Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Author
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Stig Jarle Hansen
Associate Professor of International Relations at Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Cleaning up: the scene of an al-Shabaab attack in Mogadishu. EPA/Said Yusuf Warsame
On December 2, 2014, gunmen from the militant Islamist group al-Shabaab crept into a labourers' camp in Mandera in Kenya and killed 36 people. In the same all-too-familiar modus operandi seen in the same area in the November bus attack, in Mpketoni in June and at the Westgate mall in Nairobi in September 2013, Christians were singled out for execution.
This time, the attackers demanded that the victims recite Quran verses; if they failed, they were executed.
These massacres appear to indicate a increase in the severity of attacks near Kenya’s border with Somalia. Violence is not new there; there have been frequent outbreaks of violence in the northern part of the border region for some years, often featuring Somali guerillas and clan fighters. This was the area of the so-called Shifta Wars between Kenyan- and Somali-supported insurgents before the collapse of the Somalian state.
But during the past year, the attacks have grown in scale. The mass killings of the last few months are not a part of the usual modus operandi of the border clashes, which often resemble raids rather than executions. And sure enough, as with the Westgate attack and the Mpketoni attack, al-Shabaab took responsibility quite quickly for these recent incidents.
Kenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta, tried to claim that the latter attack was not the work of al-Shabaab, but it was far from a normal tribal attack in the area. Tribal groups have never before in the history of Kenya systematically separated Muslims and non-Muslims for the purposes of mass execution.
That said, al-Shabaab could have some form of local backing; indeed, problems between police and Islamists has been relatively intense in Mombasa, Kenya’s largest port city. But it should not be missed that, despite the latest attacks, these are tough times for the Horn of Africa’s feared Islamists.
Onward and upward
The group is rapidly losing ground inside Somalia, which is well embarked on an admittedly rocky road towards decentralisation and federalism. A general peace has been struck between the various clan-based factions that had been tearing the country apart for decades – and this is slowly and steadily leading Somalia towards a functional political system grounded in local government. Given where the country has been, the results are remarkable.
In this strange atmosphere of incremental improvement, al-Shabaab is using grandstanding terrorism to divert attention from its heavy political and military losses.
Terror attacks make up an ever-growing share of al-Shabaab’s activities. Outside Mogadishu, the group cannot hope to face the power of the African Union in open combat, since the AMISOM forces are vastly superior in numbers, training and equipment.
However, al-Shabaab still has some cards up its sleeve; AMISOM does not control the countryside, and the group still holds some strategic villages controlling major roads, enabling them to tax Somali traffic. AMISOM and its Somali allies are still too small and, in the case of the latter, too clan-based and poorly trained and paid to secure the central Somalian countryside.
Al-Shabaab has also survived similar pressure before, when Ethiopia controlled southern Somalia in 2007 to 2009 – but has prevailed. The group has once again, under heavy pressure, maintained relative unity, and defections apparently remain negligible.
Al-Shabaab is changing. In an era where many radical Sunni Islamist organisations are expanding their territorial controls as never before – see Boko Haram and Islamic State – al-Shabaab, which in many ways started the trend, is in retreat.
That obviously poses major challenges to the group’s survival. Lost tax income from recaptured areas will be sorely missed; Al-Shabaab’s governance is increasingly challenged locally in the few areas they control, making it hard for it to claim coherence or credibility even in a state as chaotic as Somalia.
But at the same time, al-Shabaab has several advantages. Although the large attacks in Kenya have clearly been staged from Somalia, Kenya now has its own Islamist problem and, thanks in part to al-Shabaab’s actions, the counter-strategies of the Kenyan leaders (such as mass arrests) have simply proved ineffective.
Falling behind
Most of all, the attacks have also shown that Kenya’s original mission in Somalia, which aimed to protect the country from terrorists acting across the border, has utterly failed.That does not mean Kenya pulling out of Somalia would keep Kenyans safe. Al-Shabaab increasingly premises its attacks on Kenyan domestic events – the bus attack, for example, was said to be in revenge for police raids on mosques in Mombasa. Meanwhile, the group’s interest in Kenya has also galvanised the country’s homegrown violent Islamists, who have staged domestic attacks of their own – though so far relatively unprofessionally.
As long as al-Shabaab is on the decline inside Somalia, there is at least a ray of hope. But Kenya has its work cut out. It needs to make sure internal tension does not divide the political elite to the point of impotence. It also has to find a way to end the crippling corruption of the security services, which are accused of systematically assassinating domestic Islamists.
