Why does America expect 4,000 AU troops to do what 38,000 UN troops failed to do?
Sometime in late February 1995, 2,400 Pakistani and Bangladeshi peacekeepers made the now famous amphibian retreat from the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
They were the last of 38,000-strong UN peacekeeping force from 21 countries sent in to save Somalia from war and famine in 1992.
As they retreated three years later, there was no peace to keep as Somali warring faction continued to battle for control of Mogadishu.
In fact, to provide cover for the retreating peacekeepers, the United States, Italy, France, Britain and Malaysia assembled a force of 14,000 troops.
The force arrived on 32 ships and camped off the Somalia coast for at least a week before moving in.
The Americans had retreated earlier in 1993, after 18 Americans were killed in fighting with Somali-warlord Gen. Mohamed Farrah Aidid that October, and the body of a dead American soldier was dragged through the streets of Mogadishu.
America turned over the Somalia mission to the UN and emphasis shifted from humanitarian work to reconstruction as a way of helping restore a government in Somalia. That effort failed and the UN also ended its mission.
Somalia has been racked by violence since dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991.
Almost two decades later, the government of Uganda forces (UPDF) under the auspices of the African Union has sent in 3,500 peacekeepers. They have been joined by forces from Burundi. Africa’s biggest peacekeeper, Nigeria promised 850 forces but reneged.
Flagging off the Ugandan forces, President Yoweri Museveni sounded realistic.
“We will not go to Somalia to impose peace on the Somalis, because we shouldn’t do that and we can’t do it,†President Museveni said to his troops, “What we are going to do in Somalia is to empower our Somali brothers to rebuild their state.â€
But by mid-this July, reports from Mogadishu were indicating that the AU peacekeepers were floundering in their mission - to defend Mogadishu port, the airport, key government buildings, and Sharif Ahmed, the Somalia president, who is struggling to take control over the Horn of Africa nation from the fighters bent on overthrowing his western-backed government.
Media reports claimed that the Al-Shabaab fighters and other anti-government groups control swathes of southern and central Somalia and have cornered and restricted the AU and government troops in just a few blocks of Mogadishu.
The AU denies it, but Somali government officials and witnesses say the AU has finally relinquished its neutral, defensive mandate and is becoming more offensive.
“Amisom [the peacekeeping force] backed us up in this latest operation because the rebels were only one kilometre to the presidential palace,†a Somali official said.
But AMISOM Spokesman, UPDF Maj. Barigye Bahoku denies it. He is quoted by Al Jazeera: ““We have not been engaged [in fighting]. (So) we moved in, we showed force and we went back to the base and the government forces are continuing with their work.â€
All these developments raise the question: can Uganda and the AU, do with 3,500 soldiers, what the UN failed to do with 38,000?
Troop numbers matter.
That is why Somali President Sharif has shuttled from Uganda, Sudan, Kenya, Djibouti, and Ethiopia begging for more troops.
The AU pledged 8,000 troops but there are only about 3,500 in Mogadishu. They are too few and too over-stretched.
Initial indications were that no countries were offering any new forces. But that could change soon. America has joined the hunt for more troops for Somalia and has reportedly offered to pay for the deployment.
So Somalia Prime Minister Abdirashid Ali’s claim last week, that troops from Nigeria, Djibouti, Rwanda, Malawi, Sierra Leone and Ghana could enter Mogadishu soon might not be too far-fetched.
Indeed, UPDF Chief of Staff Brig. Robert Rusoke told The Independent on July 14 that AU is reviewing means of sending more troops to Somalia.
“We have no scheduled time to leave Somalia. We shall leave when we are convinced that there is total peace and a sound government in place,†said Brig. Rusoke.
But forces opposed to the Somali government are also marshalling more support. The Somali government claims the fighting has been joined by Islamic fundamentalist fighters from Eritrea, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen.
After a bout of recent fighting, the government showed the body of a fighter it said was an Afghan national fighting with Hizbul Islam, an umbrella opposition group led by Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys.
They claimed to have captured other fighters from Pakistan and Yemen.
Highly placed security sources told The independent that Eritrean prisoners of war who are now in the custody of AU forces confessed that they belonged to a big force which was sent by the Eritrean government to assist Al Shabaab to rid Somalia of all foreign forces.
Be that as it may, Brig. Rusoke says the United Nations would soon take over the mandate of the Somalia peace mission. The UN was supposed to take over the AMISOM after six months in operation but it has not.
On July 14, the AU begged for international support for the transitional federal government of Somalia (TFG). AU Special Representative to Somalia Nicolas Bwakira, made the impassioned appeal at the two-day Joint AU, IGAD and UN Political Office for Somalia Technical/Experts Meeting on Capacity Building Support to Somalia in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. The UPDF Commander of the Land Forces, Lt. Gen. Katumba Wamala, who oversees the Somalia operation, was in Nairobi for this meeting.
Before that, the UN Security Council on July 9 slapped sanctions on the government of Eritrea for her alleged involvement in the Somalia conflict.
Eritrea, which is said to support insurgents in the Ogden region against the government of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, is allegedly bolstering Al-Shabaab’s firepower and inflicting a heavy price on the AU forces.
