GEOFFREY YORK HARGEISA, SOMALIA — The Globe and Mail Last updated Saturday, Jun. 22 2013, 8:25 AM EDT http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/how-mobile-phones-are-making-cash-obsolete-in-africa/article12756675/?cmpid=rss1 When he rolls into a gas station to fill his tank, Barkhad Dahir doesn’t get out of his car. He punches a few buttons on his cellphone and within seconds he has paid for the fuel. With the same quick keystrokes on his phone, he pays for virtually everything he needs: groceries at the supermarket, a few oranges from a market stall, a shoeshine on the street, a cup of sweet milky tea from a café, and even, if he wants, an afternoon’s worth of khat, a mild drug favoured by many Somalis. “Everyone here has his own bank, with easy access and no restrictions,” boasts Mr. Dahir, a local journalist. “Even lying in bed, you can be paying your bills.” Here in one of Africa’s poorest countries, where illiteracy is high and traditional banks are almost non-existent, a mobile revolution has created an informal electronic banking system with more efficiency and convenience than anything in Canada. In the cities of Somaliland, the future has arrived: cash is disappearing, credit cards are unnecessary, and daily shopping is speedy and digital. Almost every merchant, even hawkers on the street, accepts payment by cellphone. It’s an innovation that could transform the continent. Africa is already leading the world in the use of mobile money, and its growth is accelerating. In countries such as Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, mobile-money accounts have become much more widespread than bank accounts. More than 17 million Kenyans (two-thirds of the adult population) are using mobile-money services, mainly to transfer money to family members or business partners in distant locations, but increasingly for bill payments and small loans. Somaliland, a region in northwestern Somalia that has broken away and declared independence from Mogadishu, has one of the world’s highest rates of digital transactions. Most transactions are on Zaad, a service of the biggest mobile-phone company, Telesom. A survey last year found that the average customer made 34 transactions per month – a higher rate than almost anywhere else in the world. “I don’t even carry money any more,” says Adan Abokor, a scholar and democracy activist in Somaliland. “I haven’t seen cash for a long time. Even small payments, like a bus ticket, can be made with Zaad. When my kids are at school and they want a sandwich, I send them the payment by Zaad. It’s immediate – there’s no waiting for it, no counting of cash.” The system is impressively simple and secure. Subscribers give an occasional lump-sum payment to Telesom and then use this balance to pay merchants digitally. To make a purchase, they dial a three-digit number, enter a four-digit PIN and then enter the merchant’s Zaad number and the amount of the payment. Every merchant – even street vendors – keeps their Zaad numbers prominently displayed. Within moments, the customer and the merchant both receive text messages to confirm the payment and the transaction is done. Mobile money has also drastically reduced the cost of crime and security for consumers, private companies and government offices. The Coca-Cola branch in Somaliland, for example, is the only cashless Coca-Cola company in Africa. About 80 per cent of its sales to its retail distributors are done through Zaad, while the remainder are done by electronic bank transfers. “We never handle a single dollar in cash,” says Moustapha Osman Guelleh, chief operating officer of Coca-Cola’s licensed bottler in Somaliland. “We don’t have any issues of having to keep cash in a safe.” Many companies use Zaad for all of their salary payments to their employees. “It has made life easier for our people,” says Khader Aden Hussein, general manager of the Ambassador Hotel in Hargeisa, who uses Zaad to pay all of his 300 employees and almost half of his suppliers. “What amazes me is that even illiterate people have learned how to use it.” Of the 3.5 million people in Somaliland, more than 500,000 subscribe to Telesom, and more than half of these subscribers are using Zaad. The mobile-money system grew out of Somaliland’s heavy dependence on remittances from Somalis who work abroad – an estimated $1-billion annually. Remittances are increasingly sent home electronically and mobile money became a natural outgrowth. There are other key reasons for the dramatic rise of mobile money here: the lax regulation of the telecommunications sector, which has had the unintentional effect of encouraging innovation; the weak local currency, which has created a dollarized economy (since Zaad is denominated in dollars); and even Somali cultural factors. “Somali society is an oral culture, so everyone needs a mobile phone,” Mr. Abokor says. The biggest African user of mobile money is Kenya, where the most popular service, M-Pesa, has 15 million subscribers through the leading cellphone company, Safaricom. It was originally used mainly by migrant workers to transfer money home to their families. But now it is widely used to receive salaries and pay bills and school fees. That was just the beginning. More than 1.2 million Kenyans are now using M-Shwari, a mobile-banking system created last November, which allows them to set up their own savings accounts, earn interest and borrow money with their cellphones. Often they use the service to borrow a few dollars for their cash needs, repaying it a month later for a single fee of 7.5 per cent (less than the interest rates of street lenders). Loans are usually approved immediately and customers can collect their cash from the nearest M-Pesa merchant, usually in the same neighbourhood. “I use it often, especially when I’m broke,” says Doris Obondo, a 21-year-old employee at a cyber café in Nairobi. “You don’t have to go into the long queues at the bank. Near the end of the month, when my salary is getting finished, I just borrow from M-Shwari. One evening I had nothing to eat, so I borrowed 200 shillings (just over $2) and then I repaid 215 shillings a month later.”

