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Killings of Jewels of Somali Nation

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Pretoria, 16 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) – Knowledge production in any country costs a helluva lot. It’s an admitted fact by all men of civilized nations. University of Pretoria held a graduation ceremony recently for masters’ students (LLM). While sitting in the graduation hall at the university of Pretoria, a vague sense befell me given the recent heartbreaking news which occurred in Shamow Hotel in Mogadishu, in a similar gathering where twenty four Doctors, teachers, members from the civil society, graduating students and university staff wrapped in happiness, passed in a suicide bombing.

At the end of the day the fundamental question regarding the bombing continues to haunt us all. Perhaps the issue can be reduced to a simpler explanation: “the angry youth failed by life” whereas the larger question that confronts us as thinking people is to find out where the evil originates?.

In that crowd at University of Pretoria I sensed that with information, the degree and depth of our responsibilities grows further and deeper. The suicide and murder of others points sharply to the divided politics of our time and the dejection that haunts our youth and future leadership. It is clear that what was to be a significant step into the future progress of a nation was twice the reversal of that progress. The bombing continued to hold us hostage to our ideals and our national identity; it confirmed the rooted divisions that convince the young that politics is a place to misplace your soul and not to help your country men.

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As I left the hall at the University of Pretoria I became convinced that the suicidal bombing in Shamow Hotel on the 3rd of Dec 09 was not a forlorn act of an unhappy man but an organizational outcome of the enemies of our common humanity be either you in Japan, Africa, Europe, or Brazil. The attack was against our common humanity, civilasation and nothing else.

Indeed, murder at mass scale is what had happened in Shamow Hotel. We like to think of ourselves as civilized human beings whom understand the value of human life but these recent attacks have led me to examine my own beliefs about the quality of our lives as the people of the civilized world. We speak so profoundly of human rights and development but yet the enemy’s minds and thirst for blood has vanished in their brains. No doubt that many children as the result of these recent attacks will remain orphans and desperate but this are the realities of time.

The nerves touched were not only mine, Dr. Edna Adan who arrived at the graduation hall in University of Pretoria to receive a chancelor medal for her to contribution to humanity betterment, condemns this brutality “I strongly condemn to the deepest of my human heart and sense the atrocities that are not only inflicted to the families of the killed students, doctors and teachers but also to the people of Somalia and humanity at large, my heartfelt sympathy and Du’aas goes to the families of the killed ones, May Allah grant them Janatul Firdowza to those who died in Shamow, May the Almighty Allah cure all those wounded…amin” amin amin. Dr. Edna.

I trust and believe Somalia will rise from the difficulties of the day and become a great country with abundance of lawyers, scientist, and economists than the ones we have been robbed of, untimely.

Saeed Furaa
South Africa
somalilandjournalist@gmail.com

Somaliland Can Outlive Than Any Dying Somali Regime

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BURCO, 16 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) – To surprise of any interested to endless Somali crisis, Somaliland as expected survived from any destruction schemes from its enemy because of its intact social values. Now it is nearly 20 years since the collapse of tyrant regime of Siyad Barre who died in Lagos 1993 in exile, before his burial in his home town Garboharay.

Starting from that time Somaliland courageously built complete governmental institutions without any outside hand, forming de facto state, in which majority of Somaliland citizens unanimously indorsed to recreate that what was called Somaliland British Protectorate, withdrawing from act of union with south.

These frequent meetings for discussing future interest of the people, after miserable unification with Southern Somalia, we are people of most high in humanity sacrifice for our life for the rest of Somali speaking people, brought out nightmare of Greater Somalia. But we Somaliland national have fallen into deceptions, so it is time make introspections, as we did.

Sheikh Shriff Sheikh Ahmed former Chairman of Union of Islamic Court in 2006, started to follow the footsteps of his predecessor soon after he replaced Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed claiming being President of when once used to be Somali republic, turning blind eye the reality on the ground, while he is struggling to survive or evade from stronger Islamic groups which he was belong to before, where he met from daily attack, so far as last four of his ministries and number of his other cabinets killed this operations against his regime, Somaliland doesn’t support either He or Them.

