"State Union Address: Joint Meeting of Somaliland Parliament" President Silanyo Delevered a Historic Speech

H.E. Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud 'Siilaanyo' Presidnet of Republic of Somaliland

Wednesday, 30 January 2013

"In the name of Allah the most merciful the most gracious: Thanks to Allah, prayers and peace be upon his prophets and messengers. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Speaker, Honorable Members of both houses, Honorable leaders of the National Parties, esteemed guests and members of the Media, I say to you Peace and Blessings be upon you all. Mr. Chairman and Honorable members; On behalf of my government, I extend my appreciation and congratulations to both houses for the excellent working relationship we have established in the past years. This demonstrates how the Institutions of the Government are working to address the challenges that face our people and this nation. Furthermore; my deepest gratitude goes to the brave people of Somaliland for their undying devotion and patriotism to protect and advance the interest and the causes of this nation, and for their support to this government. Mr. Chairman and Honorable members; I am here with you today to address a joint meeting of both Houses as required by our constitution and to report on the state of the nation; including what my administration has accomplished in 2012 and our plans for the new year of 2013. Opening of the Political Process & Municipal Elections Mr. Chairman and Honorable members; It was a year ago in this very chamber that I made the promise to hold the Municipal elections, which have not taken place for over ten years. Despite the inherent difficulties, the political, economic, and security burdens involved in opening up the political process by forming new parties and holding Municipal elections, my administration successfully conducted the promised election in a timely fashion. Somaliland constitution requires an open political process, this was also one of my campaign promises, the public demanded it too, and the commission I nominated to advise on this is sure recommended that the government submit legislation to the parliament that will open the political process. I submitted such legislation to this Chamber and you have created the institutional and legal basis to support it. We have made it possible for our citizens with political ambitions to find the appropriate avenues to pursue their ambitions and have the opportunity to become candidates and be elected into public office. We have provided security for more than 1800 polling stations to make sure municipal elections were conducted in a free, fair and secure manner, in according to the International standards. We have paid 33% of the funding for the elections (even though we were required to pay for only 25% of the expenses while the rest was funded by the International community). Additionally we spent one billion Somaliland Shillings in order to provide transportation for the polling station observers of the contesting political parties. This was accomplished with the understanding that it is in the best interest of the country to advance the democratic process and hold elections, allowing the people an opportunity to elect their representatives despite the tribal nature of our culture when choosing our leaders. Mr. Chairman and Honorable members; My administration prohibited the use of government facilities and vehicles to be used for political party activities. We also banned all government workers to participate in and support the events of any political entity while using the office of Government to advance one party over another. The public Media (Radio Hargeysa and Public TV) was made available to all contenders on an equal basis. Great care was taken by this administration to safeguard the independence of the Election Commission to conduct its duty without interference by anyone. We have successfully concluded a peaceful election after a vigorous campaign by 7 parties/associations. In the end, three parties advanced to become national parties: Kulmiye, WADANI, UCID; There were four parties that did not win to advance to national parties and there were also 1865 candidates who lost their races. This shows the magnitude and the impact this election had in our nation. Somaliland is lucky to have elders and politicians who always put the interest of the country before theirs and I would like to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate the leaders of the political associations who despite their misgivings about the results have conceded the election and graciously accepted the outcome; Dr. Mohamed Abdi Gabose, Hassan Mohamed Ali “Gaafaadhi”, and Ismail Adan Osman. Budget and Revenue GrowthMr. Chairman and Honorable members; Since my election, one of my top priorities was to focus on the economy and increase government revenue through increased efficiency measures. We have streamlined the tax rules and lowered tax on basic necessities which impact the lives of our people. We fought with and reduced the corruption and the theft of public property and assets. We provided development training for government employees, awareness programs to the public at large, we have had consultation meetings with private businesses, and with wealthy Importers. These activities allowed us to grow government revenue annually. We have instituted new tax collection processes in all the regions as of April 12, 2012. We have also appointed a new National Budget Committee which is responsible for drafting our national budget. We inherited a large deficit and debt from the previous administration and the 2010 budget presented to us was a mere 330,909,580,627 SL Shillings ($50 million dollars). The 2013 government budget is $174 million dollars (one trillion SL Shillings). This is the largest budget in the history of Somaliland and it is also a balanced budget. Mr. Chairman and Honorable members; We have introduced new retirement pension accounts and implemented the collection of additional 1% tax on income which is a law this Chamber approved last year. This tax will pay for new established retirement pension for the Central Government employees who qualify for retirement. We have also implemented a new 5% tax on sales of Cigarette and Qad (Chat) at the wholesale level, we introduced new revenue sources to sectors of the economy that have not been paying their fair share of the taxes, such as new payroll income tax for teachers and administrators of private schools, and we established new rules for renting government houses. My government has increased payments to local governments in both 2011 and 2012 by approximately 20%. This allowed local governments to increase their services to the people in the last two years by implementing new projects such as roads, garbage collection, and other new projects. As required by law, we have submitted a full balanced budget report for the years 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011; this has not been done since 2002. The government is required by law to provide accountability and issue a complete report on all the government budgeted expenses for the previous budget year. Department of Interior and Defense of Nation Mr. Chairman and Honorable members; We have given our first priority to the defense, security and stability of the nation. In that regard we are committed to support our brave and dedicated security forces in cities and our heroic uniformed soldiers who protect our borders. We have professionalized the armed forces and increased their rank by 1800 soldiers. We have increased their equipment, capacity and logistics including training, armored vehicles, communication and their ability to rapidly respond to national security incidents. We have provided medical equipment and increased the capacity of the special military hospitals in Hargeisa