I am not sure why this is a cause for a surprise. The government's position from day one has beem this is unconstitutional. The presidemt said it, the prime minister said it, the minister of interior said it. This was their position and they have reiterated it. What's the development that is cause for surprise? You had foreign governments bring couple men together during the transition. Everything in the process was clouded in secrecy without any oversight, verification, or transparency. You had a constitution written in a foreign capital which was exported complete and within one day "ratified" by assorted number of elders no one knows where they came from (they are just now attempting to nominate them to even represent), whether they are even literate...all of which is mute considering the so-called constitution was presented and ratified in less than a day. All of this in the backdrop of Somalia's first legitimate government being recognized and with the task of presenting a harmonious and orderly method of federalizing the nation. The entire IGAD project has had more holes than a fishing net and seems a dime and dozen too late. The country is heading towards order and protocol, not the wild west days of doing things in the transition and prior. The President said 1.) turn the conference into reconciliation conference and 2.) stabilize the regions by removing Shabaab in the mean time with transitional administerations preparing the groundwork for inclusive participation. This is exactly the governments positon from day one. Why the feigned surprise?

Kismaayonews has come a long way from its infamous 10 Gedo boys are causing problems and they have been arrested by Madoobe.

The doctor was from Dhagaxbuur and has been in Caabudwaaq for the past couple years and married from the town. What is known is that criminals frrom the town were used to lure and kill him. What is not known is why; there are reports he was wanted by Liyuu Police who paid the criminals who caried out the heinous act. The district commissioner of Caabudwaaq announced today they know the identity of the culprits and will bring them to justice.

I have said it before. The dress as well as the caption. There is not one labo go'le (and in many full thobes with decidedly orientalist turbans) and also the caption looks separated from original text and does not belong with the picture. A simple source would clear all this up. I will come back sometime to see if a source has been povided, but I honestly do not believe there will be one.

Xiin- Not at all. I am just curious about one single pic and find it unfortunate you believe the factuality of one pic says much on the legitimacy of history with regards to this land. Xaad is a man who believes Wagosha are "Kamasle" and his "gole" represents Gaalkacyo to the Kenya border. I deserve xaal.

Macalin, Apophis is a good lad. Brimming with optimism but pessimistic at the same time. It's the cause of his habitually nasty personality. You let him know you value him in every manner while stil reserving the right to disagree with him. As for me, I will continue to ignore the classless mannerism of forcing yourself upon someone who does not care much for one's company. Kismaayo will be a test of the future Somalia. The legitimate government whose legitimacy Xiin took prid in contributing to will one way or another chart its destiny like the rest of the newly freed regions. Kenya's new govt is a positive sign and one beneficial development in a sea of many to come.

Xiin- Pointless caricature aside, any source? I know when I see a fabrication. It's 2013, not 1998.

You are being facetious.

Xiin- The IGAD meeting was postponed because of the transition in Kenya. Uhuru will be inaugurated tomorrow, something the Somali government is very excited about. There are reports that, at the request of Kenya, the IGAD meeting will take place the next day in Nairobi at the head of state level. All in all, what has been waiting for is upon us and Kenya, the main backer of the initiative, has com to shed in favor of new skin.

Somalia;934923 wrote: What is the source for this image? At first glance it looked somewhere in the middle east. I won't speculate but it could very well be a clever individual extracted text and banded it to an image through photoshop especially since the text resembles print writing and not caption heading. Obviously I could be wrong but a source is always required in research in any case.

Somalia has convened an "extra-ordinary" session of IGAD with observation by AU and international partners. According to the Foreign Minister on her way to Addis Ababa joining up with the Prime Minister on this meeting "Somalia will assert its re-found legitimacy and sovereignty and will target any attempt to preempt the Somali government on its internal political right to lead the stabilization of the country and forming administrations. She says the Somali government will lay to rest the IGAD Grand Stabilization Plan now that it is capable of doing so and will solicit the neighboring countries to walk behind the Somali government officially on the internal political matters of the newly freed regions. Please refer back to my original posts including some I have said I retracted because of the emotional distress it caused in some corners. This is the first step in the new and energized offensive (the diplomatic component) against the idea the Kismaayo conference is an "IGAD" initiative.

