TV journalist assassinated in northern Somalia

October 24, 2012

Gunmen shot dead a Somali journalist in the northern town of Las Anod on Tuesday (October 23rd), AFP reported, bringing the number of journalists killed in Somalia this year to 17.

Ahmed Farah Ilyas, 25, worked with London-based independent Universal TV. "He was heading home in Las Anod when three men armed with handguns shot him several times," said colleague Feysal Jama. "He died instantly and the gunmen escaped."
The attack comes two days after gunmen seriously wounded Shabelle Media Network journalist Mohamed Mohamud Tuuryare in Mogadishu.
Local police official Dahir Adan confirmed the killing and said that while police were investigating the attack, no arrests had been made.
Ilyas had been arrested several times by Somaliland police and released without charges each time, according to Somalia's RBC Radio. On October 12th, police in Las Anod briefly held Ilyas and two other journalists, accusing them of airing programmes in support of newly appointed Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon.
Las Anod is controlled by Somaliland authorities, but is part of contested territory with Puntland.

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Negative effects of qat threaten next generation of Somalis

By Hassan Muse Hussein in Garowe

October 29, 2012

Qat use has been increasing among Somali youth in recent years, with over half of those 20 years and younger using the stimulant, according to one study.

• Women sell bundles of qat at a market in Mogadishu. The thriving qat trade is a permanent fixture in Mogadishu's markets. [Mohamed Abdiwahab/AFP]
  

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Despite knowing that qat is harmful to their health, Somali youth use it anyway, said Mohamed Abdi Sardeye, a 25-year-old resident of Garowe.
"I have been consuming qat for four years," he told Sabahi. "I started when I graduated from high school. Youth have no jobs to keep them occupied. Only a few work, while the rest hang around the streets. I use it to pass time until I find work."
Timely Integrated Development Services for Somalia (TIDS), a Garowe-based agency that works with youth development and integration, has expressed misgivings about youth addicted to qat.
According to a TIDS study, 55% of young men and women aged 20 years and younger use qat, even as they attend high school.
"When compared to the total number of qat consumers [in Puntland], 80% are young people under the age of 35," said TIDS Director Adur Adan Adur.
In an effort to keep youth off the streets and away from qat, Adur told Sabahi the organisation works with local schools to offer high school graduates paid internships to teach lower grades until they find permanent work. The internship programme is funded with the help of international aid agencies.

Qat use is a losing proposition

With about 70% of the population in Somalia under 30, according to a recent United Nations Development Programme report, the high rate of qat use has some concerned about the future of the next generation.
Mohamed Jama Salad, a Galkayo-based neurologist, said qat use is harmful to a person's health.
"It harms the nerves by forcing them to overload with activity. The person does not sleep or eat, which leads to malnutrition and constant weakness," he told Sabahi, adding that qat is an addictive substance that leads users to dependency.
"It is a losing proposition," Salad said, adding that qat users are unreliable. "Users commit to plans [in the evening] that they are not be able to fulfil come morning. They become isolated from good company and join groups of similar qat users".
Users usually congregate in groups at night and consume the stimulant by chewing on the leaves of the plant until the morning. The doctor said qat causes tooth decay, which can lead to tooth loss. In addition, users under the influence tend to engage in risky or inappropriate social behaviours that place them at higher risk to contract sexually transmitted diseases, he said.
Salad said qat use loosens a person's moral fibre. "When these addicts do not have money to purchase it, they are compelled to rob or steal to procure qat," he said.
"In the past, Garowe used to import about ten 15-kilogramme sacks [of qat], but this figure has increased to more than 100 sacks because of the number of regular users which is rising daily," said Shukri Siyad, a qat trader in Garowe who sells the Kenyan brand known as "Meru".
The selling price continues to increase as well. "In 2005, the price of one bundle was 300,000 Somali shillings ($13), but it is now 600,000 ($26)," Siyad told Sabahi.
Mohamed Abdiwahab Ahmed, director general at the Puntland Ministry of Education, said the ministry is aware of the problem and plans to implement an awareness campaign to curb qat consumption among youth.
"We plan to launch an operation to inform youth about the harmful effects of qat while simultaneously encouraging them to embrace education and emulate the developed world," he told Sabahi.
The plans are still under development, he said, adding that the government hopes to partner with local and international organisations to co-ordinate efforts to address all the underlying causes behind drug use.

Kenyan police officer shot dead in Garissa, another wounded

October 31, 2012

Unknown gunmen killed one police officer and injured another in Garissa Tuesday night (October 30th), police officials told Sabahi.

The police officers were shot while on patrol near First Community Bank Limited at about 9 pm, Garissa Police Chief George Losku said.
Losku said the gunmen also stole a rifle belonging to one of the officers. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack and no arrests have yet been made, he said.
The name of the deceased police officer has not yet been released to the public.
Constable Eric Mutuku, who was admitted at Garissa Provincial General Hospital, told Sabahi that he and his colleague had stopped to get a cup of tea when four young men approached them.
"One of the gunmen shot me twice on the shoulder and then proceeded to shoot my colleague twice in the head," he told Sabahi. "The attackers included young boys who I think were between 10 and 15 years of age."
Bessy Muthoni, the owner of the tea kiosk, told Sabahi that she had just served the officers outside the café and was busy arranging soft drinks in a refrigerator when she heard gunshots.
"One of the gunmen ordered me to lie down as they fled in a waiting vehicle," she said.
On September 30th, two police officers were killed in Garissa while on patrol in the Ngamia Road area.

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Hanjabaada al-Shabaab oo looga jeedo in dadka laga jeediyo wayntii Kismaayo

Waxaa qoray Bosire Boniface oo Wajeer jooga

Oktoobar 31, 2012

Al-Shabaab ayaa isku dayaysa inay isku duba riddo taageero caalami ah oo la siiyo dagaal yahaniinteeda niyad jabsan kaddib markii ay waayeen magaalada xeebta ah ee fadhiisinta u ahayd ee Kismaayo iyaga oo soo saaray dhawr hanjabaad oo ku aaddan dhawr waddan, madaxda ammaanka iyo falanqeeyayaasha ayaa sidaas leh.

