Saturday, January 5, 2008

Somali interim leader collapses

Somalia's interim President Abdullahi Yusuf has fallen ill and been flown to neighbouring Ethiopia for treatment.
A BBC correspondent says Mr Yusuf, 72, collapsed on Friday morning in the seat of government, Baidoa.
Prime Minister Nur Hussein Hassan said his condition was not serious, but close aides have suggested otherwise.
In his absence, the prime minister, who took office in November, has appointed 15 members of a cabinet to replace those he dismissed last month.
"I've appointed 15 ministers and the rest of the ministers will be appointed soon. The new ministers will be sworn in tomorrow," Reuters news agency quotes the prime minister as saying.
The president, who had a liver transplant 14 years ago, was last month admitted to a Kenyan hospital, suffering from bronchitis.

Ethiopia helped Somalia's transitional government end the Union of Islamic Courts' (UIC) six-month rule over large parts of southern Somalia a year ago.


Since then the government has been battling insurgents in the capital, Mogadishu.
The UN says 60% of the residents of the capital, Mogadishu, have fled their homes because of fighting in recent months.

Somalia has not had a functioning national government since 1991.

Hassan Barise of the BBC's Somali Service says it had been feared the president's collapse would delay the cabinet appointments.

He says despite the setback to his health no-one is expecting President Yusuf to step down.

Source: BBC

Two Libyan diplomats kidnapped in Somalia have been released, officials say

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Libya's Foreign Ministry says that two Libyan diplomats kidnapped by gunmen Saturday in Somalia's lawless capital have been released.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, says no ransom money was paid and the two were released after efforts over the past few hours were exerted.

He would not elaborate on what efforts took place and who was involved in negotiating their release.

Gunmen had kidnapped the two - identified by the Foreign Ministry as Naji Gassouda and Fathi Boudiyah - earlier today in a busy market in Mogadishu.

Source: AFP

Friday, January 4, 2008

3rd LAAD tests battlefield skill in Djibouti

Submitted by:
MCB Camp Pendleton
Story by:
Computed Name: Sgt. Alec Kleinsmith
Story Identification #:
200814153743

DJIBOUTI, Africa(Jan. 4, 2008) -- The leathernecks of Battery A, 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion tested their mettle against the Djiboutian landscape during a fire and movement exercise Dec. 26.A classic staple in Marine Corps infantry training, fire and movement exercises encompass a variety of battlefield techniques, from proper rushing protocol to communication. "We wanted to refresh the Marines in their tactics and ensure they're proficient with all the weapons systems," said 2nd Lt. Sung C. Park, a platoon commander with Battery A, 3rd LAAD.

"Even though we're not an infantry unit, we want to stress that every Marine is a rifleman." In addition, the Marines familiarized themselves with insertion and extraction operations via air support, said Park, from Chantilly, Va. Riding in a CH-53 helicopter was a first for most of the Marines, many of whom joined the battalion as individual augments with varying occupational specialties."Overall we did well as a group, given the situation and the amount of time we had," said Cpl. David A. Claypool, a field radio operator with Battery A.

"Since a large number of the Marines are augments who don't do this kind of training often, I think we did a good job."Although impressed with the Marines' performance, Claypool knows that continuous practice will only strengthen their tactics and iron out minor kinks."We can improve more on our dispersion and communication," remarked Claypool, from New Plymouth, Idaho. "The enemy looks for big targets, so we don't want to give them one."

Source: Marine Crops News

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Yemenia signs agreement to re-build, restructure Djibouti Airlines

SANA'A, Jan. 02 (Saba)- Yemen Airways signed on Wednesday an agreement with the Djibouti Airlines to rebuild and restructure the Djibouti Airlines, the National Carrier of Djibouti.

The agreement was signed by Broad Chairman of Al-Yemenia Abdul-Khaliq al-Qadi and Board Chairman of the Djibouti Airlines Mosa Waberi. It stipulates that the Yemenia is responsible for renovating and developing the eight aeroplanes of the Djibouti Airlines to meet the required conditions as a national career and member in the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

In a statement to Saba, Broad Chairman of Yemen Airways clarified that this agreement is to raise and upgrade services of the Djibouti Airlines, specially in the technical and operational sides as the Yemenia has a long experience in this regard. He added that Yemen would send a team under the agreement to Djibouti to assess the needs of the Djibouti Airlines and prepare a program to develop Djibouti's airways operator to become a competitor in the region. During the meeting, Al-Qadi said this agreement comes after the Djibouti Airlines revealed that it has a number of foreign investors to raise its capital and also as a result of the fruitful cooperation between the two countries.

For his part, Djibouti Airlines Board Chairman pointed out that the signed agreement is to provide Djibouti with modern and new planes required to operate according to the IATA policy, affirming that the agreement states holding joint flights between the two sides to cover European, Asian or African flights schedules. He praised the latest developments and achievements of the Yemen Airways at the regional and international level. Waberi also pointed out that investors from Yemen, Emirates and Djibouti would provide $12 million, as a first stage, for the operational and structural works of the Djibouti Airlines.

Source: SA/AM Saba