On July 11, the UPDF contingent in Mogadishu lost three soldiers during the intensive fighting when the insurgents shelled the presidential palace with mortars. Sources in Mogadishu also said 15 UPDF troops had been critically wounded in the fighting although the Ugandan army spokesman Maj. Felix Kulayigye last week acknowledged only one wounded.
In another incident, an AMISOM source in Mogadishu told The Independent from Mogadishu that a few weeks back, two UPDF soldiers died instantly when insurgents lobbed a grenade into their vehicle at Shakala detach, injuring 13 others.
As if to show that they rule Mogadishu, the Al Shabaab showed mode of justice when they held a ceremony in the capital, in which they chopped off a hand and foot from each of four men convicted of stealing mobile phones and other items.
They are said to be just 2 kilometers from capturing the Presidential Villa.
Enter America
That is why a ceremony held at the Kasenyi military training school in Entebbe on June 16 is significant.
At the ceremony, 134 UPDF soldiers completed the sixth military-to-military counter terrorism course conducted by the United States of America Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA).
“This training is an excellent example of how Uganda and the United States government work together to promote peace and stability,†said US Army Colonel Matthew Grays, CJTF-HOA joint civil-military operations director.
The US has been training the Ugandan army for years and although his star may be fading, President Museveni has for years been an important US ally.
As a result, Uganda has thrived on American aid. In return, Uganda has provided America with critical military support, especially intelligence on the Great Lakes region.
Museveni’s latest assignment on behalf of America might be to provide more boots on the ground in Somalia. The Kasenyi ceremony is important because those UPDF graduates could be headed to Somalia.
Already, as the Washington Post and the Voice of America reported on June 27, the US government had in the previous six weeks provided about 40 tons of weapons and ammunition to shore up the besieged government of Somalia and has sent funding to train Somali soldiers.
The report was attributed to a senior State Department official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity and said the military aid, worth about $10 million (approx. Shs 20 billion), had been approved by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the US National Security Council.
“We do not want to see Somalia become a safe haven for foreign terrorists,†the official said.
The story said the US government has asked the UPDF to give Somali soldiers small arms and ammunition. The US government is then resupplying the Uganda.
The US government will also help pay for the Kenyan, Burundi and Ugandan militaries to train Somali soldiers, and is providing logistical support for the AU troops.
It added that Clinton calls Somalia’s president to consult on the crisis.
Such high profile intervention by the US has renewed speculation about motives beyond merely humanitarian.
The Somalia fighting has killed 250 civilians and forced more than 160,000 people to flee their homes in June alone.
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Somalia are estimated at over one million in a country of eight million. They lack food, emergency relief supplies, and essential health, shelter, and water, sanitation and hygiene services.
The US has been a leading donor of humanitarian assistance to Somalia, with more than US$156 million in FY 2006 - 2007, and US$74 million in FY 2008.
Somalia oil
However, a statement attributed to the Association of American Petroleum Geologists claims that based on published and unpublished data, the geology of Somalia, “proves that oil and gas have been generated with favorable reservoirs, as well as structural and stratigraphic traps. Moreover, continuation of these basins across the gulf, matching the hydrocarbon-producing Marib-Hajar and Say’un-Al Masila basins of Yemen, raises the hydrocarbon prospect of northern Somalia.â€
A 1993 story in the Los Angeles Times claimed that four major US oil companies; Conoco, Amoco, Chevron and Phillips, had been allocated nearly two-thirds of Somalia in the final years before Somalia’s pro-US President Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown and the nation plunged into chaos in January, 1991.
Significantly, when the US government in February 2007 announced a presidential directive to establish a unified combatant command called African Command (AFRICOM), analysts immediately zeroed on the growing interest in protecting for itself the newly found Africa oil and gas fields as the motive.
War on Terror
But America also worries about Somalia breeding the next Al-Qaeda terrorists.
At the height of the early 2009 attacks on ships by Somali pirates, a story in the Washington Post reported that defense officials had recommended pre-emptive strikes against Al Shabaab training camps “based on the potential threat the group poses to American interests.â€
At the time, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates suggested to “improve governance and economic stabilityâ€.
Before AFRICOM in 2002, CENTCOM’s Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) began establishing a permanent 1,500 troops forward operating base at Camp Lemonier, an old French Foreign Legion base in Djibouti, using the pretext of the War on Terror.
Its mission is to detect, disrupt, raid, and defeat transnational Al-Qaeda groups suspected to be operating in the region, especially in Somalia.
Such bases give the US strategic control of the maritime zone through which a quarter of the world’s oil production passes and is in proximity to the Sudanese oil pipeline.
In addition to Djibouti, there are prominent forward-operating bases located in Kenya, Ethiopia (two of the nations identified as regional anchors in the NSS), and Uganda, geographically situated near both the southern edge of Sudan (the part where most of the oil is) and the resource-rich, highly-prized Great Lakes region.
