GM

Galmudug State Minister blamed the international navies for the loss of civilian lives and fishing boats and demanded an apology.

Fourteen Iranian fishermen who were stranded along the Somali Indian Ocean coast after an attack, have been moved to the capital of semi-autonomous Galmudug state.

The Iranians were moved Friday to Galkayo town, about 750 km north of Mogadishu.

The seamen were stranded at Hobyo, a coastal town, 660km northeast of Mogadishu, where their fishing boat was reportedly attacked on Wednesday and Thursday by helicopter gunships from the international navy warships patrolling the Somali coast against pirates.

Mr Abdiweli Hassan Hersi, the Police Commander in Hobyo, told Radio Mogadishu, a state run broadcaster, that all the fishermen were in good conditions, except two who were slightly wounded.

“The Iranian boat that was anchored there was attacked by three choppers for the second time in two days, forcing the Iranians to swim to the shore,” said the Hobyo police boss.

“Three Somalis died in the incident as two bodies were found at the beach,” he added.

According to the locals, the Iranian fishing boat sunk after being set ablaze by the fire from the choppers.

Galmudug Authority’s minster for Fisheries and Marine Resources Mohamed Ali Gurey, condemned the operations carried out by the international navy for victimising civilians.

The minister blamed the international navies for the loss of civilian lives and fishing boats and demanded an apology.

Muktar Haji
Mrmuhagi@gmail.cm

GALMUDUG STATE CONDEMNS FOREIGN SHIPS SMASHING POOR FISHERMEN BOAT

An Iranian was among three suspected pirates wounded after foreign warships in the Indian Ocean attacked a boat off Somalia’s coastal town of Hobyo, Galmudug State Wednesday afternoon, witnesses said on Friday.


At least three suspected Somali pirates were also slain in the raid conducted by a helicopter of unknown origin, according to Bashir Abdi Guled, a fisherman in Hobyo, a town about 500 kilometers (300 miles) northeast of the capital Mogadishu.

“An Iranian citizen, who I think was fisherman, and two Somalis wounded in the raid were taken a medical facility in the town for treatment,” Guled told All Headline News by phone, adding that all Somalis killed or wounded in the raid were fishermen.

Guled noted that early Thursday morning, a helicopter and three skiffs mounted with heavy and light guns attacked the same place, this time tearing down the boat used by the suspected pirates. No casualties were reported.

It was not immediately clear which country conducted the two attacks.

Mohammed Ali Gurey, the minister of fisheries and sea resources for Gal-mudug state, a self-styled administration in parts of Mudug region in central Somalia, on Friday told reporters in the northern town of Galka’yo that they received information that at least 15 Iranians were among those who came under attack.

“One of Iranians injured in the attack and brought to a local hospital along with two Somalis” the minister said.

“All Iranian citizens in the coastal town have [been] involved in illegal fishing off Somalia coasts,” Gurey spelled out.

Gal-mudug’s minister of fisheries also accused NATO warships and naval forces of harming and killing Somali fishermen intentionally, calling for the international community to intervene.

The Iranian government has not released any comments about the attacks or their wounded fishermen.

MUKTAR HAJI
mrmuhagi@gmail.com

GALMUDUG OIL AND GAS

GALMUDUG OIL AND GAS
East Africa is next hot oil zone

London APR 25 2011(UPI) --
East Africa is emerging as the next oil boom following a big strike in Uganda's Lake Albert Basin. Other oil and natural gas reserves have been found in Tanzania and Mozambique and exploration is under way in Ethiopia and even war-torn Somalia.

The region, until recently largely ignored by the energy industry, is "the last real high-potential area in the world that hasn't been fully explored," says Richard Schmitt, chief executive officer of Dubai's Black Marlin Energy, which is prospecting in East Africa.

The discovery at Lake Albert, in the center of Africa between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, is estimated to contain the equivalent of several billion barrels of oil. It is likely to be the biggest onshore field found south of the Sahara Desert in two decades.

Tullow Oil, the British exploration company backed by a $1.4 billion loan from the Royal Bank of Scotland, says its Ngassa field in Uganda may be the biggest find in the Lake Albert Basin to date with up to 600 million barrels.

