Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar;786876 wrote: Revert iyo Soomaali dumarkooda isku nacay. Runtii walaalaheena aad iyo aad ayee isku hoos dhigeen, heybadooda meel ugu dhaceen. Masaajid walba aad aragtid, ha ahaado mid Bosnian ah ama mid Afghani ah, iyagaa iska soo register gareeye, seeking 'reverts.' Disgusting. Ma iyaga kaliyaa Muslim ah. Qaarkoodna banaanka lagu soo wada tuuraa, kuwii lasoo tuurina dulqaad weyn ku jiraan oo abuse iyo reerkooda in laga gooyo ku noolyihiin. Maan, dhiiga ayaaba igu kacay markaa aqriye 'pressurized' to accept mida sadexaad ee Soomaaliyeed. Shuud. Salmaan, I am a halxaasle. Hal xaas aad isjeceshihiin oo aad wax walba iskaashaneysiin oo aad iswada fahmeysiin, dulqaadkiinana sareeyo -- haddaa heshid waaba inkaar haddaa mid kale raadisid. See I disagree. Although I am not entirely comfortable with the idea of a Somali gabar marrying a foreigner, it is each to his own. The belief that reverts make better spouses or are better people is a misguided fallacy that many Somali & Asian women find out soon after marrying them. These reverts exploit and prey upon Somali women (and men) who hold romantisized views of their Western hosts, or are very disillusioned with Somali culture and thus in a state of mind where they grab at any opportunity to marry a "muslim" non-Somali white/black/asian person. But reverts are in many cases fickle people or often hold very harsh, strict interpretations of our religion. And in many cases claiming to be muslim, growing a beard, wearing a khamiz with short trousers, does not mean that you will be the ideal muslim, a good person or will find it easy to leave all you pre-muslim habits (smoking, drinking, gambling, going out, promiscuity). In some cases reverts are people who exploit an opportunity (to marry some Somali women) because those reverts are outcasts of their own respective communities, have bad pasts from which they are trying to run away (and end up returning to) or sometimes have criminal pasts. But I would not concern myself with a Somali who chooses to marry a revert or non-Somali. Where it goes right for them, good for them and to to each his own. Wofna naftiisa lama lihin. However, the Somalis that opt for "reverts" often find that they have made the wrong decision because when it goes wrong, it goes horribly, terribly wrong.

