Home Blog Page 931

Somaliland FM requests U.S. to extradite alleged War Criminal

0

ADDIS ABABA (Somalilandpress) — Somaliland Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Abdullahi Duale is believed to have asked U.S. officials for the extradition of the former Somali Prime Minister, Gen. Mohammed Ali Samantar on charges of war crimes in Somaliland in the 80s and early 90s.

In a meeting in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, Mr Duale is believed to have asked Mr. Karl E. Wycoff, Deputy Assistant Secretary (Acting), to extradite the former Somali official to Somaliland to face justice.

Ali Samatar served as Defense Minister from 1980 to 1986, and as Prime Minister from 1987 to 1990, when the military regime collapsed.

In 1980s, Somalia’s military junta led by Mohammed Siad Bare and Gen. Mohammed Ali Samatar hired Rhodesian mercenaries to bombard Somaliland’s three major towns – Hargeisa, Burao and Berbera, an estimated 50, 000 were killed and more than 800, 000 people were forced to leave their homes. Many of these refugees fled to neighbouring Ethiopia.

Those who survived the bombings or the deliberate starvation were often rounded up, tied together using barbed wires and gunned down from a point-blank range. If that method was not cruel enough, they would often tie them together in barbed wires, bulldozed and were left to rot in the streets.
[ad#Google Adsense (300×250)]
Mohamed Ali Samatar who now lives in the Virginia area under the name of Samatar Ali is being sued in a civil court. However before the case can move to civil court the Supreme Court of the United States has to decide if a head of “sovereign“ can be sued.

Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA), whom the civil suit is filed under insist that Mr Samatar is no longer head of state and that immunity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act does not apply to him as an individual but only foreign states.

Mr. Samatar’s legal team insist he was not directly involved but army generals who served under him at the time have came out this week claimed he gave direct orders to target civilians in the north of the country.

A number of American leaders including senior Democratic Party United States Senator from Pennsylvania, Mr. Arlen Specter have supported the civil case against the former Somali leader.

The Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on the issue and could hand down a ruling in the early summer.

Somaliland delegation consisting of government and Parliamentary officials led by Mr Abdullahi Duale are due to arrive in Washington the coming days.

No one knows if the Americans will hand him over but it’s highly not possible.

In another development, Mr. Duale met with the Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Mr. Takeda Alemu, the two discussed ways to strengthen ties in the fields of economy, security and longstanding bilateral relations.

They have also discussed about rehabilitating the roads connecting the border town of Wajale to the port of Berbera and how the two states could work together in a true partnership.

Mr. Duale also met with the new Ethiopian Ambassador to India and the two discussed how Ethiopia could assist Somaliland to develop ties with India. India considers Ethiopia one of it’s most important partners in Africa and in recent years number of scholarships India offers to Ethiopia has more than doubled.

Please Vote:

Should the Americans extradite Ali Samatar?

Somalilandpress, 7 March 2010

Somaliland draws Chinese investors

0

HARGEISA (Somalilandpress) — A 14-member delegation from the People’s Republic of China are on official visit to the Republic of Somaliland to study the economic and investment climate in the country.

The delegation which consists of some of China’s leading investors, government officials and members of China’s leading media-houses arrived in the capital Hargeisa on Friday afternoon. They were received at the airport by Ali Mohamed ‘Waran Adde’, Somaliland Aviation minister and Hussein Mohamud , the Mayor of Hargeisa.

Mr. Qi told local press that they were delighted with their trip to Somaliland and expressed their desire to invest in number of places in the country. They praised the people of Somaliland for their warm hospitality and for their achievements without international help.
[ad#Google Adsense (336×280)]
Mr. Mohamed said a Chinese firm awarded to renovate and expand Egal International airport to international standards is due to arrive soon along with their equipment and staff.

The delegation are expected to remain in the country for the next few days, while some will assist the investment capacity of the country, others are also here for fact-finding mission.

The Chinese delegation was accompanied by Ahmed Hassan Egal, Somaliland Special Representative to China, who also thanked the Somaliland authority for their warm welcome.

The Mayor of Hargeisa, Mr. Ji’ir, also said that the Chinese were keen to invest in the country and that Chinese-Somaliland relationship were strong.

They also said China will assist Somaliland in the education sector and a Somaliland delegation from the ministry of education is expected to travel to Beijing.

