Brother,LOL I dont deny that Ceel Buur exists I know it does because mindless violence occurs there every day, like yesterday when two clans killed over 20 people for the sake of what? Brother ask the British and US governements if Puntland exists, ask the UN and our neigbouring states. Or ask your relatives and friends if the know the state, you lack knowledge dear lad. As I knew before you only attacked Abdullahi because of clan hatred for Puntland, its evident that now you deny the state, do you see me denying Hobyo and Gurceel or the wells of Galgaduud? You talk high and mighty but what have your leaders, relatives done or Galgaduud what is Galgaduuds state today? Compare that neglected land of death,Xeeraare, Ceel Bur to the state of Puntland? Pathetic is a man who talks about other peoples houses while neglecting his own.

US Dollars And No Guns: How Puntland Runs Itself The East African (Nairobi) COLUMN January 12, 2004 Posted to the web January 14, 2004 Arthru Okwemba Nairobi Special Correspondent ARTHUR OKWEMBA visited the state of Puntland in northeast Somalia recently and found, to his surprise, that it is not quite the lawless jungle that he had expected it to be As our plane touched down on the deserted Bossaso airstrip during a recent visit to Somalia's Puntland state, my stomach churned with fear. I had heard and read many stories about the security situation in the vast Horn of Africa country, so the peaceful crowds that strode languidly along the streets as we drove into Bossaso did little to ease my worries. As if sensing what was going through my mind, the driver said: "Puntland is one of the most peaceful places in Somalia. So do not fear." I was intrigued by the way the name Puntland rolled easily off his tongue, considering that the state did not exist before 1991 when civil war broke out after the overthrow of president Mohammed Siad Barre. According to a report titled Scarcity and Surfeit: The Ecology of Africa's Conflicts by the African Centre for Technology Studies and South Africa's Institute of Security Studies, the fall of Barre actually "dampened prospects for peace and security and did not bring about an anticipated coalition government formed by dissident factions. Instead, the war began and Somalia was broken into fiefdoms run by militias answerable only to certain warlords, prompting the European Union to commission the London School of Economics and Political Science to assess various types of political and administrative decentralisation systems that would work in Somalia and bring about a lasting solution to the conflict. In a 1995 report titled A Study of the Decentralisation Structure for Somalia: A Menu of Options, the experts proposed four models - confederation, federation, a community-based type of power-sharing known as consociation; and a decentralised unitary state. During two seminars held in neigbouring Kenya in 1996 to discuss the report, the Somali people, represented by politicians, religious leaders civil society and other stakeholders, chose the last option. They agreed that the decentralised unitary state of governance would operate, while giving full autonomy to the constituent units. That is how Puntland came into being as one of the autonomous units. But the country remains far from meeting the system envisaged in the study. Since the war, Somalia has been divided into two states led by presidents, with the central and southern parts in areas like Mogadishu and Kismayu under the control of warlords. The Republic of Somaliland, which was a British protectorate, declared its independence from the southern part of Somalia in 1991. Puntland, in the northeast, followed suit and has remained relatively peaceful for some time now. With this development came other major differences in states found in one country. Two different currencies circulate in the two states. Interestingly, Somaliland does accept the Puntland currency and vice versa. The scars of the largely clan-based civil war are far from healing and this is manifested in the decisions and policies of the two states. When a person boards a plane from Puntland state, for instance, he or she has to pay a visa fee of $20 at Bossaso airport and a similar amount at Hargeisa airport in the Republic of Somaliland. As one moves down to the central and southern zones, a $20 visa fee is again charged at airstrips or airports controlled by the warlords. Hence, in the same country, a person can pay the visa fee five times, depending on the zones being visited. In places where a government exists, some of the money goes to the state. In other areas, it is pocket by warlords and the militiamen. As such, there are those who are getting super rich as the conflict rages. This is the group locals say would prefer the current state of affairs to continue. But this does not bother them as much as security does. Some locals are fleeing certain parts of the country to settle in either Puntland or Somaliland, which are relatively stable. To the people of these two states, the most insecure places are the Southern and Central parts of Somalia, which encompass areas like Mogadishu and Kismayu. Indeed, when a person passes through Puntland, the perception of a country on fire that many people in Kenya have fizzles out. In Bossaso, one of Puntlant's most vibrant towns with a strategic port on the Red Sea, business is booming and much of it is conducted in US dollars. You can buy a soft drink or sweets with a dollar, and get change in US cents. Even elderly businesswomen have mastered the art of differentiating a fake from authentic dollar by just feeling and looking at