Opinion: We need to give Trump a can of Pepsi and do it quickly!

We need someone to give Donald J. Trump a few cans of Pepsi, if not some tranquilizer, since he soon not only dropping bombs overseas like now. Soon he will create more wars than President George W. Bush did. There is enough tensions as it is and the other leaders plays on it. Like they are oblivious of the fact.

It is not like President Kim Jung-Un doesn’t know about his state and their nature in the world. That they doesn’t only have to show force and continue to oppress their citizens to keep control. The extension of fancy weapons and long-ranging missiles should worry, as the dictator of North Korea isn’t as “diplomatic” as his forefathers. Kim Jung-Un has been known to slaughter his family to prove strength. Therefore, the carrier or naval combat ship from the United States in the seas outside of Pyongyang isn’t creating a good situation. So can someone please send the Chinese negotiator with a few cans of Pepsi, and the

Not that the Trump Administration care, as they wants to send signals, like they wanted to send to Bashar Al-Assad with a few bombs over an airfield, lie the warlord and President, a third Generation dictator get scared of few missiles over his airspace. When he has deserters, ISIS and other rebel forces within his grasp, as well as the Syrian government forces has the grand support of Russia. So, the Syrian army will have Russian airplanes and armory that can keep up with any if needed be. It would be better to send Rex Tillerson with a six-pack of Pepsi Cans and talks to stakeholders, to see if they could get a peaceful grin. Even President Putin would enjoy a ice-cold Pepsi and shake hands with Foreign Secretary of hte United States.

Just like Trump thinks he solved the ISIS issues with dropping the Mother of All Bombs (MOAB) in Afghanistan, as the Fox and Friends called it “that what we call freedom”. I don’t know if the great people of Kansas or Ohio would feel at peace if someone was dropping bombs on them. Still, the United States feels they have done President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai a giant favor. Not like this one bomb get rid of Taliban or ISIS, even other local warlords, as there are only two districts that are seen as peaceful in Afghanistan. Wonder if the Americans and Trump feels they have done themselves worthy to share. The MOAB doesn’t create an atmosphere to make naan-bread or anything else. Certainly if they send a delegation with cans of Pepsi, that create more peace than the MOAB ever will do. Blowing up a few possible structures does not build lasting peace.

You can wonder if the Trump administration has any clear plan of securing a sustainable peace in Yemen, as he had order mission inside the Yemen Republic. Still, this was not successful and killed dozens of innocent civilians. Not that Trump will say he was wrong sanctioning it, as this was his Benghazi moment, the moment he has attacked the President Barrack Obama and then Foreign Secretary Hillary Clinton for. So the killings and lose of military personnell for nearly nothing should worry Trump, but it doesn’t because he is either playing golf, eating food or watching Fox. Such a gentleman who orders with thinking what effects it may cause, So he should himself drink a can of Pepsi and think of his acts. Not like there are any clear policy of how to find a solution, maybe the best to trust the Pepsi to give guidance to Trump.

Than, you have the long-going conflict in Somalia, the Federation where there has been in conflicts for decades. The Americans have been involved through co-operative missions and trainings of AMISOM, Kenyan Defence Forces and even the Ethiopian when they entered Mogadishu a few years back. Still, the clear-cut involvement has been from afar and covert-operation. Therefore that President Trump tries and thinks of sending a mandated soldiers, boots on the ground, shows his involvement, but how many and for how long is not known. It is like a myth and wonder if it will be as though true as the mission in Yemen. Or a proof of a military planned intervention in Somalia, which is needed. Since Al-Shabaab isn’t something dying down, neither is piracy, since the Federation need structural change and institutionalization where the state grows strong. This cannot be solved with a peaceful sugarful soda called the Pepsi. It needs something more.

The world and conflicts are complex, they cannot be solved with some bullets or missiles, it is a quick fix and even just for show, though the dead and the damaged property isn’t coming back. The local problems would still be there, unless the Trump Administration plans to bomb the world into a million pieces and hope the ones left behind after the blow, will praise his wisdom. Doubt it will be fanfare after the blood and death. Like the erratic and uncertain plans of Trump doesn’t help the local governments or the stakeholders, who doesn’t know what to believe. If they will strike with reliable force or be symbolic. Or as the whole public career of Trump be shambolic with a swagger of a buffoon.
Well, we can alway drink an ice cold Pepsi and hope we make sense of the of the world we live in, but not expect Trump understands it, because he supposed to be such a genius mind. The liability of the free-world lays in his hands and his guns are soon pointed at dozen nationalities all over the world. If the war-zones created or made worse will hit home close to Washington D.C. or even knock down the Twinkie (Trump) Tower in New York. That is yet to know, but if there will be issues around the decisions made by the United States government. If it will be short-term or long-term, play for the gallery or even just barbaric moments of horrific deaths, is not yet to know. For now we don’t know the endgame of a military interventions under Trump. What we do know is that he likes to play high and risk without knowing the possible return.  We can hope he soons chill down with a can of Pepsi and starts to listen to advice. Peace.  

