South Yorkshire, Jul 4 2009– A blind British man has seen his wife for the first time after an incredible operation transplanted one of his teeth into his right eye.
Builder Martin Jones, 42, was left blind more than a decade ago after a tub of boiling aluminium exploded in his face in South Yorkshire, north England.
But now a remarkable surgery performed less than 50 times in Britain has restored vision in his right eye after a long period in the dark.
The operation allowed Mr Jones to look upon his wife Gill — who he married four years ago — for the first time.
“The doctors took the bandages off and it was like looking through water and then I saw this figure and it was her,” he told the Daily Mail.
“She’s wonderful and lovely … it was unbelievable to see her for the first time.
“When I found out there was a chance I would get my sight back, the first person I wanted to see was her.”
The eight-hour surgery, pioneered by Britain-based doctor Christopher Liu, took part of one of Mr Jones’s canine teeth and reshaped it to house a specially-built lens.
A living tooth was used because the body would most likely reject a plastic or artificial equivalent, Dr Liu said.
Some skin was then taken from part of Mr Jones’s cheek and placed in the eye, where it gained its own blood supply over a period of about two months.
The skin was later lifted and placed over the tooth and a hole cut in the grafted cornea to let light through, allowing Mr Jones to see.
Doctors say the surgery is designed for people with corneal blindness who do not quality for other corneal transplants.
Mr Jones cannot have the operation performed in his left eye because it was so badly damaged in the accident it had to be removed.
INDIAN OCEAN - OCTOBER 8: In this handout photograph provided by the U.S. Navy, pirates leave the merchant vessel MV Faina for the Somalia shore under observation by a U.S. Navy ship October 8, 2008 at sea in the Indian Ocean. The Belize-flagged cargo ship is owned and operated by Kaalbye Shipping, Ukraine and is carrying a cargo of Ukrainian T-72 tanks and related military equipment. The ship was seized by pirates September 25 and forced to anchor off the Somali coast. (Photo by Jason R. Zalasky/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
Hargeisa, 3 July 2009 – Somali pirates have claimed a new victim by disrupting the laying of an undersea fibre optic cable that has promised to end east Africa’s isolation as the last region of the world not connected to the global broadband network.
The managers of Seacom, a $600m project owned by private investors, said on Wednesday that its cable would not come into service until July 23 – nearly a month later than planned – because pirate activity off the coast of Somalia had delayed the work of its cable-laying contractor.
Tyco Telecommunications, the contractor and part of Tyco Electronics, was forced to suspend its cable-laying around the Horn of Africa so it could revise its security plans and beef up protection for its ships following the latest surge in pirate activity in April and May.
Piracy from Somalia has been on the rise since last August, resulting in dozens of ships and hundreds and crew members being taken hostage, millions of dollars in ransoms and severe disruption to commercial shipping.
Wednesday’s announcement from Seacom marked the first time the pirates have disrupted east Africa’s faltering efforts to end its dependence on satellite internet links, which are slow, unreliable and often prohibitively expensive.
Brian Herlihy, chief executive of Seacom, which is based in Mauritius, said he was “frustrated” by what he called the “pirate-induced delay”. He and Tyco would not comment on whether they had received specific information that Tyco ships were on a pirate hit list.
So far no cable-laying ships have been attacked, but the ships contracted by Seacom were huge – needing to carry up to 6,000km of fibre optic cable – and vulnerable to pirate attack because they moved so slowly.
“Cable-laying ships would be prime targets,” said Pottengal Mukundan, director of the International Maritime Bureau in London. “They’re very slow when they’re laying the cables and they really can’t get away.”
Maritime experts said some ships using the waters off Somalia had beefed up anti-pirate security by employing armed guards from private security companies while others had hired armed patrol boats to escort them. Tyco declined to comment on its security procedures.
Mr Herlihy said the laying of the cable, which will connect the east Africa portion of Seacom to Mumbai, had been completed in the past few days. The delay had not been announced until the job was finished to avoid putting the ships in further danger.
The Seacom cable will link South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia to India and Europe. A separate project led by the Kenyan government called Teams will connect Kenya to the United Arab Emirates.