This is the largest delegation from China to visit Somaliland since declaring the restoration of it’s sovereignty in 1991 after a military campaign against Somalia’s dictator, Maj. Mohamed Siad Bare.

On Saturday, the Chinese business and press delegation were received by the President of Somaliland, Mr. Dahir Rayale at the presidential Palace. The president warmly welcomed the Chinese investors and promised them Somaliland’s commitment to work with them in area of common interest including investing in coal mining in the Sahil region as well as developing a free zone facility at the port of Berbera.

The president added that Somaliland was a virgin country with known resources and is the ideal place for investment.

Mr. Ji Shiaw Shie said they were pleased with Somaliland’s achievements without recognition and promised to showcase Somaliland’s investment opportunities to Chinese private firms.

Somaliland is the 7th African nation the delegation has visited in less than a month.

Even though Somaliland functions like any state, it is not recognized by any international body.

Trade between Africa and China is worth more than $100-billion and this figure is expected to grow in the next years with more Chinese investing in Africa.

The Chinese are known for their deals that include commitments to build infrastructure, like roads and railways without interfering with local politics and issues and Africa favours this over the Western policies. The Chinese due to arrive is also expected to rehabilitate some of Hargeisa’s most neglected roads and other infrastructure.


Also see:

1: SOMALILAND: Hargeisa Airport launches upgrade as Aviation Minister returns from China

2: Somaliland’s Civil Aviation Minister, Mr. Ali Mohamed (Waran Ade’) signed a contract with a Chinese firm

Somalilandpress, 6 March 2010

Foreign Minister trip to pave way for Somaliland visit to Washington

0

ADDIS ABABA (Somalilandpress) — Somaliland Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Abdullahi Duale has visited the Ethiopian capital on Wednesday to meet with U.S. officials to prepare for high-level Somaliland delegation visit to Washington, Somaliland’s official news agency reported on Friday.

Duale’s visit will pave the way for an official visit to the country by high level of Somaliland delegation after receiving an invitation from the Obama administration.

Mr. Duale met with Mr. Karl E. Wycoff, Deputy Assistant Secretary (Acting), Bureau of African Affairs, Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Ambassador John Yates, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Ethiopia and Kirk McBride, Political/Economic Counselor at the US embassy in Ethiopia.
[ad#Google Adsense (200×200)]
During the hour-long meeting at the Sheraton Hotel, Mr. Duale briefed the U.S. officials on the current situation, U.S.-Somaliland relations, security in the region and urged the U.S. to give Somaliland assistance in democracy, development and to strengthen the relationship between the two states.

Mr. Wycoff said he was very pleased with the progress Somaliland has made over the years in democracy, stability and development. He praised the leadership, citizens and the government for their achievements and made it clear that the US-Somaliland relationship will strengthen and is one based on mutual interest. He added that the upcoming visit to Washington will be fruitful and beneficial for both nations.

No official date has yet been set for the visit but it is expected the delegation will leave Hargeisa for Washington in the coming days.

Mr. Duale was accompanied by Ayanle Salad Deria, Somaliland Deputy Ambassador to Ethiopia.

After being a British protectorate since 1884, Somaliland became an independent country on June 26, 1960, five days later, it unified with the South and the two became known as the Republic of Somalia. However that union failed and after a bloody-war, Somaliland declared independence from the rest of the failed state in 1991.

No country has since recognised even though it enjoys diplomatic ties with a number of countries including Western and African nations.

Somalilandpress, 6 March 2010

Somali Troops To Engage Islamists

0

MOGADISHU (Somalilandpress)- According to senior officials in the weak
Somali government, the government troops backed by the African union
peacekeepers will soon embark on operations meant to recapture the
country that mostly come under the hard-line Islamists’ harsh law
administrations.

Troops on trucks, tankers and loaded ammunitions are being discharged
into the frontlines, as the AMISOM troops designed a chart of their
possible bases in Mogadishu, those under the Islamists at the moment,
a senior Somali government military official told Somalilandpress on
condition of anonymity.

Despite, the prime objective for the onslaught is Mogadishu but the
next head on offensive marked-areas are Jubba, Gedo, Bay, Bakool and
Shabelle regions.

“Our plans are progressing well and we have now formed a special
committee that is looking into how best we can regain control of these
areas some of which have been out of our hands for a long time now,”
the official says.