and Burao. We have built a training school for the armed forces in Dardarweyne where a large number of soldiers have already graduated since my administration was sworn in. We have built and fully equipped a new Special Forces Unit of the Army, whose role is to protect our borders from external security threats. We are confident this Special Forces Unit will play a vital role in providing security for this nation. To increase the morale of the armed forces and the quality of our professional military force, we have provided training to a large number of officers in and outside the country. We have also allocated in the 2013 budget the salaries commiserate to each soldier’s rank, from private soldier to the highest officers in the armed forces. This will impact more than 5000 soldiers who are officers in the army. This issue has been the number one request from our armed forces for more than a decade and we’ll achieve that in 2013. With the resolution of this issue, it will make it possible for the armed forces to recruit and retain more soldiers, especially now that we have so many officers joining the ranks after receiving their training abroad. We see this action as yet another example of our resolve to support the armed forces of Somaliland. Mr. Chairman and Honorable members; We have increased the ranks of the police force with new younger recruits who have graduated either from high school or the local universities. We have hired 3900 new police officers (including 632 female officers) and they have all completed the required training at Mandhera Police Training School. Additionally we have created a highly trained police unit (Rapid Reaction Unit) designed to quickly react to public security threats. We have increased the police presence throughout the country by building 75 new police stations who are fully equipped and 95 police Centers. Furthermore we have provided 30 new vehicles, police communication equipment, and training for police officers. We have submitted to the Parliament a legislation addressing the structure of the police force and are in the process of building a new institute geared to train the police forces in matters of the law and the constitution as it relates to human rights and outreach community programs between the police and the local communities. Mr. Chairman and Honorable members; We have increased the number and the capabilities of our Coast Guard and Immigration personnel. New communication equipment and training has been provided to these forces in order for them to discharge their duties efficiently and protect our waterways and ports of entries at all times. We have streamlined the Visa process of entry and exit for Somaliland by introducing international standard equipment to screen travelers (PIRS System) and recognize forged passports. We have made it easier for those seeking entry Visa into the country to obtain it from abroad, online or at the port of entry. We have built a new three floor office building with 40 offices for the Immigration Agency to better serve the growing need of the nation. Also new facilities have been built in all ports of entry for the Immigration Agency. A new scan-able electronic Somaliland passport is coming that will elevate its design to international standards and we hope this will make it easier for our people to travel. Furthermore a new legislation was passed to enhance the laws governing the operations of our national security agencies. The people of Somaliland are renowned for protecting their peace and stability. My administration is aware that we must have peace to realize progress. We are also working hard to establish peace with our neighbors, and prepared to do our out most to safeguard the peace and stability in our nation at any cost. Social Affairs Mr. Chairman and Honorable members; Fighting illiteracy and investing in education is the key to uproot poverty and increases the chances of advancement in life. Education is a priority for my government and to that effect we have established a special fund that allows free education to all our children in primary and middle schools. We have provided more free books than ever before to Elementary and Middle schools and have created the capacity for the Ministry of Education to print text books in the country in order to provide an adequate number of textbooks to students. The current target is one text book per two students. We have built 145 new primary and middle schools and rehabilitated 10 high schools with new classes in the regions. We have 24 new schools that are under construction now. We have established a good working relationship with the International Agencies and the international community which support and provide different levels of education assistance and this allowed us to increase our education budget for 2013 to $14.8 million dollars (EU 11 million). There have been 6,646 students who graduated from Somaliland Universities and it is a testimony to our progress in higher education. Despite the high unemployment rate in our country; I believe illiteracy is one of our biggest enemies. Our future economic development and progress depends on building an educated society. That is why my government developed a national strategy for the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. Mr. Chairman and Honored members; My government understands the importance of providing adequate healthcare to our people. We made improvements in the quality and quantity of health care available to our people. This is done so that we reduce the need for our people to travel abroad to get medical attention. The Ministry of Health has submitted its 5 year plan to improve the health care services available in the country. We have also submitted a proposed Healthcare legislation to this Chamber for your attention. Anew hospital building for Women and Children (named after Dr. Mohamed Aden Sheikh) is under construction in Hargeisa by generous Donors. When complete it will significantly contribute in improving the healthcare provided to women and children in Hargeisa. We have provided new equipment, services, and made significant improvements to many of the regional hospitals in the country, where we have instituted the Essential Package of health Services (EPHS) at these hospitals. Mr. Chairman and Honorable members; In our effort to grow the economy and increase the production of agriculture in Somaliland, the Ministry of Agriculture has tested and introduced new seeds or crops with the potential to increase farming output in the country. The Ministry of Agriculture succeeded in growing rice locally where such crops were never harvested locally before. A variety of other crops are currently being tested and many of them show real promise for the future of agriculture in the country. We have provided a training program for 2000 farmers within the last two years who received training in better farming techniques that would improve their farm output. The government provided farming tools, ten grinding mills, water pipes, and ten farm tractors at discounted prices to the farmers. Mr. Chairman and Honorable members; The people in Somaliland depend on their livestock, and because this is of such vital importance to our economy and the well being of our society; we have provided veterinary services including immunization to 500,000 heads of sheep and goats last year. We have hired 50 new Veterinary Doctors who graduated from the Burao University, Sheikh Veterinary School, and from Ethiopia. We have established two new teams of Doctors to respond to emergencies who were deployed in 24 different locations last year. We have built facilities in livestock markets to provide water and rest area (shade) to the livestock. We provided water wells and veterinary services to all the major holding pens; before livestock is exported abroad. This has increased the export of