Similarities in language: Although both Af-Somali and Afaan Oromo use the latin characters for their alphabet, you have to bear in mind that we may not use the same letters with the same pronounciation e.g. we spell Wiil, they spell Weel. Meaning: Father Somali: Aabo, Aabe Oromo: Abbaa -- Meaning: Son Somali: Ilmo Oromo: Ilma -- Meaning: Mother Somali: Hooyo Oromo: Haadha -- Meaning: Daughter Somali: Inan, Inantaa Oromo: Intala -- Meaning: Man, Men, People Somali: Niman Oromo: Nama -- Meaning: Five Somali: Shan Oromo: Shan --- Meaning: Teach Somali: Bar Oromo: Bar teacher = barsiiso -- Meaning: Year, time Somali: Waa, Waaga Oromo: Waggaa -- Meaning: The man, the men Somali: Ninka, Nimanka Oromo: Namicha -- Meaning: The end, End Somali: Dhamaad Oromo: Dhuma -- Meaning: owns/has Somali: Qaba Oromo: Qaba -- Meaning: Name, [What is] your name?, the name Somali: Magac, Magacaa?, Magacan oromo: Maqaa, Maqaan -- Meaning: Mouth, Language Somali: Af Oromo: Af[aan] -- Meaning: I Somali: Ani, Ani[ga] Oromo: Ani -- Meaning: You Somali: Adi, Aid[ga] Oromo: Ati -- Meaning: He Somali: Isa[ga] Oromo: Isa -- Meaning: You have Somali: Qabtaa Oromo: Qabda -- Meaning: We Enter Somali: Gallay Oromo: Galla -- Meaning: We learn Somali: Baranaa Oromo: Barra -- Meaning: Ears, listen Somali, Dhego, Dhegayso Oromo: Dhagga, Dhageessa -- Meaning: Go/get up Somali: Kac, Ka' Oromo: Ka' -- Menaing: Break, Break to pieces Somali: Chab (Jab), Chachab (jajab) Oromo: Cab, Cacab --- Meaning: 'say' or 'shout' Soomaali: iyaa [yaah] Oromo (Galla): iyya --------- Meaning: 'crockodile' Soomaali: yaxaas Oromo (Boni): yahaas Rendille (Reer Diinle): yahasi --------- Meaning: 'wild dog' Soomaali: yeey Oromo (Galla): yeeyii Oromo (Boni): yeye Rendille: yaay --------- Meaning: 'light' Soomaali: if/iftiin Oromo (Galla): ifa ----------- Meaning: 'long hair' Soomaali: dab Oromo (Galla): daabee ---------- Meaning: 'back' Soomaali: dhabar Oromo: daban ----------- Meaning: 'young bull' Soomaali: dibbi Oromo (Galla): dib-icca ----------- Meaning: 'man' [calling a man] Soomaali: waryaa [waraa] Oromo (Galla): warra -------- Meaning: 'call, invite' Soomaali: waani/waano Oromo (Galla): waama ----------- Meaning: 'hyena' Soomaali: waraabe Oromo (Galla): warab-esa Rendille: waraba ------------- Meaning: 'boy' or 'child' Soomaali: wiil Oromo (Boni): weel ---------- Meaning: 'son, brother' Soomaali: walaal Rendille: walal ------------ Meaning: 'rhinoceros' Soomaali: wiyil Rendille: weyel -------- Meaning: 'fruit of cactus' Soomaali: tin [tiintiin] Oromo (Galla): tini ----------- Meaning: 'spit' Soomaali: tuf Oromo (Galla): tufe ------------ Meaning: 'beat' Soomaali: tun [tuma dadkaas] Oromo (Galla): tuma Rendille: tum --------- Meaning: 'she-goat' Soomaali: