Kenyan women assert their right to be heard and included in the
Kenyan peace process
Women’s Coalition on Peace Memorandum to The National Dialogue &
Reconciliation Committee’s Eminent Persons Serena Hotel, Nairobi
March 1, 2008
Your Excellency Kofi Annan
Your Excellency Graça Machel
Your Excellency Benjamin Mkapa
We congratulate you, the Eminent Persons and the mediation teams and
their principals on the breakthrough achieved with regards to Agenda
Item Number 3 of the Kenya National Dialogue on Reconciliation: the
“Agreement on the Principles of Partnership of the Coalition
Government”. We thank you for the immense work that has been
undertaken by yourselves in the past five weeks in Kenya. The Women’s
Coalition for Sustainable Peace, are aware that women and children
have experienced the brunt of the post-electoral violence that has
occurred in Kenya since 30th December, 2007.
We commend the work of the Panel of Eminent Persons, which marks a
watershed and milestone in the history of Africa. The African peoples
represented through the African Union which mandated the Panel of
Eminent Persons, stood together and refused to allow Kenya to become
another failed state. We are humbled by the generosity of the
international community represented through the UN, AU, EU, UK, US
and others. The immediate impact of the resolution of Agenda Item 3
has already been felt as you may have observed in the reactions of
ordinary Kenyans as they began to release the anxiety which they have
lived with for the past two months. Yesterday (29th February, 2008),
for the first time in two months, Kenyans were able to walk again in
their beloved Uhuru Park a clear sign of the return of hope.
The speeches of the principals His Excellency Mwai Kibaki and
Honourable Raila Odinga, were reassuring to the Kenyan people. We
trust that they will uphold the promises and commitments that they
made. We as citizens will be holding them accountable. Given the
leadership demonstrated by the Kenya 2 National Dialogue on
Reconciliation it behoves the Kenyan people to guard, sustain, uphold
and nurture the new and fragile return to peace.
Kenya is now embarking on a reconstruction. Some of the key factors
that precipitated and exacerbated the Kenyan post-electoral crisis
were the lack of a sound foundation. We believe that the following
are some of the necessary elements of a vibrant, prosperous, just and
peaceful state: inclusion, equality, integrity, justice,
transparency, accountability, professionalism, tolerance and strong
institutions that respect, can sustain and protect these values
The Women’s Coalition recognises that ensuring the sustainability of
the agreements reached is dependent on the vigilance of Kenyan
citizens. To this end, Kenyan women believe the following are
imperative:
1. Accountability and monitoring mechanisms for the agreements made
to date namely:
- The disbanding and demobilisation of all illegal armed and militia
groups
- The holding of joint rallies to promote peace and tranquillity
- The impartial effective and expeditious investigation into all
cases of crime and police brutality and use of excessive force
- Protection and assistance for internally displaced persons
especially women and the safe return to their homes and places of work
- The establishment of a Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission
- The establishment of an Independent Review Commission to
investigate all aspects of the 2007 Elections
- The Agreement on the Principles of Partnership of the Coalition
Government and its implementing mechanism the National Accord and
Reconciliation Act [2008]
2. Implementing mechanisms for the agreements made.
Participation mechanisms that will ensure that all citizens own, are
aware of, accountable for and participate in the implementation of
the agreements made. Recognising that the “Agreement on the
Principles of Partnership of the Coalition Government” is a contract
between the Kenyan people and will 3 constitute the foundation of the
future Kenyan nation it is particularly important that the citizens
participate in and are fully informed of the processes. Kenya has a
legacy of secrecy, with regards to its governance mechanisms and
systems, the “Agreement on the Principles of Partnership of the
Coalition Government” presents an opportunity to break with this past
and create a true culture of constitutionalism and participatory
democracy.
3. Gender parity and equality: As women we are also particularly
concerned about Kenya’s legacy of inequality – especially gender
inequality. The majority of Kenya’s poor are women. Kenya’s
Constitution still does not grant women full citizenship and
legalises gender based discrimination – women are therefore under-
represented in all of the country’s decision-making institutions. The
country has a high incidence of gender based violence and it has been
observed during the post-electoral crisis that one of its
manifestations has been an increase in sexual and gender based violence.
Given this legacy of deeply entrenched gender inequality, it is
therefore imperative that there be mechanisms for the inclusion and
participation of women in and at all decision-making levels and
processes. It is therefore imperative that the team drafting the
National Accord and Reconciliation Act [2008] include women and make
provision for women’s participation and representation in all processes.
Women are therefore concerned that they are represented and
participate in:
- The formation of the new cabinet, senior positions in the public
service and at all other levels of representation in ALL public
institutions, decision making mechanisms, political parties,
technical and advisory bodies.
- The Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission
- The Independent Review Commission on the Conduct of the 2007 Elections
- All implementation mechanisms of the “Agreement on the Principles
of Partnership of the Coalition Government” and the National Accord
and Reconciliation Act [2008]
- Addressing the subject matter of Agenda Item 4 – “Long-term Issues
and Solutions” which is intended to address the fundamental root
causes of recurrent conflict in Kenya (namely constitutional reform,
judicial reform, land ownership and reform, institutional reform,
poverty, inequality).
4. The special condition of internally displaced women: We wish to
bring to the attention of the Kenya National Dialogue on
Reconciliation, that many of the internally displaced persons are
women and children. Given the gender and cultural biases in land
ownership practises, most of the women who had been culturally
displaced from their own homes and had sought refuge in urban areas
away are now in double-jeopardy and require special and urgent
measures to settle them.
5. Women peace builders and peacemakers: Women have always been
historically engaged in peace processes. Many women were on the
forefront in this crisis providing humanitarian support and have been
part of the peace-building process. This expertise has been engaged
in our own situation and we commend the role of all the Kenyan women
who have chosen to and remained committed to working for a peaceful
resolution of the Kenyan crisis at all levels. We recommend that role
of these women be acknowledged and appreciated at all levels.
6. Benchmarks, measurable outcomes and timeframes for the achievement
of key agreements. There is need to develop a monitoring framework
for the agreements that incorporates key benchmarks, measurable
outcomes and timeframes for the achievement of the key agreements.
In conclusion, we as the women of Kenya will continue engaging with
our Parliament as the organ with the first implementing
responsibility and urge them to be instructed and guided by the
values and principles identified upon by you. We will also continue
engaging at all other levels to play whatever role we can to ensure
that all the agreements are kept.
*Signed & Dated 1 March 2008 On behalf of the Women’s Coalition.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
The Basis of Prosperity
The Basis of Prosperity
By: Ian Welsh Saturday March 1, 2008 4:00 pm
One of the things that citizens of the first world - Americans, Canadians, Europeans and others, tend to forget, is that in most of the world there are large parts of various countries where the central government cannot reliably enforce the law, send troops, or tax. There are entire provinces in India with active rebellions. China regularly has huge job riots, and towns have risen up en masse and fought the police and army. Many South American countries don’t control large chunks of their own territory. And most African countries are elaborate jokes, divided up amongst multiple groups, with one group controlling the capital, being acknowledged by the UN, and being the official “government” in the eyes of the outside world, but often controlling less than half the country.