Tullow has discovered reserves equivalent to around 2 billion barrels of oil in Uganda in the last four years. Most of the initial finds in East Africa were made by independent wildcatters like Tullow and another British firm, Heritage Oil, run by former mercenary Tony Buckingham.

Now the majors are moving in. Heritage recently sold its 50 percent share in two Lake Albert Basin fields to Eni of Italy for $1.5 billion.

Eni said the two blocks have the potential to produce 1 billion barrels and is fighting it out with Tullow for control of the reserves on the Ugandan side of Lake Albert.

The Italian company is busy expanding in sub-Saharan Africa and has interests in Angola, Nigeria, Gabon, Mozambique and the Republic of Congo.

The Ugandan government is negotiating with several majors with the financial clout to handle the enormous investment required to develop these emerging fields.

Front-runners reportedly include China's state-run CNOOC, Total of France and Exxon Mobil of the United States.

Andarko Petroleum Corp. of Texas says it has hit a giant natural gas field off the coast of Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony that became independent in 1975. Norway's Statoil is drilling in Mozambique's Rovuma Basin.

Since the 2006 find at Lake Albert, one of the Great Lakes of Africa strung out along the Great Rift Valley, there have been at least 15 confirmed major strikes in the region.

The Indian Ocean island of Madagascar contains "enormous reserves," according to Tiziana Luzzi-Arbouille of IHS Global Insight consultancy of London.

"What happened in Uganda made it easier for smaller companies to raise funding," said Tewodros Ashenafi, head of Southwest Energy, an Ethiopian company exploring in the Ogaden Basin in the east of the country.

This is a vast 135,000-square-mile territory in landlocked Ethiopia that is believed to contain sizable reserves of oil. It is estimated to hold 4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas as well.

Malaysia's Petronas, which recently acquired major blocks in Iraq, signed an exploration agreement with Addis Ababa in August 2007.

The main problem for the oil industry is that the Ogaden, like many parts of Africa, is a conflict zone, as it has been pretty much since the Cold War in the 1970s. This is one reason why exploration has been so tardy.

Separatist rebels of the Ogaden National Liberation Front have warned oil companies to keep away and in April 2007 attacked a Chinese exploration group, killing 74 people.

Petronas is also exploring in the Gambella Basin of western Ethiopia.

Somalia has been torn by wars between feuding militias and clans since dictator Siad Barre was toppled in 1991 but it is also considered to hold considerable oil reserves.

A 1993 study by Petroconsultants of Geneva concluded that Somalia has two of the most potentially interesting hydrocarbon-yielding basins in the entire region -- one in the central Mudugh region, the other in the Gulf of Aden.

That was one of 10 such basins across Somalia, southeast Ethiopia and northeast Kenya.

More recent analyses indicate that Somalia could have reserves of up to 10 billion barrels.

But exploration remains an extremely hazardous undertaking. And it's likely to become more so as the country becomes a major focus for U.S. counter-terrorism operations against al-Qaida and its affiliates who are dug in there."

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/Resourc ... 268249530/

The two most promising hydrocarbon-yielding basins is located in North Central Somalia now called GalMudug State
Muktar Haji Blogger Galmudug4life.
MUKTAR@LIVE.CO.UK