ri' Oromo (Galla): ree ----------- Meaning: 'follow' Soomaali: raac Oromo (Boni): raa' Rendille: raah ---------- Meaning: 'run' Soomaali: orod Oromo (Boni): irid Rendille: irid ----------- Meaning: 'womb, uterus' or 'pregnant (of animals)' Soomaali: rimay, riman Oromo (Galla): riimaa Rendille: rim ----------- Meaning: 'rain' Soomaali: roob Oromo (Galla): rooba Oromo (Boni): roob ----------- Meaning: 'cow' Soomaali: sac Oromo (Galla): saa' --------- Meaning: 'lungs' Soomaali: sambab Oromo (Galla): somba --------- Meaning: 'cripple' Soomaali: naafa Oromo (Galla): naafa --------- Meaning: 'breath' or 'soul' or 'life Somali: naf [soul] or neef [breath] Oromo (Boni): nef ---------- Meaning: 'man' Soomaali: nin [niman] Oromo (Galla): nama ---------- Meaning: 'breath' or 'breathe' Soomaali: neefso Oromo (Boni): neefso Rendille: nefsi/nefso ---------- Meaning: 'live long' Soomaali: raage Oromo (Galla): raaga --------- Meaning: 'elephant' Soomaali: maroodi Oromo (Galla): marode --------- Meaning: 'be drunk' Soomaali: [ma cabee], cabid Oromo (Galla): macaw ---------- Meaning: 'family' or people Soomaali: maati [people] Oromo (Galla): maatii [family] --------- Meaning: 'manger' or 'home' Soomaali: moora ['animal shelter'], old homes Oromo (Galla): moora ---------- Meaning: 'herd of cows' Soomaali: lo' Oromo (Galla): loon Rendille: loolyo -------- Meaning: 'hen' Soomaali: luki [lost word, now dooro] Oromo (Galla): lukku --------- Meaning: 'leg, hip' Soomaali: lug Oromo (Galla): luka, lukaa Rendille: lux ---------- Meaning: 'name' Soomaali: magac Oromo (Galla): maqa Rendille: magaca ---------- Meaning: 'house' Soomaali: minan Oromo (Galla): mana, manaa Oromo (Boni): min --------- Meaning: 'bone' Soomaali: laf Oromo (Galla): lafe --------- Meaning: 'companion, relative' Soomaali: lammaan Oromo (Galla): lammii ----------- Meaning: 'heart' or 'chest Soomaali: lab [heart] Oromo (Galla): labb [chest] ----------- Meaning: 'swallow' Soomaali: liqid Oromo (Galla): liqim ----------- Meaning: 'foreskin' [dead skin] Somali: qolof Oromo (Galla): qolofa --------- Meaning: 'cold' Somali: qaboow Oromo (Galla): qabbanawa Rendille: qobo ---------- Meaning: 'young female camel' Somali: qaalin Rendille: qaalim ---------- Meaning: to bite Somali: qaniin Oromo (Galla): qinina ------------ Meaning: 'high mountain, summit' Somali: qar [qarka] Oromo (Galla): qara --- Meaning: Tongue Somali: Carab Oromo: Arrabba -- Meaning: Teeth/Tooth Somali: Ilko, Ilig Oromo: Ilkaan, Ilkee -- Meaning: Leg Somali: Lug Oromo: Luka -- Meaning: Knee Oromo: Jilba Somali: Jilib -- Meaning: Head Somali: Madax (madah) Oromo: Mataa --- Meaning: Hair Somali: Timo/ Rif? e.g. timhaha ka rif Oromo: Rifaa -- Meaning: face Oromo: Fuula Somali: Fool

