The U.S. is creating more military bases in Africa because of its national and economic interest. It sees China making a big footprint in the continent, the threat of terrorist networks, and to get its pie for Africa's natural resources. It all comes down to these three above points. I know it matters which surrogates it should use in the execution of these objectives.

Suldaan, is this the first clash or are you speaking of new ones ensuing after PL police vacated the city?

^May Allah help them out. IA, they will get support from both inside and outside the country.

So Juje, who is to blame in this mass exodus? People are fleeing because they do not want to be used as a shield or be caught in the cross fire. It is imperative that the insurgents renounce violence or stop using the population as human shield. Look at Baidabo. The TFG has been in that city ever since it came out of the exile that it was in. The city is peaceful ever since. Geel Jire, I don't think majority of the people who were uprooted from Mogadisho conjure up these images to justify the population exodus of Mogadisho. This unfortunate predicament is the outcome of the two groups that are in conflict. It is not in their making , nor is there a Somali clan engaged in this perceived "pogrom". Let us avoid proposing demented causes or ill-driven, tribalistic cause for this war.

U.N. mulls protection of civilians in armed conflict November 21, 2007 The U.N. Security Council held on Tuesday an open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, with U.N. officials and council members urging more international efforts in this area. During the open meeting, the 15-member council heard a briefing by Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes on U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's latest report on the subject. The report contains an update on progress made in implementing Security Council resolution 1674, adopted in April 2006, which calls for council action to protect civilians in armed conflict, and strengthening the framework for the protection of civilians elaborated by the council and other partners in recent years. Speaking at the debate, Ban called on the international community to ensure the protection of civilians in armed conflict, proposing the establishment of a working group in the U.N. Security Council to oversee related efforts. "The protection of civilians is and must remain an absolute priority," Ban stressed, saying that he had proposed in the report the establishment of a Security Council working group on the protection of civilians. "I believe the establishment of such a group is an important next step, perhaps even an inevitable next step, in the evolution of the council's consideration of the protection of civilians," he said. "It would not only underline the council's commitment to this cause, it would give practical meaning to your commitment. It would ensure more timely and systematic consideration of the protection of civilians in the council's deliberations. And it would assist the council to move decisively towards practical implementation," the U.N. chief said. Holmes said that the creation of the working group would mark anew phase in the council's efforts to protect civilians, adding that he would like to see a regular forum for timely consultation on the protection of civilians between the council and relevant U.N. departments. Chinese Ambassador Liu Zhenmin said that despite conventions and United Nations resolutions, large numbers of civilians were still being devastated by armed conflicts, which now encompassed changing characteristics and an emergence of complex historical, political, religious and resource-related factors. "We strongly urge parties to conflicts to strictly abide by the international humanitarian law and the relevant Security Council resolutions and fulfill their corresponding obligations to protecting the life, property and legitimate interest of civilians," Liu said. Liu emphasized that civilian protection should be bolstered by enhancing the role of governments and international bodies, as well as by attaching importance to conflict prevention. "The Security Council should continue to fulfill its primary responsibility of maintaining international peace and security in accordance with the U.N. Charter and play its unique role in the protection of civilians," Liu said, adding that governments' rolesin protecting civilians should be respected, and humanitarian relief work should be carried out in a judicious and effective manner. Citing the grave problem of internal and external displacement,Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin said it was not only states thathad a responsibility to protect civilians, but non-state actors, as well. Security contractors, such as those in Iraq, should also be held accountable and comply with the norms of international law, he said, adding that Russia welcomed the initiatives of Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross to consider a relevant response to armed contractors. Source: Xinhua