In the middle ages one would talk of places where “the King’s writ doth not extend.” In the modern era those places exist as well - are indeed vast, but we remark them not, because mostly they don’t matter much to those of us lucky enough to live in well ordered societies. They are places where the writ of the state is weak, or nonexistent. Sometimes any state, sometimes just any state we recognize. (Somaliland is an example of this. Virtually a nation-state, but not recognized as one.)
And it’s the sort of violence and uncertainty that occurs when the state doesn’t have a monopoly on violence that led people like Hobbes to infinitely prefer a strong state, even one that is repressive, over a weak one or anarchy.
In a weak state everything you have can be taken from you by those who are willing to use violence, or the threat of violence; and in a weak state, it is always possible for the situation to deteriorate even further. And very weak governments, contrary to what many Americans imagine, are almost as dangerous as totalitarian ones. The violence in the Congo, for example, has claimed enough people to make Stalin proud.
Likewise such uncertainty has a strong economic effect. Hernando de Soto has discussed this, after a fashion, but the finding I find most interesting is about stock returns.
Here’s the deal - stock returns make economists twitchy. They’re too high. In theory stock returns should be about equal to the bond market (maybe slightly higher, but only slightly, because the risk is only slightly higher.)
But the reason economists think this is when they look at just the US in isolation.
When you start looking at the world as a whole you suddenly find out something - stocks are very, very risky. Most of them never return a cent on an investment, viewed over the long term. This is even true in some first world nations, like Italy, where long run returns (say, take a century) are, while better than zero, barely better.
America is an anomaly. So is Canada. So is England. They are anomalies because the power of the government, having neither been used en masse against its own population (as with the USSR) or so weak as to allow for major competing brokers of violence, has allowed Einstein’s most powerful force in the universe - compound interest - to do its work.
In most countries that never gets off the ground. The government either takes too much (China and the USSR in the communist days) or can’t protect enough, and so, in fits and starts, things never quite get going.
Rational capitalism (as opposed to the sort of rabid financial speculation we have witnessed over the last few years) requires that actors be able to take a long term view. That requires the stability of law, and the belief that what one builds, one will be able to keep.
Government is always at the basis of economic prosperity. Without a good government (and good government is always strong, although a strong government can be bad) there can be no prosperity. The private sector can only make a country rich, if the government sets up the preconditions for it to do so.
By: Ian Welsh Saturday March 1, 2008 4:00 pm
One of the things that citizens of the first world - Americans, Canadians, Europeans and others, tend to forget, is that in most of the world there are large parts of various countries where the central government cannot reliably enforce the law, send troops, or tax. There are entire provinces in India with active rebellions. China regularly has huge job riots, and towns have risen up en masse and fought the police and army. Many South American countries don’t control large chunks of their own territory. And most African countries are elaborate jokes, divided up amongst multiple groups, with one group controlling the capital, being acknowledged by the UN, and being the official “government” in the eyes of the outside world, but often controlling less than half the country.
In the middle ages one would talk of places where “the King’s writ doth not extend.” In the modern era those places exist as well - are indeed vast, but we remark them not, because mostly they don’t matter much to those of us lucky enough to live in well ordered societies. They are places where the writ of the state is weak, or nonexistent. Sometimes any state, sometimes just any state we recognize. (Somaliland is an example of this. Virtually a nation-state, but not recognized as one.)
And it’s the sort of violence and uncertainty that occurs when the state doesn’t have a monopoly on violence that led people like Hobbes to infinitely prefer a strong state, even one that is repressive, over a weak one or anarchy.
In a weak state everything you have can be taken from you by those who are willing to use violence, or the threat of violence; and in a weak state, it is always possible for the situation to deteriorate even further. And very weak governments, contrary to what many Americans imagine, are almost as dangerous as totalitarian ones. The violence in the Congo, for example, has claimed enough people to make Stalin proud.
Likewise such uncertainty has a strong economic effect. Hernando de Soto has discussed this, after a fashion, but the finding I find most interesting is about stock returns.
Here’s the deal - stock returns make economists twitchy. They’re too high. In theory stock returns should be about equal to the bond market (maybe slightly higher, but only slightly, because the risk is only slightly higher.)
But the reason economists think this is when they look at just the US in isolation.
When you start looking at the world as a whole you suddenly find out something - stocks are very, very risky. Most of them never return a cent on an investment, viewed over the long term. This is even true in some first world nations, like Italy, where long run returns (say, take a century) are, while better than zero, barely better.
America is an anomaly. So is Canada. So is England. They are anomalies because the power of the government, having neither been used en masse against its own population (as with the USSR) or so weak as to allow for major competing brokers of violence, has allowed Einstein’s most powerful force in the universe - compound interest - to do its work.
In most countries that never gets off the ground. The government either takes too much (China and the USSR in the communist days) or can’t protect enough, and so, in fits and starts, things never quite get going.
Rational capitalism (as opposed to the sort of rabid financial speculation we have witnessed over the last few years) requires that actors be able to take a long term view. That requires the stability of law, and the belief that what one builds, one will be able to keep.
Government is always at the basis of economic prosperity. Without a good government (and good government is always strong, although a strong government can be bad) there can be no prosperity. The private sector can only make a country rich, if the government sets up the preconditions for it to do so.
Somaliland Journalists Association 3rd GA Meeting Failed
“SOLJA 3rd GA Conference high jacked” – Said by the SOLJA GA Conference’s Chairman mR. Sayid Osman Mireh and Deputy-Chairman Mr. Abdikarim Omar Odowaa.
The 3rd Somaliland Journalists Conference was officially opened by minister of Information, Mr. Ahmed Hadji Dahir on Thursday with a call that media should avoid harassing crawling child (Somaliland).
He said; “I wish that the conference will be concluded with success at the same timeI remind that journalists give Justice that they need to others.”
Assistant minister of Justice, Mr. Yusuf Esse Tallabo said; “Politicians and politics cannot function without the media and as such I appeal to you to lift the ban or blackout you have imposed on me for the last two months.”
The minister added that he is happy that the president has put a blackout on the media, claiming that Somaliland has a lot of enemies.
Chairman of the opposition KULMIYE party, Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo said; “Violations of human rights, the constitution and the free market as well as suppression of the free media will result in the deviation from our basic principles.”
The chairman added that the government should give time in the state-owned media for the opposition.
Dahabshiil and Telesom officials at the conference promised that they will do everything possible to upgrade media in the country.
Ahmed Saed Egeh, from the BBC said; “The conference should pray for the late Mohamoud Abdi Shide, who sacrificed what he owned to bring the print media to its current level.”
The minister added that he is happy that the president has put a blackout on the media, claiming that Somaliland has a lot of enemies.
Chairman of the opposition KULMIYE party, Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo said; “Violations of human rights, the constitution and the free market as well as suppression of the free media will result in the deviation from our basic principles.”
The chairman added that the government should give time in the state-owned media for the opposition.
Dahabshiil and Telesom officials at the conference promised that they will do everything possible to upgrade media in the country.
