SAMOTALIS

Ex-prime minister of Somalia says he will not contest war crime allegations made in US court

2012-02-24T12:43:00.001Z

Ex-prime minister of Somalia says he will not contest war crime allegations made in US court

By Associated Press, Published: February 23

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The former prime minister of Somalia on Thursday ended an eight-year legal battle by accepting legal liability for alleged war crimes and killings that occurred under the regime of dictator Siad Barre. But he denied wrongdoing and said he never approved any slayings.

Mohamed Ali Samantar, 76, was a top official in the Barre regime serving throughout the 1980s as vice president, defense minister and prime minister, up until the months before the regime’s collapse in 1991. But for more than a decade, he has lived quietly in the Washington suburb of Fairfax, Va., surrounded by a large extended family.

Samantar was sued in 2004 in U.S. District Court in Alexandria by several members of the Isaaq clan, who said they suffered brutal repression — including torture and mass killings — under the Barre regime.

Samantar fought for years to have the case tossed out of court and was initially successful. In 2007, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that Samantar enjoyed immunity from the litigation as a former official of a foreign state. But the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the lawsuit.

He tried to avoid a trial and filed for bankruptcy protection Sunday in the hope it would be postponed. But a bankruptcy judge allowed the case to go forward.

On Thursday, as jury selection was about to begin, Samantar said he would accept a default judgment against him and would not contest the allegations.

He made clear, though, that while he accepts legal liability he admits no wrongdoing.

“I request to accept default, but that doesn’t mean I’m guilty,” he told the judge.

The Center for Justice And Accountability, a California-based nonprofit legal firm that brought the case on behalf of the Somali plaintiffs, said the judgment against Samantar is the first time anywhere in the world that a court has held the Barre regime responsible for its actions.

Samantar said he could no longer afford the costly litigation, and his failing health — he is on dialysis — make it harder for him to defend himself. He also told The Associated Press on Thursday that he believes the case is politically motivated and that rehashing allegations from more than 20 years ago would serve to divide Somalia at a time when unification efforts are under way.

“I have a legacy in my country,” he said in an interview, speaking in Somali and interpreted for a reporter by family members. “I want to allow the reconciliation process to continue.”

Samantar’s lawyer made a similar argument, and the judge said she would have dismissed the case if the State Department determined it could harm international relations. But the Obama administration said the lawsuit could proceed.

Samantar told the AP he was fundamentally offended by the idea that an American court could pass judgment on a Somali dispute.

“I worked 40 years for my country,” he said. “I was faithful to my country and abided by the law.”

The judge began hearing evidence from victims in the case Thursday to help her decide what kind of monetary damages should be awarded, though Samantar was not present to hear that testimony. And collecting any money may be difficult because Samantar has filed for bankruptcy.

The default judgment left mixed feelings for the four Somali plaintiffs — two of whom are now U.S. citizens — who brought the lawsuit.

Bashe Abdi Yousuf, testified about the torture he suffered, followed by more than seven years of solitary confinement, after he and 20 others were convicted on what he said were trumped-up charges of belonging to a political party that was trying to overthrow the government.

He testified that he was bound, suffered an electric shock, and beaten so badly that he could not walk for three days. But he said the torture was nothing compared to the mental suffering from seven years in solitary confinement. He said Samantar should be held accountable, even if he did not directly beat or torture him.

“General Samantar was the vice president of the country. He was a commander of the highest rank ... in Somalia,” said Yousuf, now a U.S. citizen living in Atlanta. “My ordeal was at the hands of the military people.”

After testifying, Yousuf said that the opportunity to tell his story in court was important for him and that he felt vindicated by the default judgment. But he still wished that Samantar had been required to defend himself.

“I really hoped for him to defend himself because I can’t see how he could defend himself,” Yousuf said.

Another plaintiff, Aziz Deria of Bellevue, Wash., said he felt cheated by the default judgment, as Samantar could walk out of court without hearing the victims’ testimony.

“I wanted him to sit there and personally feel the pain” that was suffered by the victims, said Deria, whose brother and father were killed during mass reprisals against the city of Hargeisa, an Isaaq stronghold.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ex-prime-minister-of-somalia-says-he-will-not-contest-war-crime-allegations-made-in-us-court/2012/02/23/gIQAWEDbVR_story.html

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SOMALI PEOPLE CAN BUILD BETTER FUTURE WITH GLOBAL HELP, BAN TELLS LONDON MEETING

2012-02-24T03:43:00.001Z

SOMALI PEOPLE CAN BUILD BETTER FUTURE WITH GLOBAL HELP, BAN TELLS LONDON MEETING
New York, Feb 23 2012 11:10AM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged the international community to heed the "cries for peace" of the Somali people and help them overcome decades of instability and build a more stable and prosperous future.

Addressing the London Conference on Somalia, Mr. Ban said that an opportunity has presented itself that "we cannot afford to miss" to help the people of the Horn of Africa nation end threats and instability and to realize the vision of a productive and peaceful Somalia.

"This is a bold agenda. We have no more time to 'wait and see'," he told world leaders at the meeting. "To any donors still wavering, I say: get off the fence. Help prevent another famine and offer new hope to Somalia.

"Somalis have shown astounding resilience in the face of extreme hardship. They are ready to show the world they can rebuild their lives and their country with our support. We can do no less than answer their cries for peace."

Mr. Ban called for steps to improve security, advance the political process and step up assistance for recovery, reconstruction and development.

Yesterday the Security Council extended the mandate of the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia (AMISOM) through 31 October and called for an almost 50 per cent increase in the 12,000-strong force to deal with continued insecurity in the impoverished country.

The Council stressed that coordinated action in the region is critical for the peace, security and stability of Somalia and called on AU member States to consider contributing troops to the force to help create the conditions so that Somalia can be responsible for its own security.

"Ultimately, our goal is to transfer security responsibilities to the Somalis and establish sustainable, credible and indigenous security institutions in the country," said Mr. Ban, who called on governments to provide the necessary support to both AMISOM and to the Somali forces operating alongside it.

"This will take time. We must start now," the Secretary-General added. "The Somalis first must agree on what security arrangements best suit their system of governance. International help must be well-coordinated to support the national security and stabilization plan. As the security institutions take shape, the country needs to disarm."

Somalia has not had a functioning central government for the past 20 years, during which it has been torn apart by factional fighting and has faced a series of humanitarian crises, the latest being a food crisis that has left more than two million Somalis in need of aid.

Mr. Ban, who saw for himself the situation on the ground when he visited the capital, Mogadishu, last December, also stressed the need for political progress, adding that maintaining the momentum is "critical."

"Mogadishu is more than the capital – it stands for the unity and integrity of Somalia," he stated. "Success in the capital is important for progress all across Somalia. And it would pre-empt spoilers.

"We therefore need a surge in Mogadishu to show what is possible in southern-central Somalia. We need to consolidate military gains, provide basic social services and contribute to reconstruction."

Somalia's Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) are in the process of implementing a roadmap devised in September last year that spells out priority measures to be carried out before the current transitional governing arrangements end on 20 August.

Before then, Mr. Ban noted, the country needs a new constitution, a smaller and more representative Parliament and elections for the positions of President, Speaker and Deputies.

While at the conference, Mr. Ban is also holding separate meetings with various government officials to discuss issues of global concern. Earlier today, he met with Sweden's Prime Minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt, and its Foreign Minister, Carl Bildt, and discussed Somalia, Syria and Cyprus.

Prime Minister Cameron Convenes with British Somali Diasporas ahead of the London Conference

2012-02-24T03:23:00.001Z

Prime Minister Cameron Convenes with British Somali Diasporas ahead of the London Conference

LONDON— Prime Minister David Cameron today joined Baroness Sayeeda Hussain Warsi to meet with active members of the Somali Diasporas ahead of the international conference on Somalia on Thursday 23 February 2012, at Lancaster House in London to listen to their thoughts on the prolonged conflict in Somalia and identify possible ways forward with the assistance of the international community. This was the first meeting of its kind whereby the Prime Minister invited members of the Somali Diasporas to partake in a serious discussion about Somalia at Downing Street. After going through security checks we proceeded to number 10, which has on its rather heavy black door letter plates reading "First Lord of the Treasury". Inside the building there are noticeable black and white pictures of Prime Ministers, Winston Churchill being most obvious with two pictures and excluding Cameron who has to wait to hang up his own till he leaves office. A warm welcome by Baroness Warsi followed in the Pillared Room decorated with fine Persian carpets and few portraits including one of Queen Elizabeth I, which hangs over a fire place. After a short introduction we preceded to the Cabinet Room with at its heart an oval shaped large table perhaps with the intention to provide a clear view for the Prime Minister who sat at the centre of the table.

Short thereafter the Prime Minster joined us posing an engaging posture and a friendly smile while shaking hands with the guests around the table.

The Prime Minister underscored the importance of Somali Diasporas and their commitments to their country of origin. On their specific role Cameron said:

"No one cares more about Somalia than its people. And there are many Somalis who have made their home in this country who will have a particular interest in what we are doing this week. We can't build peace without them. My message is this: don't go back and fight. Help Somalis and help your homeland by doing all you can to back the political process, to build the rule of law and to continue to support the development of the economy. That's what we want to do this week. To turn your commitment to a better Somalia into a better future for us all."

The UK government is right to engage the Somali Diasporas on the critical task of finding lasting solutions for the problems in Somalia. Engagement of local communities is important to our countries endeavors to counter any challenges we face and this meeting brought potential partners together. The Prime Minister acknowledged that this should be the way forward and suggested to continue to work with communities more closely. British Somalis must support the London conference and rally behind the Prime Minister.

But the Somalia problem is messy and complex with a worsening situation over the last 20 years that cannot be solved overnight. Ismail Noor wanted to know whether or not Britain is ready for the task and asked Cameron "how long is UK prepared to stay involved"? Cameron gave a considered answer and explained that UK is here to help and facilitate ways forward.

Further suggestions made by the group include the ineffective management of development and humanitarian aid to Somalia. A number of people pointed out the vast corruption and mismanagement of international aid. Salah Shek Osman said "international and humanitarian agencies want to "remote control" local charities and if you do not adopt their approach there is no place for you in their organization". Surely aid is important, particularly in the Somali regions where poverty is prevalent. However, a shift from aid to trade is desirable where appropriate to tackle its structural dependency on the long term.

Political representation is an area in need of significant development. On this matter, Waris Mohamoud said, "that gender inequalities need to be addressed as women outstrip men in numbers but are almost invisible from most decision making processes" and Ilham Gassar suggested that a balanced age representation in the political process matters given the fact that Somalia is a young nation with 60 percent of the population being under 40 years. Pressing the Prime Minister on the question of representation Salah Shek Osman asked Cameron whether or not he would engage in dialogue with Al shabaab. Cameron's answer was swift and argued that it is unrealistic to talk to a terrorist organization that associates itself with Al Qaida. Instead the Prime Minister expressed his support for the recent Garowe Agreement, which deals with the broader political progress through the so-called "Roadmap to end the transition" when the mandate of the current Transitional Federal Government (TFG) terminates in August 2012. Ironically the Garowe Agreement, which is based on the unpopular 4.5 Formula that is meant to represent clans evenly across the Somali regions precisely comes short to deal with equal representation in the political development. It further raises questions about the selection of officials, which are undemocratically appointed and continues unfair treatment of minority clans. These issues must be addressed.

The challenges British Somalis are facing in the UK where also highlighted. In particular great concerns were raised about young disadvantaged Somalis who are prone to radicalization while posing a threat to the UK and themselves. It was argued that these young Somali people often lack self-esteem and in order to earn respect they become more susceptible to all kinds of crime. There are, however, many young Somalis who are doing very well and are positively contributing to the British society and that needs to be acknowledged and celebrated.

