U.S. Institute of Peace on Situation in Somalia (CSPAN)

[Paragon]

U.S. Institute of Peace on Situation in Somalia

Monday

 

(26/03/2008)

 

UN Sec. Gen. Special Rep. for Somalia Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah talks about the current state of the continuing humanitarian and security crisis in Somalia. Washington, DC : 1 hr. 31 min.

 

http://www.c-span.org/video_rss.aspx?MediaID=35503

[Xudeedi]

Isseh, are you familiar with the sister remarking on the Maakhir state. The Special envoy is struck by how the sister articulated and posed the question of secession viz-a-viz the anti-seperatist regions. Mr. Oud Abdullah has learned a lesson that not everyone in the North supports secession no matter how the world ignores the voice of the pro-union states.

 

Equally important Also is the brother's remarks on the study done by the San Jose State University for the World Bank on Somalia's economy which was much better than 13 African countries including Ethiopia and Rwanda. It countered Mr. Oud's incomplete statement that Somalia was currently better than two countries. The stark contrast of the current tragic situation with the pre-invasion proves how the invasion overturned that was achieved by the resilient Somalis only to find out the magnitude of this widespread starvation and human suffering.

 

The article today by Jeffrey Gettleman on the New York times' front page covers the effect of the invasion but snippets of the cause of this catastrophe. It is very unfortunate to know how much valuable information is censored from the Public on front pages. What would an average person in the U.S or Europe think of when he sees on the front page large-scale human suffering, dejected faces of mothers and children with empty steel plates begging for food when the cause of this catastrophe is hidden from the public?

 

How sarcastically abhorant is such behaviour. It is like "Kill and destroy them, but only report their sufferings and appeal to the world for help since the African animals can’t organize their society to live better and provide for their needs on their own"

It is hard to swallow on the toll of sufferings exacted upon us.

[Xoogsade]

I watched the episode as it aired on C-SPAN, great debate. The girl raised legitimate concerns, a much needed point of view the powers that be ignore.

 

We should throw our strength behind Maakhir State and be a voice for their search to assert their freedom from other clan fiefdoms intent on taking advantage of the south's endless confusion.

 

 

MaakhirLand all the way

[Suldaanka]

Ahmed-dou sounded like he has given up on the "elephant in the house" issue. He talks about only when "unity government" is formed will Ethiopia go out of Somalia, but he turns a blind eye to the fact that there won't be a unitary government so long that Ethiopia remains in the country.

 

The guy who raised the Syria/Lebanon comparison has a good point.

 

The lady from East Sanaag made the assumption that everybody knows about Badhan.

 

I was surprised that no Somalilander was in that hall. But it is good that the lady from Eastern Sanaag raised the issue anyway.

 

This is what they exchanged:

 

Lady from East Sanaag: Thank you for coming and my question is regarding the recognition of Somaliland. I came from that area and I am not with the separatist agenda in Sanaag region, but we are doing very well without any assistance from the UN. So I am wondering about, from the political aspect, since we are really focusing on development at this point, focusing on a Port actually, raising 8 million dollars by our own, from the diaspora. But because of political instability and the Fear of recogntion, we feel that those resources for development and peace might be diverted to fighting and instability in the North again. So what do you have to say about my question?

 

Ahmed-dou: On Somaliland, I tried not to go to Somaliland for awhile because it is so peaceful and safe. Everyone coming to Somalia/land, goes to Somaliland but I try to go to the difficult places and so I went to Mogadishu and Baidoa. And can I say when I went to Somaliland, I was really impressed, its peaceful and well organised - Sue was with me when I was driving around in midnight, all the streets were open, shops were open. The opposition parties who are running against the President and the President have the same approach - the President won by 200 or 300 votes. And they just don't want any contention from the rest of the country. I was even impressed, they have a WiFi enabled hotels and browse the internet without any connection. So, peaceful and no problem. I hope they can contemenate their brothers in the South - for the good I mean.

