Review of Horn Politics: Focus Somalia - By East African Philosopher

With the withdrawal of Ethiopian army out of Somalia and the fall of Abdullahi Yusuf's Presidency, many Somalis believe the TFG is doomed. Their view is justifiable as there will be no viable force to fend off the Islamic insurgents who continue to attack the remaining weak government's basis in Mogadishu. However, despite the uncertainty of Somalia's political stability, some argue there is a brighter future ahead.

Of course, things couldn't get any worse than they were the last two years. On The East African Philosopher blog, one apparently 'East African college student' writes about this bright future of Somalia amid the current situation.

Read the blog Review of Horn Politics

Somali Pirate Explains The Pirates' Position

The Evil Solution: Interview with a Somali Pirate is a report by NewsWeek that was conducted by satellite telephone to MV Faina with the leader of the Somali Pirate on board the ship.

When asked How are your ransoms paid?
Answer: We get the money two ways. A boat takes the money from Djibouti, then a helicopter takes the money from the boat, then it drops the money in waterproof cartons on assigned [small] boats. Then we collect it, check if it is false or not, then we release the ship. The other way we get the money is a boat from Mombasa.

The interview was conducted by satellite telephone to the bridge of the Faina, through Somali translator Abukar al-Badri. Excerpts: Read the Interview here!

Washington Times: Somalis in U.S. draw FBI attention

The FBI is expanding contacts with Somali immigrant comm-unities in the U.S., especially in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, fearing that terrorists are recruiting young men for suicide missions in their homeland.  Read Full Story on Washington Times

Fresh clashes in Mogadishu kill 10 Civilians

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Mortars slammed into a busy market in Somalia's capital Tuesday, witnesses said, as the country's weak government crumbled and the impending pullout of allied Ethiopian troops raised fears that Islamic insurgents might seize the opportunity to take over.

At least 10 people were killed in the market attack, witnesses said.

The fighting began after Islamic insurgents attacked bases of government soldiers and African Union peacekeepers, said Salado Mohamed Farah, a shop owner at Bakara market. He said mortars fired in retaliation hit the market, which the government has accused the insurgents of using as a base.

"There is blood everywhere," Farah told The Associated Press. "The mortars fell as people were busy shopping."

The bloodshed _ so common in this lawless nation in the Horn of Africa _ adds to the deepening political crisis. Ethiopian troops who are propping up Somalia's government will leave the country within days despite the turmoil caused by the resignation of the Somali president on Monday, an official said Tuesday.

Wahide Belay, a spokesman for the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry said he did not want to discuss a specific date for the departure, which many fear will create a power vacuum and allow Islamist insurgents to take over Somalia.

"We are leaving at the end of December," Wahide said. "Give or take a couple of days." The plan to pull the troops from Somalia had been announced earlier. Belay's statement was confirmation that the withdrawal will proceed in spite of the fresh political uncertainty.

Story continues below

During President Abdullahi Yusuf's four-year term, his Western-backed government failed to extend its power throughout the country, which is crippled by infighting and a strengthening Islamist insurgency.

Yusuf's resignation could usher in more chaos as Islamic militants scramble for power. The government controls only pockets of Mogadishu, the capital, and Baidoa, the seat of Parliament.

For two decades, Somalia has been beset by anarchy, violence and an insurgency that has killed thousands of civilians and sent hundreds of thousands fleeing for their lives. Some of the insurgents are alleged to have ties with al-Qaida.

"Most of the country is not in our hands," Yusuf told Parliament Monday.

The U.S. State Department supported Yusuf's decision to resign and praised his efforts to bring stability to Somalia. The statement by Gordon Duguid, a department spokesman, urged officials in Somalia "to intensify efforts to achieve a government of national unity and to enhance security through formation of a joint security force."

The last time Yusuf lost his grip on the nation to the insurgents, in 2006, he called in troops from neighboring Ethiopia to prop up his administration. The call backfired _ many Somalis saw the Ethiopians as "occupiers" and accused them of brutality.

The insurgents have used the Ethiopian presence to gain recruits even as the Islamists' strict form of Islam has terrified many Somalis.

Parliament must elect a new president within 30 days; in the meantime, the Parliament speaker will serve as acting president. Many believe Yusuf's absence will allow moderate Islamist leaders into the government.

The most aggressive Islamic insurgency group, al-Shabab, has taken control of vast amounts of new territory in recent months. The United States accuses al-Shabab of harboring the al-Qaida-linked terrorists who blew up the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. Many of the insurgency's senior figures are Islamic radicals; some are on the State Department's list of wanted terrorists.

Thousands of civilians have been killed or maimed by mortar shells, machine-gun crossfire and grenades in fighting in this arid country.
The Huffington Post

Somalia: Ethiopian Troops Invade Former Mogadishu Mayor's Compound

An army of Ethiopian soldiers headed by a Tigrey sergeant stormed the house of the ex Mayer of Mogadishu, Mohammed Dheere, earlier today.  The soldiers were heavily equiped with tanks and automatic machine guns.

Imedietely after invading Mr. Dheere's home, the Ethiopians set up a barracade along the corners of his compound then spread themselves near the surrounding area.  

There are no reports on the whereabouts of Mr. Dheere but some suspect he may have been taken into custody by the Ethiopian soldiers.

Mohammed Dheere served as the Mayor of Mogadishu under the Somali TFG and was a key ally to the now ex-Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf.  Mr. Dheere was fired as the Mogadishu Mayer by the current Somali Prime Minister with whom he had unresolvable disagreements.

The sources add that the sergeant heading the Ethiopian troops that took control of Mr. Dheere's compound had prevously been accused, by the Mogadishu's ex-Mayor, of mingling with Mogadishu's tax collection staff, unlawfully arresting and taking into custody one of the staff members.  

