Day: June 20, 2024
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s government is seeking to slow the withdrawal of African peacekeepers and warning of a potential security vacuum, documents seen by Reuters show, with neighboring countries fretting that resurgent al-Shabaab militants could seize power.
The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), a peacekeeping force, is committed to withdrawing by Dec. 31, when a smaller new force is expected to replace it.
However, in a letter last month to the acting chair of the African Union Peace and Security Council the government asked to delay until September the withdrawal of half the 4,000 troops due to leave by the end of June. The letter has not been reported before.
The government had previously recommended, in a joint assessment with the AU in March, reviewed by Reuters, that the overall withdrawal timeline be adjusted “based on the actual readiness and capabilities” of Somali forces.
The joint assessment, which was mandated by the U.N. Security Council, warned that a “hasty drawdown of ATMIS personnel will contribute to a security vacuum.”
“I’ve never been more concerned about the direction of my home country,” said Mursal Khalif, an independent member of the defense committee in parliament.
The European Union and United States, the top funders of the AU force in Somalia, have sought to reduce the peacekeeping operation due to concerns about long-term financing and sustainability, four diplomatic sources and a senior Ugandan official said.
Negotiations about a new force have proven complicated, with the AU initially pushing for a more robust mandate than Somalia wanted, three of the diplomatic sources said. A heated political dispute could lead Ethiopia to pull out some of the most battle-hardened troops.
Somalia’s presidency and prime minister’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
Mohamed El-Amine Souef, AU special representative to Somalia and head of ATMIS, said there was no definitive timeline for concluding negotiations but that all parties were committed to an agreement that helps achieve sustainable peace and security.
“The AU and Somalia’s government have emphasized the importance of a conditions-based drawdown to prevent any security vacuum,” he told Reuters.
The Peace and Security Council is due to meet on Somalia later on Thursday to discuss the drawdown and follow-up mission.
As the drawdown proceeds, with 5,000 of around 18,500 troops leaving last year, the government has projected confidence. It has said the new force should not exceed 10,000 and should be limited to tasks like securing major population centers.
The call for a smaller force likely reflects views of nationalists who oppose a heavy foreign presence in Somalia, said Rashid Abdi, an analyst with Sahan Research, a Nairobi-based think-tank focused on the Horn of Africa.
Worried neighbors
Uganda and Kenya, which contributed troops to the departing mission, are also worried.
Henry Okello Oryem, Uganda’s state minister of foreign affairs, said that despite intensive training efforts, Somali troops could not sustain a long-term military confrontation.
“We do not want to get into a situation where we are fleeing, the kind of thing that we saw in Afghanistan,” he told Reuters.
Oryem said Kenya accepted the drawdown requested by the U.S. and EU but that the concerns of countries with forces in Somalia should be heard.
Kenyan President William Ruto told reporters in Washington last month that a withdrawal that did not account for conditions on the ground would mean “the terrorists will take over Somalia.”
In response to questions, an EU spokesperson said it was focused on building domestic security capacities and supported in principle a Somali government proposal for a new mission that would have a reduced size and scope.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson said the force should be large enough to prevent a security vacuum. Washington has supported all requests submitted by the AU to the U.N. Security Council to modify the drawdown timeline, the spokesperson said.
In response to a question about Ethiopian forces, the spokesperson said it was critical to avoid security gaps or unnecessary expenses “incurred by swapping out existing troop contributors.”
Setbacks
Two years ago, an army offensive in central Somalia initially seized large swathes of territory from al-Shabaab.
In August, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamed declared his intention to “eliminate” the powerful al-Qaida offshoot within five months.
But just a few days later, al-Shabaab counter-attacked, retaking the town of Cowsweyne. They killed scores of soldiers and beheaded several civilians accused of supporting the army, according to a soldier, an allied militiaman and a local resident.
“This broke the hearts of Somalis but gave courage to al-Shabaab,” Ahmed Abdulle, the militiaman, from a clan in central Somalia, said in an interview in April.
The Somali government has never publicly provided a death toll for the Cowsweyne battle and didn’t respond to a request for a toll for this story.
“There were enough troops in Cowsweyne, over a battalion, but they were not organized well,” said a soldier named Issa, who fought in the battle there last August.
Issa said car bombs had blasted through the gates of Cowsweyne army camp on the day of the attack, citing a shortage of defensive outposts to protect bases from such attacks.
Ten soldiers, militiamen from local clans and residents in areas targeted by the military campaign reported no army operations in the past two months following additional battlefield setbacks.
