IGAD warns Somali warlord over military build-up Nairobi, Kenya, 09/04 - The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has threatened to slap heavy sanctions against Somali warlord General Mohammed Hersi, who is advancing troops to the port town of Kismayu in an attempt to derail ongoing peace efforts in the war-ravaged nation. Kenyan Regional Cooperation Minister John Koech said IGAD has learnt of an apparent plot by the warlord, popularly known as General `Morgan` to disrupt the outcome of the Nairobi peace talks currently in their final stages. General Morgan, who is also in a United Nations Security Council secrete watch-list over his role in the violation of the Somali arms ban, is facing sanctions which will bar him from travelling to any foreign country. The IGAD Facilitating Committee, the top organ mediating the peace talks, said it would also take "very stern action" including sanctions banning him and his associates from travelling to neighbouring states for his anti-peace activities. "The peace process has made tremendous progress towards the formation of an all-inclusive government, in deed, the dawn of a new era of peace, tranquillity and development is clearly evident," said Koech in a statement issued here Friday. Koech, who is also the Chairman of the IGAD Facilitating Committee, condemned General Morgan`s activities, saying the "blatant act of aggression at this time when Somalia is on the threshold of peace is unacceptable." General Morgan walked out of the peace process in March this year after the completion of the second phase of the talks where the over 300 delegates representing key political groups, leaders, warlords and clan elders discussed the details of a Somali National Transitional Charter, which contains details of the 275- member Parliament. The warlord moved out ostensibly to consult with his clansmen, sparking off fears of an imminent return to clan war. This prompted Kenya`s Special Envoy to the Somali peace talks Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat to seek the help of UN Security in stopping another bloodbath. Kiplagat, in a letter dated 16 March, asked the UN Security Council to probe fresh violations of the 1992 arms ban to Somalia after a meeting between the international mediators and observers in Nairobi. Meanwhile, IGAD has extended an olive branch to the warlord and asked other Somali factions to distance themselves from "his blatant acts of aggression", saying his activities will have absolutely no impact on the positive outcome of the peace talks.

Og Girl everyone knows, even objective non-Somali historians, that Sayid Mohamed Abdille Hassan was fighting against colonialism, colonization, colonizers, and their supporters..Somali or otherwise! When I was a little kid, one of my favorie past times was listening to my grandmother, who is a neice and a former pupil of the great Sayid, talk about his battles against the English and their sympathizers. You should see her hear break from telling us it wasn't Gaalo, but our own people who stormed his fortress at Taleex. History stands witness to the Sayid.

YOU should thank Allah there is NO dream police

looooool Shactiro...I think the englishman had it right Qacbaro

Otali, SmithNwestern wait less then 3 weeks! If your canidate is chosen president, the whole world will know in less then 3 weeks. Save the energy for then

[Abdulahi Yusuf] Ma ahan Nin Diimeed, waxa uu aad u neceb yahay Kooxaha Diinta. Waxaana uu marar badan sheegay in Somalia ay Xarun u tahay Kooxaha Argagixisadda. Waxaase uu C/laahi ku fashilmay Deegaanka Shimbiraale oo uu sheegay inay Xarun u tahay Al-Qaacidda.

Qudhac that's pure propaganda bro :rolleyes: Second I'm more then dead sure that no government of Somalia will ever sit down with Adna Aden as an equal (isn't she still the orphan of the queen :confused: :rolleyes: , when did she become Somali?) That will set a precedent that will come back to haunt us. Somaliland is a Sovereign nation awaiting recognition Kowneyn we all have hope, because if there wasn't hope what would we have? If there isn't any nation that is going to come out and recognize Taiwan, how do you expect "Somaliland" to be recognized? Especially since now when there is a government being built in Somalia, whereas there was nothing in Somalia in the last decade and there was ample time and reason to recognize "Somaliland".

Ayoub Do you have to jump in (head first) whenever and wherever some 'patriot' gets their knickers in a twist? I'm inclined to give moral support when I see fit Ayoub if you ever need it, shout my name out

The Government of Somaliland is ready to take part in a dialogue with Somalia as equal partners This is the problem! They aren't equal! "Somaliland" holds atleast 25% of the Somali population and 1/4 the land (the most overblown pro-"Somaliland statistic"!) How could they be equal? Just because one qabiil and it's ancestral region was colonized by one European and the rest over-whelming majority was colonized by another? Caqlikaas qofna kuma af-duubsanaysaan. :rolleyes: They are not equal, not being a degrading thing, but it's the facts on the ground! One qabiil, one clan, wants to equal the rest of the Somali people in power! That's caqlixumo, and no one, NO ONE is going to take that bullshit! (Sorry for cussing )

I think Somaliweyn diehards should work hard to stop this I hardly think it's worth looking at

Ah such peace and tranquility I have to say! keep it up nomads Somaliland-- is former british Somaliland-- its citizens are Somalilanders. Technically Somaliland was the name used for ALL the Somali inhabited areas and was used both for the British proctecterate as well as the Italian colony. British Somaliland + Italian Somaliland = Somalia (with the formal name of The Somali Republic

