Yusuf Garaad is an absolute buffoon, this degenerate has done enough damage while he was at the helm of the BBC somali service.

Liyuu police is being disbanded as-well, the end of the Ilay-era.

The SNA has to be integrated because for now most of the foot-soldiers in the various regions all operate along clan lines, when the war is won a new force has to be built and the militias fronting as the SNA dismantled.

There is a reconciliation Conference happening in Nairobi, all the sides of the current Jubba conflict are represented Azania, Kamboni,&Ahlusunnah-Gedo.It has taken a lot of diplomacy to bring these sides together, they were for the most-part all hostile to each-other.Instead of halting this process, the Somali government under Hassan should take there designated seat at the reconciliation table and involve themselves in the process.The final destination of the reconciliation conference will be within the Jubba region.A grand-conference is planned( In Kismayo most probably) but before that there needs to be political consensus and Nairobi is a secure location for these sides to peacefully debate and settle there differences.There has being progress already, if Hassan is dismissive of this process and unilaterally begins his own process or names his own admin then he stands to loose because these groups call the shots in Kismayo.It will only distance the Jubba region from Mogadishu, rewinding the clock.

Video- find on the front page http://www.svt.se/ You can't upload it on sol because of censorship on "O'gaden"( which should be lifted) In English: A wave of atrocities against villages in O'gaden ”No proper evidence has reached the world until now” The task force that arrested and wounded the Swedish journalists Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson in Ethiopia are now accused of widespread abuses in the O'gaden province. Swedish Television’s Africa correspondent Johan Ripås has become privy to further documentation, smuggled out of Ethiopia. The video evidence shows that whole villages have been emptied of inhabitants through executions and mass flight from terror. –These atrocities are well known in O'gaden. But no proper evidence has reached the world until now, says Abdullahi Hussein, a defected Ethiopian civil servant who smuggled out the material. The task force accused of these atrocities is called the Liyu Police or Special Police. The unit was formed three years ago to combat the separatist rebel group ONLF. According to information obtained by Swedish Television, the Liyu Police has since spread terror in the O'gaden province by mass executions of civilians. –They have deliberately recruited unemployed youths from the streets to the Liyu Police. These have then been drilled in carrying out executions, says Abdullahi Hussein. On May 16th 2010 ONLF reportedly carried out a major attack against a Liyu Polices camp in southern O'gaden. Retaliation followed the next day. Early on the morning of May 17th the Liyu Police came to the village of Malqaqa in the same region. The locals were accused of having helped ONLF, and the task force opened fire on the unarmed villagers. Swedish Television has met an eye witness to the event. Bashir Ali managed to escape the bullets. –They split up into smaller groups, advanced methodically and gunned down everybody in sight. I counted 73 dead, says Bashir Ali. The Liyu Police are headed by the president of the O'gaden region, Abdi Muhammed Omar. In the video footage that was smuggled out you can see the president visit the neighbouring village of Malqaqa. Several representatives of the village talk to the president and thank him for coming. An elderly man suddenly grabs the microphone and speaks his mind about the attack on his village. –Since the Liyu Police came, lots of people in our villages Galaashe and Malqaqa have been murdered. People have fled and many are missing. Old people as well as young. Abdullahi Hussein was present on this occasion and can be seen next to the president in the video footage. –The old man was immediately arrested by the Liyu Police, on the orders of the president. I don’t know what happened to him. I just saw how they led him away. Abdullahi Hussein says, that at least one hundred people were executed in the village of Malqaqa during a couple of days in May 2010. There were probably many more. On the video footage that was smuggled out you can see that the houses in Malqaqa now stands empty and abandoned. You can also hear members of the Liyu Police desecrate a civilian they have just killed. They stomp on his head and poke his face with a stick. –They gathered several people in the monastery of Malqaqa and stoned them to death, says Bashir Ali who escaped the attack. The human rights organization Human Rights Watch has recently received witness accounts of similar events. –We have evidence that three villages were attacked by the Liyu Police in March 2012. Many men were executed, and several men were arrested and detained arbitrarily, says Laetitia Bader of Human Rights Watch. Abdullahi Hussein now lives in exile under constant death threats after having smuggled the evidence out of Ethiopia. –The world must know. I did what every person would have done after seeing what I have seen, says Abdullahi Hussein.

^ they don't have to fear Addis ababa is what i'm alluding to, the decisions will be made more and more in Mogadishu.