Great expectations
Analysts say that although, Ethiopia’s Zenawi and President Museveni have accepted top be America’s footmen in Somalia, they need to pay attention to a December 2006 Report to Members of the US Committee on Foreign Relations that read: “One Central African country in particular illustrates the need for State Department perspective and guidance to temper Defense Department enthusiasm. The country is unstable, desperately poor, and run by a repressive government that is being challenged by a persistent armed resistance. Desperate for a military strong enough to protect it from the rebels, the government has signed an Article 98 agreement, exempting US military personnel from International Criminal Court procedures and thus enabling it to receive military assistance. It has also signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the United States. With extensive “under-governed spaces†as potential terrorist havens and bordering countries with equally uncertain futures, the country was termed “a model country for security assistance†by the regional combatant command. Civilian embassy officials, however, are demonstrably less keen. They question the rate at which military programs are rapidly escalating and the sizable and still growing presence of U.S. military personnel in-country. A US-labeled backpack, observed on a government soldier undergoing US training, underscored for SFRC staff the potential complications of a too-close association with the country’s military. It would be a major setback if the United States were to be implicated in support of operations shoring up the repressive regime, regardless of the stated intent of such training.
 The “central African country†was not named. It could be Ethiopia or Uganda.
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written by Somalian, July 22, 2009
Somalian.
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written by Mohammed Salih, July 22, 2009
There is a saying " When Somalis give birth , they not only give birth to a baby but also an AK47 with it , hahaha!!" They are even proud of fighting with each other like animals ..... funny people.
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written by Dammesh Sherrif Omar, July 22, 2009
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written by ahmed, July 22, 2009
these savages are ****ing them among them selves and every body else they met including somalis peackeepers, aid workers , deplomates itc
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written by faarax, July 22, 2009
for over 9000 years, Somalis democratically settled their disputes and did managed to put down the flames of tribal-conflicts, and they are capable of re-building the country within 5 years once the AMISOM forces are chased out + the so called humanitarian agencies (a network of spies and thieves spreading diseases and homosexuality).
Americans came to Somalia in 1992 to distribute weapons, similarly, Amisom is an extension of that same ill-fated project.
no way will you ever de-radicalize the Somalis, even if you elect the house speaker of the parliament to be a gay.
you destroyed Somalia by siding with ethiopia, and pragmatically, we have no choice but to embrace islamists + jihadists, in order to reciprocate the gesture of aiding the perfidious ethiopians.
refer to menelik's circular letter (138 years ago), its a testimony for the western conspiracy against Somalis, well before the Somalis became hardcore jihadists.
at the time there were no al-shabaab, no al-qaeda, yet the language is the same as today's labeling rhetoric (somalia is a heaven for al-qaeda, a pretext to invade, as if this will be enough to subjugate the Somalis)
PS:
there is no proxy war between ethiopia and eriteria settled in somalia, all you need to do is read menelik's circular letter (before the birth of eriteria)
this is about putting together Somalia (qualitatively and quantitatively). we want the grazing lands of the OGADEN to be returned as well as NFD and SOCOTRA islands
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written by faarax, July 22, 2009
refer to menelik's circular letter (138 years ago), its a testimony for the western conspiracy against Somalis, well before the Somalis became hardcore jihadists.
at the time there were no al-shabaab, no al-qaeda, yet the language is the same as today's labeling rhetoric (somalia is a heaven for al-qaeda, a pretext to invade, as if this will be enough to subjugate the Somalis)
PS:
there is no proxy war between ethiopia and eriteria settled in somalia, all you need to do is read menelik's circular letter (before the birth of eriteria)
this is about putting together Somalia (qualitatively and quantitatively). we want the grazing lands of the OGADEN to be returned as well as NFD and SOCOTRA islands
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written by fara aided, July 22, 2009
poor people have been sufring children and elders have been dying,no education,no development ,no future hope what are you fighting for,why don't you make peace
I have one solution for you every somaliya guys don;t blame others if you need to make peac for your country nake up your mind say 'astagfrulah' throw away all your weapons (such as bomb,amunition,etc) with out pre codition then call for the peace lover of the world and turn your face to build your country if you all somalis follow this rul they will be successed and prousprous withn ayear if you miss this advise you will be the first country to,,,,,,,,,,,, any way allah bless you
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written by Jemal, July 22, 2009
every external force is out of Somalia, believe me they will keep on fighting like hell. I think they enjoy it, you can easily tell from the videos which show them while *****ing. Too bad that even the children and women have turned into blood spilling machines. What a nation, what a society!! Even a heavely Messiah would go nuts trying to reconciliate these people.
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written by Ahmed, July 22, 2009
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written by Che, July 22, 2009
In the mean time, Somali people keep saying "leave us alone". “Let us sort out our issues!”. But no, this invasion/intervention in the name of fighting "War on terror", "foreign fighters" and "threats" is a stupid cover-up for neo-colonialism and divide-and-rule of Somali.
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written by Fictional, July 22, 2009
The other stuff about Eritrean invovlement, that's a joke of a century. Check your facts, they used to say "2,000 Eritrean soldiers are in Somalia" and all of these reports were found to be fake. Stop supporting fictional sources and using them to write your article. There's an interest of conflict when your "sources" have an axe to grind against Eritrea. It's really low and waste of time to take their political motivated smear campaign seriously. As it stands, no proof Eritrea supports any group in Somalia outside of political support.
You should report why Ethiopia illegally invaded somalia or why the US allowed Ethiopia to purchase North Korean weapons. You should report the double standards of invasion of an independent nation and the lack of UN response this invasion. You should also report why are American and Ethiopians sending weapons to somali faction, when their has been a clear arms band entering Somalia by the UN....why would u tarnish Eritrea with no facts and let these criminals in day light do as they choose? Is because Eritrea is an African nation refusing to be a condom of US imperialism? Is it because the US is a white nation, therefore they can do as they choose? Is it because accusing African nations of something with no evidence is easy to get away with than say accusing AMerica, which has already been proven?
