SOMALILAND: Let Us Stop Insulting Ourselves by Calling One of Us ‘Morgan’

By Ibrahim Mohamed Mead

Matters which should be off-limits are no longer off limits in Somaliland these days. Undesirable things come from all sides, from the opposition as well as from the government. Calling a Somaliland citizen Mr. Bahe Awil ‘Morgan’ is unsettling and beyond decency.

Decency is about morality, responsibilities, culture, religion and well thought-of behavior

Decency is defined as “the behavior that obeys the rules of customary standards of morality or respectability. Decency can as well be described as the requirements of accepted norms and/or honorable behavior”

To call someone ‘Morgan’ is indeed cruel. It is a complete disregard of human decorum and not only that, it is a trivialization of what the criminal Morgan has inflicted to the people of Somaliland. It is an insult to Somaliland as a whole. When it is all that and more, imagine how some of us casually and carelessly call one of our own ‘Morgan’!

The name Morgan is synonymous to murder and ethnic cleansing. Morgan was the son- in-law of Siyad Barre not the son-in-law of Mr.Siilanyo He was the author and the executioner of the ethnic cleansing scheme documented in the infamous “letter of death.”

Is citizen Bashe Cawil who happened to be the son-in-law of a president democratically elected deserves to be called ‘Morgan’? Can our morals allow us to criminalize someone for what someone else did? The fact that murderer Morgan happened to be the son-in-law of Siyad Barre and Citizen Bashi Cawil happened to be the son-in-law of the president of Somaliland does not add up.

Bashi Cawil did not commit genocide/ethnic cleansing. He does not have any governmental responsibilities; therefore we must not liken him with the scum-General Morgan

The difference between the two is the difference of evil and innocence.

I am not saying Mr. Bashe is a good guy neither do I say he is a bad guy either. I don’t have evidence to support either case. What I am saying is that the brother is NO Morgan and we better not call him ‘Morgan’ a name no one of us accepts to be called. Would any one of us accept to be called ‘Satan’ for ‘Morgan is Satan and worse? I don’t think so. Therefore we must cease calling Bashe or anybody else with that name, in the name of decency. We can criticize Mr.Bashe where criticism is due but let us call him by his name

What does the name ‘Morgan’ the son-in-law of Dictator Siyad Barre mean to Somaliland? It means cruelty, Crime against humanity, it means ethnic cleansing, genocide and the rest of all evil. For these reasons and more it is absolutely repugnant and not appropriate to call Citizen Bashe Awil the son-in-law of President Siilanyo ‘Morgan’! Citizen Bashe and his family were among the victims of the cursed ‘Morgan’ atrocities therefore how one can call him Morgan!?

I am not defending Bashe Awil because I agree with what the government does and how they run the Republic. That is not the case. I utterly oppose the corruption and the abuse Mr. Siilanyo’s administration practice, diametrically, however Mr. Bashe is not a member of the government, therefore it is wrong and immoral to call Mr. Bashe ‘Morgan’. Bashe is the son-in-law of Mr. Siilanyo he is not the son-in-law of Siyad Barre and Siilanyo is NO Siyad Barre. If someone knows some misconduct and unlawful activities attributed to Mr. Bashe which deserves to shed light on it, we can criticize his actions but we must address him and call him by his name. In the name of fairness and decency stop calling Bashe Awil‘Morgan,’ a name which none of us deserves to be called.

In my opinion it is not right to hold accountable or criticize a person for what other person did by extension of being related. No other person bears the burden of another person “Walaa taziro waaziratun wazra okhraa-from the Quran”. It is therefore unfair for Mr. Bashe Cawil and inappropriate and indeed wrong to accuse or criticize him for the (deplorable) actions of the administration of his father-in-law, knowing that he is not a member of the administration. However if he has done wrongs of national interest, well, criticize him like we criticize the government but call him by his name and not Morgan, that is my point We better not be extravagant in dispensing horrible names unwisely as the government of Siilanyo is in overseas trips (seedhawayn) and well come back activities (soodhawayn)

Everybody must come back to his or her sense. We have to reflect and rationalize what we want to say and how to say it. We have to establish a sane atmosphere. We don’t have a sane atmosphere these days. We have to be kind to our country, to our cause and to ourselves.

However peace and prayers

Ibrahim Mohamed Mead

Kingmead1@yahoo.ca

Monica Lewinsky breaks decade of silence to address her affair with Bill Clinton: ‘It's time to burn the beret and bury the blue dress’

Monica Lewinsky breaks decade of silence to address her affair with Bill Clinton: ‘It's time to burn the beret and bury the blue dress’

The White House intern, whose affair with Clinton led to the former President's impeachment in 1998, has written a tell-all magazine column 

After a decade of silence over the affair with Bill Clinton that led to his eventual impeachment in 1998, Monica Lewinsky has finally decided to address the dramatic turn of events in a tell-all magazine column for Vanity Fair.

Now 40, Lewinsky claims that she has decided “it’s time to burn the beret and bury the blue dress” and to stop “tiptoeing” around her past.

“I am determined to have a different ending to my story,” she writes. “I've decided, finally, to stick my head above the parapet so that I can take back my narrative and give a purpose to my past. (What this will cost me, I will soon find out.)”

Lewinski stated that the affair with the former US President, which happened when she was a 22-year-old White House intern, occurred between two consenting adults. However, she admitted she “deeply” regretted the relationship.

“Sure, my boss took advantage of me,” she continued, “but I will always remain firm on this point: It was a consensual relationship. Any 'abuse' came in the aftermath, when I was made a scapegoat in order to protect his powerful position.

