Ecoterra Press Release 218 – The Somalia Chronicle June – December 2009, no 30

Following the Somalia Spring 2009 Chronicles, I herewith republish the Ecoterra press releases issued in the second half of 2009. I reproduce the integral version of all Ecoterra press releases in a recapitulative effort to provide the global readership with the most comprehensive collection of texts published worldwide about the most abominable Western postcolonial involvement in Africa, namely the systematic effort of extermination of the Somali Nation. The vast documentation provided serves as basic point of reference to students, researchers, analysts and intellectuals.

ECOTERRA Intl.

SMCM

Somali Marine & Coastal Monitor

ECOTERRA INTERNATIONAL - UPDATES & STATEMENTS, REVIEW & CLEARING-HOUSE

2009-07-29 WED 20h44:28 UTC

Issue No. 218

A Voice from the Truth- & Justice-Seekers, who sit between all chairs, because they are not part of organized white-collar or no-collar-crime in Somalia or elsewhere, and who neither benefit from global naval militarization, from the illegal fishing and dumping in Somali waters or the piracy of merchant vessels, nor from the booming insurance business or the exorbitant ransom-, risk-management- or security industry, while neither the protection of the sea, the development of fishing communities or the humanitarian assistance to abducted seafarers and their families is receiving the required adequate attention, care and funding.

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." George Orwell

EA ILLEGAL FISHING AND DUMPING HOTLINE: +254-714-747090 (confidentiality guaranteed) - email: somalia[at]ecoterra.net

EA Seafarers Assistance Programme EMERGENCY HELPLINE : SMS to +254-738-497979 or sms/call +254-733-633-733

"The pirates must not be allowed to destroy our dream !"

Cpt. Florent Lemaçon - F/Y Tanit - killed by French commandos - 10. April 2009 / Ras Hafun

NON A LA GUERRE - YES FOR PEACE

(Inscription on the sail of F/Y TANIT - shot down on day one of the French assault)

"... obligation to fight oppression and cruelty wherever it appears, and that any group of people who are degrading another group of people have to be fought against with whatever tools we have available to us. "

B. H. Obama - US-American President, who said also: The world has changed ! YES, WE CAN !

Clearing-House: Cut out the clutter - focus on facts !

Breaking:

The health situation of an Ukrainian seafarer on MV ARIANA has continued to deteriorate, was reported today, and apparently the captors of the vessel have agreed to evacuate the person with the help of a humanitarian organization. Response from the Ukrainian side is awaited.

News from sea-jackings, abductions, newly attacked ships and vessels in distress as reported earlier:

Somali pirates up ransom for German freighter

The Somali pirates who hijacked the German-flagged container vessel Hansa Stavanger in April have reportedly demanded a higher ransom.

The pirates said a ransom of USD 3.5 million was too little and that Germans must add another USD 1 million for the release of the vessel.

They described the low share of money as the reason behind their decision to up their demands to USD 4.5 million, Press TV's correspondent in Mogadishu reported.

The 20,000-ton German vessel Hansa Stavanger with five Germans, three Russians, two Ukrainians and 14 Filipinos on board had been seized in April about 400 miles (646 km) off the southern Somali port city of Kismayu.

Hostage talks stall after Somali pirates up demands

By Abdi Guled and Abdi Sheikh for Reuters

The imminent release of 24 hostages on board a German ship hijacked off Somalia in April has been delayed after pirates demanded a higher ransom, a gang member said on Tuesday.

The German-flagged container vessel Hansa Stavanger with five Germans, three Russians, two Ukrainians and 14 Filipinos had been expected to be released on Monday.

The pirates had agreed to a $3 million ransom, but some members of the gang said that was too little, a pirate named Hassan told Reuters.

"Some of our friends say we are many and so the Germans must add $1 million or $500,000 to make the ransom about $4 million," he told Reuters by phone from Haradheere, about 17 km (10 miles) west of Gan, where the ship is being held.

"The Germans seemed to be angry after we broke the promise. They rarely answer our calls. Now they insist on the agreed $3 million, but we are divided on this issue. We do not know how long it will take to release the ship," he said.

The 20,000 tonne ship, owned by Hamburg shipping company Leonhardt & Blumberg, was captured about 400 miles off the southern Somali port of Kismayu on April 4.

The vessel's owners refused to comment.

"We don't give any statements on the Hansa Stavanger," said a company spokeswoman who did not give her name.

Ahmed, a member of the Somali gang, had earlier told Reuters that colleagues and friends had gathered at Gan, a coastal village about 450 km (280 miles) northeast of Mogadishu, to wait for the ransom money.

But by Monday talks stalled after the pirates increased their demands.

Concerns were raised over the crew's welfare this month after reports surfaced in the German media that they had run out of water, food and medicine.

Naval forces in the area are ready to provide escort to any hijacked ship that is released and the EU naval force Atalanta has a warship on standby to provide support should any vessel has been freed.

With the latest captures and releases now still at least 14 foreign vessels (13 if M/S IO EXPLORER is truly "gone") with a total of not less than 203 crew members are accounted for (of which 44 are confirmed to be Filipinos) and are held in Somali waters. They are monitored on our actual case-list, while several other cases of ships, which were observed off the coast of Somalia and have been reported or had reportedly disappeared without trace or information, are still being followed. MV JAIKUR 1 remains in Mogadishu harbor, but is an insurance and not a piracy case - all foreign crew was evacuated. Over 134 incidences (including attempted attacks, averted attacks and successful sea-jackings) had been recorded for 2008 with 49 fully documented, factual sea-jacking cases (for Somalia, incl. presently held ones) and the mistaken sinking of one vessel by a naval force. For 2009 the account stands at 149 attacks (incl. averted or abandoned attacks) with 47 sea-jackings on the Somali/Yemeni pirate side as well as at least three wrongful attacks (incl. one friendly fire incident) on the side of the naval forces. More than 116 Somalis are held in foreign prisons under charges of piracy. Mystery pirate mother-vessels Athena/Arena and Burum Ocean as well as not fully documented cases of absconded vessels are not listed in the sea-jack count until clarification. Several other vessels with unclear fate (also not in the actual count), who were reported missing over the last ten years in this area, are still kept on our watch-list, though in some cases it is presumed that they sunk due to bad weather or being unfit to sail. In the last four years, 22 missing ships have been traced back with different names, flags and superstructures. Piracy incidents usually degrade during the monsoon season in winter and rise gradually by the end of the monsoon season starting from mid February and early April every year.

Present multi-factorial risk assessment code: GoA: YELLOW IO: YELLOW (Red = Very much likely, high season; Orange = Reduced risk, but very likely, Yellow = significantly reduced risk, but still likely, Blue = possible, Green = unlikely). Allegedly still/again two groups from Puntland alone are out hunting on the Gulf of Aden and in the Indian Ocean, where also groups from Harardheere have set out again, despite the heavy seas and the rough weather.

Directly piracy related reports

Don´t call us pirates, we are protectors

By David Kauzlaric

In an economy where there are no guarantees, why not invest in cargo-ship hijacking? In a recent interview with Scott Carney from Wired, a Somali pirate discloses information about the recent ship hijackings around the horn of Africa and the motivation behind the pirate attacks.

When asked what his job was before ship-hijacking or what forced him into a life of crime on the high seas, the pirate defended his actions noting that Somalians once earned a living through fishing, but that that was no longer feasible. Instead, he claimed, "We became watchmen of our coasts and took up our duty to protect the country. Don´t call us pirates. We are protectors."

The "protector" interviewed by Wired admitted that they attack ships everyday but pointed out that only some are profitable. He went on to say that ships from third-world countries are rarely profitable and the jackpot is with the western ships carrying oil, weapons, and other valuable cargo.

Describing common tactics employed by hijackers, the pirate said when a ship with valuable cargo is captured, the next step is to demand a highly inflated ransom. The process also involves contacting the media to start putting pressure on shipping companies to negotiate the release of their ships and crew.

One thing made clear in the interview is that hijackings are not simple operations carried out by only a few people on a simple rubber raft. According to the source interviewed by Carney, pirate crew members need to be rotated out three times per week and each operation requires a large crew for the operation to be successful and profitable. He says the average hijacking will cost an investor $30,000, and it can take up to four hijackings for that investor to hit a "jackpot."

Each hijacking typically involves six men on a boat, another six in reserve, and a whole crew of people on land that range from finance people to cooks and logistics personnel.

Still, piracy on the high seas is a risky proposition, but the payoff, apparently, is worth it. "The key to our success is that we are willing to die, and the crews are not," the pirate told Wired.

When asked how dangerous it was to be a pirate, he responded "very dangerous," pointing out: "you could easily drown while boarding a ship or die if they [the crew] fight back."

At least for now the economics of piracy favor the criminals. "Hostages — especially Westerners — are our only assets," the pirate told Wired, "so we try our best to avoid killing them."

Insurance 101: Cargo insurance costs

By Danny Workman

Cargo insurance is a form of marine insurance that covers risks to shipment contents including damages and theft. There are 2 types of cargo insurance.

Importers who import frequently usually choose the first type, open policy cargo insurance.

Cargo insurance under an open policy requires that importers pay an estimated premium in advance or all shipments during a given year. At year end, the marine insurance company calculates a debit/credit adjustment. This reconciliation determines whether an importer owes additional premiums or qualifies for a refund. Final accounting is based on the actual number of shipments, declared cargo values and adjusted insured amounts.

Specific cargo insurance covers only one incoming shipment that must arrive within a specified time period. Importers who import less frequently often opt for specific insurance policies even though they require higher premiums than an open policy for higher volume import deliveries.

Cargo Insurance Costs

Premium costs for both open and specific cargo insurance policies depend on the following international trade factors.

Clauses underwritten

An all-risk insurance contract requires much higher premiums than a policy that excludes risks like piracy and stranded vessels.

Destination of goods

A port of destination in a developing country may lack the infrastructure to safely unload and transport fragile cargoes like hand-painted glassware

Type of shipping vessel

An ageing ship will require a higher premium than a more modern ocean carrier.

Shipping route for cargo. A cargo ship passing through a known pirate haven like the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia will demand a much higher insurance premium.

Time of shipment

Typically, low season involves weather challenges like rough seas or icebergs along delivery routes. This also raises insurance costs.

Packing requirements

Water-proof packaging for commodities such as rice and breakfast cereals can imply an increased risk of spoilage if these loads are not packed properly.

Background of importer

Like a driver with a poor driving record, an importer with a history of collecting on cargo insurance claims will have to pay higher premiums due to experience rating.

Usually, the minimum amount of cargo insurance is 110% of a shipment´s value once loaded onto the ocean carrier and cleared for export.

Cape Town upgrades slow operations

Container ships are being delayed as a lack of berths at Cape Town harbour – a direct result of port upgrades – has slowed operations, the Cape Times reported.

Ron Karis of RNC Ships Agency Services, which specialises in the oil and offshore sectors, said he was not used to seeing so many ships "at anchor" in Table Bay.

"We´re not used to seeing 10 to 12 ships queuing up to get into the harbour," said Karis.

He said a reason for this was that two of the berths at Cape Town harbour were out of commission due to upgrades at the container terminal.

"If you include ships just stopping here for bunkering, the number has increased slightly. The reason these ships are being delayed is that we´ve only got one (operational) bunker barge," said Karis.

Julian Hurrie, MD of Carrier Marine Services, said shipping traffic at Cape Town harbour was continually fluctuating, with most ships stopping over to refuel.

"With the pirate situation in Somalia, and fuel being cheaper, shipping companies have taken the option of going around the Cape, but this situation could change at any time," said Hurrie.

He said charter rates – at which shipping companies charge per container – had decreased, necessitating longer voyages, which had worked in Cape Town´s favour.

Cape Town port captain Ravi Naicker confirmed that there had been an increase in traffic but said very few vessels had anchored.

"In recent weeks the anchorage was busy due to unavailability of berths as a result of prolonged stay of ships undergoing mechanical repairs," he said.

Ecosystems, marine environment, IUU fishing and dumping, ecology

Action needed to stop plunder of African fish stocks

By Mary Kimani

Every day hundreds of unlicensed fishing vessels enter African waters and trawl for shrimp, sardines, tuna, and mackerel. And, according to a study commissioned by the UK's aid agency, such trawlers are costing Africa some US$1 billion every year.

Illegal fishing "is not just an African problem," says Arona Soumare, WWF's conservation director in West Africa. Many countries struggle to keep unlicensed fishing vessels from their waters. But,in comparison to developed countries, "the social and economic impact of such losses on Africa are huge," says Soumare.

In theory, Africa's fishing waters should be protected under international law. In 1982 the International Law of the Sea set a 200-mile zone off the shores of coastal states within which fishing and other natural resource exploitation cannot take place without a licence. But African countries' efforts to stop illegal fishing within those limits are hampered by a lack both of expertise and of the vast resources needed for policing such wide maritime areas.

Foreign ships, such as this tuna trawler, haul huge quantities of fish out of African waters, but African countries need more capacity to ensure their catches stay within negotiated limits.

Only a few African countries, such as Namibia and South Africa, have the capacity to patrol their waters sufficiently to keep away illegal vessels, says Sloans Chimatiro, senior fisheries adviser at the secretariat of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), adopted by African leaders in 2001.

Licensed vessels are required by a variety of national and international agreements to adhere to certain fishing quotas and keep away from protected areas. Fleets are also prohibited from using long trawling fishing nets. Such nets catch everything within their reach, and the excess or unwanted types of fish are simply discarded, a process that contributes to depleting natural fish stocks. Nets with small meshes are also a problem, since they catch very young fish.

To ensure that fishing fleets adhere to all the rules, governments need patrol boats, aerial surveillance and monitoring systems, says Andre Standing, a senior researcher at the South African Institute of Security Studies. Governments also need to invest in training law enforcement staff, put in place proper investigation procedures, audit fish stocks and create sustainable fisheries programmes.

"In most African countries," says Mr. Standing, "these are not in place and the necessary funding and expertise to create them is not readily available."

The solution, regional experts suggest, lies in improved coordination and cooperation among governments, especially in sharing information and equipment such as patrol boats. "No one single country can effectively guard its territorial waters without working together with others," says Mr. Chimatiro.

Towards that end, NEPAD and its partners, including the UK's Department for International Development (DfID) and the non-profit group Stop Illegal Fishing, are working with African governments to improve collaboration and the sharing of information and resources.

Livelihoods threatened

The costs of illegal fishing in Africa are immense. A 2005 report commissioned by DfID found that illegal fishing of sardines and mackerel costs Angola about US$49 million annually, about 20 per cent of the country's total income from fish exports.

In 2005 alone, war-torn and impoverished Somalia lost an estimated US$94 million of potential revenue through the illegal fishing of shrimp and tuna off its waters. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are losing some US$140 million a year, and Mozambique loses about $38 million.

Such figures fail to show the long-term losses. These include damage to marine environments, because "trawls are not good for the ecosystems, they damage habitat" of the fish, says Mamadou Diallo, programme manager in WWF's West Africa office. Another cost, he says, is pollution, "because they are discharging [waste] at sea, where they can do anything they want."

Since fishing contributes to African livelihoods, there is also a social impact. According to the WWF, fisheries "make a vital contribution to the food and nutritional security of over 200 million Africans and provide income for over 10 million, mostly small-scale fishers and entrepreneurs."

A 2005 study by the West Africa Sustainable Seafood Development Alliance, a network of fishing professionals, donors and others, found that some 5.6 million jobs in West Africa were fisheries-related, while export revenues from fish products from the region stood at US$711 million. For Africa as a whole, fish and fish products contribute an average annual export value of US$2.7 billion.