Also there correlations plotting to undermine stability of Somaliland including tribal affiliation concept carriers of Punt land, who by hook and crook, embark on destabilizing Somaliland national territorial integrity through tribal lineage linkages, but these individuals are too frail to fend themselves except to broker blood other Somalis via scam of illegal exporting immigration to Yemen, or other means, and great exodus to even international water to pirate shipping movement on the sea, in addition to that tremendous human abductions continuing this areas to any foreigners if they land on the soil, if there is no huge guarding convoys, and demand log of hard money of ransoms to be paid for their release.

Furthermore, Somali Transitional Federal Government led by Sheikh Sharif now, seeks save haven under AMISOM Troops of Uganda and Rwanda, can’t trust any Somali soldier defend whether it is his powerless or his deceptions, that means Sharif can never stand his Somali legs on the ground, TFG circulate only three kilometers surroundings of Ville Somalia guarding by AMISOM soldiers.

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Relatively Somaliland comprehensively is peaceful nation where there is no any form of conflict enjoying greater success of democratic and rule of law, during last 10 years more than three competed elections were conducted including presidential poll, at the same time there is great economic recovery from hash hours of wars with former Somali cannibal government, in Somaliland every thing is secured by the people who unwillingly don’t accept any instable conditions with supporting rule and regulations of begot government from them.

Mr. Dahir Rayale Kahin is the president of the Country, elected second 2004 in the office after sudden death of predecessor Mohamed Haj Ibrahim Egal, and presently standing third time to be elected long with opposition parties leaders of Kulmiye and UCID Mr. Mohamed Ahmed Silanyo and Mr. Faysal Ali Warabe respectively leaders of these parties. For the first time in Africa Somaliland used prerecorded system of registration for Poll participations in computer computered server technology which is used so far in small number of nations in worldwide.

Fortunately many time Somaliland election methodology is disputed, while the tenure of president has expired, stalemate rises among the parties assuming that the time came to level Somaliland democracy and stability but immediately it is solved and agreed defusing the deadlocks the last one was the people’s registration in computer server which unprecedented sophisticated technology in the world, which has it is own errors, finally it has been reached an agreement for not to create rather anti-existed political platform already formed.

Consistently this is political maturity begotten by intellectual leadership of Somaliland peace lovers, despite untenable wars go on in southern Somalia, every nominated leader claims being representing even Somaliland ignoring peoples’ self-determination though he misrepresents slight portion of Mogdisho, but with blinding ovations from international community led by UN ascribed to him arguing “He is the recognized by UN and AU.”

In additional to that few somalilanders called from Diaspora, are beautified the format of every failing leadership formed for South, Somaliland people these can not represent them decisively, UN behaves double-standard for Somaliland issue with provocation against rights of Somaliland nationals, for this case, I am recommending UN bodies inside Somaliland must be closely heeded for their undermining the existence of the sovereign nation of Somaliland. But closest friends of Somaliland left first call of recognition each other preferring covert diplomatic relations, being scared about enemy of Somaliland.

Finally gullible war-lords in Somalia select to gorge on the desserts at the party out Somalia rather to be real solvers of Somali problems, taking amphetamine(Khat) to hallucinate being leaders democratic elected entire undefined Somali speaking people, unlike Somaliland, this nation will outlive then chaotic southern despite plotting conspiracies against it from every group without exception, killings of dozens of citizens and including also foreigners committed by these groups during last 6 years in Somaliland is proof enough.

By Mustafe Hassen Ahmed
Email: msuxfi@gmail.com

___________________________________________________________________________________________
Views expressed in the opinion articles are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the editorial

Former Somali police chief appointed minister in mini reshuffle.

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MOGADISHU 15 December 2009 (Somalilandpress)-The former Somali police chief, Abdi
Hassan Awale ‘’Qeybdid’’ has been appointed a minister in the cabinet.
In this mini reshuffle, Mr Muhammad Abdullahi Omaar (former mineral
resources minister) has been named as the new higher education
minister.

Following a crucial meeting at the prudential palace of Villa Somalia
(in Mogadishu), Somalilandpress has been able to obtain the news that
the former police commander has been appointed as the minister for
mineral resources, a position previously held by Muhammad Abdullahi
Omaar.

The former mineral resources minister Mr. Omaar is taking over the
higher education ministry left by Prof Ibrahim Hasan Adow, who was
killed on 3 December this year (in a suicide attack at Shaamow Hotel
in Mogadishu).

On 6th December, Somalia’s government fired the police force commander
and its military chief on Sunday two days after a suicide bomber
killed three ministers and several others in the capital of the
lawless Horn of Africa nation.

