Laascaanood city councillor from Waddani Party, Fahima Yusuf responds to Minister Saleebaan Cali Koore.

After eight years the German army has ended its training mission to Somalia and has returned all Bundeswehr soldiers to Germany. The move was confirmed to dpa by a spokesman for the Defense Ministry in Berlin on Tuesday. The ministry had already announced the withdrawal from the east African country threatened by terrorists in February based on difficulties in training the Somali security forces. Those difficulties included deficits in the political and institutional structures in the country as well as in the equipment available for the trained Somali soldiers. Germany had since March 2010 taken part in the European training mission, which aimed to support the Somali government to be able to fend for itself with its own security and order institutions. The Bundeswehr said that it plans to continue supporting the mission politically. The Council of the European Union extended the mission until December 31, 2018, based on a resolution by the U.N. Security Council from December 2016.

Somaliland's Regional Priorities and Strategic Partnerships Chatham House, London Participants HE Dr Saad Ali Shire, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Republic of Somaliland Chair: Ahmed Soliman, Research Associate, Africa Programme, Chatham House Overview Strategically situated on the Gulf of Aden, the self-declared Republic of Somaliland’s relations with its neighbours are crucial to its aspirations for international recognition. Following presidential elections in 2017, disputes with the Federal Government of Somalia over Somaliland’s sovereignty, and tensions with the semi-autonomous Puntland region over disputed border territories, remain unresolved. Recent years have seen increasing security and trade relations between Gulf states and the Horn of Africa, presenting opportunities to boost economic growth and improve regional integration. However, the crisis between the Gulf states has polarized the wider region, complicating dialogue. In March 2018, an investment deal between United Arab Emirates (UAE) company DP World, Somaliland and Ethiopia to develop Berbera Port facilities was rejected by the Somali parliament, demonstrating increased diplomatic strain, with further controversy over the establishment of a UAE military base in the city. At this event Somaliland’s minister of foreign affairs, HE Dr Saad Ali Shire, will discuss regional relations including with neighbours Somalia and Ethiopia, the influence of the Gulf states and impact of the crisis, and developments in the Berbera Port deal and other infrastructure projects, as well as how they can progress Somaliland’s economic growth and regional integration.

Ilaahay ha u naxariisto oo danbigeedi ha dhaafo. Amin. Waxay ahayd Fanaanita heer sare ka gaadhay xirfadooda.

Waxa la yidhi, Quranka oo Alif kaa qaloocsamay, Albaqra kuuma saxmo. Midnimo bilowgii habawday ayay wali dadka qaar daydayaan. Gudcur madaw nin indhaha cadeeyay alaylehe isaga ayaa iska cadeeyay. Waar yaan wax duulaya indhaha kaa galin yaa ku yidha.

Qatar is bankrolling Cheeseman's side. Meesha cid dan Soomaali leeday wada ma jirto...