After the Prime Minister left Baroness Warsi continued with the discussion and skillfully chaired the remainder of the meeting. Warsi's background and vast experience in the field was evident in the way she handled the questions and managed to progress the discussion occasionally and appropriately drawing on her Pakistani and immigrant background without upsetting or disappointed the strong characters across the table.

Further suggestions were to be aware of the divisions within the Somali communities and some reference was made to the FCO's approach of having "desks and offices for each Somali region". However, others applauded the FCO's approach and consider this as a way of acknowledging the rich diversity of the Somali people that is often misunderstood.

On the question of Somaliland's independence Cameron explained that this conference is not about the recognition of Somaliland but to strengthen and further develop the positive achievements it made so far. Ahmed Adare noted that it is fitting for Somaliland to support their brothers and sisters in Somalia and share and transfer the knowledge and skills, which have made Somaliland relatively peaceful for over 20 years.

To conclude the general consensus is that something has to change in Somalia, as it cannot continue the way it is now and this conference offers a great opportunity to make that a reality. Britain's initiative is very much welcomed by the Somali Diasporas in the UK. However, Somalis insist to draw lessons from the past conferences, which have been far from effective. More importantly this should be a Somali solution and political process and progress should be Somali-led.

By:Mohamed Aden Hassan
About the author:
Mohamed holds a BA (Amsterdam) and MA (SOAS, London), and is currently perusing a PhD at Goldsmiths researching the experiences of young Somalis in London as transnational active citizens.

Further, Mohamed is the current chairman of Nomad International, a charity that strives to assist Somali youth in Britain and various institutions in Somaliland in the developments of health, education and crime prevention programs. He is also a committee member of the London Somali Youth Forum (LSYF) that aims to advocate for the Somali youth in London.

Press Release: president of Somalia today commented on front page media focus on the amount of UK expenditure in Somalia,

2012-02-24T03:16:00.000Z

Press Release: president of Somalia today commented on front page media focus on the amount of UK expenditure in Somalia,

(Mogadishu, Somalia, January, 29, 2012) A spokesperson for the office of the president of Somalia today commented on front page media focus on the amount of UK expenditure in Somalia, quoted as being in the annual amount of £220 million.

The spokesperson stated that the determination of the levels of such expenditure is of course not a matter for Somalia to determine.

However, he noted that this amount—equivalent in Somalia to some £22 per capita on an annual basis—was understood to be committed principally for the purposes of risk mitigation [in the context of potential terrorism export] in addition to humanitarian aid.

The spokesperson stated that it is a matter for others to value such targeted benefits and to make policy determinations accordingly.

Issues relating to corruption and the transparency of aid expenditures were very significant, but not new, and had been under very active consideration for some time.

The spokesperson stated that “one of the issues canvassed again at this week’s conference was the establishment of a joint financial management board comprising international membership, the purpose being precisely to target and deal with such issues”.

As had been widely acknowledged over the many months of discussion of establishment of such a board, the Somali president and government was entirely supportive of such an initiative, giving donor countries the opportunity to offer advice and seek information on a formal basis, and subject to unanimous agreement, to make binding determinations in respect of controls over international donor funds contributed to the normalization of Somalia.

Finally, the spokesperson stated that, in respect of the reference to [presumably] Mogadishu as a ‘terror capital’, clearly the relevant media are carelessly and irresponsibly well out of touch.

Mogadishu today is rapidly returning to a semblance of normality, with visual evidence of a rapid revival in private sector activities and an increasing presence of foreign nationals assisting in humanitarian, rebuilding and normalization processes.

-END-

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A Christian woman married a Muslim without a wali (guardian); is her marriage valid?

2012-02-24T03:03:00.000Z

A Christian woman married a Muslim without a wali (guardian); is her marriage valid?
QUESTION:
I will apologize in advance for my lengthy questioning. I am a Christian woman who just recently married a Muslim man. Firstly after reading some of the info on your website I am questioning if we are actually married under Islamic law, as since I had no wali, the Imam who performed the nikah became my wali for the ceremony. We are speaking of divorce. He has moved out of my house, and I do not know where he is living. We only communicate via text messaging because he says he cannot control his emotions when talking over the phone. He never actually said I divorce you, but we told others that we were getting a divorce. I told him I don’t know how an Islamic divorce actually works, so I will handle the legal documents from the state, and he can handle the Islamic part, but I don’t think he even knows how to go about that. I should probably state that we have only been married for four months. I married him two weeks after he was released from prison, because he said that he could not live with me if we were not married. We had a previous relationship with several children involved before he went to prison and became a “practicing Muslim” I agreed to a lot of things in regards to Islam in our household, letting him teach the children about Islam, giving up a male friend that I had for numerous years before I knew him, no pork, no music, no alcohol, dressing conservatively, etc. I even agreed that once we could afford to, I would get my tubal ligation reversed, because he says it is against Islam for my tubes to be tied, (even though the surgery and a future pregnancy has the potential to cause me great harm). I never said that I would stop celebrating some holidays and he agreed. I never promised that I would convert either, but now this is a problem. He feels as though he cannot deal with me because I haven’t converted yet. I told him that I used to have a genuine interest in Islam, until he continuously “harassed me about it” I try to hold conversations with him, and he says unless it is about Islam, there is nothing to talk about. We are both not happy, but I don’t think that divorce is a good idea either. One major issue is that he feels as though I hate Islam, which I don’t, but I have said some not so nice things to him about Islam, because he constantly belittles me and is very condescending about my religion. Are we allowed to agree to disagree about our religious views? I also am very concerned that he is talking to women on Facebook, one who he has had a prior sexual relationship with, but he states that it is all innocent, he is only talking with them about Islam, but I was able to see messages where he asked several women if they were married or not, which I don’t feel is appropriate. He also made conversation with a woman from another country about flying her here to the US. How can he do this? He is not even taking care of me and our family. He has no money, or work, and I take care of us all, all 13 of us. A lot of things that he does and says seem to push me further away from Islam, because he seems so selfish and I feel like he uses Islam to excuse behaviors that I feel are inappropriate. We were once having relations in the bedroom, and we had not had intercourse yet, but he had already climaxed, so when we tried to have intercourse, because I hadn’t yet climaxed of course, he withdrew in the midst of it, got up, and said we’ll try later it’s time for prayer. I felt very hurt and ashamed, but he said he doesn’t have to justify anything to me. I thought Muslims were to treat their wives with kindness. He says that he can’t love me because I am not Muslim. Is this true? He also says that I am not allowed to talk to anyone about our marital problems, but what am I to do if I can’t even get him to talk to me about our problems? When I bring to his attention about facts in Islam, that he is not adhering to, he states that I am not a believer, and can’t tell him anything about Islam. I even told him some information that I learned from this website, that he also frequents, but he still says I have no right to question him, and that I am just fuel for the Hell-fire because obviously Allah has placed a veil over my heart. Please help.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

In order for the marriage to be valid, it is stipulated that the contract be done by the woman’s guardian.

The guardian of a Christian or Jewish woman is a male relative who is a follower of the same religion: her father, grandfather or brother… If there is no such relative or he refuses, then her marriage contract is to be done by the Muslim judge if there is one; if not, her marriage should be done by the director of the Islamic Centre in her locality, because the basic principle with regard to guardianship in the case of marriage is that it belongs to the father, then to male relatives, the closest then the next closest. If there are no male relatives or they are not qualified to be guardians for any reason, or if they refuse for no good reason, then guardianship passes to the ruler or one who takes his place.

Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah, 18/162

If a woman gets married without a guardian or the imam of the mosque does the marriage even though she has a guardian who is of the same religion as her, then there is a difference of opinion among the fuqaha’ concerning this marriage, but if it has taken place then it is not to be invalidated, because of this difference of scholarly opinion.

In many Muslim countries the shar‘i judicial system is based on the madhhab of Imam Abu Haneefah (may Allah have mercy on him) who said that a woman’s marriage without her guardian’s consent is valid.

Based on that, if you do not have a guardian who is of the same religion as you, or you have a guardian but he refused to give you in marriage to this man for no good reason, so the imam of the mosque did the marriage for you, then the marriage contract is valid.

If you had a guardian and he did not refuse to give you in marriage, but you gave yourself in marriage or the imam of the mosque did the marriage for you, this is a marriage without a guardian and in principle it is not allowed, but so long as it has taken place, it is not to be invalidated and you are indeed a wife on that basis.

So now you are a wife to this Muslim man, whatever the case.

Secondly:

There is no doubt that Islam has enjoined kind treatment of the wife, as you mentioned. In fact this is something that is well known and is confirmed by a great deal of evidence from the Qur’aan and Sunnah. For example Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And live with them honourably. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing and Allah brings through it a great deal of good”

[an-Nisa’ 4:19].

And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I advise you to treat women kindly.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3331; Muslim, 1468

And he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The best of you is the best of you to his family and I am the best of you to my family.” Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, 3895; Ibn Maajah, 1977. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi.

Kind treatment includes the following:

-1-

Communicating with the wife, consulting her, discussing matters with her and listening to her advice, even if she is not Muslim.

-2-

Giving her her rights to intimacy, and not leaving her until her desire has been satisfied.

Imam Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is mustahabb to engage in foreplay with one’s wife before having intercourse and to arouse her desire, so that she will get the same enjoyment from intercourse as he does. It was narrated from ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he said: “Do not have intercourse until she is as aroused as you are, so that you will not reach climax before she does.” I [the narrator] said: Are you telling me that? He said: Yes, you kiss her, touch her and embrace her, and when you see that she is as aroused as you are, then have intercourse with her.

If he reaches climax before her, it is makrooh (disliked) for him to stop until she has also reached climax, because of the report narrated by Anas ibn Maalik who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When a man has intercourse with his wife, let him do it wholeheartedly, then when he has fulfilled his desire, he should not rush her until she has fulfilled her desire.” And because that is harmful to her and prevents him from fulfilling her desire.

Al-Mughni, 8/136

Both hadeeths are da‘eef (weak), but they are sound in terms of meaning and proper understanding.

Al-Manaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: When one of you has intercourse with his wife, let him do it wholeheartedly, meaning that he should do it in a loving and way, and do it properly.

If he reaches climax first, when she is aroused, he should not make her rush to reach climax; rather he should give her time until she reaches climax as he did. So he should not leave her until he is certain that she reached her climax. That is part of kind treatment, keeping her chaste and good manners.

From this hadeeth and the following one it may be understood that if the man is quick to reach climax and cannot wait until his wife reaches climax, then it is recommended for him to seek treatment that will help him to delay reaching climax.

End quote from Fayd al-Qadeer, 1/325

-3-

Another aspect of kind treatment is not belittling the wife for her religion and addressing her as a “kaafir” (disbeliever), because that is contrary to the command of Allah, may He be exalted, Who says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Invite (mankind, O Muhammad SAW) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Quran) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided”

[an-Nahl 16:125].

And it is going against the command of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his instructions to treat women kindly, as quoted above.

The man who has married a woman of the People of the Book (i.e., a Jewish or Christian woman) married her knowing what her religion was, so what is the point of his criticising her for that or telling her that he will never love her unless she changes her religion?!

Thirdly:

It is not permissible to force a Jewish or Christian wife to become Muslim; rather it is not permissible to force any other people to become Muslim either, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“There is no compulsion in religion”

[al-Baqarah 2:256].

Fourthly:

The basic principle is that it is not permissible for a woman to ask for divorce unless there is a reason that makes doing so permissible, such as her husband refusing to spend on her or repeated bad treatment and harshness towards her. Allah has prescribed for us an important way of resolving marital disputes, which is for the woman to choose a man from among her family and the husband to choose a man from among his family, who then examine the causes of the dispute and try to remedy the matter, and decide whether it is better for the marriage to continue or for it to end in divorce.

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“If you fear a breach between them twain (the man and his wife), appoint (two) arbitrators, one from his family and the other from hers; if they both wish for peace, Allah will cause their reconciliation. Indeed Allah is Ever All-Knower, Well-Acquainted with all things”

[an-Nisa’ 4:35].

