Hargeisa, 20 June 2009 – The United States Agency for International Development and Western Union have launched the African Diaspora Marketplace, a business-development program that will support the U.S.-based African diaspora in creating plans for sustainable start-up and established businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa. The program will also provide grant funding to between ten and twenty small and medium businesses with the strongest proposals for boosting economic opportunity and job creation in Sub-Saharan Africa through diaspora-driven development.
The initiative, which includes a research component, is designed to demonstrate the impact that entrepreneurs from the world’s diaspora or migrant communities can have on development in their home countries.
Proposals must be implemented in one of the following Sub-Saharan African countries where USAID has both on-the-ground presence and potential technical assistance programs for entrepreneurs: Angola, Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. To participate, candidates must be a member (or members) of the Sub-Saharan African diaspora living in the United States as a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and must have a local partner in the country of implementation.
A selection committee will review initial proposals and identify qualifying applicants who will be requested to submit a comprehensive business plan for evaluation. Program finalists will be provided with guidance and technical assistance in developing their business plans. The grant selection panel will evaluate final business plans and select grant recipients based on criteria that include the business idea and management framework, prospects for sustainability, capacity to leverage diaspora resources, and results orientation.
Grants will range from $50,000 to $100,000 each.
For complete program information, including the full list of eligibility criteria, visit the African Diaspora Marketplace Web site http://www.diasporamarketplace.org
Hargeisa, 20 June 2009 – The speaker of the Somali parliament called the neighboring countries for an immediate military intervention within 24 hours to save the government from the Islamist. In a press conference in Mogadishu, Mr. Aden said the government is in a very dangerous situation of not saved from the armed militias.
The speaker called the international community and the neighboring countries to interfere the situation in Somalia and help government fight against the Alqaedah and their allies in the country. He said the Alshabab represent the terrorist in the country and want to make Somalia a base where they can attack other countries in the world.
This is the first call of its kind since the Sharif government was elected in Djibouti last year. The Alshabab militia wages an aggressive attack on the government in the country saying the current government is a puppet for the western countries and Ethiopia. Although the government voted for the Sharia Law to be ruled in Somalia but that did not stop the armed Islamist groups to continue their fighting against the government.
Sources close to IGAD told Somalilandpress the possibility of Kenya and Ethiopia intervention with the logistic and intelligence assistance of America in order to stop Alshabab militia from expanding to the country.
The Stockholm based Warya TV gave unprecedented coverage to KULMIYE opposition party leader, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Silanyo’s recent visit to Sweden.
The less than two-year-old Warya TV gave its audience a constant video and audio streaming broadcast from the various events making Silanyo’s two-day visit to Sweden as the most viewed Somali event in the history of cyberspace.
Warya TV website experienced an unprecedented user traffic levels in the first day of the event when Silanyo was being presented a gold medallion, the first of its kind, for his unflinching devotion and undaunted courage as the leader of the Somali National Movement (SNM) guerrillas that waged armed struggle against the military junta of the late Mohammed Siyad Barre, ending Barre’s 21 years of iron-fist rule in Somalia.
Warya TV recorded a phenomenal 180,000 hits in the first day of Silanyo’s visit to Sweden alone, which stands testament to the popularity of the former guerrilla leader among the Somalilanders in the Diasporas.
The pictures and video footages coming from Warya TV from the moment Silanyo set his foot on Stockholm-Arlanda Airport to the moment of his departure awed many who have witnessed the event. After his warm reception in London last month, Silanyo has been just as enthusiastically greeted – by politicians and Somaliland population alike – on his arrival in Sweden.
“Silanyo may have enjoyed a celebrity-like status that no Somali leader had enjoyed since the downfall of the last Somali government but, in fact, it was the Somalilander-Swedes who basked in the glory of a two-day visit by a man who is seen by many as a symbol of the struggle for Somaliland’s freedom,” said Kasim Abdulkadir, Director of Warya TV.
Warya TV also covered the highly publicised 18 May Somaliland Independence Day celebrations in Stockholm, which the Swedish Foreign Minister’s wife, Anna Maria Corazza Bild, and other dignitaries attended. The pictures and videos appeared in the popular Swedish.
Hargeisa, 19 May 2009 – Some people try to dismiss the accusations of the IGAD, AU, UN, USA, and other organizations or countries against Eritrea’ s distractive role in Somalia, for supplying armaments, training, and other support to Al-Shebab and Tahir Aweys group to dismantle the internationally recognized TFG and AMISOM.
The main argument of these individuals is that Eritrea’s economy is going down the drain, where let alone to finance such forces in Somalia, it cannot even feed its oversized army of perpetual National Service recruits. Eritrea’s currency (the Nakfa) is valued at 40 to $1 and there is hardly anything to export from Eritrea because the government has gone to the extent of confiscating cereals from its peasant population to ration it to its civil servants and the security operatives. These people can be called as naïve or the simpletons who only read what is given to them by some quarters.
To really understand how the Eritrean government operates to get money, one needs to look into its systems that Shaebia has followed and perfected since its inception in 1977. The first principle it follows is to work as a commission agent to earn an income, with no qualms to any principles. This system can be demonstrated by stating only one example which the Eritrean government openly used on DR Congo’s government during the late President Kabila’s time. Eritrea had appointed Ambassador Andebirhan to both Brussels and Kinshasa then for good reason.
Here, one may think there is no logic to such an appointment because Brussels and Kinshasa are worlds apart to be covered by a single ambassador. But, the logic of the Eritrean government at the time was that its army and other cadres, which were in DRC in the name of assisting the Kinshasa government, were assigned to collect diamonds and other precious metals from the black market agents as much as it can and send it direct to Ambassador Andebirhan via diplomatic valise to Brussels to be sold in the Antwerp and Amsterdam markets. This scheme earned the Eritrean government a hefty income which enabled the government finances its invasion of Ethiopia and the Ambassador to pay in cash for the embassy premises in Brussels.
