Ethiopian Troops Drove Somalis Militias to the Sea

Somalis transitional government Prime Minister, Ali Mohamed Ghedi has entered the capital Mogadishu heading an armoured convoy, a day after the Somali government's troops backed by the Ethiopian troops drove the militias out of the capital city of Somalia, BBC said.

Cheering crowds lined the streets to welcome the Somalis PM, who has declared a three months period of martial law. Some Somalis threw stones as the convoy and protested against Ethiopia but they fled when the forces opened fire on the air.

Ghedi said "Today is the beginning of a new life, new stabilisation and a new future for Somalia." He told the crowds that he believes most of the so called Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) militias were destroyed in the fighting. Thousands militiamen loyal to the UIC have now fled the city towards the sea where their second stronghold lies in the port of Kismayo. One of their leaders said they will never leave Somalia.

Ghedi held talks with clan leaders. He called for their cooperation and he said "This country has experienced anarchy and in order to restore security we need a strong hand, especially with freelance militias."

Meanwhile, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyom Mesfin has flown by helicopter to Baidoa for talks. He said the situation in Somalia is stable and very promising.

The African Union has called for Ethiopian troops to leave the country, while Ghedi said the Ethiopian troops will leave when they complete their help to the government to bring stability. Security Council failed to agree on a statement calling for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Somalia, BBC said.

News says the UN flights are due to resume to Somalia today, after being suspended during the past week because of the fighting. The UN estimates about 30,000 people have been displaced during the fighting and causalities have been high.

Earlier this month UN reports say that at least 8,000 Ethiopian troops may be in the country, while rival Eritrea is said to have deployed some 2,000 troops in support of the UIC. News said the Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki denied his country had troops deployed in Somalia.

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Somalis to Resume Peace Talks

Hundreds of Somalis fled Baidoa in southern Somalia when the fighting continued between the Transitional Federal Government and the so-called Union of Islamic Courts today (Thursday). Confrontation between the two sides erupted on Tuesday a day before the arrival of the European Commissioner (EC) for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel. Most of the fleeing people are agro-pastoralists, media sources reported.

Louis Michel arrived to Somalia to mediate between the Transitional Government and The so-called Union of Islamic Courts. The International delegate led an EC delegation to Baidoa the residence of the Transitional Government to talk with President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi. He travelled to Mogadishu later for discussion with the so-called Union of Islamic Courts' leader, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys and other leader in his group.

The head of the EC delegation concluded after talks his mission has achieved "a full success," and he announced that both sides were "reiterated their commitment to the Khartoum dialogue process and political solution to the Somali crisis".

Both parties appreciated the EC delegation, expressed their hope to achieve peace and agreed to resume peace talks and cease hostilities.

Hundreds of people have died in the last clashes. Commitment to peace talk from the UIC always seems as a hollow balloon, while the Khartoum peace talks are a real tragicomedy.

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Political Refugees

UN Agrees to Peace Troops for Somalia!

The UN Security Council authorises a regional force to support Somalia's weak transitional government which faces pressures from Islamist militias, BBC says. The United States-led resolution, co-sponsored by Tanzania, Congo and Ghana, urged the Somali government to resume peace talks.

The resolution called to allow Somali government to re-arm after an arms embargo the government faces since 1992. The Security Council agrees to support an 8000 strong mission from the seven nations of east African body, Igad.

The resolution, adopted unanimously by the 15 nation council and said Somalia's transitional government represented the only route to achieve peace and stability in the country, which has been without effective central government since 1991.

Observers say it will take a long time for any peacekeepers to arrive and the resolution may be primarily intended to show symbolic support for the government.

However, the Islamic Courts (UIC) which seized the capital Mogadishu in June and took control of most of the country refused the resolution and said the will consider any foreign forces in the country as a foreign invasion which will be faced in turn by fighting.