Hargeisa, 3 July 2009 – Egyptian police shot dead two Somali migrants on Thursday who tried to slip across the Sinai desert border into Israel, security sources said, as violence against migrants picked up at the sensitive frontier.
The killings bring to at least six the number of African migrants killed since mid-May at the border.
Egypt for years tolerated tens of thousands of African migrants on its territory, but its attitude hardened after it came under pressure over the past two years to halt a steady flow of Africans trying to cross the border into Israel.
Its border with the Jewish state is a main transit route for migrants and refugees, mainly from Sudan and Eritrea, seeking work or asylum in Israel.
In November, U.S.-based Human Rights Watch called on Egypt to stop the shootings. There were no killings between mid-December and mid-May, although the reason for the abrupt halt was not clear.
Egyptian security forces shot dead at least 28 migrants at the border last year, and deported hundreds of Eritrean asylum seekers back to Asmara despite objections from the United Nations, which feared they would face torture at home.
Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir has resigned after three decades in power. AHMED YOSRI/EPA
Mogadishu, Jul 3, 2009 – Sudanese president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, acknowledged Sudan’s support to the government of Somalia in its pursuit to realize stability, security and reconciliation in Somalia.
Al-Bashir delivered these remarks after met the President of Somalia
Sheikh Sharif Ahmad at the sidelines of the 13th Summit conference of
the African Union, currently in session in Sirte.
He explained during the meeting, which reviewed the situations in
Somalia, that Sudan will spare no efforts to realize the security and
stability in Somalia, considering its relations with all the Somali parties.
Elsewhere, the 13th summit of the African Union continues. The AU
Commission chairman, Jean Ping, has expressed concern over increasing
and serious political tensions and persistent conflicts in Africa.
He mentioned Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and Niger. However, he called
on the heads of state to pay particular attention to Somalia where the
transitional government is threatened with the advance of radical
Islamists. Brazilian president also calls for partnerships for investing in Africa.
Also the president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, has expressed support
for the arms given to the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia
[TFG] by the United States and called upon other countries to follow
suite and provide support in stabilizing the war torn country.
Speaking to the media, the Ugandan president said he has discussed the issue of supporting the Somali government with senior African
officials and that he will continue seeking broader support for the
TFG. He called upon all countries in the United Nations to provide
whatever support they are able to give to the TFG at this time.
The statement by Museveni comes at a time when the United States
government last week said it has given the TFG arms. Museveni also
dismissed claims that arms given to the TFG by the United States is
likely to worsen the situation in Somalia and called upon groups that
are opposed to the TFG to give reconciliation talks a chance. He urged
the opposition to stop the fighting and give the government a time
frame during which they should be able to prepare for national elections.
Uganda peacekeepers are part of the African Union Mission in Somalia
[Amisom] troops deployed in the country as part of the AU force and
provide backup to the TFG and usually come under fire from armed
groups that are opposed to the TFG.
By Abdinasir Mohamed
Email: abdinasir4@gmail.com
Mogadishu-Somalia
Los Angeles, Jul 3, 2009 — The family of Michael Jackson is considering a traditional Muslim burial for the pop icon who had converted to Islam months prior to his death, says a new report.
X 17 online, a celebrity website reported quoting sources close to the family that Jackson’s newfound will states that he will be buried in the traditions of his new faith.
“The family is considering following the Muslim burial traditions because Michael would have wanted to be laid to rest in keeping with his new-found religious beliefs. Michael’s brother Jermaine is educating the family as to the special rites,” the source said Jackson had reportedly converted to Islam in November last year and taken the name of ‘Mikhaail’.
Meanwhile, a public viewing of the performer will take place on Friday at his fantasy themed abode California ranch, Neverland. There has been no official confirmation from Jackson’s family on the location where his body will be laid to rest.
UNITED STATES - AUGUST 01: Rep. Donald Payne Jr., D-N.J., conducts a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center on an initiative called "Make It In America" that includes various job creation legislation. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Hargeisa, 2 July 2009 – Amazing it is how some of the websites talk about the refusal of Somaliland government to participate at the so-called Washington meeting. It is also clear that most of those websites misunderstood or are just misguided by the declaration of Mr Donald Payne about Somaliland refusal. But my reaction and I believe most of the reactions of all Somaliland lovers are moments of joys and happiness. Yes, we are all proud of our government. Let me explain myself.