Reuters could not independently establish the extent of the territorial losses to al-Shabaab. Somalia’s national security adviser said on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) this week that the army had held most of its gains.
The peacekeepers’ withdrawal could make it more difficult to hold territory. While analysts estimate Somalia’s army at around 32,000 soldiers, the government acknowledged, in the assessment with the AU, a shortage of some 11,000 trained personnel due to “high operational tempo” and “attrition.”
The government has said its soldiers are capable of confronting al-Shabaab with limited external support.
Somalia has defied gloomy predictions before and has expanded its security forces in recent years.
Residents of the seaside capital Mogadishu – whose ubiquitous blast walls testify to the threat of Shabaab suicide bombers and mortars – say security has improved. Once quiet streets bustle with traffic, and upscale restaurants and supermarkets are opening.
An assessment published in April by the Combating Terrorism Center at the United States Military Academy said an Afghanistan-like collapse was unlikely, helped by ongoing external support.
The United States, for instance, has about 450 troops in Somalia to train and advise local forces, and conducts regular drone attacks against suspected militants.
But the assessment’s author, Paul D. Williams, a professor of international affairs at George Washington University, said the militants’ estimated 7,000-12,000 fighters would nevertheless be “slightly militarily stronger” than Somali forces because of superior cohesion and force employment.
International support
Somalia’s security has been underwritten by foreign resources since Ethiopia invaded in 2006, toppling an Islamist-led administration but galvanizing an insurgency that has since killed tens of thousands of people.
The U.S. has spent more than $2.5 billion on counterterrorism assistance since 2007, according to a study last year by Brown University. That number does not include undisclosed military and intelligence spending on activities like drone strikes and deployments of American ground troops.
The EU says it has provided about $2.8 billion to ATMIS and its predecessor since 2007. Turkey, Qatar and other Middle Eastern countries also provide security assistance.
But resources are under strain. The EU, which pays for most of ATMIS’s roughly $100 million annual budget, is shifting toward bilateral support with an eye toward reducing its overall contributions in the medium-term, four diplomatic sources said.
Two diplomats interviewed by Reuters, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private negotiations, said the U.S. and EU want to scale back peacekeeping operations because of competing spending priorities including Ukraine and Gaza and a sense Somalia should take responsibility for its own security.
Some European countries would like to see the new mission financed through assessed contributions of United Nations member states, which would increase the financial burden on the United States and China, the four diplomatic sources said.
The State Department spokesperson said the U.S. did not believe such a system can be implemented by next year but said there was strong international consensus to support the follow-on mission. The EU didn’t address questions about the financing of the replacement mission.
Financing for the new mission can only be formally addressed once Somalia and the AU agree on a proposed size and mandate.
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s government is seeking to slow the withdrawal of African peacekeepers and warning of a potential security vacuum, documents seen by Reuters show, with neighboring countries fretting that resurgent al-Shabaab militants could seize power.
The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), a peacekeeping force, is committed to withdrawing by Dec. 31, when a smaller new force is expected to replace it.
However, in a letter last month to the acting chair of the African Union Peace and Security Council the government asked to delay until September the withdrawal of half the 4,000 troops due to leave by the end of June. The letter has not been reported before.
The government had previously recommended, in a joint assessment with the AU in March, reviewed by Reuters, that the overall withdrawal timeline be adjusted “based on the actual readiness and capabilities” of Somali forces.
The joint assessment, which was mandated by the U.N. Security Council, warned that a “hasty drawdown of ATMIS personnel will contribute to a security vacuum.”
“I’ve never been more concerned about the direction of my home country,” said Mursal Khalif, an independent member of the defense committee in parliament.
The European Union and United States, the top funders of the AU force in Somalia, have sought to reduce the peacekeeping operation due to concerns about long-term financing and sustainability, four diplomatic sources and a senior Ugandan official said.
Negotiations about a new force have proven complicated, with the AU initially pushing for a more robust mandate than Somalia wanted, three of the diplomatic sources said. A heated political dispute could lead Ethiopia to pull out some of the most battle-hardened troops.
Somalia’s presidency and prime minister’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
Mohamed El-Amine Souef, AU special representative to Somalia and head of ATMIS, said there was no definitive timeline for concluding negotiations but that all parties were committed to an agreement that helps achieve sustainable peace and security.
“The AU and Somalia’s government have emphasized the importance of a conditions-based drawdown to prevent any security vacuum,” he told Reuters.
The Peace and Security Council is due to meet on Somalia later on Thursday to discuss the drawdown and follow-up mission.
