^^Didn't know that was you saxib. You're famous dhe I have enough documents on my desks saxib but I would like to read this law. I may just have some comments on it. So whats your take on Somalia? Is it a good time for oil to e found?

Bokero I worked on establishing the oil law in Sao tome Are you serious? How involved were you and what were the terms? The nitty gritty stuff.

8 weeks to go Rahima, all the best IA

^^then what?

Looks like NG is onto something here Careful with the lads saxib. One day they are staunch nationalists, the next they don’t mind SL going its own way so long as the people of SSC have a referendum! Today its reer Awdal who are being kept hostage

JB, Pointing at other people’s beliefs and dismissing them is all well and good (and expected) but by using such reasoning (there being a lack of evidence) one is expected to apply the same thought process when making his/her views clear to others on their own beliefs or lack thereof. Or is it a one way street? There are many ways of conducting research and results either point to a ‘likely’ outcome or make recommendations on something absolute. In this case (is there a creator?) we are dealing with the former. We will get onto that later (God willing ) Back to my earlier question. I did ask you how we (humans) came into being. Now, without the usual merry dance routine, can you answer the question? Enlighten us

A secret meeting has taken place in Baydhabo city, the capital of Bay Region [south-central Somalia], between interim Somali government defence minister Muhyidin Muhammad Hajji Ibrahim and senior Ethiopian army officers who have been in the city these past two days. In the two-day meeting, which ended yesterday, the two sides discussed cooperation in maintenance of security in Somalia, which has been lately worsening. The security situation in Baydhabo, which hosts parliament, is particularly on the verge of spiraling out of control. Sources close to the meeting told Somaaljecel.com that the Ethiopian officers and interim Somali government defence minister agreed to cooperate on security, with the Ethiopian government suggesting that Somali government army soldiers be trained to take part in maintenance of security. Somali government defence minister Muhyidin Muhammad Hajji particular requested the Ethiopian government to provide arms to Somali troops, saying that they did not have adequate weapons with which to keep security and defend themselves against the insurgents. Reports say that the Ethiopian officers accused some Somali soldiers of working with the insurgents, even selling arms and ammunition to them and sometimes taking off their uniforms and fighting alongside them. To counter this matter, the Ethiopian officers are said to have proposed that Somali soldiers undergo training as well as work with Ethiopian troops based in Somalia, that every Somali army unit be led by an Ethiopian officer so that their activities are known. The Somali defence minister accepted the proposal. Interim Somali government soldiers trained in Ethiopia are stationed in Bay and Banaadir regions. Another batch of soldiers trained in Ethiopia have not yet arrived in the country; they are said to have encamped in Doolow, a locality that straddles border between Somalia and Ethiopia. Interim Somali government defence minister told the Ethiopian officers that the Somali government lacked financial resources and therefore his ministry could not pay soldiers salaries. He requested the Ethiopian government to temporarily pay salaries of Somali government soldiers. Originally published by Somaaljecel website in Somali 13 Jul 08. © 2008 BBC Monitoring Africa. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved. Story Source: BBC Monitoring Africa

Waligeed Burco may arkin'e (last year's trip doesn't count) ha u bixin. Laakin qaar badan way dhaantaa (like saxiibkaa who threatens to unleash people with supposed super powers on you if you're not careful )

Those nigerians must be raking it in

LoL at Rudy

Ngonge,, you've lost me saxib :confused: Originally posted by Paragon: What's this? A reer Burco convention? Paragon, you're welcome to join us

what she calls Baadhi (Party)

You have expanded your horizons dhe

^^I doubt he would do that unless he gets the ambassador to UK position promised to him the typical opportunist he is Name change? This is my real name (apart from the missing first name).

^^You mean the Iraqi style 'Awakening' councils?

I didn't know what his name was the Development Minister :confused:

^Do you send money to JG then?

THE TRANSITIONAL FEDERAL CHARTER OF THE SOMALI REPUBLIC FEBRUARY 2004. NAIROBI. If we were to look at the Transitional Federal Charter (yes there is one), we would easily pick out the failure of the current Ethiopian sponsored admin. Here goes: PREAMBLE. In the Name of Allah, the most Merciful, the Beneficent. WE, THE DELEGATES REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE OF THE SOMALI REPUBLIC have solemnly resolved to enact a Transitional Federal Charter for the Somali Republic; DETERMINED to live in peace and unity as one indivisible, free and sovereign nation; RECOGNIZING the gross violations of human rights inflicted upon the Somali people and the need to re-establish peace, democracy, the rule of law, social justice, the dignity and integrity of all Somalis; COMMITTED to establishing and nurturing a Transitional Federal Government for the Somali Republic; DETERMINED to foster reconciliation, national unity, and good governance; DO HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO THE SOMALI PEOPLETHIS CHARTER. There is no peace and today Somalia is NOT a sovereign nation. There is no recognition of the gross human rights violations against the Somali people. In fact, the very same government who pledged to establish peace, democracy and rule of law has been to blame for the human rights violations. Where is the reconciliation? Where is the national unity and good governance? Ethiopian tanks roaming the capital are not equivalent to national unity! More to come,,,,

