Nubiart - Wed 5pm / Fri 10pm, Sound Radio 1503AM. Tel: 08700 414 606. Also on the web at: www.soundradio.info E-mail: Nubiart@soundradio.info or afrikanquest@hotmail.com
NUBIART PODCASTS NOW AVAILABLE: ‘What Is Beauty?’, looking at attitudes to hair, skin bleaching, relationships and Afrikan identity. You can download this now at: www.soundradio1503.wordpress.com
NB: Nubiart Diary can also be read weekly at www.ligali.org and on the Afrikan Quest website.
NUBIART EDITORIAL:
Editorial Pt 1
On midweek Nubiart we started by addressing the difference between ‘information’, ‘intelligence’, ‘opinion’ and ‘prejudice’ in the wake of the police raid and attempted murder of Muslims in Forest Gate.
We moved on to pay tribute to Walter Rodney. The 26th anniversary of his assassination by agents of the government of Forbes Burnham in Guyana was on 13 June. Rodney was born on March 23, 1942 in Georgetown, Guyana. In 1960 he won an open scholarship to the University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica where he obtained a degree in history with First Class Honors. In 1963, he received another scholarship, to study African History at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.
In 1966, Rodney received his PhD. His thesis was published in 1970 as ‘A History of the Upper Guinea Coast, 1545-1800’. Rodney then took up an appointment as lecturer in history at the University of Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania, East Africa. In 1968, he returned to Jamaica to lecture at Mona campus. Rodney’s second coming to Jamaica coincided with the rise of mass political activity on the island. He was very popular with the Jamaican masses, but his activism provoked the wrath of the Jamaican government, which claimed he was a threat to national security. Rodney’s offense was to openly discuss issues of poverty, unemployment and racism, and demand justice for the working people.
In October 1968, the government banned Rodney from Jamaica. He was prevented from re-entering the country after attending a meeting in Canada; and sent back to Canada on the same plane on which he had arrived. The ban caused major disturbances on and off campus. Students and ordinary people marched on government offices in Kingston, angry at the expulsion of the beloved “Brother Wally,” which eventually turned into a riot. The “Rodney affairs,” resounded throughout the Caribbean. Some of the public lectures Rodney gave in Jamaica were published as, ‘The Groundings with My Brothers’.
After his expulsion from Jamaica, Rodney returned to Tanzania, where he resumed teaching at the University of Dar es Salaam. In 1972, he published, ‘How Europe Underdeveloped Africa’, which became one of the most widely-read and influential books on Africa and the third world in general. In addition to his scholarly pursuits, Rodney was deeply involved in political struggles while in Tanzania which was then undergoing a revolutionary experiment, and also served as the headquarters for many Afrikan liberation movements. Rodney, who considered study and struggle inseparable, was involved in all of these activities. He finally left Tanzania in 1974, at a time when the revolution was beginning to lose its way and the political positions he advocated were becoming increasingly unpopular.
In 1974, an appointment as Professor of History at the University of Guyana opened the door for Rodney to return to the Caribbean and the land of birth. The mature fruit of his scholarly labor was ‘A History of the Guyanese Working People, 1881-1905’. This book provided the historical foundations for the political movement Rodney played a central role in founding and leading until his death, the Working People’s Alliance (WPA). The dominant theme in Rodney’s life and work, intellectual and political, is a deep and abiding commitment to the struggles of the working people everywhere for emancipation from all forms of oppression. At the time of his death, Rodney was married to Patricia Rodney and was the father of three children, Shaka, Kanini and Asha.
We then interviewed Sadia Ahmed, the Country Representative of PENHA Somalia and Somaliland about the work of the organisation and the political and economic situation there. This interview was part of our ‘Horn of Afrika: Democracy, Desertification, Development and Drought’ season. Somaliland is the former British protectorate to the north and west while Somalia is the former Italian colony to the east and south which also includes the semi-autonomous area of Puntland. [Due to the evolving political situation on the ground since the fall of a unified central government / nation-state under Siad Barre some of the comments here refer only to Somaliland, some only to Somalia and some to both.]
