John Humphrey Freedom Award 2008
Rights & Democracy presents the John Humphrey Freedom Award each year to an organization or individual from any country or region of the world, including Canada, for exceptional achievement in the promotion of human rights and democratic development. The Award consists of a grant of $30,000, as well as a speaking tour of Canadian cities to help increase awareness of the recipient’s human rights work.
It is named in honour of the Canadian John Peters Humphrey, a human rights law professor who prepared the first draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
How to Submit a Nomination
Rights & Democracy invites you to submit a nomination by mail, fax or e-mail by April 15, 2008 with the following documents:
• a letter describing the nominee, his or her work and why he or she merits this Award.
• a curriculum vitae or organizational profile.
• supporting documentation such as articles written by or about the nominee, e.g. press clippings.
• at least three references (with addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses) who have in-depth knowledge of the candidate’s work, and who may be contacted by members of the jury for more detailed information.
Eligibility:
• The nominee must be committed to peace and non-violence.
• The nominee must be independent of any political party or governmental affiliation.
• Preference is given to those working at the frontline for the benefit of developing countries, under conditions hostile to the recognition and application of basic human and democratic rights.
• Preference will be given to those involved in the priority issues of Rights & Democracy, namely: democratic development, women's rights, rights of indigenous peoples, globalization and human rights.
• In the case of an individual, the Award is not given posthumously, nor is it given to an organization that is no longer active.
• Former staff or board members of Rights & Democracy are not eligible.
• Self-nominations are not accepted.
An International Jury
The winner will be selected by an international jury composed of five members of Rights & Democracy's Board of Directors: Saad Eddin Ibrahim, Professor of Political Sociology at the American University in Cairo and Secretary General of the Egyptian Independent Commission for Electoral Review; Peter S. Li, Faculty Member of the Department of Sociology at the University of Saskatchewan, and Chair of the Prairie Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Integration‘s Economic Domain; Guido Riveros Franck, President, Bolivian Foundation for Multiparty Democracy; Sima Samar, Chairperson, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, and United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Darfur, Sudan; and Janice Stein, Director of the Munk Centre for International Relations, University of Toronto, and Chairperson of Rights & Democracy's Board of Directors.
Previous Winners
1992 – Instituto de Defensa Legal (Peru)
1993 – La Plate-forme des organismes haïtiens de défense des droits humains (Haïti).
1994 – Campaign for Democracy (Nigeria) and Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (Egypt)
1995 – Bishop Carlos F. X. Belo (East Timor)
1996 – Sultana Kamal ( Bangladesh )
1997 – Father Javier Giraldo (Colombia)
1998 – Palden Gyatso (Tibet)
1999 – Cynthia Maung and Min Ko Naing (Burma)
2000 – Reverend Timothy Njoya (Kenya)
2001 – Sima Samar (Afghanistan)
2002 – Ayesha Imam (Nigeria)
2003 – Kimy Pernía Domicó (Colombia) and Angélica Mendoza de Ascarza (Peru)
2004 – Godeliève Mukasarasi (Rwanda)
2005 – Yan Christian Warinussy (West Papua)
2006 – Su Su Nway (Burma)
2007 – Akbar Ganji (Iran)
Friday, March 7, 2008
Analysis: US denying safe haven for al-Qaida in Somalia
Written by The jerusalem post
Mar 06, 2008 at 06:18 PM
In the early hours of Monday morning, a number of missiles fired from an American naval ship fell on the small Somali town of Dobley. The target according to a US military official, was a "facility where there were known terrorists" affiliated with al-Qaida. The Monday attack was reminiscent of the January 2007 air strike, which the US carried out against suspected al-Qaida operatives involved in the 1998 US bombings in East Africa. This latest show of US force in the Horn of Africa emphasizes Washington's continued resolve to attack al-Qaida operatives and their bases wherever they are in order to deny them safe havens.
Somalia has been mired in conflict and instability since its dictator Siad Barre was overthrown in 1992. Located in the Horn of Africa and in close proximity to the Arabian Peninsula, Somalia borders Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea, and has an Eastern coastline to the Indian Ocean. Due to its porous borders and very weak government, Somalia, where over 90 percent of the population is Muslim, is highly vulnerable to the infiltration of radical Islamists and weapons trading. The latter was evident in the 1998 Congo war, where a large portion of the weapons used entered the African continent via Somalia.
After Siad Barre was overthrown, Somalia imploded on itself, as different factions began vying for control over the country, turning Somalia into a failed state (a situation whereby the government does not have the ability to provide basic security and services to its people). The state of lawlessness worked to the advantage of Islamists who sought to establish bases of operations in Somalia, just as they have in Afghanistan and the tribal belts of Pakistan. There is strong evidence to suggest that al-Qaida initially found it difficult to operate in Somalia due to the homogeneous ethnic nature of the country, (there are five principle ethnic groups in Somalia), however perseverance eventually led to the appearance of local Somali Islamists who support the al-Qaida global jihadi agenda.
