In Somaliland, EUCAP Nestor Has 7 or 8 Staff, Workshops Not Included, Inner City Press Is Told

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 8, video here, more here -- To fight piracy, EUCAP Nestor has seven or eight staffers in Somaliland, its head of mission Etienne de Poncins told Inner City Press on July 8. When Inner City Press asked about his line about coordinating with the Somali federal government, he replied Mogadishu hadn't objected to the staff in Hargeisa, but that Somaliland is not participating in some of EUCAP Nestor's workshops. Video here.

  Inner City Press also asked Maciej Popowski, Deputy Secretary-General, European External Action Service, about the trust fund of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia. He said it's small but mention assistance to legal proceedings in the Seychelles and Mauritius, for what he called the "legal finish" on piracy cases. 

Back on 29 August 2014 Inner City Press asked the UN to clarify its position on Somaliland. While the UN Spokesman has yet to respond more than 10 days later, in the interim Somaliland officials came to New York and met not only with ambassadors but also Senior UN Political Affairs officials including Jeffrey Feltman. Still, no public answer to the Press. Who authorized the UN to have "secret" policies?

 On August 29 Inner City Press asked:

Inner City Press: I wanted to ask about you gave the statement of Nicholas Kay about Somalia.  And there is something I wanted to ask.  A week ago he tweeted too that he had visited Puntand, Somaliand, Ethiopia and Kenya “all backed Somalia federalism”.  So, this has risen to some concerns because the President of Somaliland has disagreed and said that is not what they said, that they accepted his visit purely on UN system humanitarian thing.  So, he has tried to clarify it a bit and said he made something that wasn't quite clear, but he did respond.  And I wanted to know, maybe he is busy with, obviously, fighting and stuff over there.  From [the Department of Political Affairs] and the Secretariat's point of view, what is their understanding of the relationship between the political office on Somalia and Somaliland?  Do they believe that this visit implies contrary to what the president says?

Spokesman Dujarric:  Let's see what I can get on that.

  Eleven days later, nothing provided. But see this Somaliland announcement, here (hat tip Hargeisa-based Free UN Coalition for Access member Mohamoud Walaaleye)

"A delegation from Somaliland led by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, H.E. Mohamed Behi Yonis, and included Ambassador Mohamud Jama travelled to New York during the first week of September for meetings with high-level officials at the United Nations. The Under-Secretary General for the Department of Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, warmly received Minister Yonis and his colleagues. Minister Yonis highlighted Somaliland’s positive achievements in combating Al Shabaab and maintaining a peaceful and stable nation. His Excellency requested further engagement from the United Nations through accurate reporting and better acknowledgment of Somaliland’s achievements. The meeting provided a good opportunity for Minister Yonis to brief Under-Secretary General Feltman about Somaliland’s relations with Puntland, progress with relations in Sool and Sanaag and the “Khatumo” rebel movement, the status of the Dialogue between Somaliland and Somalia as well as the recent visit of SRSG Nicholas Kay to Hargeisa."

  We'll have more on all this.

  The UN's envoy to Mogadishu Nicholas Kay travels more and works harder than most UN envoy. Still, when he tweeted that Somaliland supports Somalia "federalism," something seemed off.

   Even more so when on August 24 the president of Somaliland Ahmed Mahamoud Silanyo tweeted that "Somaliland will not host UNSOM political office" -- that is, Kay's office.

  So Inner City Press asked Kay on what basis he'd said Somaliland supports Somalia federalism.

  Kay to his credit responded, saying that "@innercitypress In Hargeisa I heard firm commitment to Somaliland's independence & also support for Somalia's state-building progress."

  But the first part of that, commitment to Somaliland's independence, seems quite contrary to a support for Somalia federalism -- at least with Somaliland in it.  Inner City Press replied, "But independence does not equal federalism, no?  

 As to Somalia itself, right after the UN Security Council visited Mogadishu, Somalia's Army and the UN-supported AMISOM force raided Radio Shabelle, jailing journalists.

