When we were young we used to hear about people saying " Militari ma la in moodaa?". Now the SNM group says to it's supporters ,Dawlad, Do we look like a government?( Dawlad ma la ina moodaa?"). This past election could have been the right bath to change a corrupt system of government that stole both the public purse, public land and all assets that belonged to the people. It would have been the best way to get rid of an entrenched tribal system that had overthrown or turned upside down the order of government and the institutions that was built for decades to bring this part of Somalia some kind of government system that operates on rule of law. If you look back in the election of 2010, between Rayaale and Siilaanyo, the ruling party never courted or rallied it's supporters by tribe or sub clan. The people around Somaliland were willing to exercise their rights and vote who ever they thought would end the unemployment, inflation and the chronic poverty. Yet, in order to to prevent the emergence of legal system that do not rely on tribal loyalty, the ruling party went out of the way and bribed everyone with their own money. They changed the civic election in to a clan election. They even bribed the election observers of other parties. The result was that the election was given to Muuse Biixi who is unpopular but hand-picked by the Siilaanyo because of their Tribal Linkage and Personal favors for each other. Despite the plotting and the machinzation to elect Muuse Biixi , this past election would end Somaliland. This cronation of Muuse biixi will revive the past and the old tribal wars that resulted many deaths. He might try to act tough , but he is the most fragile leader ever elected in this part of the world. If you look carefully the tribal cabinet Muuse unveiled, they are either getting ready for the future clashed or they lost all hope and they are concentrating of building tribal capacity and keeping the stolen goods, assets and business monopolies.This tribal government will be advancing nothing, but the interest of the tribe while paying lip service to inclusive and harmony among the people. The SNM leaders and their business oligarchs always do the opposite of what they say despite how unpopular that issue is to the public. Two weeks ago Ina Biixi anvailed a cabinet that resembles the SNM Habro without hesitation. He kept to himself and the SNM clan to all relevant ministeries. The foreign ministry---which is a conduit for foreign aid and the illegal contracts coming from the gulf--- the interior , the finance, the health care which is heavily financed by NGOs, the petroleum and energy, the communication and Television, and all road works and transport. A guy from Sool was given the public works ministry without the job of building roads , ports or energy related issues.Earlier in order to sound inclusive, they put a guy from Sool to lead the interior, and since the election is won, they were discarded as usual. Also, he insulting our intelligence by appointing ministers recommended by tribal chiefs. The SAnaag Bari Suldaan who was paid well but failed to deliver his community has brought his nephew from Australia and Muuse appointed him defence minister. We are all well aware that the kid will be pushing papers in Hargeisa, and the chief of the army, a warlord who is related to Muuse Biixi, will be holding all the power. Even one of the ministers that was appointed to the ministry of transport and road building which also combines airports and all public works projects was a former criminal who participated in the bombing of Hargeisa while coordination with Muuse Biixi. in the summer of 2014,He publicly held a press conference and accused many Kulmiye government members including Hirsi and others on their coordination with Al-shbaab. He said the current administration has released from jail many known terrorists and facilitated their transit to southern Somalia. As a former deputy security minister, he was accused of divulging government secrets. He was also accused of coordinating the fire bombs that took place in Hargeisa when Muuse Biixi was denied the leadership of the party. After few firebombs in Hargeisa, his home was raided, and the authorities uncovered machine guns and and bombs in his home. A court in Hargeisa convicted him of terrorism charges and was sentenced to only three years. While in Mandhera Jail a delegation from British intelligence the MI6, visited him in jail about his accusation of the connection between the government and Al-shabaab. A reliable source told me that his accusations were one of the reasons the British has forced Hirsi Ali Hassan from the palace which gained Muuse Biixi the Chairmanship of Kulmiye.After that encounter mr. Cabdilaahi Abokor Cismaan , the new transport minister became a