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‘Al-Qaeda’ distributes Somalia aid near Mogadishu (BBC) – Eritrea Cabinet Approves Aid to Somalia (VOA)

A man claiming to be from al-Qaeda has distributed aid in Somalia, highlighting the group's links with al-Shabab militants. The man identified as US citizen Abu Abdulla Almuhajir and speaking with an American accent handed out

A man claiming to be from al-Qaeda has distributed aid in Somalia, highlighting the group’s links with al-Shabab militants.

The man identified as US citizen Abu Abdulla Almuhajir and speaking with an American accent handed out food, hijabs and Korans to people at a refugee camp near the capital, Mogadishu.

It is thought to be al-Qaeda’s first aid distribution in famine-hit Somalia.

It says some international agencies have a political agenda and have exaggerated the scale of the problems.

Some al-Shabab-controlled regions have been declared famine zones, because so many people are suffering severe malnutrition.

Mr Almuhajir was accompanied by al-Shabab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage, who said they were distributing food such as flour, rice, cooking oil, dates and milk to 4,000 people in the Ala-yasir camp, some 50km (30 miles) south-west of Mogadishu.

The UN says that some 750,000 people face starvation in Somalia.

They also said they were distributing $17,000 (£11,000) in cash and a fully-equipped ambulance.
Muslim solidarity

BBC Somali service head Yusuf Garaad Omar says al-Shabab has not previously hidden its association with al-Qaeda but this public aid distribution makes the links far more explicit.

The UN-backed government, which controls most of Mogadishu but little other territory, says hundreds of foreign fighters are helping al-Shabab in the country.

Mr Almuhajir said he had gone to Somalia with a message from al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

“We would like to take this opportunity to encourage Muslims around the world to come to the assistance of our Muslim brothers and sisters in Somalia,” he said.

On Thursday, two Spanish aid workers with medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres were kidnapped by armed men from the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, where almost half a million Somalis have fled, seeking assistance.

It is feared that they may have been taken into Somalia.

Al-Shabab has reportedly denied any links to the abduction, which has led aid agencies to scale back their operation in Dadaab.

Source:BBC

Eritrea Cabinet Approves Aid to Somalia (VOA)

An official says Eritrea’s Cabinet has approved a food aid package to Somalis affected by drought and famine.  Some skeptics have questioned the timing as well as the size of the approved aid.

But Information Minister Ali Abdu says “it not about how much [aid] you give, it’s about how much love you give with what you give.”

“We are doing this with deep affection… because we stand along our Somali brothers and sisters [to] the bitter end,” said Abdu.

Experts say the Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought over a decade.  The United Nations says more than 12 million people in the region are in urgent need of food aid.  In Somalia, where the situation is the most serious, the U.N. says more than 3.2 million people are estimated to be on the brink of starvation.

Abdu said Asmara will continue to support efforts to help stabilize Somalia.

“We have been supporting the Somali people to [gain] their sovereignty and [to reinstitute] public and government institutions, the territorial integrity of Somalia,” said Abdu. “This is something that we have been striving for the last 20 years [and] we have been consistent. And now, it is proven that our approach is the best approach.”

Asmara has often stated that foreign intervention and “pointing fingers ” would not resolve the situation in Somalia.

“Why should people opt to exhaust all the wrong procedures before they embark upon the right one ?‘’ asked Ali Abdu adding that “if a fire is set ablaze  somewhere, like what we see happening in Somalia, first and foremost people should try to extinguish it before arguing how it was ignited in the first place… whether it was with a match or a lighter.”

He further added that “There should be political dialogue among Somali people including in Somaliland and Puntland and other entities of Somalia,” said Abdu. “The world should realize that the only way is to leave Somali people to decide their destiny and their own fate.”

Source:VOA

As the Eritrean regime doesn’t recognise the Transitional Government of Somalia, regardless the size and quantity, it is expected to distribute the ‘aid’ through Al-Shabab, the same group ‘Al-Qaeda’ is dealing with to distribute its ‘aid’. Therefore, the Monitoring Group, the body which has been mandated to monitor Eritrean government’s support to Al-Shabab, has to be more vigilant so that the PFDJ regime wont exploit the humaniterian situation to send the military assistance it has been denied to give to Al-Shabab,  the Somali armed group accused of having links to Al-Qaeda.

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30 COMMENTS
  • Dawit October 16, 2011

    If the story is true , it would likely provide the Monitoring group an ammunition with which to shoot PFDJ in its upcoming report to the UNSC. PFDJ has not yet learned how to play politics on the international stage.

    PFDJ’s interest and the interest of the terrorists in somalia meet at one point : hatred against anything that is western. But, Eritrea unlike Iran does not have a bargaining chip to rely upon when taking actions that are against the international community. Besides, its influence is not far reaching, other than annoying the west.

    Eritrea’s meager assistance to alqaida in Somali was not done out of concern for Somalians but the action was aimed at frustrating the international community in general , and the United States in particular. What teh assistance does is , perhaps, reinforce the terrorists act against western interests. The west now should take a hard look at the behavior of PFDJ and start preparation to take an appropriate action.