Despite this, African governments have invested few resources in protecting and managing their fisheries. Tim Bostock, a DfID fisheries programme coordinator, told Africa Renewal magazine that fisheries have traditionally ranked "very low on people's political radar worldwide," contributing "to the problems we see today." However, he adds, the 2005 DfID study has to some extent helped raise the profile of fisheries. "Looking at finances and the money being lost has definitely helped garner the attention of politicians."

Declining stocks

Considerable damage has already been done, however. Africa's fish stocks have been declining rapidly, both because of trawling and because of unregulated and excessive fishing by local fisherfolk and legal commercial fleets. "Many stocks have already collapsed and others will gradually follow," says Daniel Pauly, a fisheries biologist at Canada's University of British Columbia.

The livelihoods of millions of Africans are threatened by the depletion of the continent's fish stocks.

International agreements require governments to work together to protect highly migratory fish such as tuna. But implementation has proved challenging and such species are being depleted by excessive deep-sea fishing. In addition, coastal areas, including mangrove forests where non-migratory species spawn, are being lost to farming and pollution. "This is not a sudden thing," Mr. Pauly notes, "but a slow grinding down of one stock after another."

Regional coordination

Mr. Standing points out that effectively combating illegal and unregulated fishing requires that countries share expertise and information, so that fleets forced away from the waters of one country cannot simply move to a neighbouring area.

There are organizations that seek to provide coordination. The Sub-regional Fisheries Commission (SFRC), based in Dakar, Senegal, serves as a platform for cooperation on fisheries issues for Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal and Sierra Leone. The Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic Fisheries (CECAF) is supposed to play a similar role. "But CECAF has no regulatory powers and the SFRC has a limited geographical scope," Mr. Soumare told Africa Renewal.

Similarly, there is a West African Sub-regional Fisheries Commission that has a "regional mandate to harmonize fisheries policies." But it is not yet fully operational. "African inter-governmental organizations that have a mandate to combat illegal fishing appear to be chronically underfunded and inefficient," said Mr. Soumare.

Coast guards

In response to the need for better coordination, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2007 created a network through which 24 African states along the continent's western coast can link up with maritime security agencies, non-African navies, insurers, Interpol and various UN agencies working on fisheries and security.

According to IMO Maritime Security Chief Chris Trelawny, if African states "tightened the net" around illegal fishing, they could earn more from licenses and thus in turn pay for better surveillance of ports and seas. Mr. Bostock of DfID agrees. "If that wealth can be channelled to better policing and if you have presence with assets such as patrol boats in strategic areas where fish are trawled, then the surveillance can be quite effective. It doesn't cost that much relative to the fisheries' value."

DfID has been funding the development of a similar regional approach among countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). In July 2008, SADC's fisheries ministers endorsed a regional strategy to improve monitoring and surveillance. Since the agreement was signed, South Africa, Mozambique and Namibia have mounted joint patrols and stopped a significant number of ships.

"The number of foreign fleets arrested has indeed risen," says Mr. Chimatiro of the NEPAD Secretariat. However, he points out, "the scale of illegal fishing is just too huge and overwhelming for African countries to cope." Africa will not be able to address this problem, he says, without the support of fleet-owning countries and "flag states" - countries that register ships.

Sandy Davies, a fisheries consultant and coordinator with the Stop Illegal Fishing campaign, agrees that flag states need to do more to ensure that ships they register obey international agreements, such as those prohibiting ships registered as cargo vessels from fishing.

"Enforcement works quite well if the flag state is responsible," she told Africa Renewal. "But there are many countries out there that simply do nothing to enforce the law. Fleets know this and therefore fly the flags of non-compliant states."

Political will

Better equipment, information and cooperation may not, by themselves, be enough. Mr. Standing notes a clear link between poor governance and illegal fishing. "Countries where corruption and rent-seeking is endemic are particularly ineffective at combating criminal activities," he says. That is because politicians and public officials may be "complicit in crimes" and weak legal systems cannot "administer effective justice."

Ms. Davies agrees that better cooperation and resources will not be of much use "if you do not have the political will to put the common good ahead of personal gain." Even with the right infrastructure in place, governments can sign fishing agreements that skirt the law, the owners of fishing vessels can pay kickbacks and port officials can turn a blind eye to illegal operators.

Governments, she asserts, have to say: "We intend to follow through with the policies we have committed to, and individuals in the system have to decide that they are going to enforce the laws."

Illegal fishing is not the only threat to African fish stocks. Even legal fishing, if not adequately controlled, poses a long-term threat. As early as 2002, the WWF warned that half of West Africa's stocks of deep-sea fish had already disappeared. But many cash-strapped governments continue to issue poorly monitored licenses in the hope of raising revenues.

Mr. Soumare argues that in order to use their fisheries more sustainably, African countries will need political will, good data from fish audits, "proper scientific advice and a mechanism of sharing data and information among themselves in a timely manner." Already, he notes, governments and environmental experts are working together more to get better fishing agreements.

Senegal's multi-year fishing licence with the European Union (EU), on which the WWF advised the Senegalese government, is an example of a better contract. That contract, Dr. Soumare explains, prohibits EU vessels from fishing in certain areas and allocates funds to support local small-scale fisheries. It specifies "rest" periods in which there can be no fishing, sets limits to the size of catches, stipulates larger net meshes to reduce catches of undersized fish and permits Senegalese and international observers on EU fishing vessels. However, Mr. Soumare admits, while the agreement is better than previous ones, it is not effectively enforced and fails to allow the fish populations in Senegal's waters to recover.

Enforcing contracts

Enforcing legal contracts is not easy, Mr. Bostock observes. "We know that European, Chinese and other legal-distance fishing fleets probably overfish and underreport," he told Africa Renewal. "But we have tremendous difficulty in monitoring this."

Experts agree that one solution is to have independent observers on board fishing vessels. So far, observer programmes in Africa have had mixed results. "Quite a few never got off the ground, mostly because of a lack of political commitment," says Ms. Davies. But she cites an exception. In Namibia a programme for onboard observers benefited from long-term government commitment and support from Norway's aid agency.

For over 15 years, Norway provided financing and experts to help develop the sector, train fisheries administrators and set up monitoring mechanisms. Such prolonged commitment by African governments and aid agencies is crucial, says Ms. Davies, because "the right skills, systems and capacities take a long time to develop."

Donor support appears to be growing. In 2006, donors pledged a total of US$240 million for monitoring and surveillance of fisheries across Africa. In 2008, DfID approved 6 million for a five-year Partnership for Africa Fisheries programme, to be coordinated by the NEPAD Secretariat. The programme aims to bring governments, civil society groups and private fishing companies together to find ways to better manage fisheries and prevent illegal fishing.

While such projects provide a promising start, much more will be needed to help safeguard the livelihoods that depend on Africa's coastal waters.

NB.: Somalia has never been helped, though the alarm bells were raised by ECOTERRA Intl. continuously and already since 1989. 20 years and many chaotic developments down the line, only the international warships get the financial resources of billions of Dollars - but they have not arrested a single illegal fishing vessel or stopped any ship from dumping along Somalia's 3,300 km long coastline. Some warships - like those from Korea - even protect now their fishing vessels to poach in Somalia. Situations like in Mauretania or Somalia's Puntland have exposed that the "fishing-licences for protection" contracts were only used by the European contractors to cover up their own overfishing. We will see how the newly introduced catch certificate will be circumvented by the regional mafia-networks and Island-States in the Region, which alread now channel most of the Tuna from Somalia straight to the worlds largest consumer of illegal tuna: Japan.]

Livelihoods at risk as drought worsens in western Somaliland

A prolonged drought is causing large-scale livestock deaths, increasing the vulnerability of residents living in the mid-western Gabiley region of Somalia's self-declared republic of Somaliland, local officials say.

"We have not experienced such drought before," Mohamed Ahmed Abdi, Gabiley governor, said. "Before, the drought affected either the people on the farms, or the animals, but now it is affecting [both]."

Abdi said agro-pastoralists living south of the main road connecting Gabiley to Hargeisa, Somaliland's capital, and neighbouring Kalabait area, may have lost up to 70 percent of their sheep to the drought.

Dahir Abdillahi, a resident of Ijara village in Gabiley, told IRIN: "I had 50 sheep two months ago but they started dying off one by one; when it rained a week ago, another 10 died, leaving me with only 10 sheep."

Abdi said carcasses of dead cows littered most of Ijara; camels are better adapted to drought.

According to the Food Security and Nutritional Analysis Unit (FSNAU Somalia) http://www.fsausomali.org/ of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), an acute food and livelihood crisis was emerging in parts of Somaliland due to recent rain failure, compounded by three previous seasons of poor rainfall.

In its June quarterly food security and nutrition brief, FNAU said pasture resources in areas that experience moderate rains had been quickly depleted due to large livestock in-migration from neighbouring rain-deficit areas.

"There is a high level of livestock off-take, as well as high abortion rates, culling of kids/lambs, and drought-induced livestock diseases," FSNAU stated.

Food availability

According to Ijara resident Mohamoud Mousa Warsame, the village has lost some 1,500 sheep and more than 600 cattle.

"I am in my 60s [yet] this is the first time we [have] experienced such drought," Warsame said. "I had more than 50 sheep, but 20 died in the drought; two of my cows have also died."

Warsame said sheep were the most affected due to a lack of pasture and the start of the cold weather had escalated the deaths.

The region has suffered two consecutive failed Gu [long] rains seasons.

According to Warsame, about half of Ijara residents have run out of food reserves and were surviving on one meal a day or skipping meals altogether.

Sharing food among neighbours has increased as has the sharing of reserve food with the animals.

"Villages such as Taysa, Bodhley and Boqor have also been affected by the drought," said Mohamed Da'ud Ahmed, chairman of the Ijara village elders, adding that there was a need for food aid to help cope with the drought, which has lasted about 10 months.

According to Amina Mohamoud, a mother of six from Ged-abeera village near the border with Ethiopia, the drought was increasing food hoarding.

"I came from Ged-abeera to Ijara looking for food to buy but because of the drought, people who have some sorghum or maize are refusing to sell," Mohamoud said.

Food prices have soared. "Before, we used to buy 1kg of sorghum and maize for 2,000 Somaliland shillings each [US$0.28] but now this has doubled to 4,000 shillings [$0.57] - if you can find a place to buy it from," Mohamoud said. "We used to sell our animals to buy food, but nowadays all our animals are dead."

Desperate to feed their surviving livestock, residents are collecting grass loosened during ploughing in the fields for their animals.

"I have come to look for food for my animals," an elderly Indha-Deeq Mohumed Ahmed, told IRIN in the Galolay area, southeast of Gabiley. She has been left with three cows out of a herd of 30.

Ahmed, who was collecting grass, said: "My son went to town to work... and you can see me working at this age."

More people are moving to the towns. "We do not have the exact statistics, but we know that several hundred agro-pastoralists have moved to the urban centres where they are living with relatives," said Aden Muhumed Badde, mayor of Gabiley.

He said the region's residents had been living in difficult conditions for almost two years with little support.

"We do not have the facilities to support these people. We are calling on the government and the international community to send food and medicine for the people and the animals affected by the drought," Badde said.

Anti-piracy measures -

Pirate School, For the Merchant Sailor in You

By Michael P. Ventura

The three Arrrrrs: Maritime schools tackle the seafaring menace

The freighter captain, the cop, the guy from the private security firm, the Swiss Army major, and the reporter never saw the pirates coming. They popped up seemingly out of nowhere, and with one "Getupagainstthewall!" the two buccaneers had taken control of the bridge simulator. In the commotion, the captain managed to disable the rudder, which was good news for the reporter, who didn't know how to pretend to steer the ship anyway, even with a handgun in his face.

(GMATS) at the The hostage training, put on by two representatives of SAFE Solutions, a security consulting firm that employs ex-military types, was the final installment of a two-day Piracy Countermeasures Seminar hosted in June by the Global Maritime and Transportation SchoolUnited States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), just across the Queens border in Kings Point. Over those two days, officials from government agencies, the NYPD, the mariners union, and other organizations briefed shipping industry representatives, security consultants, and members of the military on the latest news involving piracy off the coast of Somalia.

Such continuing education seminars are one way that New York's two maritime schools—the USMMA and SUNY Maritime, across the sound in Throgs Neck—are addressing the piracy epidemic that has exploded off the Horn of Africa in the last two years. The other is in the classroom, where students learn preventive measures to thwart pirates boarding the ship if outrunning them fails, and even ways to deter them using non-lethal means. Students are also at the center of a debate about who should defend crew and cargo from a pirate attack, and how. Should shipping companies hire armed professionals? Should the military step in? Should the mariners themselves be armed?

The return of the days of pirates was "hard to conceive," Philip Gosse wrote in The History of Piracy in 1932, a time when it appeared as if the modern nation-state had killed off high-seas piracy. The Barbary Coast of North Africa had long ceased to threaten merchants and the U.S. Navy; Gosse noted the "last white man" executed for piracy in the United States was a slave ship captain, Nathaniel Gordon, who was hanged in Lower Manhattan's Tombs jail in February 1862.

Nearly 150 years would pass before another accused pirate was brought downtown. In April, a young Somali man named Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse was charged with being part of a four-man pirate crew that hijacked the Maersk Alabama, an event that drew public attention to the resurgent pirate problem, even earning its own Discovery Channel docudrama.

Already this year, pirate activity off the 1,900-mile coast of Somalia has surpassed the 111 attacks, with 42 ships hijacked, recorded in 2008; as of mid-July, there have been 148 pirate attacks and 30 ships hijacked, reports the International Maritime Bureau, a division of the International Chamber of Commerce that monitors pirate attacks. Insurance rates have doubled for ships choosing to risk the Gulf of Aden, and insurer Lloyd's of London issued a report last month warning that the "piracy risk is likely to get worse before it gets better." Over the previous 15 months, Lloyd's said, pirates hauled in as much as $80 million in ransom payments.

has further destabilized the situation and jump-started The current crisis was spawned by the chaotic situation in Somalia, which hasn't had a functioning government in nearly 20 years; the current U.N.-backed government only controls a few blocks of the capital, Mogadishu. A 2006 invasion from neighboring Ethiopiaal-Shabaab, an Islamic fundamentalist group that is reportedly teaming up with the pirates to transport jihadists to Somalia. A flotilla of international warships is patrolling the shipping lanes off East Africa, through which roughly 20,000 ships and 10 percent of the world's commerce travels each year, and the Obama administration recently pledged $10 million to help the tenuous Somali government counter the growing militant threat. But with memories of Black Hawk Down still fresh in American minds, and the military focused on Iraq and Afghanistan, odds of a stronger U.S. response to piracy are low.

Instead, cadets at the Merchant Marine Academy and SUNY Maritime are being taught to reduce the risk of pirate attacks on their own. "Anti-piracy training has been part of the USMMA curriculum for at least the past 18 years," says Captain Jon Helmick, director of USMMA's Logistics & Intermodal Transportation Program. He adds, however, that "because the enhancement of vessel security in general improves the ability to deal with piracy in particular, it is somewhat misleading to separate out those training topics that are piracy-focused." Academy graduates receive an officer's commission into another branch of the armed forces, either on active or reserve duty. Those entering the reserves often take civilian or government jobs in the maritime industry, including serving on ocean-going merchant vessels, "brown water" coastal trade ships, tugboats, or barges, says Captain Dan Croce, a director at GMATS.