Mogadishu resident have recently been desperate to the government’s
much repeated offensive promises, as the insurgents pop in the pockets
controlled by the government in Mogadishu with attacks.

[ad#Google Adsense (336×280)]

Sources say most of the government troops are on standby and trained
in neighboring countries, in the face of their discipline, the
military officials vowed harsh punishment on soldiers caught of
robbing civilians in the areas that government may recapture from the
politically fractured Islamists. The troops mostly receive accusations
from residents over robbery and rape, a different way from the
Islamists who are accused by residents of beheading, flogging,
executions and out of courts’ sentences along with enforced support.

Military officials escorted by the army are looingk into how best the
rebels can be torn apart, and to recapture most of the population
centres and disrupt the militants’ arms’ supply line.

The UN Security Council has imposed sanctions on Eritrea, accusing the
country of backing Islamist insurgents in Somalia.

The resolution places an arms embargo on Eritrea, and also imposes
travel bans and asset freezes on businesses and individuals.

Previous test offensives in Mogadishu by the government have ended
with vain, which critics argued allowed militants to re-arm, and
analysts warn that Somali government could be overthrown.

The African Union presented a range of fresh incentives to the weak
Somali government in the recent Addis Ababa summi, including enhancing
intelligence sharing and military cooperation, but doubts are falling
into the leaders’ seriousness to restore peace.

The current government controls less 40% of the its predecessor
government led by ex-president colonel Abdullahi Yusuf.

Islamist militants plague vast swathes of southern Somalia, where they
stage their harsh Sharia interpretation on the moderate Sufi Somalis.

By: Abdinasir Mohamed
Email: abdinasir4@gmail.com
Mogadishu-Somalia

Horn of Africa: Unprecedented Enthronement of Issa’s Tribal Chief – updated

0

Issa is one of the major tribes in horn of Africa and live in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somaliland. The Issa’s geographical homeland starts from northwest of Ethiopia’s city of Dire Dawa, Djibouti and to historic northern Somaliland city of Zeila at Salal Region. Issa crown their young tribal chief in Zeila City as part of ritual trip that started from Dire Dawa to Zeila, which covers the entire land of Issa tribe. This trip took about seven months and covered more than 200 kilometers.

The 19 year old chief tribe of Issa inherited more than 500 years old culture and bylaws of Issa tribe from his forefathers. The chief tribe of Issa Mustapha Mohamed Ibrahim born 1995 at the year that his successor passed away. This handsome and tall young chief was brought up under watchful of Issa’s elderly in Dire Dawa City of Ethiopia. The chief has special qualities like patience, tolerance, and peace. Ugaas Ibrahim is very quite and dependable man. He is God-fearing man who practices his religion regularly and a conservative.

It was amazing to witness the young chief following 500 years old tradition of his forefathers, after he drunk the milk of goat and cow that belong to a family who provided similar milk to every elected chief tribe of Issa in last five centuries.

The customs of Issa tribe is one of the oldest in the horn of Africa, and the chief is the most powerful man in the tribe and organizes social life of the community, and ensures unity. The chief is the main contact and symbol of Issa, and other neighboring tribes communicate to him directly in case of problem solving or cooperation. The history writes that former Issa tribal chiefs mediated other tribes of the region in civil wars.

The chief tribe is devoted to serve the community and possess experience and skills in problem-solving because he is the brain behind Issa tribe. The chief has consultants who are strong between the communities, and are widely respected.

The new tribal chief of Issa tribe comes after gap of about 14 years between the new chief and his late descendant who received the crown on 1935. The Issa tribe disclosed the identity of the new chief on last year’s 14th Ramadan.

[ad#Google Adsense (300×250)]

High-ranking officials from Somaliland, Ethiopia and Djibouti were present at the ceremony at Zeila City of Somaliland, including Premier of Djibouti and Ministers from Somaliland and Ethiopia. This illustrates the traditional link between the people of the three countries, who share culture, language and religion despite their love to peace and stability at time that region is passing through security instability particularly the vicious Somalia.

The government of Somaliland organized the ceremony in Zeila and cabinet members received the new chief to the city.

President of Djibouti Ismail Omer Gaileh is from Issa tribe, and welcomed the new chief to Djibouti – the modern homeland of Issa tribesmen. Issa share Djibouti with Afar and other Somali tribes. Reliable sources ensured that chief is much powerful than Gaileh when it comes to Issa’s affairs.

