Britain is leaving once-stable Somaliland to the mercy of al-Shabaab Islamist militan

[General Duke]

Britain is leaving once-stable Somaliland to the mercy of al-Shabaab Islamist militants

November 13th, 2008

 

Jeremy Sare

 

guardian.co.uk, Thursday November 13 2008 10.00 GMT

 

Article history

 

The co-ordinated suicide bomb attacks in Somaliland’s capital Hargeisa two weeks ago shattered more than a decade of stability. Yet the despite the continuing threat hanging over this former British protectorate, the British government will not act to properly protect the fledgling democracy.

 

Since tearing itself from a bloody union with the violent southern half of Somalia, Somaliland to the north has been an oasis of democratic hope in a turbulent region (about 8,000 people are estimated to have been killed in southern Somalia in the last 18 months). The car bombings, which killed about 30 people (including two UN officials), served as a bitter reminder to the Somalilanders, if one were needed, of their proximity to the pit of spiralling violence and their own vulnerability of sliding back into it. There were also lethal explosions in the semi-autonomous regime of Puntland.

 

The international community is watching passively as the terror and violence erupt again. There is no shortage of international condemnation for the attacks, including from the minister for Africa, Lord Malloch-Brown, but no real practical help is being offered. As the former colonial power, Britain has a particular responsibility to the 3.5 million Somalilanders. “We need two levels of support,” says Abdi Karim, head of Wales Somaliland Communities Link. “First, capacity-building and training of police and security services. Second, humanitarian support for the hospitals, if there are further attacks”.

 

Somaliland does not qualify for specific aid and development, let alone additional security support, because it is not recognised as sovereign by the UN. It has been effectively an independent country since 1991, but without diplomatic recognition there can be no support programme; the result is extreme poverty and a chronic lack of defence infrastructure. Michael Walls of Somaliland Focus (UK) blames “a lack of willingness on the part of many international actors to sufficiently recognise… both state and civil society remain enormously under-resourced”.

 

The bombings in Somaliland were most likely a concerted effort to curtail the country’s third presidential election to be held next March; voter registration has ceased in the ensuing security clampdown.

 

There is a strong suspicion across the region the group responsible for the atrocities was al-Shabaab an extreme Islamist militia which now effectively controls the southern Somali port of Kismayo and parts of the capital, Mogadishu. They practice an extreme form of sharia law and have now turned their spiteful gaze to the harmonious north.

 

They announced their murderous intent in 2006 when one of the leaders of the Islamic Courts Union, Sheikh Dahir Aweys, promised publicly “to send 30 young martyrs to carry out explosions and killing of the Jewish and American collaborators in the northern regions”.

 

Al-Shabaab is considered by many governments to be, at least ideologically, if not materially linked to al-Qaida. Since they overran Kismayo in August, al-Shabaab leaders have restored order. But then began the wholesale violent suppression of the people, particularly women, under their perverse interpretation of Islamic law.

 

To gauge the degree of fundamentalism within al-Shabaab, you need look no further than the stoning to death of 13-year old girl a few days ago in Kismayo.

 

The circumstances of Asha Ibrahim Dhuhulow’s killing could hardly be more brutal. She was first raped by three men but was condemned as “an adulterer” by Al-Shabaab leaders. An anonymous eyewitness told the BBC she was dragged to a stadium weeping. She was buried up to her neck before 50 men stoned her in front of a 1,000 strong crowd. The international community seems resigned to this institutionalised barbarism and routine human rights abuses in Somalia.

 

But there has been some hint from the British government they would like to help Somaliland but are held back by the “technicality’ of not having recognised sovereignty - notably by, chair of the All-Party Group for Somaliland Alun Michael MP, Britain’s support would risk offending the sensibilities of Italy and a couple of African Union countries which oppose their independence.

 

But the counter-argument to an independent Somaliland can be captured in one word: “Somaliweyn’. In essence it means a call for a Greater Somalia by uniting all the Somali peoples who currently live in southern Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, eastern Ethiopia and the north-eastern province of Kenya.