• Nin tilmaamaya calaamad ay al-Shabaab lahayd ee magaalada Walawayn Oktoobar 11-keedii, kaddib markii ciidamada Midawga Afrika iyo kuwa dawlada Soomaaliya ay ka qabsadeen magaalada kooxda dagaal mitidka ah. [Mohamed Abdiwahab/AFP]
  

Al-Shabaab ayaa bogga ay ku leedahay Twitter si joogta ah macluumaad ugu qoraysay ilaa iyo markii laga qabsaday Kismaayo si ay wali u sii ahaadaan dad jira ayna u sii kiciyaan dadkoodka raacsan si ay iskaga difaacaan waxa ay ugu yeedheen dagaalka iyo hagardaamada ka dhanka ah dadka Muslimiinta ee aan waxba galabsanin.
Kooxda mitidka ah ayaa ku hanjabay in ay weerarayaan Ingiriiska iyo waddamada Soomaaliya dariska la ah.
Qoraalo is bada joog ah oo Oktoobar 22-keedii la soo galiyay, ayaa al-Shabaab ku sheegtay in Ingiriisku ay "dhib badan kala kulmi doonaan dawrkooda qayaxan ee dagaalka ka dhanka ah Islaamka iyo waxashnimadooda aan dhamaadka lahayn ee ka dhanka ah Muslimiinta aan waxba galabsanin."
"Qarawga cabsida leh ee sida qarsoodiga ah uga muuqda xeebaha Ingiriiska waxaa hubaal ah in uu noqon doono mid qariya aragagaxii 7/7 iyo 2/17 oo la isku daray," al-Shabaab ayaa sidaas yiri.
Qaraxyadii London ee Luuliyo 7, 2005 waxay ahaayeen qaraxyo is bada jooga oo is miidaamin ah oo la isku soo duba riday oo lagu qaaday nidaamka gaadiidka guud ee magaalada, kaas oo dilay 52 shacab ah iyo afar is qarxiyayaal ah. Laba usbuuc kadib, afar isku day qaraxyo bambooyin ah ayaa khalkhal galiyay nidaamka gaadiidka guud ee magaalada.
Al-Shabaab ayaa sida oo kale balan qaaday in ay ka aargoosanayso go'aanka ay gaadhay Maxkamada Sare ee London oo ahaa in loo wareejiyo wadaadka xag jirka ah ee Mustafa Kamaal Mustafa oo loo yaqaano Abu xamza al-Misri waddanka Maraykanka Oktoobar 5-teedii. Mustafa ayaa lagu eedeeyay inuu ka sameeyay xarun lagu taba barto gobalka Oregon, kaas oo uu ka beeniyay Oktoobar 9-keedii maxkamad New York ku taala.
Axadii (Oktoobar 28-deedii), ayaa kooxdan dagaalyahniinta ah ay cusboonaysiiyeen hanjabaadoodii ka dhanka ahayd Kenya, kuwaas oo ay milatarigoodu kula dagaalamayeen al-Shabaab Soomaaliya gudaheeda muddo hal sano ka badan.
"Cadawga naga soo horjeeda waxay sameeyeen khalad taariikhi ah markii ay Kenya u direen in ay ku duusho dhulka Muslimka ee Soomaaliya," qoraal loo aaneeyay hoggaamiyaha al-Shabaab Mukhtaar Abu Zubayr, oo loo yaqaano Axmed Godane ayaa sheegay. "Kenya ayaa dhawaan ka shalaayi doonta tallaabadan ay qaaday, in shaa alaah [Hadii Ilaahay idmo]."

Hanjabaada oo ah qaylo dhaan si mooraalka kor loogu qaado

Falanqeeyayaasha iyo madaxda ammaanka ayaa u sheegay Sabahi in hanjabaadu ay tahay isku day ay kooxdan al-Qaacida la bahawday ay ku doonayaan inay indhaha ka leexiyaan waayidii ay waayeen Kismaayo.
Bashiir Xaaji Cabdullahi oo ahaa gaashaanle ka tirsan ciidanka, ahna falanqeeye dhinaca ammaanka ah iyo waliba la taliye fadhigiisu yahay Nairobi, ayaa sheegay in hoggaanka kooxdan ay rajaynayaan in hanjabaadooda ah inay hawlo ka fuliyaan dhulal ajnabi ah aysan ka dhigaynin oo kaliya al-Shabaab kuwo wali ku sii xidhan caalamka, laakiinse ay dhiiri galinayso dagaal yahaniintooda kuwaas oo dareemaya niyad jab kaddib markii lagu khalday in aan lagu jabin karin Kismaayo.
David Ochami, oo ah wariye fadhigiisu yahay Mombasa una kuur gala kooxaha dagaal yahaniinta ah ee Bariga Dhexe iyo Geeska Afrika una shaqeeya The Standard-ka Kenya, ayaa u sheegay Sabahi waa in hanjabaada al-Shabaab aan loo dhayalsanin guul daradii soo waajahaday dhawaan darteed.
"Iyada oo ay ku jiraan dagaal yahaniin ajaanib ah, ayaa xaataa hal dagaal yahan uu khatar yahay," Ochami ayaa sidaas sheegay. "Waxaa laga yaabaa in ay la'yihiin meel ay ka duulaan, laakiinse waxay si naf lacaari ah u maciinsan doonaan qaab jabhadnimo ah si ay wali u sii jiraan."
Hanjabaada ayaa loo arkaa qaylo dhaan si mooraalka loogu dhiso dagaal yahaniinta al-Shabaab kuwaas oo cararay kuna darsamay shacabka, sida uu sheegayo Ochami.
Wuxuu sheegay hanjabaada al-Shabaab ee ka dhanka ah Ingiriiska waxaa laga yaabaa in aysan ahayn weerar dhulka Ingiriiska ah, isaga oo intaas ku daray in feejignaan dheeraad ah loo baahan yahay si loo ilaaliyo dadka Ingiriiska u dhashay iyo ajaanibta kalaba ee Kenya iyo meel kastaba jooga.
Wali, ayaa Ochami uu yaraynayaa awooda al-Shabaab ee ah in ay weeraro baaxad wayn leh qaadi karaan, xaataa mid waddanka ah.
"Qof ay hurda la'aan ku dhacayso ma jirto maalmahan marka ay hanjabaada soo saaraan, sababta oo ah awood uma laha in ay sameeyaan weeraro baaxad wayn leh xiliyadan dhaw," ayuu yidhi.
Wasiirka Gaashaandhiga Kenya Yuusuf Xaaji ayaa sheegay in dawladdu ay hanjabaada u qaadanayso si dhab ah ayna la shaqaynayso safaaradaha ajnabiga ah maalin walba si ay u fiiriyaan hanjabaada ayna uga shaqeeyaan sida ugu fiican ee ay uga jawaabi lahaayeen.
"Waan balan qaaday la dagaalanka dagaal yahaniinta," ayuu u sheegay Sabahi. "Waxay noqonaysaa mid dheer, laakiinse wanaaga ayaa mar walba ka kor mara xumaanta."