[Jacaylbaro]

Ahmed-dou: On Somaliland, I tried not to go to Somaliland for awhile because it is so peaceful and safe. Everyone coming to Somalia/land, goes to Somaliland but I try to go to the difficult places and so I went to Mogadishu and Baidoa. And can I say when I went to Somaliland, I was really impressed, its peaceful and well organised - Sue was with me when I was driving around in midnight, all the streets were open, shops were open. The opposition parties who are running against the President and the President have the same approach - the President won by 200 or 300 votes. And they just don't want any contention from the rest of the country. I was even impressed, they have a WiFi enabled hotels and browse the internet without any connection. So, peaceful and no problem. I hope they can contemenate their brothers in the South - for the good I mean.

[Paragon]

Ahmed-dou really sounds clueless runtii. He goes shooting off to another subject when a specific question is asked, like: 'write to your congressman, write to your congressman' .

 

Similarly I could understand why the young man who sounded angry and the lady from Sanaag were irritated with him. The fellow was put under some intense heat, though. It was good to see our pro-resistance brothers were out in force. That's what we need to see. I am proud.

 

Xudeydi, no brother. I am not familiar with the young lady who put up that good fight lol. I like her approach, telling the man 'don't ignore my question' . But the man's answer was altogether irrelevant. He went about talking about a whole different story and then when he was reminded he was beating the bush, what was his excuse? 'Erm I am not Somali, I cannot understand everything like you'. Well what do you know? The very man who gets paid to know everything about Somali issues doesn't know a thing about what he is getting paid for. The lady'll make a good spokeswoman for Maakhir wouldn't you say?

 

I just wonder whether she's single though . Kidding of course.

[Thierry.]

chaps the link does not have a video how can i access it

[Geel_jire]

^

 

video page

 

click on the flash player link on the right or the media player link

[Ibtisam]

Isseh there had to be a reason behind your post eh. It is a shame sisters cannot voice their opinion and stand up in public for issues they care about without people personalizing things and bringing her status into it *ducks*

[Koora-Tuunshe]

Originally posted by Suldaanka:

The lady from East Sanaag made the assumption that everybody knows about Badhan.

 

 

 

"East Sanaag"? How mindboggling is to name a place that you can't geographically desribe whereever it is?

[Koora-Tuunshe]

Originally posted by Ibtisam:

Isseh there had to be a reason behind your post eh.

I don't think there is a reason behind it that Isse was imparting to us as special message. The whole dialogue is for the whole of Somalia.

[Som@li]

The Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah seems to ignorant for Somalis' issues, if only somalis problems were easy as he assumes, btw, He keeps repeating SOmalilanders told me this, that,how st%pid!

 

Issa, go and get that girl mate.

[Geel_jire]

^ Agreed the man seems ignorant of the situation and although he claims he has no career and therefore can afford to be frank, he keeps maneuvering around the Ethiopian question even though it was the single most important issue raised by all the people asking questions.

 

two points he continuously harped on seemed very duplicitous to me:

 

1- Somali 'disunity' is a justification for Ethiopian occupation.

 

2- He refuses to share his plan/proposal for fear of the criticism it might draw.

[Jacaylbaro]

So all these attacks on Ahmedou coz he praised Somaliland ??? ,,, that is why he is ignorant, clueless ,, blah blah ??

[Geel_jire]

^ JB what are you on ?

 

SL was not even in the debate he did praise SL and PL for the peace and stability relative to the south.

 

his ignorance at least from my perspective is that he does not even begin to comprehend the complexity of the problems we face.

 

- TFG vs. Opposition

- inter-clan conflicts

-regional disputes (SL vs PL over sool/sanaag)

-Economic state of the country relative to other African countries.

-foreign intervention in somali affairs (U.S/Ethiopia)

 

and he is the senior U.N representative to somalia.. many of these things he could have gathered just by reading and that is why he is clueless