Challenges to America's Counterterrorism Strategy in Somalia

By Breuk Bass, Katherine Zimmerman

Introduction

Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Somalia, al Shabaab, has suffered a series of defeats at the hands of Somali clan militia forces, internationally-backed African Union peacekeeping troops, and Somali federal government forces. Notably, al Shabaab lost a major stronghold in the southern Somali port city of Kismayo at the end of September 2012.[1] As al Shabaab suffered setbacks, the Somali government made major progress: The United States formally recognized a government of Somalia in January 2013 for the first time since 1991, for example.[2] The government controls the majority of Mogadishu today, whereas it held only a few blocks of the capital city in 2010.

Yet the Somali federal government’s sovereignty over the territory recognized as Somalia is far from complete, and faces significant challenges. Somaliland, which declared its independence in 1991, has been relatively stable and has sought recognition as a separate state. Puntland established a separate government shortly thereafter, but the semi-autonomous region remains nominally part of the federal Somali state. The defeat of al Shabaab in southern Somalia has galvanized a movement to establish a similar region – Jubbaland – that would also be nominally part of a federal state. The initiative did not stem from the federal government, but rather from local warlords, threatening a codification of the form of the warlordism that originally collapsed the Somali state.

Jubbaland map

America’s counter-terrorism strategy in Somalia relies heavily on having a partner there that will continue to combat al Shabaab. The U.S. invested heavily in training and equipping the African Union peacekeepers, who for a long time served as one of the few forces opposing al Shabaab.[3] It now seeks to work with the Somali federal government to stand up the national security forces to replace the peacekeeping force. But the reconstitution of the Somali state to the point where it will be a meaningful counter-terrorism partner for the United States requires a level of stability and federal control unlikely to be achieved should the Jubbaland initiative succeed. The outside-of-government push for a semi-autonomous region in the south, and the federal government’s inability to manage the crisis, exemplifies the challenge ahead not only for Somalia, but also for American counter-terrorism strategy in the Horn of Africa.

Supporters of Jubbaland – constituted by the three southern-most regions of Lower Jubba, Middle Jubba, and Gedo – have organized and are moving forward with plans to establish their own government based in Kismayo in direct opposition to the federal government’s plans. The port revenues from Kismayo are substantial, and the ability to control their distribution has historically driven local conflict over control of the city.

Despite the withdrawal of al Shabaab from the city last fall, there is still no local government administration recognized by the Somali federal government sitting in Kismayo. Instead, local powerbrokers with foreign support are attempting to determine the shape of the local administration. There are now four candidates claiming to be in control. Kenya and Ethiopia, both of which border Jubbaland, have backed two rival candidates and the Somali federal government has denounced all claims to power, but cannot enforce its will. Meanwhile, al Shabaab does remain a threat and should the opportunity present itself, the al Qaeda affiliate may also seek to re-establish its control over Kismayo and the city’s resources.

Background: Conflicts over Kismayo

Debate over who controls Kismayo, one of only three deep-water ports in Somalia, has long driven local conflict as different clans vie for access to its resources. The city is arguably one of Somalia’s most economically important cities. It is a key node in the lucrative charcoal export trade, a highly sought-after source of revenue for local actors. Al Shabaab’s hold over the city and the significance of the charcoal trade as a source of funding for the al Qaeda affiliate prompted the UN to ban the export of charcoal from Somalia in February 2012.[4] Additionally, recent oil and gas discoveries off the coast of East Africa have driven up the potential future value of Kismayo.[5] The city itself changed hands multiple times over the past decade as local clans have received external support to oust the sitting power.[6]

Al Shabaab, then part of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), was initially pushed out of Kismayo in early 2007 by Ethiopian forces during the fight against the ICU. In August 2008, al Shabaab and allied Islamist militias, including one led by Ogadeni warlord Hassan al Turki, fought heavily for control of the port city.[7] Marehan clan militias, led by warlord Barre Hirale, suffered heavy losses during the battle.[8] Clans that supported the Islamists were reportedly rewarded for their loyalty through representation in the new administration.[9] Fighting broke out again in October 2009 between al Shabaab and formerly allied militias, including Hizb al Islam, over the distribution of resources.[10] Ogadeni militia leader Ahmed Madobe led one of the Hizb al Islam factions that unsuccessfully fought al Shabaab for Kismayo.[11] Al Shabaab would continue to control Kismayo until September 28, 2012, when its forces withdrew from the city as Madobe’s militia, the Kenya-backed Ras Kamboni Brigade, Kenyan troops fighting under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) mandate, and Somali government forces closed in.[12]

Despite the withdrawal of al Shabaab from Kismayo in September 2012, the Somali federal government has been unable to appoint a local administration that exercises control of the city and surrounding areas. Clan militias that had fought on the side of the government against al Shabaab are divided over who will control the port city now, but are also unwilling to turn control over to the government itself. Instead, local powerbrokers have been engaged in negotiations as to the constitution of the Kismayo (and Jubbaland) administration that would, in effect, override any decision made by the federal government. Clan interests, particularly those of the Ogaden and Marehan clans, are driving these negotiations. In the meantime, de facto control has fallen to Ahmed Madobe’s Ras Kamboni Brigade, which has exhibited its monopoly of force in Kismayo by either refusing to provide security for or even preventing the entry of visiting federal government officials.[13]

Both of Somalia’s neighbors have historically backed separate clan militia forces to take control of Kismayo, and these lines of support appear to continue today. There are reports that Ethiopia and Kenya held closed-door meetings to discuss the formation of a multi-clan, representative government even before Kismayo fell from al Shabaab control.[14] Such neighborly meddling in internal Somali affairs, and competing attempts to shape the outcome in Jubbaland, may undermine the Somali federal government and scuttle the state-building process underway in the country. Kenya has thrown its support behind Ahmed Madobe, empowering him against al Shabaab under the so-called Jubbaland initiative, which sought to create a buffer zone between al Shabaab and Kenyan territory. Madobe’s success would bolster the Ogaden clan in the region. This is a concern for Ethiopia, which has attempted to put down an Ogadeni rebellion whose supporters fight under the name of the Ogadeni National Liberation Front (ONLF) in its ethnically-Somali, and oil-rich, Ogaden region bordering Somalia. To stymie Ogadeni dominance in southern Somalia, Ethiopia has reportedly been subtly backing Marehan clan leader, and a long-time Ethiopian ally, Barre Hirale.[15] Kenya and Ethiopia have each publicly denied these reports, and have instead issued statements in support of Somalia’s federal government.[16] Current reporting indicates that revenue from the Kismayo port is not going to the government, however, but is being distributed in part to the Kenyan troops present in the city under the peacekeeping mission and to Ahmed Madobe’s Ras Kamboni Brigade.[17]

 

The Jubbaland Convention

The Somali federal government’s inability to exert influence and control over Kismayo and the greater Jubbaland region allowed room for the Jubbaland convention to take place without the government’s consent. The convention initially brought clan representatives together to attempt to negotiate a division of power within the regional administration. Since the start, however, the process has been plagued with hindrances. Inter-clan fighting broke out even before the convention could get under way, which pushed the start date from February 23 to February 28. Marehan fighters attacked a Ras Kamboni-controlled police station on February 23, after a Marehan leader was killed in custody. Somali government troops tried to intervene to prevent further violence, but instead, were forced to engage militarily with the Ras Kamboni militia. By the time fighting ceased, at least 11 soldiers and civilians had been killed.[18] Once the convention was underway, it began losing support from regional delegations quickly. Representatives from the Lower Jubba and Middle Jubba regions left the talks on April 19, citing unfair representation of regional clans and the influence of Kenyan and Ethiopian interests.[19] Another delegation left the convention on April 24 saying it was unable to voice its opinions.[20]


