SOMALIA'S (S)ELECTIONS

As you may know, Somalia is going through its very unique process of political selection this month, a first move in years to attempt to renew all its political elite.

Somalilandpress just published today the full list of Presidential candidates. One is my former colleague from the BBC, just upt to last week editor of the BBC Somali Service, Yusuf Garad Omar.

Here is the list below:
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MOGADISHU — Somalia released a list of more than 21 candidates who have qualified to run in this month’s presidential election, including incumbent Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and his current prime minister, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali.

The list, which some say is double that figure, includes the son of Somalia’s last Dictator-president General Mohamed Siad Bare and the current speaker of parliament Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden. New players include the journalist and former head of the BBC Somali services, Yusuf Garad Omar.

In less than a week the yet to be formed 275-member parliament will decide the country’s president in post-transition period. The arbitration committee tasked to choose the 225 legislators based on a tribal power-sharing system known as 4.5 formula have so far submitted only 184 names.

Deadline to form the parliament has already expired and presidential election is also expected to face its own delays and setbacks.

The 135-member committee said the process was hampered by what they said was state interference in a bid to dominate influential groups to gain wider political support before elections.
This week they protested a ‘government interference’ in their selection process and said it was making their decision very difficult. The government denied trying to influence the process.

As a part of an agreement by Somali leaders, the formation of the parliament will help end the transitional mandate in Somalia after two decades. Once selected, the lawmakers will elect a speaker, two deputy speakers and a president.

Below, we list the major candidates:

1: Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, the current President and member of Abgal sub-clan of Hawiye.
2: Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gas, current PM and member of Majertein sub-clan of Darod.
3: Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, former Finance Minister of Somalia, and the current Speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament, a member of Ashraaf sub-clan of Digil and Mirifle.
4: Maslah Mohamed Siad Bare, the son of Somalia’s last dictator and member of the Marehan sub-clan of Darod.
5: Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed “Farmajo”, former prime minister and member of the Marehan sub-clan of Darod.
6: Abdullahi Ahmed Adow, former Finance Minister of Somalia and Ambassador to the United States, born in Barawa, he is a member of the Habar Gedir sub-clan of Hawiye.
7: Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, a senior administration member of Mogadishu University, member of the Abgal sub-clan of Hawiye.
8: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, a teacher/researcher, a graduate of Somali National University and member of the Abgal sub-clan of Hawiye.
9: Prof. Ahmed Ismail Samatar, writer, professor and former dean of the Institute for Global Citizenship at Macalester College, he is member of the Samaroon sub-clan of Dir. He is the only candidate who originally hail from Somaliland.
10: Haji Mohamed Yassin, Real Estate businessman who holds a degree in public administration and member of Majertein sub-clan of Darod. His businesses operate in a number of African countries but started in Zimbabwe.
11: Abdirahman Abdulshakur Warsame, a lawyer who graduated from International University of Africa and National University of Malaysia and a member of the Habar Gedir sub-clan of Hawiye.
12: Mohamed Nur Galal, a Major General, who served under dictator Mohamed Siad Bare as the intelligence chief. He is a member of the Habar Gedir sub-clan of Hawiye.
13: Hassan Abshir Farah, a member of the Majertein sub-clan, he served as the mayor of Mogadishu and prime minister. He also holds a law degree from the Somali National University.
14: Prof. Ali Mohamed Gedi, a veterinarian turned politician. He was the prime minister under president Abdillahi Yusuf and is a member of the Abgal sub-clan of Hawiye.
15: Abdiwahid Elmi Gonjeh, little known politician who temporarily held the prime minister post after the ouster of Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke. He is a member of the Majertein sub-clan of Darod.
16: Salad Ali Jelle, a member of the Abgal and the former Deputy Minister of Defense.
17: Dr Hussein Khalif Haji Jama “Atosh”, a member of the Majertein sub-clan, he is a banker and new comer to the politics.
18: Yusuf Garad Omar Ahmed, a member of the Habar Gedir sub-clan, is the former head of BBC Somali Service in London and a multilingual journalist.
19: Dr. Said Issa Mohamud, received a PhD in Chemical Science in Mogadishu where he later taught science classes. He also has a degree in Political Leadership from the University of Southern Maine. He is a member of the Habar Gedir sub-clan of Hawiye.
20: Osman Haji Omar “Falko”, a general and the former deputy chief of Somali Police under Siad Bare. He is a member of the Mursade sub-clan of Hawiye.
21: Dr. Mohamed Mohamud Guled “Gama’dheere”, the former interior minister and a fluent speaker of Somali, Arabic, Italian, Romanian and English. Member of the Habar Gedir sub-clan, he has Bachelor’s, Master’s and PHD degrees in the fields of Economics and Agriculture.
Most Somalis believe the current president will reclaim the seat easily, who has wide support among all Somali lawmakers and clans.

