Somaliland and Israel

By ABDIRAHMAN MOHAMED DIRYE

Ever since I was born I could hear the waves of hatred and prejudice pouring upon Jews for unexplained reasons, but apparently associated with the Arab-Israeli conflict, which Somalia was not a part of.

During Siad Barre (Somali dictator from 1969 to 1991), there was an Arabization program in Somalia that entailed the hatred of Jews as part of a standardized process of Arabization of our formerly non-Arab country.

When crisis erupted in Somalia and the lights went out in the 1990s, it became obvious that Somalia had been abandoned; no country acted to alleviate the Somalis’ enormous suffering.

Somalia has received various kinds of aid over the years, from various sources, but in the post-Cold War era, as Somalia’s strategic importance to the great world powers has waned, the country has effectively been left to rot. Its healthcare infrastructure, for example, is damaged to a degree which seems irreparable. Somalis seeking urgent medical care thus must often cross the border into Ethiopia, or seek treatment further abroad.

I am not a doctor by profession, but have served for many years as an interpreter for Somalis seeking medical care in Ethiopia. It was in this capacity that Special Adviser to the President of Somalia Dr. Omar Dihoud and I met with Mohammed Mohamud and Farah on March 4 at the Nati Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, prior to their 9 p.m. departure for Tel Aviv.

It was a remarkable occasion for all of us.

The two young men were overjoyed, but also a little shocked; they hadn’t expected anything other than rejection from the Israelis they had been taught all their lives to consider “immortal enemies.”

“When we were told Israeli embassy in Addis Ababa had granted us the visas, it blew our minds!” said “We’re grateful to the Hadassah organization that offered us to treat us. We’ve life threatening injuries and yet no money” to go to Germany for similar treatment, added, explaining that “[the treatment] costs a minimum of $100,000 for each of us.”

“Our people, friends and families phoned us from all over the world when they heard the good news” Mohammed said with a broad smile. Their phones kept ringing all night long.

Whether their treatment is successful or not, one thing is certain: the Hadassah organization’s place in the hearts of these two young men is secure Mohammed’s CT scan results are in front of me: “hyperdense foreign body noted (displaced skull bone fragment) ... Conclusion: (1) right occipito post-traumatic encephalomalacic cyst, (2) dense foreign body in the cranial cavity....”

According to Mohammed, the foreign body lodged in his skull, is a bullet, which he says is the reason he’s paralyzed. His condition is critical, but treatment wasn’t available in Somalia or Ethiopia, so he was obliged to seek treatment overseas. However, he couldn’t afford the treatment, and had given up hope.

Enter the State of Israel. Israel, which has one of the best healthcare systems in the world today, offered to fly Mohammed and Farah to Jerusalem, a holy city for Muslims, Jews and Christians alike, via Tel Aviv for the delicate surgery.

Moreover, this wasn’t a unique occurrence; Israel has been engaged in this type of activity for quite some time, and hopefully will continue to do so until Somalia can rebuild its shattered health infrastructure.

By way of comparison, in reply to those like Mohammed and Farah seeking health care assistance abroad, Saudi Arabian philanthropists say: We finance Madrassa and Haj tours for specific people who contacted our hidden representatives in Hargeisa or Islamabad.

Indeed, the Saudis are obsessed with spreading the radical Wahabi cult to the poor masses of Somalia, and are prepared to give alms only if doing so serves this end.

While willing to fund places of worship – as long as they fall in line with the Saudi brand of Islam – the Saudis at the same time, fuel so-called “jihad” from Afghanistan to Somalia, and bribe the major oil companies to prevent oil exploration in the Horn of Africa and beyond.

In fact, it is Saudi “aid” that has kept Somalia at war for the past six years. The Al-Haramayn and Muntada Islami organizations feed orphans in Hargaysa and Mogadishu, true – but indoctrinate them at the same time. Raising jihadis under the banner of feeding the poor is an activity the Saudis have been engaged in since at least the 1990s.

To truly care for an orphan is to raise them into adults capable of living independently, not into jihadis whose only purpose is to increase the number of new orphans.

I call on Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to make a trip to the Holy Land, instead of wasting time in countries whose influence and contribution is quite limited, or comes with strings attached. Israel, the Silicon Valley of the Middle East, has the ability to help turn Somalia into a paradise in a short period – if our leaders can find the courage to ask.

Many Somalis are unaware of the fact that Jews and Christians fall in the same category according to Islam: People of The Book (Ahlukitab in Arabic), and that it is no more wrong to seek help from Israel than from the predominantly Christian West.

And we need to ask for the help of each, on grounds of common humanity rather than religious affiliation, clan or color. The Somali public is highly appreciative of Israel’s assistance to those in dire need, and will remain close friends with the people of Israel forever.

The writer is a Somaliland activist and senior editor at The Democracy Chronicles, African news edition. dirye@democracychronicles.com

Talia And Newtec Power GSM And Mobile Payments Network For Somalia

SINT-NIKLAAS, Belgium, 

New Satellite Communications Backbone Infrastructure for Somalia 3G Operator

Talia and Newtec are pleased to announce the provision of a new satellite communications backbone infrastructure for AGSM.MOBI, a Mobile operator in Somalia. Based on Newtec's FlexACM® technology, the network will enable reliable mobile voice, data, and payment services throughout Somalia.

