Dear ayoub,
Where were you when Barack Obama was sworn in as president?It's a question our kids and grandkids will be asking us for years to come.
During the week of the Inauguration, a team of award-winning professional photographers were granted exclusive access and assigned to capture the historic celebrations and behind-the-scenes moments. From the "Whistle Stop" train ride to Washington to President Obama's first days in the Oval Office, our photographers were there.
Now you can own a complete record of the historic day. Click here to get the official photo book.
The book features 170 photographs, plus essays from Tom Brokaw, John Lewis, and Douglas Brinkley.And for the first time you can make a truly unique book by adding your own photograph and caption to the back cover. You can also add your photographs to a customizable on-demand album -- click here for details:
http://www.pic2009.org/bookOwn this special piece of history. Reserve your copy of the Official Barack Obama Inaugural Album today, and be sure to use coupon code 2009INAUG15 for 15% off the album. Coupon expires May 15.
During the week of the Inauguration, a team of award-winning professional photographers were granted exclusive access and assigned to capture the historic celebrations and behind-the-scenes moments. From the "Whistle Stop" train ride to Washington to President Obama's first days in the Oval Office, our photographers were there.
Now you can own a complete record of the historic day. Click here to get the official photo book.
The book features 170 photographs, plus essays from Tom Brokaw, John Lewis, and Douglas Brinkley.And for the first time you can make a truly unique book by adding your own photograph and caption to the back cover. You can also add your photographs to a customizable on-demand album -- click here for details:
http://www.pic2009.org/bookOwn this special piece of history. Reserve your copy of the Official Barack Obama Inaugural Album today, and be sure to use coupon code 2009INAUG15 for 15% off the album. Coupon expires May 15.
Thank you,
Presidential Inaugural Committee
Product Code: J0926Price: $39.95
The only book officially sanctioned and approved by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, "The Official Barack Obama Inaugural Book" will commemorate the historic 56th Inaugural with more than 220 photographs from some of the world's leading photojournalists, including former Ford White House photographer David Hume Kennerly, former Clinton photographer Robert McNeely, and Obama White House photographer Pete Souza. The book will also include a selection of images sent in by amateur photographers capturing inaugural celebrations from around the country.
The only book officially sanctioned and approved by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, "The Official Barack Obama Inaugural Book" will commemorate the historic 56th Inaugural with more than 220 photographs from some of the world's leading photojournalists, including former Ford White House photographer David Hume Kennerly, former Clinton photographer Robert McNeely, and Obama White House photographer Pete Souza. The book will also include a selection of images sent in by amateur photographers capturing inaugural celebrations from around the country.
Somalia’s Prime Minister in Addis Ababa ;
Donor promises contrast with Somali realities
Last weekend, Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Shermarke, and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Sharif Hassan visited Ethiopia . The Somali delegation held talks with Prime Minister Meles and Foreign Minister Seyoum, and Prime Minister Shermarke, on his first visit to Ethiopia since his appointment, stayed in Addis Ababa until Wednesday [22nd April]. He said he had had a fruitful exchange of views. He noted that his government wanted to streamline the command and structure of the security forces and he hoped for Ethiopian aid in training and capacity building in security and other areas. His government’s top priorities were security and finance, and he underlined the need for IGAD assistance in institution building.
Prime Minister Meles made it clear that Ethiopia fully supported the new government as it had done since its inception. Ethiopia agreed that security and finance were the priorities and the government needed to generate revenue. Ethiopia was fully prepared to assist in training in finance, tax collection, customs and similar areas, together with other IGAD member states. It was also prepared to continue to train security forces. Ethiopia agreed Al Shabaab posed the greatest threat to the government and the government needed international community assistance in the security area as a matter of urgency. Foreign Minister Seyoum emphasized that Ethiopia would fully honor its commitments to provide capacity building to the new government. He pointed out the need to enable Somalia to manage its own affairs and urged the international community to redouble its assistance, noting that the fight against piracy should go hand in hand with practical moves to build up the government’s capacity.