“The Clinton administration, the special prosecutor's minions, the political operatives on both sides of the aisle, and the media were able to brand me. And that brand stuck, in part because it was imbued with power."

Holding hands at Christmas: Monica Lewinsky in 1997.Greeting guests: Monica Lewinsky in 1997.Lewinsky attends a White House function with Clinton in 1997.The now infamous blue dress, among other gifts given to Lewinsky by Clinton that would be used as evidence in his impeachment trial.Lewinsky leaves court on 20 August, 1998, after testifying before a grand jury investigating Clinton.A handwritten note to Clinton by Lewinsky that would be later counted on as evidence in his 21-day Senate trial. Marcia Lewis, the mother of Monica Lewinsky, prepares to meet reporters on February 10, 1998, outside of the US District Courthouse in Washington.Another note from Lewinksy to Clinton, also used as evidence in his trial. Clinton's lawyer, Robert Bennett, addresses the press outside the courtroom on March 5, 1998.Lewinsky is escorted by police officers, federal investigators and her attorney, William Ginsburg, as she leaves the Federal Building May 28, 1998.

The impeachment hearing in progress in November 1998.Clinton apologises to the nation for lying to them over his affair with Monica Lewinsky in December 1998Monica Lewinsky escorted to her hotel in New York, ahead of her video taped deposition to Republican prosecutors.

Holding hands at Christmas: Monica Lewinsky in 1997.Greeting guests: Monica Lewinsky in 1997.Lewinsky attends a White House function with Clinton in 1997.

The now infamous blue dress, among other gifts given to Lewinsky by Clinton that would be used as evidence in his impeachment trial.Lewinsky leaves court on 20 August, 1998, after testifying before a grand jury investigating Clinton.A handwritten note to Clinton by Lewinsky that would be later counted on as evidence in his 21-day Senate trial. 

Marcia Lewis, the mother of Monica Lewinsky, prepares to meet reporters on February 10, 1998, outside of the US District Courthouse in Washington.Another note from Lewinksy to Clinton, also used as evidence in his trial. Clinton's lawyer, Robert Bennett, addresses the press outside the courtroom on March 5, 1998.

Lewinsky is escorted by police officers, federal investigators and her attorney, William Ginsburg, as she leaves the Federal Building May 28, 1998.

The impeachment hearing in progress in November 1998.Clinton apologises to the nation for lying to them over his affair with Monica Lewinsky in December 1998Monica Lewinsky escorted to her hotel in New York, ahead of her video taped deposition to Republican prosecutors.

 

“I, myself, deeply regret what happened between me and President Clinton,” she adds. “Let me say it again: I. Myself. Deeply. Regret. What. Happened.”

Lewinski went on to name Tyler Clementi, the 18-year-old Rutgers student who was bullied to death for being gay, as the inspiration behind her decision to speak out after so many years, citing her own feelings of suicide after news of Clinton’s infidelity hit the media.

Her mother, she says, was particularly harrowed by Clementi’s death.

“She was reliving 1998, when she wouldn't let me out of her sight.

“She was replaying those weeks when she stayed by my bed, night after night, because I, too, was suicidal. The shame, the scorn, and the fear that had been thrown at her daughter left her afraid that I would take my own life – a fear that I would be literally humiliated to death.”

But, in the wake of Clementi’s death, her “own suffering took on a different meaning,” she says.

“Perhaps by sharing my story, I reasoned, I might be able to help others in their darkest moments of humiliation. The question became: How do I find and give a purpose to my past?”

Her main ambition for the future, she concludes, is to use her famous name to “get involved with efforts on behalf of victims of online humiliation and harassment and to start speaking on this topic in public forums."

Clinton was being investigated by Kenneth Starr, the Independent Counsel, on a number of perjury and obstruction of justice cases – all of which he was later acquitted of –  when he was given taped conversations between the former President and Lewinsky by her Defense Department co-worker Linda Tripp, who had been secretly recording them.

It led to a 21-day Senate trial, during which Clinton’s carefully worded argument hinged on the meaning of the word ‘is’ when determining the truthfulness of the statement: “There is not a sexual relationship, an improper sexual relationship or any other kind of improper relationship.”

It was the now infamous blue dress, gifted to Lewinsky by Clinton, that provided the DNA evidence proving the relationship, despite Clinton’s initial denials that he “did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky”.

“I never told anybody to lie, not a single time; never,” he stated at the time. “These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work for the American people. Thank you.”

On 17 August 1998, Clinton admitted that he had in fact engaged in an “improper physical relationship” with Lewinsky.

That evening, he gave a nationally broadcast statement admitting to the relationship, which he deemed “not appropriate”.

He was subsequently impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives.

His wife, Hillary Clinton, went on to become the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving alongside President Obama from 2009 to 2013.

The full column will appear in the June issue of Vanity Fair, available digitally on 8 May and in print format from 13 May.

China and Ethiopia sign major deals

More than a dozen deals signed in the first leg of Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang's four-nation Africa tour.

China and Ethiopia have signed more than a dozen agreements aimed at shoring up burgeoning ties between the world's second-largest economy and the African continent that saw their trade top $200bn last year.

The agreements were signed on Sunday after Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang arrived in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa for the first leg of his four-nation tour of Africa.

The visit is Li's first trip to Africa since he became premier last year, and follows a trip to the continent by President Xi Jinping in March 2013, when he renewed an offer of $20bn in loans to Africa between 2013 and 2015.

Africans broadly see China, which funded the construction of the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, as a healthy counterbalance to Western influence. However, there are growing calls from policymakers and economists for more balanced trade relations.

As he embarked on his trip, Li acknowledged "growing pains" in China-Africa cooperation.
In Ethiopia, Chinese firms have invested heavily in recent years with their worth swelling well over $1bn in 2014, according to official figures.