This kind of scheme can only be conceived by the Eritrean government which has no scruples about diplomatic ethic ate. Similarly, as the IGAD Communiqué of 20 May 2009 indicated, the Eritrean government is working as a commission agent for Al-Sheba, Hizbu-al Islam, etc. to provide the necessary training, armaments of all types and their transportation to various airfields in Somalia, fast boats to the pirates, etc.
In addition to this, countries like Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Egypt (each for a different reason), and other movements like Hezbollah transfer their financial and armament support under the cover of Eritrea. The history of the Eritrean government to engage in such dealings can be traced to its relationship with the Darfur and Beja rebels of the Sudan, the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka, and other opposition groups in the region which is well documented within the UN reports and specific country/government documents. Last year, the Sri Lankan government was forced to appeal to the UN Security Council to stop Eritrea’s meddling in its internal affairs.
In conclusion, there is nothing that the Eritrean government will not do to earn foreign currency, especially these days. Some of its investments mainly in the Middle East, though not in the name of the State of Eritrea, have been greatly affected by the current financial crisis. Similarly, the 2% forced tax collected from its diasporas as a requirement to visit or even to support their families in Eritrea is drying up due to the strengthening movement and communication by the opposition. Another ill advised source of support is of course the recent financial aid from the European Commission, more than 120 million Euros with no conditionality of the Cotonou Agreement, three times the per capita allocation to Ethiopia (population 80 million) from the same source.
The irony of the EU assistance to Eritrea, in the name of engagement to use Commissioner Luis Michel?s terms, is that it has also pledged to give 60 million Euros to the TFG of Somalia which is being required to secure the whole country first before it is able to access the funds. It looks like the EU is determined to finance both warring sides in Somalia despite its public pronouncements to support the internationally recognized TFG.
Beledweyne, 18 June 2009 – Somalia’s Security Minister Omar Hashi Aden has been killed in a suicide car bomb attack north of the capital Mogadishu, witnesses and officials say.
Somali diplomats were also reportedly among at least 10 people killed in the blast at a hotel in Beledweyne.
Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed blamed al-Shabab, which later claimed the attack. The guerrilla group has been accused of links to al-Qaeda.
On Wednesday, at least 10 people died when a mortar hit a Mogadishu mosque.
In Thursday’s attack, witnesses said a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at the Medina Hotel in Beledweyne, some 400km (249 miles) north of Mogadishu.
Most of the victims were burnt beyond recognition after the explosion, a local medic was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.
Abdulkarim Ibrahim Lakanyo, a former Somali ambassador to Ethiopia, was reportedly among those killed in the blast.
Mr Aden had recently moved to Beledweyne, a town close to the Ethiopian border, in an effort to stop Islamist insurgents gaining more ground in Somalia, the BBC’s Will Ross in Nairobi says.
Somalia has not had an effective national government since 1991 and some four million people – one-third of the population – need food aid, aid agencies say.
Al-Shabab belongs to a force of radical Islamic militants, which has been trying to topple the fragile UN-backed government for three years.
President Ahmed, a moderate Islamist, took office in Somalia in January but even his introduction of Sharia law to the strongly Muslim country has not appeased the guerrillas.
On Wednesday, Mogadishu’s police commander was killed during an attack on insurgent bases.
And the UN refugee agency’s representative to Somalia said the recent bloodletting in the failed Horn of African state was the “worst ever” in nearly two decades of chaos.
Hargeisa, 18 June 2009 Unlike every other breakaway state in the world Somaliland is more functional than the territory it wants to decouple from. The fact that Somalia is the country it wants shot of makes its case even more compelling because today it is impossible to find a better example of a failed state.
Somaliland’s argument for recognition rests on two pillars: peace and democracy, but both are more fragile than they seem.
Sporadic fighting with its federalist eastern neighbor Puntland, which wants to stay part of Somalia but have a greater degree of freedom, kills soldiers and uproots civilians from time to time.
And in October last year the peace was violently shattered when coordinated suicide bombings here in Hargeisa ripped through the President’s office, Ethiopia’s trade mission and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) headquarters. Human rights group have criticized the ensuing security clampdown.
But the most pressing worry is for Somaliland’s nascent democracy. Delayed Presidential elections are now due in September, more than a year late, but the pre-election process has been shambolic.
The seven-strong National Election Commission is widely viewed as incompetent, largely for its disastrous handling of the country’s first-ever voter registration exercise. “The voter register was supposed to prevent fraud,” said one exasperated civil society activist, “but the registration itself was fraudulent!”
Double and triple registration resulted in a register so bloated as to be un-useable: in the last Parliamentary election 675,000 people voted, four years on and the NEC has registered a frankly unbelievable 1.3-million throwing the prospect of free and fair elections into doubt.
There are, however, a couple of positive signs. The first is Somalilanders commitment to peace which has become a national characteristic that even a faulty election may not disrupt.
The second is the willingness of politicians to accept results in good grace: last time around the main opposition consented to a defeat by only 80 votes; recently the incumbent President, Dahir Rayale Kahin, told me: “I will run and whether I succeed or not I will accept the result.”
But if there are either dubious elections or further delays Somaliland’s hopes of – and argument for – international recognition will have suffered a major setback as will its reputation as an oasis of stability in a badly run region.