Kenya: Operational Update: KDF Engages and Successfully Destroys Al Shabaab Terrrorists’ Camp (10.04.2017)

EU’s new regulation plans to scrap imports of conflict minerals by 2021!

The people back home wouldn’t buy a ring if they knew it cost someone else their hand”Maddy Brown (Blood Diamond, 2006).

The European Union are acting out of care and thinking of transparency for the industrial imports and mineral exporters. This is happening just a little month after the United States opened up their legislation for importing more from conflict zones. While the European Union plans to close the gate from areas and from sources that export Conflict minerals.

So the EU laws are becoming more stricter than the United States, even if the law they have enacted in the European Parliament and Council of the European Union, will be effective from 2021. So it is 4 years until it has giant effect and gives time to refinery and importers to change behavior. Something that is necessary, as well as the public have to grow concern of the affects of buying conflict minerals. Even as the conflict minerals still come into the market of Europe and into the refineries so the consumers doesn’t know and cannot follow where their products who contain minerals comes from war-zones.

That the European Union takes this serious and acts upon this Nobel, and proves that they does not want to support militias and guerrillas that keeps control of mineral rich areas and their exports to supply weapons and continue warfare in for instance the African Great Lakes Region. Take a look!

Background of new rule:

This Regulation, by controlling trade in minerals from conflict areas, is one of the ways of eliminating the financing of armed groups. The Union’s foreign and development policy action also contributes to fighting local corruption, to the strengthening of borders and to providing training for local populations and their representatives in order to help them highlight abuses” (EU, P: 8, 2017).

Conflict Minerals from Great Lakes Region:

The Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy should regularly review their financial assistance to and political commitments with regard to conflict-affected and high-risk areas where tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold are mined, in particular in the African Great Lakes Region, in order to ensure policy coherence, and in order to incentivise and strengthen the respect for good governance, the rule of law and ethical mining” (EU, P: 16, 2017).

Trade of Minerals funds armed conflicts:

Preventing the profits from the trade in minerals and metals being used to fund armed conflict through due diligence and transparency will promote good governance and sustainable economic development. Therefore, this Regulation incidentally covers areas falling within the Union policy in the field of development cooperation in addition to the predominant area covered which falls under the common commercial policy of the Union” (EU, P:17, 2017).

Important Article:

Article 3: Compliance of Union importers with supply chain due diligence obligations

1. Union importers of minerals or metals shall comply with the supply chain due diligence obligations set out in this Regulation and shall keep documentation demonstrating their respective compliance with those obligations, including the results of the independent third-party audits” (EU, P: 23, 2017).

Date of Application:

Articles 1(5), 3(1), 3(2), Articles 4 to 7, Articles 8(6), 8(7), 10(3), 11(1), 11(2), 11(3), 11(4), Articles 12 and 13, Article 16(3), and Article 17 shall apply from 1 January 2021” (EU, P: 51, 2017).

What the statements on the law:

The Commission will consider making additional legislative proposals targeted at EU companies with products containing tin, tantalum, and tungsten and gold in their supply chain should it conclude that the aggregate efforts of the EU market on the responsible global supply chain of minerals are insufficient to leverage responsible supply behaviour in producer countries, or should it assess that the buy-in of downstream operators that have in place supply chain due diligence systems in line with the OECD guidance is insufficient” (…) “In the exercise of its empowerment to adopt delegated acts pursuant to Article 1(5), the Commission will take due account of the objectives of this Regulation, notably as set out in recitals (1), (7), (10) and (17). In doing so, the Commission will, in particular, consider the specific risks associated with the operation of upstream gold supply chains in conflict affected and high-risk areas and taking into account the position of Union micro and small enterprises importing gold in the EU” (…) “In response to the request of the European Parliament for specific guidelines, the Commission is willing to develop performance indicators specific to the responsible sourcing of conflict minerals. By means of such guidelines, relevant companies with more than 500 employees that are required to disclose non-financial information in conformity with Directive 2014/95/EU would be encouraged to disclose specific information in relation to products containing tin, tantalum, tungsten or gold” (EU, P: 57-58, 2017).

