Friday, June 27, 2003
Somali General Arrested in Somaliland
Somalia's former Interior Minister and police chief Gen Jama Muhammad Ghalib was arrested at Hargeisa airport while in transit to Mogadishu. The arrest prompted 20 alledge clan supporters of General Jama to attack Hargeisa airport wounding 4 airport security police. The attack alledgely was a political statement directed to Somaliland government to release General Jama, the general is a Somalilander supporting Somali unity. Somaliland laws dictate that anyone opposing Somaliland independence will be arrested and prosecuted.
The arrested General was released without any charges.
Somalia's former Interior Minister and police chief Gen Jama Muhammad Ghalib was arrested at Hargeisa airport while in transit to Mogadishu. The arrest prompted 20 alledge clan supporters of General Jama to attack Hargeisa airport wounding 4 airport security police. The attack alledgely was a political statement directed to Somaliland government to release General Jama, the general is a Somalilander supporting Somali unity. Somaliland laws dictate that anyone opposing Somaliland independence will be arrested and prosecuted.
The arrested General was released without any charges.
Somaliland strengthen ties with African neighbors
In an interview with IRIN News newly appointed Somaliland Foreign Minister Edna Adan Ismail said that the smartest country will be the first to recognize this self-declared Republic. Edna Adan the first woman cabinet member of a male dominated government of Somaliland actively pursues efforts to strengthen the country's ties with neigboring Ethiopia. She looks at countries such as South Africa, Mozambique, Senegal and Uganda to be the most possible countries to give recognition to this post-conflict nation passionately in a rebuilding process.
Somaliland's 12 year of peaceful existence was greatly attributed to the united stance of various clans to come together and build a peaceful country. This came after a series of clan peace conferences which laid out Somaliland's political reconstruction process.
In an interview with IRIN News newly appointed Somaliland Foreign Minister Edna Adan Ismail said that the smartest country will be the first to recognize this self-declared Republic. Edna Adan the first woman cabinet member of a male dominated government of Somaliland actively pursues efforts to strengthen the country's ties with neigboring Ethiopia. She looks at countries such as South Africa, Mozambique, Senegal and Uganda to be the most possible countries to give recognition to this post-conflict nation passionately in a rebuilding process.
Somaliland's 12 year of peaceful existence was greatly attributed to the united stance of various clans to come together and build a peaceful country. This came after a series of clan peace conferences which laid out Somaliland's political reconstruction process.
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Home Front: Philippine Government signs anti-smoking law
An anti-smoking law was signed by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on June 23, 2003. This law will affect 34 million Filipino smokers and 500,000 tobacco farmers mostly concentrated in the northern part of the archipelago. This is fine and a good measure to consider smoking and impose sin taxes to cigarettes. The provision of banning smokers from lighting their cigarettes in enclosed areas is also a good measure. However, the government should also think of measures in giving spaces for those who do smoke. The government propaganda zeroes in on prohibiting minors from taking on that bad habit which is purely commendable. Lest the government forget the farmers that would be affected by this new policy, the Philippine president should also fast-track and seriously look into policies affecting the farmers which is taking ages to fully implement. Tobacco farmers in the north suffers the most feudal condition among the farming population. The issue of ownership and distribution of land remain unanswered and the government has been taking snail paced measures about the issue. Agricultural subsidy is also lacking to boost production in the countryside. I just hope that this is not another one of those image-building measures of the government.
An anti-smoking law was signed by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on June 23, 2003. This law will affect 34 million Filipino smokers and 500,000 tobacco farmers mostly concentrated in the northern part of the archipelago. This is fine and a good measure to consider smoking and impose sin taxes to cigarettes. The provision of banning smokers from lighting their cigarettes in enclosed areas is also a good measure. However, the government should also think of measures in giving spaces for those who do smoke. The government propaganda zeroes in on prohibiting minors from taking on that bad habit which is purely commendable. Lest the government forget the farmers that would be affected by this new policy, the Philippine president should also fast-track and seriously look into policies affecting the farmers which is taking ages to fully implement. Tobacco farmers in the north suffers the most feudal condition among the farming population. The issue of ownership and distribution of land remain unanswered and the government has been taking snail paced measures about the issue. Agricultural subsidy is also lacking to boost production in the countryside. I just hope that this is not another one of those image-building measures of the government.
Monday, June 23, 2003
Victims of war run away from their homes to avoid conflict and death. These Somali refugees who fled to the northeastern Kenyan town of Mandera in April from inter-clan fighting in Bulo Hawa, just across the border in Somalia were not so lucky. Ten of them died in a refugee camp in this part of Kenya. The reason? starvation and malnutrition.
There are no flights going out or entering Kenya. Flights to Somaliland and Somalia were cancelled due to fear of terrorists coming from this part of the Horn of Africa. Paranoia is quite contagious if I may say. The US is not the sole perpetrator of this flight ban, the British did the same to Kenya a month ago. The Somalia Transitional National Government (TNG) has asked the US to lift the ban. These super powers really have way to take out softly killing the economies of these struggling nations.
Conservatives take action against Non-government organizations. Paranoia? maybe. A group of rightist elements launched an effort to monitor the movement and "hidden agenda" of non-government organizations worldwide.