As the drawdown proceeds, with 5,000 of around 18,500 troops leaving last year, the government has projected confidence. It has said the new force should not exceed 10,000 and should be limited to tasks like securing major population centers.
The call for a smaller force likely reflects views of nationalists who oppose a heavy foreign presence in Somalia, said Rashid Abdi, an analyst with Sahan Research, a Nairobi-based think-tank focused on the Horn of Africa.
Worried neighbors
Uganda and Kenya, which contributed troops to the departing mission, are also worried.
Henry Okello Oryem, Uganda’s state minister of foreign affairs, said that despite intensive training efforts, Somali troops could not sustain a long-term military confrontation.
“We do not want to get into a situation where we are fleeing, the kind of thing that we saw in Afghanistan,” he told Reuters.
Oryem said Kenya accepted the drawdown requested by the U.S. and EU but that the concerns of countries with forces in Somalia should be heard.
Kenyan President William Ruto told reporters in Washington last month that a withdrawal that did not account for conditions on the ground would mean “the terrorists will take over Somalia.”
In response to questions, an EU spokesperson said it was focused on building domestic security capacities and supported in principle a Somali government proposal for a new mission that would have a reduced size and scope.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson said the force should be large enough to prevent a security vacuum. Washington has supported all requests submitted by the AU to the U.N. Security Council to modify the drawdown timeline, the spokesperson said.
In response to a question about Ethiopian forces, the spokesperson said it was critical to avoid security gaps or unnecessary expenses “incurred by swapping out existing troop contributors.”
Setbacks
Two years ago, an army offensive in central Somalia initially seized large swathes of territory from al-Shabaab.
In August, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamed declared his intention to “eliminate” the powerful al-Qaida offshoot within five months.
But just a few days later, al-Shabaab counter-attacked, retaking the town of Cowsweyne. They killed scores of soldiers and beheaded several civilians accused of supporting the army, according to a soldier, an allied militiaman and a local resident.
“This broke the hearts of Somalis but gave courage to al-Shabaab,” Ahmed Abdulle, the militiaman, from a clan in central Somalia, said in an interview in April.
The Somali government has never publicly provided a death toll for the Cowsweyne battle and didn’t respond to a request for a toll for this story.
“There were enough troops in Cowsweyne, over a battalion, but they were not organized well,” said a soldier named Issa, who fought in the battle there last August.
Issa said car bombs had blasted through the gates of Cowsweyne army camp on the day of the attack, citing a shortage of defensive outposts to protect bases from such attacks.
Ten soldiers, militiamen from local clans and residents in areas targeted by the military campaign reported no army operations in the past two months following additional battlefield setbacks.
Reuters could not independently establish the extent of the territorial losses to al-Shabaab. Somalia’s national security adviser said on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) this week that the army had held most of its gains.
The peacekeepers’ withdrawal could make it more difficult to hold territory. While analysts estimate Somalia’s army at around 32,000 soldiers, the government acknowledged, in the assessment with the AU, a shortage of some 11,000 trained personnel due to “high operational tempo” and “attrition.”
The government has said its soldiers are capable of confronting al-Shabaab with limited external support.
Somalia has defied gloomy predictions before and has expanded its security forces in recent years.
Residents of the seaside capital Mogadishu – whose ubiquitous blast walls testify to the threat of Shabaab suicide bombers and mortars – say security has improved. Once quiet streets bustle with traffic, and upscale restaurants and supermarkets are opening.
An assessment published in April by the Combating Terrorism Center at the United States Military Academy said an Afghanistan-like collapse was unlikely, helped by ongoing external support.
The United States, for instance, has about 450 troops in Somalia to train and advise local forces, and conducts regular drone attacks against suspected militants.
But the assessment’s author, Paul D. Williams, a professor of international affairs at George Washington University, said the militants’ estimated 7,000-12,000 fighters would nevertheless be “slightly militarily stronger” than Somali forces because of superior cohesion and force employment.
International support
Somalia’s security has been underwritten by foreign resources since Ethiopia invaded in 2006, toppling an Islamist-led administration but galvanizing an insurgency that has since killed tens of thousands of people.
The U.S. has spent more than $2.5 billion on counterterrorism assistance since 2007, according to a study last year by Brown University. That number does not include undisclosed military and intelligence spending on activities like drone strikes and deployments of American ground troops.
The EU says it has provided about $2.8 billion to ATMIS and its predecessor since 2007. Turkey, Qatar and other Middle Eastern countries also provide security assistance.
