Abwaan jaamac kediye iyo gabaygii  soomaali baan ahay

Al Jazeera

New group eyes united Somalia

A new armed group is threatening to launch a violent campaign for the reunification of Somalia.

The group is known as SSC, the initials of the Sool, Sanaag and Cayn regions they say that they want to liberate.

These regions are currently disputed over by both the breakaway Somaliland Republic and the semi-autonomous region of Puntland in North East Somalia.

http://english.aljazeera.net/video/africa/2010/07/20107178513916507.html

“Our ultimate goal is to make this area peaceful and prosperous and also seek a united Somalia,” Ali Sabarey, the deputy leader of SSC, told Al Jazeera.

However, Somaliland officials dismiss the SSC as ineffective, saying that their threats are hollow.

Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Adow has this exclusive report from the SSC stronghold of Buuhoodle.

Iniesta netted as Spain broke to punish 10-man Holland after John Heitinga’s sending-off seven minutes earlier.

Both sides lined up as expected. Netherlands continued with the 1 to 11 which has been Bert van Marwijk’s first choice line -up since Arjen Robben’s return from injury, while Vicente Del Bosque favoured Barcelona’s Pedro to Liverpool’s Fernando Torres just as he had for the semi-final victory over Germany.

At the renditions of the national anthems there were signs of nerves across the faces of players on each side, everyone concerned knowing that they could make history for their country by claiming the moniker of world champions for the first time.

The opening few minutes were notable mainly for the inability of either side to really string a significant series of passes together as every player looked to get a calming first touch of the ball. But in the fifth minute Spain created a real opportunity for themselves as they started to impress their authority on proceedings.

Xavi sent a free-kick in from the right to find the Sergio Ramos, who had gained half a yard on the flinching Robin van Persie, but the right-back’s header came from an awkward height and allowed Maarten Stekelenburg to make a full-length parry to keep the scores level.

Holland’s first shot at goal came when Dirk Kuyt scuffed a 30-yard effort after Sergio Busquets had failed to control a simple square pass, but the Liverpool wide man’s effort was easily gathered by Iker Casillas.

In the 11^th minute Spain created a second decent opportunity, and again it was full-back Ramos who was the Johnny on the spot. Having run at Giovanni van Bronckhorst, he took a step to the right and saw a gap open up, but his right-footed effort was well blocked by Joris Mathijsen.

From the resulting corner Xavi Hernandez swung in a delicious far post ball for David Villa, but the striker’s volleyed effort hit the side-netting when he’d have hoped to do better.

The game was beginning to get a little scrappy as the Netherlands looked to find a way to earn more possession. Van Persie was the first player to enter referee Howard Webb’s notebook when he brought down Joan Capdevila with a nasty looking challenge, and moments later he was followed by Carles Puyol, booked for a tackle from behind on Arjen Robben.

Wesley Sneijder fired in a dangerous free-kick, but Casillas managed to collect before the ball took a potentially nasty bounce. Winger Robben was temporarily the centre of attention as within minutes he was running at Capdevila, eventually winning a corner as Xabi Alonso came in to cover.

The near-inevitable Mark van Bommel booking arrived in the 22^nd minute, when he was late arriving for the ball and went right through Andres Iniesta. Seconds later it was 2-2 on the yellow card count after Ramos was slightly late sliding in on Kuyt wide on the Holland left.

Whilst Spain were still enjoying most of the possession, suddenly the Netherlands were managing to earn more territorial advantage, breaking up the rhythm of la Furia Roja’s passing temporarily. They did so by foul means rather than fair when Nigel de Jong’s high boot caught Alonso flush on the chest after the Real Madrid midfielder had nicked away a bouncing ball. The Oranje midfielder may have thought himself lucky only to become the fifth player cautioned, rather than the first man into the showers.

There was a much more pleasing piece of sportsmanship shown by the Dutch a few moments later. Iker Casillas had thrown the ball out after he’d collided with Puyol, allowing the Barcelona defender to receive treatment, but upon arrival of the long pass from a Dutchman at the restart, the keeper misread the flight and palm the ball away for a corner. However, Van Persie simply rolled the ball in from the flag to spare the Real Madrid man’s blushes and allow Spain to rebuild from the back.

The next Dutch corner nearly had a very different ending. Robben played the ball in low to the edge of the area, from where Van Bommel played a cross to the far post for Mathijsen, but the centre-back could only respond with a complete air shot.

Breaking up the other end, Spain could have had an opener when Pedro’s quickfire shot from range sailed just wide with Stekelenburg still to set himself.

