What you posted was popoganda. I live in MN, and the majority of Somali's from the OG dont support this man. why did he come? That is why he was greeted with cheers and claps. That's why there were more people inside the Hotel hall engaging the President in constructive discussions than outside hurling insults.

Terrorist A Osman: Said Barre good. Meles bad. :D :D

Yes it is a non story because it's propaganda.

TH aka Duke, The grainy video amounts to nothing but propaganda. The fact is Abdi Mohamud Omar was among his people and he enjoyed every minute of it.

No, he wasn't nervous. He was rather overwhelmed by the warm reception.

Abdi Mohamud Omar Victorious in the twin cities. He came, He saw, He conquered.

Qodax Qorax, It was an amazing event. President Abdi Mohamud Omar was received like a rock star. Yes, there were hundred or so Osman supporters shouting insults outside, but inside it was warm and festive. This was a breakthrough meeting. Mr TH, Far from it. In fact, President Abdi Mohamud Omar was humbled by the warm reception he received in Minnesota. It was a great victory for Ethio government and an ignominious defeat for Osman and his goons. I am beyond ecstatic by the promising turn of events in the twin cities. Allah Wa Akbar.

Don't believe terrorist Che or Kismayo Zack, The hotel hall was packed to capacity. Diaspora Ethio Somalis engaged Killil 5 President , .H. E. Abdi Mohamud Omar, in a very constructive discussion. It was a complete success.

Faroole is in bed with a notorious American mercinary Blackwater founder sets up new force to tackle piracy By Guy Adams in Los Angeles Saturday, 22 January 2011 Blackwater employee on patrol in Baghdad Erik Prince, the American founder of the private security firm Blackwater Worldwide, has cropped up at the centre of a controversial scheme to establish a new mercenary force to crack down on piracy and terrorism in the war-torn East African country of Somalia. The project, which emerged yesterday when an intelligence report was leaked to media in the United States, requires Mr Prince to help train a private army of 2,000 Somali troops that will be loyal to the country's United Nations-backed government. Several neighbouring states, including the United Arab Emirates, will pay the bills. Mr Prince is working in Somalia alongside Saracen International, a murky South African firm which is run by a former officer from the Civil Co-operation Bureau, an apartheid-era force notorious for killing opponents of the white minority government. Mr Prince, a 41-year-old former US Navy Seal with links to the Bush administration, subsequently rebranded the company "Xe Services" and sold his stake in it. But he remains entangled in a string of lawsuits pertaining to the alleged recklessness of the firm. For most of the past year, he has been living in Abu Dhabi, where he has close relations with the government and feels better positioned to dodge lawsuits. In an interview with a men's magazine, he recently declared that the UAE's opaque legal system will make it "harder for the jackals to get my money". The exact nature of his sudden presence in Somalia remains unclear. The Associated Press said yesterday that the army Mr Prince is training will focus on fighting pirates and Islamic rebels. The leaked intelligence report which prompted the news agency's story was compiled by the African Union, an organisation of African nations. It claimed that Mr Prince's money had enabled Saracen International to gain the contract to train and run the private militia. But that element of the report was flatly contradicted by a spokesman for the Blackwater founder, who claimed that Mr Prince had "no financial role of any kind in this matter". In a written statement, the spokesman, Mark Corallo, added: "it is well known that he has long been interested in helping Somalia overcome the scourge of piracy. To that end, he has at times provided advice to many different anti-piracy efforts." He declined to answer any further questions. Whatever the exact details of Mr Prince's role, his presence in Somalia will inevitably lead to renewed soul-searching about the growing privatisation of warfare. Critics of mercenary organisations, which are often prepared to operate where traditional armies fear to tread, claim they are often trigger-happy and lack proper accountability. In Iraq, Blackwater employees shot dead dozens of civilians; 17 people were killed in one incident alone in Nisour Square, Baghdad. Criminal charges were eventually brought in the US against five Blackwater employees. However, they were dropped in 2009 after a federal judge ruled that the defendants' rights had been violated during the gathering of evidence. Iraq's Interior Ministry subsequently expelled all contractors who had worked with the firm at the time of the Nisour Square shooting. Somalia, where the country's UN-backed regime is fighting a civil war against al-Shabaab, a group of Islamic insurgents with links to al-Qa'ida, is, if anything, a more volatile country than post-invasion Iraq. The government controls only a small portion of the capital, Mogadishu, where it has the support of 8,000 UN troops from Uganda and Burundi. It is training an army to extend its reach, but observers fear that its ranks will be weakened by the arrival of Mr Prince – who will pay his troops a far better wage. Saracen's shady corporate structure has not inspired confidence in its accountability. In 2002, the UN accused its Ugandan subsidiary of training rebel paramilitaries in the Congo. Recently, the firm has claimed to be registered to addresses in Lebanon, Liberia, Uganda and the UAE, some of which seemed not to exist when reporters tried visiting.

