Thursday, February 28, 2013
Cannibalism in North Korea: to eat or not to eat
Feb 1, 2013 23:08 Moscow Time
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© Photo: КиноПоиск
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Starvation in famine-stricken North Korea is reaching unprecedented scale as tension between Pyongyang and Washington is mounting. At the time when Kim Jong Un negotiates a new deal with the Obama Administration, residents of the isolated country turn to cannibalism as their last hope for survival. Shockingly, North Koreans are not the only ones who consume human flesh. Chinese and Indians also practice cannibalism, and, all too often, not as last resort. Are humans becoming blood-thirsty carnivores?
It is often thought that in this
modern technological world 'cannibalism' is a rare occurrence, but the
recent reports from North Korea indicate otherwise. Last Sunday Asia
Press - a specialist news agency based in Japan - published a report
based on the claims of "citizen journalists" recruited inside North
Korea which claimed that as sanctions against the pariah state are
tightened even further, its residents are resorting to such extreme
means of survival as cannibalism. North Korea experienced extreme
drought in the summer of 2012, which resulted in a significant drop in
food production. Famine is the farming provinces of North and South
Hwanghae has already killed over 10,000 people. While North Korea has
not confirmed or denied any reports of the deaths, it is not unthinkable
that under such extreme conditions North Koreans might indeed be
turning to desperate measures for survival.
In one
particularly disturbing report, a man from South Hwanghae was said to be
put to death by firing squad after it was learned he had eaten his two
children. "In my village in May, a man who killed his own two children
and tried to eat them was executed by a firing squad," reports Asia
Press with reference to one of its 'insiders'. "While his wife was away
on business he killed his eldest daughter and, because his son saw what
he had done, he killed his son as well. When the wife came home, he
offered her food, saying: We have meat. But his wife, suspicious,
notified the Ministry of Public Security, which led to the discovery of
part of their children's bodies under the eaves." Another insider
journalist claimed that "there was an incident when a man was arrested
for digging up the grave of his grandchild and eating the remains."
To
Western dismay, law enforcement officials are also engaged in
cannibalist practices. The report obtained by South Korea's Caleb
Mission, provided a rare look into the alleged cannibalism among the
police officers. The report said that in one account, "a police officer
who could no longer fight his hunger killed his colleague using an ax,
ate some of the human flesh and sold the remainder in the market by
disguising it as mutton."
What is even more
petrifying is that the North Koreans are not alone in their appalling
flesh-consuming practices. Earlier this month tea plantation workers in
India's Assam province were also accused of cannibalism after their
boss's mutilated body was found on the grounds of the M.K.B. Tea Estate.
It is being reported that the act of violence was sparked by orders
from the plantation owner for 10 estate workers to vacate their
quarters. Not long after the boss's announcement a mob of 1000 M.K.B.
workers of surrounded the plantation owner's bungalow and set it on
fire. In the morning the bodies of the plantation owner and his wife
were discovered by the police. After inspecting the bodies (or, rather,
what was left of them) the North Indian police were almost certain that
the workers must have eaten the bodies of their boss and his wife after
bludgeoning them to death. Moreover, one of the workers who was present
during the attack has recently confessed of the act of cannibalism.
Commenting on the issue, Numol Mahatao, deputy police chief of Tinsukia
district, claimed that "at least five plantation workers ate the flesh
of the tea planter and his wife. We suspect that about 15 people were
actually involved in the crime. We have identified all the masterminds
and nine are in our custody so far."
Allegedly, there
is a group of people in India called Agori sadhus who still practice
cannibalism eating rotten meat of the dead and meditating on human
corpse. For Agori consuming human flesh has spiritual significance since
they believe that the strength and wisdom of the dead man is
transferred to the one who consumes his flesh. Nonetheless, the workers
of M.K.B. Tea Estate hardly belonged to the Agori cast. Their compulsive
act of cannibalism did not stem from particular spiritual or other
ideological conviction but was rather a result of extreme despair and
fury. Indian plantation owners are notorious for underpaying their
workers and providing them with very poor accommodation in remote areas.
Moreover, workers seldom have protection from police and cannot take
advantage of laws designed to guarantee them health care and fair
working conditions. In this respect, it can be inferred that the act of
cannibalism in M.K.B. estate was sparked by hopelessness and resentment.
An
even more disturbing form of cannibalism is currently taking shape in
China. While the world has already become accustomed to the Chinese
cuisine with such traditional dishes as monkeys' brains, owls' eyes, and
deep fried scorpions, not all national favorites are as harmless when
compared to the latest 'pint de jour' which has gained popularity in the
Chinese province of Shenzhen - human foetus. The first reports of
foetal cannibalism emerged back in 1995 when a journalist from the
Eastern Express published a piece on contemporary dietary supplements in
China. According this piece, some doctors in Shenzhen hospitals were
eating dead foetuses after carrying out abortions. The doctors allegedly
defended their actions by saying the embryos were good for their skin
and general health. They claimed that "they can make your skin smoother,
your body stronger and are good for kidneys". After the trend was set,
it gained prominence among the general population of China and people
started consuming foetuses as a human tonic. As recently as half a year
ago South Korean customs officials seized thousands of pills filled with
powdered human baby flesh arriving from China.
Allegedly,
this gruesome practice stems from a particular perception of unborn
children in Chinese culture. According to Dr. Warren Lee, former
president of the Hong Kong Nutrition Association, "eating foetuses is a
kind of traditional Chinese medicine and is deeply founded in Chinese
folklore." Traditionally, ancient Chinese assumed that firstborns or
aborted foetuses do not have personhood of their own and thus have no
soul. From this perspective, foetuses are merely a part of a mother’s
flesh and can be indigested. It was believed that if a mother
'reabsorbs' her still-born or aborted foetus she will then give birth to
a healthy and strong baby. Admittedly, this type of belief is not
uncommon in societies where cannibalistic infanticide was once
considered to be normal practice.
Prince Harry confesses killing Taliban militants
Grandson of Queen Elizabeth
II, Prince Harry, has finished his Afghanistan mission and is going home
after serving 20 weeks in a country infested with radical Taliban
insurgents. A NATO operation in Afghanistan kicked off some ten years
ago. Before leaving the British base, the Prince of Wales gave an
interview to the press, confessing he had killed Taliban fighters.