Ahmed Saed Egeh, from the BBC said; “The conference should pray for the late Mohamoud Abdi Shide, who sacrificed what he owned to bring the print media to its current level.”
He added; “It is time that journalists should change the working culture in their headquarters.”
Chairman of SOLJA, Mustafe Abdi Esse told the Republican last night that a 15-men executive committee elected by the conference have elected the new chairman, Mustafe Abdi Esse, first Deputy Chairman, Hariir Farah Du’ale and Mohamed Saed Muhumed, second deputy chairman and Muse Inji, as the Executive Secretary.
In answer to what the intends to do about Jamhuuriya Media Group, which worked out of the conference, he said; “We will try to contact them as of today and give them their positions in the executive committee.”
He added that negotiations are underway to get resignation from the newly elected executive committee member, Mr. Muse Diriye, Director of the Somaliland National TV and Muse Adam.
Chairman of the 3rd Conference, Mr. Sayid Mohamed Osman Mire and Deputy Chairman, Abdikarem Omer Odowaa, told the Republican last night that the 3rd Conference has not been concluded officially and that it ended in chaos and violation of the constitution.
Chairman of SOLJA, Mustafe Abdi Esse told the Republican last night that a 15-men executive committee elected by the conference have elected the new chairman, Mustafe Abdi Esse, first Deputy Chairman, Hariir Farah Du’ale and Mohamed Saed Muhumed, second deputy chairman and Muse Inji, as the Executive Secretary.
In answer to what the intends to do about Jamhuuriya Media Group, which worked out of the conference, he said; “We will try to contact them as of today and give them their positions in the executive committee.”
He added that negotiations are underway to get resignation from the newly elected executive committee member, Mr. Muse Diriye, Director of the Somaliland National TV and Muse Adam.
Chairman of the 3rd Conference, Mr. Sayid Mohamed Osman Mire and Deputy Chairman, Abdikarem Omer Odowaa, told the Republican last night that the 3rd Conference has not been concluded officially and that it ended in chaos and violation of the constitution.
The chairman said; “There was no proper election. It was a chaotic condition and in the articles of the constitution which was amended in today’s session (Friday) were broken.”
Elaborating this he said; “The conference has been hijacked, politicians were elected as Executive members. New members that were not approved by the conference took part in the voting. The members voted for an institution that worked out of the conference (Jamhuuriya Media Group). The whole voting was a chaotic. I was surrounded and I could not seen what was going on. I think that SOLJA has become a victim of the government. The new executive includes the chairman, who is also chairman of government-owned Maandeeq Media Group. The second deputy chairman is director of the State Radio Hargeisa and the director of the Somaliland National Television (government-owned) is a member of the executive.”
He concluded saying: “SOLJA has been hijacked as SHURA-Net, a human rights organization which have the same fate earlier this year.”
The Deputy chairman of the conference, Abdikarem Omer Odowaa, said; “Disturbances and the chaotic condition of the conference began when voting was to start. We adjourned to bring back delegates who left the whole as well as Jamhuuriya Media Group, which have walked out. We failed in our effort. There is no doubt that the constitution has been violated for the newly amended balloting which should have been secret was not introduced.”
Faisal Ali Sheikh, Chairman of Jamhuriya Media Group (JMG), explaining why JMG delegates worked out, said; “We were surprised why founders of the Association as well as senior journalists were excluded from the conference while unapproved journalists were given a delegate status. We were not also satisfied with the undemocratic way the conference was being carried out.”
In answer to how the new election and the new plan to contact them will affect them, he said; “We will not abide nor accept any of the outcome from this conference. In addition to that we will not have any discussion with the leaders of SOLJA.”
Elaborating this he said; “The conference has been hijacked, politicians were elected as Executive members. New members that were not approved by the conference took part in the voting. The members voted for an institution that worked out of the conference (Jamhuuriya Media Group). The whole voting was a chaotic. I was surrounded and I could not seen what was going on. I think that SOLJA has become a victim of the government. The new executive includes the chairman, who is also chairman of government-owned Maandeeq Media Group. The second deputy chairman is director of the State Radio Hargeisa and the director of the Somaliland National Television (government-owned) is a member of the executive.”
He concluded saying: “SOLJA has been hijacked as SHURA-Net, a human rights organization which have the same fate earlier this year.”
The Deputy chairman of the conference, Abdikarem Omer Odowaa, said; “Disturbances and the chaotic condition of the conference began when voting was to start. We adjourned to bring back delegates who left the whole as well as Jamhuuriya Media Group, which have walked out. We failed in our effort. There is no doubt that the constitution has been violated for the newly amended balloting which should have been secret was not introduced.”
Faisal Ali Sheikh, Chairman of Jamhuriya Media Group (JMG), explaining why JMG delegates worked out, said; “We were surprised why founders of the Association as well as senior journalists were excluded from the conference while unapproved journalists were given a delegate status. We were not also satisfied with the undemocratic way the conference was being carried out.”
In answer to how the new election and the new plan to contact them will affect them, he said; “We will not abide nor accept any of the outcome from this conference. In addition to that we will not have any discussion with the leaders of SOLJA.”
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Courses, Seminars and Workshops
AFRICA: AFRICAN DOCTORAL DISSERTATION RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS (ADDRF)
The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Ford Foundation, is pleased to announce the African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowships (ADDRF), a new fellowship program
to support doctoral students at African universities whose theses address issues relating to heath systems strengthening in Africa. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/fundraising/46244
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GLOBAL: 2009-2011 ROTARY PEACE CENTER - CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
http://tinyurl.com/2wxwyo
http://tinyurl.com/2wxwyo
The Rotary Foundation announces a call for applications for the 2009-11 Rotary World Peace Fellowships (RWPF) and January and June 2009 Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies (RPCS) Program sessions. The deadline for completed applications to be submitted to The Rotary
Foundation for these sessions is 1 July 2008.
GLOBAL: COUNTERING TERRORISM THROUGH
HUMAN SECURITY SOLUTIONS
http://fletcher.tufts.edu/AfricaConference/index.shtml
HUMAN SECURITY SOLUTIONS
http://fletcher.tufts.edu/AfricaConference/index.shtml
The Jebsen Center for Counter-Terrorism Studies—with support from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and co-sponsorship from the Conflict and Human Security Studies Program at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point; the Fletcher Institute for Human Security; the
Feinstein International Center at Tufts University; and Synexxus, Inc. —presents a two-day conference, “Countering Terrorism in Africa Through Human Security Solutions” on Thursday, February 28 and Friday, February 29 at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
GLOBAL: HUMAN RIGHTS SHORT COURSES 2008
http://www.humanrightstools.org/shortcourses.htm
The Human Rights Tools website now features more than 60 short courses and summer schools spanning 2008 and 2009, from the general introductions to very specialized courses on indigenous peoples, discrimination, women’s rights, and more.
_________++++++++++___________Fundraising
Global: WWSF Prize for women’s creativity in rural life
2008-02-19
The Women’s World Summit Foundation cordially invites you to submit nominations for its 15th annual PRIZE for women’s creativity in rural life, honouring creative and courageous women and women’s organisations working to improve the quality of life in rural communities around the world. Deadline: 31 March 2008.