As the Ethiopian soldiers are expected to withdraw from Somalia in the next few days, this operation is seen by the Somali public as revenge on Mr. Dheere by the sergeant.

Afrik: Ethiopia Delays Withdrawal of Forces from Somalia

Ethiopian forces were expected to withdraw from Somalia by the end of the year. But now the African Union says otherwise.

According to Afrik.com, withdrawal of Ethiopian troops in Somalia will not leave until the AU forces leave

The President of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, who is also the Foreign affairs minister of Zambia, said this past Monday the Ethiopian forces occupying Somalia will remain there at least until the first week of 2009. He added that the Tigres will stay on guard in Somalia to permit the African Union peacekeeping forces receive the necessary reinforcements due to arrive early in 2009.

Somali President Resigns

Earlier today, the Somali (now ex-President) resigned after 4 years in the office.  Here are some news coverage from different sources.  

CNN: Somali president quits amid power struggle
Wasgington Post: Somali President Quits Amid International Pressure
BBC: Somalia's president quits office

NYTimesL Somalia’s President Resigns
The Huffington Post: The US Role in Somalia's Calamity

It seems most of the news sites are reprinting that of Associated Press and you can read it here.

Mohamed Olad Hassan ASSOCIATED PRESS
Monday, December 29, 2008

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- The president of Somalia's U.N.-backed government resigned Monday, saying he had lost control of the country to Islamic insurgents and could not fulfill his duties after four years leading the violent and impoverished nation.

Abdullahi Yusuf is the latest leader to have failed to pacify Somalia in two decades of turmoil and deadly violence. Somalia has been beset by anarchy, famine and a steady influx of weapons from abroad. More than a dozen attempts have been made to form an effective government since the last one collapsed in 1991.

Within hours of Yusuf's resignation, mortars shells were raining down near the presidential palace in the capital, Mogadishu.

Yusuf, who is in his 70s, had announced his resignation to parliament in Baidoa -- one of the only towns controlled by Somalia's weak government, which has been sidelined by an increasingly powerful Islamic insurgency. The parliament speaker will stand in as acting president, with parliament expected to elect a new leader within 30 days.

Yusuf said in an address broadcast on radio nationwide that he could not unite Somalia's bickering leadership, and that the country was "paralyzed."

"Most of the country is not in our hands," Yusuf said before leaving town from Baidoa's airport. "After seeing all these things I have finally quit."

Yusuf's administration failed to bring security to the war-ravaged nation and now controls only Baidoa and pockets of Mogadishu. The most aggressive Islamic insurgency group, al-Shabab, has made dramatic territory gains in recent months, and insurgents now control most of the country.

In a statement Monday, al-Shabab said Yusuf was resigning "with shame."

Yusuf's resignation could usher in more political and violent chaos as various Islamic militias jockey for position and power.

Thousands of civilians have been killed or maimed by mortar shells, machine-gun crossfire and grenades in near-daily fighting in this arid, Horn of Africa country. The United Nations says Somalia has 300,000 acutely malnourished children, but attacks and kidnappings of aid workers have shut down many humanitarian projects.

The lawlessness also has allowed piracy to flourish off the coast.

Rights groups have accused all sides in the conflict -- Islamic insurgents, the government and troops from neighboring Ethiopia who are here supporting the administration -- of committing war crimes and other serious abuses for indiscriminately firing on civilian neighborhoods.

The United States accuses al-Shabab of harboring the al-Qaida-linked terrorists who blew up the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. Many of the insurgency's senior figures are Islamic radicals; some are on the State Department's list of wanted terrorists.

Yusuf's position has been in doubt since parliament blocked his attempt to fire the Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein earlier this month.

"I am happy that the Somali president has resigned," the prime minister said. "I wish him to become Somali elder and play a role in the common endeavor to restore peace and order in Somalia."

Ethiopia also plans to withdraw its troops by the end of December, ending their unpopular presence here and leaving the administration even more vulnerable to insurgents. The Ethiopians have been in Somalia for nearly two years, after helping drive out an earlier group of Islamic insurgents.

Somalia has been ravaged by violence and anarchy since warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 and then turned on one another. The current transitional government was formed with U.N. help in 2004.

Yusuf, a former Somali army colonel in the 1960s, was jailed by Barre when he refused to cooperate in a coup d'etat in 1969. Although Yusuf is a member of one of Somalia's four biggest clans, the Darod, he was unpopular in Mogadishu because of his ties to Ethiopia -- one of Somalia's traditional enemies.

Associated Press writers Mohamed Sheikh Nor in Mogadishu and Elizabeth A. Kennedy and Malkhadir M. Muhumed in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this report.

BBC: Somalia's president quits office

Somalia's President Abdullahi Yusuf has told parliament he has resigned - a move which adds to the chaos in the country as Ethiopian troops withdraw.
Somalia's president quits office

Somali President Resigns

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- The president of Somalia's U.N.-backed government resigned Monday amid deepening international pressure, a move that could usher in more chaos as a strengthening Islamic insurgency scrambles for power.
Somali president quits amid international pressure

Somali president will resign on Monday

Somalia's president will resign on Monday to try to end government infighting before the country's Ethiopian allies leave, a senior ally said on Sunday in the latest in a series of conflicting statements on the leader's future. By World News Australia

Somali MPs Leave Baidoa on President's Orders

There are confirmed reports that Somali MPs left Baidoa on December 28, 2008 headed back to Galka'yo and Garawe. The MPs reportedly left on private jet accommodated by Abdullahi Yusuf.

Mr. Yusuf is expected to resign as President in the coming days, and the departure of the members of parliament from Baidoa indicates the weakening state of the TFG Parliament.

According to eye witnesses at the Badoa airport, some civilian passengers were forcefully taken off the plane that the 14 MPs boarded. No word on whether the civilian passengers were given back their air ticket fees or not.

