Neither Sheikh Sharif nor Sakiin will be in the new TFG

[Voltage]

This was directly said by Daniel Yamamoto, the recent Bush appointed American ambassador to Ethiopia and now Obama's deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. He said this recently in a meeting with Seattle's Somali community.

His direct words were, after asked about the composition of the post-transitional government in a year's time and whether it would contain the corrupt members of the TFG now; "The conditions for participation in Somalia's post-transitional government after the current mandate expires will be such that neither the president, nor the speaker of the parliament, nor most parliamentarians will be eligible to sustain membership in the future administration."

I did not exactly understand what the conditions were and I took it to mean "educational" reasons.

[TheLoFather]

why should foriegners decide who should or should not be in this future somali administration? should it not be solely the wishes and aspiration of the somali people who must decide the direction of their governments?

we might as call somalia the 52nd state or another kilil of ethiopia.

[RovingMadness]

As we speak, the mechanisms for the Somali Elders Council which will help in the formation of the new parliament are being finalized. With regards to whether Sakiin or Sharif will be part of TFG III, that's open for debate; but much will depend on the actual ground circumstances in Somalia and whether the government sustains & consolidates upon it's recent successes. We also have to remember that as it stands now the Troop Contributing Countries (TCC) wield much bigger influence than the Western Countries and specially the US. The Americans were hell-bent on holding elections this August & the Ugandan & Burundi leaders specifically stated that progress was being made in Somalia and in the event certain countries took steps to change horses through mid-journey, that they will withdraw their troops. This ultimately forced the International Community to swallow their pride and accept a one-year extension of the TFG.

The Americans might be bankrolling AMISOM, but they are not the kibgmakers. It's in America's interest that Al Shabab and terrorism is defeated in East Africa. This is a strategic policy for them and if they overplay their hand and agitate the countries sacrificing troops on the ground, it will devastate America's strategic objectives. The only strategic compass for America & why it's even involved is terrorism. This is what will determine their position ultimately.

[greenday]

why should foriegners decide who should or should not be in this future somali administration? should it not be solely the wishes and aspiration of the somali people who must decide the direction of their governments?

we might as call somalia the 52nd state or another kilil of ethiopia.

Ma aragtay bal?

Cant believe the man admitted to America controling the Somali fate infront of Somali people. Am guessing everyone clapped instead of telling him its non of your business who can or cant have membership.

[RovingMadness]

why should foriegners decide who should or should not be in this future somali administration? should it not be solely the wishes and aspiration of the somali people who must decide the direction of their governments?

we might as call somalia the 52nd state or another kilil of ethiopia.

Ma aragtay bal?

Cant believe the man admitted to America controling the Somali fate infront of Somali people. Am guessing everyone clapped instead of telling him its non of your business who can or cant have membership.

Somalis only care about immediate goals- not the big picture. Some people want Sharif to leave office, they will cheer for anyone that says so & regardless of anything

[Voltage]

why should foriegners decide who should or should not be in this future somali administration? should it not be solely the wishes and aspiration of the somali people who must decide the direction of their governments?

we might as call somalia the 52nd state or another kilil of ethiopia.

I am just the messenger sxb and perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise that America wields heavy influence in the TFG. I think everyone in the meeting was caught off guard by how confident and frank the American policy maker in Africa was about the TFG. This guy is not someone brought into Somalia affairs overnight. He was the American ambassador to Ethiopia, to Djibouti, to Eritrea, and now Obama's chief policy maker for East and southern Africa. He was confident 100% that Sheikh Sharif and Sharif Sakiin will not be in the new government.

Roving, if the Americans wanted the TFG to hold "elections" this summer, it would have happened. Let us be real. I don't think that explains anything about their influence and I don't think you want to contest either.

Greenday, it is not like anyone there chose Sheikh Sharif, Sharif Xassan, or those parliamentarians. Sheikh Sharif himself was a puppet place in the TFG seat for reasons of their own. Most people there saw it as the appointed losing their appointment really.