certain features. Buildings are coming up fast in Puntland, as people race against time to catch up with opportunities lost through the war. In Bossaso, there is a university known as the University of East Africa. The residents, who have not had an opportunity to get an education, crave for it, especially the English language. A few private schools, which offer English language courses, use the Kenyan curriculum, administered by Kenyan teachers, who are increasingly setting-up camp in Somalia. A primary school teacher, who earns about Ksh7,000 ($90) at home, can earn as much as $500 (Ksh39,000) a month in addition to a free return air ticket to Kenya when schools close. An estimated 600 Kenyans are said to be working in Somaliland in different capacities. In this respect, despite the over 10 years of conflict that has slowed down development in Somalia, the country appears to be beating the odds. Everybody is going about their business with no apparent worry. There are no people carrying guns around as is popularly believed, although many have them in their homes. A 16-year-old boy told me he has his own gun, which can come in handy in the event that his clan is attacked by another. Most of the locals blame the civil war or clan wars, as some call them, for providing the fertile ground for the guns to get into the hands of civilians. With only $50 (Ksh3,850), one can get a pistol. Double that amount and you have an AK-47 rifle. The biggest worry is that with so many people owning guns, conflicts can flare up easily and degenerate into something nasty. If person is killed by someone from another clan, the attack is taken as an assault on the clan of the deceased person. Therefore, the offended clan will kill anybody from the other clan in revenge. This situation has forced international agencies working in Somalia to define how to offer tenders and contracts, or hire people. A staff member of an international agency working in southern Somalia says: "In this part of the world, sometimes qualifications do not matter when hiring. You have to know how a clan will take it if you employ someone from a rival clan." The process is said to be so dicey that the agencies have to consult the elders, who then decide who should get a contract or a job. On its part, in an attempt to bring law and order, the governments of Puntland and Somaliland have ordered that only law enforcement agencies, the military and few people licensed to have guns should carry them in public. In addition, many Somalis hope that the ongoing peace talks in Nairobi will come up with solutions that would minimise the current tensions fuelling gun ownership among warring Somali clans. This kind of hope, however, does not resonate among the Somalis in Somaliland. A number of the locals interviewed are neither anxious nor interested in the whole peace process. They still harbour - something one discerns easily - a deep mistrust of their brothers in South Somali and Puntland. Screamed one of them when I inquired why unity had eluded them for so long: "We cannot participate in talks when senior people who served in the Siad Barre government and were architects of the maiming of our people and destruction of our land are now seen as saints in the talks in Nairobi." There are claims that around 1991 and 1992, Barre's army, which continued fighting after his ouster in January 1991, bombarded Hargeisa, one of the then flourishing towns with a strong political and economic base. The raids are said to have left over 640,000 people dead and the entire town reduced to rubble. Many of the people in Somaliland have kept pictures and relics of the town immediately after it was flattened as a reminder of the injustice meted out to them. Pointing at one of these pictures, Egal Mohammed says agonisingly: "We speak the same language, worship the same religion, we are people of the same race, and yet we were battered like this by our fellow brothers. It is difficult to start talking of unity." Even those who might disagree with him are now losing their patience with the talks, which began in 1991 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia under the facilitation of the United Nations. To many of them, the consultations have taken too long without any tangible success and are turning out to be an avenue for some people to enrich themselves. Although most locals and senior politicians who are in favour of the talks say the country can only be governed through a decentralised unitary state, with a loose central government, Somaliland is taking a different stand. It says it does not even want to be part of that decentralised unitary state. They just want to stand as an independent state. Indeed, they have been fighting hard to win international recognition. Like a fledgling democratic state, people in Somaliland elected their third president early last year and recently concluded municipal elections. Early this year, they plan to hold parliamentary elections. Meanwhile, compared with the two states, the other parts of the larger Somalia are struggling to put their act together. Politics revolves around clans - the ****** , ***** , **** , *** , ********* - a number of which say only self-determination is the way out. Relevant Links East Africa Somalia This brings into sharp focus the question, Should self-determination be used by the Somali people as a way of solving conflicts? In Sudan, the Sudan People's Liberation Army led by John Garang prefers the same model. Conflict experts argue that if self-determination can bring lasting peace on the continent, then why not think about it in any political parleys?

