Abwaanad Niciimo Qorone oo Dhowaanahaan ku xirneyd magaalada Hargeysa ee xarunta Maamulka Somaliland oo goordhoweyd dib xoriyadeedii u heshay. Madaxweynaha Somaliland Muuse Biixi Cabdi ayaa u fidiyay Cafis sii deeyn Xabsiga Magaalada Hargeysa. Niciimo Qorone ayaa xabsi sadex sano ah lagu xukumay kadib markii eedeeymo kala duwan ay u jeedisay Maxkamadda Hargeysa. Aabaha dhalay Niciimo Qorone ayaa shalay la kulmay Madaxweyne Bixii isaga oo kala hadlay in Gabadhiisa la sii daayo. Somaliland ayaa waxaa ka jira Caburin dhanka afgaarta ah oo lagu eedeeynayo maamulkaasi. Waxaa Xabsiga Hargeysa ku xiran Boqor Buurmadoow oo Maxkamadda Hargeysa ku xukuntay 3 sano oo xarig ah kadib markii oo uu magaalada Carmo ee Puntland kaga qaybgalay caleemasaarka Beeldaaje Maxamed Beeldaaje Ismaaciil. Xasan Maxamed Samatar Cowke Puntland Post The post Niciimo Qorone oo Xabsiga laga sii daayay appeared first on Puntland Post.

Muqdisho (Caasimada Online)-Hoggaamiyaha maamulka Puntland C/wali Gaas ayaa sheegay in dalalka carabta uu Heshiisyo la galo isagoo ogaalkiisa qaba. Gaas, waxa uu sheegay in shaqsi ahaantiisa uu garanaayo wixii dani ugu jirto maamulkiisa, hase ahaatee uusan la yaabeynin dhinacyada kasoo horjeeda xiriirka Puntland iyo dowladaha kale. Waxa uu tilmaamay in Heshiisyo uu la galaa dowlado kale aysan ka turjumeynin inuu yahay ‘’dhibwade’’ balse ay muujineyso Horumar, sida uu hadalka u dhigay. ‘’Anaga oo la socna xaalada jirta ayaan galnaa Heshiis, dabcan weynu garaneynaa waxa noo dawo ah, Puntland danteeda looma tilmaamaayo’’ Gaas, ayaa tilmaamay in Madaxda dowlada iyo kuwa Maamul Goboleedyada ay mas’uuliyad kawada saaran tahay dalka, sidaa aawgeed ay doonayaan inay muujiyaan kaalin tooda. Sidoo kale, C/wali Gaas ayaa tilmaamay in Puntland ay horay uga fiirsatay wixii dani ugu jira, hase ahaatee iminka ay doonayaan inay ka shaqeeyan horumarkooda. Haddalka C/weli Gaas ayaa u muuqanaaya mid daba socda dhaliilo dhawaan loo jeediyay oo la xiriirta in Heshiisyo lid ku ah dowlada Somalia uu lasoo galay dowlada Imaaraadka carabta. Caasimada Online Xafiiska Muqdisho Caasimada@live.com

Bodies of Kenyan soldiers being transpoted by ambulances as they arrive at Wilson airport, Nairobi Kenya, Friday Jan 27, 2017. A spokesman for extremist group al-Shabab says its fighters have killed at least 51 Kenyan soldiers in an attack on an army base in Kulbiyow, a town in Lower Jubba region. Sheikh Abdiaziz Abu-Musab says the fighters also seized military vehicles during Friday’s early morning attack. But Kenyan military spokesman P.M. Njuguna in a statement says the “rumors” being spread by al-Shabab are false (AP Photo/Khalil Senosi) Dhoobley (PP) ─ Ugu yaraan todobo askari oo ka tirsan ciidamada Kenya ayaa lagu dilay qarax miino degmada Dhoobley ee Gobolka Jubadda Hoose oo u dhow xuduuda Kenya. Mid ka mid ah gaadiidka ay wateen Ciidanka Kenya ayaa waxaa lala haleelay Qarax xooggan, kaasoo dhaliyay khasaare aad u ballaaran uu ka soo gaaray. Sarkaal ka tirsan ciidamada millateriga Soomaaliya ayaa sheegay inuu arkay dhimashada todobo askari iyo dhaawaca labo askari. Ciidamada Kenya ayaa xilliga qaraxa lala eeganayay ku sii jeeday saldhig ciidan ay ku leeyihiin Dhoobley. Dhanka kale, Ciidamada Kenya ayaa Qayb ka ah hawl-galka nabad-ilaalinta Midowga Afrika ee Soomaaliya ku sugan ee loo yaqaan AMISOM, iyagoo ka hawlgala Gobollada Jubbooyinka iyo Gedo. Ma ahan markii ugu horreysay oo ciidammo Kenyan ah lagu dilo qaraxyo ka dhacay Jubbooyinka, waxaase weerarkan uu kusoo beegmayaa iyadoo ay ku dhawaaqeen dhawaan ciidamada Kenya inay soo fuliyeen xubno Keenyaan ah oo Al-shabaab ay ku tababaraysay gudaha Somalia. Ugu dambeyn, Kooxda Al-shabaab ayaa sheegtay Mas’uuliyadda Qaraxaan Miino ee waxyeellada u geystay Ciidamada Kenya, Waxayna tilmaameen in ay ku dileen illaa 15 askari oo ka tirsan Ciidamada Kenya. PUNTLAND POST The post Ciidanka Kenyan ah oo lagu dilay Qarax Miino oo lagula eegtay Deegaanka Dhoobleey appeared first on Puntland Post.