2008 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
WWSF PRIZE for women’s creativity in rural life
The Women’s World Summit Foundation cordially invites you to submit nominations for its 15th annual PRIZE for women’s creativity in rural life, honouring creative and courageous women and women’s organisations working to improve the quality of life in rural communities around the world.
Since inception of the prize program in 1994, 331 Laureates have been honoured for their creativity with a cash donation of US$ 500 each and US$ 3000 for established organizations in Africa. All Laureates and their profiles are published on our web site http://www.woman.ch/home.php A travelling exposition is giving visibility to all the prize winners which has recently been exhibited at the United Nations in Geneva during a Human Rights Council session. Deadline: 31 March 2008.
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE: JOURNAL FELLOW SUPPORT PROGRAMME
http://www.csvr.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=652&Itemid=147
The International Journal of Transitional Justice (IJTJ) is pleased to announce the introduction of a Journal Fellows Support Programme aimed at increasing the publication and dissemination of pieces from south-based transitional justice practitioners and scholars. The Programme will provide the opportunity for five applicants to develop their writing, analytical and comparative content skills through a short training workshop followed by a one year e-mentorship by leading scholars and practitioners in the field globally as well as the IJTJ Editorial team.
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GLOBAL: GRANT AVAILABLE: PHD AND POST-DOCTORAL - MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY
The Institute has the opportunity to fill alternatively 1 PhD Grant, or 1 postdoctoral Grant Starting May 2008 (negotiable). The grant is to be awarded in the context of the Max Planck Fellow Research Group "Law, Organizations, Science, and Technology" (LOST) headed by
Professor Richard Rottenburg (Max Planck Fellow). The current research focus is on "Biomedicine in Africa". Special attention is given to medical practice and argumentation in juridical contexts such as in the control of epidemics, the legitimisation and legalisation of diagnostic and healing practices, intellectual property rights, medical evidence in various forms of courts of justice etc. (for more details see http://www.eth.mpg.de/) http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/fundraising/46233
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GLOBAL: FELLOWSHIPS FOR THREATENED ACADEMICS
http://www.iie.org/programs/srf/
The Institute of International Education's Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF) provides fellowships for established scholars whose lives and work are threatened in their home countries. These fellowships permit professors, researchers and other senior academics to find temporary refuge at universities and colleges anywhere in the world, enabling them to pursue their academic work and to continue to share their knowledge with students, colleagues, and the community at large.
Fellowships Deadline is March 5.
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Fellowships Deadline is March 5.
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GLOBAL: CRITICAL HALF - CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
http://www.womenforwomen.org/cfpapers.htm
AFRICA: AFRICAN DOCTORAL DISSERTATION RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS (ADDRF)
http://www.womenforwomen.org/cfpapers.htm
Women for Women International, a non-profit humanitarian organization, seeks submissions for the Fall 2008 issue of its bi-annual academic journal, Critical Half. This issue will focus on
global women’s movements and women’s movements globally in various contexts, including politics, women’s rights, social change, religion, and economic endeavors. Women’s movements may be global in their organization or effects, as in the international feminist movement, or they may be global in their concerns but local or ‘grassroots’ in their organization and immediate impact.
_________________________++++++++________________________________AFRICA: AFRICAN DOCTORAL DISSERTATION RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS (ADDRF)
The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Ford Foundation, is pleased to announce the African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowships (ADDRF), a new fellowship program to support doctoral students at African universities whose theses address issues relating to heath systems strengthening in Africa. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/fundraising/46244
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Somaliland Cultural Sites Remain Little Known Outside East Africa
By Cathy Majtenyi
Zeila, Somaliland
22 February 2008
Scholars say early followers of the Prophet Muhammad fled to Zeila from Mecca around 615 A.D. And current residents say those early Muslims built a mosque facing in two directions, toward Jerusalem and Mecca. It is believe to have been one of the first outside the Middle East, marking Islam's initial entry into Africa.
Arabs began to administer the small town on the Gulf of Aden soon after their arrival, but by the 16th century, Ottoman Turks took over administration, followed by a brief stint from the Egyptians. Britain began governing in the late 1800s.
Throughout the centuries, Zeila developed into a major trading and commercial port.
Yusuf Hassan Muhid
Yusuf Hassan Muhid is said to be Zeila's oldest resident. Muhid, who villagers say is 100 years old, remembers when tea was shipped in from India, and animal hides, peanuts and Ethiopian coffee were shipped out. He recalls, "My father was a businessman who brought in dates and other food items from Yemen."
With the development of the port in neighboring Djibouti, by the early 1900s, Zeila lost its importance as a major trading center. And years of warfare and neglect have turned most of the historical sites into rubble.
Town elder Ibrahim Ahmed decries the sites' condition. "The historical sites are not limited to the mosques. One good example is the museum next door that needs rehabilitation," he said.
He urges Somaliland authorities to restore the mosque and other buildings.
Ali Ibrahim - Somaliland Minister of Planning
Ali Ibrahim is Somaliland's minister of National Planning and Development. Ibrahim says that Culture Ministry officials are consulting with experts on how best to preserve Somaliland's historical sites and are forming plans on how to preserve, maintain and promote those sites.
He adds, "These historical sites need a lot of investment for their own rehabilitation and I think the Ministry of Culture does not have enough funds to do that work. That is why it is trying to attract foreign institutions to collaborate with them in the preservation of these historical sites. So the work has started."
More than 300 kilometers south of Zeila are the hills of Las Geel. Hidden within the hills are ancient caves. Their walls contain paintings estimated to date from 4000 to 3000 B.C.
The paintings depict mostly cows and some human figures. Historians believe that early artists crushed stones of different colors to make a paste that they used as paint. The historians call for the cave paintings to be protected from damage so that the legacy of the ancients can live on.
Zeila, Somaliland
22 February 2008
Somaliland is a relatively new east African republic that broke away from Somalia in 1991 and is still not recognized internationally as independent. But it is a land ripe with historical treasure, including the town of Zeila on the Gulf of Aden and the rock paintings at Las Geel. Cathy Majtenyi takes a look at these major, yet little known, landmarks of human history.
Masjidul Qiblatayn - Zaila
Masjidul Qiblatayn - Zaila
Scholars say early followers of the Prophet Muhammad fled to Zeila from Mecca around 615 A.D. And current residents say those early Muslims built a mosque facing in two directions, toward Jerusalem and Mecca. It is believe to have been one of the first outside the Middle East, marking Islam's initial entry into Africa.
Arabs began to administer the small town on the Gulf of Aden soon after their arrival, but by the 16th century, Ottoman Turks took over administration, followed by a brief stint from the Egyptians. Britain began governing in the late 1800s.
Throughout the centuries, Zeila developed into a major trading and commercial port.
Yusuf Hassan Muhid
Yusuf Hassan Muhid is said to be Zeila's oldest resident. Muhid, who villagers say is 100 years old, remembers when tea was shipped in from India, and animal hides, peanuts and Ethiopian coffee were shipped out. He recalls, "My father was a businessman who brought in dates and other food items from Yemen."
