^^In the fog of past grievance, and by the sheer fact of being the slippery rascal Oodweyne is, the logic of ascribing criminality to one group is ridiculously simple. 1- If you belong to the D clan, or the defeated lot as he calls them, you are inherently bent on causing political mischief, you have no integrity, you are shameful and untrustworthy, and you are the sole reason he’s breaking away, and Somalia, or the south will be better off without you! All of that because some 30 years ago, a dictator who was borne to a D sub clan oversaw the distraction of the Northern regions. There you have it!

Paucity of political leadership at root of Somalia’s problems, says top UN envoy Wednesday, December 31, 2008 Somalia’s problems are driven by a lack of responsible political leadership, the top United Nations envoy to the Horn of Africa nation said today. In a letter to the diaspora, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, said that there is an “emerging consensus that ultimately your country’s problems stem from the absence of accountable and committed national leadership.” The key problem facing Somalia – which has not had a functioning central government since 1991 – is not one of security, but rather the vacuum in political leadership, he wrote. “I am confident that progress is being made towards a situation where responsible leadership will have friendly relations with its neighbours, and smooth integration into the international community.” The envoy hailed the recent “peaceful resignation” of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed. He also noted the relocation of the leaders of the opposition group known as the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) and delegates from the Joint Security Committee, comprising both the ARS and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), to the capital Mogadishu. In June, the two sides signed a UN-facilitated peace accord, known as the Djibouti Agreement, under which they agreed to end their conflict and called on the UN to deploy an international stabilization force to the troubled nation. The Djibouti process “has opened a new era in the history of your country,” Mr. Ould-Abdallah said, adding that it has also “given the opportunity to all Somalis to witness the activity of a vital generation that is committed to peace and stability.” With women and the younger generation losing hope after witnessing two decades of power struggles in Somalia, he said it is time for leaders to “demonstrate their commitment to peace and the well-being of their country.” 2009 will be a busy year for Somalia, with the first few weeks seeing the preparations for the election of a new president, the formation of a government of national unity and an enlarged Parliament. The Representative wrote that he hopes to hold talks with the business community, as well as with former top military and police officials to seek their views on how to bolster security and rebuild the national army. “Somalia is entering a new era,” he said, calling on the diaspora to “catch the train of history and mobilize all efforts to maintain solidarity among all brothers in order to recover the integrity, sovereignty and dignity of Somalia.” Source: UN News Center, Dec 31, 2008

Santaaro, nothing is certain saaxiib! lets give it about 4 weeks.

The minute Ethiopia leaves, al shabaabs momentum will start to die down! It’s that simple, really! I believe Ethiopia will withdraw, at least from Xamar! When that happens, alshabaab will have to negotiate, and tfg and Jabbuuti side shall accommodate them accordingly.

Ayyoub, It would probably take erudite grammarians to explain and convince us that the use of exclamation marks CAN, in fact, threaten you. Your request is granted----before I use this simple punctuation, I will consider the threat it could pose to you adeer. As for the status of the peace caravan,latest headlines should suffice to give you good sense of the situation: *Old man has stepped down *Sharif is in Xamar *Ethiopia is on its way out *Efforts to form a unity government is underway The peace caravan is about to redefine Somali politics in ways secessionist like you might have never imagined, and I am pleased to report progress on that front. Of course there are political and security challenges this caravan can hardly neglect---dealing with it is just the nature of the rough and tumble world of politics. Emotions are high. Somali people are fickle as ever. And the so-called international community is edgy. Yet we are hopeful Somalia will not go back to the pre tfg status.

Yes I expected you to come out Oodweynena mee? How predictable

Massacre is what the Zionist state is good at! She has done it before and she will do it again. It does approach a miracle how the poor Palestinians continue to survive under the Zionist savagery.

^^Maxaad ka hadlaysaa adeer? But again that's you Ayyoub ! cuqdad yuururta!

labo halloo qaybiyyo; qayb ciidanka Oodweyne la dirirta xaggeer iyo PL ha loo diro , qaybna dawladda shariifku soo wado wax ha la qaybsadaan. Khalaas!

^^What an absurd inference there! Ina Yusuf’s resignation is, as I said before,a good move. How it came about is irrelevant. This is no time for dry strain, or mindless fanaticism! If one cares the Somali people, one must put forth a workable plan to move the country forward. Next few weeks are very crucial. Lets hope we don’t regress to our old ways! Sharifka ha la taageero.

^^ It’s not a new Somalia that’s coming! It’s the old republic that’s coming back. At least, in terms of its territorial construct! Breaking Somalia into mini enclaves neither achieves peace nor political stability---even our notorious warlords have shirked from pronouncing such regressive notion. There is no basis of dismemberment of the old republic adeer. If we break the chain at one part, it will be hard to find a mechanism to stop the fall! Further more, dismemberment will not effectively redress Somalia’s apparent political iniquities. For that we need justice adeer. Peaceful settlement begets stability; political stability in turn engenders justice! Or at least, we can begin seeking justice after we stabilize the country!

Xaajigu can see the political landscape changing in favor of his percieved enemy...

