Thankful, considering your often discredited Paltalk citation, the word al-shabab is an Arabic term and it means Youth. If, for instance, an organization with the title of Youth exists like the now defunct SYL, and you have got tired of the abuse and usage of the term as though it's the boogeyman for which to frighten any legitimate opposition, and a popular figurehead of such opposition is asked a question about it and he therefore employs witty sarcasm or satire as an indignant retort to such linguistic term, would he be qualified for that accusation. Second, be critical thinker and remember, Paltalk is not a reliable source of information. It's not an News organization that is accountable to public scrutiny like VOA or BBC as they lease air space for such a noble public function. So why would you pick Paltalk chitchats and satire over real, verifiable and reliable source of information such as VOA and BBC media is to the world. Chitchat Paltalk that's subject to all types of manipulation has so far failed to win the approval of major news reports such as the AP. They dropped the charges after the VOA interview and the subsequent denial of al-shabab leaders themselves of any organizational affiliation with Mr. Atam. Your sources always go back to the prior VOA and BBC interviews of Atam. Btw, the UN monitoring group alleged him of being an arms dealer but added the suspicion of the phrase "believed to be" as a supplier of weapons to al-Shabab. What is "believed to be" mean in English?

Westernized Somalis need dhaqan celis, ma is weydiiseen horta? Kuligeen jidkaas baan ku jiraa cuz we hardly know the beauty and peculiarities of our culture.

We are not a poor nation saxib. We are a nation with the longest coast of Africa, with huge resources of oil and minerals, two great rivers, growing industries and with a rural possession of the largest livestock (camel particularly and sheep) on the planet. Our people are very innovative and entrepreneurial, BUT, we have external enemies and a controllable societal issues to deal with. Las Anod has been a District since in the late 1960s. The article though old and interesting is quite pregnant with the known biases of the NYTimes. Back in 1910, the NYTimes published an article that portrayed Somalis as pagan and cannibals..

Soon wanaagsan walaal. Ciid is around the corner.

Originally posted by N.O.R.F: If there is nobody to govern legislation do these legal issues matter? They matter big time brother just like Somalia's territorial integrity.

Nice ceremony. One of the students makes a historic speech.

