d/p

Xiin, Garaad sida ee wax ugu muuqdeen buu u sheeqay markaa waa maxay aflagaadadu ninyahow inaad intaa dhaantu ayaan kuu maleenayey Afxumo nabad way kaa kaxaysaa colaadna waxba kaagama tarto

The London events and the Diaspora factor in the Somali conflict Muuse Yuusuf February 26, 2007 Since the illegal invasion of the Ethiopia forces, London has been experiencing some important events that were organised by different Somali groups at this critical political juncture in the Somali conflict. Immediately after the invasion new groups had sprung up spontaneously and begun to demonstrate against the invasion. They carried placards condemning the invasion, as they congregated at the Ethiopian embassy. Even the American Embassy was not immune from their angry and noisy demonstrations against the cruel act of bombardment by the American airplanes against poor and innocent Somalis. In parallel to this, other groups had held demonstrations in some important London landmarks such as the Downing Street in support of a secessionist enclave in the Northern regions of Somalia, pursuing an ever elusive recognition for their entity. Figure 1: Royal Garden Hotel: Other gatherings were taunting Abdullahi Yusuf, president of the internationally recognised but unpopular and weak TFG. They labelled him as a vindictive, warmonger, bloodthirsty and traitor who sold the Somali nation to Ethiopia, Somalia’s archaic enemy. Ironically, just in the same days and few blocks down the road, other congregations were welcoming the ailing president, who visits London periodically for a medical check-up, as a hero, statesman, wise elder, peace-maker and a Good Samaritan. What a paradox! and how much all these conflicting gatherings do tell us about the division that exist among Somalis in the Diaspora. Reading between the lines, organisers and orchestrators of these activities, for example those demonstrations against the Ethiopian invasion and the ailing president were probably the same characters that were divided among themselves along clan lines when the warlords were causing mayhem in Mogadishu, but have now found unity and reason d’etre thanks to an alien intervention. Also, it may well be that those who were honouring the president were mainly from Abdullahi Yusuf’s lineage and relatives and some characters from other communities who have political ambition and wanted to be closer to his “Excellency entourage.” Hence the meetings were not inclusive. In addition, those braving the cold, demanding an ever elusive recognition for an entity they called “Somaliland” are probably from the same clans or lineages but would like to portray and show the world that their cause is an inclusive project for a legitimate self-determination when a large numbers of people in the Northern regions of Somalia are against the secession project. The Somali Diaspora had always played a significant role in the affairs and politics of their homeland. Since the emergence of the armed opposition groups against the Siad Bare, leaders of these movements sought refugee in European and other countries. History tells us that they had used their clans to secure much needed financial resources to buy arms and ammunition for their struggle against the patriarch. The collected or shall I say extorted ”qaaran qabiil” – a clan-based contribution - from their kin whose main income was/is meagre state welfare handouts that they receive from the European and other governments. Those individuals who had the vision and courage and could see the futility of clan-based fund-raising for military purposes and the negative impact (bloodshed) that this would have at grass root level and refused to pay the royalty were ostracised from their communities, a painful experience to a Somali individual in a foreign country. Figure 2: London: demons. against A. Yusuf In the Diaspora, countless clan and non-based rival groups were formed and disbanded in light of political realities. Arguably, the SNM-military wing, which spearheaded the secessionist project, the USC - which caused the destruction of much of Mogadishu and the SSDF which added the word “Puntland” into Somalis’ modern political dictionary, would not have gone off the ground without the leadership, resources, encouragement, and moral support that were offered by those in the Diaspora. After the collapse of the central government, the Diaspora factor in the political activities continued to play a significant role. For example, it has been reported that individuals from the Diaspora instigated or were behind the establishment of some important political institutions, for example the parliaments for the sub-states “Somaliland” and “Puntland” and the “Transitional Federal Parliament.” It has also been reported that some of the peace and reconciliations initiatives and conferences (e.g. the Arta and Imbaghati) were the brainchild of the Somali middle class in the Diaspora, particularly those in Europe and North America. Individuals from the Diaspora make up a good proportion as MPs in these institutions. It is not unusual to hear some MPs whispering to each other saying: so and so has a foreign nationality, e.g. Somali-Canadian. Furthermore, it is well documented how the