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| Africa Horn | |
| Somali rebels 11 commandments to aid groups | |
| 2009-11-07 | |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Don't promote democracy, fire all women, don't take Sundays off and remove all logos from your vehicles: these are only some of the 11 new rules Somalia's Shabaab rebels want to slap on aid groups. According to a document obtained by AFP Friday and issued two days earlier by the authorities for the south-central Bay and Bakool region, the country's main humanitarian hub, aid groups should comply with tough new guidelines.
The list of requirements, which was distributed to local aid group representatives on Thursday, includes a registration fee of 20,000 dollars payable twice a year. Several humanitarian organizations confirmed receiving the document, which bears the Shebab's logo, but no official from the Al Qaeda-inspired insurgent group was immediately willing to comment on the record. High-ranking Shabaab and security officials however confirmed the document's authenticity, but also said that some of the insurgent group's leaders thought the conditions too harsh and were pushing for the document to be re-examined. Bay and Bakool are the main hub for the international aid effort in the Horn of Africa country, where the Western-backed central government is unable to assert its authority a few blocks beyond the presidency in Mogadishu. The United Nations has its largest humanitarian compound there, in the town of Wajid, and most aid organizations have already been weeded out from other regions under Islamist control. The document imposes draconian conditions concerning women employees, who should all be replaced with men within three months. Aid organizations "should distance (themselves) from anything that will affect proper Islamic culture... like promoting adultery and establishing women's groups." World Women's Day is singled out along with Christmas and World Aids Day as proscribed celebrations, while "preaching democracy" is also listed as a value "interfering with Islam" that should be banned. | |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 Bman it's because the supply has increased relative to demand. Now throw down a 6 year world wide conflict and I suspect prices might rise to 1948 levels - real parity would be 1917 levels. Wheat farmers have been taking it on the chin now for 90 years it's about time something is done by someone somewhere. |
| Posted by: .5MT 2009-11-07 10:38 |
| #4 so if we are feeding all these people why isn't the price of wheat above 1948 levels? |
| Posted by: bman 2009-11-07 10:16 |
| #3 We feed them for the same reason we feed the Norks: because we're idiots ... |
| Posted by: Steve White 2009-11-07 01:41 |
| #2 Why is aid still being allowed into this country? It is all going to help Al Shabaab to maintain itself in dominating the country. Stop supporting the terrorists!!! Let them die on the vine. |
| Posted by: Jame Retief 2009-11-07 00:56 |
| #1 12: Starve. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-11-07 00:13 |