Beijing is also a key partner in Ethiopia's bid to expand infrastructure such as roads, railways and telecom services..

Raft of deals

Chinese ministers and company executives accompanying Li signed 16 deals with their Ethiopian counterparts, including loans and cooperation agreements for the construction of roads and industrial zones, the Reuters news agency reported.

"This right track in the relationship between us has been laid. I am sure it will lead us to stronger growth in our ties," Li told a news conference.

China has a relationship with Africa which pre-dates its current resource-hungry economic boom.
In previous decades, China's Communist leaders supported national liberation movements and newly independent states across the continent.

Beijing has been accused of holding back the continent's economic development by focusing on the pursuit of raw materials rather than the creation of local jobs and markets.

Keen not to be perceived as an imperial master, Li said China was willing to sit down with African countries keen to resolve any issues that arose over investment projects.

US can keep military base in Djibouti for 30 more years

The United States and Djibouti agreed on Monday to extend the lease on a growing US military base in the small country for up to 30 more years.

The terms of the deal were reported by the Associated Press following a White House meeting between President Barack Obama and Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh.

As the only long-term US military installation in sub-Saharan Africa, Djibouti’s Camp Lemonnier has considerable strategic significance to the Pentagon, which has stationed about 4000 US troops and large amounts of equipment at the base.

“Obviously,” President Obama said on Monday, “Camp Lemonnier is extraordinarily important not only to our work throughout the Horn of Africa but throughout the region. And we very much appreciate the hospitality that the Djiboutians provide.”

The US is substantially upgrading and expanding its presence at Camp Lemonnier, with some $500 million in construction projects planned or underway.

Since 2002 — the year after the attacks on New York and Washington — the US has used the former French installation for air and sea surveillance operations throughout the Horn and for occasional strikes on militants believed to be associated with al-Qaeda or al-Shabaab.

Critics contend that the Djibouti base signifies a growing “militarisation” of US policy toward Africa.

In remarks to reporters prior to Monday’s meeting, Mr Obama said only that the US and Djibouti would be signing “a long-term lease” for access to Camp Lemonnier.

But the AP reports that an unnamed US official later specified that the cost of the new lease would be $63 million a year for the next decade. Under the previous agreement, the US paid Djibouti $38 million a year for use of the facility.

The deal also includes an option to extend the lease for an additional 10 years without renegotiating its terms. It further includes a provision allowing a 10-year extension beyond that at a renegotiated rate.

Djibouti’s strategic value to the US takes the additional form of troops it supplies to the Amisom force in Somalia and to UN peacekeeping operations in Darfur, Cote d’Ivoire and Western Sahara. Djibouti has also agreed to send forces in the Central African Republic as part of a UN deployment there in the coming months.

The US and Djibouti further agreed on Monday to establish a Binational Forum — the third arrangement of this kind involving the United States and an African nation. The US has previously established binational commissions with Nigeria and South Africa.

Sterling Energy Signs USD12 Million Deal For Further Interest At Odewayne

LONDON (Alliance News) - Sterling Energy PLC Tuesday said it has signed a further deal with Jacka Resources Somaliland Ltd to acquire an additional 15% interest in the Production Sharing Contract for the Odewayne Block in Somaliland.

The oil and gas exploration and production company said it is hoping to increase its holding in the Production Sharing Contract to 40% from 25% for an initial USD2.4 million in cash on signature and a further USD9.6 million on completion.

The company said the deal will cancel a previous agreement of USD12 million in future conditional payments between Sterling and Jacka, and Sterling  will be carried by Genel Energy PLC, which has a 50% holding at the site, for the costs of all exploration activities during the third and fourth period of the ongoing Production Sharing Contract.

The Odewayne Block covers an area of 22,000 kilometres squared and extensive fieldwork and a high resolution gravity and magnetic data acquisition programme has been completed on the site, with a 2D seismic programme planned for 2014 to define the sites drill able targets.

Sterling Energy shares were down 1.3% to 29.60 pence Tuesday.

By Tom McIvor; tommcivor@alliancenews.com; @TomMcIvor1

The Desert Locust situation: April 2014 Forecast until mid-June 2014

The Desert Locust situation continued to improve during April along both sides of the Red Sea due to control operations and drying conditions in Sudan, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia.

Adult groups moved into the interior of Saudi Arabia where one generation of breeding is expected. Several swarms moved from northwest Somalia into eastern Ethiopia where, despite aerial and ground control operations, breeding is likely to occur and hopper bands could form during the forecast period. Smaller-scale breeding occurred in northern Oman and southeast Iran, causing small hopper groups to form. Unusually dry conditions prevailed in Northwest Africa.

Western Region. The situation remained calm during April. No signifi cant rain fell in the spring breeding areas south of the Atlas Mountains in Northwest Africa. Consequently, ecological conditions remained unfavourable and only isolated solitarious adults were seen in northeast Morocco. Dry conditions prevailed in the northern Sahel of West Africa. No signifi cant developments are expected.

Central Region. Locust infestations continued to decline in winter breeding areas along both sides of the Red Sea due to control operations and drying conditions. Aerial and ground control operations were carried out in Saudi Arabia, and adult groups moved into the spring breeding areas of the interior where they laid eggs. In northeast Sudan, adults formed groups and a few small swarms that were treated by ground teams. Control operations finished in Yemen and Eritrea. In Yemen, small-scale breeding may occur in the interior, causing locust numbers to increase slightly. Numerous swarms moved from northwest Somalia to eastern Ethiopia where aerial and ground control operations were undertaken, and hatching and the formation of hopper groups and bands are expected in May. Small-scale breeding is in progress and is likely to continue in northern Oman where small hopper groups formed. As vegetation dries out, locusts may form more small groups.