remittance by the Diaspora works as the life-line that feeds millions of hungry mouths in Somalia. The World Bank estimates that some 750,000 Somalis in the Diaspora sent US$825 million to $1billion(1) in 2004 to Somalia. The magic word for those less fortunate back home is if you have a relative in London then your daily life is guaranteed and if you do not have one then your chance of survival is very limited. Imagine a good percentage of that money going to into paying for arms. The above are good examples of the Diaspora at its best, in other words the Diaspora behaving and acting responsibly and dutifully for the general good and benefit of the Somali people. Thanks to the acquired power, arguably Somalis in Diaspora are now the ones who call the first and real shots when it comes in deciding the future course of the socio-political and economic affairs of Somalia. Using their gained power, they continue to tell their kin which way to act and behave when the turbulent winds of political change sweep across Somalia. It is not unusual to read a political statement or manifest released by some communities in Diaspora and posted at some Somali web-sites, calling on their kin to either support or disapproves a political reality on the ground. The latest one that I read was the Gada bursi Manifesto by honourable Dr Abdi Shakur Jowhar in which he gives his advice to his clansmen on some difficulties political situations. Figure 3: in a mood for secession Because of the remittance power, one could argue that kinfolk’s behaviour in Hargeysa or in Mogadishu is being dictated or influenced by the Diaspora and not vice versa. This is a big responsibility; however I am afraid some communities are failing to fulfil their responsibilities. Rather than being a good model for peace and reconciliation, it is unfortunate that some individuals who refuse to shed their clan identities even after they had been exposed to a modern Western citizenry based on rights and responsibilities and not by the colour of skin or faith still continue to stir up situations without giving due regard to their actions. A good example of this is the recent events in London where different groups aggressively pursued their political agendas without due consideration or respect to the feelings of others. I ask myself this: rather than excluding the other, would not it have been civility if they all had opened dialogues between themselves and acted as an exemplary to others back home? For instance rather than alienating the other, why the president’s camp had not tried to listen and accommodate those who have grievances? Why some of the TFG/Abdullahi Yusuf’s meetings were not inclusive but rather as a family business? Why those against the TFG/Abdullahi Yuusuf rather than being disruptive chose not to engage in a dialogue but to hurl insults? Why those pursuing a secessionist cause could not bring themselves down to earth to try to engage their opponents in a political dialogue when members of the TFG were actually meeting with officials from the British government? Can’t they see how the British government is determined in encouraging conflict resolution through a negotiated federal structure? As these groups were carrying the placards and posters only and not guns, why could not they have the guts to talk to each other? Luckily, these activities and demonstrations took place in a democratic country where people have the right to demonstrate peacefully. I would not want to imagine the consequence of such angry demonstrations taking place inside Somalia. I leave this to the reader’s guess, as I leave to his imagination in assessing the impact that these activities would have at grass root level. Groups and gatherings with conflicting messages and different ambitions, groups which all carry and call themselves the name Somali but fail to honour the unity that is metaphorically coined in the name. What an irony!! These activities which mainly took place in February 2007 clearly show how Somalis in the Diaspora, after more than 16 years of bloodsheds and civil strife, are still deeply divided along clan lines, and how this division continues to fuel, inflame, prolong, and exacerbate the conflict. I wonder what those groups would have done to a strayed child from another group who ends up in their midst. Would they have treated her as the child of the other, the enemy, and therefore would have hurled insults at her just like the crazed grown-ups in Mogadishu with the support of the Ethiopian military power are doing to the defenceless and innocent children of Mogadishu by the daily and indiscriminate shelling of their homes and schools. Or maybe the groups would have shown some civility and would have treated the child compassionately: fed her, clothed her, protected her, and then would have accompanied the child back to her parents thus leading to a dialogue between the groups, and hence creating unity - metaphorically embodied in the child. My advice to the Diaspora is: please behave in a rational and responsible way for the sake of general good and welfare of all Somalis. Please learn from the environments that you live in and try to shed your clan skins ‘Ka xuub siibta maqaarka qabiilka.’

