Bilowga dagaalka Warbaahinta ee Muqdisho iyo Dowladda oo aamusiisay Idaacadda Shabaab Waa bilow kale oo dhinaca dagaalka Warbaahinta ee horay uga dhaxeeyay Dowladda Soomaaliya iyo Kooxda ka soo horjeeda ee Shabaab, iyadoo loolanka dhanka dagaalada uu sii kululeeyay dagaalka dhanka afka ee Barobagaandada labada dhinac. Tan iyo markii dagaalada ka bilowdeen Caasimada Muqdisho horaantii todobaadkan, isla markaana Dowladda KMG ay qaaday hujuum ballaaran ayaa waxaa waji kale sii yeeshay dagaalka dhanka warbaahinta. Muqdisho waxaa ka howl galla Idaacado kala duwan oo qaarna madax banaan, kuwana ku kala hadlay afafka dhinacyada isku haya Caasimada. Dadka Muqdisho waxay todobaadkan ku jahwareersanaayeen hadalada is khilaafsan ee Idaacadaha ka sii deynayeen dhinacyada dagaalka ku lugta leh oo guulo ka kala sheeganayeen. Idaacada ku hadasha afka Shabaab ee IQK ayaa soo gudbinaya macluumaadka dagaalada, iyadoo wariyeyaasheeda ay jiidaha dagaalka ku sugnaayeen, Idaacada waxay gashay xaalad dagaal, barnaamijyadii caadiga ayaa noqday mid bedela xaaladaha dagaalka, waxaa sii wehliya Nashiido, iyo suugaano gabayo ah oo ka hadlay guubaabada dagaalka. Radio Muqdisho Idaacada afka Dowladda ku hadasha ayaa iyana ahaa kuwo la saan qaadayay dagaalka, waxay dib u soo nooleeyeen Heesihii wadaniga xilligii gumeystaha, iyo suugaano guubaabo ah, kaas oo bilow u ahaa duulaanka qorsheysan ee Dowladda. Labada warbaahin weerarkooda dagaalka afka waa sii xoogeystay labadii maalmood ee u dambeeysay, dadkana waxay ahaayeen kuwo hadba mar dhagaha u raaricinaya, si xaalada ay ugala socdaan. Balse maanta ayaa markii u horeysay abaarihii 11-tii barqanimo la waayay codkii IQK, iyadoo mowjada Idaacada ay ka soo gashay la dul saaray Radio Muqdisho, waa tallaabo dhanka dagaalka iyo moraalka Ciidamada ay u qaadeen, kadib markii si rasmi u aamusiyeen Idaacadaas. Mowjada FM-ka ay ka soo gasho IQK ee 102,5MHZ, waxaa la dul saaray Mowjada kale ee Radio Muqdisho ka soo gasho, ee dhirirkeedu yahay 90.00MHZ, tiiyo xaalada sidaas u muuqata ayaa labada mowjadood waxaa isku qabsaday Wariyeyaasha ka hadlay Radio Muqdisho. Xeyndaabka Dowladda oo si weyn loogaga dhageysanayay IQK ayaa waxaa banaday Dowladda oo dulsaartay mowjadeeda Raadiyaha codkeeda ku hadla, waana ficil kale oo dhanka dagaalka warbaahinta u qaaday. Arrintan ayay Dowladda macno badan uga dhigan tahay, taas oo dadka la socda arrimaha warbaahinta sheegayaan in dagaalka warbaahinta uu yahay mid qeyb lixaad leh ka qaadan kara dhanka dagaalada tooska iyo niyada ciidamada, si loo jahwareeriyo dhanka kale guulihiisa is daba jooga hadii ay noqdaan in lagu soo gudbiyo Iclaamka. Xigasho

Maadeey Maanuur Maadkeer waa isku dhex yaacee. Hoobaa Hilowloow (heesta Sulfa lee kusoo xasuustaa magacaan) oo shaf qabin uu shaf aad leedahay yiri, Soomaalina oo shuf lahayna shuf kugu yaalo yiri. Wareer ahaa hee taas.

