Reer Hargeisa and Reer Berbera look very different. One city has lighter Somalis while the others have Congolese dark skin. This is because of the weather. Hargeisa is very calm, it is basically 24-25 average. Hargeisa weather is room temperature. Then you have Berbera, 45 degrees for half of the year. You will never see a light skin Jesus Moses ever. They are the same color as coal. It's unheard of seeing a light skin reer berbera person. A good example of this is the crazy guy at May 18 infront of UK Parliament saying "take me homeeeeeeeeeee". Perfect example of a reer Berbera man. The whitest ethnic Somalis you will find are reer Hiiraan. They live in cold temperatures depending on the season. 15 degrees is normal there at times. Sometimes in the morning, there is frost on the ground. You will never find a dark skin real local Beledweyne person. I think Beledweyne women should always represent Somalia in those world beauty pageants.

Exaggeration? Are you telling me that Hiiraan clan and the other clans I have mentioned are very small in Jubbaland? Are you out of your mind? You have not been to Somalia for more than 2 decades. It's obvious. The problem with the DAG (other than Somaliland DAG and Puntland DAG) is that they haven't been back home. When it comes to Jubbaland, almost no DAG diaspora has been there in the past 2 decades. Only few. It is not like the people going back to Hargeisa or Xamar for vacation and are able to do so because they have an airport in the city to transport them there. The last time southern DAG diaspora have been to Somalia was 1991. They have no idea of the demographics of Jubbaland. They are ignorant. They just know when to open their mouth. I've been to Kismayo before. That city first of all is Bantu Somali central. Secondly, the DAG may be the largest collectively but not individually. Thirdly, it is a very diverse area.

Oba, Steer clear from the DAG who reside in the cities of Columbus, Seattle and Minneapolis. These folk have been brainwashed into believing only they live in that corner of the country. They will be in a hell of a surprise when they realize the Bantu Somalis outnumber them all when they take their first and only visit to the motherland. Bantu Somali to the left and to the right. Only reason why DAG are the political powerhouse there because the Bantu Somali are looked as inferior and are not allowed to have weapons since they are unfortunately a 0.5 people

Of course HAG has a say in the Jubbaland formation. Are we forgetting that many HAG clans live in Jubbaland? This includes the HAG clan who also live in Hiiraan, the HAG clan that is scattered across the Horn of Africa, the HAG clan that live on the Kenya/Ethiopia/Somalia border and speak the dialect that you can barely understand. You also have that HAG clan that formed the empire in the south but are now in low numbers due to many of them moving to Tanzania. HAG is represented well in Jubbaland. Don't get it twisted. Of course the HAG clan elders can speak in the Jubbaland situation. Jubbaland is not a one-clan area. It is the most diverse area of Somalia. It is the "Somali melting pot". Somalis from the West must go back to Somalia and see the reality. Even the Somali Bantus are over represented there. I think they are the largest in Jubbaland in all honesty. Jubbaland is not DAG land. Far from it. Let's stop the ignorance people.

@hsmpress The Twitter account of Somali militant group al-Shabab has been suspended, after it was used to threaten to kill Kenyan hostages. Al-Shabab launched its Twitter account in December 2011, after Kenyan troops went into Somalia to combat it. Earlier this month, it used Twitter to announce it would kill a French hostage and then said it had done so. Twitter refused to comment on the suspension but its rules say that threats of violence are banned. On Wednesday, the al-Shabab account posted a link to a video of two Kenyan civil servants held hostage in Somalia, telling the Kenyan government their lives were in danger unless it released all Muslims held on "so-called terrorism charges" in the country, reports Reuters news agency. Al-Shabab, which is affiliated to al-Qaeda, said it killed French intelligence agent Denis Allex in retaliation for a failed French operation to free him. The French government has said it believes Mr Allex was killed during the raid two weeks ago, in which two French commandos also died. Mr Allex - a French spy - was kidnapped in Somalia in July 2009. Al-Shabab has been forced out of Somali's main towns over the past 18 months but it still controls many rural parts of southern and central Somalia. For more than 20 years Somalia has seen clan-based warlords, rival politicians and Islamist militants battling for control of the country

