GOING TO AN AMERICAN COLLEGE THIS YEAR?
LET US HELP YOU PREPARE!

The Educational Advising Center of the U.S. Embassy
is hosting its annual
Pre-departure Orientation for Study in the United States
on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 12:45 p.m. at the U.S. Embassy

The Educational Advising Center invites those who are admitted to U.S. Institutions to prepare for their study by attending its annual Pre-departure Orientation. Alumni of American Universities, American Consular officials and the staff of the Center will cover a range of topics to help first-time students and their parents prepare for their travel to and within the U.S. and for study in U.S. Institutions.

Topics to be covered will include: Life in the United States ; culture shock; studying in the United States (includes studying tips, plagiarism, rules and terms); climate and travel in the U.S. and abroad; what to pack or prepare before departure; and things to keep in mind for when you return to Tanzania . There will also be time set aside for Q&A.

Please note that large bags, briefcases, and electronic items including cell phones and cameras are among items not permitted into the Embassy and there will be no place to store such items. Please come early to pass through security.

For more information and to register for the session, please contact the Educational Advisor on 022 2668001 ext. 4192 or by email eadar@state.gov.

Educational Advisor, Educational Advising Center
U.S. Embassy, 686 Old Bagamoyo Rd. , Msasani, Box 9123 , Dar es Salaam .
http://tanzania.usembassy.gov/educational_advising1.html



Agreement between Transitional Federal Government and the Alliance for Re-Liberation of Somalia


In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent and the most Merciful


AGREEMENT BETWEEN

THE TRANSITIONAL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF SOMALIA (TFG)
And
THE ALLIANCE FOR THE RE-LIBERATION OF SOMALIA (ARS)


1. The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia and the Alliance for Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) attending a meeting from 31 May to 9 June 2008 in Djibouti, facilitated by the UN. They are hereafter referred to as "the Parties".

2. The Parties gave their respective analyses of the 18 year old crisis and made proposals aimed at restoring trust, confidence and at ending the conflict. Their discussion led to the present Agreement.

3. The primary requirement of this Agreement is to: ensure the cessation of all armed confrontation and a political settlement for a durable peace; promote a peaceful environment; avoid a security vacuum; facilitate the protection of the population and the unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance and call for the convening of a reconstruction and development conference.
4. The Parties noted that:

a. Over the past eighteen years, Somalia has suffered massive human losses, insecurity and vast destruction of its physical infrastructure and other vital public investments. A whole generation of young people and adults has been sacrificed or denied education and development;

b. The human and humanitarian situation is continuously deteriorating. At the same time, the country’s international image and standing have been seriously undermined;

c. This tragic situation, and the fact that eighteen years of war and conflict have brought neither durable peace nor stability and inspired by patriotic and religious examples of compromise.

5. Decided to:

a. Reaffirm the dignity, sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Somalia;

b. Take courageous measures to finally bring this situation to an end and resolve the crisis through peaceful means.

6. Agreed on:
a. The termination of all acts of armed confrontation by the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) and its allies and by the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and its allies;
b. The cessation of armed confrontation shall come into force thirty (30) days from the signing of this agreement throughout the national territory;
c. The cessation of armed confrontation is approved for an initial period of ninety (90) days, renewable.
7. The Parties agreed from the date of coming into effect of this Agreement:
a. To request the United Nations, consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 1814 and within a period of one hundred and twenty (120) days, to authorize and deploy an international stabilization force from countries that are friends of Somalia excluding neighboring states;
b. Within a period of 120 days of the signing of this agreement the TFG will act in accordance with the decision that has already been taken by the Ethiopian Government to withdraw its troops from Somalia after the deployment of a sufficient number of UN Forces;
c. The ARS shall, through a solemn public statement, cease and condemn all acts of armed violence in Somalia and dissociate itself from any armed groups or individuals that do not adhere to the terms of this Agreement.
8. To ensure the effective implementation of this Agreement, the Parties agree to:
a. Undertake all necessary measures to ensure unhindered humanitarian access and assistance to affected populations;
b. Refrain from declarations and actions inconsistent with the peaceful spirit of this Agreement;
c. Establish a Joint Security Committee to follow up the implementation of security arrangements within fifteen (15) days of the signing of this Agreement. The composition and mandate of this Committee, chaired by the UN, shall be adopted within the same period.
9. A High Level Committee, chaired by the UN, should be established within fifteen (15) days of the signing of this Agreement to follow up on issues relating to the political cooperation between the Parties and concerns over justice and reconciliation. These issues will be discussed at a conference to be organized by 30 July 2008.
10. The Parties will work with all other relevant Somali stakeholders to ensure the full and effective implementation of this agreement.
11. The Parties call on the international community to help provide the adequate resources for the implementation and follow-up of this Agreement. The Parties also consider it a priority to convene within the next six (6) months an international conference aimed at addressing Somalia’s Reconstruction and Development.
Djibouti
9 June 2008