Jacbaro ka qalee. The burgeoning Soomaali gangs of Islii. Wax ku bilowday ciyaal isbaheysi is seriously damaging the overall security of Islii, which was not that much to begin with. Nowadays, certain areas are no go-go on certain times of the night, otherwise gangs of Soomaalis would target you. They will violently punch or slap you hard, in your disorientation jeebabkaaga baaranaayo and ifyou resist, jirdil xun kuu sii geysanaayo. Some are armed with baangado. Mostly, the cellphones rabaan. They go together up to 12 in a group. They used to target one another, but now waa tuugnimo cad oo cabsi lahayn. Booliiska Islii ka yaraaday ugu wacan, but saan haddii lagu socdo booliis waa imaanaa and guess who will be targeted -- Soomaalida dhan, of course, oo waaba la iska qab qabsanaa awalba lacagtooda lagu noolaa markii la qabto bixiyaan. They just targeted two guys I know in the past two nights, in same exact area. One was on his mobile phone and talking when out of no where a guy slapped hard with his very phone pressed on his ear. He dropped it, and they took it. Weyba u qaleeyaan. Not the other guy, a brother to a girl I know. Xaley jugta ka giliyeen when he tried to resist of giving up his mobile. Asagoo buus buusan gurigood la geeye. Reer Islii certainly doesn't want Ciyaal Faaycali wannabe on the streets of Islii. Certainly not.

Meeqo barbaar oo ciyaal ah oo maskaxa laga duufsaday dagaaladaan ku hoobtay? Taas markaa ka jawaabtid meyd kale ka hadal. Soomaaliya 14 ilaa 20 jir aad ugu tirtirmooyaan, xasuuq tartiib tartiib ah, waana la ogyahay kuwa ka dambeeyo.

Maxee tahay 'kkkkkkkkk.' Meesha qol chatroom maa mooday mise bahaltalk?

Heesta Islii gees ka gees ka qabsatay si kadis ah toddobaadyadii lasoo dhaafay. Qofkaa aragtidba, weyn iyo yariis, dhag dhag/dhab dhab ku haayo. Islaantoo guriga timid maalin hore iga qosolsiisayba. Heestaan qof ka dhageysanaaye on the laptop, markee aragtay tiri, "Labadaan beri lee yaab aragnay. Dhimasho, dhimasho lagu haayaa ee awal lama dhiman jirin miyaa." Ereyga dhimasho soo noq noqonaayo ku jirto heesta, taas oo ah intaan kala dhiman.