This is kind of an old finding but according to the Los Angeles Times, Xamar is experiencing a population growth rate of at least 5% per year. It could be more than 5% since the LA Times wasn't exact on the number. Mogadishu's population now is said to be between 2 million and 3 million people. Let us assume that the city is 2.5 million. With this type of growth rate, we are looking at a Mogadishu with 4 million inhabitants in 10 years. This is just too quick and too big of a growth in such a short time. Expect numerous problems and issues to arise unless the municipal government and the local administration doesn't act. 1) Housing shortages, rise in real estate prices 2) Urban planning. Will Xamar become like the other Somali cities where houses and businesses are not aligned properly? 3) Lack of educational facilities. 4) Lack of medical facilities. 5) A rise in the cost of living in Mogadishu. I am sure the "speculative" prices in Xamar will not go down anytime soon. The local government must act now and have a plan to make sure they can control this growing rate. With this growth, Xamar looks like it will be among the top 5 biggest cities in Africa by 2025. The question is: Can Xamar handle it?

I didn't get a chance to see Jazeera. I heard the people usually stay away from that beach though. The memories still haunt them. They say they still find bones there coming out of the sand. I don't know if its true.

I've been to Berbera beach and Liido beach and they are both amazing. The only thing I hate about Liido is that it is way too packed with people, especially on Fridays after Jumaah. Literally thousands of people are on the beach. I hope to visit Hobyo and see its beach though. Have never been there but from the pictures I've seen, Hobyo looks like they have the nicest beach in Somalia.

Ohhhh, clan cleansing. Clan cleansing and ethnic cleansing are two different things. Yes. I am aware of clan cleansing in Somalia, although it is not the right word. Murders and atrocities did occur but not to the extent of wiping them out of the face of the earth. That's ludicrous. All clans took part of this, some more so then others. A lot occurred through the rebels of course, such as those in Mogadishu and Kismayo while others were state sanctioned and were committed by government troops either on their boots with their AK's or on Ilyushin jet bombers in Hargeisa, Burco, Galkacyo, Beledweyn, Bulobarde, Mogadishu and others. Atrocities happened on all sides. It is not one sided. It's one thing to be fed propaganda by your parents but its another to research on all the information. That book is really interesting. You should read it and it would tell you how a certain Somali group looked at other Somalis as dirt before the war and had an "Anglo Saxon attitude" towards them (even though there was some sarcasm to it, its basically the truth). I guess being treated like crap for decades while welcoming them into their lands as if they are their brothers would make anyone tick, huh?

Che -Guevara;911410 wrote: ^No one abandoned their houses, the city was ethnically cleansed and house owners forced out. Ethnically cleansed? Which ethnic group was this? The Oromos? The Kikuyu? The Japanese? What ethnic group? I've never heard of ethnic cleansing in Mogadishu. There certainly isn't ethnic cleansing documented in the archives or the records or even on YouTube that occurred in Xamar. The Tutsi and Hutus of Rwanda have seen ethnic cleansing. I know a million Tutsi and moderate Hutus were massacred but I am not aware of Somalis being part of ethnic cleansing, especially anything recent in Somalia.