   On August 19 Inner City Press asked the UK Mission to the UN about the raid and the at least three journalists still in detention: Abdimalik Yusuf Mohamud, Owner of Shabelle and SKY FM, Mohamud Mohamed Dahir a/k/a Mohamud Arab, Director of SKY FM and Ahmed Abdi Hassan, Shabelle deputy head of news.

  On August 20, the UK Mission's spokesperson Iona Thomas told Inner City Press that "the UK is concerned by reports of mistreatment of journalists in Somalia and we are urgently investigating the matter with the Somali authorities."  We hope to have more on this.

  Back on August 15 at the UN noon briefing, Inner City Press on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access asked if there is any UN response to this raid on independent media -- by UN supported forces.

  Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq replied that there was no comment by the UN mission UNSOM under Nicholas Kay, and that Inner City Press should "check with AMISOM."

  But they're the ones who did it. Inner City Press asked again: no UN comment on the closing down of a radio station?

  Haq replied that he has no verification -- it is widely reported - and that he hasn't heard from UNSOM about it. Why not?

   Similarly, little has been heard at UN headquarters from UNSOM about envoy Nicholas Kay's recent visit to Somaliland, of which Kay has said, "Pleased to be in Hargeisa. Excellent talks with HE Mohammed Younis and his colleagues. Good to see our significant UN team in Somaliland."

   FUNCA member in Hargeisa Mohamoud Walaaleye, who has previously defended press freedom there, has made inquiries and provided more information to New York, to FUNCA and Inner City Press, than the UN Spokesperson's Office has conveyed from Kay. 

  What is Kay's response to criticism of his approach to Somaliland, for example here, here and here. (Somali Embassy US saying "UN Envoy Nick Kay actions & policies are threaten the peace, Security, stability, sovereignty & territorial integrity of Somalia)? On this too we hope to have more.

   Back on May 12 in an advance copy of the UN's report on Somalia, to be issued as S/2014/330, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says he is "concerned about the potential for confrontation between Puntland and 'Somaliland.' I call on both sides to avoid escalating tensions."

   Many note that Somaliland, without the quotation marks Ban puts around it, has been more peaceful than Mogadishu for some time - and that the UN system raised tensions by, for example, handing Somaliland's airspace to Mogadishu. 

  Ban's report also says he remains "concerned about the continued export of Somali charcoal" and encourages "the Security Council Committee on Somalia and Eritrea to list the responsible individuals and entities."

  These advance copies have been known to be changed before "final" release, in a process for which a description, and then proposals for reform, were provided here and then here.

 In this advance copy, Ban "strongly recommend[s] to the Council an extension of the mandate of UNSOM for one year to 3 June 2015."

When on April 23 UNSOM envoy Nicholas Kay along with AMISOM head Mahamat Saleh Annadif took questions at the UN, Inner City Press asked them about the new Ugandan guard unit, about the Somalia Eritrea Monitoring Group and about Somaliland including its disputed airspace. Video here from Minute 14:23.

  Kay said, "at the moment we're absolutely clear obviously on the international legal position vis-a-vis Somaliland, it's not a recognized state by anyone. But they have a very strong sense of their own statehood and aspirations to independence."

  Kay referred to the Turkey-facilitated talks between Somaliland and the Somali government in Mogadishi, including about airspace. He said that UN funds and programs operate in Somaliland. But UNSOM does not: Somaliland points to the mandate it was given by the Security Council.

  On the Ugandan guard unit, Kay said they will protect the UN but work with AMISOM. But in March, AMISOM spokesperson Ali Aden Houmed was quoted by Voice of America that "we do not have the fact of what these forces are and they are not part of us... UN and Uganda had been conducting 'a secret negotiation.'" Neither Kay nor Mahamat Saleh Annadif addressed this.

  On sanctions, after Kay recounted improvements in reporting and "information" that are underway, Inner City Press asked if the Somali letter requesting the ouster of SEMG coordinator Chopra has been withdrawn. Kay said he has not seen the letter. Well here it is: Inner City Press exclusively obtained, reported and published it. Has it been withdrawn?