I wonder what will Juje's argument be after Ethiopia withdraws! Baadiyyow, you are moving the goal post again adeer. Why is that?

Originally posted by Juje: How is C/llahi Yusuf resignation meant to help the progress of the caravan ? Why would anyone complain about Abdullahi Yusuf’s looming resignation? Conventional wisdom in the current conflict has been that TFG president has been a divisive character! He (by the sheer of his cutthroat political style) has become an obstacle in reaching compromise with TFG foes. Or so the argument went! The very atom in thinking about the possibility of peace in Somalia has been the sooner these strong men retire from the affairs of the ummah, the easier it will be to strike a deal, no? Now since one of the last remaining mammoth political actors in the south is gone, or about to go, what will the powers that be who so long obstructed and frustrated peace and stability in Somalia cite as an obstacle to propel Jabbuuti initiative? I am not naive to believe that Somalis will stop cannibalizing each other because of Ina Yusuf’s removal! I do however believe his retirement will lessen if not do away the clannish sentiment against TFG because of him occupying the top seat! That’s to say victory for peace is not guaranteed for Somalis remain fickle, but the opportunity that’s being created, or will be created if Ina Yusuf’s resignation comes to pass, can hardly be minimized! Threatened are those whose clutches of creative boutiques comfortably ensconced behind Islamic slogans are about to be exposed by the departure of Ina Yey! For in the end, the real question that will have to be answered will be what next ya Jamacah!

As the peace caravan arrives, anarchy gasps for one last breath! Things are heating up there in the land of warrior nomads. Sharif is in Mogadishu. Abdullahi Yusuf is expected to resign, and give the peace a chance. And in 2 weeks time, PL is expected to have a new leader. Keep your ears on the ground ...

Marx is back---on the loose again--- and so is nac-nac iyo hadal aan dux lahayn! war ninka naga xira

sad@Money-counting machines like the ones at your local bank — "We have to make sure it's real money," Jama explained — tally up amounts so huge that families who have survived on fishing for generations say that young children now want to grow up to be pirates. "Whenever we hear that a ransom was paid, children's dreams of becoming pirates just increase," Ahmed said.

Originally posted by NGONGE: ^^ Wale Shamso laga tag. Naakhuude all the way for her methinks. ^^ I am begining to worry about Shamso as well. I suggest she should leave Eyl for Goroowe,that's where cute girls are heading at the moment

lool@"The pirates are the hottest men in town," Abdi said. "Girls from all over Somalia moved here to marry pirates. But if the girl isn't cute she's out of luck, because the pirates only go with beautiful girls."

