The arrests were the latest in a crackdown on people accused of having links to militants in neighboring Somalia, where Ethiopia has deployed troops to support Mogadishu’s battle with al Shabaab and its six-year insurgency. The would-be kidnappers sought to abduct foreign employees of the U.N. World Food Programme and United Nations Development Programme from Ethiopia and take them to Somalia to demand a ransom, the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) said.

“The eight were caught red-handed with arms as they plotted to carry out the kidnappings,” NISS said in a statement.

The agency did not mention when the suspects were caught or where the alleged plot was meant to have taken place.

Several U.N. agencies and other humanitarian organizations operate in Ethiopia’s dry Somali region that borders Somalia.

The region has also been plagued by a low-key rebellion for nearly two decades, though residents now say local rebels have largely been weakened by successive government crackdowns.

Monday’s announcement comes two months after authorities said they arrested 15 suspected militants who were accused of being trained by al Shabaab.

An Ethiopian court convicted 10 militants in January of preparing strikes on political and economic targets in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia fought Islamist rebels in Somalia in 2006 to 2009 and sent troops back in 2011 to fight al Shabaab, opening a third front alongside Kenyan troops and an African Union (AU)mission.

The campaign in Somalia has gained ground in the past two years. Al Shabaab, which is allied with al Qaeda, withdrew from the southern port of Kismayu in September, its last major urban stronghold.

(Reporting by Aaron Maasho; Editing by Edmund Blair)

 

ethipia foils shabab attack

The ICC is planning to pursue its case against Kenya’s president-elect Uhuru Kenyatta (pictured) as soon as possible

Lawyers for Kenya’s President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta have urged the International Criminal Court to drop charges against him.

He denies accusations of instigating violence after the disputed 2007 poll.

The special hearing came a week after charges against his co-accused, Francis Muthaura, were dramatically dropped.

Mr Kenyatta’s lawyers argue charges against him are now compromised but the ICC prosecutor has said she has additional evidence against him.

The trial of Mr Kenyatta, who narrowly passed the 50% threshold to win elections earlier this month, is scheduled to start in July.

In the aftermath of the election in December 2007 – when Raila Odinga narrowly lost to incumbent President Mwai Kibaki – more than 1,000 people were killed and about 600,000 were left homeless.

Mr Kenyatta, the son of Kenya’s founding president, is accused of organising attacks on members of ethnic groups seen as supporting Mr Odinga following the 2007 vote.

Last week, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said the case against Mr Muthaura had been dropped as some witnesses were too scared to testify, while another had recanted part of his statement and admitted accepting bribes.

This key witness – known as witness number four – was present at a meeting where Mr Muthaura and Mr Kenyatta allegedly developed a plan to get the feared Mungiki sect to attack ethnic Kalenjins, seen as supporters of Mr Odinga in 2007.

Mr Kenyatta’s lead lawyer Stephen Kay has argued that as witness four is the only direct person linking Mr Kenyatta to the Mungiki, without him there is no case against his client.

“To a certain extent we have lost faith in the decision-making as we warned the pre-trial chamber of the quality of the evidence and we were ignored,” Mr Kay told the court, reports the AFP news agency.

“The evidence against Mr Muthaura which called for the case to be withdrawn is exactly the same for Mr Kenyatta,” he said.

He urged the judges to send Mr Kenyatta’s case back to the pre-trial chamber for judges to assess what remains of the evidence – and decide whether it is substantial enough to justify a trial.

The BBC’s Anna Holligan in The Hague says after the collapse of the case against his co-accused, there has been significant speculation that the charges against Mr Kenyatta may also be thrown out.

South Sudan will commence constructing a road to Ethiopia that would transport the new nation’s crude oil to the international market through Djibouti port.

Exporting the oil by roads could ease the pressure on South Sudan local currency by providing hard currency that the Africa’s new nation badly needs to import basic commodities.

Oil tanker: South Sudan will commence constructing a road to Ethiopia that would transport the new nation’s crude oil to the international market through Djibouti port

Each has given fans at Icahn Stadium a performance to remember. Last year, Rudisha ran the fastest 800 meters in history on U.S. soil when he scorched his way to a 1:41.74 victory here; in 2007, Suhr broke her own American Record in the pole vault when she became the first U.S. woman to clear 16 feet.