LOL, Again another Abdullahi story, a pathetic failure is the whole of Somalia and its leaders. However I wonder why Abdullahi and why now? Is it because of the Somaliland fascist moves on Sool Sanag and Ayn? Or is it because he might get a good position in the Kenyan talks? Hooganka, bro you need to start being objective, is Abdullahi worse than the leaders of the USC movement, Aydeed, Ali Mahdi, Qaynyare, Osman Ato? Is he worse than Abdiqasin Salad Hassan? In my point of view he is a better leader than all those fellow pathetic failures put together. Pathetic is the article, Abdullahi is the president of Puntland like it or not.

This picture is a joke, the people of Sool have decided long ago that they are Somali's first and they belong to the republic of Somalia. Like Mobb Deep said, Puntland will survive.

Xaaladda Magaalada Laascaanood. Asad Cadaani Ibraahim e-mail: asadlaska@hotmail.com Laascaanood, Soomaaliya Xaalada magaalada Laascaanood ayaa iyadu ah mid degan oo xasiloon, ka dib markii ay 9/1/04 isku haleeleen meel u dhow magaalada Laascaanood oo lagu magacaabo Tifafle una jirta 15km, kagana beegan dhinaca waqooyi, Ciidamada Daraawiishta ee dawlad goboleedka Puntland iyo maleeshiyo beeleed uu watay Wasiirka horu-marinta reer miyiga ee Maamulka iskii isu magacaabay ee somaliland , Fu'aad Aadan Cadde. Waxaana goobtaasi ku geeriyooday laba qof oo ka tirsanaa maleeshiyooyinka taageersan maamulka ismagacaabay, waxa kale oo dhaawac u halkaasi ku soo gaadhay sadex ka tirsan maleeshiyadaa, sagaal maxbuus ayaa iyaga loo dhaadhiciyey magaalo madaxda maamul goboleedka Soomaaliyeed ee puntland, waxaan ku jiray nin ay walaalo yihiin Fu'aad Aadan Cadde iyo wiil uu dhalay. Ciidamada Daraawiishta ayaa maleeshiyadan Somaliland taageersan ee u dhalaay gobolka sool, in toodii badnayd hubkii ka dhigay dabadeedna sii daysay, oo u ogolaatay in ay guryahoodii ku noqdaan, iyada oo odayashoodii gacana loo galiyey. Maamul goboleedka Soomaaliyeed ee Puntland ayaa sheegay in ay dhinacooda kaga geeriyooday hal askari mid kalena ku dhaawacmay , dhamaanoodna loo soo qaaday Cisbitaalak guud ee Magaalada Laascaanood , wuxuuna maamul Goboleedka Soomaaliyeed ee Puntland sheegay in uu maamulka Somaliland mas'uul ka noqondoono wixii halkaasi ka dhacay, Madaxweyne ku xigeenka Puntland Mudane Maxmed Cabdi Xaashi ayaa dadweynaha Punland khudbad uu xalay u jeediyey ugu sheegay in ay dagaal u diyaar garoobaan oo ay dalkooda daafacdaan , kana daafacaan maamulka majara habowsan ee Riyaale hogaamiyo waa sidii hadalka u dhigaye. Dhinaca kale Guddoomiyaha gobolka Sool Ibraahim Jaamac Daad ayaa shir jaraa'id oo uu maanta ku qabtay magaalada Laascaanood ku sheegay in ay ka xun yihiin wiilashii halkaasi ku geeriyoodey ee ay soo khaldeen kuwa u shaqeeya sidii loo hagar daamayn lahaa bulshada deegaankana , kana shaqeeya dhagarta shacbi weynaha Soomaaliyeed Gaar ahaanna Shacabka PunTland. Wuxuuna intaasi ku daray in ay dalkooda difaaci doonaan haddii la soo weeraro dalkooda, kana difaaci doonaan cadowga Soomaaliyeed waa siduu hadalka u dhigee. Ciidamada Maamul Goboleedka Puntland ayaa heegan la galiyey si ay dalka u difaacaan, shacabka gobolka ku dhaqan ayaa iyaguna u diyaar garoobey sidii ay ciidooda u difaaci lahaayeen , ugana difaaci lahaayeen maamulka majara habowsan ee uu Riyaale Hogaaminayo waa siday ii sheegeen dadweyne badan oo aan la kulmay . Asad Cadaani Laascaanood Somaliya asadlaska@hotmail.com

Xiddig, is right there will be no winner we will all lose, all of us will lose if this is not sorted out. We watch and wait it seemed this weeek that the tension was reducing and today it seem that troops [Puntland] have moved out of Lascanoo heading west and Somaliland troops are in a collision course so it seems the nonsence is on again.

MEETING BETWEEN A/SLAD HASSAN,A/YUSUF,QAYNYARE,SINDIKO & OTHERS TO DISCUSS PEACE.. Kulan ay maanta wada yeesheen Cabdiqaasim ,Cabdulaahi Yuusuf Iyo Siindiko, Qanyare,Cadoow, oo looga hadlaayay sidii Waxaa maanta kulan balaaran isugu yimid hogaamiyaasha Somalida qaarkood ee kusugan Dalka Kenya oo haatan ka socdo Shirka Geedi socodka nabada ee Somalida , hogaamiyaashaa oo kala ah Cabdulaahi Yuusuf Axmed, Maxamed Qanyare Farax, Faarax Wehliye Cadoow Siindiko ,Ingineer Cadoow , Iyo Cabdiqaasim Salaad Xasan Kulankaasoo ka dhacay aqalka uu daganyahay Cabdulaahi Yuusuf Axmed ahna madaxweynaha Dowlad goboleedka Puntland. Kulankaan oo ay iskugu yimaadeen mas’uuliyiinta Somalida ayaa ah mid ay ugu wada hadlaayeen qaabka ugu fudud ee uu u suurto gali lahaa Kulanka Hogaamiyaasha Somalida ay yeelan doonaan malinta bare ah , Iyo sidii lagu keeni laha raga ilaa iyo haatan ka maqan shirka Somalida Kenya ugu socdo , iyo in uu shirkaaan noqdo mid miro dhal ah Shacabka Somaliyeed oo mudo badan Dowlad la’aan heysay looga faa’ideyo oo ay Dowlad loo dhiso. Kulanka hogaamiyaasha Somaliyeed ayaa waxa uu ku soo beegmay iyadoo bare hotelka weyn ee Safari park ee magalaada nairobi lagu balansanyahay in uu uu ka furmo kulanka hogaamiyaasha somalida ee loogu magac daran Ritiriidka ,kaasoo ah mid ay hogaamiyaasha oo qor ah ay iskugu imaandoonaan kana wada hadlidoonaan dhibaatada shacabka Somaliyed ku habsatay iyo in ay isku tanaasul isuna muujinayaa hogaamiyaasha Somaliyed sidii loo badbadin lahaa shirka mudada loo fadhiyey Si kastaba ha’ahaatee raga xalaada shirka Indha _indheeyo ayaa waxa ay kulankaan hogaamiyaasha ku tilmaayaayaan mid hor mar leh ama guul loo arki karo loona baahanyahay in ay sii wadaan kulamadooda , maxaa yeelay hadii aysan somali hashiinin cid heshiisiinayso ma lahan. Asad Cabdi Axmed(Nasrudiin) dayniile Nairobi,Kenya