   

Somaliland Redux, of Airspace and Atrocities, As On Somalia Remittances, Will UN Press Barclays?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 18 -- Returning from three days in Somalia, UN humanitarian operations chief John Ging took correspondents' questions on February 18, nearly all of them about Al Shabaab. He replied that the UN must help Somalis to help themselves.

Inner City Press asked Ging about just that: what is the UN going to ensure that remittances from the Somali diaspora are not cut off, as Barclays tried to do last year until stopped by a court case?

Ging replied, "on remittances we are encouraging that all facilities needed" continue, "we don't have the authority or the capacity to decide on these issues [but] we are, on behalf of the Somali people, advocating and seeking to use our influence."

Here's an idea: Barclays has at least in the past trumpeted its respect for human rights with the UN, click here for one example. Is the UN using its (blue washing) influence there? This question goes beyond Ging's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. But coordinating would take it in.

Inner City Press also asked about the on-again, off-again dispute about the air space over Somaliland, in part triggered by the UN system awarding the air space to Mogadishu, which led to suspension of the UN Humanitarian Air Service flights.

Ging replied that on his "last trip there was an agreement brokered in Turkey that found a solution to allow a functioning of the airspace throughout Somalia... the coordinator himself took an UNHAS flight to Hargeisa."

After Ging's briefing had ended, Somaliland-based Free UN Coalition for Access member Mohamoud Ali Walaaleye, who has protested the arrest of journalists there, forwarded these questions:

What is UN's positions regarding the genocide that happened to Somaliland population during Siad Barre's regime, and as Somalia government acknowledged, does UN also do?

Would UN support initiative relative of Somaliland victims slaughtered Jezira beach at Moqadisho intended to uncover their remaining for resting their soil in Somaliland?

We'll have more on this.

Footnote: The first question to Ging was given to the United Nations Correspondents Association, the transcript of whose Q&A session with Ban Ki-moon last week has still not been released. UNCA's president used this perch to ask about a sanctions report not yet public, disputed by the government, on which we will have more. Reuters which bragged about that leaked report has used a bogus Digital Millennium Copyright Act complaint to get a leak of its own anti Press complaint to the UN banned from Google's search. That's why it's the UN Censorship Alliance, and why FUNCA pushes forward.

   

UN Silent on DRC Pardon Request as Moland Dies in Jail, Somaliland News from FUNCA Member in Hargeisa

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 19 -- Not only will this UN never say it's sorry, for example for bringing cholera to Haiti, it won't comment on others' requests for pardon either.

  Inner City Press has twice asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson's office about Congolese legislator Muhindo Nzangi, who was arrested then quickly sentenced to three years in jail for insulting President Joseph Kabila on a Kivu radio station. The most recent answer, on August 15, was that Ban never comments on judgments by independent courts.

  If true - it seems not to be - perhaps Ban should reconsider, as least as to the DRC. While many prisoners die in Congolese jails, Western wire services have covered the death in custody of Norwegian Tjostolv Moland, at 32 years old, after unsuccessfully asking Kabila for a pardon.

  Since under Ban and Herve Ladsous the UN is now committed to trying to "neutralize" any opposition group which Kabila doesn't like, international publicity about deaths in Kabila's jail might be a problem. But Ban is going to South Korea, and Ladsous has been missing for a while.

Some good news, for once: from Somaliland, Free UN Coalition for Access member Mohamoud Walaaleye tells us that the ban then threats against Hubaal newspaper have been removed. We have a copy of the pardon but are not yet sure if it's also an apology. But in any event, it's more than this UN does. Watch this site.

   

Somalia Sanctions Violated by US, France, UK & Even UN, UNMAS' David Bax & Ladsous Redux

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 23 -- The UN's Somalia sanctions report, in portions scarcely reported by Western wire services, notes violations by France, the US, the UK and the UN itself. 

   Can the UN violate its own sanctions? It does: see Reportat Page 333, Paragraph 88 and below.

