Its just being a Tigray AI is difficult. They do not live in isolation, none of them. Just to give you an example: There is an Amhara organization called Wollo heritage organization. It issued a statement the other day of the mob action in 3 Wollo towns. Who do they blame for the conflict of course the Afar Militia. It is a synical ploy to get support. The incident happened on a christian celebration and as everyone knows the Afar are more than 85% Moslems. If these Amhara were responsible they should have blamed Tigray or Amhara region Gov. or Federal. But to your question. Socially are more cohesive than other parts in Ethiopia, have least inter Ethnic or tribal problems. Have least religious issues never heard. Economically are 2nd poorest region. Politically there is a shakeup now and is not known where it ends. Remember these were people who lost a million to famine even though the epicentre was in what is now Amhara region, but the people were Tigray. That was just 1984 the last one and was 1974 the one previous.

If respect for Oromo means that they should always should be president prime minister or others have to use Oromo language, that is the end of Ethiopia and the Oromo becomes biggest loser in that. The Somali will be the first one to oppose that kind of 18th century thinking. As Ethnics the Somali and Oromo are equal, same as Maine and California are equal in Senate in America. In the house of representatives Somali region has 24 and Oromo has 160 something. That is house of representatives by districts. Numbers has no meaning, otherwise the one with less number will say, I will have my own shindig thank you very much my own where I am majority and minority. Back to topic: I remembered something Mr. Waraabe said during ICU and declaring Sharia and wanting to threaten Somaliland. He said to the effect that he is from Haashemite and Sheik Aweys has no place to speak about him.

In Tigray there are Agew, Afar, Kunama and Irob. Agew and Afar are just some border villages and some villages who change kilil every some odd years after seeing budget of two states. Irob are less than 100,000 (There are about 150,000 Saho in Eritrea) and Kunama are about 5,000 (There is more than 100,000 in Eritrea). Both have special wereda means status of zone, both are represented in house of federation, both have seats guaranteed seats in Tigray parliament. The Irob have seat at house of representatives as well. TV and radio broadcast have spots for both. Irob has no language issue for schooling since is written in Geez alphabet same as Tigray, Hareri and others. Kunama is written in Latin alphabet and this will be problem for other children that are in Kunama district. Radio broadcasts Afar but this is when they were both in Weyannie, they had joint radio called voice of Weyannie and still continues with Tigray and Afar languages. There are about 5 ethnics in Amhara. Out of 4 Agew areas only 2 have zones so far and one more has been recognized after Gonder massacre, but the zone has not been set up yet. No TV or radio program. No mother tongue schooling for 2 of the Agew. There is also Oromo area in Amhara state that is a zone and another Argoba similar to Hareri that is a special district zone. This was done from beginning 1995.

Tillamook, Thank you for the clarification. I think the Egyptians know something you do not think is important. Ethiopia's responsibility is that the same amount of water that comes to the dam will be released. That will not change. Egyptians Sudanese have made repeated trips to the dam. There is no agricultural plan anywhere around. The only question as far as this dam is concerned is filling schedule. Actually there was another dam that really made president Mubarek foam at the mouth. Its called Tana Beles. It is multi purpose and generates 430MW. Meles told president Mubarek, if you think we will starve for you to play water skieng on Aswan, come anytime and try anything against this project. We do not have arab culture of foaming at the mouth. There is a video Isayas of Eritrea spoke as well to the same effect some years back during the Brotherhood in Egypt. There is no military solution. What the Egyptians should do is invest in other rivers in Ethiopia for agriculture etc and then pressure Ethiopia not to use Nile. Do you know when the study to all these dams was done? FD Roosevelt of USA paid 12 million at the time and a group of Americans worked for 2 years. Haileslassie and Mengistu were too chicken to do it.