Angel = Fiasal Warrabe I thought she reminded me of some one damn, Mobb you are right man LOL

Bari Nomad, many thanks for the article. Sooyaal & Bashi, we all hope that something tangible comes out of the talks.

KULANKA WADATASHIGA HOGAAMIYAYAASHA SOOMAALIDA OO SHALAY KA FURMAY MAGAALADA NAIROBI January 10, 2004 Markacadeey -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kulanka wadatshiga hogaamiyayaasha Soomaalida ayaa shalay ka furmay Hotel-ka Safari Park ee magaalada Nairobi dib u dhac ku yimid muddo saacado ah kadib iyadoo ay fureen madaxweynayaasha Kenya iyo Yugandha Mwoi Kibaki iyo Yuweri Musaveni. Muddo 8-saacadood ah ayuu shirku dib uga dhacay xilligii ay ahayd inuu furmo markaas oo la isku mari la'aa ka qeyb galayaasha shirka, madaxweynaha Yugandha Yuweri Musaveni ayaa kulamo kala gaar ah la lahaa hogaamiyayaasha Soomaalida oo xubnaha sii joogay magaalada Nairobi ee gaaraya 20 ay ku adkeysanayeen in aan la kordhin tirada hogaamiyayaasha isla markaana laga badin saxiixayaasha iyo C/qaasim Salaad, xilligaas wuxuu madaxweynaha Kenya ku jiray qol ka mid ah Hotel-ka uu heegan ka ku ahaa. KHUDBOOYINKA MADAXWEYNAYAASHA Madaxweynaha Kenya Mwoi Kibaki ayaa sheegay hogaamiyayaasha in loo baahan yahay heshiis ay gaaraan hogaamiyayaasha Soomaalida kana gudbaan khilaafaadka u dhexeeya. ''Waa inaadan ogolaanin in beesha caalamku ka lumo dulqaadka ay Soomaaliya u heyso'' ayuu yiri Madaxweynaha Kenya Mwoi Kibaki o sheegay in shirka dib u heshiisiinta Soomaalida oo waqti dheer socday ay ahayd inuu intaas yar uu natiijooyin ku gaaro. Madaxweynaha Yugandha Yuweri Musaveni ayaa isna halkaas ka jeediyey khudbad waano iyo khibrad ah isagoo hogaamiyayaasha Soomaalida ku canaantay sida ay u dhaqmayaan, ''Wixii ugu badnaa ee doodiina aan ka arkay waxay ahaayeen hogaamiyenimada, waxaa hogaamiye lagu noqdaa doorasho, dhaqan iyo xoog intaba Soomaaliya waa ka socon waayeen....'' ayuu yiri Madaxweynaha Yugandha oo hogaamiyayaasha Soomaalida u sheegay in aysan jirin cid hogaamiye dhab ah sheegan karta. Mar uu ka hadlay xaalada Soomaaliya ayuu madaweynaha Yugandha sheegay inay tahay xaalad aad looga xumaado oo murugo leh, ''Xasuuq hoose ayaa Soomaaliya ka socda'' ayuuna yiri isagoo sii raaciyey: ''waa inaad xasuusataan oo aad maanka ku heysaan marka aad wada hadaleysaan in jiil dhan oo Soomaaliyeed la waayey''. Madaweynaha Yugandha wuxuu ka dalbaday inay istaagan hogaamiyayaasha Soomaalida oo is gacan qaadaan isna cafiyaan, halkaas ayay hogaamiyayaashii Soomaalida is barxabeysiiyeen oo salaan, is dhunkasho iyo gacmo is qabsi ku dhaqaaqeen waxayna kadib qaadeen heestii Soomaaliyey Toosoo. C/QAASIM SALAAD XASAN C/qaasim Salaad Xasan ayaa sheegay in hogaamiyayaasha Soomaalida ay isu soo dhawaadeen, ''Sida aad arkeyseen waan is gacan qaadney oo la is dhunkooday maxaa yeelay Soomaali walaalo ah baanu nahay, waxaana rajeynayaa in dib u heshiisiintu miro dhal noqon doonto'' ayuu yiri C/qaasim oo waxyar kadib shirkaasi u waramay Televishanka Al-Jasiira. Xuseen Maxamed Ceydiid oo ka mid ah hogaamiyayaasha Soomaalida ayaa isna sheegay in dowladihii hore Soomaaliya ay ku fashilmeen la macaamilka dowladaha deriska ah, waxaana loo baahan yahay ayuu yiri dowlada deriska wada hadal iyo nabad kula dhaqanta. IS BEDEL LAGU SAMEEYEY SHIRKA Shirka oo markii hore la qorsheeyey inuu shir dib u laabasho ah ama Retreat waxaa iminka loogu magac daray wadatashi. Shirka oo markii hore qorshuhu ahaa in marka furitaankiisa looga dhawaaqo Nairobi kadibna muddo 10-maalmood ah uu ka socdo magaalada Mombasa, wuxuu hada ka sii socon doonaa magaalada Nairobi gaar ahaan Hotelka Safari-Park, laakin lama oga xilliga uu socon doono. Ingiriiska oo markii hore bixiyey qarashka lagu wadi doono shirka wadatashiga waxa ku soo biiray Sweden oo qarash kale ku soo kordhisay lacagta uu bixiyey Ingiriiska. Arrinta muranka badan ka taagnaa ee tirada hogaamiyayaasha ayaan wax go'aan ah laga gaarin waxayna u muuqataa in Mdaxwenaha Ugandha ku guuleeystay furitaanka shirka,iyadoo aan waxba laga qaban arrintaasi. Ugu danbayn shirkaan ayaa ah fursadii ugu danbeeysay ee xal loogu helaayo caqabadaha hor taagan shirka Soomaalida ee hakadka ku jiray afarta bilood marii ay ka bxeen T.N.G-da Cabdi Qaasim iyo hogaamiyaal Soomaaliyed oo kale. Maxamed Cali Maxamud