While Somalia pushes ahead with its precious and fragile gains, Kenya is falling behind on both fronts – and that could yet be al-Shabaab’s salvation.
Edinburgh Playhouse sends porn DVDs to children
Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland
The Edinburgh Playhouse
has issued an apology after accidentally sending hundreds of
pornographic DVDs to children and their parents.
But the DVDs were reported to have featured explicit sexual content.
The Playhouse said the fault lay with the production company that made the DVDs and that an investigation had begun.
Theatre bosses said the error was only discovered by staff after one of them picked up a copy for themselves and played it.
The DVDs have since been recalled.
'Disgusting filth' A 10-year-old girl, who had attended a summer stage school at the Playhouse earlier this year, was reported to have been sent the DVD.
Her father described the film as "absolutely disgusting filth".
Some of the children and parents affected have posted messages on social media sites expressing their shock.
Many had waited for months for the DVDs.
The mistake happened during the creation of the DVDs at the production company Edithouse.
In a statement, it said: "Edithouse takes full responsibility for the mistakes made in the duplication process of DVD's for the Edinburgh Playhouse, which resulted in highly inappropriate and inaccurate material being sent out to a small number of Edinburgh Playhouse customers.
"We would like to apologise sincerely to the Edinburgh Playhouse for the inconvenience and most importantly to the children and parents affected by this terrible error. We are sorry for any distress caused."
A Playhouse spokesman said: "We took immediate measures to recall all of the DVDs, sought the advice of the police and notified those affected customers as a matter of urgency.
"The error occurred at the third party place of manufacture and we have demanded that the DVD production company launches a full investigation into the incident."
Police Scotland said no crime had been committed as this was a production error rather than a deliberate circulation of pornography to youngsters.
Asylum seekers stuck in Indonesia limbo
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Ahmed: "I trusted (the people smugglers). I didn't believe that they could deceive me"
Ahmed, 30, lost his father and brother to fighting in Somalia. "Life is not possible in Somalia," he said.
That's why he made the decision to travel 11,000 km (6,835 miles) in search of a better life.When he met someone who promised to take him to Australia, he agreed to pay the man $4,000 (£2,567) and flew from Ethiopia to Malaysia.
He stayed for a few days in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. One evening around midnight, he and two other Somali men were taken to a boat that he thought would take them to Australia.
But when they reached shore, they were abandoned by the man they had paid and found out that they were in Indonesia.
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Australia's new policy will leave asylum seekers stranded in Indonesia
There are around 10,000 asylum seekers in Indonesia, mostly from parts of Asia, the Middle East and Africa. They came because they thought they could find onwards passage to Australia.
But the Australian government does not want them. Since the middle of 2013, successive governments have adopted increasingly tough policies aimed at deterring them.
Boats carrying asylum seekers have been turned back and those who have made it are being detained in crowded offshore camps.
Even if they are found to be refugees, they will not be settled in Australia, its government said.
Australia's government has come under fire for its stance from the UN, human rights groups and protesters
But polls indicate many Australians support the government's stance on asylum seekers
Last month, Australia went further. Under a new policy, it says
that anyone registering as a refugee with the UN in Indonesia on or
after 1 July 2014 would be ineligible for resettlement in Australia -
leaving people like Ahmed in limbo. "I didn't hear that the Australian government didn't accept refugees," Ahmed said. "I heard it when I reached Indonesia. That's why I trusted (the people smugglers). I didn't believe that they could deceive me."
Australia says the policy "is designed to reduce the burden, created by people smugglers, of asylum seekers entering Indonesia".
But officials at an Indonesian immigration detention centre in Medan, about 182 nautical miles from Kuala Lumpur, said the boats kept coming despite the change in policy.
The BBC team saw piles of rubbish scattered across this immigration detention centre
'Over capacity'
The detention centre has a capacity of 150, but currently
almost 400 people live there, including dozens of children, some as
young as one. “Start Quote
Aydarus Mohamed Asylum seeker"I want to go to any country, America, Australia, any country; I cannot go back to Somalia”
"It is a burden for us," said Purba Sinaga, the man in charge. "All detention centres in Indonesia are over capacity."
He said the building was not designed for long-term accommodation, which explained the lack of basic facilities like bedrooms.Some people bunked together in hot and dingy rooms. Others slept on the top floor, an open concrete space separated only by tarpaulins that divided the room into tiny cramped quarters shared by five or more people.
The stench of sweat and urine was overwhelming. The central part of the building, which serves as the dining room, is regularly flooded.
Detainees said fights often broke out because of ethnic tensions, personal grievances or just frustration.