Eastern Region. The situation remained calm in April. Small-scale breeding was in progress in coastal and interior areas of southeast Iran and limited control operations were undertaken. During the forecast period, hatching will cause locust numbers to increase slightly. As vegetation dries out, small groups may form. Although locusts were not seen in adjacent areas of western Pakistan, small-scale breeding may occur in May

Chinese premier's Ethiopia visit expected to deepen bilateral relations

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Sunday embarked upon an official visit expected to further deepen his country's relations with Ethiopia in particular and Africa in general.

During his visit to Ethiopia, Li is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, meet President Mulatu Teshome, and hold a seminar with Chinese and African businessmen.

His stay in Addis Ababa, widely reputed as the political capital of Africa, will also see him visit the headquarters of the African Union (AU) and deliver a speech there on cooperation between the Asian country and the promising continent.

Xie Xiaoyan, China's ambassador to Ethiopia and permanent representative to the AU, told reporters Thursday that Li's visit will lift China's friendship and cooperation with Ethiopia and Africa to higher levels.

"I am confident that this visit will further deepen the friendship between China and Africa ... in general and between the Chinese people and the Ethiopian people ... in particular," said the ambassador.

In separate interviews with Chinese journalists here, both Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and President Mulatu Teshome hailed the excellent bilateral relations between Ethiopia and China.

Noting that Ethiopia and China have established strategic partnership based on win-win cooperation, Hailemariam said the Chinese premier's visit to Ethiopia will further deepen the relationship between the two countries.

"This witnesses how strong our relationship is, and this relationship is a win-win situation where both Ethiopia and China benefit," said the prime minister.

Recalling his visit to China last year, Hailemariam highlighted the importance of the exchange of high-level visits between Ethiopia and China to further enhancing bilateral cooperation.

He also lauded the positive role China has played in Ethiopia's fast growth, saying China has exerted positive impact on his country's development endeavor.

For his part, Mulatu said his country and China are enjoying excellent relations based on mutual trust, understanding and respect, adding that China has proved itself to be a dependable friend in Ethiopia's fight against poverty.

With their growing economic interdependence, Ethiopia and China are further strengthening their bilateral relations through political, economic and cultural exchanges as well as through technical assistance, said the president.

"China is considered to be Ethiopia's strategic development partner," noted Mulatu, stressing that the exchange of high-level visits has contributed to the consolidation of bilateral ties between them.

"The multifaceted ... relations between Ethiopia and China will continue to grow both in width and depth because of the fact that our bilateral relations are based on mutual trust, mutual understanding, mutual respect," he said.

Noting that China's investment in his country is increasing rapidly, Mulatu said the input has brought multiple benefits to Ethiopia, including job creation, expansion of foreign currency reserves, and transfer of technology and industrial management skills.

Erastus Mwencha, deputy chairperson of the AU Commission, said Thursday that China has long been a staunch supporter of Africa's development, especially in the development of infrastructure, and the AU's peace and security efforts.

"In the area of peace mediation, also post-conflict reconstruction, China has supported us particularly in the case of South Sudan," even in Sudan, Mali and Somalia, added the AU official.

Commenting on Li's upcoming visit, he said this kind of high-level visit "inspires confidence to our people, the people of Africa and the people of China, and it brings us closer," he said.

english.gov.cn

3 Egyptians caught in Gambella, accused of spying

GAMBELLA - The regional state government  of Gambella caught today 3 Egyptian nationals who penetrated to the the region via the war torn South Sudan in what the regional government of Ethiopia believed to be a spying mission to find information about the country's  Renaissance Dam. The the three men named as Yusuf Haj, Ismail Azizi and Hassan Garai were caught in separate locations of the region. 

Yusuf went to Abobo on a fake tourist pass to see the Abobo dam of the Abobo county (Woreda). The locals in Abobo worried about the suspicious activities he was making near the dam and that prompted his arrest by the local police. He was then transferred to the regional  administration in Gambella for further investigation and detentions.

The other two were caught at a bus station in Gambella trying to board a bus to Benshangul - Gumuz state without security passes. Benshangul-Gumuz near blue Nile is where the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is located.

Egypt and Ethiopia have been at odds over the construction of GERD. Egyptian government threatened to bomb the dam as they feel that if the dam becomes operational, it would compromise their fair share of the Nile water. Ethiopia however denied any impact the flow of water would do to Egypt. 

Moreover, South Sudan government recently signed a military agreement with Egyptian government. The agreement was received with too much skepticism by Addis Ababa who think that any deal by their neighbour with Egypt would invite an attack on the dam.

Last week, the South Sudanese rebels claimed to have captured 12 Egyptians in Jonglei who fought alongside the government of South Sudan.

The Upper Nile Times

International experts call for universal protection of freedom of expression

Today, international experts mandated by the UN, African Union, Organization of American States and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe will jointly call for states to ensure that all people in society can realise their right to freedom of expression without discrimination.

The Joint Declaration on the Universality of the Right to Freedom of Expression [available in FR, SP and RU] by the four special rapporteurs, officials appointed to investigate and report on free of expression issues, has been produced with the assistance of ARTICLE 19. 

It reiterates the the universal nature of freedom of expression, reflected in international and regional general human rights standards and national constitutions and its recognition as a core human value in all major cultural, philosophical and religious traditions around the world. It highlights also the importance of pen debate about different cultures, values, beliefs and practices can have in promoting understanding and tolerance, and in combating hatred and social division. 

