Category Archives: Somalia

Kenyatta and Museveni ‘humiliated’ at the Somalia Conference

Posted on May 8, 2013 by
British Foreign Secretary William Hague holds talks with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta "in the margins of the London Somalia conference..." as put by the FCO in London yesterday.

By Henry D Gombya The United Kingdom today stands accused of ’humiliating’ the leaders of two countries that have made peace possible in what was until only recently a failed Horn of Africa country that comes under the name of Somalia, by making sure that they were not photographed alongside British Prime Minister David Cameron. After the failure of what was once the world’s only super power, the United States of America (USA) to bring order to a battle-ridden Somalia, and after the failure of Ethiopia under the leadership of the late Prime Minister Zenawi to do the same, in came Uganda under the leadership of President Yoweri Museveni who sent … Continue reading →

Posted in Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, United Kingdom | 109 Comments

UN urges support for today’s Somalia Conference

Posted on May 7, 2013 by
N deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson: "The main reason we have hope now, more than ever ...is we now have a leadership which has a sense of responsibility."

The United Nations has given strong backing to the new leadership of Somalia ahead of a donor conference in London on Tuesday that will seek pledges to rebuild the East African country torn apart by two decades of civil war. Deputy U.N. Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said the United Nations wanted to shift more of its efforts into development projects and away from humanitarian aid as Somalia begins to recover from years of lawlessness, violence and famine. “The main reason we have hope now, more than ever …is we now have a leadership which has a sense of responsibility,” Eliasson told Reuters in London. “I was in Somalia in 1992 in … Continue reading →

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Somalia Conference urged to place human rights top of agenda

Posted on May 7, 2013 by
Leslie Lefkow: "This London conference on Somalia is a pivotal moment for the country and for the new government."

Representatives of more than 50 countries gathering in London today to discuss the future of Somalia have been urged to place human rights at the top of their agenda. In a statement issued by the London-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Somalia Conference said while there is much goodwill for the new Somali government, donors should not give it unqualified support. Deputy Africa Director Leslie Lefkow said there’s a lot at stake. “This London conference on Somalia is a pivotal moment for the country and for the new government. Because this will be the time when international donors come together and I think an agenda of sorts is set for … Continue reading →

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Britain invites Uhuru Kenyatta to London next week

Posted on May 4, 2013 by
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta who will make his first visit to Europe as President next Tuesday.

By Henry D Gombya The United Kingdom has cleared the way for Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to come to London next Tuesday despite having been indicted by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity. Mr Kenyatta who won his country’s general elections last March in a poll believed to have been free and fair, will become the first ever ICC inductee to a Western country as an invited guest. Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) confirmed Friday that Mr Kenyatta will be an invited guest at next Tuesday’s Somalia conference that will discuss the future of the war-ridden country that until the end of last year was … Continue reading →

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New national army is Somali military’s biggest challenge

Posted on May 1, 2013 by
Somali Defense Minister Abdelhakim Haji Mohamud Fiqi: “We are transforming a clan-based militia into a national defense force..."

Somalia’s defense minister says integrating soldiers from clan militias into a national army is the military’s biggest challenge as it tries to take control of internal security.   In an interview with Voice Of America from Mogadishu, Somali Defense Minister Abdelhakim Haji Mohamud Fiqi said restructuring the Somali national army to reflect the regions of the country is a top priority. He said new soldiers are being recruited into the ranks from across the country to be trained together and top command posts also will be reformed to represent the diversity of the country. “We are transforming a clan-based militia into a national defense force, trained and equipped and well-disciplined to … Continue reading →

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