Qodobbo la xiriira

• Al-Shabaab oo isku dayaysa in dadka Kenya ay ku cabsi galiso majalad internet ah
• Dhimashadii Rogo oo loo arkay dib-u-dhac ku yimid xag-jirnimada ka jirta Kenya
• Kuwii kasoo baxay al-Shabaab oo dalkooda kusoo laabtay nolol cusubna bilaabaya
• Fannaaniinta Soomaaliya oo Muqdisho ku soo laabanaya maqnaansho dheer kadib

Meleteriga Dowlada ee Dharkiinley oo xalayto lagu qaadey weeraro Bambooyin ah.

 
Published on November 1, 2012 by admin  
 ·   
Muqdisho(CNA) Gudaha Magaalada Muqdisho xalayto waxaa ka dhacay qaraxyo kala gedisan kuwaasi oo lala eegtey ciidamada Dowlada Federaalka ah, waxaana qarax xoogan laga maqley gudaha degmada Dharkiinley ee Magaalada Muqdisho.
Wararka rasmiga ah ee ka imanaya gudaha degmada Dharkiinley waxaa ay sheegayaan in labba qarax lagu weeraray ciidamada Dowlada Federaalka ah ee gudaha degmadaasi Dharkiinley ku sugnaa, waxaana jira khasaare ka dhashay.
Lama Oga qasaaraha rasmiga ah ee qaraxa maadaama xili habeen ah uu dhacay, hase ahaatee dad nala soo hadlay ayaa soo sheegaya in ay arkeen dhaawaca labo askari.
Mudane Yuusuf Kabaale Gudoomiyaha Dowlada ee degmada Dharkeenley ayaa saxaafada u sheegay in ay wadaan baaritaano ay ku baadi goobayaan kooxihii qaraxaas ka danbeeyay.
Ciidamada dowlada ayaa diiday in meydka goobta laga qaado waxaana lagu sheegay inuu ahaa qofkii caawa waxyaabaha qarxa ku weeraray saldhiga degmada Hodan

http://cartanews.com/2012/11/01/meleteriga-dowlada-ee-dharkiinley-oo-xalayto-lagu-qaadey-weeraro-bambooyin-ah/

Qiso Xanuun Badan Hooyo Soomaaliyed oo ka shekeynaysa.

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Syrians turn to citizen journalism as state media fail to inform

Tuesday, 30 October 2012

A bomb exploded in the Damascus suburb of Jaramanah on Monday and left 10 people dead and more than 60 others wounded, according to Jaramanah News Network. (Courtesy: Jaramanah News Network, a citizen journalism group, posted on Facebook)

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By Katherine Jane O’Neill
Al Arabiya

In Syria, citizen journalism has perhaps become the most trusted primary source Syrians turn to as an alternative to state media during the uprising. Official media are often blamed by activists and even pro-government onlookers for failing to do their reporting duties.

Suicide bombings that shifted into the capital Damascus in the past week were not reported by the Syrian media as state TV and radios stuck to their regular programing, broadcasting their regular entertainment shows and dodging reports on the casualties and aftermath damage.

More than seven suburbs in Damascus witnessed explosions within a week, but the official media only reported on two.

“Our [Syrian] media now only report on the explosions which take place in the center of the capital, and when we hear any sort of nearby explosion we turn to the different local Facebook newsgroups,” a Syrian journalist, working for a government media outlet, told Al Arabiya English under the condition of anonymity.

“We are lacking war reporters … our journalists should not wait to obtain permission from the Syrian information ministry to go to the streets and cover events that have led to spilled Syrian blood. This is a brutal war, no permission is needed when blood is splashing across the streets of our country,” the journalist added.

It’s a law the local Syrian media abide by before being allowed to use their cameras to cover any story to be aired. The majority of citizens learned about the three suicide bombs on Monday from Facebook groups, including Jaramanah News and Damascus Now, since the three official Syrian TV news stations (Al Akhbaryia, Syrian Satilies Station, and Samaa) ignored the coverage, according to Syrian citizens interviewed by Al Arabiya English.

One Damascus citizen said she had tuned in to watch the official Syrian TV on Monday to see the cause of a blast she had heard, but found no reports of the attack and instead saw a comedy play being broadcasted on the screen.

Although a new Syrian media law was put to effect late last year emphasizing the critical need to be honest and strong to report on the truth, many argue the media have done otherwise.

Lailah, a citizen of the affected area of Jarmanah, where the most recent bomb blasted in the Syrian capital, expressed her frustration with the performance of the local media, saying: “If I opened my own station I assure you I would have more news to report on and will do a much better job than what this so-called media are doing.”

And the local journalist concurs with Lailah’s irritation with the media.

“We hear of a bomb through Facebook or receiving calls from family and friends to check if we are alive, but we carry on with our broadcasting through TV and radio without acknowledging the fact that we just lost a dozen of Syrians if not more … instead the news is reported in the outside world, where a better job is being done of reporting about what’s happening in Syria,” said the unnamed Syrian journalist.

Muslim woman appointed Norway’s culture minister

Sunday, 23 September 2012

Hadia Tajik has become the first ever Muslim cabinet member and youngest ever government minister in Norway. (Photo courtesy of The Nordic Page)

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By AL ARABIYA

Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg has appointed a Muslim woman as part of his government during a Cabinet reshufle this week.

Hadia Tajik, 29, from Pakistani descent, was appointed on Friday as Norway’s minister of culture.

Hadia has become the first ever Muslim cabinet member and youngest ever government minister in the Scandinavian country.

The newly appointed minister of culture has already publicized her program for the upcoming months and highlighted that cultural diversity should become an undisputable part of Norway’s everyday life.

In 2009 she was elected as MP for the Norwegian Labour Party that represented Oslo.

Tajik had worked as journalist before she was made advisor to Minister of Justice, Knut Storberget between 2008 and 1009. During her service under Storberget the ministry of justice decided to allow police women to wear the hijab in the service, but the decision was quickly withdrawn after intense criticism from conservative parties and members of the government coalition.

