Somali citizens flee from the escalation of fighting in the capital of Mogadishu. The US-backed AU Mission has stepped-up its propaganda in support of the Transitional Federal Government that was formed in January 2009.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
Editorial
Somalia: Mission in The Name of Peace Keeping; Trading with People's Suffering
By Staff
May 18, 2009, 12:19
Lacking any kind of popular support or acceptance, the third arrangement of the so called 'government' imposed on the Somali people by the auspices of foreign forces ever since the country was declared a 'failed state' is already being engulfed in a fierce popular opposition. It is not surprising that the Somali people's opposition to this foreign imposed 'government' since that was an expected reaction. However, what's more amazing is that the circumstances have brought a consortium of elements that work to capital and profit from the current state of affairs in Somalia.
These days, the forces that have entered Somalia under the pretext of peacekeeping and stabilizing Somalia, namely the TPLF regime and the governments of Burundi and Uganda have convened in Addis Ababa to access their missions in Somalia.
Those forces have no intention of bringing peace and stability into Somalia, but rather elongating the crisis so that they will profit from it. As it is known, both Uganda and Ethiopia are far from stable, they're both experiencing civil unrest as well as internal oppositions. The same also goes for Burundi, which has spent years under successions of UN peacekeeping missions due to recurring instances of chaos is lacking peace and security. Expecting countries that are experiencing recurrent internal turmoil come to aid in solving a crisis in other country is either absurd or it is mockery at the suffering of peoples. If these governments are really committed to peace and regard to people they should rather attempt to alleviate the suffering of their own people rather than go elsewhere.
The imposition of an alien government formed by foreign forces has been attempted several times through invention or other wise and has proved a failure. As articulated on several occasions, the situation in Somalia is simply being complicated due to external unholy interferences with differing agendas So the only viable solution for Somalia is to stop meddling in its affairs and leave the Somali people freely decide their future and start political process to reinstate their country. Chocking the peace process under the pretext of peacekeeping mission can only be interpreted as extending the period and intensity of the suffering of the Somali people.
From http://www.shabait.com
Editorial
New and Independent African Union: A Precondition for Development of our Continent
By Staff
Jun 10, 2009, 12:48
The Organization for African Unity that was formed to foster unity and economic development of the African People, in its half-century of existence has only ended up being an inept body. It has since shed the goals outlined at the time of its founding. Hence, its existence has become irrelevant and also it has lost value and credibility of itself and the African people it supposedly represents.
These days, the organization which was previously characterized as an incompetent and passive entity, is being seen lending its voice and acting as a tool for external forces, western spy networks and the agents of neo-colonialism.
It is to be recalled that the Organization for African Unity, or as it is known these days as the African Union, has failed to make any contribution whatsoever in the upkeep of founding objectives such as ensuring Africa’s political stability, safeguarding human rights of fellow Africans and directing the course of developmental endeavors in the continent. If we were to count its only ‘contributions’, we would find out that they were only roles and involvements of blunders and shameful misdeeds. And for this reason, the very name of the organization has become one that of humiliation and embarrassment for Africans.
However, lamenting and bewailing the golden times that were lost because of the ineptitude of the organization would boil down to nothing but wasting valuable time and opportunities. Previously, attempts to restructure the Organization of African Unity by changing its name to African Union were futile. Drawing experience from the past attempts, the only remaining thing to do for us Africans is to throw the organization in the dustbin of history and forming another organization having no relation or resemblance to the current one; as such a new organization is a prequisite for the development of Africa and its people.
And above all, there is the need for setting up a strong and effective organization, one that will not become subservient to western forces and their puppets. The only thing left for the African people is to close the chapters of the past and resolutely criticize the ways the organization is being run, and thus map out a new path for radical changes without any delay.
