Monthly Archives: February 2012

ARAB SPRING? WHAT ARAB SPRING?

Posted on February 29, 2012 by

There never was an “Arab Spring” and never will be. There is a western politician holding a major office in his own country that involves foreign affairs who, like La Fontaine’s frog, has been enjoying inflating his own status by making ‘weighty’ pronouncements of policy on countries whose problems have remained insoluble for generations. The recent leader of the great nation Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, who a few weeks earlier had been a friend of the West until a new outburst of unrest was given the fanciful name ‘Arab Spring’ bringing massive media attention, was deserted by the self- proclaimed world leader, the USA, whose billions of American dollars had been … Continue reading →

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David Cameron’s knowledge of Somalia’s history narrow

Posted on February 26, 2012 by

By Robert Asketill We were extremely disappointed with Thursday’s international conference on Somalia. Most emphasis was on aggressive moves against the country; on airstrikes against the Al Shabaab militant group; whispers of drone attacks; British military “assets” in the region including Royal Navy warships operating with the international anti-piracy task force. The British Prime Minister’s response to questions suggested a shallow knowledge of the country’s history, falling back on describing Somalia as a “complex jigsaw puzzle” and warning that there was “no single solution” for restoring stability in the war-torn nation. So why, we ask, bring some of the most powerful people from fifty different nations together including the US … Continue reading →

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SOMALIA: An opportunity not tobe missed

Posted on February 24, 2012 by

By the International Crisis Group The next six months will be crucial for Somalia. The international community is taking a renewed interest in the country; the mandate of the feeble and dysfunctional Transitional Federal Government (TFG) expires in a half-year; and emboldened troops from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Kenya and Ethiopia are keen to deal the weakened (though still potent) extremist Islamist movement Al-Shabaab further defeats. This confluence of factors presents the best chance in years for peace and stability in the south and centre of the country. To achieve that, however, requires regional and wider international unity of purpose and an agreement on basic principles; otherwise … Continue reading →

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Libya and the case of lucrative arms smuggling

Posted on February 10, 2012 by

By Robert Asketill Mikhail Margelov, Russia’s special envoy to Africa, has disclosed that the arms black market has been flooded with weapons from war-torn Libya. He recently visited Nigeria, Mali, Mauritania and Morocco, and what he found happening in these four countries in the desert is a real nightmare. Margelov gave the case of one of one of the tribal leaders reporting what happened in Libya, saying it had undermined the market. On being asked what market?  He said: “Today a Soviet or Chinese-made MANPAD (man-portable surface-to-air missile, like the American FIM-92 Stinger – RT) costs the price of two Kalashnikovs… It’s a real problem, because arms trafficking with these highly … Continue reading →

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To engage or not to engage the Gambian leadership

Posted on February 6, 2012 by

By Dodou Jawneh   In preparation for the Commonwealth Journalist association conference slated for 29 January to 2 February, 2012 in Malta, members of the London branch of CJA were invited to a reception at Malta House on London’s Piccadilly by the High Commission of Malta to the UK. As a Gambian, my conversation with other invitees centred on the governance regime in Gambia particularly with regards the November, 2011 election which elicited contradictory reaction even from the perspective of individual opinion. No one individual observer, be it from the Commonwealth observer mission or the African Union, have provided a clear and concise verdict on Jammeh’s victory. The Commonwealth and … Continue reading →

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Salva Kiir guilty of showing poor quality leadership

Posted on February 2, 2012 by

By Robert Asketill Observers are seeing South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir acting in poor leadership quality in his refusal to come to agreement over the present North/South border oil matters during the helpful mediation of a number of African leaders for solving that oil exportation issue and the proposed pipe line through Kenya and to avoid potential violence perhaps encouraged by selfish foreign elements. Certainly Dr Nafi the Deputy Chairman of the Sudan National Congress has described as unjustifiable this refusal of the president of South Sudan government to come to a conclusion over the Bashayir issue. However, there is hope for last week that the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development’s … Continue reading →

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