  The UK among other things brought in weapons for its private security provider, G4S Security Services. 

   Now the UK's Nicholas Kay is in charge of the UN's Somalia mission; while responsive, he has declined to answerabout UN Mine Action Service chief David Bax providing information to US intelligence, telling Inner City Press this is a "question for New York" - where UNMAS and theDepartment of Peacekeeping Operations under Frenchman Herve Ladsous do not answer.

  As to France, the recent report says that "according to civil aviation records, the Government of France operated three military cargo flights to Somalia in October 2012, and one in February 2013, plus two military helicopter flights in August and December 2012 from Djibouti to Hargeisa. On 24 October 2012, the Monitoring Group witnessed at Mogadishu airport a large quantity of cargo, including large wooden boxes, being offloaded by unidentified French personnel, with the assistance of AMISOM military personnel, from a French military Transall registered 61-ZA.

  "The Monitoring Group is unaware of any notification by France to the Committee concerning military flights to Somalia, except the one approved by the Committee in December 2012. On 17 April 2013, the Monitoring Group sent a letter to the Government of France requesting clarification and additional information. In a letter dated 30 April 2013, the French Government confirmed to the Committee that such flights were conducted in order to transport support and assistance to Somali security sector institutions."

  As to the United States, and as may relate to Bax and UNMAS, the report states that "between 14 September 2010 and 30 March 2013, the Monitoring Group counted 236 flights to Somalia operated by Prescott Support Co. and RAM Air Services, mostly originating from Djibouti and bound for Bosaso and Galkayo, and sometimes Mogadishu.. These two U.S.-based private air companies operate flights to Somalia on behalf of the U.S. Government in support of Somali security sector institutions.

  "On one occasion, the Monitoring Group received uncorroborated information about the boarding at Galkayo airport of a handcuffed and blindfolded passenger, accompanied by several other individuals. However, the United States Government has not replied to date to the Monitoring Group’s request for additional information, including the passenger list, flight plan and cargo manifest, concerning that flight."

  And yet the UN (and US) demand compliance by others.

  As to the UN, the report states flatly that since January 2012, since January 2012, the UN "has provided Somali security forces with vehicles,and police and communication equipment, in technical violation of the arms embargo on Somalia." Now what? Watch this site.

   

In Somaliland, UN Returns Airspace It Grabbed for Somalia, Where UN Mine Service Bax Racket Continues

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 15 – When Somaliland and Somalia met in Turkey last week, the issue of the UN's unilateral grab of Somalialand's air space came up. 

  The final communique “agreed to the return of the air traffic management from the UN and decided to establish a joint control body that is based in Hargeisa to lead the air traffic control of both sides. It is also agreed that this body will propose a mechanism for equitable revenue-sharing.”

On this basis, Free UN Coalition for Access member Mohamoud Walaaleye tells us, Somaliland's “Minister of Aviation, Mohamoud H. Abdi, today announced revoking their earlier suspension of UN planes reaching its airports.

 "At a press conference Minister Abdi, hold at his office inside Egal airport said, 'according to agreements reached Turkey, I announce today the revoking of them temporary suspension of UN planes reaching our airports. With preliminary agreements, we proclaim reopening UN flights.'”

He's also provided us a copy of the July 5 suspension order, which we put online here.

  Meanwhile in Mogadishu, the UN and its UN Mine Action Service have stonewalled questions raised about UNMAS boss David Bax sharing information with US intelligence, and near total control of the compound, quid pro quos.

  Nicolas Kay told Inner City Press this is a question for New York. But the UN in New York, from UNMAS to UN Peacekeeping's Herve Ladsous, have refused to answer the question. UN people say this has all put them at risk. But so it goes. Watch this site.

   

As Somaliland Journalists Jailed, Fight Back by FUNCA Member, UN Censorship Alliance Contrasted

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 3 -- With the UN less and less willing to answer questions, whether about which Congolese Army units it works with or even which Syria villages Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was referring to in a July 2 statement, there's been talk of a media strike at the UN.

