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From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Fri Sep 24 2010 - 07:05:39 EDT
On Somalia, UN & AU Defend Shelling of Markets & Mosques, Museveni Vs UNSC
By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
24/09/2010
UNITED NATIONS, September 23 -- Since African peacekeepers in Somalia are
paid less than three-quarters of what the UN pays elsehwere, "they all want
to go to Darfur," African Union Commission President Jean Ping told Inner
City Press on Thursday.
Outside a closed door ministerial meeting at the UN on Somalia, Ping and
UN envoy Augustine Mahiga both defended the AU troops' shelling of markets
and mosques in Mogadishu.
Inner City Press has asked about the call by the UN Deputy High
Commissioner for Human Rights for an investigation of the AU peacekeepers'
shelling of civilian areas.
Mahiga said that all what is being called for is a "Mapping Exercise" --
the same term used for the report on genocide in the Democratic Republic of
Congo which has led Rwanda's Paul Kagame government to threaten to pull its
troops out of Darfur.
Days after the Prime Minister of the UN-based Transitional Federal
Government resigned, Inner City Press asked the two men what this portends
for Somalia.
Mahiga said that a new Prime Minister will be named. But that has happened
before.
Inside the meeting, three separate sources tell Inner City Press, Ugandan
President Museveni said that the UN "Security Council has donated Somalia to
a terrorist organization." When Inner City Press asked Mahiga about the
quote, he said it was another way of saying that the international community
should do more. Ya might say. Watch this site.
* * *
Italy to Patrol Off Yemen, Frattini Confirms Before Stealth Meeting, UK Too
By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, September 23 -- Italy will give Yemen an "integrated
satellite Coast Guard system" to patrol the waters between its coast and
Somalia, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told Inner City Press on
Thursday night at the UN.
As Frattini left a closed door meeting about Somalia, Inner City Press asked
him if Italy among with the UK is making such an offer to Yemen, at the
Group of Friend of Yemen meeting.
"Yes," Frattini answered, "we will confirm them tomorrow." He said Italy is
coordinating with the UK, offering not only patrols but also to "train coast
guard officers" with "technical expertise."
Inner City Press asked if this was directed at militant, presumably from
Al Shabab, or would also sweep up refugees. Frattini paused and said Italy
would "help the legal authorities of Yemen" to "better assist refugees."
Little has been heard about the Group of Friend of Yemen meeting, compared
to the meeting on Sudan the same day, or even the Somalia meeting Frattini
was leaving from. Some say that while Yemen is fighting insurgencies -- even
that it has lost control of large segments of its territory -- it wants to
stay off the UN agenda, and does so successfully, including Inner City Press
is told by <http://www.innercitypress.com/tfg1mahiga060910.html> using its
chairmanship of the Group of 77. The meeting may not even be held in the UN.
Watch this
http://www.innercitypress.com/som1banping.jpg
UN's Ban, AU's Ping, Somalia Prez, shelling of mosques not shown
* * *
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