Whichever way you look at it, this is a good progress.

And FYI. All Somali states use projected budgets, and not income-based budgetary methods. Puntland’s 2017 budget was $160 million whereas Somaliland’s was $362 million (in reality, these numbers do not represent the actual picture). Again, both are projected where half of the expected income comes from external sources incl. world bank and other foreign sources, and neither is based upon actual intake in the form of taxes, revenues from manufacturing, export / import tariffs to balance trade deficit, or other forms of local revenues. In fact, if you study closely their local ttax revenues, you will notice, it is minute in comparison. And almost 75% of the budget (this has been changing over the years) goes towards salary with not earmarked for basic public services including health and education. Forget about infrastructure or economic development projects neither of which they can afford nor even contemplate. The same applies to the federal government where 2-thirds of its annual budget comes from external sources.

This is good data probably new to those unfamiliar or have not travelled through Somali regions or administrations over the year, but in reality this has been the case for many years. for example, there is a larger middle class concentration in NorthEast than Northwest and the rest of the country whereas in NorthWest, as Salax pointed out, wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few. More troubling however are: access to improved source of water, and education in the regions. "In line with other relevant non-monetary indicators, such as education and employment, households living in North East show a relatively low degree of inequality in access to an improved source of water between urban and rural areas. Indeed, more than seven in ten people living in urban households of North East have access to an improved source of water, against about 5 in ten in rural areas; a stark contrast to the North West region, where only 52 percent of urban dwellers and 9 percent of people living in rural households report access to an improved source of water (Figure 2.23). " This means only 50% of nomads in NE have access to water whereas only 9% in NW have access to water. this has to be a national priority after which education comes.

Galbeedi, Do not fall prey to the notion Al-shabaab is ideologically shallow. they are not and if anything, theirs is the antithesis of that, if any. Like other groups of similar ideologies before it, its the indoctrination of the fearless fowl which is attractive, and thereby bearing plum prunes. This video is heartbreaking, if very telling. And according to the Attorney General, kids will be rehabilitated and repatriated. http://puntlandone.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Xeer-Ilaaliyaha-G-ee-PL-.mp3 This could be a turning point for the battle against Al-shabaab in the deep south, and a lesson for the IC. a) An only native national Somali army could stabilise, disarm, and secure the country. b) An only genuine grassroots leadership, and not the astroturf refuse holed up in Villa Xamar now, could bring about political stability. Neither exists in Somalia and its financiers are out of step, and by extension, there is no shining star on the horizon for either in the immediate. And let us not forget the dead are sons of Somalia.

This does not make any sense. it is suicide if nothing else. why would al-shabaab fighters go to an area where they have zero support? Plus Puntland forces are much more organised, disciplined and hardened than their dacas-donning counterparts elsewhere in the south. why risk it? There is more to it that meets the mind.

The idea of creating a unified, apolitical national army is well past its due date, but the dimwits in Xamar have neither the wisdom nor the will required to establish one. Theirs is just braggadocio with naught substance. The gentleman titled as the Abaanduule was uncertain as to what to call Puntland armed forces - I was surprised he remembered 54 - where the Minister of misinformation drew a distinction between the national army and Puntland armed forces. go figure.

It is a human tragedy. Tears in the mother's eyes and the pain on the father's face speak to the horrific nature of the mob killing. It is very disturbing to say the least and similar occurrences are found in Asian cultures including India, Pakistan etc where honour killings, or dishonour as in this case, are common practices with its roots in ancient traditions preceding Islam. It has nothing to do with Islam, and its practitioners include Muslims, Hindu, Pagans etc. But your average maan-gaab would not know that.

<cite> @xabad said:</cite> ...but fiscally <b>they are socialists, not even liberal.</b> How many times have i been regaled by the glorious Welfare state instituted by khalif Umar. Trouble is when one claims to be Somali by virtue of heredity, and knows little to naught, yet postulates his observations solely on generation 'Bide dhal', then we have a problem. Nomads are traditionally libertarian, and not egaliterian, where self-sufficiency and autonomy are deep in their fabric. reliancy on the State is a new advent and perhaps more popular with their offspring in the West, and therefore conventionally, Somalis are the antithesis of your description. I share Galbeedi observations on immigrant and refugee communities. And to add, just visit Minneapolis or London, and you will see how Somalis are almost self-sufficient unlike other recent immigrant communities where they strive to provide services from A-Z unless inhibited by lack of investment capital (major) or unfamiliar legal framework or bureaucratic systems.

fair point and good humour. the operative term was 'predominantly';--) See what you did there, appealing to my deeper compassion & charitable senses with the 'walaal' spin. good man.

Another miss there. pragmatism was the operative term. There is already Affordable Care Act in place which provides free heath care, and because of it I now pay more in heath care than i did without it but i am ok with 40 million Americans having coverage if it means for top earners to pay a little more. As for free education, even socialist Europe could not support that. and why not invest in your future. Last time I checked Somalis were predominantly conservative. Or are the principles confusing you?

<cite> @somalee said:</cite> Really? Which of Bernie's policies do you not agree with? You missed the kernel of the post. the operative term was ‘naive’, but you instead opted for the popular soundbite common on talk radio. Shall i start with his being a stern pro-Israel, pro lgbt, pro-choice? dare i continue. And i am not fooled by the boogie man at Wall street. Did i mention he is well past retirement age at 74. Is his signature policy 'free education for all' even feasible? America is not Europe or Canada, and i doubt a self-proclaimed socialist stands a chance. his popularity reflects jitters felt by Dems with Hilary’s past. even 8 years of Obama have not softened up its capitalist leanings. if anything, more than ever, America is now leaning to the far right. check Cruz’s popularity in rural America - and i am not discounting urban America. Political pragmatism is needed. promises are just promises. recall Obama in 2008. how did the 'hope and change' work out? Worse outcome: Cruz at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. I am afraid the astroturf support for Bernie at unis will dissipate or end in tears. We are still waiting for Jaza to deliver. has he? How he managed to claim 84% of 19-34 aga group in Iowas is beyond me.