live stock and has grown the local economy and created jobs in the country. We have for the first time reduced the charges paid to the Quarantine facilities in Berbera from $6.00 to $4.00 per head of livestock. The $2 dollar savings are equally shared between the government and the livestock exporters. Mr. Chairman and Honorable members; It is evident that Somaliland has fulfilled all the requirements necessary to achieve independent nation status. Somaliland has peace and stability, defined borders; it is a democratic nation with law and order, with a constitution that defines the separation of power between the different branches of government. All of it made possible by a society willing to respect and abide by its laws. We are all here today because we have been elected by our people to be their leaders; it is the reason why the international community acknowledges our legitimacy, it is the reason why I am the President of this nation, accountable to you as their representatives. Somaliland is a place where human rights and international laws are observed and respected. It is also true that we have good relations with the international community who support Somaliland with a number of modest programs. However we have not yet received full recognition status from the international community. We have visited several countries where we discussed Somaliland causes with the leaders of those nations. We have also received delegations in Hargeisa that met with me and received a briefing from our side. We have engaged International Agencies with experience in matters relating to International recognition for countries such as ours. We have tangible relationship with the governments in the region, Arab Countries, EU Countries, and the United States. The talks between Somaliland and Somalia are promising and were based on the outcome of the London conference in Feb 23, 2012, where the International community expressed their support to see the dialogue between Somaliland and Somalia to determine the future relationship between the two countries. This Chamber approved the talks and provided my government the legal basis to have this dialogue with Somalia. That was a good step towards building peace in the region and with our neighbors. We have a good understanding with the new government of Somalia. Today we are working hard to develop our nation and get the International community to respect our self-determination and sovereignty. The recognition of the government of Somalia by the US government does not concern Somaliland; it is a new development for Somaliland only speaks to the US acceptance of the new government in Mogadishu and the new process that created it. We are not concerned about this nor do we see this as an ominous sign, in fact we are glad to see Somalia achieve a modem of stability and peace. Mr. Chairman and Honorable members; We can attest that there is a good relationship between Somaliland and the US government and the US recognition of Somali government will have no impact in our ongoing and fruitful engagement with the US. The Government of the United States has assured us that its recognition of the government of Somalia will not prevent the US government from engaging in Somaliland nor prevent them from maintaining ongoing programs in Somaliland. The US Government further assured us that it made sure to clarify this with the Somali government before deciding to recognize them. My fellow citizens; the most important goal of this nation is to get recognition from the International community. Reaching this goal is a common responsibility that requires our unity and the collective effort of my administration, this honorable Chamber, the leaders of all national parties and the brave people of Somaliland. National DevelopmentMr. Chairman and Honorable members; When I came into this office I was presented with a government that was completely broke, public employee and armed forces did not get paid salary for four months. There have also been a host of other problems that we do not have the time and space to enumerate. It is a fact that my administration has achieved tangible progress in a short period of time and we have addressed many of the immediate challenges that were facing this nation. The history will show the accomplishments of my administration. I want to share with you a sample of the achievements of my administration. Peace and Stability; we have ended the long conflict in Ceelbardaale, the conflict in Kalshaale and Buuhoodle and we have successfully made peace agreement with the armed SSC militia whose leader is a cabinet member of this administration. Education; we have made the public elementary and middle schools free for all students; this allowed the low income families to send all of their children to school including girls. In the last two years 7,817 new students have been enrolled. We have also built 165 new schools and hired more than 2000 new teachers. Government Revenue; the government revenue in 2010 was 330 billion SL Shillings ($46 million dollars), we grew the revenue to 1.75 trillion ($175 million dollars). This is 380% increase in two years and it is testament to the growth in the economic activities of the country as well as the effective functioning of the state. Public Media: We have purchased new transmitters, for Radio Hargeisa, that have the capacity to reach all the regions of Somaliland and neighboring countries. We have expanded the Somaliland Television services to reach audiences outside the country. This will carry our message to large audiences and help us to educate the international community about Somaliland, its culture, and people. Water: We dug 42 new deep wells in the last two years compared to 89 wells in the previous 20 years. We have rehabilitated the water systems in most of the regions in the last two years. Worth noting is that we have started a water project in Hargeisa that will provide sufficient water to the city, and this project will cost $21.3 million dollars. Legislation’s: I express my gratitude to this Chamber for the good working relationship we have had in the last two years. I proposed 27 legislation’s to this Chambers and 21 of those have been enacted into law in the last two years. The 2013 Somaliland Government Plan of ActionMr. Chairman and honorable members, We held cabinet-level strategy meetings in October 2012 that laid out the blueprint for the 2013 government plan. The following areas have been identified as government’s top priorities: Security; We will strengthen the security of the country and intensify the war on terror, piracy and against those who threaten our peace and security. We will increase inter-collaboration and communication between the different branches of the security forces. Special attention will be paid to expand the security, capacity, and services to the regional government (such as Sool and Eastern Sanaag) Justice We will strengthen our judicial system by increasing its capacity and quality to make it more efficient and transparent so that our people will have more trust in the judicial system and in our courts. Economy – Creating Jobs The best way to create more jobs is to grow our economy and that is one of our primary tasks. We’ll seek investors to develop our natural resources to create more jobs, we’ll implement government projects that will create jobs in the country, and we’ll support our private industries to help them grow and create even more jobs. Food Security & Self- Sufficiency: It is our priority to grow enough food in the country to feed our people. To achieve this we’ll be increasing the output of our farmers by providing them more equipment, training in new farming techniques, and more seeds. We will exploit the riches of our seas by growing the local fishing industry and enticing investors to invest in this fishing industry. Land Management Policy We