Soomaalina, abaaydiis, askarta dadka qabanaaye oo laaluushka ku noolaa Reer Islii wey ka neefsadeen in the past six months. Kuwa civilian clothes wato ahaayeen, and xataa qaarkood ex-askar ahaayeen, oo sheekadooda wey qaraxday until ay qabteen mid Sujuu askari dhar caadi wato. Bistoolado la iskula soo baxay and other enforcements arrived. Kuwii dadka qab qabanaaye meesha laga waday, filinkoodana saas ku qarxay, according to Reer Islii. This happened some six months or so ago. Markaan wax dad qab qabto maba jiro, unless it is the official raaf, oo guri ka guri, hoteel ka hoteel la galaayo, which happened a few months ago. Waagii hore aan joogay ayee mar i qabteen kuwaas, the night before the night I was about to leave. A copy of the passport with fiiso dhacday ku dhagan watay. Iyagii qosol, ‘we are not fools’ kulahaa. Waala murmay, that the original passport has a current visa on it, which was true. I didn’t bother making the new visa’s copy, instead the old one iska wad wadan jiray. Murankaa la mur murmaaye markuu arkay kulahaa and I quote, “You Canadians so arrogant, not Americans or British.” He means Soomaalida baasaboorada Galbeedka wato uu qabto. Canadiankiina ugu kibir badan kulahaa, oo markii la idin qabto you don’t pay easily. I told him sharci kusoo galnay, sharcina ku joognaa, and in Canada, sharci laga yaqaanaa. “This is Africa,” kulahaa. Anyway, in the end xoogahoo iska siiye jeebka iigu jirtay. And kaftan ay bilaabeen markaas, iyagoo leh, “You came from Canada, the best country in the world.” Haye fiiso makaaga soo diraa ku iri, oo gabar makaaga soo raadinaa. Haa kulahaa, ee runtaa miyaa. Haa iri, but first leave the innocent Soomaalis habeen walba qabsatiin alone. Asagii qosol, maxaa kaa galay kulahaa, you are not Soomaali. Dhiigeyga ah iri, waana ahay ee dadka qabsatiin iska dhaafa. Hadda kuwaas Soomaalidii weyba ka neefsatay. And about Kanadeeska being on the top-sought tier. Taas isweydiin maba leh. Soomaalida meel walba joogo Reer Kanada iska jecel, and kuwa Islii kasii daranba. Kanada is a league of its own, most sought destination. Kanada waa koow, and in second and far distance waa Australia and third places waa Ingiriiska ama Holland. Mareykankaba maba laga jeclo inta because dadka ka imaaday ayee arkaan oo wada laf lafo ah, doolar iyo nafba ka muuqan, not Kanadeeska. Reer Kanada inta yimaado wey dhalaalaan, dadka qurbaha ka imaado iyaga ugu dhalaalo. Bas, bas, bas amaanta yaanan iska badininee. About menus haddaa fursad u helo waa kuu soo sawiraa. Islii waa u kulushahay filaa, imoow iskeen waaka helee. Canjeero kulul with beer subax walba haddaa heshid adi maaba hadleysid. But don’t leave your Angel sunglasses, it is a must. It is a bit dusty here sometimes. Sensei, wiil aan aqaano ayaa Juba u socdo, in the next few weeks waa baxaa lahaa. Horena waa u maqlay dad badan aaday ee meeshaas koley Soomaalida waxee ku arkeen, especially since it being a very expanding town and soon, a future capital city. So it is growing rapidly, I guess. Soomaalidana wey ka faa’ideysaneysaa. However, aad iyo aad u kulushahay la yiri. Kuleel saa’id ah. About the upmarket cafe I was suggesting about, there is a one in downtown Nayroobi, called Coffee Pub and it is among with three highest coffee houses, along with the international Dormans and Nairobi Java House. All isku dhaganyihiin ama iska soo horjeedaan. A Soomaali Canadian owns Coffee Pub one. I wish mid kaas camal Islii laga furo. Jacfar, brother, which part of Islii aad joogtay. A ‘ghost town’ at night? Oh, kamoon. Adaa meel xun ka joogtay filaa. Generally, the main, historical part Soomaalis used to live is generally and relatively as safe as any other part of Nayroobi. This area’s boundary starts from the 5th Street to 12th Street. All those streets and the main avenues that sandwich them are safe until the wee hours of dawn. And some parts of it, like 7th to 12th Streets, it is safe until dawn. Mar mar daaqadda ayaan fiiriyaa mar aan musqul usoo kaco and Soomaali ayaa ku qayileyso banaanka around 3 am, 4 am, in front of their marfishes. Ghost town aad ka hadleysid waxaa ka wadaa filaa the main street (1st Avenue) suuqa dhex maro habeenkii xiliga dambe cidlo ayuu noqdaa maadaama wada dukaamo yihiin, but kan kale (2nd Ave.) ayuu dadka u bataa kaas ayaa residential ah. I guess your two nights stay was short oo saas uma kala arkin filaa. How was Mambaasa? And of course Islii being a commercial part of Nayroobi oo intaas oo lacag ku jirto, it obviously would attract unwanted elements and people. Waa runtaa, tuugo wey joogaan, meelaha cidlada dadka ku gaadaan during late time of the night. Xataa tuugo dhalinyaro Soomaali oo gang ah, a la Ciyaal Faaycali-style, soo baxday recently, oo mindiyo wato. Late at nights ayee ka qaraabtaan in certain areas, waana shame. Caydaruus, so ma arkin miyaa waxaa earlier soo dhajiye. Yes, I have been to Kilimanjaro too many times. And waana runtaa iyadaa Islii ugu shidan, waana very modernised maqaayad. Laakiin their pizza waa marax big time. Reer Islii ha ugu booteeyaan pizza sameynaa, but waxaas real pizza aan naqaanay ma’aha.