Sadia is a qualified Social Anthropologist and has been working with PENHA since 1996. The Pastoralist and Environmental Network in the Horn of Africa (PENHA) works with the pastoralist and nomadic communities across the Horn of Afrika but it is only in Somalia / Somaliland where pastoralists form the majority of the population. However, the investment in these communities has always been minimal regardless of the size of their contribution to national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Crop production which across the two Somalias accounts for only 6% receives the majority of the aid, funding and investment. “PENHA recognises that we need an organisation that actually puts the pastoralist agenda on the political scene as well as development…Nobody was looking at pastoralists per se until we reached there and that was true in many, many countries of the Horn of Afrika.“
The focus of PENHA Somalia / Somaliland is on sustainable livelihoods, drought mitigation, lobbying and advocacy on policies concerning pastoralists including at a government level, establishing pastoralist forums and networking with ‘like-minded’ organizations, emergency advice on drought, soil and water conservation, range reserves to ensure all year round livestock food supply to maintain weight and health of cattle, charcoal production, conflict resolution, and health information on issues such as HIV / AIDS and FGM. The current drought is only marginally affecting Somaliland but southern parts of Somalia are suffering more. Three areas of Somaliland suffered severe drought between 2000-2004. Luckily, 2005 was a good year for rains and this year there are pockets that will be affected by drought and also alert areas where it will not be as bad.
PENHA undertakes environmental impact assessments on water quality and usage, pastoralist modes of production, organizational structures and indigenous knowledge on plants, human and animal husbandry. This information ensures that pastoralists have a say in the development programmes affecting them. The main economic activity is based around livestock export, especially to Saudi Arabia for the hajj where they sent in excess of 3 million head annually according to the most recent records. Due to the large number of livestock this meant that pastoralists across the two Somalis were better off than pastoralists in other countries. However, the collapse of the central government / nation-state, environmental degradation and the livestock export bans by Saudi Arabia has affected economic growth.
Somaliland has had strong stable government for 15 years even though it is not officially recognised by the ‘international community’. It has a fully functioning electoral system at local, regional and national level and is considered the most stable country in the region with the government having a surplus for the last four years. This has meant that all staff salaries have been paid but lack of recognition has hampered it’s ability to access bilateral aid. Non-recognition has given the population the confidence that they can develop the country themselves with strong support of $5-700 million in remittances from their diaspora. This compares favourably with $167 million in international support. The biggest remittance organization Dahab Shiil is on the point of transforming itself into a full bank with branches across the world. This has led the UN and EU to look at ways of supporting Somaliland. “Somalis are business-oriented people and anything they come up with their own solutions. Necessity is the mother of invention.”
Sadia didn’t hold out much hope for the current government in Somalia which has been meeting outside the capital, Mogadishu, only in the last few months. The fighting in Somalia was not country wide but mainly focused on Mogadishu and intermittently in a few other areas. This means that “the bulk of Somalia is secure and safe.” It is an open question what the Islamic Movement will do with its influence but it is supported by many Somalis as the warlords who were running Mogadishu were holding people to ransom preventing proper development. Somaliland held a referendum and the majority of the people didn’t want to join back with Somalia but they would maintain business, political and social links. When Somalia is stabilised there will need to be talks especially on debt and development issues.
International recognition is important for Somaliland to develop its viability, although as Sadia pointed out there are many countries recognized by the UN for a long time who are much worse off that Somaliland. The most important thing is the support from the people on the ground, who are the custodians of the peaceful situation in the country. “At this point what would really push the thing forward is a more dynamic government.” There are two houses of parliament – an MP’s house and the elder’s house whose job it is to ensure that peace is preserved.
Climate change is forcing a diversification of the economy away from heavy dependence on drought-affected industries into bee-keeping, lime production and salt production. Pastoralists are now holding smaller numbers of livestock within individual families although the combined families overall may still control the same amount. Globalisation is causing many people to leave Somalia although in Somaliland the movement is now more internal towards the bigger towns. After a period in the 1980’s and early 1990’s when people were emigrating from Somaliland many are returning, including Sadia herself, who has lived back in Somaliland for five years. “Somalis are travelers all their lives so you can still find large numbers of them traveling. You know we are the oldest Afrikan community in UK, 150 years ago our seamen were in this country and they still are. So you see the traveling issue is always there regardless of the economic situation of the country.”
There are several Somali-owned airlines such as Daallo Airlines, African Express and Star Airlines. Mogadishu is still a business city despite all the chaos. Mogadishu University has some of the best results on the continent. Somaliland has some of the best telephone connections and in Kenya the Somali traders are well-established in the markets. The media across the two Somalias are vibrant with Somalia having even more freedom as there is no central government but even in Somaliland you are able to criticise the government and put forward alternatives. There are many terrestrial TV stations in Hargeisa and a growing number of satellite stations. “There was no media in Siad Barre’s time. There was a bit of a scramble to begin with but as they go along quite a good number of them are becoming very credible in what they’re saying and people are quoting them, while others either die out or become peripheral.”