With the development of the port in neighboring Djibouti, by the early 1900s, Zeila lost its importance as a major trading center. And years of warfare and neglect have turned most of the historical sites into rubble.
Town elder Ibrahim Ahmed decries the sites' condition. "The historical sites are not limited to the mosques. One good example is the museum next door that needs rehabilitation," he said.
He urges Somaliland authorities to restore the mosque and other buildings.
Ali Ibrahim - Somaliland Minister of Planning
Ali Ibrahim is Somaliland's minister of National Planning and Development. Ibrahim says that Culture Ministry officials are consulting with experts on how best to preserve Somaliland's historical sites and are forming plans on how to preserve, maintain and promote those sites.
He adds, "These historical sites need a lot of investment for their own rehabilitation and I think the Ministry of Culture does not have enough funds to do that work. That is why it is trying to attract foreign institutions to collaborate with them in the preservation of these historical sites. So the work has started."
More than 300 kilometers south of Zeila are the hills of Las Geel. Hidden within the hills are ancient caves. Their walls contain paintings estimated to date from 4000 to 3000 B.C.
The paintings depict mostly cows and some human figures. Historians believe that early artists crushed stones of different colors to make a paste that they used as paint. The historians call for the cave paintings to be protected from damage so that the legacy of the ancients can live on.
Source - VOA
UN envoy: Sec Council must end impunity in Somalia
Fri 22 Feb 2008, 7:51 GMT
By Daniel Wallis
NAIROBI, Feb 22 (Reuters) - The international community must focus on ending impunity in Somalia, where warlords have committed gross human rights abuses against civilians for many years, a senior U.N. official said on Friday.
The U.N. Security Council renewed the authority this week for a small African Union peace force for the country and agreed to debate next month whether U.N. troops should be sent there.
But Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, U.N. special representative for Somalia, said Wednesday's resolution was missing a key element.
"I am under pressure from Somalis in the Diaspora and within the country, the victims, to explain why no mention is made of ending impunity," Ould-Abdallah told Reuters in an interview.
"They say that unless it is addressed, there's no possibility of a return to peace, or a return to a normal economy or the normal delivery of humanitarian assistance."
Lawless Somalia has been wracked by conflict between a fledgling interim government, its Ethiopian allies and heavily armed remnants of a hardline Islamist group that they chased out of the capital Mogadishu at the start of 2007.
This week's resolution extended the U.N. endorsement of the AU mission for six months and included several positive statements that amounted to progress, Ould-Abdallah said.
The protection of civilians and humanitarian relief efforts were placed front and centre, while member states were urged to help guard merchant shipping from pirates off the Somali coast, especially vessels carrying vital U.N. food aid.
But it made no mention of targeting warlords and other Somalis -- some serving in the government and others allied to the rebels -- who have made life a misery for most Somalis since the late dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991.
"NO POLITICAL WILL"
"We mention the need to protect, but we do not say from whom, or for how long this has taken place," Ould-Abdallah said.
"I think one of the reasons is that people are not paying attention to Somalia, there is no political will ... the focus is so much on reconciliation, reconciliation. Not on this."
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will report to the Security Council on March 10 on the findings of two technical teams he sent to Somalia and neighbouring states. Council members will then debate whether to act on repeated appeals for U.N. peacekeepers by the interim government and the AU.
Both Ban and the 15-nation council have been wary of sending U.N. troops to the Horn of Africa state, where insurgents recently stepped up a campaign of assassinations, mortar and grenade attacks and Iraq-style roadside bombings.
The calls for outside intervention have revived bitter memories of the killing of U.S. soldiers during the "Black Hawk Down" battle of 1993, which marked the beginning of the end of a joint U.S.-U.N. peacekeeping mission.
The current AU force -- which consists of only about 1,600 Ugandan troops and an advance party of 192 soldiers from Burundi -- gets its mandate from the AU. But it also needs the world body's backing, partly to exempt it from a U.N. arms embargo.
The AU initially planned for the force, known as AMISOM, to be 8,000-strong. But it has struggled to get countries to contribute troops as the Somali body count has risen.
Local human rights workers say fighting killed 6,500 civilians in Mogadishu last year, and nearly 300 more during the last month. The U.N. refugee agency says the conflict is the world's most pressing humanitarian crisis -- even worse than that in Sudan's Darfur.
Ould-Abdallah said many Somalis pointed to international prosecutors working on criminal cases in other African nations like Liberia and Uganda, and could not understand why no one was being blamed for their country's woes.
"They repeatedly say that the Security Council is closing its eyes on this," he said. "They consider it discrimination." (Editing by Tim Pearce).
By Daniel Wallis
NAIROBI, Feb 22 (Reuters) - The international community must focus on ending impunity in Somalia, where warlords have committed gross human rights abuses against civilians for many years, a senior U.N. official said on Friday.
The U.N. Security Council renewed the authority this week for a small African Union peace force for the country and agreed to debate next month whether U.N. troops should be sent there.
But Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, U.N. special representative for Somalia, said Wednesday's resolution was missing a key element.
"I am under pressure from Somalis in the Diaspora and within the country, the victims, to explain why no mention is made of ending impunity," Ould-Abdallah told Reuters in an interview.
"They say that unless it is addressed, there's no possibility of a return to peace, or a return to a normal economy or the normal delivery of humanitarian assistance."
Lawless Somalia has been wracked by conflict between a fledgling interim government, its Ethiopian allies and heavily armed remnants of a hardline Islamist group that they chased out of the capital Mogadishu at the start of 2007.
This week's resolution extended the U.N. endorsement of the AU mission for six months and included several positive statements that amounted to progress, Ould-Abdallah said.
The protection of civilians and humanitarian relief efforts were placed front and centre, while member states were urged to help guard merchant shipping from pirates off the Somali coast, especially vessels carrying vital U.N. food aid.
But it made no mention of targeting warlords and other Somalis -- some serving in the government and others allied to the rebels -- who have made life a misery for most Somalis since the late dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991.
"NO POLITICAL WILL"
"We mention the need to protect, but we do not say from whom, or for how long this has taken place," Ould-Abdallah said.
"I think one of the reasons is that people are not paying attention to Somalia, there is no political will ... the focus is so much on reconciliation, reconciliation. Not on this."
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will report to the Security Council on March 10 on the findings of two technical teams he sent to Somalia and neighbouring states. Council members will then debate whether to act on repeated appeals for U.N. peacekeepers by the interim government and the AU.
Both Ban and the 15-nation council have been wary of sending U.N. troops to the Horn of Africa state, where insurgents recently stepped up a campaign of assassinations, mortar and grenade attacks and Iraq-style roadside bombings.
The calls for outside intervention have revived bitter memories of the killing of U.S. soldiers during the "Black Hawk Down" battle of 1993, which marked the beginning of the end of a joint U.S.-U.N. peacekeeping mission.
The current AU force -- which consists of only about 1,600 Ugandan troops and an advance party of 192 soldiers from Burundi -- gets its mandate from the AU. But it also needs the world body's backing, partly to exempt it from a U.N. arms embargo.
The AU initially planned for the force, known as AMISOM, to be 8,000-strong. But it has struggled to get countries to contribute troops as the Somali body count has risen.