Meanwhile, the UIC has declared war on Ethiopia which has twice fought wars over control of Ethiopia's large Somali-speaking region. Ethiopia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Tekeda Alemu has held direct talks in Djibouti with senior representatives of Somalia's Union of Islamic Courts.

Ethiopia has explained its support of the transitional government against the UIC. News says representatives from neighbouring nations, as well as Kenya's ambassador to Somalia took part in that meeting.

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Senior Ethiopian Judge Seeks UK Asylum!

The Ethiopian Supreme Court president, Tse-hale Aberra said the Ethiopian government kills its critics, so that's why he fled his country after threats and "continued harassment". He told the BBC that he'll seek UK asylum. He said the Ethiopian Government was planning to appoint new loyalist judges throughout the system.

He accused the government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of killing its critics, but managing to avoid international blame. Speaking to the BBC's Focus on Africa programme, Tse-hale Aberra said Meles' government is just as bad as that of its predecessor, led by Mengistu Haile Mariam. "The difference is these guys are wise -- these people kill whoever they feel like and then ask: who killed them?"

Tse-hale is the latest in a series of senior officials - judges, diplomats and military commanders - to flee the country, BBC said.

Another judge, Wolde-Michael Meshesha, has fled the country recently after carrying out an investigation into the suppression of protests against alleged fraud in last year's elections.

He said in his report, the police had massacred 193 people. He added the government had concealed the true extent of deaths at the hands of the police. He claimed he had been put under pressure to alter his findings and fled into hiding in Europe when he received anonymous death threats.

More than 100 opposition leaders, journalists and aid workers were rounded up during the protests and are currently on trial, accused of treason and attempted genocide, BBC said.

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UN Urges Eritrea to Withdraw from a Buffer Zone!

UN warns Eritrea and calls for immediate withdrawal to Eritrean troops from a buffer zone between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Meanwhile, Ethiopia says it is carefully monitoring Eritrean incursion into a buffer zone between the two countries.

The UN Secretary-General described the Eritrean incursion as a major violation of the ceasefire agreement, and urged Eritrea to withdraw its troops and cooperate with the UN in restoring the ceasefire arrangement. The spokesman for UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said the Eritrean Defence Forces had taken over one UNMEE checkpoint in the (TSZ)

NEWS from Nairobi the capital of Kenya says Eritrea has deployed 1,500 troops and 14 tanks to a buffering zone along the Eritrean-Ethiopian borders. The buffer zone was created after the last war between the two countries over their disputed frontier.

Eritrean information minister, Ali Abdu said the Eritrean troops had moved to the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) to help harvest crops from the state-run farms there which constitute one-third of Eritrean territory.

Eritrea and Ethiopia has agreed to the ruling of the border commission reached in April 2002. However, Ethiopia stalled the physical demarcation of the border in 2003. The Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi accepted finally the boundary demarcation in five-point peace proposal called for a meeting with Eritrea to work out adjustments to the border on both sides, the IRIN said.

Eritrea has rejected calls for fresh talks. Ali Abdu urged that Ethiopia to be blamed for continuous tension over the border, because it refused to abide by the decision of an international border commission.

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Somali Crisis Continues!

UIC Militias Occupy Key Port and Ethiopian Troops March in Baidoa!

The Somali Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) said Ethiopia has declared war against Somalia and the Islamic Courts will defend their land. Ten vehicles of Ethiopian troops have entered South Somalia yesterday in their way to Baidoa to support the very weak transitional government. Ethiopia denied sending troops to occupy Somalia, or to help the government against the UIC.

"The incursion of Ethiopian troops into Somalia territories is a declaration of war on Somalia," said UIC national security chairman Sheikh Yusuf Indahaadde. He calls on international community to urge Ethiopia to withdraw its troops from Somalia. He warns "if that doesn't happen the consequences of insecurity created by Ethiopia will spread to neighbouring countries and to the East Africa as a whole."

The Somali government spokesman Abdurrahman Dinari denied that any Ethiopian had crossed the border and said the reports were being fabricated by the Islamists to distract attention from their advance into Kismayo.