Somalilandpress

Amadou et Mariam appelle à la paix au Mali (BBC Afrique)

Au Mali, le gouvernement a denoncé un "acte ignoble" qui rend une intervention militaire "inévitable" pour reconquérir le nord du pays, suite à l'amputation d'une main d'un voleur présumé par les islamistes à Ansongo, au sud de la ville de Gao.

Et cela s'est passé devant des dizaines de personnes, sur une place publique.

La nuit derniere, un soldat malien a été tué près de Bamako dans des conditions "troubles" selon les temoins.

Il appartenait au corps d'élite qui assurait la protection de l'ex-président renversé Amadou Toumani Touré, ce corps surnommes les "Bérets rouges".

La situation est donc de plus en plus precaire dans le pays alors que la CEDEAO a entame hier 5 jours de reunions dans le but de former une force d'intervention.

Le but est d'obtenir un mandat de l'ONU autorisant l'entreprise de reconquete du nord du pays.

Dans ce contexte, les Maliens manifestent de plus en plus leurs inquiétudes.

Cette semaine, une équipe de la BBC a pu rencontrer le célèbre couple de chanteurs maliens Amadou et Mariam. Leurs chansons d'amour nées de leur rencontre dans une école pour aveugles de Bamako ne cessent de proner la paix et les artistes déplorent la crise que subit leur pays, tout en se disant porteur d'un message de conscience politique et d'unité.

Notre magazine de ce vendredi sur BBC Afrique est conscré aux Maliens Amadou et Mariam... Il est réalisé par Leslie Goffe à New York lors de leur tournée.

Ecoutez sur http://www.bbc.co.uk/afrique/.

News from Mali

Mali was making headlines on BBC Soir and is still on BBC Matin, our morning programme broadcast from the BBC office in Dakar, Senegal.

Islamists in Northern Mali have applied the first sentence of amputation for theft in the city of Ansogo yesterday, raising general outrage.

More from BBC Afrique's website here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/afrique/region/2012/08/120809_charia_mali.shtml

Mali: amputation au nom de la Charia

Les islamistes du mouvement pour l'unicité et le jihad en Afrique de l'Ouest (Mujao), ont tranché la main d’un présumé voleur.

Ils l’avaient reporté, cette fois-ci ils l’ont fait. Les islamistes du Mujao ont coupé mercredi la main à un présumé voleur de moto à Ansogo, au Sud de Gao.
Cette peine était censée être appliquée la semaine dernière. Mais des jeunes de Gao s’y étaient violemment opposés. Le report ne s’est donc pas transformé en grâce.
Selon des témoins, la sentence a été exécutée sur une place publique en présence de plusieurs dizaines de curieux.
"C'est la loi de Dieu (…) C'est la charia qui exige ça " a expliqué à l'AFP Mohamed Ould Abdine, un chef islamiste d'Ansongo.

Envers et contre tous

Les islamistes affirment que s’ils avaient reporté l'application la peine, ce n’était point sous la pression populaire. « La dernière fois, nous avons reporté l'amputation à cause de l'intervention des notables, non à cause de la population qui ne peut rien » a indiqué Mohamed Ould Abdine.
Cette amputation est la première depuis que les villes de Gao et de Tombouctou sont sous la coupe réglée des islamistes du Mujao et d’Ansar dine. Elle risque de ne pas être la dernière. « Dans quelques jours, nous allons faire la même chose à Gao. Personne ne peut nous empêcher de faire ça », a menacé le chef islamiste.
Dans un rapport publié devant le conseil de sécurité, mercredi, Ban Ki-moon, le secrétaire général de l’ONU, a appelé à prendre des « sanctions ciblées » contre les islamistes du nord Mali.