Galmudug State Of Somalia Oil and Gas

GALMUDUG OIL AND GAS FACTOR IN SOMALIA
FOUR AMERICAN PETROLEUM GIANTS HAD AGREEMENTS WITH THE AFRICAN NATION BEFORE ITS CIVIL WAR BEGAN. THEY COULD REAP BIG REWARDS IF PEACE IS RESTORED
By MARK FINEMAN
DATELINE: MOGADISHU, Somalia
Far beneath the surface of the tragic drama of Somalia, four major U.S. oil companies are quietly sitting on a prospective fortune in exclusive concessions to explore and exploit tens of millions of acres of the Somali countryside.
That land, in the opinion of geologists and industry sources, could yield significant amounts of oil and natural gas if the U.S.-led military mission can restore peace to the impoverished East African nation.
According to documents obtained by The Times, nearly two-thirds of Somalia was allocated to the American oil giants Conoco, Amoco, Chevron and Phillips in the final years before Somalia's pro-U.S. President Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown and the nation plunged into chaos in January, 1991. Industry sources said the companies holding the rights to the most promising concessions are hoping that the Bush Administration's decision to send U.S. troops to safeguard aid shipments to Somalia will also help protect their multimillion-dollar investments there.
Officially, the Administration and the State Department insist that the U.S. military mission in Somalia is strictly humanitarian. Oil industry spokesmen dismissed as "absurd" and "nonsense" allegations by aid experts, veteran East Africa analysts and several prominent Somalis that President Bush, a former Texas oilman, was moved to act in Somalia, at least in part, by the U.S. corporate oil stake.
But corporate and scientific documents disclosed that the American companies are well positioned to pursue Somalia's most promising potential oil reserves the moment the nation is pacified. And the State Department and U.S. military officials acknowledge that one of those oil companies has done more than simply sit back and hope for pece.
Conoco Inc., the only major multinational corporation to mantain a functioning office in Mogadishu throughout the past two years of nationwide anarchy, has been directly involved in the U.S. government's role in the U.N.-sponsored humanitarian military effort.
Conoco, whose tireless exploration efforts in north-central Somalia called Galmudug state of Somalia reportedly had yielded the most encouraging prospects just before Siad Barre's fall, permitted its Mogadishu corporate compound to be transformed into a de facto American embassy a few days before the U.S. Marines landed in the capital, with Bush's special envoy using it as his temporary headquarters. In addition, the president of the company's subsidiary in Somalia won high official praise for serving as the government's volunteer "facilitator" during the months before and during the U.S. intervention.
Describing the arrangement as "a business relationship," an official spokesman for the Houston-based parent corporation of Conoco Somalia Ltd. said the U.S. government was paying rental for its use of the compound, and he insisted that Conoco was proud of resident general manager Raymond Marchand's contribution to the U.S.-led humanitarian effort.
John Geybauer, spokesman for Conoco Oil in Houston, said the company was acting as "a good corporate citizen and neighbor" in granting the U.S. government's request to be allowed to rent the compound. The U.S. Embassy and most other buildings and residential compounds here in the capital were rendered unusable by vandalism and fierce artillery duels during the clan wars that have consumed Somalia and starved its people.
In its in-house magazine last month, Conoco reprinted excerpts from a letter of commendation for Marchand written by U.S. Marine Brig. Gen. Frank Libutti, who has been acting as military aide to U.S. envoy Robert B. Oakley. In the letter, Libutti praised the oil official for his role in the initial operation to land Marines on Mogadishu's beaches in December, and the general concluded, "Without Raymond's courageous contributions and selfless service, the operation would have failed."
But the close relationship between Conoco and the U.S. intervention force has left many Somalis and foreign development experts deeply troubled by the blurry line between the U.S. government and the large oil company, leading many to liken the Somalia operation to a miniature version of Operation Desert Storm, the U.S.-led military effort in January, 1991, to drive Iraq from Kuwait and, more broadly, safeguard the world's largest oil reserves.

Galmudug State Resource

1. Classification of uranium deposits:

A listing of the recognized types of uranium mineralization shows nineteen determinable types out of which only six can be classified as of economic significance at present: Oligomictic quartz pebble conglomerates, sandstone types, calcretes, intra-intrusive types, hydrothermal veins, veinlike types. The different types can be genetically related to prevalent geological environments:

a. the primary uranium occurrences formed by endogenic processes (Aliyow Geelle in Bur Complex; and in Northern Crystalline Basement).

b. the secondary derived from the primary by subsequent exogenic processes (produced by processes of tropical chemical weathering such as in calcrete (the Galmudug type).

c. the tertiary occurrences are assumed to be formed by endogenic metamorphic processes.,

However, little is known about the behaviour of the uranium during the metamorphosis and thereby the metallogenesis of this tertiary uranium generation is still vague. A metallotectonic-geochronologic correlation of the uranium deposits shows that a distinct affinity of the uranium exists to certain geologic epochs: to the Upper Archean — Lower Proterozoic, to the Hercynian and in a less established stage: to the Upper Proterozoic.

