1,000-man militia being trained in north Somalia Dec 01, 2010 NAIROBI, Kenya - In the northern reaches of Somalia and the country's presidential palace, a well-equipped military force is being created, funded by a mysterious donor nation that is also paying for the services of a former CIA officer and a senior ex-U.S. diplomat. The Associated Press has determined through telephone and e-mail interviews with three insiders that training for an anti-piracy force of up to 1,050 men has already begun in Puntland, a semiautonomous region in northern Somalia that is believed to hold reserves of oil and gas. But key elements remain unknown - mainly who is providing the millions of dollars in funding and for what ultimate purpose. Pierre Prosper, an ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues under former President George W. Bush, told AP he is being paid by a Muslim nation he declined to identify to be a legal adviser to the Somali government, focusing on security, transparency and anti-corruption. Prosper said the donations from the Muslim nation come from a "zakat fund," referring to charitable donations that Islam calls for the faithful to give each year. The same donor is paying for both training programs. Somalia hasn't had a fully functioning government since 1991 and is torn between clan warlords, Islamist insurgent factions, an 8,000-strong African Union peacekeeping force, government forces and allied groups. Given that mix, the appearance of an unknown donor with deep pockets is troubling, said E.J. Hogendoorn, a Nairobi-based analyst with the International Crisis Group. "We don't know if this unknown entity is operating in the interests of Somalis or their own self-interest," he said in an interview. "If it's a company, there has to be a quid pro quo in terms of (oil and gas) concessions. If it's a government, they are interested in changing the balance of power." The new force's first class of 150 Somali recruits from Puntland graduated from a 13-week training course on Monday, said Mohamed Farole, the son of Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole. The son, who is a liaison between the government and journalists and diplomats, told AP the new force will hunt down pirates on land in the Galgala mountains. The range lies 125 miles (200 kilometers) north of the nearest main pirate anchorage but is home to an Islamist-linked militia that complains it has been cut out of energy exploration deals. The Islamist militants led by Mohamed Said Atom have clashed with government forces several times this year. A March report by the U.N. accuses Atom of importing arms from Yemen and receiving consignments from Eritrea, including mortars, for delivery to al-Shabab forces in southern Somalia. Al-Shabab is Somalia's biggest insurgent group and has ties with al-Qaida. The president's son emphasized the force was dedicated to anti-piracy, but said that he hoped greater security in the region would bring more investors into "public-private partnerships" with the government. "You cannot have oil exploration if you have insecurity," Mohamed Farole said. "You have to eliminate the pirates and al-Shabab." Energy exploration has started mainly just south of the mountains, although the amount of estimated reserves is unknown, or at least not publicly divulged. Michael Shanklin, who was the CIA's deputy chief of station in Mogadishu 20 years ago, told AP he is employed by the unidentified donor country as a security adviser and liaison to the Somali government. Prosper said he is encouraging the Muslim donor nation, which insists on keeping its identity secret, to become more transparent. The new force will be equipped with 120 new pickup trucks - which have already arrived - and six small aircraft for patrolling the coast, Farole said. No other force in Somalia, including the Mogadishu-based central government or African Union peacekeepers, has air assets. Prosper said the Muslim nation is also donating four armored vehicles. A photo provided by diplomats and taken at Mogadishu's airport show two armored trucks made by Ford with gunner's turrets. In recent weeks, Shanklin and Prosper met several Nairobi-based diplomats to discuss the contract between the Puntland and Mogadishu governments and a private security company called Saracen International, Prosper said in written replies to questions from AP. Prosper said Saracen is doing the military training and is being paid by the unnamed Muslim nation. Saracen is not providing the militia with any weapons, he said. Uganda-based Saracen International was named in a March letter written by the Somali president's former chief of staff, Abdulkareem Jama, and obtained by AP that described training for the presidential guard. And it was named in a Nov. 18 statement from Puntland's government announcing the anti-piracy training. Bill Pelser, the chief executive of Saracen International, said it is "definitely a mistake or a misrepresentation." Pelser denied being involved in the training program in Puntland or the one for the presidential guard in Mogadishu, saying he merely made introductions for another company called Saracen Lebanon. Lebanese authorities have no record of a company called Saracen. Pelser did not respond to requests for contact information for Saracen Lebanon. Pelser is a former South African special forces soldier. Like many of his staff, he used to work for Executive Outcomes, a South African mercenary outfit credited with helping defeat rebel forces in Sierra Leone in return for mineral concessions. Prosper declined to say how much the donor country has spent on the programs. Two Nairobi-based security analysts calculate it has already spent around $10 million on equipment, salaries and other costs. The analysts asked for anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the press. Somalia's vast swaths of lawless territory host training camps for hundreds of foreign fighters aiding al-Shabab. Lying across the narrow Gulf of Aden from Yemen, Somalia is a haven for figures seeking to escape a U.S.-funded crackdown on terrorist networks in Yemen. Whoever controls a well-trained, well-equipped and consistently paid military force is in a strong position to make a bid for filling the power vacuum in Somalia. Farole declined to comment on his father's political future but noted that since his father became Puntland's president, he chased many pirates out of the region and ensured regular payments for soldiers in a country where many desert because the central government is too disorganized or corrupt to pay them. The U.N. is quietly investigating to see if the creation and outfitting of the new military force violates an arms embargo, according to a U.N. representative who asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak publicly. The embargo forbids the importation of arms, military equipment or any support to any armed group in Somalia, including to any Somali government, without authorization from the U.N.'s sanctions committee. There is an exemption for support for counter-piracy operations, provided the Security Council was notified and gave permission. In the case of the new military force, the Security Council was not notified. By KATHARINE HOURELD Associated Press This information was sent to you from Express News. Download FREE Express News or Pocket Express for your mobile phone: http://www.pocketexpress.com/downloadexpress.php?f=AUID4273917 or visit http://pexp.mobi/gp.php?f=AUID4273917 to install directly from your phone! Sent from my LG Optimus Smartphone