AP Interview: Somaliland president defends UAE military deal Somalia's breakaway northern region of Somaliland declared its independence nearly three decades ago, but despite having its own currency, parliament and military the predominantly Muslim country hasn't been recognized by any foreign government. Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi is hoping to change that by aligning his country's interests with energy-rich Gulf Arab states eager to expand their military footprint in the Horn of Africa along the vital shipping corridor of Bab al-Mandeb, the entryway to the Red Sea for ships from Asia and oil tankers from the Gulf heading to Europe. Speaking to The Associated Press in the capital, Hargeisa, on Tuesday, Abdi defended an agreement that allows the United Arab Emirates to establish a military base in Somaliland. "Our government is not so strong and our zone needs to be protected," he said. "I think we need a friendly country to have a cooperation with military security, we need it." Securing the Horn of Africa has become increasingly important for Gulf countries since March 2015, when a Saudi-led coalition launched a war against Iran-allied rebels in Yemen. On Tuesday, the coalition, which includes the UAE, said the rebels attacked a Saudi oil tanker in the Bab al-Mandeb strait, causing minor damage. Abdi declined to disclose how many Emirati troops would be based in Somaliland or when construction of the base will be complete. The lease for the base is for 25 years. "Yes, we are allied to the United Arab Emirates and to Saudi (Arabia)," Abdi said. "All our business, main assets, are in Dubai. All our imports depend on United Arab Emirates, their ports," he said. "We have relations of business and economic ties with them, so we are allies with them." Abdi, who won elections in November, spoke Tuesday from his office in Somaliland's capital of Hergeisa, home to around 1 million people. Somaliland is far more peaceful than Somalia, where the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab group carries out frequent attacks. Except for a Coca-Cola factory outside the largely impoverished city, there are no visible signs of multinational companies. The city, which moves without traffic lights, is not home to any major international hotel chains, American fast food restaurants or bustling shopping malls. Instead, the country is capitalizing on its strategic location near Bab al-Mandeb. Somaliland signed an agreement last year with one of the world's largest port operators, DP World, to operate its Port of Berbera. The agreement with DP World, which is majority-owned by the Dubai government in the UAE, was signed the same year that the UAE's plans to build a naval base in Berbera were revealed. It's the latest example of how DP World's business dealings in East Africa increasingly mirror the UAE's military expansion in the region. The UAE, which is also reportedly building up a long-term military presence in Eritrea, is not the only country with troops in East Africa. Turkey opened a military base in Somalia last year. Neighboring Djibouti is home to a U.S. base that launches drone missions over Somalia and Yemen, as well as a Chinese military base and Japan's first overseas base since World War II. Last week, Somalia asked for the United Nations Security Council to intervene to stop the UAE from building the military base in Somaliland. Somalia said the agreement between the Gulf state and Somaliland, which it refers to as the "Northwestern Region of Somalia," was made without the consent of Somalia's government and is in "clear violation of international law." Somaliland's minister of foreign affairs, Saad Ali Shire, said his country's alliance with the UAE is a sign of the growing "realization that Somaliland should be recognized." "We feel that we have the right to be recognized. We have the right for self-determination under the U.N. charter," Shire told the AP. "That's a fact which I think everybody should recognize, and perhaps the UAE is finally coming around to recognize that fact as well." DP World's recent expansion into Somaliland creates an alternative corridor for imports for landlocked Ethiopia, a country of 110 million people and the largest economy in the Horn of Africa. Cargo going to Ethiopia currently constitutes 15 percent of Berbera port's operations. DP World holds a 51 percent stake in the port, Somaliland holds a 30 percent stake and Ethiopia holds the remaining 19 percent. DP World operations in Berbera threaten Djibouti's near monopoly on Ethiopia's imports and exports. Djibouti's port provides Ethiopia with more than 95 percent of Ethiopia's imports. The deal with Somaliland prompted Djibouti to abruptly end DP World's contract for its Doraleh container terminal in February. DP World's Berbera operations manager, Ali Ismail Mahamoud, acknowledged that the port is a competitor in East Africa. He spoke to the AP on a recent visit to the port. "Whenever you open a port near another port which is close to it, definitely you have to be competitive. (We are) not purely competitive with Djibouti, but I would define it as we have to be competitive," he said.

Meesha Admin ayaa lagaa dhigay, inta ayaa wax wayn kula ah. akkak Miskiin, iska noolow camoo. @Oodweyne Diktoore, miskiinkan majiibtuba khasaaray kutahay, inaga daa.

Aar Cheeseman baadi gooba ayaa ka dhacday meesha...

By any other name, a coupe against Jawari is underway by Khaire's boys. With Khaire firing the first shots... where will it end?

AUN Abwaan Suldaan Timocade. Hadalku waa inta u yidhi Abwaanku 1960kii. Maantana cabaadka Villa AMISom kaa waxba kama duwana shalay.

In Australia, the MPs are allocated based on Registered voters per electorate. There are around 16m registered voters and 150 seats, which gives around 100k voters per MP. Somaliland can establish something along these lines, which gives priority to the registered voters rather than population head count. Hence, in Somalilland there are 850k registered voters and 82 seats. This gives us a ratio of around 10k per MP.

Xiis & Maydh iyo guud ahaan Daallo mountains waxay ka mid ahaayeen meelihii SNM ila 1984kii ka xoreeyeen regimeka. Mujaahidka Yemeni'ga ah waa in la so xagiijiya taariikhdiisa.

In world of Cartoons, when the show turns sad and unbearable, they unceremoniously pull the sad act from the stage.

