Archive pour la catégorie : SH NETWORK

Somalia transitional federal government has issued a decree sacking its ambassador to Ethiopia.

The Ambassador, Abdi Kariin Laqanyo had been also representing Somali the envoy to African union in Addis Abba.

According to the government spokesman, Abdi Haji Gobdon, the government has appointed a new ambassador to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, after the former ambassador had been stripped his ambassadorial duty.

Adding that his government has transferred Mr.Abdi Karin Farah Laqanyo to another country, but the spokesman did mention where the former Ambassador appointed to.

The decree sacking the emissary comes as the government appointed Yusuf Nur to be the news ambassador to Ethiopia as Abdi Haji Gob don told Radio Shabelle.

It is unclear why the ambassador was fired.

Unknown gunmen carried out an ambush attack on an Ethiopian convoy around Suqa Holaha neighborhood in north of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in early Saturday.

Witnesses said at least three grenade explosions targeted the Ethiopian forces that left former Maslah military camp for another nearby Ethiopian base in the area.

The first grenade hurled by unknown gunmen hit somewhere closer to the Ethiopian military vehicles as they were exiting from Maslah compound. The troops opened fire at every direction, while two other grenades were hurled at them before they made their way in to former Somalia’s pasta plant where the Ethiopians are based, witnesses said.

A large number of Ethiopian forces backed by tanks and other armored vehicles came out, sealing off the whole area and searching houses near by for the suspected Islamist insurgents.

The commuter buses that used the main road of Suqa Holaha had to pass through the roads of vicinity to ferry passengers to Bakara, Mogadishu’s largest open-air market where most of the capital’s population goes for work to earn their daily bread.

No casualties have been reported.

Meanwhile hundreds of residents in north of the capital fled during July and August after repeated gun battles and bomb attacks that rage between Ethiopian backed Somali troops and suspected Islamist-led insurgents forced people to leave.

The government forces have also been conducting weapons and insurgents search operation there despite the nightly attacks on them.

Government officials said the search operation will continue, stating that they seized a large amount of weapons.

Rwanda’s foreign minister says the Rwandan army is providing all the support it can to the Somali national army, but the United Nations needs to do more. Thomas Rippe spoke with Foreign Minister Charles Muligande Thursday in Kigali and filed this report for VOA.

Charles Muligande says Rwanda is providing all the support it can to troubled Somalia. He says it is unable to contribute troops to the African Union mission in Somalia because of its commitments in Darfur. Instead of providing troops, he says Rwanda has accepted a long-term commitment to train Somali forces

Muligande says he hopes this will help the Somali government be more independent.

« A Chinese proverb says, ‘Instead of giving someone a fish you should teach him how to fish.’ And we believe that by training the new national army of Somalia we would be giving probably a better contribution, » he said.

The Rwandan government said earlier the training began in May. Minister Muligande would not comment on the number of troops being trained or when they would be deployed. He says providing aid to other nations is part of the mission of the Rwandan army and police, and is a part of the country’s constitution. He says Rwanda recognizes the importance of promoting peace and security in the East Africa region and around the continent.

« It is also our firm belief that Africa cannot develop unless it has peace and security and stability. And our contribution to these African Union peacekeeping missions are in some way our desire to achieve the African Union vision of building a peaceful, united, integrated and prosperous Africa, » said Muligande.

The minister expressed frustration with the United Nations for not providing the logistical support necessary to get more troops into Somalia. He says many African nations are willing to send troops, but lack the resources to make it happen. The African Union has pledged 8,000 troops, but so far only 1,700 have arrived, all from Uganda.

He also expressed his displeasure over a recent Security Council resolution extending the mandate of the AU mission in Somalia. He says this was a matter for the African Union, not the U.N.

« The U.N. Security Council did not need to extend the mandate of an African mission, » said Muligande. « The African mission was deployed there by the African Union, and could have been there without any U.N. Security Council resolution. What we expected from the U.N. Security Council is that of deciding to play its role and to live up to its responsibility of maintaining peace and security in this world, including Somalia. »

Muligande says Rwanda is committed to contributing as much as its resources allow to help Somalia rebuild.