The uranium deposits in Galgaduud and South Mudug regions of Central Somalia are surficial deposits produced by tropical chemical weathering processes. Surficial uranium deposits are broadly defined as young (Tertiary to Recent) near-surface uranium concentrations in sediments or soils. These deposits usually have secondary cementing minerals including calcite, gypsum, dolomite, ferric oxide, and halite. Uranium deposits in calcrete are the largest of the surficial deposits. Uranium mineralisation is in fine-grained surficial sand and clay, cemented by calcium and magnesium carbonates.

Surficial deposits comprise about 4% of world uranium resources. Calcrete deposits represent 5% of Australia¹s total reserves and resources of uranium. They formed where uranium-rich granites were deeply weathered in a semi-arid to arid climate. The Yeelirrie deposit in WA is by far the world's largest surficial deposit. Other significant deposits in WA include Lake Way, Centipede, Thatcher Soak, and Lake Maitland.

In WA, the calcrete uranium deposits occur in valley-fill sediments along Tertiary drainage channels, and in playa lake sediments. These deposits overlie Archaean granite and greenstone basement of the northern portion of the Yilgarn Craton. The uranium mineralisation is carnotite (hydrated potassium uranium vanadium oxide). Calcrete uranium deposits also occur in the Central Namib Desert of Namibia.

2. Uranium in Galgaduud and South Mudug regions

Apart from the Sepiolite deposits of El-Bur, and unproven reserves of hydrocarbons (oil and gas in the province), the Gal-Mudug Regions of Central Somalia is endowed with another mineral deposit, uranium deposits. Following numerous mineral explorations, the area between Dusa Mareb, El-Bur, Hobya and South Galkayo was found to contain extensive deposits of Uranium in the Taleh Formation that covers Galgaduud and South Mudug Regions. In the Miocene and the Pliocene (the Tertiary), the Taleh Formation had undergone extensive weathering in which secondary mineralization occurred. In this way Uranium minerals were formed in shallow deposits of calcretes and silcrete.

Somalia is known to have resources of uranium. The deposit in Ghelinsor-Elbur area has an estimated resource of 8,000 tons of Uranium Oxide (U3O8) from ore that grades 0.116%. The Wabo-Mirig deposit was estimated to have a resource of 5,500 t of U3O8 from ore that graded 0.08%. Dhusa Mareb had an estimated resource of 3,000 t of U3O8 from ore that graded 0.08% (Chakrabarti, 1988; pp. 95-96). The total uranium metal content of these estimated resources is 14,000 t. Nearly 6,700 t of the country’s uranium resources were estimated to be recoverable at a world market price between $80 – 130 per Kg.

If infrastructure is improved and all-weather roads are built, these resources would be recoverable at a price less than $80 per Kg (World Resources Institute and others; 1996, p. 288).

1. Developments in mining the uranium of Somalia:

Uranium deposits are found in large quantities on some maps generated in the 1970s by Soviet mineralogy surveys in Somalia. These maps showed that Ali Gelle in Buur Hakaba Crystalline basement complex (within a two hundred kilometers west of Mogadishu) as an area where uranium can be mined.

In 1982, LEVICH, Robert A., U.S. Department of Energy from (Yucca Mountain Project, 1551 Hillshire Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89134, bob_levich@ymp.gov.) led the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to evaluate uranium resources in Somalia.

In 1984, Brazilian mining company, Construtora Andrade Gutierrez announced a $300 million investment in a uranium mine in central Somalia. The deal was to be financed by Banco do Brasil, and the host government agent was the Somali Arab Mining Company (Soarmico). Soarmico was itself a joint venture founded in 1978 between the Somali government, the Arab Mining Company based in Jordan, and Iraq.

But according to a dated World Energy Council report, Somalia has only a sizeable reserve that would be (relatively) expensive to extract. (National Review On-line; 1993)

4. Current mining activities:

Somalia does not have any active uranium mining capabilities or activities, making it impossible for the country to send the mineral to illegal destination or places under UN Security Council sanctions. In addition mining the uranium needs industrial infrastructure which Somalia does not have at the moment due to more than 15 years of civil war. The World Nuclear Association's annual uranium production figures and list of worldwide uranium mining does not mention any production from Somalia.