Memorable but funny legend. "The Sky Camel (Somalia) This legend refers to a dark spot in the southern night skies that has the shape of a camel without a tail. It is said that long ago this camel lived in a different part of the sky. After a long drought, the people below tried to catch him by building a tower to the sky. When they grabbed the camel's tail, he fled and his tail fell off, sending everyone to the ground. " SOURCE: The highpoint library Sent from my LG Optimus Smartphone

And we expect the new bigoted tool to reconcile and build the war-wearied nation and its interim government, respectively.

He hails from LINK

If this is true, it will save his good old reputation. He should seek a legitimate post in Sanaag rather than Garoowe. UNDP is ready to help all the regions of Somalia.

Originally posted by Gabbal: Nassir, I am not in a position to contest the basis of your grievance, but if you will air it you should do so bringing forward the advocacy for your cause, as Hunguri has done honorably, rather than taking every opportunity to attack Farmaajo's background for his own independent judgment. It became redundantly petty after the first couple responses. Gabbal, Farmajo has already demonstrated his incompetence to RECONCILE and BUILD this war-wearied nation and its interim government, respectively. He seems to have already capitalized on the fragility of the TFG by attempting to alienate or rather marginalize important stakeholders without whom the power of its legitimacy is at last drained. PUNTLAND has already joined the chorus of the growing opposion base and with this fastely shrinking legitimacy, one wonders what progress can Farmaajo make within this short period left for his term. Remember, while finishing Sharmaake's term, his government is already on the brink of collapse, to the dismay of the International Community.

Seriously let's be cautious of the heightened clan conscience such groundless claims of the so called "border disputes" create. If "PL" and "SL" have already carved their pieces of tribal lands, illegally, from the rest of Somalia, then other regions can and will head on that PERILOUS path of division and secessionism if necessary.

"Further, Farole has argued that the Somaliland-Puntland land dispute over Sool and Sanaag regions should be handled through dialogue and other peaceful means, and not through the SSC militia's violence." I don't think there is any dispute in Sanaag region. Every clan in post-anarchic Somalia maintains its own security, therefore a temporary political alliance should never be confused with real authority over a region. Galka'yo, a small town in central Somalia is divided into 2 clan-administered SECTIONS even though the 2 communities have lived together and intermarried over centuries. Galmudug for instance traces its history of administration to Hobyo Sultanate.

http://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1961-63v21/d298

Liibaan, Awdal people first need to demonatrate their loyalty to Somali unity. Remember what happened to their MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT upon visiting their region. By contrast, the Maakhiris have been the vanguard of Somali unity and defended the sanctity of Somalia's flag and its Territorial Integrity. Any TFG leader can visit Sanaag region & western Bari and receive official reception. It's clear Sharif's man has lost the plot.

NN, you should have called for his "impeachment" when he was displacing and killing the Maakhiris in western BARI. Btw, the wisdom is that you only impeach the leader of a legititimate admin. Your strong reaction and appeal for an action is too little too late.

Btw, Cadami is a true Maakhiri citizen. He is just like any other self-interested politician and every clan has their own dose of sell-outs. OOMAAR is a case in point, for his appointment is to hoodwink the IC that the TFG is run by leaders with broad popular base. The fact however is neither Farmajo nor Oomaar can go to their homeland.