Sneijder almost became the sixth name in the book when he caught Busquets just before the break as the game continued to flatter rather than thrill, but referee Webb saw fit to give the Inter midfielder a final warning.

On the stroke of half-time the Dutch created one of the best chances of the game so far when Robben cut inside to drill a low left foot shot which Casillas got down to and pushed wide.

Spain appeared to come out after the interval with a little bit more fire in their bellies as they looked to repeat their second half efforts against Germany. Within three minutes they’d forged an opening when Puyol got his head to a right wing corner and Capdevila failed to get anywhere near enough on his right foot effort and the ball ran harmlessly away.

Holland responded when Van Persie’s backheel sent Gregory van der Wiel in behind the Spanish defence, but his cross was met by no Oranje jerseys, though a nervous looking Casillas may have got a slight touch before the ball ran out and a goal kick was given.

Dutch skipper Van Bronckhorst was next in the book for pulling back Ramos as he went for a return pass in a dangerous position. From the set piece Xavi curled the ball just wide of the near post, but Stekelenburg had it well covered.

John Heitinga soon became the fifth Dutchman to have his name taken when he clattered into David Villa after Ramos had broken up a Holland attack and sent the forward on the run down the left.

Iniesta was perhaps lucky not to join them as the game once again threatened to deteriorate, his foul on Sneijder giving Robben the chance to swing in a free-kick towards Heitinga. The defender sent a header just across the face of goal, but had been flagged offside in any case.

Mathijsen did well to head away from a Capdevila cross as a game of football finally started to break out amongst the scrappy challenges.

Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque made the first change of the final on the hour by introducing Jesus Navas for the ineffective Pedro.

Suddenly, the best chance of the final was handed to Robben by a delicious through ball by Sneijder and a bad misjudgement on the part of Gerard Pique. The Bayern Munich winger found himself one-on-one with Casillas, but after delaying once too often, his shot sent the glovesman the wrong way, but was blocked by Casillas’ boot nonetheless.

Capdevila joined the ever-increasing list of numbers in Howard Webb’s notebook but again the Netherlands failed to make the most of the resulting free-kick as they continued to get half-chances to show up the favourites.

Substitute Navas did superbly to run at Van Bronckhorst and make space to cross for David Villa, but after Heitinga had slipped to open a really shooting opportunity for the Spaniard the centre-back recovered magnificently to block the shot that followed.

Dirk Kuyt was replaced after a hard-working performance in favour of speedy winger Eljero Elia as Van Marwijk looked to keep Spain guessing at the back.

Heitinga conceded a further free-kick, which Villa could only tun over, before Sneijder got a second final warning from Howard Webb as the referee looked to save his ink with just 15 minutes separating the World Cup decider from extra-time.

After an excellent exchange between Villa and Xavi, the former had a left foot shot well blocked by Heitinga, but from the corner Sergio Ramos was guilty of wasting a magnificent chance to settle the contest as he headed over from eight yards when completely unmarked.

There was a real flashpoint in the 78^th minute when Van Bommel caught Iniesta as he retrieved the ball, but the Spanish midfielder decided to take his own retribution by lashing out at the Bayern Munich man. Again, Webb decided that leniency was the correct course of action and Iniesta got away with only a lecture.

Iniesta then came extremely close to opening the deadlock when he jinked past Heitinga inside the box, but Wesley Sneijder of all people was sweeping up behind the defence and made a magnificent last-ditch challenge to save the Dutch.

In the 83^rd minute it was Holland’s Robben who could have struck as he left Puyol and Pique in his wake before Casillas smothered the ball. The Bayern Munich winger exaggerated his contact with the keeper having shrugged off a near rugby tackle from Puyol, but all he succeeded in doing was earning a yellow card for his fall and subsequent penalty claims.

Spain’s second substitution saw Xabi Alonso replaced by Cesc Fabregas in an attacking change with just three minutes of normal time remaining.

Wesley Sneijder looked to steal a glorious victory on the stroke of full-time, but his ambitious 45 yard effort went harmlessly wide.

Within two minutes of the extra 30 minutes resuming, Spain thought they should have had a penalty when Heitinga and Xavi collided, but it looked as though the midfielder made contact with the Dutchman rather than the other way around.

The European champions then forced a real save out of Stekelenburg for the first time since the early moments of normal time as Fabregas broke clear, but the big goalkeeper did superbly to block his right foot shot.

Within seconds they were nearly behind when Casillas came for a corner and collided with Fabregas, leaving Mathijsen to beat Ramos in the air but miss the open goal.