British intelligence asset. He was released after seven months in jail, and now he is rewarded by that effort just like Hirsi Hassan was rewarded by Ahmed Siilaanyo after he organized armored cars and used other tactics to intimidate Daahir Rayaale and UDUB. Among them were the bombing of the office of the secretary of the Guurti C/laahi Dheere, a close associate of Rayaale, and at the end the bombing of the palace itself. Folks, that is how it is done in Hargeisa, you do the crime ,and you got the key to the palace. Samatar and Galaydh were duped and slaughtered. People like Cali Khaliif Galayr and Ahmed Samatar have been used to advance the tribal hegemony or the interest of the ruling sub clan and their associates. Galayr proclaimed a false Khaatumo project while clandestinely working with SNM to dismantle the aspirations of his people to be free. Just like an old prostitute he was discarded after he handed his people to the SNM. Muuse Biixi fired and had thrown out all those who associated with Khaatumo and Cali Khaliif. Furthermore Cali Khaliif has armed his sub clan to wage a war in clan disputes in Nugaal and other places. He is lameting now about the false agreements he exchanged for cash long ago. The strange thing about Somali politicians are their greed has no boundary. Why would a 75 years old man need money for ?. If your children are grown and your basic needs are covered, what more do you need ?. What left for you is to build your legacy, and leave something tangible for your people and community. I always tell the Somali politicians who go to MOgadishu, do not worry or concentrate on getting paid, build something first and help bring back the country, and after that the money will follow. What is more important than peaceful homeland where we can all live in harmony and brotherhood?. Nothing is more important than that. Only fools like Galayr and Samatar would fall victims of the SNM games of using people for their advantage. I do not have a reliable source on this , but the preliminary news from Hargeisa is that Ahmed Samatar was promised to be the minister of foreign affairs or the transfer of the chairmanship of Kulmiye party to him. Then, 1o ten days before the inauguration of INa Biixi, the SNM " Mus dambeed" deliberated and voted against the transfer of both these positions to Samatar. They could not trust anyone outside the clan. What The poor professor did not know is that the foreign ministry does not have any foreign diplomacy to manage, but a conduit and a pipeline for the foreign aid that comes from U.E and others. The foreign minister never publicly declares the money they receive from foreign donors and most of these money are used for slush funds to manipulate and buy tribes and people. Furthermore, there are more deadly things to come in the terms of regional issue that would undermine not only the people but somalis in general. My source told me that many people especially Ethiopia, Djibouti and UAE have all advised against Ahmed Samatar as foreign minister. Samatar opposed the way the Berbera deal was negotiated and his brother Cabdi Samatar loudly opposed the UAE base in Berbera. Folks, let me warn the Somalis today that this base will eventually undermine the Somali republic and destroy our own country. This is not hyperbole from me, but all indications point out that , the UAE might use that base to bomb MOgadishu and other parts of Somalia to achieve its goals of breaking Somalia. In Yemen, they are reviving and building the old South Yemen government in order to dismember that country. This base must be opposed by any means necessary.These guys might be professors, but they have no clue of how Somali tribes operate or the agenda of the separatists. As of this writing , there is news in the Somalia Online discussion board about the military threat coming from Houthis which we warned long ago. Because of the fragile nature of the ruling SNM group they would never share anything to anybody. Samatar was bold and confident enough to demand changes to the system and the way SNM runs Somaliland, and with Galayr, he thought the could change them within without resorting to other means. The problem is tribes by nature do not open to reasoning or common sense, and they would push the envelope as much as they could. The SNM already knows the weak positions both Galayr and Samaar are negotiating from. Neither of them has strong base to do any damages. Galayr had some means to do great damages, yet he has thrown his cards voluntarily when he became the guest of Siilaanyo in Hargeisa. When Ahmed Samatar cried foul and accused the Mogadishu politicians about tribal games, a local friend called him on the phone and told him that , " that same card, in uglier form, will be waiting for you in Hargeisa, so do not