All midshipmen spend time at sea, and for the past two years, the Office of Naval Intelligence has briefed them on the piracy threat before they head off, Helmick says. Students have also participated in government and military research projects on developing anti-piracy strategies, he says, while those training to become deck officers learn how to develop security and anti-piracy plans, make a vessel a hard target, conduct evasive maneuvers, identify high-risk areas, and repel boarders.

Pirates are looking for ships that are slow and low in the water. A plan devised by the vessel security officer can designate a safe area where the crew can wait out a pirate attack, as the Maersk Alabama crew did, or call for zig-zag maneuvers to swamp a pirate skiff that has pulled alongside a slow-moving ship. Captain Joe Ahlstrom, a SUNY Maritime instructor, teaches about maritime security techniques and guidelines established by the U.S. Coast Guard, such as where to mount barbed wire (sometimes electrified) to thwart boarders, how to use soap to make exterior surfaces of the ship too slick to scale, and how to implement non-lethal deterrents like high-powered light beams, sonic beams, and even the ship's own fire hose.

The training "enables students to be prepared and be aware of their surroundings and other modes of transportation," says Larry Howard, chair of the Global Business and Transportation Department at SUNY Maritime. "It's a necessary part of not just being able to respond to attacks, but limiting them." If a pirate crew encounters a ship that has hardened itself, it may move off to easier prey. Mariners can also use their knowledge of the ship's layout and operations to hide in a safe room, or disable the vessel's power and rudder—the average pirate has as much knowledge of how to pilot a cargo ship as a reporter.

Still, the odds of students encountering a pirate are low. "I was at sea 15 years, and I never saw a pirate," Ahlstrom said. "Most mariners probably will not deal with pirates. On an Alaska run, you'll never see a pirate. If you don't transit Somalia, you won't deal with pirates."

Those who do have to transit Somalia and are unlucky enough to encounter pirates are in for a harrowing experience. Typically, a pair of skiffs with up to seven pirates carrying Kalashnikovs and rocket-propelled grenades will attack a ship from the flanks. They fire wildly until a ship stops, then throw a grappling hook carrying a rope or a ladder that will allow them to shinny up to the deck. Then, they storm the bridge, take whomever they can find hostage, and order them to turn the ship toward the Somali coast, where they contact the shipping company and demand a ransom. (Pirates generally don't want to hurt their hostages, as that would hurt their chances of getting top dollar.) The pirates subsist on khat, a plant that releases an amphetamine-like stimulant when chewed, and they're often hopped up during an attack.

Legally speaking, pirates are considered hostes humani generis, or stateless enemies of mankind, and can be tried—even executed—by any nation that has laws against piracy. The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to "punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas," which is why the surviving pirate from the Maersk Alabama attack was brought to New York. The bulk of piracy prosecutions, however, are in Kenya, the closest functioning Western-style government to Somalia.

In the days following the Maersk Alabama hijacking, there were calls to arm shipping crews, but giving guns to men stuck on a ship for months on end was rejected as a bad idea. Placing military personnel on board merchant ships could risk an international incident, and while some foreign companies have employed private security forces, American firms are generally reluctant to follow that course, given the Blackwater controversy in Iraq. One piece of legislation working its way through Congress would allow the military to embark personnel on ships carrying "government-impelled cargo." Another would limit the liability of shipping companies and individuals involved in use-of-force incidents at sea, which some see as easing the way for Blackwater-type security firms.

sing of "the shores of But these moves only treat the symptoms of piracy and not the disease. After years of paying tribute to the Barbary pirates of North Africa, the U.S. was able to free itself from their harassment only by going to war with them in the early 19th century. (When MarinesTripoli," it's the U.S. victory in the First Barbary War that they're commemorating.) But with the U.S. military's attention focused elsewhere and the state of the local economy such that the average Somali lives on $600 a year while hijacking ransoms run in the millions, in the absence of an exigent crisis (for instance, the hijacking of a highly explosive liquefied natural-gas tanker), stabilizing the situation seems unlikely.

In the meantime, merchant mariners will continue to keep world commerce moving and stay on the lookout for pirates. "It's not a good situation for a merchant mariner," says SUNY Maritime's Howard, noting their independent and capable natures. "But it's not something to chase them off the water."

Use of armed guards could escalate piracy risks

By Brian Reyes

The new head of the Royal Navy has told Lloyd´s List that using armed guards on merchant ships sailing off Somalia could prove counterproductive and lead to an escalation in violence.

Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, who took over last week as First Sea Lord, said there was nothing at present to indicate pirates were adopting more aggressive tactics.

Emerging Threats

EU sends eyes in the sky against pirates (UPI)

As the U.S. Navy warns of an expected surge in pirate attacks off Somalia as the monsoon season comes to an end, the European Union has unveiled plans to extend aerial surveillance by its naval task force 1,000 miles southward into the Indian Ocean.

The EU anti-piracy force's commander, Rear Adm. Peter Hudson, said on July 23 that three aircraft currently based at Djibouti, a former French colony on the Horn of Africa, will be rotated to Mombasa, the main port of Kenya in East Africa.

"What we really need are eyes in the south," Hudson said.

The task force's air wing currently consists of a French Falcon 50, a corporate jet equipped with surveillance systems; and two PC-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft used by France and Spain for counter-piracy operations.

The United States and Japan also have PC-3s deployed in Djibouti at the U.S. counter-terrorism base at a former French Foreign legion camp. The Americans also employ unmanned drones to monitor maritime traffic and potential pirate activity.

The move southward by EU forces will expand the monitored zone by several hundred square miles and allow the task force's 30 ships to increase their observation of Somali waters from both the north and south.

The surveillance of the western Indian Ocean is vital because monitoring this vast expanse of water is far more difficult than the coastal waters off Somalia.

The expanded deployment has become necessary because in recent months the pirates have gone further a field as patrol activity in the shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden on which they preyed has intensified.

Commercial vessels have been attacked in the Gulf of Oman, west of the initial piracy zone, and even hundreds of miles off the Kenyan coast.

The aircraft will allow commanders to utilize their limited assets in the region more effectively.

But more aircraft will be needed if the expanded zone of naval operations is to produce results, particularly in the weeks ahead when the monsoon storms die out and weather conditions once more favor the pirates.

The EU deployment is the bloc's first ever naval operation and now includes warships from India, Japan, China and Russia.

According to Vice Adm. Oleg Burtsev, first deputy chief of the Russian Navy General Staff: "Pirates have become more daring and aggressive. There were instances when they seized vessels right in front of the ships that were responsible for the security of commercial shipping."

Burtsev, speaking in Moscow on July 20 as Russia dispatched a new flotilla to the Gulf of Aden to relieve the one currently there, estimated that there were at least five large groups of pirates, totaling some 5,000 men, operating off Somalia.

The Russians have noted that because most of the 16 nations participating in the anti-piracy operations do not allow their forces to prosecute pirates, largely because of the absence of any clear-cut legal jurisdiction, the pirates have become more brazen.

Some governments do not even allow their warships to open fire on pirates.

These obstacles, according to Western officials, mean that while the number of merchant ships actually seized by the pirates has fallen, the number of actual attacks has increased.

The Russians appear to be seeking to amend the rules of engagement. Their new flotilla not only includes a detachment of naval infantry, but a team of lawyers and criminal investigators as well -- the better, presumably, to prosecute any captured pirates.

Several suspects have recently been put on trial in Kenya for the first time, and the Nairobi government's agreement to provide a base to intensify the anti-piracy campaign indicates that it is also prepared to provide a legal framework to combat the sea bandits.

That may be not a moment too soon. The London-based International Maritime Bureau reported on July 16 that the number of pirate attacks more than doubled in the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2008.

Most of the 240 incidents occurred in the Gulf of Aden, compared with 114 in the equivalent period in 2008.

As of mid-July, 78 vessels had been boarded and 31 of them hijacked, with six crewmen killed, 19 wounded and 561 taken captive for varying lengths of time.

According to the United Nations, the pirates collected $150 million in ransom from shipowners in 2008.

Overall losses from piracy were estimated at $13 billion to $16 billion because of soaring insurance and ship-protections costs as well as having to send ships on longer routes to avoid the high-risk zones.

No real peace in sight yet

Three die in Mogadishu as mortars slam near Somali lawmakers debating Kenya-Somali MoU

Three people were killed and 13 others were wounded in Mogadishu on Wednesday after mortar shells landed in an area close to where Somali parliamentarians were holding a crucial session, a medical official and police said.

Several mortar rounds hit a packed market place in Hamarweyne district south of the Somali capital, near the local Mogadishu administration compound where the parliament was holding its meeting, police official Ali Nor said.

A local ambulance service in Mogadishu said nearly thirteen people injured in the explosions were taken to hospital while paramedics with the service reported seeing three bodies of civilians.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the mortar attack but Islamist rebels opposed to the Somali government have been waging deadly assaults against Somali government and African union peacekeepers in Mogadishu.

The Somali parliament recently moved to the venue after leaving its interim headquarters in the north of the capital following heavy fighting between Somali government forces and Islamist rebels.

The Somali parliament was debating about a controversial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) singed with the Kenyan government in April when the attack happened Wednesday. The agreement ignited heated debate and rift in the Somali government and people over its legality., reported Xinhua.

The MoU was necessary to facilitate for the two neighbors' respective presentation to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in May as required under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), because the preparation of a country's claim for submission requires the cooperation of its neighbors.

Most of the lawmakers, who spoke in the deliberations on the maritime MoU motion, expressed strong opposition to the MoU's ratification and called for its complete scrapping, saying the agreement "compromises the national sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Somalia".

The parliament meeting was attended by 340 MPs and Speaker Sheikh Aden "Madobe" Mohamed informed the lawmakers that the parliament would be expected to vote on the motion on Thursday.

We Will Not Ask for US Military Intervention in Somalia - Somali FM

By Khaled Mahmoud in Cairo and Ali Helni in Mogadishu Asharq Al-Awsat

The Somali Government has forestalled the meeting Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad will hold with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Kenyan capital Nairobi next week by concluding an unprecedented agreement with a private American company to manage its finances. Somali Foreign Minister Muhammad Abdullah Omar meanwhile said Sheikh Sharif would meet Clinton in Nairobi on the sidelines of an annual trade forum to be held on 5 August.

The US State Department announced in a statement the day before yesterday that Clinton intends to meet the Somali president who formed a transitional government during her tour of seven African countries next week. This will be the first meeting at this level between the Somali president who took office at the beginning of this year and a senior official in President Barack Obama's administration. Following her visit to Kenya, Clinton will go to South Africa and then Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Liberia, and Cape Verde and is expected to stress President Obama's message which linked aid to rational governance in Africa.

A Somali Government source said President Sharif would brief the US secretary of state on the situation in Somalia and recent developments in it and would also thank the new US administration for its support for the Somali Government.

In statements he made to Asharq Al-Awsat from New York where he will participate today in the Security Council meeting to discuss his country's demand to impose strict sanctions on Eritrea because of its interference in its internal affairs, the Somali foreign minister pointed out that several Somali ministers would participate in the Nairobi meeting between Sheikh Sharif and the US secretary of state, among them Omar himself, while Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmark would remain in the Somali capital Mogadishu. He added: "The Americans have always been good supporters of our government and the meeting demonstrates that the United States is supporting the government totally."

Washington recently gave the Somali Government military equipment valued at $10 million and asked its allies in the Horn of Africa to give military assistance to Somalia. This was within the framework of its attempts to strengthen the capabilities of the authorities led by Sheikh Sharif against the Islamist insurgents who are seeking to topple him. The Somali foreign minister said: "We have optimistic expectations favorable to Somalia from what might result from the Nairobi meeting." He pointed out that Washington supports the peace process and national reconciliation and accord and added: "For this government, this is the first meeting of its kind and is an important and remarkable one." But Minister Omar denied that his government wants to ask for direct US military intervention to stop the war waged by the Islamist insurgents against it and said: "There will not be any US military intervention in Somalia. We did not and will not ask for this." He also denied that US experts are helping training the Somalia Government's forces saying there is a plan to train these forces in Djibouti under the sponsorship of France.

The French forces deployed in Djibouti intend to train 500 Somali military officers while the Djibouti forces will also train 1,000 Somali army personnel and policemen. Around 500 policemen and soldiers have arrived at the Djibouti army's "Halhal" base to undergo intensive training and the remaining others are expected to arrive in the coming few days. The Somali foreign minister told Asharq Al-Awsat that the United Nations would lead a delegation in participation with the EU to choose the training programs for the government forces and pointed out that the United States would be represented in the delegation by one or two persons.

These moves follow the formation of a quadripartite committee from the Somali Government, the EU, the United Nations, and the African Union's peacekeeping force (AMISOM) to supervise the security situation in the capital Mogadishu and rehabilitate and retain the various security and military forces loyal to Sheikh Sharif's government. The Arab League [AL] is absent from this committee and the Somali foreign minister said: "We would like to see AL delegations and members soon in these moves that aim to reorganize the security situation in the country." He then added: "Egypt and Syria offered in the past to train the security forces and army and we want to see officials from these two countries in Mogadishu soon to implement these proposals."

International support for Somalia more crucial than ever before – UN envoy

The top United Nations envoy for Somalia today called on the Security Council to take "concrete" steps to help bring stability to the strife-torn nation, stressing that the support of the international community is more important now than ever.

"I believe that today we are at a turning point," Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the Secretary-General´s Special Representative for Somalia, said as he briefed the Security Council. "It is clear that the population and its traditional leaders reject violence and those behind it. Therefore, the support of the international community is even more crucial at this time."

Despite the signing of peace agreements, the formation of a new government and election of a new president, Somalia has seen a resurgence of violence in recent months.

Fighting between Government forces and the Al-Shabaab and Hisb-ul-Islam militant groups in Mogadishu since early May have forced over 200,000 people from their homes, many of them for the second time over the course of the past year.

"The Somali people have endured too much – they have seen their loved ones killed and maimed, been forced to flee their homes again and again and suffered endless abuses of their human rights," said Mr. Ould-Abdallah.

He called on the 15-member Council to take action to help the Horn of Africa nation, noting that "past failures should not discourage us from taking future action to help stability.

"While the Government has made important strides, it still needs immediate political and financial support to improve the situation, he said, adding that the authorities in Puntland and Somaliland also need resources to ensure that stability endures.

The Special Representative also echoed the call made by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his recent report to boost the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). "The African Union troops have shown remarkable courage and dedication in solidarity with the Somali people. They deserve the backing of all Council members," said Mr. Ould-Abdallah.

Mr. Ban had also urged the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to press ahead with encouraging opposition groups to work towards peace in Somalia. His envoy noted that due to their proximity, knowledge and interest in Somalia, IGAD member States should be recognized as having a leading role on Somali issues.

He added that the time has come for the UN to show it is serious about moving to Somalia. "Our temporary presence in Nairobi has lasted far too long. We can only work effectively for peace with the Somalis and address pressing humanitarian needs if we are close to the victims of famine, violence and different abuses.

"My office and other leading UN agencies, including humanitarian ones, along with concerned diplomats and NGOs [non-governmental organizations], should move to Mogadishu," Mr. Ould-Abdallah stated, adding that the establishment of a "Green Zone," similar to those elsewhere, will facilitate this process.

Clinton to meet Somali President on Africa visit

US-American secretary of state plans to hold talks with the Somali president in an attempt to embolden the Mogadishu government in the lawless Horn of Africa state.

US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said in a Wednesday statement that Hillary Clinton will meet Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad on the sidelines of an annual trade forum in Kenya's capital, Nairobi.

