FOCUS ON SOMALIA - Episodes

[Maqane]

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Published on Feb 8, 2013 by Amisom Somalia·

It's only been a couple of hours since sunrise, but members of the Elman Football Club are already in the final stages of their daily training session in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital.

The team was formed in 1993, just two years after socialist leader Siad Barre was ousted by warlords, plunging Somalia into over two decades of civil strife.

On February 10, the attention of billions of football fans will be trained on the finals of the African Nations Cup - the continent's most-coveted soccer prize.

Somalia was not one of the 16 teams that took part this year, but with the scores of Somali players in East African, Middle Eastern, European leagues - and for local teams like Elman FC - hopes are high that Somalia's "Ocean Stars" will one day take the field alongside their African counterparts.

For photos of the BANADIIR STADIUM FACELIFT [http://on.fb.me/W2lUkV] and to see some more of ELMAN FC IN ACTION: [http://on.fb.me/STMnlH]...

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[Maqane]

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Published on Feb 16, 2013 by Amisom Somalia·

The sun is at full blast and the dry "jilaal" winds that mark this time of year are picking up in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia.

It's not just the heat and dust that make the journey hard for commuters on the main road from Mogadishu to the trading town of Afgooye - which is about 25 kilometers west of the capital. The road has taken a beating over the years and its current deplorable condition makes the trip to Afgooye's market extremely uncomfortable.

It is for this reason that members of the combat engineering unit of AMISOM, the African Union Mission in Somalia are filling in potholes and carrying out other repairs on the worst stretches.

The Afgooye corridor was under the control of the al Shabaab Islamist militants up until May 2012 when the Somali National Army - with support from the Ugandan contingent of the AU peacekeeping force - pushed them out and secured the corridor in what was known as operation "Free Shebelle".

Since then, al Shabaab - which has links to al Qaeda - has lost most of the major towns and cities they controlled, paving way for Somalia first democratically elected president and government in decades.

With graders and other road construction equipment provided by the UN Mission to Somalia, the AMISOM engineers hope to soon make movement smoother, not just for Somali and AMISOM troops, but for Somali traders and normal travellers as well...

For PHOTOS of the ROAD REPAIRS IN PROGRESS, click here: http://on.fb.me/14d59a5

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[Maqane]

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Published on Mar 21, 2013 by Amisom Somalia

It's early morning in Mogadishu and fishermen in the Somali capital are bringing their catch in to the harbor. Somalia's 3,300 kilometre coastline - the continent's longest - gives the country's fishermen access to over 400 different species of fish in both the Indian Ocean in the east, and Gulf of Aden in the north. Decades of insecurity has made it difficult for most fishermen here to cash in on their country's rich marine stocks.

In the 1980's the government of former president Siad Barre created fishing cooperatives and legislation to regulate and develop the sector, as well as manage its fleet of five fishing trawlers operating in Kismayo and its other ports.

But like most of country's infrastructure and economy, the fishing industry was devastated during the civil war that followed Barre's ouster in 1991. Pirates took charge of many stretches of Somalia's coastline and foreign trawlers were seen fishing here illegally as the transitional government battled al Qaeda-linked group al Shabaab for control of the country.

The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was deployed in 2007 and has supported troops serving under Somalia's new government force al Shabaab out of Mogadishu and most of central and southern Somalia.

For PHOTOS of the CATCH OF THE DAY, click here: http://on.fb.me/14bJn8a

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[Maqane]

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Published on Mar 23, 2013
Members of the Sierra Leonean Police Force serving under the African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), have been awarded with medals of service in the country's capital Mogadishu.

The Policemen and women are part of the Individual Police Officers (IPOs) that are tasked with reforming, restructuring monitoring and mentoring the Somali Police Force rising from two decades of civil war.


For PHOTOS of the MEDAL PARADE, click here: http://on.fb.me/Y7FUUP

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[Maqane]

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Published on Mar 25, 2013
Until recently, artists working here at Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, had either given up their craft or were painting in secret.

Art, sports and various other forms of entertainment were forbidden by the
extremist al-Shabaab, whose time in power is considered one of the most repressive
since Somalia's troubles began in 1991.

For PHOTOS of the PEACE ART story, click here: http://on.fb.me/10ck5RU

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[Alpha Blondy]

AMISOM 'winning the hearts and minds' of locals, miyaa?

 

Abbaas,

 

please advise.

[Maqane]

Alpha Blondy;978474 wrote:

AMISOM 'winning the hearts and minds' of locals, miyaa?

 

Abbaas,

 

please advise.

Haa Alpha, by showing their positive sides nooh!

[Maqane]

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Night has fallen in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. For years, residents in the city - and in many other parts of the country - would watch the sunset with increasing fear that militant group Al Shabaab would use the cover of darkness to wage war.

But 18 months ago, the extremist group lost their stranglehold on Somalia's nerve centre to the Somali National Security Forces who are bolstered by troops with the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM).

These men, members of a special AMISOM's police unit, are here to augment the efforts of Somalia's Police Force (SPF) as they work to return law and order to the country's biggest city, after more than two decades of civil strife.

FOR PHOTOS of the NIGHT PATROLS: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjDF1rQ3
or check out our DIGITAL MAGAZINE FEATURE: http://bit.ly/X7O3rF

CONNECT with AMISOM:
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[Reeyo]

http://qz.com/124918/turkey-is-poised-to-cash-in-on-a-stable-somalia/

[Maqane]

^ What 're you trying to say inaar Reeyo, Turkey is transforming Muqdisho into Istanbul looking Magaalo :mad:

[Maqane]

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In September 2012, soldiers from Djibouti serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), arrived in Beletweyne and took over security operations.

Beletweyne, located in the fertile Hiraan region, is a not only Somalia's fifth largest city, but also a critical trading hub for the entire country.

Animals from the Beletweyne Livestock Market are shipped to Mogadishu, Bosaso, Berbera for domestic consumption and export to the Gulf States.

AMISOM's presence in the area, and support to the Somali National Army, have now made it possible for entrepreneurs to resume their business activities after years of brutality and unlawful taxation by al Shabaab scared them off.

FOR PHOTOS of DAILY LIFE IN BELETWEYNE: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjEhL1vw

[Mad_Mullah]

Sierra Leoneans are in Somalia

 

Nobody watched Blood DIamond?

[YoniZ]

Abbaas,

 

inaar waxan wax kabadan, are you the newly (self) appointed spin doctor of AMISOM

[Maqane]

YoniZ;980616 wrote:

Abbaas,

 

inaar waxan wax kabadan, are you the newly (self) appointed spin doctor of AMISOM

eh, self appointed? it's more than that but i would rather keep it a secret, ma garatay? Ya'll stop the '''ilfuur'... AMISOM doesn't need you.

[Maqane]

Very emotional, must listen to the Elder!

 

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Over the last two years, the Somali National Security Forces, with the support of AMISOM, have forced al Qaeda linked extremist group al Shabaab, out of most urban centres across south and central Somalia, enabling the country to inaugurate a new and representative political order.