In 2004, an Islamic group known as the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) emerged in Mogadishu and for a brief time it controlled the Somali capital in an attempt to assert its authority and implement Sharia law. Whilst its leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was considered a 'moderate', his deputies Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys and Adan Hashi Ayro are known Islamists who were part of the organization al-Ittihad al-Islami (the Islamic Union, (AIAI)) which is accused of having ties with al-Qaida. Aweys himself appears on the US's most wanted terrorist list, whilst Ayro is known to have received training in Afghanistan jihadi camps.
Mar 06, 2008 at 06:18 PM
In the early hours of Monday morning, a number of missiles fired from an American naval ship fell on the small Somali town of Dobley. The target according to a US military official, was a "facility where there were known terrorists" affiliated with al-Qaida. The Monday attack was reminiscent of the January 2007 air strike, which the US carried out against suspected al-Qaida operatives involved in the 1998 US bombings in East Africa. This latest show of US force in the Horn of Africa emphasizes Washington's continued resolve to attack al-Qaida operatives and their bases wherever they are in order to deny them safe havens.
Somalia has been mired in conflict and instability since its dictator Siad Barre was overthrown in 1992. Located in the Horn of Africa and in close proximity to the Arabian Peninsula, Somalia borders Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea, and has an Eastern coastline to the Indian Ocean. Due to its porous borders and very weak government, Somalia, where over 90 percent of the population is Muslim, is highly vulnerable to the infiltration of radical Islamists and weapons trading. The latter was evident in the 1998 Congo war, where a large portion of the weapons used entered the African continent via Somalia.
After Siad Barre was overthrown, Somalia imploded on itself, as different factions began vying for control over the country, turning Somalia into a failed state (a situation whereby the government does not have the ability to provide basic security and services to its people). The state of lawlessness worked to the advantage of Islamists who sought to establish bases of operations in Somalia, just as they have in Afghanistan and the tribal belts of Pakistan. There is strong evidence to suggest that al-Qaida initially found it difficult to operate in Somalia due to the homogeneous ethnic nature of the country, (there are five principle ethnic groups in Somalia), however perseverance eventually led to the appearance of local Somali Islamists who support the al-Qaida global jihadi agenda.
In 2004, an Islamic group known as the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) emerged in Mogadishu and for a brief time it controlled the Somali capital in an attempt to assert its authority and implement Sharia law. Whilst its leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was considered a 'moderate', his deputies Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys and Adan Hashi Ayro are known Islamists who were part of the organization al-Ittihad al-Islami (the Islamic Union, (AIAI)) which is accused of having ties with al-Qaida. Aweys himself appears on the US's most wanted terrorist list, whilst Ayro is known to have received training in Afghanistan jihadi camps.
source: qarannews.com
U.S. Navy Strikes Inside Somalia
By: W. Thomas Smith, Jr.
Posted: 03/05/2008
Early Monday, between one and three U.S. missiles slammed into a small town in southern Somalia, at least one missile striking a suspected safe-house where it was believed one or more Al Qaeda terrorists were hunkered down.
It wasn’t the first time American air or naval forces had attacked enemy positions in Somalia. It was the fourth such attack in 14 months on the lawless East African nation: a result of the increasing expansion of Islamic extremism onto the African continent.
Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the operation. What is known is that the attacks were probably made with either surface or submarine-launched cruise missiles. The targeted house was in the town of Dhoobley (Dobley), a few miles from the Kenyan border. The targeted individuals were considered high value, and -- according to one of my sources -- “there was a very clear Al Qaeda link” and the hit “may have been a two for one [in terms of high value targets].”
Target possibilities include:
• Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, a Kenyan-born Al Qaeda terrorist responsible for both the 2002 bombing of a resort hotel in Kenya and a missile attack on an Israeli airliner. Nabhan was reportedly killed -- though not yet confirmed -- in Monday’s attack.
• Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki, a veteran ICU insurgent leader, whose forces were in fact operating in -- and had control over much of -- the area at the time of the attacks. Turki was also a probable primary target in Monday’s attack.
• Sheikh Muhktar Ali Robow (a.k.a. Abu Mansur), the former deputy defense minister of the Al Qaeda-linked Islamic Courts Union (ICU). Robow, who fought shoulder-to-shoulder with the Taliban in Afghanistan, also has been operating in the south of Somalia near where the U.S. attacks took place.
