Democracy in the way Somaliland is attempting to do it is doomed to failure. You can't have a multiparty system if the difference between is not ideological but just a mask to a clan congregation. Somaliland would be better off going back to their old traditions and electing a council that is representative of the people, and to let those council members choose the best qualified to run things. Western democracy is not a panacea to the ills of Somaliland and can't mask the problems they are facing.

A very beautiful building, and extremely huge for such an insignificant country like Somalia (as it currently stands), I still wonder why Turkey is so interested in Somalia. Am I missing something?

What a shame. I'm a second generation Somali exile, so I don't have the connections to go back and rebuild and the longer it takes for Somalia to be safe for educated people like me ( Chemical Eng. (2nd class power eng)) the less I'm incentivized to do so. This guy went back and he is selfless enough to try to build a future there and thugs just kill him in cold blood. Is anybody there trying to do something to stop it? I find it incredible that nobody recognized the shooters.

There has been a string of bad news for Somaliland and now some of their politicians want to add the blue and white star in the flag.That's like "Oh, we want to secede but we want to put this as a reminder". Somalilanders should get rid of those old folks and elect some young technocrats, although I find young people are even more fanatic about secession.

I'm really happy for Mogadishu, it has the potential to be the trading hub for east Africa. In few more years I don't think anybody will recognizer it if the security situation keeps improving.

Why is it wrong for a federal state president to attend a meeting that involves federal states? It's funny that two people at the opposite end of the spectrum are the only individuals who see anything wrong about this meeting. They should make it an annual or a biannual affair, and hopefully soon we will see a huge federal state in central Somalia. It was really great seeing them together to remind us that we are not adversaries but one people.

That group might be corrupt and incompetent, but they advanced the federalism train more than I thought was possible, It's as if their fumbling and resistance made the impossible possible. Jubaaland and South West State are now a reality and maybe something will happen in the center of the country. I'm tired of this constant infighting between the President and the PM. Hopefully the new PM can do his job and sway that group for the betterment of the country.

CidaanSultan, Why don't you calm down a little bit, you can present your points without resorting to insults. To my surprise I actually agree with you on some points, though comparing other Somalis to monkeys is taking it too far ( don't forget that there was similar behaviour in Somaliland's Parliament). Yes, all this constitution posturing and ministerial shuffling has clannish roots, it's also true that the government doesn't see to care about its people as much as stealing money that was supposed to help them. This infighting is a big setback, but it might be a golden opportunity. Any notion of a central control of Somalia is out of the window now, this president is compromising everything he stands for just to score some cheap points against the prime minister. Bribing the parliament was a stroke of genius (just kidding), the world sees now that they can't depend on some corrupt officials in Mogadishu, the road to federalism is cemented and the power of the president, pm and parliament will be enormously reduced.

Looks like a great project, I wish them luck.

Since he became the prime minister I noticed improvement in many issues, I didn't hear of any corruption scandals regarding him, so what is this motion about? Is it only about the shuffling of the ministerial posts? Are the president and the parliament that silly that they will fire a PM after one year over this? This solidifies my wish for a completely autonomous federal system, a government based in Mogadishu is a complete failure.

Unfortunately this Abdi Johnson person is known for making stuff up in the other forum that shall not be named.

News24 -Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by the Islamist militant group al-Shabaab, say military officials and an al-Shabaab commander. The al-Qaeda-linked militants on Saturday launched a mortar attack at the president's plane as it was trying to land at the airport of the southern town of Barawe, military officials said. None of the artillery hit the target. The plane was carrying Mohamud as well as several ministers. The delegation planned to visit Barawe after the army recently recaptured the town from al-Shabaab. The militants claimed responsibility for the attack shortly thereafter. Al-Shabaab, which wants to establish an Islamic state in Somalia, has killed dozens of government officials this year.

Somaliland needs a young and pragmatic leader, it is really shocking how things have fallen apart in the last year. A ruined reputation and dwindling influence. Somaliland needs to rethink all its policies, their self imposed isolation was one of the most idiotic blunders in recent memory, and their antagonistic stance towards the SFG and Puntland shows how immature they are in diplomacy. There is also too much tension inside Somaliland, news coming out of there show that they are not that different than chaotic Somalia.

Looks great,It's nice to see Mogadishu get safer and its infrastructure improve.

I don't know what's worse, the drug dealer getting a diplomatic passport or the the ridiculous letter they sent to the ministry. Who am I kidding, this is only the tip of the iceberg and as foreigners find it safer to go to Somalia new kinds of problems will rise.

Why are they letting those terrorist go so easily? They should pay for their crimes and their treason. I expect them to go back to their old ways whenever they get the chance.

The guy has a death wish. I really don't get this "abu" stuff and the adoption of Arabic naming traditions, It's foreign and immediately brands the group as subservient to bigger terrorist groups and astroturfed (sponsored by Qatar and KSA). Anyway, If he continue on the same path as the previous idiot then he will keep losing territory and killing his lieutenants.

