UN Special envoy to Somalia Mr. Ahmedou Ould-Abdalla - Photo: Hiiraan Online

Hiiraan Online
Saturday, August 01, 2009

Ottawa, Canada (HOL) - The United Nation Special envoy to Somalia Mr Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah met with Canadian Foreign Affairs officials in Ottawa, on July 31, 2009. The purpose of Mr. Abdalla’s official visit was to appraise the Canadian officials about the status of the peace process, the significant improvement that the Somali government has made under President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and the challenges facing his government.

This meeting comes on the heels of Mr. Abdallah’s July 29, 2009 address before the UN Security Council where he proposed that the UN take more pro-active role on the Somali issues.

In the Afternoon Mr. Abdalla held a round table discussion with a small group of Somali Community where he also briefed the audience about his recent address to UN Security Council and current situation in Somalia. However, from the proceedings, it was evident that the meeting was stacked with opponents of the UN policy towards Somalia.

Prof. Amina Mire and Prof. Abdiwali M. Ali were particularly critical of the special envoy.  Prof. Mire blamed the envoy on several issues including lack of UN's action on  illegal dumping of nuclear waste and massive and unreported illegal fishing . On the other hand, Prof. Abdiwali Ali also criticized Mr. Abdallah of gearing the UN resources and efforts to the southern problems and sidelining peaceful regions of Puntland and Somaliland.  He further suggested that this is evidenced by the fact that Mr. Abdalla never paid a visit to those regions.  Mr. Abdallah deflated this argument and stated that he and his assistant Susannah Price have visited Puntland and Somaliland many times, and he questioned whether Prof. Abdiwali ever visited those regions.

Some of the participants give advice and recomendations to the envoy on how to move forward to the current situation in Somalia.

One participant in the meeting who chose to remain anonymous summed up the mood of the meeting, “The problem with these critics is that they are just armchair cynics. Their only role, sadly, is to blame those who are dirtying their hands to find solution. It is really a shame”, he said.

Another person in the audience asked why the capital city Mogadishu can not be relocated to a more  peaceful city. Mr. Abdallah responded the decision is entirely to the Somalis and he has nothing to do with.

kucadaye @ 8/4/2009 6:07 PM EST  Saba, once again our views coincide on the the Djibouti Project. What this project has in common with Arta and Mbagetti projects all three were designed to fail. The short-term objective is to sit the theatre for a massive Somali-on-Somali carnage, thus weakening the ability to resist or refuse prescription from the 'international community'. The funders of these projects have no intention to restore an 'effective' Somalia government. They want Somalia to die a slow death leaving behind five or six hapless orphans who will be taken-in (adopted) by good-hearted neighbours. As for the Ould Abdalla meeting I was told a lot of valid questions were paused to him. He had no straight answers. According to a Press Release from the organizers everytime a sensitive question is paused he recites and repeats one Aiya from the Quran!

Simansime @ 8/4/2009 3:25 PM EST  Waraa Ilatali, Afkaaga balaqsan ka leexi Somaliland iyo Puntland mooryaan yahoow is nacay. Prof Abdiwali had raised a valid issue when he said why the UN is wasting all of the monies in Sheekh Shariif's mooryaanland which will never be safe. Amina Mire's most ridicolous point was asking the envoy why Ethiopia was in Somalia, hadda kow maa taas laga hadlaa war qoftu ma waalatay.

saba @ 8/4/2009 1:25 PM EST   Kucadaye, I am si*ck of HOL, Amina Mire and co, and all those who are loud about NOTHING,yet ignoring the most pressing issue in solving the Somalia crises. When i first read the article, i was made aware of the acusations made against HOl of being a tool for UNPOS by non other than HOL itself. I wanted to point out that, untill i listened the debate between Amina and the OULD. My freind Kucadaye, i am not accusing Amina of anything by being a close reltive to Dahir Aways; you misunderstood me. I am criticising her shalowness eventhough she has the privilage to access more information by having such link to a prominent man such as AWAYS. Toxic dumping and citing numbers of U.N resolutions in dealing with Piracy is not the way to address the issue. Generalization and Vague references to resolutions' numbers is what made Somalia's crisies a mystery. If she made the decision to start solving the Somalia crises by addressing pricy issue, which initself is f00lishness, nevertheless, if she had chosent to do that, then why did she not address the PIRACY issue itself? Is she misinformed ar she is just scared to refer to the spanish intel report of 5 yahuud men in london running the Somali piracy?. Aside from that, what is the most important question to ask OULD ABDALLA?. Was it not the question of............... If U.N was really interested solving the Somali problem, then what was the need to prevent those who could solve it . Why did the U.N see it neccessary to have Shariif and only Sharif as a leader for Somalia?. What would have happened if the U.N negotiated the Ethiopian withdrawal and let the UIC as a block decide their own who will be in charge of Somalia. The Asmara group might still have chosen Shariif as the next president, as one block, bt their own. Why was it neccessary to divide them first before Ethiopia withdrew?. Was it a mistake from the OULD side or an agenda of U.N to fail the Islamic movement, and to make the people of Somalia and beyond loose faith in them?. How does that policy in fulfiilled in Djibouti has similarities with ZBIGNEIW BREZEZNISKI'S strategy of division of three for Islamic movements..... 1- The good Taliban (Sharif camp) 2-The bad Taliban (Xizbulislam type) 3- Bad Taliban which has link to alqa*ida (the shabab like). That ZBIG startegy is being applied worldwide, wherever Islamic movement exists. As "educated" persons as they insist to be seen, Amina and her group were supposed to be asking meaningful questions. Or those subjects are not her cup of tea? Then she should stick to Bleaching substance for black women research.

kucadaye @ 8/4/2009 12:57 PM EST  Saba, we have been on the same side on most issues.  But I beg to differ on Hiiraan Reporting of this Ottawa meeting and your personal attack of Prof Amina Mire. Amina was raising legitimate questions on the issues of piracy. She criticised Ould Abdalla for failing to connect the 'piracy' issue with the criminal activities of toxic dumbing and illegal fishing. The fact that she is a close relative of Aweys does not negate the validity of the issues she raised. Ould Abdalla is a hired functionary in the service of foreign interests.  But in doing so he should be made accountable.  He is the face of the hideous conspiracies being hatched in Nairobi, Addis, Washington, Brussels, and else where. Hiiraan reporting of the meeting is biased and an insult to those who attended the meeting. It is an editorial disguised as a news item. I wonder who the annoynmous source who brushed all attendees in one brush and calling them 'cynics'. You normally find such reporting in tabloids.

saba @ 8/4/2009 6:00 AM EST   The mess in Somalia has two elements to it, if i put it simply... One is Local INGREDIENT, ever ready to be exploited. Second is foreign RECIPE, it has all the INGREDIENTS it needs Locally available. If as a Somali Ould Abdalla had given you a chance to ask him questions, what would you have asked him?!!. If a commentator wants to share with us what is the most important questions a Somali should have asked, i appreciate it and come back to continue the debate later.