The Jubbaland convention, in addition to neglecting regional powerbrokers, undermined the Somali federal government by shutting government representatives out of any meaningful discussions. The Somali federal government, which declared the process unconstitutional, was denied access to the convention on multiple occasions.[21] For example, a plane carrying Somali government officials was forced to turn around and fly back to Mogadishu on May 12, after being held for several days at the Kismayo airport.[22] High-level government engagement with the convention participants also failed. When Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon traveled to Kismayo to meet with Ahmed Madobe on March 25, talks collapsed after five days of negotiations and both sides accused the other of inflexibility.[23] Recently, a Somali government delegation headed by Defense Minister Abdihakim Mohamed Haji Fiqi was sent to resolve the conflicting presidential declarations on May 28. His group was reportedly held at the airport for three days before being granted limited access to the city with a constant and armed Ras Kamboni guard force.[24]

Kismayo map

The Somali federal government’s lack of power and military presence in the city allowed negotiations to unravel and the convention eventually ended with four different clan leaders claiming the Jubbaland presidency. Ahmed Madobe, the leader of the Ogadeni-dominated Ras Kamboni brigade, was the first person to declare himself president on May 15. He has strong support from the Kenyan government and the Kenyan troops, operating under the AMISOM mandate, stationed within the city. Reportedly, Kenyan troops are monopolizing revenues from the Kismayo port and are splitting the money with Ras Kamboni forces, which underscores their strong bilateral relationship.[25] This Kenyan influence, and more accurately dominance, in the Jubbaland process has sparked protests within the city. Thousands of Kismayo residents flocked to the streets on May 19 to protest against Ahmed Madobe and Kenyan interests.[26]

At least three other clan leaders have come forward to claim the presidency following Ahmed Madobe’s May 15 announcement. The second most prominent contender for the presidency, Barre Hirale, is from the Marehan clan, a rival to the Ogaden clan. Hirale is a well-known warlord, who once served as the Somali minister of defense under the Transitional Federal Government. He was also the chairperson of the Jubba Valley Alliance and controlled Kismayo from 1997 to 2006. Hirale has been a long-time ally to the Ethiopian government, and it is likely that Ethiopia will support his bid for presidency in order to counter the Kenyan support for Ahmed Madobe. Two lesser-known political challengers are Omar Burale Ahmed from the Biraal clan, and Abdi Huseen from the Galja’el clan.[27] Both Ahmed and Huseen have some support from local communities, but a lack of formidable fighting power could prove problematic if the situation devolves to violence.

Security concerns are indeed escalating now that four different candidates, from four different clans, have claimed the Jubbaland presidency. Immediately following Madobe’s presidential declaration, residents in the city began evacuating for fear that clan-based violence would erupt.[28] Reports of Ras Kamboni troops looting and killing civilians have also surfaced.[29] Thus far, the Somali federal government has been unable to exert any amount of control over the situation. The government has denounced all of the claims to the presidency, but those protestations fell on deaf ears. The most recent Somali government delegation to Kismayo, sent on May 28, was allegedly detained at the airport for three days. A spokesman for Ahmed Madobe even threatened the Somali federal government, saying the deployment of Somali government troops to the Jubba regions would be considered an act of war.[30] The United States, European Union, China and the Intergovernmental Authority of Development (the bloc of East African states) have all sent representatives to remedy the situation, but have been unable to bring Jubbaland political actors to an agreement.[31] The rising instability in Kismayo has opened the door for a renewed al Shabaab presence in the city. As security deteriorates, al Shabaab, which has remained active in the city, may seek to continue to launch attacks inciting violence and creating a foothold in its old military and economic safe haven.

 

Al Shabaab’s Continued Presence in Kismayo

Al Shabaab seems to be increasing its pressure on the already fragile city of Kismayo as security and order deteriorate. Al Shabaab announced a withdrawal from Kismayo in September 2012 in the face of a joint AMISOM, Somali and Ras Kamboni offensive operation to retake the city. There are reports that some fighters present in the city simply went to ground rather than withdraw, however, and al Shabaab leaders promised continued asymmetrical attacks. Since Kismayo fell, al Shabaab has carried out a series of successful bombings and targeted killings in and around the city. Just days after the retreat from Kismayo, an improvised explosive device detonated outside a Somali military base on October 2, forcing troops to evacuate the city and conduct search operations in the city.[32] Another example of an al Shabaab attack in Kismayo is a coordinated double bombing that targeted a Ras Kamboni position on March 25.[33] Bombings such as these prompt concentrated security operations throughout the city, during which hundreds of suspected militants have been arrested.[34] It is not clear, however, how effective these operations are in dismantling al Shabaab cells.

More recently, al Shabaab has carried out large-scale, heavy artillery attacks on Somali and AMISOM bases. Attacks targeted Somali and Kenyan positions at the Kismayo airport on April 30 and May 1.[35]  Almost a month later, al Shabaab once again targeted the Kismayo airport, shelling the area with heavy artillery on May 28. The Somali defense minister and his delegation were being held at the airport during the attack and may have been the intended targets.[36] While al Shabaab raids, explosions and suicide bombings have occurred with some regularity in Kismayo, the large-scale artillery attacks are most worrisome, as they demonstrate increased al Shabaab military capabilities. These attacks may illuminate al Shabaab’s readiness to launch a campaign to retake the city should an inter-clan fight for control break out.
The Somali federal government has exhibited its inability to exert political and military control over Kenyan and Ras Kamboni forces in the city, and will not have the power to fend off al Shabaab advances. If an acceptable Jubbaland government is not negotiated and peace fails, al Shabaab operatives in the city and the surrounding area will be able to re-emerge and make a convincing push for Kismayo. Al Shabaab’s success in regaining its former stronghold would jeopardize recent advances throughout the rest of the country.

 

Looking Forward

While recent advances against al Qaeda’s affiliate in Somalia, al Shabaab, have received international praise and established relative stability throughout much of the country, the current situation in Kismayo may threaten any new gains. The potential for the outbreak of inter-clan fighting between the four declared presidents of Jubbaland threatens the peace, not only in Jubbaland, but throughout the entire country. Kenyan and Ethiopian interests are overpowering the will of the weak Somali federal government, which is unable to exert control or influence in Jubbaland. So far, the international community has been ambivalent in mediating the situation in southern Somalia, but that is a grave mistake. If the current political crisis does devolve to violence, and Kenya and Ethiopia are not kept in check, war could re-emerge in a country too used to it.

The issue is not limited to the Jubbaland region. Currently, less prominent disputes over control of local administrations in key cities and towns recaptured from al Shabaab may imperil the longevity of the gains toward stability in Somalia. These local disputes could provide al Shabaab with an opportunity to re-establish itself, especially if it is able to co-opt support from one of the parties to the conflict. A re-established, reinvigorated al Shabaab would likely setback Somalia’s success, and would re-create the permissive conditions in the country that allowed al Shabaab to rise to power in the first place.