Iraq worst disaster for US foreign policy - Albright Fri Feb 23, 2007 8:46 AM GMT ATLANTA (Reuters) - Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said on Thursday the war in Iraq would go down in history as the worst disaster in U.S. foreign policy. President George W. Bush has squandered the moral authority established by former President Jimmy Carter in his presidency when he pursued a foreign policy that promoted human rights as a central goal, Albright said during a public conversation with the former president at the Carter Center in Atlanta. "I think that Iraq is going to go down in history as the greatest disaster in American foreign policy because we have lost the element of the goodness of American power and we have lost our moral authority," she said. "The job of the next president will be to restore the goodness of American power," she said. Albright worked for Carter in the late 1970s, was appointed by President Bill Clinton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and then secretary of state, the first woman to hold that position. The current administration mistakenly believes it can bring peace by unilateral action, she said. It has also failed to engage sufficiently in a search for peace between Palestinians and Israel and failed to adequately support Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, she said. "The Bush administration has really wasted a lot of years (in the Middle East) because they did want to distance themselves from the work" that Clinton had done, she said. Carter said the war in Iraq and the administration policy of preemptive war had spread fear of the United States around the world. "They have seen our unwarranted invasion of Iraq and the bombing. We don't know how many tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis it's killed," Carter said. "And now with almost all of our allies withdrawing and increasing our people, I think that all of that is causing a great deal of fear that the United States resorts first to the use of military power and secondly to negotiation," he said.

Ghana 50 Ghana@50 - Official Website For The 50th Independence Anniversary On March 6, 1957, Ghana became the first country in Africa south of the Sahara to gain independence from colonial rule. 2007, marks 50 years of independence. The theme for the anniversary is: Championing African Excellence. Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, envisioned this country as the guiding light of African independence and solidarity -- the BLACK STAR, the lodestar of Africa. Ghana’s attainment of independence and the subsequent ideological support it extended to other colonized countries on the continent, culminated in the emancipation of many of these countries from colonial rule. There are three main objectives for the jubilee celebrations. They are: To celebrate and commemorate Ghana’s landmark achievement as the first country in Black Africa to attain independence from colonial rule; To reflect on the evolution, development, achievements and drawbacks of our country over the past fifty (50) years; and to look forward to the future, to our vision of excellence in all fields of endeavour in the next fifty (50) years toward our centenary birthday as a nation. Year-long activities marking the Golden Jubilee have been scheduled, beginning in January 2007 and ending in December 2007. The monthly themes are: January : Reflections February : Towards Emancipation March : Freedom March April: Our Nation, Our People May : Our Wealth and Our Prosperity June : Heroes of Ghana Month July : African Unity Month August : Diaspora Month September : Service to the Nation October : Knowledge and Ghana’s Development November : A Healthy People, A Healthy Nation December : Final Curtain

Shuceyb I would defend him from every corner. Why would you defend Riyaale? It’s unfair to defend one warlord while condemning other warlords, You still have to be realistic and fair in la difaaco warlord arrin banaan maaha, waayo khalad weeyaan Anigu waxaan moodayey in aad ciwaan soo dhajisay si looga qayb qaato Anuu waxaan u soo dhajiyey in laga qeyb qaatu cinwaanka, anuu waxaan diiday in cinwaankii loo badelo meel adi iyo garaadka isku riftaan, waxaa ila qurux badan in hadalka qofwalba uu dhiibtu si wanaagsan, oo aan aflagaadu ku jirin ta kaliya hada rabaa waa runtu sida ay tahay uun iyadoon waxba lamacanayn. That is all. Waa arrin wanaagsan, lakiin runtu Illaah bey taqaan dhinac kastana xaqiiq qadhaadh bey ka sheeqtaa Waayo waxaad uhaysataa in aan anigu kasoo horjeedo TFG, because of Qabiil reasons, Walaal, I know that you are not against TFG for valid reasons and not qabiil as some other people sidaad ogtayba ICU qabiilka ubadan ma xidhiidhno. Soomaalida oo dhan baa wada xishiidha, however, one doesn’t have to be from ICU clan to support ICU for clan reasons Ethiopia sided with TFG, and Eritrea sided with ICU in recent the conflict, do you think they associate with somali clans You've probably heard the saying "my enemy's enemy is my friend." I am against the TFG,because the opposed that principle and chosen Melez over Allah. Is TFG the only group that chose Melez over Allah? Runta ka hadal hana noo macaaneen

