk of sheikh sharif’s widespread popularity are grossly exaggerated – popularity inside somalia, that is. the west will pitch him as the last best chance (as prendergast stated before correcting his phrasing at the march CSIS panel) since he’s [1] on the dole and [2] their ideal of a “moderate” somali islamist, meaning he does what they request.
there are elements in the al shabaab mvmt, which is a front group & not any single militia, which are too extreme for the vast majority of somalis. some observers believe there are foreign provocateurs infiltrating some of the militias subversively working against the mvmt. but they are a minority & most of the islamist militas are supported based on [1] their ability to provide stability, security & order where there has been little, if any, for way too long, [2] their transcendance of clan politics, something that sheikh sharif’s TFG2 continues to exploit to this very moment, and [3] sovereignty & nationalist politics, first defeating foreign ethiopian forces, and now closer to toppling yet another narrow govt imposed on it by foreigners.
and if ethiopian forces are overtly entering into somalia again to block the islamists from taking over beletweyne & the rest, which would essentially complete their control of all of central & southern somalia save a few blocks inside mogadishu still held by the TFG2, it will actually be a boost for al shabaab & the rest
reuters: Anti-piracy body backs off on int’l maritime force
KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 (Reuters) – An international piracy conference on Tuesday backed off tough proposals calling for an international naval taskforce to be set up under U.N. auspices to fight Somali pirates after members disagreed over implementation.
…
The initial resolution from more than 60 countries and the European Union was watered down after a two-day conference in the Malaysian capital that brought together governments, navies and shipping bodies.
“The United Nations is invited to consider further the possibility of taking joint measures through the contact group on piracy off the coast of Somalia and its working groups to coordinate maritime force operations to suppress acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships off the coast of Somalia,” the final statement said.
That was far weaker than a draft statement, seen by Reuters, that called for the United Nations to consider “the establishment of an international maritime force to suppress acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships off the coast of Somalia”.
A senior maritime official who attended the conference said: “Asking for the formation of an international maritime force has legal and political ramifications”.
“We are going forward too fast,” the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
…
Richard Farrington, Chief of Staff of European Naval forces, told the conference there are now 25 warships from the European Union, China, the United States and Japan patrolling 2.5 million square miles of waters off the coast of Somalia.
“We need 60 (vessels) in the Gulf of Aden and another 150 in the Somali basin,” Farrington said.
…
While some navies have taken robust action, others take the view it is not illegal to carry weapons in international waters and arrests cannot be made unless there is evidence of piracy.
if it were illegal there wouldn’t be 25 warships in the area
Posted by: b real | May 20 2009 5:25 utc | 37
Here are some updates on the violence in the Niger Delta. The JTF assault is continuing on the Gbaramatu Ijaw people near the Escravos oil installation. There are at least 5 villages that are being pounded or may be history by now.
From the Vanguard
Chief Akowei Oboko from Kunukunuma community told Sunday Vanguard that scores of persons were killed by the JTF, which stormed the town on Friday with jet and helicopter bombers, bombing everywhere. We don’t know what we have done to warrant this attack by the JTF, is the Federal Government at war with us”, he queried.
Chief Godspower Gbenekama from Benikurukuru community who was at Oporoza for the aborted Amaseikumo festival was among the lucky persons that escaped alive from the community, Friday, told Sunday Vanguard, “The Ameseikumo festival in Oporoza has been halted and so many people were killed when the JTF struck with helicopter, gunboats, jet bombers and warships.
Twenty five corpses have been picked up in Oporoza as at the time I fled the community, one of those injured is a traditional chief. Over 20 persons are missing and I don’t know the reason for this genocide. I tell you, what the JTF came to do was to wipe out the community. How can they use such weapons on innocent and defenceless citizens. As I speak to you now, nobody in that village can sleep in his house, all of them have run and fled into the bush, it is the ones who could not run that they bombed and killed. A lot of buildings were destroyed and the youths are angry, the government should call the JTF to order.
Chief Godspower Viavrivinde also told Sunday Vanguard that 10 persons, including men, women and children were killed in Kurutie community. He fled the community through Sapele and got to Warri last Friday afternoon. Chief Oyagha Heaven said fighting was on between Okerenkoko youths and the JTF when he fled on Friday. His words, “The JTF troops were advancing towards Okerenkoko, which we hear they want to attack because of the false claim that it is the traditional headquarters of militants in the kingdom.
The youths confronted them five nautical miles away from the community. But right now, the people have fled the community, they have all run into the forest and I don’t expect otherwise when they saw helicopter and jet bombers throwing bombs in the neighbouring Kurutie and Kunukunuma. We hear that Okerenkoko is next in their plan to attack and that they are even planning to trail Gbaramatu leaders staying in Warri and arrest them, this will be a dangerous development”, he warned.
Clark blasts Minister of Defence, SFG: An angry Ijaw National Leader, Chief Edwin Clark whose appeal to the Minister of Defence and other top federal government officials to halt the invasion by the JTF was rebuffed berated them yesterday for the genocide meted on Ijaw people. In a text message sent to the Minister, Secretary to the Federal Government and the Commander of the JTF, Major General Sarkin Bello, Chief Clark said, “Good morning, your directives to JTF to bomb, kill and destroy the Ijaws for the past three consecutive days despite my appeal is no doubt a preconceived deliberate decision of the Federal Government to eliminate the Ijaws in order to have undisturbed, free access to our oil and gas.
And from Wednesday’s Punch:
Military onslaught continues, more people killed
By Sola Adebayo, Warri
Published: Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Peace remained elusive in the Niger Delta on Tuesday as the Joint Task Force in the area, Operation Restore Hope, resumed shooting and bombing in the coastal Gbaramatu communities in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.
Tuesday’s attacks, specifically on Okerenkoko community in the area, occurred after 24 hours of respite.
Many persons were reported dead and buildings razed during the invasion of the community by the federal troops.
It was learnt that President Umaru Yar’Adua ordered a ceasefire on Monday due to the pleas by the Vice-President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and other notable South-South leaders.
The onslaught was triggered by the killing of 12 soldiers by suspected militants last Wednesday.
However, the JTF mobilised two jet bombers, 10 gunboats and a warship, NNS Obula, which was rehabilitated after it was hit by dynamite fired by suspected militants on Saturday, to the Ijaw community in the early hours of Tuesday.
A reliable source told our correspondent that no fewer than 1,000 soldiers carried out Tuesday’s operation in the Ijaw settlement.
The soldiers launched the attacks from the air and water. The jet bombers provided air support and cover for the gunboats and warships for massive shelling of the community.
A source from Okerenkoko war zone said, “The troops of JTF arrived again here (Okerenkoko) on Tuesday morning and launched attacks through the air and sea. So many persons have been killed and maimed. A lot of our people, including the injured, are in the forest as I am talking to you now.”
Tuesday’s development occurred at a time the state Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, was in Abuja to brief Yar’Adua on the security situation in the state and plead with him to stop the military operation in the area.
Yar’Adua, according to our source, asked the helmsmen of the security agency to rely solely on the rules of engagement and orders emanating from the Defence Headquarters, which supervises the security outfit.
Meanwhile, the apparent failure of Jonathan to stop the operation continued to attract condemnation by his Ijaw kinsmen in the region on Tuesday.
The Warri Ijaw Peace Monitoring Group in a statement on Tuesday asked Jonathan to resign from his exalted position since he could not come to the aid of his kinsmen.
The JTF spokesman, Col. Rabe Abubakah, confirmed the operation in Okerenkoko in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Tuesday.
He said that the exercise was in continuation of the ongoing military operation in the Niger Delta.
Abubakah asked community leaders in the areas to isolate and fish out the militants in their midst in order to avert further havoc on their communities.
He stated that the militants would be fished out and the hostages freed at all costs, adding that all prohibited weapons in wrong hands would be recovered.
Yardie does not even seem interested, it is just business as usual in the Delta:
World leaders not scared of visiting Nigeria – Yar’Adua
By Ihuoma Chiedozie, Abuja
Published: Wednesday, 20 May 2009
President Umaru Yar’Adua on Tuesday broke his silence on the ongoing military onslaught on militants in the Niger Delta, saying it would not discourage world leaders from visiting Nigeria.
Yar’Adua, who addressed a joint press conference with the visiting Togolese President, Mr. Faure Eyadema, in Abuja, said the current Niger Delta crisis was not different from what it was in the past.
…
“The situation in the Niger Delta region has been there remotely for decades and the escalation of violence and criminality that has taken root has been there for between eight and nine years.
Many of Ed Kashi’s photos from Curse of the Black Gold are from the Escravos Gbaramatu area. Much of the movie Sweet Crude was also filmed in this area of the Niger Delta.
The Under 17 World Cup in Nigeria 2009 was supposed to feature Warri as one of the venues. FIFA was supposed to visit Warri this week. The visit was cancelled and I read today that Warri has been cancelled as a venue.
Posted by: xcroc | May 20 2009 16:34 utc | 38
in this ringing endorsement of the somali president, we find out that the u.s. assistant secretary of african affairs does not even know the country
carson, starting @ 51:16 in
uh, Sheikh Sharif was, uh, uh, elected as the president of, uh, Somaliland, uh, through the Djibouti process. Uh, we think that we was a compromise, uh, candidate, uh, who represented, uh, the views of the largest number of clan participants, uh, in that uh, in that uh, election. Uh, we think that he offers the, uh, best chance for, uh, possible reconciliation and peace in Somalia, uh, that we have seen over the, uh.. over the last decade. Uh, he is not, uh, a, uh, warlord. uh, he is not, uh, a milita man. Uh, he is, uh, from a rather humble background. Uh, an educator. Uh, and is a man who has sought, uh, to, uh, unite, uh, the various clans, uh, in Somalia in a more inclusive, uh, government. Uh, we believe that is important to do as much as we possibly can to support this T-F-G government, uh, as one of the, uh, last opportunities, uh, for, uh, bringing about, sta.. stability, uh, in that country.
too funny. the u.s. flew in that “largest number of clan participants” specifically for that very reason. and someone might want to point out this well-known picture to the guy
carson could very well make jendayi frazer come across as an eloquent speaker in this role
Posted by: b real | May 22 2009 17:15 utc | 48
@b real – I find your coverage of Somalia and the other stories you cover invaluable. I’m following these events in the Niger Delta, and will try to share some of the information as I am able.