We hope so dear friend we hope its the year of peace and nation building. I think its the first time that the most prominant Somali groupings have agreed to talk.

'The British said my son would be free soon. Three days later I had his body' Robert Fisk reports from Basra on the 'death in custody' of the son of an Iraqi police colonel and evidence that he was savagely and deliberately beaten to death by British soldiers Robert Fisk in Basra - 04 January 2004 http://fairuse.1accesshost.com/news1/fisk10.html The last time Lieutenant Colonel Daoud Mousa of the Iraqi police saw his son Baha alive was on 14 September, as British soldiers raided the Basra hotel where the young man worked as a receptionist. "He was lying with the other seven staff on the marble floor with his hands over his head," Col Mousa says today. "I said to him: 'Don't worry, I've spoken to the British officer and he says you'll be freed in a couple of hours.'" The officer, a second lieutenant, even gave the Iraqi policeman a piece of paper and wrote "2Lt. Mike" on it, alongside an indecipherable signature and a Basra telephone number. There was no surname. "Three days later, I was looking at my son's body," the colonel says, sitting on the concrete floor of his slum house in Basra. "The British came to say he had 'died in custody'. His nose was broken, there was blood above his mouth and I could see the bruising of his ribs and thighs. The skin was ripped off his wrists where the handcuffs had been." Baha Mousa left two small boys, five-year-old Hassan and three-year-old Hussein. Both are orphans, because Baha's 22-year-old wife died of cancer just six months before his own death. No one hides the fact that most if not all the eight men picked up at the Haitham hotel - where British troops had earlier found four weapons in a safe - were brutally treated while in the custody of the Royal Military Police. One of Baha's colleagues, Kifah Taha, suffered acute renal failure after being kicked in the kidneys; a "wound assessment" by Frimley Park Hospital in Britain states bluntly that he suffered "generalised bruising following repeated incidents of assault". When Col Mousa and another of his sons, Alaa, visited Kifah Taha in a Basra hospital immediately after his release to seek news of Baha, they found the wounded man - in Alaa's words - "only half a human, with terrible bruises from kicking on his ribs and abdomen. He could hardly speak." But another of Baha's colleagues - who pleaded with The Independent on Sunday not to reveal his name lest he be rearrested by British forces in Basra - gave a chilling account of the treatment the eight men received once they arrived at a British interrogation centre in Basra. By a terrible coincidence, the building had formerly been the secret service headquarters of Ali Majid, Saddam's brutal cousin, known as "Chemical Ali" for his gassing of the Kurds of Halabja and later military governor of the Basra region. "We were put in a big room with our hands tied and with bags over our heads. But I could see through some holes in my hood. Soldiers would come in - ordinary soldiers, not officers, mostly with their heads shaved but in uniform -- and they would kick us, picking on one after the other. They were kick-boxing us in the chest and between the legs and in the back. We were crying and screaming. "They set on Baha especially, and he kept crying that he couldn't breathe in the hood. He kept asking them to take the bag off and said that he was suffocating. But they laughed at him and kicked him more. One of them said: 'Stop screaming and you'll be able to breathe more easily.' Baha was so scared. Then they increased the kicking on him and he collapsed on the floor. None of us could stand or sit because it was too painful." But not one of the prisoners says he was questioned about the discovery of the weapons in the hotel. Indeed, the man who hid the two rifles and two pistols in the hotel safe - one of the partners in the hotel, Haitham Vaha - fled the building after the British arrived and is still on the run. His father and another business partner, Ahmed Taha Mousa - no relation to either Kifah Taha or Baha Mousa - are still in British custody in southern Iraq. At least one of the men beaten by the British says that he would happily hand Haitham to the British forces if he found him. Amnesty International has demanded an impartial and independent inquiry into Baha's death and the mistreatment of the other Iraqi prisoners, but the Ministry of Defence is attempting to keep its investigation within the Army. Two soldiers originally arrested in connection with Baha's death have since been released - and Baha Mousa's family is outraged. "We are going to sue the British Army in London," his brother Alaa says. "They gave us $3,000 in compensation, then said we could have another $5,000 - but they wouldn't accept responsibility for his murder. "We reject this money. We want justice. We want the soldiers involved to be punished. How much would a British family receive if their innocent son was arrested by your soldiers and beaten to death?" The Mousa family were given an international death certificate by the British Army at the Shaibah military medical centre outside Basra. It was dated 21 