Lol@image. You seem to be obsessed with the man's pic.

Keep us updated, JB.

^then go and join them.

That's the way it is. Thanks Xudeedi.

God Bless Somalia.

It's surprising "PL" cries for federalism when it frustrates good-intentioned projects, pursues divide & rule policies and denies the same political rights for the people of SSC regions and Maakhir Territories. what's good for the goose is good for the gander. A scorching, desert, sparsely populated region has the least economic significance for the rest of Somalia. At least, Sool & Sanaag regions have fertile areas & untapped proven natural resources.

True leader. Let real Change be the hallmark of his leadership. Nina, odayga was inspired by your advocacy & active participation. I wonder sometimes if u are an online Asha in disguise.

Very Sad. The Associated Press reported that Gar'ad and Eyl are ruled by gangs and the so called officials of "Puntland" rarely visit these areas. No wonder why we have so many innocent people held for ransom.

^adeer no need to insult one community or Maakhir regions . Somalia's distintegration is an ongoing process. The first phase of regional disintegration was spreaheaded by the tribal entities such as "Puntland" thus why the title of this article using the term "even" to emphasize and indicate the controllable factors that lead to the breaking up of Somalia further into smaller tribal regions is still relevant today. My concern with the pirate leaders and the tribal state shan't be tranlated as a direct attack on the people of Bari or North-eastern Somalia. No region in Somalia have or will have the authority to claim another region. That power solely rests with the internationally backed central government in Mogadisho. Besides, I urge you to refrain from categorical phrases like "your people". If there is an issue you wish to raise or have a say, feel free to address its cause of origin, nature, personalities involed, prognosis, solution and possible significant consequences. The above article is relevant since the last date of this publication many self-declared states like Galmudug which control half of Galka'yo have emerged.

^"Golden Rule # 5 - Trolling: don't make posts that are inflammatory just to annoy people." Well-dressed & beautiful.

Thanks JB for the book info. Will buy it.

Whoopi Goldberg always reminds me of this great movie, Sarafina (1992) which depicts in vivid portrait what was life in South Africa during the Apartheid era. It's one of my all time best movies. I recently came across the whole movie on YouTube having seen it long time ago..nostalgic Lots of emotional comments as people recall the painful past of SA. Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane is also one of the best books I have read on Apartheid.

Good Job by Dhahar. Let's forever embrace Somali unity and political independence.

How many break-away states do we now have or at least aspire to declare independence. Breaking into even smaller bits? Even the parts of Somalia that were steady are looking shaky again The Economist print edition 04 Oct, 2007 ______________ A PECULIARITY of Somalia is that while the south of the country, including its broken capital, Mogadishu, has burned, the north has been stable. Now, to the horror of those trying to put Mogadishu back together again, the north is beginning to crack too. Fighting broke out this week between Somaliland, the northern strip that has been virtually independent of the rest of the country for some 16 years, and Puntland, a semi-autonomous territory in the north-east (see map). Somaliland says it has driven Puntland forces out of Los Anod, a town in the disputed Sool region, killing six Puntlanders and injuring or capturing another 40-plus. Puntland says its soldiers have retaken the town. Yet another war seems to be breaking out. Sool is split between sub-clans backing either Somaliland or Puntland, while some of them want autonomy for Sool itself. Somaliland, a former British colony that was separate from the larger parts that were run by Italy, declared independence in 1991 and has since sought international recognition. Puntland's sense of identity is less strong; it has seen itself as a building block for a future federal Somalia. But Puntland is losing its grip. The Sool dispute has been compounded by the secession of much of the Sanaag region from Puntland, to form yet another self-governing entity in the north. Drawing on its history as a sultanate, Sanaag declared independence in July, renamed itself Makhir, and chose Badhan as its capital. Tension between Makhir and Puntland is high. A still worse headache for Puntland is the departure of its strongman, Abdullahi Yusuf, to become president of Somalia. He ran Puntland with authority and ambition, grandiosely hoping to turn it into the Horn of Africa's Dubai. When he went south, he took with him a lot of Puntland troops, vehicles, weapons and ammunition. Their departure emboldened other northerners with dreams of secession or autonomy, and may give Somaliland the edge if the dispute over Sool leads to war. Oil and gas add fuel to the ferment. Exploration rights in Puntland have been sold several times over. Somalia's prickly prime minister, Ali Mohamed Gedi, was furious when Mr Yusuf signed oil agreements without telling him, including one with a Chinese company. Mr Gedi has also refused to endorse exploration deals signed by Puntland's government. Meanwhile, Mogadishu is getting worse again. Fewer children are going to school. The city's markets are stagnant—quite the opposite of the government's assertions that things are back to normal. Government troops and the Ethiopian forces propping up Somalia's government are still being attacked by bombs, grenades and snipers of the Islamist militias ousted by Ethiopians early this year. The African Union promised to send 8,000 peacekeepers and then hand authority to a UN mission later this year. But several AU countries failed to honour their pledges. Uganda is still the only African one to have sent troops; with just 1,600 of them there, the UN is unlikely to come in and take over. The American administration and other Western governments still want to back Somalia's transitional government until elections due in 2009. A recent reconciliation conference in Mogadishu passed off without rancour, itself something of a success, and was bolstered by the apparent failure of a rival meeting, mainly of Somali Islamists, in the Eritrean capital, Asmara. Source: Economist.com