^I'm not sure if I do but I really hope Somalia is not raped like countries. Oil is a good thing to have but it must be managed correctly with the right political framework/constitution and above peace all in place prior to exploration. Somalia has none of the above at the moment but has plenty of greedy opportunists who would sell their own mother let alone a country's future revenue. See the other thread 'Somali Politicians' for what I think should be up-coming state laws. The next one being a law against the selling of any Somali infrastructure and utility companies to non-Somali firms. In the case of oil, careful drafting of any agreement to ensure a balanced give and take sitiation should be the way to go like the South Koreans are doing in Kirkuk, Iraq.

^^It has come to that and by the sounds of it you're struggeling for info,,,,

^^Go to Stepney dear,,,,it should be approaching Dhuhur now,,,,

How many smelly students are there? Ibti and Marc are two but thats about it I think. Did you visit Faarax Faaliye's place on Sat?

Do trolls come out on Mondays or are they trying to look busy?

'The best thing that could happen to the country is if no oil is found' Luis Prazeres was the first native-born airline captain in São Tomé and Príncipe, and the country's first minister of natural resources. He knew a lot about flying and nothing about oil. But neither did anyone else in the tiny African island nation, which had just been told it was on the verge of a petroleum boom. "There were all these foreign companies telling us that we had huge oil reserves, and bringing us agreements to sign," said Prazeres, who took up his minister's post in 1999. "Nobody here understood how complex it was." Other governments are now finding themselves in similar situations. Rising oil prices have led to a surge in exploration in countries with little or no petroleum experience. Hopes of petrodollar bonanzas have already been raised in Ghana and Uganda, while prospecting companies are crawling over Gambia, Madagascar, Tanzania and Somalia. Yet São Tomé's bitter experience should serve as a cautionary tale. In the decade since a little known Texas oil firm wandered into government offices with an audacious plan, the 160,000 inhabitants of the lush, somnolent islands have seen dreams of their country becoming the next Brunei or Kuwait melt away in the equatorial sun. Their leaders have signed some of the most lopsided petroleum contracts in history. Bribes have allegedly been offered and pocketed. Regional bullies have muscled in, and in May the government fell to a no-confidence vote. "We have already seen everything that goes with an oil boom," said Rafael Branco, the newly appointed prime minister. "Everything, except a single drop of oil." Offshore reserves The twin islands of São Tomé and Príncipe squat in the Gulf of Guinea. Their nearest neighbours are Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. All have found significant reserves of oil, much of it offshore. In 1997, a tiny Houston-based company called Environmental Remediation Holding Corporation (ERHC), which had no history of oil finds or production, decided São Tomé might have its own deep-water deposits. In return for near-exclusive mineral exploration and exploitation rights for 25 years and a half share of profits, ERHC offered São Tomé $5m and its marketing services. São Tomé, heavily in debt and reliant on donors to fund most of its $30m budget, was desperate for cash. The deal was signed. Industry watchers such as Mohamed Yahya, of the UK-based peacebuilding NGO International Alert, would later describe the contract as "one of the worst in the history of oil". And ERHC's gamble paid off. Seismic data showed there could be up to 11bn barrels of oil under the sea around the islands. The most promising area was north of Príncipe, in waters also claimed by Nigeria. Nigeria, with decades of oil experience, agreed to establish a joint authority over the oil zone, but insisted the profits be split 60:40. When São Tomé's current president, Fradique de Menezes, was elected in 2001 he threatened to have ERHC's contract torn up, but by then the US company had been bought by Chrome, a Nigerian firm headed by a businessman with strong ties to Nigeria's ruling regime. Though the contract would be renegotiated twice, pressure from Nigeria ensured ERHC's deal remained vastly disadvantageous for São Tomé. Meanwhile, the potential oil reserves were causing excitement abroad. After the 9/11 attacks, the US government was seeking ways to reduce reliance on oil from the Middle East. Democratic, largely stable, and with a US-friendly president, São Tomé seemed ideal. Several top US lawyers soon arrived to offer assistance in managing the oil contracts. A team from Columbia University's Earth Institute helped draft model legislation that would ensure transparency and hold back some of the oil revenues for future generations. "All people could talk about was oil, oil, oil. The politicians made it sound like it would start flowing tomorrow, and everyone was just sitting back and waiting for the proceeds," said Arlindo Carvalho, who was oil minister from 2003 to 2005. The best blocks in the joint São Tomé-Nigeria oil zone had been put up for auction in 2003. In the first round, only one consortium, led by Chevron and ExxonMobil, emerged with a successful bid. São Tomé's share of the fee was $49m - a lot to a tiny country, but far less than expected. Late in 2004, more than two dozen companies competed for the remaining blocks. Many were Nigerian-linked firms with no experience of oil production. Manipulation A report by São Tomé's attorney general a year later concluded the auction had lacked transparency, was subject to "serious procedural deficiencies and political manipulation", and had resulted in winning bids from unqualified firms. ERHC's preferential rights had discouraged the more reputable companies from bidding, and cost São Tomé up to $60m in fees, it said. Even more damning, to São Toméans, were allegations in the report that their politicians had been bribed. One of the president's top advisers was revealed to own a stake in ERHC, while a company controlled by Menezes was found to have accepted $100,000 from Chrome. Menezes and Chrome said the payment was a legitimate election contribution. Public anger was followed by disappointment at the oil drilling results. When Chevron tested its deep-water block in 2006, it struck oil but not in commercial quantities. Other companies plan tests next year. The government also intends to sell exploration rights in its exclusive territorial waters in 2009. Even if commercial quantities of oil are discovered, it will be at least six years before production starts. "There is a lot of exhaustion with the whole process," said Paulo Cunha, who managed the Columbia University project. "But I think it would be wrong to brand São Tomé's oil experience a failure. It still has time on its side." Others are not so certain. There is still very limited oil expertise on the islands. And given the alleged corruption, many local people have serious doubts that oil revenues could be managed properly, regardless of the good laws in place. "São Tomé's institutions remain among the weakest in Africa," said Yahya. "The best thing that could happen to the country is if no oil is found." http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/14/oil.internationalaidanddevelopment