5. Thoms R. Yager; The mineral industries of Somalia:

Name(s):	Dhusa Mareb - Wabo - Mirig - Wisil- province : El Bur, Dusa Mareb, Wasil
Country:	SOMALIA: Gal-Mudug State (An area between Dhusa-mareeb, El-bur, Wasil and Galkayo.
Commodity(ies):	Name Production 3 year average Reserve Resource Unit Class Ore type(s) Uranium 0 0 0 8,800 tons B Ore in which the element forms a distinct mineral phase. Vanadium 0 0 0 0 tons N/A Ore in which the element forms a distinct mineral phase.
Main morphology:	Concordant to sub-concordant envelope of disseminated ore
Morphology(ies):	Cap, blanket, crust - Concordant to sub-concordant envelope of disseminated ore -
Deposit type(s):	Shallow uraniferous deposit - Sediment-hosted uranium; Arlit-type - Calcrete, silcrete -
Host rock(s):	Other duricrust : gypscrete, phoscrete, Uranium-bearing duricrust - Silcrete - Calcrete & Dolocrete - Sandstone - Sand -
Exploitation type(s):	Mining method: This deposit is not mined.
Ages:	Mineralisation Host rock Upper Lower Upper Lower Neogene (Miocene to Pliocene) Neogene (Miocene to Pliocene) Neogene (Miocene to Pliocene) Neogene (Miocene to Pliocene)
Status:	Dormant district

The Uranium deposits of Gal-Mudug Region in Central Somalia

6. Background:

According to Wikipedia, “Uranium is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol U and atomic number 92. Heavy, silvery-white, metallic, naturallyradioactive, uranium belongs to the actinide series. Its isotopes 235U and to a lesser degree 233U are used as the fuel for nuclear reactors and the explosive material fornuclear weapons. Depleted uranium (238U) is used in kinetic energy penetrators andarmor plating.”

Natural uranium metal contains about 0.71% U-235, 99.28% U-238, and about 0.0054%U-234. In order to produce enriched uranium, the process of isotope separation removes a substantial portion of the U-235 for use in nuclear power, weapons, or other uses. The remainder, depleted uranium, contains only 0.2% to 0.4% U-235. Because natural uranium begins with such a low percentage of U-235, the enrichment process produces large quantities of depleted uranium. For example, producing 1 kg of 5% enriched uranium requires 11.8 kg of natural uranium, and leaves about 10.8 kg of depleted uranium with only 0.3% U-235 remaining.

Its two principal isotopes are 235U and 238U. Naturally-occurring uranium also contains a small amount of the 234U isotope, which is a decay product of 238U. The isotope 235U or enriched uranium is important for both nuclear reactors and nuclear weaponsbecause it is the only isotope existing in nature to any appreciable extent that is fissile, that is, fissionable by thermal neutrons. The isotope 238U is also important because it absorbs neutrons to produce a radioactive isotope that subsequently decays to the isotope 239Pu (plutonium), which also is fissile.

The artificial 233U isotope is also fissile and is made from thorium-232 by neutronbombardment.

Uranium was the first element that was found to be fissile. Upon bombardment with slow neutrons, its 235U isotope becomes the very short lived 236U which immediately divides into two smaller nuclei, releasing nuclear binding energy and more neutrons. If these neutrons are absorbed by other 235U nuclei, a nuclear chain reaction occurs and, if there is nothing to absorb some neutrons and slow the reaction, the reaction is explosive. The first atomic bomb worked by this principle (nuclear fission). A more accurate name for both this and the hydrogen bomb (nuclear fusion) would be "nuclear bomb" or "nuclear weapon", because only the nuclei participate.

7. Uses

After the discovery in 1939 that it could undergo nuclear fission, uranium gained importance with the development of practical uses of nuclear energy. The first atomic bomb used in warfare, "Little Boy", was a uranium bomb. This bomb contained enough of the uranium-235 isotope to start a runaway chain reaction which in a fraction of a second caused a large number of the uranium atoms to undergo fission, thereby releasing a fireball of energy.