The forum scheduled for August 5 aims to bring authorities from sub-Saharan countries together.

The Clinton-Sheikh Ahmad meeting signals the Obama administration's wish to bolster the government in Mogadishu where the al-Shabaab and the Hizbul-Islam militants are bent on overthrowing the president of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG).

The United States in a bid to achieve such a goal has provided Somalia's government with more than 40 tons of weapons and ammunition to repel attacks by insurgents. It has also offered training, logistical and financial assistance to Somali security forces.

Moderate Islamist group says amassing troops in 18 regions in the country

Officials from Ahlu Sunna Waljama´a have for the first time declared on Wednesday they were amassing troops in eighteen regions of the country to fight against al Shabaab.

Sheik Abubakar Ahmed Ali, one of Ahlu sunna Waljama´a officials held a press conference in Mogadishu and said they were organizing mobilization of troops in the eighteen regions of Somalia.

Ahlu Sunna Waljama´a religious organization is fighting against al Shabab and Hizbul Islam in central Somalia.

The group has beaten al Shabaab in fighting in central Somalia in recent days. The spokesman of the group Sheik Abdirisaq Ashari claimed last week that they killed 42 fighters from al Shabaab.

The officials of Ahlu Sunna Waljama´a said there was no difference between the group and the government led by president Sharif Sheik Ahmed.

Somali president Sharif Sheik Ahmed welcomed the struggle of Ahlu sunna Waljama´a in central Somalia on Tuesday.

Somali troops regain control over Beledweyne

Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces have pushed back opposition fighters and retaken the strategic town of Beledweyne in the central Hiran region.

Government soldiers battled their way into insurgents' strongholds on the western portion of the town during an attack and assumed full control of Beledweyne after driving Hizbul Islam militants out of the town.

General Mukhtar Hussein Afrah, the Commander of Government Forces in the Hiran region, stated that his army's victory was just the first one in a string of planned operations against the hard-line opposition fighters.

"We entered the town from different fronts and met no resistance form the anti-peace elements," said General Afrah. "We are going to follow them, not only in the other districts of Hiran region but also in all the other places the evil militias are situated."

Beledweyne is considered strategic since it connects the central regions of Somalia to the capital city of Mogadishu where the al-Shabaab and the Hizbul Islam militants are bent on overthrowing President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed's government.

Beletweyne has been split for the past several months as government and pro-government forces are based in the eastern part of the city while the Hizbul Islam insurgents are based in the west.

More African Union troops arrive in Mogadishu

With fighting raging on in war-torn Somalia, two planes carrying African Union troops land in the country's capital Mogadishu.

The planes that landed at the capital's Aden Adde International airport Tuesday were carrying Burundian and Ugandan troops, government sources told Press TV.

According to the officials, another plane carrying mainly Somali soldiers -- trained outside the Horn of Africa -- landed in Mogadishu on the same day.

The numbers of soldiers deployed to the capital have yet to be disclosed.

Major Barigye Bahoku, the commander of AU troops in Somalia, has denied the claims that the union has increased its forces on the ground, stressing that any addition to the troops would be made public.

"There are no extra troops deployed in Somalia. If there are any, they would be made public to Somali people and the world," he has been quoted as saying.

It is not yet clear whether the troops who have arrived in Mogadishu have been redeployed from other areas of Somalia.

AU has some 4,300 troops from Burundi and Uganda, who are guarding key sites including the airport, seaport and the Somali presidential palace, while providing backup to government forces fighting a violent insurgency.

Clashes between government forces and rebel fighters have continued for a second day in parts of the restive seaside capital.

According to eyewitnesses, fighters from the al-Shabaab group attacked government positions, leading to a confrontation that left at least 10 people dead and dozens of others wounded.

The clashes come after Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed claimed Tuesday that his administration had successfully countered a bid by the rebels to topple his government.

Mogadishu has daily been the scene of fierce fighting and attacks since May, when rebel forces launched a major offensive against Ahmed's government.

Somali MP Opposes Somali Parliament's Decision

Ali Bashi Haji Mohamed, a Somali MP and former Minister for the Diaspora, opposed Tuesday the decision of the parliament of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, which dismissed him and four other legislators during a parliamentary session in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Monday.

The transitional parliamentarians held their meeting in the Banadir Region Centre in Mogadishu, to which they had shifted from the parliamentary building due to armed opposition attacks, and relieved 5 of the transitional MPs including Ali Bashi Haji after they were accused of not attending the legislators' meetings in the capital.

Mr. Ali Bashi was one of those dismissed, but he rejected the decision of the parliament pointing out that it was unlawful and he could not attend because he was in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

That decision was illegal, MP Bashi replied, because he can not be forced to attend sessions of the TFG parliament, which are under mortar fire endangering the lives of the parliamentarians. In addition the decision was biased, because there were more than 200 other lawmakers absent for the same fears.

The statement of the Somali MP comes as the transitional parliamentarians held their next meeting in the capital while fighting between the transitional government soldiers and Islamist forces is ongoing.

EU to reinforce susport for Somalia

European Union foreign ministers have wrapped up their meeting in Brussels. A major concern was the rising violence in Somalia. Foreign ministers have agreed to increase efforts to help stabilize the country.

The ministers say the EU will explore ways to increase assistance to the Somali government.

The fragile transitional federal government has been struggling against hardline Islamist insurgents.

Benita Ferrero Waldner, European Commission for External Affairs, said, "The recent acts of looting against the UN offices in Somalia are I think a very clear message targeting all peace and humanitarian work in the country and therefore it is most important that we help the transitional federal government. We do everything to support them both politically and financially."

The EU says it will try to increase support to Somalia's security sector.

EU Council conclusions on Somalia

2958th EXTERNAL RELATIONS Council meeting - Brussels, 27July 2009

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

"1. The Council condemns the armed attacks against Somalias Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and against the UN and NGOs. It expresses its deep concern over the violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, and calls on all parties to the conflict to respect international law. The situation in Somalia remains one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.

2. The Council reaffirms its support to the Transitional Federal Government under the leadership of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and the President's commitments to honour the principles laid down in the Djibouti Peace Agreement, including the spirit of reconciliation and the search for an inclusive political process. It calls on all armed groups to urgently lay down their weapons and join in a genuine broad-based dialogue with the TFG. The Council expresses its appreciation and support to the AU and AMISOM for their efforts.

3. The Council underlines the importance of a comprehensive approach to the situation in Somalia, linking security with development, rule of law and respect for human rights, gender related aspects and international humanitarian law. It stresses that long term assistance from international partners cannot be effective without a stabilization of the security situation.

4. The Council encourages constructive engagement from all regions of Somalia, including Puntland and Somaliland, in building an environment of trust and cooperation to mutual benefit. The Council also recognises that the situation in Somalia must be addressed in a regional and international context, with all neighbouring states playing a constructive role for a lasting and peaceful solution to the present conflict.

5. The Council welcomes the successful conduct of the EU NAVFOR ATALANTA operation, which is playing a leading role in international anti-piracy efforts. It also welcomes the international community´s ongoing work to ensure prosecution of piracy.

The Council recognizes the important work conducted within the International Contact

Group on Piracy off the coast of Somalia. It stresses the need to fight the root causes of piracy.

6. The Council recalls the longstanding and continuing efforts of Member States and the Community to address the dire humanitarian situation and to provide humanitarian and development assistance. Furthermore, it welcomes the additional Community contributions of 60 MEUR for AMISOM and 13 MEUR for the UNDP-managed Rule of Law and Security programme, as well as Member States' contributions to the security sector, as pledged at the donor´s conference in April.

7. The Council has decided to step up the EU engagement for promoting peace and development in Somalia, in line with the High Representative´s recommendations. Due to the difficulties of engaging effectively in the country, efforts will entail a flexible and phased approach. EU engagement will be guided by the principles of accountability, transparency and Somali ownership. Priority will be given to activities that produce quick, yet sustainable, results to promote peace and recovery for the Somali people. Capacity building of public institutions will be of particular importance in this context.

8. The Council underlines that EU efforts will have to be closely coordinated with all relevant actors. It recognises the important role played by the International Contact Group on Somalia under the leadership of the UN SRSG.

9. In this context the Council (a) will explore ways to increase assistance to support TFG institutions. It welcomes the first steps taken by the TFG to establish accountable financing systems; (b) expresses its continued support to AMISOM, given its pivotal role in the peace process. Further engagement with the AU and AMISOM should identify the most urgent needs and possible additional EU support in order for AMISOM to develop capabilities commensurate with its mandate; (c) will explore the possibility of additional EU support to the security sector, including through support to the UN-led assessment process and TFG priorities and commitments as well as through the training of security forces. The Council agrees that support in the security sector should be well coordinated, notably with the AU, the UN and other relevant EU partners, in particular the US. It should support a Somali national security strategy, committed to the rule of law, respect for human rights and gender; (d) intends to assess possible additional EU support to regional maritime capabilities in cooperation with the International Maritime Organisation and the International Contact Group on Piracy off the coast of Somalia. Related issues such as coastal environmental protection and fishery protection should be addressed; (e) will encourage diaspora communities to engage constructively in the peace process for the state-building and development of Somalia; (f) views positively the possibility of appointing an EUSR for the Horn of Africa in order to further enhance the EU's ongoing strategic policy formulation and the coordination of EU activities. 10. The Council invites the relevant Council bodies and institutions and the Commission to urgently elaborate detailed and concrete proposals on the implementation of these conclusions."

Has the TUG [=Transitional Unity Government, but also tug=thief] become the Somali story: ii shub, ii shid, ii sheekee [pour (a tea), light up [a cigarette] and talk] ?

by Abdullahi Dool

Governing a nation is not easy even in the best of times where there is peace and prosperity. Nonetheless, governing a broken nation is hellish and anyone who would lead Somalia under the circumstances deserves a lot of sympathy and support. However, when the leadership is not up to the job there is a cause for concern, it becomes a duty to excoriate.

Once again the Somali people´s hope for peace and a functioning government is slipping away. For 18 years, Somalia´s biggest problem has been insecurity and lawlessness. The primary task of any Somali government should be to establish peace and security in the country. However, the Transitional Unity Government (TUG) is failing and flailing. To understand its failure before one looks at external factors, one must look first at the TUG itself to see what went wrong.

There was no lack of goodwill. To see Somalia to stand on her feet, the TUG had a lot of support from the Somali public, the region and the international community. However, the TUG is not the one to turn any support into anything. It is suffering from a blanket of ineptitude and incompetence. Its preoccupation has been priorities other than the interests of the nation. One of its fixations is gathering funds for which it has no progress to show for.

>From its inception in Djibouti in January 2009 to its relocation in Mogadishu, the TUG had no idea how to tackle the problems of the nation including the insurgency. Politically it could not advance the peace initiative. Other than the empty phrase ´our door is open´, they have come up with little or no input. Militarily too the TUG had shown ineptitude. Even if it were to withstand the opposition, this is a war of attrition which is going nowhere. No matter who gets pushed one day they will be there the following day. We do not have to be in the military to know that no one wins urban warfare. We know what went on in the Lebanese civil war which started in 1976. During 16 years of warfare, no faction was ever thrown out of Beirut. In Somalia, vital issues concerning peace and security needs to be tackled differently in the early days of a new administration.

Successive transitional governments have failed in Somalia. A major cause of failure has been the pursuit of power for the wrong reasons. In Somalia, the pursuit of power has become like a fashion accessory where anyone says: "I want that." Ironically, in a nation in ruins and destitute to the bare bone, power is pursued for personal gain. Regrettably, in Somalia, the type of ´each for himself´ greed based pursuit of power has made requirements such as competence — not the first — but the last thing on the mind of aspirants.

Among other things, the purpose of power is to tackle issues, solve problems, and serve people. It is also to institutionalize and deepen good governance and prosper a nation. For Somalia to stand on her feet, the primary responsibility lies with the Somalis themselves. Others can help so much to that end. In fact the whole world is helping to see the recovery of Somalia. Only recently, it was the United States which has given millions in arms and cash so that the TUG may organize itself. The African Union too did not spare any type of assistance to the TUG. Thousands of Ugandan and Burundi forces remain in the capital fighting alongside the transitional government. At the end of the day one has to help himself. Unfortunately, the TUG has shown total dependency on others for everything including the expectation others to do its job. The following Somali tale may encapsulate the level of its total dependency and what it had become.

In the 1970s, in a Somali town lived Ali Ahmed also known as Ali Yare. One morning, an acquaintance had requested Ali to buy him tea. Ali took his friend to a teashop in their town. As two cups of tea were laid on the table, the friend asked Ali if he could spare a cigarette. Ali gave him a cigarette. The friend now demanded matches which Ali provided. While the two were sipping tea and puffing cigarettes, the man now demanded Ali to tell him a story. Saddened by his friend´s total loss of pride and complete dependency on others for everything, Ali now blurted out: Waxaagu waa ii shub, ii shid iyo ii sheekey. (Yours is pour me, light me up and tell me story).

The analogy of the story seems to match the way the TUG is conducting itself. In 1969 Somalia had a government which came to power under the banner: iskaa wax u qabso (self-reliance). At least the military government knew what it was doing. In 2009, Somalia has a transitional government which is wishing anyone to intervene in Somalia. It is calling for the French to intervene and to rescue its two kidnapped citizens as though anyone knows where they are.

Like Ali in the story, no-one seems to know why the TUG is showing dependency on other nations for everything. The TUG expects the world to pay the money, supply the weapons, and provide the man power to fight its war. Only recently having left a conference in which all African leaders have assembled in Libya, Sheikh Sharif was travelling in the region asking for additional troops when already there are over 4500 Uganda and Burundi forces under the AMISOM mandate.

In its wish for others to do its job, the TUG is also attempting to play the terror card to lure the U.S into what is primarily a Somali problem. Even if the U.S or other powers were to intervene, how long would it last without competence and local support?

The least expected of those who seek to lead is leadership itself. The TUG is squandering a lot of goodwill and a golden opportunity to establish a functioning government for Somalia. With a large internally displaced population and millions scattered around the world, Somalia has Herculean crises and challenges. There is the need for a leadership with comprehensive vision to solve the crises of the nation. However, a major obstacle to achieve a functioning government remains the pursuit of power for the reasons other than to further the interests of the nation. Every time such individuals gain power Somalia falls further down the abyss.

The blame for the formation of successive inept governments must lie with the Somali people themselves who engage in the costly habit of clan politics. The consequence has been endless cycle of inept governments which fail at the face of challenges. If we do not overcome the habit of promoting a narrow interest rather than the nation´s interests and success, Somalia is the one to continue to suffer. Not to mention Somalia shall remain the laughing stock it has become.

Because of successive inept governments, Somalia remains anarchic and stateless as ever. Even if it was to win the war of attrition in the capital, the question is where would Somalia go from there with the TUG at its helm? It is obvious that the TUG has neither good intentions nor the tools of vision and leadership to govern the country for the better. It takes leadership to lead a functioning nation. It will require exceptional leadership to mend a broken nation.

There is a lesson to be learnt from the failure of successive inept governments. At the end of the day it will take leadership to lead a nation. The Somali public must be careful whom they entrust the leadership of our nation. The issue of who should lead must always remain above clan consideration. Nobody hires a chauffer who cannot drive because of clan preference, why should we entrust the leadership of our own nation other than the right person for the job? It is only the right leadership, not clan preference, which can bring the competence needed to do the job!