In the discussions, Prime Minister Shermarke also emphasized the government’s interest in reconciliation and said it was working on the integration of the former TFG, ARS-Djibouti, Ahlu Sunna wal-Jamma, former ICU and different clan militias. He said the Government was engaging with Hizbul Islam but had given up hope of rapprochement with Al-Shabaab. Hizbul Islam is made up of four factions, one being the Asmara-based faction led by Sheikh Hassan Dahir ‘Aweys’. Sheikh ‘Aweys’ unexpectedly arrived back in Mogadishu on Thursday, flying down from Asmara where he has been for the last two years. His arrival underlined the Somali Government’s need for increased security. Despite claims that he might be prepared to talk to the new government, Sheikh ‘Aweys’ appears to be intransigent towards his former ICU allies, taking his tone from the statements of President Issayas. He has already denounced the government of Sheikh Sharif as infidels and declared they should be wiped out, and said the fight against AMISOM should be continued. Addressing a supporter’s rally, he said talks with “our deceived friends, government officials”, could only take place once AMISOM had left Somalia . “AMISOM”, he added, “is not a peacekeeping force…they are the bacteria in Somalia . Somalia has not yet reached peaceful agreement. So be patient. We are left with little time to fight and achieve our Islamic objective.”
Paradoxically, in Brussels on Thursday, the international community was talking about strengthening AMISOM and the TFG with impressive sounding pledges of funding, but saying nothing about the specific and looming danger posed by the arrival of Sheikh ‘Aweys’ in Mogadishu. The joint United Nations, African Union and European Union Conference on Somalia was co-chaired by UN Secretary General, Ban ki-Moon and African Union Chairperson, Dr. Jean Ping, and hosted by the EU. Among those attending in Brussels were President Sheikh Sharif of Somalia ; Amre Mussa, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States; Professor Ekmelledien Ihsanoglu, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Conference; Javier Solana, the EU High Representative of Common Foreign and Security Policy; and Louis Michel, the EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid. On Wednesday afternoon [22nd April] the conference was briefed by the UN Under-Secretary-General for Field Support, the UN Special Representative for Somalia , the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, the AU Special Representative to Somalia , the AMISOM Force Commander and the Somali Minister of Defence.
Delegates spoke of the prospects for a “new chapter” and a “brighter future” for Somalia , and the conference came up with pledges of over US$250 million to cover security and law enforcement, humanitarian aid and, possibly, a coast guard. This was US$90 million more than expected. However, it remains to be seen how far these pledges will be redeemed and how quickly. There is a significant disconnect between the international community discussions in Brussels and the situation on the ground in Mogadishu . The international community has so far shown no sign of facing up to the immediate challenge now facing the TFG in Somalia . As he emphasized, Somalia ’s Prime Minister does most certainly need concrete and immediate support on a large scale.
Meanwhile, in a report to the UN Security Council dated 16thApril, Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon, responding to a January request from the Security Council to develop a mandate for a UN force in Somalia, proposed a three stage UN approach to Somalia. The Secretary-General notes that the plan for a UN peacekeeping operation of some 22,500 troops outlined in his report of 9thMarch remains a “high risk option”. He therefore recommends an incremental approach incorporating some of the other options he has put forward. The first step would be support for AMISOM coupled with UN assistance to build up some security institutions, support political reconciliation and provide humanitarian assistance. Mr. Ban ki-Moon said he anticipated this lasting for three or four months and being followed by a “light UN footprint” in Mogadishu , including direct assistance from the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS). Then after reference back to the Security Council, then and only then, the Secretary-General would be prepared to propose a full-fledged peace keeping operation to replace AMISOM. The Secretary-General regards this as a carefully calibrated and flexible approach. He also emphasizes the need to prevent “minority groups pursuing a hard-line approach” from disrupting progress, and for the TFG to be able to sustain its reconciliation efforts and extend its authority on the ground. All this, of course, looks very theoretical, even abstract, in the light of events on the ground in Somalia .