Anyways, read up on the double standards in Somalia and you'll see who's at fault for the Somali mess. It's America and their condoms in Ethiopia that have created this mess. Somalis started this mess on their own, but it's the US and Ethiopia fanning the flames.
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written by muluman, July 22, 2009
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written by Somali Mujahideen Supporter, July 22, 2009
ALLAHU AKBAR
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written by amlog, July 22, 2009
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written by getaw, July 22, 2009
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written by a guest, July 22, 2009
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written by mohamed fereg, July 22, 2009
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written by Simon, July 22, 2009
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written by Abrham Berhe, July 23, 2009
What are the likely reasons for this line of thinking by Issayas Afeworki? What is in there for him? The strategic location of Somalia, very close to Middle East and other African nations that are considered to be in the “infidel” camp (Ethiopia and Kenya), makes it ideal to his efforts to destabilize few neighbouring nations and internationalize his support to Islamic revolution. While training, and materially and financially supporting Islamist fundamentalist groups in Somalia, the last thing Afeworki strives these days is on ‘how to destabilize Ethiopia through Somalia’. So it is not surprising that when Ethiopia pulled out of Somalia earlier, Afewarki couldn’t hide his unhappiness. To him, the Somalia insurrection was relevant so far as it bogs down Ethiopia in an endless quagmire from which it would be unable to extricate itself; the last thing he wanted to see was for these two forces to disengage from fighting permanently. Moreover, he was hoping that this Islamist insurrection would spread not only to the Ogaden region, but throughout the South Eastern parts of Ethiopia (Balie, Harar, Arssi and Sidamo) where the majority of the population is made up of Oromo and other ethnic Muslims. Thus Issayas Afeworki has put all his hopes mainly on Al-Shebab militant Islamist group that has, self-admittedly, a close connection with Al Qaida and, consequently, has been listed as a terrorist organization by the US.
In fact, at this particular moment, Issayas Afeworki is quite dangerous to the region. Issayas Afeworki’s help to opposition groups coming to Eritrea from all direction is more handy and potent: First, given the geographic proximity of Eritrea, the country has become a hub of armed groups that, at one time or another, have been deployed in Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia. Second, Issayas Afeworki is footing the bill for the training, arming and transporting these armed groups. In the latest UN report on Somalia, Eritrea was identified as the main financier of the armed groups in Somalia. And third, the latest footprint of Iran in Eritrea tells us that it has become a conduit of arms smuggling to militant groups all over the area, one that reaches as far as Hamas in Ghaza. This is what WIC had to say on an interview with the Israeli Ambassador to Ethiopia (on March 19, 2009): “In an interview he held with WIC, Ambassador Ben-Haim said the Eritrean government is providing military training, and supplying military logistics for a number of terrorist groups. Ambassador Ben-Haim said that the Eritrea government, in addition to its attempts of destabilizing the Horn of Africa region, is also working to subvert the peace process in Somalia by supporting and arming Al-Shebab, a terrorist group in Somalia. The Ambassador said the Eritrea government, which has put its hands in smuggling weapons, is an arm supplier of Al-Shebab in Somalia and other internationally recognized terrorist groups including Hamas.”
With all the evidence built-up thus far, there is not the slightest bit of doubt that Eritrea has established itself as a terror-sponsoring nation. Given this fact, it is unfortunate that the Bush Administration left the White House without designating it as such. And it is even more unfortunate that Eritrean in the opposition waffled on this issue and missed a great opportunity to unseat the tyrant. But that doesn’t mean all is lost. Now, the same kind of momentum is building up against the Issayas regime, and we should make the most of it. An alliance is in the making, and we shouldn’t miss this boat. Already the US, Israel and Ethiopia are in this boat and France might join soon if the Djibouti case remains unresolved.
The African Union (AU) has taken the unprecedented step of calling on the UN to impose heavy sanctions on one of its own members. It wants to punish Eritrea for helping Jihad’s fighters in Somalia with arms and training which it says have caused the deaths of many civilians and AU peacekeepers. The union has also called for a no-fly zone over Somalia and a blockade of its ports. Neither is likely to happen. Air patrols by America and others might win the Jihad’s more support; a blockade of the long coastline is almost impossible. But the AU may have better luck with sanctions. The UN Security Council has already expressed “concern” that Eritrea may have breached an arms embargo on Somalia.
Some say Eritrea’s arms shipments to Somalia have been paid for partly by Iran and individual rich Arabs. Maybe it is so. But Eritrean support for the Islamist insurgency in Somalia is long-standing. And the AU is fed up with it.
More than any other foreign entity, it is the Eritrean people that have been daily experiencing the terror unleashed under this totalitarian regime. Not a single population group has been spared: students, merchants, farmers, parents, minority religions, ethnic groups, etc. The whole nation has been turned into a huge prison. And lately, with the mass exodus picking up speed, with the ****ings and massacres at border crossings and prisons, with a full blown famine raging all over the country and with the plan to dislodge entire villages and to dismantle centuries-old monasteries, there is a Khmer Rouge like apocalypse looming over the nation. If we are to save our people from a catastrophe of Khmer Rouge like proportions, the time to act is NOW. And the urgency of the matter gives us no luxury to pick and choose the means by which to finish off this regime. We should be able to grab this opportunity and join this alliance, and do whatever we can to convince this alliance-in-the-making to finish off the Issayas regime by whatever means necessary.
