We have got it wrong on Abidjani
Listen The common phenomenon around Africa that leaders are clinging on to power might not be the ultimate case in Cote d`Ivoire. It’s a hyperbole. Why do I say that? First, the Ugandan case five years ago. The winning president Museveni against an opposition strong candidate Kissa Besigie was regarded as a mockery of democracy. [...]
Kenya: EU supports Kenya’s referendum
Listen Nairobi (alshahid) – The European Union has set out a new priority agenda that will guide its external relations. Belgium Ambassador to Kenya Igor Haustrate said following the recent institutional changes at the EU the agenda of the Belgian presidency has been structured into five clusters of themes. Haustrate said the EU is now [...]
Questions over Anti-Piracy Court in Kenya
Listen At the end of last week, Kenya opened a special court to try suspected pirates operating from Somalia in the Gulf of Aden The Court, which is funded by a number of international organizations and States including the UN, the EU, Australia and Canada, is a significant step in the fight against piracy. All States [...]
Somali pirate cook saves hostages, then disappears
Listen Constanta (Alshahid) – The pirate cook smuggled food to the terrified hostages held by his gang off the Somali coast. He bought them cell phone cards. And when the pirates started talking about harvesting their organs for cash, he sneaked them guns. The hostages killed the pirates and escaped. But now the life of [...]
Somali Pirates release British-Flagged ship.
Listen Mogadishu (Alshahid) – A British-flagged ship with 25 crew members on board held captive by somali pirates was released on Friday,both EU anti-piracy mission and a regional maritime official confirmed on Friday. The ship was transiting North West towards the International Recommended Transiting Corridor when it was hijacked. The 45,000-ton vehicle carrier, the Asian [...]
STATUS OF SEIZED VESSELS AND CREWS IN SOMALIA AND THE INDIAN OCEAN 2 June
Listen Nairobi (Alshahid) – MV QSM Dubai sea-jacked in Gulf of Aden – see below – MV RIM SAILS FREE AFTER SOMALI PIRATE SHOOT-OUT (ecoterra) During a serious shoot-out between two rival pirate groups surrounding the sea-jacked MV RIM, leaving 9 Somalis dead, the Syrian crew of the vessel managed to overpower six pirates on [...]
Pirates hijack Panama –flagged ship with 24 crew
Listen Nairobi (Alshahid) – Somali pirates have yet again hijacked a panama-flagged cargo in a patrolled stretch of waters in the gulf described as an “Internationally recommended transit corridor”. The 15,220-tonne ship was from Brazil and had 24 crew members from Bangladesh, Ghana, Egypt and Pakistan, EU naval forces said. “In the early hours of [...]
Ethiopia’s Meles re-elected as EU says poll unfair
Listen Addis Ababa (Alshahid) — Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has clinched another term as the country’s leader after a poll that handed the ruling party People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front(PDF) victory according to provisional results. Tens of thousands of ruling party supporters on Tuesday poured into the streets of Ethiopia’s capital to celebrate victory, while [...]
EU trains 400 somali troops in Uganda.
Listen Kampala (Alshahid) – The European Union is training 400 Somali forces in Uganda and more troops are expected be trained in western Uganda town of Bihanga. EU head of mission in Uganda, Vincent De Visscher said that the military support is part of a comprehensive engagement in Somalia. “The military support is part of [...]
Somalia: Istanbul Declaration
Listen Istanbul (Alshahid) – The Istanbul Conference on Somalia took place in Istanbul from 21-23 May, 2010 reflecting the strong determination of the United Nations, the Government of Turkey and the International Community to work with the Transitional Federal Institutions and the people of Somalia to defeat the cycle of lawlessness, violence and despair in [...]