The Journey of Peace!! Somali diaspora went to somali region in Ethiopia they traveled from Jigjigga to Degehbuur and finally Kabri Deher where they took part in a conference of peace. Among the traveling were, Ato Abdulahi Omar the Somali amist killil leader and from Onlf, those who embraced PEACE former Onlf Selehedin Ma'ow

Jan 24, 2011 Somali State Diaspora in North America and Somali State Government delegation, led by the State President, H.E. Abdi Mohamud Omar, held historic conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, today (January 23, 2011) to discuss ways and means to further strengthen the peace, good governance and development efforts already underway in Somali State of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The Government delegation included the Chairman of Ethiopian Somali People’s Democratic Party (ESPDP), and the minister of Labor & Social Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Mr. Abdulfatah Sheik Abdullahi, the Speaker of Somali State Council, Mr. Mohamed Rashid Isak, the State’s Deputy of Finance and Economic Development Bureau Head, Mr. Kader Abdi Ismail and Counselor Mowlid Mohamed of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, DC. The participants of the conference were briefed on Ethiopia’s current five-year Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP), and the ongoing peace, good governance and development efforts in Somali State by the members of the Government delegation. The participants fervently vowed to standby President Abdi’s call to invest motherland. After deliberating at length on the current efforts of peace, good governance and development in the State, the participants: 1. Welcome the extent of the ongoing efforts of peace, good governance and development in Somali state. 2. Support the government’s peace accord with UWSLF and ONLF. 3. Applaud the federal government’s last five-year plan, which enabled Ethiopia to register double-digit growth, and Support the current five-year plan, which, upon its implementation, will open a new chapter for Ethiopian development and renewal. 4. Recognize the role of the Somali State Diaspora in the successful implementation of the State’s priority programs on agriculture, and rural development, human resources development and infrastructure development. 5. Affirm the critical importance of the investment in motherland and the current initiatives to create conducive atmosphere for public and private partnership, in order to promote the private sector investment as a growth engine for the State’s development process. 6. Note with grave concern the current security situation in the neighboring Somalia and the threat posed to Somali State in particular, and Ethiopia as whole, by the armed aggressors who consider no borders and respect no sovereignty. 7. Denounce the Asmara regime of its negative roles in the regional stability. Somali State Diaspora in North America Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

I am surprised terrorist A Osman has not come up with his usual mendacious story of military victory yet. Every time there is good news coming from Region 5, A Osman orders his clown in Dubia to send an urgent email to western media of phantom military success or made up atrocity in Somali State to defelect attention . I bet Hussein Mohammed Nur is busy doing this as we speak: Ah, terrorist A Osman is so predicatble. No sooner did I write the above comment than A Osman make his familiar cry of non-existant ethnic cleansing charge against the government. I guess terrorist Osman's motto is make your lies big and make them often. Pathetic stooge.

Indeed, Well Done Ethiopia.

Faafan aka Mr Thierry, I am surprised terrorist A Osman has not come up with his usual mendacious story of military victory yet. Every time there is good news coming from Region 5, A Osman orders his clown in Dubia to send an urgent email to western media of phantom military success or made up atrocity in Somali State to defelect attention . I bet Hussein Mohammed Nur is busy doing this as we speak: :D :D

Addis Ababa , January 18, 2011 (Addis Ababa) - Ethiopia has registered a 12.7 per cent economic growth in 2010, the United Nations annual economic report, World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) said. Speaking at a press conference organized to release the WESP, UNECA Chief Economist, Adam Elhiraika said Ethiopia has registered fast economic growth between 2000 and 2010. Elhiraika said the country has invested huge amount of money in infrastructure, education, health and agriculture sectors, among others, during the past ten years. The Economist said the country has also managed to increase the volume of agricultural outputs during the reported period. According to Elhiraika, the huge investment made by the government in the sectors contributed towards economic growth of the country. Though the Ethiopian government had estimated the country's economy to grow by 10.1 per cent, the economy has grown by 12.7 per cent due to the overall development in all sectors. Despite the continuous increase in the volume of agricultural outputs, the price for agricultural products remains high, the economist said. The inflation rate has lowered in 2010 compared to the previous year, he said. Elhiraika said the country’s economy is estimated to grow by 9.4 per cent and 9.2 per cent on average during 2011 and 2012 respectively. He said the recovery of the global economy from the downturn caused by the global crisis creates good opportunity for Africa to register better economic growth. Elhiraika said the continent has registered fast development in tourism and expansion of telecommunication service and huge flow of foreign direct investment during 2010. Africa registered a 4.7 per cent economic growth in 2010, he said, adding, the continent expects to grow by five per cent and 5.1 per cent during 2011 and 2012 respectively. He said political unrest, conflict, dependency on agricultural products and price hike in food items will be problems for the continent's economic growth.