It is not true that no one should know about marital problems. If there is any dispute and the spouses are not able to resolve it, then there is no option but to seek the intervention of people who could bring about reconciliation between them, examine the causes of the problem and try to resolve it.

We get the sense from your question that you love your husband and want to stay with him, hence we say: do not hasten to seek a divorce; try to remedy these problems. Your husband should understand that he is enjoined to refer to sharee‘ah with regard to this dispute.

This principle, if it is repeatedly applied in your lives, will guarantee both of you happiness by Allah’s leave. All disputes should be referred to the laws of Allah in which your husband believes and which you respect: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), to know what is true and what is false. There are people who are specialised in sharee‘ah, so your husband should not refrain from consulting the imam of the Islamic Centre or anyone else who has knowledge of sharee‘ah, and discuss the problem with him and seek the Islamic ruling concerning it. Sharee‘ah will only guide to that which is good and give you dignity that you seek.

Fifthly:

We also get the sense from your question that you are a reasonable person with sound thinking, and that you were right about all the things you have mentioned in your question, hence we say:

A person like you should not hesitate to join this great religion, for it is the religion that is in accordance with reason and sound human nature, that encourages morality and values, that encourages its followers to treat others kindly, respect their feelings, be considerate towards others, be fair to the weak and respect people. It is a realistic and practical religion, in which there are dozens of texts which address marital problems and social issues; it guarantees happiness for the family, the ummah and mankind.

So our sincere advice to you is to do your utmost in finding out about Islam from valid sources, and do not let the bad conduct of its followers put you off it, for among its followers are righteous and evildoers, those who do good and those who behave badly. This is the case of the followers of all the Prophets.

We are happy to hear that our website is one of the sources that you are referring to.

We ask Allah to open your heart to Islam and guide you to faith, and to decree for you guidance and happiness in this world and in the Hereafter.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

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World leaders pledge help for Somalia

2012-02-24T02:51:00.000Z

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Strengthening the UK's relationship with Somaliland

2012-02-24T02:40:00.001Z

Strengthening the UK's relationship with Somaliland

22 February 2012Foreign Secretary William Hague met President Silanyo of Somaliland on 22 February, the eve of the London Conference on Somalia.

The Foreign Secretary and President Silanyo reaffirmed the close ties between the UK and Somaliland. They agreed that Somaliland was making progress in further embedding democracy and discussed issues of mutual interest, including cooperation on trade and to counter piracy. Over the next three years, the UK will provide up to £105 million in development support to Somaliland to promote prosperity, tackle poverty and consolidate progress on stability and democracy.

Speaking after their meeting, the Foreign Secretary said:

“I am delighted to see President Silanyo in London for the Conference on Somalia. Somaliland has valuable lessons to share from its own experience of building stability and democracy. I welcome President Silanyo’s participation at the Conference and am grateful for Somaliland’s continued co-operation in the fight against piracy and terrorism.”

http://ukinsomalia.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=News&id=733871182

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London Conference on Somalia: Communique

2012-02-24T02:14:00.000Z

London Conference on Somalia: Communique
23 February 2012Full text of the Communique from the London Conference on Somalia at Lancaster House on 23 February.

1. The London Conference on Somalia took place at Lancaster House on 23rd February 2012, attended by fifty-five delegations from Somalia and the international community.

2. We met at a key moment in Somalia’s history. Somalia is emerging from the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. African and Somali troops have pushed Al Shabaab out of Mogadishu and other areas. The transitional institutions come to an end in August 2012, and the people of Somalia want clarity on what will follow. The situation remains precarious, and in urgent need of support from the international community.

3. Decisions on Somalia’s future rest with the Somali people. The Somali political leadership must be accountable to the people. The international community’s role is to facilitate Somalia’s progress and development: our strength is in unity and coordinated support to Somalia. We noted the importance of listening to and working with Somalis inside and outside Somalia, and welcomed their engagement in the run-up to this Conference.

4. The Conference focussed on the underlying causes of instability, as well as the symptoms (famine, refugees, piracy, and terrorism). We, the international community, agreed: to inject new momentum into the political process; to strengthen AMISOM and help Somalia develop its own security forces; to help build stability at local level; and to step up action to tackle pirates and terrorists.

Political

5. We agreed that the Transitional Federal Institutions’ mandate ends in August 2012. There must be no further extensions. We welcomed the agreements that chart the way towards more representative government: the Transitional Federal Charter, the Djibouti Agreement, the Kampala Accord, and the Roadmap. We welcomed the progress represented by the Garowe Principles, endorsed the priority of convening a Constituent Assembly, and emphasised that the Assembly must be representative of the views of the Somali people of all regions and constituencies, and that women must be part of the political process. In line with Garowe II, we agreed to incentivise progress and act against spoilers to the peace process, and that we would consider proposals in this regard before the Istanbul Conference in June.

6. The Conference recognised the need for the international community to support any dialogue that Somaliland and the TFG or its replacement may agree to establish in order to clarify their future relations.

7. We condemned terrorism and violent extremism, whether perpetrated by Somalis or foreigners. We called on all those willing to reject violence to join the Djibouti peace process. We agreed to develop a defectors’ programme to support those who leave armed groups.

8. We emphasised the urgency of Somalia funding its own public services, and using its assets for the benefit of the people, as well as tackling corruption. We welcomed the progress that has been made in establishing a Joint Financial Management Board to increase transparency and accountability in the collection and efficient use of public revenues, as well as international development aid, and which will help strengthen Somali public financial management institutions. A declaration by the initial members of the JFMB is at Annex A.

9. Respect for human rights must be at the heart of the peace process. We called for action to address in particular the grave human rights violations and abuses that women and children face. We emphasised that journalists must be able to operate freely and without fear. Civilians must be protected. We called on the Somali authorities to take measures to uphold human rights and end the culture of impunity. We agreed to step up international efforts including through the UN human rights architecture.

Security and Justice

10. We agreed that security and justice were essential both to a successful political process and to development. Better security could only be achieved sustainably in parallel with better justice and the rule of law.

11. We expressed gratitude to those countries whose troops had served as peacekeepers and paid tribute to the achievements and sacrifices of AMISOM and other forces. We welcomed joint planning by the UN and African Union and reiterated the importance of effective command and control. We welcomed the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2036, which expands AMISOM’s mandate and raises the troop ceiling. We encouraged AMISOM to ensure the protection of civilians. We encouraged partners, especially new donors, to contribute to funding for AMISOM, including through the EU.

12. We agreed that, over time, Somalis should take over responsibility for providing their own security and develop their own justice systems to deal with the threats to their security and improve access to justice. We noted that Somalis themselves must decide what security and justice arrangements they need.

13. We acknowledged the good work underway in supporting the Somali security and justice sectors. We agreed that we would build an international framework of partners in order to bring much needed coordination and focus to those efforts, underpinned by a set of principles at annex B, and working closely with the UN’s Joint Security Committee.

Piracy

14. We reiterated our determination to eradicate piracy, noting that the problem requires a comprehensive approach on land as well as at sea. We expressed our concern that hostages in Somalia are being held longer and with more use of violence. We welcomed the work of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia. We also welcomed the success of international military efforts, and remain committed to such efforts with robust rules of engagement and sufficient force generation. We agreed that piracy cannot be solved by military means alone, and reiterated the importance of supporting communities to tackle the underlying causes of piracy, and improving the effective use of Somali coastal waters through regional maritime capacity-building measures. We welcomed those initiatives underway and agreed to coordinate and support such initiatives better. We called for full implementation of the Djibouti Code of Conduct and the adoption of an Exclusive Economic Zone. We look forward to reviewing progress including at the Piracy Conference in the UAE in June.

15. We welcomed the efforts of partners in industry against piracy, and called for greater take-up of Best Management Practice on ships. We welcomed current work on international guidance on the use of private armed security companies.

16. There will be no impunity for piracy. We called for greater development of judicial capacity to prosecute and detain those behind piracy both in Somalia and in the wider region and recognised the need to strengthen capacity in regional states. We welcomed new arrangements, which enable some states and naval operations to transfer suspected pirates captured at sea for trial by partners across the Indian Ocean region, and if convicted, to transfer them to prisons in Puntland and Somaliland which meet international standards. We noted the intention to consider further the possibility of creating courts in Somalia specialised in dealing with piracy.

17. We reiterated our determination to prosecute the kingpins of piracy. Recognising work already undertaken, we agreed to enhance coordination on illegal financial flows and to coordinate intelligence gathering and investigations. We noted the establishment of a Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecutions Intelligence Coordination Centre in the Seychelles.

Terrorism

18. Terrorism poses a serious threat to security in Somalia itself, to the region, and internationally. It has inflicted great suffering on the Somali population. We agreed to work together with greater determination, and with full respect for the rule of law, human rights, and international humanitarian law, to build capacity to disrupt terrorism in the region, and to address the root causes of terrorism. We agreed on the importance of disrupting terrorists’ travel to and from Somalia, and on the importance of disrupting terrorist finances, and called on countries in the region to implement the Financial Action Task Force’s recommendations on combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism. We noted that effective intelligence gathering and investigation, and support to the Somali criminal justice system, were critical to the fight against terrorism. We agreed to work with the Global Counter Terrorism Forum and other international and regional bodies to deliver this important work.

Stability and Recovery

19. We welcomed the success in some areas of Somalia in establishing local areas of stability, and agreed to increase support to build legitimate and peaceful authorities, and improve services to people living in these areas. We acknowledged the importance of creating the conditions inside Somalia for durable solutions for the displaced, that respect international laws. We agreed that such efforts should promote local and regional cohesion, and converge with the national political process.

20. We considered the implementation of the Mogadishu Recovery and Stabilisation Plan important. We agreed to expand programmes to newly-recovered areas. We would focus support on enabling the delivery of immediate and sustainable benefits to ordinary Somali people: safety and security, economic opportunities and basic services. We would promote effective and accountable local administrations, and support the resolution of disputes.

21. We agreed that all support to local areas of stability should be in accordance with the New Deal for engagement in fragile states recently adopted in Busan, and build on the stabilisation strategies prepared by both IGAD and the Transitional Federal Government. We endorsed a set of principles to guide international support to local areas of stability in Somalia (Annex C). We agreed to continue funding local stability through existing programmes, and noted the establishment of a new Stability Fund to which a number of us will contribute .

22. We agreed that Somalia’s long-term reconstruction and economic development depended on a vibrant private sector, and that both aid and diaspora finance could develop Somalia’s considerable potential in livestock, fisheries and other sectors. We noted that stability was a prerequisite for most sustainable investments in infrastructure such as electricity, roads and water systems. We looked forward to further discussion on all these issues at the Istanbul Conference.

Humanitarian

23. The Conference was preceded by a separate meeting on humanitarian issues co-chaired by the United Nations and the United Arab Emirates. Notwithstanding the end of the famine, participants expressed concern at the ongoing humanitarian crisis, and committed to providing humanitarian aid based solely on need. They agreed a set of conclusions on humanitarian issues and linking relief with longer-term recovery.

International coordination

24. We agreed to carry forward work agreed at London through the International Contact Group on Somalia (ICG), and welcomed the ICG’s decision in Djibouti to look at restructuring to become more effective. We recommended that the ICG establish working groups on the political process, security and justice, and stability and development. We noted that, within the ICG, a core group of engaged countries would drive progress in support of UN, AU and IGAD efforts.

25. We welcomed the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) in facilitating progress in Somalia. We also welcomed the role of IGAD and the African Union, and the support of the League of Arab States, the European Union, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. We encouraged effective coordination between UN entities working on Somalia. While recognising the still challenging security situation in Somalia, we welcomed UNPOS’ relocation to Mogadishu and agreed that we would aim to spend more time on the ground in Somalia in order to work more closely with Somalis on the challenging tasks ahead.