Do not touch, arrest or hunt him. he is a gang wannabe. just palm him off. there is a reason for fringe benefits in political convenience.

This is the right direction. No nation ever progressed farther without sound industrial and engineering sectors. Vocational training from the medical field and technical expertise to architectural and civil engineering to political technocrats and civic society organisations etc., are badly needed to advance. People who cannot install bathroom glass doors, as i witnessed, have no hope in hell in the now. I would ban all pseudo unis and with it its naming convention, and in their stead create polytechnics.

Good for the Iowans to put a stop to Trump's gravy nonsense. Barring naive idealism popular at uni campuses, I do not see Bernie's appeal, but to his credit, he sure made Hillary think twice about her chances.

<cite> @xabad said:</cite> People don't like self criticism iyo runta. That is a classic case of cognitive dissonance. i challenge you to visit one of the poor, white neighbourhoods in the US or any other European countries and describe the features of the people you see in those neighbourhoods. Poverty, deprivation and impoverishment destroy the fabric of any society or community, but to recognise that one needs one's fully functioning faculties.

<cite> @xabad said:</cite> Edited Wow, self-hating knows no boundaries. I think you are referring to your family ‘cos i do not recognise the descriptions you have given about Somalis. Science tells us half breeds are always failures especially when the genetic distances between the parents are great, which is true for Somalis Science, eh? so now you have flown to such heights to belie science in straight face. pray, do tell which science.

So if I go by your non-scientific estimations, *xajis folks quadrupled since 40s where *sangelis ? Mathematically it does not add up, does it? Could I ask how you came to the 114thou figure? Head count or phantom alchemy akin to home-grown generous pickings? For your info *sangelis are strong as ever and have grown in number and stature, but are more concentrated in Bossaso for the time being and the tide will turn sooner or later. Children of Sultan M. A. Shire are well alive and awaiting. Keep counting by the way, bu do spare a thought for the folks on the other side who are keeping their own record keeping and when the time comes to count, compare and contrast, confoundedness awaits your mal-coiffed membrana. I am always astounded as to the claim: bigger land does not mean larger population. shockingly non-Einsteinian. It is as if of all of a sudden I am transported to a Cheyenne barn in the 17th hundred.

So if I was born in the city I am not a citizen, yet the fools brought up in the North America and western Europe, as the case is of minister Caddaani, could tell its native sons and daughters to move out. some inverted logic.

lovely city. pictures taken with cheap smartphones by amateurs and video feeds of low resolution hardly do her justice.

Libaax*, Your note speaks to the perpetual tragedy of the city, and rightly so, and it will recover, but your notes death knell was the throw-in of the manufactured "terrorism" injection, as tainted by the neocons and now invokes sinister substance. i would rather it is called senseless killings of the innocent and the vulnerable. unbeknownst to you, you might have been influenced by pomposity of the far-right news cycle as you casually, if innocently borrow from their daily sound bites.

<cite> @Saalax said:</cite> Ceerigaabo ... belongs to those who liberated it from the clutches of dictator Siad Bare.Other groups are not entirely innocent since they attempted to displace the dominate group there historically (the big beards) with the help of Siad Bare but it backfired. This is the problem with Somalis. this young man now wants to convince us people who reside in three districts and a half of the Sanaag region are a minority whereas those who reside not even in a single district are the majority. when did *xajis become the majority in Sanaag? they are only found in some neighbourhoods in Ceerigaabo. cakuye caqli daanyeer. Ceerigaabo, a shared city divided along clan lines by the long road which runs in the middle of this old once cosmopolitan city. Solely *Sangeli districts: 1) Badhan, 2) Dhahar & 3) Las Qorey. Ceel Afweyn is the only wholly Somaliland district, yet the yarn goes on: we own it all. And for clarity, Ceel Afweyn is *jeclo district which mathematically means *xajis are only found in some neighbourhoods in Ceerigaabo and not even qualify for the minority label.

Galbeedi, To give credit where due, Xabad halted the charge when i set light on the intent of my original note for which he must be commended. I too admired the late Said Sh. Samatar's writings. he was of a rare pedigree. Thanks for the compliments. I am afraid in between tasks i post the odd comments on this forum and hardly pay due attention to what i post half the time. i must say typing on a smartphone is a pain. like you i am in the engineering field and was a prolific writer once upon a time. these days i am more at home with the joists and beams, colouring and caulking, grout and tiles when not cajoling ill-fitted ducts in tight steads. And by the way, i write much better in Somali, but hardly know of an audience for whom to write and lull. O’ well, perhaps in another circa. thanks again. By all means, please write and publish, but before you commit pen to paper: seek wisdom, then and only then, shall you stock up enough gen to brew and percolate.

That is true, which is why we must be gentle and hospitable to the few who venture out of their comfort zone. not every one can withstand or is acquainted with the Somali humour: a deadly does of pinching and irritation.

<cite> @Saalax said:</cite> Somalilanders unlike southerners don't deny there is problems, that is the difference between the two sides. Really? good luck with that.

I actually threw you a life-line but you missed it. you were prancing all over as if there is no tomorrow. anyway if you feel wronged or thrown under the bus, xaal qaado. i will ignore the the last line.