[HippoTT]

Ethiopian Invasion of Somalia, a Debacle U.S. Official says

Sahra Mohamud

U.S. Department of State Bureau of African Affairs Secretary Donald Yamamoto said that the invasion of Ethiopian forces in 2006 in Somalia was a mistake. Yamamoto spoke at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs when he joined the Minister of Information for Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG), Dahir Gelle, to discuss foreign policy with the Somali community.

“We’ve made a lot of mistakes and Ethiopia’s entry in 2006 was not a really good idea,” said Yamamoto.

Gelle has been the Minister of Information for the TFG since 2009. He is a 44-year-old Somali media personality and holds a master's degree in Islamic Shari'a law, political science and economics from Egypt's prestigious University of Al-Azhar. Gelle spoke extensively on the overall progress made by the TFG and the challenges it has faced in the past and is currently facing.

Gelle said he is currently doing a stateside tour that includes Columbus, Ohio and Seattle. He said he is also meeting with U.S. officials in Washington D.C. to widen the support for Somalia. Gelle met with community leaders, women groups, youth and former members of the Somali military.

“I am here to visit with the Somali Diaspora and try to connect with the United States to discuss the challenges facing the Somali government and how we can enhance Somalia’s governing abilities," said Gelle. "As the Minister of Information, I also wanted to discuss with the Obama Administration, especially the U.S. State Department, on how we could improve the relationship between Somalia and the United States."

Yamamoto's prior assignments include serving as U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti. He also served as deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of African Affairs, where he was responsible for coordinating U.S. foreign policy to over 20 countries in East and Central Africa. He is a graduate of Columbia College and holds a master's degree in International Affairs from Columbia University.

During the discussion at Cowles Auditorium, Gelle and Yamamoto said the discussions with the Somali Diaspora and the State Department have been a positive one. Gelle and Yamamoto engaged in a question and answer session with the audience about issues concerning the current Somali government and the role of the U.S.

Yamamoto emphasized that the Somali people need to work together and determine their own destiny. He said the U.S. wants to see the Somali people determining their own future and dictating the type of government and economy they want. He also said the U.S. is looking at and working with the TFG on ways to keep out unhelpful and destructive foreign influence as well as extremist ideology.

“Somali people are the ones who can solve their problems,” said Yamamoto. “There are so many outsiders involved in Somalia, but Somalis are the ones who should work together in unison and partnership. The U.S. stance is to give the capacity of need and also give the Somali people the opportunity to control their own destiny.”

Minister Gelle said the Somali Diaspora plays a vital role in the reestablishment of Somalia and stressed the importance of opposing radical thinking and extremism.

“The Somali people have been suffering and with Al-Shabab operating in the country, it has been hard to establish as a government, however, we have the plans to take actions so that the Somali people have the opportunity to live in a peaceful country,” said Gelle.

Yamamoto says he is very optimistic about the future of the Somali people and the Somali state. He says talking with and understanding the Somali Diaspora's perspective will be helpful.

"We have to be very receptive, flexible and take opportunities and that's why we are here in Minnesota,” said Yamamoto. “We really need to understand what is on the minds of the Somali community here because the people in Somalia are influenced just as much from the Somali Diaspora and vice versa."

"The good news is that there is hope for Somalia because the people in Somalia are probably the most resilient people I have ever met," said Yamamoto.

http://www.mshale.com/article/News/News ... says/18468

[HippoTT]

Somalia could be at peace TOMORROW if the animals Al-Shabab and the clowns at TFG sat at one table like Somalis speaking one language, obsarving one faith and culture. By default all the so-called foreign powers influence would collapse like a house of cards.

Remember the meddling in our affairs is not sign of other countries strength but a sign of our current weakness.

[greenday]

Voltage its has nothing to do with the Shriifs or anyone else in the TFG is his bravery that shocked me then again as the saying goes mukulaal mininkeeda joogta miciyo leh, he must have been in comfortable surroundings to speak so freely.

[Voltage]

OK, Hippo's highlighted part explains the reaction of Greenday and Lodoon. Yamamoto didn't say he knows who will be in the new government, he merely told us the "conditions" which could very well be conditions that are part of the new constitution or the deliberation process which has been going on for now. The guy is incharge of coordinating America's policy in east and southern Africa, all the ambassadors and American representatives in those 29 countries come under him. He is obviously more privy to information and could just have been relaying that info to us. Because someone says "the police will be patrolling this neighborhood" doesn't mean they tasked the police to patrol the area, they could just have information that the police were tasked.