Somaliland is on good terms with Ethiopia and Djibouti and Ethiopia has just given their mission full ambassadorial status. There are no militias in either countries and the territorial dispute with Puntland is being dealt with at a diplomatic rather than military level. Ethiopia is planning to start using Berbera port more extensively. They have been using Djibouti since the loss of Assab and Massawa to Eritrea. The two Somalis combined have the longest coastline in Afrika. Sea piracy is only in a section of the Indian Ocean not on the Red Sea or gulf sections.
On the issue of the clan system Sadia felt that the way it is being pushed is distorted. Your “clan is just an identity” Clan issues previously only came up at election time. She felt it gained prominence during Siad Barre’s rule. When she was younger what clan you were from did not affect your life in the way that ‘clanism’ (favouritism) is being pushed by the warlords of Mogadishu and the political elites. “Clanism doesn’t really work in the urban areas because ‘clan’, ‘clanism’ means collectivity and you know in urban areas we are always individuals. You got your own job and go your own way. It’s cosmopolitan… You cannot be a clan so people use clan whenever they want to mess up things…It’s constructive if you want to make it constructive but it’s also got it’s own problems like collective punishment…When it’s in the countryside in the real traditional context it has got it’s own rules and regulations. It has got it’s own knowledge base. It has got it’s own literature…It really was a system that was working for the communities for a long, long time. But now you take that clan out of that context and put it in an urban context – forget it! It just becomes opportunistic and that’s what creates the whole havoc at this point. “
For more info about PENHA tel: 020 7242 0202. E-mail: info@penhanet.org / penhasld@yahoo.co.uk or check their website at: www.penhanet.org
Throughout the show we paid musical tributes to Henry ‘Junjo’ Lawes, a great reggae producer and innovator who was murdered in London in June 1999.
Editorial Pt 2
On Friday’s Nubiart, we marked South Afrikan Youth Day commemorating the 30th anniversary of the start of the Soweto Uprisings when youth demonstrated over being taught in the apartheid language of Afrikaans. Over 500 people were murdered by the South Afrikan state and tens of thousands more were forced to abandon their education to continue the struggle against apartheid genocide.
As part of our ‘Horn of Afrika: Democracy, Desertification, Development and Drought’ season, Janet Amito, from Stop the Genocide in Northern Uganda (StGiNU) and the producer / presenter of Acoli London on Sound Radio, came in to give an update on the situation in Uganda. “Historically, Acoliland has been the central point for a lot of other ethnic groups in northern Uganda. If the Acoli are OK, …then all those other ethnic groups including the ones in Sudan and Congo they will be at peace as well.”
Janet felt the Acoli were strong opponents of ethnic cleansing and that is why the government targeted them. The Ugandan government has told people from other ethnic groups that they can return home from the camps but not the Acoli even though they have suffered the most from forced displacement. At present 1000 people per week have died from camp conditions alone on top of other causes. There is an outbreak of suspected cholera in the camps in Kitgum region. Just before the outbreak a man was caught with poison in his hand trying to contaminate water tanks in the concentration camps in the region. He confessed that he and others had been sent from the south to poison the water supply. Mobility in the affected areas has been reduced and the aid agencies are scaling back their operations. There is a call for clean bottled water to be sent to the region.
The recent election victory of Yoweri Museveni has not brought any resolution for the Acoli situation. “The media keeps on giving a false account that people ran into concentration camps by their own will and it was actually the opposite. They were forced, they were also bombed by the army and so many people lost their lives and were maimed. Land mines were set so that they could not go back.” The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is due to be held in Uganda in 2007 so the government is putting a gloss on developments. Schools, army barracks and other premises are being privatised in the run up to CHOGM. Kizza Besigye has given up as opposition leader due to having to concentrate on his forthcoming trial. It was felt he won by votes cast but many were burned or dumped at railway stations. “The situation with Uganda is the arms. If you can control the army then you are the president.”