[stream provider=youtube flv=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DRGCBF9VcJ5w img=x:/img.youtube.com/vi/RGCBF9VcJ5w/0.jpg embed=false share=true width=400 height=253 dock=true controlbar=over bandwidth=high autostart=false /]

[stream provider=youtube flv=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D8WmAawcd5Sw img=x:/img.youtube.com/vi/8WmAawcd5Sw/0.jpg embed=false share=true width=400 height=253 dock=true controlbar=over bandwidth=high autostart=false /]

By: Abdulaziz Al-Mutiari

Email: az.almutairi@yahoo.com

Floods displace thousands in Somaliland-Ethiopia border area

0

HARGEISA, (IRIN) — Around 1,000 families have been displaced by flooding after heavy rains in an area straddling the border between Ethiopia and the self-declared independent republic of Somaliland, according to officials.

“The floods occurred in the last 24 hours. About 1,000 families were displaced, and they are with their relatives in other parts of Allaybaday and Tog-wajale districts in Gabiley region,” regional governor Said Mohamed Ahmed Aw Abdi, known as Habib, told IRIN on 3 March.

Habib said three people died in the floods which also destroyed dams used for water storage by farmers and agro-pastoralists. Hundreds of buildings in the border area, including private homes and government buildings such as customs and immigration offices have been evacuated, according to one official in the area.
[ad#Google Adsense (200×200)]
“My house was about several hundred metres away from the seasonal river of Tog-Wajale, but the water reached us yesterday evening,” Wajake resident Said Abdifatah Mohamed Hassan, told IRIN by phone.

“I evacuated my three children and their mother to a relative’s family far away. While I locked the house and left, everything in the house was lost in the flood, but by Allah’s mercy we are saved,” he added.

Source: IRIN, 4 March 2010

"Former Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Ali Samatar Gave Orders" says former head of Somali National Army General Mohamed Nuur Galaal.

0

Somalia (Somalilandpress) Former Major General Mohamed Nuur Galaal who was one of the top commanders in the Somali National Army during the Mohamed Siyad Barre regime told the press today that Former Prime Minister Mohamed Ali Samatar gave the orders to target civilians in Northern Somali and therefore he should be held accountable for his actions.

Major General Galaal informed the press that what Mohamed Ali Samatar is being accused in the Supreme Court of United States is not a false allegation but rather a fact. General Galaal told the press that he was present when Mohamed Ali Samantar told the heads of the arm forces to target civilians in Northern Somali during the civil war of the 80s.

[ad#Google Adsense (336×280)]

Major General Galaal said “it was un-Islamic and inhumane to bomb civilians in the city of Hargeisa” and that it was an operation that Mr. Samatar played a major role.

Mohamed Ali Samatar or as he is currently known as Samatar Ali is now living in Virginia area where he is being sued in civil court. However before the case can move to civil court the Supreme Court of the United States has to decide if a head of “sovereign “can be sued. However the question that needs to be answer is if the sovereign immunity would apply to Mr. Mohamed Ali Samantar.

SomalilandPress

Arab League condemns Israel over Somaliland recognition

0

CAIRO (Somalilandpress) — Arab foreign ministers meeting in the Egyptian capital on Wednesday for their 133rd session have called for diplomatic action against Israel’s measures that posed a threat to the region and the peace efforts, as their adopted a draft agenda for the upcoming Arab summit.

The Arab officials condemned Israel’s inclusion of the Al-Ibrahimi and Bilal Bin Rabah mosques into its list of historic sites, called on the UNESCO, Organisation of The Islamic Conference (OIC) and the international community to take action against the Israeli move.

The Arab leaders have also expressed concern about recent reports suggesting that Israel might recognize the Republic of Somaliland. The Arab Councils said they support unified Somalia just like all Arab League members and will not tolerate foreign interference in an Arab League member nation.
[ad#Google Adsense (336×280)]
The Council emphasized that they only recognize one Somalia led by Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and have strongly warned Israel not to recognize Somaliland.

Somali Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Abdurrahman Abdushakour who was present at the meetings thanked the Arab members in particular Egypt for it’s support in the reconciliation process.

The Somali minister has called for Israel to end the malpractices against the Palestinian people and to lift the embargo they imposed on the Gaza strip immediately.