Detainees must live in cramped conditions, because detention centres are over-filled
They ranged from about five years old to children in their teens, but all were learning the same thing - drawing and talking about clouds and the trees.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
Ahmed Asylum seeker from SomaliaThey will deceive you like they deceive so many others; there's no way to go to Australia”
This is the only form of
schooling that the dozens of children living there get for the duration
of their stay, which can be years.
In this facility, most of the detainees are Somalis. They
said they fled the country because of the civil war and the extremist
group al-Shabab. Aydarus Mohamed, 26, said al-Shabab killed his parents and older brother. "I want to go to any country, America, Australia, any country. I cannot live in Somalia. I cannot go back to Somalia," he pleaded.
Aydarus and younger brother Mahamud Mohamed have been certified as refugees by the UNHCR, but there is no telling when they will be resettled in another country.
A few people, though, could not explain how their lives were in danger back home. They simply said they were looking for a better life.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison says those who arrive by boat will not be resettled in Australia
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said the new policy was to stop people from "seeking to exploit the (UN refugee) programme by shopping for resettlement through a transit country".
Indonesia, however, is not happy. Foreign ministry spokesman Michael Tene said Indonesia regretted the "unilateral decision by Australia", saying it ran counter "to the spirit of co-operation and collaboration".
The Indonesian foreign minister also summoned the Australian ambassador to express Indonesia's strong opposition to the policy.
And the tough stance has only worked on a few people at the Medan detention centre.
Mr Sinaga said one man from Sudan and an Iraqi family of three had agreed to go back to their countries. But the majority of the detainees would rather bear the conditions in Medan than go home.
When I asked Ahmed, who arrived in Indonesia around the time Australia announced its new policy, what he wanted to do, he too was adamant that he could not go back to Somalia. But he wanted to warn the Somalis about the people smugglers.
"They will deceive you like they deceive so many others," Ahmed said. "I'm telling you not to come to this place. There's no way to go to Australia."
- Asylum seekers - mainly from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Iraq and Iran - travel to Australia's Christmas Island by boat from Indonesia
- The number of boats rose sharply in 2012 and early 2013. Scores of people have died making the journey
- To stop the influx, the government has adopted hard-line measures intended as a deterrent
- Everyone who arrives is detained. They are processed in Nauru and Papua New Guinea. Those found to be refugees will be resettled in PNG, Nauru or Cambodia
- Tony Abbot's government has also adopted a policy of tow-backs, or turning boats around
- Rights groups and the UN have voiced serious concerns about the policies and conditions in the detention camps. They accuse Australia of shirking international obligations
Somaliland: The Somalia Kangroo Parliament!
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| Tuesday, 09 December 2014 20:31 |
 Somalilandsun - You have probably heard about kangaroo courts but have you heard of kangaroo parliament? If not, look at Somalia's parliament and you will see what is in a kangaroo parliament. I chose "kangaroo parliament" for the title of this article because Somalia's Parliament doesn't fit a code of ethics and the conduct of a parliament, but it fits the perfect description of kangaroo parliament. On one hand, here I would like to congratulate the President Mr. Hassan Mohamud Uluso for achieving the championship title of Somalia being the #1 most corrupted country on the face of the earth two years in row. Mr. President, you have worked so hard to attain this title and you're so focused on competing again to defend your world championship title. We surely could not have done it without you. I am quite sure under your leadership Somalia will be the undisputed champion of that title for years to come; so for that, I thank you Mr. President. On the other hand, here I would like to express my deep disappointment and sorrow at the downward turn the country has clearly taken. It was my hope that someday in the future a cure would be found for Somalia which has been devastated by an ongoing civil war, corruption, sycophancy, tribalism, absolutism favouritism, cronyism, nepotism, totalitarianism, authoritarianism, tyranny, and all forms of bad governance. Now more than ever, my hope has been dashed to the ground by seeing Somalia's vicious cycle of political crises and members of the parliament being instrumental in the destruction of the country. It is quite sad and unfortunate to see that the parliament of the country has become the most corrupted institution in the country by far. On the contrary, the parliament is supposed to be the most supreme institution, which should take a closer look at maintaining anti-corruption processes. It should be a co-ordinator in the process of cleaning up and abiding in transparent processes in society and political decisions. The parliament is the highest legislature, highest political and the most powerful institution which is supposed to be the center of any form of democracy, and integrity watch. According to the Corruption Perception Index released report on December 4th 2014, by Transparency International--the Global Coalition against Corruption, Somalia is the most corrupted country on the face of the earth. Somalia ranked # 1 out of 175 