Waa fiirsanaaye on Aljasiira, waana iskaga tagay markuu iska had hadlaayo. Ninkaan caadi uu qac u yahay. Habeenkii xaley tagay waaye in uu fiyoowyahay. Soomaaliyana tusaale xun noqotay, a bogeyman oo magaca dalkeena kii dadkiisa ka cabsiinaayaba wuu isticmaalaa. Xataa Falastiimiintii isticmaasho, especially when the 'Palestine Papers' Aljasiira published two months ago. His son, Seefta Islaamka (), used the Soomaaliya bogeyman, too, in his last speech.

Malika, Mowliid ma holiday ayuu ka yahay Kenya? Uma maleeyi. Sensei, tough question you asked on there. On a glance one would think Islii (I can't comment about the wilder Nayroobi) doesn't need anything and it got everything under the sun, but on a further look, one can still see it needs this and that. One aspect I think it lacks is high-end cafe, not as high as Starbucks, but certainly one that is between Tim Hortons and Starbucks. I believe inay soconeyso if maamul wanaagsan iyo dhaqaalo adag la giliyo, dad badan ayaa lacag ku heysto inta and wouldn't mind spending a few shillings of theirs to relax, especially since Soomaalida iska war jecelyihiin iyagoo fadhiyo. About the flags, waala iska waday, I guess. Dadka waday maba ogeyn in uu yahay upside down. Soomaalina, I just had suqaar iyo sabaayad at a maqaayad with a friend just short while ago. If I knew waa kuu soo sawiri lahaa, though that suqaar sucked. The suqaar version of Islii and kan Soomaalida dalalka Galbeedka degan maqaayadahooda sameyaan laba kala yahay. Islii's suqaar is more like kalaankal. Marax iga dheh. Che, hoteelada in mid-range prices waxaa qaarkood la dhahaa: Landstar, Gulf Place (aka Shariifka), Barakaad, Xiddig, Kaah iyo kuwa kale. My personal recommendation would be Landstar. Qaarkood hoteelada wadaado ayaa leh oo dadka wareerinaayo, I mean like no visitors allowed, no going out on certain times. Kuwaas ha isku degin. Saak, hadduu xuska dhalashada Nabigeena (NNKH) dadka ka wada dhigaayo 'Suufiyo,' then we all are. Meeshaan gardheere waa joogaan, dadkaa ku sheegtay 'Suufi' iyagana waa joogaan. In fact, masaajido ayaa la kala leeyahay, waana la iscaayaa qudba ka qudba each Jimco. Waa yaabeysaa. I will blog about this in another time. Wyre, haa, wey ku dhaaftay.

Eebboow amuuraha sahal. Dadkii abaaro ba'an heyso korkoodana lagu sii hardamaayo. Waa ibtilo weyn. Hana la ogaado dadka ku dhimanaayo, ku dhiig baxaayo dagaaladaan inay wada Soomaali yihiin, not Jameykaan iyo Shiinees.

Waxaan cag cagaaran magacyada hoostooda ku qoran (if you put the cursor on it, it says heblaayo hebel is a name known to all) iyo 'rep power' xee ahaayeen? Aniga waa dambeeyaa see camaleeto waxbaaba iga dambeeyee.

Mahiigaan waxaa u aqaan wax isdaba socdo oo awood ku socdo, sida roob xoog ku socdo camal oo aan kala joogsi lahayn. Roob mahiigaan maqli jiree. Kuwa kale waa usoo noqonaa, xaaji.

Today's pictorial blog. Yesterday's Mowliid parade on Islii's main thoroughfare. It was wonderful.

