Also, his audacity to change the constitution for one British crook is outrageous. Ninkan Khayre Dharbaaxo fiican ayuu u baahan yahay. I did talk to an IT expert who is working with the bank to connect with the international Swift system and he told me that almost everyone is outraged by this move from the Somali leadership. Also, as usual we hear the propaganda that Farmaajo doesn't know this and he and Khayre has problems regarding this issue. THat is fake. An issue this big usually comes directly from the president, and the governor of the bank is appointed by the president. Then again Mr. Khayre might have bigger plans to take over the whole thing from the reclusive president.

What this Khayre guy is cooking? This has no business in central bank. First of all, he e hasn't worked in any bank, and he is not an economist who has any experience about monetary policy or banking in general. Of course he got a degree in Agricultural economy in order get a job within NGO's and others. Second, he was fired before by the world bank. Third he was a member of the fake Som Oil company created by former members of British conservative party who will be crushed in the Brexit deal this coming Tuesday. Finally, he is not A Somali citizen. We know the treacherous Brits are putting their foot down on the neck of " Nabad iyo Nolol" but that doesn't mean they have to give the shop away. There are many qualified Somalis who have extensive international banking and fiancé management experience. If you want to hire a foreigner, at least get one of those There are world renown currency experts This must not be allowed.

Why not invade Afgooye and Balcad instead of one thousand kilometer Kismaayo. Cajiib.

We all want to pursue this road. all the money from other candidates must be returned. This might apply for the incoming 2021 contest in Somalia. These MPs must be exposed and their names published. Further more, a special government presenter could investigate and laid charges. C/weli should appoint an investigator and arrest Faroole the crook. It is easy to find. Check the Hawala banks and other. You can't have a nations where milliuons change hand without the banks and institutions reporting. This Puntland election might be a place to start for a larger reform in Somalia. We need to trace the Saudi, UAe and Qatar money once and for all.

You right brother. I should have probably framed differently that the deep state is led by the elite and the elders not the larger public which has more power than anyone else. When Faroole tried to extend his term by calling political parties for the last minute he was stopped by the deep state, just as they told Gaas manage the elections and do not try anything disturbing the peace. The best way to remove these things is by starting municipal elections and electing governors in order to limit the power of this big fish jumping in and out iof this small pound. The budget of Puntland can't sustain these huge entourage and bureaucracy that is surrounded the leader. The Faroole Family are becoming not only a joke but a mafia Don that is constantly there. The man was defeated five years ago, yet couldn't disappear behind the curtain and being honorable former president. He couldn't get over of losing that election. He is behind the microphone weekly criticizing C/weli while trying to manage other campaigns. Real local reforms must start now , not after four years or just before the election. Strengthen the local authority to manage and develop them the locally.

After four years that will be the barometer Somalis will judge on this government. C/weli has done more projects than any other leader in Puntland, yet he didn't make major reforms in terms of institutions and government. He had over fifty minister just like the 70 in Mogadishu in order to satisfy the special interest groups. We said it was better to reform the system and allow people and especial interest groups to hate you , but achieve something and become one term president. despite what me may thing the locals, they are clever. They will eventually push you to the sewage and once you enter, " Waxay ku dhihi ka dabaalo" Nothing will matter unless you leave the fortified compound guarded by Amisom and travel to Balcad and Marka freely. I do not for see any changes at the moment. On the other hand, I do not believe that Ahmed Madoobe is the same case as others. In Puntland and South West there was elections by the people and those leaders were elected by the people without the barrel of the gun. This Madoobe guy came in with the Kenyan tank and personally forced everyone to say, Yes. He picked himself the fake parliament of Jubbaland. If there is any chance of fairness he must allow to seat a new parliament that is picked by the elders without gun in their head. Che, Why are you saying just like Puntland and S.West another Madoobe clan group should be the leader. Remind you that they are not the only one that could lead. A Gedo man , A Water maal man or anyone from other clans can become a president. Waxay rabaan in ay nagu sharciyeeyaan Reer hebel ayuunbaa halkaa hogaamin. Guys this not Puntland, it is as diverse as you can get. I do believe that Madoobe will leave when the Kenyans leave.