I’m not able to submit comments from home in this past week. It may be my older Macs that are the problem. When I press Post, I get an error message that seems to think the message is empty, if I’m reading it correctly.
Niger Delta –
It is looking like an all out war on the Ijaw in the Chanomi Creeks area, between Warri and the sea. The JTF even attacked militants in Warri, closing businesses and sending people running for cover. The filmmakers of hear this from their contacts:
___
According to first-hand accounts by village residents, the JTF used gunboats and helicopters to fire on villages, with women and children among the estimated 500 casualties. Some were killed while fishing in canoes. Residents fled in terror into the bush. The villages are now deserted and as many as 30,000 civilians are displaced without adequate food or water supply.
There is no way to accurately report on the number of casualties, as aid agencies have not been able to get into the region. This leaves the injured without medical attention, as there are no hospitals in the area. It is reported that the JTF has closed the waterways, barring outside access and preventing villagers from traveling and fishing.
There is a tragic history of Niger Delta civilian communities being targeted by the Nigerian military. In 1999, Odi, a community of 5,000 was wiped out completely � all residents were killed and the village was razed. In 2005, Odioma suffered a similar fate, as did the village of Agge in 2008.
___
Ijaw elders and leaders issued the statement The Systematic Destruction of the Ijaw including:
___
b) The burning, destruction, complete razing of Okerenkoko, Oporoza, Kunukunuma, Peretorukorigbene, Kurutie and many other communities and the killing and maiming of innocent people including women and children amount to systemic annihilation of an ethnic race and this is simply genocide. It therefore deserves international condemnation.
…
d) The Ijaw ethnic nation contributes more than 70% of Nigeria’s wealth. We appear to be a people who have become victims of our own wealth by the use of sophisticated military hardware bought with our own petro-naira to kill our people.
…
e) It is indeed criminal, unjustified, inconsiderate and callous to declare full military operations on communities in the guise of undertaking a search and rescue mission for hostages and missing personnel whereas it is common knowledge that hostages and hijacked vessels are secured within the precinct of militant camps and not villages inhabited by innocent people. This is nothing but a deeply contemplated systemic killing of the Ijaw people in furtherance of the age-long crave by sections of this country to either forcefully relocate us or make the Ijaw identity extinct in the Nigerian map with a view to taking over full possession of our natural resources.
f) The Ijaw ethnic nation appeals to the United Nations Organisation to set up a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding this latest assault and killing of hapless and innocent people since we do not foresee the possibility of justice from a Nigerian government commissioned inquiry.
___
And there is also: Niger Delta Women call for an end to genocide
___
PRESS STATEMENT – May19, 2009
STOP THE GENOCIDE IN DELTA STATE: THE CRY OF NIGER DELTA WOMEN
We, the women of the Niger Delta have noted with dismay the horrifying act of genocide meted out to innocent indigenes and inhabitants of Gbaramatu kingdom in Delta State by operatives of the Joint Task Force. This is happening despite repeated declaration by the Yar’adua government of its good intentions to address the issues and the neglect of the Niger Delta people. By this action, it has been revealed that the President feigned his sympathy for the Niger Delta problems with his much acclaimed 7-point agenda, the setting up of the Technical Committee on the Niger Delta as well as the establishment of the Ministry for the Niger Delta. But the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Umar Musa Yar’dua could not pretend for long too. Perhaps, he could have been labeled a rebel to deviate from the path towed by previous administrations, especially the Obasanjo administration that ordered the razing down of Odi, a Niger Delta community, in 1999.
Thus, the Yar’adua administration has manufactured its own excuse for a greater massacre of Niger Delta women and children under the guise of fishing out militants. Beginning Wednesday, May 13, 2009 the Joint Task Force has been bombing Kurutie, Kokodiagbene, Kunukunuma, Oporoaza and Okerenkoko communities in Gbaramatu kingdom of Delta State, killing innocent persons, majority of them, women and children. Many more persons are rendered homeless; the Punch of Monday, May 18, 2009 reported that about 20,000 people are trapped in these riverine communities because the waterways are blocked by the JTF.
The displaced persons who took refuge in the Ogbe-Ijoh General Hospital were further made to flee the camp due to the invasion by soldiers from the Joint Task Force. As at Tuesday, May 19, 2009, the soldiers proceeded to carry out a house to house gruesome burning of persons and properties Okerenkoko community. The implication is that the re-branding Nigeria project has succeeded in rebranding everyone in the Niger Delta militants, including women, children, governors, aged, kings, chiefs, physically challenged et al.
Thousands of harmless women and children have been killed while some are displaced. Schooling has been disrupted for a great majority of children in the Gbaramatu kingdom of Niger Delta; having access to food and shelter has suddenly become a luxury; safety & security is far from the people; development has become a mockery; access to sanitary facilities for the women is out of the question. Many are scrambling to safety but no thoroughfare. The cries of the Niger Delta women have re-echoed. The Federal government is the killer of women and children. Instead of giving them food, education, health and security; the women and children of the Niger Delta are given bullets, blood, grief and poverty. WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
…
___
The general sentiment seems to be running high on anti-militant. Though keep in mind most of the political players employ “militants” and “restless youth” as thugs and paramilitaries some of the time. Comment threads have a lot of the kill them all sentiment expressed.
The people who are getting killed are mostly the people in the villages. I read somewhere that the militants, don’t know which group, were threatening to come after the Northern big men who control the oil, both legal and illegal. And they did say they would come after the JTF soldiers’ families as well. Of course it is not just the Northerners who are involved in the illegal oil cartels. Some of the governors in the south are deeply involved.
Posted by: xcroc | May 23 2009 16:51 utc | 51
(I did not put any bolding html in this comment, but the preview is showing the entire comment as bold. I’ve tried a bunch of things to undo this but none worked, so I’m publishing it as is, and again, apologies for the bolding, it is not intentional.)
Nigeria is currently engaged in a rebranding effort, to try and attract tourism to Nigeria. As the Niger Delta Women say, quoted in #51 above: “… the re-branding Nigeria project has succeeded in rebranding everyone in the Niger Delta militants, including women, children, governors, aged, kings, chiefs, physically challenged et al”. Despite all the destruction, there is not much evidence that the JTF has laid a glove on the actual militants. There were extravagant claims of high tech weaponry that they seized from Camp 5 and Iroko. But they made a display of what they seized that was pictured in Punch by Sola Adebayo who also quoted from the House of Representatives:
___
… the Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, Alhaji Bala N’Allah, observed that the House had the constitutional responsibility of ensuring that there was peace, order and good governance in every part of the country.
N’Allah disagreed with opinions comparing the development in the region to an insurrection, saying that it was “clear criminality of the highest order.”
Arguing that the rest of Nigeria had been tolerant with the militants, he remarked that “for the survival of 100 million Nigerians, we can do away with 20 million.”
___
In the story linked below there was a followup to this comment:
___
There was tension and proceedings of the House were stalled for at least five minutes before N’Allah in a veiled retraction said it was a “parliamentary joke”.
___
N’Delta Crisis: House Backs Military Action
•JTF rescues more hostages, declares militant leader, Tompolo, wanted
From Onwuka Nzeshi in Abuja and Segun James in Warri, 05.22.2009
___
Journalists were surprised that no arrests were made during the JTF operation, a situation which gives the suspicion that every moving object in the area was killed by the invading soldiers.
The military paraded what they claimed were the weapons of the militants.
Journalists were shown rusted dane guns, normally used for hunting, unserviceable collection of old guns and dirty old machetes.
It would appear that the militants’ armoury was not as sophisticated as been claimed by the JTF.
No AK47 weapon, said to be the weapon of choice of the militants, was captured by the JTF, even though several militants have been said to have died in gun battle with the soldiers.
Bello refused to name the number of persons killed so far by his man, but declared that they were prepared to kill more, while also pursuing the militants to wherever they were known to hide.
Bello’s declaration followed persistent questions from journalists over the handling of the operation by the JTF whose soldiers invaded the Ogbe-Ijoh General Hospital to harass and arrest doctors who were treating victims of the military attack on communities in Gbaramatu kingdom area of Warri.
The action of the soldiers forced the management of the hospital to close down and discharge all the patients.
The commander denied knowledge of the hospital invasion, but promised that such would not repeat itself.
___
Tompolo is still free. Supposedly the JTF captured 9 militants in Warri, but:
___
The JTF, however, failed to parade the suspects before newsmen when the Commander, Maj. Gen. Sakin Yakin Bello, addressed the world press on the activities of his command in the last one week.
Abubakar said the arrested men are “to assist the force in carrying out investigations to determine the level of their involvement in the militancy in the Niger Delta”.
In a twist, Bello declared High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (alias Tompolo) wanted dead or alive – a week after the reports claimed the militant leader had been killed.
___
Sola Adebayo has been doing terrific work covering this story from Warri for the Punch. This is his latest from today.
___
N’Delta : We have lost over 2,000 persons – Gbaramatu Kingdom
By Sola Adebayo, Warri
Published: Saturday, 23 May 2009
The people of war-ravaged Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State on Friday counted their losses arising from the seven-day military operation in the area.