Og-Girl you defended yourself well sis! The only difference I noticed was you are fighting for Somali unity, while your opponents are using the unfortunate circumstance of the occupation of Somali Galbeed to further their political cause.

now which part of being a Somalilander you failed to understand, I shall help you overcome it? I think it's the "Somalilander" part I'm sure the last time Modesty checked, she was only familiar with Somali

there live amongst us a group of radical ethinically Somali group that claim to not be from Somalia, they say they are from a one city(now supposedly a country)that has its own flag.Hello! what happened to the blue flag with the white star? Your intentions are good sis, but I think you need to do a tiny bit more research

^^^Somehow I was expecting that. Waryaa Dude I had no idea. It was just interesting to me.

I actually checked your link Milk and I had the pleasure of checking the Somali Reagions links and I found it interesting. I also found it interesting that there was one city they actually did an article on and it was Bardhere, Gedo. I also had no idea Sayid Mohamed Abdulle Hassan studied Arabic there code: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardera Bardera (Somali Baardheere) is an important agricultural and academic city in the Gedo region of Somalia. Sayed Muhammad Abdulle Hassan, "The Mad Mullah of Somaliland", is said to have studied the Arabic grammar and syntax in Bardera in the early 1870s. In the 1930s there were about 8,000 inhabitants in this city. Baardheere lies on the Juba River. The river Juba cuts through the city. Bardera is probably the fifth or sixth largest city in Somalia. On the eve of the European concur of the continent, the British and the Italians saw the strategic importance of Baardheere. The two fought over the city couple times in the early 1940s. The Somalis who lived in this city had system of governance, primarily Fiefdom (Ugaas in Somali) or the chief of the tribe. The Ugaas is often a well-respected intellectual man with deep knowledge of the religion, Islam. Baardheere had about 20,000 citizens from mid 1970s. There are important religious schools as well as an important center which was connected to the National University in Mogadishu. Students and teacher used visit Baardheere for research projects, especially agricultural ones. Bardera is the most county (beel) in Gedo; the region which Baardheere is part of. Agricultural bounty from this fertile land is marketed in many parts of the country. Sorghum, different types of onions, maize, potatoes, and sesame from Bardera farms reach as far as Jabuti on the Gulf of Aden which is about 3000km away. The outbreak of the civil war in the 1991 changed the dynamics of the city. The population swelled to 120,000 people. At one point, it reached 230,000 before many families moved northward to Beled Hawo. At the end of the 1990s and early 2000, Bardera developed into even more important town for its inhabitants and business people alike. There is a new route to Kismaayo. And this brings a lot of business for the city and the surrounding areas. There are two middle schools and one high school and another one is to be opened soon. There are also plans for building higher institution besides the technical school operated by Hirda which is a non-profit Somali development group. Bardera is currently headed by Council of Elders. (Odayaal Dhaqameedyo) The Bardera Council of Elders is comprised of 21 prominent religious leaders and respected elders from different Somali clans [*******, Rahaweyn, and Awliahan] that live in the city. The council undertakes to settle the disputes in the community that can from time to time occour over land, property, and blood [fatal accidents] in a peaceful and traditional manner. As of February 2002 Chief Fanax Barre Warsame [of Bahtanado family lineage] is the chairman of the Council of Elders. Barderians, having a long history of amity and cordial relations with other cities, enjoy a very peaceful coexistence and tranquility with the neighboring populations and villages. Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardera"

As if I care, many egoes got trambled on ...and many egos rise I really do not care about what that senile old man said. It is a person's opinion and they're entitled to it. I would encourage people, if they really dislike it that much, to make one of their own.

Gediid Mugabe might not be doing the most righteous thing, but it is the correct thing to do. 5% of the population holding over 80% of the best lands? This isn't the 1930's, the people have a right to the lands they were forced out of.

So, in essence, it's not the people of Puntland who want Kismaayo, it's their brethrens who've only known one home: Kismaayo. And they sure as heck don't feel comfortable being ruled by foreigners that they're not familiar with, i.e. Reer Galgaduud & allied parties! That's a valid and important point Nugaali. Now look at the opposite of what you wrote and see the mutual feeling on the other side. What about the inhabitants of Kismayo who don't feel comfortable being ruled by foreigners that they're not familiar with, i.e. Morgan and Reer Mudug? Nothing is one-sided bro. Everything has two or more sides.

SXB, do you honestly think the "Isbahaysiga" who rule Kismaayo today are their legitimately? Nugaali where did this pass you bro. I think I answered your question, before you even asked. I do not agree to the JVA rule of Kismaayo, as I do not agree to Morgan ever getting his hands on it. It is true that Hiiraale is from Galgaduud and Morgan is from Mudug. Kismaayo is one of the most qabiil-diverse cities in all of Somalia, yet the ones in power and the ones that were in power were never it's original inhabitants. As for BariNomad, keep cheering. It's a change from the usual Abdulahi Yusuf singing that makes us feel nauseous.

