S@mali, Arabs could not help the mad man Sadam because he was threatening the whole region. He invaded Kuweit after 8 years of regional war with Iran, threatened Saudi Arabia's Sovereignty and he systematically oppressed his own people , the worst time of his dictatorial rule being when he gassed the Kurdish Iraqis. Yet after 9 years, American policymakers regret the cost of the war in Iraq (a moral and financial drain on its international image) despite ongoing national security concerns. And we are feeling the brunt of the economic recession borne by it. Anyway, you guys seem to be underestimating the political and economic clout the Arab nations wield. (Saudi Arabia is the third biggest creditor of the United States after China and Japan...Super-powers will side with their Arab friends when the push comes to shove). They can sure safeguard the interest of the Arab League. We don't have to be hostile to their genuine concern for Somalia. Or is it a motivational reaction on the part of their inability to form a strong and cohesive foreign policy? So, I ask you again, why not the freedom of our Somali region under Ethiopia's rule?

Sudan a Country to Study, writes, “the SPLM sought, not secession from Sudan, but a solution based on a secular, democratic, and federal political system. Because one of the first acts of the transitional military government that overthrew Nimeiri was to suspend enforcement of the September Laws, Garang and other SPLM leaders initially were optimistic about resolving their grievances with Khartoum.” These could be interpreted as the aspirations of the two phases of southern movement.

Som@li, don't be too narrow-minded saxib. Why divide South Sudan with a population of 3M whereas you leave the Somali region (estimated to be above 6 million) under Ethiopia's rule to be forever colonized. Is it because southern SUDAN has oil that Uganda and Kenya and other powers covet so much. South Sudan, if given granted independence (either by force or through mutually agreed partition) will turn out to be worse than Congo. They are so vulnerable to exploitation and regional intervention. The Unity of Sudan is very important to the stability of the East Africa region. Why call for the partition of Sudan, and not Ethiopia and Kenya?

Taleexi, it's the supporters of the secessionist-inspired tribal entities who are protesting the financial assistance promised to the Somali Nation and its internationally recognized Government by this Summit. It seems they object to a strong central government..

Great Job by the President... ------------- Somalia leader leaves for Afro-Arab summit in Libya MOGADISHU, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has left the capital Mogadishu for Libya to attend the Afro- Arab summit there, a statement from the Presidency said Friday. The two-day summit will discuss boosting cooperation between African and Arab countries. "President Sharif will share with the assembled Afro-Arab leaders his vision for Somalia without piracy, terrorism and devastation," said the statement from the Office of the Somali presidency. "He will request that Somalia 's Arab and African brothers, to once and far all, help end the agonizing twenty years long national trauma in Somalia ," the statement, of which Xinhua received a copy, added. The Somali government is struggling with a deadly Islamist insurgency which forced it into a few blocks in the restive capital Mogadishu under the protection of almost 6,000 African Union peacekeeping forces. The war-torn east African country's seas are rife with piracy which wrecked havoc on international shipping activities in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden to the north of the horn of African nation. The Somali leader is accompanied to the summit by the foreign and finance ministers as well as MPs and other senior officials. Source: Xinhua

JB, are they dictating or helping us. How is the political role played by Arabs any different than other players in the region like the West, Kenya and Ethiopia. The latter two still colonize and oppress Somali people. Arabs are our closest co-religious friends and neighbors. We have centuries of cultural and historic ties.

Liibaan, the flag is bigger than who won the contest of the best Somali flag held prior to our Independence. There were a number of nationalist artists who designed various number of flags for the Somali Republic prior to its political independence, but one flag came out strong as it appealed to the ideal aspiration for the unity of Somali Territory, both free and occupied ones.. We should de-tribalize the flag.

Why do you oppose the Summit's resolutions? It's good for both Somalia and Sudan.

Africa needs to form more Common Markets, discourage the foreign intervention of the rich Congo and strengthen the AU's military and financial capacity. Strong AU will deter foreign intervention and provide African solution to African problems in conflict zones. 2nd. Invest in Education, Agriculture, and key infrastructures.. Angola has attracted for its expanding economy hundreds of thousands of professional foreign workers, according to the wsj. I foresee the same for the rest of the continent. Asia reached its political and economic maturity, but what it needs is to tap their historic and cultural connectivity. It needs Soft power and more regional economic integration.

With regard to the resolutions: The first one concerns supporting peace, unity and development in Sudan. The resolution reads as follows: Stressing solidarity with Sudan and respecting its sovereignty and its territorial integrity and independence and backing the efforts aimed at achieving peace in its territory as well rejecting categorically any attempts aimed at undermining its sovereignty, unity, security and stability..... With regard to Somalia: Welcoming the moves of the president of the Republic of Somalia towards national reconciliation with all the components of Somali society on the basis of the Djibouti agreement on reconciliation and urging all the Somali parties, with all their orientations, to adopt dialogue as the sole means to resolve their differences in order to reach comprehensive national reconciliation. Second: Offering monthly financial backing of the value of 10m dollars to the Republic of Somalia in order to enable the Somali government to operate state`s institutions and implement its programmes of security, stability and reconciliation and offer public services to the Somali people... Source

MMA, why not delete the duplicate of this thread.

quote: Puntland Minister Captured by Somali Pirates October 11, 20100 comments| leave your own! Share Heavily armed pirates blockaded the main road to the town, refusing the minister and his convoy to enter the city. According to local residents there was intense gun battle that ensued the blockade by the pirates. The minister and his convoy were accompanied by at least 7 battle wagons and dozens of armed guards. The minister and his forces were forced to retreat, eyewitnesses say. The minister was again ambushed in the town of Jariban 60km west of Gara’ad. At least 4 local people were wounded in the fighting, two of the Minister’s bodyguards were also killed in the clashes. Later, the minister and his guards surrendered to the pirates after they were encircled in the village of Sallah in Mudug region. The Puntland government has confirmed the clashes, however no one was able to elaborate on the whereabouts of the captured minister and his guards. Ali Yusuf Hosh, the deputy minister of interior blamed pirates from Puntland and southern Somalia for ambushing the minister and his delegation. Horseed Media [/QB]The Pirates in Gar'ad and Eyl are of the immediate clan members of Faroole and his main financiers of the election campaigns. It took only the spirit of the Elders' recognized position and their traditional skills of negotiation that the minister got released.

