The Soviets and the seeds for revolution...

Due to Britain's support of Kenya's decision not to grant the ethnically Somali NFD to Somalia, diplomatic ties were severed. Relations were similar with France as a result of opposition to the French presence in the Territory of the Afars and Issas (formerly French Somaliland, later independent Djibouti).

As mentioned earlier, Somalia's major political theme is the reunification of Greater Somalia, mainly the groups which had been forcibly merged into other states. These are mainly in French Somaliland, in Ethiopia (the annexed Ogaden and Haud regions) and in northern Kenya. However, wodepsread failure to make any progress is blamed on the strong western support for Ethiopia and Kenya. Therefore, although Somalia's leaders have been educated at the hands of her previous western leaders, she also wished to to demonstrate self-reliance and nonalignment. Thus, with diplomatic relations strained or cut off from the western world, Somalia turned to another powerful backer: the Soviet Union.

The growth of Soviet influence in Somalia dated from 1962, when Moscow agreed to provide loans to finance the training and equipping of the armed forces. By the late 1960s, about 300 Soviet military personnel were serving as advisers to the Somali forces, whose inventories had been stocked almost entirely with equipment of East European manufacture. During the same period, about 500 Somalis received military training in the Soviet Union.

The Soviet Union also provided nonmilitary assistance, including technical training scholarships, printing presses, broadcasting equipment for the government, and agricultural and industrial development aid. By 1969 considerable nonmilitary assistance had also been provided by China. Such projects included the construction of hospitals and factories and in the 1970s of the major north-south road.

Despite the reliance on the Soviets, the United States was given the task of training the police force. The Somali government purposely sought different foreign sponsors to instruct its security forces, and Western-trained police were seen as counterbalancing the Soviet-trained military. Likewise, the division of training missions was believed to reduce dependence on either the West or the communist countries to meet Somali security needs.

Eventually having both American and Soviet instructors training the different security forces took its toll and Somalia was going to have to choose a side in the Cold War.

Sources here, here, here, and here.

Burma

Here is a quick blurb about the Burma situation:

Situation Report

The overall situation in Burma has deteriorated significantly since the protests last fall. 80% of the leadership of the monk and student networks that led the protests have been caught and jailed. The remaining 20% are on the run, hiding in safe houses and constantly at risk. The Burmese generals have used torture extensively to work their way through these networks. They have also immediately and viciously cracked down on any street protests. One of our original hopes was to break the media and internet blackout that the Burmese generals had imposed on the country. But now, even if we did, there are no significant protests to cover. The public protests have been smothered, for now.

There is hope, and with all of our support, Avaaz is helping it grow. No dictatorship was ever overthrown without much sacrifice and long struggle. The Burmese have struggled for 20 years, they are fighting a long fight, and we are committed to stay with them.

Here are the main reasons for hope:

1. The protests last fall brought a whole new generation of nonviolent activists into politics. Hundreds of thousands of new people are eager to take up the cause.
2. The brutality against monks, revered by all Burmese, was the last straw for the Burmese generals. They have now lost all legitimacy whatsoever with the people -- they are holed up in a jungle capital and rule by force of terror alone.
3. There are signs of dissension within the Burmese military, as some senior officers refused to crack down on the protesters.
4. International pressure remains steady. The Junta has been pressured, by the UN Security Council and by China, into fast tracking their (flawed) plan for democratization, and have announced a constitutional referendum to be held in May.
5. 2008 is going to be a big year for the Burmese democracy movement. Plans are being made, the movement is thinking big and planning its return.

Info found here.