S H A S N A  MediaWatch
 

Nairobi, Kenya
[November 01, 2002]

Eldoret, Kenya: Media Coverage of the Somali Peace & Reconciliation Process

In addition to our highly valued commentaries and news analysis about Somalia and the Horn, SHASNA MediaWatch also follows news analysis, commentaries, trends, news reports and press releases by others. We pay special attention to Somali news in general, and to the latest world supported Somali Peace and Reconciliation Process in Eldoret, Kenya, in particular. We analyze, digest and separate facts from fiction. With so many news outlets and so many groups and proxies, each one vying for your attention, we will try our very best to fairly analyze what you have read or missed reading. We will reveal who is supporting and at the same time reporting the truth and who isn't.

Nairobi, Kenya
IRIN - This UN news information office has lately been the exception rather than the rule. We are very much pleased! Unlike its previously accustomed role as the propaganda arm of Abdiqasim's TNG, it has lately been very restrained and has solely concentrated on reporting items of news value, such as the participation level of the process and signings of truce agreements. Even though they have mentioned the TNG faction by name (of course they have no other name), their reporting has been explicit in conveying the agenda of the conference which is that the TNG name is merely a name only and, therefore, is one among many factions participating in the Somali peace and reconciliation process. Again, we couldn't be more pleased. We hope IRIN will not deviate from this admirable new role.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Arab News - 01 November 2002 - We have had our disagreements with the Arab News and editors; however, we are smoothly approaching the homestretch. At any rate, couple of facts need be noted and made clear to you and to the rest of the Arab world:
a) The UN-sponsored and Arab funded Arta TNG is a sub-clan dominated and terror sponsoring fringe organization. They are the opposition not the opposed; they are the minority among the majority; they are the land-less among the landowners; they are the aggressors among the aggrieved; they are the few versus the many. Their name is TNG, but please be aware, they are not Somalia's Transitional National Government.

b) Surprisingly, on your English Language Daily, you report that "...some [Somali] businessmen have used the country's southern agricultural areas to plant narcotic drugs. This explains why Somalia is considered a significant producer and trafficker in narcotics." You continue, "the owners of the land, who originally produced food crops, have been forced off at gunpoint and are now part of the refugee problem rather than contributing to an agricultural solution." Bravo, bravo! You have seen the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel; and you seem to have finally been awakened from your self-induced hibernation and inaction! You definitely have finally comprehended the root cause of the continuous Somali problem. Let us brief you one more time: It is Abdiqassim Salad Hassan's TNG sub-clan and sub-clan merchants that have forced off farmers at gunpoint and evicted them from their land and farms. It is one Mr. Mohamed Daylaaf - Mr. Salad Hassan's close cousin, confidante and his subclan merchants - who in mid 2001 as part of Saudi Arabia's $14 million contributions to the ARTA sub-clan, directly withdrew $3,046,000 (see SHASNA's ARTA Budget Scam Report*) from a Saudi Bank in Jeddah, to subjugate the indigenous landowners and to grow, produce and traffic narcotics in Somalia and throughout Africa and the Middle East. And at the end, as you have cleverly put it, "...to enrich a few powerful criminals, rather than produce food for the general population." Need we say more! Again, bravo...bravo!

Unfortunately and incomprehensibly and against all Islamic rules, regulations and morals, it is Saudi Arabia and other Middle East Muslim tycoons that support the same TNG criminals and sub-clan merchants who evict farmers from their farms and instead grow narcotics in those same fertile fields. Today, dear friends, Kings, Sheiks, elite, editors and Ambassadors, it is Mr. Hassan and his TNG sub-clan that oppose peace and reconciliation in Somalia. It is his close cousin, another merchant, at the BBC Somali Section that is incomprehensibly, in vain and against IGAD rules still insisting that the TNG or DKMG faction is Somalia's national government.

Now that truth has miraculously been revealed to you, will Saudi Arabia and friends continue supporting the same immoral TNG sub-clan and merchants? Will Saudi Arabia publicly denounce and promise not to fund and boycott any warlord and sub-clan leader that opposes the Somali peace and reconciliation process in Eldoret? Will Saudi Arabia finally lift the immoral and politically motivated boycott of Somali livestock? Will Saudi Arabia publicly pledge to support and fund the Eldoret peace process? We hope they will do so!

London, UK
BBC Somali Section and BBC World Service - Here is where all that is rotten in Somalia grows its thousand highly venomous tongues. It is always the BBC Somali Section, supporters of Mogadishu's merchants of death and destruction and their ARTA TNG, that feeds Her Majesty's World Service with lies, innuendoes and sub-clan wishes.

The current Head of the BBC Somali Section and his ilk will sadly do anything to convey and misinform the Somali public in trying to convince its readers and listeners that their TNG sub-clan is Somalia's legitimate government. This head of the BBC Somali Section and his sub-clan supporting cast knowing that IGAD member states and rules committee have predetermined that there is no Somali government in existence, and that each participant is a "faction" no matter what name, have irresponsibly made their self-imposed duty to convey to the Somali public and to the BBC World Service that even though the TNG is a faction, they are still Somalia's legitimate government. They will sadly and vainly do whatever it takes to convey that message. Hence, their message on Wednesday of equating the Bush administration as just a mere "faction" and not as an Executive Branch or even as a legitimate administration. A case in point is the following headline of the Section's Wednesday written Broadcast equating "faction" to a recognized and existing USA administration and therefore, solely intended to misinform Somali readers and listeners into thinking along the BBC's same line of thought:
BBC LAANTA SOOMAALIGA - Arbaca, 30.10.2002 - 09:38 Wakhtiga London
Headline: Hub Baarayaasha oo Warbixin siinaya kooxda [emphasis added] Bush
Translation: BBC Somali - Wednesday, 30.10.2002 - London Time
Headline: Arms Inspectors Inform the Bush Faction

Examples like these which are daily occurrences are either malicious mistranslations or pure incompetency from the top down. Either way, willful mischief was never a hallmark of Her Majesty's BBC, and we hope it will never be.

And not only that, just examine the BBC Somali Section web site and you will note the only Somali links listed are those with links to Mogadishu's Merchants of death and destruction and their TNG allies. We are convinced that Her Majesty neither has links with them nor has any intentions of supporting them. We believe it is just a matter of time before they are caught red-handed; and they will be!

For now, the question is: Would Her Majesty's World Service still rely the very much wounded and bleeding BBC Somali Section? Will IGAD and the world tolerate the endless misinformation and wishes of the BBC Somali Section? We hope not!

Please support peace, unity and justice in Somalia.
...to be Continued...stay tuned!