Daahireeto, Worse of all they are celebrating for staging this auction of the highest paid horse. They could have increased the pool of the electoral voters by adding women, youth, business community and civil society. They could have convened a larger caucus that has up 400-500 people to increase diversity and make it difficult to buy everyone. It is a shame they doing the same thing since 1998, and just like Somali politics the new guy ridding the white horse presenting himself as savior . I do not expect any thing to change. The two good men of the contest Cali Ciise and Farah Shire had no chance. Jug meeshaada Joog. At least the Puntland public is patient and civilized which is why they do not get emotional or worked up whom ever comes in. For them , this political contest that should not disturb the public since the larger public is the deep state.

Ah, what a nice propaganda for Mr. Deni. He might be a businessman but the money involved isn't his money. Puntlanders told me that both UAE and Qatar were both actively involved in this campaign. The Eremites trad first to back C/weli Gaas , but decided to change strategy due to his unpopularity and by breaking some earlier promises he made with them which mainly involved about sidelining the federal government, Since the contest was leaning toward Reer Bari, The UAE decided to back the young general Dayaano who is tough on Al-shabaab and security issues. Then Qatar came aboard and backed Saciid Dani. This idea of Eremites backing Dani is a side show. The richest men in this contest are members of Puntland parliament. Reports say that some candidates paid up $75,000 while Mr. Dani was alleged to have paid as high as $95,000. THere are credible reports that state Mr. Jebiye from Minnesota has demanded a refund and up to 17 members have returned the money. I do not know how this works but a former member of the Somali parliament told me that usually the money is paid up front and it is up the individual to vote as he wishes which means they might take your money and vote later to whom ever they are comfortable with. I always thought that there might have been some mechanism that pays them after they voted for the man who paid them. Folks if former scenario is correct and the person could vote his conscience even after getting paid, then there is a hope. Yet, Puntland can't continue to rely 66 men who becomes rich after every election. After 20 years the time has come to allow people to vote just like Somaliland or this shenanigans will continue.

Brother, The Dir has huge settlements even within OG district. I do not think it is even fair to compare the huge D.r with one sub clan if the D block. The D.r are stretched from Mooyaale to Liiban and Webi Ganaane all the way to Diredhabe. From Jigjiga to Wajaale and all the way to the Afar and Djibouti border. Even Dhagaxbuur is mixed with others. The Oromo who live inside Somali Kilil will have to vote regardless of whom they support. The best solution will be proportional representation. The number of votes you get will correspond how many seats you get. Or the president will be elected by the people directly. There will not be a free lunch anymore.

Suldaanka, Whywould Somaliland prefer this guy?

Agree. Damujadiid boys are preparing for the next contest. A local freind told last week Cali Ciise will not even get five votes. He said, you cannot just come in two weeks before the elections and contest. his own Garaad guys didn’t even vote for him.

Dhagax Tuur , You hit the nail on the head. It took me for a while to add two and two, Certainly the mighty British has not only fallen but they exposed themselves to be weak and treacherous. Somaliland needs help in water, Irrigation, Highways and infrastructure, hospitals and more, yet this guy is talking about army or security. Have you ever seen anything built by the British in Somalia? No. THe British doesn't build things anymore. No wonder the Chinese are taking over Africa and the world, because the leading western nations had got nothing to contribute than treachery and mischief. This kind of moves prove my argument that nations must make tough decisions to gain their sovereignty, and each hurdle must be difficult than the earlier one. For ten years they had mesmerized us about their useless London conferences of donors that produced nothing. They kept sending us Englishmen through the UN to keep down Somalia in their pocket . THey changed their colors and sent us another English man by way of South Africa. Last week they tried to condemn Somalia through the UN security counsel, but the Chinese opposed and stopped that resolution. What do these Brits went from us? aren't they done enough mischief in 1954, 1963 and 1960. Weli miyey na daba socdaan. Somaliland might need help but the people of Somaliland do not appreciate to be used as bargaining chip for your diabolical moves. If I were the Somali foreign minister, I would call their ambassador and dress him down. Maybe kick him out of the country and look tough on the world stage.

