Abu Salman, do you think Somalia should have the French system instead?

At Mogadishu's port, battered trucks without headlights and windscreens are piled with sacks and tyres, and parked beside a ship from the Comoros islands. Workers clamber on to crooked cabs to strap orange tarpaulins over the loads. The port is busy, says its deputy manager Ahmed Abdi Karie. Food, vehicles and construction materials are coming in, and leather and lemons are going out. "In the last five months, construction materials account for most [imports] after food," he said. Mogadishu is enjoying something of a boom after more than two decades of chaos following the fall of the dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Feuding warlords made the city their playground before the rise of the Islamist insurgents of al-Shabaab around 2006. Now, 10 months after the rebels were pushed out of the city by African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) forces, Mogadishu's residents are rebuilding lives shattered by years of war and last year's famine. "Mogadishu is open for business," said Kilian Kleinschmidt, the UN's deputy humanitarian co-ordinator. Somalis are returning from abroad to invest, shops are opening and the property market is booming. New buildings painted in cheerful pastels are rising out of the rubble, car washes service SUVs, and people are staying out late to shop, work or sit in cafes. But this is a tale of two cities. During last year's drought and famine, hundreds of thousands of people poured into Mogadishu. Around 200,000 still live in flimsy shelters on rubbish-strewn wastelands. More arrived last month when Amisom troops pushed out of Mogadishu and drove al-Shabaab from Afgoye, a riverside town around 20 miles away in a fertile region of banana plantations and orchards. Some of the estimated 400,000 people living rough by the side of the main road to Afgoye – many having fled earlier fighting in Mogadishu – came back to the camps in the city. Kleinschmidt says malnutrition and mortality rates in Mogadishu have fallen since last year's peaks, but are still unacceptably high. Rape and sexual violence are all too common in the camps. Mogadishu's most vulnerable are easy prey for freelance militias, whom Kleinschmidt describes as "gatekeepers and mafias". The city's mayor, Mohamed Ahmed Nur, is also concerned. "I have seen signs that militias want to carve the city into fiefdoms … these groups need an iron fist," Nur said. A strong, professional police force is key. Nur draws a distinction between these armed groups and the warlords, whom he describes as "irrelevant" now. "These people are freelance militias because they are not paid well … They are not strong." As attention turns to rebuilding Mogadishu, Kleinschmidt worries that the thousands of displaced may be left behind. "We are still at a critical emergency level in the centre of Mogadishu," he said. "We are trying to give people access to basic security standards and make sure they don't get left behind by the boom." As Amisom drives beyond Mogadishu, aid agencies are struggling to extend operations in a region where al-Shabaab still carries out suicide bombings and other deadly attacks. Security is a major problem. At the Zona K camp in Mogadishu, a crowd of women berated a visiting aid official. "You come and do nothing," the official muttered, quoting the women as he climbed back into the armoured carrier he had arrived in. Western aid organisations are also struggling to build relationships with new players from Muslim countries. Turkey is taking a lead in Somalia, building roads, clearing rubbish and operating hospitals, and winning international plaudits as it does so. At the Egyptian-run Zamzam hospital, doctor Ahmed Hassan from Cairo is eager to show visitors how staff treat complex fractures and deformities with the Ilizarov apparatus, a complex mesh of steel rings and wire. The hospital, which is funded by the Arab Medical Union, has a dozen doctors and sees around 1,020 patients a week. Nur wants to see more long-term foreign investment, not just aid, to deal with what he calls symptoms, like water-borne diseases. "It's a market. The NGOs are doing business and no one wants to phase out their business," he said, admitting that some sectors would need outside help. "I'm expecting the international community, particularly the UK and US, to invest in electricity, water and roads." Others say the most vulnerable are not yet able to survive without aid. The long rains have been below average, and although the UN says famine is unlikely, there is still the risk of food shortages. "The knock-on effect of poor rains or locust infestations, which we are seeing more of this year, will have an impact on displacement," said Justin Brady, head of the Somalia office for the UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs. As Amisom and its allies continue to pursue al-Shabaab into the south, there will also be more people on the move. It may be too early to talk about building resilience. "Resilience is an endurance test, and everyone's endurance is lower this year," said Brady. Across Somalia, around 2.5 million people still need aid, with 1.4 million displaced from their farms and homes. Despite the challenges, Nur is optimistic. "No country is as resilient as Somalia. It existed for 21 years without a government, courts or military, and it is still functioning," he said. "We can rise from the ashes. What we need is visionary leadership to take people out of this mess." A lot hinges on whether or not the weak, UN-backed transitional federal government, which is due to be replaced by a new administration by 20 August, can deliver credible change. While some analysts talk cautiously of a "tipping point" in the battle against al-Shabaab, there are fears those involved in the tortuous political process may be less than eager to change the status quo – a war economy that has been lucrative for some in Somalia. http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2012/jun/18/somali-mogadishu-vulnerable-progress#start-of-comments