September, but again carried an indecipherable signature. It stated that Baha's death had been caused by "cardiorespiratory arrest: asphyxia". But the anonymous British officer who signed the document failed to fill in the column marked "due to/as a consequence of". He also failed to fill in the column marked "approximate interval between onset (of asphyxia) and death". More seriously still, the British Army failed to complete the form's request for "Regt. Corps/RAF Command" and "Ship/Unit/RAF Station". An inquiry was opened into Baha Mousa's death on 18 September by 61 Section of the 3rd Regiment, Royal Military Police's Special Investigation Branch. Captain G Nugent, the officer commanding 61 Section, named a Staff Sergeant Jay as chief investigating officer of case number 64695/03. From the start, the SIB were faced with overwhelming evidence that British soldiers had kicked and beaten the prisoners in their custody. Major James Ralph, the anaesthesia and intensive care consultant at the British Military Hospital's 33 Field Hospital at Shaibah, stated in a letter - a copy of which is in the IoS's possession - that Kifah Taha "was admitted to our facility at 22.40 hours on 16th September. It appears he was assaulted approximately 72 hours ago and sustained severe bruising to his upper abdomen, right side of chest, left forearms and left upper inner thigh." He described Kifah Taha as suffering from "acute renal failure". Col Daoud Mousa says that his son was deliberately kicked to death by the soldiers because they discovered that his father had persuaded the British officer - "Second Lieutenant Mike" - to arrest several British soldiers who were stealing money from the hotel during the raid. "I saw two of the soldiers at the back of a safe, wrenching it open and stuffing money into their shirts and pockets - Iraqi dinars and foreign money. The officer made one of the men open his shirt and he found the money and the soldier was disarmed. But the military inquiry didn't want to hear about this - they weren't interested in the theft or why the soldiers who were stealing the money would want to mistreat my son as a result of what I did." Alaa says that it was three days before they learned the truth about what had happened to Baha. "I was at home and I went outside to find the street filled with British soldiers. They didn't have Baha's name right, but they said they were looking for the family of the man 'whose wife died of cancer'. I said it must be Baha and one of the officers said: 'Can you come with us?' "A sergeant came into our home, his name was Jay, and he sat on our sofa and said: 'I have come to tell you about the death of your brother Baha.' It was like a revolution in our house - there was screaming and shouting and crying. The British said they wanted my father, Daoud, and one of us to come to identify the body. He said a doctor from Britain was coming to examine the body." Alaa described how he later met a "Professor Hill", a pathologist who, he says, later acknowledged that there were "very clear signs of beating on the body" and that two of Baha's ribs had been broken. Robert Harkins, the British political officer in the city, arranged for the Mousa family to meet Brigadier William Moore, commander of British forces in Basra. The family say that Brig Moore, though he expressed his condolences to Daoud Mousa, refused to allow an Iraqi lawyer to participate in the British inquiry. "He told us that since this had happened inside the British Army, the British Army would conduct the investigation," Alaa says. The brigadier issued a statement on 3 October, expressing his "regrets" that their son "died while under British jurisdiction" and promising that if the military police concluded that a crime had been committed, "those suspected will be tried ... under the laws of the United Kingdom." The family initially accepted $3,000 of compensation for Baha's death - they say they thought that by offering this, the British were accepting responsibility - but they refused to sign a letter they received last month from a British claims officer called Perkins which offered a further $5,000 as a "final settlement" of the "incident" which would be made "without admission of liability on behalf of the British Contingent of the Coalition Forces in Iraq". An MoD spokeswoman said yesterday that "as far as I'm aware, as of the beginning of December, the investigation was ongoing - nothing in our records suggests it is not still ongoing". But no charges appear to have been made, no soldiers are currently under arrest and Alaa Mousa and his father Daoud remain infuriated by their treatment. "Are the soldiers responsible for killing Baha to go unpunished?" Alaa asks. "Why can't we be involved in this? If these men have no punishment, they will do this again. "We are not saying the British are 'occupiers'. We think you came here to Basra to save us from Saddam. But you should not treat my family like this, just paying us money when you kill Baha and ... then stopping us being involved in finding out what really happened. If you go on like this, your 'big welcome' in Basra will be over." © 2003 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd. Reprinted for Fair Use educational purposes