will submit legislation to this Chamber that will setup a sensible land management policy for the nation and will address the persistent land conflicts that are wide and deep in the country. This policy will setup a zoning mechanism for grazing land, farming land, private development land, and government land. Foreign Policy The foundation of the Foreign Policy of this nation is to secure recognition for our country. To that end the foreign policy of my administration is to vigorously pursue a policy of engagement with the international community particularly governments in Africa, Arab world, IGAD, Europe, UN, and the US. Additional guiding principles are: to increase our security and maintain our stability by working closely with the governments in the region. It is also necessary to grow our economy and increase the business opportunities by inviting foreign investors to develop the natural resources in our country. National BudgetOur 2013 budget reflects my administration’s priority, namely the development programs, security, defense of the nation, judicial system, Healthcare, Education, and foreign policy. There is a lack of economic progress that is more evident comparatively in the regions of Sool, Buuhodle and eastern Sanaag, we plan to implement 38 developmental projects to stimulate the local economy in those regions. We have allocated a stimulus plan of $1,300,000.00 for these regions. The funds will be allocated as follows: Sool Region ($500,000 to fund15 projects), Eastern Sanaag ($500, 00 to fund15 projects), Buuhodle Region ($300,000 to fund 10 projects). Voter Registration and Elections We have the parliamentary elections coming in 2013, we have the Guurti elections the following year in 2014 and there will be presidential elections in 2015.Furthermore we must do a complete voter registration before we can hold another election given the experience of the 2012 election. It is exceedingly difficult to hold three elections and conduct a voter registration within two years in the country. This will put tremendous pressure on every branch of our government, not to mention the financial burdens involved. I’ll appoint a National Commission, which will consult with the nation and make the appropriate recommendations to address the issue. We have budgeted $1 million dollars to conduct the voter registration in 2013. Mr. Chairman and Honorable members. As many of you know I have always been opposed to extending the constitutional term of the President and the Vice President when their term in office ends. I want you to know that I still feel the same about this issue .I give you my word that I will not extend the term of my office by one-day beyond my constitutional term. Developing Natural Resources Mr. Chairman and Honorable members; We have very high unemployment, poverty, and an underperforming economy. One of the ways we can address these challenges is to grow our economy by developing the natural resources of the country. This will help us with the unemployment problem and create jobs, and more importantly this will contribute to the long term security of this nation. We have renegotiated parts of all the oil and gas contracts that the previous government has entered into with International investors. The new contracts include clauses that require these projects to create a number of jobs and to have a specified time for ground breaking. The changes in these contracts made it possible that after 21 years; the oil companies must perform surveys for oil and gas in the country with the agreed budget of $57 million dollars within the next two years. We have also entered into agreement with two additional companies that will perform survey work and will build mines in the country to extract Iron, Magnesium, and Coal. The extraction of Coal in Somaliland will provide cheaper source of fuel for electricity. These projects will also stimulate the economy and create jobs for our people. Energy Policy My government will submit an Energy Legislation to this honorable Chamber. This will be the first of its kind in the country. We have a policy to encourage and implement some renewable energy projects this year. We are implementing 5 wind energy facilities in Hargeysa Airport to meet the electricity needs of the airport and we are also establishing 4 additional wind energy facilities in Las Anod. These projects will create jobs for our people. Central Government Act To improve good governance and separate the roles of different departments of the government; as article 126 and 127 of the Somaliland Constitution permits, I’ll submit legislation to this Chamber that will designate the responsibilities and duties of the different branches of the Central Government. Constitutional Amendments, I would like to propose a revision to our Constitution to better serve the people and our nation, and to that end I will submit an official request referencing article 126 and 127 of the Somaliland Constitution Conclusion Mr. Chairman and Honorable members; I promise you that my government will continue to respect the independence of the Judicial System, the Constitutional duties of the two Houses, Human Rights, and freedom of the press. The role women and the youth play in contributing to the growth of this country are essential and their participation in all aspects of our country’s development should be encouraged and increased. As a sign of our commitment to this goal we have introduced a bill last year that lowered the age of a candidate to run for office to 25 years old, and because you agreed with me, today it is the law of the land. In an effort to reflect all members of our society in the political arena I have also introduced a bill that would reserve seats (quota) for women and minorities. This bill did not pass this honorable Chamber; I respectfully request that you reconsider this bill before the next Parliamentary elections and pass this bill so that all segments of our society can be represented in the highest elected offices of this nation. You are all aware of the long path we took to get here. Without much support from anyone, the people of Somaliland rebuilt their cities, their communities, their institutions and forged a nation out of their sweat, tears and blood and they understand that their future is in their hands and not in someone else’s. The people of this nation are willing to protect their freedom at any cost. That is our promise to each other. We have come a long way since we declared our independence and established a republic many envy today, and I am certain our best days are ahead of us and the future of our children to live in prosperity is brighter and we will achieve our aspiration to be a recognized sovereign and respected member nation of the world. The will of the people demanded the creation of Somaliland and they passed a Constitution which declared the independence of Somaliland, therefore our independence is not negotiable. We urge all peace loving people and nations to respect the wishes of our people and support Somaliland’s steady march toward democracy and prosperity. I urge Somaliland leaders to refrain from actions that will hinder or damage the ongoing talks with Somalia and the principal agreements reached at the London meeting. Fostering friendship and collaboration on issues of mutual interest with our neighbor as two distinct and different nations’ is in our best interest, and does not diminish or damage our self-determination or sovereignty. Finally, I ask the remarkable people of Somaliland to continue holding hands and stand together to safeguard our precious peace, stability, and all that we have accomplished over the years. I once again promise you that I will re-double my efforts to advance our nation and reach our collective goals. Thank you, H.E.Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo President of the Republic of Somaliland