We discussed the shrinking of Lake Victoria and a recent TV programme about the destructive Nile perch which were put in the Lake over the last few decades but which have been decimating the other fish. We then moved on to discuss the merits of women as heads of state. Janet felt that women would be more considerate on social issues and stopping wars. Historically, women leaders were considered a steady hand. Kubara said that with the modern nation-states any head of state has to behave a certain way to ensure their alliances and finances and their aid dependence. Also, just to get to be head of state means that the person (male or female) has probably done some dirty deals and compromised themselves. Janet closed by saying the problem is oppression and exploitation in which Afrikan leaders are complicit. “If the people over here put you in power, yes, they will dictate to you and that is why we are having problems today. They promise power. They make you feel insecure and that you can’t survive without them yet at the same time they are living on your resources…They say ‘Afrika is so poor’ yet they are living through our wealth everyday, they are even exploiting our pictures…to get money everyday.”
You can listen to Acoli London on Sound Radio 1503am on Sundays at 6-7pm. You can contact Janet at acolilondon@soundradio.info or endthesufferingofacoli@yahoo.co.uk
Full copies of the shows and track playlists are available from Afrikan Quest at the address below.
FORTHCOMING NUBIART SHOWS:
NUBIART 1: Every Wed at 5-7pm. Focus on arts, education, business, sport and health.
NUBIART 2: Every Fri at 10-11pm. Focus on political developments and the media.
FUTURE SHOWS:
~ Amari Blaize, transpersonal psychotherapist and author of ‘The Homecoming: Journey of the Orphan Child’ [Matador]
~ Godfrey Arumoh, Publisher and Co-Ordinator, Niger Delta Republic Movement
~ Wake Up Congo, on their work and the forthcoming elections in Democratic Republic of Congo .
JUNE PROMO:
~ ‘Abdulahi Chibli: Live in Agadez’ – Abdulahi Chibli [White Label Promo – Autumn Release Date] Acoustic desert blues from one of Niger’s major talents.
~ ‘Lagos Stori Plenti’ – Various Artistes [Out Here Records – Released June 15] Compilation by new and established artists coming out of Lagos, Nigeria.
NUBIART LIBRARY – JUNE BOOKS:
We will try to recommend books that we have read and that are available in shops or libraries. However, given the nature and current state of Afrikan publishing there may be books on this list that are worth the extra effort to track down.
~ ‘Africa and the Successor Generation’– Ed. Bolaji Abdullahi [ALF Publications ISBN: 978-34838-4-6] Summary Report and Papers presented at the 10th anniversary meeting of the African Leadership Forum in Cotonou, Benin in Nov 1998. Held in the period between the release from imprisonment under the kleptocratic regime of murderer Sani Abacha of its founder, Olusegun Obasanjo, and his resumption of the Nigerian Presidency. The meeting highlights some of the themes and challenges that face Afrika in the 21st century. Includes interesting papers from Kodi Anani on ‘Ensuring Good Governance in Africa: An Alternative Policy Perspective of the Successor Generation’, Senyo J C Afele on ‘Information and Communication Technologies In the New Africa Renaissance: Towards Innovative Thinking Systems’ and an Anniversary Lecture by Sir Shridath Ramphal, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
~ ‘Stories From Yard’ – Alecia McKenzie [Peepal Tree Press ISBN: 1-900715-62-7] Ten short stories from Jamaica and its diaspora with a strong cast of female characters.
~ ‘Ethiopia and the Origin of Civilization’ – John G Jackson [Black Classic Press ISBN: 933121-14-8] A critical review of the evidence of archaeology, history and comparative religion according to the most reliable sources and authorities by an eminent scholar and historian.
NUBIART DIARY:
~ Ring Tones mogul Alex Amosu will address AFFORD’s 5th African Diaspora and Development Day (AD3) on the theme “Africa needs to create 8 million jobs…what can we do?.” Attendees can learn how to use: Remittances & other investments to support family & friends to create their own jobs and reduce dependency; Skills, knowledge, & experience to support entrepreneurs in Africa; Influence, contacts, networks, lobbying, & advocacy to help remove barriers to job-creation. From 9am-6pm on Sat July 1 at Royal Horticultural Conference Centre. Greycoat Street, London, SW1P 2QD. For more info contact: Onyekachi Wambu, AFFORD, 31-33 Bondway, Vauxhall Cross, London, SW8 1SJ. Tel: 020 7587 3905 Fax: 3919. E-mail: ad3@afford.org or check the website: www.afford-uk.org
*For Nubiart info contact Kubara Zamani Za Kale, Afrikan Quest, PO Box 35165, London, SE5 8WU Tel: 07811 494 969. E-mail: afrikanquest@hotmail.com Web: www.southwark.tv/quest/aqhome.asp
NUBIART PODCASTS NOW AVAILABLE: ‘What Is Beauty?’, looking at attitudes to hair, skin bleaching, relationships and Afrikan identity. You can download this now at: www.soundradio1503.wordpress.com
NB: Nubiart Diary can also be read weekly at www.ligali.org and on the Afrikan Quest website.