  Some have proposed not going to the UN noon briefing, not asking questions, even not writing stories. But that might be just what the UN has in mind. And many large media have already reduced their UN presence and coverage substantially.

  The view of Inner City Press and the new Free UN Coalition for Access is that in New York and places like it, the better response is simply to report more, to ask more questions and report on the (non) answers, to talk with more sources and dig deeper.

  But we realize that in some other places the possibilities and dynamics are different. 

  For example in Somaliland, on which Inner City Press has been reporting for months, Free UN Coalition for Accessmember Mohamoud Walaaleye has protested the Hargeisa Regional Court's sentencing to prison of Hubaal newspaper's manager Mohamed Ahmed Jama Aloley for one year and editor Hassan Hussein Kefkef, for two years.

  This was on charges of “propagating false information,” reporting on smuggling by diplomats and the capacities of elected officials, and came after an attack on the newspaper's office by authorities and a suspension of publication.

  Mohamoud Walaaleye, who asks questions not only in Hargeisa but to UN officials, tells us that the “Somaliland media association, (SOLJA) is incapacitated to reach a common stand condemning this action. For that, I, Mohamoud Walaaleye, reached a decision of withholding all my journalism activities till the discharged of the jail sentences of my colleagues at Hubaal newspaper.”

  Now that, and to a lesser degree this, is what solidarity is all about. By contrast, UN headquarters' chosen partner UNCA tried in 2012 to get the investigative press thrown out of the UN; its first vice president, Louis Charbonneau of Reuters, passed internal “UNCA only” documents immediately to UN officials, here.

  The Free UN Coalition for Access has been founded to counter all that. Not only has the UN fought it, it has tried to even outlaw the name and sign of FUNCA. But UNCA has two signs and more, much more. We'll have more on this. Watch this site.

  

On Somalia, UN's Kay Says Guards Armed, Question of UNMAS Giving US Info Is For NY

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 1 -- For nine days, the UN has refused to confirm or even just deny to Inner City Pressdetailed allegations that in Somalia the UN Mine Action Service chief David Bax shares information with US intelligence.

  After UNMAS chief Agnes Marcaillou ignored detailed e-mail questions, Inner City Press asked UK Ambassador to the UN Mark Lyall Grant, and separately at the UN's noon briefing -- and was told to “ask DPKO.” But Herve Ladsous, the fourth French chief of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, has openly refused to answer any Press questions, video compilation here.

  Finally today July 1, nine days after Inner City Press' first exclusive story, UN Somalia envoy Nicholas Kay held a Twitter Q&A for an hour. He fielded questions about Somaliland, Kismayo, Aweys, Puntland -- and initially not the UNMAS / Bax question, which was then re-iterated by the new Free UN Coalition for Access through @FUNCA_info.

  When Kay replied, it was to @InnerCityPress with this: “Sorry your question is one for NY. My impression in 1st month is UNMAS doing important work in Somalia.”

  The problem is, Inner City Press has repeatedly asked the question in New York, without answer other than this:

Subject: Your questions on Somalia.
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Wed, Jun 26, 2013 at 9:43 AM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

The Department of Peacekeeping Operations does not discuss internal communications or emails received with media correspondents. UNMAS personnel are not authorised to carry guns and do not do so.

  So the main question still has to be answered. There are other troubling UNMAS Mogadishu questions, including harassment and hypnotism, noted Monday by a reader. Even on the guns question, Kay went on to say, “@innercitypress We take staff safety seriously. Some of our guards are armed.”

  Inner City Press immediately asked if this includes UNMAS contractor Denel a/k/a Mechem, but by then Kay's twitter Q&A (held from Europe, apparently) was over. So this has to be answered to.

  Still Kay did better than most UN officials. He was conciliatory to the many Somaliland questions, including from a FUNCA collaborator in Hargeisa. He said l'affaireAweys is up to Somali justice. But what if US intelligence, or the same middleman Bancroft Global Development, is involved?