Kick Off for Somalia

by Gaatamo

Dool´s article starts with three important words: ii shub, ii shid, ii sheekey. I like the rhyme. I also like the power of the words because as soon as I pronounce them, the images of who is talking to who at the teashop come to my mind. Because the words can be stretched, I am thus pushed to say something and take the debate one step further.

I would divide the current Somali crisis into two phases. Anything that occurred from 1990 to Mbagathi constitutes the first phase. Whatever the effects of this phase, it was essentially a game played by Somali hustlers and clan chauvinists. The second phase started with Mbagathi (2003). Here old and familiar players joined the game and forced a qualitative change (not at all positive) in how to resolve the Somali crisis.

1. We see the aggressive policies of the neighboring countries. We see Ethiopia determined to get an outlet to the sea. We see Kenya determined to consolidate its domination on the NFD and even determined to annex parts of Southern Somalia as far as Kisimayo. We see Uganda and Rwanda, providing mercenaries to subdue the Somali people. Now, let me turn around and ask myself what is different between these African mercenaries and the 10,000 Niigerians, Ugandans, Sawahilis, Malawians, under the Kings African Rifles, who invaded Somalia in 1941 and broke the back of the Italian Fascist Army in the country?

2. I do not see any difference. The King´s African Rifles were paid by Britain. We know that the current invaders, under the auspices of the AU, are also paid by Britain. Back then, the Swahilis in the King´s African Rifles looted Somali shops and raped Somali women, in the same way as the current AU mercenaries are shelling and killing civilians.

3. Who is paying them to do all this havoc to the Somali people? Britain, the same Britain who, by the way, is also responsible for balkanizing Somalia, and setting it up for this failure, every step along the way – 1942, 1948, 1954, 1957, and 1963 - cutting off chunks of Somali territories behind the back of the Somali people, and leaving us with a wounded independence. Personally, I cannot imagine so much mischief. It seems that our independent, superior, challenging, and Irish spirit got us into trouble with the fat old lady.

3. We see the United Nations, which is determined to force its solution on the Somali people. This also is the second time that the UN shuts off the Somali people. In November 1949, the UN forced the return of the Italian colonial administration back on Southern Somalia, contrary to the wishes and welfare of the Somali people. Italy, then, was broke, and it made no sense to get Italy back to Somalia. Somalia was sacrificed to prevent instability in Europe. Keep in mind that it took Eritrea 30 years to free itself from the UN colonial policies when they placed that country under Ethiopian domination back in 1950.

4. We see the emergence of the notorious old guard and the emergence of old alliances within the country. Read the diaries of Giorgio Sorrentino (January 1897), and you will see what happened to the Hintire, Wadan, and Bimal insurgency back at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Sorrentino used Libyan, Yemeni, Eritrean, and of course Somali mercenaries to burn and loot peaceful native communities. Until 1960, there was even a law in Southern Somalia which banned members of these communities from even owning property in the cities of the Benadir. What will they do if they succeed in their current campaign?

5. With new and powerful players in the game, the old clan model is redundant. We must free ourselves of the labels that are used to define the Somali people. Even the labeling that divides Somalis along religious lines is suspicious. Using clanism to explain everything and to dismiss the whole of the Somali crisis as the result of a hopeless clan affair puts all of us in boxes to the point that we miserably fail to see the big elephant in the room. Every year, Reuters, AP, the AU, and the UN media label Somalia as a "failed state" more than a thousand times – they never get tired of it. Certain Somali tabloids pick it up and use the same terminology to the nausea. They must certainly have a reason for doing that.

6. Even the breakaway city states must wake up to this reality. Breaking away from the rest of Somalia is fashionable to some, but read the writing on the wall, becoming an Ethiopian or a Kenyan vassal, believe me, is worse. At the Berbera Airport, I hear that Ethiopian security guards inspect the Somali passengers.

Shame on you, Riyale! Admit that you made a catastrophic mistake! You are locked in a dead end! The ghosts in Dhibouti and Puntland are no different.

7. I think that we need to come together and start manifesting our views right at the door steps of the United Nations in New York. Maybe a hunger strike would help embarrass these crooks – why not! We fast for God! Why can´t we fast for Somalia?

8. The bottom line is not to leave clan chauvinists and careerists, such as Ahmed Ould, to misinform the world about the crisis in Somalia. Keep in mind that the man comes from a country which still abuses black people. I am not surprised if he has difficulty understanding what the Somali people want: the right to self determination, freedom from oppression, and equal rights for all.

Somalia: A Convenient Cash Cow for all

By Girma Gizaw

After all, the cats are out of the basket in the open. At least, corruption in Somalia, at the expense of the humiliation, pain and death of hundreds of thousands of innocent Somalis sacrificed and exchanged for cash by the UNDP, The Somali Transitional Government and the new cat in town, known as AMISOM had formally established the Joint Corruption Team (JCT) as clearly and officially published in their July 25th 2009 declaration as published in various internet sites including Hiiran Online, and carrying the seal of the Somali government, the United Nations and AMISOM. The Somalis have already called this GWA or "Guddiga Wadajirka Al-haram" .

The half page declaration, clearly and strictly says that the only reason this Joint Corruption Team is to consume the recent pledge by the Somalia donor community in Brussels, the famous $250,000,000.00 dollars !. The team is planning how to steal it, jointly!

Most Somalis are unaware that the recent US government pledge of $10,000,000.00 never made to the end users, that is the foot soldiers. It did not even make it to the Somali officers. It never past Kampala, Uganda !. This is a fact. The money was siphoned off using a sophisticated process involving what is called "backfilling" the Ugandan government military. Not to the Somalis!.

According to some sources the money simply went to corrupt Ugandan officers who claimed and presented fictitious documentation alleging they ´gave´ the Somali military some guns and ammunition or so, and that the money should be used to ´refund´ the Ugandan government! The documents show TFG senior officers as witnesses, apparently , who would get some of the spoils of the loot by the Ugandan military of this US government $10M grant. Well, action speaks for itself. Where is the money now? Any one can ask the US Embassy in Kenya.

It is amazing how human beings get used to what they do, such as corruption in a lawless country, that a serious official team (JCT) would nominate themselves for the only purpose of consuming Somali funds. And perhaps setup another new team for the next big payment!. This shows that in Somalia, everything is not only possible, it is even an open business crime. The only undeclared activity of the UNDP, AMINSOM and the TFG is perhaps the business of exporting and selling human flesh from Somalia. Be it in human organ parts or live ones for global experimentation. There is rumor that such business in a mass scale does exist in Somalia indeed.

There are claims that some have seen footage of government combatants who, during combat confusion engagements with the rebels intentionally shoot and wound innocent civilians but the legs, mostly children, take them into cars that never go towards the direction of the hospitals and disappear. I have seen footage of hired guns hiding inside combating soldiers of both sides and are there to shoot any one and whisk them off while alive and disappear with them. Their organs only to appear exported by various Khat traders planes through Kenya and Dubai. The nature and rate of crime in Somalia, both by the big organizations and street gangs is not only very bizarre but definitely alarming. With AMISON, UNDP, NGOs, Al-Shabab and Khat traders in Somalia´s game of opportunity and mayhem, there is no future for Somalis and Somalia.

Now that the Ugandans lead AMINSOM, it finds Somalia a convenient cash cow where they can keep designing structures to consume the donor pledge of the last $250M, it is business as usual. The Somali people and the international donor community needs to seriously understand the AMISOM, UNDP, most UN/NGOs organization are part of the problem, not genuine but are direct profiteers, opportunists and scavengers of the Somali carcasses. Somalis in their own part also need to know that Al-shabab, TFG corruption and the notorious Khat traders are the root of their problems. Purge Al-Shabab, elect true peaceful Muslim non-Khat chewing TFG officers, and hang all the Khat traders. Otherwise, the least devil of the rest might be Al-Shabab but only if they can stop and stamp out Khat in Somalia. Because Khat is enemy # 1 for the Somali people.

U.N. agency conference concludes in Puntland

A conference attended by United Nations officers concluded Monday in Garowe, the capital of Somalia's Puntland regional autonomy, Radio Garowe reports.

The two-day conference opened yesterday in Garowe and was attended by Puntland government officials, local business leaders and UN officers.

Mr. Mark Bowden, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, co-chaired the meeting with Puntland Planning Minister Farah Aden Dhala.

Minister Dhala, who addressed reporters afterwards, said the conference was a follow-up review meeting to a February meeting held in Garowe and attended by various UN agencies and international aid organizations.

The conference's agenda included ways the Puntland administration could help local families affected by the ongoing drought in some regions, as well as ways the UN could provide assistance in the education and healthcare sectors.

The discussions also included capacity-building assistance to government organs in Puntland and training for government employees, including police training, the Minister added.

Gen. Abdisamad Ali Shire, Puntland's vice president, concluded the meeting with brief remarks thanking the UN for all the assistance.

UN agencies have increased assistance to Puntland since the peaceful election of Jan. 2009, when Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed "Farole" became the state administration's third elected president.

Impacting reports from the global village

EU to help prop up Somali gov't

EU foreign ministers have agreed to increase efforts to stabilize Somalia, and to reinforce political and financial support for the embattled Somali government.

The ministers, meeting in Brussels, said the EU would explore ways to increase assistance to the Somali transitional federal government in battling insurgents.

EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, says the efforts include training security forces and support for the African Union peacekeeping mission.

Solana also says he wants to see troops on the ground as well as the ones already at sea.

The EU has extended its anti-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia until the end of next year to curb attacks of Somali gangs.

However, the attacks have continued despite the presence of naval forces from more than a dozen states.

An Ethiopian-born Canadian citizen faces even the possibility of a death sentence after being found guilty in an Ethiopian court yesterday (Monday) of terror-related charges.

No end to ordeal of jailed Canadian

By David McDougall for The Globe and Mail

Bashir Makhtal could face life imprisonment for terrorism conviction when sentenced Monday

When Bashir Makhtal, a Canadian citizen imprisoned in Ethiopia for 2½ years, entered a courtroom in Addis Ababa yesterday, his hopes of bringing to a conclusion a long and difficult ordeal and returning to Canada seemed to be dashed.

Neither Mr. Makhtal nor his lawyer were permitted to address the court, which convicted him on three terrorism-related charges linked to his alleged involvement in an Ethiopian separatist movement, bringing to an end a trial that has been criticized by human rights groups and legal experts since its inception in March.

"I have never seen him acting like this," said a family member in Ethiopia who spoke through a Somali translator and asked not to be identified out of concern for her safety. "He was very upset and very unhappy and very worried about the case," she said, after speaking with Mr. Makhtal in prison yesterday, following the conviction.

Mr. Makhtal is to be sentenced on Monday and could face life imprisonment or death, although his lawyer in Ethiopia, Gebreamlak Tekele, said they plan to appeal the conviction if the sentence is more than time served.

"It is important not to speculate on the outcome," said federal Transport Minister John Baird, who took an interest in Mr. Makhtal's case after hearing from the Somali community in his riding, "but I remain personally committed to doing all I can for Bashir once he is sentenced next Monday."

A former Toronto resident now in his 40s, Mr. Makhtal was arrested by Kenyan authorities in December, 2006, as he attempted to cross the border from Somalia on a Canadian passport in an effort to escape fighting between Ethiopia and Somalia's Union of Islamic Courts, an Islamist militia.

He says he went to Mogadishu to receive a shipment of clothing from Dubai as a part of the business he operated in the East Africa region.

Mr. Makhtal was never charged in Kenya. Instead, after several weeks in custody, he was sent to Ethiopia where he essentially disappeared. It was a year before the Ethiopian government admitted it was holding him. And for nearly two years, he was held incommunicado in solitary confinement and denied consular access.

Mr. Makhtal is the grandson of one of the founding members of the Ogaden National Liberation Front, though he claims he has never had any involvement with the movement. During his trial, Mr. Makhtal told the court, "in fact, I am the victim of the ONLF," according to a June 12 Department of Foreign Affairs report provided by Mr. Makhtal's family.

Despite repeatedly claiming he could not receive a fair trial in Ethiopia, Mr. Makhtal was optimistic before his court appearance, according to the family member in Ethiopia who also visited him on the weekend.

Mr. Baird's recent interest in the case together with diplomatic efforts in Ethiopia seem to have made some progress in bringing Mr. Makhtal's case before a civilian court, improving the conditions of his detention and allowing him access to consular staff.

And last month, to the surprise of both Mr. Makhtal and his family, he was allowed to present his case during a single court session in which he spoke for 90 minutes.

But news of yesterday's court proceedings and conviction came as a blow to family members who have spent that past 2½years fighting to bring Mr. Makhtal to justice. "I've suffered. Everyone has suffered," said Said Maktal, Mr. Makhtal's cousin in Hamilton, Ont., who spells his last name differently.

Critics of the process - and Toronto lawyer Lorne Waldman who was retained by Mr. Makhtal's family to represent his case in Canada - say that Canada hasn't done enough. In April, Mr. Waldman filed a lawsuit against the Canadian government under the Official Development Assistance Accountability Act, seeking to limit the non-humanitarian aid that Canada provides annually to Ethiopia.

"We've got a Canadian citizen who was basically rendered illegally from Kenya to Ethiopia," said Mr. Waldman, "forcibly taken there, against his will, without due process, and is sitting in an Ethiopian jail for 2½ years or longer, has now been sent to a kangaroo court."

"The question is whether our government should countenance that by allowing foreign aid to go to that type of regime that's mistreating a Canadian citizen in that fashion."

"News of the conviction on all three counts is very disappointing," said Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada, "coming on the heels of 2½ years of injustice and human rights violations.

"It is of vital importance that the Canadian government intervene forcefully over the coming week, at the very highest levels - including the Prime Minister - to make it clear to Ethiopian authorities that they should not in any way consider seeking the death penalty in this case. This is not a time for wait and see."

"We will definitely launch an appeal after the sentencing on Monday. We will work on it," his lawyer Gebreamlak Gebregiorgis told AFP in an interview.

Makhtal was among some 150 people detained by Kenyan forces in 2006 on the border with Somalia as they fled the Ethiopian onslaught on the Islamist insurgents.

The trial had been postponed several times this year due to prosecutors´ failure to provide witnesses.

Somalia Government: Put Your House in Order While combating Extremists and Their Foreign Allies

By Said Liban

The successful conclusion of UN-brokered Djibouti Peace Conference, followed by the end of Ethiopia´s devastating military occupation, was hailed as a triumph for Somalia, ushering in a new beginning to end the senseless bloodshed. The apparently bloated unity government was the closest compromise solution realistically achievable in this mainly indifferent and sometime hostile world climate.

The road map set for the continuation of the peace process, the government´s immediate landing in the capital; as well as its adoption of Sharia as the law of the land, were all welcome signs supporting that we finally may have a functioning government and open peace process.

However, the government´s recent appeal for the neighboring states´ military intervention as well as its subsequent erratic policy and practices painfully indicate that the promising peace process is once more in jeopardy to be derailed. It seems extremists within the government took over the reign under the pretext of fighting lunatic fringe and their foreign allies who are hell-bent to topple the government.

I consider extremists those claiming to be fighting for a just, religious cause, but are engaged in suicide bombing, targeted assassination and indiscriminate killing. Equally, those calling neighboring military intervention while claiming to represent the government are not any different than their opponents.

To be fair, these elements might genuinely believe that they are acting to the best interest of the country, but their choice of brute force over other methods for resolving conflicts is what makes them extremists. It seems the government´s early achievements are threatened by extremists in both camps.