NUBIART EDITORIAL:
Editorial Pt 1
On midweek Nubiart we started by addressing the difference between ‘information’, ‘intelligence’, ‘opinion’ and ‘prejudice’ in the wake of the police raid and attempted murder of Muslims in Forest Gate.
We moved on to pay tribute to Walter Rodney. The 26th anniversary of his assassination by agents of the government of Forbes Burnham in Guyana was on 13 June. Rodney was born on March 23, 1942 in Georgetown, Guyana. In 1960 he won an open scholarship to the University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica where he obtained a degree in history with First Class Honors. In 1963, he received another scholarship, to study African History at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.
In 1966, Rodney received his PhD. His thesis was published in 1970 as ‘A History of the Upper Guinea Coast, 1545-1800’. Rodney then took up an appointment as lecturer in history at the University of Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania, East Africa. In 1968, he returned to Jamaica to lecture at Mona campus. Rodney’s second coming to Jamaica coincided with the rise of mass political activity on the island. He was very popular with the Jamaican masses, but his activism provoked the wrath of the Jamaican government, which claimed he was a threat to national security. Rodney’s offense was to openly discuss issues of poverty, unemployment and racism, and demand justice for the working people.
In October 1968, the government banned Rodney from Jamaica. He was prevented from re-entering the country after attending a meeting in Canada; and sent back to Canada on the same plane on which he had arrived. The ban caused major disturbances on and off campus. Students and ordinary people marched on government offices in Kingston, angry at the expulsion of the beloved “Brother Wally,” which eventually turned into a riot. The “Rodney affairs,” resounded throughout the Caribbean. Some of the public lectures Rodney gave in Jamaica were published as, ‘The Groundings with My Brothers’.
After his expulsion from Jamaica, Rodney returned to Tanzania, where he resumed teaching at the University of Dar es Salaam. In 1972, he published, ‘How Europe Underdeveloped Africa’, which became one of the most widely-read and influential books on Africa and the third world in general. In addition to his scholarly pursuits, Rodney was deeply involved in political struggles while in Tanzania which was then undergoing a revolutionary experiment, and also served as the headquarters for many Afrikan liberation movements. Rodney, who considered study and struggle inseparable, was involved in all of these activities. He finally left Tanzania in 1974, at a time when the revolution was beginning to lose its way and the political positions he advocated were becoming increasingly unpopular.
In 1974, an appointment as Professor of History at the University of Guyana opened the door for Rodney to return to the Caribbean and the land of birth. The mature fruit of his scholarly labor was ‘A History of the Guyanese Working People, 1881-1905’. This book provided the historical foundations for the political movement Rodney played a central role in founding and leading until his death, the Working People’s Alliance (WPA). The dominant theme in Rodney’s life and work, intellectual and political, is a deep and abiding commitment to the struggles of the working people everywhere for emancipation from all forms of oppression. At the time of his death, Rodney was married to Patricia Rodney and was the father of three children, Shaka, Kanini and Asha.
We then interviewed Sadia Ahmed, the Country Representative of PENHA Somalia and Somaliland about the work of the organisation and the political and economic situation there. This interview was part of our ‘Horn of Afrika: Democracy, Desertification, Development and Drought’ season. Somaliland is the former British protectorate to the north and west while Somalia is the former Italian colony to the east and south which also includes the semi-autonomous area of Puntland. [Due to the evolving political situation on the ground since the fall of a unified central government / nation-state under Siad Barre some of the comments here refer only to Somaliland, some only to Somalia and some to both.]