You right . We do not need to discuss Somali tribe numbers even though there was a census taken by the federal government. The contentious issue will be the Degmo-Degmo thing you mentioned. Most Somalis will not accept the so called Degmo Cabdi Illey and others had formed. We know that an empty village resided by Cabdi Illey aunt was named district while towns with tens of thousands are called " Qabale" or zones. While I was in Jigjiga that issue was been debated and had not been resolved. My friend , why not let those who have the largest vote counts win the election farly and squarely. Also, I hope our OG friends should realize that losing power isn't the end of the world. It seems they can't live or survive without the power.

Cadnaan, I agree. It was dam shame from my part for not checking Mogadishu and " Nolol iyo Nabad" boys. While I was in Kampala , few people I knew had been wounded and killed close to the Villa-Somalia gate including journalist Cawil and an Awdalite who works for an NGO. My family vehemently opposed me traveling to that place. OO, it is nice to hear from you. I did mention little bit of the elephant in the room. You are correct about the Amhara and Guraage. I aslo belive that within four or eight years Abiy will eliminate the ethnic federation of Ethiopia. Every major ethnic region has a sizable minority that is denied their rights to represent from that region. there tens of millions of Amhara in Oromia, and you can't expel or relocate that many people. Even the Somali region without the federal intervention and supervision, it would have been a chaos place to live let alone visit.Every region of Ethiopia has progressed in many sectors except the Somali region which created tens of thousands of people who want to earn things without working hard. In Jigjiga every essential job is done by non Somalis. OLF will be crushed if they do not form a political party or join others. The Oromo will be only free but will be running the country. They do not need OLF or any gun welding mobs that are terrorizing people in many places. They will dealt harshly. Abiy has to put dow his foot and give tough love the trouble makers. Jawar Mohamed is looking for the long term not the leadership of the next four years. OO , give me some time , I will tell you more about Jigjiga and more.

Saaxiib, The ONLF had to contest the election like anybody else in Ethiopia. Reer Hebel baanu nahay will not serve this time. They do not have the math to win. Sool, Sanaag, Nugaal and Galgaduud have the same population of Shabeelaha Hoose. Empty land doesn't constitute population density. Diredhaba has more people than the whole OG country side. I did go to Uganda for a different reason.

Folks, there could be huge surprises in this Puntland election. Here is the latest from Garoowe. 1- Cali Ciise might be getting a lot of media attention, but Puntland insiders say that this guy is outsider. He never been to Puntland until now. People say that if he was a serious candidate he should have visited the land and gage the political landscape. Furthermore, he has zero support from Reer Bari who hate the freeloading Soolers who take most of the parliament seats and top cabinet jobs while not having one single region within Puntland. Also, some Puntlanders say that " Laguma aamini karo dalka". So, unless he gets votes from Faroole group and others he is in huge trouble. Yet, his election will put the Garaad on the front seat and decide the faith of the community once for all. The biggest problem is that if the Garaad community is defeated they might relocate from Puntland for good and join Somaliland. 2-The Reer Bari have 21 members , more than anyone , yet they might not agree on anyone. Mr. Saciid Deni might get the majority of the Reer Bari, but the latest news is a business man called Cali Haji Warsame who hails from Mudug but resides in Bari is making some head waves. He is quite, and clean man who is not involved in any corruption. As we speak his graph is rising. 3- -C/weli Gaas is not out as stated by many. Everyone I talked to says C/weli will be in the second round. The huge pool of candidates might fragment the challengers while the incumbent keeps his main base. For these reasons C/weli is not out yet. Last but not the least, Puntland might need to give the power to Reer Qandala who are disgruntled. Their dormant insurgency might reemerge and make huge problems for Cali Ciise or the outsiders. At the end the Puntlanders might decide to give the helms to the Qandala boys and Farah Shire in order to avoid Somaliland style angry West Burco.