Tallaabo;931279 wrote: I am sure this thread will inflame the Xaaji and induce a tirade prejudice from others like Oba and Haatu but let us take some time to learn more about this Somali-like nation next door. For a start, the very obvious similarities between the Somalis and the Oromos are their distinct looks, their dress, their culture, religion and now after a short academic study of their Youtube clips I am of the opinion that they speak a dialect of Somali. I mean when I listened to them attentively, very attentively I could almost hear them speak a weird Somali. For a Northerner like me, their language sounds Somali but is just as hard to understand as Maay Maay. Here is one such clip for you to look at: You can hear the Amharic corruption of the Oromo language. They are possibly old Somali group that splintered off from the main Somali population centuries back and then became because of centuries of Amhara/habesha domination Amharized.

Xaaji Xunjuf;930709 wrote: First of all i do not believe Somalis were destined to be together we were never one country never shared a country before the failed union in 1960 i believe the Somali speaking people do not even know each other that well Somalis know eachother well enough, after all we do speak one language, share a religion, share an ethnicity and a culture that is in many ways the same notwithstanding the unsertandable regional differences and there are regional differences in all countries. And if we do not know eachother well, we will get to know eachother well. I am talking about the Somalis in the Somalis republic, who are now, this very moment and have been in recent history in one single country that is internationally recognised, can be found on all maps of the world and is a member of the United Nations of the world. That country is the Somali Republic. Somalis may not have shared a country before 1960 and we may not have a had a modern state but this is not a prerequisite to living in a country together, peacefully and working together to achieve common aims. The reason why the Somali goverment failed was because it was badly structured and managed. The last Somali government failed because it was autocrative, oppresive, practiced nepotism and it used force against its own people. there was a concentration of power and there were no independently functioning national institutions which meant that when the cgovernment was overthrown the country came to a standstill and there was a lack of governance or public service provision. This is not something that is set in stone or cement, this is something that can be changed. The political structures can be changed to make government more decentralised, more effective,more accountable and more democratic. Institutions can be built and they can be made independent from government and there can be checks in place to make sure that they too are effective and accountable. The modern state is historically speaking a fairly recent development in many parts of the world, the Somali republic included. But if you say that Somalis cannot share a country then I say that Somalis in the north cannot share a country either. If you say that Somalis in the north (so called Somalilanders of which I am one) can share a country then i say that all Somalis can share a country. It is a matter of how and not if. It is question of how can we best share our country and work together and not can we share a county. Xaaji Xunjuf;930709 wrote: Also this threat that Ethiopia and Kenya that there is a conspiracy against Somalis is also out of the question. I will respond in a seperate post. That is an extremely naive statement. you must be oblivious to reality. Xaaji Xunjuf;930709 wrote: I also consider that the Somali identity it self is a lose cultural identity with no strong foundations and it surely should not be based on nationalism. Xaaji Xunjuf;930709 wrote: Now you act that if Somalia has one of the best economies in Africa and that Somaliland desperately should stay with Somalia because they will gain. Somaliland is better of alone with a small population it can equally distribute the wealth of the country it has resources and it should invest in its own people. Population will increase in the next coming years Somalilanders should invest in their own people. I did not say that, nor did I insinuate that. Economically we will be better off if Somalis stick together and this is for countless reasons. Our sub-economies complement eachother. Automatically if we remain together we will have: - a bigger country with a bigger population, a greater GDP and the government has a greater tax-base - both the private sector and the public sector can realise economic of scale - we will have a bigger domestic market as there are more consumersand a greater pool of labour - This in turn means we can attract more investment - We will also have greater leverage in political and economic terms - All of the above means we can have a larger military and out security and that we can better defend oout political and eocnomic interests - Our land and resources will still be plenty as we will only be a populaiton of 10m for a country of 600 miles quared, with 3,300KM coast and plenty of resources. We cans till work hard to equally distribute wealth. There are many more benefits we can achieve. Xaaji Xunjuf;930709 wrote: Also recognition will help Somaliland modernize the country maybe its not in the interests of the koonfurians because they want to keep Somaliland unrecognized. But it will help Somalilanders politically diplomatically and economicallySomalilanders are one of the most creative entrepreneurial people in Africa they can easily transform their country if it has the same support the koonfurians got from the international community. Somaliland has shown that it works they have created viable institutions and democracy and good governance they just need to modernize their ports and Milk the Ethiopians since they are land locked and need SL port services. It already started on small scale industrialization of the country imagine if it has enough capital to invest in the country imagine how SL economy can grow. Just let me ask you one question do you think Somaliland would have been more developed if it stayed separate in 1960? The average person from Southern regions of the SOmali republic is the same as the average person from the northern region (Somaliland) and I have seen it with my own eyes. All Somali people regardless of where they are are extremely poor, have no basic services like health, education and have usually no food on the table. This is also the case in Somaliland. What is truly in the interests of Somali people is to have better lives, for their children to have access to school and healcare, to be able to feed and clothe themselves, to have jobs and dignity. To live in peace both for themselves and with their neigbours. To live and enjoy their life. Somalis are all the same. Dividing Somalis, creating futher hostilities and omplications will not be beneficial for anyone. Our fates are interdepedent and interlinked. Somaliland has not been recognised for the past 22 years and Somalis from the South have been flocking to the northern regions. When Somalis in the South are at peace that is also in the interest of Somalilanders as our fates are intertwined. When Somaliland is safe and peaceful that is in the interests of Somalis in the central and souther regions. When there is war in any part of the Somali peninsula thta automatically affects all other parts. You have to understand that no single part of the Somali peninsula or Somali people can prosper and do well without the other. Either we work together for our common interests or we all drag eachother down. Somaliland will relise only small marginal benefits economically. Because Somaliland will be a tiny impoverished, corrupt, desert country with bad governancel, no laws, no institutions, no infrastructure and incidentally happens to be next to the war ravaged Somali republic, the tiny Djibouti and autocratically governmened underdeveloped Ethiopia, dont expect Somaliland to suddenly become a developed country. Because the population is so small and the domestic consumer and labour markets are so small, few companies will see any benefit to invest a lot of money in a tiny country. There is no agricultural land and water is scarce and expensive to extract. Even is oil is found this will still not lead to genuine development because there are no skilled people, there is no infrastructure, there are no laws, no institutions and no effective government it will only lead to corruption and mismanagement. There benefits you talk about are not specific to independence. They would be realised if we are united. Somali people are all the same. Seeking independence and recognition is not a panacea to the problems all Somalis share. Bad governance and weak institutions can be overcome to make both more democratic, effective and accountable. We are better united than divided. We are better united than divided. We are better united than divided.

Cabdulaahi Suldaan Timacadde waa kii yidhi: Dunidii ka habsaanay oo Inagaa ugu dambeyna oo Dundumaan dhaqdhaqaaqin ee Dhamanteen dhergi weyney ee Isu dhiibnay dugaag ee Soomaaloo kala daadsan Hadaynaan isu duubin Durki mayno xadaawe Cidna daafici mayno.