A woman holds the flags of the African Union and Ethiopia during celebrations to mark the Ethiopian New Year Sabir Olad/Wikimedia Commons
Washington, 18 June 2009 ) – Ethiopia is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked primarily for the purposes of forced labor and, to a lesser extent, for commercial sexual exploitation. Rural Ethiopian children are trafficked for domestic servitude and, less frequently, for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor in agriculture, traditional weaving, gold mining, street vending, and begging.
Young women from all parts of Ethiopia are trafficked for domestic servitude, primarily to Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, but also to Bahrain, Djibouti, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Djibouti, Egypt, and Somaliland are reportedly the main transit routes for trafficked Ethiopians.
Some women are trafficked into the sex trade after arriving at their destinations. Small numbers of men are trafficked to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States for low-skilled forced labor. While the number of registered labor migration employment agencies rose from 36 to 90 between 2005 and 2008, the government significantly tightened its implementation of regulations governing these agencies over the same period. This resulted in an increase in trafficked Ethiopians transiting neighboring countries rather than traveling directly to Middle Eastern destinations.
The Government of Ethiopia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. While the Ethiopian government’s ongoing efforts to provide pre-departure orientation to Ethiopian migrant workers and partner with a local NGO to detect cases of child trafficking within the country are notable, its limited capacity to prosecute trafficking crimes is a continued cause for concern. Police investigators remain unable to properly distinguish trafficking cases from those of other crimes or to conduct thorough investigations, and the judicial system routinely is unable to track the status of trafficking cases moving through the courts.
Recommendations for Ethiopia: Improve the investigative capacity of police and enhance judicial understanding of trafficking to allow for more prosecutions of trafficking offenders, particularly perpetrators of internal child trafficking; institute trafficking awareness training for diplomats posted overseas; engage Middle Eastern governments on improving protections for Ethiopian workers and developing a mechanism to refer trafficking victims for assistance; partner with local NGOs to increase the level of services available to trafficking victims returning from overseas; and launch a campaign to increase awareness of internal trafficking at the local and regional levels.
Prosecution
While the government sustained its efforts to prosecute and punish international trafficking offenders and initiated investigations of internal child trafficking during the reporting period, prosecution of internal trafficking cases remained nonexistent. In addition, law enforcement entities continued to exhibit an inability to distinguish human trafficking from smuggling, rape, abduction, and unfair labor practices. Articles 596 through 600 and 635 of Ethiopia’s Penal Code prohibit all forms of trafficking for labor and sexual exploitation.
The Federal High Court’s 11th Criminal Bench was established in late 2007 to hear cases of transnational trafficking, as well as any trafficking cases discovered in the jurisdiction of Addis Ababa. In June 2008, the court sentenced a man under Proclamation 104/1998 to 15 years’ imprisonment and fined him $1,357 for illegally sending an Ethiopian woman to Lebanon where she was forced to work as a domestic servant and later thrown from a building by her employer. A second defendant received five years’ imprisonment and a $452 fine for facilitating the same woman’s trafficking for domestic servitude. In 2008, police at Addis Ababa’s central bus terminal received 899 reports of internal child trafficking, an increase over the previous year.
However, unlike prior reporting periods, the unit did not provide statistics on the number of cases referred to the prosecutor’s office in 2008 or the status of cases referred to the prosecutor’s office in the preceding year. Some local police and border control agents are believed to have accepted bribes to overlook trafficking.
Protection
Although the government lacks the resources to provide direct assistance to trafficking victims or to fund NGOs that provide victim care, police employ victim identification and referral procedures in the capital, regularly referring identified internal trafficking victims to NGOs for care. During the year, the Child Protection Units (CPUs) – joint police-NGO identification and referral units operating in each Addis Ababa police station – rescued and referred children to the CPU in the central bus terminal, which is dedicated exclusively to identifying and obtaining care for trafficked children.
In 2008, this unit identified 899 trafficked children, 75 percent of whom were girls. It referred 93 trafficked children to NGO shelters for care and family tracing and reunified 720 children with parents or relatives in Addis Ababa and in outlying regions. Local police and officials in the regional administrations assisted in the return of the children to their home areas.
The Addis Ababa city government’s Social and Civil Affairs Department reunified an additional 46 children with their families in the capital and placed 40 children in foster care in 2008. During the year, police in Dessie Town, Amhara region replicated the CPU’s social programs without international assistance. In July 2008, the government assisted IOM with the repatriation of Ethiopian trafficking victims from Dar es Salaam to their home regions. Ethiopian missions in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Beirut have offices that provide general services to the local Ethiopian community, including limited referrals for labor-related assistance.
The Ethiopian government showed no sign of engaging the governments of these destination countries in an effort to improve protections for Ethiopian workers and obtain protective services for those who are trafficked. The government made no effort to interview returned victims about their experiences in the Middle East.
Returned women rely heavily on the few NGOs that work with adult victims and psychological services provided by the government’s Emmanuel Mental Health Hospital. In 2008, there were no reports of trafficking victims being detained, jailed, or prosecuted for violations of laws, such as those governing immigration.
While police encourage trafficking victims’ participation in investigations and prosecutions, resource constraints prevent police from providing economic incentives to victims. In January 2009, the government passed the Charities and Societies Proclamation, which, among other things, prohibits foreign-funded NGOs from informing victims of their rights under Ethiopian law or advocating on behalf of victims; this proclamation may have a negative impact on Ethiopia’s protection of trafficking victims.
Prevention
Ethiopia’s efforts to prevent international trafficking increased, while measures to heighten awareness of internal trafficking remained limited. In May 2008, after a series of deaths of Ethiopian maids in Lebanon, the government officially banned its citizens from traveling to the country; the ban remains in effect. During the reporting period, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA), employing two full-time counselors, provided 18,259 migrating workers with three-hour pre-departure orientation sessions on the risks of labor migration and the conditions in receiving countries.