The other day I was reading an article written by our honorable Mr. Dalmar kaahin and I remember one the quotation of Mr. Kaahin which says: “And because the hearing is convened in Washington doesn’t mean Somaliland will jump on the wagon to join the meeting.” This is absolutely right. Somaliland came because of the will of its people and we will not surrender our hardly gained freedom because an American congressman invited us to reconcile with the south.
The Somaliland government did the right thing by refusing to participate in this meeting, and our government was just doing his job because it was elected to protect the interest of the Somaliland people and it is not in our interest to lower ourselves and surrender our will because a “congressman” says so. Somaliland answers only to God and to its own people.
It is also clear that Mr. Payne was upset when he said: “If they (Somaliland) want to be isolated I will do all I can to isolate them”.
Too many questions arise here:
Is it the meeting really held in Washington? The United States?
The symbol of the free world? It is true that Mr. Payne represent the voice of the United States government?
How dare a United States congressman is talking about suppressing the will of a given people by “isolating them”?
More questions are asked and more answers come out. Let me try to give an honest picture of what is going on here.
It is clear that the United States will not recognize Somaliland as long as the USA interest is to satisfy the Arab world specially Egypt (Which is the most furious opponent of Somaliland sovereignty) for different economic and political reasons. But this will not discourage us because the feeling of freedom and the notion of statehood are something that the Somaliland people are enjoying for 19 years and only God can remove this will.
We all know that the so called International communities are self interest so do the Somaliland people too.
However in order to fulfill its own interest somebody has to be realistic, the international community has to be realistic, Mr. Payne need to be realistic. How long it will take to the international community to understand that the key for Somalia stability is in Somaliland? How many more billions of dollars they will be wasting for a factious government (TFG) before they realize that they are wrong? The first thing that I leaned in Political Science at the university it that: “Politics is the art of the possible”. Somaliland is not a Possibility, it is a Reality. So if the international community needs to stabilize Somalia they need to see the only reality this region, Somaliland.
Some people (especially Somaliland enemies) believe that the key to Somaliland destruction is to not recognize it internationally but they forgot that Somaliland people survived 19 years of isolation and ignorance of the international community; can Mr. Payne do more than that? I really doubt.
And then what was this meeting all about? What were the purposes and results of this meeting? The answer of this question is nothing, absolutely nothing. It was just a mean for Mr. Payne to show to the congress that he is doing some progress on the Somali nightmare.
This meeting was Mr. Payne’s meeting not the United States government. And we can understand Mr. Payne frustration because he did not realize his personal wishes.
I will advise to Mr. Payne to go back and read the history of the Somaliland people then understand the psychology and what is going on inside the mind of a hard working Somaliland patriot, you may me chocked, probably you will hate him but you will never underestimate him.
God bless the land of my fathers, Somaliland.
Jibril Y. Omar
Kabul, Afghanistan
Views expressed in the opinion articles are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the editorial
Emily will be writing about her experience in Somaliland and will be offering tips to anyone who may want to visit the unrecognized republic along the way – discover Somaliland from a Non-Somali perspective. This is her fourth article – Perception versus Reality.
Hargeisa, Jul 2, 2009 — Tempting as it is to disprove the false and generally negative images of Somaliland worldwide, which are plentiful, I find myself struggling to find a balance between writing only about positive aspects of the country, and thus overlooking some less attractive truths of this very real place, while at the same time I am hesitant to say anything that may be perceived as negative because I want to promote this country which is housing me, feeding me, and caring for my life. Ultimately I have decided to try my best to leave my (positive) biases at the door, because if I don’t expand on the aspects of Somaliland that could be improved upon, I am cheating you, not being true to myself, and also could be hurting the country. It is with these thoughts in mind that I continue to type. I will also keep posting pictures so you can see for yourself those beautiful and ugly things which I am recounting.
