Dalmar1;983563 wrote: Compare the two pictures above by looking at her nose and the gold band on her right wrist ! Haaji, I've no idea at this time whether the resignation story is true or not, however, the first pic is certainly not her.

malistar2012;983547 wrote: Governor Yussur Abrar is in Mogadishu this is today Ra’iisul Wasaaraha ayaa ugu horeyntii kormeerkiisan ku tegay xarunta Bankiga dhexe ee Soomaaliyeed, halkaasoo uu kula kulmay madaxda Bankiga, isaga oo ka dhegeystay warbixin Maaliyadeedka dawladda iyo horumarka ay hiigsanayaan. I've not yet confirmed the 'resignation' story.... However, I'm sure of one thing: the lady in the above picture is most certainly not Yussur Abrar. Try again.....

Oodweyne, Let me outline what's happening here. You had a poster start a thread by 'throwing in the towel' on his community's dreams of a Mogadishu seat. With that willing submission, this individual took his seat dutifully at 'Cafe Calaacal'. Many members commented on the thread, agreeing with the dire prognosis of the situation. The problem started when some members of 'another particular community' commented on the entry into 'Cafe Calaacal'. At that point, another member of the original poster's community scolded him 'to never be seen publicly waving the white flag' even when you are pummeled to the ground. With the alarm raised, the original poster quickly reversed himself and went back to his usual denial of present realities. Entiendes, hombre?

Oodweyne and Lander, Do not begrudge our friends from opening a cyber outpost of the famous 'Cafe Calaacal' right here on SOL Interestingly, many political actors from that neck of the woods have given up the 'dream' of the Mogadishu seat and opted for the 'less lofty' goal of challenging Faroole for the provincial seat. This is an indicator of the disappointed hopes of many a national aspirant. I, however, unlike you, Oodweyne, remain a Faroole fan for his responsible stewardship of Puntland.... a stewardship that recognizes the natural limits of the regional administration! Faroole and sons have returned Puntland to its traditional 'sultanate' leadership over the larger sub-clan. No need for political parties when you've got the wise leadership of Faroole and sons... No need for one person-one vote when you've got the enlightened guidance of Faroole and sons... Faroole and sons for another term!

Oodka, Glad to have woken you from your 'slumber' with that post I fear 2014 will bring even further 'baroor' from certain corners when it comes to the trajectory of things. Nonetheless, I've grown weary of bringing up 'old threads' to remind the obtuse of their previous forecasts/readings (as an indicator of how offline their current predictions are).

xiinfaniin;981637 wrote: This week I have forced my self to contribute to this beloved forum of Somalia Online. For months it was clear to me that I was coming down with a peculiar cynicism regarding the prospect of secure, peaceful, and united Somalia. I have greatly struggled to reject the feeling. But the pretense of hopefulness only exacerbated my internal conflict. My thrill and excitement for a permanent break from the depressing Somali situation has finally gone. I suspect my age played a role in reaching such a conclusion. After all, I just turned 40 ---an age that is indicative of maturity. Even God spoke men only when they reach this age................. Xiin, Xiin, Xiin! All of this 'baroor' simply because the Jubba play didn't turn out the way you had envisioned. Ahmed Madobe threw Ina Abdirashid(former PM) and Gen. Darwiish under the bus when his objectives were reached in crowning himself Governor of Kismayo. He proceeded to cut the most favorable deal for his own personal interests with Hassan Sheikh's government in order to cement his position in Kismayo. All along, you underestimated the 'diplomatic support' the West provided and continues to provide to the Mogadishu regime. You were forewarned many times on these same Boards, but overcome with hubris, you refused to take heed. You were also forewarned about your unrealistic eupohoria regarding the Turkish entry into Somali politics, yet forever on the lookout for the next Messiah, you continued with glowing posts about the Turkish knight in shining armor. You refused to analyze the limits to both Turkish power in the Horn as well as the Turkish comprehension of the region's challenges. A more effective approach, rather than hanging up the gloves and losing all hope as you post in this tear-jerking surrender, would be to recalibrate your analytical tools and review the Somali situation from its key power and interest configurations. As you've learned (from reading your mea culpa), past tendencies of dressing up wishful 'tolka' talking points in fancy sounding editorials has only provided you with 'dashed hopes and broken dreams'. Insha'Allah, Kheyr.......