Garaad TFG is incomplete, and Somalia needs a united government that will bring together all Somali political groups on board Suldaan go "on board" their ship? How about if all other Somalis join Somaliland “ship” if that will make you happy? The important thing is a Unity Government that will include TFG, Puntland, Somaliland and ICU

Salaam Red Sea TFG and ICU both of them didn’t give a chance to peace, and they were not honest and ready for negotiations Ethiopia can’t be an excuse, Somali people should find a way to coexist peacefully Just like Palestinian factions solved their internal problem under the brutal occupation, Somali faction should find a way to compromise and form a unity government Do you believe in your mind, assuming you know the things on the ground, that the SL and its' population would be fine for Abdullahi Yusuf to be their leader? Well, SL people crowned Riyaale (NSS Agent) as leader, How about Riyaale as president of Somalia? I don’t mind, are you happy now? Waad ogtahay in dhibaatada soomaaliyeed ka qoto dheer tahay yusuf ama riyaale Ka waran hadii Somali loogu qabtu Hergeysa? taa maxaa hor taagan, ma yusuf iyo TFG Waan hubaa in soomaali badan ka qeyb gali laheed every pro TFG here knows how to sugar coat things All nomads are same, to point the finger at only pro TFG group is entirely unfair, almost all of the nomads are unreasonable and they blindly support TFG, Somaliland or ICU Red sea, noqo mid runta dhinac kasta ka sheega, Ileen Illaaha caadilka ah baa ina arkee, waana laga yaaba inaad isleedahay SOO MAAL qudhiisu maaha mid dhexdhaxaad ah oo dhinac kasta runta ka sheega Wayahee Walaal maxaa diiday in runta laga hadlo?

Red Sea is a respected nomad People stop calling names

Enough is enough Garaad and Red Sea …please stop silliness Both you spoiled the thread Can we debate in a civilized way or you prefer exchanging nonsense

Suldaan A Unity Government that will include TFG, Somaliland, and ICU. Puntland is already on board

Suldaan According to her TFG is a government Shucayb, You as well have to be realistic Hamas (Islamic and pan-Palestinian movement have negotiated with Fatah (a Palestinian faction recognized the existance of Isreal), they reached an agreement Israel didn’t like Palestinians to reach an agreement I wished if TFG and ICU have reached an agreement,