All past actions and reactions of Issayas Afewarki have proven beyond doubt - to the world at large - the sheer irrationality of the man. His associations and diplomatic relations cannot be expected to have any logic. The 95-page report, “Service for Life: State Repression and Indefinite Conscription in Eritrea,” documents serious human rights violations by Issayas Afewarki regime including prolonged military conscription, arbitrary arrest, torture, appalling detention conditions, forced labour, and severe restrictions on freedom of movement, expression, and worship. It also analyzes the difficult situation faced by Eritrean youth who succeed in escaping to other countries such as Libya, Sudan, Egypt, and Italy.
Nothing could be more diversionary than Afewark’s perceived actions in the service of Iranian and Al-Shabaab’s designs. The interim Somali government recently accused Afewarki of sending two plane-loads of weapons to Somalia in violation of UN arms embargo on that war-ravaged country. The Somali government alleged that two planes from Eritrea landed at an Al-Shabab controlled airstrip in Lower Shebelle Region in Southern Somalia on April 28 and May 1. Voice of America says the accusation is a repeat of events in 2007, when the United Nations said Eritrea was secretly sending arms and missiles to Al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab.
Hell on Earth
It is an open secret that Eritrea is not only a grand prison but also hell on Earth. The only Eritrean people who are doing fairly well are those who live in Diaspora or outside Eritrea. Those inside Eritrea are helpless and voiceless held in military and labor camps. Especially those people who live in Soba Debub of the Senafie area; Seraye in Gohaine Eritrea, in Barentu and Tesenei areas are suffering much by Afewarki’s authoritarian regime and its labor camps. For them the road to success and prosperity has become through Wodi Afom’s arrogance and belligerence.
Because of his stubborn attitude and consistent mistakes committed there of, Issayas Afewarki never sees problems that Eritrea is facing; he never ever apologizes; rather he diverts both the problem and the blame to someone else. A case in point is what has happened to Haile Derue. While on a visit to Europe Issayas Afewarki (Telamat Ugum) told many Eritrean residents there about the 1998-2000 war stating that we were beaten by Woyane and decided to retreat. A month later when Haile Derue told the same statement to journalists he was critically considered as “Temberkaki” for leaking the issue to external journalists and thrown to jail; while Telamat Ugum Issu remains as a hero telling us all throughout his motto: “Hade Lib Hade Hizbi”.
Holly Molly there is no rule of law; no justice; and no liberty for Hizbi Eritrea. Issayas Afewarki is the jury; Wodi Afom is the judge and the executor. Regular citizens find themselves in hell locked by Ugum Issu Wedi Medhine Berad of Abashawel. Eritrea and Issayas Afewarki are behaving in the same way as Hitler was behaving just before WWII. Issayas is building his military might and will soon be noticed by the international community. Issayas conscripts the youth into armed forces far more than Eritrea needs; and is eventually planning to carry out his nuclear ambitions. Likewise Wodi Afom exports instability by backing rebels in Chad, Ethiopia and Sudan, and now in Somalia.
What a bunch of communist retards that we are forced to face in Eritrea. May God bless the brave Hizbi Eritrea and the so-called “Gang of-15”? We consider them all as our heroes; and all these hardships shall soon pass just like the earlier ones; it will not be long when true Wedibat holds the power in Asmara.
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written by Ismail, July 23, 2009
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written by Abrham Berhe, July 23, 2009
To really understand how the Eritrean government operates to get money, one needs to look into its systems that Shaebia has followed and perfected since its inception in 1977. The first principle it follows is to work as a “commission agent” to earn an income, with no qualms to any principles. This system can be demonstrated by stating only one example which the Eritrean government openly used on DR Congo’s government during the late President Kabila’s time. Eritrea had appointed Ambassador Andebirhan to both Brussels and Kinshasa then for good reason. Here, one may think there is no logic to such an appointment because Brussels and Kinshasa are worlds apart to be covered by a single ambassador. But, the logic of the Eritrean government at the time was that its army and other cadres, which were in DRC in the name of assisting the Kinshasa government, were assigned to collect diamonds and other precious metals from the black market agents as much as it can and send it direct to Ambassador Andebirhan via diplomatic valise to Brussels to be sold in the Antwerp and Amsterdam markets. This scheme earned the Eritrean government a hefty income which enabled the government finances its invasion of Ethiopia and the Ambassador to pay in cash for the embassy premises in Brussels.
This kind of scheme can only be conceived by the Eritrean government which has no scruples about diplomatic ethic ate. Similarly, as the IGAD Communiqué of 20 May 2009 indicated, the Eritrean government is working as a commission agent for Al-Sheba, Hizbu-al Islam, etc. to provide the necessary training, armaments of all types and their transportation to various airfields in Somalia, fast boats to the pirates, etc. In addition to this, countries like Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Egypt (each for a different reason), and other movements like Hezbollah transfer their financial and armament support under the cover of Eritrea. The history of the Eritrean government to engage in such dealings can be traced to its relationship with the Darfur and Beja rebels of the Sudan, the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka, and other opposition groups in the region which is well documented within the UN reports and specific country/government documents. Last year, the Sri Lankan government was forced to appeal to the UN Security Council to stop Eritrea’s meddling in its internal affairs.