Joining them will be top Americans Tyson Gay, the three-time World Champion and American Record-holder and the second-fastest man in history at 100 meters who in 2012 won his first Olympic medal, a silver, in the 4×100-meter relay;Michael Tinsley, who won the 2012 Olympic silver medal in the 400-meter hurdles after his surprise win at the Olympic Trials; and Bianca Knight, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist and World Record-holder in the 4×100-meter relay.

The adidas Grand Prix, one of the premier track-and-field events in the world, will kick off the summer on May 25 at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island. Tickets for the event are on sale now at www.adidasgrandprix.com or 1-877-849-8722.

Rudisha, one of the most electrifying athletes on the planet, made his U.S. debut at this meet last year with a last lap so dominant that it left fans gasping. To no one’s surprise, the performance turned out to be a preview of his Olympic race, in which the Kenyan megastar broke his own world record by winning gold in 1:40.91. Also the reigning World Champion, Rudisha now holds six of the fastest 10 800-meter times in history.

“Coming to New York was fantastic for me,” said Rudisha in his post-race TV interview.

Coming off her Olympic triumph, Suhr last week broke the World Indoor Record long held by Yelena Isinbayeva when she jumped 5.02m/16-5.5 feet to win her seventh U.S. indoor title. The Olympic silver medalist in 2008, Suhr has also won six U.S. outdoor titles and is the second-highest vaulter in history outdoors. She owns the top six jumps outdoors in U.S. history.

The third stop on the international Samsung Diamond League circuit, the adidas Grand Prix is in its ninth year at Icahn Stadium, in conjunction with the Randall’s Island Sports Alliance. The latest news, photos and information on the event can be found at www.adidasgrandprix.com; on Facebook

Addressing the media, Abdikarim has denied his government’s knowledge in the ongoing preparations in Kismayo to organize a conference, which is led by the interim Jubba leaders, calling to convene another conference that is more inclusive.

“We have been hearing these reports, but we are not involved in the ongoing preparations” Said Abdikarim.

Mr. Abdkarim called all parties to join in a more inclusive conference which is led by the federal government.

“We are inviting all parties to attend this conference including the interim local rulers and all the local stakeholders” he added.

Interior minister has condemned Clashes between rival Somali clan militias in Kismayo on Saturday which has left the death of 11 people.

The minister was responding to the ongoing preparations to organize a convention to discuss on the future of Jubbaland regional government which was postponed yesterday.

Shiekh Ahmed Madobe, a former islamist leader  is now the interim leader of Jubba.

The deadlock continues while both the government and local leaders claim that its their constitutional rights to form a regional government for Jubba.

Article Source: HOL

Article 39 of the constitution recognizes an unconditional right to self-determination including the right to secession. There is little substantive requirement as a precondition for the exercise of this right. The requirements as provided under Art. 39 are: (a) when a demand for secession has been approved by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Legislative Council of the Nation, Nationality or People concerned; (b) When the Federal Government has organized a referendum which must take place within three years from the time it received the concerned council’s decision for secession; (c) When the demand for secession is supported by majority vote in the referendum; (d) When the Federal Government will have transferred its powers to the council of the Nation, Nationality or People who has voted to secede; and (e) When the division of assets is effected in a manner prescribed by law. The constitution at a glance, therefore, seems to adopt a more lenient preconditions to the exercise of the right to self-determination including secession even compared to Article 2 of the 1991 Transitional Period Charter which says every nation, nationality, or people has the right to independence if it’s denied its rights such as the right to self-administration, equal participation, and promotion of identity, culture, and history.

On the other hand, the supremacy of the constitution is explicitly stated under article 9. Among others, no decision of a government organ shall contradict the constitution. The constitution further states that the territory of the federation constitutes the territories of the constituent units (Art. 2). Article 47 lists member states of the federation. It’s obvious that secession requires the existence of a decision of a government organ such as the concerned council. The decision can’t contradict the constitution, in this case article 2 and article 47, as the constitution is supreme. It’s also obvious that a member state’s decision to secede from the federation entails a constitutional amendment. Amending articles 2 and 47 is the only way to legalize a decision for secession.