While these pre-departure preventative measures are commendable, they need to be matched by meaningful victim protection measures provided by the Ethiopian government in the countries to which the workers were destined. In addition, Private Employment Agency Proclamation 104/1998 governs the work of international employment agencies and protects Ethiopian migrant workers from fraudulent recruitment or excessive debt situations that could contribute to forced labor. These statutes prescribe punishments of five to 20 years’ imprisonment, which are sufficiently stringent and exceed those prescribed for other grave crimes, such as rape.
In 2009, an amendment to Proclamation 104/98 outlawing extraneous commission fees and requiring employment agencies to open branch offices in countries to which they send migrant workers was submitted to parliament for review. In January 2008, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs established a Women’s and Children’s Trafficking Controlling Department to collect data from Ethiopian diplomatic missions, NGOs, and police sub-stations on the status of migrant workers. Though this office has not yet issued its first report, in December it hosted an interministerial discussion on child trafficking and labor abuse for mid-level government officials from the Ministries of Labor, Justice, and Women and Children’s Affairs.
During the year, state-controlled Ethiopian Radio aired IOM’s public service announcements in four languages, as well as a program for listeners in Addis Ababa on the risk of trafficking through visa fraud. The Ministry of Education, in partnership with an NGO, revised primary school textbooks to include instruction on child labor and trafficking in the curriculum. Four teachers’ training colleges in Southern Nations Nationalities Peoples’ Regional State incorporated these topics in their teaching materials in 2008.
The government did not undertake efforts to reduce demand for commercial sex acts during the reporting period. Before deploying Ethiopian soldiers on international peacekeeping missions, the government trained them on human rights issues, including human trafficking. Ethiopia has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol.
Hargeisa, 17 June 2009 – A high-level of delegation from Somaliland’s second opposition Party Ucid has flown out of Egal International Airport to number of countries including the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.
The delegation was led off by UCID Chairman and presidential candidate, Mr Faisal Ali Warabe and his vice-chairman, professor Mohamed Rashid Sheikh Hassan and Somaliland’s House of Representative’s chairman, Mr Abdulrahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro).
The party officials had no immediate comment about their trip.
Finance Minister & Minister of Interior
Currently all the leaders are abroad, President Rayale led a delegation to Kuwait after an official invitation from the Kuwaiti leader – Kulmiye opposition party leader, Mr Ahmed Mohamud Silanyo is also touring a number of Scandinavian countries. Meanwhile the Finance Minister, Mr Hussein Ali Duale led his own delegation to Kenya to hold talks with EU and donor nations, while the Minister of Interior, Mr Abdullahi Ismael Ali flew to Addis Ababa with his own team, he will take part in a conference designed to address piracy challenges in the region.
Stay with Somalilandpress as stories develop…we will keep you posted.
Re: June 27, 2009 event at the P.S., 76 Elementary Auditorium
220 W. 121st Street
New York, New York 10027
Registrations start at 1pm
Event 2pm to 7pm
New York City, 17 June 2009 ( – You are called this day to gather in a historical and note praiseworthy meeting to reacquaint Habesha Afrikan families who for so long have missed each other during the recent years of disunity. With the efforts of Afrikan Unity of Harlem, Inc all will have the opportunity to see each other in a neutral and social environment firstly to build the fraternal spirit, then to discuss collective oneness, which will lead to Heart felt HABESHA UNITY!!!
The whole of Afrika detailing unity for the Horn will also be of focus for discussion to highlight ancient history and culture as one people, with noted guest speakers sharing their academic and cultural experiences. For centuries Habesha has fought outside forces that served to divide their families and tradition, and now are seen fighting one another. It is imperative to work toward reconciliation from past abuse that only serves systems whose structure dose not value the people as the higher good.
The over all purpose of the gathering is to reacquaint and bring back family bonds that stood in oneness to build such ancient civilizations that give birth to the whole world in art, religion, language, and human morality. We are confident that the gathering will crash the fake stories about Habesha people being divided based on ethical lines and bring forward a nation of God’s free people focused education, health, economics, history and culture for the benefit of Afrika’s children.
Afrikan Unity of Harlem, Inc (A.U.H.., Inc.) is requesting your participation on this day of June 27, 2009.. As a learned team, we believe that the community would greatly benefit from meeting you and learn your expertise concerning Africa and the unity of Habesha people.
This event will be in two parts. The afternoon session is set-aside for representatives from the Habesha community sharing the commonalities of the people based on history, culture, religion, and developmental efforts centered on unification. The late afternoon/evening period is set aside for celebrations with traditional music and socialization the Addis Café suitably located at 435 West 125th on Amsterdam Avenue, Harlem New York 10027..
You will also have the opportunity to inform the community on your expertise and express how it can strengthen African and Habesha people worldwide.
Please respond so we can announce your presence. Also you are invited to be a guest speaker on our internet web cast radio program which airs live globally, Tuesdays at 2pm EST. If you can or not make it, please send a reply or ask for directions.
“SAVING OUR HOME LAND AND REACQUAINTING OUR FAMILIES!!!”
Afrikan Unity of Harlem, Inc., a not for profit organizational catalyst to spearhead the empowerment and unity of All Afrikan people worldwide is calling all Habesha People (East Afrikan Peoples) in the Diaspora to the, “Saving our Homeland and Reacquainting our Families”, event held June 27 2009 (2001 Ethiopic) from 2 to 7 pm, at P.S, 76 Elementary School Auditorium 220 W. 121st Street New York, New York 10027
For thousands of years Habesha has proven a collective greatness by defeating all areas of colonization and foreign invasion, by God’s own design for Afrikan People to be free. In this new millennia time all must see that posterity needs family bonds to continue in the old faith of one united people moving collectively by the spirit, defeating all powers that be, who try to come in to change an ancient tradition which is the integrity of all.