HADH - Haween Caruurtooda Xidhan Yihiin Oo Cabasho Ka Muujiyay Bahda Cad...

Dibadbax balaadhan oo Dadwaynaha Magaalada Berbera ku muujinayeen siday uga Soo horjeedaan go'aanka Ingiriiska iyo aqoonsiga Muqdisho ee Maraykanka

Berbera - Magaalo xeebeeda Berbera oo ah marin muhiim u ah dhaqdhaqaaqyada ganacsiga wadamada Geeska Afrika ayaa waxa maanta ka dhacay mudaharaad aad u balaadhan oo dadwaynaha ku dhaqan magaaladaasi yar iyo waynba ay ku muujinayaan sida ay uga soo horjeedaan Aqoonsiga Maraykanku Siiyay maamulka Muqdisho iyo go'aankii ka soo baxay dalka Ingiriiska oo muwaadiniinteeda ku amray inay isaga soo baxaan Somaliland.


Banaanbaxan oo lagu qabtay fagaaraha 26ka June ee magaalada Berbera ayaa waxaa ka qeyb galay boqolaal shacab ah waxaana halkaasi hadalo kasoo jeediyey siyaasiyiin, saraakiil iyo odayaal kuwaasi oo dhamaantood cambaareeyey go’aanka kasoo baxay Dowlada Ingiriiska

Banaanbaxan oo ah midka kaliya ee ka dhacay Somaliland tan iyo intii soo shaac baxday go’aanka dowlada Ingiriiska, qaar kamid ah odayaasha mudaharaadka ka khudbeeyey ayaa sheegay inay ka filayeen dowlada Ingiriiska inay noqon lahayd midii difaaci lahayd Somaliland, balse ay qaadatay go’aan khaldan.

“…Waad aragtaan Dowlada Faransiiska inay difaaceyso wadanka Mali, waxaanu filaynay in Ingiriiska uu sidaas oo kale Somaliland u difaaco…”ayuu yiri mid kamid ah odayaasha gobalka Saaxil oo goobtaasi ka hadlay.

Qaar kamid ah maamulka degmada iyo saraakiisha goobtaasi ka hadlay ayaa sheegay in Soomaliland ay nabad tahay isla markaana aysan qaadan doonin wax amnigooda u dhimaya.

Dhinaca kale Taliyaha laanta Socdaalka ee Somaliland oo maanta shir jaraa’iid qabtay ayaa sheegay inuusan jirin wax isbedal ah oo ku yimid dhanka socdaalka dadka ajaanibta ah, isagoo sheegay in xafiiskiisa uu hada gacanta ku hayo dalabaad fiisooyin ay soo dalbadeen dad reer Galbeed ah, wuxuu sidoo kale taliyahan beeniyey warar sheegaya in ajaanib badan isaga baxeen Somaliland kadib baaqii kasoo baxay dowlada Ingiriiska.

Somalia: Suicide Bombing Kills 2 At Presidential Palace

By ABDI GULED  

Image of Suicide Bomber

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A suicide bomber Tuesday detonated explosives outside the prime minister's home in Somalia's presidential palace compound, killing two people, security officials said. Al-Qaida-linked militants claimed responsibility for the attack.

The man blew himself up in the morning when questioned by soldiers at a checkpoint in the palace complex known as Villa Somalia, said Mohamed Ali, a police officer at the official residence in Mogadishu, the capital.

Villa Somalia has a large compound with several buildings and checkpoints. The bomber was four more checkpoints away from President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's home, Ali said. The president is said to be out of the country on state business.

The checkpoint where the blast took place is near the home of Prime Minister's Abdi Farah Shirdon, which is also in the compound, according to officials. Shirdon was at home but was not harmed, according to an official from the palace who insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak with the press.

Shirdon later released a statement read by Somalia's information minister saying one soldier was killed in the attack and the attacker is believed to be an operative of the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab insurgent group.

"This inhumane and barbaric attack shows once again the cruel twisted ideology of killing and destruction by the al-Shabab," Shirdon said.

Al-Shabab announced that it was behind the attack.

"One of our martyrs from the martyrdom brigade has carried out a successful attack on a house occupied by the intelligence apostates in the presidential palace," Sheik Abdiaziz Abu-Musab, the military spokesman for the Islamist militant group, told reporters.

He claimed the bomber killed seven soldiers. However, a military officer at the palace, Yusuf Abdi, said two soldiers died and three others were wounded in the explosion, backing what Ali had said.

"He killed two people and himself on the spot. His evil attempt has failed," Ali said.

Al -Shabab has opposed President Mohamud's election and government, saying the administration was being manipulated by Western powers. The president survived an assassination attempt on his second day in office in September when two suicide bombers blew themselves up while trying to gain access to a heavily guarded hotel serving as his temporary residence.

Mohamud, 56, who was previously an academic and activist, is expected to form the county's first functioning central government since 1991, when warlords overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

Since 2004, Somalia had been represented by a U.N.-approved leadership structure called the Transitional Federal Government that until recently only controlled small parts of Mogadishu. That government accomplished little, but since African Union and Somali troops pushed al-Shabab extremists out of the capital and other areas in the past two years, there's renewed hope for stability.

International supporters say Mohamud's government is a step toward moving the country out of its failed-state status, but that much more remains to be done in a country bloodied by two decades of war. In a sign of progress, the United States last week officially recognized the Somali government for the first time since Barre's fall in 1991.

Mohamud faces an uphill task unifying a fractious country in the face of the Islamist radicals' insurgency. Much of Somalia's infrastructure is in ruins, and corruption is rampant.
 