Transitional Federal Government Alliance for Re-Liberation of Somalia
United Nations

Observer States: Observer Groups:
France African Union
United Kingdom League of Arab States
United States Organization of Islamic Conference

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia European Union

Djibouti






The UN Security Council in Djibouti to discuss Somalia
The “talks” between the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) have continued in Djibouti this week. At the beginning of the week the United Nations Security Council arrived in Djibouti to reaffirm the Council’s commitment to a comprehensive and lasting settlement through the Transitional Federal Charter, to welcome the efforts of the President and Prime Minister to advance the political process, and to express the Council’s determination to assist Somali efforts to encourage dialogue and contribute to the creation of a more stable security environment. The Council mission was headed by the current President of the Security Council, Ambassador John Sawyers of the UK , and by South African Ambassador Kumalo who said the mission represented the opportunity for a new chapter in Somali history. The Council members met separately with President Abdullahi Yusuf, with representatives of the ARS and of Somali civil society. While President Abdullahi returned to Mogadishu after his meeting with the Council, Prime Minister Nur Hussein ‘Adde’ arrived in Djibouti on Wednesday to try to talk to the ARS on the side lines of the meeting. It appears that Prime Minister Nur ‘Adde’ met with Sharif Hassan last night and is expected to meet others today [6th June].

President Abdullahi Yusuf told the Council he was “willing to do whatever it takes” to bring about peace and security in Somalia . He spoke of the need to implement the TFG’s National Stabilization Plan which needed the lifting of the arms embargo. This, he said, would allow the rebuilding of the TFG’s security organs. President Abdullahi noted that the presence of Ethiopian troops was the result of a bilateral agreement between the two governments and had the approval of the Somali Parliament. Their eventual withdrawal was contingent upon a UN deployment. President Abdullahi said a concrete and holistic approach to Somalia ’s problems was needed and the international community, and the UN, should refocus their energies on the road map to rebuild TFG capacity. He said the TFG was determined to hold free and fair elections next year.

Non-State Actors and Civil Society also addressed the Council, drawing attention to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Somalia . The Civil Society group noted that at the beginning of March this year there was a willingness on all sides to commit to political dialogue. All sides accepted the transitional framework as the way forward and agreed in principle that no military solution was possible. The group therefore called upon the TFG and their armed opposition to agree to a comprehensive and long-term cessation of hostilities and a road map for the creation of a democratic Somalia . International support was critically necessary for any process. Both sides should close their ranks.

The Council was briefed by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia , Mr. Ould-Abdullah, on the talks which have yet to result in any formal face to face meetings. They are currently taking place as a workshop rather than in the form of any dialogue or negotiations as the ARS is insisting on the precondition of the withdrawal of Ethiopian forces from Somalia before talking to the TFG. The ARS delegation has been criticized for misunderstanding the meeting with the Security Council. This was not to give the ARS the legitimacy to impose preconditions on the conduct of the process but to encourage all sides to talk and solve Somalia ’s problems peacefully. Now the ARS are being told by all parties that they should negotiate in good faith. Civil Society groups asked the Security Council to take action against all those who create obstacles to the current process; some members told the ARS it would be held accountable if it derailed the talks.