I HAVE A DREAM for SOMALIA! By Hodan Mohamed January 27 2007 Like Martin Luther King Jr., the late African-American civil rights leader, I too have a dream for my beloved Somalia that one-day god willing: Somalis among the diaspora, from Saylac to Raas Kambooni will rise to the challenge put forth more than 4 decades ago by their cherished anthem…{Soomaliyeey toosoo..toosoo isku tiirsada eeh…hadba kiina taagdaran eeh.. taageera waligiinee} and embrace this message of unity and humanity as their duty as citizens of this prosperous yet untapped resourceful nation. I call upon all Somalis to use the anthem as a guiding principle and a point of departure from this day forward. I believe the underlying cause of our decades of unrest had to do with scarce resources and lack of leadership fueled by merciless foreign forces. Poverty is a threat to peace and we must fight that with our united might. Somalis need to speak up, read, discuss, analyze, sort the facts, and become critical thinkers instead of being influenced into groupthink or word of mouth (waxaa la yiri saan iyo sidaas ma ogtihiin) at this critical time on the affairs of their homeland. Hence, themes of activism, peace and development should dominate our talk, we need to move from the status quo to one of… as the late John F. Kennedy put it “Ask not what your country can do for you but ask what can you do for your country”? Enough is enough let us forgive and forget the past and plan for the future. We need to give credit where credit is due, thanks to the Union of Islamic Courts for raising our consciousness regarding the various players in the Somali conflict both domestically and internationally and reviving our long forgotten sense of nationalism. There is no greater deed that you could do than this for the Somali people. Don’t worry; the TFG will be judged by their actions, there are critical eyes on the ground and a large number of readers of the instant electronic news among the diaspora. Furthermore, Somalis now organize peaceful demonstrations across the world using visual materials that depict our suffering courtesy of Amin Amir, the genius among us. It’s important to ask ourselves: If the TFG is a reality then what is our plan? Many would agree that we have to work with what we got and work towards what we want. Somalis including those in North need to mobilize for the common-good and work with the current transitional government. The next election is 2009; like-minded Somalis who have vision (platform) and a plan to execute that vision can assemble and form sincere parties to take part in the elections. The so called “Somalilanders” need to give up their unrealistic dreams for legitimate fiefdoms and join their brothers and sisters in building this potential prosperous nation. Remember the silent majority wants union and peace. D. Riyale Kahin can ask to serve as the Governor until the election, we all know Somalis don’t need another flag or a leader as long as they’re penniless, as a matter of fact too many men are unemployed than working in the North just like their counterparts in the rest of country. Say NO MORE to tribal fiefdoms, warlordism, male egotism, corruption, spoilers, political sabotages, khat-selling moms, senseless deaths and killings. The future is not so bleak…need I remind you…. we have rich marine life, fertile lands, livestock, potential oil industry, wonderful climate and the best hospitable people in the world. However, the country is bleeding for reconstruction in all aspects of life from running water to electricity; roads to sewer systems; shields from river floods to hospitals and schools. If we all take part in the rebuilding process, we can all benefit as long as we conduct ourselves humanely in the process. We must move beyond our immediate need for gratification and see this as a long-term endeavour that our children and grandchildren could inherit so it’s imperative that we plant good seeds so they bear good fruits. The list that needs doing is enormous and I challenge all of you to organize and raise funds to build your towns and cities respectively. If you’re the one of those people who would hand their money to their “Garaad, Suldaan or Ugaas” to run rebuilding efforts then make sure you follow up to see the fruits of your labor so it’s never misappropriated for unintended causes that could harm our goals for peace and development. Turn your “fadhi ku dirir” into mapping out business ventures such as investments in the tourism industry in our thousand plus kilometer beaches, how about resorts and theme parks? Why not real estate ventures or the first ever rail road system? The sky is the limit if you have a discipline and drive, imagine the employment opportunities these can yield and the tax revenues the government can generate to hopefully invest in building the infrastructure and social programs. I hope Somalis will realize their power and create an environment where Somali men can hold a decent paycheck instead of an AK 47; women will never sell Khat or other drugs so they can feed their offspring; children will carry books to school and go on for field trips to historic places like Biyo- kuleel, Buurhakaba, Naasahablood or Merca…. Likewise, we will stop labeling the uneducated “badow, dhoore, reer baadiye, galow and so forth” and instead think of what you can do to help them get education. If we work together we can reverse if not make history our current frightening rates of Malaria, Tuberculosis, Infant Mortality and our short life expectancy of middle forties. Please give peace a chance, may Allah have mercy on Somalis wherever they are in the world.

Red Sea, I hope you as well will admit Garaad, I dont need to explain further, even ask non somali will tell you that Somali politics is all about qabiil I suggest you to admit that TFG is no different I see that no one wants to admit the group he/she supports is qabiil based, while he/she wants us to believe that all other groups are qabiil based Let us, all admit the truth, blaming the other side is not constructive thing to do

soomaali layaab badanaa Mid kasta waxaa oo kaliya yaqaan sida uu farta ugu taago dhinaca kale The reality is; Puntland, Somaliland ,TFG, ICU are all entities dominated by one-clan, although the supporters of each group don't want to admit

Ubaahne Diinta laguma dhuuntu Duke waxaa laga yaabaa inuu ku dhaamo, Illaah baa og

Puntland iyo Somaliland waa maamulo qabiil ku dhisan, labaduba waa dameer iyo labadiisii dhagood "Dugsi maleh Qabyaaladdi Waxay dumiso Mooyaane" "Qabiil Qaran/Dowlad ama manoqdoa"

Really funny ! Is this Somali nasheed?!