A prominent leader of the area, Chief Bello Oboko, told Saturday Punch that more than 2,000 indigenes of the various communities in the kingdom had been killed in the past seven days.
Oboko, who held a traditional title of Telemowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, said many communities in the kingdom, including Oporoza, the ancestral headquarters of the clan, Okerenkoko, Kunukunuma, Kokodiagbene and Ibafa had been razed by the rampaging soldiers of the Joint Task Force.
President Umaru Yar‘Adua had ordered a military operation in the area to apprehend some militants suspected to have murdered 12 members of Joint Task Force, including a Lt. Colonelon April 13. Yar‘Adua had ordered that the killers of the military personnel must be found dead or alive.
Consequently, the authorities of JTF on receiving the presidential order from the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike, swung into action by mobilising 15 gunboats, two warships and two jet bombers to overrun the militants‘ camps and comb the Gbaramatu communities.
Already, two militant camps operated by Chief Government Ekpomukpolo, popularly known as Tompolo, have been seized by the federal troop, who also launched premeditated attacks on the communities close to the outlawed militant hideouts.
However, Oboko in the interview with our correspondent said the military operation was ”more than a colossal massacre and genocide, adding that dead bodies counted in the various communities indicated that over 2,000 persons had been killed during the raid in the area by the federal troops.”
He identified the deceased mostly as innocent aged men and women as well as children and women.
He said his 90 year-old mother, who resided in Oporoza was yet to be found, adding that the old woman was partially blind before the invasion of the community last Friday.
Oboko said it was presumed that his mother was among the dead.
According to him, the soldiers first invaded Oporoza on Friday, May 15, when indigenes of the Gbaramatu communities within and outside the country had converged on the community for a festival.
”The military suddenly arrived with jet bombers, warships and many gunboats. They fired shots indiscriminately, throwing bombs and grenades here and there. In the process, many persons were killed.
”The operation later continued in our various communities, particularly, Okerenkoko, Kunukunuma, Kokodiagbene and Ibafa, where they killed many innocent residents under the pretence of searching for some militants and weapons.
”We are still counting the dead bodies but we have over 2,000 persons dead in the communities for now. We have not been allowed access to the bushes and forest to fish out dead bodies by the JTF .
”Many injured persons who managed to escape into the bushes and forests were reported to have died because of lack of medical aid.
”The whole of my clan, we have not seen anybody, including my 90-year old mother, who could not see properly. Many families are looking for their beloved ones in all our communities. It is likely that casualty rate would escalate.
”Our losses also included various communities that have been burnt. Many choice buildings in the communities were razed and looted by the soldiers.
”We still have a situation in which soldiers went after innocent persons who were injured and being treated in the hospitals. The medical personnel were forced to abandon the patients, especially in Okerenkoko where they were accused of treating militants.”
Oboko also spoke on the wanted Tompolo, adding that contrary to the position of the military and the Federal government that the notable militant was a peace ambassador of the Federal and Delta State governments as well as oil majors in the creeks and waterways of the Niger Delta.
He said, ”The Federal and Delta State governments as well as JTF and the oil companies have used the same Tompolo to cleanse the waterways. He is an agent of peace, who has helped them in arresting sea pirates and criminals along the waterways. He (Tompolo) was instrumental to the arrest of one John Kpoko, who was disturbing the peace along the waterways. He did that on the prompting of the governments and their agencies.
”They have used Gbaramatu people to cleanse the waterways many times. The same Tompolo they have declared wanted is the kingpin of the Delta Waterways Security Committee which has helped the government of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to achieve peace in the state.
Oboko said, ”The way forward is for us to go back to the peace process initiated by Governor Uduaghan. Reconciliation is a process and we must revert to dialogue.”
The JTF Commander, Bello, also admitted in an interview with Saturday Punch that many people had lost their lives in the operation, adding that he was not aware if innocent persons were involved.
Bello said he could not determine the actual casualty figure.
He said,”I can confirm that many have died but they are so called militants and criminals who engaged our personnel in gun duel. If an innocent person find his way into Iroko Camp and Camp 5, which we attack, I wish such a person the best of luck. No innocent person will be targeted in this operation because we are building data and sorting out data.
”We did not kill anybody in the communities. We only carried out cordon and search operation for arms and militants in the communities.”
However, fresh fears gripped coastal communities in Niger Delta on Friday following reports that the JTF was planning to raid parts of Bayelsa and Ondo States in search of the fleeing militants and arms and ammunition in wrong hands.
___
Posted by: xcroc | May 23 2009 19:53 utc | 53
a very informative commentary @ mareeg online, which i am reposting in full
Sh Sharif needs to work his own exit strategy-opinion
The recent clashes between opposition groups and TFG forces was not a sudden but something that was boiling to the point where it is now, after months of threats and assassination by Ethiopian agents in Mogadishu peace was disappearing by the hour, Sh Sharif has not give much chance to peace. Having been in the ceremonial position for little more than three months, the position which had been the worst and hardest fought presidential seat in any nation on earth, the Sheikh Sharif Ahmed of Somalia now facing the worst challenges in his entire life. Sh Sharif himself has not fought for this position and spent less in terms of man and money, but simply was handed down to him by Ahmed Ould Abdallah the UN envoy for Somalia.
The recent clashes between opposition groups and TFG forces was not a sudden but something that was boiling to the point where it is now, after months of threats and assassination by Ethiopian agents in Mogadishu peace was disappearing by the hour, Sh Sharif has not give much chance to peace. Having been in the ceremonial position for little more than three months, the position which had been the worst and hardest fought presidential seat in any nation on earth, the Sheikh Sharif Ahmed of Somalia now facing the worst challenges in his entire life. Sh Sharif himself has not fought for this position and spent less in terms of man and money, but simply was handed down to him by Ahmed Ould Abdallah the UN envoy for Somalia.
How he got there?
Sh Sharif government is the fruit of one of the disgruntle UN and IGAD and perhaps the outcome of the 14th reconciliation. Previous failed government including Sh Sharif were all the architect by Ethiopians, Kenyans and Djibouti. Though Djibouti wants to balance the influence of Ethiopian-Kenya anti Muslim agendas, but does not have long reach beyond Mogadishu, unlike Ethiopians which enjoy good relationship with Somaliland and Puntland regional government something that Djibouti lost to win over them. Previous government led by Ali Mahdi in early 1990’s and Abdulqasim Salat in early 2000’s were got rid off by Ethiopian supported warlords and did not go beyond Km4 junction in Mogadishu. Ethiopia never tried to have a Somalian government established in its country, but hosted various opposition meetings only, however, its strategy had worked well in Eldoret and Embaghati reconciliation conference which attend about 24 warlords who directly had the support of Meles Zenawi and he easily picked who has to lead the country, and his choice became his long ally Abdullahi Yusuf.
Djibouti walked away from that conference and the conference was idled for over six months because of IGAD conflicts, the walk out of Djibouti and Eritrea. Since then Djibouti never recognized Abdullahi Yusuf government officially and indirectly supported the Islamic Courts Union in order to avenge for its turn against the Ethiopian orchestrated government. When Ethiopians rooted out the ICU, Djibouti never that it can assemble another opposition group and it got what it wanted, it tapped the ICU and former TFG parliamentarians who had clashed with Abdullahi Yusuf’ policy based in Asmara, Eritrea. Djibouti used Ould Abdallah influence to host the conference and offered Asmara based group to relocate in Djibouti, what would have been the dying days of Abdullahi Yusuf. Ethiopia and Mr Yusuf was furious about the Djibouti and Ould Abdallah initiatives and undermined their war against ICU, both had rejected money times the outcome of Djibouti until the US has entered the foray in a 50/50 position one way supporting pro-Ethiopians parliamentarians and another opposing how much would the ICU will take.
Sh Sharif was picked long before the conclusion of Djibouti meeting and was told to salute his sub-master Meles and disassociate himself from opposition group and to soften his stance of Somali peace and reconciliation, as well Ogadenia blights and most importantly Ethiopian crimes committed in Somalia from 2006. He firmly agreed those conditions because had no choice to balance his political needs and demands from the West’s in particular the US.
Yusuf has bagged his bags from Baidoa, the former transitional seat of TNG and he fled to Yemen. The Ethiopians and the US told secretly the speaker of parliament Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nuur to stand for president and ignore the outcome of Djibouti. Few weeks he was calling the parliament to convene for election session in Baidoa not in Djibouti, the pro-Ethiopians were nervous and knew nothing where to head. UN and AL told Sh Adan to head Djibouti and to attend the Arab conference in Kuwait, something that anti-Ethiopian Arab League wants to see Somali politician who can make decision without presence of Ethiopians. Few days later Sh Adan left for Kuwait and met large Arab delegation and was pressed to accept the demand of Ould Abdallah who also was present at the meeting. Sh Adan has been reported that if he accepts the condition his position will be untouched and will be rewarded financially, which he did without hesitating it, putting the Ethiopian pot to boil hotter than before. That was the end of between Ethiopia and Sh Adan era, which they supported him since 1995 when he was member of Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA), he was their most trusted figure in Somali political theater second to Mohamed Dhere.
He called all pro-Ethiopian MP to head Djibouti to line-up behind Sh Sharif and all went the way Djibouti wanted and Ould waste no time calling the missing and importantly figure like Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, Sheikh Hassan Turki and Sheikh Muqtar Robow (Abu Mansur). Mr Ould made no contact to these politically and militarily important to Somali stability and long term solution to participate the reconciliation because he was heading to the demands of Ethiopians and US since they were on the so-called “US terrorist lists”. Even large presidential contenders and attendees surprised who the Djibouti saga was hastily concluded without taking what would be the consequence which is evident today in Mogadishu and the rest of Somalia was the outcome of Djibouti.