balanced view of the instability in the Horn. 'Kenya's Fate Tied to That of Somalia Prof Makinda November 20, 2007 THE DEEPENING POLITICAL instability in Somalia is a culmination of the rivalries, power struggles and personal antagonisms that have been building up in the past year or so. The strain between President Abdul Yusuf and Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Ghedi, which resulted in the latter's resignation, is unfortunate because it is likely to reverse the little progress achieved so far, and make an already very bad situation much worse. As some observers of Somali politics had predicted, the political alliance that was constructed in Nairobi after more than two years of negotiations would not last long unless the key personalities were completely satisfied that the arrangement was working as intended. The Transitional Federal Government (TFG), which was agreed to by about 2,000 Somalis from across the country, was meant to usher in a new era, but this was not to be. The first test of solidarity among the TFG members came in June 2006 when the Union of Islamic Courts, a coalition of 11 different groups, took Mogadishu and established their own rule. Sections of the Western Press, and some Western governments, immediately claimed that this was an al-Qaeda-dominated administration. The Union of Islamic Courts may have had radical Islamists, but they were outnumbered by those who were primarily concerned with a functioning government in Mogadishu. Although their six-month government was not recognised by any African state except Sudan, it enabled Somalia to enjoy normal life for the first time in 15 years. The TFG, which was impotent at the time, maintained its unity in the hope that the international community would intervene and re-install it in office. THE TFG PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED on Christmas Eve in 2006 when Ethiopia, encouraged by the USA, invaded Somalia, defeated the Union of Islamic Courts, and handed nominal power to the TFG. Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi promised to withdraw his troops within weeks, but they are still there. Ethiopia's continued occupation of Somalia has prevented the Islamists from re-establishing their rule, but it has also presented a major test for the solidarity of the TFG. Many Somalis cannot tolerate the Ethiopian presence for any extended period, something which Kenya, the African Union, the United Nations and most diplomats in Nairobi know. As if anticipating what is happening in Mogadishu now, Kenyan Foreign Minister Raphael Tuju devoted his entire speech at the UN General Assembly on September 26 to insecurity in Somalia. It was an excellent speech in which he cajoled the rest of the world to participate in establishing peace in Somalia. Said Mr Tuju: "All of us as an international community should appreciate that the Somali phenomenon, with no government in place, is a danger, not just to the neighbouring countries, but to the whole world". To illustrate his claim, Mr Tuju cited various cases of piracy off the Somali coast, which had affected people from different countries. While it is true that instability in Somalia is a problem for the whole of Africa and the rest of the world, no other country has felt its impact more than Kenya. Therefore, it is important that at a time like this the Kenya government should take leadership by proposing options for repairing the damage. Source: The Nation

It is here. Awdal News

Pastoralists from across Horn of Africa to gather at U.N. Sponsored Debat November 20, 2007 More than 550 Ethiopian pastoralists and representatives from communities in neighbouring Kenya, Djibouti and Somalia will gather next week at a five-day meeting organized by the United Nations to discuss how to devise more sustainable futures for the inhabitants of the impoverished region. The event, the largest ever gathering of pastoralists in the Horn of Africa, will be held from 28 November to 2 December in Hudet in Liben zone of Ethiopia's Somali region and is scheduled to coincide with a visit to the region by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes. The gathering's team leader Allistair Scott-Villiers said 'it represents a remarkable and unique opportunity for pastoralists' leaders to discuss critical issues that affect the lives of millions.' The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is organizing the gathering in response to a high-level discussion in Addis Ababa on 1 November on the region's humanitarian and development situations. Source: U.N News Service