Conclusion
26. We expressed the hope that a new era of Somali politics, supported by the international community, will bring peace to Somalia. We are determined to place the interests of the Somali people at the heart of all our actions. We looked forward to the day when the situation in Somalia would have made sufficient progress for an international conference to be held there. In the meantime, we will redouble our efforts to support the people of Somalia in their search for a better future for their country.

http://samotalis.blogspot.com/

قصة توبة الفنانة شمس البارودي وارتدائها النقاب

2012-02-24T02:00:00.000Z

warkii u danbeeyey ee london.mpg

2012-02-24T01:20:00.000Z

Briefing: Somalia's political roadmap

2012-02-24T01:00:00.000Z

Briefing: Somalia's political roadmap

NAIROBI, 22 February 2012 (IRIN) - In August, Somalia faces constitutional limbo if the key provisions of a political "roadmap" agreed in September 2011, and one of the topics of this week's conference in London, are not met.

What governance structures exist in Somalia?

The internationally recognized and funded administration in Somalia is the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), appointed by parliament in 2004 after three predecessors and more than a dozen major and often internationally sponsored conferences failed to establish a nationally effective government, something Somalia has lacked since the fall of Mohammed Siad Barre in 1991.

The TFG's legislative branch is the 550-seat Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP). It and the TFG are defined in the Transitional Federal Charter, a sort of proto-constitution, and have outlived their original mandate, which expired in 2011. New governance structures are supposed to be in place by August 2012.

The fact that the TFG has little presence or control outside Mogadishu and is unelected, being a product of prolonged negotiations in Djibouti between armed groups, former warlords, international mediators and some elements of civil society, weakens its legitimacy.

The TFG depends on foreign military and financial assistance, including 10,000 African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) forces in Mogadishu. Large parts of southern and central Somalia are controlled either by loosely allied factions, militia and self-regional administrations or "micro-states" or by the hard-line Al-Shabab. Kenyan and Ethiopian troops are attempting to push Al-Shabab out of key towns and economic strongholds in the south and centre.

Meanwhile, stable northwestern Somaliland has claimed independence since 1991 but plays no part in the TFG.

What is the roadmap?

The "Somalia End of Transition Roadmap" is a detailed nine-page list of dozens of tasks designed to steer Somalia towards more permanent political institutions and greater national security and stability.

These tasks are grouped under the headings of security, a new constitution (due by June 2012), political outreach and reconciliation, and good governance.

The roadmap includes measures for countering piracy; co-opting local militia groups (although there is no specific reference to Al-Shabab); preventing the recruitment of children into armed groups; demarcating territorial waters; reducing the size of parliament and planning for elections; developing peace-building initiatives; and tackling corruption.

It was announced in Mogadishu on 6 September 2011 and initialled by the Somali prime minsister, leaders of regional entities Puntland and Galmudug, the head of the Ahlul Sunnah wal Jamaa'ah (ASWJ) militia group, the UN envoy to Somalia, representatives of the League of Arab States, the African Union and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

What support does the roadmap enjoy inside Somalia?

Augustine Mahiga, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative to Somalia and head of the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS), described the document as "probably the most inclusive instrument and most inclusive process" of all the efforts to rebuild Somalia's governance. Mahiga pointed to the involvement of regional entities such as Puntland and Galmudug.

"We have also brought in civil society, which is a whole array of social and political actors, including women, elders, religious leaders, the youth, business community and the diaspora... Our [UN] role was only to facilitate in terms of logistics; it continues to be Somali-led and a Somalia-owned process," said Mahiga.

In early February, Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali declared his government's commitment to the roadmap "and to fulfilling the tasks that will allow us to move into a new era of security, stability, political inclusivity, and financial integrity.

"We believe government should come from the people. We need to re-establish that link between our parliament and our public - that is why we must reform our parliament," he added.

Do legislators back the roadmap?

Not all of them. In early January, 185 legislators, led by second deputy speaker Ahmed Dhimbil Asawe, wrote to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon complaining that a copy had not been submitted to parliament for approval.

"The word 'roadmap' is being used to mislead and confuse the Somali public," he said, adding that the only substantive topic of discussion at related conferences was reducing the legislature's size. The letter also called for the TFP's mandate to be extended for three years.

One legislator, Omar Islaw Mohamed, told IRIN the roadmap was "the brainchild of the international community with very little Somali input. Only a small group of Somalis - who appointed themselves - are pushing something many Somalis have no clue about."

Mahiga told IRIN the reforms had "created insecurities among parliamentarians" because the changes "will not only reduce their numbers but also define new criteria on representation in parliament".

What other issues are contentious?

Political analyst and president of the Somali Canadian Diaspora Alliance Abdi Dirshe said the roadmap "undermines the sovereignty of the state institutions of Somalia as the institutional oversight mechanisms are now in the hands of external forces", such as the UN, AU and IGAD, as well as Uganda and Ethiopia.

"This approach will undoubtedly strengthen support for resistance and the likelihood of wider support for groups like Al-Shabab," he warned in an article published on the Somali Talk website. [ http://somalitalkradio.com/2011/oct/newsomalia_roadmap.pdf ]

Dirshe said priority should rather have been given to the restoration of law and order by reinforcing national security forces and establishing an effective judiciary.

Countering the charge of unwanted foreign meddling, Abdihabib Yasin Warsame, a US-based Puntland Diaspora Forum leader, wrote in a recent article [ http://codkawaamo.com/2012/02/is-somalias-roadmap-too-big-to-fail/ ] that "an honest inspection of history reveals that Somalia has been bogged down by its own leaders refusing to reach a collaborative solution. The lack of personal accountability and the never-ending crisis among our leaders was the rationale that led the creation of the roadmap."

Political scientist Oduesp Eman said that by failing to focus on bolstering and unifying the army, the roadmap "sets the stage for indefinite dependency on AMISOM".

Concern has also been raised about the clout accorded in the roadmap process to select regional entities such as Galmudug and the ASWJ, given their unelected status and alleged financial backing from neighbouring states. The exclusion of other similar entities, say critics, undermines the objective of political unity and confidence in the process and runs the risk of increasing the perceived legitimacy of groups such as Al-Shabab, which claim to champion the interests of the wider population against foreign intervention.

For Mahiga, there is no alternative to the current strategy. "The message is clear: the roadmap is the way forward and spoilers seeking to derail the process will not be tolerated," he said in December 2011.

While "engaged, constructive dissent" was welcome, he said there was "no place for those who work to unravel years of work advancing the cause of peace in Somalia".

Is the roadmap on track?

Mahiga told IRIN the document's deadlines were being met and that the London Conference would give "added momentum" to the process and provide new ideas about what has to be done after the transitional period expires in August.

But independent Horn of Africa analyst Rashid Abdi said that despite progress on drafting the constitution, there was only a "minuscule" chance that all the benchmarks would be achieved on schedule. Parliamentary infighting and dysfunction, he said, would slow down the key pillar of legislative reform.

Some analysts argue that members of the TFG and TFP would like the roadmap not to be completed, because they could then avoid elections and remain in a governance structure they believe the international community would have no option but to continue to recognize.

ah-am/mw

[END]

SHIRKA LONDON EE SOOMAALIYA: WAR-MURTIYEEDKII LA ISKU RAACAY

2012-02-24T00:41:00.000Z

SHIRKA LONDON EE SOOMAALIYA: WAR-MURTIYEEDKII LA ISKU RAACAY

Khamiis, February 23, 2012 (HOL) - Kadib markii saacado ka hor lasoo gabagabeeyay shirkii London ayaa waxaa lasoo saaray warmurtiyeedkii kama dambaysta ahaa ee ay isku raaceen ka qaybgalyaasha shirka.

Hordhac

1. Shirka London ee ku saabsan Soomaaliya waxaa uu aqalka Lancaster House uu ka dhacay 23^kii Febraayo 2012, waxaana ka soo qaybgaley konton iyo shan wefdi oo ka kala socdey Soomaaliya iyo beesha caalamka.

2. Waxa aan shirney waqti muhiim u ah Taariikhda Soomaaliya. Soomaaliya waxaa ay hadda ka soo baxaysaa dhibaatooyin bani'aadamnimo kuwii waqtigan ugu xumaa dunida. Ciidamo Afrikaan iyo Soomaali ah ayaa Al Shabaab ka saarey Muqdisho iyo degaamo kale. Hay'adaha ku-meelgaarka ah waxaa uu waqtigoodu dhammaanayaa Agoosto 2012, waxaana dadka Soomaaliya ay doonayaan in la caddeeyo waxa ka dambeyn doona. Xaaladdu weli ma deggana, waxaana ay u baahan tahay taageero degdeg ah oo ay siiso bulshada caalamka.

3. Go'aanka ku saabsan mustaqbalka Soomaaliya waxaa leh dadka Soomaalida ah. Hoggaanka siyaasadda ee Soomaaliya waa in ay ahaadaan kuwo ay la xisaabtamaan dadkooda. Kaalinta bulshada caalamka u furan waa in ay fududeeyaan horumarka iyo koboca: xooggeenu waxaa uu ku jiraa midnimo iyo taageero isku dubaridan oo aan siinno Soomaaliya. Waxaa markii la qabanqaabinayey shirkan aan aqoonsanney muhiimadda ay leedahay in aan dhegeysanno oo aan la shaqeyno dadka Soomaaliyeed ee jooga gudaha iyo dibadda Soomaaliya, waxaana aan ku soo dhoweynney la kulankooda ka hor shirkan.

4. Shirku waxaa uu diiradda saarey sababaha dhalinaya degganaan la'aanta, iyo sidoo kale waxyaabaha calaamadaha u ah (macaluusha, burcad-badeednimada, iyo argagaxisanimada). Annaga oo bulshada caalamka ah, waxaan isla garanney: in aan dardar cusub gelinno geeddi-socodka siyaasadda; in aan xoojinno AMISOM oo aan Soomaaliya gacan ka siinno kobcinta ciidankeeda ammaanka; in aan gacan ka geysanno degannaanshaha heer degaan; in aan ku dhaqaaqno tallaabo wax looga qabanayo burcad-badeedda iyo argagaxisada.

Siyaasadda

5. Waxaan ku heshiinney in waqtiga Hay'adaha Federalka ee Ku-meelgaarka ah uu dhammaanayo Agoosto 2012. Waana in aan mar kale waqti loo kordhin. Waxaan soo dhoweyney heshiisyada tilmaamaya waddada lagu gaarayodowlad si middan ka badan dadka u matasha: Axdiga Federalka ee Ku-meelgaarka ah, Heshiiskii Kampala, iyo Khadiiddada Waddada/Roadmap. Waxaa aan ayidney mudnaanta, lagu xusey Mabaa'diida Garowe, oo sheegayey in degdeg la isugu keeno Gole Ta'siisi ah (Constituent Assembly), waxaana aan carrabka ku adkeyney in Golaha uu ahaado mid ay ka wada muuqdaan fikradaha dadka Soomaaliyeed ee dhammaan gobollada iyo degaamada kala duwan, iyo in ay waajib tahay in haweenku ay qayb ka noqdaan geeddi-socodka siyaasadda. Si waafaqsan heshiiskii Garowe II ayaan isula oggolaaney in la dhiirrigelinno horumarka oo aan tallaabo ka qaadno kuwa qasaya geeddi-socodka nabadda, iyo in aan tixgelin doonna talooyinka arrintan la xiriira inta ka horreysa Shirka Istanbul ee la qaban doono bisha Juunyo.

6. Shirku waxaa uu aqoonsadey baahida loo qabo in bulshada caalamku ay taageerto wada-hadal kasta ee Somaliland iyo TFG-da ama ciddii beddesha ay ku heshiiyaan in ay yeeshaan si loo caddeeyo xiriirkooda mustaqbalka.