In the past few days, Abdullahi Yusuf held meetings in his compound in Baidoa with tens of TFG officials including the departed MPs - all of whom are his clansmen.

The reports add that the soon-to-resign TFG President is expected to return home to Puntland in the coming weeks leaving all responsibilities of the TFG to the Prime Minister.

Somali Pirates Free Yemeni Ship

Once again, the Somali Pirates released a Yemeni fishing ship they hijacked earlier this month. The ship MV Falluja reached port of Aden on Saturday after pirates feed it and it is not clear whether or not a ransom was paid.

On December 10th, the Somali pirates took control of two Yemeni ships - the MV Falluja and MV Qana'a - an took 22 fishermen hostage. While they released MV Falluja, the pirates still hold the other Yemeni ship - MV Qana'a.

The two ships were hijacked while they sailed off the Mait area near the southern port city of Aden. Before the Somali pirates took over the vessels, several fishermen crew members escaped on a small boat and returned to Aden where they reported the hijacking to the Yemeni Coast Guard Authority.

Earlier in December 2008, Somali pirates freed a Yemeni cargo ship two weeks after they hijacked it in the Arabian Sea and demanded USD 2m in ransom. However, that ship was released without ransom after negotiations between the pirates and Somali tribal leaders.

SOMALIA: A Precarious and Perilous Place for the Press

This year’s annual report reveals virulent attacks on journalists including unspeakable cases of killings, arrests, injuries, ill-treatments, abduction and death threats as well as serious, sophisticated and systematic harassment and intimidation in main cities.  SOMALIA: A Precarious and Perilous Place for the Press posted on National Union of Somali Journalists

Chinese Navy sets sail for escort mission off Somalia

Source: VisitCHN:  The Chinese naval fleet set sail at 1:50 pm yesterday from a port in the southernmost island province of Hainan for Somalia. The ships will take part in an escort mission against piracy.

The warships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, decorated by colored ribbons and flowers, were unmoored at the military port by crew members in white naval uniforms who saluted the crowds who saw them off.

Two destroyers, DDG-169 Wuhan and DDG-171 Haikou, and the supply ship Weishanhu from the South China Sea Fleet will cruise for about 10 days to arrive in the Gulf of Aden, joining the multinational patrol in one of the world’s busiest sea lanes where surging piracy endangers international shipping.

The fleet will carry about 800 crew members, including 70 soldiers from the Navy’s special force. It’s equipped with missiles, cannons and light weapons.

“All crew members have full confidence in their ability to fulfill the escort mission,” the commander, Rear-Adm. Du Jingchen, told Xinhua at a send-off ceremony before the fleet departed.

The fleet has many experienced crew members who have successfully carried out other overseas mission. The current mission might, however, be a long one that poses unforeseeable challenges, said Du, who is chief of staff of the Navy’s South China Sea Fleet.

The escort fleet will protect Chinese vessels and crews, including those from Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan, that seek protection when passing through the area, as well as foreign ships on request.

The first phase of the mission will last for three months and the Navy will send new ships to relieve the fleet at an appropriate time, depending on the situation and the UN Security Council decision.

It will also help ships carrying humanitarian relief for international organizations such as the UN World Food Program. The fleet will not charge escort service or protection fees to ships, whether foreign or domestic.

The fleet will be ready to receive protection appeals on Jan. 6.
“We are expected to encounter conflicts where we might have to fire on pirates in these waters, but our primary target is not striking them but dispersing them,” said Du, speaking on board the destroyer Wuhan.

He said the fleet has not been given specific instructions about the Chinese fishing vessel Tian Yu 8, which is still held by pirates, since the government has not given up negotiating with the pirates.

The destroyer Wuhan will serve as the flagship during the three-month mission, according to the 40-year-old captain Long Juan, who added that the crew had conducted repeated drills especially targeted at fighting piracy.

For Wuhan’s companion destroyer, Haikou, the voyage is a public debut. It was commissioned in 2005. However, Capt. Zhou Fuquan said all crew members were well-trained and confident in the mission.

The supply ship Weishanhu, China’s biggest domestically made re-supply ship, will provide logistic and medical support during the mission.

“The ship can supply the fleet with green vegetables and fresh fruits for months,” Capt. Xi Feijun said, adding that medical teams onboard can perform all surgery, aside from brain procedures.

The three captains agreed that the unfamiliar water and weather off the Somali coast and the three-month mission might pose challenges, but they said all crew were confident and honoured to carry out the mission.

The Defence Ministry officially announced the deployment on Tuesday, saying that China will observe UN resolutions and international laws in fulfilling its obligations.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said 1,265 Chinese commercial vessels had passed through the Gulf so far this year and seven had been attacked. One fishing ship and 18 crew members were still being held by pirates.

Somali Piracy ends with Islamic Government

The big news coming from Somalia these days is the increasing number of naval forces meant to combat piracy at the Somali coast.

On Boxing Day, China sent three navy ships to join the United States, Britain, Russia, India, Malaysia, French and other forces. However, this will not solve piracy until the situation on mainland Somalia gets better. Unfortunately, the world is still in denial as far as the influence of Somali Islamists is concerned.

Read full article:Somalia Islamist government best hope against piracy

Next Generation Warruors.

Somali Children occupy themselves with war games on the streets of Mogadishu. A Somali Photo Journalist captures the scene.  The Big Picture: War games on BBC News

Reuters: Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a group Take back control of Guri'el

Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a group have taken control of Guri'el district in central Somalia after heavy fighting with Al-shabaab group, witnesses said on Saturday.

Twelve people were killed in the recent clash between rival groups.

Pictures show that Al-Shabaab fighters arrived the capital Mogadishu and patrol the streets of the city.

Al Shabaab, which means youth in Arabic, seized Gurael, 370 km (230 miles) north of the capital Mogadishu on Dec. 6, after three days of fighting with a government-allied moderate Islamist group in the area.