The UIC took control of the key port city of Kismayo on Sunday after the Defence Minister Barre Hilraale and his forces fled their headquarters in the city. Thousands of Somalis are reported to have fled the city. The UIC occupied the city to prevent it being used to bring foreign peacekeepers into the country, as requested by the interim government.

Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Ghedi has appealed for international help against "al-Qaeda" and "terrorists" expansion, as he appealed for regional help saying "I would appeal to the governments of the region to join our efforts and protect the region from the expansion of this al-Qaeda network, these terrorists."

The UIC have repeatedly denied having any links to al-Qaeda and said to only seek restoring security and stability to Somalia. Somalia has never gained effective national government for more than 15 years, and the last government of Siad Barry had built the country nothing than a military dictatorial system.

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SOS Mourns Tragic Death of Italian Sister!

SOS Children's Villages mourns the tragic death of Italian Sister Leonella Sgorbati and her bodyguard who were both shot dead by gunmen in Mogadishu at noon last 17 September 2006.

"The worldwide family of SOS Children's Villages deeply mourns the death of Sister Leonella Sgorbati, who dedicated her life to carrying out humanitarian and development work in Africa. For the past four years and in spite of the dangerous situation in Somalia, Sister Leonella worked tirelessly in the setting up and operating the nursing school of SOS Children's Villages in Mogadishu, which offered you people the opportunity to complete a nursing course," said Helmut Kutin, president SOS Children's Villages.

"The entire SOS Children's Villages family feels the pain of this tragic loss, and our deep condolences go to Sister Leonella's family, to all the Sisters in her Order and her many colleagues and friends at SOS Children's Villages in Mogadishu."

The Italian Sister aged 66, was responsible for setting up operation of the nursing school at SOS Hospital in the Somali capital, which is the only hospital with a functioning maternity ward and gynaecological care facility in Somalia. Following her wish, her body was brought to Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, where she will be buried later this week.

Three Italian nuns working on a voluntary basis for the international children's welfare organization in Mogadishu were immediately evacuated from Somalia on Sunday evening by Willy Huber, the regional director of SOS Children's Villages for East Africa, SOS said.

Read more at -

http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org
http://artsublog.blogspot.com

Disastrous Future!

I don't know what to say. The future of this land seems disastrous.

Last Collapse of the Interim Somali Government!

The political map in Somalia shows great spread to the Somali areas controlled by the Union of Islamic Courts and their allies, in comparison to those small areas controlled by the Somali government in Baidoa.

Somalia's interim government was formed two years ago to work for unity and bring stability to a country which had been divided among clan based militias since the fall of the Somali dictator Mohammed Siad Barre in 1991.

Although some militia leaders have given posts in interim government but some of them retain control over their own forces. This point makes the government too weak to handle its national integrity tasks.

One of those militia's leader who is the transport minister called on the interim government to leave its based headquarters in Baidoa. Mohammed Ibrahim Habsade told the BBC that militiamen would eject government members by force if they did not withdraw peacefully.

The two top officials of the Islamic Courts (UIC) flew to Libya where an African Union meeting is due to take place, BBC said. News sources speculated that Libya has invited Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys and Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed to Tripoli to arrange talks between them and the Somali government.

According to what the BBC said, a long-delayed second round of peace talks began in Khartoum the capital city of Sudan at the weekend between the government and the UIC, which controls a large part of southern Somalia including the capital Mogadishu.

Read Political news in Arabic at: http://they-shoot-horses.blogspot.com

First UN Contact with Somali's Islamists!

A UN security team of two members teamed towards Mogadishu for first contact with Somali's Islamists. UN chief security adviser for Somalia Joe Gordon met Sheikh Sheriff Sheikh Ahmed, one of the Islamist leaders and observed the situation in the capital which is put in heavy security by the new control of the Islamist militias.