The main use of uranium in the civilian sector is to fuel commercial nuclear power plants. Generally this is in the form of enriched uranium, which has been processed to have higher-than-natural levels of 235U and can be used for a variety of purposes relating to nuclear fission. Commercial nuclear power plants use fuel typically enriched to 2–3% 235U, though some reactor designs (such as the Candu reactors) can usenatural uranium (unenriched, less than 1% 235U) fuel. Fuel used for United States Navysubmarine reactors is typically highly enriched in 235U (the exact values are classified information). When uranium is enriched over 85% it is known as "weapons grade". In abreeder reactor, 238U can also be converted into plutonium.

8. Uranium as source of nuclear energy:

Currently the major application of uranium in the U.S. military sector is in high-density penetrators. This ammunition consists of depleted uranium alloyed with 1–2% other elements. The applications of these armor-piercing rounds range from the 20 mmPhalanx gun of the U.S. Navy for piercing attacking missiles, through the 30 mm gun inA-10 aircraft, to 105mm and larger tank barrels. At high impact speed, the density, hardness, and flammability of the projectile enable destruction of heavily armored targets. Tank armour and the removable armour on combat vehicles are also hardened with depleted uranium (DU) plates. The use of DU became a contentious political-environmental issue after US, UK and other countries' use of DU munitions in wars in the Persian Gulf and the Balkans raised questions of uranium compounds left in the soil.

Occurrence in Gal-Mudug regions of Central Somalia

Uranium ore is rock containing uranium mineralisation in concentrations that can be mined economically, typically 1 to 4 pounds of uranium oxide per ton or 0.05 to 0.20 percent uranium oxide.

Naturally occurring uranium is composed of three major isotopes, 238U, 235U, and 234U, with 238U being the most abundant (99.3% natural abundance). All three isotopes are radioactive, creating radioisotopes, with the most abundant and stable being 238U with a half-life of 4.5 × 109 years, 235U with a half-life of 7 × 108 years, and 234U with a half-life of 2.5 × 105 years. 238U is an α emitter, decaying through the uranium natural decay series into 206Pb.

References:

1. Chakrabarti, A.K., 1988. An appraisal of the mineral potential of the Somali Democratic Republic: Mogadishu, Somalia: The United Nations Revolving Fund for Natural Resources Exploration, 230 p.

2. M. Siad (1989): Application of geostatistical techniques in the evaluation of Wabo uranium deposit, Galgudud region, central Somalia. ITC Journal 1989-1, Enschede, the Netherlands.

3. M. O. Childers, and R. V. Bailey; Classification of uranium deposits, Rocky Mountain Geology; October 1979; v. 17; no. 2; p. 187-199.

4. World Resources Institute, United Nations Environment Programme, UNDP and World Bank, 1996. World Resources, 1996 – 1997, Oxford, UK, Oxford Press, p. 365