The ONLF absolutely has no any support among Somalis. Even the D block group of Jid...wq refused to raise their flag in Jigjiga. Most of their men who came from Eritrea had left for Godey and to the remote regions of the clan. Unless they change their name and build coalition with other Somalis, there is no chance for them to win any thing. Furthermore, they are betting mostly on the disintegration of Ethiopia. Last week Mustafe Cagjar warned them about building military camps and keeping their tribal name. He said unless they change and disarm , they might face the same fate as the Oromo OLF bombed by the Ethiopian air force.

Xaaji, You are correct. THey hate those who advocate separation. They might even bomb and crush the so called OLF if they try any more mischief. The Tigray people are fine both economically and politically especially in their region. Those in Addis are wealthy , but there is certain push from the diaspora to confront Abiy and their historic jealousy and antipathy of the sophisticated Amhara that might push them over the cliff. They can accept the reform and thrive if they wish.

Che, I heard for the last few days about the D ..r conference called in Addis. It is difficult to know the agenda other than to form a political party to contest the election. The Jaarso--Geri K reconciliation issue is being held in Diredhabe as we speak. All major Suldans from the Somali region are taking place. I do not see any Somali-Oromo in this issue but a land and farming issues. In fact , it is the major hurdle in the Jigjiga zone. the good news is the Jaarso trust Cagjar and there is Jaarso members in the Somali regional cabinet. This issue will be resolved soon. Even in Diredhabe the so called Somalis who joined the Oromo told me that other than youth gangs there is no major issue. These people pray the same mosques. The Gurgure group who ally with the Oromo do not like the way Djibouti and TPLF favored the Cumar Ghelle clan and are trying to amend old grievances. Abtigiis is liked by the people in general. There is no check points or oppressive police. People are really feeling the freedom his administration brought to the region. THey feel like been liberated. People see him as reformist. Yet, you can't say the same thing of the OG community. They are hated just like TPLf by almost every Somali who is not OG.

Oh suldaanka, I forgot to respond your first statement about crossing the border. Actually the Wajaale -Jigjiga high way is the busiest and fastest road to reach both Borama and Hargeisa. In fact, the Somali zone can't even exist without the trade with Wajaale. I had a short time and going Borama and Hargeisa was difficult. You can't meet your family and friends with just few days. It would have broken my heart for meeting people very short time and leave . I heard the road between Borama-Hargeisa is faster and people come from Hargeisa for the weekends. Also , there are too many high rise buildings taking shape in Borama. I can assure you that I will be traveling home more from now on.

This huge. A British defense secretary, What is going on?

There is bandwagon campaign to elect Cali Ciise. If this guy doesn't get at least 15 of 17 of his clan he is doomed. Can you imagine a Sool candidate has a quarter of parliament from his region yet they complain about others. Gaas is done because it was Reer Sool who put him on the top last time around.

Suldaanka, There is a nagging fear about the Oromo because of the ethnic clashes orchestrated by their militant youth, but their politicians are really good and understanding. They understand that if Abiy fails, their reputation might take a hit. The Amhara are not in a rush. They are mainly interested to get rid of the ethnic federalism of the country. I haven't met one single person among the Amhara who supports chaos or seismic change. If there is any ethnic group that wants to preserve Ethiopia as a one unit it is the Amhara. Also, those I met and others assume Abiy as one of theirs. THeir hatred of Tigray is really amounts to illogical. One guy told me that if they try any thing stupid, I my self will hunt my Tigray friends. The Ethiopia I saw is stable and everyone want to keep that way, except the disgruntled TPLF.