The Public's Growing Disappointment with president Farole of Puntland By Abdi Ali September 02, 2010 “If you think like a hammer, you see nothing but nails” Unknown The current president of Puntland Dr. A. M. Farole has come to power nearly two years ago with some excitement and high expectations from people in Puntland and other Somalis who had all the right reasons to believe in the new president and possibilities for him to make some positive impacts for his Puntland and possibly for the rest of Somalia. The new president came in with few impressive credentials; PHD candidate in Australia, respected elder, experienced civil servant, former banker and finance minister, etc, etc... All these and the disappointments with his predecessors gave the people of PL a hope that Dr.Farole, as a civilian president with long administrative experience, is the right man for the job an will bring peace, progress and development in their region after long period of disappointing administrations by military men before him Abdullahi Yusuf Jama Ali Jama and Cadde Musse. Today after almost two years of Farole rule, Puntland, which was once seen as a beacon of hope and one of few peaceful places in the troubled lands of Somalia, seems to be heading for great dangers of terrorism, civil wars and the risk of dis-integration. Below is a summary of some of the obvious issues causing fear, frustrations, uncertainty and on top of all great disappointment in president Farole: 1. Galgala conflict which started as a minor disagreement on mining rights seems to be getting out of hand and might lead to a civil war in Puntland. Islamic extremists like Al Shabaab are knocking the doors of Puntland to come to the aid of Sheikh Atom thanks to PL government’s mishandling of the situation, the rush to war and the far-reaching publicity fallout from Galgala conflict. Despite Farole's strong and self-assured assertions that Sheikh Atom is part of or connected to extreme terrorist networks, so far there has not been single evidence to prove any link. Al Shabaab has denied it (they do not usually deny their links or intentions) Atom himself has again and denied any connection to any external forces., that up until now! rules of engagement have changed now and who knows we will soon have the Chechens and Colombians shooting us from the holes of this new Tora-Bora in the making in the outskitrs of Bossaso. 2. Some of the clans in Puntland are extremely unhappy with Farol'e nepotism/ favoritism and are threatening to fight Farole’s government. Most parts of Sool and Cayn have already joined Somaliland. It has also recently been reported that a significant number of soldiers from Sool and Cayn have revolted and left Puntland army due to disrespect and bad treatment. People in Sanaag and western Bari are unhappy and revolting due to lack of contribution from Farole's government. It remains to be seen how many of them will support and even join Sheik Atom. People in Mudug have already started creating their own militia to fight Farole's government. Even the capital of Puntland Garowe seems to be getting its share of troubles. On the 16th August, four policemen were killed and dozen injured in land dispute. All these are signs of crumbling administration and a leader who is loosing grip. 3. One of the biggest problems with Farole and his government is their lack of respect and continuous paranoia and harassment against free media in Puntland. Journalists and media people are constantly harassed, arrested and tortured for simply doing what they supposed to do, their jobs. The latest victim is Mr. A/Fatah Jama Mire of Horseed Media who got six years in prison plus torture and humiliation, simply because he run a story on Sheik Atom and the conflict in Galgala. This is shocking and it begs a believe why President Farole, who is supposed to be one of the most educated, experienced and enlightened of all current Somali politicians around [with his high level education and years of living in democratic Australia] took such extreme measures to suppress the free media in Puntland. Recently he banned the Somali service of VOA. Funniest of all was when Farole threatened to sue the legendary Somali artist Mr. Amin Amir who is doing great job in recording Somali history through his cartoons and caricatures. People of Puntland will appreciate the president much more if he spends his efforts and energy on more useful things rather than chasing wild gooses like journalists trying to do their jobs. 4. On the security front, the historical city of Bossaso which is also useful trading hub for all Somalis is becoming more and more anarchic and out of control. Bombs go off quite frequently and people get killed, arrested and tortured in the streets and in jails until they die. Puntland Intelligence Service, otherwise known as "Shahada la Dirir" take their orders only from their pay masters Ethiopians and US to arrest and kill whoever they feel like with full impunity in the name of terrorism and similar excuses to get funding from their masters. This is most probably counter productive in fighting terrorism and bringing security to the people of Puntland. Experts and people who are knowlegable of local Puntland politics will tell you that in fact Sheikh Atom and his likes are created by the cruel and inhumane actions of PIS. 5. Some of the actions of president Farole and his administration can be considered criminal acts against innocent Somali people. Recently the poor and displaced Somalis who escaped from the conflict in the south were expelled en masse from Puntland putting their lives in danger. Similarly, ****** people are hunted down and handed over to Ethiopian regime they escaped from, some of them died in Puntland jails during the process of deportation. These acts need to be recorded as un-Somali, un-Islamic and possible crimes against humanity. 6. In the economic and development front, there is no single meaningful project implemented since Farole came to power. Cadde Musse has started building the terminal of Bossaso airport; Farole government couldn't add half kilometer run way. This is not scientifically researched report on what really went wrong and who is to blame in Puntland. However, these are obvious realities on the ground today indicating failures of president Farole’s leadership and dangers facing Puntland. It is quite sad, unfortunate and grim reading for anybody who supported Dr. Farole and expected PL in his leadership to be a better, saver and more progressive place. Who in their right mind expected Dr. Farole to fare this badly compared to his predecessors? Perhaps he is just another Somali leader who failed miserably and let his people down. The neighboring breakaway region of Somaliland is facing similar problems and challenges (including tribal conflicts and risks of religious extremism) However, SL governments seem to be coping much better than Farole's administration. Hopes are high for the newly inaugurated President Siilaanyo of Somaliland to have a look and learn from the events taking place in his eastern neighborhood. Finally, if the Dr. Farole does not wise up soon, listen to his people and voices of reason. If he does not learn from his mistakes and start putting his house in order. If he continues to be as arrogant as he is now, acts ignorant and keeps surrounding himself with yes-men, clan loyalists and family members. GOD HELP PUNTLAND! Abdi Ali hh_hanad@hotmail.com

Ismahan, AlJazeera's documentary on the death of Italian journalist, Ilaria Alpi, sheds more light into the dark schemes of this business operation, mainly carried out by Italian mafia syndicates. The mysterious case of her death was more or less exposed by Ilaria's family members who had pursued it vigorously until they discovered useful elements that led to the arrest of one man in Italy. What's even more surprising is the report authored by the financial controller of Italia's Development Aid. He went to Somalia to audit and monitor aid expenditures. In its procurement system, Mr. Franco discovered yet so many irregularities of the development aid. Aid projects that were initially intended for building irrigation channels in farming areas south of Mogadishu had been used to dispose of toxic materials. He immediately called for his government to suspend the aid program. Following that report, he was shot in the right leg in an attempt to assassinate him. That was five months prior to the murder of the Italian TV reporter, Ilaria Alpi and her cameraman.