Two types of procedures of constitutional amendment are provided in the Ethiopian constitution; one that is relatively demanding and the other relatively easier. As per Article 105, all rights and freedoms specified in Chapter Three of the Constitution, Article 105, and Article 104 can be amended only: (a) When all State Councils, by a majority vote, approve the proposed amendment; (b) When the House of Peoples’ Representatives, by a two- thirds majority vote, approves the proposed amendment; and (c) When the House of the Federation, by a two-thirds majority vote, approves the proposed amendment. The right to self-determination falls under the third chapter of the constitution but the provisions to be amended as a result of the exercise of the right to self-determination including secession will be articles 2 and 47 which are out of the provisions listed under article 105 (1). Hence, amendments in relation to articles 2 and 47 shall be conducted as per the procedures stated under sub-article 2 of Article 105 of the constitution. As per Sub-article 2, all provisions of the Constitution other than those specified in sub-Article 1 of Article 105 can be amended only: (a) When the House of Peoples’ Representatives and the House of the Federation, in a joint session, approve a proposed amendment by a two-thirds majority vote; and (b) When two-thirds of the Councils of the member States of the Federation approve the proposed amendment by majority votes.

Therefore, it can be concluded that since a decision to secede entails a constitutional amendment, the other states and the federal houses have a say on such a decision. This will finally constrain the practical implementation of the right to self-determination including and up to secession since it can be assumed that it would not be in the interest of the other states to allow it. This can’t guarantee against secession provided that there is oppression but legally speaking unilateral secession doesn’t seem the option provided in the constitution despite the fact that many people think so. We went this far for the sake of exhausting the arguments.

Otherwise, if the argument that the other states and the federal houses have a say on anything that results in tampering with any of the constitutional provisions is tenable, a proposal for amendment inspired by the decision of a member state to secede from the federation will have a less probability of fulfilling the requirements provided under article 104 of the constitution. As per this article, any proposal for constitutional amendment, in order to qualify for a discussion by the concerned general public and a decision by the concerned organs, it should be, at least, supported by two-thirds majority vote in the House of Peoples’ Representatives, or by a two-thirds majority vote in the House of the Federation or by one-third of the State Councils of the member States of the federation, by a majority vote.

The argument of the supreme court of Canada in its decision on Quebec’s demand for secession seems to follow the above path. Though many academics criticize the decision of the court for being ambiguous, it explicitly recognizes the right to secession of Quebec particularly under international law but with a qualification that it can’t do it unilaterally under the Canadian constitution. This, as per the decision of the court, is because of the stake of the other Canadians in anything that affects the Canadian constitution. There are other important things that demand negotiation between the would be independent state and the parent state such as division of property and debts. The Ethiopian constitution has addressed this issue under article 39 and, hence, it’s not an issue for debate here though the decision of the Canadian Supreme Court may inspire us to do so.

There is one “lucky” constituent unit that escaped the procedural hurdles of secession in the Ethiopian case; Eritrea. For the time being, I am not going to dwell on political debates like whether a transitional government can engage in such adventures as allowing a constitute unit to secede, as many academics would like to do, since Article 8 of the Transitional Period Charter of Ethiopia empowers the transitional government to exercise all legal and political responsibilities representing Ethiopia. Neither will I deal with the role of force in the case of the secession of Eritrea. I am interested in presenting the legal aspect of the argument only. As discussed earlier, the Transitional Period Charter recognizes every nation, nationality, and people’s right to independence provided that they are denied the right to administer themselves or to develop their culture, or to promote their identity and the like. It can be debated whether these requirements can apply retroactively. But, presumably and from legal point of view, Eritrea seceded from Ethiopia because of the violations of its rights as provided under article 2. Apart from the requirements under article 2 sub-articles (a) and (b) which are vague and unqualified, there was nothing that can stop Eritrea from seceding from Ethiopia. The Charter doesn’t talk about the territory or the constituent units of Ethiopia. Neither does it include a provision that talks about amendment that surely would have given a stake to the other constitute units as manifested in all federal constitutions including the current Ethiopian constitution.