Jimcaale waxa aad ka cabanasid maaha wax u gaar ah Dacar budhuq, ee waa wax Mogadishu, Hargeysa, Kismayo, Galkacyo ee la wadaagtu Hadii aad Dacar Budhuq aa jago ku ledahay nin tagey baa tahay

seylici, North Central Regoin (SSC) is an integral part of Somalia. Can you imagine Russia with Russians, India without Indians, and China without Chinese? NO right Then, don’t imagine or dream Daraawiishland (North Central/SSC) without Daraawiish people

Bilaash baa Warlords sida C/Yusuf iyo Riyaale loo difaacayaa waa dameer iyo labadiisii dhagood Somali people cannot allways blame warlords for the somali problem, when we see ordinary somali people defending C/yusuf , riyaaale dadka soomaalidu kuli waxey ku doodayaan in dalkoodii niman camiil u ah cadowga xabashida baa dalkii baabiiyey, oo dantooda gaarka ah u shaqeenaya, danta dadka soomaaliyeed dan ka leheen Hadii aan Yusuf wax ka sheego koox baa difaac galasa, hadii riyaale na wax ka sheego koox kale baa difaac kalasa soomalidu waa dad layaable qole kasta waxey ku doodayaan war dalka haa laga qabtu warlords (lakiin warlord keena lama taaban karo)

Garaad, All somali political groups have same and one political platform and thats qabiil True, TFG, Somaliland, Puntland ,and mogadishu warlords are all factions based qabiil, as well they are all xabashi puppets ICU had a good outlook, but still qabiil, hasty military expansion, and xabashis ruined their chance Anuu waxaan oran lahaa soomaali mar uun bal Illahay haa ka baq

Just visiting for now - but will the White House soon be home? Profile: Barack Obama Just visiting for now - but will the White House soon be home? "Rock star" and "beach babe" are not labels normally applied to United States senators. But few senators have ever generated the kind of buzz associated with Democrat Barack Obama of Illinois. He is being tipped as a formidable candidate to replace George W Bush as president, although he will have spent only four years in Washington by Election Day 2008. He says he will announce on 10 February whether he will run for president in 2008. He first shot to national - and international - prominence with a speech that stirred the 2004 Democratic National Convention. The son of a Kenyan man and a white woman from Kansas, Mr Obama emphasised his personal history in a speech reflecting traditional American ideals of self-reliance and aspirations. "Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place - America, which stood as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before," he said. BARACK OBAMA Born 4 Aug 1961 in Hawaii Studied law at Harvard Worked as a civil rights lawyer in Chicago Elected to the US Senate in 2004 Since his landslide election victory a few months later, he has become a media darling and one of the most visible figures in Washington. Time magazine headlined an October 2006 cover "Why Barack Obama could be the Next President", and talk-show host Oprah Winfrey urged him to declare his candidacy on her programme. His two books have both become best-sellers, and delirious crowds turned out to see him on the campaign trail for other Democrats in 2006. When he made his first trip to the state of New Hampshire - one of the first to choose its candidate for president - the governor joked that he had booked Mr Obama for an appearance because he would sell more tickets than the Rolling Stones. As a senator, he has established a firmly liberal voting record, but has also worked with Republican colleagues on issues such as Aids education and prevention. International upbringing Mr Obama is named after his father, who grew up in Kenya herding goats but gained a scholarship to study in Hawaii. There the Kenyan met and married Mr Obama's mother, who was living in Honolulu with her parents. Mr Obama wowed the 2004 Democratic National Convention When Mr Obama was a toddler, his father got a chance to study at Harvard but there was no money for the family to go with him. He later returned to Kenya alone, where he worked as a government economist, and the couple divorced. When Mr Obama was six, his mother, Ann, married an Indonesian man and the family moved to Jakarta. The boy lived there for four years, but then moved back to Hawaii to live with his grandparents and attend school. Mr Obama went on to study political science at Columbia University in New York, and then moved to Chicago where he spent three years as a community organiser. In 1988 he left to attend Harvard Law School, where he became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. After Harvard, Mr Obama returned to Chicago to practise civil rights law, representing victims of housing and employment discrimination. He is married to a lawyer, Michelle, and they have two young daughters. Opposed invasion Mr Obama was an early critic of the Iraq war, speaking out against the prospect of war several months before the March 2003 invasion. When he addressed Democrats in Boston, he praised the men and women serving in Iraq, and said more should be done to financially support the families of those killed. "When we send our young men and women into harm's way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they're going, to care for their families while they're gone, to tend to the soldiers upon their return, and to never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect of the world," he said. Mr Obama often jokes that people are always getting his name wrong, calling him "Alabama" or "Yo Mama". The American cable station CNN was forced to apologise to him after it wrongly put his name on screen during a story about Osama Bin Laden. Supporters believe that one day, no-one will make that mistake.