LST, there is no need to pigeonhole the Maakhiris into a clan admin that is deemed illegal from national and international perspective. The whole argument is offensive and irrelevant. The Maakhir regions come under the transitional government of Somalia so do by the clan-based entities. FAROOLE's claim that Farmajo's appointment of individuals from non-Puntland clan is a good example for the political reality of Somalia.

Edited

Read more at the Link. I don't have my PC.

Hiro Tsukahara -Our first encounter with the gentlemen from Somalia was in Nairobi, right before the ICANN meeting earlier this year. We immediately sat down for discussions and met again at a later date in Tokyo to finalize the deal. Those we are in talks with represent The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, and are nothing but great individuals each of whom manouevre multiple languages, which depict the high standards of education within the country. Rick –How secure is the partnership you have with the central registry? Is there any risk that something would happen that would cost the registrants their domains? Hiro Tsukahara -The partnership with the The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications is set and firm. In regard to “risk,” we don’t see that there is any more risk for registrants than there is when registering other ccTLD domain names.

Hiro Tsukahara -Our first encounter with the gentlemen from Somalia was in Nairobi, right before the ICANN meeting earlier this year. We immediately sat down for discussions and met again at a later date in Tokyo to finalize the deal. Those we are in talks with represent The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, and are nothing but great individuals each of whom manouevre multiple languages, which depict the high standards of education within the country. Rick –How secure is the partnership you have with the central registry? Is there any risk that something would happen that would cost the registrants their domains? Hiro Tsukahara -The partnership with the The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications is set and firm. In regard to “risk,” we don’t see that there is any more risk for registrants than there is when registering other ccTLD domain names.

.SO is coming. SO, here’s an interview with the gentlemen behind the new .so registry It’s always a good thing when a company gets the right to market a ccTLD globally. It’s good for the industry and good for the country that grants the contract. Recently GMO Registry has been appointed by The Transitional Federal Government of The Somali Republic to market .so, the country code for Somalia.. [The domain Somalia.com is for sale for anyone that is interested] Over the weekend I asked Hiro Tsukahara some questions about the nehuw extension and he was kind enough to answer. I hit him hard in the beginning but I think I asked the questions we’d all be curious about. Overall, I like .so. While it may not have what it takes to become one of the big extensions, it has its place and I’m sure GMO will run a nice business with it. I’m especially happy to hear him tell us that a portion of the proceeds will go to help Somalians. —-Rick –It’s interesting that you’ve cut a deal with Somalia for the .so extension. Can you tell us about your interactions with them? Who in the country do you deal with? What were they like? Hiro Tsukahara -Our first encounter with the gentlemen from Somalia was in Nairobi, right before

Thankful, horaa loo yiri abuur iyo waano keebaa horeeya. The is the new topic in town and look at u trying to score cheap points. Adeer, reer Sanaag dantooda waa yaqaabiin iyo tan loo maro ummada Soomaaliyeed. Howl Puntland u taala maaha. Again, i am above trolling & clannish innuendo so is the puepose of this thread.

http://laasqoray.net/wararka-somalia/dfkmg-oo-shirkad-ajnabi-ah-ka-iibisey-domainka-internetka-ee-so omaaliya-so/

MMA, I understand ur viewpoint but look at it from the perspective of old account settlement. Farmajo & his makers are just proving their incompetence to seperate the ideal from reality.

MMA, I understand ur viewpoint but look at it from the perspective of old account settlement. Farmajo & his makers are just proving their incompetence to seperate the ideal from reality.

Reer Banaadir, I agree our so called representatives had not contributed anything positive to their regions other than learning the art of lining up their pockets. They have sold their people and regions to clan-based entities over mere posts instead of maintaining their long-revered tradition of self-autonomy because as we have known for decades Somalis have reverted back to their old ways "every clan shifting for itself" . This is the cumulative result of leadership crisis and the failure to comminicate to the world that Maakhiris had been a distinct group with definate territory and history before joining their nation to form the republic with their USP vehicle. However, the chief concern is how this sinister agenda is advanced to set a precedent for future power sharing deals. It's a calculated game and a total disrespect for our political tigjts.

Let's wait and see that how this interim foreign imposed solution bring in the desired result. It's amazing for the knuckleheaders in charge of this rickety ark to make such a move, unmindful of the consequences of losing more regions. Reality is the people of SANAAG, HAYLAN, WESTERN BARI, & JUBA are distinct political group with definate territory and a history of self-autonomy.

A communique released by Maakhir Diaspora in Sweden. Communique