It is mind boggling to imagine what the speaker of parliament, Sheikh Aden Madobe, had in mind when he made the announcement inviting neighboring states to militarily intervene to assist the government. What is unquestionable, though, is the fact that government has gradually shifted away from its initial encouraging journey to genuine reconciliation and peace towards the road of further militarization and violence.

In response to the ferocious attack by misguided Al Shabab with well-financed foreign allies, it is understandable that the fledging government would seek support domestic or international. However, there was no any reasonable justification to seek help from the same actor/s (i.e. Ethiopia) who arguably are attributed to be partly responsible for the catastrophic mess we are in.

One would wonder why the Islamists and other respectable government officials did not block the dangerous political gamble. At least they should have paid attention to the Holy Koran´s verse:"... Let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety; and fear Allah..." (ch. 5, v. 8). No doubt, it would have been more just and honorable to give priority to the security and well-being of the people over any other consideration.

The government´s subsequent panic reactions following the ill-advised appeal also made the matter even worse. These include, among other things, the government´s alliance with merchants of war and political opportunists;

government officials´ frequent visits to Addis Ababa and other foreign capitals while half of the country is burning; and worst of all calling almost the entire government´s critics as terrorist. These knee-jerk responses so far produced poor results, and most likely would backfire with devastating consequences.

We should remind ourselves that the people revolted not against few individuals in the old Transitional Federal Government (TFG), but they were against its destructive policy and practices. Repeating the old habit no matter how indispensable it might appear only serve as useful ammunitions to government´s detractors who already labeled it as a copy of TFG, and a puppet regime.

Certainly, as President Obama has indicated in his historic speech in Ghana, the Somali problem is a global problem and demands a global response. However, the best our neighbors could do at this juncture is to stay away from the fray. Surprisingly, the political savvy Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, seems to have grasped that reality as he rebuffed the ill-advised appeal, saying: "Our reading of the situation in Somalia is slightly different from the one of the speaker of parliament that if there is no foreign military intervention, the transitional government will collapse."

Admittedly, we are in an extraordinary critical situation whereby our last hope of finding a peaceful solution to end the violence is again in danger of being crushed. We have also greater opportunity today than ever before partly because of foreign fighters in our midst with their megalomaniac agenda extending beyond our borders. Majority of the Somali people initially supported the unity government. Equally, powerful nations and indeed the whole world are on board and mainly supportive

More importantly, our neighbors, particularly Ethiopia, seem to have finally realized that supporting and keeping Somalia in separate small clan-based enclaves is more dangerous than united Somalia. As Kenyan author perceptively reveals:"the scrawny alley cat is proving to be more formidable than the lion that was once the Somali state." No doubt a democratic, peaceful united Somalia is less dangerous to its neighbors than warring clan-based fiefdoms. The so-called world Jihadists have already secured a foothold in some of these enclaves, and are marching on to the other enclaves, thus threatening the region and beyond.

Despite the exceptionally favorable domestic and international environments, there would be no lasting peace unless the government and indeed the Somali people collectively stand up to those advocating for violence as violence only begets more violence. Though we are grateful to the international community, there is no much it could do to secure peace and stability by sanctions, much less at gunpoint.

Towards the road of peace and reconciliation, the government daunting task is to come up with home-grown solutions, using religious as a bridge. No doubt restraining the war impulses of the extremists within the government while avoiding sensitive activities that undermine its legitimacy in the eyes of the masses are important steps towards that goal.

After all, the unity government, like its predecessor, is cobbled at international conference, with limited domestic support; it should strive to gain domestic legitimacy. As the UN Secretary-General´s representative in Somalia, Ahmedou Ould Abdallah rightly said: "the winner-take-all culture of Somalia must end… Somali leaders have to accept the very notion of compromise". Only a compromise solution could yield a durable and lasting win-win solution. Anyone who rejects such a solution is definitely an extremist and should be seen as such.

A crucial and relevant question is: can a few in the government accomplish such a monumental task ahead of us?

Absolutely no, I would say. It is imperative that the genuine Islamists, nationalist, and indeed all Somalis, who were instrumental in defeating Ethiopia´s early intervention, to join forces in support of the government to marginalize the equally dangerous local extremists in both camps. Inaction or indifference will only help these elements perpetuate the conflict as they are better suited in fishing in troubled water. As the late civil right activist, Martin Luther King, said the ultimate tragedy is not bad people committing oppression and cruelty, but the "the silence over that by the good people."

Somali Extremists Who Raided U.N. Offices Not Considered a Terror Group by Joseph Abrams

The extremist group al-Shabaab raided three U.N. offices in Somalia last week in a campaign to rid the volatile African nation of all "enemies of Islam," and the world body can't do a thing about it — yet.

Though the U.S. State Department designated al-Shabaab a foreign terrorist organization in March 2008, the U.N. has yet to add the Islamic militia to its list of terrorist groups whose members face international sanctions and travel bans.

While the U.S. has been cracking down on the Al Qaeda-linked group's recruitment efforts at home, the lack of an international standard has allowed al-Shabaab to channel its funds — much of which come from piracy along Somalia's lengthy coast — through banks in the Arabian Gulf.

"There are millions and millions and millions of dollars coming into this organization. It's being funneled in banks in Qatar and other places — that's pretty well documented — yet nobody's really doing anything about it," said Jeffrey Addicott, director of the Center for Terrorism Law at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas.

Somalia expert J. Peter Pham said that it was difficult to gather consensus within the U.N., which lacks a formal definition of terrorism and whose full-fledged members include countries such as Syria and Iran, which the U.S. has accused of sponsoring terrorism.

"In recent years, the U.N. terror list has not functioned as well or as updated as it did in the immediate aftermath of 9/11," said Pham, director of the Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs at James Madison University in Virginia.

Al-Shabaab controls large swathes of Somalia, imposing its hardline vision of Islam on the country's south and center, rigidly segregating men and women and enforcing laws with cruel and oppressive punishments — something like a Taliban in the Horn of Africa.

And its menace is growing. Al-Shabaab has turned the country into a safe haven and training ground for terrorist groups including Al Qaeda, seizing the country's capital of Mogadishu in a hail of gunfire and terror in May. In early July, the group beheaded seven southerners for being Christians and government "spies."

The group is now targeting U.N. offices charged with propping up Somalia's weak transitional government, the country's 14th since 1991, and one of few forces still opposing the militia.

On July 20, al-Shabaab stole into U.N. compounds in the country's south, the same day it banned the U.N. Development Fund, the Department of Safety and Security and the U.N. Political Office. Non-governmental organizations are being allowed to operate for the time being.

A U.N. spokeswoman said the world body was optimistic that order would be restored in southern Somalia, allowing "critical humanitarian work to resume." But the U.N. has not taken a decisive step to target the group by using what may be the best weapon in its arsenal: purse-strings.

"The biggest hurt [the U.N.] could do would be the financial squeeze" they can exert by adding al-Shabaab to their terrorist sanctions list, Addicott, the terrorism law expert, said. That would obligate member states to freeze assets and issue a travel ban to members and associates of the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

In an op-ed published the same day as the attacks on the U.N. offices, the U.N. special representative for Somalia signaled the beginning of a crackdown on what he called Somalia's "externally funded" coup attempt.

"A list is being compiled for the U.N. sanctions committee of those who may find their assets frozen and face a travel ban," Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah wrote in the Washington Post.

"Those who support the extremists, whether out of conviction or in pursuit of profit, may be hit in their wallets."

A U.N. official said they were especially concerned with terrorist organizations, but stressed that a member state would have to issue a recommendation that al-Shabaab be listed.

No member state has actually stepped forward and formally sought that designation for al-Shabaab — not even the U.S., which has done so independently.

U.S. officials say that negotiations are ongoing and that while no formal proposal has come forth, the U.S. is looking at the issue closely as the sanctions committee continues to review its list or terrorist groups.

Some Somalia watchers do not expect rapid movement within the U.N. even following the raids on their Somali offices.

"The U.N. generally has fallen victim to a combination of suspicion (and) politics," that have allowed large voting blocs to prevent progress in the prosecution of terror, said Pham, adding that the U.N. is so unpopular in Somalia that listing al-Shabaab may benefit the group, allowing its leaders to "wrap themselves up in the mantle of nationalism."

And even if al-Shabaab does come into the U.N.'s crosshairs, terrorism experts are not convinced that U.N. attention will bring much pressure to bear.

"Even if they were designated it would be symbolic," said Addicott, who told FOXNews.com that international sanctions are hard to put in place, as Shabaab controls much of Somalia but is not a fully-fledged country.

"They're not a nation-state," he said. "Somalia is the Wild, Wild West."

Some Somalis in Dubai may aid piracy -UN envoy

By Louis Charbonneau for Reuters

Envoy wants UN council to support Somalia's government

UN operations should be moved to Mogadishu - envoy

A small group of Somalis granted asylum by the United Arab Emirates are suspected of supporting piracy in the lawless Horn of Africa nation of Somalia, a senior U.N. envoy said.

U.N. special envoy to Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday that he believed "some elements of the Somali community in Dubai are involved in a number of activities which are undermining peace in Somalia."

Those activities include piracy, illegal weapons transfers that skirt a U.N. arms embargo, and possibly indirect financial support for Islamist-led rebels who the government is struggling to subdue, he said. He added that the number of individuals involved was small, probably around half a dozen.

"But this is big money," Ould-Abdallah said.

The U.N. envoy stopped short of urging the authorities in Dubai, the financial hub of the Middle East, to crack down on any Somalis involved in such activity. But he called on those with asylum not to get involved in any illegal activity.

Ould-Abdallah will brief the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday on the situation in Somalia. Among the things he said he would urge the 15-nation panel to do is to voice its support for the transitional government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and to ask him to continue talking with the opposition.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plans to meet Sharif during a seven-nation trip to Africa next week on the sidelines of an annual trade forum with sub-Saharan countries in Nairobi, the State Department said on Monday.

Washington has repeatedly pointed the finger at Somalia's neighbor Eritrea for supporting rebels in Somalia intent on toppling its weak government. Asmara has denied the allegations, but members of the Security Council are considering the possibility of sanctions against Eritrea for its suspected aid to Somali rebels.

The council will also hear a report from its Somalia sanctions committee on Wednesday. Council diplomats told Reuters that the issue of Eritrea's involvement in Somalia may come up during that report.

Hundreds of thousands dead

A two-year insurgency has killed at least 18,000 people and sent another million or more fleeing from their homes. Hundreds of thousands have died of war, famine and disease since the collapse of a dictatorship brought anarchy in 1991.

Somalia's army -- a mix of former rebels, clan militias and a few ex-army officers -- has been unable to beat al Shabaab militants or rebels from another Islamist group, Hizbul Islam.

An international naval operation aimed at cracking down on piracy in Somali waters, where dozens of ships have been hijacked this year, has improved the situation and shown the people of Somalia that the international community cares, Ould-Abdallah said.

He said it was time for the United Nations Somalia operations to move its headquarters from Nairobi to the Somali capital Mogadishu to show solidarity with the Somali people.

"We should build a 'green zone' in Mogadishu, like there is in Iraq," the envoy said, referring to the heavily fortified zone where the U.S. military and others have had their headquarters.

Ould-Abdallah has repeatedly called on the Security Council to approve a U.N. peacekeeping mission to replace a struggling 4,300-strong African Union force in Somalia. But council members are reluctant to do so before the political situation in the country has stabilized.

Somalis fleeing Islamic militants

Thousands of fleeing fighting around the capital, Mogadishu, have massed in the northern town of Bossasso, trying to cross the Gulf of Aden and sneak into Yemen, the United Nations refugee agency said Tuesday.

Up to 12,000 civilians have taken shelter in Bossasso, the base where smugglers take them to Yemen, the agency´s spokesman, Ron Redmond, said in Geneva. Thirty-thousand Somalis have made the crossing this year, but more than 300 people have died trying or are missing.

The agency said nearly a quarter million Somalis had fled their homes since May 7, when Islamist rebels launched a concerted attack on Mogadishu. "These people are obviously reaching the end of their rope," Mr. Redmond said. "They see no future in Somalia, and many of them are so desperate that they´re willing to risk their lives and the lives of their families to escape." (AP)

Five Somalis sentenced to death in absentia for bombs (Reuters)

Five convicted are on the run outside Somaliland

Eleven others faced justice in person

A court in breakaway Somaliland sentenced five men to death in absentia on Wednesday for masterminding suicide bomb attacks in 2008 that killed at least 24 people. The synchronised blasts in October 2008 -- at Ethiopia's embassy, the local president's office and a U.N. building -- were blamed on Somalia's militant insurgent movement al Shabaab, which has links to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. The blasts in the northern territory, which has been relatively stable since declaring itself independent in 1991, showed the militants could operate beyond their southern strongholds and were one of Somalia's worst suicide attacks. Officials at the Regional Court of Hargeisa, capital of the enclave, said the five convicted Somalis were on the run in other parts of the Horn of Africa nation. Somaliland carries out the death sentence by shooting. Of 11 men in its custody, all from Somaliland, nine were released then re-arrested following a prosecution appeal, officials and witnesses said. That angered relatives who had to be dispersed by police firing in the air outside court. Two were sentenced to 18 months' jail for obstruction of justice, court officials said. Unlike anarchic southern Somalia -- where hardline Islamist rebels are battling a weak government and chaos has often reigned for the last 18 years -- Somaliland prides itself on having a working judiciary and government structure.

Somaliland police shut down Horn Cable TV, detain journalist

Police authorities in Somalia´s breakaway republic of Somaliland shut down an independently owned television station and arrested a journalist, Radio Garowe reports.

Ms. Nimo Samriye, a reporter for Horn Cable TV in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, told Puntland-based Radio Garowe that heavily armed police units raided the TV station´s offices "without warrant."

She stated that Mohamed Abdi Illig, the head of news section, asked the police officers if they had a warrant.

"They [police] then arrested him [Illig]," Ms. Nimo said. No officials from the Somaliland administration have spoken publicly about the raid or the journalist´s arrest.

Somaliland authorities have accused local media of misreporting clan violence in the region and therefore "threatening the peace." But journalist watchdog groups have accused Somaliland President Dahir Riyale of power abuse ahead of the September presidential election.

Meanwhile, two journalists with Radio Horyaal remain in jail and have not been brought to court yet.

Somaliland is located in northwestern Somalia and unilaterally declared independence from the rest of the country in 1991. The separatist republic has not been recognized internationally.

French security advisers posing as reporters kidnapped in Somalia

By Carol Forsloff.

Given the threats to the security of reporters, as evidenced by the imprisonment of a reporter in Iran and two in Korea recently, Reporters Without Borders declares French security officials posing as reporters risks reporters' lives.

Reporters without Borders is an advocacy and support organization for reporters across the world. They have been at the forefront in news about reporters who have kidnapped or killed. Now they are concerned, given the fact reporters have been accused of being spies, that individuals in security would jeopardize the lives of those who report the news by claiming they are reporters themselves. Two security advisers, unnamed in the posting on Reporters Without Borders, were said to have recently arrived in Moagadishu at the behest of the General Dictorate for External Security of France in what was said to be a mission to provide security advice to the transitional government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed. Reporters without Borders has determined Somalia to be among the most deadly countries for reporters because kidnappings of journalists and humanitarian aid workers are common in Somalia. This is what the organization Reporters without Borders had to say about the news of the spies being kidnapped: "Being a journalist is not a cover, it is a profession," Reporters Without Borders said. "We hope these two advisers are freed quickly but we are shocked that they were passing themselves off as journalists. They were on an official mission and had no need of cover. Their behaviour endangers journalists in a region where media personnel are already in danger." Roxana Saberi was one of those journalists who figured prominently in the tactic of accusing journalists of spying. She was imprisoned in Iran for four months before returning to the United States on May 22.