Local human rights workers say fighting killed 6,500 civilians in Mogadishu last year, and nearly 300 more during the last month. The U.N. refugee agency says the conflict is the world's most pressing humanitarian crisis -- even worse than that in Sudan's Darfur.
Ould-Abdallah said many Somalis pointed to international prosecutors working on criminal cases in other African nations like Liberia and Uganda, and could not understand why no one was being blamed for their country's woes.
"They repeatedly say that the Security Council is closing its eyes on this," he said. "They consider it discrimination." (Editing by Tim Pearce).
Source: Reuters 2008.
37 Somalis drown in smuggling bungle
Friday, 22 February, 2008
Some 37 Somali migrants drowned off the coast of Yemen when smugglers forced them to jump from boats to elude authorities, Yemen's official news agency has reported.
Seventy other migrants survived the ordeal, swimming through the Gulf of Aden's treacherous waters to reach the coastal town of Shabwa, the SABA' agency quoted an unidentified Yemeni security official as saying on Thursday.
The official said the bodies of the dead were buried in Shabwa, under United Nations supervision. UN officials in Yemen were not immediately available for comment.
Hundreds of Africans, mostly Somalis, die every year trying to reach Yemen. Many drown or are killed by pirates and smugglers in the dangerous waters separating Somalia and the Arabian peninsula.
Many of those who survive the journey register with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and stay in camps in Yemen, while others take jobs in the cities as labourers for less than a $US1 ($A1.09) a day.
In 2007, Yemeni authorities said about 5,000 illegal Ethiopian and Somali migrants arrived in Yemen. Nearly 400 died along the way.
The wave of refugees to the poorest country in the Arab world shows no sign of easing as violence continues to rock Somalia, despite Ethiopia's intervention in the country to support the internationally recognised government in December 2006.
Yemen estimates that some 750,000 Africans have sought refuge in Yemen, but the UNHCR says some 88,000 are registered there.
Source: AAP
Some 37 Somali migrants drowned off the coast of Yemen when smugglers forced them to jump from boats to elude authorities, Yemen's official news agency has reported.
Seventy other migrants survived the ordeal, swimming through the Gulf of Aden's treacherous waters to reach the coastal town of Shabwa, the SABA' agency quoted an unidentified Yemeni security official as saying on Thursday.
The official said the bodies of the dead were buried in Shabwa, under United Nations supervision. UN officials in Yemen were not immediately available for comment.
Hundreds of Africans, mostly Somalis, die every year trying to reach Yemen. Many drown or are killed by pirates and smugglers in the dangerous waters separating Somalia and the Arabian peninsula.
Many of those who survive the journey register with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and stay in camps in Yemen, while others take jobs in the cities as labourers for less than a $US1 ($A1.09) a day.
In 2007, Yemeni authorities said about 5,000 illegal Ethiopian and Somali migrants arrived in Yemen. Nearly 400 died along the way.
The wave of refugees to the poorest country in the Arab world shows no sign of easing as violence continues to rock Somalia, despite Ethiopia's intervention in the country to support the internationally recognised government in December 2006.
Yemen estimates that some 750,000 Africans have sought refuge in Yemen, but the UNHCR says some 88,000 are registered there.
Source: AAP
Friday, February 22, 2008
Testimony of General Mohamed Said Morgan's Crimes Against Humanity
Letter sent by Morgan to former dictator president of Somalia Mohamed Said Barre
THE MORGAN REPORT: AN OFFICIAL SECRET REPORT ON IMPLEMENTED AND RECOMMENDED MEASURES FOR A FINAL SOLUTION TO SOMALIA’S “ISAAQ PROBLEM”
Translated into English from the original Somali, with footnotes and Translator’s Note.
XT:
The Somali Democratic Republic
The Ministry of Defense
26th Sector G.H.Q.
TQ 826/XKT/28-56/87The Ministry of Defense
26th Sector G.H.Q.
Date: 23/01/87 TOP SECRET
Report (1)
: The President of the SDR Mogadishu
: The Minister of Defence, SDR Mogadishu
: The Minister of Interior, SDR Mogadishu
Please refer to the report on the state of the defence and security of the 26th Sector's area of control which I transmitted on 17.1.87. (2)
The security of the North West and Togdheer Regions has deteriorated. The Ethiopians brought additional troops to the area with the objective of securing a foothold similar to [those of] Balan Balle and Galdogob. (3) As you gathered from my previous report, they did not succeed in their joint incursion. Subsequently we took punitive measures against the positions jointly occupied by Qurmis (4) and the Ethiopians resulting in loss to both of them and in the obliteration of villages, including Dibiile, Rabaso, Raamaale, and Garanuugle.(5) All our measures were implemented at night and, except for some light injuries, all the troops returned safely to base.
Following their incursions and their consequent losses, Qurmis resorted to appealing to clan sentiment and began to sound a clarion call to action under [the slogan] "On Isaaq clans!"(6) Their objective is to present the curfew (7) as a persecution of their own people. Similarly, they directed a propaganda campaign at the people to the effect that they were about to capture the North West Region and Togdheer.
This much can be gathered from the expressions written on the walls of buildings and from the leaflets distributed in Gabiley District, and at Allaybaday village, Lughaya District. (8) All this is an indication of a resurgence of anti-State clan sentiment. They have appealed to their various sections to recruit 2000 persons for Qurmis to be trained in Awaare (9). So far, 400 individuals have joined. Similarly, 60 Sa'ad Muuse members of the Faraweyne Front (10) and a lieutenant who was their commanding officer gave themselves up to the Ethiopians and the Qurmis following the capture of the State-wreckers. The rest stole into the bush out of fear, but they have now started to return to the village.
COMRADE PRESIDENT, COMRADES:
It has been demonstrated to us that, unless Qurmis and its supporters are subjected to a campaign of obliteration, there will come a time when they will raise their heads again. But, today, we possess the right remedy for the virus in the [body of the] Somali State. It consists of:
1. Balancing the well-to-do to eliminate the concentration of wealth [in the hands of the SNM supporters].
2. The reconstruction of the Local Council in such a way as to balance its present membership which is exclusively from a particular people; as well as the dilution of the school population with an infusion of children from the Refugee Camps in the vicinity of Hargeisa (11).
3. Rendering uninhabitable the territory between the army and the enemy, which can be done by destroying the water tanks and the villages lying across the territory used by them for infiltration.
4. Removing from the membership of the armed forces and the civil service all those who are open to suspicion of aiding the enemy -- especially those holding sensitive posts.