The European Union is doing something positive with this. That they show effort and care for the imports and what affects the export has locally, so if the minerals export is shady, the export will cease. So if the due diligence regulation works and the industry complies, the effect can be enormous. The consumer will also know that there are not supporting by third party purchase to pay for ammunition rebels, warlords or guerrillas in far away lands. This should all be seen as step of making a better world and honorable society. Where the money is where the mouth is! Peace.

Reference:

Council of the European Union – ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council setting up a Union system for supply chain due diligence self-certification of responsible importers of tin, tantalum and tungsten, their ores, and gold originating in conflict-affected and high-risk areas – Outcome of the European Parliament’s first reading (Strasbourg, 13 to 16 March 2017) – (20.03.2017).

Kenya: Operational Update – Destruction of Al Shabaab Bases in Baadhadhe District (27.03.2017)

IGAD: Nairobi Declaration on Durable Solutions for Somali Refugees and Reintegration of Returnees in Somalia (25.03.2017)

 

CERF approves $22 million loan to further scale up FAO action to prevent famine in Somalia (21.03.2017)

The funds will allow for increased livelihoods support to rural communities affected by repeated drought.

ROME, Italy, March 21, 2017 -FAO is further scaling up its  activities in drought affected regions of Somalia thanks to a $22 million loan approved this week by the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which complements the loans already provided by FAO’s Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities.

This effort is part of the international response to prevent another famine in Somalia five years after the previous one devastated the country. FAO’s action aims to increase rural livelihood support and restore food production, while ensuring that families meet their immediate food and water needs.

Across Somalia, 6.2 million people will face acute food insecurity through June 2017. Of these, nearly 3 million people are in Phases 3 (crisis) and 4 (emergency) of the five-phase International Phase Classification for Food Security (IPC). This represents more than a two-fold  increase compared to six months ago. Phase 5 is famine.

The head of the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien, said he was releasing the loan from CERF to FAO “as part of the efforts to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in Somalia.”

“More than 2.9 million people are at risk of famine and many will predictably die from hunger if we do not act now. CERF is one of the fastest ways to enable urgent response to people most in need. FAO is a key partner in ensuring that crucial support to livelihoods is reaching affected people. The loan will bridge a crucial gap and allow FAO to immediately save lives and livelihoods of farmers and herders until additional funds from donors are received,” O’Brien said.

“CERF has long been a supporter of FAO’s interventions to save and protect livelihoods and thus lives in crisis contexts. Livelihoods are people’s best defence against famine and this $22 million loan is critical to FAO’s famine prevention and drought response in Somalia, enabling the Organization to provide much-needed, rapid support to vulnerable rural households,” said FAO Deputy Director-General for Programmes, Daniel Gustafson.

Saving livelihoods, saving lives

Most of the 6.2 million people facing  acute food insecurity live in Somalia’s  rural areas where hunger levels have spiked primarily due to losses in crop and livestock production and other sources of food and income caused by repeated droughts.

Early warnings are loud and clear: In a worst-case scenario where the traditionally, main rainy season, the  Gu (April-June), will perform very poorly, purchasing power may further decline to levels seen in 2010/2011, and humanitarian assistance would not be able to reach populations in need, people may  suffer/face famine.

FAO’s work

FAO is scaling up the implementation of its Famine Prevention and Drought Response Plan, which combines lifesaving interventions with emergency livelihood support to address the distinct needs of rural people at risk across Somalia – a twin track approach that provides immediate assistance while offering livelihood support and income opportunities to reduce their dependency on humanitarian aid.

Measures implemented under the Response Plan include providing cash (cash-for-work and unconditional cash transfers), meeting immediate food and water needs; providing agriculture and fisheries based livelihood support in combination with cash (“Cash+”), and saving livestock assets and related food and income.

The loan from CERF complements FAO’s own funding mechanism, the Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities, and will help kick start operations supported by the Governments of the United States of America and the United Kingdom.

Somalia: Declaration of National Disaster (28.02.2017)

somaliland-drought

The president has appealed to the International Community to urgently respond to the calamity in order to help families and individuals to recover from the effects of the drought disaster to avoid humanitarian tragedy.

MOGADISHU, Somalia, February 28, 2017 -The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, His Excellency Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (Farmajo) has declared a National Disaster to deal with the humanitarian emergency in all areas affected by the current drought.