The Second Ethio-Sudan High-Level Joint Commission Summit
The 2nd Ethio-Sudan High Level Joint Commission Summit was held in Addis Ababa on 21wt and 22nd April. President Omar Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi led the respective delegations. In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Meles expressed his satisfaction with the progress of implementation of the bilateral agreements between the two countries, and reiterated once again Ethiopia 's position regarding the issuing of the ICC warrant for the arrest of President Al-Bashir. As a matter of principle, he stressed, the ICC warrant is neither in the interests of peace nor of justice. Ethiopia , he said, supports the African Union resolve to lobby for a deferral of the arrest warrant. Prime Minister Meles also noted the importance of Sudan ’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement, as critical for peace in Sudan and indeed for East Africa as a whole. President Omar Al-Bashir, for his part underlined the importance of the historic relationship existing between two sisterly countries whose relationship was, he said, based on mutual interest. He stressed the important role Ethiopia had played in IGAD and in the sub-region and he made it clear he appreciated the role of the Joint Ministerial Commission in promoting the expansion and deepening of bilateral cooperation in all areas. The Joint Ministerial Commission meeting presented its report to the heads of government after discussing the status of implementation of different agreements and coming up with a proposal on the establishment of a working mechanism for the Commission.
The main achievement of the High Level Joint Commission has been the establishment and institutionalization of three committees namely a Political Committee, a Trade, Finance and Economic Committee and a Social Affairs Committee. This is an important step towards producing an effective mechanism to cover the multi-faceted, multi-sectoral, relations between Ethiopia and Sudan . The three committees have agreed to prepare an action plan for 2009/10 starting in June, and also to develop a three-year general plan. The Joint Border Development Commission, which provides a forum for the adjacent regional states along the common border, is another of the mechanisms of the Joint Ministerial Commission. A joint follow-up Committee to be chaired by the Foreign Ministers of the two countries has now been established following a recommendation by the Ministerial Commission that it should have the responsibility for coordinating all areas of cooperation and follow up implementation of agreed activities. The Summit endorsed the Joint Ministerial Commission report.
At the closing of the Summit three Agreements, two Memoranda of Understanding and four Executive Programs were signed by Foreign Minister Seyoum and Sudan ’s Minister of International Co-operation, Al-Tigani Salih Fidail, in the absence of Foreign Minister, Deng Alor, reportedly in the Hague . These covered areas of trade exchange, production of natural glue, and forest protection and development. Memoranda of understandings covered quality and standards control, and human resource exchanges, as well as principles of implementation on culture and tourism, youth and sports, health, higher level education and science research.
Before leaving Ethiopia yesterday, President Omar Al-Bashir made a brief visit to Tigrai region, flying up to Makelle to meet regional officials. The original plan for the President to pray at the Al-Negash mosque where followers of the Prophet were given sanctuary from persecution in Ethiopia had to be cancelled because of delays in leaving Addis Ababa .
The AU’s Executive Council’s 12th extraordinary session
The 12th Extraordinary Session of the African Union Executive Council was held in Tripoli , from 15th to 16th April to consider issues related to the transformation of the AU Commission into an Authority and explore the implications of such action. The Extraordinary Session was the result of the decision taken by the AU Summit at the beginning of February, following the Special Summit on the Union Government and the 12th Ordinary session of the AU Assembly, both held in Addis Ababa . It was agreed an Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council should be held within three months to consider the further elaboration necessary to transform the AU commission into the AU Authority. It was only after a lengthy debate in the Special Session and in the 12th Ordinary Assembly Session, the Summit took the decision, on recommendation of the Executive Council, that further work was needed to elaborate on the decision to transform the Commission into an Authority. Specifically this meant a need to look further into (a) the functions of the proposed African Union Authority; (b) the size of the Authority; (c) the portfolios of the Secretaries and, (d) the financial implications of establishing such an Authority. The Secretaries referred to are the new name for the Commissioners as decided by the Special Session of the Summit . The Summit also decided to call the Chairperson of the AU Commission and his deputy, President and Vice-president respectively.