Somalia’s fragile government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed is
battling an insurgency by two rebel groups seeking to introduce their
own strict version of Islamic law.

Fighting in Somalia has killed 19,000 civilians since the start of
2007 and driven another 1.5 million from their homes.

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

Meeting with K’naan, the Somali Celebrity Rapper

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HARGEISA, 15 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) – When I woke up this morning, I wasn’t expecting to meet with K’naan, the shining Somali star and well-known rapper. Several days ago, I heard the rumour from a guy in my work place. But I considered that as mere gossip.

May be it was a divinely pre-determined moment, but right after when I arrived at my workplace, I experienced these inner thoughts: why don’t you go and find out if the news of K’naan coming to Hargeisa was a fact.

I immediately went to the office next to mine to identify my colleague who was sitting on his armchair as though he was waiting my question. After greeting him, I just asked him the question ‘Is it true that K’naan is coming to Hargeisa’ ‘Yusuf Shaacir told me that there is a Somali-Canadian singer by the name of K’naan is coming to Hargeisa’. He said. He is making a documentary film about the Somali culture and literature and he will be meeting with Hadraawi and Yusuf himself, he added.

That can be true once the primary source (Yusuf Shaacir) is very reliable but, however, I still couldn’t believe. The reasons are the definition of the artist is still unclear. I was hungry. Usually,  I eat breakfast at a nearby café. So I proceeded to get my meal. While I was in the middle of  eating, I said to my self why don’t you call Yusuf by your self and check the fact. After I finished my dish,  I called Mohamed and asked the phone number of Yusuf Shaacir. Unluckily he didn’t have his phone number But he told me to ask a guy called Ali who is co-worker of mine. I called Ali gave me the number. I dialled Yusuf’s number. Upon ringing twice, Yusuf’s voice answered. It was my first time to ever talk to Yusuf on the phone and I was afraid that he may not respond because of the unknown number calling him. ‘Yusuf this is Adnan, a guy who works for the Academy for Peace Development’ I started my little talk ‘Yeah! Adnan, I know you. How are you doing’ he replied in a warm and welcoming voice. I politely explained the reason of my call. He confirmed the gossip. Right from that moment my subconscious mind registered the info as a truthful data to act on.

A month ago, when i hear the news that a Somali guy was selected to be the artist who is opening at the 2010 world cup in South Africa, I became pretty much interested to find out the artist’s personality and background. Before, I was among the Somalis who didn’t know anything about him.

Most of the local Somalis know little about the artist’s personality and his work. K’naan sings in English and due to the decoding problem of the language, his albums didn’t gain popularity in Somaliland.

In general, I personally believe that a rapper’s hip-hip song doesn’t carry much meaning. I considered their work as written verses expressed aggressively and un comfortable to ears of people like me.

After days of in-depth research on the artist’s work and personality, my perception changed dramatically. Watching the rapper’s videos with lyrics on Youtube, I was stunned by the wisdom his songs were carrying.  I was particularly attracted to the artists’ two albums: Dusty foot philosopher and Troubadour.

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Having confirmed that he was coming to Hargeisa, I called a friend of mine and a bigger fan of K’naan. Informed her about the news. I could hear her wild screaming at the end of the line. She couldn’t believe it. It took me a while to convince her. She hangs up the phone and within 10 minutes later, a car was waiting me on the front gate of office compound, wanting me to take me to the airport.

We arrived at the airport before K’naan got it out and went to his hotel. We were lucky enough to met with him on the exit gateway of Igal international airport. Before we approached him face-to-face, we thought we couldn’t able to meet him because we were afraid that there were a hug crowd waiting him outside.

But the scene was different, as I came to know later; he came to Hargeisa in low-key profile. His arrival wasn’t public info as he was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to accomplish his film project mission.

I can’t express in words the amazing personality of the Somali-born rapper. He approached us in a warm and well-coming manner. He completely lacked the typical celebrity arrogant nature. After a discussion on the purpose of  his arrival at Hargeisa, he asked us to give our phone numbers and he invited us a to join a dinner whom he had with Mohamed I. Warsame Hadraawi, The greatest living Somali poet; Y. Shaacir, a poet and a walking encyclopaedia of the Somali literature and Boobe Yusuf Du’ale, a Somali writer

At night, we arrived came at Ambassador Hotel. In the dining hall, K’naan and Hadraawi were sitting next to each other. The other members of the artist’s team were also sitting in circle around the dining table.  In that session, I have observed some of the amazing personality traits of the artist. He was very respectable to everybody. To Hadraawi, especially, he showed more respect. Whenever Hadraawi tells a funny joke or Somali wit, he will grab his hand and sincerely laugh at his joke, showing respect and interest.