rush to any decisions". Waxoogaa musiga ayaa loo ciyaray, waa la soo dhaweeyey, waxa uu doono ku hadlay. Waxoogaa kharash ah ayaa loo dhiibay oo la yidhi citraafkii beenta ahaa ku raadi, ka dibna waa lagu guuray". People told him to stick around Mogadishu and build a real opposition with long term goals, yet he folded like a plastic. Somali clans are independent confederates and what usually kept them together was the concept of Somali state, unity and sticking together at the world state as one nation. If that concept of Somalihood disappears, so does the clan system that is trying to replace it. The archaic and independent nature of the Somali sub clan system has allowed SNM to take advantage off , yet that same sub clan fragmentation will eventually destroy the Somaliland system. When you nurture a sub clan system that divides neighbors and communities in order to keep the meagre resources that supposed to elevating the chronic poverty, you will eventually reap what you sow. Sanaag Bari, the most honorable community in the region who had taken strong stand against the system, has refused to play any games in the election knowing the trap behind the masquerading of inclusive government. They knew that this was a game to crown an unrepentant warlord who haven't done anything positive for twenty years. Unlike Khaatumo, not one single election box was brought to their region. IN fact, they reside the largest area of Sanaag from Ceerigaabo to coastal town of Laasqoray and the mountains of DhAhar. They reside:Hadaaftimo, Dhahar, Laasqorey, Badhan , the golis mountains range, and all the way to the Boosaaso countryside. 25% of the business community in Boosaaso are from Sanaag Bari. If we , the unionists want to build anything meaningful, we have to go through this community. The Awdal community has no choice but to keep what they gained for the last few decades and keep the status quo until their is a light under the tunnel. Despite the political and economic obstacles of SNM leadership toward the Awdal region, the people have done tremendous progress compared to many places. Among the tens of millions Somaliland development fund provided by the E.U and others, only few people connected to the vice president and one of his former ministeries took advantage and got about one project. The rest is spent in Hargeisa.The people has no choice but keep the status quo and survive under the corrupt SNM system. We can not go anywhere. You have Cabdi Illey and Ethiopia on the west which kept us almost jail like conditions by closing all border crossing from Awdal regions to Zone five, and we have a ruthless dictator in Djibouti that is working overtime to impose head taxes in Lowyacado in coordination with the SNM. We have been squeezed from every side, and we have been weaken from inside by people like Ahmed Samatar and others who had been contracted to eliminate our unity. We wish we had the open plains of Taleex like Galayr and company have. Despite all that power and money, the total domination of military, police, courts, business and bureaucracy, the SNM ruling class is fearful of the people and those who oppose its agenda, whether they are in Awdal, Hargeisa, Sanaag or Sool. Just like a mafia, that is chasing and trying to eliminate those who may bear witness of their crimes, they are working overtime to silence those who might expose their falsehood. They are doing everything to intimidate those who might have Somalihood in their future aspirations, while negotiating under the table with the corrupt leaders of the MOgadishu government in order to get foreign aid in the name of Somalia. Just like the Russian trolls that was unleashed during the American campaign, the internet is flooded with trolls who defend the project and lie daily to advance their agenda. Just after two weeks Muuse biixi has openly strengthened the hold on power of his clan. He just nominated the lady who was the chief of staff of the Siilaanyo's wife as the minister of the palace. She, the wife, and the finance minister were those who were both stealing the money and running the affairs of the government for the last two years. They were instrumental in the rise of Ina Biixi. Yet, these and other moves will bring down him quickly than we think. The thirty or so ministers he unleashed to steal the election and whip their clans have been thrown out . He have his own party with over 40 ministers as an opposition. Many in Sanaag, Sool, Hargeisa, and Awdal are mad as hell. Furthermore, despite the tough talk, the SNM population is concentrated in two provinces out of five , Woqooyi Galbeed and Togdheer, the later minus Buuhoodle. My main point is that we the Northern Unionists have a great opportunity to dismantle this project without waging a big war. If we coordinate and organize skilfully, we might defeat both the SNM project and save the Somali Republic at the same time. I did not deliberate that much,but let me throw here few starting points that might lead to something. 