Ahlu Sunna Waljamaa is a religious organization with no political ambitions, but al-Shebab is fighting for to rule Somalia and impose Sharia Law. It agreed with Western-backed interim government despite Shabaab rejected an agreement with secular ruling.

Locals said the moderate group ousted by al Shabaab three weeks ago had been regrouping and launched their attack on Saturday morning.

"I have counted 12 dead fighters lying in the alleys of Gurael," witness Ali Aden told Reuters. "Some of them were injured by a mortar that landed in the hospital. Others were hit by stray bullets," he added.

Al Shabaab and other more moderate Islamist groups control all of the south and centre of Somalia except Mogadishu and Baidoa, the seat of parliament.

A third of the Somalian population need emergency aid in a humanitarian crisis that has been described as one of the worst in the world.

Ethiopian troops, which have been propping up the government since 2006, are due to withdraw from Somalia by the end of this month.

Somalia's President Abdullahi Yusuf is expected to resign soon, bowing to pressure from western countries and regional leaders who accuse him of obstructing a peace process, aimed at including opposition groups in the country's government.

MP Abdirashid Irro, a close ally of President Yusuf, told the VOA Somali Service that Yusuf has decided to resign and will address the Parliament soon.

Somalia's ailing president, now in his 70s, is a former warlord who has held together a multi-clan parliament and government since coming to power in 2004.

Analysts assert Islamists must be included in peace talks with Somalia's government to ensure lasting peace in the chaotic country which has been without a central government for 17 years.

Reuters

CurrentTv: Somali Refugees Continue to Arrive by Sea in Southern Yemen

Human smugglers from northern Somalia forced 114 people from a small fishing boat near the village of Al Qashaah on the southern coast of Yemen early on the morning of December 5. The passengers were Somali refugees fleeing war, destitution, and disease. Among them were ten children, including babies.

All the passengers survived the journey, although several people reported that the smugglers beat them with iron bars to force them overboard as the overcrowded boat approached the shore. Luckily, they disembarked in relatively shallow water.

This was the fifth boatload of Somali refugees and Ethiopian migrants to arrive from Somalia on Yemen's shores since Monday, December 1. A total of 533 people have landed. Twenty-eight people perished while attempting the journey, either dying from beatings, suffocation, or exposure while en route, or drowning after being forced overboard far from the shore.

In response to today's arrival, a mobile Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) team provided medical assistance and relief items, including water, food, and dry clothing to the exhausted—and in some cases dehydrated—refugees who had gathered in several groups roughly 100 meters apart along a main road. The refugees arrived on the shore at 6 a.m., after a 45-hour journey through the Gulf of Aden from Bossasso, in the Puntland region of northern Somalia. They then walked the few kilometers from the beach through barren and rocky terrain. Many were barefoot

Original Source Report on Current.com

2009 the Year of Doom for Somali TFG

The Somali Transitional Federal Government will see great unfortunate sudden hardship killing any hope of its survival in the coming year where it may seize to exist within a few months into year 2009. As a result of Ethiopia's departure, change in the U.S. outlook of East Africa's geopolitical war, change in TFG leadership as Abdullahi Yusuf goes back to Puntland, - a semi-autonomous state known to interfere any Somali political progress, and the popularity of the strengthening Islamic resistance, the TFG is doomed with eventual downfall.

Although it is unlikely, the Somali TFG President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed is expected to give his resignation in front of the parliament in the coming days. This is to take place during his impeachment hearing for impeding the Somali peace process between TFG and its foe, the Islamic resistance fighters, and to answer questions about the political turmoil he single handedly created for his fellow TFG officials when he unilaterally fired the TFG Prime Minister and appointed a new one in just two days. The parliament already voted for Sheik Adan Mohamed Madoobe as the acting president, in case Yusuf refused to attend an impeachment session. Sources close to the President were quoted saying that Abdullahi Yusuf will leave office, a claim which the Somali TFG President clearly denied later.

Regardless of the Somali TFG President's denial of permanent leave of the Presidency, Somalis expect him to give way to others, hoping someone more useful to the Somali people will take his place. The Somali public's expectations are strengthened by the popular calls for Mr. Yusuf's resignation as when the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Jendayi Frazer, mounted Washington's pressure on the Somali president calling on him to leave office.

Abdullahi Yusuf, the Somali Transition Federal Government's warlord President had his fate coming. Earlier this month, Mr. Yusuf was criticized for arming his native clan Majeerteen with TFG weapons. This act enforces the tribalism agenda of the, commonly known as warlord, President already made obvious by assigning the most of top TFG ministerial positions to Majeerteen members of the government. Nonetheless, he is well prepared for the departure of the Presidential seat planning on going back to the semi autonomous district of Puntland where he is the head of state. Thereafter, he will undoubtedly continue to do all he can to stop the TFG from signing any peace deals with the opposition, or to make any positive progress in any political or developmental direction as he will no longer be part of it.

Although many Somalis see the arming of the Majeerteen clan by Abdullahi Yusuf as an act of preparation for his departure, it can viewed as the building blocks of another resistance for the TFG. One must remember Mr. Yusuf, with the help of Ethiopian government, obstructed any viable progress for the former Transitional government of Abdilqasim Salad Hasan, with their elaborate impediment. While Mr. Hasan's government was in place, the two an other influential parties - such us the European Union and African Union, initiated a negotiation for all the Somali warlords to form another government on top the then existing one. From the start of Mr. Hasan's Transitional Government, Mr. Yusuf and other then prominent warlords were the key factors that hampered its development progress. Once he is no longer part of the current government, Mr. Yusuf will again be a barrier the current Somali TFG have to overcome.