His dressing manners were simple, humble and modest. His eating manners were very Somali. We were eating with forks and knives while he washed his hands and eat with them. He was too research oriented in the Somali cultural and literature. Despite the fact that he wasn’t very fluent in the Somali language, he exerted much effort in the understanding what ever his guests were saying specially on the rich Somali poetry and proverbs. He enjoyed the anecdotes told  by his guests on the different aspects of life of the Somali people. He was Somali minded and seemed very irritated on any clan divisions and identity. He saw things on Somali spectrum. He was creative in both music and songs writing. He has a promising career and will enrich the world heritage of music and songs.

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K’naan with Hadraawi, Yusuf Shair, Adnan and Boobe Yusuf.

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Written by:
Adnan Abdi
Hargeisa, Somaliland
adnan.abdi.hassan@gmail.com

Somali Singer K'naan Arrives Somaliland

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HARGEISA, 15 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) – The famous Somali singer and rapper, K’naan arrived Hargeisa yesterday. Sources told Somalilandpress that the singer is coming to Somaliland as part of his documentary about Somali culture and literature.

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K’naan is born in Mogadishu then migrated to Canada after the civil war broke out in Somalia where he still lives there. His songs and style attracted the world lately and his song was selected for the FIFA football world cup in 2010.

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This is the first time K’naan visits Somaliland where he is expected to stay for few weeks before he goes back to Canada. During his stay, the singer will meet the famous Somali literature folks who are living in Hargeisa. He said he will meet the Hadraawi, Gaariye and others who are considered leaders in terms of Somali literature.



Somalilandpress.com

Mali Plans To Send Military Experts To Somalia

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Mogadishu, 15 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) – The African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has said the government of Mali is considering sending military experts to the headquarters of AMISOM in Mogadishu.

They say the experts will operate in the AMISOM military bases in Mogadishu.

The deputy AU special envoy to Somalia Hon. Wafula Wamunyinyi has said the AMISOM operation needed technical and military support.

The government of Mali has said that it will consider the move of sending experts to Somalia. Burundi and Uganda, who have their troops in Somalia, have said that they will look for funds for their soldiers from the donors.

Several African countries have earlier pledged to deploy troops to Somalia to strengthen the presence of Burundian and Ugandan forces. Among these countries are Nigeria, Ghana, Djibouti and Sierra Leone.

Elsewhere, a behind-the-scenes battle for control of money for peacekeeping activities in Somalia is brewing between Mali and Nigeria, on the one hand, and Uganda and Burundi on the other, as it emerges that donors will soon be releasing an enhanced financial package to support AU troops in the war-torn country.

Although donors to AMISOM – the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia – had initially refused to disburse funds meant for the peacekeepers’ allowances for lack of accountability, this is likely to change in the near future as new commitments for support come on board.

The EastAfrican has learnt that the European Union and the United Nations Security Council have signed packages that will see increased financing and logistics flowing to the peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

The EU is tight-lipped about the level of its support – “I don’t want to make any declarations about that,” said EU ambassador to Uganda Vincent de Visscher.

To the annoyance of countries such as Uganda and Burundi, which were the first to put troops on the ground in Mogadishu, the promise of money has now caught the attention of countries that failed to deliver on their promises for troops. Now they want to deploy small teams to manage the mission’s logistics.

“Since the UN has taken over the logistical support of the mission, other countries are saying they want to participate in administering the logistics but without being on the ground,” Uganda army spokesman Lt-Col Felix Kulaigye said.

The African Union’s deputy special representative for Somalia, Wafula Wamunyinyi, confirmed that AMISOM’s Strategic Planning and Management Unit had recommended that the mission needed support to the force headquarters in Mogadishu and had zeroed in on Mali for the task.

“I know Mali is considering sending in technical military officers to the force headquarters, about 15 of them. The officers will be responsible for logistics, human resource, personnel and general operations within the mission. Officers with experience in the running of a mission and providing support to the force commander,” Mr. Wamunyinyi said.