Do think the suspicion of the Persian Gulf countries in pegging their currencies to the dollar will turn into reality? If so, Can the U.S. now burdened with huge foreign debt and the war in the middle east keep this possible shock or inflation under control? It is getting tough for uncle sam. I came across this article today and it put an awe on my face. Wealthy Nations In Gulf Rethink Peg to Dollar 20 November 2007 For many years, oil-rich Persian Gulf states have pegged their currencies to the dollar. Now that link is stoking a bad bout of inflation in their red-hot economies and putting policy makers in a dilemma: Break the dollar peg and risk undermining the U.S. currency, or keep it and face growing local discontent. The dollar peg has "served the economy . . . very well in the past," said Sultan Nasser al-Suweidi, the governor of the United Arab Emirates' central bank, last week. "However, we have reached a crossroads." Because countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar sit on large reserves of U.S. dollars, their decisions will have repercussions beyond their borders. If they move away from their strict dollar pegs -- perhaps following Kuwait, which earlier this year switched to a basket of currencies -- it could undermine demand for dollars and encourage others to diversify their holdings. Many nations have already created sovereign wealth funds to invest their holdings in a broader array of assets. The Persian Gulf nations originally tied their currencies to the dollar to stabilize their revenue from oil, which is traded in dollars. Also, some nations had little central-banking expertise and found it easier to tie their monetary policy to that of the Federal Reserve in Washington. Now, however, the Fed is cutting rates to prop up the slowing U.S. economy and forestall damage from the U.S. housing downturn. That's precisely the wrong prescription for economies trying to tame galloping growth, such as those in the Persian Gulf. The peg isn't finished yet, particularly in Saudi Arabia, which maintains a close relationship with Washington. During the summit of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in Riyadh over the weekend, Venezuela and Iran pushed to mention concerns about the dollar in the meeting's final statement. Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal rejected the effort, saying such a move could have a damaging impact on the U.S. currency. Officials in Saudi Arabia, the region's largest economy, have said they will not break the peg between their currency, the riyal, and the dollar. However, the country has other options. It could revalue its currency at a slightly stronger level, much as China did in 2005, but still link it to the dollar. A key date in the debate will come in early December, when heads of state of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a loose regional economic bloc, meet in Doha, Qatar. Currency issues will be high on the agenda. Investors are betting that some change is coming. Contracts that allow investors to lock in exchange rates a year from now reflect expectations that both the UAE dirham and the Saudi riyal will strengthen somewhat. Bank deposits in the UAE have swelled, as local and foreign investors buy dirhams at the current rate and bet on a revaluation. The countries of the Persian Gulf are struggling with the impact of their own good fortune as rising oil prices bring a windfall. Normally, when the price of a country's major export rises, that pumps up the local currency, which helps restrain inflation. Instead, much the opposite has happened. As the price of oil has skyrocketed in recent years, Gulf currencies tied to the dollar have fallen relative to other currencies such as the euro and British pound, making many of their imports more expensive. The UAE and Qatar have suffered some of the worst inflation, as the oil gusher has triggered a building boom. In Qatar, inflation hit 11.8% last year, and the International Monetary Fund estimates it will average 12% this year. This week, officials in Doha, the capital, raised taxi fares by a third. Both countries depend on an army of guest workers from South Asia and elsewhere, who send much of their income to their families back home. As costs go up, these workers are spending more of their salary on basic goods and have less to send. What's more, the falling dollar erodes the value of the Gulf currencies against the workers' home currencies, meaning their remittances don't go as far. In Dubai, which is part of the UAE, thousands of workers have staged sometimes-violent protests at construction sites, protesting their decreased buying power. The UAE government is now mulling a minimum wage. Construction and contracting companies worry that will boost their costs, and some executives have spoken out in favor of revaluing the dirham. In September, Imran Sheikh, 27 years old, moved to Doha, the Qatari capital, after landing a job working the night shift at a reception desk in one of the city's new apartment towers. Since then, prices for the basics -- food, clothing and taxi fare -- have marched higher. He makes about 2,000 Qatari riyal, or about $550, a month. As the cost of living creeps up, he's sending less cash home to his family in Mumbai, India, and that cash buys fewer Indian rupees. "The prices are going up," he says. And because of the dollar, "the salaries are smaller." Saudi Arabia, too, is struggling with inflation pressures, and unlike other Gulf countries, it has a large and comparatively poor population. Inflation touched 4.9% in September, the highest level in at least a decade. Last month, King Abdullah summoned the interior minister and provincial governors to account for the rising prices. And for the first time in 27 years, Saudi authorities increased the amount banks must hold in reserve in an attempt to limit the money coursing through the economy. The challenges faced by the countries of the Persian Gulf resonate in places as disparate as China, which ties its yuan closely to the dollar, Ecuador, where dollars serve as the official currency, and Ukraine, which maintains a de facto dollar peg. The Gulf is "the front line at the moment, but the pressures are much broader," says Simon Derrick, chief currency strategist at Bank of New York Mellon Corp. These countries share "one consistent factor, which is they've pegged themselves to a falling currency." Countries in the Persian Gulf have several options. Kuwait chose in May to link its currency, the dinar, to a basket of currencies. Though the exact weighting of the basket isn't disclosed, experts say the dollar still accounts for a considerable portion. Since the move, the dinar has strengthened about 5% versus the dollar. Another option would be to maintain the peg to the dollar, but at a new level reflecting the strength of the local currency. A third choice would be to permit the currency to float freely, but that is unlikely because the Persian Gulf nations aren't eager to allow volatile swings in their currencies. Source: Wall Street Journal.

The Head of the uninvited self-styled delegation was reported to have said that the Somali flag is the "Nazis flag" and called for its destruction. Do you really think this man is sane and reflects the views of the majority of "Somalilanders"

rudy, you can't even write good Somali and here you are making fun of Mogadisho dialect.