Target in U.S. Raid on Somalia Is Called Top Shabab Planner of Attacks Abroad By NICHOLAS KULISH, ERIC SCHMITT and MARK MAZZETTI Published: October 6, 2013 NAIROBI, Kenya — The target of the American commando raid in the Horn of Africa, a Kenyan of Somali origin known as Ikrimah, is one of the Shabab militant group’s top planners for attacks beyond its base in Somalia, an American official said Sunday. Though Mr. Ikrimah had not been tied directly to the Shabab’s deadly assault on a shopping mall in Nairobi last month, fears of a similar attack against Western targets broke a deadlock among officials in Washington over whether to conduct the raid. Special-operations commanders were in favor, pushing for a more aggressive response to the rising threat from the group in Somalia, while administration officials were nervous about incurring American military casualties. As it turned out, there were none, according to a United States official — but Mr. Ikrimah was not captured, and there is as yet no evidence that he was killed in the firefight that broke out on the Somali coast in the early hours of Saturday morning. Mr. Ikrimah is an associate of two Al Qaeda operatives who were involved in the 1998 bombing of the American Embassy in Nairobi and in the 2002 attacks on a hotel and an airline in Mombasa. SEAL Team 6, the Navy commando unit that killed the Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, was dispatched to try to apprehend him. The Navy SEALs approached the Somali coast under cover of darkness for what was supposed to be a stealthy snatch-and-grab operation from a seaside villa in the port town of Baraawe. But instead of slipping away with the senior militant they had come to capture, the SEALs found themselves under sustained fire. The American troops retreated unharmed after inflicting casualties on the Shabab defenders, but the militant group has claimed victory in the skirmish on Saturday. “Al Shabab can lick their wounds and take some satisfaction that, after all, they repulsed the world’s most powerful military force,” said Bruce Hoffman, director of the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University. “On the other hand, for Al Shabab it sends a pretty disquieting message that the U.S. is willing to intervene and bring the war right to their doorstep.” Many questions about the raid remained unanswered on Sunday. The villa might have been a residence belonging to Ahmed Abdi Godane, the Shabab’s leader, according to local residents in Baraawe who were reached by phone on Sunday. The spokesman for the Shabab, Sheik Abdiaziz Abu Musab, denied that the villa housed anything other than “normal fighters,” saying it was “like any other house — it is not that special.” Analysts said it was highly unlikely that the raid had resulted in the death of either Mr. Godane or Mr. Ikrimah. If it had, “you would think the U.S. would make a major fuss about it,” said Abdi Aynte, director of the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies in Mogadishu. “The fact that they don’t know they’ve killed someone or not tells us a lot about the fact that the raid was not too successful.” Saturday’s operation came after months of simmering tensions inside the American government about whether direct-assault missions in Somalia were worth the potential risks to American troops. “The evolution of threats has refocused counterterrorism resources and attention on Africa and on terrorist groups operating in that region,” said Valentina Soria, a security analyst at IHS Jane’s in London. Former officials and Somalia experts said that the Pentagon’s Joint Special Operations Command has been collecting more precise intelligence for some time about the whereabouts of senior Shabab leaders, and have pushed for permission to carry out capture-or-kill missions inside the country. State Department officials wondered whether such raids could accomplish enough to justify the significant risks the American troops would run. Animating the discussions have been questions about whether Al Shabab posed a danger to Americans compared with groups like Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which has tried to attack the United States on several occasions. The attack on the Westgate mall in Nairobi last month, which left more than 60 people dead, “provides the impetus politically to respond to the changing threat,” said Bill Braniff, executive director of Start, a terrorism research center based at the University of Maryland. The mall attack yielded intelligence leads, as militants actively discussed the days-long siege in Kenya among themselves; tracing those discussions made it easier to determine the militants’ whereabouts. Planning for the commando raid began more than a week ago, an official said. “The opportunity question is about intelligence — when do you have enough information to act?” said Mr. Braniff. “When you do have information, that tends to force your hand.” The raid in Baraawe was the most significant operation by American troops in Somalia since commandos killed Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, a Qaeda mastermind, in a raid near the town four years ago. Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame, a militant commander who acted as the group’s liaison with Al Qaeda’s branch in Yemen, was apprehended in April 2011 by the United States military in the Gulf of Aden. Last year, a team of Navy SEALs rescued two hostages held by Somali pirates, also without suffering any casualties. The Shabab spokesman, Mr. Musab, claimed the group had advance word that the raid on Saturday was coming, though its nature was unclear. “There was some information that there was going to be a strike that took place,” he said, adding that the group’s fighters fired the first shots in the firefight. He said the commandos came ashore using small speedboats launched from a larger naval vessel out at sea. An American official briefed on the operation said the SEALs withdrew from the firefight to avoid civilian casualties. A local witness said he saw four fresh graves for militants killed by the SEALs. But the losses were unlikely to put a dent in the activities, at home or abroad, of the Shabab, a group with thousands of committed fighters. Even so, analysts said the message sent by the raid might have been more important than the outcome. “The Shabab territories are dwindling, so that means the Shabab leaders will be more vulnerable,” said Stig Hansen, a Norwegian academic who is writing a book on the resurgence of Islamic militancy in Africa. “They wanted to show that it costs the Shabab to do international operations.” Nicholas Kulish reported from Nairobi, Kenya; Eric Schmitt from San Francisco, and Mark Mazzetti from Madrid. Josh Kron contributed reporting from Mombasa, Kenya. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/07/world/africa/target-in-us-raid-on-somalia-is-called-top-shabab-planner-of-attacks-abroad.html?hp&_r=0