Sadia is a qualified Social Anthropologist and has been working with PENHA since 1996. The Pastoralist and Environmental Network in the Horn of Africa (PENHA) works with the pastoralist and nomadic communities across the Horn of Afrika but it is only in Somalia / Somaliland where pastoralists form the majority of the population. However, the investment in these communities has always been minimal regardless of the size of their contribution to national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Crop production which across the two Somalias accounts for only 6% receives the majority of the aid, funding and investment. “PENHA recognises that we need an organisation that actually puts the pastoralist agenda on the political scene as well as development…Nobody was looking at pastoralists per se until we reached there and that was true in many, many countries of the Horn of Afrika.“
The focus of PENHA Somalia / Somaliland is on sustainable livelihoods, drought mitigation, lobbying and advocacy on policies concerning pastoralists including at a government level, establishing pastoralist forums and networking with ‘like-minded’ organizations, emergency advice on drought, soil and water conservation, range reserves to ensure all year round livestock food supply to maintain weight and health of cattle, charcoal production, conflict resolution, and health information on issues such as HIV / AIDS and FGM. The current drought is only marginally affecting Somaliland but southern parts of Somalia are suffering more. Three areas of Somaliland suffered severe drought between 2000-2004. Luckily, 2005 was a good year for rains and this year there are pockets that will be affected by drought and also alert areas where it will not be as bad.
PENHA undertakes environmental impact assessments on water quality and usage, pastoralist modes of production, organizational structures and indigenous knowledge on plants, human and animal husbandry. This information ensures that pastoralists have a say in the development programmes affecting them. The main economic activity is based around livestock export, especially to Saudi Arabia for the hajj where they sent in excess of 3 million head annually according to the most recent records. Due to the large number of livestock this meant that pastoralists across the two Somalis were better off than pastoralists in other countries. However, the collapse of the central government / nation-state, environmental degradation and the livestock export bans by Saudi Arabia has affected economic growth.
Somaliland has had strong stable government for 15 years even though it is not officially recognised by the ‘international community’. It has a fully functioning electoral system at local, regional and national level and is considered the most stable country in the region with the government having a surplus for the last four years. This has meant that all staff salaries have been paid but lack of recognition has hampered it’s ability to access bilateral aid. Non-recognition has given the population the confidence that they can develop the country themselves with strong support of $5-700 million in remittances from their diaspora. This compares favourably with $167 million in international support. The biggest remittance organization Dahab Shiil is on the point of transforming itself into a full bank with branches across the world. This has led the UN and EU to look at ways of supporting Somaliland. “Somalis are business-oriented people and anything they come up with their own solutions. Necessity is the mother of invention.”
Sadia didn’t hold out much hope for the current government in Somalia which has been meeting outside the capital, Mogadishu, only in the last few months. The fighting in Somalia was not country wide but mainly focused on Mogadishu and intermittently in a few other areas. This means that “the bulk of Somalia is secure and safe.” It is an open question what the Islamic Movement will do with its influence but it is supported by many Somalis as the warlords who were running Mogadishu were holding people to ransom preventing proper development. Somaliland held a referendum and the majority of the people didn’t want to join back with Somalia but they would maintain business, political and social links. When Somalia is stabilised there will need to be talks especially on debt and development issues.
International recognition is important for Somaliland to develop its viability, although as Sadia pointed out there are many countries recognized by the UN for a long time who are much worse off that Somaliland. The most important thing is the support from the people on the ground, who are the custodians of the peaceful situation in the country. “At this point what would really push the thing forward is a more dynamic government.” There are two houses of parliament – an MP’s house and the elder’s house whose job it is to ensure that peace is preserved.
Climate change is forcing a diversification of the economy away from heavy dependence on drought-affected industries into bee-keeping, lime production and salt production. Pastoralists are now holding smaller numbers of livestock within individual families although the combined families overall may still control the same amount. Globalisation is causing many people to leave Somalia although in Somaliland the movement is now more internal towards the bigger towns. After a period in the 1980’s and early 1990’s when people were emigrating from Somaliland many are returning, including Sadia herself, who has lived back in Somaliland for five years. “Somalis are travelers all their lives so you can still find large numbers of them traveling. You know we are the oldest Afrikan community in UK, 150 years ago our seamen were in this country and they still are. So you see the traveling issue is always there regardless of the economic situation of the country.”
There are several Somali-owned airlines such as Daallo Airlines, African Express and Star Airlines. Mogadishu is still a business city despite all the chaos. Mogadishu University has some of the best results on the continent. Somaliland has some of the best telephone connections and in Kenya the Somali traders are well-established in the markets. The media across the two Somalias are vibrant with Somalia having even more freedom as there is no central government but even in Somaliland you are able to criticise the government and put forward alternatives. There are many terrestrial TV stations in Hargeisa and a growing number of satellite stations. “There was no media in Siad Barre’s time. There was a bit of a scramble to begin with but as they go along quite a good number of them are becoming very credible in what they’re saying and people are quoting them, while others either die out or become peripheral.”
