^^Intaasi waa intii Gabal ---Abbas is here to avenge those wronged But I happen to think in the big scheme of things those controlling Kismayo would have to be consulted and their permission secured for activity like this. It does not make sense to bring an entire army for integration yet ignore those with whom it will be integrated with ps. caawa idiin soo ogaanayaaye bal aniga isuga

^I take it, you are saying his departure was coordinated with those in control of the city, right? Because that is logical and all. Though I still find astonishing this guy would just cruise all the way from Ceelwaaq to Kismayo without Alshabaab encounter, with just little more than 200 men . But that is beside the point, he is where he is and I expect he and his men will be on boarded with some security precautions of course .

Macallinka, yes that and other stuff circulating around. As you can see that is nonsense. What is also nonsense is the notion that this Abbaas guy just felt 'like going to Kismayo' ,and came without prior arrangement with those in control in the city i.e. Raaskambooni, AMISOM.

Apo, Things are not what internet portals are reporting. I hate to say it, but the Kismayo train has already left the station. Short of a UN resolution (waa tii Macno Yare e ), no one can stop it.

^^Not you , again

N.O.R.F;925249 wrote: Whichever way it happens to be (admin created now or after the framework is complete), a federal state won’t be ‘constitutionally’ federal until the commission make it’s recommendation and Parliament approves it. You got that part right . No argument there. Bravo NORF.

Come on Macallinka, dont fall for the internet sensation---Raskambooni had to know. Seems like a coordinated plan .

I welcome Colonel Cabaas. It is bit confusing how the good Colonel come through Alshabaaab , : internet portals are reporting clan nonsense. But given the grand strategy for Jubbaland State, it appears there is a strategy to create more inclusive security force for the soon to be established state.

LOL@ kart before the horse Baashi maxaan kuu sheegay: NORF is here for the kicks

Baashi, Don't have the time bro. Besides, I don't see this as worth the effort. I know NGONGE is not serious , and NORF hadduu casiir cabay But there is a pattern worth observing ...

You hear it ya jamaacah from NGONGE, and NORF Jubbaland is unconstitutional. Kala dareera. EDIT: It is interesting our secessionists brothers have a thing for Kismayo. Macno Yare come up with a full blown UN Security Council Resulation specificly designed to shoot down Kismayo (or at least to frustrate the effort ) And we have NORF with a more powerful amo to kill whole thing

Ah NGONGE , predictable as ever, dwelling on the margins of the debate Don't be lazy waryaayaa, read the constitution if you have the time. If you don't have the time, take my word for it. There is no constitutional issue here. NORF, how many times do I have to repeat the answer. Jubbaland is constitutional. If it weren't constitutional, the government wouldn't have to beat around the bush as it were But you are not after answers , are you?

^^^Unfortunately, they are sill here in the City of Lakes . Rumors are flying that one of the two professors will give up the parliament post. But we shall see how it plays out...

^Did you read the constitution? Being part time politician is not excuse for being lazy waryaa . The disagreement on Jubba Conference is not about its constitutionality. It is , I repeat, about pure politicking ..which does not surprise anyone. In fact, given the significance of the region, political games are expected from the administration.

^^Yeah NORF you put me on the spot...

Right on Baashi. And today, they finally issued a memo of intent to deliberate on these issues. Here is where I think important constitutional matters ought to be discussed. I do not believe current parliament has the authority to alter the federalism principles that underpin the political settlement that resulted in ending the transition. What the parliament can and must do though is to affirm and perhaps clarify those principles. If one is not happy with how the transition was ended, one would be best advised to bite the bullet and wait four more years when the constitution will be up for vote ...

I still await NORF's constitutional analysis on the Jubba initiative. He seems to disagree with Zack on why Jubbaland is as consitutional as Puntland

Baashi, what these part time politicians ignore is that no one claims that Jubbaland initiative is unconstitutional. In fact, the constitution is on the side of those leading the initiative. The Jubba noise is pure political. Read the below snippets from the latest UN report on Somali political/security progress... Excerpts, from Report of the United Nation Secretary General on Somalia: 6. Meanwhile, the authorities in Somalia have started developing plans for the establishment of regional administrations in areas recovered from Al-Shabaab. President Mohamud indicated his intention to take a “bottom-up” approach, whereby local administrations would be formed first and involved in the selection of regional actors. The Government plan is to deploy local parliamentarians into their constituencies to assist with the setting up of interim, 90-day administrations that would be replaced, in due course, by locally elected bodies. 7. However, with regard to the Juba and Gedo regions, an initiative led by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has been under way to form a “Jubbaland” regional administration. Efforts were made to harmonize these approaches, including during the visit of the Executive Secretary of IGAD to Mogadishu on 16 October, where he met with President Mohamud. On 6 December, the IGAD Joint Committee on the Grand Stabilization Plan for South-Central Somalia, which now includes the Somali authorities, issued a statement in which it committed itself to ensuring effective coordination in the implementation of the IGAD stabilization plan, which includes establishing local administrations and promoting reconciliation. The Committee developed a draft memorandum of understanding that provides a framework for the implementation of the Plan; this was submitted to the Somali authorities for consideration. Meanwhile, a Government delegation travelled to Kismaayo and consulted with local players on the formation of local and regional administrations in southern and central Somalia.