“Is there hope for Afrika? Yes there is. Our future begins with our present. Africa’s present condition has its origins in Africa’s history. An honest collective acknowledgement of our history helps to encourage Afrikan unity. From history we are able to pinpoint mistakes and injustices that may have resulted in our present conditions,” says Ato Kassayi Hailu, President of Afrikan Unity of Harlem, Inc.
It has been a long time coming, for Habesha people to set down with one another to allow their children to meet and see each other. When we look to history we see that it has been the East Afrikan people who gave to the whole world culture, civilization and moral values that have been established throughout the earth. Our continent, Mother Afrika, is the museum of the world that has given birth to a free people.
Ato Kassayi agrees that, “All Habesha people must work for the integrity of East Afrikan countries. Forget about our personal political interest. Come out of your Ethnic trenches and collaborate with all Habesha for the benefit of all, based on our collective history as one Afrikan People.”
AVENUE: Re: June 27, 2009 event at the P.S., 76 Elementary Auditorium
220 W. 121st Street
New York, New York 10027
Registrations start at 1pm
Event 2pm to 7pm
Sincerely,
Sister Ivory Ann Black II Woletta Sellassie Executive Secretary Afrikan Unity of Harlem, Inc
Office Phone: 212 531-0384 / Fax: 212-531-0382
Mobile: 414-429-2160
Website: afrikanunityofharlem.com
Blogesite: http://360.yahoo.com/african.unity
Radio/TV Program: Tuesdays starting at 2pm Est. watch live at afrikanunityofharlem.com
Hargeisa, 16 May 2009) – Greg Garland, media and outreach coordinator for the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, answered questions in a June 16 CO.NX webchat on Somalia.
Following is the transcript:
(begin transcript)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of International Information Programs
Webchat Transcript
CO.NX Webchat: Is there hope for Somalia?
Guest: Greg Garland
Date: June 16, 2009
Time: 8 a.m. EDT (12:00 GMT)
Gregory L Garland: Hello everybody! Thanks you for taking the time to participate today. I won’t be able to answer all the many questions you have, so please be understanding. I’ll try to answer those that have a broad interest and applicability. Let’s start!
Q [Mbekwe]: What are the main factors driving problems in Somalia?
A [Gregory L. Garland]: The two biggest factors? A shattered economy that magnifies the temptation for young men to enter into piracy, and the lack of a rule of law that could enforce national and international law. There are a variety of other factors unique to Somalia, such as illegal fishing, but lack of effective governance in much of the country and few jobs opportunities are the keys.
Q [Rooble]: Why the US government is not taking a brave step to recognize Somaliland as the first step to settle things in Somalia?
A [Gregory L Garland]: The U.S. believes that the Transitional federal Government provides the best solution for a unified Somalia. Inasmuch as Somaliland provides a degree of good governance, it offers an example to what is possible to all Somalis.
Q [jigoli]: Do u think imposing shariff to the presidency will solve the Somalian problem?
A [Gregory L. Garland]: No one person can solve the country’s problems. What is needed is effective and inclusive governance that extends nation-wide.
Q [Joseph]: What role will USA play in fixing Somalia?
A [Gregory L. Garland]: Somalis themselves will fix Somalia. The United States, along with the rest of the international community, will play a vital role in maintaining levels of humanitarian assistance, such as food and medicines. We are also participating in the international, multilateral Contact Group on Somalia to devise long-term ways and programs that can bolster the efforts of Somalis to establish rule of law and revitalize their economy.
Comment [Shakur]: Of course, both Somali Land and Puntalnd regional administrations can be seen as good role models.
Q [Rooble]: Why the American government is not doing anything effective about the piracy in the Somalia’s waters with those huge warships?
A [Gregory L Garland]: In fact, there is considerable evidence that the multinational naval presence off the coast of Somalia has become an effective deterrent against piracy. But it is only a short-term answer, a band-aid let’s say. The long-term solution is on-shore — the establishment of effective governance throughout Somalia and the revival of an economy that will offer employment alternatives.
Q [Joseph]: How would you repair Somalia as a country?
A [Gregory L. Garland]: Somalia has gone almost two decades without an effective central government. Thus, it’s necessary to establish effective national authority that extends into the interior and all along the coast. That, in fact, is the goal of the Transitional Federal Government that is situated in Mogadishu but controls little beyond the capital. Once that authority is established, there should be a return to the rule of law based on Somali traditions. The economy will rebound once rule of law has been established. The international community — East Africa, the Arab world, East Asia, Europe, and the United States — has a vital role to play to nurture the economy while in the meantime maintaining levels of humanitarian assistance.
Amelia Vance IIP Washington: Thank you everyone for your questions! Mr. Garland is currently reviewing them and will respond shortly. If you are new to the web chat, please let us know where you are from. Thank you!
Q [Mukesh Williams]: Marine piracy has a long history though ‘illegal waste dumping’ is new. Since 1992 environmental rules in the Anglo-American world became quite strict and it became increasingly difficult for companies to dispose toxic and nuclear waste illegally in the civilized world. In such a climate, politically or economically weak countries were easily exploited. Poor and politically weak Somalia became an ideal victim. The solutions proffered today do not take account of this factor and are therefore not acceptable by the Somalis themselves. What should the world do?
