Jan 25, 2009
Just in: Sheikh Sharif Ahmed running for president
Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, the former leader of the Union of Islamic Courts, announced he was running for president, in the peace talks currently held in Djibouti. There are many other contenders, and his announcement doesn't come as a surprise. He has a strong support from the parliament and he himself will select about 200 MPs - he has a good chance of becoming president
Somalia Update
More deaths in Mogadishu. AU peacekeepers retaliated with heavy artilary to an Al-Shabab suicide bombing in Mogadishu yesterday, the result: more than 20 civilians dead and 30 more injured. The minaret of one of the more famous mosques in Mogadishu, Sheik Ali Sufi mosque, was damaged by an artilary shell.
Al-Shabab, and other Islamist militias, made it clear they will continue fighting the African Union peacekeepers despite the withdrawal of Ethiopian forces from Mogadishu. Now, the 3000 AU peacekeepers are trapped in Mogadishu, attacked by Al-Shabab and despised by the population. Their presence in Mogadishu has only made the situation worse and the question is: what peace are they suppose to keep? Not only is there no peace, there is no political process that could lead to peace - at least not anytime soon.
The government has virtually collapsed but there now sign it might be resurructed. Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, the former leader of the Union of Islamic Courts, had signed a power-sharing deal with the government few months ago - it was never implemented, until now.
The opportunity came when former president Abdullah Yusuf, who had opposed the power-sharing deal, resigned. Now Sharif Ahmed, prime minister Nur Adde, speaker of the parliament Adan Madobe and MPs are gathering in Djibouti to select a new president and form a new government that includes Sheikh Sharif Ahmed's Islamist supporters. The talks in Djibouti is sponsored by the UN and has the support of the international community, or so it seems.
Back in Somalia, Al-Shabab and Ras Kamboni brigades reject the legitimacy of the government, even if other Islamists join it and say they will continue fighting as long as foreign troops are present in Somalia. They control large part of southern Somalia including the strategic port city of Kismayo and are heavily present in Mogadishu.
The Ethiopians are still around, too. Barre Hirale, a veteran warlord, told BBC Somali radio that he is heading to Kismayo with his militia along with Ethiopian troops to fight Al-Shabab. Hirale was chased out of Kismayo in 2006 by the Union of Islamist Courts and in 2008 by Al-Shabab, and twice more before that. He is one of a number groups that had been armed by Ethiopia in anticipation of their withdrawal.
Ethiopian had troops inside Somalia since 1996, backing and arming warlords - and Eritea has been doing the same, too. For Ethiopia and Eritrea are back in the business of proxy wars, in Somalia.
Al-Shabab, and other Islamist militias, made it clear they will continue fighting the African Union peacekeepers despite the withdrawal of Ethiopian forces from Mogadishu. Now, the 3000 AU peacekeepers are trapped in Mogadishu, attacked by Al-Shabab and despised by the population. Their presence in Mogadishu has only made the situation worse and the question is: what peace are they suppose to keep? Not only is there no peace, there is no political process that could lead to peace - at least not anytime soon.
The government has virtually collapsed but there now sign it might be resurructed. Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, the former leader of the Union of Islamic Courts, had signed a power-sharing deal with the government few months ago - it was never implemented, until now.
The opportunity came when former president Abdullah Yusuf, who had opposed the power-sharing deal, resigned. Now Sharif Ahmed, prime minister Nur Adde, speaker of the parliament Adan Madobe and MPs are gathering in Djibouti to select a new president and form a new government that includes Sheikh Sharif Ahmed's Islamist supporters. The talks in Djibouti is sponsored by the UN and has the support of the international community, or so it seems.
Back in Somalia, Al-Shabab and Ras Kamboni brigades reject the legitimacy of the government, even if other Islamists join it and say they will continue fighting as long as foreign troops are present in Somalia. They control large part of southern Somalia including the strategic port city of Kismayo and are heavily present in Mogadishu.
The Ethiopians are still around, too. Barre Hirale, a veteran warlord, told BBC Somali radio that he is heading to Kismayo with his militia along with Ethiopian troops to fight Al-Shabab. Hirale was chased out of Kismayo in 2006 by the Union of Islamist Courts and in 2008 by Al-Shabab, and twice more before that. He is one of a number groups that had been armed by Ethiopia in anticipation of their withdrawal.
Ethiopian had troops inside Somalia since 1996, backing and arming warlords - and Eritea has been doing the same, too. For Ethiopia and Eritrea are back in the business of proxy wars, in Somalia.
Jan 1, 2009
I'm back from a long break from blogging. I wanted to congratulate everyone on the new year but that would inappropriate when Israel, in only five days, murdered four hundred Palestinians, and injured close to two thousand, in Gaza while the world watches.
The tragedy is that nobody will stop Israel, and Arabs in particular. How could they when their governments are part of the plot, and specially Egypt which had approved of bombing Gaza in the hope of getting rid of Hamas.
The suffering of the people of Gaza didn't start five days ago. For more than a year, they had to endure a merceless seige both from Israel and from Egypt. Basic food and drugs were not allowed in, let alone the loss of jobs and the complete destruction of the local economy. As the Arabic saying goes "the aggression from your brother is more painful than that of the enemy", and for Gazans, it's the Egyptian government that had refused to open the Rafah crossing to let in food and medicine, and it hurts more.
The people in the Arab world have expressed their anger at their governments, but they know better than to expect much from them or the Arab League. Some of the Arab governments, just as it was with the Lebanon war in 2006, are counting on Israel to take out Hamas. At the end, Arab leaders will have a summit and meet when it's all over, and conguratulate themselves that they still have their seats.
And After Israel feels it has killed enough Palestinians and pulls out, the people of Gaza will still be under seige and as the Egyptian president confirmed Rafah crossing will not be opened.
The tragedy is that nobody will stop Israel, and Arabs in particular. How could they when their governments are part of the plot, and specially Egypt which had approved of bombing Gaza in the hope of getting rid of Hamas.
The suffering of the people of Gaza didn't start five days ago. For more than a year, they had to endure a merceless seige both from Israel and from Egypt. Basic food and drugs were not allowed in, let alone the loss of jobs and the complete destruction of the local economy. As the Arabic saying goes "the aggression from your brother is more painful than that of the enemy", and for Gazans, it's the Egyptian government that had refused to open the Rafah crossing to let in food and medicine, and it hurts more.
The people in the Arab world have expressed their anger at their governments, but they know better than to expect much from them or the Arab League. Some of the Arab governments, just as it was with the Lebanon war in 2006, are counting on Israel to take out Hamas. At the end, Arab leaders will have a summit and meet when it's all over, and conguratulate themselves that they still have their seats.
And After Israel feels it has killed enough Palestinians and pulls out, the people of Gaza will still be under seige and as the Egyptian president confirmed Rafah crossing will not be opened.
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