Aaliyah, I rated 'hanbalyo' 5 (the highest). Great music & lyrics.

MM, be a man of principle. You can't be against al-shabab "in general" yet tolerate its authoritarian and coercive power in Somalia. I'm sure you know this group does not believe in Somali nationality or the principle equality of sovereign nation-states. It's a proxy group that's subordinate to the dictates of non-state actors in Afghanistan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, yet they are quick to look down on our history and centuries-old cultural practices, oppress and deny Somalis their sovereignty. Somalis together with their African Union brothers will not let that happen.

Wow, amazing song. Saado has this commanding, rallying voice that even humbles the antagonists of SSC organization and the aspiration of its people.

The English version of this News

Taleexi, the consistent attacks on our regions are where the clan-inspired break-away states seek their international attention or display hard how significant they are in exericising authority in lawless Somalia. Instead they are waging war on peaceful regions and causing mayhem and destruction. The erstwhile warlordism of the South is what these entities practice at the moment. I think it's important to highlight it

Your nick "Mad Mullah" is a British coined disparaging name for the Father of Somali Nation, Sayid Mohamed, yet you worry abt African Union's active role in the continent. Wlc the African peace-keepers.

"They (pirates) overpowered his men and seized the vehicles. We understand that they took him hostage," said Muhidin... Gara'ad is one of the pirates' bastions along Somalia's northern coast ruled by armed gangs and officials rarely visit the town. Source: AFP Officials will visit someday.

Ila dhageysta heestan cusub, waa ka qayliyey. "Himilada kalgacalkeyga Heestiyo habkaa luuqda Wadnaheygan.. Waa haboon yartaa heedhe Naftu haybineysaaye Halkaan ugu hagaagaaye Hoobaalo Hoobaalow

MMA, waa isku qaldaa, (kh iyo q, both vowels sound the same to me). Qalin, Khadro. Koley adaa af-somaliga macalin ku ahaa, bal noo sharax.

^what abt Australia and China in this satelite pic. They look dark. Even America's midwest. Japan looks very bright. A recent report published by the McKinsey Global Institute found that Africans spent $860 billion in 2008 alone, and it concluded had the continent received more FDIs, it would have been a totally different picture. We need to reverse our weak laws with new ones and strengthen our institutions of learning so that the Constraint that foreign companies create while courting dictators with monetary promises in exchange for a free access to and exploitation of our natural resources + cheap labor would be gradually eliminated, and then we would be able to attract more Joint Ventures (like China has done) to develop our economy (we provide raw materials, labor, protection of private property, facilities whereas they provide both capital and technology: equal sharing of profits + learning curve goes up). GDP is nothing more than an aggregate output of the market (artificial) value of goods and services produced by a country including FDIs. Africa's future is bright.

NinaNC, walaahi maanta ayaan ka hadlaayey arrintan meel aan ka khadeenaayey. Waxaan is barbadhigaayey Wadaadkan ka mid noqdey xubin baarlamaanka Sweden iyo sida ay Fransiiska u midab iyo diin-takooraan Muslimiinta. Sweden is the best place to live in terms of the protection of individual bill of rights. It's where the founder of the wikileak lives because of the country's liberal laws.