All-Somali refugee cast carries Asad to Oscar nomination for Best Narrative Short

Asad is a short film written and directed by famed commercial director Bryan Buckley of Hungry Man Films. The film received an Academy Award nomination on 10 January 2013, landing it one step closer to film’s highest honor: an Oscar.

Asad centers on the title character, a 12-year-old lad in a war-torn fishing village in Somalia. Asad must decide between falling into the pirate life or rising above it to choose the path of an honest fisherman.

The project was sparked in part by a United Nations short documentary, No Autographs, which brought Buckley and his producer Mino Jarjoura to refugee camps in Kenya and Sudan in the summer of 2010.

Buckley and Jarjoura encountered Somali refugees in Kakuma, Kenya. “Their stories and their outlook on life haven’t been fully told and haven’t gained the exposure they deserve,” Buckley said at a screening during the TriBeCa Film Festival. He noted that media have a fascination with the Somali pirates and to a lesser extent with the Al-Shabaab [Islamic extremists] group in the Southern territory of Somalia but as a result the spirit of the everyday people themselves gets overlooked.

Buckley wrote a script in an attempt to do justice to the humanity of the Somali people. Lensing in Somalia would have been too dangerous a prospect, so the short was brought to longtime friend and colleague Rafiq Samsodien to shoot in South Africa.

The film, spoken in Somali (with English subtitles), stars two young leads: Harun (14) and Ali (12), both Somali refugees. They reside just outside Cape Town, South Africa with their parents and 13 brothers and sisters. Neither boy spoke English nor had they ever attended school, so they were illiterate. Buckley and Jarjoura had to deploy a translator and the youngsters had to memorize their Somali lines sans a script or written point of reference.

These reading challenges kept them from being eligible for any type of formal schooling in South Africa. The filmmakers were diligent in looking for alternate options and were able to set up a special school, just for the boys. They finance a full-time tutor for the boys and they attend daily lessons in a make-shift school at the tutor’s house. All prize money Asad receives from festivals goes towards the boys’ school expenses. Since March 2012, the boys have gone from illiteracy to excelling in the fourth grade, in English.


“There are thousands of refugees just like these two boys who could achieve similar success if just given the chance,” Buckley has stated. This educational experiment has caught the eye of the South African government and the United Nations.

With Asad getting an Academy Award nomination, the goal is to get the boys to America for the Oscars.

“The Academy Awards is the ultimate platform for the world to take notice of the potential refugees have,” said Jarjoura. Like the many millions of refugees around the globe, Harun and Ali are not permitted to travel without special permission. The filmmakers are now trying to find a way to make it possible for them to make this historic visit.

Watch below a 17 minutes 20 seconds film Directed by Bryan Buckley. Set in a war torn fishing village in Somalia, an all Somali, refugee cast brings to life this coming of age fable of a Somali boy who is faced with falling into the pirate life, or rising above to choose the path of an honest fishing man.

Report: UN Secret Section Report Linked British Citizens with Somali Piracy

LONDON (AP) — The Times of London says a secret section of a United Nations report has linked British citizens with Somali piracy.

The newspaper says that a 2012 report drawn up by the UN’s Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea carried a secret annex naming a British businessman of Somali origin as one of the key organizers of a pirate kidnapping in 2009.

The Times quotes the annex as saying that the businessman is responsible for “co-organizing hijackings and abductions” and was directly involved in the abduction of Paul and Rachel Chandler, a British couple held captive for 13 months before a ransom was paid in 2010.

Efforts to reach some of the report’s authors weren’t immediately successful Saturday.

No contact information for the businessman could immediately be located.

Spotlight on: This week Jessica Lambert gets to know London’s Somalian community

Golden Mo-ment: Farah wins in London

Size: 70,000 according to estimates made in 2006 by the Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees — the largest number of Somalis living outside the country.

Age: Over 100 years old. The first Somali Londoners were late 19th-century sailors and merchants but the majority of today’s community emigrated in the Eighties and Nineties because of the Somali civil war.

Favourite parts of London: Ealing, Islington and Tower Hamlets.

Would it be fair to say that Mo Farah is the most famous Somali Londoner? Technically he’s an ex-Londoner as he relocated to America in 2011, but we’ll always consider him a homeboy.

How old was Mo when he arrived here? He was eight and barely spoke a word of  English. Only 21 years later he’s been made a CBE after winning two gold medals at the 2012 Olympics.

Who are the city’s other well-known Somalis? Well, there’s the writer Nadifa Mohamed, whose debut novel, Black Mamba Boy, was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas prize. And of course there’s Eighties supermodel Iman.

The one who’s married to David Bowie? Yes — but as she runs a £25 million-a-year cosmetics company for women of all ethnicities and speaks five languages, being married to Bowie for the past decade is really the least of her achievements.

Point taken. But talking of pop stars, where can I check out the Somali music scene? You could tune in online to London-based Nomad Radio. Or you could go to one of artist collective NUMBI’s events. It holds regular nights and workshops at Bethnal Green’s Rich Mix. The name is Somali for a healing dance in which you let go of all your inhibitions.

When can we go? There’s an Afropunk night on Saturday, February 9 with a screening of the documentary Punk in Africa before live music and DJs.

Wonderful. Let’s see if we can get the whole room doing the Mobot.

Obama lauds Clinton as she prepares to leave

Associated Press/CBS, File - FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2013 file image taken from video and provided by CBS, President Barack Obama, center, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speak with ”60 Minutes”

By PHILIP ELLIOTT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama lauded Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as one of his closest advisers and said their shared vision for America's role in the world persuaded his one-time rival — and potential successor — to be his top diplomat while he dealt with the shattered economy at home.