Xaaji Xunjuf;930680 wrote: ^^^I have said it before there should be a UN supervised referendum in Somaliland on independence village for village and those who want to leave that failed union should be given the chance to do that and those who want to stay with the koonfurians should be allowed i think that is the best solution for the eastern sool and eastern sanaag regions.Now would you accept that i would and i think i can sell that to the people of Somaliland. This is just rediculous! So where does this end? Why not let every village be an independent countr if that is what they so wish? When we have disagreements the solution is not to run away and turn away from eachother just so that a "politician" on the payroll of Ethiopia can call himself a "president" of a few villages and then live in relative luxury off the taxes he collects from old women and children in those villages and regions whilst they starve and see no benefit. The real benefit is in a political solution between all the Somalis of an effective, decentralised, accountantable and democratic government. Do you people not see that we are facing an existential threat here? Creating further divisins will be the last nail in the coffin!

Jacpher;930679 wrote: However, since you talked about Somaliland being oppressed into second class citizen and refused of self determination, thus leaving the union, isn't Somaliland itself doing so to other communities that share border with them? You can't accuse Somalia of oppressing you and on your way out, do the same thing you accuse of others. In other words, you claim to have been bullied historically, now you're doing the bullying. Jacpher waxba ha kala soocsoocin Somaalida. It is not about who is oppressed or who is a second class citizens. This is far bigger than clans. We are all 3rd world citizens, from the most impoverished depts of the most impoverished places on earth. We are all oppressed by the ignorance of our wayward ways. This is a story of self-serving politicians who are blinded by hunger for power and personal ambition, misguiding the populace just so that those very politicans can secure themselves seats of power.

Xaaji Xunjuf;930671 wrote: ^^ Every one fights for his dreams and his country no one wants to be ruled or be a second class citizens we have seen what a union with Somalia did to That is a gross simplification of the situation. Would you rather work together for our common goals with fellow Somalis? Or that we all be satellite states of Ethiopia, Kenya and other countries that divide us, put us against eachother and then push us around and control us? Somalis from the regions that make up Somaliland of course have a right to be first class citizens and that is why all Somalis must fight and strive to make our country - and the Somali peninsula, in good tim - a fair and politically stable place. The way to do this is not to break up in a 100's little states with tiny populations, no viable economies and such a small consuming and productive markets as to render us politically and economically insignificant. The way to do this is by creating systems and institutions hat work and by creating and promoting a culture of common interests, equality, fairness and accountable government with checks and balances in place. The way to do this is by decentralising power and creating local and regional governments that are empowered. Very little actual benefit will be derived for Somalis in the North from Somaliland being recognised. Recognition is not in the interests of Somalis, whether Somalilanders or fellow Somalis in the South, for many reasons. Focussing on recognition rather than our other problems is misguided. Xaaji Xunjuf;930671 wrote: My friend people have done it before the Kurds are still fighting i see Somaliland chances of becoming a full fledged nation as something that can happen in the near future Somalia is not a regional power that can oppress Somaliland like turkey is doing with the kurds or china is doing with the people of Taiwan . We are all Somalis. It has nothing to do with what "Somalia" may or may not do. It has everything to do with what is genuinely in the interests of all Somalis, including the Somalis of Somaliland. It is not in the interests of Somaliland to become independent. if you actually sit down and thinka about it the benefits of Somaliland being recognised are only marginal and although some quick gains will be relaised in the short term, these quick gains will quickly run out. The world is globalised. Countries are pulling together in economic blocs. There is increasing competition for natural resources, land, water, minerals and larger countries are more than willing to push around, pressurise or invade smaller countries where it is in their interests to do so. Landlocked Ethiopia with 90 million people is right next to the Somali republic. What do you think will happen if we split our already Small country into 10 smaller "countries" with tiny populations of 2 million that are all hostile to eachother and favourable to Ethiopia? Will we suddenly learn to work together only once Ethiopia has [formally] absorbed our litte new countries? C'mon surely you can see the obvious? The real benefit is in a political solution between all the Somalis - and Somaliland does not have to stop 'existing' - whereby we can work together for our common interests. Our common interests are far greater and outweigh any regional interests that there may be. Somalis in the north can benefit from, invest in and use the produce from the fertile regions from the South rather than importing them from Ethiopia (as is currently the case). Companies founded in the north can extend to and invest in the South of the country. Together we can have a greater military that will better protect all Somalis better. Together our country will be bigger, our population will be bigger, economy will be bigger, our consumer base will be bigger, our productive capabilities will be bigger and we can be significant in the world and stand our corner without being pushed around.