Veiled Muslim mayor a first for Bosnia, possibly Europe

Tuesday, 30 October 2012

Amra Babic has blazed a trail in this war-scarred Balkan nation by becoming its first hijab-wearing mayor, and possibly the only one in Europe. (Photo courtesy Amel Emric / AP)

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By AL ARABIYA WITH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bosnia’s first veiled mayor began her duties this week, after an election which saw her becoming the first hijab-clad mayor in the country, and possibly in Europe.

Amra Babic, who served as a regional finance minister before running for mayor, will now run the Bosnian town of Visoko, in an electoral win she describes as a “victory of tolerance” amid government debates elsewhere in Europe over laws to ban the Muslim veil.

“It’s a victory of tolerance,” Babic, a wartime widow told the Associated Press last week. “We have sent a message out from Visoko. A message of tolerance, democracy and equality.”

“I am the East and I am the West,” she declared. “I am proud to be a Muslim and to be a European. I come from a country where religions and cultures live next to each other. All that together is my identity.”

Now Babic, for the next four years, will run a town of 45,000 people, with a population consisting of mostly Bosnian-Muslims.

And her electoral pledge for the town? Babic has said she wants to fix the infrastructure, partly ruined by the Bosnian 1992-95 war; in turn hoping to make Visoko attractive for investments, encourage youth to start small businesses and lower the unemployment rate which stands at more than 25 percent.

Bosnia fell into civil war in 1992 that left 200,000 people dead and displaced millions as Serb forces launched ethnic cleansing campaign against Bosnian Muslims.

“We are proud to have elected her,” Muris Karavdic, 38, a local small business owner told AP. “It doesn’t matter whether she covers her head or not. She is smart and knows finances.”

Babic decided to wear her headscarf after her husband was killed while fighting in the Bosnian army in the war-scarred Balkan nation, the On Islam news website reported.

Bosnia, a small country on the Balkan Peninsula, is home to three ethnic “constituent peoples”: mainly Muslim-Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats.

Out of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s nearly 4 million population, some 40 percent are Muslims, 31 percent Orthodox Christians and 10 percent Catholics.

Babic sees her victory as breaking multiple barriers, from bigotry against women in a traditionally male-dominated society to stigmatization of the hijab that sprang up under the communist regime.

“Finally we have overcome our own prejudices,” she told AP. “The one about women in politics, then the one about hijab-wearing women — and even the one about hijab-wearing women in politics.”

Somali comedian who poked fun at Islamists shot dead

Tuesday, 30 October 2012

The killing, the latest in a wave of attacks on media workers in Somalia, follows the murder of fellow comic Abdi Jeylani Malaq Marshale in August. (AFP)

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By AFP
MOGADISHU

Gunmen assassinated a well-known comedian and musician who poked fun at Al-Qaeda linked Shebab insurgents in the Somali capital, police and colleagues said Tuesday, the latest in a string of attacks against media and cultural figures.

Warsame Shire Awale, a famous composer who had worked with Somalia’s national army band before joining Radio Kulmiye as a drama producer and comedian, was attacked by two gunmen late on Monday.

“Gunmen killed him... we are investigating the matter and the killers will be brought to justice,” police chief Ahmed Hassan Malin told reporters.

“Two men armed with pistols shot and wounded him near his house in Waberi district, he died shortly after in hospital,” said Abdi Mohamed Haji, a colleague at Radio Kulmiye.

The killing, the latest in a wave of attacks on media workers in Somalia, follows the murder of fellow comic Abdi Jeylani Malaq Marshale in August, who also worked at Kulmiye.

Popular especially with the youth, 61-year old Awale’s programs mocked the Shebab leadership, pointing out their misuse of the form of extreme Islamic law they imposed in the war-torn Horn of Africa country.

The veteran broadcaster would create drama shows in which he would examine the hardship of staying in Shebab-controlled areas, as well as the challenges in trying to escape from their orders.

“Given the nature of the Shebab, he knew he was at risk of dying,” said his nephew Mohamed Abdiweli.

But senior Shebab official Ali Mohamed Hussein said they were not responsible, blaming instead government forces whom he said “kill people for their telephones and their petty belongings.”

“This gentleman was an old man and we had no wish to kill him,” Hussein said. “Blaming the Shebab for this is a politically motivated issue.”

The U.N. human rights agency voiced deep concern at the attacks and urged the government to bring the killers to justice, saying the latest deaths brought to 18 the number of media workers killed in Somalia this year.

“We are extremely alarmed by the continuing assault on Somalia’s media workers and journalists by Al-Shebab and other elements,” Rupert Colville, spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, told reporters in Geneva.

“That’s the second highest toll in the world after Syria,” he said, calling on Somalia’s government “to take urgent steps to protect journalists and other media workers and to end the complete impunity that has been enjoyed by their killers.”

“The role of the media is crucial as Somalia tries to get back on its feet, and the continued slaughter of the country’s journalists risks stifling the media’s ability to contribute to an improvement in law and order and good governance,” he added.

Press rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said that the toll this year meant that it is the “deadliest year” on record for Somalia.

“Warsame Shire Awale was an active and respected member of the entertainment world and his murder has again highlighted the scale of the tragedy unfolding in this country,” RSF said.

Several killings are blamed on the Shebab insurgents, but other murders are also believed to be linked to struggles within the multiple factions in power.

After years of war, Mogadishu has been coming back to life since Shebab fighters left frontline positions in the capital last year, but the insurgents have instead switched to guerrilla attacks.

While the hardline Shebab gunmen have now lost control of a string of towns in recent months, they still control large areas of rural southern and central Somalia.

At the same time, Somalia’s newly elected president and parliament -- set up in September in a U.N.-backed process -- are struggling to rebuild stability after more than two decades of anarchy and war.

Iran assists people in famine-stricken Somalia

 

 

Tue Oct 30, 2012 11:27PM GMT

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The Islamic Republic of Iran is providing relief aid for thousands of displaced people in the war-torn Somalia, Press TV reports.

Iran's Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation (IKRF) launched a feeding program in the famine-stricken capital city of Mogadishu on Tuesday, as part of its ongoing aid relief for the people of the African country.

According to Jalil Setayeshfar of the IKRF, the program, which was launched on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice), aims to help feed thousands of displaced people in several camps throughout the country.

He said that the foundation, along with the Islamic Republic Red Crescent team, plans to launch bigger projects in the future, including borehole drilling in order for the impoverished people to have access to clean drinking water.

“We thank the Iranian Red Crescent society and the Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation for remembering us during the famine. We hope our Muslim brothers will come to our rescue,” a refugee told the Press TV correspondent in Mogadishu.

