SHASNA MediaWatch

BOSTON, MA

[June 29, 2001]

SHASNA MediaWatch department follows news analysis, trends, news reports and press releases of the week. We pay special attention to Somali news in general, and to the "ARTA CLAN" in particular. We analyze, digest and separate facts from fiction. With so many news outlets and so many groups, each one vying for your attention, we will try our very best to fairly analyze what you have read or missed reading.

RadioGalkayo and RadioGalkayo.com are spinning heads these days. RadioGalkayo is a community supported effort, and based on independent third party PARTNERSHIP ANNUAL REVIEW, "RG is perhaps what currently comes the closest to a ‘community radio’ in the Horn of Africa. For RG the concept of ‘community’ is not restricted to a narrow geographical area but rather extends to all Somali people." RG is the only African community supported radio website that combines great content with competent radio journalism, a beautiful photo gallery, and fantastic state of the art video clips. We were in awe and full of veneration to watch one particular video clip showing one of Africa’s prominent brain surgeons perform head surgery on a patient and subsequently see the patient live to talk about the miracle cure. The site’s layout and community project portals are fantastic to behold. SHASNA family congratulates the RadioGalkayo team and all independent radio stations in Somalia.

Meanwhile, we highly recommend that our readers read the RadioGalkayo.com posted column "Why so many Online Radio Stations in Somali?" This is a well written and a great piece of an article which succinctly explains the root cause of information warfare in Somalia. We hope it is the beginning of a broadcast boom in Somalia which will eventually turn the tables on the "BBC Somali Service and its illegitimate-on-line sister news magazine IRIN-East Africa."

The information warfare battle has been joined, and Mr. Yusuf-Garaad of the BBC Somali Section, chief propagandist and Editor-in-Chief of the ‘Arta Clan’ might not be far behind Mr. Jonathan Clayton of IRIN. We are quite convinced that after all prior and future give and takes, Mogadishu tabloids and radio stations will welcome him with open hands. We wish them all well.

While the rest of Africa is caught in a vicious cycle of clan warfare and political instability, it must be a breath of fresh air to have the "Recovery Zones" flush with development and political stability absent elsewhere in the ever-precarious Horn of Africa. While democracy is a luxury widely enjoyed in the West, and is on the lips of every wannabe politician in Somalia, it is hardly achieved anywhere in Africa and Arabia. However, a limited form of democracy has already taken root in the "Recovery Zones." With infrastructure and government revenue in tight supply, the Traditional Elders or ‘Issims’ and the duly elected representatives of the autonomous State of Puntland have gathered together and democratically, under the Somali way, extended the Government Mandate. The "Recovery Zone" residents, their Issims and authorities have achieved what the UN and their political officers have dismally failed: they are building effective institutions with clear plans of succession.

As for the disadvantaged and despondent Pre-SBRs and the diaspora doomsayers, the train is rolling on with elbow room only and few remaining stops; join in the team or forever hold your peace! For others on the fringes, a good and true patriotic opposition, free from clan wishes, is a prime necessity for the stability and development of democratic institutions. We hope they will all contribute and help democratic values take root in the "Northern Recovery Zones."

The demise of the ‘Arta Clan’ is imminent. We have clearly been surprised that they have survived this long in two hotels. But then again, that is what happens when the UN and rich Arab countries bankroll you; when appointments are easily arranged by the UN political officers and Mr. David Stephens; when closed doors are knocked down by the brute force and willful manipulation of the good names of UN offices. But again, there is always a limit as to what your best supporters can do for you! All has now backfired and the blame game is in full swing. Amnesty applications from unprotected Imported ‘Arta Clan’ members of the "Northern Recovery Zones" are daily being submitted to the local authorities in the Northern regions. Mr. David Stephens’ clan elders are nowhere to be found and the "Clan Fox Holes" are succeeding against all odds!

With absolutely no achievement since inception of this scam, the UN is hedging its bets. Mr. Ghelle of Djibouti is disappointed and fingers are being pointed to his sole under-performing asset and mole. But, fortunately for him, he has been paid. Unlike David Stephens, he has already hedged his bets by demanding that all donated greenbacks be deposited in his bank. And now, you know the rest of the story.