We set out below for your information those steps of the planned action already implemented:
i) Before now the number of buses used as public transport were 337, two-thirds of which were owned by members of one clan (the Sa'ad Muuse). However, when, on investigation, it became clear that most of the buses were not operating in accordance with security procedures, due to defects in their registration and circulation documents; and when information received revealed that they were sometimes used to carry drugs (12) or persons open to suspicion, in secrecy and without notification to the security organisations; and since the number of buses greatly exceed the needs of the city, the following decisions were adopted and implemented:
(a) the number of the buses must not exceed 80;
(b) every bus must have a serial number for identification purposes;
(c) the buses must be evenly distributed amongst the districts of the city, with each bus limited to a particular route and departure and finishing points;
(d) a just and balance redistribution of licences regulating bus ownership in such a way as to give preference to persons relating to the Revolution, and to deny those politically opposed to it; six four-wheel drive vehicles were confiscated at Berbera harbour, and similarly, the removal of vehicles in the city is in progress; those found to be serviceable will be mounted with weapons and the others used as transport for reconnaissance purposes and for officers in command of forces in forward positions; we are also engaged in a process of reclassifying transport.
ii) Of the persons detained as suspected supporters of Qurmis, 45 are from Hargeisa, 30 from Burao, while seven are officers. Most of them are businessmen and well-to-do people, while some are headmen (Nabadoons) (13). They are held in Mandhera prison. However, it is hereby requested that they be transported urgently to Laanta Buur prison, or Bari prison, etc.(14) in order to ensure their continued incarceration during the reorganisation of the local prisons which show many defects from a security standpoint.
iii) The Western Somali Liberation Front (WSLF) (15) has been remobilized, and 300 men have been stationed at a place near Geed-Deeble (16). According to plan, they will be re-armed and then put amidst those brigades and battalions considered to be capable of furthering the fight against Qurmis. At the same time they can implement operations inside [Ethiopia] whenever required.
iv) Since it has become evident that the Isaaq were, by act and intent, with the SNM; and since we could not see them giving up the line they have pursued so deceptively for some time; and in order to forestall them; we arranged for the other inhabitants of the North continuous meetings and a mobilization campaign designed to rouse them to action and to raise their level of awareness. This was intended to strengthen their unity and to surround Somali unity with a defensive wall. Among those inhabitants are: the Awdal people, the various sections of Western Somalis, the Las Qorey people, and the Daami people, etc. (16) There is no doubt that the unity of these people will restore the balance of the scales which are now tipped in favour of the Isaaq. If they attack their tasks energetically, their unity will also undoubtedly humble those who arrogantly maintain that they own the North when the reality is otherwise.
v) We are still engaged in identifying the positions of those people who maintain current accounts at banks in the North West and Togdheer Regions. The accounts of those recognised as Qurmis supporters will continue to be frozen; the rest will be unfrozen in the near future.
We see the economic strangulation of the people who work for the enemy as serving a useful purpose. However, it is absolutely essential that this should be accompanied by the strengthening of the economic positions of non-Northerners, with a view to raising the level of their capabilities and their interests in these Regions. This will enable them to put under pressure those who have grown fat on the opportunities offered by the Government banks, but have revolted against the State, having persuaded themselves to use their acquired capabilities against the State and it Revolutionary Government.
Undoubtedly, those successive steps, taken to cripple Qurmis, will instill anxiety in those in Mogadishu who are related to it. We hope that these will not be listened to or heeded so that the impetus of the war being waged against it would not drop.
An investigation into the action of Qurmis against the Burao base revealed that a lieutenant and five sakaris (all police) and some civilians had been behind it. It was implemented by the Habar Je'lo Qurmis (17). When the inquiry is completed, the culprits will be court-martialled.
Comrade President, in order to implement the above-mentioned matters, we need to:
1. (a) purge the Somali Police Force, the Security Force, and the Hangash Force, (18) the members of all of which are largely recruited locally; this can be done by finding a force to dilute them and by transferring the present members; and
(b) replace the present members of the Custodial Corps, who -- having assumed the distinctive character of being exclusively from the North -- cannot be entrusted with the task of guarding the prisons, with a force composed of other Somalis.
2. We also need up to a Division to reinforce the 3rd Division's zone if it is possible to withdraw units from sectors whose areas of control are stable, since the quality of a force in a state of mobilization cannot achieve very much.
3. We also need the power of the Commercial Bank to give loans and to determine who shall receive them to be transferred to us, so that the past mistakes relating to the economic strengthening of the anti-State people may be rectified and those worthy of it be given a chance.
We propose that those of our forces we consider to be unsatisfactory should send representatives to discuss urgent corrective action. The reason is that the reaction to the measures we have already taken or will take must be met in advance. Since the intelligence-gathering organisations are suspect, and since some of them have committed clear offences, it is prudent to take precautionary measures before it is too late. Up to now we have been walking on ground deliberately strewn with broken glass in an attempt to reduce the momentum of [our] efforts. It is essential to sweep away the broken glass without leaving a single piece behind. There is a Somali proverb: "Oh hyena, you cannot drag away hides without making a sound." (20)
We are awaiting your guidance and directives.
(signed)
Major General Mohamed Saeed Hirsi (Morgan)
The Commander of the 26th Sector, North West
End of text.
Footnotes
1 Introductory Note: The Report purports to be signed by Major-General Mohamed Saeed Hirsi, President Mohamed Siad Barre's son-in-law and commander of the 26th Sector, Northwestern Somalia; the Sector covers the Togdheer, North West and Awdal Regions -- the major part of what used to be British Somaliland before it merged on July 1, 1960 with former Italian Somaliland to the south, to form the Republic of Somalia. This name was changed to Somali Democratic Republic (SDR) following the seizure of power by General Mohamed Siad Barre on October 21, 1969.
The report is addressed to the President of the SDR, the Minister of Defence, and the Minister of Interior. The latter, Major-General Ahmed Suleiman Abdalla, is also a son-in-law of the President, and Third Deputy Prime Minister. Since President Barre is also the Minister of Defence -- the previous holder of that portfolio, General Mohamed Ali Samatar, having been promoted Prime Minister on January 30, 1987 -- the report is seemingly confined to family members. This would explain its extreme frankness in specifying certain clans as targets for implemented and recommended punitive action.
The target is the Isaaq Clan Family. The term "clan family" was first coined by Professor I.M. Lewis, Professor Social Anthropology at the London School Economics, to describe the collective name for each of the several major divisions to which Somali clans traditionally divide themselves. The Isaaq clan family sub-divides into four main clans.
2 Regular secret security reports from a range of top officials in the North West and Togdheer Regions are sent to President Barre and to designated senior ministers and Party chiefs. Delivered by special couriers, the reports are submitted by General Morgan, Sector Command, the Regional Governors, and regional Party Secretaries of the ruling Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (SRSP); the latter also report to Present Barre in his capacity as SRSP Secretary General.
3 Two small settlements near the disputed border with Ethiopia -- Balan Balle to the south and Galdogob in Mudug Region -- which were captured in mid-July 1982 (and are still under occupation). The Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF), one of the two main guerrilla groups, claimed credit for the capture, but the Somali Government alleged that it was the Ethiopians.
4 Qurmis, meaning "the rotten", is a derogatory term for the SSDF and the other guerrilla group, the Somali National Movement (SNM) founded in 1981. The reference here is to the SNM, which operates in the area covered by the report. The reference to "jointly occupied" implies the SNM and the Ethiopians.
5 These are very small villages to the south of Hargeisa running parallel to the border from west to east and 40 - 50 miles inside the Ethiopian border.