I did travel to the region for the last three weeks and have witnessed personally some of the political changes taking place in Ethiopia and the Somali region. Although I did travel for personal reasons, I can also state that some of my destinations had political motives. Also, as a self appointed analyst of SOL, I thought it was imperative to gauge the pulse of the region first hand. It is not always useful or informative to write from my comfortable couch back home in Canada or in "cold Alberta" as our friend Oodweyne calls it disparagingly. I did traveled to Kampala , Uganda, Addis, Jigjiga and Dubai just to name a few. Unfortunately , I did not visit Mogadishu or Hargeisa. Despite the progress and developments in the horn of Africa, these nations are too slow both on business and political issues. In Kampala, the Entebe International Airport, on the shores of Lake Victoria, was built by the British some 60 years ago and nothing is added after half century. I will narrate about Uganda in my next segment, but let us discuss Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed and Mustafe Cagjar in Jigjiga. As I stated before , Ethiopia has been always slow to change and these quick reforms from prime minister Abiy are changing the Ethiopian landscape like never before. While there is certain fears that things might got out of hand, especially in the ethnically administered regions, Addis Ababa was thriving and the public in general feel free to express and enjoy the newly found freedom. The city is really crowded with millions of people of every ethnic background. It seems the mixture of black race in the world is found in this city. Government figures say the city is home to 8 million people but others say it could easily reach double digits since millions of peasants left their country farms and flooded to the main city to find jobs. While no one is starving, the poverty level of the youth and others are huge in Ethiopia. Yet, despite the poverty, everyone is proud of their nation and want to preserve it. Addis Ababa is the foundation of Ethiopian business, culture, politics and connections to the other world. Their world class airline reaches many capitals around the world. Everyone, regardless of his destination must pass through this city. There is no flights coming from Nairobi or African cities passing through Bahir Dar, Makele or Gondar. They must come to the capital and them travel to the domestic route. Regional economies based on farms, livestock and other exports like the coffee are all managed through here. It is the pulse of the nation. We Somalis who are infatuated by regions or decentralization might not appreciate this but this huge nation is pooling its resources while connecting the capital to outer limits of the country. Life is cheap in the country side due too their agriculture and local food consumption, yet every thing is connected to the national capital. Imagine a Somali national capital with six or seven million people synchronizing trades and business connections with regions. While regional airports are important , you need a national hub for the world to enter and trade with your small population. . Looking the size of these economies, these Somali regions with less than a million people or scattered population are too small to compete. The farming communities surrounding Addis alone could be more than 10 million people. Somalia needs one or two main centers that have productive economies which could export their resources through these long coastlines. I do believe that these Somali regions are huge bureaucratic headache that will consume large budgets while hindering the productivity of the people. With peace, trade and modern transportation, these so called regions could disappear with open trade and join one another. You could travel from Hargeisa to Borama in one hour; two hours from Burco to Garoowe, and four hours from the Jubba to Mogadishu by car. Airline travel could be less than an hour from coast to coast. Yet, we are arguing about these villages with less than hundred thousand people. Back to Addis Ababa. Tens of thousands of unemployed youth crowd the streets and markets to find something to do or stand idly staring people . Because of these large underclass youth of every ethnic group , even the smallest trouble could shake the foundations of the system. Yet, because of the constant presence of the police and the cool and patient nature of the Ethiopian populace, Addis was safe and thriving. Also, if you are decent human being, your only wish must be that these millions of diverse humanity from every faith and ethnic group of Ethiopia is to prosper in peace , co-existence and tranquility, otherwise, any shaking of the foundation of these communities will effect the far corners of the horn. So, pray for peace. While disgruntled Tigray are every where, the overwhelming majority of Ethiopians support the reforms initiated by the prime minister. I did talk to cab drivers, hotel managers, barber shop clerks and even some Oromo businessmen who are based in Adiis. Almost everyone had enthusiastically welcomed these new changes. The Amhara ethnic group, which is the most educated and sophisticated group in Ethiopia, overwhelmingly supports