I think you will be happy to know that I just returned from my first visit outside of Hargeisa. I spent 6 days in the “wild west” along with my co-workers, which was a great opportunity to learn more about the political and social dynamics of Somaliland and to talk openly about the elections which are scheduled to take place in September. As you may know, the elections have already been postponed and the current president (Dahir Rayaale) has been in power for seven years. The more people I talk to, the more I realize how few people trust or support the current regime for various reasons, including its lackadaisical attitude, corruption, and false promises. At the same time, Rayaale has not been causing physical harm to the people, there have been no killings or false arrests or things like that, peace is real, and so the Somaliland community at large is sitting back, afraid to disturb the peace because they know what war is. So it is a strange situation, where most people have lost faith in the government, even strongly oppose it, but they are willing to sacrifice anything—including employment, education, health services, and economic development— to preserve peace. I am not sure what this will mean for the upcoming elections, but I guess they will reveal themselves in the upcoming months.
Now that I’ve put the heavy stuff out in the open, let me tell you a story. Last week I was complaining to a friend of mine that there are no girls playing sports here, and I feel like I will get fat just sitting, working, eating, and sometimes walking. He told me that was not true, that just next to my office there is a place where girls play basketball. I thought he was joking, but sure enough he took me to this club and we saw about 20 girls donned in hijabs playing basketball, really going at it, and also playing soccer on the other side of the court. I wanted to go join them but I felt too shy. My friend was insistent though, he motioned at one of the girls and she walked over and greeted us. She took me by the hand and practically dragged me into the sports club, and after a few minutes I felt happy and comfortable and even got my hands on the ball. It was great fun—we played a full game, just girls, and they thought it was so funny when I scored. I agreed to come every week to play with them, and intend to keep my word.
Finally, some pictures and commentary. The first picture shows the landscape and some traditional Somali houses—or “aqal Soomaali”. Around the houses are small bushes which are prickly, and people dry their clothes on them because even strong winds do not force the clothes off of the bushes.
aqal Soomaali
The next picture is scenery from the drive between Borame and Baki, where there are beautiful layers of mountains and because this region gets more rain, you can see greenery and farms. There are few areas in Somaliland that support farming, and historically the population is a nomadic one, reliant mostly on cattle and grazing. In fact, the slogan for all Somalis is “nabad iyo caano” which means “peace and milk”. It is a very accurate phrase which reflects the necessities for a good life. For a foreigner the word “peace” is obvious, but why “milk”? Well, if your camels produce large quantities of milk, not only can it sustain you and also be sold, but it means the land is fertile; there is water and abundant rains. So you have enough to live off of economically and physically, and now you just need peace.
Borama mountains
In contrast to the beautiful and natural mountains, and as one person commented in my last article, it is impossible to ignore the piles of trash scattered about. One reflection of the weak government and perhaps finances is the lack of planned trash disposal or collection in Somaliland. I still feel guilty every time I litter, even though it is the only way to dispose of trash.
So I included this picture of the trash mountains in Borama, which are next to a busy soccer field, in an area of stunning natural beauty.
Mountains of trash around Borama
It is my hope that trash collection will improve here, as it could provide a lot of jobs aside from the obvious health and environmental benefits, but I also know that I have been to other countries with the same problem, and the fact is that when you are worrying about finding employment and safety and caano, trash collection is not the first thing on your “to do” list.
Finally, I included a picture of downtown Borama to give you an illustration of a different city. Both Hargeisa and Borama are constantly bustling, the restaurants don’t close until after 11pm and there are always people socializing on the streets.
Borama city – capital of Awdal, once the powerful Adal kingdom that ruled horn of Africa including Ethiopia
That’s all for now. I hope you have enjoyed reading.
This short film was emailed to us by one of our reader Rashid Nur, whom we would like to thank him for this video. Sheikh Mountains are part of the Golis Chain that stretches along the length of Somaliland. Sheikh is a small town atop the Sheikh Mountains, and to get there you take the Sheikh Pass. The veiw from the Sheikh Pass is spectular, as the mountains cascade into the horizon.