I expect Kenatta win Why it is taking so long to declare the winner?

Gabbal, Update us on Gedo deliberation in Garbahaarey with respect to Jubbaland. I for one would have liked a united Gedo folks, instead of what appears to be shaping up in that region, namely a divided community.

LOL@North NORF, the part time politician, don't disappoint the gallery awoowe. Like Baashi, says, lets hear it ya saxibi

I was out of Mogadishu by January 4th. We left the 3rd and arrived Kismayo by 4th. It really got ugly the third week and after. Surprisingly when I got to Kismayo people were going their daily lives quite normally. The city control was manned by regular police & custom authorities, Ganaane high school was full of students, all government branches were working normal. It was beautiful midday, we headed to the property my father owned but which the family abandoned late seventies/early eighties, and informed the residents who we were. It was smooth transfer...my older brother went back to Xamar to help bring the rest of the family to Kismayo. As the carnage of Xamar intensified, I and those at my age were busy playing soccer at the scenic Lido beach. It is ironic my last memories of Somalia are so beautiful...so much so that my experience of Somalia's last days are so out of touch with that of the majority of the people. I departed from Fuma with a boat, a natural harbor whose scenic images are so fresh in my mind, at February 26 and arrived Mombasa on February 28. Kenyans were so nice in their hospitality it seemed as though an order was issued from the highest echelons of Kenya's power structure ...we were joined to a number of ministers and other folks who had the means to escape to safety at the famous Show Ground...and it had a beach too where we could swim with no problems. So yes nuune ...

Baashi, The administration is expected to find willing partners in the resource poor regions (what would Caddaado do without government help ). Come to Lower Shabeele and onward, and this administration will face stiff resistance. Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabeele will have its administration soon (in months). Jubba region is expected to declare a state in 45 days time. So I give A for president's political maneuvering, but I don't see an strategy I can respect.

Baashi, I agree with you that federalism is not an ideal solution (even when it is not based on clans) for Somalia. However, civil war experience will continue to shape the Somali politics for the years to come. Federalism is a compromise solution; it gives the country a time to heal , gives the central government time to rebuild trust between the various stakeholders, and it gives regional states the safeguard it so fiercely fought. Somalia needs time to try what you correctly termed the federal social contract. If it works out, it will be good and dandy. If it proves difficulty to implement let the parliament do its job...the executive needs to get hell out of that way and concentrate the true national priorities i.e. reconciliation, trust building , and security ... The president would have garnered sympathy and support had he not so quickly thrown himself into the Kismayo issue.And for that reason president Hassan seems today to represent a narrow interest of certain communities , unable to see see the big picture. He comes across as sort of an activist president who fails to distinguish political commentary from constitutional principles that are supposed to guide the country in the next four years.

The gathering in Kismayo is a grass root driven effort to implement constitutionally protected right to assemble and form a federal state within confines of the grand compromise and agreed social contract. This gathering is also timely and crucial stress testing the resilience of the political settlement to unrestrained executive and presidential power grab. Ongoing deliberation in Kismayo, if it has its way, will create the second federal member state of Somalia. If and when that effort succeeds and Jubba Federal State arrives, the national commission nominated by the Federal Parliament will be tasked to study all unresolved issues regarding federal member states and submit a report of its findings back to the Parliament. Among other unrelated but equally important and outstanding issues members of the Parliament need to look at are issues relating to the implementation of constitutionally mandated Upper House of Parliament, the status of Mogadishu, harmonization of the two levels of government, the establishment of numerous commissions, etc. Instead of working with members of the Parliament the president and his prime minister are trying to overcome constraints that federalism imposed on executive branch. Administration’s overreach, if successful, will redefine the terms of political settlement that brought it to power. Although number of areas concerning the formation of federal members states fall in grey area and the Parliament has the jurisdiction to review and legislate laws clarifying this issue, Constitution is clear that any two or more administrative regions may form federal member state if they so desire. However, if President Hassan’s administration ignores the limits of its constitutional power for political reasons, the consequence of a renewed political conflict could be real, and dire. The political conflict the administration helped create in Jubba region could escalate to dangerous levels where alshabaab, for instance, could leverage the political disagreement between those spearheading Jubbaland State initiative and the administration in Mogadishu to its advantage. That would be a bad development for all involved. According to Ahmed Madobe and Professor Gandi (two men who are leading the Jubba initiative), organizers of Kismayo Conference have no problem in permitting the government to play its constitutional role. What they are vehemently opposed to, they say, is the notion of government forming the state to its liking. The process, they point out, has been in the works for number of years with IGAD acting as an impartial observer to ensure its integrity. It is prudent on the administration’s part to accept the IGAD observed political process in Kismayo and avoid executive overreach, particularly this early stage of the nascent post transitional government. The risks of attempting to water down federalism constraints outweigh its benefits. Source: http://www.somalipage.com/2013/03/in-his-attempt-to-free-himself-from-federalism-constraints-president-hassan-risks-executive-overreach/