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Winston A. Tubman
Winston A. Tubman (born 1941), UN Representat
ive to Somalia, is a Liberian diplomat and politician
of Americo-Liberian descent.
Born in the Maryland County town of Pleebo,
Tubman is the nephew of William V.S. Tubman,
Liberia's longest serving president.
He founded his own law firm in 1968 and served as
legal adviser to the Ministry of Planning and
Economic Affairs during his uncle's administration. A
s a legal expert with degrees from the London School
of Economics, Cambridge University and Harvard
University, he has extensive United Nations
experience. His first job was in the Legal Office in
1973 and most recently he served as the Secretary-
General's representative and head of the United
Nations Political Office for Somalia from 2002 to
2005.
Tubman was the National Democratic Party of
Liberia's (NDPL) presidential candidate in the
11 October 2005 elections. He was defeated in
the first round, coming in fourth place, but he
did receive 9.2% of the vote.
Somalia
Somalia is the easternmost country of
Africa, on the Horn of Africa. It extends from
just south of the Equator northward to the Gulf
of Aden and occupies an important
geopolitical position between sub-Saharan
Africa and the countries of Arabia and
southwestern Asia. The capital, Mogadishu, is
located just north of the Equator on the Indian
Ocean.
The Republic of Somalia was formed in 1960 by the federation of a former Italian colony and a British protectorate. Mohamed Siad Barre (Maxamed Siyaad Barre) held dictatorial rule over the country from October 1969 until January 1991, when he was overthrown in a bloody civil war waged by clan-based guerrillas. Since Siad's fall from power, the country has lacked an effective centralized government, and the continuation of civil hostilities has virtually destroyed the country's economy and infrastructure.
Moreover, a de facto government declared the formation of an independent Republic of Somaliland in the north in 1991; similarly, in 1998 the autonomous region of Puntland (the Puntland State of Somalia) was self-proclaimed in the northeast. The state of turmoil in the country has meant that Somalia's tenuous transitional government has been forced at times to govern from other countries; the turmoil has also contributed to an increase in the number of piracy incidents in the waters off the Somali coast.
For more than a decade the East African nation
of Somalia has been a prime example of the
world’s “failed states”: lawless, violent, and
desperately poor.
desecrate
If someone desecrates something which is considered to be holy or very special, they deliberately damage or insult it. e.g. She shouldn't have desecrated the picture of a religious leader.
clash
a state of conflict between persons
e.g. A border clash between the two armies started the war.
bandit
an armed thief who is (usually) a member of a band
e.g. These bandits were arrested several days ago.
propel
cause to move forward with force; give an incentive for action
e.g. His addiction to drugs propelled him towards a life of crime.
skeptical
denying or questioning the tenets of especially a religion
e.g. The leader had the gift of being able to infuse enthusiasm into the most skeptical member of the group.
roam
move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
e.g. He settled down after years of roaming.
batter
To batter someone means to hit them many times, using fists or a heavy object.
e.g. Her battered body was discovered in a field.
haven
a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary
e.g. They have made their home a haven for the homeless orphans.
pre-empt
acquire for oneself before others can do so; take the place of or have precedence over
e.g. The workers took control of the factory in order to pre-empt its sale by the owners.
reconnaissance
the act of reconnoitering (especially to gain information about an enemy or potential enemy)
e.g. The helicopter was returning from a reconnaissance mission.
cohesive
Something that is cohesive consists of parts that fit together well and form a united whole. e.g. Huston had assembled a remarkably cohesive and sympathetic cast.
epidemic
a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease; many people are infected at the same time
e.g. There has recently been an epidemic of crime in our major cities.
catastrophe
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; a sudden violent change in the earth's surface
e.g. The earthquake was a terrible catastrophe.