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But the force commander does not share this view.

“If they are technical, why don’t they bring their expertise on the ground? That is what we want. Not at the headquarters. It is more practical to deliver that service on the ground,” AMISOM commander Maj-Gen Nathan Mugisha said.

He added: “That is the problem, and that is why we are telling them to bring in their servicemen before they can think of deployment at the force headquarters – because at the headquarters, you are providing service to the men. So where are the men to be served? You need to first of all have the men.”

In 2006, when the United Nation Security Council approved a resolution authorising an African peacekeeping force in Somalia, only Uganda and Burundi responded. At the time, it was estimated that 8,000 troops would suffice. The two countries have raised just over 5,000, leaving a deficit of 3,000 troops.

Today, according to peacekeepers on the ground, Somalia needs 10,000 to 15,000 troops. But AU countries are still reluctant to send in their fighters, given the risky situation prevailing in Somalia.

While some diplomatic sources within the EU zone feigned ignorance about the support, other sources said the support coming from the EU’s security department is a sensitive security matter about which publicity could make EU citizens targets for terror attacks.

It is understood that the EU has committed itself to providing funds for the training of Somalia’s security forces and extension of humanitarian assistance to civilians.

Some 2,000 recruits to the Somali national army will be trained in Uganda. This will be part of efforts to build the capacity of the federal government to counter Al-Shabab insurgents that have exploited the administrative vacuum to established training bases in the desert and in parts under their control.

The EU money will be channelled through AMISOM’s logistical base in Nairobi. The UN is expected to provide logistical support, such as fuel, vehicle maintenance, food and drugs to the peacekeeping force.

By: Abdinasir Mohamed of Somalilandpress and Halima Abdallah of
Eastafrican standard
Email: abdinasir4@gmail.com
Somalilandpress
Mogadishu-Somalia

WE DO EXIST – Somaliland's Forgotten Children.

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I wanted to share this film with our readers. This is one film that honestly made me cry and also makes me want to do something about it. Will you help these desperate orphans in Somaliland? Let us sponsor a kid for $25-30 a month, that is enough to feed one kid a month. Please feel free to contact SomalilandPress@gmail.com if you are interested in doing something about this.

This is Hargeisa Orphanage Centre, which is the first centre for these kids to be set up in the country.

To help you can contact them on 2522 – 570257 (this includes country code for international callers) or if you in the USA/Canada 617-869-3132..

Thank you,
Mohamed Ibrahim Haji Abdi
SomalilandPress
Managment.

K’NAAN a Light in the Tunnell.

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The football loving world – players, trainers, and fans alike – are following closely with interest the opening ceremony on June 11, next year and the Official FIFA 2010 World Cup song performance by a 31 year old dark, slim artist from a country notorious for violence and suicide bombers. That country is Somalia, and K’naan is the artist whose song “waving flag” was chosen to be the FIFA World Cup song.

What a world of contrast between 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 9th Olympiad in 1936 Berlin, Germany. The Nazis used that event to promote the myth of “Aryan Superiority.” “Non-Aryans” – Jewish and Gypsy athletes and performers were systematically excluded from the opening ceremony. Different also than the South Africa of John Vorster who in his opinion even “the words of a black man are black”. What color is K’naan’s song: “When I get older, I will be stronger. They call me freedom, just like a waving Flag.” It is a world awakened!

In recent months K’naan has come in for frequent mention in the press and at least one reporter in Johannesburg indeed hastened to label him as a “Muslim Rapper who supports Pirates”. David Smith of the Guardian ignored K’naan’s mastery performance and his campaign against poverty and Aid for Africa. In a recent article he accused K’naan of being honesty and thoughtful artist who feels he has no right to stand aloof from the urgent problems of dumping Toxic Waste and looting of fish in the ocean of his ancestral land. Perhaps it is this that imparts to his analysis of present-day western reality an insight and accuracy many a white journalist based in South Africa might envy. It is world awakened!

Highly symptomatic was the statement K’naan made to a CBC reporter about the blight of the East African fisherman. “The western powerful nations watched as all countries great and small swarmed in the Somali waters to loot fish and dump dangerous chemical waste.”

K’naan (in Somali means: one who is always on the move) was born in Mogadishu, Somalia; a metropolitan city by the Indian Ocean. There was nothing remarkable about his childhood. A relatively well-to-do but not too prosperous family of poets and singers; and from age seven a lover of American rap music.