In his statement to the Council, Sheikh Sharif, the chairman of the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia, engaged in a diatribe against Ethiopia . The UN Security Council was not amused. He appears to have been making a calculated attempt to convey a message to those in Asmara that he had not succumbed to the blandishments of their adversaries, including the UN. In fact, despite Sheikh Sharif’s remarks on Monday, the current split in the ARS was formalized this week as the group remaining in Asmara now claims to have held an election and deposed Sheikh Sharif, appointing former spokesman and one time information minister of the TFG, Zacharia Haji Aden, as chairman. This move follows the denunciation of the Djibouti talks by Sheikh Hassan Dahir ‘Aweys’. Of the 15 man executive committee of the ARS, four followed Sheikh Aweys’, the remainder went to Djibouti with Sheikh Sharif. They are unlikely to return to Eritrea , despite the substantial financial inducements currently being offered through the Eritrean conduit. How far Zacharia Haji Aden, widely regarded as rude and irresponsible, will be able to establish his position is unclear. The ARS is perceived by some to be representative of Hawiye dissatisfaction with the TFG. The choice of Zacharia Haji Aden is surprising as he is from the Lelkasse, a small Darod sub-clan centered on Goldogob, close to the Somali border with Ethiopia . It is unlikely to provide much support for a splinter group of the ARS in Asmara .

Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council on Monday passed a resolution allowing those states co-operating with the TFG in Somalia to enter Somalia’s territorial waters and “use all necessary means” to repress acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea. The provision, to last for the next six months, comes in the wake of a spate of pirate attacks off Somalia , four in May alone. President Abdullahi told the Security Council meeting in Djibouti that the issue of piracy was beyond the present means and capacity of the TFG to deal with.

Ethiopia’s response on arms embargo allegations
Ambassador Negash Kebret, Deputy Head of the Ethiopian Mission to the United Nations has responded to a letter from the Chairman of the UN Security Council Committee on Somalia , South African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo. Following the publication of the latest Report of the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia , Ambassador Kumalo wrote to the Ethiopian Mission in New York asking for Ethiopia ’s response to suggestions that the presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalia might be in breach of the UN embargo on delivery of arms and military equipment to Somalia . In his reply, Ambassador Negash said he failed to understand why Ambassador Kumalo should be raising this issue now as both the UN Security Council, and the UN Committee on Somalia , had previously made it clear that Ethiopia ’s presence in Somalia could not be seen in this light. The presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalia had been arranged by bilateral agreement between Somalia and Ethiopia and with the approval of the Transitional Federal Parliament. Ambassador Negash drew attention to the Security Council resolutions authorizing IGAD and AU states to establish a protection and training mission for the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia , and to supply weapons, military equipment, technical training and assistance for that force. Ethiopia ’s role in Somalia at the behest of the Somali Government, he pointed out, had been just that. Ambassador Negash emphasized that the Security Council had consistently endorsed co-operation between the UN and regional organizations as important for the maintenance of peace and security. It had welcomed the creation and deployment of AMISON, the AU Mission to Somalia . And in its Declaration on Somalia , the AU Summit in January last year noted that Ethiopia ’s intervention had “created unprecedented opportunity for lasting peace in the country.” Ambassador Negash recalled that one of the most significant activities of Ethiopian troops for well over a year had been taking “appropriate steps to ensure the safety and security of AMISOM and humanitarian personnel”, as requested by Security Council resolutions both this year and last year. Ambassador Negash added that the one single incident of a reported sale of weapons and ammunition mentioned by the Monitoring Group would of course be investigated once the necessary evidence had been received. Ambassador Negash concluded by saying that Ethiopia was disappointed that Ambassador Kumalo’s presentation of the report to the UN Security Council had apparently made no reference to those responsible for the major violations listed in the report or to the major source of regional instability. Ambassador Negash regretted Ethiopia ’s relationship with the Committee on Somalia appeared to have deteriorated into something adversarial under Ambassador Kumalo’s chairmanship. It was not something of Ethiopia ’s making and Ethiopia hoped this was no more than a misunderstanding. [A complete version of the letter to Ambassador Kumalo can be found on www.mfa.gov.et]

TICAD IV’s Yokahama Declaration and Action Plan
The Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) was held from 28 - 30 May in Yokohama . Over 40 African Heads of State and Governments, international and regional organizations, representatives of the private sector and others participated in the conference. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi led the Ethiopian delegation. The Conference was preceded by a Ministerial meeting on 27 May 2008 aimed at finalizing the two TICAD IV documents, the Yokohama Declaration and the Yokohama Action Plan, both adopted by the Heads of State and Government.