Washington, Jul 1, 2009 — Recently General Kip Ward the Commanding Officer of the Highly Controversial US African Command (AFRICOM) gave an Interview to NPR (National Public Radio). Some of the Statements made by General Ward indicate that there is some major concern in Washington over Events currently unfolding in Africa.
The First Major Area of Concern is Somalia. We have heard of the tragic history of the country in the Horn of Africa. The Collapse of a functioning Government, Hunger, Islamist Militias trying to install their belief system and Piracy are just some of the ills that plague this country. The Situation is so dire that the Pentagon sent $10 Million in Arms to prop up the Current Government. The Group Al-Shabaab currently has Power over the Southern Part of the Country.
The US fears situations like Somalia developing throughout Africa. Clearly, there are several locales where such concerns have actually occurred. The Kivu Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo where Ugandan, Congolese and Rwandan Militias have set up their own fiefdoms where the Central Authorities cannot enforce the Rule of Law. The Niger Delta where there is an abundant supply of Oil but no Investments in Infrastructure in the Region are just two Highlights of Limited Government Influence or None whatsoever.
Currently, the Policy of the US is to support Governments in various areas of the Continent that seek to establish control over areas that they govern. If HR 2478 the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act is passed then the US will assist in developing a Long Term Strategy to achieve the goals mentioned in the Title of the Legislation. This could Mean an Additional Role for AFRICOM in Central Africa. The US Effort to rebuild the Armed Forces in Liberia with the Assistance of the State Department has been successful to this point.
The other area of concern for AFRICOM is the Narcotics Trade. This primarily is an issue that affects West Africa. It can be argued that the Drug Trade has had a role in the Collapse of Two Governments in Recent Years (Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.) The rugged West African Coastline has been used by South American Cartels as a Transit Point to ship Narcotics to Europe.
Previous Testimony on Capitol Hill in June indicated that AFRICOM is working with the Southern Command Joint Interagency Task Force South, the Defense Intelligence Agency and other Bodies to monitor the flow of Narcotics and support Projects with the Goal of Interdicting the flow. It is felt that Now is the time to curtail the Drug Trade before it undermines US Strategic Interests in Africa.
These are two laudable goals that AFRICOM has. And they should succeed at them.
The Author Publishes Confused Eagle on the Internet. It can be found at morganrights.tripod.com
Jeddah, 1 July 2009 – Investigations with the six men taken under custody in connection with the killing and burial of an 8-year-old Somali girl have revealed gruesome details about the whole issue.
Police found the body of the girl buried in an under-construction building in Bab Shareef District here on Friday. Besides the six Somalis, the grandmother of the girl was also arrested.
The girl was buried with her clothes on and her head severed, according to the forensic doctor who examined her body. The alleged culprits had admitted that the burial took place about 20 days ago.
Investigators are trying to verify whether the arrested men were involved in any previous crimes. They are also looking into whether the girl’s body had any scars or bruises indicating she was subjected to physical assault. The forensic expert, according to reports, has failed to pinpoint the exact causes of the severed head.
Preliminary reports indicate that the girl was buried with her clothes on. She was neither washed nor was she wrapped in a shroud (Kafan). She was wearing a T-shirt and a pair of trousers.
Col. Misfir Al-Je’aid, the spokesperson of Jeddah Police, said investigations are going on with the arrested men and some of them have proved to be illegal residents.
The girl’s grandmother was arrested Friday after receiving information from a mysterious caller claiming that her neighbor had killed her own granddaughter.
The woman caller said her neighbor repeatedly beat her granddaughter severely, and that the child’s absence from view for several days had concerned her enough to alert the authorities.
Police, acting on directions given by the caller concerning the street and the color of the house door, entered the premises of a Somali family who neighbors said had been receiving guests for a funeral wake, and arrested the elderly woman who initially told investigators that her granddaughter had died after suffering diarrhea and fever, and said she had given her to the girl’s mother who took the body to an unknown address.
When police brought in the mother of the child they discovered that she had known of the death of her daughter, but had left it to others to arrange her burial through a group of Somalis who charged SR400 to carry out the operation at a site where they believed the body would not be discovered.