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News in English here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19195985

More on Nigeria, Clinton and Boko Haram

The main news from Africa today:

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Naigeria. Here is the summary of expectation in French, from my following work for BBC Afrique's news to be on air tonight at 1800 Universal time

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Hillary Clinton est arrivée au Nigeria dans le cadre de sa vaste tournée diplomatique en Afrique. La secrétaire d’Etat américaine va s’entretenir avec le Président nigérian Goodluck Jonathan, autour des relations spéciales entre leurs deux pays, notamment sur les questions pétrolières et sécuritaires.

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Les observateurs des relations américano-nigérianes s’attendent à ce qu’Hillary Clinton mette l’accent sur l’insécurité grandissante dans le pays, après les récentes attaques terroristes imputées aux islamistes de la secte Boko Haram.

La secte est encore une fois soupçonnée d’être responsable d’attaques contre une église dans le centre du pays qui a eu lieu en début de semaine, même si pour l’instant, elle n’a pas été revendiquée.

La rencontre entre Hillary Clinton et Goodluck Jonathan devrait donc être dominée par le problème Boko Haram.

Les efforts militaires nigérians pour gérer les islamistes radicaux ont échoué, et le Nigeria semble avoir désespérément besoin d’un plan B.

Beaucoup se demande ce que Mme Clinton peut offrir au Nigeria dans cette situation, au-delà d’un nouveau soutien militaire et de renforts en matière de renseignements.

Aux Etats-Unis, des hommes politiques débattent pour vérifier jusqu’à quel point Boko Haram peut être un danger pour les intérêts américains.

Le groupe aurait déjà noué des liens avec des groupes affiliés à la nébuleuse islamiste Al Qaida et devient une menace de plus en plus flagrante pour l’ensemble de la région ouest-africaine et même au-delà.

L’un des liens clés entre les deux pays reste le pétrole. Le Nigeria est le 5eme fournisseur de pétrole brut des Etats-Unis.

Avec les violences grandissantes, personne ne peut nier la possibilité que la production de brut du Nigeria risque d’être affectée.

Hillary Clinton pourrait également aborder le sujet de la corruption qui mine le pays.

On ne peut nier qu’il existe un lien entre le détournement de l’argent issu de l’industrie pétrolière, la pauvreté rampante et l’insécurité.  

Le Nord du Nigeria ou Boko Haram est le plus actif est bien moins développé que le reste du pays.

Hillary Clinton ne sera certainement pas la première à demander au Président nigérian et à son ministre de la justice pourquoi ils n’entreprennent pas plus d’efforts pour punir les hommes politiques qui pillent les finances publiques…

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We will have an analysis about Boko Haram in our evening programme tonight. Stay tuned.

Mogadishu, a year later

Today, August 7 also marks a year after the so-called liberation of Mogadishu, the Somali capital from the Al Shabab forces.

As I wrote many time here, I was in Mogadishu late April with the AMISOM to report on the newest events since the departure of the islamists milicia men and to follow up I wrote this article, in French, on BBC Afrique's website.

Our journalist in charge of the webpages chose this spectacular photograph to illustrate the assembly of Somali people in Mogadishu stadium, a fomr Shabaab stronghold, which newly became a symbol of newfound freedom:

Courtesy AFP

Here are some of my own picture from Mogadishu's stadium and below the article in French.

One of the photographers travelling with us with the AMISOM

Ugandan and Burundian soldiers of the AMISOM pushed away the Shabaab from the Stadium in August 2011

A year ago, this stadium was a islamists' stronghold

The stadium was one of Al Shabaab's training centre and the ground was still covered of bullets and cartridges in May 2012

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Mogadiscio: un an sans Al Shebab

La Somalie célèbre le premier anniversaire de la ‘libération’ de Mogadiscio, sa capitale, ravagée par 20 ans de guerre civile.