Iranian Red Crescent is among the first groups to initiate a program to resettle internally displaced persons after the UN declared that three regions of Somalia are no longer experiencing famine.

Drought and famine affected millions of people across Africa with Somalia being the hardest-hit country in what was described as the worst drought in the Horn of Africa in 60 years.

IKRF opened up offices in Mogadishu during the peak of the 2011 famine as a part of its continued assistance to the people of Somalia.

Hundreds of thousands of Somali refugees, who fled the drought and famine, continue to languish in camps in Mogadishu, and depend on assistance from well-wishers.

Iran has dispatched thousands of tons of food aid and medical supplies to the people of Somalia.

YH/NT/AS

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Millions in Northeast struggle after massive storminS

REUTERS

Tue, Oct 30 2012

The aftermath of Sandy showcased in a series of large format pictures.   Full Article 

By Martinne Geller, Emily Flitter and Dhanya Skariachan

NEW YORK | Wed Oct 31, 2012 12:43am EDT

(Reuters) - The northeastern United States battled epic flood waters and lengthy power outages on Tuesday after the massive storm Sandy pummeled the coast with a record storm surge, high winds and heavy rains that killed at least 45 people and caused billion of dollars in losses.
Millions of people in New York City and other hard-hit areas will spend days or weeks recovering from a storm already seen as far more destructive that Hurricane Irene, which slammed into the same region a year ago. One disaster modeling company said Sandy may have caused up to $15 billion in insured losses.
The storm killed 18 people in New York City, among 23 total in New York state, while six died in New Jersey. Seven other states reported fatalities.
Some 8.2 million homes and businesses in several states were without electricity as trees toppled by Sandy's fierce winds took down power lines.
Sandy hit the coast with a week to go to the November 6 presidential election and turned its fury inland with heavy snowfall, dampening an unprecedented drive to encourage early voting and raising questions whether some polling stations will be ready to open on Election Day.
New York City will struggle without its subway system, which was inundated and will remain shut for days. Much of the Wall Street district was left underwater but officials hoped to have financial markets reopen on Wednesday.
Sandy was the biggest storm to hit the country in generations when it crashed ashore with hurricane-force winds on Monday near the New Jersey gambling resort of Atlantic City, devastating the Jersey Shore tourist haven. Flood waters lifted parked cars and deposited them on an otherwise deserted highway.
With the political campaign and partisanship on hold, Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie planned to tour New Jersey disaster areas on Wednesday.
"It's total devastation down there. There are boats in the street five blocks from the ocean," said Peter Sandomeno, an owner of the Broadway Court Motel in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey.
Christie, who has been a strong supporter of Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney, praised Obama and the federal response to the storm.
Obama and Romney put campaigning on hold for a second day but Romney planned to hit the trail again in Florida on Wednesday and Obama seemed likely to resume campaigning on Thursday for a final five-day sprint to Election Day.
Obama faces political danger if the government fails to respond well, as was the case with predecessor George W. Bush's botched handling of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Obama has a chance to show that his administration has learned the lessons of Katrina and that he can lead during a crisis.
NEW YORK UNDER WATER
Sandy brought a record storm surge of almost 14 feet to downtown Manhattan, well above the previous record of 10 feet during Hurricane Donna in 1960, the National Weather Service said.
The storm forced New York City to postpone its traditional Halloween parade, which had been set for Wednesday night in Greenwich Village and threatened to disrupt Sunday's New York City marathon.
The lower half of Manhattan went dark when surging seawater flooded a substation and as power utility Consolidated Edison shut down others pre-emptively. Some 250,000 customers lost power.
Fire ravaged the Breezy Point neighborhood in the borough of Queens, destroying 110 homes and damaging 20 while destroying still more in the nearby neighborhood of Belle Harbor. Remarkably, no fatalities were reported.
"To describe it as looking like pictures we've seen of the end of World War Two is not overstating it," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said after touring the area. "The area was completely leveled. Chimneys and foundations were all that was left of many of these homes."
Hospitals closed throughout the region, forcing patients to relocate and doctors to carry premature babies down more than a dozen flights of stairs at one New York City facility.
While some parts of the city went unscathed, neighborhoods along the East and Hudson rivers bordering Manhattan were underwater and expected to be without power for days, as were low-lying streets in Battery Park near Ground Zero, where the World Trade Center stood before the September 11, 2001, attacks.
"I'm lucky to have gas; I can make hot water. But there is no heating and I'm all cold inside," said Thea Lucas, 87, who lives alone in Manhattan's Lower East Side.
DESTRUCTION THROUGHOUT REGION
Airlines canceled more than 18,000 flights, though two of the New York City area's three major airports planned to reopen with limited service on Wednesday.
Cellphone service went silent in many states and some emergency call centers were affected.
Some cities like Washington, Philadelphia and Boston were mostly spared but he storm reached as far inland as Ohio and parts of West Virginia were buried under 3 feet (1 meter) of snow, a boon for ski resorts that was one of the storm's few bright spots.
The western extreme of Sandy's wind field buffeted the Great Lakes region, according to Andrew Krein of the National Weather Service, generating wind gusts of up to 60 mph on the southern end of Lake Michigan and up to 35 mph Chicago.
In Cleveland, buildings in the city's downtown area were evacuated due to flooding, police said. Winds gusting to 50 mph brought down wires and knocked out power to homes and business. City officials asked residents to stay inside and for downtown businesses to remained closed for the day.
Amid the devastation there was opportunity. Snowmakers at Snowshoe Mountain in the mountains of West Virginia had their equipment running at full speed on Tuesday, taking advantage of the cold temperatures to build the 24-30 inch base they need to open for skiing by Thanksgiving.
"There are snowmakers out there making snow in what was a hurricane and blizzard," said Dave Dekema, marketing director for the resort, which received a foot-and-a-half of snow, with another foot or two expected.
The resort's phones, email account and Facebook pages were "going crazy," Dekema said, with avid skiers and snowboarders wondering if there was any chance of getting out on the mountain this weekend. He said that was unlikely.
(Additional reporting by Scott Malone in Boston; Ilaina Jonas, Daniel Bases, Lucas Jackson, Edward Krudy and Scott DiSavino in New York; Ian Simpson in West Virginia; Diane Bartz and Andrea Shalal-Esa in Washington; Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Susan Guyett in Indianapolis; Kim Palmer in Cleveland and James B. Kelleher in Chicago. Writing by Daniel Trotta and Ros Krasny; Editing by Bill Trott)

• New York's subways swamped after Sandy
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• Obama to Sandy victims: "We will do everything we can"
• Massive flooding and a major explosion in New York’s East Village - Rough Cuts
• Daylight reveals Sandy's wrath
• New York grinds to a halt
• Sandy floods lower Manhattan
• Dolphin stranded on New Jersey beach

Sandy in photos

Over 300 Muslims killed in recent attacks in Myanmar, reports say

Rohingya Muslims sit on the floor inside the Bawdupha internally displaced persons camp located on the outskirts of Sittwe, capital of Myanmar's western Rakhine state, on October 30, 2012.