About Galmudug

Galmudug, is a secular, decentralized state in the central region of Somalia. The administrative capital, South Galcayo, is based in the southern half of the city and district of Gaalkacyo. To the north is Puntland, to the west is Ethiopia and to the south and east is the rest of Somalia, presently under the control of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG). The name is a combination of Galguduud and Mudug. Unlike the secessionist Somaliland region in northwestern Somalia, Galmudug, like the northern Somali region of Puntland, is not trying to obtain international recognition as a separate nation. It considers itself a federal division within the larger federal republic of Somalia, such as defined by the 2004 Transitional Federal Charter (TFG).
Contents[hide]
1 Overview
2 History
2.1 Creation of Galmudug
2.2 Relations with Puntland
2.3 Geography
2.4 War with the Islamic Courts Union
2.5 Al-Shabaab and Pirates
2.6 Reconstruction
3 References
4 Further reading
//
[edit] Overview
The Galmudug State is the most centrally located area in Somalia. It is equidistant from Galkaio (the state capital) by 750 km to Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Bossaso and Harar in Ethiopia.[citation needed] Its land area - one of the largest 16 original regions of Somalia - is 100,000 km². and it is bordered to the East by the Indian Ocean, to the West by Ethiopia, Nugaal region (currently Puntland) on the North and to the South by Galgadud region.
[edit] History
For pre-colonial history, see Sultanate of Hobyo
[edit] Creation of Galmudug
Prior to June 6, 2006, the clans of central Somalia were part of the vast territories held by the "Mogadishu Warlords", the powerful businessmen-warlords who each ruled a district of Mogadishu and conducted their business there. Financial development, security and infrastructure were all funnelled into Mogadishu by these warlords and the regions of Mudug and Galgadud in particular became seriously neglected. For the Mogadishu warlords, Mudug and Galgadud was a place to import soldiers and livestock, Mogadishu was where to invest and develop.
From March 2006 to June 2006 the Islamic Courts Union battled and defeated the Mogadishu warlords and shattered their power, allowing the ICU to conquer all of the capital as well as the Middle Shabelle region. As a side consequence of this however, the central regions became independent of the Mogadishu warlords for the first time in 17 years, and finally had a say in how the regions were administered. The Sacad clan diaspora and political leadership, taking note of the success Puntland and Somaliland have had with autonomy, began to work towards establishing a regional state.
Galmudug was established on August 14, 2006 by the Sacad Sub-clans, Reer Nimcaale, Reer jalaf, Reer cabdi, Reer mohamed, Reer Hilowle, Reer Sinoole, Farale, Reer barqadle. Reer Ayaanle. Indha-yar and all other Sacad sub-clans elders in Galkacyo District. Mohamed Warsame Ali 'Kiimiko' was elected President.
The state was named Galmudug (Galgadud and Mudug) with the cities of South Galcayo, Galinsoor and Bandiradley. Hobyo were technically a part of Galmudug from the outset, but de-facto authority rested in the pirates who ruled the towns and preyed on shipping along the coast. This changed when the ICU flushed out the pirates from Hobyo and Harardhere on August 16, 2006, and later when the ICU conquered Harardhere and Hobyo in early November 2006, to be reconquered by Galmudug forces in early 2007 with the help of Ethiopia, Puntland and the Sacad warlord Abdi Qeybdiid.
However, control by a central government remains fleeting. Much of the area of Galmudug remains under control of coastal pirates and Islamic militants groups, such as Al-Shabaab.
[edit] Relations with Puntland
Galmudug was put at odds with Puntland due to the fact that they were often made victims of collective punishments designed to hurt the ICU during the ICU's rule of most of southern Somalia in 2006. For instance in October Puntland banned flights to and from southern Somalia (except to Baidoa of course), including, due to proximity, Galmudug. Galmudug condemned this move strongly.[1]
On November 10, 2006, Galmudug sought the removal of forces from adjoining Puntland.[2] However by December, it had grown increasingly reliant on forces from both Puntland and Ethiopia to dislodge the militias of the ICU.
Galmudug and Puntland are currently involved in a dispute over control of Galkacyo Airport, which is located in Galmudug-Controlled southern Galkacyo, but is controlled by Puntland, which has led to several incidents including most recently a missile attack on the airport from the Galmudug-administered side on June 1, 2008.[3]
[edit] Geography