^They don't look Somali. Are they Afar?

^there is only one Government in Somalia. You can say the self-declared autonomous region of Somalia.

Here is a report by the Security Council dated 1994. This is after the Sanaag and Sool regions were recognized as seperate regions from the Northwestern secessionist regions. We also strongly object to the channelling of the allocated fund for the Sool and Sanaag regions through the secessionist authority of the north-west. By doing so we feel that UNOSOM violates both United Nations Security Council resolution 897 (1994) and the recommendations of the donors at the fourth humanitarian conference held in Addis Ababa in December 1993. UNOSOM’s response concerning this subject was that it was pressured by the United Kingdom Government through its mission at United Nations Headquarters. Security Council

LINK--on the administrative regions and ongoing developmental projects

Originally posted by Thankful: Actually most UN reports refer to Sanaag as Eastern and Western Sanaag. They actually warn people from travelling there as it is one of the few disputed regions in Northern Somalia. Even the U.S State department does as well. travel.state.gov quote: The Sanaag and Sool Regions in eastern Somaliland, bordering on Puntland (northeastern Somalia), are particularly unsafe due to ongoing border disputes and inter-clan fighting. Thankful, you can't even differentiate the U.S state department press releases on travel from the UN field reports? Sanaag has been the most peaceful region of Somalia

Originally posted by Garaad Bari: well organized meeting! liked pic with the girls dressed up in som flag [/QB] Garad, this is to bolster the nationalist credentials of reer Maakhir against secessionist-driven political entities that have emerged strong from the wreckage of Somalia.

Originally posted by Thankful: Or You are calling for them to sit down with a man you are unwilling to show an image of! lol@ image of. Saxib, I have no picture of the man, nor his contact info. But both parties had already signed an earlier accord in Galgala before Faroole decided to use the military onslaught as an alternative to the peace accord in light of the instructions given to him by Meles, his Lord. And what do we have now is a total reversal of the outcome expected from the military operation of Galgala and western Bari region. The clan militias that the state recruited through the clan elders of Mudug, Nugal and Sool it convened to supply their boys over a narrowy defined cause of self-enrichment and land expansion is slowly having toll on the security, unity and the viability of the state. Today, we have one minister kidnapped for venturing into the pirate stronghold of Gar'ad. It took the elders of the region to release him through informal/clan mechanism of dispute resolution.

Well Duke and others, this is known as ICDSEA projects on educational development assistance in order to establish or upgrade the school systems already in place. It does not mean Somalia is divided into three parts. For instance, agencies like UNDP, Horn Relief and Development and OCHA use Sanaag Region, N. Somalia, whereas they use Bari Region, Puntland, or Awdal region, Somaliland. Besides, According to the UN, Puntland is in reality made up of three regions: Bari, Nugal and North Mudug. Maakhiris of Sanaag Region, N. Somalia also settle western Bari region, Puntland and Lower Juba region, S. Somalia.

Originally posted by Timur: This anti-terror methods are making the people of Maakhir safer. Its a win-win scenario for all. The real terrorists are in Garowe, the Puntland warlords posed as leaders of the North-eastern region. Will they listen and heed to the recommendation given by the head of TFG's Ministry of Energy and Minerals? Remember, Dr. Abdalla has been just like Garad Cabdilahi Ciid, a committed supporter and Political agent of the Garowe administration.

SPR Interview with TFG's Minister of Energy and Minerals Brief Analysis ]/b] On the Contraversial draft constitution The minister thinks that the departed primier explored all diplomatic channels to bring the standoff to an end. Perhaps it's tengential to assume that his close affiliation with Puntland's power brokers is the main reason why he sides with former prime minister. After all, it was Omar Abdirashiid who nominated him for this Ministry of Energy and Minerals as to give the state of Puntland free rein on the legality of its oil and mineral exploration. He is truly suspect as to where his loyalty lies. The petty disagreements and infighting have permeated into every aspect of our society. But that is not a sufficient explanation for him to divert the blame from the elected representatives, esp the top leaders who have failed their people time and again. The first priority of all priorities was to undertake an internal framework of delineated task, common purpose and vision that goes in tandem with the Federal Charter, and to show the suffering masses that they can at least work together in harmony despite the relentless war al-Shabaab is waging on them. The international community is cognizant of the predictable pattern of the squabbles amongst Somali warlords and when the task of national leadership converts into one with clusters of opportunistic, tight-knit groups opposed to one another at a time they are fighting for survival. Abdirahman puts the dismal situation they are in as rowdy prisoners whose guards happen to be the AMISOM troops. On the Galgala Conflict It's good to know that he is calling for a resolution through arbitration between PL and Sh. Atam. Puntland has now lost a very important son who actually advanced its interests at the federal and international level. However, for PL to regain its prestige and internal cohesion and peace, he urges the leaders like Faroole and Gen. Ilka-jir to sit down with Sh. Atam and resolve outstanding issues. Of course, we humans are bound to run into grave mistakes. There's also room for improvement.

Great Peace overture by the Sultan.

^The War criminal Faroole is much worse than his predecessor. But you have your best bets with Silanyo's leadership.