Al Ithad, ICU, Al Shabab all morph one to the other, one constant link being Shiek Aweys who seems to be present in all of them. He was most prominent in Al Ithad and ICU that is a fact every Somali knows. Since you thought ICU would be nice to Yey, that means you ignored Aweys and Ali Jama the two persons who absolutely would not work with Yey at the time. Does Somalia need to be enemy of Ethiopia for a person to be good Somali or Somalia. I don't think so. These are peoples for ill or good have been interacting like since Adam and Eve as westerners say. Where do you think Ethiopian opposition goes when times are difficult or defeated? Never heard much about south, but everywhere in the north you have Habeshi opposition that quietly settled. Same with the Somali. Where do you think the leaders who were alive when Italy defeated the Boqor went? Ethiopia. Not official but just stay low among the people. There is more than 6 million Somalis in Ethiopia. Would your attitude change if I told you that Al Shabab is enemy number one to every Somali in Ethiopia, for the simple reason that Al Shabab have no interest the Somali to be fairly comfortable in Ethiopia. Until another round in next generation if its in the Somali interest at that time, for now lets live and let live. If you think the Somalis in Somalia are only waring tribes, lets not wish it, but if kilil 5 joins the chaos it will completely put out of shape even things that have been straightened. Why do we always acuse a Somali that can work with Ethiopia as traitor? Why can't a Somali in Mogadishu be more lethal traitor? Actually Ethiopia is neighbor. Its going no where. You might as well deal with it as your force, unity, strength allows you. Do you think the Somali is less of a spy than a Habeshi? I think you are aware that the french, americans, british may look same, but sometimes sabotage each other worst than enemy. I think Farmaajo is handling things fairly well. The non interference with Ethiopia includes all fields. Ethiopia for its own sake will observe it and Somalia as well for its own sake. If SFG is weakened it will be by Somalis in or about Somalia. Neither Ethiopia or Kilil 5 have any interest or wish to do ill in Somalia. Of course if SFG works with Egypt or Eritrea all bets are off. Eritrea of course Puntland would not allow SFG to have any reapproachement, before Eritrea redresses what they tried to dismantle Puntland. Just a peace of information for you the Boqor would have survived longer on land battles against Italy, but Italy brought Eritreans who can fight and live in the environment, better aremed, better supplied, transported and played major role, but that is not the deep seated non friendly to say the least relation between Puntland and Eritrea. The latest is related to Al-Ithad, ICU and Shabab, Galmudug and somee in Mogadishu warlords.

Che, Are you saying that Shiek Aweys is more Somali than Late Abdullahi Yusuf? Put it another way Are you saying that Shiek Aweys has proven time and again he had any constructive view or attitude towards Somalis more than that of Yey? I will comment after you adress my questions if possible, in case I have misunderstood you. But generally my view is that Somalia could have been reconstituted then, and was best opportunity in the last 25 years, if it was not for the personal vendetta Shiek Aweys had supported by some war lords who change their stand with the wind. There was no body at the time, other than Yey that can tell Ethiopia, thank you and our trust and friendship of long years will continue. Somalia will not harm Ethiopia and Ethiopia will do like wise. Remeber Ethiopians came to Puntland to help Yey during the Ali-Jama and Al Ithad challenges. Shiek Aweys is kind of person that can order killing of late Dr. Abdemejid by Al Ithad. But when he was in trouble he was first one to negotiate through messengers from some clan which I won't mention for his safety. Late Abdullahi Yusuf on the other hand spent almost 6 years in Mengistu Ethiopian prison for preventing Ethiopia erecting a flag, claiming Somalia republic territory.

This is good politics. Good culture as well. If people do not like a leader its easier to change. The bad politics would have been if it was tribal as politics had been long ago and still is in parts of Somalia. This is complaint, displeasure with some actions of government and its fair. I have heard some complaint why he used regional money to build airports instead of waiting for federal to build, but if he waited 3-4 years for federal to build the airports the loss of business and investment in those years would have been big. What we need to realize is establishing Liyu would have been not possible, but modifying Liyu is easier for the Somalis. Not throw the baby with the water as westerners say need to be followed.