The president has appealed to the International Community to urgently respond to the calamity in order to help families and individuals to recover from the effects of the drought disaster to avoid humanitarian tragedy.

The president is also kindly calling on the Somali business community and Diaspora to participate in the recovery operations efforts in the affected area with the aim to mitigate the impact of drought nationwide.

The president stands ready to receive a continuous briefing on the assessment and response to the emergency.

Somalia: Drought Emergency Response (27.02.2017)

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Kenya: Potential U.S. Military sale to Kenya in support of the fight against terrorism (18.02.2017)

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U.S. House Representatives wants to block the January Arms trade sold to the Kenyan Government!

tedd-budd-quote

“The arms trade – an intricate web of networks between the formal and shadow worlds, between government, commerce and criminality – often makes us poorer, not richer, less not more safe, and governed not in our own interests but for the benefit of a small, self-serving elite, seemingly above the law, protected by the secrecy of national security and accountable to no one.”

Andrew Feinstein

As of today there two United States Representatives from the Republican Party Ted Budd of North Carolina and Duncan Duane Hunter from California that for their own reasons to stop sales of U.S. arms to Kenya, this they have forwarded a joint resolution. This was first from Ted Budd, but Duncan Hunter became his co-sponsor of the bill. Of today it has been transmitted to the Committee at the House Foreign Affairs that will work on it, before initial voting.

“That the issuance of a letter of offer with respect to any of the following proposed sales to the Government of Kenya (described in the certification Transmittal No. 16–79, sent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate pursuant to section 36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2776(b)(1))) on January 19, 2017, is hereby prohibited:

(1) Twelve Air Tractor AT–802L.

(2) Two AT–504 trainer aircraft.

(3) Weapons package, technical support and program management” (Budd & Hunter, 2017).

It is not long ago since this was sanctioned to the Kenya Defense Force and their missions, as this was a supplement to the on-going missions that the Kenya contingent in Somalia and might even be used as blue-helmets inside South Sudan. Still, the U.S. Representatives think these will be misguided and not well used arms for their ally in East Africa. This is the double-standard and double moral from the U.S. counterparts that easily has dropped and sold this sort of weapons to others, but has to all of sudden sanction Kenya for buying the same thing.

Just take a look at the timing of the deal between the U.S. and Kenyan earlier in 2017:

“The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the possible sale on 19 January and disclosed the potential sale on 23 January” (…) “The DSCA said Kenya had requested the sale of up to twelve Air Tractor AT-802L and two AT-504 trainer aircraft, weapons, technical support and programme management worth $418 million” (…) “This proposed sale contributes to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a strong regional partner who is a regional security leader undertaking critical operations against al-Shabaab and troop contributor to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM),” the DSCA said” (…) “The proposed sale provides a needed capability in the ongoing efforts to counter al-Shabaab. The platform maximizes the Kenyan Defense Force’s Close Air Support (CAS) ability because it is a short-field aircraft capable of using precision munitions and cost effective logistics and maintenance.” (DefenceWeb, 2017).

So a purchase accepted in January is now in question in February, as the new Trump Administration will not care for the allies and friends as such before. The DSCA sanctioned the sale on the 23rd January 2017 and now on the 14th February 2017 the U.S. Representatives questions the sale. So the AMISOM mission and their allies who fights in it doesn’t matter as much, as that was the destination for the arms and technical weaponry in this transaction. That the sales of close worth over $400m that suddenly goes into the wind!

We will see if the Foreign Affairs Committee at the House of Representatives will work with this and see if this will go for voting in the House or Senate to sufficiently go forward with joint communique of Ted Budd and Duncan Hunter. That then will become legislation as the deal will not happen as the Committee will put forward a motion or legislation that the stops the arms agreement and trade between the DSCA and the Government of Kenya. Therefore the U.S. Arms trade to the Kenyan Defense Force.

This story is certainly not over. Peace.

Reference:

DefenceWeb – ‘US approves possible Air Tractor, weapons sale to Kenya’ (24.01.2017) link: http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46563:us-approves-possible-air-tractor-weapons-sale-to-kenya&catid=35:Aerospace&Itemid=107

Representative Ted Budd (R-North Carolina) & Representative Duncan Duane Hunter (R-California) – ‘H.J.Res. 72: Relating to the disapproval of the proposed foreign military sale to the Government of Kenya of Air Tractor aircraft with weapons, and related support’ (14.02.2017)