Ethiopia news - Kilil 5 Editorials

The new president of the Somali regional state must be a uniter not a divider as well as the Best Qualified.

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:31:37 -0700

Publication date:
Fri, 2008-10-10 04:00

Author Name:
Farhan S Mohamud

Article:

Op-ED

by Farhan S Mohamud.

Shall we say good riddance, or does it matter the dismissal of former president Abdullahi Hassan Lugbur?

Tale of Two Conventions

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:02:13 -0700

Publication date:
Fri, 2008-09-05 05:00

Article:

Op/Ed: The Nation

Presidential nominating conventions are little more than political theater these days. Nonetheless, two very different modes of drama were on display in St. Paul and Denver. The Democrats used their meeting to tell a richer, more expansive national story, one more or less in tune with the party's platform and aspirations. In contrast, as we go to press, the Republicans are staging an elaborate fraud, the purpose of which is to divert the public's attention from their disastrous mismanagement of government and to deceive voters about their agenda. Rick Davis, John McCain's campaign manager, admitted as much when he said, "This election is not about issues. This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates."

The Deportation of Somalis Is Unacceptable

Tue, 27 May 2008 15:35:41 -0700

Publication date:
Tue, 2008-05-27 22:00

Article:

OP/ED by Abdullahi Dool.

The mistreatment of a Somali is a matter which concerns not only the individual but all Somalis! The deportation of Somalis on Somali soil is illegal and unacceptable. Somalis have been deported to Ethiopia by both Somaliland and Puntland. A Somali should feel at home on home turf. It will amount to violation of human rights to deny a Somali to live in any Somali territory. Puntland and Somaliland are Somali regions and every Somali has God-given right to be there. It is an irony if Somalis are rounded up and treated as aliens on Somali territories. Our communities are in almost every country and Somalis live in peace and security in those nations. Somalis too should be able to make a home in any Somali territory without persecution.

Somali Region of Ethiopia: A population living under a cloud of fear

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 02:19:06 -0800

Publication date:
Mon, 2008-03-03 10:00

Author Name:
By Farhan Mohamud

Article:

Ed/Op-

From the president of the region Abdullahi Hassan Lugbur, to his cabinet members, to region politicians, to academicians, all the way down to the average person in the region, no one and I mean no one is spared from pervasive fear that has gripped everyone living in the Somali regional state. Whether this fear is perceived or real, people living in this region are scared out of their wits and seem to be acting out of fear paranoia. The fear and the negativity hanging over everyone from leaders to regular citizens these days is so high that it makes it hard for anyone to a risk of any kind or speak the truth or even answer your questions. As a reporter, I have the first hand experience of being able to talk to leaders, security officers, regular regional bureaucrats and regular people. The level of fear and the fear-producing culture of the region are making me to question whether this level of fear is real or perceived.

U.S Congress and Lawmakers should shelf for Good HR.2003, respect wishes of majority of Ethiopians

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 02:44:55 -0700

Publication date:
Fri, 2007-07-27 09:00

Article:

Disgruntled former elites of Ethiopia have in collaboration with American liberal groups, taken their opposition fight against the Ethiopian government to the streets, city halls and legislative branch of United States, the U.S Congress. Some U.S lawmakers are bent of punishing Ethiopia on the advice of Ethiopian opposition, whose majority consist of nothing less of former military officers, former elitist, and a majority of Amharas who can't let go of their lost elite status and the sole rulers of Ethiopia.

Somalia Left to Hang itself by UN, AU.

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 04:37:11 -0700

Publication date:
Sun, 2007-07-01 11:00

Article:

Somalia has been let down by the African Union and the United Nations for failing to provide sufficent funds to fund large peace keeping force and re-constructing the country after decades of clan feuds and neglect. Somalia's Prime Minister traveled to Washington to urge the world body, the United Nation, which has been considering if the small AU peacekeeping force, mainly from Uganda, could be expanded by authorizing a hybrid of UN-AU force, was met with a mute response and indifference by the World body.

By massacring 77 workers, the ONLF has shown the world what it is!

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 02:19:30 -0700

Publication date:
Thu, 2007-04-26 09:00

Article:

The ruthless, mindless, cowardly massacre that was carried by ONLF and its terrorist allies Eritrea on Ethiopian and Chinese workers in outskirts of Cobole, Dhagaxbur province has shocked the Somali State citizens. The ONLF has massacred innocent citizens of the Somali region over the years, but, this barbaric act has shocked the people of this region who have endured endless terrorist attacks in the hands of the ONLF, both because of its magnitude and horrific nature.

Somalia: dysfunctional Arab statehood anchored in complicit leadership

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:28:22 -0700

Publication date:
Fri, 2007-04-20 21:00

Article:

Op-Ed DAily Star Editorial.