The West is adept at demonizing whoever they want to go after - exclusive interview with Dr. Edward Herman
Feb 24, 2013 15:59 Moscow Time
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Photo: AFP
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Renowned author Dr. Edward Herman spoke with the Voice of Russia's John Robles regarding the facts surrounding the Srebrenica Massacre. In part 2 of the full interview Dr. Herman speaks about how the West, the CIA and NATO manipulate the media to demonize whoever they want to attack and how friends become evil enemies at the drop of a hat. His opinion of the War Crimes Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia is something you have to listen to or read for yourself. Enjoy.
Hello! This is John Robles, I’m speaking with Dr. Edward Herman.
He is a Professor Emeritus of Finance at the Wharton School of the
University of Pennsylvania. And he is also the author of several books,
namely “The Manufacturing of Consent”, he wrote that with the Noam
Chomsky, and “The Srebrenica Massacre: Evidence, Context and Politics”.
Robles: You said the West wanted, or the United States, wanted a reason to get Serbia. What exactly were those reasons?
Herman:
After the fall of the Soviet Union, the West: the United States and its
allies, no longer wanted to support an independent Yugoslavia. It was a
social-democratic state, it was relatively independent and they didn’t
want it to continue and would prefer to have it broken into pieces which
they could control.
So, they encouraged Slovenia and
the Bosnian Muslims, in Bosnia, and the Croatians, they encouraged them
to leave Yugoslavia. And the only ones who wanted to keep Yugoslavia
together were the Serbs. So, the Serbs did try to keep them together but
there was mutual fighting and there were efforts to settle the whole
business and let them exit more or less peaceably, but the West
sabotaged those agreements.
This is a famous set of
episodes, there was an attempt called the Lisbon Agreement in 1992, to
sort of solve some of the problems with peaceful resolution and the
Bosnian Muslims were encouraged by the United States to reject that
agreement.
So, they fought one another mutually
trying to establish land control and this caused the tremendous amount
of killings. The Srebrenica massacre was part of this mutual ethnic
cleansing and struggle for land control. But behind it all was the fact
that the West supported the dismantling of Yugoslavia. And the Serbs
were their enemy because the Serbs opposed this dismantling. So, the
Serbs were the victims of all the West’s activity.
Most
important, possibly, apart from the sabotaging of this peace agreement,
was the setup of Yugoslavia Tribunal. And the Tribunal was, and remains
a complete instrument of NATO and the United States and it went almost
entirely after Serbs, and it actually helped to sabotage peace. It was
really a phony judicial arm of NATO with the Serbs as victims.
And
so, eventually they went after Milosevic. All these efforts of the
Tribunal were the dismantling of Yugoslavia in a proper political light.
If you could criminalize all the Serb leaders, you could prove that
Serbia was the bad guy and that NATO and its activities, including the
bombing war against Kosovo, that NATO would look like it was engaging in
humanitarian intervention, here it had this judicial backup of the
Yugoslav Tribunal which was a fraud, which was a travesty.
There
is a wonderful book by John Laughland entitled “Travesty”. It is a
study of the Yugoslav Tribunal and its devastating. Actually another
good book is by Michael Mandel called “How America Gets Away with
Murder” which also has a very good discussion of the Tribunal and
International Criminal Court, and the extent to which they are
effectively arms of the West, they are not judicial institutions at all,
really Public Realtions arms of the West.
Robles:
After WW II there was an agreement not to reorganize Europe. And I’ve
read some material saying that Yugoslavia was the first experiment for
the US in their game of geopolitical chess to reestablish or redefine
the borders of Europe. Do you think that was successful and where do you
think that has led us today?
Herman:
I think it was a very successful operation from the standpoint of the
United States and NATO, because this independent social-democratic
entity was destroyed by the West and it left a series of states that are
dependent on the United States and the West. Serbia which was once an
independent state is now a groveling, kind of pathetic failed state. It
was failed, by the bombing and by the long blockade or sanctions against
Serbia, it is now groveling before the West trying to get into the
European Union. It was dismantled and taken apart.
Robles:
There are “some” people in Serbia, who are as you say, groveling for
the West. But there is a large percentage of Serbians who know the
reality of what happened and really, hate the West because they know
that their country was destroyed.
Herman:
I agree with you completely. I’m talking about the people who run this,
those in power. It is true that there is a very significant minority,
or maybe it is even a majority…
Robles: I think it is a majority, but you just said the key words there “those in power”. Right!
Herman:
You know, I think that the vast number of Serbs are resentful of what
has been done to them. But the West has arranged and the power structure
has been fixed so that the friends of the West retain political power
and they do the groveling.
Robles: And there is so much of a media blackout of anything that counters that “evil Serb” stereotype that they promoted in the West.
Herman:
Absolutely, yes. The standard procedure of the United States and the
NATO powers is to demonize whoever they are going to go after. So,
Milosevic was made into a devil and the Serbs were made into an evil
population. And of course the Bosnian Muslims loved that and latched
onto that and they are still using it to achieve some of their aims.
Countries finds it extremely difficult to throw off the burden of
demonization and hatred by the West.
After we crushed
Vietnam, we allegedly lost that war, but we damaged Vietnam horribly,
we actually succeeded in maintaining an 18 year boycott of this victim
to whom we ought to have been paying huge reparations. We actually
should be paying gigantic reparations to Serbia for the illegal bombing
war. But the West does this demonization and the demon charge hangs on.
So,
each successful target you find this demonization process at work and
the hypocrisy involved here is absolutely mindboggling because sometimes
you have us changing our mind in mid-stream as with Saddam Hussein,
when he was warring against Iran in the 1980s, he was a friend of the
United States and they actually provided him with weapons of mass
destruction. And then he became worse than Hitler. But the media doesn’t
stress this and avoid it, they ignore the fact that he was our ally and
then the next day he is a demon.
Robles:
Same thing with Muammar Gaddafi, I mean he became a friend, again, what
you were saying. Disarm! Disarm! Ok, he disarmed. The same with
Hussein, he disarmed.
Herman:
I don’t think we ever really loved Gaddafi or Assad but we did get
along with them at least for a while. But Gaddafi was always a handy
villain we could turn to, like in a Lockerbie case, that was really an
amazing business, because after Pan Am 103 was shot down.
Robles: Sure! Do you think he was behind that? Do you believe that?