What if the man of fighting age runs his own business or has wife and children who depend on his labour? C'mon guys, it's human rights violations and we must condemn it. Have an independent, health thinking and see the picture from a universal perspective!

Ngonge, we would probably see uncle Silanyo and Meles together sipping some coffee in Addis Ababa. But so far he has my support. Che, Gas production is soon to be start in the Somali region. Terrible scenerio for us.

^The UNCLOS of 1982 gives nations bordering ocean an exclusive economic zone but the width it set conflicts with Somalia's Law # 37 of 1972. The law still applies to the present situation of lawless Somalia. The erstwhile resistance by several European nations against the Law # 37 is a reasonable cause why so many countries decided to violate Somalia's territorial waters after the regime collapsed. Universal law also should apply to pirate fishing or the commercial offshore fleets which daily violate Somalia's exclusive economic zone. Who should prosecute all violators? The criminal prosecution trials seem to be selective and applied only to Somali pirates. The UN secretary general Ban has confirmed real cases of the toxic dumpings and pirate-fishing but no real solution except international naval blockade and selective trials.

Together as one you mean? Ngonge, seriously what do you have to say of the widely circulated report about the diplomatic rift btw the current admin of SL and Ethiopia? I personally like the fact that Silanyo is standing up to the dictates of Meles. That quality of him maintaining an independent domestic policy gains him more domestic support. It enhances his nationalist credentials though it would cost him a regional friend--vulture of Somalia's predicament in reality . At this time of Somalia's collapse, I congratulate President Silanyo but that is a path fraught with a lot of risks and it resembles more like the impossible trinity theory.

The most convincing argument I have read of the issues of piracy. Pls reflect on it deeply.. Monday, August 30, 2010 by Dr. Alexander Mezyaev Link The key legal question in the piracy cases is whether the international community is indeed encountering pirates and if it is "are they Somali pirates? The 1982 Convention states clearly that piracy is an act perpetrated in the open sea, that is, not in any country's territorial seas and adjacent zones. The 1982 Convention limited the maximal width of a territorial sea to 12 nautical miles(roughly 22 km), but Somalia had set its territorial sea width at 200 nautical miles (370 km) by its Law # 37 of 1972. The latter law establishes that only ships under the Somali flag or those with a license from the Somali government are authorized to sail or fish in the country's territorial waters. Similarly, several countries Congo, Benin, Ecuador, Salvador, Liberia, and Peru set their territorial sea widths at 12 nautical miles, meeting with no objections from others as there are no legal grounds for disputes over the matter. Problems arise in the case of Somalia solely due to the fact that the country has no effective central government, and the demise of the Somali statehood opens vast opportunities to loot its natural resources. Somalia was under pressure especially from France, Norway, and Spain - to scrap the 1972 law during the reign of Mohamed Siad Barre whose ouster in 1991 triggered the country's collapse. Several countries hoped the waters would be opened for fishing and, moreover, oil grands were also keenly interested in the region...... by Dr. Alexander Mezyaev, Head of Chair of the International Law, Governance Academy (Kazan'), Strategic Culture Foundation expert, was published in International Affairs magazine.