The author has a point. No perpetrator of war crimes or crimes against has ever been convicting in Somalia. So if Dahir Aweys is arrested and brought to justice, then so should all other warlords and mass killers.

by Muuse Yuusuf Sunday, June 30, 2013 The surrender of Sheikh Hassan Dahir to the Somali government and its position to welcome him has caused political uproar among Somalis every where. Before embarking on this sensitive issue, I must declare that I am not a fan of Al-Shabaab and its leaders, including Hassan Dahir Aweys, the fugitive militant leader who is now in Mogadishu, having run for his life from vicious internal feud within the movement. Indeed, anyone who reads my articles published on Hiiraan.com knows that I am a diehard critic of the spread of the perverted Islamist movements in Somalia, as I am a tireless campaigner for secularism for Somalia. Also, I must say I am not associated with the leader genealogically, politically or philosophically as our world views are apart as heavens and earth. In this new political debate, to those who oppose any talks with Al-Shabaab ands its leaders smell the rotten cadaver of typical Somali clan justice in which criminals might get away with murder by seeking protections from their lineages. To them, Hassan Dahir Aweys, the man who has caused the death of many innocent people, is being warmly welcomed by his willing clansmen, spearheaded by ******-dominated government in Mogadishu. Rather than face trial in local or international criminal tribunals for alleged war crimes, he is now among his ****** folks in Mogadishu, sipping tea, fresh papaya, mango, and banana juice. To them, no real justice in tribal lands, only rough justice in which mothers have to accept that killers of their sons can go free unpunished. Evidence of crime every where, but eyes and ears are shut because tribal rules say so! On the other hand, to those who support talking to the leader, accept that restorative justice in civil war situations is always a difficult task as each part in the conflict claims innocence, and the Somali case is not so different. To them, from the early civil wars in 1980s to current mayhem in Somalia, different actors perpetuated abuses against human rights, committed war crimes and genocide. List of violators and perpetrators are endless and include government sponsored violence against particular clans, such as I****, ******teens and H***** in 1980s by the central government. The 1990s intra and inter-clan violence instigated by warlords from Mogadishu to Hargeisa to Baidoa in which “clan cleansing” against particular clans, such as Daaroods and other non-****** clans in Mogadishu and other minority groups was a classical example of the ugly face of the conflict. And they insist not to forget atrocities committed by foreign forces in Somalia from UNOSOM to Ethiopian invasion and AMISOM in which war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed, as documented by human rights organisations. They can’t understand why foreign generals (e.g. Ethiopians), having overseen some of the worse atrocities committed by their forces, were allowed to leave Somalia unpunished?! To them, due to the seemingly non-ending nature of the conflict, and because of lack of a strong central government or international will to persecute violators, it might be unrealistic to bring all perpetuators to justice. Therefore, Somalis could adopt or follow suit of a restorative justice process that is similar to the South African Truth and Reconciliation process so that violators are made to face and accept their criminal acts and then seek forgiveness from the victims or their relatives. In the Somali context, settling civil disputes or criminal offences through conflict resolution is a well recognised Somali tradition under the Xeer (Heer) legal system in which disputing parties either offer or accept financial compensation for murder, or other means of redress, such as accepting forgiveness. As well as learning from other conflict resolutions, Somalis could use the Xeer system to redress injustice; indeed some conflicts in some regions, such as Somaliland and Puntland had been resolved through this indigenous legal system. In conclusion, in the spirit of the independence days, I reluctantly endorse talking to the enemy for the sake of reconciliation and peace-building process in the hope that this may encourages other disgruntled Al-Shabaab leaders accept peace. Indeed, what is wrong with talking to the enemy if the African National Congress (ANC) had the courage and dignity to end the brutal apartheid system successfully through negotiations with its historical enemy and as Western powers have realised that talking to the Taliban movement is not a bad idea. In an ideal world, I would have liked to see all perpetrators of war crimes and crime against humanity tried in courts of laws in order to respond to their role of what has happened from 1980 to the present day. Muuse Yuusuf Myuusuf3@hotmail.com

Recapture of the last three days: -Thursday evening Axmed Madoobe walks out of the talks with the Federal Goverment and there are several news outlets declaring the talks as failed. -Immediatly, the day after on Friday morning forces allied to Barre Hiiraale, Baasto, federal goverment and the Gedo contignent allies to Jubbaland take over the whole city. -On the same day, later in the evening. Axmed Madobe walks back to the negoitiaten table and signs the same deal he earlier refused, while Barre Hiiraale forces are in control of Kismayo that evening. -Saturday morning Barre's forces withdraw Or were pushed back to the outskirts of Kismayo. From these happenings one could distilate the following. (1) Barre Hiirale and other clan militias forces are working in close alignment with the federal goverment. (2) Axmed Madoobe was forced at gun point to sign the deal with federal goverment. Otherwise he would risk loosing the city completely to opposing militias or engage in a long and futile clan war. (3) Gedo folks and militias aligned to Barre Hiiraale and to Axmed Madobe are less divided then one would think. Behind the scene they seem to work together, making the coupe d'estats of friday possible. What is your take on these recent happenings?