Eh, How sensitive are we, misquoting others. Neither Duke's clan nor any other clan has the authority to reverse the prevailing wind. It is about competing groups against an elected government. No clan holds hegemony over the affairs of this government, and no clan has the absolute power to dissolve this government. The dissolution of this government comes from the will of all the stakeholders, but not one single stakeholder that has refused to sit down and compromise or even accept the request for a formal mediation can decide for what is right for Somalia. Our innocent mothers and their children have been caught in the crossfire, and for this reason, I don't see the justifiable grounds upon which one side of this conflict gets all the blame. It would have been even reasonably understandable if this opinionated blame reflects the honesty and the clean heart of those who utter the desperate name-callings in regards to what constituents the TFG represents and stand for.

Originally posted by rudy: camiiroow! AREEYE MUHOO MIHIIY MA AHAA! LOOL What is that supposed to mean?

^so all of this crowd in support of the TFG have the IQ of what? toilet paper? At least choose beings for your analogy.

UN Security Council Rejects Ban's Opposition To Somalia Force UNITED NATIONS (AP)--The U.N. Security Council rejected Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's opposition to the possible deployment of U.N. peacekeeping troops to Somalia and underlined its call for contingency planning for a U.N. force. In August, the council called on the secretary-general to begin planning for the possible deployment of U.N. peacekeepers to replace an African Union force that has struggled to put troops in the chaotic country. But against a backdrop of heavy fighting and growing insecurity, Ban opposed the deployment in a report to the council earlier this month and suggested instead a robust multinational force or a coalition of volunteer nations to help restore security. In a statement after a briefing and closed-door consultations on Ban's report, the council "underlined the need to continue to actively develop contingency plans for the possible deployment of a peacekeeping force as part of an enhanced U.N. integrated strategy in Somalia." Indonesia's U.N. Ambassador Marty Natalegawa, the current council president, said what this means is that the council wants contingency planning about a possible U.N. peacekeeping force integrated with U.N. plans to improve humanitarian aid and promote political reconciliation in Somalia. "There is greater clarity of recognition that the council needs to take this forward, and we'll take this one step at a time, mindful, however, of the urgency of the situation," Natalegawa said. Council diplomats said there was widespread support for preparing to deploy a U.N. peacekeeping force quickly when the conditions are right, but not to authorize it immediately. The diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because the consultations were closed, said members didn't discuss Ban's proposal to deploy "a coalition of the willing" instead. The secretary-general, speaking to reporters after the council meeting, said "my recommendation was that a peacekeeping operation is not an option at this time." Ban said the Somalia situation has to be addressed on two tracks - promoting a dialogue between the transitional government and opposition leaders with the aim of national reconciliation and helping the African Union force with money and equipment so it can operate more effectively. "These are two tracks which I'm going to promote, and I'm now working on this strategic assessment, how we should deal with this Somalia situation," he said, adding that this will include sending assessment teams to Somalia. Somalia has not had a functioning government since clan-based warlords toppled dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 and then turned on each other, sinking the poverty-stricken Horn of Africa nation of seven million people into chaos. The rout last December of the Islamic fundamentalist movement that controlled most of Somalia by Somali government troops and Ethiopian soldiers allowed the country's weak U.N.-backed transitional government to enter the capital, Mogadishu, for the first time since it was established in 2004. But heavy fighting between insurgents and Ethiopian troops has flared again, leaving hundreds dead and wounded. The U.N. authorized the African Union to send an 8,000-strong peacekeeping force to Somalia in February to calm the country, but only 1,800 troops from Uganda are on the ground. The Security Council expressed support for the AU force and urged greater international assistance to strengthen it. Council members also expressed "strong concern about the deteriorating political, security and humanitarian situation" and called on all parties "to renounce violence and to engage in an all-inclusive peace process." South Africa's U.N. Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo, calling the situation in Somalia "heartbreaking," said "the U.N. has to find a way to go in there." The (U.N.) Charter says maintain international peace and security everywhere," he said. "It doesn't say except in Somalia."

Duke, the historical antagonism has been blown out of proportion.

Che isku xishood meesha qabiil maahan. The majority of Mogadisho people support the TFG

Brother Somali thinker, they have been calling me names as part of their tactics to intimidate and discourage whoever disagrees with their fantasy and deep motives.

It is a matter of time when member AU countries fulfill their pledge of sending troops to Somalia. I know they are committed to their pledges but it is the financial side of this operation that is missing due to International Community's insistance on getting the TFG to negotiate with the good elements of the Insurgents. And the answer for the legitimate question has been these blood thirsty Islamist will stop at nothing to continue the mayhem and displacement they perpetrate. But this mindless approach of resistance in the hope of replacing the TFG will only work against them and rather bolster the position of the interim Somali government. Thanks Duke for the update.