Muqdisho (Caasimada Online)-Taliska ciidamada Militeriga Ugandha ayaa qaadacay qorshaha lagu doonaayo in lagu dhimo Tirada Ciiddanka Nabad-ilaalinta AMISOM. Taliska ayaa sheegay in waxbadan uu ku dheeli doono qorshaha socda ee lagu dhimaayo ciidamada, sidaa aawgeed la doonaayo in laga laabto. Dhimista ciidamada ayey sheegen inay keeni doonto guul darro ku timaada dadaalka loogu jiro Degaanaanshaha Somalia. S/Guuto Paul Lokech oo ka mid ah Taliyayaasha Ciiddanka Uganda ee ka howlgala qeybta AMISOM ayaa sheegay in Ugandha aysan xiligaan diyaar u aheyn inuu guul dareysto Howlgalka AMISOM. Paul Lokech, waxa uu sheegay in guul daradu ay tahay mid imaankarta keliya tirro dhimis lagu sameeyo ciidamada AMISOM, xili la doonaayo in la kordhiyo ciidamada. Paul Lokech, oo laa hadlay Wargeyska new vision ee ka soo baxa magaalladda Kampala ayaa sheegay inaysan farri ka qodnayn sidii ay Ciiddanka Somalia ugu wareejin lahaayeen Mas’uuliyadda Sugidda Ammaanka Somalia, waa sida uu hadalka u yiri. Sidoo kale, Hay’adda Qaramada Midoobay ayaa tilmaamtay AMISOM sidii loo bilaabi lahaa dhimista Ciiddanka AMISOM, iyadoo ay 1,000 Askari mar hore dib loogu celiyey dalalkooda hooyo. Qorshaha Qaramada Midoobay ayaa ah in gabi ahaan amniga Somalia si buuxda loogu wareejiyo ciidamada amaanka Somalia. Dhinaca kale, AMISOM oo doobeysa inay wakhtiga sii dheyreesato ayaa ku hadaaqeysa in Somalia aysan weli gaarin heer loogu wareejin karo amniga guud ee dalka. Caasimada Online Xafiiska Muqdisho Caasimada@live.com

Muqdisho (Caasimada Online)-Senatorada Aqalka Sare ee baarlamaanka Somalia ayaa cabasho ka muujiyay dhibaatooyin kala duwan oo xiligaan ay kala kulmaan galitaanka Xarunta Villa Somalia. Senatorada qaar ayaa sheegay inay aad ugu adag tahay inay gudaha u galaan Xarunta Villa Somalia ama ay la kulmaan Madaxda ugu sareysa dalka, iyadoo aan la ogeyn sababta rasmiga ah ee ka danbeysa. Waxa ay tilmaameen in Villa Somalia aan laga garaneynin qiimaha Senatorada, halka laga qadariyo shaqaalaha kale ee dowlada, taasina ay tahay mid ka fajacisay. Xukuumada Somalia ayey sidoo kale sheegen inaysan aqoon Aqalka Sare isla markaana ay ula dhaqanto si aan mas’uuliyad aheyn. Sanotarada Aqalka Sare ayaa intaa ku daray in xiliyada qaar ay la kulmaan dhibaatooyin iyo bahdil cad oo ku tallo gal ah, hase ahaatee Madaxtooyada iyo Xukuumada laga doonaayo inay cadeeyaan eeda loo qabo. Sidoo kale, Madaxweynaha iyo Wasiiro ka tirsan Xukuumadda Soomaaliya ayay sheegeen in ay ka hor istaageen shaqooyin dastuurku u idmaday. Cabashada Sanatorada Aqalka Sare ayaa imaaneysa xili inta badan Madaxda ugu sareysa dalka ay yihiin kuwo iska ilaaliya la kulanka Xildhibaanada labada Aqal. Caasimada Online Xafiiska Muqdisho Caasimada@live.com