  Ultimately, Kay cannot leave to be (not) answered in New York the question of alleged improper passing of information to US intelligence by UN system personnel in Mogadishu.

 As the whistleblower raised, it impacts staff safety, credibility and Kay's ability to do his job. Plus, Kay has a responsibility to act on the reported witch hunt at the UN in Mogadishu to try to find the whistleblower rather than address the complaints. But Monday, Kay did better than most UN officials. Watch this site.

  

UNDP Seeks Outside "Security Firms" in Somaliland, While Nicholas Kay Won't Say If UNSOM Will Close and Leave

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 15 -- While one part of the UN, Mogadishu-based Nicholas Kay as new head of the UNSOM, purports to be wooing Somaliland to accept his mission there, another part of the UN is soliciting bids for "professional security firms" to operate in Hareisa and Burao in Somaliland.

  Seeking such services, with bids still open until June 20, is the UN Development Program. 

  This is the same UNDP involved in handing over Somaliland's air space to Somalia, leading to the suspension of some UN flights in and out of the country, as Inner City Press reported. 

  Inner City Press has asked the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and WFP Logistics, What's the status of UN flights into Somaliland?

  Now on the "UN Global Marketplace" UNDP is inviting, until June 20, qualified professional security firms to submit their interest for security guarding services at the United Nations Common Compounds (UNCC) in Hargeisa and UN Facility in Burao." UNDP specifies:

"The UNCC comprises of five blocks and open spaces covering a total of 13,849 sqm and serves as the sub-office for UNDP and other UN agencies. There are approximately 70 staff members in the compound at any one time. Security is also extended to the nearby UN dispensary in Hargeisa and the Joint UN facility in Burao. The Burao facility has 3 self-contained rooms two conference rooms and is enclosed in a perimeter wall.

The proposer will be responsible for enforcing UN rules and regulations governing the access to UN compounds and facilities under UNDPs control. The proposer should have knowledge of safety and security issues including experiences in operation of fire fighting equipment, assessment of potential threats and crime prevention, operating communication equipment, access control, guarding compounds, patrolling, handling incoming suspicious parcels and dealing with crowds."

  To understand these seemingly different approaches from two parts of the UN -- which talk a lot under Secretary General Ban Ki-moon about being "One UN" -- Inner City Press has asked Nick Kay himself, through the Digital Diplomacy social media on which Kay responds for example to UK-based Somalis who claim that even asking about Somaliland makes one a lobbyist for separatism. 

How much of the UK's interest in Somalia is as a matter of domestic politics? 

  Inner City Press asked Kay, did Somaliland's foreign minister tell you UNSOM "should close"? What are the next steps? (One might add, how does this impact the procurement above, including staffing levels?)

  The larger point is, there are long-standing and legitimate claims in Somaliland, but the UN or at least parts of it simply ignore them. Is it a matter of bureaucracy? Of the "love of states"? Is it a double standard when compared to the UN's solicitude to other group's claims? These are questions the UN, in the first instance Nicholas Kay, should answer. Watch this site.

In Somaliland,Kay's UNSOM Not Welcome, Sources Tell ICP, No Shotgun Marriage

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 13 -- At the UN noon briefing on June 13, it was proudly announced that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's new British envoy to Somalia, Nicholas Kay, was making his first visit to Somaliland, which he called an "island of relative peace."

Hours later, sources in Hargeisa called Inner City Press saying Kay was told that his UNSOM mission cannot operate in Somaliland -- its mandate is for Somalia, of which Somaliland says it is not a part.

The sources told Inner City Press that Kay declined to speak to the media in Hargeisa and instead "flew off to Nairobi."

As Inner City Press reported in April, Somaliland's letter to the Security Council was never distributed to the Council members. Then the UN system gave Somaliland's airspace to Somalia, triggering a ban on UN flights.

The UN's idea seems to be if they just pretend everything's ok, and bandy about the compliment that there is much to be learned for Somaliland, the problem (from the perspective of the UN and Mogadishu) will go away, and a "shotgun marriage" can be effectuated. Watch this site.