Not long ago, Israel expressed interest in the region and may develop bilateral ties with Somaliland to access the red sea and Gulf of Aden, however Egypt is concern about the break-up off Somalia, as it may need Somalia to fight a proxy war with Ethiopia over the Nile river basin.

Since 1959, Egypt and Sudan have claimed supremacy over the Nile despite been downstream nations and now it’s concern about it’s national water resource and thinks Ethiopia could poses a great threat and for that they need greater Somalia.

About three months ago, the Egyptian Ambassador to Somalia, Mr Saed Mohammed Mursi made a visit to Hargeisa and told local media his government does not recognize Somaliland. This has angered many locals who accused of him off trying to bribe the people of Somaliland with small $80, 000 worth of aid.

“Egypt is a friend of the Somali people, it will never allow the disintegration and division of Somalia,” he said.

The Arab foreign Ministers have also appointed Syria to “manage” any disputes within the Arab States for the interest of the “whole Arab home”. They have also supported Syria’s just rights in reclaiming the whole of the Golan Heights to the June 4, 1967 line.

Regarding Darfur, the Councils thanked the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani for his conciliation efforts and for setting up a USD 1 billion fund for development in Darfur. According to a number of analyst Egypt is very concern about the break-up of Sudan as it may loose rights to the Nile. Egypt is also trying to convince the South Sudan to remain part of Khartoum in order to maintain the 1959 Nile Waters Treaty between Egypt and Sudan.

Finally the Council formed a legal committee to document Israeli acts of destabilization and Judaization of the holy city of Jerusalem.

In a related development, a Somaliland official speaking on condition of anonymity told Somalilandpress that Somaliland intellectuals and  leaders in Canada will be holding a closed-door discussion with Israeli and Canadian officials on Saturday 6th of March in a disclosed location. The historical meeting is designed to pave the way for a diplomatic strategy and a political platform to put in motion the historic move to recognise the Republic of Somaliland after almost 20 years of international isolation.

The Israelis will include officials from the government, business community, youth and other fields.

Somaliland has no diplomatic ties with Israel but lately there has been a huge interest between the two nations. If Israel recognises Somaliland, it could pave the way for international recogniton in particular among the Western nations whom Israel has close ties with.

Somalilandpress,4th March 2010

Finnish citizen running for president in Somaliland

0

HELSINKI (Somalilandpress) — Construction engineer Faisal Ali Farah, a naturalised Finnish citizen living in Espoo, is running for the office of President of Somaliland in elections scheduled for the coming autumn.
Somaliland, which declared itself independent from the rest of Somalia in 1991, has taken gradual steps toward democracy. A referendum on a constitution was held in 2001, the first local elections were held in 2002, and a multiparty democracy was adopted in 2003, at which time the first presidential elections were held.

Officially, the President of Somaliland has a five-year term of office, but the term of the first holder of the office has been extended three times because of problems involving voter registration, suspicions of corruption on the election commission, and civil unrest.
[ad#Google Adsense (200×90)]
Somali-born Faisal Ali Farah says that if he is elected, he would invite Somalis living abroad to Somaliland for consultation. Faisal has studied political science at the University of Helsinki, and he identifies politically with the Social Democrats, while characterising himself as a technocrat.

Faisal has travelled around Europe and the United States to meet other expatriate Somalis. They are not entitled to vote in the elections of their home country unless they go there to register, but they have considerable influence on their compatriots.
They also help finance election campaigns.
Faisal hopes to form a broad-based government mainly comprising technocrats. Of the 18 portfolios in the government, he wants to give five to women, and is proposing a 20 per cent quota for women at various levels of administration. He also wants to amend parts of the constitution involving the rights of women and minorities.
He also calls for better water systems, and wants to encourage the planting of trees on a food-for-pay basis.

Faisal Ali Farah was also a candidate in the 2003 elections, under the name Faisal Ali Warabe.
Although it declared itself independent 19 years ago, Somaliland has not yet been officially recognised by the international community.

Source: Helsingin Sanomat, 4th March 2010

Somalia War Moves to the Airwaves

0

MOGADISHU, 3 March 2010 (Somalilandpress) – Last year Somalia’s Radio Warsan was a pro-government station that vilified al-Qaida-linked insurgents. Today it is in the hands of the rebels as they battle the U.N.-backed government on the ground with guns and on the nation’s airwaves with pro-jihad messages.