[Voltage]

Somalia: The Untapped Power of the Diaspora

by Donald Y. Yamamoto

With famine spreading across the Horn of Africa, the Somali-American diaspora isn't just watching the images fan across the television, they're organizing themselves into action. More than 100,000 Somali-Americans reside in the United States and their deep communal ties to relatives in Somalia are the foundation of their giving. The United States recognizes that this positive force of giving can help shape the political trajectory of Somalia, which is why the State Department's Africa Bureau has been nurturing relationships with diaspora communities in Seattle, Washington; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Columbus, Ohio. For the past two years, I have traveled and met with Somali elders, youth, academic experts, and community organizers in the United States who have a deeply-vested interest in the well-being of their mother country. While members of the diaspora have acclimated and welcomed the United States as their new home, they have not forgotten nor forsaken a hope for a stable and peacefully-governed Somalia.

I recently met with communities in Seattle and Minneapolis. The purpose of my engagement is always threefold: to share information about U.S. policies in Somalia, receive feedback about those policies, and discuss concrete ways to move forward. The immediate concern in the diaspora is providing food relief to famine victims, which many view as a result of al-Shabaab's ruthless reign of terror paired with a transitional government that is struggling to provide basic services for the people. In spite of the political instability, the diaspora remains committed to Somalia's future and their actions speak loudly.

Some may question why a State Department official would focus on domestic communities when the nature of our business is foreign affairs? It is because the Somali diaspora is set apart from other diaspora groups. The Somali Diaspora is responsible for sending approximately $1 billion worth of remittances back to relatives in Somalia; that's 85 percent of Somalia's GDP. Each remittance is usually small in amount. They're the contribution of the Somali taxi drivers in Seattle and the business entrepreneurs of Minneapolis' Riverside shops that save up enough money for relatives in Somalia to buy food, receive health care, and pay for daily incidentals. Imagine the power if the Somali diaspora harnessed their giving into strategic communal projects like building schools, paving roads, or providing other services in Somalia?

Another ray of hope for Somalia's future is their young people. They do not carry the cultural baggage of clan divisions, but aspire to bring peace to a nation that has been war torn for 20 years. I'm always amazed at the dynamism and vision of the Somali youths I meet. In particular, Somali-American students at the University of Washington and University of Minnesota are not only leading fundraising efforts to bring awareness to the famine in the Horn of Africa, they also are becoming a voice in their communities for a way forward in Somalia. The Obama Administration has highlighted the importance of African youths through the 2010 President's Forum for Young African Leaders and the First Lady's 2011 trip to engage youths in South Africa and Botswana. Their message is that Africa's future belongs to its youth, and it is a message that youths in the Somali diaspora are heeding.

Source: allAfrica.com

[Voltage]

Voltage its has nothing to do with the Shriifs or anyone else in the TFG is his bravery that shocked me then again as the saying goes mukulaal mininkeeda joogta miciyo leh, he must have been in comfortable surroundings to speak so freely.

Well true, I doubt anyone in the meeting shed a tear for either Sheikh Sharif or Sharif Hassan and to be honest a lot of people do support American involvement in Somalia.

[shiniile9]

If one can`t manage his own country and leaving his people in dire situations we`ve seen on TV...the international body has to intervene and tame both animals of : suit wearing TFG and face covering AL-kilaab.

[Murax]

Is this that fat Vietnamese Guy?

[Voltage]

Is this that fat Vietnamese Guy?

That neo-con charlatan Pham? Hell no, that fat blob works in a conservative think tank and has never held a government post. Yamamoto is a well respected State Department official who has served both Democratic and Republican presidents. For Clinton, he was the American ambassador to Djibouti and Eritrea. For Bush, he was the American ambassador to Ethiopia. For Obama, he is a deputy assistant secretary of state (he ranks second to Carson the top US Diplomat to Africa) where he is in charge of American foreign policy in east and southern Africa.

He is Japanese-America from my town and also neighborhood. The house I grew up in is like 4 blocks to his house.