Another predominant barrier the TFG cannot overcome the current Islamic resistance conducting daily attacks on TFG and its support force, the Ethiopian army. Numerous reports indicate Ethiopian invasion will end soon. This will definitely be a blow to the TFG's stability. Up until now, the TFG's security depended on the Ethiopian army in Somalia to defend them from Al-Shabab and other Islamic fighters who now control most of Somalia except Baidoa and some parts of Mogadishu. It is expected that the Tigres' departure will create an easy passage for the resistance to take control of Mogadishu and Baidoa disbursing the TFG politicians who clearly cannot defend themselves on their own. In the following weeks after the Ethiopians vacate Somalia, the Transitional Federal Government will be reduced to many different warlords scattered around the country, with each of them running back to his clan base for security.

Security is one issue the TFG can no longer take for granted, as it will lose two of their major supporting allies, the Ethiopian army and the African Union forces. It is reported that the AU will follow the Tigres in taking their troops back home emphasizing the sudden disclosure of their plan by the Ethiopian dictator Melez Zenawi earlier this month. This spells disaster and state of emergency as hell will break lose on TFG militia positions with no apparent backing from any viable force. As one can expect, the Islamic resistance fighters will surely run over any remaining government troops, -where the clan based TFG militia --they are mainly from the Majeerteen clan armed by Abdullahi Yusuf himself, will evaporate into thin air running in all directions of the country to save their lives.

Unfortunately for the Somali Transitional Government, more bad news will come when the new United States administration takes office. The new Obama government in the U.S.A has clear intentions to withdraw the majority of their military resources from foreign lands in order to concentrate on Afghanistan. Mr. Obama made it clear his troops will leave Iraq in less than two years. Although he had not publicized, one can figure he is not interested in mingling with Somali war affairs, and therefore one should expect any U.S. financial backing of its invasion or geopolitical influence to be seized. This may already have prompted Melez Zenawi to drop all operations in Somalia sensing there will no longer be any incentives for him.

In conclusion, the Somali Transitional Federal Government is in deep trouble and may seize to exist within a few months into year 2009. Its downfall will be accommodated by new resistive forces in the form of their leader, lack of financial assistance by Europeans and Americans, and inadequate military backing by either their own army or outside foreign interference. Most of all, the TFG's future looks dim because of the rise and popularity of the Islamic resistance destined to replace it.

Young Somalis round up in mass arrest in Adis Ababa, Ethiopia

Hundreds of young Somalis have been arrested in the past few days in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

A number were questioned and then released but it is thought at least 200 are still being held.

Most of the arrests took place on Tuesday night and Wednesday in the Bole area, the part of the town where most of the Somali community live.

A Somali embassy spokesman said he understood that security was being tightened before a regional summit.

In some cases young men were taken from their homes while others were arrested in the streets.

A spokesman for the Somali embassy in Addis Ababa said he and his colleagues were going around the police stations to find out what was going on.
No explanation

He said that following the initial round-up, police were now working their way through those arrested, checking their papers, fingerprinting them and then, if everything was in order, letting them go.

He said that as of Friday morning he believed that around 200 Somali citizens were still being held.

Asked how the embassy felt about the raids, the spokesman said he could not say they were happy but that this was the prerogative of the Ethiopian government.

He understood it had security concerns in the Bole area which is close to Addis Ababa's international airport, especially in the light of the upcoming African Union summit, and he added that if there was a security threat in Bole, then the embassy itself could be the first target.

Ethiopia's federal police spokesman, Commander Demsash Hailu, has so far not been able to offer any explanation for the arrests.

BBC: From Bristol to Mogadishu, with love

Living in Mogadishu, the capital of a lawless country, is far from easy.
Thousands of its residents have already fled Somalia as a result of violence between Islamist insurgents and Ethiopian troops, which back the weak but UN-recognised government of Somalia. The country's official unemployment rate is close to 100%.

Read the Full article here On BBC web site

Somali Pirates detained on the act then released by German navy

Several Somali pirates were caught in the act by German navy in Gulf of Aden. The pirates were later released by the German government's orders.

An Egyptian cargo ship were the target of the pirates as they were surrounded by the German navy. The pirates shot and injured a member the crew of the Wadi Al-Arab, the Egyptian cargo ship.

A German navy spokesperson based in Djibouti told the BBC's Greg Morsbach the Somali attackers were disarmed by German sailors and their weapons confiscated.

"We had forces on board the frigate, and they used fast small boats, and together with the helicopter we were able to surround the pirates and disarm them," he said

The Karlscruhe sent a helicopter in support of the cargo ship as it was attacked by the pirates. Later, the injured crew member was taken on board the Karlscruhe ship for treatment.

Press Tv: U.S. Spy Plane Crashes in Somalia

'US' spy plane crashes in Somalia

An unmanned surveillance aircraft controlled by nearby US warships, has come down in the southern Somali town of Baidoa, reports say.

The drone crashed near the town's main airstrip calling the attention of the onlooking soldiers, a Press TV correspondent reported in Somalia.

Holding back reporters, the soldiers took the remains to their bases, witnesses said.

The aircraft, spotted by the locals on a daily basis, are suspected to be manned from the United States warships which patrol Somalia's territorial waters.

The US has tasked half a dozen of the vessels with fighting the Somali pirates. However, with the piracy still going strong, speculations have been fueled that the presence serves other motives.

The drones were reportedly first operated in 2006 after an Ethiopian intervention in support of the country's embattled leadership, that was followed by the ouster of the insurgents.

The reports coincide with the insurgents' regaining ground in the violence-hit country and the daily weakening of the transitional government.

HN/RA

Press Tv: Somali blast kills soldiers, civilians

At least 7 people have been killed and several others injured in an explosion in the southwestern town of Baidoa, witnesses told Press TV.

The cause of the massive explosion is not yet clear.

Three Somali soldiers are among the victims who fell prey to the blast, which occurred after a military convoy of foreign troops entered the region on Wednesday, a Press TV correspondent reported.

No foreign soldiers were injured in the blast.

The blast came as the Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed is in the city to stand before the parliament and explain the country's political turmoil.

