What the news failed to report

[N.O.R.F]

I was absolutely astounded on Mon when all news channels failed to report what was happening in Muqdisho. Even the reliable AJE failed with their obsession with Pakistan and Bhutto. Not sure of Al Jazeera Arabic showed anything. Read this.

 

Somalia: What the News Has Failed to Report

Ramzy Baroud, Aljazeera.net English.

 

The people of Somalia are enduring yet another round of suffering as Ethiopian forces wreck havoc in the capital, Mogadishu. Apparently in response to an attack on one of its units, and the dragging of a soldier’s mutilated body through the city’s streets, an Ethiopian mortar reportedly exploded in Mogadishu’s Bakara market on Nov. 9, killing eight civilians. A number of Somalis were also found dead the following day, some believed to have been rounded up by Ethiopian forces the night before.

 

Nearly 50 civilians have reportedly been killed and 100 wounded in the two-day fighting spree between fighters loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts and government forces and their Ethiopian allies. A report, issued by Human Rights Watch, chastised both Ethiopian troops and “insurgents” for the bloodletting. Peter Takirambudde, the watchdog’s Africa director, was quoted as saying, “The international community should condemn these attacks and hold combatants accountable for violations of humanitarian law — including mutilating captured combatants and executing detainees.”

 

Of course, one cannot realistically expect the international community to take on a constructive involvement in the conflict. Various members of this community have already played a most destructive role in Somalia’s 16-year-old civil war, which fragmented a nation that had long struggled to achieve a sense of sovereignty and national cohesion.

 

To dismiss the war in Somalia as yet another protracted conflict between warlords and insurgents would indeed be unjust because the country’s history has consistently been marred by colonial greed and unwarranted foreign interventions. These gave rise to various proxy governments, militias and local middlemen, working in the interests of those obsessed with the geopolitical importance of the Horn of Africa.

 

Colonial powers came to appreciate the strategic location of Somalia after the Berlin Conference, which initiated the “Scramble for Africa”. The arrival of Britain, France and Italy into Somali lands began in the late 19th century and quickly the area disintegrated into British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland. Both countries sought expand their control, enlisting locals to fight the very wars aimed at their own subjugation.

 

World War II brought immense devastation to the Somali people, who, out of desperation, coercion or promises of post-war independence, fought on behalf of the warring European powers. Somalia was mandated by the UN as an Italian protectorate in 1949 and achieved independence a decade later in 1960. However, the colonial powers never fully conceded their interests in the country and the Cold War actually invited new players to the scene, including the United States, the Soviet Union and Cuba.

 

One residue of the colonial legacy involved the ****** province of Somalia, which the British empire had granted to the Ethiopian government. The region became the stage of two major wars between Ethiopia and Somalia between 1964 and 1977. Many Somalis still regard Ethiopia as an occupying power and view the policies of Addis Ababa as a continuation of the country’s history of foreign intervention.

 

The civil war of 1991, largely a result of foreign intervention, clan and tribal loyalties, and lack of internal cohesion, further disfigured Somalia. As stranded civilians became deprived of aid, Somalia was hit by a devastating famine that yielded a humanitarian disaster. The famine served as a pretext for foreign intervention, this time as part of international “humanitarian” missions, starting in December 1992, which also included US troops. The endeavor came to a tragic end in October 1993, when more than 1,000 Somalis and 18 US troops were killed in Mogadishu. Following a hurried US withdrawal, the mainstream media rationalized that the West could not help those who refuse to help themselves; another disfiguration of the fact that the interest of the Somali people was hardly ever a concern for these colonial philanthropists. Since then, the importance of Somalia was relegated in international news media into just another mindless conflict, with no rational context and no end in sight. The truth, however, is that colonial interest in the Horn of Africa has never waned.

 

The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 provided an impetus for US involvement in the strategic region; only one month after the attacks, Paul Wolfowitz met with various power players in Ethiopia and Somalia, alleging that Al-Qaeda terrorists might be using Ras Kamboni and other Somali territories as escape routes. A year later, the US established the Combined Joint Task Force — Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) to “monitor” developments and to train local militaries in “counterterrorism”.

 

The US contingent was hardly neutral in the ongoing conflict. Reportedly, US troops were involved in aiding Ethiopian forces that entered Somalia in December 2006, citing efforts to track down Al-Qaeda suspects. The Ethiopian occupation was justified as a response to a call by Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG), whose legitimacy is questioned. TGF, seen largely as a pro-Ethiopian entity, had been rapidly losing its control over parts of Somalia to the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) which came to prominence in January 2006, taking over the capital and eventually bringing long-sought stability to much of the country. Their attempts engage the US and other Western powers in dialogue failed, however, as a US-backed Ethiopia moved into Somalia in December 2006. On Jan. 7, 2007, the US directly entered the conflict, launching airstrikes using AC-130 gunship. Civilian causalities were reported, but the US refused to accept responsibility for them.

 

The last intervention devastated the country’s chances of unity. It now stands divided between the transitional government, Ethiopia (both backed by the UN, the US and the African Union) and the Islamic courts (allegedly backed by Eritrea and some Gulf governments). Recently, the UN ruled out any chances for an international peacekeeping force, and the few African countries who promised troops are yet to deliver (with the exception of Uganda).