A [Gregory L Garland]: You’re statement in general is correct. First, about the history of marine piracy. It is one of the oldest professions. But it is controllable, as recent history has taught in the Straits of Malacca. Piracy thrives where there is weak governance and poor economic choices — the formula in Somalia today. As for dumping of illegal waste, there is considerable evidence that a problem has existed in Somalia, with damage to its waters. This does not excuse or even explain the motives behind the wave of piracy, it is a factor that certainly ought to be assessed and dealt with as part of the long-term solution. At the end of the day, it is Somalis themselves who have to come to terms with the root causes of piracy with effective, inclusive governance throughout their country.
Q [Shakur]: I must admit that I find it difficult to understand the word “international community”! Eretria, Ethiopia, North Korea, Iran, etc – are members of the international community, the definition of international community may be as wide as you cannot imagine. That is the reason why I think America has to take the lead?
Shakur: I think the federal government deserves the maximum support, without compromising peace and stability in other regions. Yet, we learned from past interventions that there are seemingly disagreements from within the international community. I would think, Somalians are ready to grip the opportunity, provided America takes the lead of international help.
Amelia Vance IIP Washington: America.gov just released its new feature on piracy, so after the chat anyone interested can check out http://tinyurl.com/n96534 . There will also be a chat specifically on piracy in the 21st century on June 30, 09:00 am EDT (13:00GMT) at http://statedept.connectsolutions.com/conx . For more info on the chat, check out http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=89483129015.
Q [Mukesh Williams]: Many African leaders within and outside Somalia believe that instead of attacking the pirates and extremists it is wise to negotiate with them. Western leaders however feel otherwise. They feel that there can be no negotiation with pirates or extremists. The only way out is military action like the one successfully mounted in the wake of the hijacked US cargo ship Maersk Alabama. Both these approaches seem to be fraught with problems. What is your solution to break this impasse?
A [Gregory L Garland]: I have to disagree with the conclusion that an impasse exists. The multinational offshore naval presence is a short-term bandage supported by United Nations Security Council resolutions and contribution worldwide. Nobody pretend it is the solution. What is has succeeded in doing is keeping major shipping lanes more or less clear. Meanwhile, Africans, Middle easterners, Europeans, Americans, and Asian have gathered numerous times in the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia to discuss all aspects of the problem. Somalia’s TFG is an active participant, as is the African Union, Kenya, Yemen and Egypt. I know because I have attended meetings as a U.S. head of working group in Cairo and New York and have worked closely with the Africans (including Egypt) in particular. Force has rarely been used, and no country argues that it is an answer — though it makes for sensationalist television footage. The solution, all agree, is for effective governance to be reestablished throughout Somalia with a revived economy.
Q [Shakur]: Greg. It is not up to the Somalians any longer. You see, we are on life support machine; our country has been destroyed by million and one conflicting interests. Today so many countries call themselves as “the stake holders” Stake holders of what I wonder?
Comment [dia alesawi]: guys we forget the that there’s a countries like Ethiopia and Eretria supporting some of militia against the other they bring to them the money and the weapons and if they stop it gona fix some of Somalia problem
Q [Guest]: Hiiraan Online: Why the international community is out financed by the extremist’s elements in Somalia? Due to the financial situation in Somalia, young improvised Somalis are flocking to extremist camps; however these same young men could be recruited to the Somali Security Forces if the international community comes forward with promised financial support to TFG
A [Gregory L Garland]: You’ve hit upon one of the short-term answers — there has to be economic incentive to wean young men away from the temptation of piracy to other means of earning a living. The U.S. believes that the TFG is the best path for establishing effective governance in Somalia. Our support has and is taking many forms, including humanitarian assistance and starting work on building a coast guard. Can we do more? Yes, and that’s what we’re mapping out in the international Contact Group on Somalia (separate from the one on piracy).
Comment [Shakur]: Dia, they will not stop. They need to be told enough is enough. Take the case of Afghanistan, the neighboring countries were told to stay away mainly because of the direct interest they may have. In Iraq, again same applies. It is only when it comes to Somalia that we consult Ethiopia, Eretria, Kenya – that seems double standard to me.
Q [Rashid Ebrahim]: Hello Everyone…I’m From Bahrain where as many of you know the anti piracy task force is stationed (The US 5th Fleet). My question is Will we ever really put an end to this pirate menace?
CO.NX Moderator (Mark): For those of you just joining the webchat, welcome! Feel free to introduce yourself.
Q [Abdiaziz Hassan]: The fact is that a Failed Somalia is a threat to the global security and Something needs to be fixed. The nation and its people are ready to take the lead, but are you, U.S, the world’s number one power ready to assist Somalia militarily to overpower its rivals who do not have agenda? As much as I know, the peace for Somalis is peace for the world. Now, young, uneducated men who have no bigger agenda have disrupted world trade and caused the mess we can see in the maritime. Therefore, did you ask yourself [as Obama administration] what the consequences of Alshabaab takeover, which is getting direct order from Al-Qaeda can be?
A [Gregory L Garland]: The world understands that a failed Somalia is a global threat, not just one to its own people or its immediate neighbors. The U.S is working closely with the international community — including nations in East Africa and the Middle East as well as the African Union — to find answers to the issues you raise. As I have said, the U.S. believes that the TFG is best vehicle for rebuilding Somalia, and the international community is proceeding to support it. At the same time, the U.S. continues efforts to combat violent extremism and eliminate the terrorist threat in Somalia.
Q [Wise]: Do you think that the US did enough for Somalia? like do you think that sending navy troops at the sea and not helping the new government?