“ARTICLE 19 has been alarmed on recent attacks against the universality of the right to freedom of expression in recent years, under the pretest of protecting ‘traditional values‘ in the society. However, such ‘values‘ are often harmful practices, stereotypes and customs. They often stigmatise and legitimise violence against women, religious minorities, people with disabilities or lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people” comments Thomas Hughes, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19.

“The 2014 Joint Declaration will be extremely useful to us to defeat such attempts to weak the protection of freedom of speech globally and locally,” he added.

Recommendations to states in the joint statement include, but are not limited to:

• Take concrete and effective steps to modify or eliminate harmful stereotypes, prejudices and practices, including traditional or customary values or practices, which undermine the ability of all individuals and groups in society to enjoy the right to freedom of expression
• Strengthen obligations on public broadcasters to serve the information and expressive needs of different individuals and groups in society, and to promote understanding and tolerance
• Refrain from imposing  restrictions on freedom of expression unless they meet the minimum test for such restrictions under international law
• Repeal laws which protect religions against criticism or prohibit the expression of dissenting religious beliefs
• Combate historical discrimination, prejudices and/or biases which prevent the equal enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression by certain individuals and groups
• Recoginse the importance of the Internet in realising the universality of freedom of expression.

The four international special rapporteurs on freedom of expression are: Frank La Rue, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression; Dunja Mijatovic, the Representative on Freedom of the Media of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe; Catalina Botero, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression for the Organisation of American States; and Pansy Tlakula, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information for the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights. 

The 2014 Joint Declaration is being launched in Paris, France, at the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day International Conference. ARTICLE 19 has been coordinating the drafting of these Joint Declarations since 1999.

Read the full declaration

US can keep military base in Djibouti for 30 more years

The United States and Djibouti agreed on Monday to extend the lease on a growing US military base in the small country for up to 30 more years.

The terms of the deal were reported by the Associated Press following a White House meeting between President Barack Obama and Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh.

As the only long-term US military installation in sub-Saharan Africa, Djibouti’s Camp Lemonnier has considerable strategic significance to the Pentagon, which has stationed about 4000 US troops and large amounts of equipment at the base.

“Obviously,” President Obama said on Monday, “Camp Lemonnier is extraordinarily important not only to our work throughout the Horn of Africa but throughout the region. And we very much appreciate the hospitality that the Djiboutians provide.”

The US is substantially upgrading and expanding its presence at Camp Lemonnier, with some $500 million in construction projects planned or underway.

Since 2002 — the year after the attacks on New York and Washington — the US has used the former French installation for air and sea surveillance operations throughout the Horn and for occasional strikes on militants believed to be associated with al-Qaeda or al-Shabaab.

Critics contend that the Djibouti base signifies a growing “militarisation” of US policy toward Africa.

In remarks to reporters prior to Monday’s meeting, Mr Obama said only that the US and Djibouti would be signing “a long-term lease” for access to Camp Lemonnier.

But the AP reports that an unnamed US official later specified that the cost of the new lease would be $63 million a year for the next decade. Under the previous agreement, the US paid Djibouti $38 million a year for use of the facility.

The deal also includes an option to extend the lease for an additional 10 years without renegotiating its terms. It further includes a provision allowing a 10-year extension beyond that at a renegotiated rate.

Djibouti’s strategic value to the US takes the additional form of troops it supplies to the Amisom force in Somalia and to UN peacekeeping operations in Darfur, Cote d’Ivoire and Western Sahara. Djibouti has also agreed to send forces in the Central African Republic as part of a UN deployment there in the coming months.

The US and Djibouti further agreed on Monday to establish a Binational Forum — the third arrangement of this kind involving the United States and an African nation. The US has previously established binational commissions with Nigeria and South Africa.

Somaliland’s first female National Deputy Prosecutor

Highlights

• As part of an ongoing process to increase the number of officials with formal legal education in Somaliland, UNDP’s support has increased the number of professionals with formal legal education.
• In 2013, 338 lawyers including 89 women, graduated from Somaliland’s Hargeisa University Law Faculty.
• There are now 75 women working in the legal sector in Somaliland, compared to only 5 women in 2008. This is largely thanks to UNDP’s gender-balanced efforts to foster a well-trained justice sector.

Khadra Hussein Mohammad, 28, is Somaliland’s National Deputy Prosecutor – the first woman to hold such a position in Somaliland. As part of an ongoing process to increase the number of officials with formal legal education in Somaliland, like Khadra, UNDP supports long-term legal education and job placement to fill the justice sector with qualified legal professionals.

Across Somaliland, UNDP is supporting a fundamental shift in legal education and professionalism in the justice sector will help build a robust legal system. UNDP’s support has increased the number of professionals with formal legal education.

After graduating the University of Hargeisa Law School – which was established through UNDP support in 2008 – Khadra joined the Somaliland Lawyers Association. This local organization (also supported by UNDP) connected her to an opportunity to join UNDP sponsored legal training. “UNDP was one of the main factors of my success,” she explains. “UNDP facilitated my training and offered her on-job training.

At the end of the training, she joined the prosecutor’s office as a paralegal for nearly a year before being appointed Somaliland’s National Deputy Prosecutor.

UNDP focuses on long-term legal education and job placement to fill the justice sector with qualified legal professionals. In 2013, 338 lawyers including 89 women, graduated from Somaliland’s Hargeisa University Law Faculty.

As a public prosecutor, Khadra deals with a range of kinds of cases including serious crimes such theft, gang-related violence, and even terrorism. “You meet all kinds of people in this job. We see new cases almost every day,” she says. She said it is also good that people are now aware that there are women prosecutors. “They come to us, we assist them and at the end they appreciate” she said. This will also contribute to reduce the discrimination among women lawyers.