Energy and Security Issues in the Red Sea ..Much of the anticipated change is developing around the flood of new discoveries and exploitation of natural gas fields in the Indian Ocean region, particularly extending through Ethiopia, Egypt, and other countries of the Red Sea region... The strategic balance in the Horn of Africa, and reaching through the Red Sea to Egypt and the Mediterranean, is changing rapidly — and in many respects is becoming more unstable — as political, geopolitical, economic, and ideological issues begin to clash. The war over the reunification of Somalia, incorporating both the old Italian Somaliland (now Somalia) and the Republic of Somaliland, has now become indisputable, and nominally-moderate Egypt has come down firmly on the side of reunifying the area under the clear dominance of an Islamist-dominated but anomic — essentially lawless — Somalia.... In the process, however, the Egyptian Government has given support to the same radical jihadist groups which fundamentally oppose Egyptian secular governance, which support Iranian expansion into the Red Sea/Africa framework, and which have transformed a strategically benign Ethiopia into one which must now accept confrontation with Egypt and its regional allies. This situation has been compounded by the recent Islamist/pan-Somalist success in winning power in Somaliland, but of equal importance has been the first quiet stage of the transformation of Ethiopia into an energy exporting power. Ethiopia’s natural gas reserves which the US Energy Information Agency (EIA) in 2009 rated as zero and in early 2010 at one-trillion cubic feet (TCF), now have been demonstrated to be significant, and gas exports will begin within five years. Malaysian State-owned oil and gas company Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) has now proven as much as four TCF of gas in its reserves in the ****** basin region of Ethiopia. Petronas is one of about 85 companies which have oil and gas exploration licenses in Ethiopia, but the Malaysian company is the first to begin its production phase, which should see a gas treatment plant and a gas pipeline from the ****** to Djibouti (at a total cost of $1.9-billion) on-line within five years. Estimated Ethiopian gas reserves, as of 2010 (not “proven reserves”), were reported at 12.46 TCF, but this figure was likely to be expanded frequently as new discoveries are reported. Significantly, although the externally-supported and -armed ****** National Liberation Front (ONLF) has continued to sustain sporadic armed contact with Ethiopian security forces into August 2010, the second week of August saw the senior ONLF leadership in Washington, DC, meeting secretly (under US sponsorship) with representatives of the Ethiopian Government. Just days before that, representatives of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) also met in Washington, DC, with senior Ethiopian Government officials. Both the OLF and the ONLF have been receiving extensive logistical support, weapons, training, and funding from Eritrea, supported directly or indirectly by both Egypt and Iran. It is now apparent to both the ONLF and OLF that their foreign patrons have been waging a losing battle against the Ethiopian Government, and that, with the growing strength and wealth of the Ethiopian Government, now is the time to consider coming to terms with Addis Ababa..... Fighting around July 12, 2010, in the el-Dibir area of the Somaliland-Ethiopian border was largely credited in the media with being an EDF attack on civilians, but in fact it involved a clash with Islamist forces that were routed by the EDF, which seized 120 of the Islamists’ trucks and took them to the Ethiopian city of Jijiga. At the core of all of this has been the proxy war waged by Iranian-backed Islamists, supported by the secular governments of Eritrea and Egypt, to keep Ethiopia landlocked. When the Ethiopian Government, some two years ago, began having an inkling that it might soon be in the gas exporting business, it started negotiations to build a pipeline to the Somaliland port of Berbera. When it became clear that the UDUB Government of Somaliland was not well-prepared to contest the Presidential elections — which resulted in a pan-Somalist Islamist taking power in July 2010 — Ethiopia was forced to turn back to Djibouti as the only available seaport for the export of Ethiopian gas. .... At present, the Petronas plans to be exporting natural gas from the Ethiopian ****** basin within five years highlight the reality that Ethiopia will soon be in a position to compete economically against Egypt and Eritrea, which have been struggling to keep Ethiopia landlocked. Egypt’s strategic motive, expressed constantly by Cairo, has been to keep Ethiopia — which is vastly more fertile than Egypt and which controls the headwaters of the Blue Nile, which provides Egypt (and Sudan) with most of its water — from posing a strategic threat to Egypt by, potentially, cutting off the flow of Blue Nile waters. In fact, the policy has only served to make the Egyptian fear a reality. Moreover, in the South-Eastern part of modern Eritrea, the area around Assab, there is already great local hostility to being under control of Asmara (the Eritrean capital), and the Eritrean Government of Isayas Afewerke. This hostility takes the form of armed insurrection by ethnic Afars. The Afar Revolutionary Democratic Union (ARDU) has engaged in combat operations since 1993 against the Eritrean Government. They have commanded the attention of brigade-sized Eritrean Government forces, which have unsuccessfully attempted to curb the ARDU. ARDU itself is part of the Alliance of Eritrean National Forces (AENF), an umbrella for opposition groups, mostly Muslim, fighting the Isayas Government. Via HorseedMedia

A Country in Transition: The Lure of Clan-Based Regional States By Mohamed Shamun Omar August 31, 2010 The principal argument advanced here is that the hasty formation of clan-based regional states in Somalia without a national dialogue has resulted in the creation of a political situation that is not appropriate for cooperative outcome, and an environment that lacks trust and tolerance. The current state is a recipe for precarious and dangerous forces of clan supremacy and non-mosaic society that are inconsistent with the principles of Islamic teaching, modern statehood, democracy and human rights. Full Article Ps. The author has a number of appointments including Resident Harvard Administrative Fellow; staff Environmental Management Engineer at Harvard University; researcher at University of Massachusetts Lowell