Jijjiga, January 17 (WIC) – The Ministry of Women, Children and Youth has called on senior officials of the Somali State to make paramount efforts to prevent the prevailing female genital mutilation (FGM) and other harmful traditional practices (HTPs). Women, Children and Youth Minister, Zenebu Tadesse, on Saturday held discussion with the Somali State officials on ways to eliminate FGM and HTPs in the state. Zenebu on the occasion urged officials of the state to play the leading role in the endeavor to get rid of HTPs by raising awareness of the public and penalizing the practitioners. In addition to their health, social, economic and psychological problems, the prevailing female genital mutilation and other harmful traditional practices are currently claiming the lives of several women, Zenebu indicated. She said positive progresses have been made towards combating FGM and HTPs in some areas but a lot is expected from stakeholders to eliminate these practices. She further called on officials of the state to go all-out for the success of the development package being implemented in the state with a view to improving the livelihoods of women pastoralists and semi pastoralists. Senior officials of the state who took part at the discussion on their part pledged to ban harmful traditional practices and ensure the development participations and benefits of women.

Jijjiga, January 17 (WIC) – The Ministry of Women, Children and Youth has called on senior officials of the Somali State to make paramount efforts to prevent the prevailing female genital mutilation (FGM) and other harmful traditional practices (HTPs). Women, Children and Youth Minister, Zenebu Tadesse, on Saturday held discussion with the Somali State officials on ways to eliminate FGM and HTPs in the state. Zenebu on the occasion urged officials of the state to play the leading role in the endeavor to get rid of HTPs by raising awareness of the public and penalizing the practitioners. In addition to their health, social, economic and psychological problems, the prevailing female genital mutilation and other harmful traditional practices are currently claiming the lives of several women, Zenebu indicated. She said positive progresses have been made towards combating FGM and HTPs in some areas but a lot is expected from stakeholders to eliminate these practices. She further called on officials of the state to go all-out for the success of the development package being implemented in the state with a view to improving the livelihoods of women pastoralists and semi pastoralists. Senior officials of the state who took part at the discussion on their part pledged to ban harmful traditional practices and ensure the development participations and benefits of women.

I don't respond to make-belief stories from hapless sources. The peace process in Region 5 is on the right track. Things haven't looked this good for the region ever. The only people unhappy about the turn of event in Region 5 are A Osman and his goons.

You are so pessimistic. No wonder many Ethio Somalis are abandoning A Osman' camp. :eek:

I understand PEACE is an anathema to terrorist A .Osman and his deranged followers. But peace and prosperity are at the center of Abdi Mohamud Omar's platform during his tenure as President of Region 5. So far he has been very successful. So much so that don't be surprised if he moves up to the DP position in the federal scene in the next election.

Mr T, It is indisputable fact that Ethiopia has been registering remarkable economic growth in the last 5 years. As for 2011, it is just a forecast. We will have to see. So I say DON'T GET MAD. BE HAPPY. You should strive to be part of the change Ethiopia is witnessing. Time is of the essence. You snooze you lose. Get a job. Save money and invest in region 5.

