Notices by Zecharias Zelalem (zekuzelalem@dair-community.social)

@miiamustang yes sir! Something increasingly common in Somali territories it seems! President of Somalia until 2022 was a dual American national

Despite not being recognized as an independent state, it is the only fully functioning democracy in the region. Somaliland has had 6 Presidents since 1991. Most ruled for about 6-8 years before peacefully stepping aside following defeat at the ballot box.

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/africa/somaliland-opposition-leader-wins-presidential-election/article_12655f6f-fbf3-502f-b0f3-4a0f61218dc2.html

SOMALILAND ELECTIONS:

Opposition candidate Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi of the Wadani party has won the election, sealing 64% of the vote, ending current President Muse Bihi's hopes of extending his near 7 year Presidency. Abdullahi will become Somaliland's 6th President.

The unrecognized breakaway republic, which regularly organizes free and peaceful elections, has also had election induced changes of government, a rarity across Africa and non existent in the Horn.

Al Jazeera coverage of Somaliland's elections.

The rest of the Horn of Africa looks on with envy :( it's either no elections with dictators for life, elections with half of the candidates in jail, or elections with most of the country unable to participate.

The only effective democracy in the region is in an unrecognized territory, formally in northern Somalia.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/13/somaliland-eyes-recognition-as-it-goes-to-polls

@panda I believe so. It's why China is so fervently against any sort of recognition of Somaliland. Nobody in Africa has gone that route, especially in a region completely enveloped by the Chinese Belt and Road initiative

Polls have closed!
In Somaliland that is. The only fully functioning democracy in the Horn of Africa held Presidential elections today, with over a million registered voters. Since 1991, Somaliland has been a self declared independent republic. It isn't formally recognized as a state by the international community & is considered a part of Somalia.

President Muse Bihi Abdi & two competitors are each promising voters that they will secure international recognition if elected.

Salah Al-Ejaili wrote about his 15 year long pursuit of justice for the Middle East Eye last year. He traveled to the US and testified in court.

He was elated with the court's decision.

“I’ve waited a long time for this day. This victory isn’t only for the 3 plaintiffs in this case against a corporation. This victory is a shining light for everyone who has been oppressed and a strong warning to any company or contractor practising different forms of torture and abuse.”

https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/iraq-war-abu-ghraib-tortured-seeking-justice

The plaintiffs are Salah Al-Ejaili, a former Al Jazeera journalist, Suhail Al Shimari, a school principal and Asa’ad Al-Zubae, a fruit vendor. Despite having no links to armed groups, all three were severely tortured. They were not among those seen in horrific images of Abu Ghraib torture that surfaced in 2004. But they endured many of the same experiences, including beatings, sexual abuse, being attacked by dogs and more.

Justice delayed, but not denied.

A US Federal court has ordered US Defence contractor CACI to pay $42M to 3 Iraqi civilians who endured horrific torture at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in 2003. Today's decision comes 15 years after the lawsuit was first filed, and years of attempts by CACI to get the lawsuit dismissed.

CACI employees served as interrogators at Abu Ghraib and assisted US military personnel by helping "soften up" detainees for brutal interrogations.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/12/abu-ghraib-torture-survivors-win-us-civil-case-42-million-dollars-damages

Probably not what Mohammed Al Amoudi had in mind when he dished out $22 million US to fund the stadium's construction.

It was one of several stadiums built during the 2010s, as football results were improving and there was hope Ethiopia could one day host the African Cup of Nations.

Those plans are long shelved.

Woldia Stadium no longer hosts footballers, only soldiers.

In 2017, Ethiopian-Saudi billionaire Sheikh Mohammed Al Amoudi, who was once the richest African on the planet, funded the construction of the then beautiful 25k seater Woldia stadium in his hometown. It was made for the local Woldia Football Club, and complemented the city quite nicely.

Fast forward to 2024, the stadium's grass is brown, facilities are neglected. It was occupied by Tigrayan rebels in 2021, and used by Ethiopian soldiers as a base in 2020 and now in 2024.

Anyways, in Swedish media and human rights circles, the plight of Dawit Isaak is raised with regularity. Professional football club Örgryte FC regularly carry banners with messages amplifying his plight, and so do the team's fans.

The Swedish government however, has been accused of not doing enough to secure his release.

#FreeDawitIsaak
#JournalismIsNotaCrime

Eritrean journalist Abraham T. Zere recalls the day the Eritrean press died, and depicted it best in this 2017 op-ed for Al Jazeera.

Ever since this day, Eritrea has been referred to as the "North Korea of Africa."

Eritrea, where my mother hails from, is a sad story. It has been ruled by the same iron fisted rebel commander turned President for life since winning hard fought independence from Ethiopia in 1991.

Yearning for post freedom freedom ever since.

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2017/9/18/remembering-the-day-the-eritrean-press-died

Learn about Dawit Isaak!

He is the longest detained journalist in the world today.

Dawit, an Eritrean born Swede, was editor of Eritrea's Setit independent newspaper. In Sept 2001, Eritrean dictator Isaias Afewerki detained Dawit alongside dozens of critical voices.

He was arrested two weeks after the 9/11 attacks.

Today, he was named winner of the prestigious Swedish human rights award, the Edelstam Prize.

I dream to see him free to pick up his award one day!
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp87yrwn644o

@proscience Possibly. But the Ethiopian community, which is mostly ethnic Amhara, is mostly in an uproar over what's happening in their ancestral land. Some have even left Israel to fight alongside Amhara rebels. My guess is that she isn't in tune with events.

https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/society/1692809204-israelis-leaving-their-homes-to-fight-war-in-their-birthplace-ethiopia

Most Americans first heard of Titi last year, when she appeared on Fox News to slam the BLM movement for siding with "terrorists" and refusing to support Israel, in a strange interview that ended with the Fox News host calling for Israeli style mandatory military service to be implemented across the United States.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=givQnJaauOM

The other day, Ethiopian born influencer, former Miss Israel and former IDF soldier Titi Aynaw visited Ethiopia's Embassy to Israel, to discuss promoting Ethiopian government tourism initiatives.

Titi was born in Amhara (ancestral land of most Ethiopian Jews).

Busy appearing in pro Israeli gov campaign videos & defending IDF operations in Gaza, Titi seems to be completely unaware that her birth region is being devastated by drone strikes ordered by the man in the framed photo behind her.

@alex Yup! Haven't seen any account introductions posts here like we are on Bluesky.

@rustoleumlove thank you for your kind words! At this point, we just cover these stories so that human suffering is archived in history. Most of us have long lost hope that any difference can be made. Which is heartbreaking tbh.

For anyone who is curious: reports on atrocities in Ethiopia can at best, take two or three days to emerge (or sometimes never) because the Ethiopian government shuts down internet and phone connections to as many war torn areas as possible, to restrict the flow of information.

One of the worst examples: the November 2020 Axum massacre.

Most reporting emerged by February 2021.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/02/26/eritrean-troops-killed-hundreds-ethiopia-massacre-amnesty-claims/