Wed Oct 31, 2012 3:14AM GMT

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Over 300 Muslims have been killed in recent attacks by Buddhist extremists in Myanmar as a new wave of ethnic and sectarian violence has targeted Rohingya Muslims in the country, reports say.

A Muslim community leader told Press TV on Tuesday that at least 50,000 Rohingyas have been displaced in the fresh round of violence in the country’s western regions.

Authorities said on Monday that 88 people were killed this month.

"Altogether 49 men and 39 women have been killed," a government official -- who did not want to be named -- told AFP, bringing the total death toll since June to about 180.

"About 300 houses were burnt down in Pauktaw town on Sunday but there were no casualties in that incident," the official added.

However, rights groups fear that the actual death toll could be much higher.

Earlier on Tuesday, the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) said that there is a shortage of food, water and medical help at the already overcrowded camps in western Myanmar.

"It is clearly urgent that law and order be restored to prevent further violence, and that access is facilitated so that aid can be provided to those in need," the agency said in a statement.

The statement also said that over 28,000 people have been forced to escape from their homes this month as a result of escalating sectarian violence in the country.

Thousands of mainly Muslim Rohingyas in Rakhine state have sought shelter in the UN camps already struggling to cope with the 75,000 people displaced by earlier violence sparked in June.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch issued separate statements, calling for Myanmar to take action to protect the Rohingya Muslim population against extremist Buddhists.

The government in Myanmar refuses to recognize Rohingyas as citizens and holds the opinion that the only solution to the crisis is to send the one-million-strong community to other countries willing to take them.

Rohingyas are said to be Muslim descendants of Persian, Turkish, Bengali, and Pathan origin, who migrated to Myanmar as early as the 8th century.

NT/AS 

 

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Somaliland: Forensic Anthropology Training Opportunity

SOMALILAND SUN

Sunday, 28 October 2012 11:17

Help uncover Somalilands troubled pastJoin the Somaliland Field School Before the Deadline on November 15! Term & EPAF Uncover Somaliland's Troubled Past in the 2013 Winter Posted by Kathy Roberts Field School: Unearthing Evidence of Barre-era War Crimes in Somaliland This week the Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF - epafperu.org), in partnership with the government of the Republic of Somaliland, completed the first phase of an international forensic training program in Hargeisa, Somaliland. The Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA - cja.org) is a proud sponsor of this program, which will help determine the universe of missing people through a systematic approach, ante mortem data collection and research of mass and clandestine graves. EPAF is accepting applications until November 15, 2012 to join the second phase of this project, which will run from February 5 to March 3, 2013. Applicants from all disciplines are welcome: Participation in the field school represents a fundamental experience for anybody interested in post-conflict studies, peace studies, human rights, forensics, transitional justice, memory, gender, or any related subject. Apart from the payment of some fees for the course the EPAF is interested in participants who meet the following criteria:  have a positive and enthusiastic approach to multi-disciplinary learning  have an interest in a combination of: forensic anthropology, forensic archaeology, cultural and community development, human rights, indigenous rights, human development, power relations and gender.  have some knowledge of the past and present issues of Somaliland and some general understanding of Africa in general  be in good physical and emotional health  be prepared for the frustrations and challenges of living and working in an environment devoid of the usual comforts and technological assets of home  be committed to follow-up work in your community and/or region upon return home Brief From 1969 to 1991, president and military dictator Siad Barre oversaw a campaign of widespread atrocities that decimated Somali civil society. To quash separatist movements in the 1980s, the Somali Armed Forces targeted civilians in the northwest, modern-day Somaliland, culminating in the bloody 1988 siege of the regional capital Hargeisa, which claimed at least 5,000 civilian lives. This past August, U.S. Federal Judge Leonie Brinkema awarded $21 million in compensatory and punitive damages against former Somali General Mohamed Ali Samantar for his role in the slaughter. This judgment marks the first time that any Somali government official has been held accountable for the atrocities perpetrated under that regime. About the Center for Justice and Accountability The Center for Justice and Accountability is an international human rights organization dedicated to deterring torture and other severe human rights abuses around the world and advancing the rights of survivors to seek truth, justice and redress. CJA uses litigation to hold perpetrators individually accountable for human rights abuses, develop human rights law, and advance the rule of law in countries in transition from periods of abuse. Read more... About the Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team The Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) is a non-profit organization that promotes the right to truth, justice, and guarantees of non-repetition in cases of forced disappearance and extrajudicial execution. EPAF seeks to contribute to the consolidation of peace and democracy where grave human rights violations have taken place by working alongside the families of the disappeared to find their loved ones, gain access to justice, and improve the conditions affecting their political and economic development. Please follow this link for more information as well as application form http://cja. org