The crux of the discussions revolved around the nature of the Organization that member states are now creating. The central point is whether member states are embarking on the creation of a union government or whether the process is actually setting up an inter-governmental organization. In fact there has been no decision by member states to create a union government, an idea which remains in the realm of fantasy. No member state has argued explicitly against the AU as an inter-governmental organization of sovereign states. However, proposals continue to be made which suggest there is still confusion over the issue. This apparent lack of conceptual clarity continues to affect the debate on Union government. Many had expected that the Tripoli Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting would follow the same pattern. In fact, however, the meeting was successful in making sure that the instructions of the AU Summit in February were adhered to fully. Obviously, the changes proposed to the Constitutive Act, including changing the designation of the head of the AU commission, and other details agreed in Tripoli , will have to await the amendment of the Constitutive Act in accordance with Article 32 of the act. It could be recalled there were attempts in the past to avoid resorting to Article 32 because it was thought strict compliance with Article 32 would prevent any speedy amendment of the Constitutive act.
Last weekend, Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Shermarke, and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Sharif Hassan visited Ethiopia . The Somali delegation held talks with Prime Minister Meles and Foreign Minister Seyoum, and Prime Minister Shermarke, on his first visit to Ethiopia since his appointment, stayed in Addis Ababa until Wednesday [22nd April]. He said he had had a fruitful exchange of views. He noted that his government wanted to streamline the command and structure of the security forces and he hoped for Ethiopian aid in training and capacity building in security and other areas. His government’s top priorities were security and finance, and he underlined the need for IGAD assistance in institution building.
Prime Minister Meles made it clear that Ethiopia fully supported the new government as it had done since its inception. Ethiopia agreed that security and finance were the priorities and the government needed to generate revenue. Ethiopia was fully prepared to assist in training in finance, tax collection, customs and similar areas, together with other IGAD member states. It was also prepared to continue to train security forces. Ethiopia agreed Al Shabaab posed the greatest threat to the government and the government needed international community assistance in the security area as a matter of urgency. Foreign Minister Seyoum emphasized that Ethiopia would fully honor its commitments to provide capacity building to the new government. He pointed out the need to enable Somalia to manage its own affairs and urged the international community to redouble its assistance, noting that the fight against piracy should go hand in hand with practical moves to build up the government’s capacity.
In the discussions, Prime Minister Shermarke also emphasized the government’s interest in reconciliation and said it was working on the integration of the former TFG, ARS-Djibouti, Ahlu Sunna wal-Jamma, former ICU and different clan militias. He said the Government was engaging with Hizbul Islam but had given up hope of rapprochement with Al-Shabaab. Hizbul Islam is made up of four factions, one being the Asmara-based faction led by Sheikh Hassan Dahir ‘Aweys’. Sheikh ‘Aweys’ unexpectedly arrived back in Mogadishu on Thursday, flying down from Asmara where he has been for the last two years. His arrival underlined the Somali Government’s need for increased security. Despite claims that he might be prepared to talk to the new government, Sheikh ‘Aweys’ appears to be intransigent towards his former ICU allies, taking his tone from the statements of President Issayas. He has already denounced the government of Sheikh Sharif as infidels and declared they should be wiped out, and said the fight against AMISOM should be continued. Addressing a supporter’s rally, he said talks with “our deceived friends, government officials”, could only take place once AMISOM had left Somalia . “AMISOM”, he added, “is not a peacekeeping force…they are the bacteria in Somalia . Somalia has not yet reached peaceful agreement. So be patient. We are left with little time to fight and achieve our Islamic objective.”