the prime minister, so does the the Oromo, the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia. He has huge support among reform minded Somalis, Affars, Gurage and other ethnic minorities. The only people who had contempt for the changes were the Tigray who are bitter and disgruntled, and certain Somali group orphaned by the fall of Cabdi Illey. The TPLF are still mourning the death of Meles Zanawi , whom they considers to be best that came out from Tigray for centuries, and are contemplating to sabotage these reforms through many forms including arming covertly some ethnic groups. in early December , a 60 member paramilitary men, mostly ethnic Tigray were arrested while preparing to attack the residence of the prime minister. They were captured and swiftly brought to military court and each sentenced to 15 years in jail. They had amassed huge weapons and aircraft in their region just in case things got out of hand. last week Eritrea had closed the border crossing from the Tigray side for fear of sabotage inside Eritrea while Eritreans are allowed to come and go. On the Oromo side , there were some problems from certain members of the former rebels OLF (Oromo liberation Front) who are based in western Oromia around Wallega. I asked an Oromo businessman who was married to the sister of one of my neighbors here in Canada, and another one from Diredhaba about these clashes. They both told me that these were western Oromo members who are mostly Christian militants who hate both the Amhara and the old system. THese men told me that in order for the Oromo to succeed " we must support Abiy, Megrasa and Jowar Mohamed as one unit and stop any splintering among the political elite of the Oromo.. All of them agreed that they would not put any weight or trust on the former rebels of the OLF who never governed anything. As business people , they believe only a united Oromo leadership would make their community successful within Ethiopia. Also, other than few youth gangs, the clashes in Diredhaba among the Oromo and Somalis had diminished extensively. In my dealings with the Oromo business guys and others, I found them to be well informed and sophisticated in their outlook of the future . Some people might not realize but the Oromo revolution had changed a 150 years old system that took many shapes for over a century: monarchy, military dictatorship and 27 years TPLF tyranny. The OLF outsiders, just like OG controlled ONLF , must contest the election like anybody else, and the chances of these groups succeeding in democratic contest is almost nil. Somalia and Abiy policy. While Addis is a multicultural melting city, it is difficult to ignore the Orthodox influence of the city. The museums , the media, the culture and the larger civilizations of the capital is based on Orthodox eccentric civilization. The dominance of that culture is every where including government , private sector, entertainment and all life. Also recently, people are attracted to the emergence of huge American style Evangelical mega churches preaching within the city centers. You could hear the loud microphones preaching to the faithful daily. Since the emergence of prime minister Abiy, who as a the Pentecostal member shares faith with the most powerful community in America, the old system might give way to the new preachers.. Folks, the American Southern Red necks are coming to the horn to preach it's unique kind of ways which is foreign to the locals who are traditionally tolerant of different faiths. There are also a huge mix of colorful Muslims from every ethnic group whether it is Amharic, Oromo, Wallo, Somali or Guraage, all involved with their daily lives while intermingling with their fellow Ethiopians with confidence.. Due to these influences from Evangelicals, these new groups and the historical rivalry with Somalis, it will be difficult to predict the future policy of the current government. Yet, the Abiy government's approach to the Somali issue is diametrically opposed to that of the former TPLF government. While the TPLF balkanized and divided Somalia, as it did here in Ethiopia in order to rule the fragmented ethnic groups, the clearest picture emerging from the Tigray elite was all about their efforts to make money---a lot of money. They had a contract with American private companies and the Pentagon that paid them almost $ 600 million dollars a year to fight Al-shabaab and others in the region. 25% of that money went to the Somali region. While huge jails were established in main cities like Jigjiga, there were other bunkers, hotels, airport hungers and other black holes where people were detained on behalf of the war on terror and for the cash. . In order to justify this huge budget, they showed the Americans the detained people perceived to be Al-Shabaab. Hundreds of innocent people were taken to these black holes in order to make money. Millions of these dollars were sent through other channels and sent overseas in Dubai and other places. Locals told me that the Tigray community probably owns 70% of the buildings in Addis . Furthermore, the TPLF cronies had created security companies in all major towns and forced everyone to implement their fake security policies. These schemes are visible all in