Meanwhile Sheikh Hassan Dahir commented on a statement attributed to Osama bin Laden which contains a warning to the West not to interfere in Somalia, in which Dahir said it had nothing to do with the Union of Islamic Courts.

Under fighting and destructive atmosphere of violence most aid workers have pulled out of Mogadishu. A Swedish journalist was shot dead at a rally in the city last month BBC said.

Mass Killings in Darfur!

Luis Moreno Ocampo, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) says he has documented evidence of thousands of killings of civilians in Darfur region in west Sudan.

The prosecutor who is investigating alleged crimes against humanity declares the killings include large scale massacres and hundreds of rape. Investigators from the ICC have not been able to travel to Darfur, the BBC says, but they have managed to collect information about thousands of alleged murders in the western region of Sudan.

While the authorities in Khartoum the capital city of Sudan say they're continuing to set up courts and the Sudanese judiciary will investigate allegations of abuse, the ICC prosecutor says they do not appear to have done that. He adds that the government has agreed to interviews with officials in August this year.

Uganda Refuses a Sudanese Delegated Peace Talk with LRA!

Takes to mediate in the Ugandan conflict between government and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) are taking place in Southern Sudan. However the Ugandan government refuses to meet the rebel's leadership. Ugandan authorities declare their refusal because the rebel's leadership had been accused by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes.

Uganda's Foreign Minister Okello Oryem confirmed there's no reason to meet indicted leaders and suggested the rebel insurgency's leadership be arrested. "We cannot have head-to-head meetings with the indicted LRA commanders. We would have to arrest them immediately", he said.

Oryem indicated that the LRA is a regional problem now, not a Uganda problem. "Those countries, in which they hide, namely South Sudan and the DRC, have a responsibility to act, along with the UN forces. They should be sincere and serious about doing what is necessary according to the ICC", he suggested.

A delegation of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/SPLA) headed by South Sudan's vice President, Riek Machar, held meetings last May with the LRA leadership to pave the way for political resettlement to the Ugandans conflict. Takes started after the southern Sudanese authority expelled the LRA forces from their location in southern Sudan.

Joseph Koney, the LRA leader confirmed during one of the meetings that his rebels are fighting for peace. He declared their willingness to negotiate peace to end two decades of fighting that claimed the lives of thousands of people and displaced nearly two million Ugandans. "The LRA is ready to talk peace and end the war in a good way, not by force", he said in a video footage while addressing the Sudanese delegation.

The International Police Organisation (Interpol) has issued notices about wanted people including Kony and four of his commanders on behave of the ICC. The ICC indicted the five leaders on 12 counts of crimes against humanity and 21 counts of war crimes.

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Historical Backgrounds:

LRA was formed in 1987 and started operation mainly in north Uganda. Its leader self-proclaimed prophet, Joseph Kony proclaims himself as a spirit medium and he is oriented to establish a state based on his own interpretation of the Bible. His fighters are from the Acholi tribe. The rebels have been accused of human rights violations, including the use of child soldiers (LRA kidnapped around 20.000 Childs), the abduction of civilians and other war crimes. It's known in the media that the LRA has terrorised northern Uganda for since its formation.

The rebels grew one year after the overthrow of President Tito Okello from the ethnic Acholi, by the National Resistance Army (NRA) of Yowri Museveni who descended from another tribe in southwest Uganda, so his support base lies within the tribes of southern Uganda.

The Acholi supported their son Joseph Kony fearing the loss of their traditional dominance of the national military. They also feared that NRA would seek retribution for the brutal counterinsurgency, particularly the actions of the army in the Luwero Triangle, which lies in the north of the capital city of Kampala in Luwero district. The term used to refer to an area renowned for the persecution of civilians during the second regime of President Milton Obote.

The civil war that led Museveni to power claimed an estimated 100.000 lives and caused 1.6 refugees to flee the country.

The Acholi perceived in the south as being a naturally violent race. The Bugandan tribe in the south doesn’t care about them fighting against themselves in the north.