In an in-depth interview with National Public Radio, Saberi related her experience as being particularly devastating. She said she faced "severe psychological and mental pressure" to confess to being a spy before being released. In June of this year two American journalists of Korean ancestry were convicted of spying in North Korea and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor in prison. Laura Ling and Euna Lee, both journalists owned by a television station owned by Al Gore, were arrested in North Korea and then tried and convicted for spying. In the meantime it was reported the Obama administration is seeking negotiations for their release. Interestingly enough, France has had one of its own reporters kidnapped in Iraq, so one wonders why security officials would want to disguise themselves as reporters, given the risk it continues to bring reporters all over the world, who are being accused of spying. French Reporter Christian Chesnot of Radio France was kidnapped with reporter Georges Malbrunot of the Daily Figaro in Iraq by the resistance and held for four months during the period August to December 2004. In this case the reporters were used as a bargaining chip to get the French government to agree to allow girls to wear the burka without repercussions in France. As reporters continue to be the focus of kidnappers and those seeking to create international drama to bring attention to their cause, one wonders about the French action with regard to sending spies disguised as reporters. Certainly, those who write the news would want their safety protected; and it appears this action may have led to increased insecurity for reporters around the world.

Impacting reports from the global village

Kenya arrests four Dutchmen near Somalia border

By Celestyne Achieng

Kenyan police are questioning four Dutch passport-holders who were arrested on suspicion of aiding Somalia's al Shabaab insurgents, a local government official said on Wednesday.

The four men -- three who were born in Morocco and the fourth in Somalia -- were stopped by police on Monday while on their way to Kiunga on the Kenya-Somalia border.

"The al Shabaab group has been receiving humanitarian and technical help from foreigners and we suspect the people we have in custody were in that area to do exactly that," Stephen Ikua, Lamu district commissioner, said.

Al Shabaab insurgents have been battling Somalia's federal transition government since 2007, dashing hopes of a return to stability for the lawless horn of Africa nation.

Kenya, along with the rest of the international community, views the situation there as threatening regional stability and providing a haven for al-Qaeda linked groups.

The four suspects, all aged 21 according to their passports, said they were tourists despite the fact that there are no tourist attractions where they were arrested, Ikua said.

"They had hired a tractor which was taking them to Kiunga, on the Kenya-Somalia border. Their journey is definitely suspect and we believe their activity is connected to the al Shabaab group in Somalia," he said.

Leo Nyongesa, head of police in Coast province, said the four would be moved to Nairobi before the end of this week.

Meanwhile AFP quoted a Dutch official saying: "An investigation has been launched by national police (in the Netherlands) into their possible involvement in terrorism." They are expected to be sent back home, according to prosecution spokeswoman Marieke van der Molen.

She added that the Netherlands retained jurisdiction to prosecute its nationals alleged to have committed crimes abroad. Officials declined to give more details on the suspects including their genders.

While prosecutors identified them all as Dutch nationals, the Dutch foreign affairs ministry said the four included three citizens and a Moroccan with Dutch residence status.

They are being detained "for further questioning" but have access to consular assistance and have been visited by Nairobi-based Dutch embassy staff, said ministry spokesman Herbert Brinkman.

In Kenya, a police officer who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity said the four had been transferred to the capital Nairobi after initially being held in the coastal city of Mombasa.

"They have indicated that they are tourists. But it is not possible to believe that because none of them has documents or travel visas issued to tourists coming to Kenya," explained the official.

Last week the Kenya anti-terror police arrested a Canadian journalism student who was taking photographs in a border town.

Trapped Canadian woman of Somali origin gives DNA to prove identity

By TorStar

A Toronto woman trapped in Africa allowed Canadian officials to weigh, measure, photograph, fingerprint and swab her for DNA yesterday in a last-ditch attempt to prove her identity.

"They took my height, my reach, everything," said Suaad Hagi Mohamud, a 31-year-old single mother stuck in Nairobi, Kenya, for more than two months, apparently for not looking enough like her passport photo.

Why Ottawa would go to such security extremes remains a mystery but a possible explanation surfaced.

"They want to make sure we don´t switch people," said Mohamud´s Toronto lawyer, Raoul Boulakia, citing a hypothesis he says came last week from a justice department lawyer.

Maybe Mohamud loaned her passport to her sister in Kenya, the theory goes, or to some other look-alike.

Maybe it was the sister, not Mohamud, who tried to leave Kenya for Toronto on May 17. And maybe a Kenyan passport officer arrested and jailed the sister, not Mohamud, saying her lips don´t match those in the passport photo.

By documenting Mohamud every which way, the proposition goes, Canadian authorities are certain to let the right person proceed to Toronto.

"I asked them, ´What are you talking about?´" said Boulakia, finding the explanation hard to follow.

Both Toronto-based justice department lawyers on the case, Peter Southey and Gregory George, denied floating any such scenario.

Update: Now also the DNA of her 12-year old son, who stayed back in Canada, has been taken. It will take several days to match the samples, officials said. Meanwhile the Canadian High Commission has refused to pay the costs for her forcefully extended stay in Kenya and gave her only a photocopied sheet with numbers how to contact the Canadian Consular Service in case of emergency. Every Somali refugee, who receives a protection letter by UNHCR is more protected in Kenya than this Canadian woman, whose passport has factually been stolen by governmental officials, who even refuse to equip her with any documentation. Her Canadian lawyer therefore has offered her now the hotel accommodation and we keep our guardian close to her.

US threatens Eritrea with sanctions

The United States has threatened to impose sanctions on Eritrea unless it ends its support for Somali opposition fighters.

"There is a very short window for Eritrea to signal, through its actions, that it wishes [for] a better relationship with the United States and indeed the wider international community," Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said on Wednesday.

The administration of Barack Obama, the US president, is "deeply concerned and very frustrated" with Eritrea over its "arming, supporting, funding" of fighters who have launched attacks on Somali government targets, she told the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.

"It is unacceptable and we will not tolerate it," she said.

Sanctions threat

"The United States, and the new administration, had hoped and frankly continues to hope that there may be a window for improved relations with Eritrea, that Eritrea may step back" from policies that fan unrest in Somalia, she said.

Should Eritrea continue with its policies in regard to Somalia, the United States could "in short order" consider steps that include "potentially, sanctions," in concert with African allies and the United Nations, Rice said.

Relations between Washington and Asmara have been poor in recent years.

Eritrea said that the US has given support to Ethiopia, Asmara's main regional rival, in a protracted dispute over the demaracation of the border.

Washington has in turn accused Eritrea of giving help to armed groups controlling swaths of southern Somalia and most of Mogadishu, the capital.

Most of the opposition fighters belong to the al-Shabab group, which is trying to bring down Somalia's transitional government and establish its own version of Islamic law.

Somalia's government and other nations have said that Eritrea has supplied arms to opposition fighters in breach of a UN embargo, claims Asmara has denied.

The African Union has called on the United Nations to impose sanctions on Eritrea for backing the rebels.

Remarks by Ambassador Alejandro D. Wolff, U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, during a Security Council Briefing on Somalia, in the Security Council Chamber, July 29, 2009

Thank you, Mr. President. Let me first thank Special Representative Ould-Abdallah for his informative update on the situation in Somalia and for his critical work monitoring and reporting under often danger conditions. Let me also welcome Foreign Minister Omar and Commissioner Lamamra back to the Council and thank them for their informative statements.

The United States particularly condemns in the strongest terms the continuing military offensives against the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia which are designed to overthrow the TFG's legitimate authority by force.

The United States particularly condemns al-Shaabab´s July 19 raids on and forced closure of the UNDP, UNDSS and UNPOS offices in Wajid and Baidoa, during which communications equipment, automobiles and supplies were looted, as well as its May 17 raid of the UNICEF compound in Jowhar town, which remains occupied by the militia.

We are very concerned by reports that al-Shaabab is recruiting seasoned fighters from abroad and collaborating with al-Qaeda to remove the TFG. Al-Shaabab and other extremists have ratcheted up bomb attacks and targeted assassinations to spread fear in an attempt to intimidate the Somali people into submission. There are troublesome reports of recent violence by extremists not only in Mogadishu, but also of renewed fighting in the central regions of Somalia and in its strife to forcefully gain power al-Shaabab has even recruited Somali children to take up arms.

We second Special Representative´s call to donors for urgent military and financial support to the TFG and AMISOM. Supporting AMISOM should be central to the international community´s strategy of stabilizing Mogadishu and supporting the Somali peace process. We thank AMISOM for its brave and critical work in the face of continuing danger, and my government urges donors to fulfill the pledges made at the April security conference in Brussels to address the continuing threat to regional stability posed by extremists. Currently AMISOM is four battalions short of its mandated strength of nine infantry battalions, or a little over half of its mandated strength of 8000 troops. The United States welcomes the pledges made by Sierra Leone and Malawi to contribute one battalion each to AMISOM, and thanks Uganda and Burundi for their roles, particularly Burundi for the steps it is taking to contribute a third battalion to help strengthen AMISOM´s capacity.

Mr. President, we are deeply concerned about the worsening humanitarian situation in Somalia, including the estimated 200,000 people who had recently returned to Mogadishu, only to again be displaced when the fighting began anew. The violence makes critical food and other humanitarian assistance more challenging, and sometimes impossible, to distribute to the 3.2 million Somalis who require it. The United States deplores violence against humanitarian agencies and staff, in particular al Shaabab's May 17 raid on the UNICEF compound which resulted in the destruction of thousands of vaccines intended for Somali women and children and nutritional supplements intended for the most vulnerable women and children.

The United States is committed to addressing the humanitarian situation and has provided nearly 9 million in food and non-food emergency assistance since the start of our current fiscal year. We urge the international community to contribute to the Consolidated Appeal for Somalia, which as of June 30, covers only 40 percent of the 4 million requested.

In spite of these challenges, the United States is encouraged by President Sharif's continuing efforts to reach out to opposition groups that wish to join the national reconciliation process, and we welcome the TFG´s Declaration of Cooperation with the Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama´a. We also welcome the TFG´s institution-building efforts, as well as steps taken to hold Parliamentary and Cabinet sessions despite increasing attacks in Mogadishu.

On piracy, we are concerned by reports by the International Maritime Bureau of an exponential increase in activity, as well as the reports of the use of more sophisticated weapons. We must continue to prosecute suspected pirates -- piracy is without question a symptom of as well as a contributing factor to the instability and insecurity in Somalia; without stability in Somalia, there can be no durable resolution of the piracy problem. Nonetheless my government believes the paying of ransom simply perpetuates piracy. The United States does not offer concessions to hostage takers whether they are driven by political or financial motives, and we encourage other states to take a similar position.

Finally, we remain deeply concerned about Eritrea´s actions in the region, particularly in Somalia. The Monitoring Group has noted in its reports that Eritrea has provided funding, weapons, and training to armed insurgents in Somalia.

Like others here, the United States has repeatedly stated that we remain willing to engage the Eritrean government should it end its destabilizing activities in the Horn of Africa and take steps toward improved regional relations. Unfortunately, Eritrea has thus far refused these offers. And the window is rapidly closing.

Thank You, Mr. President.

Conflicting picture emerges of terror suspect

By Carrie Johnson, Spencer S. Hsu for The Washington Post

North Carolina man, his 2 sons and 4 others charged as international jihad group.

Daniel Boyd, once a blond defensive lineman at an Alexandria, Va., high school, is an unlikely symbol of a homegrown terrorist threat. The son of a Marine, Boyd spent his early years in the Washington suburbs living a typical American childhood. Recently, he blended with his family into a suburb of Raleigh, N.C., where he gardened and was friendly with his neighbors.

But law enforcement officials, including four SWAT teams that deployed to Boyd's home Monday, point to the Muslim convert as the latest example of a radicalized American who exported jihad. Boyd, 39, is scheduled to appear Thursday in federal court with his two sons and four other young men he is said to have instructed in militant techniques.

A federal grand jury in Raleigh accuses him of conspiring to support terrorists and kill people overseas, as well as making false statements to customs and FBI agents about his recent Mideast trips, where prosecutors say he introduced young followers to jihad.

Boyd is the third U.S. citizen indicted recently on charges surrounding radicalism and overseas targets. A Minnesota man pleaded guilty Tuesday to supporting terrorists in connection with a trip to Somalia to fight alongside militants. Last week, officials unveiled a guilty plea by a Long Island native who trained in Pakistan before connecting with al Qaeda operatives seeking to bomb European rail systems.

Officials spoke carefully about the unfolding investigation in North Carolina, partly because at least one man who left for Pakistan this year remains at large.

"This case underscores the potential threat that U.S. citizens with foreign fighter experience pose upon returning to the United States, specifically in terms of inciting other U.S.-based individuals to follow their example," said David Kris, assistant attorney general for national security.

"They return from conflict zones with combat experience, a network of contacts overseas and strong credibility with ... recruits seeking an authority figure."

In the 1980s, Boyd converted to Islam after being inspired by his stepfather, William Saddler, a Washington area lawyer and devout Muslim. Boyd journeyed after high school to Pakistan and Afghanistan to join resistance fighters battling the Soviet Union.

In 1991, he and his brother were arrested in Pakistan, where Boyd spent months fighting a criminal fraud case. He was convicted by an Islamic court of bank robbery and sentenced to lose his right hand and his left foot, until an appeals panel tossed out the verdict. Boyd and his wife, Sabrina, his high school sweetheart, returned to the United States, where they made a home for their three boys in North Carolina.

Eventually, Boyd devoted himself to instructing young men that "violent jihad was a personal obligation on the part of every good Muslim," according to court papers filed in the U.S. criminal case.

Sabrina Boyd issued a statement Tuesday describing hers as an "ordinary family" and asking that people not rush to judgment. "We are decent people," she said.

The arrests of Daniel Boyd, his sons Zakariya and Dylan, and four others stunned neighbors in Willow Spring, a southern suburb of Raleigh. The family lived in a home valued at $171,000, supported by a construction business that Boyd established, according to state records.

"They were just normal American kids and a normal American father," said Charles Casale, 46, a neighbor who for years has shared fishing and gardening tips with the Boyds.

Daniel Boyd, who had a "Support Our Troops" bumper sticker on his pickup, occasionally attended prayer services at Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman, a Sunni mosque in Durham. But he broke with the mosque over his strict interpretation of Islamic law and practices.

Zuhair Osman, 23, a member of the mosque's board, said Boyd had dealt with the FBI for five years, discussing his 1980s activities but saying he wasn't interested in politics.

The FBI "did come to him with pictures of terrorists killed in Afghanistan, and he did recognize some of them. They had worked together and established relationships," Osman said.

"He was very aware that he was being watched (by the FBI) in everything he did. ... He was never afraid."

Anarchists respond in Greece to fascist policies against Pakistani, Afghan and Somali refugees

Since Friday 24/07/09 a series of blockades of boats transferring immigrants to detention camps in the Greek province of Macedonia have erupted in battles between antiracist protesters and the police.

On Friday 24/07 at midnight protesters cancelled the transfer of 60 so-called illegal immigrants on the boat Theofilos from the port of Mytilini, Lesbos Island, to the mainland city of Kavala. The protesters occupied the main entrance of the ferry boat refusing to allow the police to load the arrested immigrants of Pakistani Afghan and Somalian descent. An unverified number of detained immigrants at the Panagi camp of Lesbos have started a hunger strike against the transfers, demanding their immediate release.