Herman:
No, absolutely not! Right off the bat. The shoot down of Pan Am 103
followed by six months the United States shooting down an Iranian
airliner killing 290 people. And six months after that there was
Lockerbie, the Pan Am 103, so everybody knew. And in fact the CIA
claimed for two years it was clear fact that Iran and Syria had been
behind that bombing.
But the geopolitics changed and
suddenly we were having to deal with Saddam Hussein, we needed Iran and
Syria to be our temporary friends and Gaddafi was brought into the
picture. The convenient villain. I’m totally sure, I’ve studied that
Lockerbie case and it had nothing whatsoever to do with the shooting
down of Pan Am 103.
But it is like the Srebrenica
massacre. The capability of the West and the media to manipulate facts,
and the CIA to manipulate facts and demonize, and have an effective case
against whomever we have demonized, it is amazing how the West does
this.
That was the end of part 2. You can find part three on our website at english.ruvr.ru
Djiboutian students, police clash over opposition arrests
February 26, 2013
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Students from the University of Djibouti protested before the Supreme
Court on Tuesday (February 26th), demanding the release of opposition
leaders arrested Monday.
Movement for Development and Liberty (Model) leaders Sheikhs Abdirahman Bashir and Abdirahman God were arrested for "disturbing public order" on Monday for protesting alleged fraud during last Friday's legislative elections.
Opposition Union for National Salvation (USN) spokesman Daher Ahmed Farah, USN leader Ismail Guedi Hared and USN coalition president Ahmed Youssouf have been placed under house arrest.
Protests have continued despite the government's interdiction, with high school students joining in the fracas and clashing with police. Two policemen have reportedly been injured, and dozens of youth have been arrested.
Young protesters Abdallah Awad and Kassim Mohamed Ali told Sabahi that they feel the regime has become increasingly repressive. "They want to muzzle us, but they will not succeed because the time has come for change," Ali said.
Movement for Development and Liberty (Model) leaders Sheikhs Abdirahman Bashir and Abdirahman God were arrested for "disturbing public order" on Monday for protesting alleged fraud during last Friday's legislative elections.
Opposition Union for National Salvation (USN) spokesman Daher Ahmed Farah, USN leader Ismail Guedi Hared and USN coalition president Ahmed Youssouf have been placed under house arrest.
Protests have continued despite the government's interdiction, with high school students joining in the fracas and clashing with police. Two policemen have reportedly been injured, and dozens of youth have been arrested.
Young protesters Abdallah Awad and Kassim Mohamed Ali told Sabahi that they feel the regime has become increasingly repressive. "They want to muzzle us, but they will not succeed because the time has come for change," Ali said.
Somali sheikhs vow to combat extremism after cleric assassinated while praying
By Hassan Muse Hussein in Garowe and Barkhad Dahir in Hargeisa
February 19, 2013
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Somali leaders and citizens expressed shock and condemnation after a
young man shot Sheikh Abdulkadir Nur Farah inside Badar Mosque in Garowe
during Asr prayer last Friday (February 15th).
Farah was shot in the back as he was kneeling to pray.
Hours later, Puntland regional President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole publicly blamed al-Shabaab for the assassination of the prominent Somali sheikh, announcing the capture of Abdirahman Hussein Jama Bile in connection with the murder.
On Saturday, Somaliland police apprehended two more suspects in Las Anod believed to have been involved in the assassination.
"One of the two men we have in our custody is believed to be directly involved in last week's murder of the late Sheikh Abdulkadir Nur Farah, while his accomplice had facilitated his escape," Abdullahi Said Guleid, deputy commander of police in Sool, told Dawan newspaper.
He said the suspects were arrested as they drove into the city, approximately 150 kilometres west of Garowe. The men have been transferred to Hargeisa and are under investigation, Guleid said.
"We condemn the killing," said Sheikh Mubarak Haji Nur of Buro in Somaliland. "It is against principles of Islam and [Somali] culture."
Nur also called for Somali and Muslim religious leaders to stand together against those who spill innocent blood.
Sheikh Ahmed Abdisamad, a cleric in Puntland and head of the executive committee of the al-Itisaam Council, a religious group that has vowed to fight the spread of al-Shabaab's ideology, announced Tuesday (February 19th) that he and other religious leaders are organising a major conference in the coming days to conduct a study to better understand the causes that lead to extremism in Somalia and to provide religion-based solutions that will be shared with the public.
Farole and Somali Minister of Interior Affairs Mohamed Mohamud Guled said they welcomed and would give their complete support to the sheikhs' conference.
Abdisamad also praised the Somaliland authorities for apprehending the suspects right away. He urged regional administrations across Somalia to engage citizens to be more effective against al-Shabaab.
To fight extremism effectively and find comprehensive solutions, Somali communities must work together to address all underlying issues, he said. When disagreements or problems arise, people should turn to established intellectual and political leadership.
"Our tribes, clerics, provinces, business people, soldiers and all sections of the public must come together for the same purpose," he told Sabahi.
Sheikh Abdinasir Haji Ahmed of Las Anod also blamed al-Shabaab for the murder. "The sheikh was killed by monsters in al-Shabaab, particularly the Amniyad faction that is characterised as outcasts that kill Muslims."
Before his death, Farah had vehemently expressed his disapproval of al-Shabaab, and was part of the al-Itisaam Council.
"They call themselves the youth of jihad, but their jihad is aimed at Muslims," Farah said in a sermon at al-Rawda Mosque on January 5th. "They have killed off many Muslims, and you all know that hundreds of Muslims die in the explosions. How many have died in Bosaso, Garowe and Galkayo while entering or leaving the mosque? … This is their version of jihad."
Farah also spoke at the funeral of Sheikh Ahmed Abdirahman, who was killed in December 2011 in Bosaso as he was leaving al-Rawda Mosque after the morning prayer. Farah blamed Abdirahman's death on al-Shabaab.
The International Union of Muslim Scholars on Sunday mourned Farah and condemned his assassination.
"The Union calls on the Somali people to unite against extremists to preserve members of Somali society and preserve the lives of scholars and competent nationals," the organisation said in a statement signed by Chairman Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Secretary General Ali al-Qaradaghi.
Dahir Hassan, a 25-year-old Islamic studies student at East African University in Bosaso, said this was the first time he heard of someone killed while praying. "It used to surprise us to learn that someone was killed after leaving the mosque," he told Sabahi.