In conclusion, there is nothing that the Eritrean government will not do to earn foreign currency, especially these days. Some of its investments mainly in the Middle East, though not in the name of the State of Eritrea, have been greatly affected by the current financial crisis. Similarly, the 2% forced tax collected from its diasporas as a requirement to visit or even to support their families in Eritrea is drying up due to the strengthening movement and communication by the opposition. Another ill advised source of support is of course the recent financial aid from the European Commission, more than 120 million Euros with no conditionality of the Cotonou Agreement, three times the per capita allocation to Ethiopia (population 80 million) from the same source. The irony of the EU assistance to Eritrea, in the name of “engagement” to use Commissioner Luis Michel’s terms, is that it has also pledged to give 60 million Euros to the TFG of Somalia
which is being required to secure the whole country first before it is able to access the funds. It looks like the EU is determined to finance both warring sides in Somalia despite its public pronouncements to support the internationally recognized TFG.
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written by Sol, July 23, 2009
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written by Bihon, July 23, 2009
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written by Agame rider, July 23, 2009
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written by sad sad sad, July 23, 2009
do you care about the future Somali generation at all?
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written by Jimmy, July 23, 2009
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written by stuart, July 23, 2009
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written by ------, July 23, 2009
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written by SELAM, July 23, 2009
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written by faarax, July 23, 2009
extend that gesture to your AIDS infested ethiopian people.
for centuries ethiopia was shedding crocodile tears (we are sorrounded by mohamedians), now the entire horn of afrik is a hot for hardcore jihadists and the second coming of ahmed gurey is more conceivable than any time in the past.
with a religious war (such as that of ethiopia), only another religious war spearheaded by the Shabaab is the best way to counter it.
ethiopia receives silver coins (of millions of dollars each month) from the vatican, so, under such circumstances not only will it spread but certainly it will destroy ethiopia in the end. Somalis have got nothing to loose by supporting the Mujaahidiin Fighters. WE DON'T NEED GOVERNMENT, only ISLAM (especially the wahabi/salafi doctrine)
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written by Berhane M. Tekeste, July 23, 2009
Second, we did not invade Somalia. We were in Somalia for peace keeping mission and we have managed to achieve peace in the country. Mission accomplished !
Third, Eritrea is illegally occupying our Assab port and we have no choice but to use the ports in Somalia to bring in foreign-aid to Ethiopia.
Thank you. God bless Ethiopia.
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written by Berhane M. Tekeste, July 23, 2009
Eritrea must withdraw its forces from Somalia and the Assab port immediately ! The only way to bring peace in the Horn region is to make Eritrea a landlocked country. That is the only solution. The Assab port belongs to Ethiopia historically and we will get the port back very soon by any means necessary ! Assab is an Ethiopian property !!
God bless Ethiopia
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written by faarax, July 23, 2009
read menelik's circular letter (the blue print for ethiopia's intentions in the horn)
bad luck if eriteria controls "assab", soon you will be chased out from boosaaso and berbera (not by the Shabaab) , but by the common man on the street.
GOD is not on your side
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written by Sara, July 23, 2009
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written by Michael Abraha, July 23, 2009
It’s not your fault that you were born to an Ethiopian day worker in Eritrea. My ancestors are Ethiopians too (Agames).
But that’s not why I oppose the Eritrean government. I just like so-called President Issayas who thinks he can play tough with the West and thinks he can stand-up to the West pressure get a way with it.
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written by Dani, July 23, 2009
the reason Ethiopia invaded Somalia was because the Khat chewing trigger happy extremist declared Jihad on Ethiopia by MERKANA...the whole world knows Eritrea was and is still involved in the conflict with the hope of hurting Ethiopia...one good evidence is the capture of the ERI TV reporter by Ethiopians in Somalia...not to mentions the many Eritrean soldiers dressed in traditional Somali womens dress.....so dude it might be difficult for the rest of the world to understand why Eritrea would be involved in the conflict but we Ethiopians and you guys know each other very well....you couldn't face the Ethiopian army on your border so you went all the way to Somalia and used those poor people to inflict damage on Ethiopia...but you failed big time.....and soon the UN is going to impose sanctions on your so called government wich is nothing but a gangsters possing as leaders.
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written by Yosief Ghebrehiwet, July 23, 2009
Don’t be fooled by the so-called Eritrean resistance movement that resulted in false sense of “independence.” That too will be reversed in due time.
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written by Simon, July 23, 2009
For you information, the two Eri TV reporters were hijacked in Kenya and not Somalia. They had Camera with them and not guns. No Eritrean was caught dead or alive. Yes, Eritreans are invincible but not invisible. You can not present any factual evidence that Eritrea is supplying arms to Somalia. Eritrea has faced Ethiopia, not only now but when it had the biggest Army in black Africa. And guess what.......you know the result well.
As for the UN imposing sanction.......it proves one thing. There is no justice in this world. The lawless Ethiopia, invading neighbours and occupying Eritrean land in violation of the final and binding verdict of the Court of Arbitration is not being panished whilst Eritrea is being targeted for an alleged but not proved accusation. Let me tell you one thing...... As our history clearly shows, Injustice is not rewarded in Eritrea. Eritrea is sure of the end result.