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[1] Katherine Zimmerman, “Al Shabaab after Kismayo,” AEI’s Critical Threats Project, October 3, 2012. Available: http://www.criticalthreats.org/somalia/zimmerman-al-shabaab-after-kismayo-october-3-2012

[2] “Remarks with President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud After Their Meeting,” U.S. Department of State Press Release, January 17, 2013. Available: http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2013/01/202998.htm

[3] There were Somali militias that resisted al Shabaab as well, including Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a, which has fought primarily in central Somalia.

[4] See UN Security Council Resolution 2036 (2012). Available: http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/2036(2012)

[5] “Somali War Linked to Brewing Oil Dispute,” UPI, August 3, 2012. Available: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2012/08/03/Somali-war-linked-to-brewing-oil-dispute/UPI-76151344016405/

[6] See a chart breaking down sitting powers in: “Jubaland in Jeopardy: The Uneasy Path to State-Building in Somalia,” Crisis Group Blogs, May 21, 2013. Available: http://www.crisisgroupblogs.org/africanpeacebuilding/2013/05/21/jubaland-in-jeopardy-the-uneasy-path-to-state-building-in-somalia/

[7] See pp. 21-22 of the UN Somalia Monitoring Group Report, December 10, 2008. Available: http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2008/769

[8] “Somalia’s Islamists Seize Kismayo,” Garowe Online, August 22, 2008. Available: http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_s_Islamists_seize_Kismayo.shtml

[9] “Somalia’s Islamists Appoint Kismayo Administration,” Garowe Online, September 6, 2008. Available: http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_s_Islamists_appoint_Kismayo_administration.shtml

[10] Hizb al Islam would later merge with al Shabaab in December 2010. For more information on the group, see Nathaniel Horadam, “Somalia’s Second Islamist Threat: A Backgrounder on Hizb al Islam,” AEI’s Critical Threats Project, October 8, 2010. Available: http://www.criticalthreats.org/somalia/somalias-second-islamist-threat-backgrounder-hizb-al-islam

“Somali Factions Battle in Kismayo,” Al Jazeera, October 1, 2009. Available: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2009/10/200910185652850176.html

[11] Daniele Raineri, “Turf War in Kismayo,” Long War Journal, October 1, 2009. Available: http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2009/10/turf_war_in_kismayo.php

[12] Katherine Zimmerman, “Al Shabaab after Kismayo,” AEI’s Critical Threats Project, October 3, 2012. Available: http://www.criticalthreats.org/somalia/zimmerman-al-shabaab-after-kismayo-october-3-2012

[13] For instance, authorities detained a government delegation at the Kismayo airport on May 12, forcing the officials to return to Mogadishu.

See: “Somalia: A Plane Carrying Delegation to Kismayo Unexpectedly Returns Back to Mogadishu,” Raxanreeb, May 12, 2013. Available: http://www.raxanreeb.com/2013/05/somalia-a-plane-carrying-delegation-to-kismayo-unexpectedly-returns-back-to-mogadishu/

[14] “Ethiopia Kenya Scramble for Jubaland Southern Somalia,” Somalia Scrambled, August 18, 2012. Available: http://somalia-geghna.blogspot.com/2012/08/ethiopian-kenyan-scramble-for-jubaland.html

“Jubaland in Jeopardy: The Uneasy Path to State-Building in Somalia,” Crisis Group Blogs, May 21, 2013. Available: http://www.crisisgroupblogs.org/africanpeacebuilding/2013/05/21/jubaland-in-jeopardy-the-uneasy-path-to-state-building-in-somalia/

[15] “Two Claim to Be Jubaland’s President,” AFP, May 16, 2013. Available: http://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2013/May/29386/two_claim_to_be_jubaland_s_president.aspx

[16] “Uhuru Kenyatta: We Will Support the Federal Government on the Formation of Regional Administrations,” Shabelle, May 25, 2013. Available: http://shabelle.net/uhuru-kenyatta-we-will-support-the-federal-government-on-the-formation-of-regional-administrations

“Ethiopian Government Denies Jubbaland Involvement,” Bar Kulan, May 23, 2013. Available: http://www.bar-kulan.com/2013/05/23/ethiopian-government-denies-jubbaland-involvement

[17] “Bickering Continues Over Who Controls Somali Port City,” VOA News, May 28, 2013. Available: http://m.voanews.com/a/1669896.html

[18] “Clan Feud Kills 11 in Somali Port City of Kismayo,” AFP, February 23, 2013. Available: http://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2013/Feb/28231/clan_feud_kills_11_in_somali_port_city_of_kismayo.aspx

“Somalia: Jubaland Convention Delayed, Clashes in Kismayo,” Garowe Online, February 23, 2013. Available: http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_Jubaland_convention_delayed_clashes_in_Kismayo.shtml

“Eight Killed in a Fight in Kismayo,” Shabelle, December 21, 2012. Available: http://shabelle.net/eight-killed-in-a-fight-in-kismayo/

[19] “Politicians and Elders Withdraw from Jubaland Meeting,” Shabelle, April 19, 2013. Available: http://shabelle.net/politicians-and-elders-withdraw-from-juba-land-meeting

[20] “Another Delegation Withdraws from the Kismayu Meeting,” Shabelle, April 24, 2013. Available: http://shabelle.net/another-delegation-withdraws-from-the-kismayu-meeting

[21] “Shirdon Declares Jubbaland Conference Unconstitutional,” Sabahi Online, March 3, 2013. Available: http://sabahionline.com/en_GB/articles/hoa/articles/newsbriefs/2013/03/03/newsbrief-02

“Kismayo Authorities Deport Unannounced Mogadishu Delegation,” Garowe Online, November 7, 2013. Available:http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_Kismayo_authorities_deport_unannounced_Mogadishu_delegation.shtml

[22] “Somalia: A Plane Carrying Delegation to Kismayo Unexpectedly Returns Back to Mogadishu,” Raxanreeb, May 12, 2013. Available: http://www.raxanreeb.com/2013/05/somalia-a-plane-carrying-delegation-to-kismayo-unexpectedly-returns-back-to-mogadishu/

[23] “Kismayo Talks Collapse Says Somali Government,” Hiiraan Online, March 29, 2013. Available: http://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2013/Mar/28696/kismayo_talks_collapse_says_somali_government.aspx

[24] “Delegation Led by Defense Minister Blocked From Meeting the Jubaland Elders,” Shabelle, May 31, 2013. Available: http://shabelle.net/delegation-led-by-defense-minister-blocked-from-meeting-the-juba-land-elders/

[25] “Bickering Continues Over Who Control Somali Port City,” VOA News, May 28, 2013. Available: http://m.voanews.com/a/1669896.html

[26] “Thousands of Kismayu Residents Protest in the Streets Against IGAD, Kenya and Ahmed Madobe,” Shabelle, May 19, 2013. Available: http://shabelle.net/thousands-of-kismayu-residents-protest-in-the-streets-against-igad-kenya-and-ahmed-madobe

[27] “Jubaland in Jeopardy: The Uneasy Path to State-Building in Somalia,” Crisis Group Blogs, May 21, 2013. Available: http://www.crisisgroupblogs.org/africanpeacebuilding/2013/05/21/jubaland-in-jeopardy-the-uneasy-path-to-state-building-in-somalia/