Tiradda saxiixayaasha shirka oo la isku raacay Cabdi qaasim iyo C.laahi Yuusuf oo fagaaro weyn maanta isku shumiyay gacmahaniis qabsaday Shirka dib u heshiisiinta ayaa mar kale maanta la soo baxy wejji farxad huwan oo lagu tilmaami karo inuu guuleeystay kadib markii si rasmi ah la iisugu raacay in saxiixayaasha lagu jaangooyo 25 saxiixe oo Cabdi qaasim ka mid yahay. Guud ahan waxaa gacmaha is qabsaday hogaamiyayaasha oo qaaday heesta canka ah ee SOOMAALIYEEY toosa Cabdi qaasim aad ayuu qiiro u muujiyay waxaana la rakayay markii ugu horeeysay Cabdi qaasim iyo C/laahi Yuusuf oo is dhunkanayo si soomaalinimo iyo calool fiyoobi ka muuqatay,gacmaha ayay isku dhageen waxaa ayna wadda qaadeen soomaaliyeey toosa, Cabdi qaasim waxaa uu mid mid u gacan qaaday dhamaan 20ka hogaamiye .isagoo dhoola cadeeynayo, Saraakiisha IGAD ayaa si rasmi ah shaaca uga qaaday inuu berri bilaaban doono shirka Retreat,ka .waxaa ayna sheegeen in berri la sugayo afarta hogaamiye ee shirka ka maqan,inay degdeg ku soo galaan, Shirka Reatretka oo la filayay inuu 10 maalmood ka furmo magaaladda Mombasa ayaa loo soo weeiyay nairobi oo la sheegay inuu shirka ka socon doono, Si kastaba ha ahatee madaxweyne museini ayaa u muuqdo halgamaa ku guuleeystay inuu isu keeno garabyadda siyaasadda Soomaaliya isku hayo,waxaana muuqdo in shirka uu rajo wacan lugta la galay ,hasse ahaatee waxaa laga warsugayaa afarta hogaamiye ee shirka ka maqan Daahir Yare Dayniile , Nairobi, Kenya webmaster@dayniile.com

Sooyaal, thanks for your response, I do agree its the autumn of Mr Yusuf attempt to be a national leader and we shall see how he reacts to the outcome of the Kenyan initiative.

Somali peace talks resume in Nairobi - Friday, January 09, 2004 at 20:37 Nairobi (AllPuntland) - After months of wrangling among Somali leaders, the Somali reconciliation and peace process resumes in Nairobi today as scheduled. Signs of closure to months-long delays and uncertainty that had surrounded the Somali peace talks after the end of Phase II of the conference which produced a transitional constitutional charter for a federal republic of Somalia, 351 members of parliament which will appoint a President, who in turn will select a Prime Minister to form an all inclusive government for the war-torn nation, now seem to have been resolved. Matters were not helped by reported constant Internal squabbling among IGAD member States and IPF some of whom were determined to derail the peace talks. An agreement however was reached yesterday after day-long consultations between IGAD and Somali leaders in that only original signatories of the Eldoret Cessation of Hostilities pact, A/Qassim Salat Hassan, the head of the mortuus Arte TNG, and 3 members, all women of the civil society organization which renders total participants to 25 will resume negotiations. A 10-day retreat intended to weed out disagreements among Somali leaders to the coastal town of Mombasa will commence tomorrow. Presidents of Kenya, the host nation, and Uganda, current chair of IGAD heads of State and Government spoke at today’s meeting calling upon Somali leaders to set their differences aside, restore the honour and dignity of the Somali State, and to exploit this golden opportunity. President Museveni of Uganda seems to have succeeded in mediating warring Somali leaders. It is not clear whether faction leaders still holed up in Mogadishu will join the retreat summit in Mombasa even though their representatives were present at today’s summit. Muse Sudi Yalahow, Habsade, Barre Hiirale and Osman Ali Ato with very little constituency and political influence in Somalia are still being awaited to join the peace summit. In an emotional speech, President Museveni reflected upon the destruction, collapse of the Somali State institutions, and ensuing massacres that had engulfed Somalia over the years. President Kibaki who also made a speech stressed the importance and urgency of forming a national government for Somalia while delving into the unfortunate atrocities still taking place in parts of Somalia. It finally appears judging from the initial reactions of IGAD heads of States, Somali leaders, IGAD’s Facilitation Committee, IPF, and other supporters of the Somali reconciliation and peace process that talks are on course although only time will tell as to how it shall all ends. AllPuntland News Desk

Last weeks news dosent sound so interesting, come on Horn you can do better than that

Angel Dust, you got dust in your eyes LOL So you agree that Riyaale is a thug like Morgan, a man who worked for the dictator who harmed innocent civilians who watched while Hargaysa was Butchered and now who lives in Morgan's House[Villa Somaliland] Kahin is also a butcher to some quarters and there are many SNM Mujahid's who have commited grave crimes against innocent civilians, admit that my dear sister. SW- Dont be to hard on Angel Dust she only knows one side of history dear boy. Sophist, I like the recent posts dear friend keep it up.