Somaliland Should Focus More Internationally and Less on Somalia-Al’Mutairi

SOMALILAND SUN

Sunday, 28 October 2012 19:21

Al mutairiBy: Yusuf M Hasan Somalilandsun- Efforts utilized by the government in talks with Somalia are a detriment to other important relationships. The efforts utilized by administration in pleasing Somalia could be more fruitful if targeted on establishing relationships with African, Arab and Western Countries as well as a number of related regional blocks. This is per Mr. Abdul-Aziz Al-Mutairi, a Kuwaiti citizen who during an interview with the horn newspaper's Walaleye also urged the government to rethink on its policy as it pertained to the engagement of active personalities like South African Iqbal Jazby whom he termed a most effective representative and thus wondered why the current leadership relinquished him of his post. Al-Mutairi also urged an aggressive media campaign by the authorities which he termed as lackluster to the extent that the opinions and views of adversaries are better understood and believed than that of Landers, Said he, "Most Arab governments believe that the Sl-Somalia talks are geared towards reconciliation thus re-unite because of the extensive media campaign by Former president Sheikh Sharif and his TGF authority. The Kuwaiti is who is an advent advocate for Somaliland has continuously advocated has continuously utilized his penmanship through numerous pro-sovereignty articles that are published by various media institutions Below are the full verbatim excerpts of the interview. Q. How do you perceive the Somaliland government's effectiveness in terms of their foreign relation Vis a Vis previous government? The current regime in Hargeisa is focusing on its talks with Somalia, which could be fruitful. It is spending less time in building its relations with African countries, particularly the regional countries like Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia. A. The Somaliland-Ethiopian relations must be kept strong and Somaliland must ensure strong security cooperation with Ethiopia. I believe that Ethiopia was concerned in Somaliland security compare to now. This must change and current leadership change in Ethiopia must not impact Somaliland-Ethiopian friendship. Somaliland Administration must ensure safe relationship with Ethiopia, as Addis Ababa is very influential regionally and internationally. Somaliland Foreign Ministry is not strongly effective in the Arab world. I do understand the wrong and blind misbelieve of the Arabs towards Somaliland, however, Foreign Ministry need to engage with Arab partners. Somaliland must have office in Egypt, as there are policy shift in Cairo. The current regime must finance lobbies in major African countries like South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia and other major hubs. These lobbies could have support Somaliland cause of independence always. Somaliland's foreign department cannot cover everywhere but the lobbies could advocate for Somaliland cause. I remember, Mr. Iqbal of South Africa, who supported Somaliland strongly, and advocated for it in many international and African venues. Somaliland administration needs to deploy qualified people in such lobbies. Generally, Somaliland's diplomatic missions are the front face of Somaliland and its cause. They must be well-equipped with all the resources they need in the fight for Somaliland independence. Q. What is your relationship with Somaliland leaders or its politicians, considering your lengthily advocacy for the country? A. I am Somaliland friend starting from 1977. I met Somaliland Late President Mohamed Ibrahim Egal in Mogadishu and discussed about British Somaliland, and how the independence was handed over to Italian Somalia without conditions due to the ignorance of the people. I started reading about Somaliland until restoration of the lost independence in 1991. I had my first visit to Free Somaliland in 2003, and somebody could feel the smile on the faces of the people after restoring their nationhood after almost 30 years of southern domination. The trip was humanitarian aid. The democracy that Father of Modern Somaliland Late President Egal installed in Somaliland increased my trust and believes in the people of Somaliland and their capabilities, where their former countrymen – Somalians – are falling deep into trouble and endless tribalism war. Usually, I don't contact with Somaliland leaders because I believe the PEN, and I can convey my message and correct mistakes to keep Somaliland safe. Q. You visited Somaliland during a fact finding mission during the SNM led struggle as fact who else accompanied you, what were your findings and if any were they published? A. It was confidential trip to Somaliland (from Mogadishu-Gabile by land) particularly the areas dominated by the Isaac tribes, because we received reports of manslaughter and displacement of the local people. We submitted the report to the UN in Mogadishu, in addition to other western countries, and later UN and these countries criticized the operations of the Siyad Barre regime in former North-West and Togdheer Regions. I highlighted in the report that these two regions were part of British Somaliland. Q. What is your take as per anticipated outcome of the Somaliland and Somalia dialogue? A. The Kulmiye led government must continue talking to 'Somalia', which will not bring quick outcome, but Somaliland must ensure that its independence is not negotiable. Somaliland will help 'Somalia' in building peace and democracy, if and only if, Mogadishu accepts Somaliland. It is very positive to talk; however, Somaliland must establish wider media campaign illustrating that talking with 'Somalia' is to withdraw only. The last Sharif Ahmed government created wider media campaign than Somaliland, and both international community and Arab world believed that Somalis are talking to unite again. This is weakness and Somaliland must stop it. Q. The current and past leadership of Somalia are propped by international community, are we right to christen it as UN government? A. I highlighted in one of my articles titled 'UN Trusteeship for Italian Somalia: The only solution'. 'Somalia' will never have independent government; it will need support from the regional governments and UN. This means that help from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda...etc and UN is not for free, and 'Somalia' must payback the price of the help. Today we can see Kenya leading installation of new administration in Kismayo, and government in Mogadishu cannot protect it own offices without the soldiers from Uganda. Even Djibouti is sending troops today, which is very unfortunate for 'Somalia'. Somalia must payback such favor to these countries by another means, which could include land handover to Kenya. The situation in Mogadishu is very critical ever, and the current administration has no option but to receive the dictations from its masters. The new regime is 100% dependent on outside power, including salary of the president is paid by the foreign parties, and if the situations continue like now, 'Somalia' will be country by name, but actually will not exist. Q. Finally, what is your advice to Somaliland as it pertains to strategies for garnering much sought quest of international recognition? A. Somaliland government must continue talking to 'Somalia' but with stronger stance, and should lead the talk because Somaliland is having stronger case than 'Somalia'. Mogadishu is selling old name, which is controlled by foreigners as Somaliland is led by an elected politician. The international community knows this truth and respects Somaliland more than the tribe-nominated fresh leaders. Somaliland has home-grown democracy and controls its land, while Mogadishu cannot secure its offices and salaries of its soldiers. This is very big difference between Somaliland and 'Somalia'. Somaliland Foreign Ministry must take the lead and explain to the outside world about the truth on the ground. I am sure Somaliland will succeed in the near future, because it came with desire of 3.5 million people. The government must continue engaging with eastern tribes and promote the plan of President Siilanyo towards Peace. It is great seeing new member joining the cabinet of Somaliland from Buhodle town. Somaliland people and government must know that internal security is their self-steam and the world respects Somaliland because of the security it built without outside support, and the Kulmiye led government must increase efforts towards better security. Thanks To peruse a sample few articles by Al-Mutairi posted by Somalilandsun kindly Follow these links a. http://somalilandsun.com/index.php/opinion/1651-somalias-new-prime-minister-a-bretton-woods-institutions-history-highlights b. http://somalilandsun.com/index.php/opinion/1525-somaliland-and-south-sudan-the-inseparable-friends c. http://somalilandsun.com/index.php/opinion/1434-somalias-vote-rigging-one-vote-equals-60000-dollars d. http://somalilandsun.com/index.php/in-depth/1347-somaliland-suleiman-haglatosiye-a-ali-khalif-galaydh-a-peacemaker-and-warmonger e. http://somalilandsun.com/index.php/opinion/988-somaliland-52nd-somaliland-independence-and-somaliland-somalia-dialogue-in-london f. http://somalilandsun.com/index.php/in-depth/history/985-somalilandas-26th-june-1960-86-years-of-protectorate-comes-to-end g. http://somalilandsun.com/index.php/world/somalia/377-sheikh-sharif-of-tfg-short-circuited-somalia-london-communique h. http://somalilandsun.com/index.php/opinion/302-again-britains-conservative-party-and-somalilands-statehood