^ Chimera, your C Ronaldo avatar suited you.

No surprise there from secessionists and stealth secessionists, the central government can't come quick enough!

Daddy cool!

Xaaji Xunjuf;842884 wrote: Moonlight i dont think so. You don't sound convincing!

Somalis should stay away from Salafi doctrine. These jihadist used to work for the CIA and should never be trusted. Just remember how they were cheering NATO bombing in Libya...it's all about political and power grab, I'm afraid, and not jihad in a classical sense.

No comments?

These Xalimos mean business and I like it.

Nice story brother Caraafat, I like your social skills . Were there any Tuaregs by any chance and are they related to us?

HOW TO HELP SOMALIA The president of Puntland State argues that to defeat the global threats of piracy, terrorism, and anarchy, the world needs to think locally. BY ABDIRAHMAN MOHAMED MOHAMUD FAROLE | JUNE 18, 2012 Recent headlines about al-Shabab terrorist bombings in Kenya and the disruption of Somali-originated terror plots in the Netherlands have served to reinforce the conventional view of Somalia as a war-torn country lacking a functioning government and infested with extremists and pirates -- the view also expressed by Foreign Policy's 2012 Failed States Index, which once again ranked it as the world's most unstable country. This view is not entirely wrong. But less widely understood is that several regions in Somalia -- particularly Puntland State -- have functioning governments that have taken concrete steps to address the threats of terrorism, political fragmentation, and piracy that plague the country as a whole. If the international community wants to get serious about helping Somalia -- and combating the internationally dangerous groups that take refuge here -- it must increase support for state governments, such as Puntland, and commit itself to a federalist Somalia. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/06/18/How_to_Help_Somalia

By JASON STRAZIUSO — Associated Press ELASHA BIYAHA, Somalia — Evil laughter pealed out of the mobile phone. Abshir Ali Mohamed, an al-Shabab defector now wearing a Somali military uniform, had asked his former commander to join him. The commander, an al-Shabab judge known for ordering amputations, said he would instead kill Mohamed. Somali military and government leaders say Mohamed's defection is an example of a trend growing in their favor, with the East African country's most notorious militant group losing manpower and ground. The 24-year-old former insurgent left al-Shabab less than two weeks ago and now wears a bright blue patch with a white star - the Somali flag - on the shoulder of his government uniform. "Al-Shabab is no longer. It's going to end soon," Mohamed said last week at freshly dug Ugandan-Somali military base on the outskirts of Mogadishu. The base was set up after African Union troops kicked militants out of the towns of Elasha Biyaha and Afgoye. "Al-Shabab is changing sides because of heavy losses. Those who still fight with them are running away in small groups. They've lost weapons. They've lost personnel," he continued. More are looking to flee, he said Somali government spokesman Abdirahman Omar Osman said Thursday that some 500 al-Shabab fighters have defected to the government side. Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/2012/06/15/3229951/militants-defecting-to-somali.html#storylink=cpy

A_Khadar;841918 wrote: Looks like Mahiga drops all of his allies one after the other. He dropped successionist lot including his staff lady, Faroole and now Shiriif.. I am waiting also when he drops the other Shiriif - "Sakiin".. And Finally, he he also gets dropped... Xalkiibaa sow dhow..

http://radiomuqdisho.net/daawo-sawirrada-duqda-muqdisho-oo-caawa-xariga-ka-jaray-leeyrar-ku-shaqeynaya-cadceeda/

Lol, I wont be surprised if the Uganda's AMISON contingent reaches Kismayu before the Kenyans, flushing Al shaabab from Merka and Barawa on their way.