Khadra is proud of her achievement and the opportunity it affords her to make a difference. In particular, Khadra has seen a significant increase in court cases involving gender-based violence or rape. Khadra says that victims feel comfortable approaching female lawyers. “We can ask them anything and they can feel comfortable with us,” she said.

Despite her success, Khadra knows the challenges involved – her profession has historically been male-dominated. However, with UNDP’s gender-balanced scholarship and internship programme, these dynamics are changing. There are now 75 women working in the legal sector in Somaliland, compared to only 5 women in 2008. This is largely thanks to UNDP’s gender-balanced efforts to foster a well-trained justice sector.

In the last in the last 18 months, 32 women have been hired into the public sector as a direct result of a UNDP legal internships programme. They are now serving in positions in the Judiciary, civil service, Attorney General’s Office and Law Reform Commission.

SOMALILAND OO KA QAYB GALAYSA TARTANKA BARIGA & BADHTAMAHA AFRIKA EE KUBADA KOLAYGA

MAYORKA CAASIMADA IYO WASIIRKA CIYAARAHA OO SAGOOTIYAY KOOXDA KUBADA KOLAYGA EE DAWLADA HOOSE OO U ANBA-BAXDAY KA QAYB GALKA CIYAARAHA BARIGA IYO BADHTAMAHA AFRIKA.

Hargaysa - Wasiirka Wasaarada Dhalinyarada Iyo Ciyaaraha  Iyo Moyarka Caasimada Hargaysa Ayaa Saaka Sii Sagootiyey Kooxda Kubada Kolayga ee Dawlada Hoose Oo Dalka Tanzania Kaga Qayb Gelaysa Ciyaaraha Barriga iyo Badhtamaha Afrika oo maalmaha soo socda furmi doona.

Wasiirka Ayaa Waxa Uu Kula Dardaarmay In Ay Muujiyaan Ciyaar Wanaag,Markastana Isku Hawlaan Sidii Ay Usoo Saari Lahayeen Magac Somaliland,Waxaana Uu Usoo Jeediyey Inaanay Goobtaasi Lagu Ciyaarayo Aanay Kasoo Raacin Maga Xumo.

Sidoo Kale Moyarka Caasimada Somaliland Ee Hargaysa Ayaa Isna Dhankiisa Ku Booriyey Kooxdaasi Tagaysa Wadanka Tansaaniya,In Muujiyaan Ciyaar Wanaag Isla Markaas Ay Goobtaas Kala Yimaadaan Sharaf Iyo Magac Muuqda.

Ugu Horen Waxa halkaasi ka hadlay Guddoomiyaha Olanbikada Oo Safarkaasi Qayb Ka Ahaa Waxaana Uu Hadalkiisa Ku Bilaabay”

“Naadiga Ku Ciyaaray Magac Dawlada Hoose Ee Hargaysa Waxa Goobtan Ku Sugan Oo Anba Bixinay Wasiirka Wasaarada Dhalinyarada Iyo Ciyaaraha Somaliland Moyarka Caasimada Hargaysa Xildhibaano Ka Socda Golaha Deegaanka Ee Hargaysa Waxaana Raacaya Oo Safarka Ku Jira Xildhibaan Cago Yare,Guddoomiyaha Xidhiidhka Kubada Kolayga.

Dhinac Kale Waxa Isna Halkaasi Ka Hadlay Maayarka Caasimada Somaliland Ee Hargaysa Cabdiraxmaan Maxamuud Caydiidi Solteco Waxaana Uu Yidhi”

“Waxa Laga Yaabaa In Ay Sannadkii Hore Idinka Habsaantay Sannado Badana Idinka Habsaantay Runtii Waxa Weeyaan Waa Dhaqaalo Yaraan Uun Idinka Oo Dhaqaalaheena La Socda Waanu Jecel Nahay Inaanu Dhalinyarada Waxa La Qabano Sannadkan Waanu Kasii Fikirnay Ka Hor Lakiin Sannadkii Hore Waxaanu Ugu Nimi Miisaaniyada oo Sharciyaysan Ayaanu Ugu Nimi Oo Aanay Sportiga Waxba Ugu Jirin,Idinka Oo Og Inaanu Garoonadii Wax Ka Qabanay Idiinka Aanu Safarkiina Wixii Aanu Idiinku Talo Galnay Iyo Waxaanu Ka Qaadan Karo Isku Dayno,Run Ahaantii Waxaanu Doonaynaan Ciyaarta Waa La Kala Badiyaa Waad Badin Kartaa Waana La Idinka Badin Kartaan Lakiin Waa Inaad Ku Suntanaataan Ciyaar Wanaag,Layidhaa Dadka Ka Yimid Somaliland Ciyaar Wanaag Ayey Halkaas La Yimaadeen Waxaana La Idiinka Baahan Yahay Inaad Magac Somaliland Soo Saartaan.

Maayarka Caasimada Somaliland Ee Hargaysa Oo Hadalkiisa Sii Wata Ayaa Waxa Uu Intaasi Raaciyey”Kubada Waa Bar Cadaan Ah Iyo Bar Badawo Hadii Aad Badisaa Waxaad Kor Usoo Qaadeen Magacii Somaliland Lakiin Waxaan Anigu Idinku Dardaarayaa Waa Midh Qudha,Waxaana Weeyaan Inaad Si Asluub Leh Oo Dhaqan Wanaagsan Aad Walaalihiin Aad Iskugu Imanaysaan Bariga Iyo Badh-Tamaha Africa Ula Ciyaartaan Idinka Oo Halkaas Insha Alaah Magac Fiican Kasoo Kordhin Doona,Muhuumada Ciyaarahu Waxa Weeyaan Is Dhexe Galka Oo Ah In Aynu Wadamadaas Aynu Is Barano,Waxaana Aynu Nahay Wadanka Kaliya Ee Aqoonsiga Somaliland Lahayn Ee Hadan Doonaya Inuu Guul Kala Soo Hoydo Sidii Ay Caalamka Ugu Noqon Lahayd Cashar.