Mogadiscio connait une paix relative depuis que les militants du groupe islamiste Al Shebab ont été chassés hors de la ville il y a un an par les forces de maintien de la paix de l’Union Africaine, l’Amisom.
Pour l'occasion des centaines de Somaliens se sont rendus lundi au stade de Mogadiscio, ancien bastion Shebab libéré en août dernier, pour fêter ce premier anniversaire.
L’Amisom a réaffirmé son intention de soutenir le processus de paix en cours dans le pays.
La déclaration de la fin des opérations militaires à Mogadiscio par l’Amisom a permis de rouvrir le processus de transition politique.

Le Premier ministre actuel, dirigeant du TFG, le Gouvernement fédéral de transition, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, a pris ses fonctions en juin 2011 et déclare se concentrer sur l’organisation des prochaines élections, dès l’été, pour mettre fin à la période de transition actuelle : “Nous traversons un période cruciale; la Somalie est passée d’une ère de total chaos à celle de la paix et de la stabilité. Et nous avons à présent un plan politique et une feuille de route. La Somalie est en transition depuis 12 ans, et cela touche à sa fin, je l’espère en ce mois d'août 2012 nous aurons un nouveau parlement, une nouvelle Constitution et un nouveau gouvernement. Un gouvernement, je le souhaite, non plus transitionnel mais permanent”.

Al Shabab reste "une menace sérieuse pour la paix et la stabilité"

Néanmoins, un rapport de l'ONU évoquait récemment des liens entre les Shebab et d'autres groupes islamistes de la région, notamment au Kenya, en Tanzanie et au Yémen et estimait que le mouvement restait "une menace sérieuse à la paix, la sécurité et la stabilité" en Somalie et plus largement sur "la scène internationale".

"Même s'ils sont affaiblis, ils sont toujours capables de faire des ravages", juge le représentant spécial de l'ONU pour la Somalie, Augustine Mahiga.
La perte de leurs principaux bastions des Shebabs s'est malgré tout traduite par une hausse des défections parmi ses partisans.
L'Amisom espère désormais pouvoir prendre le dernier fief shebab dans le sud du pays, le port de Kismayo.

Elle estime qu'il ne suffira cependant pas de combattre les insurgés pour les défaire.
“Faire échec aux insurgés se fera en les appelant pour qu'ils rejoignent le processus de paix”, estime Audace Nduwumunsi, commandant du contingent burundais de l'Amisom.
“Nous pouvons capturer toutes les villes, les Shebab seront toujours là - quand nous arrivons dans une ville, ils se fondent dans la population".
Cela explique la menace persistante de ces milices et la récurrence des attaques, même en plein cœur de Mogadiscio, pourtant libérée depuis un an.

Our African news

Hello people.

As you can imagine, I am not in London only to enjoy the beautiful and rich art scene and the cultural diversity.



I am working back from BBC Afrique's newsroom, as I mention early July, in New Broadcasting House, from Monday I have been presenting our evening news programme and will be for the next two weeks on African news.

Our programme and our interviews are in French as broadcast in French-speaking Africa but here is a summary in English if you are interested.

Today was a busy day for Mali, Ivory Coast and DR Congo and our first interviewee was Djibrill Bassolé, Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister. He travelled today for the first time in Northern Mali, where he met with some representatives of islamist movements Ansar Dine and MUJAO.

You can listen our interview in our evening edition on our website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/afrique/

Or you can catch an abstract in our morning edition from 4:30 GMT and 6:00 universal time.

A summary of his explanations is also on our website here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/afrique/nos_emissions/2012/08/120807_bassole_son.shtml

In Ivory Coast, the FPI members, supporting their leader and former president Laurent Gbagbo has rejected accusations their forces might be responsible for the attacks against the army forces that occured this weekend and Monday.

And in DRC, Valerie Amos, the UN secretary general for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has arrived in Goma today, in North Kivu, after landing in Kinshasa on Monday. She met with official and civilians and urge to help protecting the local population, after weeks of violence between the army forces (FARDC) and the rebel movement militians of the M23.

Samuel Dixon, analyst based in Goma for Oxfam was our guest in our studio to comment on the difficulties the inhabitants of Eastern Congo are still facing.

Our main guest was finally Dr. Lori-Anne Théroux-Bénoni, West Africa specialist from the University of Toronto, to comment on the increasing violence in Ivory Coast.