7. Waxaan cambaareyney argagaxisanimada iyo xagjirnimada gacan-ka-hadalka wadata, haddii ay ku kacaan Soomaali ama ajnebiba. Waxaan ugu baaqney in dhammaan kuwa oggol in ay ku gacan-seyraan rabshadda/gacan-ka-hadalka ay ku soo biiraan geeddi-socodka nabadda ee Jabuuti. Waxaan ku heshiinney in aan sameyno barnaamij loogu talogaley kuwa soo goosta oo lagu taageerayo kuwa ka soo baxa kooxaha hubeysan.

8. Waxa aan carrabka ku adkeyney sida degdegga ah ee loogu baahan yahay in Soomaaliya ay awooddo in ay maalgeliso adeegyadeeda dowladda, oo ay hantideeda u adeegsato waxyaabaha dadka faa'iidada u leh, iyo sidoo kale wax ka qabashada musuq-maasuqa. Waxaan soo dhoweyney horumarka laga sameeyey dhisidda Guddi Wadajir u Maareeya Maaliyadda/ Joint Financial Management Board (JFMB) si loo kordhiyo daahfurnaanta iyo xisaabtanka ee dhinacyada soo ururinta iyo in si habboon u isticmaalidda dakhliga dowladda, iyo sidoo kale gargaarka caalamiga ah ee horumarinta, kaas oo gacan ka geysanaya xoojinta hay'adaha maareynta maaliyadda dowladda ee Soomaalida ah. Baaq ay soo saareen xubinihii u horreeyey ee JFMB waxaa uu ku qoran yahay Lifaaqa A.

9. Geeddi-socodka nabadda waa in ay xuddun u ahaataa ixtiraamiddaxuquuqaha aadanaha. Waxaan ku baaqney in la qaado tallaabo gaar ahaan mid wax looga qabanayo ku-tumashada iyo xadgudubyada waaweyn ee xuquuqaha aadanaha ee haysta haweenka iyo carruurta. Waxaan carrabka ku adkeyney in ay waajib tahay in suxufiyiintu ay hawshooda u qabsadaan si xor ah oo aan cabsiyi ku jirin. Waa in la ilaaliyaa dadka rayidka ah. Waxaan madaxda Soomaalida ugu baaqney in ay qaadaan tallooyin lagu xaqiijinayo xuquuqaha aadanaha laguna joojinayo dhaqanka ah in aan waxba la isu raacan (impunity). Waxaan ku heshiinney in aan xoojinno dadaallada caalamiga ah ee ay ka mid tahay in loo maro hay'adaha Qaramada Midoobey ee xuquuqaha aadanaha.

Ammaanka iyo Caddaaladda

10. Waxaan ku heshiinney in ammaanka iyo caddaaladdu ay muhiim u yihiin in la helo geeddi-socod siyaasadeed oo guuleysta iyo horumarkaba. Ammaan wanaagsan waxaa si joogto ah loogu heli karaa oo keliya marka ay barbar socdaan caddaalad wanaagsan iyo talinta sharciga.

11. Waxaan u mahad-celinney dalalka ciidamadoodu ay nabad-ilaaliyeyaal ahaan u joogaan gudaha waxaana aan ammaanney guulihii iyo wixii ay u hureenAMISOM iyo ciidamada kale. Waxaan soo dhoweyney qorshaha wadajirka ah ee ay dejinayaan Qaramada Midoobey iyo Midowga Afrika waxaana aan mar kale ku celinney muhiimadda ay leedahay in la sameeyo hoggaan taabogal ah. [Waxaan soo dhoweyneynaa in la ansaxiyo Qaraarkii Golaha Ammaanka ee Qaramada Midoobey ee tirsigiisu yahay **** ee ballaarinaya maandeytka (hawsha) AMISOM oo badinayana tirada ciidankooda.] Waxaan AMISOM ku dhiirrigeliney in ay hubiso ilaalinta dadka rayidka ah. Waxaa aan wada-hawlgalayaasha, gaar ahaan deeq-bixiyeyaasha cusub, ku dhiirrigeliney in ay maaliyad siiyaan AMISOM, taas oo ay ka mid tahay mid la soo mariyo Midowga Yurub.

12. Waxaan ku heshiinney in, muddo ka dib, Soomaalidu ay la wareegaan mas'uuliyadda ammaankooda ayna kobciyaan nidaamkooda cadaaladda si ay wax uga qabtaan halista ku wajahan ammaankooda ayna wanaajiyaan helidda caddaaladda. Waxaan aqoonsanney in Soomaalida oo keliya ay u taallo in ay go'aansadaan nooca ammaan iyo caddaalad ee ay doonayaan.

13. Waxaan aqoonsanney hawsha wanaagsan ee socota ee lagu taageerayo waaxaha ammaanka iyo caddaaladda ee Soomaaliya. Waxaan ku heshiinney in aan dhisno qaab wada-hawlgalayaal caalami ah si loo helo isudiwidda aadka loogu baahan yahay iyo si diiradda loo saaro hawlahaas, oo ay xoojinayaan tiro mabaa'dii ah oo lagu qorey lifaaqa B oo si dhow ula shaqeynaya Guddiga Wadajirka ah ee Qaramada Midoobey ee Ammaanka/UN's Joint Security Committee.

Burcad-badeednimada

14. Waxaan mar kale ku celinney sida ay innooga go'an tahay ciribtirka burcad-badeednimada, annaga oo ogaaney in dhibaatadu ay u baahan tahay in hab ballaaran oo dhulka iyo baddaba ah wax looga qabto. Waxaan muujinney welwelka aan ka qabno la-haystayaasha muddada dheer lagu hayso Soomaaliya ee gacantana loo qaadayo. Waxaan soo dhoweyney hawsha Kooxda Xiriirka arrimaha Burcad-badeedda Dibadda Xeebta Soomaaliya. Waxaan sidoo kale soo dhoweyney guusha ay gaareen dadaallada ciidamada caalamiga ah, waana ay innaga go'an tahay sii wadista dadaalladaas oo kale oo leh xeerar adag oo hagaya hawlgalka iyo ciidamo ku filan. Waxaan isla oggolaaney in burcad-badeednimada aan lagu xallin karin hawlo mileteri oo keliya, waxaana aan ku celinney muhiimadda ay leedahay in bulshooyinka in ay wax ka qabtaan waxyaabaha sababta u ah burcad-badeednimada, iyo sii wanaajinta in biyaha xeebaha Soomaaliya si waxtar leh loo adeegsado iyada oo loo marayo tallaabooyin lagu dhisayo kartida dhinaca badda ee gobolka. Waxaan soo dhoweyney dadaallada socda waxaana aan isla oggolaaney in si wanaagsan la isugu duwo loona taageero. Waxaan ku baaqney in si buuxda loo hirgeliyo Xeer-dhaqanka Anashaxa ee Jabuuti (the Djibouti Code of Conduct) iyo in la sameeyo Soon/Degaan Dhaqaale oo Gaar ah (Exclusive Economic Zone). Waxaana sugeynaa waqtiga aan dib u eegi doonno horumarka la gaarey oo uu ka mid yahay kan laga gaarey Shirka Burcad-badeednimada ee lagu qaban doono Imaaraadka Carabta ee Midoobey bisha Juunyo.

15. Waxaan soo dhoweyney dadaalka wada-hawlgalayaasha hawshan/partners in industry ee ka dhanka ah burcad-badeedda, waxaana aan ku baaqney in si sidan ka ballaaran loo qaato Habka Maareynta ee ugu Wanaagsan (Best Management Paractice) ee maraakiibka korkooda. Waxaan soo dhoweyney hawsha hadda socota ee ku saabsan hagidda caalamiga ah ee adeegsiga sharikaadka gaarka loo leeyahay ee ammaanka ee hubeysan.

16. Ma jiri doonto burcad-badeenimada aan waxba la isugu raacan. Waxaan ku baaqney in si weyn loo kobciyo awoodda garsoor ee dacwad ku soo oogista iyo xiridda kuwa ka dambeeya burcad-badeednimada ee Soomaaliya iyo guud ahaan gobolka waxaana aan aqoonsanney baahida loo qabo in la xoojiyo kartida dowlad goboleedyada. Waxaan soo dhoweyney heshiisyada cusub, ee qaar ka mid ah dowladaha iyo hawlgallada ciidamada badda awood u siinaya in ay kuwa looga shakisan yahay burcad-badeednimada loo maxkamadeeyo marka ay wada-hawlgalayaashu ku qabtaan gobolka Badweynta Hindiya, iyo in marka lagu helo, loo wareejiyo xabsiyo ku yaalla Puntland iyo Somaliland oo heerarkoodu gaarsiisan yihiin jaangooyooyinka caalamiga ah. Waxaan ogaanney ujeedka lagu doonayo in laga sii fekero suuragalnimada in Soomaaliya gudaheeda laga dhiso maxkamado ku takhasusey wax ka qabashada burcad-badeednimada.

17. Waxaan mar kale sheegney sida ay innooga go'an tahay in aan maxkamadeyno kuwa u madaxda ah burcad-badeednimada. Annaga oo aqoonsanneyna hawsha hore loo soo qabtey, waxaan ku heshiinney in aan sii wanaajinno isuduwidda hawlaha wax looga qabanayo isusocodka maaliyadda sharci-darrada ah iyo in la isu duwo sir-doonka iyo baaritaannada. Waxaan ogaanney in Seychelles laga dhisey Xarun-goboleedda Isuduwidda Sir-doonka-Maxkamadeynta ee La-dagaallanka Burcad-badeedda/Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecutions Intelligence Coordination Centre.

Argagaxisada

18. Argagaxisanimadu waxaa ay halis adag ku tahay ammaanka Soomaaliya, kan gobolka, iyo kan caalamka. Waxaa ay silic weyn u geysatey dadka Soomaaliyeed. Waxaan isla wada oggolaaney in aan u wada shaqeyno si sidii hore ka xooggan, iyo iyada oo si buuxda loo ixtiraamayo talinta sharciga, xuuqaha aadanaha, iyo sharciga caalamiga ah ee bani'aadamnimada, in la dhiso kartida si loo carqaladeeyo argagaxisada gobolka, iyo in wax laga qabto sababaha asalka u ah argagaxisanimada. Waxaana aan aan isla garanney muhiimadda ay arrintan leedahay. Waxaan isla garanney muhiimadda ay leedahay carqaladeynta safarrada argagaxisada ay ku tagayaan Soomaaliya iyo kan ay kaga imanayaan, iyo muhiimadda ay leedahay carqaladeynta maaliyadda argagaxisada, waxaana aan ugu baaqney dalalka goboka ku yaalla in ay hirgeliyaan talooyinkii Koox-halweedda Tallaabada Maaliyadda/Financial Action Task Force ee ku saabsanaa la dagaallanka dhaqidda lacagta (raad-gadidda lacagta/money laundering) iyo maaliyad-siinta argagaxisada. Waxaan xusney in sir-doon iyo baaritaan taabogal ah, iyo taageero la siiyo nidaamka cadaaladda dembiyada ee Soomaaliya, ay muhiim u yihiin la dagaallanka argagaxisada. Waxaan ku heshiinney in aan la shaqeyno Golaha Caalamiga ah ee La-dagaallanka Argagaxisada/the Global Counter Terrorism Forum iyo hay'adaha kale ee caalamiga ah iyo kuwa goboleed si looga soo dhalaalo hawshan muhiimka ah.

Degannaanshaha iyo Soo-kabashada

19. Waxaan soo dhoweyneynaa guulaha ay gaareen degaanno ka mid ah Soomaaliya ee ay ku abuureen goobo deggan, waxaana aan ku heshiinney in aan kordhinno taageero lagu dhiso maamul sharci ah oo nabad ku dhisan, iyo si loo wanaajiyo adeegyada ay helaan dadka ku nool degaamadaas. Waxaan ku heshiinney in dadaallada noocaas ahi ay dhiirrigeliyaan/kor u qaadaan wadajirka, ayna qayb ka noqdaan geeddi-socodka siyaasadeed ee qaranka.