Somalia is a country in the midst of rapid economic and social change. With a population of more than 10 million, mobile connections have risen dramatically in the past two years to exceed 3 million connections and are expected to reach more than 5 million by 2015.

"The communications infrastructure for mobile calling, payments, and data services have to be rock-solid," said Abdullahi Abdi Hussein, President and CEO, ASGSM.MOBI. "Talia have extensive experience in providing such services, and with Newtec technology, we are getting a reliable, cost-effective service based on industry-leading technology."

The AGSM.MOBI network will be hosted at the Talia Teleport and other places, and Talia will provide connectivity as a managed service, interconnecting with co-located ASGSM.MOBI equipment. The satellite network will run over a fully-redundant Newtec hub.

"The current absence of a national telecommunications infrastructure in Somalia, along with the ever-growing need for voice and mobile data, make satellite communications a natural fit," said Alan Afrasiab, President and CEO of Talia. "And Newtec FlexACM technology was the natural fit for the technology - fast, efficient and offering the best mix of reliability and cost possible."

FlexACM is an end-to-end solution combining a range of technologies to optimize IP trunking and IP backbone satellite links in the most efficient way. FlexACM can double data rates in the same bandwidth without the need to acquire extra satellite capacity.

Serge Van Herck, CEO of Newtec, said: "We are very excited to be working with Talia and integrating FlexACM to optimize the satellite link and ensure that it is robust even in conditions of dust and rain fade - which can be a challenge in the sub-Saharan and tropical regions in Somalia. The auto-adaptive technology incorporated inside Newtec's FlexACM takes care of any fading condition, interference (noise and distortion) or variation in the satellite link. This avoids link and data losses to provide optimal service availability."

For further information about Talia's services visit www.talia.net and for Newtec's IP Trunking and Backbone solutions go tonewproducts.newtec.eu/new-products/application/ip-trunking-and-backbone.

Special operations in Africa task force changes commanders

Marine Corps Col. George Bristol, right, outgoing commander of Joint Special Operations Task Force-Trans Sahara, is presented with a shadow box with awards and insignias from his career as a retirement gift during a change of command ceremony on Kelley Barracks, in Stuttgart, Germany, on March 13, 2013.
David Rogers/Stars and Stripes

Marine Corps Col. George Bristol, right, outgoing commander of Joint Special Operations Task Force-Trans Sahara, is presented with a shadow box with awards and insignias from his career as a retirement gift during a change of command ceremony on Kelley Barracks, in Stuttgart, Germany, on March 13, 2013.

David Rogers/Stars and Stripes

By John Vandiver

Stars and Stripes-STUTTGART, Germany — Marine Corps Col. George Bristol, a trained sniper and martial arts master who for the past year has overseen a U.S. special operations task force in Africa, had a message for his troops before heading off to retirement.

“An evil” has descended on Africa, Bristol said. “It is on us to stomp it out.”

For all the talk of the U.S. military’s pivot to the Pacific, it is Africa and the growing threat posed by Islamic militant groups there that now has the attention of the special operations community.

On Wednesday, Bristol relinquished command of Joint Special Operations Task Force-Trans Sahara, which is at the center of the military’s fight against extremist groups operating across the Sahel. Air Force Col. Kenneth G. Sipperly assumed command of the task force during a ceremony at Africa Command headquarters in Stuttgart.

“Africa is not the next ridgeline,” Bristol said in an interview before Wednesday’s ceremony. “It is where the enemy is going now. And we are going to do something about it.”

Air Force Col. Kenneth G. Sipperly, incoming commander of Joint Special Operations Task Force-Trans Sahara, makes remarks during a change-of-command ceremony on Kelley Barracks, in Stuttgart, Germany, on March 13, 2013. David Rogers/Stars and Stripes

Rear Adm. Brian Losey, commander of Special Operations Command Africa, which oversees the Trans Sahara task force, credited Bristol with shepherding the understaffed task force through a tumultuous year, dealing with “a number of crises that didn’t quite hit the press,” suggesting not all were as high-profile as the situation in Mali that sparked a French intervention.

Over the past two years, AFRICOM has been steadily building up its forces to deal with emerging terror threats in the Horn of Africa, Libya, Algeria, Nigeria and Mali.

A Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force, tailored for crisis response missions, is slated to join the command, and, last week, AFRICOM commander Gen. Carter Ham said there also are plans to strategically position other operators at separate locations on the continent.

AFRICOM’s task force in the Sahara has two jobs, Bristol said: countering violent extremist groups and building the capabilities of regional militaries to provide for their own security.

“I think special operations is always a good answer,” Bristol said in the interview. “SOF provides a small footprint and a big bang for the buck. With a small number of people you can get a look at where a country is headed.”