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Sudan Exports Political Conflicts!

Chad's President Idriss Deby accuses Sudan of fomenting conflicts in country and the region. Deby says Sudan is exporting its war into Chad during a meeting in the Chadian capital city of N’djamena, with members of the UN Security Council, touring Africa to encourage conflicts' resolutions.

Deby condemned Sudan saying the threat to the security of his country and the entire central African region was the work of Khartoum.

As the Chadian President spoke in his heavily guarded palace in central N’djamena to the visiting Security Council diplomats, soldiers and plainclothes agents with automatic weapons stood outside the room.

Three months ago, rebels entered N’djamena and tried to overthrow President Deby, before being forced back by loyal troops.

Deby accuses Sudan of backing those rebels, but a UN refugee agency said at the moment; both countries openly support rebel activities against the other.

The Sudanese dictatorial regime which lead by what's so called the Islamic National fronts played the principle role in bringing Deby to power 16 years ago through the same tactics of military coup, the Sudanese dictators used to overthrow the third allegedly called DEMOCRACY.

Deby's party was called the Patriotic Salvation Movement, the same way the Islamic National Front called its ruling council. Sudanese dictators supported him because he came from Zaghawa ethnic group which spreads between Sudan and Chad and because he came with the same alleged Islamic political orientations.

During a 1987 confrontation between Chad and Libya in which Libya spread its military forces in the Chadian's North region, Hussein Habre accused Deby of preparing a coup, so the later fled after 1989 first to Libya and then to Sudan where he formed the Patriotic Salvation Movement, as insurgent group supported by Libya and Sudan. In 2 December 1990 his troops entered N'djamena.

Relations between Sudan and Chad are very poor and cross-borders fighting have made life in the region intolerable, BBC says.

Violence has got worse in Chad, the UN says, since the change of the constitution, which spreads the chances for the recent president to stand for an unlimited number of terms in office.

Islamists Control Mogadishu!

After weeks of bloody fighting the so called Islamic Courts claimed control of the Somali capital city of Mogadishu. Meanwhile the African Union called upon the USA to maintain building strong government in Somalia.

In his statement on the local radio stations, the Union of Islamic Courts leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed announced the fall of the warlords and urged residents to accept the new leadership.

The Islamist militia is waging war against what's called warlords allegedly supported by the US. The warlords have controlled Mogadishu since they toppled the dictator Mohammed Siyad Barre in 1991.

Interim PM Ali Mohammed Ghedi who sacked four powerful Mogadishu-based warlords serving as ministers says his government wants to begin a dialogue with the Islamists.

The four sacked ministers include Security Minister Mohammed Qanyare Afrah and Trade Minister Sudi Yalahow who over the weekend lost control of their Mogadishu strongholds the BBC said.

Most of Qanyare's fighters have joined the Islamist militia, but Sudi Yalahow's commanders remain in Mogadishu and are locked in talks over their next move, the BBC reported from the Somali capital.

Nine of the eleven Mogadishu-based warlords have now left the capital city.

الاتحاد الافريقي يطلب من واشنطن مساعدة الصومال
في الوقت الذي أعلنت فيه ميليشيا المحاكم الاسلامية سيطرتها على العاصمة الصومالية مقديشو، دعا الاتحاد الأفريقي الولايات المتحدة إلى العمل من أجل تأسيس حكومة قوية في الصومال. هذا و قد قال رئيس جمهورية الكنغو، رئيس الدورة الحالية للاتحاد الافريقي، قال بعد اجتماع مع الرئيس الامريكي جورج بوش يوم الاثنين الماضي انهما ناقشا الوضع في الصومال و كيفية قيام الولايات المتحدة و الدول الاخري بالمساعدة في انهاء العنف هناك. و قال ساسو ان الاتحاد الافريقي يسعي جاهدا لحل الازمة الصومالية و حث ادارة الرئيس الامريكي علي بذل المزيد من الجهود لإقامة حكومة في الصومال دون تقديم المساعدات لامراء الحرب الذين يقاتلون للسيطرة علي البلاد. __________________________________________________________

Islamic Courts seize key Somali town!