Awoowe, qof caqli badan waa tahay sxb. Fariin iga gaadhsii meleeshiyadda Puntland, waxaad u sheegta inay iskaga sii baxaan, Somaliland waxay ku so socota xadkee.

Adiga oo sida doormat'ka lagugu dul socdo, miyaa cid kale wax ku qabsan karaysa? Miskiina Farmaajo, Villa Somalia dhexdeeda ayaad hadii Amxaaro ku tidha "Jump" wuxu leeeyahay "how high Ambasa!". Sxb, Waa la hadlaa, looma hadlo, ee caqli iyo waaqigi ayaa laga hadlaa. Buulo Xaawo awood aad ku horjoogsado ma lehid, laga yaaba hadii aad ka dul baroorato Kikuuyo'da inay kaa naxaan, laakin wax kale ood ku hor istaagi kartaa ma jirto. Berbera hadalkeeda iska daa, waa meel dadkii ilaahay ka sakaw iska lahaa ayaahadeeda gacantooda ugu jirto oo ka taliyeen.

GULF NEWS: SOMALIA CAN’T INTERFERE IN DP WORLD’S PORT DEAL: SOMALILAND MINISTER By Omar Sharif Berbera (Somaliland): “Had you come a day earlier, you’d have seen us loading camels onto ships heading to the Middle East. Somalia as a whole has the world’s largest number of camels, at six million,” said Ali Esmail Mahmoud, Head of Operations at DP World Berbera, as he took visiting journalists on a tour of the port. “Since DP World took over the running of the port, there have been many changes,” Mahmoud said. “We’ve added a lot of equipment. We’ve ordered three mobile harbour cranes. Six reach stakers have been added, with three more on the way, along with empty container handlers, mobile cranes, internal terminal vehicles and forklifts.” He also said the port was using a new software, Sodiaz, which is also used in many other DP World ports. “People were trained on the software outside the country, including in Thailand.” In 2016, the Somaliland parliament voted in favour of granting DP World, the world’s fourth biggest port operator, a 30-year concession with an automatic 10-year extension for the management and development of the port at Berbera, in a move not recognised by the Federal Republic of Somalia. As per the deal, DP World will invest $442 million (Dh1.62 billion) in the port, controlling a 51 per cent stake in the project while the Somaliland government will control 30 per cent. As part of another deal announced last month, Ethiopia will become a 19 per cent stake holder in the port. That deal was also bitterly opposed by the Somali government in Mogadishu. Speaking to journalists, Somaliland’s Foreign Minister Dr Sa’ad Ali Shire said no one had the authority to interfere in a deal between Somaliland and DP World. “This is an economic and commercial deal that will benefit everyone in the Horn of Africa region. Somalia’s claims are baseless, and don’t change anything on the ground.” Somaliland is a self-declared independent republic that is not recognised by the international community but has all the trappings of a state, including its own parliament, judiciary, currency and armed forces. It also holds elections that are seen as being free and fair, and issues its own passports. The government of the region sees Somaliland as the successor state to the colonial-era British Protectorate of Somaliland. Somaliland is also far more politically and economically stable than Somalia. The port provides jobs to 780 local people. And has clearly benefited the economy of the region; the construction sector has been given a fillip due to the planned expansions and improvements already made to the port. “Land in the area is also going up in value,” Mahmoud said. “The infrastructure in the region is improving and many companies are coming here to do business.” The port’s annual capacity is 150,000 TEUs-twenty-foot equivalent units (container); 15 million MT (general cargo, bulk, ad break bulk); and 4 millon heads (livestock). DP World Berbera also provides assistance to the tune of $4800 a month to the nearby Berbera Maritime and Fisheries Academy, which was established in 2012 and has graduated 85 students, including 12 women. The port has also donated $770,181 in the past 12 months to educational institutions, mosques and hospitals in the region and built five water wells for the community. Mahmoud added: “We are currently working on a three-phase basis: Phase zero, phase one, and phase two. As part of phase zero, we are developing the existing terminal. We’ve made many changes, including to infrastructure, electricity, training facilities etc. Phase one begins in five months, and is expected to be completed in 2020.” Source: Gulf News