Hassan said he watched a Youtube video showing Bile's arrest and called him "a young, misguided youth".
"The people being killed off are our clerics, our source of knowledge," Hassan said, adding that the Puntland administration should assign armed guards to clerics. "[Al-Shabaab] wants to eliminate this nation's strength and its scholars, which will lead our country to a future without intellectual leaders."
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![Leaders from the al-Itisaam Islamic Council speak to reporters at East Africa University in Garowe on February 19th. The leaders said they would engage the Somali ulama and citizens to stand united against violence and extremist ideology. [Hassan Muse Hussein/Sabahi]](http://sabahionline.com/shared/images/2013/02/19/puntland-sheikh-farah-340_227.jpg)
Leaders from the al-Itisaam Islamic Council speak to reporters at
East Africa University in Garowe on February 19th. The leaders said they
would engage the Somali ulama and citizens to stand united against
violence and extremist ideology. [Hassan Muse Hussein/Sabahi]
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![Sheikh Abdulkadir Nur Farah was buried in the northern graveyard of Garowe on Saturday (February 16th). [Hassan Muse Hussein/Sabahi]](http://sabahionline.com/shared/images/2013/02/19/sheikh-farah-burial-340_227.jpg)
Sheikh Abdulkadir Nur Farah was buried in the northern graveyard of
Garowe on Saturday (February 16th). [Hassan Muse Hussein/Sabahi]
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![Hundreds of citizens attended the funeral to mourn the assassination of Sheikh Abdulkadir Nur Farah. [Hassan Muse Hussein/Sabahi]](http://sabahionline.com/shared/images/2013/02/19/garowe-farah-funeral-340_227.jpg)
Hundreds of citizens attended the funeral to mourn the assassination
of Sheikh Abdulkadir Nur Farah. [Hassan Muse Hussein/Sabahi]
![Leaders from the al-Itisaam Islamic Council speak to reporters at East Africa University in Garowe on February 19th. The leaders said they would engage the Somali ulama and citizens to stand united against violence and extremist ideology. [Hassan Muse Hussein/Sabahi]](http://sabahionline.com/shared/images/2013/02/19/puntland-sheikh-farah.jpg)
![Sheikh Abdulkadir Nur Farah was buried in the northern graveyard of Garowe on Saturday (February 16th). [Hassan Muse Hussein/Sabahi]](http://sabahionline.com/shared/images/2013/02/19/sheikh-farah-burial.jpg)
![Hundreds of citizens attended the funeral to mourn the assassination of Sheikh Abdulkadir Nur Farah. [Hassan Muse Hussein/Sabahi]](http://sabahionline.com/shared/images/2013/02/19/garowe-farah-funeral.jpg)
Hours later, Puntland regional President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole publicly blamed al-Shabaab for the assassination of the prominent Somali sheikh, announcing the capture of Abdirahman Hussein Jama Bile in connection with the murder.
On Saturday, Somaliland police apprehended two more suspects in Las Anod believed to have been involved in the assassination.
"One of the two men we have in our custody is believed to be directly involved in last week's murder of the late Sheikh Abdulkadir Nur Farah, while his accomplice had facilitated his escape," Abdullahi Said Guleid, deputy commander of police in Sool, told Dawan newspaper.
He said the suspects were arrested as they drove into the city, approximately 150 kilometres west of Garowe. The men have been transferred to Hargeisa and are under investigation, Guleid said.
A solution to extremism
Religious leaders across Somalia condemned the killing and urged citizens to find a solution to extremism."We condemn the killing," said Sheikh Mubarak Haji Nur of Buro in Somaliland. "It is against principles of Islam and [Somali] culture."
Nur also called for Somali and Muslim religious leaders to stand together against those who spill innocent blood.
Sheikh Ahmed Abdisamad, a cleric in Puntland and head of the executive committee of the al-Itisaam Council, a religious group that has vowed to fight the spread of al-Shabaab's ideology, announced Tuesday (February 19th) that he and other religious leaders are organising a major conference in the coming days to conduct a study to better understand the causes that lead to extremism in Somalia and to provide religion-based solutions that will be shared with the public.
Farole and Somali Minister of Interior Affairs Mohamed Mohamud Guled said they welcomed and would give their complete support to the sheikhs' conference.
Abdisamad also praised the Somaliland authorities for apprehending the suspects right away. He urged regional administrations across Somalia to engage citizens to be more effective against al-Shabaab.
To fight extremism effectively and find comprehensive solutions, Somali communities must work together to address all underlying issues, he said. When disagreements or problems arise, people should turn to established intellectual and political leadership.
"Our tribes, clerics, provinces, business people, soldiers and all sections of the public must come together for the same purpose," he told Sabahi.
Sheikh Abdinasir Haji Ahmed of Las Anod also blamed al-Shabaab for the murder. "The sheikh was killed by monsters in al-Shabaab, particularly the Amniyad faction that is characterised as outcasts that kill Muslims."
Farah laid to rest
Farah was buried in the northern graveyard of Garowe on Saturday, attended by clerics from across Somalia, citizens, and representatives from the Somali government and the Puntland administration.Before his death, Farah had vehemently expressed his disapproval of al-Shabaab, and was part of the al-Itisaam Council.
"They call themselves the youth of jihad, but their jihad is aimed at Muslims," Farah said in a sermon at al-Rawda Mosque on January 5th. "They have killed off many Muslims, and you all know that hundreds of Muslims die in the explosions. How many have died in Bosaso, Garowe and Galkayo while entering or leaving the mosque? … This is their version of jihad."
Farah also spoke at the funeral of Sheikh Ahmed Abdirahman, who was killed in December 2011 in Bosaso as he was leaving al-Rawda Mosque after the morning prayer. Farah blamed Abdirahman's death on al-Shabaab.
The International Union of Muslim Scholars on Sunday mourned Farah and condemned his assassination.
"The Union calls on the Somali people to unite against extremists to preserve members of Somali society and preserve the lives of scholars and competent nationals," the organisation said in a statement signed by Chairman Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Secretary General Ali al-Qaradaghi.
Dahir Hassan, a 25-year-old Islamic studies student at East African University in Bosaso, said this was the first time he heard of someone killed while praying. "It used to surprise us to learn that someone was killed after leaving the mosque," he told Sabahi.