1. United Somali Party and associates(USP). In 1960, This organization was the big catalist that spearheaded the united Somali project of that era. There was hesitation among the Hargeisa community on the eventual union, but the strong advocacy of USP was the force behind the union. That party was not based on tribal loyalty or clan affiliation. It was pure Somali unininsts interest that brought those communities together. Today, that project could easily be revived and opened to others in Somaliland and throughout the country. People in Sanaag, Togdheer, Awdal, Sool and between could be mobilized to a Somali unionist project that is based on nothing but " Soomaalinimo" intended to bring people together and defeat the secessionist movement. 2. Organize within the Somali federal parliament. A large number of Northern members of parliament are sitting comfortably in Mogadishu without affecting the debate inside the parliament. Because of different clan affiliation, each one of them is following the interest of their clan or simply bought by the highest bidder from H block and D block. That must change. First , we must organize the USP community in the parliament. We have 31 members, although those from the Cumar Geele community in Awdal is there to keep the status quo and usually votes whichever direction dictator Geelle tells them to vote. Then we must bring those from the SNM community who are genuinely unionist and want to work for united Somalia. By now many from the SNM community itself must have seen the 30 year old failure of the system. 80% unemployment, tribal system that never grows to institution, corruption, nepotism and poverty in the countryside. ON foreign policy side, the Somaliland entity is reduced nothing but a puppet of Ethiopia and others to oppress its own people. You can insult or bad moth Siilaanyo and Biixi, but don't dare to say anything against Ethiopia or you will be punished. It is also silly to compare what has been achieved in Somaliland for 27 with the civil war in Somalia. Somalia moved mountains for less than 15 years from 1960-1975. 3. All international aid to Somaliland must be stopped. The foreign aid to Somaliland became nothing but a slush fund for the ruling class, and their business associates.. Millions have been pocketed or lost to corruption and nepotism . Small projects that could have been finished within two years are dragged for embezzlement reasons. I don't have enough ink to write them all , but here is one that has been spend close to $160 million dollars , yet 40% of the city has no water. UAE has donated in 2012, $30 million dollars for the Hargeisa water project. The EU in 2011 has donated $27.5 Million dollar to enlarge the Hargeisa water project. The EU in 2012 has donated $64 Million dollar to develop 9 projects (Mashruuc), and the largest was $8.5 million for the Hargeisa water project. The millennial project spearheaded by the EU and specially U.K and Denmark together have put aside undisclosed amount of money from 2012-2016. From that project alone $28 million dollars were set aside for the water project of Hargeisa from 2012-2016. The German government had donated $23 million for the enhancement of Hargeisa water project ( Fidinta biyaha Hargeisa). The Coca-Cola company which has established a brunch in Hargeisa in coordination with business oligarchs from Djibouti has donated $5 million dollars for the Hargeisa water project. This donation was specifically given to Muuse Biixi clan in order to establish close relations. The world bank has also contributed $6 million dollars for the Hargeisa water project. The Somaliland Development Fund has transferred $10.5 million to the Hargeisa water project. The SDF is controlled by the donors , but certain ministers from the SNM community could recommend the projects and the fund managers pass the money. Most of the fund was used for the building of do nothing government ministeries. Huge government building with no service to offer could found throughout Hargeisa. For the third time in seven years, the E.U has donated $15 million dollars for the Hargeisa water project. These single project had taken over $153 million dollars and only 40% of the city has water. Most of the money is used for weapons, foreign accounts and other corrupt practises while people are starving throughout the region. Muuse does not have the capacity to create jobs or alleviate poverty. In this picture a Dilaal member of the government has provided a red carpet for the dear leader who traveled two blocks from his house. This is how the resources are spent. The system is not equipped to create wealth and reduce poverty. Almost everyone is a broker (Dillaal) to steal the meagre resources. I was arguing with someone from Puntland the other day about unemployment and poverty , comparing Puntland and Somaliland. In Somaliland there are only two classes , the poor and the rich, and the business is dominated by big oligarchs, while in Boosaaso , you might find a thousand traders. I am not exaggerating , but that is what people who visited both places told me. We must stop the cash flow to the oligarchs. 