Xaaji Xunjuf;872062 wrote: Horta how come the Bigfoot community doesn't want the PM position. With Ethiopia in the picture were extremely disadvantaged, even Azania without the support of the Kenyans would be history. With Meles gone perhaps they can find some confidence, they should understand there controlled from Mogadishu not Addis Ababa now.

The Zack;866042 wrote: CIlmooge of ONLF talked well. http://www.voasomali.com/content/article/1504122.html Why do the VOA Somali and BBC Somali hire people who can't conduct interviews in a professional manner? This interviewer has no class....Cadaani schooled her anyway.

We will not invest much emotion in this until something concrete is agreed upon but indeed good for all that this happening.

Jacaylbaro;865749 wrote: Good move by the new Admin in Ethiopia .... This was initiated long before the death of Meles, it has nothing to do with the new admin which by the way is still in limbo.

True ONLF has refused talks with Ethiopia in any place other than a neutral third-party country with international observers.

Ethiopia Government in Talks With Rebels, Spokesman Says. Ethiopia Government in Talks With Rebels, Spokesman Says. By William Davison - Sep 8, 2012. Ethiopia’s government has held peace talks with the O'gaden National Liberation Front, an outlawed ethnic-Somali rebel group, Communications Minister Bereket Simon said. “It’s a very positive step and we will pursue negotiations up to the last and try to bring all concerned in that area to the constitutional framework,” Bereket said in a phone interview from the capital, Addis Ababa, today. Proposals to end the conflict in the O'gaden area of Ethiopia’s Somali regional state were agreed during initial talks on Sept. 6 and Sept. 7 in Nairobi, the rebel group said in an e-mailed statement today. To contact the reporter on this story: William Davison in Addis Ababa at wdavison3@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mike Harrison at mharrison5@bloomberg.net

Initial peace talks between ONLF and Ethiopia. Peace talks between O'gaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and the Ethiopian Government Held in Kenya ONLF Press Release September 8, 2012 Delegates from the O'gaden National Liberation Front and the Ethiopian government held talks in Nairobi, Kenya on the September 6th and 7th 2012, facilitated by a Kenyan team designated by the President of Kenya, HE Mwai Kibaki. Mr Abdirahman Mahdi, the Foreign Secretary of the O'gaden National Liberation Front, led the ONLF delegation from the Somalis in O'gaden. The Ethiopian delegation was led By the Defence Minister of Ethiopia HE Siraj Fegessa. HE Mohamed Yusuf Haji, the Minister of State and Ag Minister for Provincial Administration and Internal Security of Kenya led the facilitation team. After exchanging opening statements presented by the head of the delegations, the two sides agreed on the modalities of the negotiation process, the general principles that would be the basis of resolving the conflict and the initial agenda, with the facilitation of the Kenyan team. The general principles agreed upon that would be the basis for resolving the conflict is: 1 .Formal negotiations between the Ethiopian government and O'gaden National Liberation Front shall be held to resolve the conflict; 2 .The common goal of the afore mentioned negotiations shall be the attainment of a just and lasting peace; 3.Such negotiations shall be comprehensive and address the substantive issues that are the root causes of the conflict; 4 .The holding of negotiations must be in accordance with mutually acceptable principles and no preconditions shall be made to negate the inherent character and purpose of the peace negotiations. 5 .The substantive agenda of the peace negotiations shall include issues that will facilitate the implementation of any peace agreement; 6.Both parties shall agree to specific measures of goodwill and confidence building in order to create a favourable climate for the negotiations. Finally, the parties agreed on the date of the next meeting to be held in Kenya. Issued by the : O'gaden National Liberation Front

I never understood why some of us express such vitriol towards an organisation whose only objective is to liberate a region from a foreign aggressor.I'm sure Ethiopia can accommodate its clannish objectives if it had any.As the leader of Gorgor says himself a Non-O they are mediators in clan conflicts because they understand that if mere clan conflicts occupy the minds of the populace then noble ideas of liberation would be sidelined. Zack is right Dr.Dolaal fell-out with the ONLF and subsequently he was expelled.His death was unfortunate, Abdi Ilay then security chief displayed photos of Dolaals corpse on his website before taking it down he also gave several interviews confirming the death of Dolaal at the hands of Ethiopian defence forces.The Ethiopian government also boasted on news portals. MMA the assassination of some senior ONLF leaders in Kenya was conducted by Ethiopian Intelligence, there is no internal conflict within ONLF.

