Somalia: not piracy catch all thread

[jcustis]

The reliable African correspondent, Aidan Hartley, for The Spectator has been in Somalia again; the article is sub-titled 'War did. And food aid may well make it worse':

Drought is rarely the primary cause of famine, especially in Africa.

Band-Aid redux is not something that the US should allow itself to get sucked into. Focusing on other more pressing geo-political concerns is not going to garner us any more enmity than we might otherwise get today, next year, or within the coming decade, so in terms of international street cred or image, I tend to say, "meh.'

I used to think about the dynamics of food and famine in Africa with soft eyes and a compassionate bent that overlooked some of the schizophrenia of the world's most dangerous places. After having seen with my own eyes what went on in even a fairly stable place like Mogadishu (as compared to the hinterlands), I think we have no obligation on this one, and should give it a pass.

[davidbfpo]

A thoughtful, if curious opinion article in FP Blog: 'Do Muslims Really Care About Somalia? With a sub-title:If they do, here's how they can save the country from famine.

Aside from the famine and lack of Muslim response, some historical background on internal politics.

I did note the comment, which struck me as odd; alas only cites one BBC report in support:

...the U.S.-backed Ethiopian invasion and occupation in 2006 and 2007 -- a war conducted in pursuit of just three al Qaeda suspects.

Link:http://www.foreignpolicy.com/article...tries?page=0,0

If there is a famine in the region, which having read a little I remain unconvinced of, I still doubt that the wider international community, whether Muslim or not, feel inclined to help.

By coincidence the BBC reports 3k more troops en route to join the African Unity presence, over the next six months:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15082141

[davidbfpo]

A short insight into this troubled land and sub-titled:

Somalia's long civil war and political fragmentation define the country to the world. Yet the society also contains potent resources of allegiance and solidarity, says the doyen of Somali studies, Ioan M Lewis.

Link:http://www.opendemocracy.net/ioan-m-...d-and-politics

The author Ioan Lewis is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, London School of Economics.

[Dayuhan]

Suggestions for a US role...

http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articl...ate-in-somalia

[davidbfpo]

There has been concern in the UK that citizens or residents will be radicalised and try to join the Al-Shabab / AQ fighters in Somalia. I'm sure it has been reported upon before, this is IIRC the first confirmed report and note the community response.

Edited slightly:

Two 18-year-olds from Cardiff, Mohamed Mohamed, and Iqbal Shahzad, deported from Kenya on Wednesday, were detained by the Metropolitan Police under the Terrorism Act, have been released without charge, say police. The men had been arrested close to the Kenyan border with Somalia, over suspected links to Somali militants.

The father of Mohamed Mohamed, of Somali descent, alerted police and flew out to find his son....

A joint statement from the Muslim community in Cardiff said the Somali and Pakistani community in particular, and the Muslim community in general, are anxiously waiting for the arrival of the pair.

"The families of the two youths are thankful to God that they are both safe and well," said the statement.

"Once the families realised that the two youths were missing, the authorities were notified. We are grateful that the authorities in collaboration with the communities were able to establish the whereabouts of the youths."

Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-15384716

Note the Somali community in Cardiff have been UK nationals for a long time, they were originally sailors and IMHO one of the least likely communities to find this would happen.

[Dayuhan]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/worl...can-union.html

Somali militia claims slaughter of African Union soldiers

A Somali militia linked to Al Qaeda claimed Thursday to have killed dozens of African Union soldiers in fighting in Mogadishu and displayed the bodies on the outskirts of the war-torn capital.

If the claim is confirmed, it would represent the largest loss for the 9,000-member AU mission in Somalia since it began in 2007. And it would serve as a blunt warning of the Shabab militia’s capabilities, even as Kenyan soldiers press into its stronghold in famine-ravaged southern Somalia...

...Shabab spokesman Ali Mohamed Raghe held up the small wooden crosses and Bibles of the dead, claiming they were Burundian troops...

[davidbfpo]

The BBC adds:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15401898

Note the BBC does not currently have a reporter in country, nor was the LA Times report based on a reporter in country.

I did note Al-Shabab - in the LA Times report - had taken the bodies:

..to a Shabab-controlled area about 10 miles outside Mogadishu.