4. Stop the useless negotiations. The separatists have never been challenged yet. We must reject the false negotiations that is going nowhere. There should never be any talks unless the secessionists renounce the separation. The southern politician who thinks that everything is bargainable as a business must be told to cease and must be denounced as someone cooperating with secessionists. Ten years ago it was unthinkable for Somalis to associate with separatist agenda, and twenty years ago even the separatists were not bold enough to raise their flag among the people, and you have seen their hate of the blue flag. Well, things must change, and we must take stand. 5. Puntland must stop undermining the Sool and Sanaag people. The so called " Harti" project that supposed to unite the people of Sool and Sanaag to Puntland had failed miserably and must be scrapped. Puntland politicians have used this project for the election seasons only. When I asked a former minister of the C/raxman Faroole government about the local militia controlling Laascaanood with Somaliland, he said, " we are not going to war between two Garaad community". Later , I found out that Faroole and his family was deeply involved with Somaliland. In fact he was well connected with oligarchs from Djibouti, all the way to Hargeisa. Everyone knows that the laascaanood militia is neither loyal to Somaliland nor Puntland , but are paid mercenaries who might not like Puntland for some reason, yet they could have been persuaded in some manner.. The Puntland politicians who always seemed to be shrewd were an able to handle a local militia who were more interested in business than politics. They could have built connection with the six hundred local militia that has empowered Somaliland. They either did not had enough money or political will to persuade or were unwilling to pay any price. ON the other hand ,the local militia is probably proud and wanted to be their own bosses within their own land and were probably double crossed by Puntland in earlier encounters. Tribal pride would certainly prevent many Sool people from joining any other entity while they could have their own. Whatever the case, it is clear now that people like Faroole were not interested of controlling and taking away Laascaanood from the separatists. Among the sixty something of PUntland members of parliament, a quarter or 17 are from Sool region alone. In order to win the Puntland presidency one must get only another eighteen. That policy of representation without constituency has also weakened other communities in Puntland. Since both Galayr, Xaabsade and vice president Camey had failed to bring this community together, a different bath must be taken. Both those who are loyal to Puntland and Khaatumo must come together and find a new solutions. Also, the departure of Cali Galayr among the kHaatumo must give others an opportunity to start a clean beginning. Galayr was an evil person who spent seven years to undermine a community that was almost united. Those who knew him had abandoned him early and went to the other side, but through bribes from Siilaanyo he fooled enough people. In this contest the USP should be the new entity that must bring these communities in order to reach something that is bigger than their own tribes. Do not listen to the talking points of the separatists. when they are weak, they would talk about brotherhood or waiting the southern conflict to conclude before the eventual union, at the same time when they see weak leaders like Farmaajo or others, they will pursue their agenda with vengeance. We must not give them any inch any more. THey are big parcel of the Ethiopian project to weaken the Somali nation while they are taking advantage of the goodwill of the Somalis. What united all of us was the Somali pride, nation state and the brotherhood of sharing faith, culture and language. IF that opportunity is betrayed by tribal pride and going alone, then everyone must be allowed to project their own tribal future regardless of it's consequences or we must bring this nation together no matter the cost. Abraham lincoln said, "bring those sister to the union even with chains". We must take a stand in our lives and let the chips fall where they may.