One thing that resulted from Illey leadership is that he or result of his actions changed the politics in the region. Instead of the politics being clan vs clan it became purely government and communities depending on areas where they are. This is positive politics. If you don't like a government you can change it, if you don't like a clan its downhill for all. Generally speaking its not a community being close to TPLF. The party that governs Somali region comes from 4 parties that existed during the fight against Derg/Mengistu. In those days some parties were closer to the Afar or Tigray and had closer co-ordination than others. In some cases leaders were also classmates or friends.

Why are you including the Somalis along with Oromo and Amhara in this particular incidents. Did you hear, read or see any mob action in Somali Region. The most orderly state. Even where the government was afraid the Somalis would be too angry to contain, people were taken in protective custody and when things cooled down returned to normal life. If you are a Somali, you should be pleased if not impressed and appreciative of what was done. Most Ethiopians are impressed and appreciate the Somali regional government. The Amhara killed and burned a judge with his house. This was mob action. The Oromo killed Somalis deep in their regional state far from border in mob action. Are you so turned with your hate of Tigray, you cannot see right from wrong. Not good for you. BTW the Amhara governemnt will take steps to bring order to these towns and the Oromo are arresting people that suspected of participating. Its in their interest to do so. The Oromo do not do it for the Somalis. They do it for themselves. They loose credibility as government and the rest of Ethiopians become suspicious. If someone is thinking straight, what do you think your first question was: If these people can do this when they complain do not have enough power in Ethiopia, imagine what they would do if they had the power they seem to want over Ethiopia. Would be meyhem. That is the question anyone with inquiring mind would ask. I can assure you the threat from Sudan did wonders to Eritrean government. It showed them, they will be the first once to go before Egypt. Dictators get the message very fast. If you were hoping Isayas will stand up to Sudan, then you either do not know Sudan or Eritrea.

Tillamook, The article is not mine or Sudanese or Ethiopian. Its official from your most loved country in the world Egypt. http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/289218/Egypt/Politics-/Desalination-to-the-rescue-Egypt-looks-to-new-wate.aspx I guess now you have to change your mind. Suspicioun can distort ones attitude and mostly the wrong way. It is a very dangerous behavour. There is something called right or wrong regardless who says it. Its given to all of us to choose. The dam once filled will send what ever water comes. What is so diffficult to understand this reality. The question is do you fill it in 2 years, 3 years. You are not being fair. You are worrying about Egyptians more than they do. You are defending Egypt when some of them are wrong. Are you going to come and help them occupy Ethiopia. That is the only way to prevent Ethiopia from using the dam. If you damage the dam then the whole nile will be diverted. You don't know this, but those whom you are more concerned than themselves know this reality.

Rapid Deployment Forces = Sudan Agazian = Ethiopia (Historical name Tigray means Liberators for stopping and preventing slave trade) Special Operations Forces =Djibouti Special Deployment Forces= Eritrea

Somalia has a lot of Petroleum as well, but that would have been common problem every country with Petroleum has. Somalia has longest sea cost all usable all season, no snow no other problem, but that would be common with lots of other countries. Uranium is the worst curse to have at this time, unless you are Russia or Canada.

Uranium

This time there is no alternative to Dubai that can immediately take over. And Yes UAE is acting the same way the British empire entered the Somalis. Use terrorism and competeling war lords, use corruption to create where some tools do not exist. Now that UAE has bankrupted Saudi they will soon become friends to Qatar and dismantle Turkish plans. That is what America wants and that is what Britain wants. Stay low profile and have some rudimentary contacts with UAE is what I would advice SFG to do. Since UAE will always have easy reach to Somalis, has more money and more support from America, its better for SFG to be close. Turkey cannot replace all this, but Turkey will remain most trusty and reliable to Somalia. Keep your friends close, And even your enemies closer.