700 AU Force head for Somalia Nov 14, 2007 ( Global Media via COMTEX) -- Nigeria is preparing to send troops to Somalia as part of a peacekeeping force. A battalion of 700 troops is ready to fly into the volatile Horn of African state when the president gives the order, the army said yesterday. The plans were revealed by US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte before he returned home from a visit to Abuja yesterday morning. He had been in discussions with the Defence Ministry. The Director of Army Public Relations Col U.S.A Giwa-Amu said: "We are preparing vigorously for that. There is a battalion ready for the direction of the Commander in Chief on when they are going to be deployed." The battalion is currently training in a north-east Nigerian state, the spokesman said. US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte revealed he discussed the possibility of sending Nigerian troops to Somalia for a peacekeeping mission there. Speaking to journalists at Abuja airport he said: "We agreed on the need to deploy peacekeeping forces to Sudan as soon as possible. We also discussed how Nigeria can contribute to the African Union's peacekeeping efforts in Somalia. Nigeria is an important friend and strategic partner of the U.S, as well as a leader on the continent. The U.S is committed to sustaining a robust bilateral partnership with Nigeria which advances our mutual interests. We welcome Nigeria's leadership role in Africa". Somalia has been without a fully-functioning government for much of the last 15 years. US forces pulled out from a peacekeeping task-force in 1993 after 18 US soldiers were killed. In 2006 the Islamic Courts Union defeated warlords in control of Mogadishu since the collapse of the state in the early 1990s. The ICU accused the US of funding and arming the warlords against them. The US government accused the ICU's leadership of being in league with the ideology of Al-Qaeda. The Transitional Federal Government, backed by Ethiopian troops, drove the ICU out of the capital in December 2006. Secretary Negroponte yesterday reaffirmed US support for reform, increased transparency, and principles of good governance. He urged the Nigerian government to implement electoral reforms to fix the problems of the last election. He also applauded the president for the commitment to strengthen rule of law and fighting corruption. The US deputy secretary said "The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is a key in promoting good governance and democracy in Nigeria by pursuing corruption wherever it is found. Transparency is one of the most powerful tools available to fight corruption". "We discussed the government's effort to address longstanding issues in the Niger Delta. We support Nigeria's efforts to stabilize and improve governance in the Niger Delta. I assured both the national security advisor and the defence minister that the United States would do what it could to help Nigeria stamp out criminality in the Niger basin," he said. He expressed sadness over the deaths of Nigerian troops in Darfur, and commended the Nigerian armed forces for their support of the peacekeeping effort there. Secretary Negroponte added that Nigeria has played an important role in international peacekeeping. He said there is no country that has done more in trying to give assistance to people of Darfur. The Sudanese government has agreed to allow a UN force made up of troops from African nations to enter the region and help the African Union maintain the peace. Mr Negroponte said one of the difficulties is that Sudan government has refused to accept AU and EU forces in certain units and there are certain issues that need to be sorted out by the government of Sudan and the secretary general of the U.N, he also urged government of Sudan to formally accept forces that have been offered as soon as possible. Somalia has been torn apart by war since 1991. Since last year the Transitional Federal Government of interim president Abdullahi Yusuf has been fighting rebel clan militia groups for control of the capital Mogadishu. Currently 1,600 Ugandan troops are stationed in Mogadishu under the banner of the African Union. An AU force of 8000 had been agreed with the Interim Government but no other country has put forward its troops. Yesterday interim president Yusuf said the mainly Ethiopian military was cracking down on rebel groups in the capital. At least 70 people have been killed in the last. Source: Global Media Via Comtex