 

This situation leaves Somalia once more under the mercy of foreign powers and self-serving internal forces, foreshadowing yet more bloodshed. Our informed support is essential now because the Somali people have suffered enough. Their plight is urgent and it deserves a much deeper understanding, alongside immediate attention.

 

arabnews.com

[Jacaylbaro]

Very sad indeed ,,,,,,,,

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

i don't know why your surprised that the media failed to make up fake news for you

[N.O.R.F]

^^What is fake about the violence in Xamar over the past weeks? Its astonishing to see people have sold themselves out for this so called govnt. Even to the extent that they say this is all fake.

 

The burden of evidence against your TFG and Ethios is overwhelming I know but lets not go even lower to suggest this is all fake and nothing is going on in Xamar.

[FatB]

see hears your problem...

The people of Somalia are enduring yet another round of suffering

see 15 years of endless blood shed, kinda gets boring.... (tragic) but eh.

[N.O.R.F]

Further down the road is an even better example of the priorities of the corporate media.

 

Around 500 very angry Somalis are holding a noisy protest outside Parliament. The only reporter here is me. 200 civilians, mostly women and children died in Somalia this week. I have to admit that I was totally unaware of this as the coverage in our mainstream press has been zero. The protesters are demanding that US and Ethiopian troops leave their country immediately. Not an unreasonable request as their presence has brought nothing but misery to a country that was only just beginning to recover from a horrendous civil war. Yes, the ‘Islamic Courts’ were a less than progressive dictatorial regime that advocated public hanging and flogging amongst other things. But they were the only stability the country had enjoyed for decades. A far better deal for the average Somali than the orgy of rape and murder that had been delivered by the warlords who had previously been in charge. Who are now in charge again thanks to their western allies.

 

One of the Somalis accosts me and proceeds to vent his spleen about the press:

 

“We all of us hope and pray that this little girl (Madeline Mcann) will be returned unharmed to her mother. We have children too and we feel their pain. But how can all the papers talk about nothing but one missing child, when hundreds of children are being killed by your bombs in our country without so much as a mention?”

 

Couldn’t have put it better myself…..

 

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/11/385693.html

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

"Its astonishing to see people have sold themselves out for this so called govnt. Even to the extent that they say this is all fake."

 

truth is that this is fake, what took place in Mogadishu on Monday was cleaning and bakara searchs.

as some one who is keeping up with whats going on, you should know better. As for this government thing, so what i support it? Its trying to bring back statehood. what do you support, a rogue secetionist adminstration that has its share of destabilizing our country, which one of us is "sold"?

[N.O.R.F]

So we should take your word for it and not the independent, experienced and renowned media???

 

As I said, a JOKE!

[Malika]

Originally posted by fatboy:

see hears your problem...

quote:

---

The people of Somalia are enduring yet another round of suffering

see 15 years of endless blood shed, kinda gets boring.... (tragic) but eh.

^^Indeed its tragic! But it could be the psychological effects of a prolonged war and suffering..[me think]Also I believe firstly people were shocked at the extent of the animosity against one another through these 17yrs.What came after the shock, which had intensely disturbed our emotional states, were it had many of us left feeling stunned or dazed. Of course denial sets in, one tries to carry on with life and not acknowledge that something rather stressful continues to fester and grow among ourselves, we continued to observe the intense of events…What does one do, but to become numb or disconnect from reality on ground.

[N.O.R.F]

^^One can only speak out against the injustice and blatant targetting of civilian life. Even that is difficult for some.

[Malika]

^Of course North. But dont you agree especially of recently most of this "voicing" has an interior motive?

[N.O.R.F]

I'm yet to hear what this 'ulterior' motive is apart from 'you from SL so why do you care' which is getting a tad boring to be frank.

 

Are you saying those with alleged 'ulterior' motives shouldnt care for the people in the south? Do they have no right to care because they want to seperate from them? A tad silly not?

[Resistance]

"Searches and cleaning" ku dhahaa, if u call the the killing of old women and children 'searches & cleaning' then u have a terrible inbalance in your way of thinking. ( pictures don't lie tats why the media has been shit down )

 

But its our duty to raise our voice louder and louder at least that is better than staying quite and accepting the situation as it is.

[NGONGE]

Heh. North, you started by saying no news sources reported the problem and ended up providing two sources to prove your point!

 

 

Pakistan is important at this moment in time because Pakistan has the BOMB! Hamas and Fattah are important because they allow the Israel supporters in the media to point the finger and argue that the Palestinians are savages. Somalia on the other hand, and despite what the report says, did not experience any new development lately. After all, how does this recent fighting differ from the fights that took place in the last twelve months?

 

It is sad of course and one wishes that it would never take place but what you're asking for is absurd. I'd go as far as arguing that even if AY was shot tomorrow this will not dominate the news in the same way that Pakistan does. Somalia is indeed a problem but in the list of global problems it is merely a footnote.

[Xoogsade]

For those who think Somalilanders have alterior motives, the question is, why don't they express the same sentiment and voice their concern instead of questioning other people's genuine sympathy?