Somalia has been without an effective central government since warlords toppled Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.The ongoing violence in Somalia has resulted in the death and displacement of countless civilians.

HE/MD

Ethiopia Refuses to Stay in Somalia

Ethiopia: Somalia pull-out irreversible

Ethiopia has refused a plea by the African Union to delay the planned withdrawal of its forces from Somalia until more troops are deployed.

Ethiopia's decision to withdraw its troops from Somalia was approved by the lower House of People's Representatives and is 'irreversible', said Foreign Ministry spokesman Wahide Belay on Wednesday.

"The Ethiopian army, that successfully discharged its mission in Somalia, will be withdrawn," he added, stressing his country's sustained support for restoration of peace and stability in Somalia after it pulls its troops out of the Horn of Africa nation by the end of the year.

The pull-out plan was announced last month amid fears that the war-torn country could dip further into anarchy and bloodshed unless more peacekeepers are deployed.

"We appeal to Ethiopia to consider phasing out withdrawal, until such time [when] more troops from Nigeria, Uganda and Burundi are deployed in Somalia," the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the AU said at a meeting in Addis Ababa on Monday.

It also cited fears over the alarming security situation in Somalia with piracy mounting given the weakening leadership and insurgents ruling nearly all the country except for the capital Mogadishu and Baidoa.

Some 3,000 Ethiopian troops are currently in Somalia to help 3,400 peacekeepers from Uganda and Burundi that make up the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to support the embattled Transitional Federal Government (TFG).

The Ethiopian withdrawal will further challenge the AU which has failed to send a promised 8,000-srong force to Somalia.

Clashes between government forces backed by foreign militaries-and rebels have left at least 10,000 civilians killed in the last two years and more than a million displaced.

MRS/RA

New Somali Prime Minister resigns

In what appears to be a slap on the face of the now 'certain to resign' Somali warlord President, the Mohamud Mohamed Guled told Somali people he resigned to calm down the rift between the President and his foe lawful Prime minister.

The resignation came one week after his assignment to the Prime Minister position by the President unlawfully.

"I decided to resign as premier of Somalia after considering many situations in the country," Mohamud Mohamed Guled told reporters in the capital Mogadishu on Wednesday.

Many Somalis blame many of the uncertainties in Somalia on the President and his loyalists including Mr. Guled himself. Although it seems unclear what caused him to resign, some reports say Guled decided to step down 'in a political effort to end the arguments among top leaders'.

The rift was recently escalated when on December 16, the Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed unilaterally fired Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein saying the Prime Minister 'failed to bring peace and security' to the nation. A day later, he appointed ex-interior minister Mohamud Mohamed Guled as the new premier.

The dismissal of the Somali Prime Minister caused outrage among Somali MPs, as they described the move as unconstitutional. They accused the president of being a 'dictator' and instead voted for Hussein to continue working as lawful prime minister.

So far, Abdullahi Yusuf, the Somali President is keeping quiet about the resignation of his loyal Prime Minister. Some suspect he is no longer interested in being a part of the TFG and that he plans to resign himself soon. According to PressTv.ir, a presidential aide said that Yusuf has called for a special parliamentary session on Saturday and that it is possible he may resign.

The prospect of Yusuf's resignation grew stronger, when the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Jendayi Frazer, mounted Washington's pressure on the Somali president calling on him to leave office.

Source: Somalia blogs and news
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Somali violence tops catastrophe list

Leading the dire health conditions in Burma and Zimbabwe, the violence in the Horn of Africa nation topped the list which is annually published by the group also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).

Head of MSF mission in Somalia Kenneth Lavelle said unabated struggle between government troops and opposition fighters accounts for daily desertion of cities by civilians.

According to UN estimates, over one million Somalis have fled the fighting which together with political instability has been cited as the root cause of the calamitous situation inside the country.

"Families of five have less than a few square meters to settle in, without proper shelter," Lavelle was quoted as saying on the group's website.

From January to late November, MSF relief workers medically assisted nearly 2,300 people injured by rounds of ammunition.

"We are unable to meet any needs other than the immediate, life-saving needs. Our response is most certainly inadequate when taking into account the gravity of the situation," Lavelle added.

The country has sustained 17 years of instability following the 1991 deposition of the former dictator president Mohammed Siad Bare, which left Somalia without a central government.

The director, however, had said "despite the insecurity, MSF has still been able to respond thanks to our Somali colleagues, who are taking tremendous risks to provide assistance."

The group's list of 2008 catastrophes:

1. Somalia's humanitarian catastrophe
2. Critical health needs in Burma
3. Health crisis in Zimbabwe
4. Civilians trapped by war in eastern Congo
5. Malnutrition
6. Need for assistance in Ethiopia's Somali region
7. Civilians forced to flee fighting in northwestern Pakistan
8. Violence in Sudan
9. Iraqi civilians in need of assistance
10. HIV/Tuberculosis (TB) co-infections

HN/MMN

President Obama Shirtless! Bare Chest Half Naked Photos

Unlike Bush, Obama is outgoing and apparently has no shame. While at a beach, surronded by all the secret service men, apparently "The guy (camera man) just walked along there. He had a camera in his hand. He wasn't hiding behind the bushes. He took some pictures. Everybody saw him. And then he walked off," Griffin said. "It was as simple as that"...

Read the Full article on huffingtonpost.com

What is this world coming to when presidents walk out to the beach and just get their photos taken while they enjoy their leasurely life? Don't people have no shame? or is everything has to be about money?

IGAD Seizes to Support Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf, Agrees Sanctions On The Warlord

Abdullahi Yusuf is feeling pressure from his supporting allies, the sort of pressure that is overdue.