[28] “War Feared to Erupt in Kismayu After the Announcement of Two Different President for the Region,” Shabelle, May 16, 2013. Available: http://shabelle.net/war-feared-to-erupt-in-kismayu-after-the-announcement-of-two-different-presidents-for-the-region

[29] “Security in Kismayu Deteriorating,” Shabelle, May 19, 2013. Available: http://shabelle.net/security-in-kismayu-deteriorating

[30] “Jubbaland Administration Warns Somali Federal Government,” Bar Kulan, May 25, 2013. Available: http://www.bar-kulan.com/2013/05/25/jubbaland-administration-warns-somali-federal-government

[31] “High Delegation from US, EU and China Visit Kismayo,” Bar Kulan, May 21, 2013. Available: http://www.bar-kulan.com/2013/05/21/high-delegation-from-us-eu-and-china-visit-kismayo

“IGAD Delegation Meets Ahmed Madobe in Kismayo,” Bar Kulan, May 18, 2013. Available: http://www.bar-kulan.com/2013/05/18/igad-delegation-meets-ahmed-madobe-in-kismayo

[32] “Somali Militants Hit Kismayu as African Troops Move In,” Reuters, October 2, 2013. Available: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/02/us-somalia-conflict-forces-idUSBRE8910E320121002

[33] “Twin Explosions Rock Presidential Palace in Kismayu,” Shabelle, March 25, 2013. Available: http://shabelle.net/twin-explosions-rock-presidential-palace-in-kismayu

[34] “Shabaab Women’s Leader Captured,” Daily Standard, October 24, 2013. Available: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000069136&pageNo=2&story_title=KDF-capture-Al-Shabaab-women%E2%80%99s-leader

[35] “Reports of Kismayu Fighting,” Shabelle, April 30, 2013. Available: http://shabelle.net/reports-of-kismayu-fighting

“Al Shabaab Raids Kismayo Airport with Mortars,” Bar Kulan, May 1, 2013. Available: http://www.bar-kulan.com/2013/05/01/al-shabaab-raids-kismayo-airport-with-mortars/

http://shabelle.net/reports-of-kismayu-fighting/

[36] “Heavy Bombardments Rock the Kismayu Airport,” Shabelle, May 28, 2013. Available: http://shabelle.net/heavy-bombardments-rock-the-kismayu-airport

Journalist says more to come from NSA whistle-blower, who faces decades in jail

One of the reporters who exposed classified U.S. government surveillance programs reportedly leaked by a former government contractor said Tuesday he is planning on disclosing more "significant revelations" soon.

Glenn Greenwald of The Guardian tells the Associated Press the paper is currently deciding when to release the next story based on information in documents reportedly given him by 29-year-old Edward Snowden, who claims to have worked as a contractor at the National Security Agency and the CIA.

"We are going to have a lot more significant revelations that have not yet been heard over the next several weeks and months," Greenwald said.

Greenwald claims "dozens" of stories can be generated from the documents, and that the Guardian plans to pursue all of them.

Snowden faces decades in jail for the disclosures if the U.S. can extradite him from Hong Kong, where he says he has taken refuge after saying his sole motive was to “inform the public.”

Snowden allowed The Guardian and The Washington Post to reveal his identity Sunday. In a video that appeared on the Guardian’s website, he said two NSA surveillance programs are wide open to abuse.

"Any analyst at any time can target anyone. Any selector. Anywhere," Snowden said. "I, sitting at my desk, had the authority to wiretap anyone, from you or your accountant to a federal judge to even the president if I had a personal e-mail."

Snowden said he was a former technical assistant for the CIA and a current employee of defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, which released a statement Sunday confirming he had been a contractor with them in Hawaii for less than three months. Company officials have promised to work with investigators.

Snowden told the Guardian he believes the government could try to charge him with treason under the Espionage Act, but Mark Zaid, a national security attorney who represents whistle-blowers, told The Associated Press that that would require the government to prove he had intent to betray the United States. Snowden has said his “sole motive” was to inform the public and spur debate.

"My sole motive is to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them," Snowden told the Guardian.

In a note accompanying the first set of documents he provided to the newspaper, Snowden wrote: "I understand that I will be made to suffer for my actions," but "I will be satisfied if the federation of secret law, unequal pardon and irresistible executive powers that rule the world that I love are revealed even for an instant."

Snowden told the Post he was not going to hide.

"Allowing the U.S. government to intimidate its people with threats of retaliation for revealing wrongdoing is contrary to the public interest," he said in the interview published Sunday. Snowden said he would "ask for asylum from any countries that believe in free speech and oppose the victimization of global privacy."

Snowden is now staying in Hong Kong and seeking asylum outside the United States, possibly in Iceland, The Guardian reports.

If the reports are accurate, Snowden could face many years in prison for releasing classified information if he is successfully extradited from Hong Kong or elsewhere.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on Snowden's disclosure, saying the issue has been referred to the Justice Department.

However, the agency said: "Any person who has a security clearance knows that he or she has an obligation to protect classified information and abide by the law."

"The Department of Justice is in the initial stages of an investigation into the unauthorized disclosure of classified information by an individual with authorized access," Justice Department spokeswoman Nanda Chitre said in a statement late Sunday.

New York Republican Rep. Peter King, chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterintelligence and Terrorism and a member of the Select Committee on Intelligence, said: "If Edward Snowden did in fact leak the NSA data as he claims, the United States government must prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law and begin extradition proceedings at the earliest date. The United States must make it clear that no country should be granting this individual asylum. This is a matter of extraordinary consequence to American intelligence."

In a nearly 13-minute video that accompanied The Guardian story Sunday, Snowden says he has no intentions of hiding because he has done nothing wrong.

“When you’re in positions of privileged access … . You recognize some of these things are actual abuses,” Snowden said about his decision to be a whistle-blower. “Over time, you feel compelled to talk about it.”

The Guardian broke the story late Wednesday that the federal government was collecting phone call records from Verizon customers.

The Guardian and the Post followed with a series of reports about the calls being taken from other telecommunications companies and that the NSA and FBI have a Internet scouring program, code-named PRISM, that records Internet activities, all part of a post-9/11 effort to thwart terrorism.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the Oval Office would not comment on Snowden before Monday.

Washington officials have acknowledged all branches of the federal government — Congress, the White House and federal courts — knew about the collection of data under the Patriot Act.

Still, the leaks have reopened the debate about privacy concerns versus heightened measure to protect against terrorist attacks. They also led the NSA to ask the Justice Department to conduct a criminal investigation.

Fox News confirmed the Obama administration took the first steps Saturday in a criminal investigation when officials filed a “crimes report.”

National Intelligence Director James Clapper has decried the leaks as reckless. And in the past days he has taken the rare step of declassifying some details about them to respond to media reports about counterterrorism techniques employed by the government.

“Disclosing information about the specific methods the government uses to collect communications can obviously give our enemies a ‘playbook’ of how to avoid detection,” Clapper said Saturday.

PRISM allows the federal government to tap directly into the servers of major U.S. Internet companies such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and AOL, scooping out emails, video chats, instant messages and more to track foreign nationals who are suspected of terrorism or espionage.

The chief executives of Facebook and Google have said their companies were not aware of the data grab.

Officials say the government is not listening to any of the billions of phone calls, only logging the numbers.

President Obama, Clapper and others also have said the programs are subject to strict supervision of a secret court.

Obama said Friday that the programs have made a difference in tracking terrorists and are not tantamount to "Big Brother."