During a joint interview that aired Sunday, Obama and Clinton chuckled as they described their partnership and stoked speculation that Obama may prefer Clinton to succeed him in the White House after the 2016 elections. Clinton is leaving Obama's Cabinet soon, and speculation about the former first lady and senator has only grown more intense after a heated appearance last week on Capitol Hill.

Both Obama and Clinton batted away questions about future campaigns, but the joint interview — the president's first with anyone other than first lady Michelle Obama — was only likely to increase the fascination with Clinton's future.

"The president and I care deeply about what's going to happen for our country in the future," Clinton said. "And I don't think, you know, either he or I can make predictions about what's going to happen tomorrow or the next year."

Obama, who suggested the joint interview as Clinton prepared her exit from the State Department, lavished praise on his rival for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. He called her a friend and an extraordinary talent, and praised "her discipline, her stamina, her thoughtfulness, her ability to project."

It teetered on an endorsement of a 2016 presidential bid that is still an open question. Clinton advisers say she has not made a decision about a run, while Democratic officials suggest Clinton would be an early favorite if she decided to mount another campaign.

Obama and Clinton laughed when asked about the political future.

"You guys in the press are incorrigible," Obama said when pressed on another Clinton presidency. "I was literally inaugurated four days ago. And you're talking about elections four years from now."

The possibility of a presidential campaign for Vice President Joe Biden did not come up during the interview, taped Friday at the White House.

Obama described why he insisted Clinton become his secretary of state.

"She also was already a world figure," Obama said. "To have somebody who could serve as that effective ambassador in her own right without having to earn her stripes, so to speak, on the international stage, I thought, would be hugely important."

It was a job she initially refused. But Obama kept pushing, Clinton said.

"The one thing he did mention was he basically said: 'You know, we've got this major economic crisis that may push us into a depression. I'm not going to be able to do a lot to satisfy the built-up expectations for our role around the world. So you're going to have to get out there and, you know, really represent us while I deal with, you know, the economic catastrophe I inherited."

It's a job she embraced during the last four years. She arrived on the job with a global brand she quickly lent to promoting U.S. interests. In return, the public rewarded her with high approval ratings that could come in handy if she runs in 2016.

But her tenure has had its blemishes. For example, the United States did not directly intervene in the civil war in Syria, where the United Nations says more than 60,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million people have been internally displaced since the start of the conflict in March 2011.

"There are transitions and transformations taking place all around the world. We are not going to be able to control every aspect of every transition and transformation," Obama said, saying his jobs are to protect the United States and engage where the U.S. can make a difference.

In a separate interview with The New Republic, also released Sunday, Obama said, "As I wrestle with those decisions, I am more mindful probably than most of not only our incredible strengths and capabilities, but also our limitations."

On "60 Minutes," he praised Clinton's State Department for helping him sort out what the United States can — and cannot — accomplish.

"It has been a great collaboration over the last four years. I'm going to miss her. Wish she was sticking around. But she has logged in so many miles, I can't begrudge her wanting to take it easy for a little bit," Obama said.

It's something of a turnaround from 2007 and 2008, as the two raced through Iowa and New Hampshire and onward. In increasingly bracing language, the two excoriated the other. At one point, a visibly angry Clinton seethed, "Shame on you, Barack Obama."

Obama now jokes about the rivalry.

"Made for tough debates, by the way, because we could never figure out what we were different on," the president said.

Both acknowledged disagreements continue but said they had common goals.

"Are there going to be differences? Yeah. Deep differences? Of course," Clinton said. "You had a lot of strong-willed, -minded people. But the president deserves our best judgment, our advice and then he deserves us to stand with him and to execute."

Europe: The world’s new superpower

 Anne Applebaum 

“A decade of war is now ending,” U.S. President Barack Obama declared Monday. Maybe that’s true in America, but it isn’t true anywhere else. Extremists are still plotting acts of terror. Authoritarian and autocratic regimes are still using violence to preserve their power. The United States can step back from international conflicts, but that won’t make them disappear.

Fortunately, there is another power that shares America’s economic and political values, that possesses sophisticated military technology and is also very interested in stopping the progress of fanatical movements, especially in North Africa and the Middle East. That power is Europe.

Don’t laugh! I realize that even a year ago, that statement would have seemed absurd. I certainly couldn’t have written it in the immediate aftermath of the 2011 Libya operation, during which France, Britain and a dozen other nations were barely able to sustain a brief war, involving no ground troops, against a poorly armed and unpopular regime. Unverified reports at the time alleged that the French ran out of bombs and were dropping lumps of concrete. Be that as it may, without the intelligence and coordination provided by American warships and airplanes and the CIA, the French planes wouldn’t even have known where to drop them.

Yet here we are in 2013, watching the French air force and troops come to the aid of the formerly democratic government of Mali, which is fighting for its life against a fanatical Islamist insurgency.

Furthermore, this French intervention has (so far) broad national support. Although there have been public criticisms of the operation’s logistics, preparation and ultimate goals, almost no one in France questions the need for intervention. Hardly anyone is even asking “Why France?”

The French have a special, post-colonial sentiment for francophone Africa (and, according to a French friend, for Malian music) and have intervened in the continent militarily more than 40 times since 1960. But the context of this intervention is different from many previous ones. The aim is not (or not entirely) to prop up a pro-French puppet regime, but to block the progress of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the brutal organization that fuels the Malian insurgency and took hostages at an Algerian gas complex last week.

In other words, the French are in Mali fighting an international terrorist organization with the potential to inflict damage across North Africa and perhaps beyond. Not long ago, this sort of international terrorist organization used to inspire emergency planning sessions at the Pentagon. Now the French have had trouble getting Washington to pay attention. Some U.S. transport planes recently helped ferry French soldiers to the region but, according to the French newspaper Le Figaro, the Americans at first asked the French to pay for the service — “a demand without precedent” — before agreeing to help.