Editorial
The African Union: A Discredited Tool
By Staff
May 29, 2009, 15:30
“… It is unfortunate to witness the Organization of African Unity (OAU) becoming an inept organization that utterly failed to fulfill the objectives and pledges vested upon it. Indeed, it did not strive to translate into action the lofty goals it was entrusted with. And as a result, 30 years since the founding of the organization, Africa is still suffering from mounting poverty, backwardness and civil strife. It has become a continent despised by all partners instead of one in which nationals lead a life of dignity. Although it is indisputable that there exists the ugly legacy of colonialism, such a reality should nonetheless not make the African people complacent and a cover for our weaknesses. We cannot achieve a better future as long as we fail to critically scrutinize past errors. The OAU did not succeed at all in ensuring unity and development in the continent, as well as in safeguarding the fundamental rights of the African people. ... At this juncture, I would like to underscore that Eritrea opted to become member of this organization not because it was impressed with the organization’s successes but only out of the spirit of family responsibility...”
The aforementioned salient remarks are excerpts from the speech which H.E. President Isaias Afwerki delivered at the OAU Summit in June 1993 where he participated for the first time in the wake of Eritrea's accession to sovereign nationhood through legal referendum and becoming member of the organization.
The President's statement did not only emanate from the OAU’s total neglect of the immense hardship the Eritrean people experienced in the days of the liberation struggle. Although it is a well known fact that the OAU played a sad negative role in the Eritrean issue, its failure and shameful negative role in various issues in the continent is but uncountable.
And now 46 years later, the organization's long-standing contemptuous status has been further downgraded, and thus changing from a paralyzed and passive body into a cheap and toothless entity. Hence, the OAU did not bring about any meaningful change, and instead it has become a mere agent of executing the wicked designs of intelligence agencies, besides serving as an appendage of external forces. As an international organization, the OAU, instead of serving as a common forum for all, it became a tool for covering up the ugly practices of some parties and one that facilitates the adoption of illegal and shameful statements and resolutions on the part of such parties.
Any person can readily gauge the extent of the failure of the OAU, and presently the AU by simply referring to the objectives enshrined in the organization's Charter and their implementation. It is to be noted that the major provisions embodied in the organization's Charter include strengthening the unity of the African people, ensuring economic development through joint cooperation, safeguarding the human rights of Africans, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of every member state, seeing to it that colonial boundaries and treaties are respected for the sake of peace and stability, striving to achieve peaceful resolution to conflicts inside and among member states through mediation and arbitration. It is not difficult for anyone to discern the prevailing reality in Africa vis-à-vis the objectives outlined in the organization’s Charter which was adopted about half a century ago.
Let alone ensuring the unity of the entire African continent, the OAU is an organization that commits numerous destructive and shameful mistakes in resolving problems in a specific zone or a given country. Without citing instances, the situation in Somalia is a vivid demonstration of its incompetence and weakness. Contrary to its Charter principles advocating economic development through joint cooperation, Africa is being marginalized in the world economic order and looking for handouts and aid and in which its people are dieing from hunger, poverty and epidemics due to corruption and maladministration. And as such, the fact that the continent ranks the last of the last in every aspect as regards human progress is the unfortunate sum total of the despicable half century journey.
Looking from the standpoint of respect for human rights, Africa is a continent where gross violation of human rights are rampant as witnessed in the horrible genocide in Rwanda and the war crimes committed over the Somali people. Still in other instances, the OAU’s complete silence in the face of its own Eritrean staff being dragged out from its headquarters, thrown to jail and subsequently forcibly deported with their property confiscated by the TPLF regime solely because of their nationality fully attest to the organization’s total discredit and disgrace. Even worse, the OAU’s failure to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states and having served as an instrument for the transgression of the rule of law at cheap ‘incentive’ amply demonstrates that the organization has sold its dignity.
Hence, the irresponsible and illegal resolution recently issued as regards Eritrea by an organization discredited by both the world community and member states represents not only a single error but also a continuation of the endless mistakes and cheap practices it had committed over the past half century simply for the sake of securing a handful of aid. Nevertheless, such acts of slander and defamation on the part of a despised tool cannot at all merit any value.
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