The president acknowledged the U.S. government is collecting reams of phone records, including phone numbers and the duration of calls, but said this does not include listening to calls or gathering the names of callers.

"You can't have 100 percent security and also then have 100 percent privacy and zero inconvenience,” he said. “We're going to have to make some choices as a society."

However, the president said he welcomes a debate on that issue.

The Guardian reported that Snowden was working in an NSA office in Hawaii when he copied the last of the documents he planned to disclose and told supervisors that he needed to be away for a few weeks to receive treatment for epilepsy.

Snowden is quoted as saying he chose Hong Kong because it has a "spirited commitment to free speech and the right of political dissent" and because he believed it was among the spots on the globes that could and would resist the dictates of the U.S. government.

Hong Kong has an extradition treaty with the United States that took force in 1998, according to the U.S. State Department website.

"The government could subject him to a 10- or 20-year penalty for each count," with each document leaked considered a separate charge, Mark Zaid, a national security lawyer who represents whistle-blowers told the Associated Press.

Snowden is quoted as saying he hopes the publicity of the leaks will provide him some protection.

"I feel satisfied that this was all worth it. I have no regrets," Snowden told the Guardian.

Snowden was said to have worked on IT security for the CIA and by 2007 was stationed with diplomatic cover in Geneva, responsible for maintaining computer network security. That gave him clearance to a range of classified documents, according to the Guardian report.

"Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world," he says. "I realized that I was part of something that was doing far more harm than good."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Edward Snowden profile: The secretive life of America’s most wanted man

What made the whistleblower give up his Hawaiian idyll?

Edward Snowden was an unlikely member of America’s vast intelligence corps. The 29-year-old first encountered the NSA not as a recruit from an elite college but as a security guard working at one of the organisation’s secret facilities at the University of Maryland.

That was almost a decade ago. In the intervening years, as the US expanded its already sprawling security apparatus in response to the attacks on 11 September 2001, Snowden rose up the ranks before leaving to work for outside contractors. By the time he decided to blow the whistle he was living with his girlfriend in Hawaii and earning around $200,000 a year. A local estate agent in the town of Waipahu said the pair left their rented home on 1 May when their landlord decided he wanted to sell up. Fittingly they were a private couple who kept their blinds closed and “didn’t really talk to anyone”, a neighbour confirmed.

Snowden’s introduction to The Washington Post, which along with The Guardian published details of the NSA’s Prism programme that taps into data from firms such as Google and Facebook, reads like a spy novel. Reporter Barton Gellman described how Snowden went by the codename “Verax”, Latin for someone who speaks the truth.

He had a come long way, defying the odds at every step, before giving it all up, risking, as he put it to the Post, “my life and family” to expose the “omniscient state powers kept in check by nothing more than policy documents”.

Born on 21 June, 1983, Snowden, whose identity was revealed at his own request, grew up first in North Carolina and then in shadow of the NSA headquarters in Maryland. He left high school without a diploma, although he later earned his GED, a lesser qualification. His mother reportedly still lives in Maryland, working as a deputy clerk in a district court.

After school, Snowden did not appear to have had any ambitions to work as a spy. His aim was to join the elite special forces, and he took a first step in that direction when he signed up with the army reserves. He claims that he enlisted in 2003; the military has since said he signed up in May 2004, leaving four months later when he broke both his legs in an accident. It was then that he began working as a security guard. Soon, however, he was with the CIA in IT security, a job that a couple of years later led to a foreign posting under the cloak of a diplomatic assignment. His time with the CIA led him to question the power vested in America’s covert agencies.

Snowden switched to an outside contractor in 2009 and worked for a while in Japan. Barack Obama swept to power in 2008, riding a wave of liberal support motivated in no small part by his opposition to the Bush administration and its security policies. But, as an insider, Snowden could see that nothing was changing – quite the opposite, in fact. Snowden’s opposition to Obama is borne out by two public records from last year showing an Edward Snowden working for Dell in Maryland and another in Hawaii making donations to the libertarian Republican politician Ron Paul.

Snowden, whose most recent job was with the NSA contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, decided to take matters in his own hands and began speaking to the press earlier this year. Guardian columnist Glenn Greenwald has said he and Laura Poitras, a filmmaker, have been working with him since February, months before he told his NSA supervisor that he was leaving for a couple of weeks to seek treatment for epilepsy. Instead he boarded a jet bound for Hong Kong and disclosed the secret files to journalists.

According to Gellman, who had his first direct exchange with Snowden on 16 May, the former CIA worker demanded that his Prism leak be published within 72 hours before he went elsewhere. The reason? “I told him we would not make any guarantee what we published or when.” Snowden appears not to have deserted the reporter completely – as he unmasked himself on Sunday night, beside him sat Gellman’s book on Dick Cheney, Angler.

Eton College of Somaliland

Guardian Professional,

It's been the making of many leaders; the revival of Somaliland's most prestigious and successful boarding school offers a unique place for east Africa's brightest students. But urgent investment is needed to ensure the future of the British Empire's 'farewell gift'

In 1957, in his school, Ali Mahdi was asked to envision and write about Somaliland in the year 1999. A gifted Mahdi imagined: "Big railway junctions materialising from nothing, and multitudinous railway lines from all parts of the country focusing on the national Port, Berbera. The exploitation of the mineral wealth, at last achieved, and great industrial cities growing up around the newly-built factories, and the small village of Las Anod, becoming the Birmingham of the East. Hargeisa, still being the Capital, increasing in size and challenging the older cities of the world in a splendour, glory and renown." 

Mahdi was the product of Sheikh Secondary School - the farewell gift, which the British Empire left behind for the citizens of Somaliland. The school was built on the evergreen highlands of Sheikh; a small town in the northwestern region of Somaliland. Because of its cool climate throughout the year, it was deemed as a serene and apt residence for education seekers. The British invested in this boarding school by outsourcing qualified teachers on good salaries, providing a fully equipped library and laboratories, and selecting students who were regarded to be cream of the crop.

The school gained remarkable status and was considered prestigious, similar to Eton College. A considerable number of Somaliland's prominent leaders, including the current president, Mohammed Ahmed Silanyo, were some of the early graduates in the 50s.

Sheikh SOS School

Unfortunately, after 56 years Somaliland is nothing like Mahdi has foreseen. The country has gone through various changeovers in the last 50 years, including a civil war, which imploded the entire region. As a result, the education system went through a period of despair. Sheikh School was not spared from the damage.
In 2003, SOS Children's Village, an independent charity that works to protect the interest and rights of children, stepped in, once Somaliland salvaged peace. They entered into a bilateral agreement with the government to recuperate Sheikh Secondary School. The charity sponsored students through private funds from individuals.

A survey conducted by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2008, found that one of the main reasons for not attending secondary school are lack of school fees (73.3 percent), marriage (55.4 percent), work at home (29.2 percent). Encouragingly, Sheikh students are far from these influences and are kept in safe haven, where education is a priority.

Ahmed Shawky, 25, was one of the first students who graduated from Sheikh School after it was restored. "Sheikh paved the way for many graduates to get better jobs without acquiring any university degree,"

Shawky explains. He proudly shared that he was one of the top 10 students in East Africa and among the best in the world, when the results were announced in 2006.

The first 53 students, 8 of whom were girls, entered Sheikh School based on the high marks they scored in the national examination. They were also selected from the top 100 bright students who hailed from all over the Horn.