Unremarkable too perhaps was his romantic dream culled from books of famous and great men from Genghis Khan to Michael Jackson. What a teenage with a fondness for great men has not cherished similar dreams? An avid reader to this day he keeps a private library of these great men and empire builders.

K’naan did not finish high school. His education was interrupted by civil war in his country. He immigrated to Canada with his mother and siblings in the early 1990’s. A new country, a new culture and a new language it became very hard for the teenaged boy to finish his schooling – he dropped it. But when peers in his neighbourhood were falling victims to dope, crime and violence he looked straight to his dreams. He found it ultimately in the street corners of Toronto’s west-end. His inherent will to succeed proved no less durable than his talent. The rest is history!

K’naan is concerned with the problems of hunger and the environment. He does what he can to help the practical solution of these problems. He is angered by the looting of fish and dumping of toxic waste in his lovely Indian Ocean, and so he regularly speaks out against it. He sharply criticizes powerful nations of their indifference to those problems. K’naan is a great artist and no true artist can live without his opinion. He doesn’t defend piracy, neither did he support it. He understands the cause of piracy in East Africa and the effect of polluting the oceans.

K’naan today is an artist at the peak of professional mastery and a man deeply concerned with the most burning issue of his country, of his people. It is this that gives such power to his art. He is a man always on the move.

Omar M Mohamed
E-mail: omoha@hotmail.com

Burying stigma in Somaliland

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HARGEISA, 14 December 2009 (SomalilandPress) – When a young HIV-positive woman recently passed away in Hargeisa, capital of the self-declared republic of Somaliland, none of the women in her family volunteered to carry out the traditional Islamic rite of washing the body before burial.

“Her clothes are still hanging where she died because people think they can be affected if they touch them,” said Abdillahi Omar*, a man in his 40s. Eventually, a group of HIV-positive women volunteered to wash the woman’s body.

Most people in Somalia still avoid touching or associating with people living with the virus. “Each one of us who has announced that he or she has HIV/AIDS was thrown out of his or her family. I was a soldier … as soon as they got the information [about my HIV status], I was told not to enter the camp – they considered me as being the epidemic itself,” Omar said.

“Our children are sent back home by the school administrators for no reason other than the fact that their parents have HIV … we experience it daily,” said Amina Ali*, a mother of four.

Need for education

Experts attribute the intense stigmatisation of people living with the virus to ignorance and the strong association of HIV with immorality and ‘non-Muslim’ behaviour; United Nations estimates say less than 10 percent of the population have accurate knowledge about HIV transmission.

“I know that HIV can be transmitted by using the same toothbrush as someone who is infected, or if the same [injection] needle used on an HIV-positive person is used on you,” said Sa’id Ahmed, a student at the University of Hargeisa. “If someone in my family had AIDS … of course I would feel the fear of the disease.”

Sexual intercourse is the main method of transmission in Somalia, but Ahmed did not mention sex as a way of transmitting HIV and there is no HIV education in schools.

“We have carried out a lot of awareness to reduce the stigma, as well as giving people information about how the disease transmitted,” said Hassan Omar Hagga, director of training at the Somaliland AIDS Commission (SOLNAC) secretariat.

Somalia’s most recent progress report to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS noted that widespread stigma and discrimination were among the factors raising HIV vulnerability.

High stigma and low risk perception mean few people are tested for HIV, and the country’s antiretroviral (ARV) programme is still in its infancy. “Of an estimated 13,000 people living with HIV in Somaliland, only 800 have access to ARVs,” said Mohamed Hussein Osman, executive director of SOLNAC.

New law

SOLNAC has also been trying to push through parliament proposed legislation giving rights to people living with HIV, and making it illegal for doctors to reveal a patient’s HIV status without their permission.

“[The draft] law criminalises discrimination against the people who live with the disease, specifies their requirements for care, and stipulates punishments for those who try to deliberately transmit the virus,” said Hassan Omar Hagga.

Somaliland has an HIV prevalence of 1.4 percent, but recent data suggest that the Horn of Africa could be moving from a concentrated epidemic to a generalised one.

mad/kr/he

* Not their real names

Source: plusnews

Mali plans to send military experts to Somalia.

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Mogadishu, 14 December 2009-(Somalilandpress)-The African Union Peacekeeping Mission in
Somalia (AMISOM) has said the government of Mali is considering
sending military experts to the headquarters of AMISOM in Mogadishu.