Nuunka, the $25,000 ma'aha per year payment. Waa one time lacag la bixiyo saa furaha ugu heshid. Haddeeba Amaal kiyoos kor ku yaalo oo yar yahay $5,000, imagine kan oo afar jibaarkiisa ah oo meel fiican ku yaalo, sar cusubna ku hoos yaalo oo socoto. Saak, cunto jumlo iyo tafaariiq ayee isku gadaan, plus very prime location ku yaalo, especially saro dad wax heysto deganyihiin hoostooda. Aad ugu socotaa. Gabar Siyaad Barre abti u yahay oo Reer Mareykan ah midkood share ku lehba oo sanadkiiba mar imaataa. Teeda kale waa runtaa. Lacagta inta taalo waa fooqal caqli, maba la rumeysan karo. Dadkana kama muuqato, unbelievable waaye. Qofkii leh $50,000 la imaanaa oo ganacsi weyn ku furanaa waaba lagu qoslaa. Che, wuxuu Nuunka kuu sheegay hoteelo ma'aha so don't heed. Wixiisa wa iska lodge, I think. There is no decent hotel that is cheaper than 500 Kenyan shillings per night. Anything cheaper than 500 waa looj qaabdaran. Most economical hotels in Islii costs between 500 to 1,000 Kenyan shillings a night. In dollar terms, waa between $6 to $12 dollars a night. Then after that you have the so-called 'high-end' hotels' suites that cost between 1,500 to way up 4,000 a night. Again in dollars waa $18 to $50 per night. Those are Islii hotels, which I would recommend. Ha isku wareerin staying in downtown and commuting to Islii each day. Adoo Islii iska joogtid kuu roon, especially now they have very, very decent, modern hospitals, including ones whose pictures I posted. Malika, ina'adeerkaa Che waala soo dhaweynaa hadduu rabo, xataa yariistoo lagu meheriyo waa loo sii diyaarinaa uu qabowga kaga baxo. Wyre, masoo noqoneysaa mise bas waaye boorkeeda iyo dhiiqadeeda ma rabtid? Kamaafi, haa waa runtaa. Alliance Medical Centre waxaa furanaayo dad wax kusoo bartay Bakistaan, qaas ahaan magaalada Karachi. My brother-in-law ka yimid Toronto ku jiro, who himself wax kusoo bartay jaamacadda Karachi in '80s and again in '00s. My older brother also asagana ku biiri rabo, who again wax kusoo bartay Karachi in late '80s and early '90s. Asagana Ingiriiska ka imaanaayo next month or so. Both share ayee ku darsadeen. The medical centre this coming month la furi rabaa, wax kaliya la sugaayo waa farmashiyaha daawooyin la dhigi lahaa u dhamaan. Sawirka meeshaas horaa usoo giliye, again waa kan: The mid-floors of this building laga dhigaa isbitaalka/clinic. Jacbaro, hay'adii ku keentay maa meesha trainingka ku qaadaneysay ku dajisay. Dhoore waaxid, dadka hay'adaha keento Islii hoteeladeeda soo degaan and the NGOs pay after receipts loo geeyo.

Ereyga yalax qof sheego maala waaye wali? Yalax = jileec.

Home in Islii. We live on the first floor, the two windows on the left. It is located in the centre of Islii. Those dukaamo on the main floor space. Guess how much they cost just to have its keys in order to rent? Between $23,000 to $25,000. Yep, there is no typo, that is $25,000. Just to have the keys and the monthly rent -- which is an extra $350 -- does not include. And no, it is not deposit. ? Laakiin aad ugu socdaan dadka leh. Qaarkood Reer Mareykan share ku lehba.