countries in corruption, startling facts about Africa from the 2014 Corruption Index. The index report is talking about the reality on the ground and reflecting on the actions of the members of the parliament. The parliament featured a litany of shameful events that includes the presidential election of 2012 when Damuljadid--breakaway faction of Al Islah Islamist group bribed members of the parliament by giving cash in exchange for their votes. Professor Ahmed Ismail Samanter said, "I saw it with my own eyes, members of parliament taking bribes to vote for Mr. Hassan Mohamud Uluso during the election of 2012". So, President Uluso came to power through bribery and corruption, and ever since, Mr. Uluso believes in corruption more than his religion. Corruption has become a way of his life, his best tool and weapon to get whatever he wants, and members of the parliament have become his instruments to just serve whatever he wants as well as whatever he instructs them to do. It really is breathtaking how corruption has become so endemic in the parliament that most of members of parliament have just simply accepted it as "normal". Shocking examples of the corrupted parliamentarians are featured in the below picture.  A year ago, President Uluso succeeded in sacking Prime Minister--Abdi Farah Shirdon without an apparent reason. Sadly, Mr. Shirdon was used as scapegoat and blamed for scandals that have mired president Uluso's family and his associates after Ms.Yusur Abrar--Governor of the Central Bank of Somalia, resigned and refused to approve the opening of an account in Dubai for diverting public money to the private hands of the president and to his crony businessmen; there have been reports of U.N. Monitoring Group on Somalia for embezzling public funds in cahoots with other government officials and associates of President Uluso, and the revelation that President Uluso used the lifting of the arms embargo as an opportunity to arm his sub-clan. President Uluso asked the prime minister to resign but Mr. Shirdon resisted resigning. However, President Uluso began to use his sword (corruption being his favourite weapon) by bribing members of the parliament and demanding them to vote a no confidence motion. The motion passed and parliament voted to sack Shirdon and he was refused to speak. Shirdon told reporters 'minutes before the vote took place, "that it's unacceptable, even the accused has the right to defend himself". On October 25th , 2014, Prime Minister Abigail announced the reshuffling of several cabinet members, among them Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir Mohamed who was moved to the Ministry of Livestock and Animal Husbandry. President Uluso objected to the reshuffling and declared the reshuffle "null and void". Moreover, as usual, he instructed members of the parliament to remove Prime Minister Abdiwali in a no-confidence vote promising big money ($25,000) for each member of the parliament who voted in his favour. As a result of that the Prime Minister Abdiwali is ousted today by the corrupted parliament in no-confidence and once again members of the parliament are caught in the middle of a messy situation and dirty corruption. It's clearly deja vu. Having said all that, there are few decent men and women in the parliament who are always critical to illegal motions and the corruption. They have a strong sense of integrity for transparency and better governance. They have demonstrated a high standard of an ethical code and parliamentary conduct. Even though they are fierce fighters, unfortunately they do not win because those who are morally bankrupt outnumber them. In other words, those who lack moral and ethical principles always win. The removal of Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir Mohamed from Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to the Ministry of Livestock and Animal Husbandry is the root cause of conflict between President Uluso and Prime Minister Abdiwali. Mr. Farah governs Somalia by proxy and he is a man on a mission to rig the upcoming election for Damuljadid to rule the country for another four years. He was the mastermind of Damuljadid winning the election of 2012. Farah intends to appoint an election committee that will work in their favour. His plan is to rid of the current judicial system by replacing the Damuljadid judicial system. Farah has a goal to consolidate by controlling all three branches of the government: the executive, the legislative and the judicial branches. He has already been controlling the executive and legislative branches. Although parliament and parliamentarians do many and quite different things, there is a reasonable consensus in the literature that these aspects can be captured conceptually within four roles, which are as follows: a) legislative, which includes establishing rules for the ordering of social, political and economic activity and empowering the government to enforce these rules; b) financial control, which includes empowering the executive to collect tax and other revenues, to spend those revenues for specific purposes and to record and report on actual expenditures and achievements; c) oversight includes those parliamentary activities help make the actions of government transparent to the electorate and holding the executive publicly accountable; and d) representation includes the less concrete functions of ensuring that citizens' concerns with government are addressed, that links parliamentarians with citizens and the civic sector in articulating the public purpose, and that helps in legitimizing the activities of government by ensuring that the people's voices are formally heard in the deliberations of parliament to mandate and fund them. Abdullahi Elmi 2014AHMED_2@hotmail.com |
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