6 See note 1 above.
7 Curfews are familiar to the inhabitants of the North West and Togdheer Regions The current one has been in force since January 1, 1987.
8 Allaybaday village is about 30 miles south of Hargeisa.
(9) Awaar, south of Hargeisa, is deep in Somali-populated eastern Ethiopia, in the area commonly known as the Ogaden.
10 The Faraweyne Front is a Somali Government-sponsored clan militia organised in 1983 to counter expected Ethiopian invasion. The Sa'ad Muuse is one of the sub- divisions of the Isaaq clans; see note 1.
11 The children in the refugee camps are either non-Somalis (e.g. Oramo tribes from Ethiopia) or else from Somali clans other than those to which the local school children to be diluted belong. Refugees are cared for by international aid agencies whose work is coordinated by the UNHCR and Somalia's National Refugee Commission.
12 The "drugs" referred to here is the Khat or Chat leaves, a mild stimulant, chewed in East Africa and the two Yemens. It was banned in Somalia in March 1983. The anti-khat law was further tightened and penalties increased in May 1984, but a black market is known to be flourishing.
13 Tribal elders. During British rule they were known as akils and sultans. When President Barre's regime passed a law outlawing tribalism in 1970, the titles of tribal elders where changed to nabadoons (peace-seekers).
14 Laanta Buur Prison is in the south of the country, about 50 km from Mogadishu. It is a maximum security prison and accommodates many of the political detainees. Bari is in eastern Somalia. The idea is to move prisoners from Mandhera prison, between Hargeisa and Berbera, so that the SNM or its supporters do not arrange a jail-break as they did twice before.
15 The WSLF which fought the Ethiopians in 1977-78, during the Ogaden War, was an all Somali multi-clan force. The new WSLF referred to here does not embrace clans considered even potentially sympathetic to the SNM and its supporters.
16 Geed-Deeble is in the vicinity of Hargeisa.
17 The "Awdal people" and the "Las Qoray people" are euphemisms for the Somali clans that are predominant in the areas of Awdal in the extreme northwest and adjacent to Djibouti, and Las Qoray in the extreme northeast of Somalia. "Daami" is a collective name, apparently used only in the North for certain groups of Somali clans.
18 Habar Je'lo is one of the four main divisions of the Isaaq, see note 1.
19 The "Hangash Force" (an acronym) is the military police.
20 The proverb means that if you have to do a particular task, it is no use trying to be discreet or squeamish if that is going to prejudice the results. Here, General Morgan seems to be recommending an all out campaign that puts aside caution, in implementing the punitive measures he is proposing.
Translator's Note:
The translation of the text of the above report is from Somali -- the original language of the report. The footnotes are not part of the report and have been added by me to enhance the clarity of the document. Accuracy, rather than elegance of style, has been my principal aim in this translation.
I am persuaded, on investigation, that the signature to the report which purports to be that of Major-General Mohamed Saeed Hirsi (Morgan) (Commander of the 26th Sector and de facto governor of the regions covered by the report) is in fact his own, and that the report is genuine.
My aim in translating this remarkable document is to make it available to researchers, lawyers, and human rights officials. I am not a member or sympathiser of the SNM or SSDF, although I am opposed to the present regime in Somalia.
In my years in Somalia as a legal practitioner, or member and then President of the Supreme Court, I never saw an official document with recommendations so frank in their departure from legality or accepted norms. Such a document ought not to be allowed to be confined to dissident circles that are privately circulating copies of the original.
This translation was done by me, Mohamoud Sheikh Ahmed Musa, in London on April 27, 1987.
(signed)
Mohamoud Sheikh Ahmed Musa
Signed before me this 27th day of April 1987 by the above mentioned
(signed)
R. Barnett
113-116 Strand
London WC2
Why Kosova could be the first of many secessionists
Written by: Emine Saner
London (HORNWATCH/the Guardian) It won't be as easy as a tiny vowel change. On Sunday the new Republic of Kosova (formerly Kosovo) declared itself independent, the world's newest country, but several countries are refusing to recognise it - perhaps unsurprisingly, mainly countries that have most to lose from emboldened secessionist movements, such as Russia, Spain and Greece.
There are hundreds of secession movements across the world (as many as 30 US states including Vermont, Texas and Alaska have groups wanting to form breakaway republics). "For many it's a chance to express their culture, language or religion more freely," says Andrew Swan of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation, which was set up to represent indigenous people, minorities and unrecognised or occupied territories. Are there economic advantages? "There can be. The Ogoni, for instance, live in a region in the major oilfield areas of Nigeria. Even though it is one of the richest areas of Nigeria, they remain the poorest people in the country."
The UNPO has 69 members, from Abkhazia (seeking independence from Georgia) to Zanzibar (Tanzania's semi-autonomous islands), representing 150 million people. It promotes nonviolent self-determination, which, given that violence is almost always a feature of secession, excludes many potential members.
Here in the UK, Scottish and Welsh independence is not inconceivable in the future. The territory of Western Sahara, currently under Moroccan control, has been in talks with the UN. John Donaldson, research associate at the International Boundaries Research Unit at Durham University, thinks South Sudan is a region to watch. "In 2011, it will have a referendum on independence," he says. Other states, such as Somaliland, have claimed independence without being recognised by the international community. "Northern Cyprus has also declared itself independent," says Donaldson, "but only Turkey has recognised it as an independent state. Politically, it can be very complicated, and there are no fixed rules on which states should be recognised as independent and which cannot."
London (HORNWATCH/the Guardian) It won't be as easy as a tiny vowel change. On Sunday the new Republic of Kosova (formerly Kosovo) declared itself independent, the world's newest country, but several countries are refusing to recognise it - perhaps unsurprisingly, mainly countries that have most to lose from emboldened secessionist movements, such as Russia, Spain and Greece.
There are hundreds of secession movements across the world (as many as 30 US states including Vermont, Texas and Alaska have groups wanting to form breakaway republics). "For many it's a chance to express their culture, language or religion more freely," says Andrew Swan of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation, which was set up to represent indigenous people, minorities and unrecognised or occupied territories. Are there economic advantages? "There can be. The Ogoni, for instance, live in a region in the major oilfield areas of Nigeria. Even though it is one of the richest areas of Nigeria, they remain the poorest people in the country."
The UNPO has 69 members, from Abkhazia (seeking independence from Georgia) to Zanzibar (Tanzania's semi-autonomous islands), representing 150 million people. It promotes nonviolent self-determination, which, given that violence is almost always a feature of secession, excludes many potential members.
Here in the UK, Scottish and Welsh independence is not inconceivable in the future. The territory of Western Sahara, currently under Moroccan control, has been in talks with the UN. John Donaldson, research associate at the International Boundaries Research Unit at Durham University, thinks South Sudan is a region to watch. "In 2011, it will have a referendum on independence," he says. Other states, such as Somaliland, have claimed independence without being recognised by the international community. "Northern Cyprus has also declared itself independent," says Donaldson, "but only Turkey has recognised it as an independent state. Politically, it can be very complicated, and there are no fixed rules on which states should be recognised as independent and which cannot."
Source: The Guardian, Tuesday February 19 2008 Article history •
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