Thankful & Duke, Better quit the meaningless chatter and the idle gossip! Going in circle is a waste of time. If you as political analysts are convinced that the weak, incompetent admin of Farole can bury the truth and get away with a social crime, time will prove you wrong. Thus far, Farole's silly war is by way of default justified by the incoordinate correlation of false accusation between Atam's presence in Galgala and the string of assassinations in Bosaso, which to a large extent were carried out against the people of Galgala themselves like the man in Netco center. Galka'yo has had more voilence and targeted killings on a daily basis than Bosaso, the last one being the assassination of Daljir Radio journalist. So What makes the real difference is not only of the few politicians who sold off their constituents for a mere nickle and dime, but the abundance of natural resources that stream underneath the blessed land of reer Galgala and that is why the pirate leaders find that too attractive to leave its extraction to a time of legitimate government of national union. Besides the powerful PIS's murky business, the Galgala natives' have long been isolated from Puntland's political process--or policies to incorporate the area by, for instance, building local structures of governance (Golaha deegaanka). That has driven Atam and his native clansmen to rule themselves and institute law and order, and exact and collect tax money as to develop the local economy (farming), and provide a much-needed security services. Now the solution is to call for a ceasefire and reconciliation. A much respected authority has to intervene and the root cause of the conflict must be corrected ASAP. I would recommend Sultan Said to intervene and lead a peace delegation like he did during Ade Muse's rebellion due to similar grievances.

The Tigre regime is actually harassing his new administration, even launching all types of virulent propoganda campaign to kill Silanyo's character and the quality of his cabinet. Can't Ethiopia stay out of Somalia's affairs?

General Duke, You should be ashamed of the raw lies that you peddle in this site. It's neuasating and outright insult to the intelligence of the readers you are so fond of misleading in here. Being hell-bent on creating or sustaining hostilities with a neighbor is not a Somali culture we are familiar with. There's no need to glorify death and misery just to score a cheap political point. You should have learned a good moral lesson from the cost of alienating a valued neighbor. But your old notes of repetitive lies and false allegations resemble the inner thoughts of a scrappy mongrel who thinks high of playing a fool man's game. Is it not suprising the fact that Mr. Atam's repeated denial (in several VOA and BBC interviews) of partial or complete affiliation or any connection whatsoever (ideological or material) with the Islamist groups in the South is logically hard to believe by Farole and his lord, Meles , but it rather undermines the real agenda and the secret deals with foreign companies at the backdrop of other state-sanctioned joint criminal enterprises like toxic dumpings, human smugglings, and a well-organized synidicate of Piracy. The fact that the opposition group has been stationed in the region (western Bari) ever since 2005 without ever committing any aggression except for purposes of defense and the provision of law and order for his native land does not matter to the pirate leaders. The fact that he fiercely faught and stopped the former governor's militia over the contraversial mineral rights in Majihan and Dhalan given to Range Resources is not relevant but bothersome to the likes of Duke, Puntland's Pirate chief and his blind, clan-worshopping supporters. The real monsters (like the PIS, Farole, illegal oil and mineral contracts, Piracy) are so clearly transperant to the public eye. If a solution is preferred over the continuation of an unwinnable war, then exorcise the above demons, and Atam's nightmare will simply fade away.

Fergusson, It's Puntland against the native people. Hal reer baa si gaar ah loo ugaarsanaya. Waa niman la yiraahdo Xuseen Idiris oo uu ka dhashey geesiga tol waayey ee Atam. Waa raga dega ama uga baddan degaanka galbeedka Bari ee kheyraadka dabiiciga ilaah ku maneystey. Interesting that Allpuntland dropped the use of "Shabaab" into "maleeshiyaadka Atam" as most reputable media like VOA and BBC often report.

