16/03/09 (B490) Nouvelles de Somalie (4 articles en Anglais)

______________________________ 4 – Shabelle (En Anglais)

Cinq sociétés Hawala ont été réouvertes au port de Kismayo. // Islamists reopen Hawala companies

Five Hawala companies have been reopened by the Islamist administrators in the port town of Kismayo, our reporter in the region reported on Sunday.

The Islamic administration in Kismayu closed the companies last week after they accused of not participating rebuilding projects in the town.

The companies complained about that they could pay the amount of money that the administration demanded from them.

The reopening of the companies in Kismayo came after the managers of the companies and the Islamist administrators in the city agreed to reopen them.

Bashir Abdi Adan, an agent from Dahabshil Hawala company in Kismayu told reporters today that they the disagreement between the administration and the companies have been solved.

It was first time that the Islamists close the companies since they took control the city last August.

______________________________ 3 – Shabelle (En Anglais)

Le Chef de l’administration islamique Al Shebaab des régions de Bay et Bakol a lancé un appel aux religieux pour qu’ils prennent en main les destinées du pays. // Islamists call for Somali clerics to hold the leadership of the country

Sheik Hassan Abu Eyman, a chairman of the Islamic administration of al-Shabab in Bay and Bakol regions has called for the Somali clerics on Sunday to hold the leadership of the country.

Sheik Eyman told reporters in Baidoa that they call for all the Somali clerics where every they are in the world to stand solving the current problems in Somalia and lead the country.

Asked about the Somali government, he replied that they will never forgive the former members of the transitional parliament whom he accused that they brought foreign troops in the country and he advised the Somali youth to complete their role and efforts about the country.

The call of the Islamic administration chairman of Bay and Bakol regions in southern Somalia Sheik Hassan Abu Eyman comes as Somali clerics nominated and stood themselves to mediate and solve the differences between Somali Islamists to reach peace and development.

______________________________ 2 – Shabelle (En Anglais)

Le nouveau Président somalien, en visite en Uganda, lance un appel à la population somalienne pour que des crimes ne soient pas commis au nom de la religion. // President Sharif warns to commit crimes by claiming religion

The president of Somali transitional government Sharif Sheik Ahmed has warned to commit crimes on Sunday by claiming the religion of Islam.

The president said to the Somali community in the Ugandan capital Kampala that there is no any suspicion about the Somali government’s decision for ruling the country with Sharia law and warned to the people not to commit crimes for the sake of mistranslating the religion of Islam.

“It is not good for the people not to trust a person who wants to rule the country with the Sharia law and we are urging to the people not to create unrest or problems and I warn committing crimes by claiming the religion of Islam,” president Sharif said.

On the other hand the Somali president Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed said that the problems in the country are not based on religion saying that the problems caused with out administration and leadership for a long time and suggested for the people to come the table to talk and end differences between Somali people.

The statement of the Somali president Sharif Sheik Ahmed comes as the opposition groups boycotted the decision of the Somali government for implementing to rule the country with Sharia law in over the past days by accusing that some of the Somali parliamentarians are against the religion of Islam.

_______________________________ 1 – All Africa (En Anglais)

Des diplomates US estiment qu’il faut trouver des solutions africaines aux crises de la corne de l’Afrique. // Somalia: Diplomat Says Horn of Africa Crises Require African Solutions

Jim Fisher-Thompson

While foreign policy specialists believe it is important that solutions to economic and political challenges in the Horn of Africa — Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia — be African « owned, » international entities will continue to have an impact on the region.

Acting Assistant Secretary for Africa Phillip Carter recently told a panel on conflict in Somalia that the United States and international partners remain committed to moving a peace process forward « with the goal of creating political and economic stability in Somalia and fostering basic security. »

But, « above all, » that « peace process must be Somali-owned and -led, » Carter told the participants in the March 10 discussion, jointly sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the U.S. Institute for Peace.

Somalia, without a unified government since the early 1990s, increasingly has come under the sway of warlord militias and terrorist groups whose fighting precipitated a humanitarian crisis and turned the capital of Mogadishu into a war zone over the last 16 years.

Carter said the United States is actively supporting the deployment of an African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia as well as providing $5 million for the creation of a more permanent joint security force.

The United States and a number of European and African nations are part of an international contact group facilitating peace talks in Djibouti between Somali groups whose chaotic fighting has enabled pirates operating off the coast to prey on international shipping with relative impunity.

Carter, who recently returned from a Somalia crisis meeting in Brussels, Belgium, added, « One thing we discovered in our contact group discussion was a wide range of interests among a bunch of different donors and countries to support » peace efforts in Somalia.

At a March 12 hearing before a House of Representatives subcommittee, former U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia David Shinn said, « It is essential to continue to work with the countries in the region and the traditional donor countries, including the members of the European Union, Norway, Canada, Australia and Japan. »

At the same time he agreed with Carter that Africans need to chart their own destinies. « The United States cannot and should not be expected to solve the problems of the Horn on its own, » he told lawmakers.

INTERNATIONAL INTEREST IN THE REGION

Shinn, now an adjunct professor of political science at George Washington University, mentioned a number of countries that now are interested in the Horn region, including « Egypt and some of the Arab Gulf states, which have a direct interest in developments in the Horn. »

In Sudan, China has become « the principal non-African influence, and has a growing presence in Ethiopia and Eritrea, » he said. « China will not always agree with Western donors on the best approach to the region, but it has cooperated in Sudan and Somalia and should increasingly be brought into discussions concerning the Horn. »

Shinn said Russia should be part of the consultative process « if for no other reason than to try to minimize the potential negative impact of its arms sales and because it has expressed a growing interest in investing in countries like Ethiopia. »

The former diplomat said India is « a major player » in the Horn, especially in Ethiopia, which is its principal African recipient of economic assistance. Recently, Turkey has also made an effort to increase its relations in the Horn, especially with Sudan, Ethiopia and Djibouti, Shinn said.

South America also has interests in the region, Shinn told the House panel. « Although Brazil’s main African focus is West Africa and the [Portuguese-speaking] countries, it is expanding ties with Sudan and Ethiopia. »

Shinn stressed that all the countries mentioned should be part of efforts to solve problems in the region. In addition, the United Nations and agencies like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, African Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, African Development Bank, Arab Development Bank and Arab League (Sudan, Somalia and Djibouti are members) also « have the ability to influence developments in the Horn. »