Barack Obama is overwhelmingly Britain's choice to be the next US president, five times more popular than his Republican rival, John McCain, a Guardian/ICM poll shows today. Carried out ahead of the Democratic candidate's visit to Britain next week, the poll reveals that 53% feel certain he would make the best president, with only 11% favouring McCain; 36% declined to express an opinion. Obama will soon set off on a marathon trip that will take in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Jordan, Germany, France and, lastly, Britain. The exact timing of the visit to Iraq and Afghanistan is being kept under wraps for security reasons, but he is expected in Britain on July 25 or 26. His campaign team and the British government had originally discussed making the UK his first stop but, citing diary clashes, rescheduled it as the last. It will be his first trip overseas - apart from a holiday weekend in the Caribbean - since he launched his bid for the White House in February last year. The aim is to counter accusations from McCain that he lacks foreign experience. Obama's poll lead may have as much to do with his high profile and recognition factor as it does his policies. But it underlines the desire among US allies to see a change of political direction there after eight years of George Bush. Obama's campaign team hopes to use the European leg of the trip to press home to the US public that replacing Bush with the Democratic candidate should see America's popularity in Europe restored. McCain is less well known than Obama, despite having visited Britain several times and attending the House of Commons and the Conservative party conference. The survey, carried out late last week, found that Obama's support is strongest among male voters - 57% of whom want him to be president. There are small regional variations in support: 50% back him in the south-east, against 57% in the north of England. But overall enthusiasm for an Obama presidency is solid across people of all ages and backgrounds. Unlike the US, there is no evidence of young Britons being keener on Obama than older people. Obama, who met Gordon Brown in Washington earlier this year, is scheduled to meet him again. In keeping with diplomatic etiquette, he also plans to meet the Tory leader, David Cameron. He wants to fit in time to thank British-based Americans who have been raising funds for his campaign and for a photo-opportunity that would win him airtime on US television. The centrepiece of his visit to Europe will be Berlin, where he plans to deliver a speech about establishing a new transatlantic relationship. Obama's extensive foreign policy team have promised a complete rethink for the post-Bush era. He will stress that, in contrast with Bush, he will listen to Europe. According to an adviser, he is also likely, to avoid being portrayed as soft, to call on Germany and France to play a bigger military role in Afghanistan. There is confusion about how long Obama has spent in Europe before. Some reports claim he has only spent 24 hours in total, but he told a local paper in the US last year: "I've travelled extensively in Europe ... I love Europe." Obama, who likes being compared with John F Kennedy, opted for Berlin in part because of the former president's much-quoted speech outside the town hall, in which he declared "Ich bin ein Berliner." Pictures with foreign leaders are useful during election campaigns in establishing foreign policy credentials. But the main purpose of his trip is to be filmed in Iraq with US troops. Obama, who has pledged an early withdrawal of most American troops from Iraq, has been in Iraq before but has been repeatedly taunted by McCain about his failure to visit the country since becoming a presidential candidate. ICM Research interviewed a random sample of 1,009 adults aged 18+ on July 9-10. Interviews were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/14/barackobama.johnmccain