It then took a magnificent piece of defending from Van Bronckhorst to keep the scores level as the game became more stretched. Fabregas sent Iniesta through, but the Dutch skipper did brilliantly to send Iniesta onto his wrong foot and then snuff out the danger, winning a goal kick to boot.

Bert van Marwijk decided to increase the attacking intentions of his team by bringing on Rafael van der Vaart for defensive midfielder De Jong.

In a now very open game, Jesus Navas’ shot deflected off Van Bronckhorst and found the side-netting before the Netherlands cleared the corner with relative ease.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst was then substituted into retirement, replaced by Edson Braafheid.

After spending over an hour warming up, Fernando Torres was finally introduced at the beginning of the second period of extra-time, surprisingly enough for the tournament’s joint top scorer David Villa in a like for like switch.

Elia went on his first attack at Ramos and beat the full-back with ease, but couldn’t reach his overhit touch before getting a cross in as Holland continued to look the more worried by the prospect of penalty kicks.

After so many yellow cards it appeared only a matter of time before a red would follow and with only 11 minutes remaining it finally came, though it did seem a little harsh on John Heitinga when he became the fifth player to be dismissed in a World Cup final.

The Dutch defender laid a soft hand on the shoulder of Andres Iniesta as the Barcelona man broke front and centre, but an exaggerated fall came after contact had been released. Nevertheless, Howard Webb saw fit to send off Heitinga for a second offence.

Moments later the 10 men were hit with another yellow when Van der Wiel took down the self same Iniesta.

Many Spain players asked for Holland to be reduced to nine when Robben turned in a left foot effort long after the whistle had gone for offside, but Webb, not for the first time tonight, showed leniency towards a man walking the tightrope.

With five minutes left a Wesley Sneijder free-kick was clearly met with a heavy deflection off Fabregas in the wall, but the referee’s rough night continued when he failed to spot the touch and gave a goal kick. There was then an apparent foul on Elia on the edge of the area overlooked as Holland looked for a winner.

And the decision was to be vital as Spain broke to the other end of the pitch and scored a 116^th minute winner.

With the 10-man Dutch stretched, the Furia Roja used the extra man as Andres Iniesta got on the end of a crossfield ball at the far post to drill across Stekelenburg into the back of the net.

Spain’s only bad news of the night came when Torres pulled up with an apparent hamstring injury in the second minute of injury time, but he’ll be taking a World Cup winner’s medal to the treatment table with him.

M.C.C.Nuur

gud barlaman

Mogdishu, Somalia SR News) – Lawmakers of Somali Federal Government on Friday elected Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden as the Somali parliamentary speaker for a four year-term in office.

Hassan won 217 out 380 votes in the first round of the election in the parliament house in Mogadishu.

MPs applauded and cheered, when Sharif Hassan Sheik Adan was announced the winner, beating four other candidates.

Sharif Aden became a member of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Parliament that was formed at the end of the Somali Reconciliation Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. He was elected Speaker of the TPF in August 2004.

The Speaker later became a Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance when a faction of Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia negotiated with the Transitional Federal Parliament and signed an agreement.

The Somali lawmakers had passed a vote of no confidence over Speaker Sheikh Aden Madobe and the speaker Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke on 16 May.

Sharif Aden has resigned from his cabinet position After he was Elected as a speaker.

In a week ago,Somali president, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said he will appoint a new prime minister in an attempt to resolve a bitter power struggle between the current premier and the speaker of parliament.

But Prime Minister, Sharmarke claimed he still remained in his office, disagreeing with an announcement by the Somali president that he had dissolved the government.

The horn of Africa country has had no effective central government for 19 years and although the administration of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed has the backing of the United Nations and A.U, he faces a stubborn insurgency from the al Shabbab and Hizbul Islam groups

No lawmakers were killed or wounded in the attack, police spokesman Abdullahi Hassan Barise said. Previous sessions of parliament had been postponed since December because of threats from al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group in the lawless Horn of Africa nation.

A number of lawmakers have fled the 550-member parliament in Mogadishu and resettled in neighbouring countries because of insecurity.

Militants have killed nine legislators over the last few years for supporting the Western-backed government of Somali President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed. The government has been unable to provide security for them because it controls only a small part of Mogadishu.

Somalia has not had an effective parliament or government for the past 19 years after warlords overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.

On Sunday, government forces backed by African Union troops fought back, pounding the insurgents’ positions with mortars.