Hassan said he watched a Youtube video showing Bile's arrest and called him "a young, misguided youth".
"The people being killed off are our clerics, our source of knowledge," Hassan said, adding that the Puntland administration should assign armed guards to clerics. "[Al-Shabaab] wants to eliminate this nation's strength and its scholars, which will lead our country to a future without intellectual leaders."
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Somaliland: ‘East Africa’s Red Sea Corridor – Could it become a Major Energy Hub?
Somaliland Sun
Sunday, 13 January 2013 16:28
In light of its geographical position, long coastline and deep sea ports, Somaliland is strategically positioned to be one of East Africa's major energy supply bases and play a key role in the regions energy future.
By: Jieun Wrigley
DUBAI (Somalilandsun) - Africa is increasingly becoming a
Energy Minister Eng Husein delivering his key note speechmajor
player in the world oil & gas game. Its proven oil reserves topped
132 Billion barrels in 2011 and are 9% of world reserves. Oil production
stood last year at 8.8BBOD (10%) of world production. Current proven
gas reserves are nearly 14.5 TCM (7% of world reserves) and gas
production is up to 202 BCMD (6.17%).
These reserves and production numbers is currently dominated by West and North African countries, but that is all about to change once recent oil & gas discoveries in East Africa such as in Mozambique, Uganda, Madagascar and recently Kenya come online.
Recent world class oil & gas discoveries in East Africa have triggered a renewed interest in E&P companies to flock to the region to participate in its hydrocarbon riches. These discoveries are just the tip of the iceberg since huge swaths of East Africa's basins are still frontier areas that are just starting to open up and have seen little or no exploration. Many potential areas in the region have yet to see the drill bit.
The Horn of Africa region in particular with major discoveries all around it have been ignored by in large until now and have yet to be explored. However, exploration activities in my home country, Somaliland, are beginning to pick up. License holders such as Genel Energy and Ophir energy are set to embark on a major exploration program this year and the following ones that could add up to the burgeoning oil & gas discoveries in the East African region in the not too distant future. Other E&P companies are actively pursuing new licenses in Somaliland as well and are in talks with us.
Given its huge potential, the East African region has the capacity to become the new Middle East and some of this massive hydrocarbon potential once discovered and produced has to come to shore to ship to world markets. This will require huge investments in infrastructure such as pipelines, LNG trains, processing plants and shipping terminals.
The next two decades will see major foreign investment inflows to develop the region's hydrocarbon assets. This investment in infrastructure is necessary if East Africa is to realize the full commercial and economic advantages of its new found hydrocarbon wealth.
Building such an oil & gas infrastructure will require close cooperation and collaboration between the region's landlocked and coastal countries. New bilateral deals have to be struck between these countries to create new energy corridors in the region.
Besides its high probability for oil & gas deposits, East Africa's Red Sea coast sits across one of the world's busiest maritime lanes that connect the Suez Canal and the massive Asian shipping routes. Nearly 21,000 vessels pass thru the Gulf of Aden (formally called the gulf of Berbera, named after the Port of Berbera in Somaliland). Countries with deep sea ports and long coastlines in the region such as Somaliland are ideally located to serve as an energy portal and supply bases for neighboring landlocked countries in East and Central Africa to receive, process, store and ship all that oil & gas.
In addition to hydrocarbon energy, countries in the region such Ethiopia have also massive hydroelectric capacity. Ethiopia alone has the capacity for hydropower development of nearly 45,000 MW.
There is also a massive untapped geothermal potential in East Africa in the Great East African Rift system countries that has the potential to generate 2,500 MW of geothermal energy.
This combined energy potential of the region is only 250 km across the Gulf of Aden from the Middle East where subsea pipelines and cables can connect to Asia as part of a great Middle East/ East Africa energy network.
In light of its geographical position, long coastline and deep sea ports, Somaliland is strategically positioned to be one of East Africa's major energy supply bases and play a key role in the regions energy future.
Jieun Wrigley
Reporter.
EMail: jieun.wrigley@dmi.ae
Sunday, 13 January 2013 16:28
In light of its geographical position, long coastline and deep sea ports, Somaliland is strategically positioned to be one of East Africa's major energy supply bases and play a key role in the regions energy future.
By: Jieun Wrigley
DUBAI (Somalilandsun) - Africa is increasingly becoming a
Energy Minister Eng Husein delivering his key note speechmajor
player in the world oil & gas game. Its proven oil reserves topped
132 Billion barrels in 2011 and are 9% of world reserves. Oil production
stood last year at 8.8BBOD (10%) of world production. Current proven
gas reserves are nearly 14.5 TCM (7% of world reserves) and gas
production is up to 202 BCMD (6.17%).These reserves and production numbers is currently dominated by West and North African countries, but that is all about to change once recent oil & gas discoveries in East Africa such as in Mozambique, Uganda, Madagascar and recently Kenya come online.
Recent world class oil & gas discoveries in East Africa have triggered a renewed interest in E&P companies to flock to the region to participate in its hydrocarbon riches. These discoveries are just the tip of the iceberg since huge swaths of East Africa's basins are still frontier areas that are just starting to open up and have seen little or no exploration. Many potential areas in the region have yet to see the drill bit.
The Horn of Africa region in particular with major discoveries all around it have been ignored by in large until now and have yet to be explored. However, exploration activities in my home country, Somaliland, are beginning to pick up. License holders such as Genel Energy and Ophir energy are set to embark on a major exploration program this year and the following ones that could add up to the burgeoning oil & gas discoveries in the East African region in the not too distant future. Other E&P companies are actively pursuing new licenses in Somaliland as well and are in talks with us.
Given its huge potential, the East African region has the capacity to become the new Middle East and some of this massive hydrocarbon potential once discovered and produced has to come to shore to ship to world markets. This will require huge investments in infrastructure such as pipelines, LNG trains, processing plants and shipping terminals.
The next two decades will see major foreign investment inflows to develop the region's hydrocarbon assets. This investment in infrastructure is necessary if East Africa is to realize the full commercial and economic advantages of its new found hydrocarbon wealth.
Building such an oil & gas infrastructure will require close cooperation and collaboration between the region's landlocked and coastal countries. New bilateral deals have to be struck between these countries to create new energy corridors in the region.