They say the experts will operate in the AMISOM military bases in Mogadishu.

The deputy AU special envoy to Somalia Hon. Wafula Wamunyinyi has said
the AMISOM operation needed technical and military support.

The government of Mali has said that it will consider the move of
sending experts to Somalia. Burundi and Uganda, who have their troops
in Somalia, have said that they will look for funds for their soldiers
from the donors.

Several African countries have earlier pledged to deploy troops to
Somalia to strengthen the presence of Burundian and Ugandan forces.
Among these countries are Nigeria, Ghana, Djibouti and Sierra Leone.

Elsewhere, a behind-the-scenes battle for control of money for
peacekeeping activities in Somalia is brewing between Mali and
Nigeria, on the one hand, and Uganda and Burundi on the other, as it
emerges that donors will soon be releasing an enhanced financial
package to support AU troops in the war-torn country.

Although donors to AMISOM – the African Union peacekeeping mission in
Somalia – had initially refused to disburse funds meant for the
peacekeepers’ allowances for lack of accountability, this is likely to
change in the near future as new commitments for support come on
board.

The EastAfrican has learnt that the European Union and the United
Nations Security Council have signed packages that will see increased
financing and logistics flowing to the peacekeeping mission in
Somalia.

The EU is tight-lipped about the level of its support – “I don’t want
to make any declarations about that,” said EU ambassador to Uganda
Vincent de Visscher.

To the annoyance of countries such as Uganda and Burundi, which were
the first to put troops on the ground in Mogadishu, the promise of
money has now caught the attention of countries that failed to deliver
on their promises for troops. Now they want to deploy small teams to
manage the mission’s logistics.

“Since the UN has taken over the logistical support of the mission,
other countries are saying they want to participate in administering
the logistics but without being on the ground,” Uganda army spokesman
Lt-Col Felix Kulaigye said.

The African Union’s deputy special representative for Somalia, Wafula
Wamunyinyi, confirmed that AMISOM’s Strategic Planning and Management
Unit had recommended that the mission needed support to the force
headquarters in Mogadishu and had zeroed in on Mali for the task.
[ad#Google Adsense (300×250)]
“I know Mali is considering sending in technical military officers to
the force headquarters, about 15 of them. The officers will be
responsible for logistics, human resource, personnel and general
operations within the mission. Officers with experience in the running
of a mission and providing support to the force commander,” Mr
Wamunyinyi said.

But the force commander does not share this view.

“If they are technical, why don’t they bring their expertise on the
ground? That is what we want. Not at the headquarters. It is more
practical to deliver that service on the ground,” AMISOM commander
Maj-Gen Nathan Mugisha said.

He added: “That is the problem, and that is why we are telling them to
bring in their servicemen before they can think of deployment at the
force headquarters – because at the headquarters, you are providing
service to the men. So where are the men to be served? You need to
first of all have the men.”

In 2006, when the United Nation Security Council approved a resolution
authorising an African peacekeeping force in Somalia, only Uganda and
Burundi responded. At the time, it was estimated that 8,000 troops
would suffice. The two countries have raised just over 5,000, leaving
a deficit of 3,000 troops.

Today, according to peacekeepers on the ground, Somalia needs 10,000
to 15,000 troops. But AU countries are still reluctant to send in
their fighters, given the risky situation prevailing in Somalia.

While some diplomatic sources within the EU zone feigned ignorance
about the support, other sources said the support coming from the EU’s
security department is a sensitive security matter about which
publicity could make EU citizens targets for terror attacks.

It is understood that the EU has committed itself to providing funds
for the training of Somalia’s security forces and extension of
humanitarian assistance to civilians.

Some 2,000 recruits to the Somali national army will be trained in
Uganda. This will be part of efforts to build the capacity of the
federal government to counter Al-Shabab insurgents that have exploited
the administrative vacuum to established training bases in the desert
and in parts under their control.

The EU money will be channelled through AMISOM’s logistical base in
Nairobi. The UN is expected to provide logistical support, such as
fuel, vehicle maintenance, food and drugs to the peacekeeping force.

By Abdinasir Mohamed with Somalilandpress and Halima Abdallah with
Eastafrican standard.
Email: abdinasir4@gmail.com
Somalilandpress
Mogadishu-Somalia

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