Cambuulo iyo bun;965329 wrote: its not a White baby its just that our friend Al is dhuxul madoow Cambuulo, you mean 'Mariin'? Dhuxul Madoow sounds a bit harsch.

Dahir Aweys should be brought to court and if found guilty of killings should be executed

Che -Guevara;965225 wrote: You seem to be emotionally and mentally trapped, 22 years of so called independence, you are still arguing with Somalis. Maybe time to move on? Dee they have moved on. Cant you see the diffrence in the videos. Happy faces, more nutrician, children in schools, buildings rebuild, no dead bodies in the streets, no fighting, no mines in the city. Wish we could say the same of yesterdays Morgan, Jees and Aidiid supporters. Who seem to be engaged in the same business of chearleading for the same clan wars as 20 years ago.

Alpha Blondy;965175 wrote: ^ its the son of my skin bleached girlfriend. you told she is reer xamar, thats why she is so light skinned.

Wallaal inuu macaan yahay Ninkii madi ah ayaa garan Iney Gaajo maran tahay ninkii noolo daranoow adigaa mafacaa garan adigaa mafacaa garan Ieoey nabadu marinkii xornimo jidka loo mariiyo miirka iyo dhiiga midnimada nolosho u nagaad tahay dowladaha horey u maray sidey u maalan iyaga ka marag furi Midniyaha colaadeey dhago la isku mariyo Meydka oo la kala garan dhulka oo maa goolo mago soo baxaya laga wayo mirihii meyhaawga gaajada afrikada madooweey isku mehered seegtay kuwa soo mara garan Murti iyo heesahaa waxa loo maldhahayaa maan garashadiina dalka kii ka maqanoow, naga maqal, maqal, maqal. naga maqal kuwa maanta joogoow waad aragtadaa maantada

Xaaji, the people are ready to elect their leaders. But it seems they want real elections and to have real choices and they don't want Faroole election.

Horseed Party seems to be quite unpopular in Galkacyo. Dr.Osman, give us your analysis of the polls?

Wiil Cusub;965161 wrote: CNN 1991 from Hargeisa Half a million mines planted in the city in front of houses. Somalia, what was your uncle Morgan thinking when he was planting those mines?

Alpha Blondy;882859 wrote: after i updated my profile pic on fb, i got all these messages of hate. i'm sorry but its not fault i looked alright in this pic. haters gonna hate somaha! Alpha, why are you holding a white baby on your fb profile pic?

Yes, Ismail Cumer Guelleh sawmaha Djibouti citizens. its also his day.

I mean it does belong to the dictator but it belongs to the people.

Tallaabo;965120 wrote: Somaliland has the most absurd citizenship criteria in the world. This girl can not get a SL passport or vote but her mother can. A man born and bread in Wales and whose father and grandfather were also born and brought up in Wales is considered a Somalilander but his Hargaisa born wife from the Gedo clan is considered an alien:D The wifes can become Somalilander, but husband to a Somaliland women cannot become Somalilanderish.:confused:

Tallaabo;965139 wrote: I would not celebrate any "independence" when I am still under the foot of a tyrannical dictator. This day does belong to Ismail Omer Guelleh, its a day that belongs to the people of Djibouti. Dadweynaha reer Jabuutow Walaal Dumar iyo caruur "DAMAAD" baan soo qortee Walaal derisbaynu nahay Dadbaynnu isugu xignaa Dabkaynnu kala qaadannaa Dunbay-su-gu keen xidhnayd Daruuriyo Daad balaadhan Degaankiyo doogga baxa Duunyadu way wada Cuntaa Dukaanaleey kulay ku tahay Dadkuna waa wada degaa Haasaawaha Diiraniyo Barjaa lagu wada dekayn Adduun weligii ma dego Danqaabo lagama waayee Haddii aan wax kuu dednayn Intii Duniduba Dhisnayd Difaacaagaan ahaa Durrabaa ugu dambaysay Haddaad Duc kaleba Diiddo Walaal waa diinta iyo Intaa Dersinimo Wanaag

Alpha, just simple congratulations will do.