Ould Abdallah never visited Mogadishu and south Somali and has no idea how Somali got into this mess and how to get out, he treated the Somali conflict like the Rwanda which is contrary to what the Somali people been living in the past 20 years of the Ethiopian and US horrors.
Where are the things now heading to?
Sh Sharif and his indiscipline TFG forces trained and fed by Ethiopians and CIA has been cornered and they are in their last days. In the last two weeks we have seen the kind of government that Sh Sharif is heading, weak, pro-Ethiopians, liars and murdering and shelling the civilians with the help of so-called AMISOM the US proxy forces in Somali. Sh Sharif gives war orders his military officers who are weary of his style and political approach to the conflict. Some of these military officers work for Ethiopia and had been in the CIA payroll in the last five years.
After they have been run-out by the Opposition, Sh Sharif has been told to consult with pro-Ethiopian warlords such as Muse Sudi, Mohamed Dhere, Salad A Jelle, Qanyare Afrah, Osman Atto, Dabaged, Bare Hiiraale and dozens more. They were fling in from Nairobi and Addis Ababa and held meeting in Mogadishu, and the next day they participated his war against his former allies. He did what he has been told, he now financing these folks to regroup their sub-clan militias to confront the opposition and he also remain silent the arriving Ethiopian forces in Bakool and Hiiraan regions. He has lost all supports from his good friends and the Hawiye elders and Somalis at large, though found new friends in Addis Ababa and Nairobi.
Sh Sharif government led by Omar Abdulrashid Sharmarke is full of pro-Ethiopia and Abdullahi Yusuf group, they are there to undermine his authority which they already maximased his political career. His PM Sharmarke has even joked when the parliament passed the Islamic Sharia, he said “we are not cutting thief’s hands but we will interpret differently” which is contrary to the Islamic Sharia. The people of Somalia dismayed by his PM remarks, the debacle has been continuing in the last few months, the security minister was waging war through the media against the Opposition, the justice minister added his voice calling war and labelling the Opposition as terrorist and accusing regions of Rahanwein and Daroods as terrorist regions and waging war against his Hawiye clan, the foray continued until last minute when the Opposition said enough is enough and encircled the Sharif government.
AMISOM joined the clash and bombarded indiscriminately in the civilian population areas and killing scores of people. There are also reports that they directly participated as they were deployed in KM4 road to African Village. This is contrary to their rubbish mandate which says that they are in there to protect Sh Sharif government and peace-keeping. One would wonder what kind of peace they are keeping, since they are part of the war.
Now there is now opportunity for negotiation, and never been in the last few months, Sh Sharif was busy in foreign capitals while Ethiopian agents was dismantling his government, when settle in after he won few million dollar hard fought cash from EU and AL, he came to face the music, money only not man, similar to what Abdulqasim Salat happen. His forces are disappearing in daily basis, he has been made by false promises by pro-Ethiopian agents by providing troops to weight in the threats of Opposition, however, they just sucked his money and simply disappeared, catch me if you can!
Ethiopians now arming the warlords in border of Hiiran, Gedo and Bakool and it wants them to overtake the towns controlled by Opposition group and later on to press Sh Sharif to give up his position since he does not control any more territory.
What is best option for him now?
Abdulqasim had done it what I am proposing he took whatever he can cash in and run away, similar to Ali Mohamed Gedi and Abdulahi Yusuf. They haven’t left with dignity but shame and disgracefulness, because they bowed to the Ethiopian and anti-Somali demands and they were never faithful to their country, religion and people. Sharif still has some respect within Somali community, however, this was not a gift but he has earned because in the years when he was ICU chairman and his willingness to end to end Somali conflicts by way of reconciliation and persuasion, however, there had been obstacles that neither his government nor himself can remove those obstacles. This requires national unity not the ramshackle that Mr Ould assembled in Djibouti in order to prolong the suffering of Somali people, while our neighboring country are striving for peace and prosperity.
US and Ethiopians wants him to become Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, who cannot say a word when US drones kills thousands of Afghani children and mother, Somali cannot afford another Hamid Karzai, we have seen Abdullahi Yusuf, and that is enough.
He is a religious person and he is one of the highest among the people only if he maintains his Islamic identity and values and refuses to collaborate those wants to harm Islam and the Muslim. Given what he has been saying in the past few months and his characters, he is more or less collaborated with foreign demands which damaged in some degree damaged his reputation, but has not reach the point of his predecessor. The majority of Somalia can defend him if they would have elected him officially or through acceptable channel, not through US-Ethiopia agendas. Now his opposition groups has genuine reason to be given their turn ruling Somalia, they now control most of the country, they brought law and order in the area they control and the crimes have fallen to almost zero, while the Ethiopian trained polices and military in Mogadishu illegally set road blocks and abducting innocent civilians for ransom. The opposition are gaining momentum by the day, they outnumber the evil forces of AMISOM and those Ethiopian agents, their call for Islamic Sharia is more genuine than Sharif’s call because his own prime minister has defied him along other his incompetent ministers in his government including the one who signed our sea to Kenya.
Western and our neighboring governments do not want us to become strong nation that depends its own people and leaders, they wants us to beg through NGO’s, flee our youth from the country and risks their lives in seas, our children to die for malnutrition, out lives stock to die for diseases, our fisherman’s to be hunted because of few bad guys, our mothers to die without care, our children to grow without education and hope and our religious scholars to kill each other, our business people to be harassed in international airports and our building to remain in ruins. If Sharif has any dignity left in his heart, I’ll ask him to bow the demand of the opposition groups and resign in order to save what is left in Somalia. I believe they would listened to him directly if he choose, but if he continue the US policy of containment and isolation he will probably has few days to survive the onslaught of opposition groups, if their demand is only a national reconciliation in which they would establish a unity government which all Somali people participate without fear of reprisals from the enemy and the same time gather majority of Somali support, I don’t see that will harm to none of us.
I have strong believe that even Opposition would not oppose any commercial deals with Ethiopia if serves our interest, however, this depends restoring our leadership and government foundation, the only way now to restore such government is to have a new government established by our own people, supported by our own people and funded by our own people. As many times stated by the opposition group they are not opposed Sh Sharif personally but his political ideas which is guided through Ethiopia strategy, if they let him to lead two years ago as ICU executive leader, I do have strong believe that still there are chance for improving their relationship, because he still a figure that can have some input how things should be solved and can still rejoin his former allies in their struggle against our historical and dangerous enemy to our existence.
If he cannot work with them just he has to resign and walk away, then he will not be responsible the continuing misery of Somalia, the opposition group will be held accountable if they cannot achieve the mandate that the public will give them, including dealing with Addis Ababa dictator and bring back the dignity of Somalia, including restoring Somali image in abroad. Together we can achieve this if we throw the foreign influence in our conflict. Let us not wait for AU, IGAD, Zenawi and CIA to decide what type of government we can have and what we can’t.
Ahmed Al-Ibrahim
unfortunately, today’s press conference shows that sheikh sharif is playing along as things move to the next level of international intervention
Posted by: b real | May 25 2009 22:03 utc | 63
Here is some more info on what is going on in N’Delta.
There is a good summary of how the militancy developed in N’Delta crisis crippling oil and gas sector, including:
Mr. Kenuele Saro-Wiwa, the Ogoni icon, who was put to death by the Gen. Sanni Abacha regime in 1995, in his final statement before the Ibrahim Auta tribunal on October 31, 1995, said, “I predict that a denouement of the riddle of the Niger Delta will soon come. The agenda is being set at this trial. Whether the peaceful ways favoured will prevail depends on what the oppressor decides, what signals it sends out to the waiting public.”
However, between 1995 and now, the Niger Delta agitation has taken a dangerous dimension as the youths of the region have taken to violence to resolve the Niger Delta problem rather than the peaceful path chosen by Saro Wiwa.
…
Olusegun Obasanjo expected to address perceived injustices in the system after he became president in 1999, worsened the matter when he ordered troops to invade Odi in Bayelsa State in retaliation for the killing of soldiers by militant groups that had started to emerge to press for resource control, shortly he took office in November 1999.
But rather than reduce militancy, the insurgency escalated with the ranks of militant groups swelling by the thousands in an attempt to force government to yield to demands of resource control and large scale developments.
Obasanjo later tried to pacify militant leaders when it was obvious that the insurgency was taking a dangerous dimension with the sabotage of oil and gas installations and resultant loss of revenue to the Federal Government.
The Obasanjo regime set up the Niger Delta Development Commission to build roads, schools, health centres and other infrastructures but the impact was not widely felt as NDDC was largely underfunded. The regime also saw the increase in oil derivation revenue to 13 per cent but most of these funds were stolen by the kleptomaniac governors that ruled in the Niger Delta during the Obasanjo years.
Indeed, the Obasanjo government lost a golden opportunity to address the Niger Delta issue through a proposed constitutional amendment that was jettisoned at the last minute due to Obasanjo’s infamous third term agenda.
The emergence of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta brought a new dimension to the campaign of sabotage as it issued orders to oil companies to vacate the oil-producing regions.
By 2006, Shell had shut down almost its entire Western operations. Chevron Western operations and Agip operations have been equally affected. Indeed, Shell had experienced a sharp production decline from one million barrels per day to an average of 380,000 barrels per day in 2008.
The Niger Delta crisis, besides being an agitation for resource control, has also provided a cover for criminals who are into different kinds of crimes. Crude oil theft has been one of the biggest crimes in the area with the crime increasing in leaps and bounds over the years. The Oil Producing Trade Section of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce puts the daily loss of the country to crude oil theft at 100,000 barrels.