Rear Adm. Brian Losey, back to camera, commander of Special Operations Command Africa, awards Marine Corps Col. George Bristol, outgoing commander of Joint Special Operations Task Force-Trans Sahara, the Defense Superior Service Medal during a change of command ceremony on Kelley Barracks, in Stuttgart, Germany, on March 13, 2013.David Rogers/Stars and Stripes

At the ceremony, Sipperly said he would press forward with the task force’s efforts to build up the fighting capabilities of African militaries.

“We will not fail the customer,” Sipperly said.

Bristol, who was in Mauritania just a few days ago as AFRICOM wrapped up its annual Flintlock exercise with some 1,000 troops from 18 nations, said such training efforts are key to countering extremist groups.

African forces “will be on their way to Mali and other places,” Bristol said.

Bristol spent 18 of his 38 years in the Marines overseas, including more than 60 months in combat, with tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Somalia. Perhaps best known within the Marine Corps for creating its martial arts training program, Bristol has spent much of his time working alongside special operators.

“It’s just starting and it is hard work,” Bristol said of the fight against extremists in Africa. “This time they think they can rest in ungoverned spaces. We can’t let them.”

vandiver.john@stripes.com

'Khat' comeback allows Somalis to chew on

Aljazeera

Business for women sellers of stimulant banned by al-Shabab has boomed since the armed group was driven out.

The mood is tense. A group of young men, some in soldier’s uniforms, gather near empty market stalls in this small town 30km west of Mogadishu, the capital. Standing silently, their eyes stare blankly into the distance.

Not far away, a large group of women in colourful hijabs stand in the scorching sun. Both groups are waiting for the daily delivery of khat. Also known as qat, the plant is a mild stimulant, chewed mainly by men and sold by women in Somalia.

A few minutes later, a minibus appears far off in the distance. The tense atmosphere changes to one of excitement. The women rush back and forth, wet woolen sacks in their hands. Smiles replace the looks of concern on their faces.

The women, known as khat ladies, sell the bitter-tasting leaves to anyone willing to pay $18 for a kilogram. In Afgoye, there are plenty of takers.

The arrival of the minibus means the men of the town will have khat to chew and the women will get paid. There are more than 200 khat ladies in this small riverside town alone, and most of the men here spend their evenings chewing the green leaves, which were imported by plane from Kenya.

As the minibus comes to a stop, some of the young men become overeager, firing gunshots in the air. This doesn't perturb the women, who are busy filling sacks with the fresh green leaves. Some push the skinny armed men out of the way so they can more easily fill their sacks.

Controlled chaos

Locals regard this as controlled chaos - the delivery of khat to Afgoye comes every day at exactly 1pm.

But for four years, when the rebel group al-Shabab controlled Afgoye, the consumption and selling of khat was banned. The khat ladies were forced to go underground, selling from their homes or the back of cars, only to customers they knew well. If they were caught, the consequences were severe, ranging from having their product burnt to public floggings.

Under pressure from Somali government and African Union soldiers, al-Shabab retreated from Afgoye seven months ago. With al-Shabab gone, the khat ladies are back in business. But al-Shabab sleeper cells are still active in the town, and many of the khat ladies prefer to cover their faces with veils to hide their identity.

Most have large families to support, and many are divorcees. Thirty-five-year-old mother of five Farhia Ali is happy to see al-Shabab gone. “My family live on the proceeds from khat sales, and my children depend on the money from khat for their school fees," she said.

“Al-Shabab stopped us from making a living for four years. To me it is a choice between my children’s survival and al-Shabab, and I know which I will choose," she added. Jobs are far and few between in this town. Drought, famine and the decades-long civil war have left many of the area's farms in ruins.

Farhia’s husband used to be a farmer, but has been jobless for a year. She is now the sole provider for her family. “Before the war, there were many commercial farms that employed many people, including me, in Afgoye. Now that’s no longer the case,” said Ali Ahmed, Farhia’s husband.

The road where the khat ladies have set up their stalls is the busiest in the whole town. Tea shops, shoe stores, restaurants and second-hand clothing stalls have popped up to serve the flock of men who come to chew at the khat stalls.

Fatuma Noor has just opened a tea shop not far from Farhia’s stall selling extra-sweet black Somali tea to Farhia’s customers. “I’m happy the khat ladies are back. I won’t have opened my teashop if they weren’t here,” she said while making tea on a charcoal stove.

'All the bad boys'

But some say the return of the khat ladies has attracted armed young men to the area. “All the bad boys of the town come to chew in this area now. The khat ladies are not good for the security of our area,” said Sheikh Mohamed, who lives few blocks from the khat stalls. “When al-Shabab were here, this area was very safe - but not anymore.”

The khat ladies see it differently. “All these young men with guns sitting at my stall chewing khat - if they were not here chewing khat, they will be out there causing trouble for the town,” said Sahro Hussein, a single mother of five. Her comments drew heavy laughter from the men at her stall.

Though the security situation in the town is not perfect, the area police chief admits, he says the khat ladies are not responsible.

“Security is currently 65 percent of what we will like it to be. It is getting better and has nothing to do with the men chewing khat. It is al-Shabab and thugs who are responsible for any insecurity in this town,” said General Ibrahim Diini.

As for Farhia, she is grateful that she able to sell khat again. “I have paid all my debts and my children are going to school for the first time in four years - thanks to khat.”