Can I add pictures here? First batch of Somali armed forces graduate from the newly opened Turkish military training base in Mogadishu armed with Turkish made weapons. #SomaliaIsRising

Greetings from the UK Ask me anything

Hambalyo Safiya, Reerkii lagu nasto ee lagu nagaado iyo wadajire nabad gala Allahayow idinka yeel Amiin. Ubad khayr qaba iyo caano.

These Arabs are so amateurish and impulsive it is unbelievable, no wonder Iran is able to pick off one Arab state after the other. Only Somalis are more myopic and fickle than them MBS will be a disaster for KSA, I defended him as a reformer on this forum but I have changed my mind, that guy is stupid, rash and very profligate. Dude bought a yacht for $400 million, Salvator Mundi painting for $450 million, and the straw that broke the camel's back: a $300 million chateau in France. He is no reformer but a typical Arab prince. His father is also extremely extravagant and lavish in his spending on luxury, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree as they say.

I think you have your facts confused. First of all there is no such thing as a 'TFG' anymore; and secondly, I believe a gradual return to normalcy is more preferable to the haste which leads you to suggest non-starter policies such as relocating the national capital.

Video - gaa Farmaajo ka dambeeya, xoog hadaad wayday dacaayad cusko ayuu isleeyahay sidaan hore u sheegay. Galbeedi JB dadkeedda ma cabsi galiso ,dalkeeddanna ma habaarto ee arintu waxay dul fadhjddaa Somalilandiidkiina iyo Farmaajo .

i just wouldn't be surprised if a Somalilandiidst koonfurian was behind this staged nonsense.

Oo heedhe Qatar ma iloowday inay Emaraatka xurgufi ka dhaxayso? Sheekadu ma aha Iran iyo xulafadeedda waa Salfhiga Emiratku Berbera ku leeyahay reer Somaliland ka horkeen. Yacni hadaad xoog u wayday dadka baqa geli dhinaca kalana fadeexadii Xamar ka dhacday ku qari. Ciidamada uu Shabeele u dirayaa dhiig iyo xoolo badan bay rabaan, Maamul goboleed uu dagaal la galaana kursigiisa ayay qiiroqiiro galinaysaa balse afar Yamani £300 baa ku filan. Taana wuxuu uga danleeyahay in dadku Baraha bulshadda ku faaqidaan oo kaga jeestaan .

Suldaanka, You must be kidding if you think the UAE will guarantee the safety of Somaliland. If they could hit Jeddah, then Berbera is much closer. Imisan ka dignay.

Maakhiri, They will not be opening any constitution. If they play by the rules they might lose. Everyone that I talked t told me that the current leadership does not care about the secession issue . Since they realized that project could not be achieved , they are concentrating of building tribal power especially the Hargeisa West community. They have connected with Djibouti ,Ethiopia and the business oligarchs in the region. They would not care about Sool or even east of Burco. THey are after money.

Suldaanka, It is never late to do the right thing. What keeps people together is the rule of law and justice based institutions that manage the affairs of the people. If that fails, " Qabiilna Qabiil kale in uu xukuma xaq maha". There is no budget debate, no transparency and no accountability, yet you want people to treat you with red carpet. My friend It is 2017. We knew he he was a bad dude, but we gave him an opportunity to repent and do the right thing. Six ministers from his own sub clan is unacceptable. Also, we are afraid that in the next face of SNM leadership, you might lead people to more dangerous territories like the gulf war or worse things. Waa in aan sheegnaa in aanan ku jirin mashruucyadan aad wadan, Allahu ma balaqtu. Holac, Sirta meesha ku jirta maynaan fahman. The so called " dawlad goboleed" thing is a big bowl to get the cash, and Somaliland is the larger version of that scheme. Usually , well meaning nations like Canada, U.K , Norway and others raise money for the constant Somali droughts and other relief issues. Also, there are other funds to alleviate poverty and build infrastructures like water , sanitation and schools for the third world countries-- like the millennium fund..This money could be hundred million or more when combined. Sometimes ,that money arrives in Nairobi after the end of the drought or whatever reason. Those who are managing the fund must deliver to the intended part. So, they can not go Al-shabaab controlled regions so they deliver the goods to Somaliland. THey go there , stay in good hotels, and they are treated like royalty meeting the leader and whom even they choose. Yet, few of the money reaches the intended people. Anyway, if you want to make money, curve out some of your tribal lands if possible and you could hit gold. Somaliland never wanted to hold elections for seven years, but was forced by the donors. Also, on the issue of the convicted felon who became one of the most important ministers, yesterday, people have asked questions about his eligibility, yet quickly the attorney general came out and said that he was released by Siilaanyo and all is fine. This is a joke. Maakhri, Cali may have meant well in the early stages of Khaatumo, but later he acted as a paid politician.