Wasiirka Dhalinyarada Iyo Ciyaaraha Dalxiiska Somaliland Cali Siciid Raygal Oo Isna Halkaasi Ka Hadlaya Ayaa Waxa Uu Sheegay:

“Kooxdan Baaskidka Ee Ku Ciyaaraysa Magaca Dawlada Hoose Waxaanu Leenahay Marka Hore Guul Iyo Wanaag Ayaanu Idiin Rajaynaynaa Marlabaadka Waxaad Tagaysaa Wadan Kale Waxaanad Ka Baxaysaan Wadankiina Sannadkii 2012kii Markii Aad Tagteen Meeshii La Odha Jira Kanbaala Waynu Sii Dardaaranay Wixii Aynu Kusii Wada Hadalnayna Oo Dhana Sidiisa Ayaad U Fuliseen Kaas Oo Ahaa Inaad Ciyaarta Kagag Qayb Gashaan Ciyaar Wanaag Iyo Asluub Wanaag Idinkuna Aad Isku Muujisaa Dadka Iyo Dalka Aad Tagaysaan Aad U Muujisaan,Sidii Maayarku Sheegay Hadii Ciyaar La Tago Oo Dadku Tartamaan Maaha In La Guulaysto Ka Guulaystay Iyo Kaan Guulaysanba Waxa La Doonayaa Inaad U Hambalyaysaan Waxaana La Idinka Doonayaa Sum-Cadiina Iyo Ka Wadankaba Aad Kor Usoo Qaadaan,Oo La Idin Yidhaa Waa Kuwii Ugu Akhlaaqda Wanaagsanaa Oo Shaadao Sharaf Sita.

Wasiirka Wasaarada Dhalinyarada Ciyaaraha Iyo Dalxiiska Somaliland Oo Hadalkiisa Sii Wata Ayaa Waxa Uu Intaasi Ku Daray”

“Runtii Qofkastaa Marka Uu Wadankiisa Ka Tago Ee Uu Meel Kale Tago Waxa Uu Noqdaa Laba Mid Uun Dadkuna Waxa Uu Ku Kala Duwan Yihiin Afafka Iyo Luuqadaha Iyo Midabka Uun Lakiin Dadku Garaadka Iyo Caqliga Si Uunbay Uwada Fikiraan Oo Ay Isku Fahmaan Waxaan Markaas Idinku Dardaarayaa Inaydaan Noqon Dad Lagu Xanto In Ay Yihiin Qaar Xun Waad Ogsoontiin Inaad Tihiin Dal Yara Oo Curdina Aanay Beesha Caalamkuna Aqoonsan Ee Inaga Waxa Inoo Dan Ah In Aynu Ka Dhexe Muuqan Dalal Kale Oo La Aqoonsan Yahay.

China's 'ordinary' billionaire behind grand Nicaragua canal plan

Wang Jing, HKND Group chairman, listens to a question at a news conference in Beijing, June 25, 2013. …

BEIJING (Reuters) - Wang Jing, the enigmatic businessman behind Nicaragua's $50 billion Interoceanic Grand Canal, shrugs off scepticism about how a little-known entrepreneur can be driving a huge transcontinental project, insisting he's not an agent of the Beijing government.

"I know you don't believe me," said Wang, who reckons that he's forked-out about $100 million in canal preparation work, and is burning as much as $10 million a month on the project.

"You believe there are people from the Chinese government in the background providing support. Why, in the end, is only Wang Jing out front?"

High-ranking Chinese officials including President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and former leaders Jiang Zemin and Wen Jiabao have all visited the state-connected wireless communication technologies company Wang took control of four years ago.

Wang, whose entrepreneurism went mostly unnoticed in China and elsewhere before last year's Nicaragua announcement and a subsequent $3 billion Black Sea port development plan, has not helped matters by refusing to talk in detail about himself or broad swathes of his career.

During two interviews at the headquarters of Beijing Xinwei Telecom Technology Inc and in several follow-up emails, the 41-year-old Wang discussed Nicaragua, Beijing Xinwei's recent deal to undertake the biggest reverse takeover in Chinese stock market history and his background, providing fresh details to a life that remains mysterious.

"I was born in December 1972 in Beijing," said Wang. "All these years I've lived a very ordinary life."

HIGH-WIRE ACT

Wang grabbed global headlines last June when he sealed a controversial no-bid 50-year renewable concession from Nicaragua's Sandinista government to develop the $50 billion canal to rival Panama's, and related facilities.

Nicaragua preparation is on schedule, Wang said. In January, he and President Daniel Ortega issued a joint statement to address what Wang described as "misleading reports" that the start of construction would be delayed.

The proposed scope is enormous, comprising construction of a waterway that may extend 130 miles, depending on the route selected, along with two ports, a railway, oil pipeline, and an international airport.

The canal would be longer, deeper and wider than the Panama Canal, about 500 miles to the southeast.

The scale of the project has led some to suggest it could only be viable with the backing of the Chinese government, which might see it as a geopolitical play to balance U.S. influence in Central America.

"I can't imagine (Wang) would have gone forward without at least coordinating with the Chinese government," said R Evan Ellis, assistant professor for Hemispheric Defense Studies at National Defense University in Washington. "Big Chinese companies just don't parachute down into Latin America."