Besides its high probability for oil & gas deposits, East Africa's Red Sea coast sits across one of the world's busiest maritime lanes that connect the Suez Canal and the massive Asian shipping routes. Nearly 21,000 vessels pass thru the Gulf of Aden (formally called the gulf of Berbera, named after the Port of Berbera in Somaliland). Countries with deep sea ports and long coastlines in the region such as Somaliland are ideally located to serve as an energy portal and supply bases for neighboring landlocked countries in East and Central Africa to receive, process, store and ship all that oil & gas.
In addition to hydrocarbon energy, countries in the region such Ethiopia have also massive hydroelectric capacity. Ethiopia alone has the capacity for hydropower development of nearly 45,000 MW.
There is also a massive untapped geothermal potential in East Africa in the Great East African Rift system countries that has the potential to generate 2,500 MW of geothermal energy.
This combined energy potential of the region is only 250 km across the Gulf of Aden from the Middle East where subsea pipelines and cables can connect to Asia as part of a great Middle East/ East Africa energy network.
In light of its geographical position, long coastline and deep sea ports, Somaliland is strategically positioned to be one of East Africa's major energy supply bases and play a key role in the regions energy future.
Jieun Wrigley
Reporter.
EMail: jieun.wrigley@dmi.ae
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Friday, February 8, 2013
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Egypt protests galvanised by video of police beating naked man
Opponents of Mohamed Morsi say the footage proves that the president has chosen to order a brutal crackdown
Email
A video of a protester being beaten and stripped naked has galvanised protests against the police and government in Egypt.
Hamada Saber, a middle-aged man, remained in a police hospital on Saturday, the morning after he was shown on television, dragged over naked tarmac and beaten by half a dozen policemen who had pulled him to an armoured vehicle near the presidential palace.
President Mohamed Morsi's office promised an investigation into the incident, which followed the deadliest wave of bloodshed of his seven-month rule. His opponents say it proves that he has chosen to order a brutal crackdown like that carried out by Hosni Mubarak against the uprising that toppled him in 2011.
Another protester was shot dead on Friday and more than 100 were injured, many seriously, after running battles between police and demonstrators who attacked the palace with petrol bombs.
That unrest followed eight days of violence that saw dozens of protesters killed in the Suez Canal city of Port Said and Morsi respond by declaring a curfew and state of emergency there and in two other cities.
"Stripping naked and dragging an Egyptian is a crime that shows the excessive violence of the security forces and the continuation of its repressive practices - a crime for which the president and his interior minister are responsible," the liberal politician Amr Hamzawy said on Twitter.
The incident recalled the beating of a woman by riot police on Tahrir Square in December 2011. Images of her being dragged and stomped on - her black abaya cloak torn open to reveal her naked torso and blue bra - became a rallying symbol for the revolution and undermined the interim military rulers who held power between Mubarak's fall and Morsi's rise.
Morsi has had little opportunity to reform the police and security forces he inherited from Mubarak and the military.
But the police action against protests this time has been far deadlier than it was even a few months ago, when bigger crowds demonstrated against a new constitution. That suggests to opponents that Morsi has ordered a tougher response.
Khaled Daoud, a spokesman for the opposition National Front said: "The instructions of the interior minister to use excessive violence in confronting protesters does not seem like surprising behaviour given the clear incitement by prominent figures in the presidency, and leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood to which the president belongs, and other parties in solidarity with them."
Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood accuse the opposition of stoking unrest to further their demands for a national unity government as a way to retake the power they lost at the ballot box.
In announcing an investigation into the beating of Saber, Morsi's office made clear he was still pointing the blame at the political opponents who have encouraged protests.
"What has transpired over the past day is not political expression, but rather acts of criminality. The presidency will not tolerate vandalism or attacks on individuals and property. The police have responded to these actions in a restrained manner," Morsi's office said.
"Doubtless, in the heat of the violence, there can be violations of civil liberties, and the presidency equally will not tolerate such abuses. In one incident, an individual was seen to be dragged and beaten by police. The minister of interior has, appropriately, announced an investigation."
Hamada Saber, a middle-aged man, remained in a police hospital on Saturday, the morning after he was shown on television, dragged over naked tarmac and beaten by half a dozen policemen who had pulled him to an armoured vehicle near the presidential palace.
President Mohamed Morsi's office promised an investigation into the incident, which followed the deadliest wave of bloodshed of his seven-month rule. His opponents say it proves that he has chosen to order a brutal crackdown like that carried out by Hosni Mubarak against the uprising that toppled him in 2011.
Another protester was shot dead on Friday and more than 100 were injured, many seriously, after running battles between police and demonstrators who attacked the palace with petrol bombs.
That unrest followed eight days of violence that saw dozens of protesters killed in the Suez Canal city of Port Said and Morsi respond by declaring a curfew and state of emergency there and in two other cities.
"Stripping naked and dragging an Egyptian is a crime that shows the excessive violence of the security forces and the continuation of its repressive practices - a crime for which the president and his interior minister are responsible," the liberal politician Amr Hamzawy said on Twitter.
The incident recalled the beating of a woman by riot police on Tahrir Square in December 2011. Images of her being dragged and stomped on - her black abaya cloak torn open to reveal her naked torso and blue bra - became a rallying symbol for the revolution and undermined the interim military rulers who held power between Mubarak's fall and Morsi's rise.
Morsi has had little opportunity to reform the police and security forces he inherited from Mubarak and the military.
But the police action against protests this time has been far deadlier than it was even a few months ago, when bigger crowds demonstrated against a new constitution. That suggests to opponents that Morsi has ordered a tougher response.
Khaled Daoud, a spokesman for the opposition National Front said: "The instructions of the interior minister to use excessive violence in confronting protesters does not seem like surprising behaviour given the clear incitement by prominent figures in the presidency, and leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood to which the president belongs, and other parties in solidarity with them."
Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood accuse the opposition of stoking unrest to further their demands for a national unity government as a way to retake the power they lost at the ballot box.
In announcing an investigation into the beating of Saber, Morsi's office made clear he was still pointing the blame at the political opponents who have encouraged protests.
"What has transpired over the past day is not political expression, but rather acts of criminality. The presidency will not tolerate vandalism or attacks on individuals and property. The police have responded to these actions in a restrained manner," Morsi's office said.