A [Gregory L Garland]: On-shore and off-shore contributions are two sides of the same coin of U.S. policy toward Somalia. The U.S. and a number of other countries could immediately respond to the piracy threat to international shipping with naval units. Hat naval; presence has helped maintain the Gulf of Aden as a viable waterway in the face of extraordinary piracy menaces. But it is only a quick fix; the long-term solution is tackling the root causes of piracy on shore The U.S. is also deeply engaged on shore in Somalia to assist the Somali people. It is the major provider of food and other humanitarian supplies that keep so many Somalis alive. It has supported the Africa Union Mission in Somalia — key to the security of the TFG — with logistics. And it has led international coordination through the two contact groups and the United Nations.
Q [sahardid from DC but in Kenya]: who must/should be involve in formulating the change plan for Somalia?
A [Gregory L Garland]: Somalis themselves, not outsiders. The core U.S. objective has been to encourage dialogue among Somali stakeholders with the goal of resuming the transitional process outlined by the Transitional Federal Charter. This means bringing in parts of society who can agree to the shared goal of effective governance, rule of law, and revival of the economy. Much of the world is willing to support that process, but the leadership and implementation must be Somali.
Q [Mohamed Ahmed Ali]: Current Somalia will be like Afghanistan and it may take decades to overpower the militants, the recent international policy is giving Somaliland as a present to the militants Muslim radicals, what is the US policy to safe Somaliland?
A [Gregory L Garland]: You are likely correct that Somalis must plan for decades, not years, much less weeks. We are acutely aware that two decades have already been lost. The U.S. believes that Somaliland is part of the solution for a unified, well-governed Somalia. I have heard the TFG Somali foreign minister himself make this assertion, and recognition on the record the accomplishment of the region’s governance.
Amelia Vance IIP Washington: Hi everyone! Don’t forget to check out the other programs CO.NX has available after the chat today. Find out more at http://co-nx.state.gov . If you are new to the chat, please say where you are from. Thank you!
Gregory L. Garland: Posted by Nwadi Udoka Eze (Nigeria) – bye this was great event. I am so happy to be an honored guest here. The food is great, the wine, off the hook. or maybe tea, depending on where you are or brunch, whatever. I am just trying to say: It’s funny attending an event online, but it feels good. I feel important. lol!
Gregory L. Garland: Posted by Muntaka Ghana – Somalia could be a beacon of the horns of Africa if a stable democratic platform is mounted with a structured society. It’s sad the ferocious tendencies of religion has infested deeply patrolling and controlling the minds of my brothers up there. I hope one day Africans will realize religion is primitive and whiles they might has been instruments of liberation sometimes in the past are now predominantly the contrivance and agents of the enormous ignorance in our societies, despotism and persecution of our thoughts and freedom.
CO.NX Moderator (Tim): Posted by Baba Iddi – Dialog with stakeholders in the region is a sure way to resolving the Somali crisis. Military approach to the issue would lead to undesirable results just like we have seen in many parts of the world. The west must be committed to finding permanent workable solutions to the crisis. The Obama approach to dealing with states such as Somalia, Iran, Cuba may yield great results for the US and the world at large, if sustained with sincerity.
Q [Mukesh Williams]: In a book entitled Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age, historian Marcus Rediker points out that when poor seamen become pirates it draws attention to their social class, when enslaved Africans turn pirates it poses questions of race and when women take to piracy it reveals gender issues. All those who became pirates and sailed under their Jolly Rogers were participating in a political drama exposing the ills of their nations. They represented a specific geography and a dramatic condition, which was hard to ignore both literally and metaphorically. Most pirates went to sea to prevent starvation and death exposing the irresponsibility of the state. Do you think modern piracy in Somalia exposes the ills of the state and the complicity of Europe and the US in destabilizing it?
A [Gregory L Garland]: Yours is an academic and historical analysis that bear attention inasmuch as those of us in the present can learn from the past. It is granted that piracy is an ill (and an international crime) that has roots causes in social, political, and economic chaos. So does murder, and so does drug trafficking. But as a crime that threatens a major international trade corridor, it must be treated criminally. That’s something the world’s nations have agreed on. An analogous case took place in the Straits of Malacca some years ago, and international cooperation combined with effective local governance to stamp out most of the piracy. That’s effective governance and long-term economic opportunity in Somalia is crucial as long-term solutions. That’s not a matter of race or gender — interesting as those approaches might be. Just as piracy law came about in response to threats to international commerce centuries ago, Somalia reminds us why this is so and the common interest of all the world in containing it through effective governance on shore.
CO.NX Moderator (Tim): Posted by Rashid Ibrahim (Kenya) – I believe, the only thing that has the slightest chance of bringing stability in Somalia is more bloodshed; but it should be organized and precise. An individual of immense resources and an army of around 4000 well trained vigilantes will surely get things straightened. What we have had in Somalia is a confused and disenfranchised population that believes its interests are best served by individuals of their own ethnic background and this myth can only be quashed by getting rid of the trouble makers and ensuring that the power vacuum is filled and in the short run putting in place institutions that will safeguard the sovereignty of a nation and creating a constitution that protects the rights of all.
CO.NX Moderator (Tim): Posted by Suleiman Abdullahi – As long as individual rights are respected, the will of the people upheld and accountability, transparency and human rights are upheld, we don’t need to coin the word democracy to any kind of government. What is essential is satisfaction of the citizens with their country and how its affairs are being run. Again, it’s the bearer of the shoe who knows where it pinches most? Have we taken the time to listen and to reflect upon the wishes of the Somali people, we haven’t. Most of the people today only know about the existing problems in the country through media outlets and intelligence services who base their findings on “reliable” sources, too bad.
