Somaliland authorities are trading captured refugees in return for ammunition

[NASSIR]

By Peter Heinlein

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

17 October 2007

 

 

Addis Ababa (VOA) A group concerned with human rights in Ethiopia's eastern ****** region says refugees fleeing to neighboring Somalia are being rounded up by Somali authorities and handed over to Ethiopian troops. VOA's Peter Heinlein in Addis Ababa reports Ethiopia's government rejects the allegation.

 

A news release received at the VOA bureau in Nairobi says ethnic Somalis escaping an Ethiopian government crackdown in ****** face arrest and deportation. The release, issued by the ****** Human Rights Committee, alleges that Somali authorities are trading captured refugees in return for ammunition and materials or simply to prove loyalty and friendship to Ethiopia.

 

Senior Ethiopian government official Bereket Simon denied the allegation in a VOA telephone interview. Bereket says those arrested were terrorists.

 

"We have detained terrorists. We have detained members of terrorist groups. That is normal," he said. "And, we will do it again if we get the chance. I do not think we should be denied the right to defend ourselves. That is what we have been doing and if anybody translates this into human rights abuse, that is his problem, not ours."

 

Conflict has been raging in the eastern region of Ethiopia since April, when fighters of the ****** National Liberation Front attacked a Chinese-run oil exploration team. Seventy-four people were reported killed in the attack.

 

The impoverished region had been virtually closed to foreigners, including journalists and aid agencies, for months. But aid officials told VOA this week that food shipments have resumed and that fresh supplies are enough to feed needy people in the region for six months.

 

The cutoff of supplies had prompted human rights and aid groups to accuse the government of creating a humanitarian crisis. But Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi defended the action. Meles described the ONLF rebels as "cold-blooded murderers" bankrolled by neighboring Eritrea, and vows they will be crushed.

 

The ONLF says it is fighting for greater autonomy for the mostly ethnic Somali people of the region.

 

The ****** region is considered the poorest in Ethiopia. It is home mostly to Somali nomads. The predominantly Muslim area has kept its own distinctive identity, doing most of its trading with Somalia and the Middle East, rather than with the rest of Ethiopia.

 

Source: VOA, October 17, 2007

[RedSea]

That is really terrible. Africa really smells. Every corner you look at there is something awfully going wrong.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

The other puppet entity, and which you fondly support, does it worse. The question is, would you have shared with us had this article about the other way around?

 

Xabashi u adeegid ayaa lagu kala tartarmoyaa today. In that ghastly, sick game of theirs by the sycophant puppets, nothing is forbidden or unlimited, including even selling the dead souls and bodies of Soomaalis.

[RedSea]

double posted(:

[RedSea]

Good points MMA.

 

I think the poster posted this not for sympathy sake but rather as a way to critize Somaliland and that is sad way to score a political point considering the things that are really happening to Somali galbeed.

[SOO MAAL]

I don’t see the difference between the one who support the puppet entity of TFG, and the one who support the other puppet entity of Somaliland

 

Dhamaan maamulada Somalia manta ka jiraa ayaa xabashida u adeega, mid kasta waxuu u tartamayaa siduu kale uga dheereen lahaa xabashiga, waxaa la yaab badan mid kasta somali kale ee walaalkii ayuu u xoog weynyahay, xaqdarada waa uu ku taageerayaan kooxdooda

 

I don't understand why blame Caamir? When all of you are same

 

some of you were supporting the aggression of Riyaale's clan militia against the people of Laascaanood, I think that’s worse then posting of an article that just criticizes a political entity

[Jacaylbaro]

Somali authorities

are trading captured refugees in return for ammunition and materials or simply to prove loyalty and friendship to Ethiopia.

Maxaa been la isu sheegayaa ,,,, where does it says SOMALILAND ??

 

 

When Somaliland became a SOMALI AUTHORITIES ?? cajiib ! ! !

[rudy-Diiriye]

^lol..cash aye! mrs Riyaale must be broke...or planning for her x-mass party.

[Jacaylbaro]

dadkan Somaliland nacayb baa halkaa la gaadhay ,,, xataa Somalia baa Somaliland la noqotay when reading coz niyadoodaa meel ku maqan

[rudy-Diiriye]

yo, i love my sland ppl, they cool... but how can u support such amxaaro servants that kill their own kind.. brotha... miyaand deeg somaliya laheeyn.

 

wat to happen to resolving issues as somali dad ah!u know lets chill under the qalool tree and talking about it. lol.

[Jacaylbaro]

Somaliland doesn't support amxaaro ,, they've a relationship only which is normal in the whole world.

 

No one killed for amxaaro sxb .....

[Fabregas]

Mr Caamir, this is your second misleading thread in two days. Firstly you tried to present a U.N call urging PL and SL to curb violence as one calling only Somalialand and now your are trying to present an article alleging the sale of Somali refugees by "Somali Authorities" as one somehow implicating SL only.