The project, Ellis estimates, may provide China with commercial leverage over key Latin American governments and local companies, which may prove crucial to guarantee trade routes and access to raw materials.

"How the project ends will likely depend on the government of the People's Republic of China," he said.

For Wang, who can make a small fortune from licensing arrangements alone, the project represents a perilous highwire act. The ocean-connecting waterway has been criticized as the proverbial white elephant, while Wang has been ridiculed in the global press for lacking experience developing or financing big infrastructure.

Wang only established Hong Kong Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Co (HKND) in August 2012 and opened offices in Hong Kong's premier International Financial Center weeks ahead of the June 2013 announcement.

Nicaraguan opposition politicians also question Wang's commitment to addressing social and environmental issues, particularly how the proposed project may affect Lake Nicaragua, an important freshwater source in the region.

Wang has brought in international specialists to help quell concerns. McKinsey & Co was hired to conduct an economic feasibility study, while Environmental Resources Management Ltd is conducting an environmental and social impact study for the various routes under consideration.

SBE, the Belgium-based civil engineering firm specializing in canal hydraulics, and MEC Mining, the Australia-based engineering consultancy also have been hired. Washington consultancy McLarty Associates and law firm Kirkland & Ellis also were contracted.

As many as 400 engineers and technicians of different nationalities are currently working on a canal feasibility study, Nicaragua's Canal Authority head Manuel Coronel Kautz told Reuters. There are between 600 and 700 people working on the project, Wang said.

McKinsey & Co infrastructure partner Stefan Matzinger declined to answer questions. ERM regional chief David McArthur, McLarty Associate's managing partner Stephen Donehoo and Kirkland & Ellis partner Chuan Li did not respond to emails or telephone calls.

FINDING $50 BILLION

Financing is a thornier issue.

Wang, who may be prepared to spend as much as $300 million of his own cash, said that he will use a combination of cross-shareholding, bank lending and debt issuance to raise the estimated $50 billion needed to finance the project.

Five international groups had already agreed to invest in the project, he added. "We have not only signed memorandum-of-understanding, we are working on final preparations for executable, irrevocable contracts," he said.

On April 23, Xugong Group Construction Machinery Co., one of China's biggest construction equipment manufacturers, announced it had reached a framework agreement to take a 1.5 to 3 percent stake in Wang's development company.

No dollar amount was attached to the investment, which also would make Xugong the sole supplier of engineering equipment to the canal project. More announcements are expected in the coming weeks, Wang said.

Other companies that may participate in an international consortium include state conglomerate China Railway Construction Corp., China's biggest overseas engineering contractor, which is one of Wang's strategic partners that has been brought in to help with feasibility studies. Wang said that he has spoken with Chinese state-owned banks but would not say whether any would provide financing.

"I want to point out that it isn't going to take $50 billion in cash to do this," Wang said.

Wang's other big infrastructure project, a $3 billion plan to build a deepwater port on the Black Sea about 60 km (35 miles) north of Sevastopol, is facing greater uncertainty.

In December, Wang announced the agreement between HKND and an unknown Ukrainian firm during a visit to Beijing by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, who was ousted two months later. A photograph captures Wang at the time talking about the port project with Yanukovich and China's Vice Premier Ma Kai. The port site is located in the middle of the Crimean peninsula that has been annexed by Russia.

By February, 20 HKND workers had completed their site inspection work and were forced to return to China.

"We're still confident, but given the current complexity of the Ukraine situation, in terms of our procedures, our schedule and our rhythm, we will need to replan," Wang said.

"I'M VERY ORDINARY"

Wang looks flush with cash - at least on paper. His main asset is a 36.97 percent stake in Beijing Xinwei, the government-backed developer of China's wireless communications standard that now specializes in mobile network development and products. Beijing Xinwei in March estimated its assets at 26.89 billion yuan.

Separately, Wang controls Hong Kong Nicaragua Development Co, a Hong Kong registered firm, through mainland-registered Beijing Interoceanic Canal Investment Management Co, according to filings with the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Hong Kong Companies Registry.

Wang also reports full ownership of several offshore subsidiaries, including seven Netherlands firms related to the Nicaragua project; a British Virgin Islands-registered aircraft investment company, and media and sports entities, all of which were registered within the last year.

He owns Southeast Asia (Cambodia) Agriculture Development Group Inc, which was registered in Cambodia in September 2009, according to Shanghai Stock Exchange filings.

Less is known about Wang's path to success. The youthful chief executive refused to discuss his family background, saying only that his father was an ordinary office worker and died in 2010 following an 11-year illness; his mother, who is about 70 years old, is retired; and that he has a daughter.

"It's that simple," said Wang. "I'm very ordinary."

Wang says he studied at Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine but left before graduation, returning years later to organize Beijing Changping Traditional Health and Culture School.

In the late 1990s, Wang said he traveled to Hong Kong to learn about international finance and investment. He returned to Beijing in 1998 and founded Dingfu Investment Consulting Co. In Hong Kong, Wang also established Hong Kong Divine (Dingfu) Investment Group Ltd in 2001.

He later mined gold and precious stones in Cambodia - a process he described as slow and exacerbated by the legacy of past wars - and opened Yingxi Construction and Engineering Co, a small contractor that participated in projects in Beijing, Tianjin and Guangdong. Available information about these firms is scarce.

Wang declined to elaborate on the source of his wealth. "China has an expression 'the finest fragments of fox fur, sewn together, will make a robe', the meaning of which is a fortune is accumulated over time," he said.

(Additional reporting by Ivan Castro in Managua; Editing by Emily Kaiser and Alex Richardson)