Debra Hammami is hoping for a miracle to save her son from the al-Qaida-linked Somali militants he left his hometown in Alabama to fight alongside. "It's in God's hands," she said Friday, on the eve of a deadline set by al-Shabaab for their former adherent's surrender or death. The threat comes after a public falling-out between 28-year-old Omar Hammami and the leaders of the terrorist group. Having already lost her son to extremist ideology, his family back in the town of Daphne, Alabama, may now face the prospect of never seeing him alive again. Omar Hammami, whom the FBI has named as one of its most-wanted terrorists, joined al-Shabaab fighters in Somalia in late 2006. Since then his family in the US have had no direct contact with him. But they, as well as the American authorities, have been able to track his rise and subsequent falling-out with homegrown terrorists in the strife-torn African country through his appearance in recruitment videos and his own online outbursts. The American-born fighter become a major leader in the Islamist group, and is said to have helped organise a deadly 2008 attack which left some 20 people dead in Somalia. Among those who took part in that assault was Shirwa Ahmed, a 26-year-old from Minneapolis, who became the first known American suicide bomber in the process. By the time of that co-ordinated attack, Omar Hammami was already a rising star in al-Shabaab's ranks. Computer savvy and charismatic, he had helped the terrorist organisation recruit other American-born Islamists, it is claimed. In October 2007, under the nom de guerre Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki (the American) he gave an interview to al-Jazeera in which he implored other Muslim Americans to join him in Somalia. But his high profile seems to have led to a rift with other Somali fighters, especially after he used his online presence to air grievances against other al-Shabaab members. In a series of online videos and Twitter postings from an account purportedly owned by Omar Hammami, he has accused the Islamist group's leaders of corruption, murder and ignoring global jihad in favour of internal Somali struggles. He also attacks them for living a lavish lifestyle at the expense of other fighters. "War booty is eaten by the top dogs, but the guys who won it are jailed for touching it. A gun, bullets, some beans is their lot," read one tweet from the abumamerican account, thought to be updated by Omar Hammami or one of his associates. He has also accused al-Shabaab leaders of operating assassins to kill fellow fighters within the group. Many of his grievances were aired in an online video he posted in March, during which he expressed fears for his life. He was publicly slapped down by al-Shabaab in a statement released last month, in which the Islamist group accused him of a "narcissistic pursuit of fame". It added that they were morally obligated to put out his "obstinacy". The spat has culminated in an apparent demand that Omar Hammami surrender to his former comrades, or be killed. "Shabab make off announcement in front of amriki: drop ur weapon b4 15 days or be killed. Its on," a post on his apparent Twitter feed read on 4 January. That deadline will pass on Saturday. Watching on in anguish from some 8,500 miles away are Omar's parents, Debra and Shafik Hammami. "The last time I saw my son was in 2006, in Egypt," Debra told the Guardian. "We now follow him via the internet, Twitter and newspaper reports." Growing up in Daphne, a town of some 22,000 people situated on a Gulf of Mexico inlet, Omar showed no signs of his future life as a militant fighter. A hard-working and intelligent pupil, he was voted president of his sophomore class and was in the local high school's gifted students programme. "He was just so full of life. Always into something, very smart in school, always wanting to be the first to hand in his term paper, very popular. He was just a normal kid," Debra said. But at around the age of 16 or 17 he started to change. "I did not notice anything radical. He just wanted to get deeper and deeper into religion," his mother said. Having been originally brought up as Southern Baptist, the religion of his mother, he had already turned to Islam. But whereas his father followed the mainstream beliefs of the religion, Omar turned to extremism. He left Daphne for Toronto, before then going to Egypt and finally Somalia. Despite the lack of contact, Hammami's mother refuses to accept that he has turned his back on the family. "I never give up hope. Even if I make 100 years old, I'll still be waiting for him." Speaking from her home in Alabama, Debra explained that she still talks to him at home as if he is still there and can hear her. "We do not agree with his philosophy. But we still love him as the son we had, we still love him," she added. But the threat from al-Shabaab has put in jeopardy any chance she has of seeing her son alive again. Debra doesn't expect her son to hand himself in to authorities – he is wanted back in the US on terrorism charges. She said the best hope she has is that he can get out of Somalia and live the rest of his life in peace. "I would like to see him be able to leave Somalia if possible, go somewhere and just be safe." Experts suggest that such an eventuality may be his only option, and even then his chances of survival may be slim. Clint Watts, a former executive officer at West Point's Combating Terrorism Center said that even if al-Shabaab's death threat isn't carried out on Saturday, it will be pursued by the ruthless al-Qaida-linked cell. "He's always going to be looking over his shoulder in Somalia. They're not going to forget and eventually they're going to come after him," said Watts, now a senior fellow at the Homeland Security Policy Institute and the Foreign Policy Research Institute. "And I think he still ends up being killed in the long run," he added. Meanwhile his parents have turned to prayer – his father at the local mosque, his mother at the town's church. "It is in God's hands," Debra told the Guardian, adding: "We are just praying that God can perform a miracle." Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/19/omar-hammami-mother-al-shabaab