The Yokohama Declaration is a demonstration of broader political commitment by the Government of Japan, TICAD Co-organizers (World Bank, UN, UNDP) and participating African Countries among others to work together on priority areas of cooperation. These include issues of boosting economic growth, ensuring human security including achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and consolidation of peace and good governance as well as addressing environmental issues and climate change. The Yokohama Action Plan lays out goals to be achieved and specific measures to be implemented through the TICAD process during the next five years to further the three TICAD priorities mentioned above.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s speech to the Conference was on the topic of Asia-Africa partnership. He noted that TICAD had been one of the first international forums to bring Africa and its partners together. He mentioned that the global situation had changed fundamentally since the first TICAD Conference and that this fourth Conference therefore needed to take stock of these changes to realize a new and strategic partnership between the two continents. While the center of gravity of global economic dynamism had shifted to Asia , African economies were also now growing at the fastest rate in more than a generation. “Africa”, he said, “seeks partnership with Asia to promote common prosperity on a long term basis including the technological advancement and industrialization of our continent". Africa wanted partnership to promote a more inclusive and fairer globalization which would serve the interests of both continents. Prime Minister Meles welcomed Japan ’s support for NEPAD, the AU’s program of development and continental integration, as well as the strategic partnership implied by a revitalized TICAD.

Apart from TICAD, there were two other major forums during the week organized by Japan ’s International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and by Japan ’s External Trade Organization (JETRO). JICA’s Symposium was entitled "Revisiting the Role of Public and Private Sectors in Accelerating the Growth of Africa - An Opportunity for Mutual Learning between Africa and Asia ". Prime Minister Meles, the President of Tanzania and the former President of Mozambique were the invited speakers from Africa . JETRO’s forum was entitled "New Trend of Business in Africa : Towards Accelerating Economic Growth". The two invited African speakers were Prime Minister Meles and President Mbeki who was unable to be present. Prime Minister Meles noted that Ethiopia had been drawing on the experiences of Asia to implement its economic strategies, and its growth of the last five years was similar to the export-led economic development registered by some Asian countries. Ethiopia he noted had learnt valuable lessons on the importance of expanding infrastructure, and strengthening the participation of investors and the public. During his stay in Yokohama , Prime Minister Meles also held discussions with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, the Japan-Ethiopia Parliamentary League and the Ethiopian Association of Japan, members of the business community and leaders of various international organizations on issues of mutual concern.

During the Conference, the Government of Japan, which is the center of the TICAD process, unveiled various initiatives for the support of African growth and development. Towards boosting economic growth, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukada of Japan announced that Japan will proactively and flexibly provide up to $4 billion of soft loans to Africa to assist in the development of infrastructure. In order to encourage Japanese companies to invest in Africa, Japan plans to create a Facility for African Investment within the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) to finance businesses in African countries and guarantee financing. In the area of agriculture, the Government of Japan announced an emergency food assistance package equivalent to $100 million, a significant portion of which will be targeted to assist African countries tackle the recent sharp rise in food prices. The Japanese Prime Minister announced specific initiatives aimed at helping African countries achieve the MDGs. In the area of education, these included the construction of 1,000 primary schools and the training of 100,000 teachers in Maths and Science. In health, Japan will contribute $560 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDs, Tuberculosis and Malaria and will also train 100,000 African health workers. Sixty percent of the Global Fund's total assistance goes to Sub-Saharan Africa. In order to bring about these measures, Japan pledged to double its ODA to Africa by 2012; it will also double its grant aid and technical co-operation for Africa over the next five years as well as “act in good faith” to address issues of debt relief in co-ordination with the international community.

In the area of the environment and climate change, Japan has designed a mechanism called the "Cool Earth Partnership" to engage in assistance to developing countries to enhance environment protection, which is also going to be one of the major themes for discussion at next month’s G8 summit at Hokkaido. This partnership will involve assistance amounting to a total of $10 billion to be disbursed globally over five years beginning this year. The Japanese Prime Minister noted that some African countries had already launched policy consultations with Japan and he hoped this partnership would be expanded across the entire continent to formulate a post-2012 framework to protect Africa from the negative effect of climate change. Prime Minister Fukuda stressed that ownership and partnership, key words in the TICAD process, had become established as a symbol of African development. Together with the countries of Africa, Japan was determined to make the 21st century a “century of African growth”.