As I said before, these INSURGENTS seeking for clan hegemony will never make peace with anyone. Top leader of Somali Islamic forces urges fighters to turn guns on AU peacekeepers By MALKHADIR M. MUHUMED NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Islamic insurgents in Somalia should turn their weapons on African Union peacekeepers in the war-battered Horn of Africa nation, according to a recording attributed to a top leader of the insurgents. The recording posted on a Web site was of a speaker identified as Aden Hashi Ayro, who's believed to have received al-Qaida training in Afghanistan and is on the U.S. State Department's list of suspected terrorists, saying hundreds of Ugandan troops sent to Somalia to help foster peace should be treated the same as Ethiopian troops sent in to bolster the Somali government. Late last year, the Ethiopians helped the government oust Ayro's Islamic movement, which had controlled the Somali capital. The speaker spoke in Ayro's distinctive voice. Comments attributed to him are rare. "Uganda has invaded us. So the Ugandan army are like the Ethiopians. We will kill Ugandan army, we will kill their officials, we will destroy their cars and we will kill their politicians by the permission of God," the speaker identified as Ayro says in an audio recording posted on a popular militant Web site Tuesday. "I urge the (holy warriors) to make the Ugandan army their first aim." Ugandan military officials in Somalia couldn't immediately be reached for comment. Ayro is a top military commander of the Islamic forces, who have vowed to wage an Iraq-style insurgency after Ethiopian and government troops ousted the Islamic group. No top insurgent leader is known to have directed fighters to attack the 1,800-strong Ugandan force, which began arriving in March. The Ugandan troops are mandated to protect key installations, such the seaport, airport and the presidential palace but several times have carried out security patrols in the capital.Five Ugandans have been killed and several wounded in clashes with insurgents, but the Ethiopians have been the insurgents' main targets. The African Union has said it aims for a 8,000-troop force for Somalia, but no other country has yet joined the force, due to a lack of funding and logistical difficulties. In Nigeria Wednesday, Nigerian army spokesman Col. Solomon Giwa-Amu said his country was ready to send a battalion -- about 700 soldiers -- to Somalia, but that the government had not yet given the final go-ahead. Thousands of Somalis have been killed in the crossfire of fighting between Ethiopian troops and Islamic insurgents this year. Fighting flared again in recent weeks as government and allied troops launched an operation targeting the insurgents. Gunfire and explosions are now a daily fixture in Mogadishu, where many markets and businesses are closed. Aid groups have also borne harassment from all sides, hindering efforts to help an estimated 850,000 Somalis forced from their homes by fighting, including 450,000 who have fled Mogadishu this year alone. The arid Horn of Africa nation has not had a functioning government since a group of warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, then turned their heavily armed supporters on each other. The country is flooded with weapons and divided between warring clans.

JB, it is a government within a government as the author indicated. Something has to be done to stop the mayhem these groups initiate and perpetrate using crowded population as their main weapons.

Somali INSURGENTS target AU force Somali insurgent leader Sheikh Aden Hashi Ayrow has ordered fighters to attack African Union troops based in the capital, Mogadishu. He also asked foreign fighters to join his al-Shabab group's war against the foreign forces in an audio clip posted on Somali websites. President Abdullahi Yusuf blames the militant group for the recent violence. Uganda has some 1,700 soldiers in Somalia as part of the planned 8,000-strong AU peacekeeping mission. About 80 people have died this week. The Ugandan military have dismissed the threat. Their spokesman, Major Felix Kulaigye, said the peacekeepers will not withdraw and will defend themselves if necessary. al-Shabab is the militant wing of the Union of Islamic Courts, which controlled Mogadishu for six months last year before being ousted by advancing Ethiopian troops. In Mogadishu, Ethiopian and government troops have been conducting a door-to-door search for the insurgents in the capital over the past week sparking deadly clashes. Worst defeat The United Nations says some 170,000 people have fled the violence this week and hundreds others have been injured in the crossfire. Al-Shabab's Sheikh Ayrow said it was an obligation of all Muslims in Somalia to wage war against Ethiopian and Ugandan forces. "To us the Ugandans, Ethiopians and Americans are all the same, they have invaded us and I am telling the Mujahidin [fighters], Ugandans must be one of our priorities," a tough talking Sheikh Ayrow said in the audio on Dayniile website. He said Ethiopians had failed in their mission and were now facing their worst defeat. Last week, masked armed men in Mogadishu dragged bodies believed to be those of Ethiopian soldiers killed during clashes with the insurgent groups. On Tuesday, President Yusuf called on Mogadishu residents to join Somali and Ethiopian troops in the fight against the al-Shabab insurgents who are living among them. The insurgents have been targeting government and Ethiopian troops but are yet to launch attacks on the Ugandan soldiers. The al-Shabab militant group claims to have links with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. Last week UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, ruled out plans to deploy peacekeepers to Somalia saying it was not a viable option. Source: BBC, Nov 14, 2007