Barack Obama is tipped as a future US president and first black leader He told me that he was joining politics but I did not know his involvement would draw such international attention Sarah Hussein Obama While he could afford to rent a car... he squeezed into matatus [taxi buses] Said Hussein Obama US election makes waves in Kenya By Muliro Telewa BBC correspondent in Nairobi The prospects of an American of Kenyan descent becoming a US senator in November's elections has the politics-loving citizens of the East African country cheering. Barack Obama is tipped as a future US president and first black leader Barack Obama, the Democratic Party's candidate for Illinois, is the son of Barack Obama Sr, a senior economist in the Kenyan government, who died in a car accident in 1982. His father herded goats before winning a scholarship to study in the US and grew up in the rural village of Nyangoma Kogalo in Western Kenya, near the shores of Lake Victoria. Arriving in the village, people pointed out the direction of the Obamas' household. "Yes that is the home of the Obamas whose son is contesting a seat in the big American parliament," someone told us. He told me that he was joining politics but I did not know his involvement would draw such international attention Sarah Hussein Obama Barack Obama's grandmother Profile: Democrats' rising star The compound has three houses built from red bricks and corrugated iron - a sign of the middle class in rural areas. The first person we bumped into was Mr Obama Jr's uncle, Said Hussein Obama. He shows us the grave of his late brother, Mr Obama Sr, the decorated slabs of which are already peeling. Said Obama remembers his brother with nostalgia. "The late Dr Barack Obama was well educated. He was social. He always reached out to us wherever we needed him. He even assisted some of us, his brothers, to go to school," he says. As chickens foraged nearby, the 82-year-old grandmother of Mr Obama Jr pulled out a small sack filled with maize and poured it on the ground to dry in the pounding tropical heat. Proud Sarah Hussein Obama prays that her grandson wins a seat in the US Senate. "When I visited him in the United States he told me that he was joining politics but I did not know his involvement would draw such international attention," she says. While he could afford to rent a car... he squeezed into matatus [taxi buses] Said Hussein Obama Barack Obama's uncle When she learns that we are from the media, she pulls out three photo albums full of photographs of her "historic" tour of the US, UK and Germany. Then she proudly leads us into her seating room where she shows us the pictures on the walls of Barack Obama Jr, who is already being referred to in this lakeside town as "Senator". Barack Obama Jr was last in this tiny village in 1992 when he was accompanied by his wife. The photographs show him in the company of his grandmother carrying foodstuffs to the market to sell. Another shows him seated near a tiny grass thatched house with his uncle, Said Hussein Obama in 1987. A wedding picture of the young Barack also features prominently in his grandmother's album. Said Hussein Obama, who communicates with his now prominent nephew on the phone and through e-mail, says he remembers him as a young humble man when he came to Nyangoma Kogalo village in 1987 to do research for his autobiography. "While he could afford to rent a car to criss-cross Nyanza Province as he gathered material on his father, the young man, in his 20s then, squeezed into matatus [taxi buses]... that was his way of knowing the people," Said Hussein Obama says. Sleepless nights After my visit to the village, I checked into a hotel in nearby town of Kisumu, where I was caught up in the Obama mania. A person in the hotel room next to mine switched on his TV set rather loudly. Barack Obama's relatives are small-scale maize farmers I complained to the receptionist on the phone and she called me back three minutes later to explain my neighbour was watching the live speech by John Kerry, the US Democratic presidential candidate. "Your neighbour says he will switch off the TV after the live transmission," she said. The Obama family have also had a few sleepless nights monitoring the US campaign through the media. But they if they and the residents of Nyangoma Kogalo village had a vote in the US elections, they would not take longer than a moment to pick their man.