But resources are under strain. The EU, which pays for most of ATMIS’s roughly $100 million annual budget, is shifting toward bilateral support with an eye toward reducing its overall contributions in the medium-term, four diplomatic sources said.
Two diplomats interviewed by Reuters, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private negotiations, said the U.S. and EU want to scale back peacekeeping operations because of competing spending priorities including Ukraine and Gaza and a sense Somalia should take responsibility for its own security.
Some European countries would like to see the new mission financed through assessed contributions of United Nations member states, which would increase the financial burden on the United States and China, the four diplomatic sources said.
The State Department spokesperson said the U.S. did not believe such a system can be implemented by next year but said there was strong international consensus to support the follow-on mission. The EU didn’t address questions about the financing of the replacement mission.
Financing for the new mission can only be formally addressed once Somalia and the AU agree on a proposed size and mandate.
#2900OceanCondo
The real Mr. Kalika is happily found! The Annual meeting of 6.12.24 – Report and Updates https://t.co/K4z8ojAfl3 pic.twitter.com/nsQLo69Or4— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) June 20, 2024
The real Mr. Kalika is happily found! The Annual meeting of 6.12.24 – Report and Updates https://t.co/ZN9JnZgk0U
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) June 19, 2024
https://t.co/dKEe2AwR4l
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! The real Mr. Kalika is happily found! Now you will know him when you see him! Remarkable achievement of transparency in Brooklyn Condo Life! #NewsAndTimes #NT #TNT #News #Times#World #USA #DOJ #FBI… pic.twitter.com/PlY05UoDy8— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) June 19, 2024
#2900OceanCondo
The real Mr. Kalika is happily found! The Annual meeting of 6.12.24 – Report and Updates https://t.co/ZN9JnZgRQs
– https://t.co/bmrMQMrve8 pic.twitter.com/DBB7gPE5G5— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) June 19, 2024
Search inside image
- The real Mr. Kalika is happily found! The Annual meeting of 6.12.24 – Report and UpdatesJune 15, 2024
The real Mr. Kalika is happily found! The Annual meeting of 6.12.24 – Report and Updates – LINK TO POST
https://2900oceancondo.com/the-annual-meeting-of-6-12-24/
Dear Mr. Kalika: This is the Currently UPDATED Post, for your information and attention. Sincerely, Michael Novakhov. 6.18.24
P.S. You may also respond in writing, if you so wish. – Copy of the Sent Email.
The real Mr. Kalika is happily found! But why was he so mysteriously lost?
The Annual meeting of 6.12.24 – Report and Updates
Годовое собрание от 12 Июня, 2024 г. – Отчёт и Дополнения
The meeting was held, with no quorum, and the elections were not held.
The Financial Statement was not ready and will be mailed in 2 weeks, as per Mr. Kalika.
It transpired that the person who claimed to be Mr. Kalika, the head of the Dependable Pro Management, at the last Annual meeting of March 22, 2023, (and with the false introduction by Grace Bishop), actually was not Mr. Kalika but one of his accountants, apparently chosen for this role for his deep voice and the imposing, authoritarian demeanor.
Now, hopefully, we deal with the real Mr. Kalika. He was again introduced by Grace Bishop, without any explanations of her mistake and this discrepancy, which proves once more that she is the blatant liar, bullshitter, and the psychopath.
I would like to remind everyone that impersonating the officer in his official capacity is illegal, and it is the criminal offense.
In plain English, they take you for idiots, guys!
In plain Russian: Они берут вас за ЛОХОВ!
The similar situation is with Al Rutigliano, Grace Bishop’s common law husband. He does not own any shares in this condo, nevertheless he was on the Condo Board. This is also illegal and the practice of Nepotism. According to the rules common for all Condos, the members of the same household are prohibited from serving on the same condo Board. The problem with Al was that he imagined himself a little Mafia Boss, and he tried to rule the roost, on behalf of his wife Grace, via his ENFORCER, super Ray, by instructing him to be rude and insulting to people, so he could insert himself as the middle man. Both of them were warned.
The atmosphere of lies and deceits pervades the whole behavior and the style, the modus operandi of Grace Bishop and the people around her, including the Dependable Pro and the Super, all of whom rob this Condo of the services it deserves, and MILK IT SHAMELESSLY for their own purposes and benefits, as it was described by me in the previous posts, and will be described again, in details, in the future.