Xaaji Xunjuf;930649 wrote: ^^ Whats so funny oday Somali. 1. The sheer desperate hope for a misguided dream materialising. 2. The fact that this misguided dream that will never come to pass. 3. The belief that the realisation of this dream will be "sweet". In reality were this misguided dream to become reality it would turn out to be a damp squib and an anticlimax of epic proportions as it would not change the immense underdevelopment, poverty, corruption, bad governance of "Somaliland". Somaliland would just become another recognised yet insignificant, tiny (population wise), underdeveloped and impoverished country with severe social, political and economic ills.

^ loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool sweeter kulahaa.

Luanda, Angola.

This is just sad. No other word to describe it. What a bunch of clueless fools.

Whatever happened to SOLer Archdemos, is he still around?

Project Guthernburg is a good source of e-books. Amazon also has many free e-books, especially the classics.

Ethiopia already has a dam on the Shabelle river... albeit a realtively small one.

Cobblestone paving will take place in 70 Ethiopian cities and towns and will provide employment for 700,000 Ethiopians as well as improving the movement of goods and people and general beautification.

Abbaas;927417 wrote: @OdaySomali I think that wyre didn't open this thread for discussion. Teeda kale, Mafiicna inaad dadka oo dhan iskumid kadhigtid, not all Habesha ( Ethiopians) are the same. Btw, Negative generalizations waa wax doqonnima ah "Abbaas" that is all nice and dandy but that does not negate the fact that most of these Somali-Xabashi songs and music videos (in which Ethiopian artists cover Somali songs, traditional dances and mix up Somali with Amharic), as I have said before, are produced, funded, created and aired by Ethiopian state television. That is not an argument, it is not an opinion, it is a simple fact. The Ethiopian artists you see in some of the videos wearing traditional Somali clothing, singing in Somali and doing traditional Somali dances did not occur by acciden, per chance or 'because they felt like it'... it is very intentional. Then the question which arises is: for that reason or purpose are these songs created? The purposes are: the attempted assimilation of Somalis into Ethiopian culture, to diffuse the differences between Somali and Ethiopian cultures and lastly to shape and influence Somalis' predisposition to Ethiopian-ism by seeking to alter their very identity... their culture. This is part of a well orchastrated campaign to force Somalis into 'mainstream' Ethiopia throught the use of many tools including a military & law enforcement element, a political (local-government) element, an economic element... and as in this case social/cultural element through the use of state propaganda. So I don't see how your meek "not alla Habesha are the same" comment offers any insight.

Xabashi diidnayee ogoow. Abuse and terror in the Somali region - Human Rights Watch The war-torn Somali region in Ethiopia is a land scarred by terror. An ongoing struggle for autonomy is being fought between the outlawed Ogden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and the Ethiopian military but it is not just ONLF members who are being brutalised. An undercover investigation by the Bureau and the BBC’s Newsnight provides new evidence of ongoing brutal human rights abuses by Ethiopian government forces. Today the area is a no-go zone for foreigners, the media and aid agencies. Instead, it is kept under strict Ethiopian government control, making it difficult to assess what is going on. But in Dadaab, the largest refugee camp in the world in northern Kenya, there are thousands, who have fled from the Ogden region, claiming to have been subjected to horrific abuses by Ethiopian government troops. Torture victims A grandmother in her 50s, told us that she was one of more than 100 civilians seized from her village in the Ogden by government forces in 2009. Some of the villagers were killed, including her son, and others were taken to jail. She says ‘I was raped’ by ‘a queue’ of soldiers. ‘They raped me in a room, one of them was standing on my mouth, and one tied my hand, they were taking turns, I fainted during this.’ Another victim described how she was eight months pregnant when government forces arrested her, then raped and beat her until she lost her baby.