The crisis is also being fueled by the theft of crude oil, which provides resources for the combatants to buy sophisticated weaponry. Kidnapping of people, which was initially started by the militants for political reasons through the abduction of expatriates, has now been hijacked by criminals, who now even kidnap children in exchange for ransom.
Also in the Punch today from Sola Adebayo, Niger Delta: 18 soldiers feared dead, eight others injured
The Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, Operation Restore Hope, on Monday, said that the number of its men missing since its onslaught against militants in the Niger Delta began on May 13, 2009, had risen to 18.
…
Bello, however, did not give the names of the missing and the injured soldiers. One of the injured soldiers died on Sunday and had since been buried in Effurun.
According to him, bullet-riddled uniforms of one the soldiers and his service rifle were recovered from a shrine in Okerenkoko, one of the communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta State.
…
He said there were revelations in the documents found in Camp 5 and Tompolo’s residence in Oporoza. He said the camp was operated like a normal military establishment with well-kept records of all major activities.
He said, “Our findings in the palace of the Gbaramatu king and Camp 5 were disturbing. We (JTF) gathered information on the nature of Camp 5 and secured documents and pictures of the past and present troops of the camp.
“We have the pictures of troops in the camp with guns, and we have the duty rosters and payment schedules of the troops. We saw who supplied different items to the camp and how they were paid.
“We found the roster on the number of arms and ammunition signed for various duties and posting of troops to where and when. We have many military brochures and different kinds of manuals for soldiers in training from some countries. The camp 5 is a well organised security establishment in the region.
“We are on the trail of everybody involved in all deals with the camp. We have their names from the available records in the camp and Tompolo’s house in Oporoza.”
The general said a search in a cybercafe in Oporoza showed that Tompolo was the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta.
Bello said the JTF planned to raid Odi in Bayelsa State in response to an intelligence report that an Ijaw militant, known simply as Ken was harbouring Tompolo.
He denied the reports that the troops employed maximum force in the operation, adding that the JTF did not attack individuals and communities not connected with militancy.
The Ijaw communities are being successfully terrorized. This story mentions Ondo State, but this is also reported in Bayelsa and Rivers states. In Punch N’Delta crisis: Ijaw flee riverine communities in Ondo:
Following the ongoing military onslaught against militants in the Niger Delta region, some Ijaw living in coastal areas of Ondo State have begun fleeing their communities for fear of being attacked by the men of the Joint Task Force.
…
Eleitu-Uguoji who is the National Coordinator of the Ijaw Consultative Forum blamed the indiscriminate attack of civilian settlements in Delta State for the apprehension among Ijaw people all over the country.
He added that the people were afraid because they believed that the men of the JTF were looking for Ijaw people since it was difficult to distinguish a militant from innocent civilians.
He explained that although community leaders were appealing to people in their areas not to panic, he stated that it was not possible to prevent them from fleeing due to the news of killing and maiming of innocent civilians in Ijaw communities in Delta State.
He said, “Although we have not seen either military presence nor militants‘ presence in our communities the people are afraid and they are leaving, especially the women and the children.
“They are afraid because militancy is not written on anybody‘s face and it will be almost impossible to know who is a militant among the crowd.
…
“With this development, even if the soldiers wipe out all the militants today more militants will still rise up if our areas are not developed.”
The Special Adviser to the Ondo State Governor on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Bekekimi Idiarhi, told our correspondent on the telephone that he was not aware of movement of Ijaw in Ondo State to safer places. But he said that there was palpable fear among the Ijaw people living along the coast from Ondo State to Akwa Ibom State .
Posted by: xcroc | May 26 2009 20:38 utc | 66
Another story in This Day reports: Militants Blow up Chevron Pipeline
The onslaught by the Joint Task Force (JTF) against militants in the Niger Delta has entered its 14th day with a new twist: the militants have blown up an oil facility belonging to United States oil giant, Chevron.
Yesterday, JTF confirmed that suspected militants attacked Chevron pipeline in Abiteye in Warri South-west Local Government area of Delta State.
The task force blamed the incident on “Kingsley Opuye and his group of militants” operating mainly in the Delta and Ondo axis of the Niger Delta.
Also confirming the incident, Chevron said one of its pipelines in the Abiteye area of the state was breached on Sunday following militant attack apparently in response to the military offensive by JTF.
In its first official reaction since the escalation of hostilities in the Niger Delta, the oil major said it had shut in 100,000 barrels per day of crude oil as a precautionary measure to ensure the protection of people and the environment.
Claiming responsibility for the attack, however, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the main militant group in the oil-rich region, said in an email to journalists that it had sabotaged pipelines to flow stations at Alero Creek, Otunana, Abiteye, Makaraba and Dibi feeding a Chevron facility.
The group warned such attacks would continue.
“We will continue our cat-and-mouse tactics with (the military) until oil exports cease completely,” it said.
JTF Spokesman, Col. Rabe Abubakar, said while briefing journalists in Warri on the attack that, “While the JTF is struggling to restore peace and normalcy in the Niger Delta region, Kingsley Opuye and his group of militants, have early this morning, blown up Chevron’s pipeline at Abiteye.
“This is an act of sabotage which should not be condoned; all those involved in this latest act must be hunted and trapped down”.
Chevron’s General Manager in charge of Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Mr. Femi Odumabo, said in a statement made available to THISDAY last night that the company was assessing the security situation in the area.
He said: “Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) operator of the NNPC/CNL Joint Venture can confirm that one of its pipelines in the Abiteye area of Delta State, Nigeria, was breached at 22:30 hours on Sunday, May 24, 2009.
“In furtherance of its commitment to protecting people and the environment in all its operations, the company has shut in approximately 100,000 barrels of oil per day of production from its swamp operations in Delta State.
The task force blamed the incident on “Kingsley Opuye and his group of militants” operating mainly in the Delta and Ondo axis of the Niger Delta.
Also confirming the incident, Chevron said one of its pipelines in the Abiteye area of the state was breached on Sunday following militant attack apparently in response to the military offensive by JTF.
In its first official reaction since the escalation of hostilities in the Niger Delta, the oil major said it had shut in 100,000 barrels per day of crude oil as a precautionary measure to ensure the protection of people and the environment.
…
THISDAY gathered that the Presidency, which received news of the near exodus of Odi people to neigbouring communities, has directed appropriate authorities to reassure the people that the peace process in the Niger Delta was deliberate but that indiscriminate attacks on any community in the region was not on the card.
JTF has debunked the allegation, blaming it on the handiwork of some unscrupulous and unpatriotic elements in the region that are out to incense the already charged situation in the region for their selfish interest.
The task force’s spokesman said it was a “dangerous rumour” being peddled by hoodlums who might themselves be planning to attack Odi.
“This information is not true as the mandate of the security task force in the Niger Delta is not to bully innocent citizens,” Abubakar said, stating that, “We are appealing to members of Odi community to go about their normal businesses as JTF has no plans to attack anybody or group anywhere in the Niger Delta.”
He stated that the current operation by the task force was mainly prompted by the “mindless” kidnap of some JTF personnel around the Chanomi Creek of the state, while assuring members of the public “that our waterways have since been opened for both commercial and private legal businesses” with naval unit providing the needed cover or escort.
“However, personal security should always be taken into consideration by reporting any suspicious and strange movements in the waterways to JTF or any security agency for appropriate action,” he added.
Also yesterday, Senate Committee on Defence and Army met Service Chiefs behind closed doors to discuss how to halt the lingering military operations in the troubled Niger Delta region.
The meeting, presided over by the committee Chairman, Senator Ibrahim Ida, came amid the decision by the military to extend to Rivers State, its operations aimed at flushing out militants.
Yesterday’s two-hour meeting was sequel to a resolution by the Senate that the committee should investigate the military operations that began two weeks ago.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta, Senator James Manager (Delta South), had moved a motion drawing the attention of the Upper House to the military operations in the Niger Delta and asking for a decisive intervention to halt it.
But because of security considerations, the motion was not debated in plenary.
The Upper House had referred it (the motion) to the Committee on Defence and Army for detailed investigation and report back so that the issue could be dealt with in closed session.
The committee was given up to this week to submit the report of its findings.
In a bid to meet up with the deadline, the committee yesterday interacted with the Chief of Defence Staff Paul Dike, Chief of Army Staff Abduraham Dambazzau, Chief of Naval Staff Isaac Ibrahim, and Chief of Air Force Oluseyi Petirin.
THISDAY learnt that the service chiefs briefed the committee on the inevitability of the operations to flush out the militants and why the operation might continue for as long as necessary.
Manager had at plenary raised a point of order to draw the attention of the Upper chamber to the military operation and the sacking of all the communities in the oil-rich Gbaramatu community of the Warri South-west Local Government.
He had reminded the Senate that the mainstay of the Nigerian economy was oil and gas and had warned that the exploration and exploitation would be impossible in the absence of peace and security in the Niger Delta region.
According to him, “It is in the interest of the Niger Delta, just as it is in the interest of the entire nation, for peace and the attendant security to prevail in the Niger Delta for the administration of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to carry out his administration’s agenda of developing the Niger Delta as well as implementing the other parts of the seven-point agenda.”
He had called for Senate intervention to ensure that the operation did not spread beyond the Gbaramatu clan to other parts of Delta State and the Niger Delta region.
But Senate President David Mark had stopped Manager from proceeding with the motion and other senators from discussing it on the grounds of security consideration.
Also from This Day, Bankole, Akpabio Insist on Military Action
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Godswill Akpabio, yesterday endorsed the ongoing military campaign to rid the Niger Delta of hostage takers, kidnappers and other criminal elements operating in the region.
They insisted that no nation could tolerate the brigandage that had been going on in the region for this long and urged the militants to surrender their arms, embrace dialogue and the amnesty offered by the Federal Government to pave way for the planned development of the region.