[NASSIR]

Why is it misleading news. It is all over the news. Check Aminarts AminArts dated October 16 2007 as well as this News

 

Originally posted by Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar:

The other puppet entity, and which you fondly support, does it worse.

Dear Macruuf, you probably see the TFG case as either black or white. In 1996, the U.N adopted a resolution that created IGAD mainly to reverse the deteriorating condition of Somalia's ethnic war. Ethiopia is member of IGAD. IGAD was open to bring together warlords, elders, scholars, and community leaders in Eldoret which led to the formation of the TFG with a readiness and desire to stop the conflict in Somalia in good faith. Some of the pre-requisites adopted as resolution in the Eldoret conference had several elements that were successful:

 

Respect for each others' concerns and fears This means putting the past differences aside.

 

creation of working relations

 

and identifying the needs, expectations and what is acceptable. Although IGAD used shuttle diplomacy to coordinate and facilitate the Reconciliation conference, the final decision was based on the will of all the parties involved. Prior to the TFG’s official take over of Mogadsiho, warlords were in the business of handing over suspected individuals to the CIA which financed them. The United States considers Pre-TFG Somalia as an ungoverned space, such actions of kidnapping and handing over innocent but suspected individuals thus served the interest of U.S’s foreign policy. Ethiopian and Egypt receive the bulk of Congressional Appropriations in the fight against terror. Since TFG assumed control of Mogadisho, reports of kidnapping have significantly become minimal and the U.N would not allow this to happen. The era of warlords’ hegemony has been substantially reduced, but if you equate the TFG with another warlord entity, then it means the United States and whole world, not to mention majority of Somalis, are supporting a warlord entity.

 

“Somaliland” is another building block that proved itself its susceptibility to chronic corruption and human rights abuse that is why I raised this topic.

 

On the other hand, TFG has its faults. I have exposed its faults several times in the forum and offered my citizen’s advice. Somalia’s conflict is now an internationalized conflict. The world is concerned of its steady continuation and wants to end it. Ethiopia’s intervention and its political factor can have several reasons. It might be for tit for tat or ending our protracted conflict that is destabilizing the region. I am optimistic and I had chosen the latter.

 

Old Comment I made

[Malika]

My response might not be directly about the article posted but a link to the issues discussed in the article.

 

Are we so short sighted or have we lost any common sense to the obvious and deliberated attempts of the Ethiopian Government [Meles & Co.] in its desperate attempt to destroy Somalia for its own agenda. How does one have influence over a weak people but only to use the old method of dived and conquer. Why! One would ask be the benefit of such an action to the ancient civilised country such as Ethiopia but if not for obvious reason.

 

Let’s just for a minute step away from the issue of Somali Galbeed and the struggle of our people against this ruthless regime. Let’s look back on recent history, Meles was about to lose his office in the early days of 2001, because of the Ethio-Eritrea War. Just before that historic day of the 9/11, the then new Bush administration was in the process of reviewing US policy towards Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa region in the aftermath of the Ethio-Eritrean war, the policy would have been very tough on Meles Zenawi, if the 9/11 did not happen. But luck would have it, it happened and the new US administration scrapped whatever review it had conducted in its 8 months in office in favour of recruiting support for its war on Terrorism. The perfect opportunity for Zenawi, he just needed to consolidate his tenuous position within his ruling party who blame him for the Eritrean debacle. He grabbed this opportunity offering full cooperation to the US, to prosecute any terrorist organisations in the Horn region and in return a blind eye to the atrocities that are being committed by the Melez regime.

So the invasion, the on going atrocities committed against the people of Somali Galbeend and of Somalia by Ethiopia has nothing to do with the so called threat imposed by a few Sheikhs in Mogadishu or ONLF.But what we are observing is his flexed muscles deep within our lands, our political agendas and above all our moral responsibility against one another.

 

Why aren’t the people of Ethiopia standing up against this corrupt regime I asked a friend, his response was shocking but very insightful. He went on talking about the threat that is coming from the Arab extremists, disguised as Somali Islamists.The extremist always declared that “the land of the first hijra[Where the prophet Mohamed sent his followers’ to hide from their prosecutors]should be a Muslim land”. Strangely he added this, “these extremist also want to control the source of the Blue Nile that is a life line to Sudan and Egypt”. Because of that their large Christian population and their country in general is vulnerable to attack. So they would use what ever means to survive, keep their heritage and faith.

 

Are we still yet in position to argue who is and who isn’t the best of friends with Ethiopia?

[Sharmarkee]

Camir said that

 

:"Ethiopia’s intervention and its political factor can have several reasons. It might be for tit for tat or ending our protracted conflict that is destabilizing the region. I am optimistic and I had chosen the latter."

 

Ya iibasay oo kale? anyon else .... Quite ironic, someone belives that,this isn't the end of the dark tunnel but its the mid point of Somali's self-destruction remotely controlled by that short guy in addis ababa, the guy got the best of them.