^ Lol, enjoy the ceremony. I only see female graduates in the picture, where are the boys? are they languishing in America's prison–industrial complex, like most men of colour?

Arday Soomaliyeed oo ka qalinjabisey Jaamacada Washington ee Seattle dalka Mareykanka . http://www.hiiraan.com/news/2012/Jun/wararka_maanta12-18269.htm

AUN

We should never allow any of our cities to end up with slums like this one.

By SOLOMON MOORE NAIROBI—Kenya's prime minister said his country's forces are planning a "final onslaught" against the Somali port city of Kismayo, al-Shabab's main supply center and funding source, before Somalia's planned Aug. 20 presidential elections. "Without controlling Kismayo, it's very difficult to completely neutralize al-Shabab," said Prime Minister Raila Odinga at a news briefing in Nairobi Tuesday. The militant Islamist group supports itself by skimming profits from Somalia's second-busiest port. Mr. Odinga said that Kenya requested military support from the European Union and the U.S., but he added that financial assistance was the more likely option. Mr. Odinga said EU and U.S. officials made support contingent upon Kenya's willingness to join the Ugandan and Burundian-dominated African Union occupying force in Somalia known as Amisom, which Kenya did earlier this month. Kenyan troops entered southern Somalia in October to stem a series of kidnappings and killings along their common border that Kenya said threatened its security and vital tourism sector. Since Kenya's incursion, al-Shabab has been weakened by the combined efforts of Amisom, Ethiopian, Kenyan and provisional Somali troops, who have driven the guerrilla force out of Mogadishu and other major population centers. But Kenyan troops have been reluctant to take on Kismayo, a southern coastal city of more than 150,000 people, because of the potential for heavy casualties such an urban assault would entail. Mr. Odinga said he hoped that continuing development and stabilization efforts in Somalia would slow the tide of refugees into Kenya. "Somalis belong in Somalia," said Mr. Odinga, who estimated that one million Somali refugees reside in Kenya. He outlined a plan to build new camps inside Somalia so that refugees could be persuaded to return to their country and internally displaced Somalis could receive support closer to their homes. A series of terror attacks this year, along with the country's economic woes, have hardened Kenyans' stance toward Somali immigrants, whose communities are frequently targeted by law enforcement crackdowns in Kenya. Mr. Raila said that Kenya's economic prospects remained patchy. Kenya may benefit from new oil discoveries in the northern Turkana region and a series of infrastructure projects including an oil pipeline from South Sudan and Ethiopia, new dams, railways and a seaport upgrading projects. But the economic crisis in Europe, Kenya's main trading partner, will continue to weigh on the national economy, Mr. Raila said. The prime minister also identified climate change as a continuing threat to Kenya's traditional pastoral livelihoods. Mr. Raila projected the country's economic growth will range between 3.5% and 5.5% this year, still short of Kenya's growth before the 2008 global economic meltdown and a presidential election crisis resulted in widespread violence. Mr. Raila, a leading candidate in Kenya's upcoming presidential elections next May, said he was glad that the International Criminal Court based at the Hague has scheduled trials for politicians accused of fomenting political violence in 2007 and 2008 until after the next poll. Mr. Raila expressed hope that Kenya's new constitution and judicial reforms would prevent another bout of violence by aggrieved political parties. But Mr. Raila said poverty remains "the biggest political risk in Kenya." "The gap between the haves and have-nots, that to me poses a potential for serious conflict in our country," he said. "It's like a time bomb." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303444204577462450559659324.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