And this continuous robbery results in the chronic state of disrepairs, with the ceilings falling on people’ heads at the regular intervals. The review of this subject as addressed in the previous posts, suggest that the main reason are the continuous leaks; in the winter from the heating system, and in the summer from the incorrectly installed air conditioners. And the reason for continuous leaks is that they are hidden inside the building structures, they are not watched for, and are not fixed in time. People do not want to deal with a super (“Ray”), who is arrogant, rude, and insulting to people, demands the exorbitant tips, and with all that is incompetent, and does the shoddy work. People do not want to bother with him. The super and his family are more interested in free apartment than taking the adequate care of the building. The problem is not that they are the Muslim family, the problem is that their pattern of work fits with the very well known pattern and style of other supers of the Albanian or Balkanian descent. This is the primitive peasant mentality. They want to extract for themselves everything they can and more, seeing this building as their property, while working as little as possible. With this super and his work, this building will always have problems and will continue to be in the state of disrepairs. In my opinion, this super ABSOLUTELY has to be changed. Some owners, in our private discussions, questioned the need for the free apartment as the part of the package. This issue has to be considered and discussed at the general meeting.
Some owners who are better familiar with the situation, told me that Super Ray has another, second job or that he works for his own business, has a big house upstate, and is in fact, a “millionaire”. Be it all as it may, it is clear that he is more interested in his free apartment and his tips than in honest work. Apparently, Grace Bishop is connected with him by some family ties, and this is the explanation of his super-favourable, special treatment. The kickbacks to the Dependable Pro from him are also quite possible, and even likely. It is also possible that this gang benefits financially from the illegal management of the short term rentals, the issue that is not addressed in the Bylaws but it is active and in the front of the current agenda.
The meeting was rather brief and we did not get to discuss this issue and the issue of Grace Bishop’ fitness to be elected, in the light of her crazy and brazen behavior and the attacks on others (see police report). These subjects should be discussed next time, hopefully.
My question at this meeting: “WHY DO CEILINGS FALL IN THIS BUILDING?” was left unanswered, and the meeting was closed in panic by Grace Bishop after I asked this question.
My opinion is that the group that calls itself the “Board” is completely fictitious and illegitimate. They have absolutely no proofs, including the documentation, to show what they claim. I think that this group of pretenders and imposters is detrimental to this building and to the financial interests of the unit owners.
I think, that they also will carry the CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY if the falling ceilings kill or injure someone. We should not wait for it to happen.
We need the adequate Election, and the adequate, well functioning Board. Presently we do not have a Board, neither in the legal nor in the administrative sense.
The details and the Report on Financial Statement will follow later.
At mean time, I request from the current “Board” and “Dependable Pro” the following information, which they have to give us by law.
- The most current Master List of Owners.
- Minutes of the last two annual meetings, of 2023 and 2024, and the lists of attendees for each of the meetings in 2023 and 2024, and the history of the previous meetings in chronological order for the last 35 years or during the total term of service of Grace Bishop, whichever is longer.
- The list of the current “Board Members”, as they presented themselves at the meeting of 2024, and any other members, including the non-owners of the Condo shares.
- The plan for the Election of the New Board
I hope, that now, when the real Mr. Kalika was so happily and unexpectedly found, he will be able to deal with the issues and problems. I will summarize them briefly:
1. Change the super Ray ASAP!
2. Confirm the disqualification of Grace Bishop for election to the Board, according to the Bylaws.
3. Hold the general owners meetings monthly, if needed, and elect the new Board which will be able to function adequately. Also consider the electronic voting online and by mail. Make the voting process easier, not harder.
These problems will not disappear by themselves if you do not solve them.
We do have the instruments at our disposal to affect the needed changes. We should consider the NONPAYMENT of the common charges AS THE GROUP, to pressure the management Co. In this case, they will start singing a different song very fast. I urge Mr. Kalika to pay attention.
Mr. Kalika, his management Co, his Super, and his corrupt puppet “chairwoman” Bishop work at the pleasure of the shareholders, and these people can be fired at any moment without any particular reason or explanation, simply because their work is not seen as satisfactory by the shareholders.
And in my opinion, they should be fired and referred to the Criminal Prosecution for Negligence and other violations and offenses!
I intend to sue Grace Bishop for the attempted murder: that what spitting on another person in the times of COVID is.
I also intend to sue the Dependable Pro for fraud: impersonating the head of the company by another person with the purpose to mislead and to deceive the shareholders.
I plan to call the owners on the phone, to meet them personally, and to continue working on these issues. Have a good Summer!
Michael Novakhov
6.15.24 | Updates: 6.15 – 6.17 – 6.19.24
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