The Voice Of Somaliland: Ethiopia Seizes New Somali Town

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Ethiopia Seizes New Somali Town

Ethiopian troops have reportedly moved into another town in south-western Somalia, two days after entering the country to protect the weak government.

Eyewitnesses say about 200 Ethiopian soldiers took control of the airstrip outside Waajid early on Saturday.

There is no confirmation from either the Ethiopian or the Somali government.
The Union of the Islamic Courts (UIC), a militia which controls the capital and much of the south, has vowed to drive out Ethiopian troops.

The Ethiopians moved into Somalia on Thursday and have been seen in Baidoa, where the beleaguered interim government is based.

'Holy war'

Eyewitnesses quoted by the Associated Press news agency say Ethiopian soldiers seized the airport at Waajid, about 70km (43 miles) to the north, before dawn on Saturday.

The town had been controlled by a local militia. It is unclear whether there was any fighting.
Other residents told Somali media that they had seen Ethiopian soldiers in the town centre.
The UIC has pledged to wage a "holy war" to drive out Ethiopian troops.

The Islamic militia drove the warlords from the capital, Mogadishu in June, saying they wanted to restore law and order.

The UIC has since consolidated its power over many parts of southern Somalia.
But Ethiopia is strongly opposed to the militia and has repeatedly warned that it will send its army into Somalia if the government is attacked.

Ethiopia has been a long-term ally of President Abdullahi Yusuf.
UIC leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys has accused him of being "a servant of Ethiopia".
A UN report earlier this year said that Mr Aweys had been getting significant military aid from Ethiopia's rival, Eritrea - a claim Eritrea has denied.

Mr Aweys has denied US accusations that he and the UIC have links to al-Qaeda.

Source: BBC.COM

1 comment:

The Rendezvous said...: Great.

Can we start having a more Islamic freindly news from now on..The western propaganda is increasing...

Did the UIC (Islamic council in somali) kill people watching the World cup or were they watching X-rated porn films immediately the ball watching is over..

Let us know; Saturday, July 22, 2006

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The New Somaliland Press & Publications Bill 2007

The Somaliland Government has recently sent to the House of Representatives a new Bill on press and publications. The provisions of this bill (based almost entirely on the Yemen Law No: 25 of 1990 on the Press & Publications) run contrary to international norms relating to freedom of expression and the independence of the press and are not in line with the Somaliland constitution.
The considerable powers given to the Minister of Information (and other ministers) include even deciding on appeals from anyone whose writings have been turned down for publication by a newspaper’s editor (Article 46). These ministerial powers over the press and publishers/printers/distributors etc, the compulsory registration of all press and publication activities, including the practice of the profession of journalism, and the extensive criminal sanctions which add to the existing array of criminal offences in the 1962 Somali Penal Code contrast sharply with the current Somaliland Press Law (2004), which contains no criminal sanctions and is based on codes of conduct. Unfortunately the Somaliland Government has repeatedly made clear its dissatisfaction with the current press Law and has used the Penal Code and extra-judicial powers to detain and imprison journalists. It is no surprise, therefore, that the Somaliland Government is not putting forward amendments of the current Press Law, but is now proposing its wholesale replacement by this new Bill which introduces considerable criminal sanctions, such as fines and imprisonment (Article 99) for the infringement of its numerous provisions, as well as prohibition of continued practice of journalism or publication or even circulation of printed materials; confiscation of property, including printing presses (Article 101) and seizure of printed materials (Article 102)..........Full Text

The Isaq Somali Diaspora And‎ Poll-Tax Agitation In Kenya, 1936-41‎

Poll-tax agitation has been a fairly common phenomenon in Africa. On most occasions it has involved little ‎more than vocalized protest. In a few instances, however, it has led to resistance that has been both serious ‎and violent; the earliest example of the latter is probably to be found in the widespread Fante uprisings that ‎occurred immediately after the introduction of the Gold Coast Poll Tax Ordinance of 1852; a later example is ‎the Natal uprising of 1906 which has been attributed in large measure to the introduction of poll tax at the ‎end of the previous year. Yet the agitation by the Isaq Somali in Kenya did not follow either of these two ‎patterns. In several respects it was a highly unusual movement: first, the Isaq were campaigning to pay higher ‎taxation; secondly, in order to secure their aims they attempted to mobilize the whole Isaq diaspora, so that ‎Somali in Uganda, Tanganyika, British Somaliland and Britain were all involved in this agitation, (see map )‎.....Read the rest

The "Letter-of-Death" by General "Morgan" January 23, 1987

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The report is addressed to the President of the SDR, the Minister of Defence, and the Minister of Interior. The latter, Major-General Ahmed Suleiman Abdalla, is also a son-in-law of the President, and Third Deputy Prime Minister. Since President Barre is also the Minister of Defence -- the previous holder of that portfolio, General Mohamed Ali Samatar, having been promoted Prime Minister on January 30, 1987 -- the report is seemingly confined to family members. This would explain its extreme frankness in specifying certain clans as targets for implemented and recommended punitive action.
The target is the Isaaq Clan Family. The term "clan family" was first coined by Professor I.M. Lewis, Professor Social Anthropology at the London School Economics, to describe the collective name for each of the several major divisions to which Somali clans traditionally divide themselves. The Isaaq clan family sub-divides into four main clans.
Top Secret.......Read the rest