More on African news tomorrow and stay tuned.

Musical Sunday

Listening to my favourite musical radio from Paris on my iPad, I was lucky enough to discover this fantastic track and listened to it all day - I now wish to share:

Night Works - 'I Tried So Hard'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZADRRCx8d0


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The music video here:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQYwyfSxjzo

And an article fron the Guardian published this spring on this envouting song:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/mar/07/night-works-tried-so-hard

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If anyone knows more, let me know. Thanks!

Morning view

 

It's not me, it's the globe... Pointing from the very first moment of the day at the ocean, the South of the northern hemisphere with these two extreme points: Mexico, West, and Dakar, East.

I look at the ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and I can hear travel calling...

London's new Brooklyn? Bermondsey

It is South of the river, beyong an iconic bridge and has seen the newest art galleries settle lately, in between its fancy street market and hispster cafes, rings a bell? Brooklyn maybe? Nope, Bermondsey, London.

This small neighbourhood like only London has sits just South East from London Bridge; to reach it you just need to go through the new hectic site of construction aroung the London Bridge Station, pass by the new tallest building in Europe, The Shard, and climb down the stairs towards Saint Thomas Street. 5 minutes later you'll be on Bermondsey Street.

 London Bridge

The Shard in the sun

Once over the Shard's dizziness, you turn into a very suburban, arty and tourist free neighbourhood, in the very heart of London, SE1, 20 minutes away from the so-well-know Tower Bridge or Tate Modern.

 The view on the Shard from Bermondsey / Saint Thomas Streets corner

Bermondsey is the home of the trendy Maltby Street Market and has attracted around lots of lovely restaurants and welcoming cafes like the unmissable Street Cafe, on Bermondsey Street.

Bermondsey Street

Bermondsey Street is also the home of the White Cube Gallery in South London, qu'on ne presente plus...

The gallery currently host incredible pieces by the Chinese artist Zhang Huan. Zhang Huan was born in 1965 in Anyang City, Henan Province, and lives and works in Shanghai, China. From 1998 to 2005, he lived in New York, where he gained international recognition.

 The White Cube Gallery's entrance in Bermondsey

The very black-and-white White Cube Gallery

 Chinese art is all over London

Bermondsey is definitely worth a tour.

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If you need more evidence of it's trendiness:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/jan/13/bermondsey-london-se1-property-review

Let's move to: Bermondsey, London SE1

"It's quite the foodie mecca, with fancy lofts to match – perfect city living, if you can afford it", Guardian

Shoreditch, mon amour

Ah London is all about East London...

New trendy neighbourhoods, olympics stadium, mixing, culture and nightlife, the East end has it all!

And East London starts actually quite central, in one of my favourite area I want to pay a small homage to in this blog with a few pictures: Shoreditch.

Old Street is the coolest Tube station in London, but it has the ugliest roundabout in town! Don't stop at this piece of failure of architecture, there is definitely more aroung the corner...

Commercial Street versus Commercial City

East London is the place where the Olympic mood start! Here is Damon Albarn on an ad for a sport brand, along with some other famous sport brand's message... at the corner of Old Street and Great Eastern Street.

The view on the new tallest building in Western Europe, the Shard

The area around Hoxton Square has for long been a hub for street art and is now one of the spot where the most famous art galleries have settled, following the ultra-well-know and prestigious White Cube.

The White Cube Gallery is the heart of Hoxton's beat and the home of Young British Artists

Galleries and artists have long attracted cool bars and a vibrant music scene, like in the Electricity Showroom:

The Electricity Showroom: http://www.electricityshowrooms.com/

Hoxton is in the Borough of Hackney and the hipster part of Shoreditch, with its taste of almost every parts of the world:

The famous Hoxton Square corner

Art meets streets

Rooftop art experimentation

Street messaging

A taste of Mexico ?

Japanese and Thai restaurants, Mexican bars, French cafes, British pubs, old factories, Italian designers, African fashion....

Shoreditch is also a good spot to enjoy the olympic mood this summer, no doubt...

But do not miss the art because of the sport mood, my humble advise!

See you there folks.