Paradoxically, in Brussels on Thursday, the international community was talking about strengthening AMISOM and the TFG with impressive sounding pledges of funding, but saying nothing about the specific and looming danger posed by the arrival of Sheikh ‘Aweys’ in Mogadishu. The joint United Nations, African Union and European Union Conference on Somalia was co-chaired by UN Secretary General, Ban ki-Moon and African Union Chairperson, Dr. Jean Ping, and hosted by the EU. Among those attending in Brussels were President Sheikh Sharif of Somalia ; Amre Mussa, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States; Professor Ekmelledien Ihsanoglu, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Conference; Javier Solana, the EU High Representative of Common Foreign and Security Policy; and Louis Michel, the EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid. On Wednesday afternoon [22nd April] the conference was briefed by the UN Under-Secretary-General for Field Support, the UN Special Representative for Somalia , the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, the AU Special Representative to Somalia , the AMISOM Force Commander and the Somali Minister of Defence.
Delegates spoke of the prospects for a “new chapter” and a “brighter future” for Somalia , and the conference came up with pledges of over US$250 million to cover security and law enforcement, humanitarian aid and, possibly, a coast guard. This was US$90 million more than expected. However, it remains to be seen how far these pledges will be redeemed and how quickly. There is a significant disconnect between the international community discussions in Brussels and the situation on the ground in Mogadishu . The international community has so far shown no sign of facing up to the immediate challenge now facing the TFG in Somalia . As he emphasized, Somalia ’s Prime Minister does most certainly need concrete and immediate support on a large scale.
Meanwhile, in a report to the UN Security Council dated 16thApril, Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon, responding to a January request from the Security Council to develop a mandate for a UN force in Somalia, proposed a three stage UN approach to Somalia. The Secretary-General notes that the plan for a UN peacekeeping operation of some 22,500 troops outlined in his report of 9thMarch remains a “high risk option”. He therefore recommends an incremental approach incorporating some of the other options he has put forward. The first step would be support for AMISOM coupled with UN assistance to build up some security institutions, support political reconciliation and provide humanitarian assistance. Mr. Ban ki-Moon said he anticipated this lasting for three or four months and being followed by a “light UN footprint” in Mogadishu , including direct assistance from the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS). Then after reference back to the Security Council, then and only then, the Secretary-General would be prepared to propose a full-fledged peace keeping operation to replace AMISOM. The Secretary-General regards this as a carefully calibrated and flexible approach. He also emphasizes the need to prevent “minority groups pursuing a hard-line approach” from disrupting progress, and for the TFG to be able to sustain its reconciliation efforts and extend its authority on the ground. All this, of course, looks very theoretical, even abstract, in the light of events on the ground in Somalia .
The Second Ethio-Sudan High-Level Joint Commission Summit
The 2nd Ethio-Sudan High Level Joint Commission Summit was held in Addis Ababa on 21wt and 22nd April. President Omar Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi led the respective delegations. In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Meles expressed his satisfaction with the progress of implementation of the bilateral agreements between the two countries, and reiterated once again Ethiopia 's position regarding the issuing of the ICC warrant for the arrest of President Al-Bashir. As a matter of principle, he stressed, the ICC warrant is neither in the interests of peace nor of justice. Ethiopia , he said, supports the African Union resolve to lobby for a deferral of the arrest warrant. Prime Minister Meles also noted the importance of Sudan ’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement, as critical for peace in Sudan and indeed for East Africa as a whole. President Omar Al-Bashir, for his part underlined the importance of the historic relationship existing between two sisterly countries whose relationship was, he said, based on mutual interest. He stressed the important role Ethiopia had played in IGAD and in the sub-region and he made it clear he appreciated the role of the Joint Ministerial Commission in promoting the expansion and deepening of bilateral cooperation in all areas. The Joint Ministerial Commission meeting presented its report to the heads of government after discussing the status of implementation of different agreements and coming up with a proposal on the establishment of a working mechanism for the Commission.