Reer Puntland and their new found allies from Dhooblay seem to be the only ones disparaging the Premier. The Dhooblay guys obviously for political reasons and Reer Puntland for nothing short of holding the position he has. To the latter group I say there is always next time guys for the "stakeholders" Xiin famously said must be politically recognized for the position the day before Saacid's announcement.

Carafaat;935070 wrote: Oba, I agree with you. We should stop defaming our leaders even if we dont agree with them politicly. Xiin and co should stop targetting Prime Mimister Saacid, we know they can only be satisfied if either the Prime Minister or President is from tolka. Ironically enough there is a lot of truth to this.

Xiin- Beryahan waad igu qafiiftaye xaalku waa sidee? Anigu mowqifka raysul wasaaraha ayaan taagersanahay. Jubbaland in la dhiso waa muqadis balse habka loo uunkamayo waa inuu lahaada legitimacy.

Saacid once told a very close relative of mine "my vision for Somalia is the vision for my own family." He is part of the old guard in speech, conduct, behaviour, and conception of what it means to be a citizen of the state. Saacid is the first post-civil war executive leader in Somalia not only because of timeframe but also because of governing philosophy, idology, policy outlook, and vision.

It could very well be I got tired of the broken hearts the post inspired. The PM has arrived in Addis Ababa and will convene a major IGAD meeting with observation by the AU peace and security committtee which oversees AMISOM. One of the things he plans to do is dislodge the IGAD name from administration-formation in Somalia and receive full acceptance and backimg for the government's national stabilization program. Whether Kenya will be visited by the PM is still not confirmed. The Somali ambassador there met with the Presidnt-elect Uhuru at the beginning of the PM's trip and handed him a letter. The general feedback has been Uhuru has received it well. Whether the PM visits Kenya or not after the other countries will show if Kenya has politically backed down in favor of the Somali government.

Guys, relax. I have had my run and solicited the response I thought I would get. Disclaimer: all the details I added were jest. I wanted to let it stand for a day or two but I should end it now. I do know the PM will be harmonizing the Somali government's position re: Kismaayo with neighboring and AMISOM countries but the rest of what I said was only for soliciting entertainment oriented responses. Breathe.

Some of you are overly dramatic. The Somali government has been adamantly opposed to this turn of events, considers it unconstitutional, and has spoken multiple times about it as a problem that needs to be tackled. Maybe I did not do a good job explaining (I did not try to anways), but it is a sound strategy which many a smart men have thought up and significantly lowers the risk of war despite the protestations of some. Actually the Jubbaland process as it is now is a greater precursor to war than the government strategy to be pursued. After the political, diplomatic, and security offensive whose gear started rolling on the first foreign trip of the PM is a success, people like Ahmed Madoobe and Yaasiin Raadeer will have gone the way of the warlords before them in the rest of the south. I don't think many of you recognize the extent to which the Kismaayo situation and its power dynamics is more fluid and malleable than you believe. I also think many of you gravely underestimate the resolve of the government on this issue. The day the PM flew out, he devoted his press conference on the airport to attacking the constitutionality of Kismaayo conference. P.s. To the individual who said why have I brought this here, it is not a secret.

Naxar- I don't think the government is sending anything which can be attacked. The scope of the security arrangement will be such that it is a deterrent force in itself. They will simply assume security control of the town with the AMISOM contingent. There will be nothing violent about this--- it is not two militias fighting. This will be an abdication of responsibilities from one power to a greater and more capable power. It will be especially designed this way. This will be the last move in any case after the political and diplomatic offensive has become a success.