As a conclusion, the bold assumption that the Ethiopian constitution allows for a unilateral secession of its member states and, hence, it’s self-destructive is wrong. The Ethiopian constitution can be amended and through the procedures listed under article 39 and through amendment a member state can secede (though very unlikely unless some miracle happens that the other members find it in their interest that a member state should exit the federation) but that does not amount to self-destruction. It’s also imperative to emphasize that the Eritrean case’s precedent is not compatible with the present constitutional realities of Ethiopia.

ADDIS ABABA

Kaaliyaha maamulaha USAID, Nancy Lindborg, ayaa shalay colka wararka u sheegtay in maamulka Obama u horey ugu deeqay Itoobiya $110 milyan oo dalku kaga hortago waxyeelooyinka dabiiciga ah. Haweenaydan ayaa xustay in lacagtan loogu talagalay dhulka ay ku baahsan yihiin xoolo dhaqatada Itoobiya oo abaaraha, xurgufaha qabiilada/qoomiyadaha iyo saboolnimada ku badan yihiin.

DDSI oo kamid ah meelaha dadkiisu ay ku tiirsan yihiin dhaqashada xoolaha ayaa lagu wadaa in uu ka faa’iidaysan doona mashaariicda lacagtan lagu fulin doono.

Wafdiga Maraykanka ayaa u yimid Itoobiya si ay uga qaybgalaan shir wamada IGAD kaga arrinsanayaan sidii abaaraha iyo dhibaatooyinkooda wax looga qaban lahaa oo maanta ka furmaya Addis Ababa.

Xukuumada Itoobiya iyo wadamada deeqda bixiya ayaa waaydan diirada saaraya sidii wax loogu qaban lahaa xoolo dhaqatada Itoobiya oo horey loo hilmaamay.

Wararkii ugu danbeeyay ee degmadaasi naga soo gaaraya ayaa sheegay in cutubyo katirsan ciidamada Kenya ee qeybta ka ah AMISOM ay ku guuleeysteen in ay kala dhexgalaan dhinacyadii uu dagaalku u dhexeeyay.

Mid kamid dadka ku dhaqan Kismaayo oo HOL u waramay isagoo ka gaabsaday in magaciisa la xigto sababo dhanka ammaanka ah ayaa sheegay in dagaalkii maanta uu ahaa mid aad u xooggan islamarkaasina labada dhinac ay isu adeegsanayeen hub fudud iyo madaafiic.

Dagaalka ayaa la sheegay in xooggiisa uu ka dhacay xaafadaha calanleey, Farjanno iyo xaafadda Fanoole, waxaana lagu soo waramayaa in uu jiro khasaare xooggan oo kala gaaray labada dhinac wallow aan la heyn xog rasmi ah oo ku saabsan khasaaraha dagaalka.

Goobjoogaha  ayaa sidoo kale sheegay inta uu ogyahay in dagaalku ay ku dhinteen ku dhawaad todobo qof oo ay ku jiraan laba sarkaal  oo ka tirsanaa maamulkii KMG ahaa ee degmada Kismaayo, iyadoona la sheegayo in dhaawacu intaasi ka badanyahay.

Ma jiraan ilaa imika masuuliyiin katirsan maamulka Kismaayo oo faahfaahin ka bixiyay dagaalka, haseyeeshee wararka ayaa sheegaya in lagu guuleeystay in lakala qaado labada ciidan, islamarkaasina ay imika soconayaan dadaallo lagu doonayo in lagu dhexdhexaadiyo dhinacyadii ay dirirtu u dhexeysay, kuwaasoo ay wadaan waxgarad iyo siyaasiyiin ku sugan magaalada Kismaayo.

Dagaalkan ayaa kusoo beegmaya xilli mudooyinkii u danbeeyay ay magaalada Kismaayo ka soconeeysay qabanqaabada shir la doonayo in maamul loogu sameeyo gobollada Jubooyinka, kaasoo la filayay in uu maanta furmo balse uu dib-u-dhac ku yimid kadib markii ay shirka kasoo qeybgali waayeen wafdi laga sugayay dhanka dowladda Soomaaliya.

Article Source, Hiiraan Online