As the propaganda war intensifies in the battered Horn of Africa nation, the government is using a newly modernized radio station to get its own message across to more Somalis, and the U.N. is financing a new radio station. When Somalis tune in to the government station in insurgent-controlled territory, they tend to do so in secret to avoid being punished by the al-Shabab rebels, who routinely execute suspected government collaborators.

Both the government and al-Shabab are tapping into a culture in which entire families across the sprawling, arid country huddle around radios for news and entertainment.

Radio Warsan’s director, Mohamed Moalin, says his station is open 15 hours per day and broadcasts Islamic lectures, Quran recitations and five news bulletins to convey one message: Islam is the solution.

The programs “are like the guns carried by our fighters,” Moalin said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from the southwestern Somali town of Baidoa.

“There is no neutrality in this world. We don’t believe in neutralism … Either you are with us, or against us,” said Moalin, who worked at another station before joining Radio Warsan.

Before the Islamists took over the station in November, they banned the airing of music or women’s voices. When the station ignored the orders, al-Shabab took over. Some of the station’s staff joined the militants while others fled.

Al-Shabab has taken most of southern Somalia and most of the capital. In the southern coastal town of Kismayo, al-Shabab runs a radio station called al-Andalus, the Arabic name given to lands that the Moors occupied in much of Spain for 700 years until the last of them were expelled in 1492. Mohamud Mohamed Qasim, an unemployed resident of Kismayo, is a fan.

“It teaches us our religion. Nothing is bigger than religion. I don’t give a hoot about anything else,” said Qasim. He added that he gets so stirred up by the station’s statements against neighboring Ethiopia, whose troops have fought al-Shabab, that he wants to fight Ethiopians.

Jennifer Cooke, Director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the propaganda tactics used by al-Shabab looks similar to those employed by al-Qaida and the Taliban.

“They are using the same mix of money, fear and protection blended with moral cause, which combined can be very powerful,” said Cooke. Money buys loyalty and helps the militants recruit young men, she said.

[ad#Google Adsense (336×280)]

Al-Shabab does not rely on radio alone. The Internet, a network of recruiters, and the promise of a regular income are part of its recruitment strategy, reaching out even to Somali communities in Minnesota and Sweden that have seen young men head to al-Shabab camps in Somalia.

Al-Shabab has shut down rival stations or banned people from listening to stations that depict them negatively or are deemed to be anti-Islamic. Last month, journalist Ali Yusuf Adan of Radio Somaliweyn was abducted by al-Shabab gunmen after he reported that militants had killed a man for being late to a prayer session.

In the city of Baidoa, al-Shabab recently closed the independent Juba Radio which had carried programming from the U.S. government’s Voice of America and the U.N.

For its part, the Somali government in October upgraded its Radio Mogadishu in the capital, changing antiquated equipment that had limited broadcast range. The station is now accessible worldwide via satellite or the Web.

Mohamed Guled Sheik, who lives in an area of the capital that’s controlled by al-Shabab, listens to Radio Mogadishu on headphones for safety reasons. He said he especially likes the news and a daily show that pokes fun at al-Shabab’s actions. Radio Mogadishu also broadcasts lectures by prominent Islamic scholars who praise modernism and dramas depicting radical Islamists as villains.

“I know I’m risking my life. But I need a different point of view,” said Sheik, a father of nine who runs an electronics shop at the city’s main Bakara Market. “Radio Mogadishu is not afraid of angering Islamists and exposing their mistakes. But all the other stations are.”

Joining the fray, the U.N. is providing $1.7 million for a new radio station — called Bar-kulan, which means “the meeting place” in Somali — which ran a test transmission on Monday, said David Smith, its director. Programs will include debates on Somali affairs, call-in shows hosted by an Islamic scholar, news, sports and music.

“It is an independent station. If there is a good news to report we will report it and if there is a bad news to report we will report it. Even if it is about al-Shabab or the government,” said Smith.

Information Minister Dahir Mohamud Gelle told AP he is confident the government can counter al-Shabab’s efforts.

“I have high hopes that eventually we will defeat the anti-government propaganda,” said Gelle. He said the government media strategy is based on “disseminating the truth and speaking to the conscience of those with twisted ideologies.”

Source: AP