Reer Hiiraan look half white half Oromo

I am not a hater. I am willingly to bet $100 that you are not even originally from Xamar but somewhere like Jowhar or something. These are where your kin are from. Your laughter is from being uncomfortable about reality. If I can admit I am from Galgaduud, you should admit that you are originally dozens of miles, or possibly even 100s of miles from Xamar. Mogadishu and its 16 districts, it is not historically yours. I am sure the Tanzanians and the Italians from back in the day have more of a right than you in all honesty. But good night though.

Ive been to Xamar many times. I dont even go to Galgaduud. I will utter anything I want in Xamar. You just live in the extreme east and extreme west of the city. That is evidence enough to see who were the ones on the verge of being kicked out. You have been stretched so far out. You are finally going back to your "outskirts" roots. You are the outskirts people, not urban. And we are bringing history back

It is a Reer Xamar cad cad city really. You just came into force and in droves a few decades ago which is why some people shouldnt put the finger on those from middle Somalia for taking a piece of the city as theirs. You are really from the outskirts if we are being truthful to ourselves.

Oba, You belong in the outskirts of Mogadishu. You don't have a real claim to Xamar as others do. You can live there but in your heart, you know who it really belongs to. Apophis, I will have her indeed. Just don't change your mind 10 years from now when Xamar becomes the jewel of Africa.

oba hiloowlow;911393 wrote: which 10 district is yours ii so tiri bal looool Everything is mine but Karaan, Dharkenleey, Abdulaziz, Heliwaa and Dayniile. So in reality, 11 are mine.

Yes. Yes. I have a big villa in Xamar Jab Jab district and it overlooks the ocean. It is literally a 5 minute walk from the water. Best location. There was still a photo album of hundreds of pictures in their from the previous owners. I threw it in the garbage though. Been there since 1991, it was gathering all this dust and it was a health hazard to us. Bacteria iyo allergies. Someone could have gotten sick. I have another property in Hodan District but its no where near the water. It's one of the bigger and busier Xamar districts but not as cozy and relaxing as Hamar Jab Jab. You should come visit the city. I will forward you some numbers of hotels you can check-in to. Xamar is getting really pricey though. So be aware!

that Xaaji is wrong. Xamar ana leh. It belongs to reer middle Somalia. Reer President has only 10% ownership of that term. 10 Xamar districts ana leh.

Listen, a house that is abandoned for two decades is not called looting. It's called finder's keepers. If you saw 10 or 5 dollars on the floor, would you not take it? Who wouldnt? Now we are talking about houses. Houses cost tens of thousands of dollars. If a house that has been clearly abandoned for years, anyone would take it. At least those who take the home will cut the 10 meter bushes and grass that has filled the entrance area for decades. They will take care of the home and not abandon it.

not only the prez ppl. reer unuka leh can be those originally from cadaado, dhusamareb and hobyo as well as reer kuwait. as for the president's people, they have small eyes. mohamed dheere, ayuub dauud, hussein kulmiye. waa copy paste

i wrote "cida" because it thought full clan names were censored here. reer unuka leh come from many clans. be specific.

Seems like someone got offended. Yes, webbed feet and big googly eyes.

they are the folks who live in South Hargeisa near the airport and in Sallaxley. Those pictured are Hussein Arab Isse and Muse Ali