"Doubtless, in the heat of the violence, there can be violations of civil liberties, and the presidency equally will not tolerate such abuses. In one incident, an individual was seen to be dragged and beaten by police. The minister of interior has, appropriately, announced an investigation."
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Analysis: The dynamics of inter-communal violence in Mali
humanitarian news and analysis
a service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
| HIGHLIGHTS |
| • Tuaregs, Arabs flee in fear |
| • Rights groups warn against reprisal killings |
| • Need for inclusive peace process |
Shops and houses owned by Tuaregs, Arabs or Mauritanians in Timbuktu have been looted since 28 January, according to local reports.
Moulaye Cherif Haïdara, a Malian journalist with national media bureau ORTM, told IRIN from Timbuktu: “Almost all of the Arabs have fled Timbuktu, fearing reprisal attacks. Many here believe Arabs were complicit with the Islamist groups who terrorized populations over recent months.”
Two Malians of Arab origin were badly beaten up on the outskirts of Timbuktu when attempting to flee, he said. Malian military leaders are trying to control the situation. Col Keba Sangaré, who is heading Malian operations in Timbuktu, gathered residents in the market-place: “Not all Arabs are rebels. Be careful. Do not take all Arabs and Tuaregs to be associated with jihadist groups. Be tolerant and patient and let the army and the authorities deal with this problem.”
In Gao most of the shops run by Arabs have been shut. Three men found hiding under a tarpaulin in the market-place were reportedly beaten up and left for dead. The mayor, upon returning to town, appealed for peace, telling a reporter from Le Monde: “I am a Peulh, but I cannot live without the Arabs or Tuaregs.” Local radio station Radio Koima is also trying to appeal for reason, reportedly warning people to report any suspected Islamists to the authorities, and not to take the law into their own hands.
Even in the capital, Bamako, Tuaregs and Arabs are starting to feel insecure, individuals told IRIN. Assaedek Mohamed, a Tuareg, says he is scared to leave the house. “Believe me, it is not nice to leave your home in Bamako and have everyone look at you strangely… to have people mutter “rebel” as you walk down the street, and to have your fellow citizens tell you the best way to finish off this cycle of rebellion is to get rid of Tuaregs altogether.”
Reprisal killings
The latest ethnic violence comes on the back of reports from the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) that Malian armed forces carried out reprisal killings against Tuaregs and ethnic Arabs, allegedly feared to be rebel “infiltrators”, in Sévaré, Mopti and Niono in central Mali.
Some reports suggest bodies were dumped in shallow graves or in wells. Human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, are further investigating reports of abuses across the country and will report their findings imminently; FIDH has called for an independent inquiry and has supported the International Criminal Court’s 28th statement implying it will look at abuses carried out by all sides in Mali since the beginning of 2012.
In Sévaré, citizens spoke to IRIN of hastily buried bodies. Many associated being an Arab or Tuareg with being a rebel. In Douentza to the north, truck-driver Mohamed Diarra told IRIN he saw men in army uniform quickly digging shallow graves with at least three bodies lined up.
The Malian army has been linked with violent crackdowns against Tuareg rebel uprisings in the past, which has led to tension between Tuaregs and the army, despite efforts to incorporate Tuaregs into the armed forces.
Chief of Staff of the Malian Army Gen Ibrahim Dahirou Dembélé told IRIN his forces would be held to account: “Any Malian soldier that commits atrocities against civilians will be immediately brought from the field and judged by a military tribunal. The army must be without reproach and there can be no question for us that we are sanctioning acts that we blame terrorists for,” he said.
He added it was important not to assume that all of the yet-to-be-confirmed atrocities were connected to the Malian army. “There are men who wear Malian military uniforms to commit abuses while pretending to be members of the army,” he said, explaining that the army has arrested 50 or so criminals masquerading as soldiers in Sévaré, Diabaly, Douentza and Bamako.
French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called on 27 January for the quick deployment of international monitors to Mali, to try to minimize further violence.
Will militias groups get involved?
An important factor dictating whether or not inter-communal violence will get out of control, is whether or not the many militia groups, which have been trained and “intensively indoctrinated” over recent months, get involved, said Yvan Guichaoua, Sahel expert and lecturer in international development at the University of East Anglia.
The Ganda Koy militia, with several hundred members, is the largest of many homegrown armed civilian groups, many of them set up in response to Tuareg rebellions of past decades. Djibril Diallo, head of Ganda Koy, told a reporter: "We consider all Tuaregs MNLA [National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad].”
Arabs and Tuaregs are considered to be complicit with Islamist rebel groups Al Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM), Movement for Oneness and Jihad (MUJAO), and Ansar Dine, despite the fact that these groups promptly ousted the secular MNLA from northern Mali in April 2012.
During that time, citizens of the north accused the MNLA, and the Islamist groups who followed, of carrying out widespread looting, sexual violence and other abuses, as evidenced by human rights groups.
Context
The highly complex and ever-shifting network of alliances and rivalries among Tuareg nationalist groups; Islamist groups run by Malians, Algerians, Mauritanians and others; and numerous militia groups in the north and south, has created years of ethnic tension and inter-communal violence in Mali, which sits alongside a cultural context of inter-ethnic tolerance.
The Islamist groups running northern Mali were by no means only Malian: AQIM originated in Algeria (originally the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat) and had many non-Malian members; MUJAO was headed by a Mauritanian and an Algerian, and recruited many non-Tuareg youths into its ranks.
Ansar-Dine, which until it split into two recently, was led by Iyad Ag Ghali, a prominent figure in the 1994 Tuareg rebellion and allegedly a key negotiator in myriad hostage deals between AQIM and Western governments, many of which allegedly benefited leaders in the Malian administration, including ex-President Amadou Toumani Touré (ATT).
The dynamics between these groups further complicated long-standing alliances that had been formed, opening up space for more instability. For instance, when the MNLA vied for control of Timbuktu in April 2012, it was soon crowded out by local Arab militias previously allied with the Malian state in Bamako, but which “dramatically shifted their loyalties” to ally with Ansar Dine and AQIM, said Guichaoua, the Sahel expert at the University of East Anglia.
MUJAO, an AQIM splinter group, took control of parts of Gao by allegedly making a deal with youth militias, Arab traders and drug traffickers to oust the MNLA.
Before these events, inter-ethnic relations in northern Mali were already at a very low point, said Guichaoua, characterized by an intensification of micro-conflicts: between farmers and pastoralists; over drug trafficking; over deals on electoral mandates, AQIM’s entrenchment, and personal politics.