If ONLF comes to power, they will be credited for bringing the PEACE that has eluded the region for the past century.It will be a historic victory indeed.REAL DEVELOPMENT will begin when PEACE is achieved, that is when the fundamental rights(human,political,economic,etc) of the people are restored.Whatever is left behind by the TPLF or its henchmen will be no different to whatever was left behind by the Italians in Mogadishu.Once the Ululations and liberation hysteria is over the front will have to prove its worth as a competent governing body. Meles Zenawi's economic achievements are exaggerated, there were improvements but much of the potential was squandered by nepotism and corruption. In-fact it was the economist that called the Meles regime "“one of the most economically illiterate in the modern world". No amount of biased development talk from ETV and Universal will lead to sustainable development, without a settlement politically ensuring rights then I don't find any value in talking about development.It is as though a few roads and some schools were the silver bullet to all our problems or as though we could not do it ourselves.our demands and objectives are much grandeur.

"callbox" ironic isn't it...I'm sure Universal t.v can relate to this since becoming an Ethiopian mouth-piece.Farax Macalin is an MP representing one of the constituencies of Garissa hosting most Somali refugees(dadaab) including Ilays victims.If Farax Macalin is incapable of doing his job his constituency can always replace him in the next election cycle whereas Ilay wails for Ethiopian television to tempt and appease his superiors as part of his re-election bid.Farax Macalins intellectualism and political confidence eclipses this insecure mentally deficient high-school drop-out and former Ethiopian army Garrison bartender.

Apophis;860956 wrote: Thank you. I'm aware of the 30 yr struggle of the ONLF. I asked for more info because you implied ONLF are somehow involved in the power struggle within the TPLF. ONLF's armed struggle is about 17-18 years now starting from 1994-5 but as an organisation it was formed in 1984. The power struggle is more within the TPLF but I was referring to possible talks that could now happen between the ONLF and the TPLF in a neutral setting.

oba hiloowlow;860950 wrote: ^^ im wondering that too.. Faafan let me correct you marka hore bal Tigray weeye, tigree waa dad muslim oo sudan iyo Eritrea dego. I'm not oblivious to that sxb spelling mistake.

Apophis;860949 wrote: I wonder if you would expand on this further? ^ There is an ongoing conflict between the ONLF and TPLF forces, due to of the ongoing media blockade of the region news of the conflict may not reach the desks of Aljazeera and the BBC but there are battles taking place almost daily.

6 Tigrayan iyo kan Wolaytaga ah baa wax kala wada hada...laakiin Tigreega kale ee ururka ku jiray baa guuxaya oona rabin ninkan Walaytaga ah sidaan maqlay, habarta males baa ku jirta...Oramada iyo Axmaro meeshay u kici lama fahmin iyagana inay guux keenaan laga yaab laakiin aad looma badinayo...waa dhinaceena iyadu waa la is horfadhiyaa, Tigray iyo ONLF inkastoo oo ay Tigreegu wadahadal codsadeen hada.

oba hiloowlow;860944 wrote: Sxb to be honest i dont see anything funny in that video it just sad walahi, ethiopian waa dad liito tiro yar ee Tigray baa hostage gareenayo, Amhara,Oromo,Afar, Gurage, Sidamo iyo Wolayta.. I'm laughing at the utter ********* of these TPLF buffoons. Ethiopia will unravel its needs time.Its on a shaky footing now.

oba hiloowlow;860941 wrote: Faafaan bro i heard that this gathering was organized by Iley supporters in order to make ONLF pissed. Its a nationwide campaign beyond Ilay, but Ilay must now prove himself to his new paranoid superiors.

I couldn't hold my laughter back on this one, Addis ababa's hospital patients carrying there crutches and wheelchairs were forced to take part in this bizarre grieving process.I watched another earlier on the homeless grieving, if anyone they should be the most displeased with Meles. http://www.ethiopianreview.net/index/?p=42987

How gullible can you be to believe that these people have gathered willingly.This is an exercise currently been conducted in every region of Ethiopia(get a link to Ethio tv and you can see this North korean style ritual in the different regions), its staged and orchestrated by the state who have armed people with candles and placards so as to show grief at the death of Zenawi.If these people could assemble regularly like this they would have protested the death and destruction of there people and livelihoods. Don't judge these people gathered as a propaganda tool to display perceived public support for the TPLF and Meles. The real culprits are those not confined by Ethiopia's oppression sending there condolences to a dead tyrant.