Abdullahi Yusuf, the sitting Somali TFG President is in hot water feeling pressure from all sides of his support including neighbor countries suchas Kenya, EThiopia as well as IGAD.  Ministers of the Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have agreed to impose sanctions against Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf. Abdullahi Yusuf, charged with ordering his clan's gunmen to illegally arrest some legal authorities of the TFG government including the Chairman of the Supreme Court Yusuf Ali Haruun, illegally armed his clan with weapons belonging to the country's transitional government and replaced premier Nur Hassan Hussein with his appointee Mohamud Mohamed Guled, reportedly violating the constitution is now under scrutiny by the same allied bodies who first put him on charge of his Tigres backed government. 

IGAD, the group of governments acting as the regional body overlooking the Somali peace process, technically the group assisting Ethiopia's occupation and American geopolitical influence, are finally giving up on Mr. Yusuf.  IGAD condemns the warlord's actions in calling the firing of the current Prime Minister and assigning a new one that he can control.

IGAD announced their decision that they agree with the Kenyan government for imposing sanctions on Abdullahi Yusuf as earlier this week, Kenya said it could impose a travel ban and asset freeze on the Somali president and his family.  

As well as IGAD, US and the African Union condemn Mr. Yusuf's firing of the Prime Minister and they do not recognize the new appointed Prime minister.

China joins war on Somali pirates

China plans to send three warships to join Iran and the European Union in large-scale anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. 

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Sunday that two navy destroyers and a support vessel are slated to depart for the waters offshore Somalia to join the international fight against pirates attacking vessels in the Gulf of Aden. 

"Their major task is to protect the safety of Chinese ships and crew on board as well as ships carrying humanitarian relief material for the international organizations, such as the United Nations' World Food Program," Liu said. 

A UN resolution on Dec. 16, gave the green light to governments to pursue the armed bandits into inland Somalia in the wake of increased pirate attacks along Somalia's Indian Ocean coast, as well as in the Gulf of Aden. 

Chinese plans to join the fight comes only one day after an Iranian warship sailed off to join vessels from the EU, US, India, Russia, Malaysia and others to battle piracy and create a defensive front in the key shipping-lanes. 

The dispatch comes after Somali raiders hijacked the Iranian-chartered cargo ship, Delight, off the coast of Yemen in November. The Hong Kong-registered ship with 25 crew aboard was loaded with 36,000 tons of wheat bound for the Islamic Republic. 

In an earlier move on August 21, some 40 pirates armed with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades attacked Iran's Diyanat, shortly after the merchant ship passed the Horn of Africa. 

The Gulf of Aden --which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea-is the quickest transit point for more than 20,000 ships going from Asia to Europe and the Americas every year. 

According to the International Maritime Bureau, pirates have attacked almost 100 vessels in the waters leading to and from the Suez Canal this year, and earned tens of millions of dollars in ransom. 

In a report published on Dec. 15, the Time reasoned that the West's age-old policy of marginalizing Somalia's endemic poverty is the main reason behind the explosion of piracy off Somalia's coast. 

"We haven't been as involved in Somalia as we should have been …This is the consequence," the report quoted Britain's Defense Secretary John Hutton as saying. 

 

Abdullahi Yusuf Arms clan with TFG guns Sensing limited days of Presidency

PressTv on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:10:52 GMT Somalia's President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed
Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed has illegally armed his clan with weapons belonging to the country's transitional government, report says.

A fact-finding mission, tasked by the Somali Parliament with investigating accusations of corruption against Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, claims the president arranged for the transfer of the weaponry to his clansmen Majerteen, a Press TV correspondent reported on Thursday.

Informing the lawmakers of the delegation's findings, Parliament spokesman Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur also accused Yusuf Ahmed of pocketing great chunks of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) funds.

The news comes after, on Tuesday, Yusuf Ahmed replaced premier Nur Hassan Hussein with his appointee Mohamud Mohamed Guled, reportedly violating the constitution.

The move came amid Somalia's ongoing struggle to agree on a cabinet since Hussein's predecessor Ali Mohamed Gedi stepped down in October 2007.

Hussein's dismissal and Gedi's resignation have both been put down to the two former officials' defying the president's will to use the state budgets to fund his clansmen and 'other foreign mafia'.

During the parliamentary session, the president was also charged with ordering his clan's gunmen to illegally arrest some legal authorities of the government including the Chairman of the Supreme Court Yusuf Ali Haruun.

HN/RA

Somali warlord President Soon to be Fired!

The majority of legislators voted on Friday in favor of appointing Parliament Speaker Sheik Adan Mohamed Madoobe as the acting president, in case Yusuf refused to attend an impeachment session, A Press TV correspondent reported. 

PRESSTV

The Somali parliament has warned that it would remove President Abdullahi Yusuf should he fail to appear before lawmakers within 14 days. 

The lawmakers issued a two-week ultimatum to the president to appear in parliament and defend himself against the charges, or face arrest. 

The announcement comes a day after Yusuf called the impeachment move an illegal attempt to remove him from power. 

The Somali President came under fire over the weekend for defying the parliament in sacking Prime Minister Nur "Adde" Hassan Hussein. On Tuesday, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed appointed Mohamud Mohamed Guled as the new prime minister. 

Following the appointment, the parliament called for Yusuf's impeachment charging that he has violated 14 articles of Somalia's transitional charter. 

A Gmail to Google Doc

Official Gmail Blog: New in Labs: Turn an email into a Google doc

Ever wanted to save an email into a document? Well, it is now time.  If you have Gmail, just open the desired email and click on Create Document, and Voalla!

Or atleast that is how easy the Gmail developers want you to beleive it is to convert and entire email with attachments and kilobytes of text into a simple online document, that you can open from anywhere in the world, or share it with friends that are in the Google apps family.

For a complete write up on this new and exciting feature of Gmail, Read this article

GMail, The Extraordinary Email App! Now has Video and Voice Chat

Being able to switch from email to chat, to video chat, to sending SMS to your friends, all within the same browser window, well that is productivity in its extreme.