Talking about greenbacks, we are not the least bit surprised about the millions of donated US Dollars missing from the coffers of the ‘Arta Clan.’ As we have already mentioned in these pages, just recount the members of the clan and you will note that even their papa, Mr. Siad Barre, did not trust them, and when he did, they cleaned out the bank vaults. Is it deja vu all over again or what? Thank you Mr. David Stephens and thank you Saudi Arabia! After the civil war, without your untimely and dismal intervention, the Siad Barre era would have long been forgotten.

Meantime, all UN and Arab donated funds were NOT used to erect buildings, renovate highways, build wells, sanitize water, feed the hungry, or shelter the homeless; but rather, they were used for the following: unsuccessful invasion of Bal’ad, Tiyeglow, Hiiraan, Buulo Hawo, Luuq, Garbaharey and numerous others. Death and debilitation were the consequences of those actions. Again, those funds were also, to no avail, used to discredit and disrupt the "Northern Recovery Zones." They were also, to some extent, successfully used to undertake assassinations against certain leaders and ordinary Somali folks. They are also currently being used for the depredation of Kismayo city residents and indigenous tribes. A city whose deprived and pillaged residents are intentionally being ignored and left out by the UN and the UN’s IRIN organization. These Kismayo city invaders and predators belong to AbdiQasim Salad Hassan’s same ‘Ceyr’ sub-clan. These predators, disguised as policemen, are supported and financed by the UN and friends, and their identities are hardly ever revealed and reported by IRIN East Africa. And when it is reported, surprise, surprise, they are simply the "TNG Police Force." Again, as often said: "Beam me up!!" IRIN is surely not "Bridging the information gap."

What was the result of all of these actions? Absolutely nothing, except to prove over and over again, that this ‘Arta Clan’ is nothing more than just another sub-clan! This dismal Djibouti process has also, again, stuffed the UN genie back into the bottle! But no worries Mr. Stephens, unfortunately the UN genies and bureaucrats have an unlimited life span! We will watch and wait the upcoming recycling of old hat UN bureaucrats and political officers.

Because of corruption and extortion charges, in a hush-hush manner, it is reported that over three hundred UN employees based in Nairobi have been given the pink slips. The Italian Mafia and the Cosa Nostra’s penetration into UN operations are considered so deep that the FBI and the other intelligence agencies have been invited to sort out the mess. Some high-ranking UN employees have altogether disappeared and others have been assassinated in daylight.

In a very short period of time, some UN Security guards and detail personnel went from rags to riches, and some of them even show up at work driving latest Toyota Land Cruisers. Meanwhile, poor refugee families are lined up everyday in front of UN offices waiting and wanting to know their status. Unfortunately, some of these families’ names have already been sold to the highest bidder by the employees of the responsible UN agencies. But the families are told to keep coming and the extortion multiplies!

This is the same UN that wants to partake nation building in Somalia, while their own offices are being turned into sales offices of the highest bidder! Where are you Mr. David Stephens, Mr. Randolph Kent and Ms. Pat Banks? An Al Haig-inspired question is: who is in charge? Or are the inmates running the asylum?

The ‘Arta Clan’ surrender discussion terms continue in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Poor ‘Arta Clan’ Premier, we feel your pain! By the way, whatever happened to the Arta Clan Premier’s "Evil Ethiopia about to invade Somalia?" Whatever happened to IRIN’s other fabricated reports? Remember the IRIN "Ethiopia-Somalia: an uneasy relationship?" report. We thought they will never relent! Ms. Pat Banks, where are you?

Thank you very much for your support in the ARENA OF IDEAS in these trying times. The true and tested hard working and devoted Somalis need leadership and unbiased information. We will try our very best to provide that. To other Somalis on the fence: the days of one clan forcefully dominating the other are over. If each one of us doesn’t clean his/her own house, nobody will clean it for us! For all the young men and women: don’t waste your time in this clan rubbish. Stay in school; we may need you someday. For the few who disagree, please be specific in where we err, if we do at all! For the ‘Arta Clan’ supporters, please don’t be misled again, and please don’t get disappointed. The "Northern Recovery Zone" freight train is rolling along; get on board and don’t be left behind. As one world famous inscription by Emma Lazarus has it, and in due course, so will the Northern Recovery Zones proclaim:

SHASNA* Editorial Board

cc: SHASNA Members