When you control all aspects of life and instill fear then you can make people carry out what you want in whatever fashion. This is Addis ababa residents still in fear of speaking about Meles even in death what do we expect from little Jigjiga. Ethiopians talk about their deceased leader nervously BY ALAN BOSWELL MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- On the day Ethiopians learned that their leader, Meles Zenawi, had died, life went on for the regulars at a nondescript compound on the outskirts of this city. The first client showed up about 3 p.m. and sat down under the porch awning. In minutes, a waitress had placed a raindrop-shaped beaker in front him and filled it with a dark yellow liquid from a Johnnie Walker bottle - tej, the traditional homebrew honey wine. A group of three friends soon entered, ordering a bottle of tej for themselves. Then, they opened up about their dead prime minister, sort of. "It would have been better if people had been told he had cancer or whatever," said the most vocal of the group. "You can suppress the truth for only so long." His friend on his left chimed in. "As a leader for foreign affairs, he was perfect," he said, but for Ethiopians, "he was not that good." He looked down at his beige flat cap that rested on his left knee. "Things will get worse, believe it or not. I fear we will have a civil war." The third friend, asked what he thought, simply shook his head: "My friend, I don't want to give you any comment about it." Asked their names, the first complied but asked that it not be printed. The other two simply declined to reveal their identities. "We are well-known here," one said. The fear that grips Ethiopian society - and, some say, keeps the country's ruling party in power - was painfully obvious in the wake of Meles' death late Monday in Brussels. People out on the street did not feel comfortable talking, hence the visit to the inconspicuous bar. Most of those who did speak refused to give their names. Of the many people approached over several hours, only eight agreed to be interviewed. Of those only one gave both a given name and a surname. Some gave their first name, most gave no name at all. The brave soul who acquiesced to being identified with two names then joked nervously: "But I won't tell you my third name." (In Ethiopia, the second name is your father's, the third name, your grandfather's, making each name an additional tool for identification.) Although Ethiopia's economy boomed under Meles, and its international reputation as a regional powerbroker soared, at home his government was best known for a level of Orwellian oversight best described as paranoid. A powerful intelligence service suppressed domestic dissent, and dissenters were often imprisoned, or simply disappeared. That repression was given a legal boost when Ethiopia adopted terrorism laws - a popular new weapon in the armory of dictatorial regimes over the past decade. The Ethiopian law carries an obscure provision that allows prosecution for providing "moral support" to loosely defined terrorism. According to the advocacy group Human Rights Watch, 11 journalists have been convicted under that provision since December. One Ethiopian journalist was sentenced in July to 18 years in prison under the law. Citizens seem all too aware that speaking out can bring trouble. Even after several minutes of a note-taking interview, most seemed unprepared when asked for their names - as if one should know better than to ask. One man who spoke candidly for about five minutes suddenly stood up and rushed out. Two others refused to speak inside a cafe that had fewer than a dozen customers. "Look, you think we can talk to you?" one asked. "Do you see how the others are looking at us?" Another man asked to be identified only as Hassim then refused to speak except in the confines of a taxi speeding through the city. Meles, he said, "didn't do anything for his native country, except for the Tigray," referring to the former prime minister's ethnic group, which holds outsized power in the government. When the taxi pulled up to his workplace, Hassim ended the conversation, hopping out and disappearing inside. Ironically, even as they whispered with shifting eyes, most Ethiopians did not have anything all that scathing to say. Most credited their late leader with the same traits that won him accolades abroad: his sharp intellect, eloquence and leadership skills. While they expressed little sorrow over a lost leader they feared more than loved, there was also little jubilation over his death. For most, the day's mood seemed accurately expressed in the afternoon rainfall: a steady drizzle, but no downpour of grief. But they knew better than to say that openly. At one point during the day, when another Ethiopian declined to speak, an interpreter apologetically explained: "They have good reason to fear, you know." (Boswell is a McClatchy Newspapers special correspondent. His reporting is underwritten in part by a grant from Humanity United, a California-based a California-based foundation that focuses on human rights issues.) Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/08/22/2963420/ethiopians-talk-about-their-deceased.html#storylink=cpy