US. State Department
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
March 11, 2010
Somalia* has an estimated population of seven million. The territory, which was recognized as the Somali state from 1960 to 1991, was fragmented into regions led in whole or in part by three distinct entities: the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in Mogadishu; the self-declared Republic [...]
2009 Human Rights Reports: Somalia
Somali forces inefficient and corrupt: UN report
AFP
March 13, 2010
NAIROBI — The Somali government’s military forces are ineffective and corrupt, despite international assistance, and it remains dependent on foreign troops for survival, UN experts concluded in a report.
The Monitoring Group on Somalia also said in its report to be presented to the UN Security Council this week that Eritrea continued to support [...]
BBC feels force of Bob Geldof’s anger over arms claim
Guardian
March 14, 2010
Bob Geldof demands the heads of reporter and World Service chiefs
It had been a while since Bob Geldof had been seen out, other than on the podiums where he still fetches up to collect awards for his humanitarian work. But last week he was back at his ferocious best, shaking his grey mane [...]
NATO extends anti-piracy mission off Somali coast
APA
March 11, 2010
Moscow (Russia) The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has extended the mandate of its anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia until the end of 2012, according to the alliance’s spokesman James Appathurai, APA learns here on Thursday.
Appathurai was quoted by reporters in Moscow that the decision was based on “the assessment that [...]
2009 Human Rights Report: Djibouti
US State Department
March 11, 2010
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
Djibouti is a republic with a strong elected president and a weak legislature. It has an estimated population of 660,000. In February 2008 legislative elections, President Ismail Omar Guelleh’s five party coalition won all 65 national assembly seats. A three party opposition coalition boycotted the [...]
Lawyer cautions about Ethiopian Airlines crash reports
VOA
March 12, 2010
Alula Kebede
An attorney in Seattle sees Lebanese government statements about an incomplete investigation of the crash of Ethiopia Airlines Flight 409 in January as inappropriate.
“Until the final findings of the probe are known, it seems gross speculation for anyone to try to determine what may or may not have happened and to [...]
Gov’t says: human trafficking becomes a matter of grave concern
Reporter, Ethiopia
March 13, 2010
Kaleyesus Bekele
Human trafficking in Ethiopia has become a matter of grave concern to government authorities.
Zenebu Tadesse, State Minister of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, told The Reporter that illegal traffickers charge citizens looking for employment overseas to transport them through areas bordering Djibouti, Somaliland, Kenya, and Sudan. She added the [...]
U.S. has no plan to “Americanize” Somalia conflict
Reuters
March 13, 2010
WASHINGTON – The United States on Friday denied coordinating plans by Somalia’s embattled government to launch an offensive against Islamist fighters, saying it had no plans to “Americanize” the conflict.
Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson described as inaccurate reports suggesting that U.S. officials were ready to get more militarily involved as Somalia’s government [...]
UN agency punished Somalia whistleblower
Reuters
March 10, 2010
Mark Trevelyan
LONDON – The United Nations Ethics Committee has upheld complaints by a former employee of the U.N. Development Programme who said he suffered retaliation from the UNDP for alleging that its Somalia programme was corrupt.
The man, Ismail Ahmed, was transferred to another office without proper visa support, and the UNDP Somalia office [...]
Ethiopian Jewry gets its first Haggada
Jerusalem Post, Israel
March 12, 2010
RUTH EGLASH
Historic saga will be incorporated into mainstream Pessah story for first time.
The historic saga of Ethiopian Jewry, with its unique traditions and customs, will be incorporated into the mainstream Pessah story for the first time in a new Haggada written by Ethiopian-Jewish history expert Rabbi Menachem Waldman.
Set to reach bookstores [...]