Map of Galmudug
Galmudug State occupies the following Districts of Somalia:[4]
Mudug Region - Districts:
South Galcayo (State Capital)
Galinsoor
Bandiiradley
Algula
Bitale
Dinowda
Cel Dhanaane
Hobyo Region - Districts:
Hobyo
Afbarwaaqo
Wisil
Bacaadweyne
Qaydaro
Ceeldibir
Xingod
dabaro
[edit] War with the Islamic Courts Union
Main article: Battle of Bandiradley
Galmudug and the ICU clashed increasingly in October and November 2006, leading to an ICU invasion of Galinsoor, Hobyo, Harardere, Bandiradley and Abdi Qeybdiid's base in the Marehan town of Abudwaq in November and December. A joint Ethiopia-Puntland force intervened to prevent the ICU from capturing Galcayo (the most important city in the region), the northern half of which is administered by Puntland. The Ethiopia-Puntland-Galmudug-Abdi Qeybdiid coalition emerged victorious and recaptured Bandiradley and Galinsoor.
On January 1, 2007, Abdi Qeybdiid and the Puntland/Ethiopian force parted ways with the Galmudug military and continued on towards Mogadishu, briefly occupying Adado and Dusamareb.[5] To this day, the status of the majority of Galgadud (except Gelinsoor, administered by Galmudug) is unresolved.
[edit] Al-Shabaab and Pirates
While the Transitional Federal Government made an agreement to admit members of the former Islamic Courts Union into the government in a bid to unify the country, violence continues to plague the central Somali coast. It takes two primary forms: piracy by various tribal groups, and Islamic extremist movements, such as Al-Shabaab.
Piracy has been rampant along the coast of Somalia, with at least 111 attacks against shipping and 42 vessels captured during 2008.[6]
In December 2008, Hobyo pirates and Al-Shabaab militants fought over the control of Hobyo.[7]
[edit] Reconstruction
Galmudug state with its limited resources has managed to open 8 new schools. Medicine San-franse had promised to fund the schools but that did not materialise after several of their staff were kidnapped in lieu for the withdrawal of the funds to Galmududg state educational programmes. The state also embarked an audacious plan to solicit funds to build a modern port in Hobyo that could be used businesses in central Somali and even by landlocked Ethiopia. A 172 Miles tarmac dual carriage road that would go through Hobyo- Galkacio- and further a field into Ogadenia has been planned in order to boost commercial and transport links in that part of Ethiopia which is inhabited mainly by poor ethnic Somalis who continue to live under occupation of hostile Ethiopian regimes.
Galmudug State military is composed of remnants from the dreaded Ex USC/SNA Forces of General M.F Aideed who have been acknowledged in the documentary Black-hawk down to the most efficient and battle-harded fighting forces throughout the ensuing civil war in Somalia. Western military analysts also believe that the Galmudug state forces do indeed hold in their possession a substantial amount of heavy armament that was looted from the former Somali national army which was never used in the civil war by the USC forces of the late Gen M. Aideed. But most of these would in due time be handed back to a Genuine Somali Govt if formed. Galmudug state has an ambitious plan to revitalise by way of priority the Education system with the importation of highly qualified teachers from India, South Africa and ethnic Somali Teachers from North East province of Kenya.in order to keep costs to the education budget to a minimum in the long run, plans have been made to build teachers quarters alongside every school that was build in order to provide free accommodation to the teachers. A trust fund has been set up which the Unicef, the India Govt, and a number of Dubai based corporations has promised contribute to. Also a team from Galmudud state ministry of Education recently travelled to Cairo, London, Manchester, Columbus Ohio, South Carolina and Minneapolis in an encouraging college graduates from that region in the Diaspora to take up training in the teaching of sciences and mathematics. Scholarships have also been offered in the spirit of fulfilment of the aforemention education goals by University of Alexandria in Egypt.
[edit] References
^ Somalia: Galmudug state condemns Puntland ban on flights from southern Somalia SomaliNet News
^ Somalia: Galmudug state asks Puntland army to withdraw its territory. Shabelle Media Network
^ Puntland accuses Galmudug over the attack on Galkayo’s airport
^ "Gamudug". http://www.galmudug.com/. Retrieved 2007-02-27.
^ "Somalia: No revenge against Islamists - former warlord". SomaliNet. 2007-01-01. http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/6350. Retrieved 2007-01-29.
^ "Somali Fishermen Opt for Piracy's Rich Pickings". London: Times Online. 2009-04-07. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article6045092.ece. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
^ "Clashes between Somali Liberators and Pirates at Hobyo – Ecoterra 85th Press Release Update". 2008-12-21. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/clashes-between-somali-liberators-and-pirates-at-hobyo-ecoterra-85th-press-release-update.html. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
[edit] Further reading
A. Jimale (ed), The Invention of Somalia. Lawrenceville, NJ, 1995
Cassanelli, Lee V., The Shaping of The Somali Society- Reconstructing the History of a Pastoral People, 1600-1900. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Univ. Press, 1982.
Middleton, John. The World of the Swahili- An African mercantile civilisation. Yale University 1992.
[hide]
v • d • e Somalia
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See also
War in Somalia
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galmudug"
Categories: Geography of Somalia States of Somalia Galmudug States and territories established in 2006
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