The two leaders spoke at the 7th National Roundtable for Good Governance organised by the Faculty Board of The Initiatives, a group in the House of Representatives.
I’m sure the people of the Delta are really inclined to trust the sincerety of the FG’s amnesty. Earlier Yar’Adua appointed a guy who had advocated hanging Ken Saro-Wiwa to be in charge of the amnesty program. He had to withdraw, but the FG undermined their opportunity.
Posted by: xcroc | May 26 2009 21:16 utc | 67
It is an oddly unfortunate name for the operation. I was trying to remember where I’d heard it before, but hadn’t yet looked it up. I keep looking for a sign of Africom or mercenaries touching this operation, but haven’t caught a glimpse. Of course the Nigerian government is both willing and quite capable of doing this all on its own, it is not new. N’Delta has effectively been under military occupation since 1990.
I found this quite interesting blog entry from chidi opara reports, “a network of Nigerian News Reporters and Editors” (h/t Sokari at blacklooks.org):
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Furgitive Top Nigerian Oil Militant Refused To Work For Ruling Party.
Mr. Government Ekpumupolo(alias Tom Polo), the furgitive former Lord of “Camp Five” in the Gbaramatu area of Delta State, who narrowly escaped death when the Joint Taskforce On Security(JTF) engaged the Movement For The Emancipation Of Niger Delta(MEND) in the on going fiece gun battle, attracted the wrath of the Presidency when he refused to work for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)in the up coming 2011general elections, chidi opara reports reliably gathered. Tom Polo, a top MEND commander, is currently on the run and have been declared a wanted person by Nigerian security.
Our network members in Delta state, who have been following the Tom Polo saga report that the top oil militant prior to the present JTF onslaught have had a cordial relationship with oil majors operating in Delta state and the military high command. Contacts in the oil and gas sector informed chidi opara reports that oil majors like Chevron and Shell usually contract the security of their facilities and vessels in that area to Tom Polo. A JTF contact also told us the story of an incident in which Tom Polo’s men took a soldier of the amphibious Brigade hostage last year, the then General Officer Commanding(GOC) Division 82 of the Army based in Enugu, under whose jurisdiction the Amphibious Brigade is was incidentally in Warri, when the incident was reported to him, he reportedly called Tom Polo from his mobile telephone handset, after some exchange of pleasantries, Tom Polo was asked to release the soldier, which the dreaded militant leader did.
Well placed PDP insiders revealed to us that based on Tom Polo’s friendly disposition towards these institutions, PDP topshots decided to recruit the tough militant leader for “their 2011 project”. We learnt further that a former governor of Bayelsa state, Mr. Diepriye Alamesigha was contacted to open up dialogue with him. Our information further has it that Alamesigha’s meetings with Tom Polo on three ocassions yielded no favourable result. The militant leader was said to have insisted on unconditional release of the incarcerated former MEND spokesman, Mr. Henry Okah and an unconditional amnesty for the militants. He was said to have also insisted that further dialogues must be between the Party and a free Okah. This position, we learnt was promply communicated to the PDP national headquarters.
“From that day, the days of the so called Tom Polo became numbered”, a top security contact in the Presidency informed chidi opara reports.
Posted by Public Information Project Management(PIPROM)
Alamesigha is particularly notorious for corruption of various kinds.
The Punch also tells us Warri refinery to shut down
It was learnt that the stock of crude in the crude refining plant could only last for the next few days.
The pipeline servicing the plant with crude oil from the production platforms of the American oil giant, Chevron Nigeria Limited, was blown up by suspected militants on Saturday, May 16.
The flow line, popularly known as Chanomi Creek pipeline, runs from the Abiteye fields of CNL in Escravos, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State to WRPC. The pipeline had been ruptured three times in the past three years.
The last repair of the pipeline gulped $57m.
Our correspondent learnt in WRPC on Tuesday that crude supply to the plant was cut off on Sunday, 24 hours after the militants launched premeditated attacks on the pipeline.
A source at WRPC said, “We have not received crude oil supplies since Sunday because of the damage to the Chanomi Creeks pipeline by suspected militants. The crude oil from the various fields of Chevron in Abiteye through the pipeline is the only source of crude supplies to the plant.
“Although we have crude in our tanks which we are using for our operation for now, what we have can only last for about one week. The management will have no other choice than to shut the plant down thereafter.”
…
Meanwhile, tension persisted in the Niger Delta on Tuesday as the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, Operation Restore Hope, insisted that the ongoing military operation in Delta State would be carried out in other states of the region.
The Commander of JTF, Maj.-Gen. Sarkin-Yarkin Bello, in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Tuesday, said there was no limit to the scope and coverage of the military operation in the region.
He said the raid on the militant camps in Delta would come to an end on Wednesday (today), adding that all the militant camps in the creeks of the state would have been captured and taken over by the agency by Wednesday evening.
But he was quick to add that the JTF would not relax the grip on the coastal Gbaramatu communities in Warri South-West Local Government Area of the state.
This too from Punch Forum calls for suspension of Bankole, Na‘Allah
By Ibanga Isine and Fidelis Soriwei
Published: Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Delegates to the second All Niger Delta Peoples Assembly on Tuesday called for the suspension of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, and a member, Mr. Bala Ibn Na‘Allah, over their utterances on the region‘s crisis.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the assembly held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The communiqué, which was read by the Vice-Chairman of the body, Prof. Des Wilson, also described as avoidable, the killing in Gbaramatu kingdom, Delta State, and called for immediate ceasefire.
The assembly said the on-going military campaign in the region was a conscionable attempt to institutionalise genocide in the Niger Delta through the support of the House of Representatives.
It condemned the call for the extermination of people of the region by Na‘Allah, and blamed the Federal Government for failing to address the development needs of the people until their agitation degenerated to violence.
The assembly demanded the inauguration of a committee to work out modalities for a gazetted amnesty, disarmament, decommissioning, demilitarisation, rehabilitation and reintegration processes for militants.
Meanwhile, the Conference of Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta has threatened to drag the Federal Government, the Nigerian Army and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, to the International Court of Justice and the ECOWAS Court in Abuja for ”heinous crime of genocide.”
The CENND also threatened to make all the governors of the six states of the core Niger Delta defendants in the suit except they went into discussions with stakeholders in the region.
The body, in a communiqué in Benin on Tuesday, criticised Bankole for his position and the endorsement of the military action in the region which had reportedly culminated in the death of about 2,000 people and displacement of unspecified number, including women, children and the aged.
Na’Allah said in parlaiment regarding the JTF attacks on N’Delta: “for the survival of 100 million Nigerians, we can do away with 20 million.” (see comment #53 here)
I don’t know how much weight this communique might carry, if any. If they can get this into the International Court of Justice and the ECOWAS Court in Abuja, that might be interesting.
Posted by: xcroc | May 27 2009 23:28 utc | 71
Private armies board ships in Somalia
…
[Andrew] Mwangura sees private security contractors as yet another leech profiting from conflict in Somalia. Mwangura said the finances involved in piracy far exceeds the ransom figures reported in the media. There are ransom delivery costs, negotiation fees, lawyer fees, and increasingly, the cost of security.
“Piracy in Somalia is big business. Everyone wants to make money out of this, including the private security companies.”
The debate over private security versus military intervention is misguided, said Mwangura. Ever since Somali piracy gained international attention, analysts have pointed to poverty and lawlessness in Somalia as the underlying cause. Yet all Mwangura hears is debate over what military tactic to pursue.
“The solution is not military.” Conflict in Africa, Mwangura said, is often tied to the illegal extraction of its natural resources: diamonds in Liberia, cotton in the Congo, and in Somalia, fish.
“The root cause is poverty, and the cause of poverty is illegal fishing, toxic dumping, and years of bad rains.”
Mwangura rattled off by memory five United Nations resolutions to address piracy in Somalia. None have mentioned the root cause, he said.
“We find it a contradiction because we have about more than 25 warships from all over the world in Somalia, but none of them has arrested fishing vessels fishing illegally in Somali waters.”
– – –
Less than 2% of Africa’s Forests Under Community Control, says Report
A new report released on 26 May 2009 at a major global forestry conference in Cameroon has found that governments retain control over the world’s tropical forests’ globally, hindering action to stop deforestation and alleviate poverty among some of the world’s poorest rural peoples. Despite some progress in Cameroon and other countries including Mozambique and Tanzania, the report finds that Africa is also moving much slower on tenure reform than other regions.
The study released by the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), a U.N. treaty-based agency, and the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI), a global coalition of non-governmental and community organizations, has found that less than 2 percent of Africa’s tropical forests are owned by or designated for use by the region’s forest communities and indigenous groups compared to nearly one-third of all forests in Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific. Previous research by RRI partners show that forest communities are as good or better protectors of forests than governments and industry where their rights are recognized.
While, in Africa, the population density relative to forest area is close to the world’s average, the deforestation rate is 4 times the world’s average. More than 70 percent of Africa’s remaining tropical forests are located in Central Africa’s Congo Basin, but civil conflicts, inadequate governance, and a lack of action on land reform put much of the forest area at risk.
The report, “Tropical Forest Tenure Assessment: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities,” was presented at a meeting of forest community representatives from Africa, Latin America and Asia, ministers from a number of African countries, advocacy groups, and international organizations. Participants aim to inspire new action on securing forest tenure rights in Central and West Africa by building on recent steps to decentralize governance.
– – –
Seeking alternatives to charcoal in Somaliland
Insufficient cheaper alternatives and a large former refugee population are fuelling tree-felling and dependence on charcoal in the self-declared republic of Somaliland, adversely affecting the environment, say analysts.