Somaliland is on good terms with Ethiopia and Djibouti and Ethiopia has just given their mission full ambassadorial status. There are no militias in either countries and the territorial dispute with Puntland is being dealt with at a diplomatic rather than military level. Ethiopia is planning to start using Berbera port more extensively. They have been using Djibouti since the loss of Assab and Massawa to Eritrea. The two Somalis combined have the longest coastline in Afrika. Sea piracy is only in a section of the Indian Ocean not on the Red Sea or gulf sections.
On the issue of the clan system Sadia felt that the way it is being pushed is distorted. Your “clan is just an identity” Clan issues previously only came up at election time. She felt it gained prominence during Siad Barre’s rule. When she was younger what clan you were from did not affect your life in the way that ‘clanism’ (favouritism) is being pushed by the warlords of Mogadishu and the political elites. “Clanism doesn’t really work in the urban areas because ‘clan’, ‘clanism’ means collectivity and you know in urban areas we are always individuals. You got your own job and go your own way. It’s cosmopolitan… You cannot be a clan so people use clan whenever they want to mess up things…It’s constructive if you want to make it constructive but it’s also got it’s own problems like collective punishment…When it’s in the countryside in the real traditional context it has got it’s own rules and regulations. It has got it’s own knowledge base. It has got it’s own literature…It really was a system that was working for the communities for a long, long time. But now you take that clan out of that context and put it in an urban context – forget it! It just becomes opportunistic and that’s what creates the whole havoc at this point. “
For more info about PENHA tel: 020 7242 0202. E-mail: info@penhanet.org / penhasld@yahoo.co.uk or check their website at: www.penhanet.org
Throughout the show we paid musical tributes to Henry ‘Junjo’ Lawes, a great reggae producer and innovator who was murdered in London in June 1999.
Editorial Pt 2
On Friday’s Nubiart, we marked South Afrikan Youth Day commemorating the 30th anniversary of the start of the Soweto Uprisings when youth demonstrated over being taught in the apartheid language of Afrikaans. Over 500 people were murdered by the South Afrikan state and tens of thousands more were forced to abandon their education to continue the struggle against apartheid genocide.
As part of our ‘Horn of Afrika: Democracy, Desertification, Development and Drought’ season, Janet Amito, from Stop the Genocide in Northern Uganda (StGiNU) and the producer / presenter of Acoli London on Sound Radio, came in to give an update on the situation in Uganda. “Historically, Acoliland has been the central point for a lot of other ethnic groups in northern Uganda. If the Acoli are OK, …then all those other ethnic groups including the ones in Sudan and Congo they will be at peace as well.”
Janet felt the Acoli were strong opponents of ethnic cleansing and that is why the government targeted them. The Ugandan government has told people from other ethnic groups that they can return home from the camps but not the Acoli even though they have suffered the most from forced displacement. At present 1000 people per week have died from camp conditions alone on top of other causes. There is an outbreak of suspected cholera in the camps in Kitgum region. Just before the outbreak a man was caught with poison in his hand trying to contaminate water tanks in the concentration camps in the region. He confessed that he and others had been sent from the south to poison the water supply. Mobility in the affected areas has been reduced and the aid agencies are scaling back their operations. There is a call for clean bottled water to be sent to the region.
The recent election victory of Yoweri Museveni has not brought any resolution for the Acoli situation. “The media keeps on giving a false account that people ran into concentration camps by their own will and it was actually the opposite. They were forced, they were also bombed by the army and so many people lost their lives and were maimed. Land mines were set so that they could not go back.” The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is due to be held in Uganda in 2007 so the government is putting a gloss on developments. Schools, army barracks and other premises are being privatised in the run up to CHOGM. Kizza Besigye has given up as opposition leader due to having to concentrate on his forthcoming trial. It was felt he won by votes cast but many were burned or dumped at railway stations. “The situation with Uganda is the arms. If you can control the army then you are the president.”