I gotta tell you, this GMail keeps on getting better.  Email, chat, SMS, Video, Voice, VoiceMail, all on the same web browser window!  No single program ever put together those features on the same roof!  Let alone have them all work on the same web browser windows, - a tough task on its own.

GMail as Online Storage, the History

Most of us were happy with the 2GB hard disk space Google gave us way back, a few years back, and called it GMail.  At the time, before GMail arrived, Microsoft's Hotmail and Yahoo covered the email needs of millions of users with mere 2MB online disk space.  Instantly, GMail was a hit, because it provided 1000 times the space its competitors were giving.  It meant no deleting emails to empty inboxes so that you may receive new ones.  It also meant no more forcefully checking your email every few days so Hotmail doesn't close the account -something it still does.  Most of all, it meant virtually unlimited space for all of your emails, pictures, word and pdf documents, your entire address book.  That space now over 7 GB and will be 10 GB soon.

Soon after, GMail became the wanted email to have!  At some point, it was cooler to own a GMail account than to have your own domain name email.  So, to slow down the influx of registrants, GMail's new registrations got restricted to by-invitation-only.

Most users heard about GMail from friends, from there on, and they either were invited to it, or were left out waiting for the day it got public.  Well, it got public and now, to keep the excitement, the features of this email program that runs on the fastest servers in the world, the Google servers, keep getting bigger and better.

Speaking about features, what does GMail's competitors have for their users?  Start with Hotmail, the last I remember, it is just plain old email.  Nothing much else.  Yes it can recognize photos and will put them in a fancy collection.  But, the biggest thing you can do is, well, email.  Send and receive emails, reply to them etc.

GMail as Instant Messenger on Web Browser

Well, GMail on the other hand, the regular stuff other emails allow you to do, send email, receive email, reply, delete, store etch, you can do them better here.  I am not here to discuss those, because they're so common.  But you can chat inside the GMail.  That is right, if you see a friend online via your GMail, while you type your email, just click on their name and a little chat window - pretty on new browsers, shows up on both ends.  You just start talking to your dear friend.  Why is this feature so special when MSN Messenger does the trick?

Well my friend, how often do you go to a friend's house and notice their computer does not have MSN Messenger installed? But they do have Internet.  So you check your email. And there is no other means to talk to your contacts, right?

Well with Gmail you can.  Right inside the GMail itself.

I thought I had said enough about the exciting features of GMail.  Then you look and see its got other cool features, with regards to communication.

GMail as free SMS Tool

Communication is the primary focus for GMail.  I reported the other day that GMail now allows sending SMS to all american phone numbers with no charge to you!  If you're the one sending!  The receiver gets charged local incoming SMS fees depending on their plan.

As that was not enough, GMail takes communication further to the next level!

GMAIL Voice and Video Chat

Now, out of the GMail develop laps, 'since sometimes reading "lol" doesn't deliver the same punch as actually hearing your friend laugh at your jokes, you can now use voice and video capabilities in your Gmail chat. From within Gmail, you can have an actual conversation with someone (seriously, out loud), or even chat face to face over video.'   This is a quote straight from GMail help.

This feature was first introduced back in November 11, 2008.  Hearing this for the first time, I feel so out dated.  But because the programs of GMail are working day and night, even GMail user experts need time to catch up to them. being able to switch from email to chat, to video chat, to sending SMS to your friends, all within the same browser window, well that is productivity in its extreme.

Reference:

Official Gmail Blog: Say hello to Gmail voice and video chat

Source: Somalia blogs and news 
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 Additional Somali Sources

Af Soomaali blog | Somalia Blog | YouSomali | Number 1 Somali Blogs |  Mogadishu News | Current Somali News  |  Somali News Articles | United Islamic Courts Blog | Somali News Blog | Somali By Somalis | Somali Cities Blogs | US Agenda In Somalia | Somali Music

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GMail Chat! Video and Voice Now in the Package

I gotta tell you, this GMail keeps on getting better.  Email, chat, SMS, Video, Voice, VoiceMail, all on the same web browser window!  No single program ever put together those features on the same roof!  Let alone have them all work on the same web browser windows, - a tough task on its own.Official Gmail Blog: Say hello to Gmail voice and video chat.  To get the scoop, read the full article I written about on this topic.   GMail, The Extraordinary Email App! Now has Video and Voice Chat

Friends Offline? Send them SMS via GMail

Your Gmail account is no longer just your chat, email and storage tool.  It is now your SMS tool, soon to come. 

"Now you can keep the conversations going with a new Labs feature that lets you send SMS text messages right from Gmail." says Gmail Leo Dirac, Product Manager of Gmail.

Your Gmail account can now send Simple Text Messages to all your friends in the United States.  As the Gmail team work on this feature and perfect it in the near future, we can expect free SMS send from Gmail accounts all over the world.  Currently, you can send an SMS to U.S. Phone numbers but the good thing is, you can do this from anywhere in the world.

That means, if you are in Africa and your friend is in the U.S., you can shoot them SMS straight to their phone and they can reply back to your GMail chat just like Instant Messaging.  The down side is that the receiver may or may not be charged for the incoming SMS depending on their plan with their respective provider.

GMail users may be proud of GMail for its storage and search efficiency, but trust me, they'll love it for this one!

Read this news on the GMail blog.

Official Gmail Blog: Really new in Labs this time: SMS Text Messaging for chat

Source: Somalia blogs and news 
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 Additional Somali Sources

Af Soomaali blog | Somalia Blog | YouSomali | Number 1 Somali Blogs |  Mogadishu News | Current Somali News  |  Somali News Articles | United Islamic Courts Blog | Somali News Blog | Somali By Somalis | Somali Cities Blogs | US Agenda In Somalia | Somali Music

Other Somali Sources Amin Arts Discussions | Somali News and Blogs