the Ethiopian regions. In Addis, every hotel, mall, small strip mall, building , shops , community banks and government buildings were equipped with airport style metal detectors and conveyor belt driven baggage carousel. Every business was mandated to buy these equipment from the TPLF run companies. Dahabshill money transfers in Jigjiga has security guards just as every other small bank. All these places are manned by two or three people which employs tens of thousands of men and women. Although no major bombing ever took place in Addis in recent years or before, In order to justify and loot these funds, they went an extraordinary measures to show the gullible American outsiders that this country is in a constant threat. I saw the same mind set in Kampala, Uganda. Even the grocery stores and five shop strip malls had private security checking people and cars. Yet, these 60 years old nations like Uganda couldn't even build a modern airport or even a four lane highway. It is probably the best way to earn millions from their deployments and business in Somalia. Prime minister Abiy believes that economic liberalization , investment and open trade can only lift Ethiopia out of the poverty. The TPLF had created Chinese style public companies controlled by their cronies while managing them like their own companies. These companies had monopolies in manufacturing, Dam building, Telecom and other infrastructure oriented companies. They fought every efforts to privatize these companies or open competition for the citizens. The only company that is allowed to enter every sector was a company controlled by an Ethiopian Saudi man called Al-Amoudi. In other words, they did run these publicly owned companies like their own while borrowing billions from the state banks. Open business opportunities, public sector privatization and trade liberalization policies might force Abiy to support the pacification of Somalia. He is targeting banking, telecom, airline, and construction sectors for private investors. The Ethiopian Telecom network is one of the slowest in the region. Even major five star hotels have bad WiFi reception. While Eritrea is the preferred trade and sea route among the Ethiopian elite, a democratic and open Eritrea is out of the question for the near future. Also, the Tigray politicians are determined in the future to oust Asaias Afwork and join them for Tigray dominated Eritrea. For these and other reasons , Abiy believes a peaceful Somalia could transform the whole region economically . When the business oriented Guraage community demanded their own ethnic zone, he told them , " When Mogadishu is stabilized, who is going to work and do the business things?, I want you guys to travel to Mogadishu and come back the weekend in Ethiopia." While there is huge opportunity for Somalia, Farmaajo must know that without lifting the heavy weight of pacifying the capital , no one will carry him to the finish line. He must win many tough battles that need resoluteness. The ousting of the UN envoy last week was on the first tough decisions nations must make to move forward and gain sovereignty. As i said before, there is no free lunch unless you do real work. Also, having your men in regional governments doesn't change the real issues of security in the two rivers and the capital. In conclusion Ethiopia is in transition. Their biggest advantage is that the public in general do not want and do not support any instability from any sector. if election is held for the next 12 or fourteen months, Abiy could win easily. The real picture of Ethiopia could only emerge after the elections. Yet, before the election takes place, certain hurdles must be overcome including crushing the armed groups mainly the OLF and others. The Ethiopian public are enthusiastic of the future and their prime minister to make good reforms. His pictures are adorned in cars, Taxi cabs and public transportation. For many Abiy Ahmed means freedom and future. Despite all the hopes I saw in Addis, there are two regions or groups that might face serious situations to pass tp the next stage. The Tigray region who could either accept the reform and swallow their pride or try something foolish and get crushed. The second fault line is the Somali region. Here is why? As I landed Garaad Wiil Waal Airport in Jigjiga , I did not see any soldiers or the dreaded LIyu police. I was greeted by friends and family members and rode to the main street to the city center. Despite my skepticism and the fear of unknown, I was pleasantly surprised after I reached my destination. I felt as someone who was among his people and the feeling of a Somali home and people. Folks, there was freedom in Jigjiga for the first time in long time. Stay tune for my stay in Jigjiga ...........

It is a good move. This useless post must be eliminated. With all the issues in the country this fool chose to aid a known murderer who killed and maimed hundreds of Somalis. This Robow guy should have been under house arrest until things improve.You can't go from the Al-shabaab spokesman to the governor chair of South West. It just crazy. Just like the UN monitoring group , they must justify their presence and pick nuisances that doesn't move the country to the right direction.