We discussed the shrinking of Lake Victoria and a recent TV programme about the destructive Nile perch which were put in the Lake over the last few decades but which have been decimating the other fish. We then moved on to discuss the merits of women as heads of state. Janet felt that women would be more considerate on social issues and stopping wars. Historically, women leaders were considered a steady hand. Kubara said that with the modern nation-states any head of state has to behave a certain way to ensure their alliances and finances and their aid dependence. Also, just to get to be head of state means that the person (male or female) has probably done some dirty deals and compromised themselves. Janet closed by saying the problem is oppression and exploitation in which Afrikan leaders are complicit. “If the people over here put you in power, yes, they will dictate to you and that is why we are having problems today. They promise power. They make you feel insecure and that you can’t survive without them yet at the same time they are living on your resources…They say ‘Afrika is so poor’ yet they are living through our wealth everyday, they are even exploiting our pictures…to get money everyday.”
You can listen to Acoli London on Sound Radio 1503am on Sundays at 6-7pm. You can contact Janet at acolilondon@soundradio.info or endthesufferingofacoli@yahoo.co.uk
Full copies of the shows and track playlists are available from Afrikan Quest at the address below.
FORTHCOMING NUBIART SHOWS:
NUBIART 1: Every Wed at 5-7pm. Focus on arts, education, business, sport and health.
NUBIART 2: Every Fri at 10-11pm. Focus on political developments and the media.
FUTURE SHOWS:
~ Amari Blaize, transpersonal psychotherapist and author of ‘The Homecoming: Journey of the Orphan Child’ [Matador]
~ Godfrey Arumoh, Publisher and Co-Ordinator, Niger Delta Republic Movement
~ Wake Up Congo, on their work and the forthcoming elections in Democratic Republic of Congo .
JUNE PROMO:
~ ‘Abdulahi Chibli: Live in Agadez’ – Abdulahi Chibli [White Label Promo – Autumn Release Date] Acoustic desert blues from one of Niger’s major talents.
~ ‘Lagos Stori Plenti’ – Various Artistes [Out Here Records – Released June 15] Compilation by new and established artists coming out of Lagos, Nigeria.
NUBIART LIBRARY – JUNE BOOKS:
We will try to recommend books that we have read and that are available in shops or libraries. However, given the nature and current state of Afrikan publishing there may be books on this list that are worth the extra effort to track down.
~ ‘Africa and the Successor Generation’– Ed. Bolaji Abdullahi [ALF Publications ISBN: 978-34838-4-6] Summary Report and Papers presented at the 10th anniversary meeting of the African Leadership Forum in Cotonou, Benin in Nov 1998. Held in the period between the release from imprisonment under the kleptocratic regime of murderer Sani Abacha of its founder, Olusegun Obasanjo, and his resumption of the Nigerian Presidency. The meeting highlights some of the themes and challenges that face Afrika in the 21st century. Includes interesting papers from Kodi Anani on ‘Ensuring Good Governance in Africa: An Alternative Policy Perspective of the Successor Generation’, Senyo J C Afele on ‘Information and Communication Technologies In the New Africa Renaissance: Towards Innovative Thinking Systems’ and an Anniversary Lecture by Sir Shridath Ramphal, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
~ ‘Stories From Yard’ – Alecia McKenzie [Peepal Tree Press ISBN: 1-900715-62-7] Ten short stories from Jamaica and its diaspora with a strong cast of female characters.
~ ‘Ethiopia and the Origin of Civilization’ – John G Jackson [Black Classic Press ISBN: 933121-14-8] A critical review of the evidence of archaeology, history and comparative religion according to the most reliable sources and authorities by an eminent scholar and historian.
NUBIART DIARY:
~ Ring Tones mogul Alex Amosu will address AFFORD’s 5th African Diaspora and Development Day (AD3) on the theme “Africa needs to create 8 million jobs…what can we do?.” Attendees can learn how to use: Remittances & other investments to support family & friends to create their own jobs and reduce dependency; Skills, knowledge, & experience to support entrepreneurs in Africa; Influence, contacts, networks, lobbying, & advocacy to help remove barriers to job-creation. From 9am-6pm on Sat July 1 at Royal Horticultural Conference Centre. Greycoat Street, London, SW1P 2QD. For more info contact: Onyekachi Wambu, AFFORD, 31-33 Bondway, Vauxhall Cross, London, SW8 1SJ. Tel: 020 7587 3905 Fax: 3919. E-mail: ad3@afford.org or check the website: www.afford-uk.org
Contact Details
*For Nubiart info contact Kubara Zamani Za Kale, Afrikan Quest, PO Box 35165, London, SE5 8WU Tel: 07811 494 969. E-mail: afrikanquest@hotmail.com Web: www.southwark.tv/quest/aqhome.asp
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