The African Union congratulates Djibouti on its 36th Independence Day PRESS RELEASE (For immediate release) The African Union congratulates Djibouti on its 36th Independence Day Mogadishu, 27th June 2013: The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif has extended his warm congratulations to the people of Djibouti as they celebrated their 36thyear of Independence. A delegation including the Djibouti Ambassador to Somalia, Mr Dayib Doubad Robleh, the Somali Defense Minister, Mr Abdihakim Haji Mahamud Fiqiand AMISOM Chief of Staff Brig. Gen Osman Soubagleh travelled to Beletweyne this week to mark the event. Ambassador Annadif praised the commendable work of the Djiboutian troops in the regionwho are working alongside the Somali National Army in securing and stabilizing Somalia. “On behalf of AMISOM I would like to extend my warmest wishes to the government and people of Djibouti as they celebrate their thirty-sixth anniversary of independence. We appreciate the strong partnership we enjoy with Djibouti and recognize the sacrifice made by brave men and women to bring peace to our brother and sisters of Somalia as they rebuild their country”. Since their arrival, the troops have been active mediators between local authorities, clan elders and militia groups in the Hiraan province. The troops have also been at the forefront of conducting reintegration programmes and military training for the Somali National Security Forces. Djibouti is the third Troop Contributing Country to join the African Union Mission in Somalia to conduct peace support operations in the country. The Djibouti Armed Forces joined AMISOM in September, 2012 and were deployed to Beletweyne. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-06/25/c_132485558.htm Chinese leader congratulates Djibouti president on independence anniversary English.news.cn | 2013-06-25 16:41:07 | Editor: Chen Zhi DJIBOUTI, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory message to his Djibouti counterpart Ismail Omar Guelleh on the eve of the 36th anniversary of the Red Sea country's independence. "In the last few years, under your leadership, your country has achieved tremendous economic development that has resulted in improvement of the people's living conditions. We congratulate you and sincerely hope that the Republic of Djibouti will achieve more successes," Xi said in the message on Monday. The Chinese president said China-Djibouti relations had entered a new phase to promote rapid development in all economic sectors. "Very committed to the traditional friendship between the two countries, China is ready to cooperate closely with Djibouti to take the bilateral relations to a higher level. I wish prosperity and well-being for the leadership and people of the Republic of Djibouti," the Chinese president said. http://www.mofa.gov.sa/sites/mofaen/ServicesAndInformation/news/statements/Pages/NewsArticleID95767.aspx King Sends Cable of Congratulations to Djibouti's President Last update on the page 6/27/2009 King Sends Cable of Congratulations to Djibouti's President Jeddah, June 26. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has sent a cable of congratulations to Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh on the anniversary of his country's National Day. In his own name and on behalf of the people and government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah wished the President permanent good health and happiness and his people steady progress and prosperity. President, VP congratulate Djibouti President on Independence Day (Wam) / 27 June 2013 The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has sent a congratulatory cable to Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of the Republic of Djibouti on the anniversary of his country’s independence. His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, sent a similar cable of congratulations to the President of Djibouti. HH the Emir Congratulates Djibouti President 2013.06.27 0059 General/ Qatar / H.H. the Emir Doha, June 27 (QNA) – HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has send a cable of congratulations to Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh on the occasion of his country’s national day. QNA 1337 GMT 2013/06/27 Hadi congratulates Djibouti Counterparts Monday 24 June 2013 President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Had on Monday sent congratulations cables to Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh on the occasion of the Djiboutian people’s celebrations on the National Day. Another cable was sent by President Hadi to his Croatian counterpart ,Ivo Josipović, on his country’s celebrations on the National Day. President Hadi also sent a cable of congratulations to President of Madagascar, Andry Nirina Rajoelina, on his country’s celebrations on the Independence Day.

Alpha Blondy;965101 wrote: Djibouti is only 14 years old than the SL Republic. caadi maha, ma istidhi? 27th of June is not about Somaliland, ma istidhi?

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Alpha Blondy;964946 wrote: i sent her an email. i think i might get her before inaadeero arafat ee don't watch that. Send me her mailadress inaar. I think I might be in love. XX, how did you know that?

Somalias goverment recently requested the US to pardon Ali Samater from facing justice. I expect Sh.Dahir Aweys to join the goverment just like Gen.Indhocade, Mahamed Dheere, General Morgan, Sheick Madobe, Sheick Shariif and all the other former criminals warlords, Shabaabi Sheicks, who still roam the corridors of goverment. Yaan been la isku sheegin, justice waxa la dhaho ma naqano.

Haatu;964330 wrote: You really don't know Carafaat do you? The guy was asking for directions to a brothel last time As for these protests, how can one provoke them? Sxb, I was clueless in that Arab land. Luckely Ngonge gave me directions. As for provoking an attack, I dont think they would ambush 18 year old excited kids.