20. Waxaan fulinta Qorshaha Soo-kabashada iyo Dejinta Muqdisho u aqoonsanney mid muhiim ah. Waxaan ku heshiinney in barnaamijyada aan ku baahinno degaannada dhowaan dib loo soo ceshadey. Waxaan diiradda saari doonnaa taageero lagu suuragelinayo in faa'iidooyin degdeg ah oo la joogtana ah loo gaarsiiyo dadka Soomaaliyeed ee caadiga ah: bedqabka iyo ammaanka, fursado dhaqaale iyo adeegyo aasaasi ah. Waxaan dhiirrigelin doonaa maamullo degaan oo waxtar leh oo lala xisaabtamo, waxaana aan taageeri doonnaa xallinta khilaafaadka.

21. Waxaan ku heshiinney in guud ahaan taageerada arrimaha degannaanshaha ee gudaha loo bixiyo si waafaqsan Heshiiska Cusub ee ka hawlgelidda qaramada jilicsan ee dhowaan lagu ansxiyey Busan, oo aan ka faa'iideysanno istiraatiijiyadihii dejinta ee ay diyaariyeen IGAD iyo Dowladda Federalka ee Ku-meelgaarka ah. Waxa aan ayidney tiro mabaa'dii ah oo hagaya taageerada caalamiga ah ee la siinayo arrimaha degannaanshaha ee gudaha ee Soomaaliya (Lifaaqa C). Waxaan xusney in la sameeyey Sanduuqa Maaliyad Degganaansho oo cusub kaas oo qaar badan oo innaga mid ahi ay wax ku biirin doonaan[1].

22. Waxa aan isla oggolaaney in dib-u-dhiska iyo koboca dhaqaalaha ee Soomaaliya ee muddada fog ay ku xiran yihiin ganacsi gaar loo leeyahay oo firfircoon, iyo in gargaarka iyo maaliyadda qurba-joogta ay labaduba kobcin karaan qaybaha laga faa'iideysan karo ee xoolaha, kalluumeysiga iyo qaybaha kale ee dhaqaalaha. Waxaa aan xusney in degganaanshuhu uu shuruud u yahay badi maalgelinta joogtada ah ee kaabayaasha dhaqaalaha sida nidaamyada korontada, waddooyinka iyo biyaha. Waxaan fileynaa in dhammaan arrimahan looga munaaqashoodo Shirka Istanbul.

Bani'aadamnimada

23. Shirka waxaa ka hormarey kulan gooni ah oo laga yeeshey arrimahabani'aadamnimada kaas oo ay wada guddoominayeen Qaramada Midoobey iyo Imaaraadka Carabta ee Midoobey. In kasta oo ay dhammaatey macaluushii, haddana ka-qaybgalayaashu waxaa ay welwel ka muujiyeen dhibaatooyinka bani'aadamnimada ee hadda jira, waxaana ay ballanqaadeen in ay bixiyaan gargaar bani'aadamnimo oo sal looga dhigayo baahida jirta oo keliya. Waxaa ay isla oggolaadeen waxyaabo lagu heshiiyey oo la xiriira arrimaha bani'aadamnimada iyo in gargaarka lagu xiro soo-kabashada muddada fog (waxaa lagu faahfaahiyey qoraal gaar ah).

Isuduwid Caalami ah

24. Waxa aan ku heshiinney in hawsha looga heshiiyey London aan u gudbinnoKooxda Xiriirka Caalamiga ah/International Contact Group (ICG) ee Soomaaliya, waxaana aan soo dhoweyney go'aanka ICG ee Jabuuti ee ah in laga fekero dib-u-habeyn si loo noqdo kuwo intan ka waxtar badan. Waxaan ku taliney in ICG ay dhisto guddi hawleedyo u qaabilsan geeddi-socodka siyaasadda, ammaanka iyo garsoorka, iyo degannaanshaha iyo horumarinta. Waxaan ogaanney in, ICG dhexdeeda, ay koox dalal muhiim ah oo ku hawlan arrinta ay ka shaqeyn doonaan horumar laga gaaro dhinaca taageeridda dadaallada Qaramada Midoobey, Midowga Afrika iyo IGAD.

25. Waxaan soo dhoweyneynaa dadaallada Wakiilka Gaarka ah ee Xoghayaha Guud ee Qaramada Midoobey iyo Xafiiska Qaramada Midoobey ee Siyaasadda Soomaaliya (UNPOS) ay ku fududeynayaan horumarka laga gaarayo Soomaaliya. Waxa aan sidoo kale soo dhoweyney kaalinta IGAD iyo Midowga Afrika, iyo taageerada Jaamicadda Carabta, Midowga Yurub, iyo Ururka Shirka Islaamka. Waxaa aan dhiirrigelinney in si waxtar leh ay hawlahooda isugu duwaan hay'adaha Qaramada Midoobey ee ka shaqeeya Soomaaliya. Annaga oo aqoonsan xaaladda ammaan ee culeyska leh ee weli ka jirta Soomaaliya, ayaan haddana soo dhoweyney dib-u-guuritaanka ay UNPOS ay dib ugu guureyso Muqdisho waxaana aan isla oggolaaney in aan higsan doonno in aan waqti badan oo kale ku bixinno gudaha Soomaaliya si Soomaalida loogala shaqeeyo hawlaha adag ee hor yaalla.

Gebogebo

26. Waxa aan muujinney rajada aan ka qabno in la gaarey waqti cusub oo siyaasadda Soomaaliya, oo ay taageereyso bulshada caalamka, ay nabad ka dhalinayso Soomaaliya. Waxaa naga go'an in danaha dadka Soomaaliyeed aan xuddun uga dhigno dhammaan tallaabooyinkeenna. Waxaa aan ka dhur sugeynaa maalinta xaaladda ka jirta Soomaaliya ay sameysey horumar dad ugu filan in shir caalami ah lagu qabto halkaa. Inta laga gaarayo waqtigaas, waxaa aan laba-laabeynaa dadaalkeenna aan dadka Soomaaliyeed ku gacan siineyno doonistooda ay dalkooda u doonayaan mustaqbal wanaagsan.

London

23 Febraayo 2012

Jewish Rabbi Converts to Islam ממיר היהודית הרב לאיסלאם www.jews-for-all...

2012-02-23T21:22:00.000Z

Somalia problems affect us all, says David Cameron

2012-02-23T13:32:00.000Z

Somalia problems affect us all, says David Cameron

23 February 2012 Last updated at 11:12Help

The UK's Prime Minister David Cameron has told an international conference on the future of Somalia that its problems "affect us all", but that he is convinced the country can overcome them.

The conference in London, attended by the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, is looking at how to tackle piracy, civil war and famine in the east-African country.

At the start of the conference, Mr Cameron said there were promising signs that Somalia wanted to begin the process of major change.

Somalia urged to seize its chance

http://samotalis.blogspot.com/

Somalia conference told of chance for change in war-torn nation

2012-02-23T13:29:00.000Z

Somalia conference told of chance for change in war-torn nation

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: "The people of Somalia have... heard many promises, and seen many deadlines come and go."
Continue reading the main story

Somalia - Failed State
How a mother survives Somalia
On the front line
Teacher's life under al-Shabab
Three reasons to help Somalia

World leaders have urged Somalis to seize an "unprecedented opportunity" to rebuild their nation, at a gathering in London on the war-torn nation's future.

Ending threats of terrorism and piracy were in everyone's interests, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said.

Hillary Clinton said plans to elect leaders and adopt a constitution before August were "ambitious".

But she said the mandate of the UN-backed interim government would not be extended any longer.

Somalia has endured more than two decades of civil war and famine.

Representatives from many Somali factions are attending the London conference, but the Islamist group which controls much of the centre and south of the country is not invited.

The UK has described Somalia as the "world's worst failed state" but said it needs a "second chance".
There have already been more than 15 attempts to end more than 20 years of fighting in Somalia

Mr Cameron told the gathered leaders, who included Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, Ethiopian leader Meles Zenawi and UN chief Ban Ki-moon, that the world would pay a high price if it ignored the plight of Somalia.

"In a country where there is so little hope, where there is chaos and violence and terrorism, pirates are disrupting vital trade routes and kidnapping tourists," he said.

"Young minds are being poisoned by radicalism, breeding terrorism that is threatening not just Somalia but the whole world. If the rest of us just sit back and look on, we will pay a price for doing so."

During his speech, Somalia's President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed called for an end to the arms embargo, saying: "We're looking for security. We're scared of tomorrow."

Yoweri Museveni, the leader of Uganda - which has provided the bulk of troops for African Union (AU) forces in Somalia - told the gathering African solutions to African problems worked best.

On Wednesday, the UN Security Council approved a resolution increasing the number of AU troops in Somalia by 5,000 to more than 17,000. Council members also agreed to extra funding for the mission and to extend its mandate.'No Islamist negotiations'
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote

For decades, the world has focused on what we could prevent from happening in Somalia - be it conflict, famine, or other disasters. Now we are focused on what we can build”Hillary ClintonUS secretary of state
Is al-Shabab on the back foot?
Hitting the beach in Mogadishu

At the same time, Ethiopian and Somali troops took the strategic stronghold of Baidoa in the south-west of the country held by militant group al-Shabab, which recently merged with al-Qaeda.

On Wednesday evening, officials said a bomb planted by the militants exploded in the centre of Baidoa causing minor injuries.

Islamist insurgents who have been fighting the internationally recognised government since 2007 have said the London conference was "another attempt" to colonise Somalia.

"They want us under trusteeship and we will not allow that. God willing we will face the outcome with full force and stop it," a spokesman for al-Shabab, Ali Mohamud Rage, said.

"A stronger America failed and all these Africans failed and we say you should not waste your time, you will lose. We also tell them not to waste their resources."

During her conference speech, Mrs Clinton said the US would never negotiate with al-Shabab, but said Somalia was at a critical point to make progress.

"For decades, the world has focused on what we could prevent from happening in Somalia - be it conflict, famine, or other disasters," AFP news agency quotes her as saying.

"Now we are focused on what we can build. The opportunity is real," she said.
Continue reading the main story
Somalia's tragedy in numbers
21 years of conflict
12,000 African Union peacekeepers, to be increased to 17,731
Despite the end of the worst famine in 60 years, 2.34m people still need food aid
Close to 2.5m people have been forced from their homes - 27% of the population
Somali pirates are currently holding 10 ships and 159 hostages, at a annual global cost of almost $7bn (£4.4bn)

Sources: AU, UN, ICC International Marine Bureau
Failed state or can-do nation?
Will the London conference help?

The UK says its increased focus on the country is justified as the activities of militant groups and pirates operating off the coast of Somalia pose a direct threat to British interests in the region and to both regional and global security.

Naval ships from the UK and other countries around the world have been sent to patrol the Indian Ocean off the Somali coast to deter pirate attacks.

They have foiled a number of kidnapping attempts in recent months but attacks continue - and have been staged further from the shore.

The UK has also said it cannot rule out sending more military advisers to boost its small team currently assisting Ugandan forces part of the AU mission.

Kenya has also sent troops into Somalia to tackle al-Shabab, blaming the group for a number of kidnappings on its territory last year. Its forces will now be absorbed into the AU force following the UN resolution.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague, who visited Somalia earlier this month, says he is "realistic" about what can be achieved in a single day but a more stable Somalia would benefit the region as well as the UK.

Somali leaders have said its challenges cannot be solved by military means alone and a parallel focus is needed on boosting humanitarian aid, education and law and order.

Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali told the BBC that his country was at a "crossroads" and needed a massive injection of money.

"It is at a very critical juncture in its history," Mr Ali said. "We are moving from an era of warlordism, terrorism, extremism and piracy and we are moving into an era of peace, stability and normalcy.

"Twenty years of lawlessness, violence and chaos is enough. Somalis are ready to move on."