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The rise and fall of al-Shabab

SOMALILAND SUN

Saturday, 27 October 2012 17:25

Minneapolis played a role in the decline of an international terrorist group. By: Nasser Mussa From remote villages in Somalia to the U.S. Federal Court in Minneapolis, al-Shabab has garnered attention throughout the world as a terrorist group from the Horn of Africa. Al-Shabab seized power in the summer of 2006 after driving warlords out of Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia, which has remained a warzone despite efforts to form a stable government. Following its victory, the group organized itself as an Islamist government following strict Sharia law. Within a few months, al-Shabab mobilized a considerable number of fighters, including American citizens who travelled to Somalia and joined the group to fight. As al-Shabab fighters advanced in Somalia, the U.S. government was concerned that Somalia would become a haven for terrorist groups and began aiding the Ethiopian government via financial support and military training. In winter 2006, the Ethiopian troops invaded Somalia with U.S. support. However, this effort failed due to historical animosities between Somalia and Ethiopia. The Ethiopian invasion became a showdown for al-Shabab, which gave the group popular support among Somali populations to fight against Ethiopian troops. I remember Somalis protesting in Minneapolis calling on Ethiopian troops to withdraw from Somalia. It was during this time that Americans began traveling to Somalia to join al-Shabab in 2007. Following these departures Minneapolis was the site of an FBI investigation. According to the U.S. Justice Department, "federal agents have been conducting a long-running, international investigation into a pipeline that supplies men from Minneapolis to Somalia." The federal government indicted several individuals and convicted Mahamud Said Omar in the first case related to al-Shabab. Recently, the group was widely driven out of its Somali strongholds. Though the group continues to train new members in south Somalia, al-Shabab fortunately appears to be on a decline of public support and under intense pressure from the U.S. and African governments. http://www.mndaily.com

Kenyan Forces Outperforming US Forces in War Against Islamists

October 27, 2012 By Daniel Greenfield Comments (10)

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Kenya is claiming to have killed over 3,000 al-Shabaab fIslamist ighters in Somalia in one year while losing only 22 soldiers and one helicopter. Or rather the Somali Defense Minister is claiming that on behalf of the Kenyans.

If true, those are some pretty good numbers. The NATO ISAF forces in Afghanistan have erratic policies on enemy body counts so that no true number of Taliban killed is available. General McChrystal suspended body counts completely because they were no longer meant to be a metric of success. Petraeus on occasion brought them back.

In a departure from past practice, U.S. and Afghan commanders released data that showed they had killed 2,448 insurgents over the past eight months – a 55 percent increase from the same period last year.

As we can see from the Kenyan deployment in Somalia, those aren’t really worth bragging about. During those same periods in Afghanistan, NATO/ISAF fatalities ranged somewhere in the 400-500 range. Trading the lives of highly trained and valued First World soldiers against desert fighters at a 1/5 ratio when the firepower on the US side is vastly superior is not a good exchange. Those aren’t Tet Offensive numbers, but they’re bad enough.
The Kenyan military isn’t within spitting distance of the United States. The difference lies in the rules of engagement. In Somalia, Kenyan forces have casually bombed targets unmindful of civilian casualties. Meanwhile US forces are routinely denied air support and permission to engage enemy fighters.
Kenyan soldiers do not have to worry about being court martialed if they fire first. They don’t have to worry about being told to retreat or hide because their lives are worth less than winning the hearts and minds of the locals.
The United States crushed the Taliban initially with the ruthless use of force. And then wasted that victory by trying to patrol and secure the country on the ground. The Surge was a waste of manpower because it sent soldiers with little protection to confront a disposable morass of enemy fighters. And the outcome was completely predictable.
The Taliban were driven out of power with a handful of casualties. As the Rules of Engagement tightened, US casualties increased and defeat became inevitable. Kenyan forces are able to do in Somalia what American forces are not longer allowed to do in Afghanistan.
But there is a final irony to the whole affair. The Prime Minister of Kenya, Raila Odingo, is a cousin of Barack Obama.

Rwandan Youth Contribute Rwf30 Million to Somalia

By Susan Babijja, 28 October 2012

Rwandan youth, through their campaign dubbed Rwanda Youth Campaign for Somalia, on Friday handed over a cheque worth over Rwf 30 million to Cabdullahi Sheikh Maxamed, Somalia's Ambassador to Rwanda.
During the event that attracted members of the National Youth Council and Ministry of Youth and Information and Communication Technology, Maxamed praised the youth for the initiative, saying the gesture will promote and strengthen the relationship between Rwanda and Somalia.
"This is the first youth initiative that has come up with such support and this actually demonstrates not only capacity, but willingness of Rwandans to support your brothers and sisters after the difficult years that we have been going through," said Maxamed.
He explained that Rwanda and Somalia have a lot in common and can still learn from each other based on the past experiences the two countries have gone through.
Maxamed observed that Rwanda is an inspiration to many countries.
"When we consider what has been done in Rwanda in a very short period after what the country went through in 1994, it gives us courage and motivation to work harder and with this kind of partnership, we are sure we shall get there," he said
The cheque was handed over by the Minister of Youth and ICT, Jean Philbert Nsengimana.
On his part, Nsengimana observed that the initiative was one of several projects the youth in Rwanda are engaging in as part of their contribution towards the country's development.
"This is just the beginning; we shall continue to work together to ensure that our countries and nationals get the best they expect from us," Nsengimana said.
Youth Campaign for Somalia is an initiative started by Emmanuel Hitimana, who used facebook to call upon the public to make contributions towards supporting the Somali people.
"The conflict in the country that left hundreds displaced and many dead was worsened by famine. So, they need support," Hitimana said.
He said within 24 hours, he had got 300 people on facebook willing to contribute to the campaign. He told The Sunday Times that the government played a major role in making the campaign a success.
During the ceremony, the Secretary for the Somali Community in Rwanda, Marian Dualle, made a presentation how the country was torn apart right from the 60s.
"When we resisted the Western powers to penetrate on the interior, this was what resulted into the British colonising the north while Italy colonized the southern part," she said.

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