Tensions between prominent Tuareg groups and members of AQIM were high following a decade during which AQIM had fully entrenched itself in northern Mali, with members circulating widely across the territory. Complaints by Tuareg groups of what they saw as intrusion were not picked up by the authorities in Bamako. Local youths, meanwhile, benefited from paid jobs as AQIM members.
If Arabs and Tuaregs return to their northern homes, more mundane rivalries could also exacerbate tensions between those who stayed in the north and those who fled, said Guichaoua, such as conflict over land, property or livestock abandoned by some who fled, and seized by others.
“These ongoing low-level conflicts could be exacerbated now. It happens in all wars where some had to flee and others had no choice or for various reasons decided to stay,” he said, citing a similar dynamic in Côte d’Ivoire’s crises over the past decade.
Now that the political situation is changing - and quickly - “all of the people who feel they have been betrayed, want to right wrongs,” he added.
In the medium term, the French are likely to rely on Malian, and Chadian and Nigerien forces to secure the north. Troops from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Benin are also arriving, and the overall size of the West African intervention force in Mali is expected to reach 6,000.
In the longer term, only initiating an inclusive south-north peace process that realistically addresses the repeated demands made by northern groups - development dividends, and some degree of self-rule - can sustainable peace be built, say analysts.
On 30 January, French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Philippe Lalliot called for a peace process with legitimate representatives from the north, including non-terrorist armed groups. Charles Grémont, historian at the Research Institute for Development in Marseille, told IRIN: “The most important thing is for the representatives of the local population to talk to each and not just leave the affairs to armed groups. Local leaders … must play their role and talk sincerely amongst themselves, while [the administration in] Bamako and the international community should listen to them.”
Rebuilding the ailing Malian army and finding solutions to the political disarray in Bamako are also vital. Mali’s parliament announced a political roadmap on 29 January to pave the way for 31 July elections.
Tuaregs who spoke to IRIN said they are tired of only being seen as part of the problem, not part of the solution. “We [Tuaregs] can help fight Islamists. We are part of the solution,” said Mohammed Ag Ossade, director of the Tuareg cultural centre in Bamako.
Most of Mali's 15 million people are from the Mande, Peulh and Songhai ethnicities and make up 90 percent of the population, outnumbering the 10 percent that are lighter-skinned Tuaregs and Moors, mostly inhabiting the desert north.
aj/sd/kh/cb
Theme (s): Conflict, Governance, Human Rights, Refugees/IDPs, Security, Urban Risk,
[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]
Landmine danger persists in Somalia
humanitarian news and analysis
a service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
MOGADISHU, 1 February 2013 (IRIN) - Thousands of landmines and other unexploded ordnance (UXO) scattered in parts of Somalia over past decades of conflict are emerging as a threat to the relative security now being enjoyed there, with inadequate demining expertise posing a challenge, say officials.
“[Land]mines are planted everywhere. Even mosques are not safe,” Lt-Col Farah Dhiblawe, a demining expert with the Somali National Army, told IRIN. “We were trained to use the mines to defend the country and the religion, but now Somalis are using it to harm their own citizens, which is unfortunate.”
The eastern Somalia-Ethiopia border region is among the areas heavily infested with UXOs, which were planted during the 1977 border war. Cities that witnessed more recent clashes between government troops and the insurgent Al-Shabab militia group are similarly affected.
“Explosive stockpiles, abandoned weapons and ammunition caches, and improvised explosive device (IED) factories are emerging as new threats as the [Somalia] government gains control of new areas,” notes the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) on its website.
“The laying of mines by Al-Shabab has been reported as a means to secure strategic locations. This is in addition to the detritus of war left after decades of civil conflict, and the minefields laid during the Ogaden and Somali National Movement conflicts.”
According to UNMAS, most communities in south-central Somalia suffer “from a degree of explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination; few have the support or capacity to deal with these threats.”
Photo: Mohamed Amin Jibril/IRIN
A child plays with an old artillery piece in Shangani District, Mogadishu (file photo)
Dhiblawe, who has since 2007 helped destroy some 67 landmines, concurs: “Somalia did not produce enough trained people to deal with this problem of landmines for the last two decades, [and getting] professional Somalis with the right equipment is the biggest challenge.”
Heavily mined areas
The central region of Galgadud, which had one of Somalia’s biggest military installations, contains large amounts of ERWs.
“The region shares a border with Ethiopia and served as an important base for the Somali armed forces, who left explosives and weapons when the government collapsed,” Ahmed Yusuf, Galgadud’s governor, told IRIN, urging the government and international partners to start demining activities there.
The south-central regions of Bakool, Bay and Hiraan are also heavily mined areas, with the Afgooye Corridor and parts of Mogadishu also containing ERWs along with some anti-personnel and anti- vehicle mines, according to the Landmine and Cluster Munitions Monitor, which also notes that “as recently as May 2012, mine-laying was still reportedly occurring in south-central and eastern Somaliland”.
In 2012, at least eight children were killed in an explosion in the Balad Town of Middle Shabelle Region. “It was 8am; I was making breakfast. Then I heard a big explosion in the madrasa where they [the children] were learning the Quran. I quickly ran towards there and saw dead bodies everywhere,” recalled Khadijo Mohamed, whose child was injured in the explosion. “I cannot still believe what happened.”
Mines banned
According to UNMAS, “Anti-personnel mines caused only four percent of deaths and injuries in Somalia during 2011, while UXO represented 55 percent, and unknown explosive items another 32 percent.”
Somalia in 2012 signed the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention; it pledged to destroy its landmine stockpile within four years and to de-mine the country within 10. More than 21,461 UXOs and anti-personnel mines have been destroyed in the previous five years in Somalia, according to the UN Office for Project Services.
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is one of the agencies involved in demining operations in the country. “We know that landmines represent [a] big threat to everyone, especially if they are anti-personnel, so AMISOM stands ready to help clear these mines,” said Robert Kamara, AMISOM’s acting spokesperson.
AMISOM is planning to set up a hotline to enable people report suspicious materials, he added.
Analysts are concerned that more calm and stability in Somalia could mean more population movement, which, in turn, will increase the need for mine clearance and related activities.
amd/aw/rz
Friday, February 1, 2013
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