I have to agree, this was not a good year for Somaliland and their quest for independence. Their democracy is taking a step backwards and press freedom was curtailed significantly. They are more aggressive militarily and seem to produce an inordinate number of misguided youth who execute attacks on neighbouring regions. Their foreign policy is more confrontational and their relationship with other countries and the IC is deteriorating, but no one can deny that Hargeisa is doing well (though other regions have nothing to show).

reuters An air strike by U.S. military forces struck an area where leaders of Somalia's al Qaeda-linked militants were meeting, intelligence sources said on Tuesday, but it was unclear whether any insurgent commanders were killed. The strike prompted rumors among Somali government officials that it had targeted al Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane and other leaders who were suspected to have been at the location, but there was no confirmation they were hit. If he were killed, it would be a major victory against the group. Since taking charge in 2008, Godane has restyled the group as a global player in the al Qaeda franchise - a transformation that was highlighted when it killed at least 67 people in an attack on a Kenyan shopping mall in September. The militants have also staged guerrilla attacks in parts of the capital, as well as in neighboring Kenya and Uganda. Godane's close associate, Ahmed Mohamed Amey, was killed by a U.S. air strike in January. After the Westgate assault, Navy SEALS stormed ashore into the al Shabaab stronghold of Barawe, where a regional official said the air strike was launched against, but failed to capture or kill their target. The U.S. Department of Defense said late on Monday that its forces had carried out the operation against al Shabaab and would provide more information "when appropriate". The Somali government and al Shabaab officials could not be immediately reached for comment. "There was an air strike at a base where senior members of al Shabaab had a meeting last night," a senior intelligence official who gave his name as Ahmed told Reuters on Tuesday. "So far Godane's death is a strong rumor that may or may not turn to be true. What we know is that the militants were bombarded. However, it is difficult to know how many of them or who particularly died," he added. Abdiqadir Mohamed Sidii, governor of Lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia, where the strike occurred, some 245 km (150 miles) southwest of the capital Mogadishu, said he believed Godane and other senior al Shabaab members had been killed. "We understand a U.S. drone killed Ahmed Abdi Godane and other seven senior members last night near Hawaay area around Barawe town," Sidii told Reuters by phone. Sidii did not say how he got the information on the attack, given the location is in an area still under al Shabaab control. Residents in Haaway said they heard loud explosions late on Monday in an area they described as a densely forested. Al Shabaab, which aims to impose its own strict version of Islam, controlled Mogadishu and the southern region of Somalia from 2006 to 2011. It was forced out of the capital by peacekeeping forces deployed by the African Union. African Union forces launched a new offensive this year to drive the Islamists out of towns and other areas they still control, in response to a surge in gun and bomb attacks in Mogadishu by the militants whose fighters have targeted legislators and the presidential palace.

<cite> @Che -Guevara said:</cite> Please let's not politicize this very unfortunate events. Allah ha u naxariisto. +1, this should not be a political post. The situation in Somalia is so dire that weak willed people take their lives since they don't see a future for themselves.

<cite> @Libaax-Sankataabte said:</cite> Somalia would probably get better if folks such as Ahmed Diiriye were sidelined. Odaynimo should only be earned through wisdom, good judgement, fairness and a good character. In Somali politics the louder and more obstinate you are the greater the reward.

I really wish Somalis focus on their country, Somalis are in a much worse shape than Palestinians. I can only imagine the barrage of posts from Dr_Osman and Xaaji if their cities looked half as good. Not to mention the amount of aid these guys receive. Focus on your issues first before trying to fix an international problem.

Yoniz, if Central state was a functioning federal state since 1998 and suddenly a nascent federal government said that they have to give up a crucial block of their region to a fractious region divided by militias and multiple self declared states in Puntland then you'll get the same outrage. It doesn't make any sense, and to add more to the confusion the people in that region are contradicting everything the SFG is saying. It's clear that the SFG is not serious when they try to form any new federal state and they are doing it in the most haphazard manner that you can't help but think that they want it to fail.

I think we are starting to see the folly of arbitrarily establishing the rule that a former province can't be divided to establish a federal state, the south is too complex to divvy up based on that. South West state for example shouldn't take all of Lower Shabeele and it's ludicrous to take Mudug from an established federal state that preceded the formation of the federal government and give it to something that is only on paper. Central state doesn't exist yet and the people there are too fractious to agree on anything, there are too many factions and they all want to be on top, and Puntland has the right to look at this as a direct attack and an attempt to cause friction in the region. I don't know what the SFG is doing but they seem to do everything in their power to make things worse.

People who kept insisting that the people surrounding this president want to prolong the conflict and suck the blood of the people of Somalia (and the money of course) are proven right.