CO.NX Moderator (Tim): Posted by Ali Macalin – Hello..Always Hope and life goes on.. Positive thinking..When we take the first step in helping someone else – we are helped – often in ways that we do not know. We become part of a community that matters to us. We matter… Consider the people as potential resources, not as problems AND develop human potential through a proper education that acknowledges and promotes human nobility HOW- Learning to know,- Learning to Do,- Learning to Live Together and,- Learning to Be Peace, Ali
CO.NX Moderator (Tim): Posted by Suleiman Abdullahi – Somalia’s rich mineral resources that lie untapped is the reason we are focusing so much on this nation in the Horn of Africa. Why are we not giving similar attention to Kosovo which remains besieged by Serbia? And Armenia which has been constantly bullied by Turkey? why don’t we lend support to Myanmar which lives at the mercy of a military junta and where religious tolerance is non-existent? For crying out loud, let us be impartial and most importantly honest! A lot of the people who will lend their comments to this discussion have skewed and irrational view of Somalia. What we think of are the war mongering lords and hard line politicians but what we should be focusing on are the people of Somalia who live in fear everyday and are constantly on the move in search of safer grounds.
Comment [Abdi]: addressing seriously the situation and supporting the TFG is the only way to sort out the problems in Somalia
Comment [ahmed indepedebt researcher]: There is hope and the hope is that Somalis will force the world to balance the need of the Somali people for stability and prosperity against merciless international politics in the form of international NGOs
Comment [katus]: The situation that is….
Q [katus]: Osman am keen to know is nearly as bad as the media makes it…or is it worse?
Q [ahmed indepedebt researcher]: There are more than 800 international NGOs working in Somalia all the UN agencies are supposedly working in Somalia with a combined expenditure of $2billion since 2002 according to UNPOS so why not there is no peace still?
Osman Moallim: There is hope when you compared in the past. For example some time people now talking and thinking how the administration where before they were busy to support clan ambition. We have seen election of president as well as president resignation and elected another one. 10 years ago it was dream to believe such of this change
Q [rafiandra]: what should UN do about Somalia?
A [Gregory L Garland]: The UN is already deeply engaged in Somalia. There are two international contact groups, on for on shore and one on piracy off shore (I’m participating in the latter). The UN Office on Somalia (check on the formal name) in Nairobi coordinates aid effort. The U.S. has placed the UN at the center of its Somalia policy. But please remember that the UN is made of member-states, and is only as effective as its membership. By the way, the African Union has the only peacekeeping troops actually in Somalia — a bold testimony to that organization’s evolution. You mention Indonesia. While Indonesia has an interest in Somalia as a growing economy reliant on international shipping, as an Indian Ocean littoral state, and a fellow Muslim nation, we should remember that Indonesia has its own piracy issues. Together with Singapore and Malaysia, it has effectively controlled piracy in the Straits of Malacca. As such, I would suggest (personally speaking, not as a USG spokesman) that Indonesia offers the priceless expertise of having been there and done that well — that is, fought and reduced piracy in one important waterway.
Q [Iqraa Alamiin]: I am Iqraa, from Indonesia I think that I am so optimistic that there is hope for SOMALIA in future. The United Nation must pay attention in deed to make the situation becomes conducive and the world must help the Somalian from starving. They are our brother as human beings. I do hope that Somalia will be better and better as soon as possible. All Nations can take participate materially and morally as well to decrease the suffering of the Somalia. I just wonder about the children’s destinies dan the future in Somalia. They have to cooperate hand by hand to bring our only one earth planet into peaceful and love. My question is What actions can be done by United Nations to make the situation becomes normally.
A [CO.NX Moderator (Tim)]: Hi Iqraa…check above for UN engagement in Somalia.
Osman Moallim: the recognition of the Italian government to the TFG is one of the sign that shows you the hope because the Italian government is one of the key player the Somali conflict
Q [Rooble]: (09:28) Why this sudden support for Somalia after 18 years of civil war under the eyes of the US?
A [Gregory L Garland]: (09:28) That’s a common perception, but wrong. The U.S. has struggled with Somali issues for decades if we are to talk history, going back long before 1991-92. But support for effective nation-wide governance and rule of law by an inclusive national authority has been consistently a core objective of US policy. Somalis know better than most the strong voices of the Somali émigré community in the US, as well as in other Western countries. They have helped keep Somalia on the table so to speak, in the public eye domestically here in America. The current interest is exceptional in one important respect: piracy has made it to the front pages. It has given the American media a story that can be told easily with occasional valuable footage. Now, Americans think of piracy first when they think of Somalia. I would argue that this is an opportunity for all those concerned with Somali’s future, including Somalis themselves, to take advantage of. Americans don’t pay sustained attention as a general rule to the rest of world. Right now, with US naval units off shore, an American freighter that was attacked and freed by US naval intervention, and a suspect being detained in New York, piracy is still headlines here. This is the opportunity that the TFG, African Union, regional leaders elsewhere, and the UN all recognize. But believe me, as an Africanist I can assure that the US Government has paid sustained attention to Somalia since the early 1990s and before.
Gregory L Garland: (09:32) Thank you all for participating, listening, reading. I learned at least as much from your questions as you may from my answers — that’s what keeps me passionate about the business of cross-cultural dialogue. And thanks to my colleagues at IIP for making this program possible. Regards, Greg Garland
Amelia Vance IIP Washington: (09:35) Thank you so much for joining us today, Mr. Garland. And a big thanks to our audience. This chat is now closed. A transcript of this chat will be available in one to two days on America.gov and on our facebook page at http://co-nx.state.gov. We love to hear feedback so please email us at conx@state.gov or write on our facebook wall.