So called Islamist militias seize key Somali town near Mogadishu the Somali capital, BBC said early today.

The Somalia's Islamic Courts militia claimed victory over a group of rival secular politicians on Monday. News said the militia has succeeded to control Ballad, 30 km north of Mogadishu. The town is a strategic point as it lies on the main road to the most fertile regions in Somalia called the Lower and Middle Shabelle regions.

The town was controlled by Muse Sudi Yalahow, who is officially the Trade Minister in the Somali Transitional Government set up to bring peace to Somalia.

15 people were at least killed; the residents told the BBC and said that the other militia fled Ballad towards the town of Jowhar.

Estimated causalities of the last month reached 330 people who were killed in different ambushes.

The Islamic Courts said once again the warlords in the Anti-Terror Alliance were being backed by the United States.

On Friday, thousands of people held an anti-US demonstration in Mogadishu. "Down with the unbelievers and down with the dollar receivers," read one banner.

Adsense Errors!

I wonder why some adsense is posted in such space like this here on other blogs, but my own template gives me errors after errors when I did paste the java script f.ex in this space.

Reporters wanted!

Reporters wanted. If you're settling in the area, just use the form on the coming page. Click on this headline above. You should be a journalist for at least 6 years.
This opportunity will open great potentiality for you worldwide.


وكالة القرن الأفريقي للأنباء في حاجة إليك إذا كنت صحفيا من منطقة القرن الأفريقي و لك من الخبرة 6 سنوات علي الأقل. استخدم الفورم المناسب الموجود علي عنوان الموقع التالي الذي يمكنك الوصول إليه عن طريق النقر علي العنوان أعلاه

Somalis to Reject Somaliland!

Thousands of Somalis are fleeing their capital city Mogadishu after gun battle that left at least 60 people dead, BBC said. Tension also escalated towards Somaliland. Somalis in Mogadishu expressed that they're not happy of the declaration of self-independence the Somaliland has undertaken after the collapse of Mohamed Siad Berri's dictatorial regime in 1991.

Trocaire's Workers in Darfur Arrested!

Irish charity Trocaire calls for immediate release of two staff members who work on a local relief centre in the western region of Darfur.

Trocaire's two coordinators Mossaad Mohamed Ali and Adam Mohammed Sharief have been arrested by Sudanese authorities on Tuesday, a day after they were interrogated by officers from the Sudanese National Security Bureau, the charity said in statement on Thursday.

Trocaire said the detainees' family members as well as United Nations staff in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State, had been unable to visit the aid workers since they had been arrested.

Reporters for HOA Needed!

Reporters from the Horn of Africa are needed to freelance HOA.

If you're a journalist with min. 6 years experiences you're welcome to join our team.
Please use the suitable form at the link beyond the headline above.
__________________

وكالة القرن الأفريقي للأنباء في حاجة إليك إذا كنت صحفيا من منطقة القرن الأفريقي و لك من الخبرة 6 سنوات علي الأقل. استخدم الفورم المناسب الموجود علي عنوان الموقع التالي الذي يمكنك الوصول إليه عن طريق النقر علي العنوان أعلاه

Somali Islamist Militia Advances

An Islamist militia makes significant advances while battling for the Somali capital Mogadishu reports said last night.
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اشتباكات عنيفة في مقديشو

اشتباكات عنيفة في العاصمة الصومالية مقديشو تسفر عن سقوط 20 قتيلا خلال الليل في أسوأ موجة عنف على مدى عقد من الزمن و مئات من سكان العاصمة يغادرون منازلهم في الوقت الذي تتحدث فيه الأنباء عن حلول الموعد النهائي لإخلاء الأسلحة و المليشيات من العاصمة الصومالية