Ethiopia: ‘Special Police’ Execute 10 An Ethiopian government-backed paramilitary force summarily executed 10 men during a March 2012 operation in Ethiopia’s eastern Somali region. Detailed information on the killings and other abuses by the force known as the “Liyu police” only came to light after a Human Rights Watch fact-finding mission to neighboring Somaliland in April. On March 16 a Liyu police member fatally shot a resident of Raqda village, in the Gashaamo district of Somali region, who was trying to protect a fellow villager. During this operation the Liyu police force summarily executed at least 10 men who were in their custody, killed at least 9 residents in ensuing gunfights, abducted at least 24 men, and looted dozens of shops and houses. “The Liyu police abuses in Somali region show the urgent need for the Ethiopian government to rein in this lawless force.” said Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch. The Ethiopian government’s response to reports of abuses in the Somali region has been to severely restrict or control access for journalists, aid organizations, human rights groups, and other independent monitors. Ethiopia’s regional and federal government should urgently facilitate access for independent investigations of the events by independent media and human rights investigators, including the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial and summary executions. “For years the Ethiopian government has jailed and deported journalists for reporting on the Somali region,” Lefkow said. “Donor countries should call on Ethiopia to allow access to the media and rights groups so abuses can’t be hidden away.”

2012/02/01 Ethiopian troops kill civilians in Beledweyne Four people were killed and two others were injured when Ethiopian troops in Beledweyne town opened fire on civilians at a bridge in the city, reports say. A woman and a primary school head teacher were among those killed during the fatal incident. --- 24 January 2012 Mogadishu — The Ethiopian troops in the town of Beledweyn in Hiran region, central Somalia have deliberately shot and killed at least three civilians over 'Al-shabab suspicion', reports said on Tuesday. Shabelle Media reporter in the town say, the Ethiopian soldiers have separately killed on Tuesday afternoon three persons, including teenagers and a well-known businessman --- August 16, 2008 CNN Ethiopian forces in Somalia have killed at least 46 civilians after a roadside bomb ripped through their military convoy, residents said. The violence happened Friday on the road linking Mogadishu to the agriculturally rich town of Afgooye, residents said. Omar said he and others fled to the nearby forest as the Ethiopian forces began shooting everywhere. Some of the dead were recovered from the forest on the side of the road, indicating some passengers tried to escape the shooting, she said.

Ethiopia: Army Commits Executions, Torture, and Rape in Somali Region Ethiopia's army has subjected civilians to executions, torture, and rape in eastern Ethiopia's Somali Region, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released toda y . The widespread violence, part of a vicious counterinsurgency campaign that amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity, has contributed to a looming humanitarian crisis, threatening the survival of thousands of ethnic Somali nomads . The 130-page report "Collective Punishment: War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity in the Somali Regional State," documents a dramatic rise in unchecked violence against civilians since June 2007, when the Ethiopian army launched a counterinsurgency campaign against rebels who attacked a Chinese-run oil installation. The Human Rights Watch report provides the first in-depth look at the patterns of abuse in a conflict that remains virtually unknown because of severe restrictions imposed by the Ethiopian government. "The Ethiopian army's answer to the rebels has been to viciously attack civilians in the Somali region," said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "These widespread and systematic atrocities amount to crimes against humanity. Yet Ethiopia’s major donors, Washington, London and Brussels, seem to be maintaining a conspiracy of silence around the crimes." .

Soomaali ma waxay garan weydey oo ka nixi weydey waxa uu cadowgoodu ku samaynayo oo ay xittaa gaaladaa cadaanka ahi ka yaabtay. Cajiib caleyk. No, they'd rather sing along to Xabashi songs. Human Rights Watch and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) produced before and after satellite images of villages razed to the ground in the Somali region by Ethiopian forces. Ethiopian soldiers commit of war crimes in Somalia Amnesty International on Tuesday accused Ethiopian troops in Somalia of killing civilians and committing atrocities, including slitting people's throats, gouging out eyes and gang-raping women. In a new report, the human rights group, which is based in London, detailed chilling witness accounts of indiscriminate killings in Somalia and called on the international community to stop the bloodshed. The rights group said it had scores of reports of killings by Ethiopian troops. In one case, "a young child's throat was slit by Ethiopian soldiers in front of the child's mother," the report says. "The people of Somalia are being killed, raped, tortured. Looting is widespread and entire neighborhoods are being destroyed," Michelle Kagari, the Amnesty deputy director for Africa , said in a statement from Nairobi that accompanied the report. Haboon, a 56 year old woman, said her neighbor's 17-year-old daughter had been raped by Ethiopian troops. The girl's brothers tried to defend their sister, but the soldiers beat them and gouged their eyes out with a bayonet , Haboon was quoted as telling Amnesty.