DAAWO SAWIRRADA:-Madaxweynaha Jamhuuriyadda Oo Habeenkii Labaad Ku Hooyanaya Afgooye Iyo Munaasabad Uu Ka Qeybgalay http://radiomuqdisho.net/daawo-sawirrada-madaxweynaha-jamhuuriyadda-oo-habeenkii-labaad-ku-hooyanaya-afgooye-iyo-munaasabad-uu-ka-qeybgalay/ P.s Must be pleased with Bashir Goth endorsement too.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/slideshow/idUKBRE85A07120120611#a=1 [slide] Reuters) - Training in a bullet-riddled stadium where the remains of a rocket propelled grenade lies discarded on the track's edge counts as progress for Somali Olympic hopeful Mohamed Hassan Mohamed. A year ago, Mogadishu's Konis stadium was a base for Islamist militants and a work out meant at times running through the streets, dodging gun-fire and mortar shells in one of the world's most dangerous cities. "It's easier for us to train now," said Mohamed. It is a staggering understatement from the 22-year-old, one of four Somali athletes vying for the two slots guaranteed for Somalia at the London games. For 20 years the capital's rutted roads were the frontline in running battles between feuding warlords and later Islamist insurgents fighting to overthrow a government propped up by foreign forces and cash. The Konis stadium served as an al Shabaab rebel training camp until the al Qaeda-linked combatants fled the capital in August last year. Bullet holes pepper the stadium's concrete stands, which lie in mounds of rubble in places. Progress, however, is relative. Somalia's Olympic bid is run on a shoestring. There are no dedicated personal trainers, physiotherapists or nutritionists. "Our facilities are poor. We don't have a modern training camp or a modern gym. We should replace our running shoes frequently. Instead, we wash them," said Mohamed. OLYMPIC CHIEF KILLED For now, the 1,500 metre specialist trains in relative safety, unless the security forces block off the surrounding area in advance of a government delegation on the move, forcing the athletes back onto the streets. That means competing for space with patrolling armoured troop carriers, donkey carts and mountainous piles of garbage. Roadside bombs have become a growing danger. In April, a suicide bomber blew herself up at a ceremony in the city's national theatre, killing the popular head of Somalia's Olympic committee and at least five others. "The theatre blast was a painful incident. It was a shocking day," Mohamed said. Somalia has never won a medal at the Olympic games. Its best performance was in 1996 when its most renowned athlete, Abdi Bile, took sixth place in the 1,500 metres in Atlanta. At the time, militia fighters in the lawless capital dubbed their machine gun-mounted pickup trucks "Abdi Biles" in a typically Somali mark of respect for the runner's power and speed. Somalia is not expected to announce the names of the two athletes who will compete in London until later this month. Unveiling their identities earlier might endanger their lives in a country plagued by kidnappings and targeted killings. RUN UNTIL YOU DROP Rarely able to travel to international meets, no Somali athlete qualified for the London Games. outright. Each national Olympic committee is eligible for two guaranteed places - one for a man, one for a woman - in athletics. "Pump your arms. Pump your arms with power," urged the Somali team coach, Ahmed Ali Abukar, armed with nothing more than a stopwatch. "Don't slow up. Keep going until you drop," he yelled as sweat gleamed on Mohamed's sinewy body. Abukar earns a salary of just $150 a month. That comes out of a $2,000 per month pot from the Somali Olympic Committee (SOC) that pays for the four athletes' accommodation in a renovated school classroom, their food and transport costs. Kadija Dahir, president of the Somali Athletics Federation, said a request to the SOC for a further $3,500 a month to fund the training of two athletes failed. "We need money to produce quality athletes," Dahir said. "With that money we wanted to do high altitude training in Ethiopia and buy better clothing and trainers." Zamzam Mohamud Farah kneels towards Mecca and prays before taking to the hard-packed dirt track in a pair of heavy trainers, baggy tracksuit bottoms and an orange bandana. One of two women competing for a wildcard entry, she puts her personal best at around 58 seconds in the 400 metres. The Women's world record stands at 47.60, a gaping difference that leaves her unlikely to contest a podium finish. In a fractured country fighting to end 20 years of civil conflict, a medal, though, is hardly the point. "I would not be going there to win, but for pride," Farah said. "I would be representing my flag, my soil and its people." http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/06/11/uk-oly-somalia-hopes-idUKBRE85A07120120611

Ernestine Shepherd: The 75-year-old bodybuilding grandma http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18346128

^ Tell him saxib!

Lol, at this failed script from Puntland.