I don't see where this character assasination will take you dear Samurai now that you're "magically" back. But you shouldn't you be selling your expose about the "Great Hornafrique" to some high investigative journalist? Since to the likes of you, you believe people will stop beliving you and your co-horts aren't the qabiliist, Ethio-following, dictator-worshipping, bunch of one-sided individuals who are persuaded by the same greed and power as your ultimately doomed savior ina Yey is persuaded by. Brother your axe comes from a looong time ago, when you used to use us dreamers of Somali peace and prosperity to fight your dirty, clan-agenda, battles against our reer Waqooyi folks. For a person of your education, you should be doing something constructive and deserves the doing of an intellectual. The only time I lose hope is when I meet people like you, so qabyaalad driven it is shame to have had decade+ civil war and we still didn't learn about what it means to be a national and have a natinality. Now to Baashi. You are an individual I greatly respect and admire when it comes to your hopes and dreams for Somalia. I do not agree to the JVA rule of Kismaayo, as I do not agree to Morgan ever getting his hands on it. It is true that Hiiraale is from Galgaduud and Morgan is from Mudug. Kismaayo is one of the most qabiil-diverse cities in all of Somalia, yet the ones in power and the ones that were in power were never it's original inhabitants. Baashi the history of Kismaayo, particularly its relations to qabiil, can take all day. But even my family lost, regained, lost, and regained businesses and land that belonged to them in the last decade. In truth I agonized when we lost our lands, and I rejoiced when we did get back our lands. I am not lying about it. But I do not have the attitude of Kismayo is just my clan or not that is sooo prevelant in our fellow Somalis that hail all the way from Bari and Nugaal. Even if Morgan is killed or the JVA is taken out of power, there will still be unfinished business. Both sides aren't willing to stop, and both sides claim, although Kismaayo is legally not theirs, that it is their city, hence they should rule it. This will just go into a cycle, as it has already started going into. I assure you, no one wants to live somewhere and not know when they have to flee. Second the reason I posted this article has little to do with Kismaayo. We all knew this was going to happen sooner then later. But the agenda against Gedo got my interest. The stepping up of the war plans and it's remifications was the reason that interested me to post it and get the reactions of some of the most educated Somalis I have ever met. Now why is that our Northeastern brothers always stand out as the most qabiil driven and the most irrational to debate with?

idiotic rivelry In essence this is what it is all about? This is what it has been all about, but not this time. if there was an alliance between Ethiopia and Puntland why the low number of fighters? 400 give me a break. Exactly! It isn't an alliance to capture lands, it is an alliance to destroy the peace conference. A Yusuf knows 400 amounts to nothing in actual war, but it makes helluva difference in politics, especally with the Ethiopians in the picture. This man is a menace to society. Someone should just take him out of the picture for the sake of Somali peace.

Laakiin, su'aal baan rabaa inaa ku weydiiyo...gormaad afhayeenka barre hiraale noqotay? Markaad noqotay afhayeenka Cabulahi Yusuf. I don't think I mentioned Barre Hiiraale's name once, yet we are quick to run to insinuations aren't we? Kismaayo is a contested city by alot of people who don't belong there, but why is Abdulahi Yusuf encouraging, supporting, forcing Morgan to attack not only Kismaayo (understandable), but also of the whole region of Gedo with Ethiopian military support! Ethiopia has always had an axe to grind against Gedo ever since the al Ittihad rule, so there is only one reason Abdulahi Yusuf can once again bring it into Somalia. I don't really think he cares if Morgan captures Kismayo, or if those 400 men come back alive. His true objective is to start quarrelling between IGAD itself about why Ethiopia is meddling in Somali affairs, which will divide the facilitation committee, and with Somali groups taking sides! Which will then, of course, be the end of the peace conference.

Whether hated or not, Galaydh has obviously the support of sub-clan, much to the torment of ina Yey, and will shortly be having the support of the whole Clan and hopefully of Somalia.

I'm not going to insult any sub-clan Waryaa, but do you really think inay daacad ka tahay reer Puntland to land grab? Walahi, asking in honesty, how do you think 400 rag tag team of malnourished men can even go anywhere but to their death beds, much less capture a fortified region and an international city held by a coalition of clans? I understand there is a range of opinion about the legality of their rule, but nevertheless, they are still in full control of the city. I wouldn't be too surprised if this doesn't become one of the biggest major disasters. Besides is this a new, sorry I ment newer, objective by Abdulahi Yusuf to destroy the peace conference once and for all, now that he doesn't have a chance of even getting near the presidency, by insitigating a broader clan war and bringing Ethios once again into Somali lands? Talk about a sore loser, but I assure you Abdulahi Yusuf and his cronies will be the ultimate losers when they are ostarcized from ALL corners and sides. It is way too early to start grinning.