Despite being forced out of the capital, Mogadishu, last year, al-Shabab has continue to stage suicide attacks in the city.

The BBC's Mohammed Dhore in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, says security is extremely tight in the city because of the conference, with more than 50 roadblocks compared to the usual five.

Union Jacks are also flying at major road junctions and government buildings, he says

http://samotalis.blogspot.com/

Somalia's future to be discussed at London conference

2012-02-23T07:30:00.000Z

Somalia's future to be discussed at London conference
Forces loyal to the government have been fighting militant groups for years

Somalia - Failed State
On the front line
Teacher's life under al-Shabab
Three reasons to help Somalia
Failed state or can-do nation?

The threat from terrorism and piracy in Somalia are among the issues that will be discussed at a conference in London on the future of the country.

Representatives from 40 countries will attend the event, aimed at devising a common approach to a country blighted by years of civil war and famine.

The leaders are expected to agree money for schools, hospitals and the police.

The UK has described Somalia as the "world's worst failed state" but said it needs a "second chance".

Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, among a number of senior government figures attending the event, has warned the country is at a "critical juncture" and needs more international help.

US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, Ethiopian leader Meles Zenawi and UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon are among the leaders due to join the discussions.

On Wednesday, the UN Security Council approved a resolution increasing the number of African Union (AU) troops in Somalia by 5,000 to more than 17,000. Council members also agreed to extra funding for the mission and to extend its mandate.'Realistic'

This is about trying to put in place the building blocks among the international community but, above all, among the Somalis themselves for a stronger and safer Somalia”David Cameron
Is Somalia's al-Shabab on the back foot?
Hitting the beach in Mogadishu after Islamist withdrawal

At the same time, Ethiopian and Somali troops took a strategic stronghold in the south-west of the country held by militant group al-Shabab, which controls parts of the country and recently merged with al-Qaeda.

Islamist insurgents who have been fighting the internationally recognised government since 2007 have said the London conference was "another attempt" to colonise Somalia.

The UK says its increased focus on the country is justified as the activities of militant groups and pirates operating off the coast of Somalia pose a direct threat to British interests in the region and to both regional and global security.

Naval ships from the UK and other countries around the world have been sent to patrol the Indian Ocean off the Somali coast to deter pirate attacks.

They have foiled a number of kidnapping attempts in recent months but attacks continue - and have been staged further from the shore.

The UK has also said it cannot rule out sending more military advisers to boost its small team currently assisting Ugandan forces part of the AU mission.

Somalia's tragedy in numbers
21 years of conflict
12,000 African Union peacekeepers, to be increased to 17,731
Despite the end of the worst famine in 60 years, 2.34m people still need food aid
Close to 2.5m people have been forced from their homes - 27% of the population
Somali pirates are currently holding 10 ships and 159 hostages, at a annual global cost of almost $7bn (£4.4bn)

Sources: AU, UN, ICC International Marine Bureau
Why should the world help end Somalia conflict?
In pictures: Somali samosa seller

Kenya has also sent troops into Somalia to tackle al-Shabab, blaming the group for a number of kidnappings on its territory last year.

Mr Cameron told the UK Parliament on Wednesday that a more co-ordinated approach was needed by the international community to tackle the multiple challenges facing the country.

"This is about trying to put in place the building blocks among the international community but, above all, among the Somalis themselves for a stronger and safer Somalia," he said.

"That means taking action on piracy, on hostages, to support the African Union's mission in the country, it means... working with all parts of Somalia to try and give that country a second chance."

Foreign Security William Hague, who visited Somalia earlier this month, says he is "realistic" about what can be achieved in a single day but a more stable Somalia would benefit the region as well as the UK.

Somali leaders have said its challenges cannot be solved by military means alone and a parallel focus is needed on boosting humanitarian aid, education and law and order.

Somalia's prime minister told the BBC that his country was at a "crossroads" and needed a massive injection of money.

"It is at a very critical juncture in its history," Mr Ali said. "We are moving from an era of warlordism, terrorism, extremism and piracy and we are moving into an era of peace, stability and normalcy.

"Twenty years of lawlessness, violence and chaos is enough. Somalis are ready to move on."

But a spokesman for al-Shabab told the Somaliland Times that "Britain must realise that the Muslims have long rejected British imperialism and the futility of their renewed attempt is obvious".

Despite being forced out of the capital, Mogadishu, last year, it has continue to stage suicide attacks in the city.

http://samotalis.blogspot.com/

Leaders meet in UK over fragile Somalia's future

2012-02-23T02:33:00.000Z

Leaders meet in UK over fragile Somalia's future

By DAVID STRINGER, Associated Press –

LONDON (AP) — Somalia's fragile leadership, its neighbors and international allies are meeting in London in the hope of speeding the troubled east African nation's progress toward a stable government and containing the threat from Islamic militants who some fear could export terrorism to Europe and the United States.

About 50 nations and international organizations will attend the one-day summit Thursday, including Somalia's Western-backed transitional government, officials from the northern breakaway republic of Somaliland, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

However many are skeptical the talks can agree on concrete steps to address Somalia's complex problems — pirates who target international shipping, the al-Qaida-linked militant group al-Shabab which holds territory in the country's center and south and the effects of a lengthy famine which Britain's government estimates have killed between 50,000 and 100,000 people.

Others suspect the attention of Clinton and world leaders is currently focused on more urgent troubles, including the crisis in Syria — which will be discussed in meetings on the sidelines of the conference.

Somalia has had transitional administrations for the past seven years, but not had a functioning central government since 1991, when warlords overthrew a longtime dictator and turned on each other, plunging the nation into two decades of chaos. The weak U.N.-backed administration — which holds the capital, Mogadishu, with the support of about 12,000 African Union soldiers — has been boosted by recent offensives against al-Shabab and U.N. approval Wednesday for an increase in the size of the peacekeeping mission.

"We are moving from an era of warlordism, terrorism, extremism and piracy and we are moving into an era of peace, stability and normalcy," Somali prime minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali told BBC radio. "Twenty years of lawlessness, violence and chaos is enough. Somalis are ready to move on."

British Prime Minister David Cameron said the London conference would try to bolster tentative signs of progress, including a recent fall in the number of pirate attacks off Somalia's coast.

The European Union's naval anti-piracy patrol said pirates hijacked six vessels between May and December 2011, compared to 19 between January and April. Ransoms last year cost the shipping industry about $135 million.

"It means working with all the parts of Somalia — which has been more blighted by famine, by disease, by violence, by terrorism than almost any other in the world — to give that country a second chance," Cameron told lawmakers Wednesday.

In New York, the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to authorize an increase in the African Union peacekeeping force — known as AMISOM — from 12,000 to about 17,700 and expand its areas of operation in an effort to intensify pressure on militants.

Al-Shabab — which earlier this month formalized its relationship with al-Qaida — is currently being hit from three sides in Somalia, pressed out of Mogadishu by AMISOM soldiers, while Kenyan forces who moved into Somalia in October pressure the militants from the south and Ethiopian forces sweep in from the west.

The leaders of Kenya and Ethiopia, who sent in troops amid concerns that Somalia's instability would spread over their borders, are attending the London talks.

Western intelligence agencies worry that al-Shabab militants, including foreign fighters trained in Somali camps, could attempt to mount attacks in Europe and the U.S. In Britain, which hosts the 2012 Olympics in July, spy agencies are recruiting Somali language specialists.

"The security threat is real, it is substantial. It is based on the fact that al-Shabab is an organization that has now explicitly linked itself to al-Qaida, and it encourages violent jihad not just in Somalia but also outside Somalia," Cameron told the BBC Somali service television.

Officials estimate about 40 people have traveled from the U.S. to Somalia to join al-Shabab since 2007, and that around 50 Britons are currently fighting there. Security officials believe Somali training camps are now being used by foreign extremists with no ties to the country, many of whom have been squeezed out of Pakistan's borderlands.

In a message posted to a recognized Twitter feed, Al-Shabab accused Cameron of "meddling in Islam affairs in the hope of reviving a hopeless dream of a British Empire" by holding the talks.

Eritrea, which is accused by Somalia and the U.N. of providing support to al-Shabab, has been refused an invitation.

Leaders of the northern breakaway republic of Somaliland will take a role — but won't win the international recognition they crave, Cameron said. Critics of Western efforts have suggested that local administrations in Somaliland and neighboring Puntland offer a better model for the entire country than attempts to create a central authority.

Explaining Somali's progress against piracy, Capt. Phil Haslam, a naval officer with the EU anti-piracy patrol, said pirates currently hold seven vessels and 191 hostages, compared to 32 ships and 661 hostages in January 2011.

But Haslam, based at the EU's anti-piracy headquarters in London, warned that the EU and other international missions are covering about 3.2 million square miles with around 25 boats. "It's akin to policing Europe with 25 police cars," he said.

Clinton and Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague will travel from the London talks to a conference on Syria's future being held Friday in Tunis.

Jason Straziuso in Nairobi, Kenya and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report

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Foreign journalists killed in Homs shelling

2012-02-23T02:28:00.000Z

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Officials claim high turnout for Yemen vote

2012-02-23T02:25:00.005Z

Officials claim high turnout for Yemen vote

Officials say 60 per cent of voters participated in election set to confirm vice president Hadi as Yemen's new leader.

Vote counting is under way in Yemen, a day after a presidential election that is expected to confirm Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, the current vice president, as the country's new leader.

Electoral officials said on Wednesday that voter turnout reached 60 per cent nationwide, despite threats of violence and boycott calls in some parts of the Arabian peninsula nation.

Votes are being counted manually and results are expected within two days, although they can take up to 10 days under Yemeni law.

Hadi, the 66-year-old former deputy to Yemen's long-time leader Ali Abdullah Saleh, was the lone candidate in the elections as part a US-backed one-candidate election.

Saleh agreed to step down after months of anti-government protests and clashes across the violence-wracked country.

More than 10 million Yemenis were eligible to vote in the referendum-like election.

The poll was marred by violence with 10 people killed across the country's south, most of them in the port city of Aden.

The voting percentage was low in most of the country’s south with turnout running at 50 per cent in Aden and between 30 to 40 per cent across other southern regions, officials said.

Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelberra, reporting from the capital Sanaa, said that any turnout upwards of 35 per cent was considered "very good news" for Hadi, enabling him to claim legitimate authority as he seeks international support for his leadership.

The election was backed by the Common Forum parliamentary opposition and youth groups who had led the uprising against Saleh.

However, two major opposition groups, the Southern Movement as well as northern Shia rebels, boycotted the polls.

Political role for Saleh?

Al Jazeera's Ahelberra said: "Basically Yemenis are looking for two things: Starting of a new nation from the scratch to lay the ground for new political establishment where the rule of law, democracy, pluralism and free elections would become part of a ritual here."

"At the same time they would like the president to address the dire economic situation as Yemen remains one of the poorest countries in the world," he said.

"They would also like this government to provide job opportunities and improving the living standard.

"The international community, particularly the US, the neighbouring countries and the GCC are saying, they are willing to provide Yemeni government with cash and with political support to move forward."

Mohammed al-Qadhi, Yemeni correspondent for Emirati newspaper, National, told Al Jazeera that deposed president Saleh was planning to make a comeback.

"Spokesman of Saleh party said that former president is definitely coming back so that he can participate in the inauguration of the new president," al-Qadhi said.

"He also said that Saleh was going to lead the party and that there was nothing in the GCC deal that prevented him from running again in coming elections.

"But he said that Saleh is not ready for any other post and will help in creating leaders of the future."

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BBC News - Syria unrest: Reporters' deaths spark Western outrage

2012-02-23T02:19:00.000Z

BBC News - Syria unrest: Reporters' deaths spark Western outrage: "The killings of two Western reporters in the city of Homs and reported deaths of some 60 people across Syria have triggered further Western outrage towards the Damascus government.