The main achievement of the High Level Joint Commission has been the establishment and institutionalization of three committees namely a Political Committee, a Trade, Finance and Economic Committee and a Social Affairs Committee. This is an important step towards producing an effective mechanism to cover the multi-faceted, multi-sectoral, relations between Ethiopia and Sudan . The three committees have agreed to prepare an action plan for 2009/10 starting in June, and also to develop a three-year general plan. The Joint Border Development Commission, which provides a forum for the adjacent regional states along the common border, is another of the mechanisms of the Joint Ministerial Commission. A joint follow-up Committee to be chaired by the Foreign Ministers of the two countries has now been established following a recommendation by the Ministerial Commission that it should have the responsibility for coordinating all areas of cooperation and follow up implementation of agreed activities. The Summit endorsed the Joint Ministerial Commission report.
At the closing of the Summit three Agreements, two Memoranda of Understanding and four Executive Programs were signed by Foreign Minister Seyoum and Sudan ’s Minister of International Co-operation, Al-Tigani Salih Fidail, in the absence of Foreign Minister, Deng Alor, reportedly in the Hague . These covered areas of trade exchange, production of natural glue, and forest protection and development. Memoranda of understandings covered quality and standards control, and human resource exchanges, as well as principles of implementation on culture and tourism, youth and sports, health, higher level education and science research.
Before leaving Ethiopia yesterday, President Omar Al-Bashir made a brief visit to Tigrai region, flying up to Makelle to meet regional officials. The original plan for the President to pray at the Al-Negash mosque where followers of the Prophet were given sanctuary from persecution in Ethiopia had to be cancelled because of delays in leaving Addis Ababa .
The AU’s Executive Council’s 12th extraordinary session
The 12th Extraordinary Session of the African Union Executive Council was held in Tripoli , from 15th to 16th April to consider issues related to the transformation of the AU Commission into an Authority and explore the implications of such action. The Extraordinary Session was the result of the decision taken by the AU Summit at the beginning of February, following the Special Summit on the Union Government and the 12th Ordinary session of the AU Assembly, both held in Addis Ababa . It was agreed an Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council should be held within three months to consider the further elaboration necessary to transform the AU commission into the AU Authority. It was only after a lengthy debate in the Special Session and in the 12th Ordinary Assembly Session, the Summit took the decision, on recommendation of the Executive Council, that further work was needed to elaborate on the decision to transform the Commission into an Authority. Specifically this meant a need to look further into (a) the functions of the proposed African Union Authority; (b) the size of the Authority; (c) the portfolios of the Secretaries and, (d) the financial implications of establishing such an Authority. The Secretaries referred to are the new name for the Commissioners as decided by the Special Session of the Summit . The Summit also decided to call the Chairperson of the AU Commission and his deputy, President and Vice-president respectively.
The crux of the discussions revolved around the nature of the Organization that member states are now creating. The central point is whether member states are embarking on the creation of a union government or whether the process is actually setting up an inter-governmental organization. In fact there has been no decision by member states to create a union government, an idea which remains in the realm of fantasy. No member state has argued explicitly against the AU as an inter-governmental organization of sovereign states. However, proposals continue to be made which suggest there is still confusion over the issue. This apparent lack of conceptual clarity continues to affect the debate on Union government. Many had expected that the Tripoli Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting would follow the same pattern. In fact, however, the meeting was successful in making sure that the instructions of the AU Summit in February were adhered to fully. Obviously, the changes proposed to the Constitutive Act, including changing the designation of the head of the AU commission, and other details agreed in Tripoli , will have to await the amendment of the Constitutive Act in accordance with Article 32 of the act. It could be recalled there were attempts in the past to avoid resorting to Article 32 because it was thought strict compliance with Article 32 would prevent any speedy amendment of the Constitutive act.