The changing face of Ethiopia

A more hopeful continent The lion kings? Jan 6th 2011 | from PRINT EDITION ..MUCH has been written about the rise of the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and the shift in economic power eastward as Asia outruns the rest of the world. But the surprising success story of the past decade lies elsewhere. An analysis by The Economist finds that over the ten years to 2010, no fewer than six of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies were in sub-Saharan Africa (see table). The only BRIC country to make the top ten was China, in second place behind Angola. The other five African sprinters were Nigeria, Ethiopia, Chad, Mozambique and Rwanda, all with annual growth rates of around 8% or more. During the two decades to 2000 only one African economy (Uganda) made the top ten, against nine from Asia. On IMF forecasts Africa will grab seven of the top ten places over the next five years (our ranking excludes countries with a population of less than 10m as well as Iraq and Afghanistan, which could both rebound strongly in the years ahead). Over the past decade sub-Saharan Africa’s real GDP growth rate jumped to an annual average of 5.7%, up from only 2.4% over the previous two decades. That beat Latin America’s 3.3%, but not emerging Asia’s 7.9%. Asia’s stunning performance largely reflects the vast weight of China and India; most economies saw much slower growth, such as 4% in South Korea and Taiwan. The simple unweighted average of countries’ growth rates was virtually identical in Africa and Asia. .Over the next five years Africa’s is likely to take the lead (see chart). In other words, the average African economy will outpace its Asian counterpart. Looking even farther ahead, Standard Chartered forecasts that Africa’s economy will grow at an average annual rate of 7% over the next 20 years, slightly faster than China’s. So it should, of course. Poorer economies have more potential for catch-up growth. The scandal was that Africa’s real GDP per head fell for so many years. In 1980 Africans had an average income per head almost four times bigger than the Chinese. Today the Chinese are more than three times richer. Africa’s rapidly rising population still dampens its growth in real income per head but that, too, has risen by an annual rate of 3% since 2000—almost twice as fast as the global average. For Western firms Africa’s economy still looks tiny, accounting for only 2% of world output. Emerging Asia’s is ten times larger. But Africa’s share is rising, not only because of brisker growth but because GDP has been seriously understated in many economies. In November the size of Ghana’s economy was revised up by a massive 75% after government statisticians improved their data and added in industries such as telecoms. Other countries are likely to revise their GDP levels and growth rates upward over the coming years. Africa’s changing fortunes have largely been driven by China’s surging demand for raw materials and higher commodity prices, but other factors have also counted. Africa has benefited from big inflows of foreign direct investment, especially from China, as well as foreign aid and debt relief. Urbanisation and rising incomes have fuelled faster growth in domestic demand. Economic management has improved, too. Government revenues have been bolstered in recent years by high commodity prices and rapid growth. But instead of going on a spending spree as in the past some governments, such as Tanzania’s and Mozambique’s, have put money aside, cushioning their economies in the recession. Some ambled through the decade rather than sprinted. Africa’s biggest economy by far, South Africa, is one of its laggards: it posted average annual growth of only 3.5% over the past decade. Indeed, it may be overtaken in size by Nigeria within ten to 15 years if Nigeria’s bold banking reforms are extended to the power and the oil industries. But the big challenge for all mineral exporters will be providing jobs for a population expected to grow by 50% between 2010 and 2030. Commodity-driven growth does not generate many jobs; and commodity prices could fall. So governments need to diversify their economies. There are some glimmers. Countries such as Uganda and Kenya that do not depend on mineral exports are also growing faster than before, partly because they have increased manufacturing exports. Standard Chartered thinks that Africa could become a significant manufacturing centre. Formidable obstacles to Africa’s continued progress loom, among them political instability, the weak rule of law, chronic corruption, infrastructure bottlenecks, and poor health and education. Without reforms, Africa will not be able to sustain faster growth. But its lion economies are earning a place alongside Asia’s tigers.

http://www.ethiotube.net/video/12313/ETV-News--402-former-ONLF-fighters-released-from-prison

(The Daily Monitor) – The Ethiopian government last week freed 402 leaders and members of the ****** National Liberation Front (ONLF), country’s most active rebel movement, which has been fighting for the right of the eastern Somali region to secede since 1984, Ethiopian Television reported. According to ETV report the release of the prisoners has demonstrated government commitment to the peace of the country and to the peace deal the government has reached with ONLF. Upon their release, the President of Ethiopia’s Somali region, Abdi Mohammed Omur, said the move is based on the peace accord signed between ONLF and Ethiopian Government. Last October, Salahdin Abdulrahman led a breakaway group of ONLF which claims to be the main body of the rebel movement and signed a peace accord with the Ethiopian government to end the rebel’s decades of insurgency. During the occasion Ethiopia’s state prison commissioner Abdi Bedi Ousman said the human rights of the prisoners had been respected as per the constitution of the country during their prison terms. The commissioner said following the peace deal most of the release and those freed earlier are already actively engaged in the development activities of the region. The just freed ONLF leaders, members and fighters promised to work with the Ethiopian government and said they will repay their community by aggressively taking part in the development of the region. The government has pledged to allocate resources to help the members of the ONLF, who signed the peace deal, to reintegrate into society. Ethiopian authorities have invited the remaining ONLF rebels and other factions to also come to peace talks. Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of arming and financing, ONLF and OLF. An allegation Asmara denies.