 

Somaliweyn is nothing more than chauvinistic patriotism which defies long-established international boundaries and flies in the face of political reality. Reports from Hargeisa in recent days describe a tense city still in shock and fearful of the next strike from al-Shabaab. It is time Britain acted to offer effective security support and intelligence to Somaliland.

[General Duke]

Secessionists are indeed confused..

The above report was posted on Somaliland.org...

 

Its not Al Shabaab, is it not

[Ibtisam]

Since when did you care about Somaliland??? Miis anything to avoide the situation of Yey these days.

 

P.s. The article was in the guardian.co.uk, Somaliland.org is just hosting it for news purposes and for their own use.

 

P.s.s. You will become Riyaal's best friend if he blames Al shabab so maah??

 

sheeko sheeko caarurah

[General Duke]

^^^I care deeply about the NW dear.

And I care to hightlight that the snake you was rasing for the purpose of hurting the south has come back to bite you..

 

Anyhow why cry to old Britian I thoguht you was an "independent" nation?

 

As for child stories, did I writte this in the Guardian and I thoguht we belived everything we read and heard on the British press.

 

Anyhow did AL SHABAAB bomb you>?

and what are you going to do about it.

 

Norf, Red anyone

[NGONGE]

^^ Once the Times and Telegraph start printing such stories we shall have take-off. Still, behind every cloud....

[Chimera]

you have more clouds...

[General Duke]

NGOONGE: No doubt that this is good propoganda but you know the Brits can not recognise Somaliland without the US and the UN and the AU would not allow this because of the many other more tribal nation wannabe areas across the continant.

 

Anyhow I want to get the opinion of the secessionists Al Shabaab supporters.

[General Duke]

What’s ironic is that Britain is made up of nations with their own different history and languages, you have Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as well the English. Each has a different flag, a different football team. Yet to the ***** who wrote the article Somaliweyn is a crazy idea. While we are a single nation with a single language and a single religion. We dont even have anything comparable to the Protestant & Catholic denominations unlike Great Britian. But hey he is white and we are silly Africans they can lecture and hoodwink.

[Chimera]

Duke would support the nincompoops Al Shabaab today if the prostitute Yey was their leader!

 

btw your last reply is spot on!

[General Duke]

^^^I agree with the nincompoop part, the rest was so confused.

 

Come again.

[Garyaqaan2]

waqoyi galbeed ee somalia indhawaaleba waa aay ka nasatay rabshado iyo dhibaatooyin lakiin hada waxaa moodaa in ay habrihii iyaga dhaxdooda is heestaan. and we shall see if riyoole steps down.

[AfricaOwn]

Originally posted by General Duke:

Yet to the ***** who wrote the article Somaliweyn is a crazy idea. While we are a single nation with a single language and a single religion.

Is not about that. Somaliland is just better of governing itself. This "Somaliwayne" BS you're on will cause more problems than good. And if you ask me..we never had a "Somaliwayne" to begin with.

[NGONGE]

Originally posted by General Duke:

What’s ironic is that Britain is made up of nations with their own different history and languages, you have Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as well the English. Each has a different flag, a different football team. Yet to the ***** who wrote the article Somaliweyn is a crazy idea. While we are a single nation with a single language and a single religion. We dont even have anything comparable to the Protestant & Catholic denominations unlike Great Britian. But hey he is white and we are silly Africans they can lecture and hoodwink.

No irony at all, you oaf. Have you been listening to the First Minster of Scotland lately, saaxib?

[General Duke]

^^^Better governing can be done as a unit within Somalia. Its not a reason to create a seperate nation. Again if Britian can have Scots, Irish, Welsh and the English together. The small clans of the North West with their other small clan brothers in the North east and south should stay together.

 

If you have a gift for admin, well by all means take the lead and lead the whole nation, dont boast about it in your corner. Brothers are brothers old boy.

[xiinfaniin]

Originally posted by Adam-Zayla:

Duke would support the nincompoops Al Shabaab today if the prostitute Yey was their leader!

 

btw your last reply is spot on!

And he would issue threats of snitching against anyone who opposes Yey's leadership of alshabaab.