Does this mean Djibouti is either leaving or less interested? The Germans went and were using Djibouti connections. As for the numbers, even one person is useful. Even if its simply diplomatic. Who ever comes as friend need to be treated that way, even if suspected of other issues.

In this case it is total misuse of Special units of Army or Police. Special units are for use only of the state basic and high risk interests. If any minister starts using them to score personal or group interests, the force will have short life. These forces are used in only common interest of the state that owns them.

Absolutely yes, but everywhere the UAE is doing this have had festering problems prior when UAE was just camel country. Me thinks its still Europeans doing this and is not out of the sphere of Britain. The reasons and background common to all places you mentioned is mostly based on what happened in 19-20 century when colonialism was introduced. Libya is looking bleak the opportunity to put it back together. The British, French and Italians are tearing it apart because no one of them can prevail as absolute influencer. Its unfortunate, but in Yemens case split is best option where the Houthi will be satisfied with influence they will have in the North, and hopefully peace.

galbeedi. I was expecting you would let go Liyu and Iley when last time you promised SOL citizens that you will be focused on Somaliland. This just shows how the Liyu is an institution of great significance.

This is where a split is best option. Yemenis have seen nothing but war ever since the re-uniting of Yemen. And in most cases the wars are from North. Houthi and government have been at it for ages and now the governmet and houthi in alliance against the banana republic of Saudi kingdom yemen led in nsame only by southerner. The South could be like Djibouti. They have great location. The North can also be successful with natural resources if they have peace. Overthrow Saudis, recover the two provinces up north if situation permits later on. Let the people have a break from war destruction mindless corruption all in the name of unity.

Kenya is going downhill, if something drastic is not done. But the saving side will be all that foreigner that owns kenya. I think this continent needs a shake up. This division in Kenya is continued division that started when the British were there. Who ever was close to them is now almost out and fighting back. How people interacted with colonizers is still affecting everybody in Ethiopia, Somalia and now kenya. At least in Ethiopia it was done by the Amhara, the cooperation with Europeans. Among the Somali its different region by region. That makes it more complicated than that of Ethiopia and kenya.

Hello Holac, If it was in my neck of the woods and I had any capability to order arrests, the whole thing would not have happened. This is the same like warlords activities in Somalia. Only that in Ethiopia you have regional governments. The Amhara kilil is composed of the Agew, Argoba and others that are almost 50-50 to the Amhara. Whenever these peoles ask for something they are blamed for being too close to Tigray and the whole fracas starts. You might remember that last year Gonder was epicentre of such chaos. The Amhara government was challenged in the house of federation (senate) and ordered to allow the Agew tribe of Qimanti their own autonomous zone. It has not happened yet, but everything then went away. 140 Qimanti were killed and the Amhara governent did not arrest. Federal went there and cleaned house. Same thing will happen now in North Wollo as well. Its being blamed on supporeters of Tigray, but its just a cover. Now the Amhara government is moving fast, maybe a bit late, because if the Amhara started mob action burning investments in a poor country, nobody in his/her right mind will invest there. It is being led by facebook and twitter general command, but the local government should have moved faster. Same as Oromo. There was internet calls from some Somalis as well to retaliate, but Iley really moved fast and prevented what could have been catastrophic situation for the Oromo and to some degree for Somali as well. Example: In one of the towns, the mob burned the judge in his house. That is animal behaviour. Probably someone leading the mob had personal vendeta, since the judge is a local person as well. But the act is barbaric. I simply don't care what grievances they have. The Amhara government should arrest everyone involved in that mob and make a lesson out of them. The means you use to kill someone is an indication of savagery.