Muqdisho (Caasimada Online)-Waxaa lagu wadaa in maanta uu magaalada Nairobi ee xarunta dalka Kenya uu ka furmo kulan u dhexeyn doona Madaxda dalalka deriska la’ ah Somalia. Kulankaan oo ahmiyad gaara leh ayaa waxaa looga hadli doonaa xaaladda dalalka Bariga Afrika, gaar ahaan dalalka dariska la ah Somalia. Madaxweynaha dalka Kenya Uhurro Kenyatta ayaa marti galiyay kulanka waxaana la filayaa inay ka qeybgalaan Madax dhowr ah oo uu kamid yahay Ismaaciil Cumar Geele iyo Ra’isul wasaaraha Ethiopia Abiyi Axmed. Madaxweyne Ismaaciil Cumar Geelle ayaa isaguna ku sugan magaalada Nairobi ee dalka Kenya, waxa uuna khudbad ka jeedin doonaa kulanka. Ra’isul wasaaraha Ethiopia Abiyi Axmed ayaa booqashadii ugu horeysay waxa uu shalay gelinkii dambe ku tegay Magalada Nairobi ee dalka Kenya. Abiyi Axmed ayaa waxa uu kulan gaar ah la qaatay Wasiirka Arrimaha Dibada iyo Ganacsiga Caalamka Monica Juma, Wasiirka Shaqaalaha Ukur Yattani iyo Guddoomiyaha magaalada Nairobi Mike Mbuvi Sonko. Ra’isul wasaare Abiyi Axmed iyo Madaxweynaha Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta ayaa wada kulmi doona Isniinta maanta ah sida ay xaqiijisay Madaxdtooyada dalkaasi. Kulanka waxaa uu socon doonaa Muddo labo maalmood ah, waxaana lagu waddaa gabagabadda in laga saaro qodobo ay ka mid yihiin Shaqadda Ciidamada AMISOM ay ka waddaan Soomaaliya. Dalalka Kenya iyo Ethiopia ayaa aad uga walaacsan xooliga ay ku socto dowlada Somalia oo iyadu aad uga soo horjeeda faragalinta kaga imaaneysa dowladaha Deriska la ah Somalia. Sidoo kale, Kenya iyo Ethiopia ayaa horay walaac uga muujiyay faragelinta arrimaha gudaha ee ay dowladda Imaaraadka ku heyso Soomaaliya, waxaana Madaxweynaha Kenya oo dhowr jeer arrintan ka hadlay sheegay in dalalka qaar ay dhabar jebin ku hayaan guulaha ay AMISOM ka gaartay Soomaaliya. Dhinaca kale, Kulankaan ayaa waxaa qodobada looga hadli doono waxaa kamid noqonaaya faragalinta ay Imaaraadka ku heyso arrimaha Somalia. Caasimada Online Xafiiska Muqdisho Caasimada@live.com

When Ethi¬o¬pia’s prime minister resigned in February after more than five years in office, there was little reason to think his successor would be an improvement. Source: Hiiraan Online