Sooyal, Maybe you know Abdullahi better than I do. However I dont agree with your version of history. Cairo's failure was a blessing for Puntland, Ali Mahdi and Aydeed where to share power, how is that fair Logical or sane? Its great to have hope but no one had hope in that sort of power sharing. Puntland had peace but not order, Galkacyu was in flames the religious groups were competing with the SSDF all this would have destroyed the state but for the leadership of Abdullahi and General Abshir. Even diehard Abdullahi haters must give the man credit for his record on stablity and law and order, look at Colonel Jama Ali Jama's shambles of an admisntration when there where militias in Bossaso, compare that to today, nuff said. Abdullahi is not a saint but I see no Somali leaders alive today that can equal his skill in handling tough situations, where have you seen 1500 armed rebel group with 40 technicals brought back to their homes integrated to the Army without any mass revenge killings or anarchy? The answer is in Puntland 2003 peace between Abdullahi and Gen Cade. Sooyal its your turn

, Baashi Gediid I very much like your suggestions, the area has to be given back to the people that inhabit it and the issimo’s without a third hand must decide the fate. I like the way the elders have handled a volatile situation so far. Gediid , One man one vote referendum on the future of SSC, I totally agree friend S-W and Sophist , many thanks for the background information it seems many here lack the basic history of the region, they don’t know that the people of these areas struggled against the Colonial yoke. The Dervish warriors of the Sayid Huuganka Ideolojiyada , you seem not to have understood the issue at hand, this is bigger than two little clans fighting over a borehole its about Somali unity as opposed to the creation of a new Somali state[somaliland] its about the loss of control of the local population on the direction of their region. Its also about the pact between Omar Gulleh[Djibouti] and Abdiqasin with funds[Libiyan] to destabilise the two functioning Somali states. Lastly its about the failure of Garowe and Hargaysa to have dialogue and to maintain the status quo in order not to jeopardise what little peace and prosperity the people of the North of Somalia have right now. Lastly I think that the people of the region[Northern Somalia] should take the responsibility to stop any acts of agreesion by anyone that can hinder the peace of the area, we should condemn our leaders Yusuf, Kahin and the rest and we should support our elders, Garad Saleban and Abdigani to work hard to give the people back their land.

Sooyaal LOL, whats the difference between the Cairo and Sodere? Remember Sodere everyone agreed on a formation of a government with Hussein Aydeed and the USC in agreement with the North East and Abdullahi, then the Egyptians interupted it as Arabs do and held a mini conference in Cairo in which Ali Mahdi and Aydeed Junior signed a pact where Mogadishu would hold power absolute power, this was a Big NO for the NorthEast and Abdullahi walked out. People supported that decision so much that the North East for the first time went its own way and created Puntland state. So Abdullahi walked out on Cairo because his constituancy supported it, if they didnt there would be no Puntland. It is funny that the Areas that Abdullahi controls i.e. Puntland have had the most peace in Somalia and have had the largest development of any part of the former republic. He has the right but not the attitude, well you seem like you know him personally do you?

Morgan a hero LOL Morgan wants to get Kismayu back however it does not belong to him or the thugs that now claim it. His comment is a joke, that Kismayu is his is a joke and the man needs to retire and stop the nonsence.

I will try to go and see the famous Somali poet and leader. Thanks Northerner

I will try to go and see the famous Somali poet and leader. Thanks Northerner

Angel Dust, the soultion is simple, let both states leave SOOL, SANAG, CAYN, HAYLAN for good let the people in the region decide their destiny and not be held by Colonial legacy or blood. My dear Angel realise this that if there is a war it will be a disaster, it will destroy the economy of Toghdeer and Bari and will lose countless innocent souls, no onw will win and least of all some recruits from Hargaysa. What I propose is dialogue between Hargaysa and Garowe to stop the saber rattling. Dialogue between the clans in the region, Toghdeer, Sool and the clans that Inhabit Sanag to work out what they local interests are. Then frank dialogue between us in the diaspora to check our hawks, media wesbsites such as Allpuntland, Somalilandnet e.t.c so that there is no renewel of outdated hatred. What is your proposal my dear Anngel, Ayoub, Gediid and other Somaliland patriots ALSO THIS POST ABOUT STOPING THE WAR IS OPEN TO EVERYONE BUT LETS HAVE THE OPINION OF THE PEOPLE WHO IT DIRECTLY EFECTS, SOMALILAND AND PUNTLAND

Sooyaal, Again you are stating that the past conferences failed because of Abdullahi walking out, however you seem to forget the role the USC in the past conferences. The only conference that Abdullahi walked out on was Sodere and that lead to the creation of the Puntland state. Abdullahi wants to be Somali President and has a right to try and run for office.