On Sunday 26/07 protesters of PAME, the umbrella union controlled by the Communist Party (KKE), and of the Chios Immigrant Solidarity Committee clashed with the police and fascist civilian auxiliaries at the port of Chios Island when they tried to blockade the entry of two busloads of detained immigrants on the aforementioned boat bound for Thessaloniki. After the police beat the protesters back with use of brutal force, a member of the KKE partaking in the blockade fell into to sea between the pier and the ferry, disallowing the departure of the boat for another hour. The involvement of the KKE in the protests marks an interesting if controversial shift in its long-standing policy of verbalism and practical apathy to the plight of immigrant workers.

During the clashes many protesters were injured, while according to the Solidarity Committee, the criminal and dehumanising attitude of the Chios authorities towards immigrants reached its apex in the separation of a 15 year old boy from Somalia from his mother who remains detained in the island. The detained immigrants were transferred to the mainland chained and locked in the boat´s basement inside the buses, thus directly endangering their lives.

The authorities claim the reason for the transfers is the overpopulation of the islands´ camps. In Chios, the Mersinidi camp has a capacity of 120 while detaining 220, whereas the Panagi camp in Lesbos has a capacity of 250 persons while detaining 400. Protesters however argue that the transfers are a first step of "pushing" immigrants illegally though the minefields of Evros River towards Turkey. Claiming that the camps are dehumanising and that the transfers comprise punishing measures for people who have never been convicted for anything other than not having papers, the protesters demand that the detainees are held in hotels, after releasing all underage individuals.

In the diffuse-guerrilla front, a bomb device targeting the Chilean Consulate was dismantled last week by the police, while Tuesday night saw within 30 minutes a barrage of low intensity attacks on State targets, with some 7 local offices of anti-immigration parliamentary parties (New Democracy, PASOK, and LAOS) bombed with gas-canister devices across Athens.

Responsibility for the attacks has been claimed by the Shining Paths of Solidarity in response to the "nazification" of the State and nazi-police collaboration. The offices of a LAOS MP were also attacked, causing no human injuries.

Characteristic of the new blind fascism of the Greek state is the unprecedented act of censorship exercised against a short animated film by the well known leftist director Costa-Gavras, who is a nail in the eye of the Greek PM for having filmed "Z", the story of the assassination of left-wing MP Grigoris Lambrakis by parastate thugs under orders of the PM´s uncle in the mid 1960s.

Gavras´ animation commissioned by the Ministry of Culture was meant to play at the new Acropolis museum, until the Ministry obliged to curtail scenes portraying Greek Orthodox priests vandalising the Parthenon after orders by the Church. Costa-Gavras has condemned the act as a return to the darkest days of the country. The Greek Orthodox Church remains the largest land-owner in the country and an integral part of the State mechanism, waging considerable control in many policies, particularly relating to education.

End Iraqi Violence at Ashraf

By Hon. David Kilgour,

Demonstration at Embassy of the United States - MacKenzie Ave. - Ottawa - 29 July 2009

Yesterday, in a Washington Post article datelined Baghdad, correspondent Ernesto Londoño wrote in part:

" Iraqi police officers and soldiers on Tuesday raided a camp near Baghdad that is home to an Iranian opposition group ..."

"Officers used batons, hoses, pepper spray and sound grenades during the raid at Camp Ashraf, home to the Mujahadeen-e-Khalq (MEK/PMOI). The United States had protected the camp until about three months ago, and the raid came a day after the Iraqi government announced it would assume complete responsibility of the camp and vowed to 'protect the people inside the base'."

"The raid appears to have caught U.S. officials off guard, and it marks one of the boldest moves by the Iraqi government since U.S. forces nominally withdrew from the country's cities late last month. The crackdown coincided with a surprise visit to Iraq by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates."

"The opposition group members have provided U.S. intelligence officials with information about Iran's nuclear ambitions. U.S. officials have urged the Iraqi government to treat the group's members humanely -- and the U.S. pressure on the Iraqi government is widely believed to have prevented it from taking aggressive steps to expel the residents, as Iran has long urged it to do."

( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/28/AR2009072801246.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR)

Humanitarian Catastrophe in Making

What happened yesterday to unarmed women and men at Ashraf can best be understood by watching videos available on Youtube. These include:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1bKngVzLO8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvEqVoW7rNA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4fQ9-Wl0uw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1bKngVzLO8

Worst Fears Realized

Those of us gathered here today worry that our worst fears about a humanitarian catastrophe are now being realized for the refugees at Ashraf, including the 50-60 who are reported to be Canadian citizens. What happened yesterday is by far the most brutal in a series of hostile initiatives taken in recent months by the Iraqi government, including:

Stationing Iraqi soldiers at three entrances of the camp which in effect isolated the refugees, many of whom are women.

Banning journalists, lawyers, parliamentarians and human rights organizations from entering the camp.

Iraqi soldiers assaulting and threatening to extradite camp residents to Iran.

While Iraq's former National Security Advisor al-Rubaie denied mistreatment of Ashraf residents, Reuters news agency reports at the time quoted an official of the Iraqi interior ministry saying, "Iraqi troops beat residents before U.S. forces helping guard the camp stepped in´´. Where on earth were the American soldiers yesterday? The latest reported toll of the victims from yesterday I have are seven persons dead, 400 injured, 13 in serious condition and two in comas, 50 taken prisoner. Ashraf resembles the streets of Tehran.

MEK/PMOI De-listed in Europe

Mr. Al-Rubaie and some others continue to refer to the MEK/PMOI as a terrorist organization. In contrast, in December 2008, the Court of First Instance of the European Community ordered the EU Council of Ministers to delist the opposition movement as a terrorist group. The 27 member countries of the EU complied in January this year.

On November 30, 2007, a specialized branch of the High Court in the United Kingdom, the Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission (POAC), annulled the British government's decision to proscribe the MEK/PMOI. The POAC scrutinized much evidence, including classified evidence submitted by the British government. After months of investigation, it ruled that proscription of it was not only "unlawful" but "perverse." The government was not even allowed leave to appeal by the English Court of Appeal; as a result, the MEK/PMOI was officially taken off the UK terrorist organizations list in June 2008.

Ashraf Residents

After a 16-month review and the screening of every resident of Ashraf after 2003, the US government announced that no Ashraf resident had any links to terrorism. In addition, while Human Rights Watch (HRW) has made allegations about activities in Ashraf, then Colonel (now Brig. Gen.) David Phillips, the commander of the 89th Military Police Brigade of the US Army responsible for the security of Camp Ashraf in 2004, responded to the executive director of HRW in a May 2005 letter. In it, Phillips wrote:

"... I directed my subordinate units to investigate each allegation. ... At no time over the 12 month period did we ever discover any credible evidence supporting the allegations raised in your recent report... To my knowledge, as the senior officer responsible for safeguarding and securing Camp Ashraf throughout 2004, there was never a single substantiated incident as outlined in your report."

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the coalition which includes the MEK/PMOI, some of whose members are taking refuge in Ashraf, has reiterated its respect for the independence of the Iraqi government and has extended its full cooperation to it. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi on behalf of the NCRI has offered to return the residents of Ashraf to Iran, provided the UN Security Council and the Iranian and American governments guarantee their safety.

Many of the Iraqi people, religious figures, politicians, intellectuals, and responsible persons across the world, from Palestine to Egypt, and from Jordan and Europe to the U.S., Canada and Australia, stand in solidarity with the residents of Ashraf. Responsible Iraqi leaders have repeated that anyone who seeks the expulsion of the PMOI from Iraq does not represent the interests of Iraqis.

Fourth Geneva Convention

The isolation of Camp Ashraf and Iraqi government actions yesterday seriously compromise the al-Malaki government's commitment to the Fourth Geneva Convention, which obligates it to protect all Ashraf residents. In fact, the ongoing campaign by elements in it are in support of and following the Iranian regime, which has made no effort at hiding its intention to wipe out Camp Ashraf and its residents.

The international community must heed the warning of many of Camp Ashraf supporters about the grave risks to Ashraf residents following the transfer of protection from the US forces to the Iraqi government. Failure to respond to the attack on Camp Ashraf will only embolden the dictators of Tehran, who have demonstrated time and again their willingness to impose ruthless oppression, including murder, on democratic dissidents.

We appeal to both the Obama administration and the Harper government to follow the lead of the EU countries and de-list the MEK/PMOI as a terrorist group now. In addition, immediate efforts must be taken to end the siege of Camp Ashraf and restore the situation there to the pre-January 2009 status, when the Ashraf residents were under U.S. military protection. The US-led multinational force promised to protect Ashraf residents when they disarmed in 2003. Who will be responsible for 3500 lives now?

Legal Responsibility of Iraqi Government

In closing, I'll mention some conclusions of a legal opinion provided by a senior practioner in Europe, which relate to possible liabilty of the Iraqi government following yesterday should it complete the forceful relocation of Ashraf residents:

1- "Iraqi officials ordering or taking part in the forcible transfer (of Ashraf residents) may incur international criminal responsibility for crimes against humanity."

2- "...the planned forcible transfer raises particular concerns in relation to the following principles and standards applicable to the residents of Ashraf:

the obligation that they must be treated in all circumstances humanely;

the prohibition on violence to life and person;and

the prohibition on cruel treatment, torture, and outrages upon personal dignity, including humiliating and degrading treatment."

3- "By forcibly displacing the residents of Ashraf, Iraq might be in breach of its obligations under one or more of the following rights guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights:

the right to life, should lethal force be used in breach of Article 6;

freedom from torture, or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (article 7);

the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose one's residence (article 12);and

the right of aliens lawfully in the territory to be expelled only in pursuance of a decision reached in accordance with the law (article13)."

4- "In addition, it is also likely that the forced eviction of the residents of Ashraf would breach their right to an adequate standard of living, and in particular their right to housing (article 11). In its general comments on this right, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has observed that 'all persons should possess a degree of security which guarantees legal protection against forced evictions, harassment and other threats' and that 'forced evictions are prima facie incompatible with the requirements of the Covenant'.

5-Any forced eviction of the refugees in Camp Ashraf would also appear to violate article 7 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court, which defines 'crime against humanity' to include a "systematic attack directed against any civilian population", including a "forcible transfer of population". Iraq has not yet acceded to the Statute, but Iraqi officials can incur criminal responsibility under customary international law for crimes against committed within Iraq.

Canada was a major advocate of the Responsibility to Protect concept accepted at the World Summit of 2005. All states are now expected to use peaceful means to help protect 'populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity'. Any forceful removal of the residents of Ashraf to some other location in Iraq would certainly appear to be a crime against humanity, which the international community as a whole must strongly oppose.

Thank you.

Kilgour is a member of the International Committee of Jurists in Defence of Ashraf.

Municipal workers strike across South Africa

Over 150,000 municipal workers in South Africa have gone on strike in a dispute over paltry pay offers in the face of massive inflation, while in the same time xenophobic attacks on migrant workers and immigrants from African states like Somalia have again risen.

There is no limit to what a person can do or how far one can go to help - if one doesn't mind who gets the credit !

ECOTERRA Intl. maintains a register for persons missing or abducted in the Somali seas (Foreign seafarers as well as Somalis). Inquiries by family member can be sent by e-mail to office[at]ecoterra-international.org

For families of presently captive seafarers - in order to advise and console their worries - ECOTERRA Intl. can establish contacts with professional seafarers, who had been abducted in Somalia, and their wives as well as of a Captain of a sea-jacked and released ship, who agreed to be addressed "with questions, and we will answer truthfully".

ECOTERRA - ALERTS and pending issues:

PIRATE ATTACK GULF OF ADEN: Advice on Who to Contact and What to Do http://www.noonsite.com/Members/sue/R2008-09-08-2

NATURAL RESOURCES & ARMED FISH POACHERS: Foreign navies entering the 200nm EEZ of Somalia and foreign helicopters and troops must respect the fact that especially all wildlife is protected by Somali national as well as by international laws and that the protection of the marine resources of Somalia from illegally fishing foreign vessels should be an integral part of the anti-piracy operations. Likewise the navies must adhere to international standards and not pollute the coastal waters with oil, ballast water or waste from their own ships but help Somalia to fight against any dumping of any waste (incl. diluted, toxic or nuclear waste). So far and though the AU as well as the UN has called since long on other nations to respect the 200 nm EEZ, only now the two countries (Spain and France) to which the most notorious vessels and fleets are linked have come up with a declaration that they will respect the 200 nm EEZ of Somalia but so far not any of the navies operating in the area pledged to stand against illegal fishing. So far not a single illegal fishing vessel has been detained by the naval forces, though they had been even informed about several actual cases, where an intervention would have been possible. Illegally operating Tuna fishing vessels (many from South Korea, some from Greece and China) carry now armed personnel and force their way into the Somali fishing grounds - uncontrolled or even protected by the naval forces mandated to guard the Somali waters against any criminal activity, which included arms carried by foreign fishing vessels in Somali waters.

LLWs / NLWs: According to recently leaked information the anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden are also used as a cover-up for the live testing of recently developed arsenals of so called non-lethal as well as sub-lethal weapons systems. (Pls request details) Neither the Navies nor the UN has come up with any code of conduct in this respect, while the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program (JNLWP) is sponsoring several service-led acquisition programs, including the VLAD, Joint Integration Program, and Improved Flash Bang Grenade. Alredy in use in Somalia are so called Non-lethal optical distractors, which are visible laser devices that have reversible optical effects. These types of non-blinding laser devices use highly directional optical energy. Somalia is also a testing ground for the further developments of the Active Denial System (ADS) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD). If new developments using millimeter wave sources that will help minimize the size, weight, and system cost of an effective Active Denial System which provides "ADS-ACTD-like" repel effects, are used has not yet been revealed. Obviously not only the US is developing and using these kind of weapons as the case of MV MARATHON showed, where a Spanish naval vessel was using optical lasers - the stand-off was then broken by the killing of one of the hostage seafarers. Local observers also claim that HEMI devices, producing Human Electro-Muscular Incapacitation (HEMI) Bioeffects, have been used in the Gulf of Aden against Somalis. Exposure to HEMI devices, which can be understood as a stun-gun shot at an individual over a larger distance, causes muscle contractions that temporarily disable an individual. Research efforts are underway to develop a longer-duration of this effect than is currently available. The live tests are apparently done without that science understands yet the effects of HEMI electrical waveforms on a human body.

ECOTERRA Intl., whose work does focus on nature- and human-rights-protection and - as the last international environmental organization still working in Somalia - had alerted ship-owners since 1992, many of whom were fishing illegally in the 200 nm Exclusive Economic Zone, to stay away from Somali waters. The non-governmental organization had requested the international community many times for help to protect the coastal waters of the war-torn state, but now lawlessness has seriously increased and gone out of hand.

ECOTERRA members with marine and maritime expertise, joined by it's ECOP-marine group, are closely and continuously monitoring and advising on the Somali situation. (for previous information concerning the topics please google keywords ECOTERRA (and) SOMALIA)

The network of the SEAFARERS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME helped significantly in most sea-jack cases. ECOTERRA Intl. is working in Somalia since 1986 on human-rights and nature protection, while ECOP-marine concentrates on illegal fishing and the protection of the marine ecosystems. Your support counts too.

Please consider to contribute to the work of SAP, ECOP-marine and ECOTERRA Intl. Please donate to the defence fund.

Contact us for details concerning project-sponsorship or donations via e-mail: ecotrust[at]ecoterra.net

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