Muqdisho (Caasimada Online)-Ra’isul wasaaraha Xukuumada Somalia Xasan Cali Kheyre iyo Wafdi uu Hoggaaminaayo ayaa maanta lagu wadaa inay u ambabaxaan magaalada Hobya ee gobolka Mudug. Ra’isul wasaare Kheyre ayaa waxaa safarka ku wehlin doona Wasiiro, Xildhibaano iyo Xubno kale oo ka tirsan Villa Somalia. Safarka ayaa waxaa qeyb ka noqon doona qaar kamid ah Danjirayaasha Beesha Caalamka u fadhiya Somalia, oo iyaguna qeyb ka noqon doona socdaalka Kheyre. Ra’isul wasaare Kheyre, ayaa lagu wadaa in uu xariga ka jaro dhimsaha Wadada isku-xirta Magaalooyinka Gaalkacyo iyo Hobyo oo dib udhis lagu sameeyay. Waxa uu sidoo kale Ra’isul wasaare Kheyre goobjoog ka noqon doonaa mashaariic kale oo halkaasi laga hirgalinaayo, iyadoo sharaxaad laga siin doono hanaanka lagu socodsiin doono Mashaariicda. Kheyre iyo Wafdiga uu Hoggaaminaayo ayaa sidoo kale lagu waddaa inay kormeer ku tagaan Dekedda Degmada Hobyo. Sidoo kale, Guddiga Gob oo dhisay Wadada iyo Wasiiro ka tirsan Galmudug ayaa warbaahinta u xaqiijiyay tagitaanka Hobyo ee Ra’iisul Wasaare Kheyre. Docda kale, Wadada isku xirta Magaalooyinka Gaalkacyo iyo Hobyo ayaa waxaa dhisay Bulshadda kunool gobolka Mudug, waxaana dhismaheeda uu socday Sanado badan. Caasimada Online Xafiiska Muqdisho Caasimada@live.com

Muqdisho (Caasimada Online)-Waxaa lagu wadaa in maanta ay Xildhibaanada Golaha Shacabka baarlamaanka Somalia ku kulmaan magaalada Muqdisho ee caasimada Somalia. Kulankaan oo xiisa gaara leh ayaa markii ugu horeysay waxaa shir guddoomin doona Gudoomiyaha cusub ee Golaha Shacabka Maxamed Mursal Sheekh Cabdiraxmaan oo dhawaan la doortay. Kulanka ayaa ka dhici doona Xarunta Golaha Shacabka waxaana dhammaan xaadiri doona Xildhibaanada baarlamaanka. Ajendaha Kulanka ayaa ah Habmaamuska Xeerka lagu Aasaasay Midowga Africa ee Khuseeya Midowga Baarlamaanada Afrika. Xeerkan ayaa shalay waxaa ansixiyay Xubnaha Golaha Wasiirada Soomaaliya, waxaana laga sugayaa in maanta uu maro Xildhibaanada. Dhinaca kale waxaa aad loo adkeeyay amniga Xarunta waxaana xiran dhammaan waddooyinka hareer mara Xarunta. Caasimada Online Xafiiska Muqdisho Caasimada@live.com

Hundreds of people danced the night away at an Edmonton party to celebrate the 27th anniversary of Somaliland on Saturday. Source: Hiiraan Online

The beautiful Socotra Archipelago off the coast of Somalia was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. Trip Advisor reviewers speak of an “unbelievable” unique habitat, white sandy beaches and exotic “dragon trees” that look like inverted pyramids. Source: Hiiraan Online

The beautiful Socotra Archipelago off the coast of Somalia was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. Trip Advisor reviewers speak of an “unbelievable” unique habitat, white sandy beaches and exotic “dragon trees” that look like inverted pyramids. Source: Hiiraan Online

Terror is driven by networks in the modern world. Understanding these networks is fundamental in fighting the threats these groups pose. With modern technology terrorists have access to most parts of the globe and an array of weapons, including everyday items that can be easily weaponised. The evolution of the Salafi movement of Islam is the ideology behind al Qaeda, the forerunner of terrorist groups. Many Muslim share the Salafi belief but fall far short of the violence propagated by these groups. Source: Hiiraan Online

After Somaliland declared its independence, local people in many parts of Somaliland cut down the remaining forest cover for livelihood, income generation and energy. Source: Hiiraan Online

It was the worst case in decades, and officials directly linked it to disgraced UK doctor Andrew Wakefield Source: Hiiraan Online

Grand Island's Multicultural Coalition gave people a new taste of a popular breakfast staple as a way to say thank you for the community's support. Source: Hiiraan Online