Most urban households use charcoal for everyday cooking. “We use a sack of charcoal every four days because our family is large,” said Zahra Omar, a mother of 12, in the capital, Hargeisa.
According to a 2007 study by the Academy for Peace and Development, more than 2.5 million trees are felled annually and burned for charcoal in Somaliland. The report stated that each household in Somaliland consumed an equivalent of 10 trees a month.
…
High and rising gas prices have also encouraged charcoal use. Previously, [resident Nimo Ahmed] said, gas was cheaper than charcoal but the price has increased dramatically, with one litre of gas now costing about Sh4,000 ($0.61) up from Sh1,500 ($0.23).
It is the preferred fuel even in hotels, which consume even larger quantities of the commodity. “I use a sack of charcoal for a day’s cooking,” said Anab Mohamed Ismail, a Hargeisa chef.
According to researchers, one of the main drivers of deforestation in Africa is the need for fuel.
In sub-Saharan Africa only 7.5 percent of the rural population has access to electricity, according to a 2009 report on the state of the world’s forests. “As household incomes and investment in appropriate alternatives remain low, wood is likely to remain an important energy source in Africa in the coming decades…” it stated.
Forecasts made in 2001 suggested a 34 percent increase in wood fuel consumption from 2000 to 2020. “However, the rise in fuel prices in the past two years suggests that this increase is likely to be even greater. The share of wood fuel in the total energy supply is likely to decline, but the absolute number of people dependent on wood energy is predicted to grow,” it stated. “The forest situation in Africa presents enormous challenges, reflecting the larger constraints of low income, weak policies and inadequately developed institutions.”
“Charcoal… demand is increasing daily and burning [of] trees is increasing… but we are trying to [encourage] awareness among the people and give them other sources of income,” said Abdirisaq Bashir, the emergency and environment coordinator of Candlelight, an NGO working in environmental management. The NGO is helping young people become involved in alternative activities such as bee-keeping.
bee-keeping as an alternative to fuel production?
Posted by: b real | May 29 2009 3:13 utc | 74
Thanks Maxcrat for your encouraging remarks. And I am always fascinated and in awe of the work b real shares. Thanks also to jony_b_cool, you make an excellent summary of the present position. Nigeria is so complex, and there is so much I don’t know, that I often find it overwhelming to try and figure it out and summarize what is going on. I have had some good friends from Cross River State which is what got me interested. And I remember the enormous optimism about oil wealth in the late 70s. I’m a admirer of crocodiles, though perhaps not as personal friends. I remember reading a researcher who said she had found a study on the health effects of N’Delta oil pollution on crocodiles, but found no study of the pollution effects on women and children. If any study has been done, I’m sure it has been suppressed.
Punch, punchng.com, won’t let me look at the articles today without creating an identity and logging on. It wants a phone number, and won’t seem to accept a non-Nigerian one. This Day had a couple of interesting articles, especially this one:
JTF Didn’t Raze Ijaw Communities, Say NEMA, Red Cross
Officials of National Emergency Manage-ment Agency (NEMA) and international voluntary relief organisation, the Nigerian Red Cross Society, have said they did not find evidence of communities that were totally razed by Joint Military Task Force (JTF), in the Niger-Delta.
The officials said after visits to at least seven Ijaw communities in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, where the security task force had extended their two-week military campaign against the militants, they could say without fear of contradiction, that certain accounts they had read in the newspapers were a far cry from the reality on ground.
The officials, including South-east Zonal Co-ordinator of NEMA and his South-south counterpart, Dr Onimode Bandele and Mr Martin Osoweh, as well as Secretary, Delta State chapter of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Mr Eghworo Ovocity, made the remarks while fielding questions from local and international pressmen yesterday at Ogbe-Ijoh.
They spoke at the relief camp for displaced persons, in the Ijaw communities of Gbaramatu Kingdom, located at Ogbe-Ijoh, administrative headquarters of Warri South-west Local Government, after several days of visits to the affected communities.
Although a number of houses had been torched in the communities visited, there was no evidence of large-scale destruction of residential buildings as reported in some newspapers, they said. “What we found remarkable was that only women and children came out to receive the relief materials we took along with us during the visit,” the Red Cross official said, noting that they had decided to take the relief materials provided by NEMA, despite reports that “no lives remained in the affected communities.”
And there was this protest, which appears to have been resoundingly ignored:
Gbaramatu Women Storm N’Assembly
A delegation of women from Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta South Senatorial District, yesterday staged a protest to the National Assembly against sacking of communities in the kingdom by the Joint Military Task Force (JTF).
The lingering crisis in the Niger Delta region had broken out about two weeks ago in Gbaramatu Kingdom, following killing of no fewer than10 military officers by militants.
But they were not allowed to gain entry into the National Assembly complex. The women were thus restricted to the first gate of the complex, which is a ston e throw from the Federal Secretariat building.
Acting under the auspices of Concerned Ijaw Women, they said they were in Abuja to plead with President Umaru Yar’Adua to halt the military operation in the area.
Miss Christine Kasikoro Tonbra, who led the women, said the recent bombardment of Gbaramatu Kingdom had left many innocent women and children homeless. She said many innocent people were also killed in the offensive.
She said, “all we are saying is that our communities have been turned to war zones. Now, we do not have villages again in our places.We have been displaced; so many people are in the bush. We have pregnant women, children, parents and others who have been in the bush. We have recorded a lot of innocent deaths.
“We are here in order to carry out a peaceful demonstration, to appeal to the Federal Government and the international community to come to our aid.
“We know that the Federal Government too is not happy, but we are appealing to government to cease fire decreed by JTF in our communities; we do not have problem with them.”
No leader of the National Assembly was on hand to address the women who said they could not establish contact with any member of the leadership.
NPR had a story this morning on the JTF operation, but it was the usual on the one hand on the other hand. So the only information was that there has been some conflict around Warri. I have to give them some credit though, as their reporter was reporting from Warri.
It is the 10 year anniversary of Nigerian democracy. There are a lot of articles about it, some celebrations and observances, and a lot of people saying we have a long way to go. There has also been a lot of comparison of the current N’Delta crisis to the Biafra War. You may have already read this, but I am in the process of getting a copy. Max Siollun has written what is supposed to be a thorough and generally unbiased account of the military governments in Nigeria between 1966-76, called the best account to date:
Oil, Politics and Violence: Nigeria’s Military Coup Culture 1966-1976 I get the impression it is necessary reading to understand the background for what is going on. There was a good review at the Nigerian Village Square.
Posted by: xcroc | May 29 2009 20:46 utc | 80
two from friday’s inner city press dispatches from the u.n.
once again, ould-abdallah’s outright contempt for the press & the people of mogadishu shines through. or is his guilty conscious starting to seep out…
UN’s Somali Envoy Says Press Is Accomplice to Genocide, No Info on Norway’s Role [post @ link is seriously screwed up so here’s the meat, sans inline links]
Testifying about Somalia to the U.S. Senate on May 21, a representative of Oxfam said that “the United Nations Development Program gave direct financial support for police salaries and some of these police were implicated in serious human rights abuses.” On May 29, Inner City Press asked the Somali Transitional Federal Government’s foreign minister Mohamed Abdullahi Omaar to respond. “I’m appreciat[ive] of that worry,” he said, saying that the “concern.. speaks on behalf of the Somalia individuals who suffer.” Video here, from Minute 21:36.
But when Inner City Press less than an hour later posed the same human rights question to the UN’s envoy to Somalia, Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, he called the question “irresponsible,” the questioner an “accomplice to…. genocide” and told Inner City Press that “there will be more killing and anarchy [and] you will be responsible.” Video here, from Minute 19:44.
Inner City Press pointed about that it was Oxfam’s testimony, and that is seemed fair to ask how the UN is making sure the funding it gives in Somalia supports and does not contravene human rights principles. Ould Abdallah, who previously said that the press should not report on the killing of civilians by African Union peacekeepers, disagrees. He said the Somali police should be paid even if some “stole money money” or committed “abuse.” This is not the UN policy. But the UN has become so out of control that no one dares to reign Ould Abdallah in, or even tries.
When Ould Abdallah attacked the media who reported on African Union peacekeepers firing into a crowd of civilians in Mogadishu, and compared these media outlets to Radio Milles Colines which stoked genocide in Rwanda, both Human Rights Watch and press freedom groups demanded he issue a retraction. Inner City Press asked about it at the UN in New York, and was later told by senior UN officials that Ould Abdallah had been told to retract it by headquarters, but had not do[ne] so. So much for accountability.
Emblematic is the lack of answers on how Ould Abdallah, according to a joint Somali – Kenyan filing under the Law of Sea’s Continental shelf process, arranged for assistance from Norway and its Petroleum Directorate. Inner City Press wrote about this and asked the UN and Ould’s spokesperson Suzie Price, but never received an answer.
On Friday, the question was put to Ould Abdallah and he said he is “no specialist,” that he was unfamiliar with the filing that states that he prepared it. “Ask Norway,” he said. Video here, from Minute 12:30. Inner City Press already has — click here — but Ould Abdallah’s non answers on May 29 only raise more questions.
Somalia Pirates Include Pakistanis and Iranians, Russia Says an International Court Needed
While the campaign of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia is portrayed as example of global unity, there are disagreements about setting up an international court mechanism to try piracy suspects. After Friday’s meeting of the Contact Group, Inner City Press asked U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary, Political and Military Affairs Greg Delawie if the U.S. favors such an international mechanism. No, Mr. Delawie said. Is this due to the U.S.’s position against the International Criminal Court?