Rasala Abdikadir, one of the 8 girls who graduated years ago said, "Sheikh School is the only boarding institution in the country that provides separate accommodation for both genders." She declared that the cultural biases have created a huge gap between boys and girls, but "girls naturally posses a talent and unquestionably can get to where boys have reached and even be in higher ranks," she explained in eloquent English. Today, Sheikh School is housing 38 girls, despite the limited female designated buildings.

Ever since revitalising, the school has helped in producing visionaries. These graduates have the know-how factor and are able to venture into the world without the fear of failure.

Thousands of miles away from London, Khaled Abdulsalam, 24, was pleased to revel his success and reminisce the good old days in Sheikh School. He currently lives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he is studying Construction Technology, but he also established his own business with three other friends, two of which are female graduate from Sheikh School. "I found the largest Somali network marketing group and we now own two franchises. We sell health products like herbal cosmetics, food supplements and health appliance from Tiens Biotech Group in Nairobi, Kenya." Khaled's business supports almost 30 independent distributors across Somaliland. He believes that they are supporting the health of many families, who don't have access to adequate healthcare system.

When asked whether his business is supporting Somaliland's economic development, he firmly said: "We are helping Somaliland youth by providing a chance to establish their own business. This will unleash their entrepreneurship potential, especially leadership skills, which the economy of Somaliland is limping for so far." He plans to come back to his homeland, join the construction industry and one day launch his own company.

Khaled is not the only one who cannot wait to come back. Mohammed Bakal, ex-graduate, is presently in Egypt, studying for his second degree in agriculture and majoring in community development. "I'm interested in development sector as we need more work to do in this filed, especially in the rural areas where more than half of our population reside," said Bakal, mindfully.

Students in Sheikh School never used to worry about funding their studies if they were unable to pay. SOS Children's Village funded almost 90 percent of the fees, while parents were encouraged to contribute the remaining 10 percent. Adam Muse, Sheikh School headmaster, revealed that this no longer the case. The current economic crisis in the West is limiting contributions from private donors. "Despite the track-record and the equal opportunities we provide for both genders, many local international charities are not interested in funding secondary education," said Muse disappointedly. He added: "Even food donation is not something they are willing to fund, as they rather focus on primary education projects."

To reaffirm the reasons he succeeded, Abdulsalam rightfully said: "Somaliland is the best place for young people who have big dreams with good education [as key factor] because life changing opportunities are so copious and the country is still growing."

Egypt's president warns in live speech 'all options are open' for Ethiopia Nile dam project

CAIRO –  Egypt's president has warned that "all options are open" in dealing with Ethiopia's efforts to build a dam that threatens to leave Nile-dependent Egypt with a dangerous water shortage.

In a live televised speech Monday before hundreds of supporters, Mohammed Morsi said Egypt is not calling for war. but his country is "ready to defend" its water security.

"Our blood is the alternative," Morsi said, and the crowd erupted in applause.

The crisis started last month when Ethiopia diverted the flow of the Blue Nile, one of the Nile's sources, to make way for construction of the dam. The move took Egypt by surprise.

Morsi says Egypt does not wish harm upon any nation, but that the lives of all Egyptians are connected to the Nile River.

Protection needed for Prism whistleblower Edward Snowden

ARTICLE 19 calls for Edward Snowden to be granted legal protection against prosecution for his disclosure about the mass surveillance programme, Prism.

Edward Snowden is a whistleblower who has revealed how national and international protection for online and telecommunications privacy has been seriously undermined by secret processes in the name of defending national security. His revelation is clearly in the public interest.

Under international law, whistle-blowers that expose illegal activity or the violation of human rights – even those who reveal classified information - in the public interest are protected from reprisals, including prosecution.

“The scale of surveillance that has been revealed is unprecedented. There is little doubt that this is a disclosure that is in the public interest and that Snowden is therefore clearly a whistle-blower, who deserves and must receive protection under international law” said Agnes Callamard, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19.

ARTICLE urges the United States and other authorities against prosecuting Snowden.

ARTICLE 19 calls for a public inquiry into the Prism programme and urges legal reform to ensure that there is adequate oversight for communications surveillance.

ARTICLE 19 is concerned that the Prism programme will have a serious chilling effect on freedom of expression online. The release of information has started a long-overdue debate in the US and overseas about the activities of intelligence agencies and the adequacy of oversight bodies.

ARTICLE 19 notes that the authorities should not take action against journalists who have published the material disclosed by Snowden. Under international law, it is well recognised that journalists are not responsible for maintaining the secrets of public bodies.

Ethiopian rebel group ends arms struggle, returns home

(ADDIS ABABA) – A rebel group from Ethiopia’s Benishangul Gumuz region, where Ethiopia is building a major dam on the Blue Nile has laid down its arms, the Ethiopian government said on Saturday.

Buses carrying hundreds of members of the Benishangul People’s Liberation Movement (BPLM) arrived at Benishangul Gumuz region where they were warmly welcomed by thousands of people.

BPLM and the Ethiopian government reached a peace agreement last year after rounds of negotiations that took over two years.

The deal was possible after the group agreed to fully accepted and abide by the constitution of the country and end its 17 years of armed struggle.

Members of the rebel group will not be prosecuted. They will also receive support from the government which will enable them to actively take part in the developmental activities of the region.

Following the peace pact, the Ethiopian government has released detained members of the BPLM.

One of the group’s leaders, Husien Ahmed, told Sudan Tribune that his group decided to lay down arms because making peace was the right and best option.

“We sign peace deal because we believed it was right time for reconciliation with the government and the people of Ethiopia.”

Ahmed called on other rebel groups to end their rebellion and engage in peace processes in order to reach national reconciliation.

The rebel leader admitted that his group has been receiving financial and military support from neighboring Eritrea, with which Ethiopia has had tense relations since a 1998-2000 border war that has killed an estimated 70,000 people.

The Ethiopian government has called on the group to fully implement the agreement and distance itself from internal and external anti-peace elements.

This is second time for the group to sign peace pact with government.

In 2005 the group sealed peace deal however it broke the deal a year later and resumed its armed struggle.

It was said that the peace agreement will enhance security in the region and would encourage other rebel groups to similarly join the peace process.

The BPLM has been operating in Eritrea and in Sudan.

According to the agreement, the group’s right to operate in Ethiopia’s legal system will be respected.

The Ethiopian government has been encouraging rebel groups to come for the negotiating table.

Since 2010 a faction of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and United Western Somali Liberation Front have signed peace pact with government.

WikiLeaks releases transcript of critical US film

WikiLeaks said it had not participated in the making of We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks, a film by Alex Gibney that focuses on the website’s controversial founder Julian Assange and its chief informant Bradley Manning.Photo:AFP

WikiLeaks releases an annotated version of what it says is a leaked transcript of a documentary on the group

AFP

Washington: WikiLeaks has released an annotated version of what it says is a leaked transcript of a documentary that takes a critical look at the anti-secrecy group ahead of the film’s US premiere on Friday.

WikiLeaks said it had not participated in the making of We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks, a film by Alex Gibney that focuses on the website’s controversial founder Julian Assange and its chief informant Bradley Manning.

Manning, a US Army intelligence analyst who admitted to leaking hundreds of thousands of secret military logs and confidential embassy cables to WikiLeaks, faces possible life imprisonment in a military trial to resume 3 June.