Xiin- But if it is as you say that the project is entirely inclusive (and I daresay 3/5 of the stakeholder signatures are from Gedo) what is there for me to envy? You are constant in being disengenious. I expect such retorts from you as I expect the sly weaseling in of the capital idea to frame my argument. If you inquired with genuine interest, you would have easily seen I am not actively against this conference nor actively in favor. I know for certain the farce passing of that " regional" constitution has brought greater impetus to move against this process from government. Shirdoon is more motivated to move against this process than the vilified-president could ever be. I assure you with utmost credibility this is not about Gabbal the individual but what Gabbal has come to find out is the full strength of the strategy which the Internationally-recognized Federal Government wants to pursue. The Prime Minister's travel to all neighboring and AMISOM- contributing countries (except Kenya if it has not come around by that time---the groundwork is being worked on with the upcoming government) is to shore up support before full diplomatic, political, and military offensive is waged against this rebellious project the government strongly feels will distabilize the ensuing reconciliation of the country and the proper methods of federalization to be agreed to. The government will first and head on tackle the idea of this being an "IGAD" project with full diplomatic and political offensive bringing Ethiopia and Djibouti inline with the official Somali government position thereby isolating the idea of this being "IGAD" project. The government then will solicit backing from the major AMISOM troop countries to shore up the impartiality and professionalism of the force on a Africa-wide fora. Then the government will implement a program to move Somali national troops from three directions into Kismaayo once the Sierra Leone troops have moved into key installations. The project which has already been laid unconstitutional will be joined with a delegitimization of the curent transitional Kismaayo admin which the PM hinted in his press conference in Mogadishu. The official government position will be the transitional Kismaayo admin "waa lagu degdegay" which the government will rectify by naming an administration for Kismaayo and the Lower Jubba after the heavy influx of Somali national troops and Sierra Leone contingent. The men in Kismaayo now do not have good grace besides the government and will be sidelined as easily as the Mogadishu warlords have been sidelined once this security arrangement has been implemented and the regional political position has been harmonized with the Somali government. Obviously I have only showcased a minimum encapsulation of a greater strategy. Madoobe will one day say his best chance, after the Kenyan affirmative- action program, would have been the day the Prime Minister sat in front of him and offered him a 6-month leadership as Lower Jubba temporary governor followed by an empowered position to contribute to Jubbaland formation in a legitimate manner. This is why I say after all this ulululu will be a town under government security and political control. Times have changed and Kismaayo will become the biggest highlighter of this after Mogadishu.

Xii and Baashi, according to facilitators of this conference Kismaayo is the temporary capital and the permanent capital will be decided by the parliament to be between three locations: Bu'aale, Baardheere, Kismaayo. I would hope both of you have some respect to cease making excuses for why I have said what I have said. The problem lies with the strategy pursued. Madoobe and Kambooni found themselves under an act of benevolence granted by a Kenyan political and military interference in the outset of the campaign to remove Shabaab. The government then, under a remarkable stretch of reconciliation, attempted to appeal to them rather than delegitimizing them and using its new found leverage to situate itself in the political reemergence of the state in that corner. It is true many are in this conference now, including some strong names from my ends of the woods, but you mistake support to an idea into for actual loyalty to this process. The process before us is like the desert and all the fanfare a mirage. Two Kenyan political officers and their fuits born in Naivaisha will not be reared in the garden ot Somalia. You have only to see how the landscap changed when this daring feat was implemented and what the leverage and strength of the Somali government. You know the strength of this government, it is certainly stronger than your caravan could ever have wielded in such a short time. It could also be that I am wrong and people like Aw-Libaax are right. Time will tell.

I am a huge proponent of Jubbaland. The forum knows his well. Still, I have expressed grave reservations about this process for a long time. Soon many things about it will change. You will see. The guys in Kismaayo know it very well hence the rush. An opportunity for them to be in this position of disproportionate influence is indeed rare. Different strategies have been formulated which I believe have greater chance of success than the current foreign-inspired farce.

I assure you what is going on in Kismaayo is akin to Shimbarayahoow heesa, hees wanaagsan heesa. Not everything is what the eye can see and not every push forward is as much of a momentum as it claims to herald. The state to be is a political reality to triumph, but not in this manner or though this process. The recent interactions have simply clarified the strategies to be pursued. Soon the smoke will clear and the farce will be meticulously detached from the reality.

That is one of the strongest and most valid criticisms levelled against the current process although Luuq for instance is free and the longtime district commissioner is in Kismaayo from what I understand.

No, they are both under Al Shabaab currently. Beled-Xaawo was the fiercest resistance Al Shabaab put up in Gedo and the town suffered massively in the drive to remove Al Shabaab. It was the strongest and first line Al Shabaab defense in the Jubba Valley. They regrouped in Baardheere and this is where they held their first line since. A move to take Baardheere will result in similar destruction so for political reasons the Gedo troops have waited to take it with ease. Personally, and obviously there is some bias in this, but if Kismaayo will not become the capital of Jubbaland it makes sense Baardheere, the second largest city in the Jubba Valley and in the middle of the Jubba Valley to assume that position. After Kismaayo, it is the town capable of hosting a strong federal state in the Jubba Valley. The pro-Baardheere lobby was so strong the capital was not ratified and will be deliberated once more.