^ Nonsense! Mogadishu will remain the national capital for the foreseeable future. The defunct Moryanism of some in the cpiatal shall be overcome by the Somali people collectively.

Good analysis galbeedi but the SNM group is not united after the elections it is split. This is not 1981-1991. Furthermore if reer Sool and Awdal are serious about unity they must start within themselves as they are very divided communities along sub clan lines (specially reer Sool).

Dahireeto, The worry is not what the Yemeni will do to Somaliland, but what Qatar and Turkey can do to Somaliland. I am sure the Egyptians are all glee for they were refused a base and also any activities against Ethiopia from Somaliland. Regarding Yemen, its only the historical side and that I hope the Yemeni understand the situation and Somaliland can resist sending its soldiers like Eritrea into the fake alliance of Saudi-UAE command.

Its too bad that Somaliland does not have the Djibouti Option, which is give base to anyone who is who and it becomes in every ones interest to keep you relatively safe. You even get in a position to chose among the small time players. You can even tell the "big" Saudis not to conduct military operations from your land, and they have no option, but to accept it. The remaining options for Somaliland is Turkey, UK, Russia, India, Japan. Otherwise Somaliland will be like Eritrea with only one "bad" customer and no options to even ask questions, let alone to influence them to respect your connection to the people in Yemen.

^^ Beautiful. Congrats again. You did well opting for that beautiful traditional wedding in Hargeisa. Planning a traditional Somali wedding takes much more time and effort than throwing run-of-the-mill Western wedding.

It was at a place called Hiddo Dhawr in Hargeisa, which is known for its hall built like a traditional aqal Soomaali and the furniture is gambadh etc, and they play kaban on weekends. I've always loved going there for a night out and I find Western-style weddings in Hargeisa really boring. Most brides want nothing to do with Somali culture and wear a white wedding dress and an Indian sari as a second outfit, and the wedding is typically held in banquet halls that look exactly like ones you'd find in Canada or the US. So I decided I wanted to have a dhaqan wedding just like it would be in miyi, in every detail... down to having a wedding dress made out of subeeciyad (and a xariir dirac later), having the wedding in a hall that looked like an aqal Soomaali, and a traditional galbis to enter. We had buraanbur, a Somali dance troupe that did jaandheer and dhaanto, singers performing qaraami songs with kaban, a cake that looked like subeeciyad, and during dinner we had someone play "askari" and do hal-xidhaale, which was so much fun. But I also love my Somali pop music so at the end we had Maxamed BK and Cabdi Hani perform and turn the place into a hala waasho party lol, how could I have a wedding in Hargeisa and not have my favourite fanaaniin perform! Life is good walaalo. I completed my research in Ethiopia and I'm currently in Hargeisa writing my dissertation. I should be back in North America in about 6 months, and inshaAllah I'll be graduating with my PhD in spring 2019! How have you (and everyone else) been? Haha! I appreciate Xabashi culture but I am Somali dee, lol. Mahadsanid walaal thankfully Itoobiya ma joogo. I was there for the protests and state of emergency late 2015-2016 which was difficult, but this communal violence is much worse.

The little girl was travelling from Burco to Kismayo to see her grandmother. An indication of the deep blood ties between our Somali people.