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written by Tazabi, July 23, 2009
Yesterday, you were asking if Eritrean independence is worth the sacrifice and now you ask the same for Somalis. How many lives and destruction is worth liberation?
Eritrean independence has achieved its goal - to get rid of Ethiopia from the Eritrean soil - and it succeeded. No way to return back. The same will be true for our brothers in Somalia.
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written by To The Independet, July 23, 2009
MR. COPY/PASTE
THE WHOLE ARTICLE IS A FARCE. WHY?
IT'S ONLY A CATCHY TITLE BUT WITH NO SUBSTANCE AND RELATION AT ALL.
MR. WRITER, YOU DON'T NEED TO USE SUCH A TITLE IF ONLY YOU WANT TO INFORM YOUR READER (The Somali government claims the fighting has been joined by Islamic fundamentalist fighters from Eritrea, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen.)
THIS IS WHERE YOU TRY TO JUSTIFY/LINK YOUR CHOICE OF THE TITLE BUT IS IT WORTH TO WRITE SUCH A LENGTHY CRAP ONLY TO TELL A LIE ABOUT ERITREAN ISLAMIC FIGHTERS?
YOU MUST BE A COPY/PASTE JUNIOR WRITING PRACTITIONER. BECAUSE YOU SEEM NOTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT WHAT YOU WROTE IN THIS CRAP.
I BELIEVE THIS CRAP IS COMMISSIONED BY THE UGANDAN DEFENSE FORCE (UPDF) - CLAIMING ABOUT CAPTURING ERITREAN FIGHTERS IN SOMALIA - WELL WHY DON'T THEY SUBSTANTIATE ON THE OPEN MEDIA IF THERE IS ANY TRUTH ON IT? AFTER ALL THE WORLD IS IN NEED OF ANY PROOF TO HELP AU's ACCUSATION ON ERITREA.
ONE THING IS CERTAIN: IF AN ERITREAN AMY WERE IN SOMALIA, AS YOU ARE FORCED US TO BELIEVE, TRUST ME YOUR UPDF SOLDIERS AND TFG WILL BE CRUSHED LONG TIME AGO.
IN ANY CASE, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO YOUR OPINION AND CRAP STORY BUT NOT TO YOUR FACTS!
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written by To The Independet, July 23, 2009
I BELIEVE THIS CRAP IS COMMISSIONED BY THE UGANDAN DEFENSE FORCE (UPDF) - CLAIMING ABOUT CAPTURING ERITREAN FIGHTERS IN SOMALIA - WELL WHY DON'T THEY SUBSTANTIATE ON THE OPEN MEDIA IF THERE IS ANY TRUTH ON IT? AFTER ALL THE WORLD IS IN NEED OF ANY PROOF TO HELP AU's ACCUSATION ON ERITREA.
ONE THING IS CERTAIN: IF AN ERITREAN AMY WERE IN SOMALIA, AS YOU ARE FORCED US TO BELIEVE, TRUST ME YOUR UPDF SOLDIERS AND TFG WILL BE CRUSHED LONG TIME AGO.
IN ANY CASE, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO YOUR OPINION AND CRAP STORY BUT NOT TO YOUR FACTS!
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written by Musa, July 23, 2009
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written by Wedi Hager, July 23, 2009
Against all odds Eritrea was born, Against all odds Eritrea will live on.
Sorry, I know how much heartache this will give you. On the second though, I just throw this to give you a headache, heartache and all kinds of aches and sleepless nights.
As for the UN. AU, IGAD ganging up to blackmail Eritrea, Shame on you. And, we know who is the driving force behind such evil move to use Eritrea-the peaceful country, as a scapegoat to hide their failures.
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written by jimmy, July 23, 2009
Take a geography class 
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written by wow, July 24, 2009
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written by wow, July 24, 2009
Assab is not Ethiopians. if it was you would be fighting for it today instead of using Somalis port.the day you swallow the fact that Eritrean is a independent nation is the day there will be peace in the region. People like you do not know that maintaining peace is harder than declaring war
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written by Soomaali Baan Ahay, July 24, 2009
ethiopia's expansionist adventures did indeed unite Somalis for the first time in 20 years. recently you witnessed the blue flag waved around and carried in the shoulders by thousands of demonstrating SomaliLanders in Awdal, Togdheer and Burco.
believe me somalia is on the path towards greater SOMALIA, all the signs are indicating pumped up SOMALISM spreading like an inferno.
SOMALISM (the blue flag) + SHABAABISM = GREATER SOMALIA (the black flag)
ethiopia is going to be crushed within (mulitple fronts of wars from eriteria, the onlf, the shabaab is surely going to consume your national budget)
don't be flabbergasted the day addis-ababa is leveled to the ground using urban guerrila warfare.
that day is coming and let us see if GOD is going to be your side.
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written by Berhane M. Tekeste, July 24, 2009
First of all, I'm not ashamed of being from Tigray because that's who I am -- a Tigraway -- an agame if you will.