Muqdisho (Caasimada Online) – Iyadoo inta badan is garuubeysi Siyaasadeed iyo mid qabiilba uu ka dhex jiro golayaasha dalka, ayaa waxaa soo baxaaya eedeymo taa la xiriirta oo loo jeedinaayo Guddoonka Aqalka Sare ee Somalia. Guddoonka Aqalka Sare ayaa waxa lagu eedeeyay inay kala sooc ku sameeyan Senatorada ka tirsan Aqalka Sare, isla markaana soo dhaweysta qaar kamid ah, halka qaarna Guddoonka uu faquuqo. Senotar Cabdikariin Maxamed Xasan oo katirsan Golaha Aqalka Sare, ayaa kamid ah Senatorada ka cabanaaya habdhaqanka Guddoonka Aqalka Sare. Senotar Cabdikariin, ayaa Guddoonka Golahaasi ku dhaliilay in ay kala xulasho ku sameynayaan Senetarada, taa oo keentay is faquuq ka dhextaagan Golaha. Senotar Cabdikariin, waxa uu arrintaas ku tilmaamay mid Cadaaladda Ka fog, maadaama uu sheegayo in Xubnaha ay isku golaha yihiin in la kala sareysiinayo, qaarkoodna lasoo dhaweynayo, halka qaarka kalane gooni loo riixayo. ‘’Marka dhaqankeena la eego maba mudnin inaan matalno shacab Soomaaliyeed, waayo anagii nala wakiishay ayaa ka dhamaan’la is faquuq iyo is riixriix aan sabteeda la ogeyn’’ ‘’Guddoonkii ugu sareeyay ayey ka qurunsan tahay arrinta waayo dhankooda ayey ka soctaa dhibaatada waxaan ugu baaqi lahaa inay ku dhaqmaan cadaalad iyo sinaan iskana dhaafan kala geynta iyo is garabsishada lagu hayo Senetarada’’ Senotar Cabdikariin, ayaa Guddoonka waxa uu ka dalbaday in ay Cadaaladda ku dadaalan, maadaama loo xushay inay dhex dhexaad ka noqdaan dhammaan howlaha taagan. Sidoo kale, Senotar Cabdikariin ayaa carab***** in eedeymaha ceynkaani ah loo tiiriyo keliya Xafiisyada Madaxweynaha iyo Ra’isul wasaaraha oo kaliya, hase ahaatee ay ka daranyihiin kuwa kale. Waxa uu Senatorka sheegay in dadka eedeynaaya Xafiisyada Madaxweynaha iyo Ra’isul wasaaraha aysan arag Guddoonka Golaha Aqalka Sare, loona baahan yahay in ay wax ka qabtaan Marka hore. Haddalka Senotar Cabdikariin, ayaa imaanaya xili is riixriixa iyo is faquuqa Siyaasadeed uu yahay mid kusii dhex baahaaya dhammaan Xafiisyada dowlada, gaar ahaan Hay’adaha ugu waaweyn dalka. Caasimada Online Xafiiska Muqdisho Caasimada@live.com

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) are opposed to the on-going process of down-sizing the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) forces in the war-torn Eastern African country, warning that it could have consequential negative impact on efforts to stabilise Somalia. Source: Hiiraan Online

At least seven Kenyan soldiers were killed and two others seriously injured after a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) targeted a military vehicle near the Somali town of Dhobley near the border with Kenya, witnesses and officials say. Source: Hiiraan Online

Everyone is taking advantage of Somalia and there is a reason for the exploitation. The country is weak and fragmented, and its people are headed in different directions. Source: Hiiraan Online

Djibouti has expressed "full support" for Morocco's decision to cut diplomatic ties with Iran, the Moroccan official MAP news agency reported on Saturday. Source: Hiiraan Online