Malika, Islii la'aan waa abaar. Runtii, I don't think I would have stayed this long each time I visit at any other part of Nayroobi, and yes, that includes high-end residential estates and blocks of Lavington, Westlands and Hillgam. Nuunka, maya, maqaayadaan waxee ku taalaa 12ka, waxee ku dhagantahay meesha basaska Gaarisa ka baxaan, gaar agaan e-coach iyo g-coach kuwaas. Agagaarkaas dhan hadda Kilimanjaro la dhahaa. Libaax, waxaas waa iska sheeko maryooleey. Dadka hadda wax dhisanaayo waa dad isku dardarsado lacagaha, buying flat apartments in design and paying half in pre-construction and the other half post-construction. Depending of the location and prime floor, the flats cost about between $49,000 to $55,000. Saak, ileen ninkaas Marx uu ahaa. Muxu kugu maagay ninkaan cusub islahaaba. Even Marx hadduu yahay xataa waxba kama galabsan ee ma'ogidiis. Perhaps his banning inaa ka qeybqaatay amuu mooday. Wyre, goormaa Islii ka tagtay? Bilaal, adaa mudan, walaaloow. Waana ogaha, waana la socdaa dhibka heysto dadkeena. Dal burburay dadkiisana wuu la burburaa, taas isweydiin maleh. Believe me, though, waxa hadda jiro wax ka daran inay jiri lahayd ka cabsi qabay maadaama dad dhan soo wada qaxay nahnay. Waana ogahay elders aad ka hadleysid, waxeena badankooda fadhiistaan in front of Gaarisa Looj. Laakiin intaa arkay waa dhif dhif. Waana runtaa ganacsiga inta ka socdo ganacsi wuu dhaafay. Nowadays Shiinees hunguri kasoo galay in Islii, oo jidadka ku arkeysaa. They are opening jumlo stores, directly importing their cheap wares into Islii. No middle people needed. Inay suuqa ka saaraan rabaan Soomaalida filaa. Separatist, waa u maleyaa, koley dadka dego Gaarisa qof kamid ah leh hoteelka Nomad Palace saa u maqlay. I didn't know mid ay isku magac yihiin in uu Gaarisa ku yaalo. And yes, it is located on Pumwani Rd., just across from Islii Mall/Andalus Hotel. Malika's 'charts and quotes.'

Alpha, are you sujuu? Don't take offense, just asking lee. Malika, why not? Maxaa Islii at night ugu carari jirtay. At night shidantahay Islii, wonderful waaye.

Wixii banaanbaxaba ma Masar iyo Tuniisiya la xiriirtaa miyaa? Banaanbax hortood ma jiri jirin miyaa laba bil kahor?

Ahahahaha at my 'venture.' There is no venture, dear. Ask Nuune, waxaas asagaa iiga fiicanee. By the way, intee Islii ka joogtay mise you only visited it during the daytime to shop oo ma aadan stay gareynin? And speaking of building construction, have you seen the expanded South C? Lord, Soomaali maalkooda meel ee geeyaan waayeen. Nice, wonderful gated community estates in there. But with biyo la'aan. Dah.

Malika, haa, abaayo. Walaahi marna waa naxaa, marna waa farxaa. Waa naxaa because I would have loved Soomaaliya oo saas loo dhisay and not on a non-Soomaali land laga dhisto; waana farxaa because dhaqaalahaan iyo maalkaan Soomaali ayaa leh. Imagine maalkaas haddii dalkeena la gilin lahaa. Alpha, I don't know. I would have loved them ku dhistaan sarahaas Soomaaliya. But I guess it is about the market -- demand and supply. Dad badan qurbojoog ayaa yimaado Islii, who would have loved to visit Soomaaliya laakiin cabsanaayo.

Shir lee maa lagu jiraa fiinaa wiito. Waala qafiifay markaas. And yaala heshiisiinaa, Barbaarta iyo who? Dowladaan hadda jirto yeel ama diid ama ogoloow, iyadaa u dambeyso, iyadaana soconeyso, regardless who heads it at the top. Leadership can change, but dowladda can still function. Dadka hoggaaminaayo haddaadan rabin now, don't equal them with the dowlad itself. Kuwa hadda joogo shaley ma joogin, berina wey baxaayaan. Ee marka dadkaaga iyo dowladaada dhinac ka raac.

Yes, especially on its main avenue laga soo galo and all are facing the main roundabout. Why? When was the last time you were here? You seem surprised.