Note, clan names are censored. Go to the source to get full view of the article INSURGCY IN MOGADISHU: Freedom Fighting or Bid for Clan Hegemony? By:Abdalla A. Hirad November 13, 2007 In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Most Merciful “If two parties among the believers fall into a quarrel, make ye peace between them: if one of them transgresses beyond bounds against the other, then fight ye (all) against the one that transgresses, until it complies with the commands of Allah; but if it complies, make peace between them with justice, and be fair: for Allah loves who are (fair and just).” The Qur’an, Alhujurat, (49:9) The daily shelling in Mogadishu, the infamous occurrence of piracy in the coasts of Somalia, the deaths of hundreds of citizens of Somali origin in their attempts to cross the seas for safety, the assassinations of government officials and the dislocation and displacement of citizens from Mogadishu in their thousands to outlying places near the capital, and to the Central Regions, have been but commonplace in recent months. Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame (Hadrawi), the Somali poet, in an interview with the BBC, Somali Service, has expressed his distress, on Sunday, November 11, 2007 with the situation in Mogadishu. Although I am shocked that a minimum of 70 Somali individuals have been killed and about a 100 were injured in Mogadishu in the last week; there is also no excuse that the so-called insurgency uses the masses in Mogadishu as a human shield and drags the Ethiopian corpses on the streets. I must also express my dismay and embarrassment at these horrible acts. This is a violation against humanity by any standard. Yet, the leaders of the section of the population calling itself the “insurgency” continues to adamantly encourage their foot soldiers to continue the fighting with the sole purpose of deposing the TFG, in the hope that they will replace it. The leadership in Asmara comprises the leaders of the former Union of Islamic Courts, the so-called “Free Parliamentarians” who have been, earlier, sacked and replaced by others from their subclans in the TFG Parliament in Baidoa, in accordance with the darned 4.5 formula, the so-called “Elders of ****** Subclans” who are based in Mogadishu. I heard the notorious Yusuf Indha-adde, the Defense Secretary of the Asmara Group and former Governor General of Marka, speaking on the BBC, Somali Service, claiming that he has contacted the BBC from a place in Somalia. He mentioned that he believes that they have been exiled from their country by the Ethiopians and that they are compelled to fight and resist. He further asserted that the Islamic Shari’a should be imposed on Somalia—an idea on which the mainstream of the current leadership in Asmara has put lid on for a while. It is not surprising that Indha-adde should speak now that Sharif Ahmed, the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Asmara Group has silenced the character they call Janaqow from speaking in the name of the Group. The Somali people are known to be 100% Muslims, Shafi, and that most everyday businesses and functions are conducted in Islamic principles and laws. It is not strange that Yusuf Indha-adde told the BBC, Somali Service, that he was in Somalia. Political observers from the south, especially from the lower Shabelle, assert that the same entourages of Indha-adde remain in control of Lower Shabelle—Marka. They have lately killed a number of individuals from the Biomal clan who were themselves in jail in Marka. The analysts from the area confirm that he was there, in Marka, to encourage the Habar Gidir administration to continue these operations. But the same analysts assume that the Habar Gidir remain in control of the Lower Shabeelle to utilize the proceeds from there to fund the operations in Mogadishu. It is bizarre that this is happening in the reality; despite the fact that the TFG is supposedly running the show in all these parts. It seems they have the resources, the money, cheap labor, the management of the area and the control of the media—a government within a government. Or so they intend! It is not, therefore, surprising that the Shabeelle Radio has been shut down by the government! The Asmara Group has refused to accept peace and reconciliation, despite attempts by the international community, Somali elders and wise men and the leadership of the TFG. They have violated the Ayah quoted at the top of this paper. Rather, the group is attempting to feed into the preoccupation of the West with democracy and insurgent movements, such as we observe in Burma and other parts in the world. Hardly do they conceive the fact that Somalia is different in that it has remained without a government and that the international community is now in fear of further infestation of international Islamists, criminals, drug lords and warlords the way it has been for the last 17 years. These elements come not from the Abgal, which happen to be the majority of the ****** clan dwelling in Mogadishu. But it is alleged that they come from the ***, Saleeban and Duduble subclans, all of which hail from the Habar-Gidir clan, which come from the central regions. The operations of these insurgents are augmented by the notorious a-Shabaab which Yusuf Indha-adde claims to be a member, as do Adan Ayrow and many others. That does not mean that many Habar Gidir clansmen and women are law abiding and are supportive of restoring a government. But they overlook, first, the fact that they are using the cloak as their masquerade for power grapping, claiming Shari’a as the manner to rule the country, where they are a minority against the rest of the Somalis—they are even considered a minority in Mogadishu. Second, they are claiming they are resisting the Ethiopians who have attacked them in their own city. I beg to disagree. The Ethiopians are invited by the Transitional Federal Government for the only reason to reinstate Mogadishu to the status of cosmopolitan Capital it used to have. They are here to fight thugs and criminals who have and are still occupying the government infrastructure and private properties of the people who fled the Capital since January 1991. For example, credible reports allege that one of the most known of the so-called Elders of the ****** Subclans may have killed several non-****** individuals since 1991. In one occasion it is alleged that he then buried the corpse in front of the house itself, and married his wife by force. She is still married to him. Another rumor goes that he killed, or made arrangement to kill Abdikarim Gaaffaa, who attempted to sell him his Hotel in Mogadishu. The rumor goes he still owns the hotel of the late Abulkariim. The same individual also took hold of many government structures—including army barracks—over which he continues to fight the TFG and the Ethiopians. Of course, I would rather not want a government in place if I committed such a horrendous crime. Still, they have a chance to make a truce with the other Somalis—through the TFG—while the sun shines. Otherwise, they will be annihilated if they continue embarking on the same strategies. And that is the shortest cut for the Ethiopians to return to their country—that the leadership of the insurgency reaches a settlement with the TFG. In general, the Ayah cited above shall be most pertinent, and Somalis shall all fight them to clear the Capital of all criminals and hooligans. It is only just that all peace loving Somalis, including the ******, which happen to be the majority in Mogadishu, should unite against the killers and hate mongers. It is also high time that in the future it will require that the Capital city, Mogadishu or any other, should be given away to the federal government, just like Washington, DC. Hence, there will be no one single clan that can claim its ownership, like Mogadishu. I strongly believe that unless this is done through a Parliamentary decision, Somalia will not exist as we knew it, after the termination of the TFG term. If good Somalis cannot unite against the transgressors, “Somalia is Gone for Good” as I wrote elsewhere—www.hiiraan.com.Wardheernews.com and Marka Caddey.com among other websites, when the UIC took control of Mogadishu in the Summer of 2006. In this eventuality, Somalia shall crumble into its constituent territories (i.e. Issac Land, Puntland, Central land, Digil and Mirifle land, and Juba land), at a minimum, just as I. M. Lewis et al Study Group of Europeans, funded by the EU, had predicted in the early 90s. Abdalla A. Hirad MHirad@aol.com Source:

