Oromia Support Group (OSG)

Political detention and killings in Ethiopia 2008 - 2010

We also would like to bring to everyone’s attentions that all these extrajudicial punishments and human rights violations are being inflicted on Oromo sons and daughters, not because they committed any crime, but simply because they attempted to exercise their fundamental human rights that are universally recognized.

Finally, we call up on all regional and international human rights and political organizations to interfere, for the sake of human dignity, in the never-ending, but not well-noticed, Ethiopian political problem that is threatening not only local but also regional political stability.

Read the Complete report :

REPORT 45 - March 2010

http://www.ethiomedia.com/course/osg_report_45.pdf

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Somali government says it completed its preparion for the offensive against rebels

3/7/2010 - Shabelle: SOMALIA

MOGADISHU - The officials of the transitiaonl government of Somalia have said that they are in its final stage for preparing the big offensive against the Islamist rebels in parts of the country, official said on Sunday.

Minister of the interior of the TFG Sheik Abdukadir Ali Omar had held a press conference in Mogadishu on saturday afternoon saying that the government was commited to start its big war that the government had planned to take over whole control of the Somali capital Mogadishu for comming days.

The minister said that their main aim was to restore the peace and stability of southern Somalia mainly Mogadishu.

The minsiter also siad that the government had prepeared a well trained troops who would take the action and restore the security and the statement comes as Washington said it would take part the fighting and support the troops of the government with warplanes, logistical support and money.

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US military may back Somali govt offensive: report

3/6/2010  -  PM Shabelle: SOMALIA

WASHINGTON ( Sh. M. Network ) – US special operations forces could help the Somali government, which is preparing an offensive to dislodge Al-Qaeda militants from the capital Mogadishu, The New York Times reported.

Citing an unnamed US official in Washington, the newspaper said the offensive could begin in a few weeks.

"What you?re likely to see is airstrikes and Special Ops moving in, hitting and getting out," the official is quoted in the report as saying.

Over the past several months, American advisers have helped supervise the training of the Somali forces to be deployed in the offensive, the paper said.

US officials said that this was part of a continuing program to "build the capacity" of the Somali military, and that there has been no increase in military aid for the coming operations, The Times noted.

Washington has provided covert training to Somali intelligence officers, logistical support to peacekeepers, fuel for the maneuvers, intelligence on insurgent positions and money for bullets and guns, said the Times.

Washington is also using its clout as the biggest supplier of humanitarian aid to Somalia.

It has encouraged private aid agencies to move quickly into "newly liberated areas" to help civilians in an effort to make the government more popular, The Times said.

US military intervention in Somalia in the early 1990s, commanding a major international relief operation ended in disaster when the UN force became drawn into fighting with local warlords.
Source: AFP

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Military vow over Somali pirates

3/6/2010 Shabelle: SOMALIA

NAIROBI ( Sh. M. Network ) - International military chiefs have signalled a new, more aggressive strategy against piracy, as swarms of Somalis moved into the waters off East Africa.

Commander John Harbour, spokesman for the EU Naval Force, said the military was "taking the fight to the pirates" after four shootouts showed that high-seas attacks are intensifying with the end of the monsoon season.

Nearly half the 47 ships hijacked off Somalia last year were taken in

Nearly half the 47 ships hijacked off Somalia last year were taken in March and April - the most dangerous months of the year for ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.

In the most serious skirmish, six pirates attacked a vessel before breaking off and chasing the French fishing boat Torre Giulia, said Cmdr Harbour.

A French military detachment on board a nearby ship fired warning shots at the pirates. The ship then approached the skiff and collided with it, sinking the skiff and throwing the pirates into the water. Four were rescued, but two others were missing, Cmdr Harbour said.

A surge in attacks was likely in the coming weeks, he said. This season, though, ship owners and sailors are more prepared to evade pirates, fight back, or they have armed security on board, raising the likelihood of violence.

"We know the monsoon is over. We know they're coming. We're taking the fight to the pirates," said Cmdr Harbour.

Crews are successfully repelling more attacks, making it harder for pirates to capture ships and earn multi-million ransoms.

In turn, the Somali gangs are increasingly turning violent. The International Maritime Bureau says only seven ships were fired on worldwide in 2004 but 114 ships were fired on last year off the Somali coast alone. That compares with 39 incidents off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden in 2008.

In a second incident, the EU Naval Force intercepted a pirate group of one mother ship and two skiffs that had attacked a separate French vessel. That attack was also repelled by military personnel on board.
Source:AP

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Parlaiment 'we talked with Ethipia to release the Somali MPs'

3/6/2010 - Shabelle: SOMALIA

MOGADISHU ( Sh. M. Network ) - Osman Elmi Boqore, the deputy speaker of the transitiomal parlaiment of Somalia has saturday said that they had discussed with Ethiopian government for the release of the detained Somali MPs in the Somali region under the control of Ethiopia.

Mr. Boqore said in an interview with Shabell radio that Ethiopian government had eccepted the release of the MPs who were recently jailed in Ethiopia adding they had good hope for returning the freedom of the lawmakers.

"We discussed more and more about the lawmakers. we also talked with the Ethiopian authorities to release those MPs. so we like the MPS to get their independence soon as possible," said Osman Elmi Boqore.

On the other hand the official said that parlaimentatrians were not aware of due to lack of meetings in the Somali capital Mogadishu accusing the speaker of the parlaiment Sheik Aden Mohamed Nor (Madobe) whom he said that he was the cause of delaying sessions of the legislators and the statment of Mr. Boqore comes as the Ethiopian government jailed two Somali MPs and officers in the Somali region under the control of Ethiopia.

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Hiszbuk Islam says they will form admisntrations for the government controlled districts in Mogadishu

3/7/2010  Shabelle: SOMALIA

MOGADISHU ( Sh. M. Network ) - the Islamic adminstration of Hizbul Islam have said that they formed new adminstration for the district of Banadir region which are the areas under the control of the trnsitional government of Somalia, officials told Shabelle radio on sunday.

Ibrahim Barre Mohamed, the deputy governor of the Hizbul Islam organisation for Banadir region had held press conference in Magadishu today and talked more about the region during the press conference saying that they would spread their management to the districts of Banadir region like Hamarweyne, Hamarjajab, Waberi and Madina pointing out that all the adminstartion will come under Hizbul Islam.

asked about the real position they control, he replied that most of the stations in the capital where managed by the Islamic adminstration of Hizbul Islam.

it is unclear how simply would the new adminstrations be implemented by the officials of Hizbul Islam adminstration as the mensioned districts are still in under the control of the transitional Federal Government of Somalia.the new adminstration

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