Assange, the Australian hacker who founded the site, has been holed up in Ecuador’s London embassy for nearly a year, seeking to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning in a sexual assault case.

WikiLeaks said late Thursday that the film “portrays Manning’s alleged acts as a failure of character rather than a triumph of conscience,” and said the film’s portrayal of his relationship with Assange was “grossly irresponsible.”

The portrayal “suggests—erroneously and when evidence is to the contrary—that Assange may be guilty of conspiring with Bradley Manning to commit espionage or similar offences.”

The WikiLeaks statement added that “neither Julian Assange nor anyone associated with WikiLeaks over the past two-and-a-half years agreed to participate in the film.”

It then posted what appeared to be a full transcript of the documentary with copious notes alleging factual errors and misrepresentations.
Gibney could not immediately be reached for comment.

But in a recent interview with CBS news, the American director said the film is concerned with “both the abuse of power and hubris on the part of the US government, but certainly also on the part of Julian Assange.”
“At his moment of greatest fame, (Assange) ends up becoming all too much like the enemies he sought to take out or expose,” Gibney said.

Gibney told CBS he engaged in “endless negotiations” with Assange but that his requests to interview the WikiLeaks founder were ultimately denied.

He was also unable to interview Manning, who has been in military detention since his arrest in 2010.

The United States has accused WikiLeaks of endangering national security by leaking the documents, which included reports of torture and civilian casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The diplomatic cables include candid comments by world leaders and confidential assessments by US diplomats that in many cases proved embarrassing to the State Department and other governments.
Manning admitted in February to leaking the war logs and diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks and said he would plead guilty to 10 of the less serious charges against him, which could see him sentenced to 20 years in military custody.

The 25-year-old, who was working as a US Army intelligence analyst when he was arrested in Iraq in 2010, has denied the more serious charge of “aiding the enemy,” which could carry a life sentence.

Manning is set to go before a full court martial on 3 June, with the trial expected to last 12 weeks

URGENT NEWS - Spokesman: Nelson Mandela in serious condition

Kulan lagu Shaacinayay Ganacsato Ku Guulaysay Mashaariic Maalgashi Ee USAID

Dr, Sacad Cali Shire, Wasiirka Qorshaynta Somaliland

Wasiirka wasaarada Qorshaynta Qaranka ahna Gudoomiyaha Gudiga la tashiga mashruuca Deeqaha ee GAP Dr,Sacad Cali shire, ayaa ka qayb galay shir jaraa’id oo maanta magaalada Hargaysa ay ku qabteen Maamulka Maalgashiga ee SBF oo ay ku shaaciyeen ganacsatadii ku guulaystay deeqihii waaweynaa ee wareegii kowaad iyo bixinta 21 mashruuc oo ka mid ah codsiyo hore loo soo gudbiyay.

ku simaha maamulaha maal-gelinta SBF Mr,Jim Duncan,oo ugu horayn shirkaa jaeraa’id ka hadlay, ayaa waxa uu ka waramay mashaariicdii ku guulaysatay deeqihii waaweynaa ee wareegii kowaad.

Mr, Jim waxa kale oo uu sharax ka bixiyey deeqaha la siinayo kow iyo labaatan mashruuc oo ka tirsanaa saddex iyo afartan Codsi oo hore loo xushay. kow iyo labaatankaas mashruuc oo la siin doono deeq dhan 2.5 milyan oo dollar. waxaana deeqahani ay dhalinayaan abaabul maalgashi cusub oo gaadhaya 8.4 Milyanoo Dollar.

Wasiirka Wasaarada qorshaynta Qaranka ahna Gudoomiyaha Guddiga la tashiga deeqaha Dr.Sacad Cali shire. Oo munaasibadaasi ka hadlay

Ugu horeyn u mahad celiyey dalalka mashruucan gacanta ka gaystay iyo Baanka aduunka, waxana uu xusay in mashaariicdani ay faa’iidooyin badan leeyihiin oo ay ka mid yihiin, Shaqo abuur, maal gashi iyo ilo wax soo saar.

Maamulka Maalgelintu Waxa shirkaa jaraa’id ay ka sheegeen guud ahaan marka laysku soo duubo in 59 deeqaha yar-yar ah iyo 21Ka deeqaha waaweyn ah oo gaadhaya 4.6 Milyan oo dollar in laga filaayo inay abuuraan shaqooyin cusub.

· Wadarta guud ee maalgashiga loo hayaa waxay noqonaysa $9.5m ( marka lagu daro deeqaha la bixiyay);
· Shaqooyinka cusub ee la filayo inay abuuraan oo ka badan 1,200;
· 40% deeqaha la bixiyay waxa la siiyay mashaariic ku salaysan meelaha ka baxsan Hargeisa
· In ka badan saddex-meeloodow-meel ee shaqooyinka cusub ayaa noqonaya dumar, marka 15% ay noqonayaan dhalinyaro.

Mashaariicda 21 ah ee deeqaha waawayni way kala gadisan yihiin waxaana ku jira:
· Beeraha- beerida iyo soo saarida sonkorta, beerida sisinta iyo soosaarida saliida sinsinta;
· Xoolaha- naaxinta xoolaha, warshadaynta hargaha, dhaqida digaaga iyo maamul wanaajinta iyo horumarinta saylada xoolaha ee Hargeisa;
· Tamarta- Aasaasida rugata tababarka ee dib-u-cusboonaysiinta tamarta, Ansixinta iyo hawlaha dayactirida, Rakibida Qalabka tamarta dabaysha, dhalinta tamarta qoraxda;
.
· Kaluumaysiga?Dayactirida warshadaynta kaluunka, Qaboojiyayaasha, Warshadaynta kaluunka
· Xabkaha iyo Beeyada ? Horumarinta beeyada si loogu dhhoofiyo dibada
· Caafimaadka- ? Baadhista xanuunada
· Warshadaynta? Warshadaynta Dalaga/cuntada beeraha, Tolida iyo Fisilaada dharka

Mashaariicda ay waaxda maamulka maalgashigu (FMU) u xuleen inay helaan deeqaha waxaa dib u eegis ku sameeyay Guddida La tashiga Deeqaha. Guddida La Tashiga Deequhu waxay ka kooban tahay xubnahan hoos ku qoran:

Dr Saad Ali Shire (GAP Chair)
Wasiirka Qorshaynta
Mr. AbdirazakKhalif Ahmed (Vice-Chair)
Wasiirka Ganacsiga
DR. Abdi Aw Dahir
Wasiirka Xoolaha
Prof. Farah Elmi
Wasiirka Beeraha
Dr. Saeed Ahmed Hassan
Gudoomiyaha Jaamicada Golis
Ms. Fozia Mohamed
CEO, SLNMA
Ms NafisaYussuf
Ururka Nagad

Ujeedada Maal-galinta Ganacsiga Soomaaliland waa in la abaabulo hal-abuurnimada iyo ilaha dhaqaale ee ganacsatada si loo kobciyo heerarka dakhliga, shacabka Somaliland loo abuuro shaqooyin cusub.
Maalgalintani waxay ganac-satada ku caawinaysaa inay kor u qaadaan ganacsigooda oo ay casriyeeyaan, si kala gadisan u fidiyaan badeecadahooda, hagaajiyaan waxsoosaarkooda oo ay casriyayaan ama ay ka shaqeeyaan salyado cusub.