What's it like to be a pirate? In dirt-poor Somalia, pretty good Friday, December 19, 2008 NAIROBI, Kenya — There's at least one job these days that's recession-proof, if you can handle shark-infested seas, outrun some of the world's most powerful navies and keep your cool when your hostages get antsy. A pirate's life in Somalia isn't for everyone. However, nothing comes easily in one of the poorest and most unstable countries on Earth, and when you consider the dearth of career options for Somalis on land, a pirate's life starts to look more than cushy by comparison. "Is there any Somali who can earn a million dollars for any business? We get millions of dollars easily for one attack," bragged Salah Ali Samatar, a 32-year-old pirate who spoke by phone from Eyl, a pirate den on Somalia's desolate northern coast. Hundreds of pirates such as Samatar — zipping around in simple fiberglass speedboats and usually armed with nothing more sophisticated than automatic rifles — have turned the waters off East Africa into a terrifying gantlet for cargo vessels, oil tankers and even cruise ships sailing between Europe and Asia. The International Maritime Bureau says that at last count 42 ships have been hijacked off Somalia this year, and experts in neighboring Kenya estimate that Somali pirates have pocketed $30 million in ransoms. While their countrymen suffer through another political crisis and the looming threat of famine, pirates are splashing hundred-dollar bills like play money around the nowhere towns of northern Somalia. Residents say that the pirates are building houses, buying flashy cell phones and air-conditioned SUVs, gifting friends and relatives with hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars and winning the attention of beautiful women, who seem to be flocking to pirate towns from miles around. Shopkeepers charge the pirates a premium for food and khat — a narcotic leaf that Somali men chew religiously — but the buccaneers don't seem to mind. "It is true," said a 28-year-old pirate who identified himself as Jama. "We are getting very rich." Jama, who described himself as a high-ranking member of a group based in Eyl, has earned $375,000 as a pirate, enough to buy a Toyota Land Cruiser and to begin building a six-bedroom house in Garowe, the regional capital, for his family. His biggest payday came last month, when he earned a $92,000 share of a $1.3 million ransom for a Greek ship, the MV Centauri, which was released after 10 weeks with its crew unharmed. Almost overnight, Jama said, his standing with the fairer sex has improved dramatically. "Once there was a girl who lived in Garowe," 100 miles from Eyl, Jama said. "I loved her. I tried to approach her many times, but she rejected me. But since I became a pirate, she has tried nine times to get with me. "But I refused , because I'm already married." For years, piracy was a middling trade in Somalia, just one way that desperate young men with guns could make a living in a desperately poor land. In recent months, however, with food prices soaring, the interim government careening toward collapse and local authorities powerless to intervene, hardly a day has gone by without an attempt to commandeer a ship. "Socioeconomic status in Somalia is very bad right now, as we know, and this is one of the reasons pirates have turned to hijacking," said Cyrus Mody of the International Maritime Bureau, based in London. "There are a few people who are gaining a lot." In September, pirates captured the world's attention by seizing the MV Faina, a Ukrainian ship ferrying tanks, grenade launchers and other weapons, reportedly to southern Sudan. In November came an even more brazen haul: the Saudi-owned Sirius Star supertanker, the biggest ship ever hijacked, loaded with $100 million worth of oil. Both vessels are still being held for ransom. The U.S. military and NATO have deployed warships to patrol the region, and China said this week that it would send a fleet to join the effort. Also this week, the U.N. Security Council authorized nations to chase pirates onto land, although U.S. military officials are skeptical of that tactic, arguing that pirates can easily blend into the local population. Many of the pirates are former fishermen who claim that they're retaliating against rich countries for years of illegal fishing and dumping in Somali waters, and a small portion of the ransoms is thought to go to local fishermen. One pirate group in Eyl goes by the name "Saving the Somali Sea," although residents complain that the lion's share of the cash stays in the pirates' pockets. "This town benefits nothing from the pirates," said Bishara Said Ahmed, a 38-year-old housewife in Eyl. "There's no business increase. It's like how it was before. The pirates use this town just to take ships, and when they have their money, they go to other towns to spend it." Ransom payments used to be made via hawala, a money-transfer system that functions as a low-fee Western Union in the Muslim world. As the sums have grown, however, ship owners increasingly rely on helicopter drops from Kenya. Wooden crates packed with cash sometimes fall from the sky in Eyl, like manna to the impoverished civilians barely eking out an existence on dry land. Money-counting machines like the ones at your local bank — "We have to make sure it's real money," Jama explained — tally up amounts so huge that families who have survived on fishing for generations say that young children now want to grow up to be pirates. "Whenever we hear that a ransom was paid, children's dreams of becoming pirates just increase," Ahmed said. It isn't just children who are starry-eyed. Mustaf Mohamed Abdi, a 48-year-old taxi driver in Garowe, marveled at the excitement in town when a band of pirates comes through on a spending spree. If he's lucky, Abdi said, a friendly pirate might tip him with a hundred-dollar bill. "The pirates are the hottest men in town," Abdi said. "Girls from all over Somalia moved here to marry pirates. But if the girl isn't cute she's out of luck, because the pirates only go with beautiful girls." Source: McClatchy, Dec 19, 2008

@Ismacil and Eyl! Before Eyl and Ismaaciil though, there was Hargeysa and Qasim! Qasim sailed to Yemen in the promise of coming back with money and wealth! After years of doing the Xammaali work in Aden, Qasim came back to marry the Hargeysa girl who, despite the hectic work schedules and the demanding Arab merchants, occupied his mind! Unfortunately by the time Qasim came back his neighbors informed him that another man took his girl! When he inquired who that man was, they said he was a Naakhuude ! Hargeysa and Naakhuude? Qasim, already dizzied with the bad news, sung following verses to express the perplexing narrative of a Naakhuude whisking away a local girl from Hargeysa of all places: Goormaa dooxii Herar dekada yeeshoo Dumbulukh laga raacay doonyaha ? Rough translation: Since when Hargeysa was endowed with Harbors And Dumbulukh became the hub of sailing yachts? Pray for Ismacil to avoid similar fate. Good one xaji NG!

I was with Nuradin, and still wish he wins awoowe. But the current setting may not allow that outcome. He's young and professional and will have another shot insha Allah...

Ibti, there is nothing wrong with cheering for Burco's progress. I too am happy the reported progress. I would advise you to go, participate in the regional politics there and vote. I think I would be qualified to vote in Burco on the basis of clan Soomaalidu waa wada qaraabo, xattaa Oodweynaha afka ka abruniyyaa sidii awrkii waxbaan isku nahay. so this is the deal, i vote with you on the Burco affairs , and you vote with me on the soutern issues. The point of departure of my caravan is Jabbuuti, a stone throw distance from Burco so that too should count for some thing.

^^Aniga waa igu kacsanyahay, laakiin yeelkiis! Wax uu ila haray miyyaa la arkaa; Ingiriis igula dirir;oo gabay ii tiri; oo xattaa dhaqaatiirtii iga caa! nin xunse maaha .

^^Kaama fogi saaxiib! My sense is a new dawn is approaching PL. Kheyr baa soo socda. My feeds tell the General with the sharp teeth have a very good chance of taking the PL helm given the present clannish matrix, and that wont be bad at all. Cadde's chance's of coming back is very slim, electorally. PL has no apetite of political instability. Abdullahi Yusuf has had his time, and his political fortunes seems to have gone with the wind as it were. I hope he does not come back to disrupt a potential peacefull transfer of power in PL. Kheyr insha Allah...