Desalination to the rescue: Egypt looks to new water sources amid GERD concerns Egypt is stepping up its desalination efforts to face challenges of water scarcity Ahmed Kotb , Thursday 1 Feb 2018 The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Photo: Reuters) The building of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the River Nile and its effects on Egypt’s share of Nile water have led the government to increase the country’s water desalination projects to be ready for possible water shortages. Egypt’s current and historic share of the Nile’s water is 55.5 billion cubic metres annually, according to a 1959 agreement between Egypt and Sudan. Ethiopia says the GERD is now 62 per cent built and that construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2018. It plans to fill the GERD’s giant reservoir to use it for hydroelectric generation, a move that is expected to cut into Egypt’s water supply. Despite the latest breakthrough in negotiations between the three countries following President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi’s meeting with Sudanese and Ethiopian leaders on the sidelines of the African Union Summit resulting to an agreement to resolve technical issues related to the GERD within one month, Egypt’s need for further water-desalination projects seems inevitable. “Egypt already had water concerns before the GERD loomed on the horizon, since Ethiopia announced it was building the dam in 2011,” said Hossam Shawki, director of Egypt’s Desalination Research Centre. “These are due to the rapid increase in population, currently over 100 million and doubling over the past 25 years, and the increase in the number of development projects,” he added. Egypt started water desalination projects in the 1980s, when there were only a few small plants in some tourism resorts with a total capacity of around 20,000 cubic metres of water per day (m3/d). The GERD alerted the government to the importance of expanding the country’s water desalination projects on a much larger scale. Until 2017, Egypt produced about 140,000 cubic metres of water from desalination per day, and the volume increased at the beginning of 2018 to around 250,000 m3/d because of the Al-Yusr Plant in Hurghada, which is one of the biggest in the world. The mega-facility was inaugurated last week by President Al-Sisi in order to provide the Red Sea governorate with fresh water instead of the current pipelines from the Nile which cost significantly more, Shawki said. Desalination consists of extracting the salt from seawater by using filters. Al-Yusr is one of 16 desalination plants to be built or upgraded in five governorates as part of Egypt’s efforts to fight water scarcity. The new projects comprise adding two plants in Matrouh governorate with a capacity of 150,000 m3/d and 34,000 m3/d and another two plants being upgraded. Another four plants are being built or upgraded in North Sinai with a capacity of 30,000 m3/d. Four other plants in the Red Sea governorate are to be expanded with a capacity of 47,000 m3/d. There are also two desalination plants in South Sinai with a total capacity of 42,000 m3/d, and two in Port Said with a capacity of 170,000 m3/d. Egypt currently has 40 desalination plants in operation. “Production from current and future desalination plants will reach 700,000 cubic metres of water per day within three years,” Shawki said. He added that one cubic metre of water from desalination can cost from LE10 to LE15, after taking construction and maintenance costs into consideration. “This is still cheaper than extending pipelines from the Nile to distant parts of the country,” he said. Water consumption for development projects and current expansion efforts can only be met by desalination, Shawki said. One person can consume 100 litres of water per day, he added. Shawki said that Egypt currently suffers from a water shortage of about 20 billion cubic metres per year, even after adding about seven billion cubic metres of underground water to its 55.5 billion cubic metre share of the Nile. “Water desalination is the best way for filling that gap,” he said.

Even if its a show, once it starts government will be hooke to it, then becomes serious. One way to minimize misreporting is when a person comes to open or renew licence, force them even on loan to buy a sales register machine. Of course even in the west sometimes they open and close it and is not recorded, but slowly can be common. The government can do spot audit like once a year taking sample of couple of days in different months.

The Germans are in Djibouti. They came to Somalia during previous government, but all Europeans even French toured, but left. Europeans were under the impression that America was getting involved less, but America is back in full and the Europeans are gettting out. SFG needs fast take advantage of turkey and even Qatar to start housing companies, etc where possible. Arabs will reconcile. Saudi are looking way out of Yemen.

I always consider the Sulatanates, Boqor, Garaads..etc into current conflicts and disagreements alliances. Usually you find some interrelations. Even if it just means such and such is great grand son of such and such.