But other Europeans are offering money and soldiers. The European Union has authorized funding to train African troops who will assist — and it does have more experience than you’d think. EU forces, operating far beneath the publicity radar, successfully attacked pirate bases on the Somali coast last spring. “They destroyed our equipment to ashes,” a man described as a “pirate commander” told The Associated Press. All told, the European Union has intervened militarily in more than two dozen conflicts. Not quite as much as the French since 1960, but getting there.

A number of obstacles must be overcome before the European Union could become the world’s policeman. Although combined European military spending does make the EU the world’s second-largest military power, it still isn’t enough for a sustained conflict. Some Europeans, most notably the Germans, would have to overcome their post-Second World War abhorrence of soldiers. Other Europeans, most notably the British, would have to be convinced, as others have concluded, that Americans just aren’t that interested in NATO anymore. An added complication emerged this week when British Prime Minister David Cameron announced his intention to renegotiate his country’s relationship with the European Union. However it unfolds, this process is unlikely to aid in the development of a common European foreign and defence policy.

These are big obstacles. But what’s the alternative? If America is to enjoy “peace in our time” — an expression now deployed by both Barack Obama and Neville Chamberlain — while the rest of the world remains at war, then someone else will fill the vacuum. A glance at the other candidates — China, Russia, perhaps Qatar or another Gulf nation — ought to make us all stop giggling about cheese-eating surrender monkeys and start offering logistical and moral support. Europe may not be the best superpower. But it’s the only one we’ve got.

The Washington Post

Ad director Bryan Buckley debuts 'Asad'

by Hugh Hart

Director Bryan Buckley's "Asad," which follows two boys in Somalia, has been nominated for the Oscar for best live action short. Photo: Shortoftheweek.com

Short takes range from height of commercialism to depths of poverty

Every January for 10 years, director Bryan Buckley has obsessed over his Super Bowl commercials, and this year is no exception.

"It's down to the wire for Tide," he says.

Besides the detergent spot, Buckley's directorial touch will be seen in Best Buy and Coca-Cola ads during the big game next Sunday.

But this year people also can witness Buckley's storytelling skills on the big screen when his Oscar-nominated live-action short "Asad" plays theaters as part of the "Oscar Nominated Short Films 2012: Live Action" program.

The 18-minute "Asad" follows a young Somali refugee who embarks on a voyage to catch fish off the coast of Africa, but instead finds a boat plundered by pirates. Compared with his TV work, Buckley says, the film "seems like a whole different thing, but if it weren't for the commercial work, we wouldn't have discovered this world in the first place."

Buckley and producer Mino Jarjoura trace the evolution of "Asad" to a Microsoft assignment in Africa related to the company's Green Computing program. That project led to a U.N. documentary, "No Autographs," set in a refugee camp in Kenya.

"We kind of fell in love with all these bright, interesting people who were stuck there, and asked ourselves, 'What can we do to get this out into the world?' Buckley says. "That's how 'Asad' came about."

Cast exclusively with Somalian refugees, "Asad" stars two boys with no acting experience.
"We found out that our lead boys, Ali and Harun Mohammed, had never been to school. They couldn't read or write," Buckley says.

The brothers, then 16 and 10, also couldn't swim. Because the story involves rowboat misadventures, "swimming lessons every morning became this huge part of the process," Buckley says. Each afternoon, a tutor taught the boys their dialogue. "They had to memorize the script one page at a time," Buckley says. "It was intense."

While "Asad" captures the gritty routine of a disenfranchised community, Buckley used a light touch.
"I thought it was important to wire in this idea of humor and humanity," he says, "because it allows people to connect to their plight versus being too heavy handed."

Foo Fighter tells story in L.A.'s 'Sound City'

After its Sundance Film Festival launch, Foo Fighters guitarist-turned-filmmaker Dave Grohl's first documentary, "Sound City," opens Thursday at the Roxie. The documentary focuses on a Los Angeles recording studio that served as a home away from home for three decades' worth of A-list rock talent.
In the film, Grohl, who has decried the excesses of digitized music making, records an album at Sound City on tape, the old-fashioned way. The movie includes appearances by Stevie Nicks, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Trent Reznor and Paul McCartney.

Re-creating New York City in San Francisco

Moviegoers who watch "The Avengers" may think they're looking at New York during the film's climactic battle scene. In fact, Industrial Light & Magic VFX supervisor Jeff White explains that the superhero movie, nominated for an Oscar for achievement in visual effects, features a computer-generated version of Manhattan that was digitally constructed in the company's Presidio headquarters.

"We spent about six weeks in New York photographing every 100 feet on the ground, in a crane and from building rooftops," White says. "We collected over 1,800 spheres to create this area within New York. It's much like Google street view, where you get a full 360 degrees, except ours is very high resolution. We used that as the basis for building the city."

White and his colleagues also replaced trees, hot dog stands and people with digital stand-ins. And for the office interiors seen in skyscrapers that whisk by as Iron Man flies down the street, the VFX team looked close to home, White says. "We shot about 20 room interiors here at work, and then used those to populate all of New York City. If you zoom in on the Blu-ray version of 'The Avengers,' those are ILM offices in all the buildings." {sbox}

Hugh Hart is a San Francisco Chronicle correspondent. E-mail: sadolphson@sfchronicle.com

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/movies/industrybuzz/article/Ad-director-Bryan-Buckley-debuts-Asad-4221259.php#ixzz2JJpsJZn3