• Adan Hashi ‘Ayro, former leader of al-Shabaab (“the Youth”), a ruthless guerilla wing of the ICU.
• Fazul Abdullah Muhammad, a purported leader of Al Qaeda in East Africa, and one of the FBI’s “most wanted.”
• Others include Issa Osman Issa, Ahmad Abdi Godane, and Ibrahim Haji Jama -- all of them Al Qaeda-trained terrorists.
As of this writing, Defense Department officials and Africa analysts won’t reveal the identity of who was in fact targeted -- a "known Al Qaeda terrorist" is what the Pentagon says -- nor whether or not the target or targets were taken out.
“Clearly, [the targeted individuals] are figures of interest associated with the Somali Islamists for the U.S. in the greater war on terror,” says Dr. J. Peter Pham, director of the Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs at James Madison University and a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. “We’re not going to directly go after some penny-ante insurgent with a rocket launcher. We would only go after a high value target based on actionable intelligence that that target was in the area.”
International Islamic terrorism is not new to Africa. Though the current-level of America’s commitment to fighting terrorists in Africa is, which is why American forces have increasingly found themselves operating in, above, and off-the-coast-of the continent. And why the U.S. Defense Department recently stood up its new unified combatant command, the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).
Currently AFRICOM is a subordinate command of the U.S. European Command (EUCOM). But if all goes as planned, AFRICOM will become a fully operational independent combatant command in October of this year.
AFRICOM is long overdue.
For centuries, the continent has been a breeding ground for corrupt dictatorships, slave traders, thieves, smugglers, pirates, child soldiery, and various and sundry guerrilla armies. For the past 20 years, it also has become a haven for international terrorists.
“I think we’ve recognized that weak states and ungoverned spaces provide not only a safe haven for terrorists to take refuge, but also an opportunity to exploit economic and political marginalization on the part of local peoples to recruit, and to build up an infrastructure,” says Pham. “Africa -- perhaps more so than any other region of the world -- has these vast ungoverned spaces.”
According to Pham, many of the existing states within Africa “though well-meaning” lack the capacity to control 100 percent of their national territory.
Examples of these dangerous vacuums may be found in Somalia where Monday’s attacks took place (The Somali capital, Mogadishu, was the site of the terrible 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, brutal factional fighting has taken place since, and heavily armed pirates have for years prowled Somali waters).
Other “ungoverned spaces” may be found in almost all regions of Africa. Particularly unstable are the vast areas of the Sahara Desert and the Sahel Belt where, for instance, Algerian militants -- the former “Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat” -- have recently declared themselves to be Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). “They’ve carried out a number of rather effective attacks,” says Pham. “Additionally, what Al Qaeda has gained through its AQIM franchise is access to the North African immigrant communities in Europe where support for the largely Algerian AQIM is much stronger than that for the original Al Qaeda.”
But it’s not just Al Qaeda that is establishing a foothold in Africa.
Last week, an enormous 35-man sleeper cell was shut down in Morocco. The size and international scope of the cell was disturbing to be sure. But the worst part was found in the connecting of the dots where the suspects -- ranging from businessmen to politicians to at least one television journalist -- were found to have been trained by Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan and funded by Lebanon-based Hizballah. And Hizballah’s money comes from Iran.
“Different groups will coalesce and align against conventional wisdom,” says Pham. “What most analysts view as the Shiia-Sunni divide is papered over as militants and extremists will take money from anyone, and build alliances of convenience against their common enemy.”
Though tactically effective in the short-term, reactive airstrikes -- like Monday’s attacks -- and special operations on the ground are not enough to address the problems long-term. Experts are hoping AFRICOM will prove to be the strategic answer.
Next week, the Senate Armed Services Committee will hold hearings on AFRICOM to look at long-term planning for AFRICOM and review the Defense Department’s $389-million request to fund the command for Fiscal Year 2009 (The AFRICOM transition team received approximately $50 million from the Federal budget in FY 2007, and AFRICOM was budgeted for $75.5 million for FY 2008).
“The real question is will the command get the necessary resources,” says Pham.
Africa is, after all, a new critical front in the war on terror. And with its vast spaces, endless coastline, and seemingly infinite natural resources; nations like China -- expanding their ability to project military power -- are developing a new appreciation for Africa’s strategic worth.
Mr. Smith is a contributor to Human Events. A former U.S. Marine rifle-squad leader and counterterrorism instructor, he writes about military/defense issues and has covered conflict in the Balkans, on the West Bank, in Iraq and Lebanon. He is the author of six books, and his articles appear in a variety of publications. E-mail him at wthomassmithjr@yahoo.com.
Source:www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=25326
Thursday, March 6, 2008
WOMEN SPEAK ON THE WAY FORWARD FOR KENYA
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.
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.
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.
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