Secondly, Tigray is not a mere province in Ethiopia as many of you think it is. Tigray is a country. The only thing Tigray is lacking now is it's independence and we Tegaru are working hard to achieve that by any means necessary. But in order to achieve Tigray's independence we first have to deal with Eritrea in order to get the Assab port annexed to Tigray, and the way we do it is to have the Eritreans implement their constitution (Quwam) so the people of Afar in Eritrea can legally secede and merge with Tigray along with the Assab port. That is the game we Tegaru are now playing and we are winning !
The Eritrean constitution must be implemented by any means necessary and we all need to pressure the Eritreans to demand their regime to implement it immediately.
Whenever you see an Eritrea remind him/her to implement the constitution, or say "Quwam!" Thank you!
God bless the democratic republic of Tigray!
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written by Berhane M. Tekeste, July 24, 2009
God Bless our Democratic Republic of Tigray!
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written by bee, July 24, 2009
however the Somalis war mongers have proved that they are clearly above average morons. let them finish off each other if thats what the want. some idiot above claimed that they are good fighters, so why do they run away to seek refuge in kenya and Uganda.
stupid Miira chewing ****s!!!
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written by wedi tigray, July 24, 2009
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written by tazabi to tazabi, July 24, 2009
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written by What crap, July 24, 2009
THIS IS A UGANDIAN NEWSPAPER, HENCE UGANDIAN FICTIONAL REPORTS.
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written by Wedi Hager, July 24, 2009
Independent needs to be neutral in its reporting on this and other sociopolitical issues which affect East African states.
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written by Wedi Hager, July 24, 2009
The sad thing is to see Uganda gragged to such unjust war been perpetrated against the Somalie people using terrorism as a cover up. It's also shemful to see IGAD, an organisation which was supposed to empower the people of the Horne economically reduced as a mere political tool to the few puppet regimes in the area.
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written by Berhane M. Tekeste, July 24, 2009
The Only solution to bring lasting peace and stability in the horn of Africa region is to reverse the Eritrean independence and to divide the country into two parts, and give the northern part of Eritrea to Sudan and give the southern part including both the Massawa and the Assab ports to the Republic of Tigray. That is the only solution.
In regards to Ethiopia, it is a colonial creation and it will seize to exist with the secession of Tigray in the coming years.
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written by Jimmy, July 25, 2009
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written by khalid omar, July 26, 2009
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written by Aron, July 26, 2009
they forced the majority of our people to live as refugee in neibouring countries . My advice to somalian people don't reconcile with your people and don't belive on Isyas he is cracy person and his agenda is to destroy the whole horn of Africa, be aware of him. Those who support Iseyas they have the same mession and wish
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written by Berhane Tekeste/Tsere Milky, July 27, 2009
The inclusion of the "self-determination up to and including secession" clause into the Eritrean constitution will give the various ethnic groups in Eritrea to choose between their now fake independence and their historical motherland Greater Tigray, and I'm confident the people in Eritrea will choose to be part of the Greater Tigray Republic.
I urge all the people in the Horn of Africa to demand the Eritrean regime to implement its constitution immediately!
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written by Jim, July 27, 2009
A Roman general once brought peace to rebelious province by wipping all her citizens; Yeah, it was graveyard peace but historical calm was realized! This AMISOM mambo jambo will never work. You need to think, behave and act like a somali in order for dem pipo to understand, bye the way anyone who is not somali is Umbwa, takataka, gasiya; equated to a dog and rabbish. Tell me what help Uganda, Burundi can be to such ideots? :evil:
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written by ivan, August 01, 2009
My brothers an sisters 4m somalia its high time u realised that Africa is moving 4ward and we don't have time 4yr senseless wars, u guys are dispersed all over the world and no place to call home, why are u blinded by a few elements for 2 solid decades? comeon u guys are smarter than that men.
Jah bless u all
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written by tedros, August 03, 2009
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written by tedros, August 03, 2009
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written by tedros, August 03, 2009
to talk about eritrea first stabilize the so called ethiopia and make a country of yours not US u r almost somalia why do you need to somalia while you have your own battle field to fight,poor ethiopia , to know eritrea plz ask mengstu hailemariam who had the largest army in africa ,ethiopians need more history course than any other subject
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written by Faarax, August 04, 2009
ethiopia is a proclaimed enemy of the people of Somalia and under such circumstances, only war will be the justified means in correcting past injustices against the OGADEN and HAWD inhabitants.
ethiopia is already fighting at multiple fronts and in the end this will be the receipe that shall speed up the fragmentation of ethiopia.
Somalis are pragmatic people who adapt well to the external threats of the outsiders and ethiopia is not an exception of that.
let them insert their noise into the affairs of the Somali people, let them shed crocodile tears (we are christian nation and the peace loving christians should come to our assistance), but one day, their loud cries will be heard from the far corners of planet earth.
ONLF, SHABAAB, and XISBUL-ISLAM are all united against AIDS-ABABA.
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written by Aman, August 04, 2009
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written by Amina, August 13, 2009
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written by Mailing Machines, September 16, 2010
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written by C.J. Wilson Jersey, January 12, 2013
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no american (whether under the disguise of ethiopia or otherwise forces) is going to be tolerated, they will be fought as our forefathers did with the british, italians, and the french.
no whiteman , no negroes
the oil in somalis is for the somalis or else its over our dead bodies. there is no such thing as free-lunch
you destroyed somalia and suddenly you expect to be welcomed with red rosses?????