Ali Muse, the head of Mogadishu’s ambulance service, said his staff counted 16 bodies. Another 31 wounded people were taken to hospitals around Mogadishu.

al-Shabab spokesman, Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage.

Two bombs exploded inside a mosque in Mogadishu’s main market on Saturday in the first Iraq-style bombing inside a house of worship in Somalia. At least 30 people were killed and 70 wounded, officials said.

The blasts in the Bakara market went off while people were sitting inside the Abdala Shideye mosque waiting for noon prayers. The bombings highlight the increasingly violent path Somali militants are taking following an influx of insurgents into the country from the Afghanistan conflict, fighters who are now training Somali militants.

Most of the victims were worshippers, said businessman Ahmed Abdulle, a witness.

“The first one occurred at the back of the mosque and the other one at the front. I saw the dead bodies of at least 11 people and 18 injured,” said a businessman, Isma’il Dahir. “The blood stained the walls and human flesh was scattered everywhere.”

Ali Muse, the head of Mogadishu’s ambulance service, said at least 30 people were killed and 70 wounded. Abdullahi Haji Ilmi, a witness, said he counted 32 bodies.

A high-ranking member of Somalia’s most powerful militia, al-Shabab, was said to be inside the mosque during the explosions. It was not immediately known whether Fuad Mohamed Qalaf survived the bombings.

Qalaf is among 11 people whose assets were recently frozen by the United State for involvement in terrorism.

“Sheikh Fuad used to teach religious lessons at the mosque every Saturday. He was there when the blasts went off. The whole area was cordoned of by scores of al-Shabab militants. Nobody could get inside,” said another businessman, Farhan Alin.

An al-Shabab spokesman, Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage, blamed the attack on the work of “foreign security companies” whose aim, he said, was to massacre Muslims. Rage offered no proof for his allegation.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, the first such bombing of a mosque in Somalia. A bombing took place outside a mosque in Bakara earlier in the week, killing two people.

Bakara market is the country’s main market, and despite tensions in the country, it is bustling with business. The area is controlled by the rebel groups al-Shabab and Hizbul Islam.

The U.N.-backed Somali government views the market as rebel stronghold. Over the last three years the market has seen near-daily shelling between militants and African Union and Somali soldiers. Hundreds of people have been killed in the violence.

Islamic insurgents control much of Mogadishu and have been trying to topple the fragile government for three years. Somalia has not had an effective government for nearly 20 years

Source: AP

pirates

Somali pirates released a chemical tanker and its North Korean crew on Tuesday, after holding the vessel for four months.    

A maritime official says the 23,000 deadweight ton “Theresa VIII” was seized on November 16 last year in the south Somali Basin, with 28 crew members on board.             

Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers Assistance Program says the vessel was released after a ransom of about US$3.5 million was paid.             

 [Andrew Mwangura, East African Seafarers Assistance Program]:

“MT Theresa is now free and she is underway heading to Mombassa. She is expected here in the next three to four days. MT Theresa and her 28 North Korean crew were hijacked by pirates about 140 nautical miles north west of Seychelles on the 16th of November while underway to Mombassa laden with palm oil.”

Somali sea gangs have plagued the busy shipping lanes off the African nation’s coast for many years, earning ransoms worth millions of dollars from most vessels captured.                          

Somali pirates are held responsible for more than half of the 406 reported incidents last year. They hijacked 47 vessels, taking 867 crew members hostage, according to the International Maritime Bureau.             

Most vessels and crew are released unharmed after a ransom is paid, although some sailors say they were wounded during hijackings. Others complain about health problems after prolonged periods of captivity off the Somali coast

Markab Ariana

Somali pirates said they received a $3.1 million ransom on Tuesday for a Panama-flagged ship which they hijacked in October and planned to free in the coming hours.

“Some of our friends have already disembarked and the rest will get off the ship soon,” one of the pirates, Hassan, told Reuters by telephone from the coastal pirate base of Haradheere. “We hope it will peacefully sail away in the coming hours.”

The name of the vessel was not immediately clear, but a regional maritime source said it was believed to be the MV Al Khaliq, thought to be carrying 24 Indians and 2 Burmese crew.

The source said negotiations for the release of the MV Al Khaliq had been going on for weeks. It was loaded with wheat grain when it was seized on October 22 west of the Seychelles.

The number of piracy attacks worldwide leapt almost 40 percent last year, with gunmen from the failed Horn of Africa state accounting for more than half the 406 reported incidents, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

Typically, the heavily armed Somali pirates hold captured ships and their crews hostage until ransoms are paid

 Source:Reuters