qurbejoog
Assad ready to quit power ?
On July 20, 2012 · In News
1:27 pm
..
0
Paris- Russia’s ambassador to France Alexandre Orlov, said on Friday he believed that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had accepted he would have to leave power although only in an orderly fashion.
But the Syrian government swiftly denied this.
Orlov said that Assad, facing a surging uprising against his rule, signalled readiness to step down when he accepted a recent international declaration which foresaw a transition towards a more democratic Syria.
“At the Geneva conference, there was a final communique that foresees a transition towards a more democratic system,’’ Orlov said.
“This final communique was accepted by Assad. Assad nominated his representative to lead the negotiations with the opposition for this transition. That means he accepted to leave, but in an orderly way.’’
Syria’s Information Ministry quickly denied this, saying Orlov’s remarks were “completely devoid of truth’’.
Orlov further said his personal opinion Assad would not be able to remain in power.
“I think it will be difficult for him to stay after everything that has happened. But essentially, he has accepted that he will have to leave.’’
Russia on Thursday blocked a Western-backed UN Security Council resolution that would have contained a threat to impose sanctions if Syria did not comply with UN-Arab League Special Envoy Kofi Annan’s peace plan.
Moscow has repeatedly said any deal must follow the principles outlined at talks in Geneva on June 30 between Annan and veto-holding members of the Security Council, which Russia until now had said did not specifically require Assad’s exit.
“What Russia is defending is not Bashar al-Assad’s regime, but international order that was created in 1945 around the UN,’’ Orlov said.
“For us it is a matter of principle that goes beyond what is happening in Syria.’’
A senior Western diplomat recommended caution with respect to Orlov’s comments. “We have not heard Assad say he is willing to step down before,’’ the diplomat said.
“But what does he mean? Does he mean now or in two years time. We have to be cautious.’’ (Reuters/NAN)
There are few countries in the world that are truly dangerous, but at the top of the brief list of dangerous places is Somalia, a geographic area that probably shouldn’t be a country at all, having virtually no government in control of much of its territory, and run by various warlords for the past 20…
The United Kingdom has announced plans to host a trade and investment conference for Somalia in London during a planned security meeting to be held there in May, the UK Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds, said Thursday. Simmonds said at a meeting with Somali residents in London that the security improvements in Somalia had opened…
An explosives-laden car that apparently was targeting a truck full of Somali government officials instead hit a civilian car and exploded, setting a nearby mini-bus on fire and killing at least seven people Monday, police and witnesses said. Flames and smoke rose over the explosion as emergency vehicles drove to the scene. The blast happened…
London 30March13 (SDN) The Hue and Cry over the inept and questionable handling by the Somaliland Business Fund-SBF of World Bank and Danish government funded grants to the private sector amounting to $2m continue. The Somaliland Private Sector Development Forum-SPSDF has appealed to the World Bank for intervehttp://www.qurbejoog.com/wp-admin/post-new.phpntion in straightening the ongoings at the Hargeisa…
The man who was the chief negotiator for a group of Somali pirates who kidnapped and ultimately killed four U.S. citizens in attacks in the Gulf of Aden was tracked and finally arrested by members of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team. The Somali pirate, Mohammad Saaili Shibin, was sentenced last August in a federal courtroom…
ABU DHABI, Mar 28, 2013 (SDN)- Senior government figures from Somaliland have held three days of talks in the UAE on investments, aid and security. “We have met the leadership of the country and responsible leaders, and had fruitful discussions,” said Ahmed Mahamoud Silanyo, president of the self-declared autonomous north-western region of Somalia. Somaliland declared independence…
NAIROBI, Kenya — Displaced Somalis suffer sexual violence and other abuses, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). State security forces and armed groups have “raped, beaten, and otherwise abused displaced Somalis,” many who have come to Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital city, to escape famine and armed conflict, HRW said Wednesday. More from…
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud has underlined his government’s commitment to expand its rule to all the regions of the civil-war plagued Horn of Africa country. Addressing the Arab League Summit in Doha, Qatar, President Mohamoud said his government would strive for a united and stable Somalia. The Somali leader left the capital Mogadishu for…
After a long delay, Sierra Leone’s contingent to the African Union Somalia peacekeeping force (Amisom) AMISOM is set to depart for the country. President Ernest Bai Koroma was on hand Monday to bid farewell to the troops in their “historic expedition to Somalia”. Back in December 2010, the government had pledged to contribute an infantry…
Internally displaced people in Somalia are suffering sexual violence and other forms of abuse, reports the Human Rights Watch (HRW) campaign group. The abuse takes place at the hands of armed groups, including government forces, it says. In the report, women who fled famine and conflict describe being gang-raped in camps in the capital, Mogadishu….
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Ethiopia’s intelligence agency said on Monday it has detained eight members of Somalia’s al Shabaab Islamist militant group who it accused of plotting to kidnap U.N. workers. The arrests were the latest in a crackdown on people charged with having links to fighters in neighboring Somalia, where Ethiopia has deployed troops…
A Somali terrorist with ties to Al Qaeda whose capture and interrogation aboard a United States naval ship in 2011 fueled debate about the Obama administration’s counterterrorism tactics secretly pleaded guilty in Manhattan and has been cooperating with the authorities, court documents released on Monday show. The terrorist, Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame, served as a military…
Mogadishu March 25 2013 (SDN)— Rape cases in Somalia have reduced significantly.This great news was a result of a massive campaign throughout the city where majority of internally displaced people live. The campaign against rape and gender violation was spearheaded by celebrated nationalist and noble peace prize winner Lady Asho Haji.She is known for her…
HARGEISA (SDN)- A large number of our readers have written to us and drew our attention to the way the 1st round of the Somaliland Business Fund was handled by the World Bank and the implementing agency Landell Mills. There has been a considerable disappointment causing negative feeling among the business community in Somaliland as…
Bringing local news to local residents — that’s the idea behind KVSC Radio’s latest project. St. Cloud Somali Radio, set to launch Monday, will combine news and music made by and for the Somali community. “They’re humans, they’re individuals, they have a story to tell, and I think it’s very important that they’re heard,” said…
Marka — Somali armed forces stationed in the coastal city of Marka clashed on Friday leading to deaths and injuries, Garowe Online reports. According to Abdiqadir Mohamed Nur Governor of Lower Shabelle region, government troops clashed after a faction with clan ties battled with fellow government soldiers. Governor Abdiqadir requested that the Ministry of Interior…
Many Somali refugees who suffered major trauma during their country’s civil war and subsequent refugee flight have struggled to integrate into New Zealand society, a University of Canterbury (UC) researcher has found. UC PhD education student Hassan Ibrahim says those refugees with the greatest apparent level of recognised need and vulnerability were those with the…
In one of its first acts since beinggranted diplomatic recognition by the United States, the new government of Somalia wants the Obama administrationto shield a former general and prime minister from a suit that foundhim responsible for atrocities a quarter century ago. During the 1980s, Gen. Mohamed Ali Samantar commandedmilitary forces that carried out a…
As we mark World Water Day (WWD) today (22 March 2013), shocking figures show that a child dies every 20 seconds from a water and sanitation-related disease, a Red Cross report published today says. According to the charity’s ‘Getting the balance right’ report, a further 2.5 billion people around the world do not have…
Vocational training funded by the U.S. African Development Foundation opens the door to good jobs for more than 300 youth in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. In Somalia’s coastal capital, Mogadishu, vocational training funded by the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) has opened the door to good jobs for more than 300 youth, such as these shown…