Guddiga joogtada ah ee Golaha Wakiilada dowladda Puntland, ayaa maanta fadhigooda todobaad laha warbixin kaga dhegaystay,Wasiirka Caddaaladda,Awqaafta,Arrimaha Diinta,iyo Dhaqan-celinta xukuumada Puntland,Saalax Xabiib Jaamac. Warbixinta ayaa ku saabsaneyd cabashooyin xiriir ah oo dadweynuhu ay ka muujiyeen lacagaha faraha badan ee ay bulshada ka qaadan qaar kamid ah shirkadaha ka shaqeeya arrimaha Xajka,waxaana Wasiirku sheegay in shacabka ay dhibaato baahsan ka haysato qiimaha saa’idka ah ee laga qaado xilliyada ay u socdaan Xajka iyo Cumrada. Guddiga ayaa kadib markii ay dhegaysteen warbixinta Wasiirka,waxay dood dheer ka yeesheen cabashooyinka ka imaanaya dadweynaha ee ku aaddan lacagaha laga qaado Xujeeyda Soomaaliyeed iyo adeeg-xumida qaar kamid ah shirkadaha lacagaha saa’idka ah ka macaasha,muslilmiinta u hammuun qaba, in ay soo gutaan ruknigaan Diiniga ah ee Alle ku addoonsaday. Guddiga joogtada ah ee Golaha Wakiilada dowladda Puntland ayaa dooddaasi kadib dhaleecayn culus u jeediyay dowladda FederaalkaSoomaaliya, oo ay ku eedeeyeen in ay shirkado gaar ah ku wareejisay mas’uuliyaddii ka saarneyd arrimaha Xajkaa,islamarkaana aysan dheg-jalaq u siin cabashooyinka joogtada ah ee Xujeeyda Soomaaliyeed ka muujinayaan shirkadaha dhiig-miiratada ah ee afka u dhigtay dhaqaalihii umadda. Sidoo kale guddiga ayaa sheegay in qaar kamid ah shirkadaha ka shaqeeya arrima Xajka ee lacagaha xad-dhaafka ah ka qaada Xujeeyda aysan adeeg-hufan u qaban bulshada,balse ay dayac iyo rafaad ugu beddelaan dhaqaalihii ay ku bixiyeen in loogu adeego,taasina ay keentay in dad badan oo gudan-lahaa waajibaadka Xajka ay awoodi waayeen,sida guddigu xusay. Guddiga joogtada ah ee Golaha Baarlamanka dowladda Puntland ayaa ugu dambeyntii baaq u diray, madaxweynaha Soomaaliya,Maxammed Cabdullaahi Farmaajo iyo ra’iisul wasaarihiisa oo ay ka dalbadeen in gacanta dowladda lagu soo celiyo maamulka arrimaha Xajka ee dalka,si shacab weynaha Soomaaliyeed looga dulqaaqo dhibaatada ay ku hayaan shirkadaha gaarka ah ee lacagaha faraha badan ka qaada Xujeeyda Soomaaliyeed. Halkaan ka daawo qodobada uu guddigu soo saaray. PUNTLAND POST The post Guddiga joogtada ah ee Baarlamanka Puntland oo go’aanno ka soo saaray arrimaha Xajka. appeared first on Puntland Post.

The new Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed will arrive in the country on Sunday for a two-day State visit to bolster already strong relations between Kenya and Ethiopia, State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu has announced. Source: Hiiraan Online