Almost on cue, one more Arab land is defaced by intense fighting in its capital city, as hundreds of thousands of civilians are displaced and thousands others are killed or wounded. This season, the venue for showcasing dysfunctional modern Arab statehood is Somalia, and not for its first time, either. The pattern is similar throughout the region: local warlords, tribal leaders, gangsters and militias compete for power, and ultimately fight it out on the streets; neighbors side with the various antagonists and foreign powers send in a regular flow of money, arms and diplomatic fuel.

Somalia Crumbles, Again

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:55:34 -0700

Publication date:
Tue, 2007-04-10 07:00

Source:
Washington Post

Article:

Washington Post editorial.

AT THE END of last year, a slender opportunity opened to stabilize Somalia, a failed state in the Horn of Africa that has become a haven for members of al-Qaeda and for other Islamic extremists. With the assistance of U.S. Special Forces, troops from neighboring Ethiopia launched an offensive that overturned the Taliban-style Islamist government that had controlled the capital, Mogadishu, and much of the southern half of the country. A transitional government backed by the United Nations took over, while diplomats scrambled to arrange for an African peacekeeping force to replace the Ethiopians. Many of the extremists scattered; some were reportedly killed in U.S. airstrikes while others were captured at the Kenyan border.

Proceeds of Gas and Oil should benefit the people of the Somali Region

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 02:47:58 -0800

Publication date:
Sat, 2007-02-17 10:00

Article:

The Somali region of Ethiopia is rich in natural resources in oil and gas,though, there isn't a large scale industrial production yet. Most of the companies awarded contracts in the Ogaden basin which is about 350,000 square kilometres, are in the exploration or survey stage.

Deploying AU forces won’t Solve Somalia’s problems without a change of guard in the current Leadership.

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 17:24:30 -0800

Publication date:
Sat, 2007-02-03 01:00

Article:

Factional violence has again become a feature of life in Mogadishu since last month when Somali government troops with crucial support from Ethiopian soldiers, tanks and warplanes ousted the Islamic movement. Violence and Bombings have become a daily occurrence and life in Mogadishu seems to have returned to the era of warlordism.

It will be a big mistake if Ethiopia pulls out troops prematurely

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 04:02:48 -0800

Publication date:
Sun, 2007-01-21 00:00

Article:

Prime minister Zenawi has declared the second time in two weeks that Ethiopian troops will start withdrawing Somalia, a country that has known nothing but chaos for the past twenty years. The prime minister has told the BBC that Ethiopian troops will start withdrawing from Somalia within days but in three phases. This will be a big mistake because Ethiopia’s declared mission is half done.

Opportunity in Somalia

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 00:20:13 -0800

Publication date:
Wed, 2007-01-03 08:00

Author Name:
By Vicki Huddleston

Article:

Somalia has been a failed state since 1995, when the United Nations and the United States withdrew their humanitarian mission, leaving the warring clans to sort things out for themselves. For more than a decade, both Democratic and Republican administrations have written off Somalia, raising it only as a warning against U.S. military intervention in Africa. Is it any surprise then that this ungovernable and lawless state became the breeding ground for a conflict that pitted radical Islam against Ethiopia, and ultimately the West?

Ethiopia and Interim government forces must Act quickly to fill the power vacuum.

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 23:08:21 -0800

Publication date:
Thu, 2006-12-28 07:00

Article:

Prime Minister Zenawi has taken a historic step by sending Ethiopian armed forces to help and fight alongside Somalia’s internationally recognized transitional government militia. The prime minister’s decision was risky but bold. The Islamists have left Ethiopia with no choice but to go in Somalia. Leadership demands and requires bold decision even when the risks are high. A leader's actions are governed by his ethics, but a leader's credibility depends on how he is viewed by other people. Good leaders must show themselves ethical in their words and actions if they are to develop trust and credibility in their followers. PM Zenawi has backed his words with action by dismantling the Islamist and showing the world that the Somali people didn’t share their ideology. The government has also sent a strong message to those undermining Ethiopia.

Who are the Real Islamic Courts Union, have we been misled?

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 20:43:02 -0800

Publication date:
Thu, 2006-12-14 04:00

Article:

The majority of Somalis have supported the Islamic Courts Union without any reservation including myself because they brought back some sanity to Somalia. They have also exposed the lack of support for the warlords while getting rid of them, at least in Mogadishu, Kismayo and other parts of the country. Not completely though, many are part of the weak government and still enjoy a status of leadership they have no business being titled to. Very few Somalis have held their support until the courts have proven themselves. It is fair to analyze them now given their track record so far,taking into account their intended goals and actions so far. let us analyze critically their background, their financial source and their ideology because that is what defines them now and the long-term. Majority of Somalis are supporting the Islamic Courts because the Islamist have presented themselves and still argue that the only alternative to clanism and the failed Somali State is political Islam. They are using Islam as an alternative unifying factor, unifying ideology.