More discussions on the Charities and Societies draft bill
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi met with the representatives of the NGO community in Ethiopia for the second time on Wednesday [ 4th June]. This was a follow-up to his meeting with the same group on May 24th. Underlining the point that the Government considers NGOs and civil societies as major development partners, the Prime Minister underscored their importance as essential in the generation of innovative ideas. They operate in those areas where the government is unable to go because of its shortage of resources, both financial and human. Additionally, NGOs have their own capacity to generate resources, externally and internally, applying traditional and non-traditional mechanisms. He referred to such NGOs as essential to the country and praised their contribution. The Prime Minister emphasized that the legislation would not be any hindrance to developmental NGOs and would have no effect on their activities. However, he highlighted the importance of the legislation in ensuring transparency and accountability in NGO operations. The Prime Minister underlined that only indigenous NGOs can take part in political activities. International NGOs, registered as foreign aid organizations, and local NGOs whose major source of funding was external would not be allowed to participate in internal political affairs. The Government believed that the idea of limiting local NGO financing from external sources to less than ten percent of their total budget was valid; and that the one year allowed for reorganization of financial arrangements was sufficient. The Prime Minister made it clear that although certain points were not open to discussion, notably the prohibition of foreign aid organizations from participation in political activity, there was still sufficient time to make amendments wherever merited in other areas before the draft law went to parliament. He assured the meeting that any ambiguities of language would be addressed, and he did not rule out the option of further discussions.

IGAD meeting starts tomorrow [7th June]
The 12th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development will take place here in Addis Ababa at the end of next week, on June 14. It will be preceded by the 27th Council of Ministers Meeting on June 11, and this is preceded by the three day meeting of experts which starts tomorrow [7th June]. The experts will be discussing the IGAD Secretariat’s annual report for 2007, and the planned activities for 2008, dealing with regional integration, peace and security and other aspects of regional development. IGAD is made up of Djibouti , Eritrea , Ethiopia , Kenya , Somalia , Sudan and Uganda , though Eritrea withdrew from participation in April 2007 in disagreement with IGAD policy towards Somalia . IGAD is one of the eight Regional Economic Co-operative bodies (RECs) intended to serve as the main building blocks of African integration under the Abuja treaty. Ethiopia will be assuming the chairmanship of IGAD for the coming year at this summit. It attaches great importance to IGAD as an instrument to encourage both regional integration and regional peace.

Ethiopian Roads get a World Bank IEG award
The Ethiopian Road Authority has been given a 2008 Good Practice Award by the World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group. The award came for the implementation of Ethiopia ’s Road Sector Development Program Support Project. Presented at a ceremony at the World Bank on Tuesday, it recognized the Road Sector Development Program's strong performance in design and implementation, as well as the efficient utilization of resources, monitoring and evaluation, and the contribution to a positive development outcome. Ethiopia ’s Ambassador to the United States , Dr. Samuel Assefa, said the award demonstrated the importance of encouraging World Bank support to sectors that significantly contributed to sustained and people-centered economic development. The award-winning project was designed to support the Governments Road Sector Development Program (1997-2007), now extended to 2010. This program was prepared with extensive coordination between the Government and development partners, and designed as a multi-donor supported program. Phase 1 of the program was launched in September 1997. Phase 3, for the years 2007-2010, is currently under implementation. The Bank's total support for the whole program amounts to around $1.1 billion. Based on the Government’s five-year Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development Plan (PASDEP), the Road Sector Project will bring total road lengths throughout the country to 48,990 km by 2009-2010. With a hundred and ten percent of the targets for 2006-2007 met, the Road Authority is on course to meet the project benchmarks in full. The classified network of Federal and Regional Roads had a length of 26,550 km in 1997. It reached 42,429km at the end of last year, more than fifty percent of the roads meeting the qualification of good road condition. Phase 3 will provide a major road network expansion, targeting in all the rehabilitation, upgrading and new construction of 5,994 km of federal roads; and 5,730 km of regional roads. The contribution of the road program to poverty reduction and employment generation has also been impressive. The Ethiopian Roads Authority, in consultation with all development partners, designed strong monitoring and evaluation indicators, to evaluate the outcome of the Road Sector Development Program, and to help decision makers and other stakeholders come up with appropriate strategies and interventions. It participated in an initiative under the Sub Saharan Africa Transport Policy Program to develop best practices within the Africa region by establishing appropriate transport sector performance indicators. These indicators, endorsed by the United Nations, have also been agreed by the African Ministers of Transport and Infrastructure as a method of measuring progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.