Mashaariicda waxa lagu qiimaynayaa iyadoo la eegayo khibrada iyo heelanaanta codsadaha, suuragalka fikirka gancsi ee codsadaha iyo dhalinta natiijooyin horumar leh. Maaligalintani waxay raadinaysaa codsade/-yaal muujin kara aqoon maamul iyo awood dhaqaale, iyo wiliba la socod sayladeed iyo sumcad si ay ugu guulaystaan ganacsigooda.

'No Nile, no Egypt', Cairo warns over Ethiopia dam

Ethiopian Millennium Dam

By Shadia Nasralla

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's foreign minister, vowing not to give up "a single drop of water from the Nile", said on Sunday he would go to Addis Ababa to discuss a giant dam that Ethiopia has begun building in defiance of Cairo's objections.

Speaking to Egypt's state news agency MENA two days after the Ethiopian government flatly rejected a request from Cairo to halt the project, Mohamed Kamel Amr said Egyptians view any obstacle to the river's flow as a threat to national survival.

"No Nile - no Egypt," he said, highlighting the pressure on the Egyptian government, whose popularity is wilting in the face of economic troubles, to prevent the hydro power plant cutting already stretched water supplies for its 84 million people.

Last week, Ethiopia summoned the Egyptian ambassador after politicians in Cairo were shown on television suggesting military action or supporting Ethiopian rebels - a mark of the threat felt in Cairo from the plan to dam the Blue Nile, the tributary that supplies the bulk of water downstream in Egypt.

"Egypt won't give up on a single drop of water from the Nile or any part of what arrives into Egypt from this water in terms of quantity and quality," Amr told MENA, noting that Egypt has little rain and is effectively desert without its great river.

Speaking at a news conference, he declined to detail the action Egypt might take next but noted Ethiopian assurances that Africa's biggest hydro station would not cut water supplies.

"We have a plan for action, which will start soon," Amr said. "We'll talk to Ethiopia and we'll see what comes of it.

"Ethiopia has said it will not harm Egypt, not even by a liter of water. We are looking at ... this being implemented."

Countries that share the Nile have long argued over the use of its waters, repeatedly raising fears that the disputes could eventually boil over into war. Egypt, struggling with a shortage of cash and bitter internal political divisions following a 2011 revolution, called on Ethiopia to stop work after engineers began diverting the course of the Blue Nile late last month.

In Addis Ababa, a government spokesman called that request a "non-starter" and dismissed threats from Cairo of "sabotage" and "destabilization", saying attempts by Egypt under its previous military rulers to undermine Ethiopian leaders had failed.

The possible downstream effects of the $4.7-billion Grand Renaissance Dam, some 40 km (25 miles) from Ethiopia's border with Sudan, have been disputed and full details are unclear.

While letting water through such dams - of which Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia already have several - may not reduce its flow greatly, the filling of the reservoir behind any new dam means cutting the river's flow for a time. Evaporation from reservoirs can also permanently reduce water flowing downstream.

Now 21 percent complete, the new dam on the Blue Nile will eventually have capacity of 6,000 megawatts and is central to Ethiopia's plans to become Africa's leading exporter of power.

Sudan, which borders Egypt and Ethiopia and also gets much of its water from the Nile, said it supported the project.

"The Grand Renaissance Dam brings many benefits and blessings for us," Information Minister Ahmed Belal Osman told reporters in Khartoum.

He gave no details, but Sudanese officials have said the dam will enable Ethiopia to export power to Sudan, a country with frequent outages and one of its closest allies in Africa.

(Editing by Alastair Macdonald, Tom Pfeiffer and Kevin Liffey)

Report: NSA contract worker is surveillance source

Edward Snowden, a former technical assistant for the CIA

Associated Press –

WASHINGTON (AP) — A 29-year-old American who works as contract employee at the National Security Agency is the source of The Guardian's disclosures about the U.S. government's secret surveillance programs, the London newspaper reported Sunday.

The leaks have reopened the post-Sept. 11 debate about privacy concerns versus heightened measure to protect against terrorist attacks, and led the NSA to ask the Justice Department to conduct a criminal investigation.

The Guardian said it was publishing the identity of Edward Snowden, a former technical assistant for the CIA and current employee of defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, at his own request.

"I have no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have done nothing wrong," he was quoted as saying.

The director of national intelligence, James Clapper, has decried the revelation of the intelligence-gathering programs as reckless, and in the past days has taken the rare step of declassifying some details about them to respond to media reports about counterterrorism techniques employed by the government.

An Internet scouring program, code-named PRISM, allows the NSA and FBI to tap directly into the servers of major U.S. Internet companies such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and AOL, scooping out emails, video chats, instant messages and more to track foreign nationals who are suspected of terrorism or espionage.

The NSA also is collecting the telephone records of millions of American customers, but not actual conversations.

President Barack Obama, Clapper and others have said the programs are authorized by Congress and subject to strict supervision of a secret court.

Snowden is quoted as saying that his "sole motive is to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them."

The Guardian reported that Snowden was working in an NSA office in Hawaii when he copied the last of the documents he planned to disclose and told supervisors that he needed to be away for a few weeks to receive treatment for epilepsy.

He left for Hong Kong on May 20 and has remained there since, according to the newspaper. Snowden is quoted as saying he chose that city because "they have a spirited commitment to free speech and the right of political dissent", and because he believed it was among the spots on the globes that could and would resist the dictates of the U.S. government.

Snowden is quoted as saying he hopes the publicity the leaks have cause will provide him some protection and that he sees asylum, perhaps in Iceland, as a possibility.

"I feel satisfied that this was all worth it. I have no regrets," Snowden told the newspaper.

He was said to have worked on IT security for the CIA and by 2007, was stationed with diplomatic cover in Geneva, responsible for maintaining computer network security. That gave him clearance to a range of classified documents, according to the report.

"Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world," he says. "I realized that I was part of something that was doing far more harm than good."

Somalia: Iranian Companies Are Taking Over Mogadishu Port

By MAALIK_ENG

As the UN, US, EU sanctions continue to bite the Iranian government; its subsidiary companies are now playing the smart role to explore in new business opportunities in Africa. These companies are mainly operating in the Middle East. Recently, Simatech Shipping LLC, which operates feeder services between Dubai and Bandar Abas port, has entered a contract agreement with Mogadishu Port Authority. They operate under the name of Mogadishu Port Container Terminal (MPCT). Simatech has leased a container terminal inside Mogadishu port and now they are trying to convince port management to exclusively takeover the stevedoring activities in whole port. Even though, most of the shipping companies are opposed their proposal. In corporation with powerful former ministers, they are now expanding their activities in Kenya in order to obtain a United Nations contracts with different names.

Recently, they have formed Liberty Shipping Ltd, which is a sister company for Simatech Shipping LLC. Liberty will mainly focus feeder services from Mombasa to Mogadishu container shipment. This will jeopardize the new Somali government's efforts to engage the international communities and the UN Agencies. We must prevent the Iranian Revolutionary Guard fromoperating inside Somalia. They are a powerful organ which has been created to encounter American pressure and international sanctions, which are intended to persuade Tehran to abandon alleged plans to develop nuclear weapons.

It is the full responsibility of the new Somalian government to safeguard the interest of the Somalian people and avoid isolations from the international community.