Sunday Times reporter Marie Colvin, an American, and French photographer Remi Ochlik died in shelling by Syria's government forces."

'via Blog this'

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Somalia al-Shabab militant base of Baidoa captured

2012-02-23T02:14:00.000Z

omalia al-Shabab militant base of Baidoa captured-BBC

Ambassador Sir Mark Lyall Grant, Permanent Representative of the UK Mission to the UN, said African Union forces will be increased

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Ethiopian and Somali troops have taken a strategic stronghold of Islamist militants in south-western Somalia.

Eyewitnesses told the BBC that about 50 vehicles, including some 20 tanks, had entered Baidoa, which was not defended.

After the southern port of Kismayo, the town was the most important al-Shabab base.

The news comes as the UN Security Council voted to increase the African Union force in Somalia from 12,000 to 17,731.

These developments come ahead of a major conference to be hosted by the UK on Thursday aimed at ending two decades of conflict in the troubled country.

Al-Shabab, which has recently joined al-Qaeda, confirmed that it had withdrawn its forces from Baidoa as part of a "tactical retreat" and threatened to start a guerrilla war in response.

"The takeover does not mean that the enemy will enjoy the city, there will be more bloodshed," said Sheikh Mohamed Ibrahim, an al-Shabab commander, according to the AFP news agency.

A Somali government military commander in the town said his forces were moving to the outer edges of the town to ensure they had full control of it.

"We have taken control of Baidoa without a single shot, it is a great day for the people who are now welcoming us warmly," Muhidin Ali said, according to AFP.
Continue reading the main story
Analysis
Will RossEast Africa correspondent

The fall of Baidoa is significant - it was a major al-Shabab stronghold and is the home to one of the leaders of the militants, Abu Mansoor, as well as other senior figures. Baidoa is the main town in Bay region which is from where many of the al-Shabab fighters are from.

The areas where al-Shabab can train their fighters is shrinking. It is reported that the militants had left before the armoured vehicles and tanks rolled into Baidoa but many fighters may have simply taken off their uniforms and, for now, melted into the local population.

Al-Shabab has vowed to ensure there is bloodshed in the town. The challenge for the pro- government troops and Ethiopians is to prevent the suicide bomb attacks and other deadly blasts.

With the UN's approval of a major increase in AU troops numbers, the pressure will increase further on al-Shabab. Will the Kenyan military take a leaf from the Ethiopians and go on the offensive to achieve swift gains?

More troops

The UN Security Council unanimously agreed to bolster the number of African Union forces in Somalia by more than 5,500 to 17,731 - this would include the Kenyan troops that entered the country last October in pursuit of al-Shabab militants.

The resolution passed by the 15-nation council also gave the African force a stronger mandate to attack al-Shabab militants and substantially increase international funding for the military operation.

The London conference is expected to be attended by senior representatives from more than 50 governments and international organisations.

Somalia's Western-backed transitional government, officials from the northern breakaway republic of Somaliland, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon are among those due to be present at the one-day summit.

Speaking in London on Wednesday, British Prime Minister David Cameron said the summit aimed to "work... with all the parts of Somalia - which has been more blighted by famine, by disease, by violence, by terrorism than almost any other in the world - to give that country a second chance".

'Major loss'

Witnesses say that after fierce fighting on Tuesday, al-Shabab fighters pulled out of Baidoa, allowing Somali and Ethiopian forces to seize the town on Wednesday without a battle.

BBC Somali service analyst Abdullahi Sheikh says Baidoa is a big loss to al-Shabab, as the main road linking Mogadishu to the south-west and parts of Kenya and Ethiopia passes through the city.

It is also the business route for most commodities that are transported from Mogadishu to other towns in the region.

Baidoa also has an airport, which the Islamist group is thought to have used to bring in weapons.

As the Ethiopians advanced, many residents fled the town on donkeys and vehicles.

Al-Shabab still controls many southern and central areas of the country but is also under pressure from Kenyan forces in the south.

Last year, AU troops in support of the UN-backed government pushed al-Shabab out of the capital.

However, the militants continue to stage suicide attacks in the city.

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Jaaliyada Somaliland oo isu Soobax Balaadhan Ka Dhigaaya London

2012-02-23T01:46:00.000Z

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Somalia conflict: Why should the world help?-bbc

2012-02-23T01:43:00.000Z

Somalia conflict: Why should the world help?

The British government is hoping a conference it is hosting on 23 February can finally start to bring peace to Somalia, which has known little but conflict and misery over the past two decades.

Like many Western governments, the UK is cutting spending in order to pay off debts - but one of the few areas to escape the cuts is foreign aid.

At a time of domestic austerity, why is the government using up its resources on trying to bring peace to a country widely dismissed as a "failed state", which has already seen more than 15 attempts to end the fighting? The government argues it is in Britain's interests to do so.
Terror

Somalia's militant Islamist insurgent group al-Shabab recently announced it had joined al-Qaeda, and there have long been credible reports of foreigners attending terrorist training camps in parts of Somalia under Islamist control.

There are more British passport holders engaged in terrorist training in Somalia than in any other country in the world”Andrew MitchellBritish aid minister
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Security think tank Royal United Security Instituterecently estimated there are about 50 British nationals engaged in such training and warned they could return to the UK to carry out terror attacks.

Somalia is one of two countries - along with Yemen - listed as "key areas of concern" on the MI5 website, while British aid minister Andrew Mitchell recently told the Sun newspaper: "There are more British passport holders engaged in terrorist training in Somalia than in any other country in the world."

Neighbouring countries such as Kenya and Ethiopia, which have large ethnic Somali populations, also fear that al-Shabab could stage terror attacks on their territories, as it did in Uganda in 2010. Both Kenya and Ethiopia have recently sent troops into Somalia to tackle al-Shabab.

While Western countries are unlikely to do the same, experts say they are helping to co-ordinate the moves against the Islamists by these countries, the UN-backed government and the African Union forces which have recently taken control of the capital, Mogadishu.

Britain hopes to take advantage of al-Shabab's recent losses to help install a government in Somalia, which would take control of the whole country and close down the terror training camps.
Piracy

Amidst the fighting and suffering, one of the few ways of earning a good living in Somalia is to become a pirate, seize ships and their crew and hold them hostage in pirate bases such as Haradeere until the owner pays a ransom - often several million dollars in cash.

Ships including huge oil tankers and one carrying tanks have been attacked right across the Indian Ocean by Somalia-based pirates.

A traffic policeman. Pedestrians. Taxis. Crowded markets and cafes. An absence of constant gunfire. Mogadishu has changed dramatically.”
Andrew HardingBBC News, Mogadishu

Navies from around the world have reacted to this growing threat by sending warships to patrol the Somali coast.

This has led to fewer ships being seized, but has also meant the attacks have become more violent and the pirates have moved further and further away from the shore in order to evade the patrols.

Pirate attacks are estimated to have cost companies billions of dollars in ransoms, higher insurance premiums and other additional shipping costs.

Of course, these extra costs are passed on and mean the price of traded goods has gone up. While the naval patrols may have alleviated some of the symptoms of piracy, the only long-term solution is to bring peace, stability and law and order to Somalia.

This is why the British government thinks it is worth trying to bring peace to Somalia. Whether the conference succeeds is another matter entirely.
Humanitarian

Last year, East Africa was hit by the region's worst drought in 60 years.

Somali refugee crisis

SOURCE: UNHCR
Total population	9.1m
Internally Displaced:	1.5m
Refugees:	968,393
Key refugee destinations
Kenya:	519,997
Yemen:	206,655
Ethiopia:	188,074
Uganda:	21,629
Djibouti:	19,445
Egypt:	7,305
UK:	23,893
US:

The effects were felt most keenly in Somalia, where the years of fighting meant many thousands of people were already living rough and so had absolutely nothing to fall back on when times got even tougher.

Six districts were declared famine zones and tens of thousands of people are believed to have died.

The fighting also meant that delivering aid was particularly dangerous and difficult.

To make matters even worse, much of the country is controlled by al-Shabab, which banned most international aid agencies, accusing them of exaggerating the scale of the suffering for their own interests and being biased against the Islamist agenda.

An aid appeal for Somalia last year raised at least £72m ($114m) - more than for any other food crisis in Britain's history.

If Somalia had a functioning government, the effects of the drought would have been far less severe and thousands of lives would have been saved.

The UN's latest report on Somalia says that despite the end of famine conditions, around 2.34m people throughout the country - almost a third of the population - remain in crisis, unable to feed themselves.

UN to bolster Somalia peacekeeping troops by 5,700

2012-02-23T01:36:00.001Z

UN to bolster Somalia peacekeeping troops by 5,700

African Union forces have made significant gains in repelling al-Shabab militants

Somalia - Failed State
Three reasons to help Somalia
Failed state or can-do nation?
Is al-Shabab on the back foot?
Window of hope

The UN Security Council is to vote to increase the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia by more than 5,000 soldiers, diplomats have said.

The resolution will increase the number of troops in the country to 17,731 from its current level of 12,000.
The vote on Wednesday comes ahead of an international conference on Somalia to be held in London.

British Prime Minister David Cameron told the BBC the threat from Somalia's al-Shabab militants was "substantial".

"It is based on the fact that al-Shabab is an organisation that has now explicitly linked itself to al-Qaeda, and it encourages violent jihad not just in Somalia but also outside Somalia," Mr Cameron said.

The armed Islamist group controls many southern and central parts of Somalia, which has been without an effective central government since 1991.

Political solution

Nearly 1.5 million Somalis have been forced from their homes during the conflict.

Last year, al-Shabab was forced out of many parts of the capital, Mogadishu, by forces allied to the UN-backed government. Since then, the group has also lost ground in other areas.

In October, Kenyan troops crossed over the border in pursuit of al-Shabab members it blames for a series of kidnappings in Kenyan territory.

earlier this month, they captured the key town of Badhadhe, some 180km (110 miles) south of the port of Kismayo.

Ethiopian troops have also entered Somali territory to move against the Islamist militants.

The BBC's Barbara Plett, at the UN headquarters in New York, says the idea behind the expanded African force is to degrade al-Shabab as a military force and create a space for a political solution to the country's 20-year-old conflict.

The council resolution sets the African troops the task of moving into new areas of Somalia "to take all necessary measures" with Somali security forces "to reduce the threat posed by al-Shabab and other armed opposition groups", according to a copy of the text seen by AFP news agency.

The African Union mission already in the country is made up of troops from Burundi, Uganda and Djibouti but will take in Kenyan soldiers now fighting in Somalia.
The resolution will also require all UN members to stop trade in charcoal from Somalia, which is causing deforestation and serious environmental damage in the drought-prone country.

Though the government already bans charcoal exports from areas it controls, the trade is thriving in rebel-held areas.

Several ships loaded with charcoal are reported to leave the militant-controlled port of Kismayo each week, most bound for the Gulf states

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Strengthening the UK's relationship with Somaliland

2012-02-23T01:31:00.001Z

Strengthening the UK's relationship with Somaliland

22 February 2012Foreign Secretary William Hague met President Silanyo of Somaliland on 22 February, the eve of the London Conference on Somalia.

The Foreign Secretary and President Silanyo reaffirmed the close ties between the UK and Somaliland. They agreed that Somaliland was making progress in further embedding democracy and discussed issues of mutual interest, including cooperation on trade and to counter piracy. Over the next three years, the UK will provide up to £105 million in development support to Somaliland to promote prosperity, tackle poverty and consolidate progress on stability and democracy.

Speaking after their meeting, the Foreign Secretary said:

“I am delighted to see President Silanyo in London for the Conference on Somalia. Somaliland has valuable lessons to share from its own experience of building stability and democracy. I welcome President Silanyo’s participation at the Conference and am grateful for Somaliland’s continued co-operation in the fight against piracy and terrorism.”
Further information

="">Full conference coverage

More information on the London Conference on Somalia

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