  • weygud! October 16, 2011

    It is just a joker ‘ Eritrea giving aid!! wow Eritrea giving aid! HGDF has full up for himselv and doesn’t see the erirtean people suffering with hunger, but once Isaias and his puppets are full, they feel the whole of Eritrean people are full up, and once Isaias and his puppets are hungry, they feel the Eritrean people are hungry, because they take it themselvs the people. It is really shamful that HGDF is supporting the terrorist groups and giving the food from the hands of the destitute Eritrea children. i feel sick and HGDF is playing game.

  • natnael October 16, 2011

    chiru maakora zeykedenetsi meret kedenet zigherim eyu hizbo ghida zeyrieyu

  • Sawel October 16, 2011

    I think it is a good idea to give aid to Somali for HGDEF because from previous experiences and history of HGDEF this food is out-of-date in the storage or on its last-days before it go of, so PIA decided to feed Somalis. but if I was Somali I would refuse it. you loose more than you gain.
    when comparing to the health of the Somali children. as you all know HGDEF received sick unworthy lambs which they wonted to dump on the sea from a ship HGDEF took some money from the company and received the lambs and fed our people with out any health concerns.
    for some on that feeds sick lambs to his own children is not going to care to feed the the neighbour Somalis.
    God help the !!!!

  • Sawel October 16, 2011

    I think it is a good idea to give aid to Somali for HGDEF because from previous experiences and history of HGDEF this food is out-of-date in the storage or on its last-days before it go of, so PIA decided to feed Somalis. but if I was Somali I would refuse it. you loose more than you gain.
    when comparing to the health of the Somali children. as you all know HGDEF received sick unworthy lambs which they wonted to dump on the sea from a ship HGDEF took some money from the company and received the lambs and fed our people with out any health concerns.
    for some on that feeds sick lambs to his own children is not going to care to feed the the neighbour Somalis.
    God help them !!!!

  • denden October 16, 2011

    Ai Amanuel Iyasu seleka mes eritreawyan u. entezeymetka kab himaka qurub kihsheka hade maalti kof elka tgebro hiseb emo teselilika kem zeleka kitfelit eka, gen ka sulul sulu mukanu aykfelitin u. remember chelsea Hospital? are you taking your medication regularly? if not you will still be in denail and delusional state, meaning you are un anable to differntiate facts from fiction further more you suffer from grandiouse illision, one day though you medical recoreds will be out ther for every every one to see, watch the space coming near you.

  • Selamawi October 16, 2011

    “Eritrean giving aid” when its own people are starving to death is very strange idea. As much as one wants the Somali people to receive the aid the need, no reasonable person will believe that Eritrea can contribute financially.

    The second irony is that “cabinet approved” this aid which we do not have. It is unbelievable that there is effective cabinet in Eritrea but one man who is glued to the saddle of powder….

    God bless Eritrea…and may she be able to feed her citizens, and may she produce in abundance so as to be able to share with those neighbors in need of food… (not arming them with lethal arms/supporting them by sending Eritrean citizens to foreign land to fight against their will …. when Eritreans are starving. Remember the Democratic Republic of Congo? Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia).

    Thanks

    If the Eritrean regime understands love and compassion the PGDJ leaders should extend this love and compassion to their own people.

  • Selamawi October 16, 2011

    “Eritrean giving aid” when its own people are starving to death is very strange idea. As much as one wants the Somali people to receive the aid the need, no reasonable person will believe that Eritrea can contribute financially.

    The second irony is that “cabinet approved” this aid which we do not have. It is unbelievable that there is effective cabinet in Eritrea but one man who is glued to the saddle of powder….

    God bless Eritrea…and may she be able to feed her citizens, and may she produce in abundance so as to be able to share with those neighbors in need of food… (not arming them with lethal arms/supporting them by sending Eritrean citizens to foreign land to fight against their will …. when Eritreans are starving. Remember the Democratic Republic of Congo? Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia).

    If the Eritrean regime understands love and compassion the PGDJ leaders should extend this love and compassion to their own people.

    Thanks

  • addis October 16, 2011

    sawel
    Why do you think assenna put this two articles together in short he is comparing hgdf or the eritrean goverment with terorist and something like that will affect Eritrean people because when anyone try to punish hgdf will not do it without punshing the people. Like the sanction it will affect more to the eritrean people than hgdf. Because of that Eritrea will not forget and forgive.

  • Mizan October 16, 2011

    Not surprised, the self-appointed “president” of hagere eritrea a very confused man right now, after been ignored by WASHINGTON ,been driven out by IGAD, left alone in a corner in the AU like a pest, lost his best friend, GADDAFI , “the mad dog of the middle east” HIGDEFITS ar being confronted allmost from all angles. our youth in israel has been in action too, they appear to be of such a caliber,i heard them say ” sidet meftihi aikonen nabu kinkeyd ena ” talking about attitude!!! HIGDEF….GEBERTI SENNAY ? KAB MEAS ? YOU SHOULD SOLV THE PROBLEMS OF YOUR OWN PEOPLE FIRST YOU SHIFTA CRIMINALS!! THE SECURITY COUNCIL IS AFTER YOU ,THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL SANCTION ONE WAY OR ANOTHER ,THE ERITREAN PEOPLE IS THE LEGITIMATE OWNER OF ALL THE PRODUCTS OF THE MINING PROJECTS ALL OVER THE COUTRY ,NOT THE CRIMINAL SHIFTAS, KEEP YOUR HANDS AWAY!!!

    • abdi October 17, 2011

      Minding ur own business is better than hearsay,i admire you hearing thou.

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