Somalis asked to fight insurgents Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf has urged residents in the capital, Mogadishu, to join government forces in fighting Islamic insurgents. He blamed the violence on the al-Shabab militant group and said if residents do not support the crackdown, they risk getting caught in the crossfire. Some 80 people have been killed during the recent clashes between insurgents and Ethiopian backed government troops. The UN says about 170,000 people have fled Mogadishu in the past two weeks. Ethiopian and Somali government forces have been carrying out door-to-door searches for insurgents near the main Bakara market in the capital, believed to be their stronghold. Harsh conditions "My government is doing all it can to save lives but people in the neighbourhood must also fight the al-Shabab militants hiding among them," President Yusuf told a news conference in Nairobi. Somali's interim president has been holding talks with foreign diplomats in the Kenya capital on the crisis in his country. Civilians accuse the Ethiopian forces of engaging in indiscriminate shooting resulting in hundreds of casualties. But President Yusuf denied the claims saying the forces were only targeting the insurgents. "When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers," President Yusuf said. Aid crisis Meanwhile, UN special envoy to Somalia Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah has warned that the crisis in the country is worsening. Mr Abdallah said the situation was the worst on the continent with thousands of internally displaced families living in extremely harsh conditions. The UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, says it has emptied its warehouse in the capital and is transferring supplies to Afgooye just outside the capital where more than half the fleeing families have gathered. The UN agency however complained that pro-government militias are frustrating their efforts by demanding up to $300 at checkpoints before allowing the aid through. UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said people in Afgooye were in a desperate situation. "People can no longer find space for shelter around the town itself. Many families are simply living under trees." He said that water being trucked to the sites is not enough to meet demand and people were having to wait in line for up to six hours for 20 litres of water. The BBC's East Africa correspondent Karen Allen says its is unclear what will happen when the last supplies of aid in Mogadishu are exhausted. It is hoped that more will be able to come in from Kenya, she says, but UN aid agencies say it is simply too dangerous to work inside Mogadishu. That leaves those left there with virtually no help at all, our reporter warns. Source: BBCNews Human Rights Watch. Map showing insurgent attacks only in March and April.