African Union soldiers from Burundi stand to attention in Mogadishu on July 11, 2017. Amisom has 22,000 soldiers with Kenya contributing 3,664 soldiers. PHOTO | MOHAMED ABDIWAHAB | AFP The Kenyan government has warned that the activities of foreign powers seeking to undermine the government in Mogadishu are a threat to regional security. In what appears to be renewed efforts to support the administration of President Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo”, Kenya last week took an indirect jab at countries engaged in military or trade deals with Somaliland and Puntland, arguing such agreements could weaken the government in Somalia. It was Kenya’s first direct comment on a raging battle between Gulf powers, led by the United Arab Emirates, which have engaged in a series of manoeuvres aimed at weakening the Farmajo administration. PEACE Officials who spoke to the Sunday Nation say Kenya wants international partners to focus on direct engagement with Mogadishu and support the role of the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) in its efforts to train Somalia’s security forces. The first hint of the message was delivered last week when President Uhuru Kenyatta suggested some foreign entities were damaging the foundation Amisom had laid in Somalia. “The region is not at peace. Somalia remains troubled, largely by foreign agents who weaken its government, who divide its people, and who threaten to reverse the gains we have so painfully won under Amisom,” he said in his State of the Nation address on Wednesday. “Through it all, we remember that if our brothers and sisters in Somalia prosper, we prosper; if they are safe, so are we. “It has been our policy, then, to help them regain the peace and prosperity they once knew.” POWER STRUGGLE The clash between Gulf powers in Somalia is an extension of a battle pitting Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain on the one hand and Qatar and Turkey on the other. The Saudi bloc imposed a blockade on Qatar last year and embarked on a lobbying campaign to force countries to align with its decision. Somalia was one of the targets of this effort but the Farmajo government decided to remain neutral. This triggered a series of clashes with the UAE in particular. The Emiratis have sought to cultivate direct ties with Somaliland and Puntland and reach deals with them for management of ports and security training initiatives, which are seen as undermining the government in Mogadishu. AL-SHABAAB Kenya views itself as having a direct stake in Somalia because instability there spells trouble in Kenya, including by putting the vital tourism industry at risk. “A stable Somalia will allow our tourism to grow. Remember we went there after Al-Shabaab targeted our tourism installations,” Prof Maurice Amutabi, a historian and Vice Chancellor of Lukenya University, said. “If they have their own security monitoring the guys from their side, it can prevent them from regrouping,” he said, referring to the reasons Kenya Defence Forces joined Amisom. The President did not give names in his address but his diplomats have told the Sunday Nation that the jab was directed at the Gulf countries that have taken their disputes to the Horn of Africa. In late April, Kenyan security officials stopped a political meeting by UAE-allied Somali politicians in Eastleigh, Nairobi. Sources said the meeting at Sir Ali Muslim grounds was cancelled because it was seen as part of an effort by entities targeting the Somali government. MILITARY TRAINING However, the lead organiser, Abdirahman Abdishakur, a former Planning minister in Somalia, claimed Kenya cracked under pressure from Mogadishu. In March, the UAE announced it would start training Somaliland soldiers when the two sides reached various agreements, among them to set up a military base, and have an Emirati company run a port there. Somali MPs later nullified the agreement, arguing it violated territorial integrity. Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991, runs its own affairs and even gives its ‘nationals’ passports; but has yet to get international state recognition. The UAE and its allies like Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are involved in a war in Yemen, some 300 kilometres east of Somalia and a military base in Somaliland could aid their war efforts. However, Somalia is also host to a military base run by Turkey, though this agreement was reached between Ankara and Mogadishu. IGAD MEETING So how does that affect the work of Amisom, and Somalia’s stability? Kenya thinks by dealing with regions, as opposed to the government in Mogadishu, the Gulf powers are fanning turmoil, which would require Amisom to stay there longer. This was one of the issues discussed at a recent meeting of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad), an eight-member bloc that includes Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. “During the meeting, emerging regional peace and security as well as the political economy were discussed. “It was agreed that fresh and rigorous analyses on the manifestation of the Middle East in the region, the situation in Somalia and South Sudan and the effectiveness of Igad be undertaken to inform Kenya’s overall engagement through Igad,” a read-out from the meeting said. CASH SEIZURE “It shows that the region is tired and Igad member states are convinced that it is in their best interest to have a peaceful and prosperous Somalia. “Some Arab countries are undermining the efforts made by Amisom for the last 10 years, specifically the UAE,” Dr Abdiwahab Abdi, a senior analyst on the Horn of Africa with SouthLink Consultancy in Nairobi, argued. “That will affect the peace and stability in the Horn of Africa,” he added. The UAE officially denies the charge and its Foreign ministry recently said it recognises one Somalia. However, it recently terminated a military training in Mogadishu after authorities seized $9.6 million (Sh96 million) in cash in an Emirati aircraft. SECURITY Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma, Igad Executive Secretary Mahboub Maalim and other senior officials from Igad countries attended the meeting in Djibouti. Igad also includes Sudan, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Uganda. Kenya, which has traditionally adopted a stance of non-interference and neutrality in the region, seems to be alarmed that a weakened Amisom at this point could mean a weaker Somalia and hence exposure to more Al-Shabaab attacks. On Thursday, State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu confirmed Kenya’s opposition to downgrading the mission, arguing the security situation could worsen. “Kenya is very much committed to Amisom and has used every opportunity to canvass with development partners not to cutback their assistance. “The President did this as late as last month at a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the margins of the Commonwealth summit,” Mr Esipisu told the Sunday Nation. “The wearer of the shoe feels the pinch. We live in a tough neighbourhood and know the consequences of an unstable Somalia. “That’s why the President is committed to doing everything possible to see a stable Somalia.” STATE VISITS Kenya will continue with its charm offensive to convince troop contributing countries on the dangers of an early exit, a diplomat added. Today, President Kenyatta is to host new Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and it is expected the issue of Somalia will feature. Next weekend, Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh is also expected in the country on the invitation of the President. Created in 2007 by the African Union Peace and Security Council, Amisom initially had a renewable six-month mandate to stabilise. Later, the UN Security Council endorsed its existence as a combat mission, with civilian and police departments. Kenya joined the Mission in 2012, a year after the Kenya Defence Forces entered Somalia in pursuit of Al-Shabaab. EXIT STRATEGY The European Union and the US have been its main financiers, with the EU pumping in about Sh100 billion since its inception as Washington provides logistical support. The mission was projected to exit Somalia by 2022 and financiers have said they will cut funding. On Friday, Amisom Head Francisco Madeira would not confirm if Somalia will be ready to run its own operations, but said the withdrawal will depend on Mogadishu’s capabilities. “This process will allow us to judge whether Somalis are ready to take over from us. “We are not interested, and Somalis are not interested either, to leave this place and lose all the gains achieved,” he told Chinese broadcaster CGTN in an interview. “The idea is to empower Somalis to be able to continue with whatever we have not finished.” Mr Madeira spoke as Amisom’s main financiers met in Brussels, Belgium, with Amisom officials to discuss the planned exit strategy, which includes a phased reduction of troops by 5,000 a year, ahead of the deadline. Amisom has 22,000 soldiers with Kenya contributing 3,664 soldiers. Source: – Daily Nation