Ironically, not only Germany and the Netherlands but also Russia favor an international court, or “mechanism within a national court,” as a Russian diplomat put it to Inner City Press. He noted that the U.S. arguments against this are similar to those Russia made against, for example, the establishment of the so-called Hariri tribunal for Lebanon. He said that since Kenya, where most trials for now take place, has an Anglo Saxon system, the U.S. and UK are fine with it, Russia less so. He said that recently pirates from Pakistan and Iran have been caught and asked, why turn them over to Kenya?
Somalia’s foreign minister made a pitch for money for his country’s courts, and to develop an official Somali Coast Guard. Inner City Press had asked Delawie what the group would do about illegal fishing and the dumping of toxic waste, two roots or rationales for Somali piracy. Delawie said that things are so dangerous now, he doubts that illegal fishing persists. The answer seemed insufficient.
it was probably recited w/ the intention to mislead, unless “u.s. acting asst sec, political and military affairs” delawie is incredibly uninformed on what’s going on along the coast of somalia.
on the remark of the anon “russian diplomat” that “recently pirates from pakistan and iran have been caught”, which then gets turned into a sensational headline – are you sure he’s not confusing the report of the “rescue” of hijacked iranian & pakistani fishermen on a fishing boat that had been commandeered by somali ‘pirates’ and was being used as a mother ship? we covered that story earlier. if there is a separate rpt of illegal fishermen of those countries being captured by the budding thousand-ship navy, do share for i have yet to see any such thing
Posted by: b real | May 30 2009 5:44 utc | 86
I think Obama is visiting Ghana for a number of reasons. Oil and AFRICOM are high on the list. Ghana is about to come online with some moderately significant oil production, with more potential oil. Much of the oil infrastructure and staff that can be moved out of Nigeria is already being moved to Ghana, and more is due to move. Ghana is friendlier and safer. I’m sure that move will continue, although I’m sure the oil companies are bringing some unfriendliness and unsafeness with them. Ghana is stable and comfortable and friendly to US citizens. It is geographically ideally placed for monitoring and policing the Gulf of Guinea, therefore ideally placed for AFRICOM. It already has commercial ports.
Ghana is generally very pro US, although that suffered a bit under Bush. President Clinton made a very popular and successful visit there. AFRICOM already has a presence in Ghana in the US embassy, and in The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC). I think Ghana is the country the US most wants for a base or HQ for AFRICOM because of location and comfort level. They saw their best bet with the outgoing NPP administration, which was very much for sale. Public opinion prevented Kufour from inviting AFRICOM in. When the NPP ran and won in 2000, one of their selling points was they were all well off “they have their own something to chop” and don’t need to steal from the public coffers. They then proceeded to loot at unprecedented levels. It was very like the Bush administration, an opportunity to loot the country for personal gain. The scandals and thefts continue to boil up daily in the press. There will be some prosecutions.
The people in charge of the Ghana military now are people who came up under Rawlings, and are inclined to similar views. I think Rawlings feels strongly that Ghana should not host AFRICOM. Whether Mills and his military commanders will follow that I don’t know. Other people I know say Mills will never consent to hosting AFRICOM. I certainly hope they are correct. I am a great admirer of Rawlings, although when his second elected term of office was up I thought it was time for him to go. I supported Mills and the NDC then, in 2000, but the NPP won two terms.
The NPP also helped institutionalize the drug problem in Ghana, with lots of their high ups and money men involved in the drug trade. There were rumours and lots of indications that the diplomatic baggage was carrying a lot of drugs. The rumours say their presidential candidate, Akufo-Addo is a cocaine addict. I have no documentary confirmation of this, but people who know more than I do tell me it is true, and I certainly find it credible. He also has a profound contempt for his constituents, which many of them could see. I think the NPP drug connection would have worked very well with the US war on drugs which they are pushing as one of the ways the US can help Ghana. Mary Carlin Yates has been in Ghana recently talking this up big time. If the trade is there the need to fight it is there, keep the trade, keep the need for AFRICOM. With the NPP out the drug trade won’t go away. That curse will continue for awhile. I don’t know how much it may have eaten into the NDC. I haven’t seen much sign of it yet, and I hope it does not make too many inroads, but the money is very tempting, and people in Ghana are poor.
Jendayi Frazer was in Ghana at the end of December right before the runoff election in Tain that settled the election. I wrote about the final runoff election here if you want more detail: Ghana runoff election in Tain today January 2. Right before the runoff there was mention in the press of power sharing. I’m sure that came from her. I think the US very much wanted to continue dealing with the NPP. The election was well managed and there was no more talk of power sharing.
The NPP are run by the Ashanti elites, the same families who opposed independence, and wanted to break away from Nkrumah and the rest of Ghana. Nkrumah told them go ahead, they’d be on their own. Ashanti is landlocked and surrounded, so that would never work. All the NPP top people are Ashanti. In that sense it is a party of minority privilege rather like the GOP. They are the pre-colonial elites, and have done well under colonialism, and by working with the neo-colonialists ever since. Not all Ashantis are NPP, and not all the NPP are such greedy sellouts.
Ghana’s democracy functions a bit better than most, and that makes it a PR plus for an Obama visit, as well as the tourist trade already mentioned. The recent elections were easily comparable to US elections for reliability, fairness, and transparency, which is to say, not great, but passable, and the actual winners won. Plus, it was not just an election, the party in power changed hands, and there was no coup, as the recent one in Kenya, and no permanent one party rule, as in so many places. That is a huge success for Ghana, I hope we can continue. And it adds to the PR plus for Obama.
Posted by: xcroc | May 30 2009 19:58 utc | 90
Al Shabaab reject Aweys ‘unity’ proposal
MOGADISHU, Somalia June 3 (Garowe Online) – Somali opposition figure Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys has publicly stated that there are ongoing talks to unite the political and military strength of Somali opposition groups Hizbul Islam and Al Shabaab, but his proposal has already been rejected, Radio Garowe reports.
…
“Talks to unite Al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam are in the finals stages,” Sheikh Aweys told reporters Wednesday.
But Al Shabaab guerrilla leaders who refused to be identified rejected Sheikh Aweys’ claims, saying that Al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam do not share a common name but have agreed to share weapons to overthrow President Sheikh Sharif’s U.N.-backed interim government and African Union peacekeepers (AMISOM) protecting the government.
Sheikh Aweys has not commented on Al Shabaab’s rejection of his unity proposal yet, but divisions linger within the opposition, who are only united in overthrowing the government but have different ideologies about Somalia’s political future.
but harakat al-shabaab mujahideen (that’s how they’ve asked to be referenced now) has an official spokesperson so why base a news article denouncing the groups’ rejection of awey’s proposal solely on “guerrilla leaders who refused to be identified”?
meanwhile the fighting continues in mogadishu w/ control of neighborhood police stations continuing to change more than once a day
the TFG2 is hoping that a pr campaign will help shape perception of audiences both local and int’l to make them look strong
western media reporters — reporters only in the sense that they report/repeat whatever any official put in front of them says, no matter how fantastically detached from reality it is — are spreading the message far & wide that the TFG is kicking ass & regaining control of mogadishu despite the fact that the TFG, whatever version, have never controlled much of the city
from a story on the minister of information’s press conference,
Somalia Government Vows to Cleanse Insurgents from Mogadishu in 100 Days
MOGADISHU (HOL) – Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TAG) vowed today to defeat insurgents who are waging war against it in 100 days.
Speaking to reporters in a press conference, the Minister of Information Mr. Farhan Ali Mohamud said that the TFG will cleanse insurgents from Mogadishu in 100 days and also alluded to the possibility of the TFG cleansing insurgent in the next 100 days from all parts of the country.
The Minister added that the TFG was able to have the upper hand in the recent clashes in Mogadishu and said that insurgents either fled for their lives or melted into the civilian population.
…
The Minister also spoke about civilians who were killed yesterday by government forces saying that they were killed after insurgents went into the mosques. The Minister said that the government is investigating the incident and that those are found guilty will be brought before an Islamic court.
so now the TFG2 is bombing mosques & killing civilians? that won’t help win any hearts & minds, at a minimum
a shabelle media article on the continued fighting overnight adds
The two sides have used heavy weapons in the fighting and AMISOM troops in Mogadishu have reportedly took part in the fighting at the side of shelling.
could have been associated w/ the rpts that a burundian base was attacked earlier wednesday, in which case their mandate does say that they can fire back if attacked. unfortunately, as we’ve seen repeatedly, the AMISOM forces are prone to panic & firing back indiscriminately just as ethiopian forces camped in mogadishu did. empirically-distilling through the local media the general sentiment in the city, the foreign military presence is still not popular, esp when killing the very somalis it is advertised as being there to protect, if you happen to even buy that line.
nothing a timely reuters propaganda piece can’t counter, though
AU fails to stop war, but saves lives in Somalia
MOGADISHU, June 3 (Reuters) – Raising her palms in thanks, mother Sahra Abdi says an African Union force (AMISOM) in the Somali capital saved her daughter and mended her shattered knee.
“May God reward AMISOM for treating us free of charge,” Abdi said, her child clinging to her side after treatment at the AU’s tented hospital inside its main base in Mogadishu.
…
The 4,300-strong African Union peacekeepers in Somalia have often had a bad press: criticised for failing to stem the violence, accused by a U.N. body of selling arms to rebels, and accused by some residents of firing mortars into civilian areas.
But on one subject — the AU hospital — Mogadishu’s war-weary residents are enthusiastic.
Mohamed Aden, 25, said doctors there saved his life.
“My police mate destroyed my organs with my own gun,” Aden said, wrapped in bandages from his toes to his thighs.
“I did not know he joined the Islamists while I was away at a police course in Ethiopia. He snatched my gun and opened fire on me as we had a friendly conversation,” he said.
Posted by: b real | Jun 3 2009 21:38 utc | 98
|