BurnNotice, since you are a shareholder of Africa Oil, why is the company so determined to exploit conflict-prone areas of Africa. Does greed overtake respect for human lives. How many people have died or been displaced thus far since the company's board decided to go ahead with the murky deal in a lawless Somalia? Africa Oil Corp. equipment under attack in Somalia Exploration equipment reportedly contracted by a Canada-based oil company undocked at the port of Bossaso Sunday, but emerging reports tell Garowe Online that disgruntled militia have already launched their first strike. The equipment included construction trucks of the old variety, along with trucks transporting water and petroleum to a location east of Bossaso where Africa Oil Corp. has set up an operations camp in the self-governing Puntland province of northeastern Somalia. A Bossaso port source privately told Garowe Online that some of the trucks were "old and looked to be in bad condition," but that the contractor had "repainted" the trucks to give them a newer look. Photographs of the equipment were splashed across Puntland government-affiliated Web sites, showing older trucks being unloaded as heavily-armed soldiers kept watch. Hassan "Allore" Osman, Puntland's oil minister, told the media that Africa Oil will begin exploration activities in the region soon – marking the first such endeavor to be undertaken in the lawless Horn of Africa country since the late 1980s when American and European companies collected exploration data. The bold exploration effort – engineered under the leadership of Puntland President Adde Muse – has faced numerous political and security obstacles since its inception in mid-2005. Violence On Sunday night, three of the trucks that were unloaded from a container ship docked at the port of Bossaso underwent mechanical problems and became stuck inside Bossaso, witnesses reported. The trucks reportedly stopped working somewhere between Hotel Panorama and the Golis telecommunications company headquarters. At around 11:30pm local time, unidentified militiamen attacked the location where there were reports of an exchange of gunfire. Emerging reports have indicated that the attackers successfully hit one of the trucks with a rocket launcher, setting the truck on fire. It was also immediately unclear who the attacking militiamen were, but the strike comes on the heels of widespread reports that unhappy clans have organized militias to counter the Puntland-Africa Oil drive to dig for Somalia's unproven oil reserves. In unrelated development, an armored vehicle traveling between Bossaso and the Africa Oil operations camp 90km east exploded yesterday, wounding five militiamen on board. Medical sources confirmed that the wounded militiamen were transported to Bossaso under a shroud of secrecy and are being treated for their injuries. The cause of the explosion could not be independently ascertained, but some reports indicated that the vehicle hit a landmine secretly planted along the vital road. Other reports said one of the militiamen accidentally dropped a grenade inside the vehicle. As reported by Garowe Online last week, Africa Oil and its partners in the government of Puntland have established a private militia force to safeguard the Canadian company's operations in Somalia. The wounded men are part of that private militia, which remains untrained and ill-prepared to deal with the daunting security challenges ahead. Challenges ahead Exploration in Puntland is a nationally-sensitive topic across Somalia, as discord lingers within government halls in Mogadishu and Garowe, the capital of Puntland. Most recently, Somali lawmaker Asha Abdalla openly criticized interim President Abdullahi Yusuf for endorsing the Puntland-Africa Oil deal. MP Abdalla hails from Sanaag, a northern region etched between Puntland and the self-declared Republic of Somaliland. In early 2006, Sanaag was the scene of fierce fighting between clan militia opposed to exploration and Puntland security forces. The violence forced Africa Oil's joint venture partner, Australian mining firm Range Resources, to suspend operations in Puntland. But even with President Yusuf's endorsement, serious challenges lay ahead for any meaningful exploration effort in Puntland. Many of the region's armed clans remain opposed to the exploration project, citing legitimate concerns including Puntland leader Muse's mismanagement of public funds and his negligent attitude towards the region's powerful clans. Somalia has been mired in political turmoil and armed conflict since 1991, when the country's last effective ruler was ousted from power by clan warlords. In December 2006, Ethiopian troops backing Yusuf's weak interim government invaded Somalia's southern regions to dislodge Islamist rulers from Mogadishu. Remnants of that Islamist movement have been held responsible for guerrilla attacks targeting government troops and officials across the country since, including in Mogadishu and Bossaso. Critics say Somalia needs a stable government and the return of order first before oil exploration can begin. Nigeria, Africa's top producer of crude oil and one of the continent's strongest governments, has been witness to relentless rebel attacks on oil installations that have destabilized that part of West Africa. Xigasho

That's why free competition for the small private entriprises is good for "Somaliland" and Somalia in general! Silanyo and his economic advisors shouldn't be disuaded by "protectionist" tendencies as both companies are owned by Somali businessmen who are much willing to invest in their homeland. Allow pure competition to thrive in and let both companies register and establish landing station in Berbera. Silanyo should also fight the culture of corruption within Berbera's Port Authority and significantly lessen the rate of custom duties on imports and exports. Time for a radical departure from the old practices.

"This theory of governance which Puntland adopted is that the elders have a constitutional right to initiate and engage in peace overtures," Sahardid explained to Mr. Yonis. "When and if the traditional arbitrators exhaust all avenues to peace and decide that it is beyond their capacity to resolve any social or political issue, they then call in the leaders of the state and give them a green light to employ its instrument of coercion." Well said, Chief Saxardiid.

Galgala was in the news back then lol. Thanks for revisiting it. I almost forgot abt it.

Galgala was in the news back then lol. Thanks for revisiting it. I almost forgot abt it.

Galgala was in the news back then lol. Thanks for revisiting it. I almost forgot abt it.