A thousand little lines etched onto her face quietly tell a story of struggle and resilience, of dreams fulfilled and not — of a life not to be forgotten. In the eyes of a woman he met halfway around the world in Somalia, Canadian artist Yasin Osman saw his own grandmother. Only it wasn’t. Osman’s own ayeeyo (grandmother) had just passed, her words echoing in his mind, inspiring him to use his photography to show a part of Somalia most of the world had never seen or bothered to see. “Remember me,” the woman told him as they parted. A chance to shine a light Just months earlier, Osman was sitting with his grandmother in the United Kingdom where she lived during their first visit together in nearly a decade. They spoke of the future, Osman weighing leaving his job as an early childhood educator to pursue photography full time. His grandmother motioned to the television screen, where a Somali journalist was telling a positive story about her home country. “I will pray for you,” Osman’s grandmother told him, on one condition. She would support his career choice if he promised to use his gift of photography to do good for Somalia. It was to be one of their final conversations. Traveling to Somalia wasn’t in Osman’s immediate plans. But when he returned to Toronto following his grandmother’s death, he quit his job and set about looking for ways to fulfil his promise. It wasn’t long before he came across the an online famine relief campaign a called Love Army for Somalia and started messaging back and forth with Jerome Jarre, one of the social media celebrities involved, sending samples of his work. Jarre, remembers Osman, was immediately drawn to his work, and invited him to come to Somalia to help document the effects of the drought. It was a chance to shine a light on stories of Somalis that rarely made headlines. Shoot For Peace An only child raised by a single mother in Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood, Osman knew all too well the dark shadow cast by negative stereotypes, teasing about Somalis being pirates, the assumptions that his was a community infiltrated by gangs. “When I grew up, there was a lot of gun violence in Regent Park and so how I wanted to tackle that issue was by using my gift — I believe every single person in this world has a gift — and I wanted to share my gift by teaching young kids about photography.” That desire is what sparked Shoot For Peace, a weekly program for children in Osman’s childhood neighbourhood to learn to express themselves through the art of photography. Every Sunday beginning in the fall of 2015, Osman would get together with a group of kids, letting them take snaps of things and people that mattered to them. “It didn’t cost us money to just walk around the neighbourhood with a camera… And it was amazing because the kids were slowly opening up.” But it was when one of the young boys came up to Osman and said he didn’t realize he could do anything besides what he’d learned in school, that he might want to become a photographer, that Osman realized how powerful the program could really be. “Just for him to have that choice, that option of doing something other than what he knew about… It made me really feel like I did the right thing.” ‘We are all your brothers’ Fast forward to 2017, Osman found himself on a flight to Mogadishu for his very first visit to Somalia to in his own way to put a human face to a country so much of the world associated with crisis. “I remember being on the plane and it was a really emotional flight for me because I remember thinking how happy my grandmother would have been if she knew that I fulfilled my promise of going back,” he said. The Somalia he saw was nothing like the stereotypes he’d heard growing up — there were engineers, doctors, teachers, mothers, elders, children, ordinary people that looked like Osman and were working to support their communities. “When I first got out of the plane and I went into one of the vehicles, the man asked me, ‘How many siblings do you have back in Toronto?'” “I don’t have any siblings,” Osman remembers replying. “Then he grabbed my hand and he said, ‘Stop, don’t say that, I am your brother and we are all your brothers.’ That really touched me.” “That’s what I wanted to show… I wanted to show the beautiful and amazing and resilient people that we are because a lot of times that’s not what’s translated into the media.” Then there was Amir, about six or seven years old. Osman had brought along some treats for the kids and Amir was handing them out to his friends, so Osman said to him, “Why don’t you take some to keep for yourself?” “And he said to me, ‘Why would I keep them for myself when we don’t know if tomorrow’s coming?'” And of course there was the ayeeyo who looked so much like his own — a reminder of who and what all this was for. “So creating this exhibit and making this a tribute to her… this was kind of like a love-letter to her, to say, ‘I did what you told me. And I hope you’re proud of me.'” With files from Dwight Drummond, Metro Morning Source: – CBC