U.S. Says Navy SEAL Team Stages Raid on Somali Militants By NICHOLAS KULISH and ERIC SCHMITT October 5, 2013 NAIROBI, Kenya — A Navy SEAL team targeted a senior leader of the Shabab militant group in a raid on his seaside villa in the Somali town of Baraawe on Saturday, American officials said, in response to a deadly attack on a Nairobi shopping mall for which the group had claimed responsibility. The SEAL team stealthily approached the beachfront house by sea before exchanging gunfire with militants in a predawn firefight that was the most significant raid by American troops on Somali soil since commandos killed Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, a Qaeda mastermind, near the same town four years ago. The unidentified Shabab leader is believed to have been killed in the firefight, but the SEAL team was forced to withdraw before that could be confirmed, a senior American security official said. Such operations by American forces are rare because they carry a high risk, and indicate that the target was considered a high priority. Baraawe, a small port town south of Mogadishu, the Somali capital, is known as a gathering place for the Shabab’s foreign fighters. “The Baraawe raid was planned a week and a half ago,” said another security official, speaking on the condition of anonymity about a classified operation. “It was prompted by the Westgate attack,” he added, referring to the mall in Nairobi that was overrun by militants two weeks ago, leaving more than 60 dead. Witnesses in the area described a firefight lasting over an hour, with helicopters called in for air support. A senior Somali government official who spoke on the condition of anonymity confirmed the raid, saying, “The attack was carried out by the American forces and the Somali government was pre-informed about the attack.” A spokesman for the Shabab, which is based in Somalia, said that one of its fighters had been killed in an exchange of gunfire but that the group had beaten back the assault. American officials initially reported that they had seized the Shabab leader, but later backed off that account. The first American security official said there were no reports of American casualties in the operation. The deadly assault on the Westgate shopping mall was a stark reminder of the power and reach of the Islamist group, which has had a series of military setbacks in recent years and was widely viewed as weakened. The F.B.I. sent dozens of agents to Nairobi after the shopping mall siege to help Kenyan authorities with the investigation. United States officials fear that the Shabab could attempt a similar attack on American soil, perhaps employing several of the group’s Somali-American recruits. Another United States official said it was still unclear whether any Americans were involved in the Westgate mall episode, though there were growing indications that fewer attackers took part in the siege than the 10 to 15 militants the government had previously announced. A spokesman for the Kenyan military said Saturday that it had identified four of the attackers from surveillance footage. Local news media reported their names as Abu Baara al-Sudani, Omar Nabhan, Khattab al-Kene and a man known only as Umayr. “I can confirm that those are the names of the terrorists,” said Maj. Emmanuel Chirchir, the spokesman. The footage, broadcast on Kenyan television on Friday night, showed four of the attackers moving about the mall with cool nonchalance, no hint in their demeanor that they had stormed a shopping center and massacred dozens of people, much less that they feared an imminent counterassault from Kenyan security services. One loitered in the grocery checkout aisle, talking on his cellphone. Another slouched in a storage room like a worker on break. At least one of the four men, Mr. Nabhan, is Kenyan, and believed to be related to Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, the Qaeda mastermind killed four years ago near Baraawe. The elder Mr. Nabhan was a suspect in the bombing of an Israeli hotel on the Kenyan coast in 2002 and the attacks on the American Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. He was one of the most wanted Islamic militants in Africa when American commandos killed him in September 2009 in an audacious daytime attack. Four military helicopters shot at two trucks rumbling through the desert, killing six foreign fighters, including Mr. Nabhan, and three Somali members of the Shabab. Mr. Nabhan was of Yemeni descent but was born in Mombasa, on Kenya’s coast. Kenyan news media reported that the younger Mr. Nabhan also came from Mombasa, and was among the Kenyans who traveled to Somalia to fight with the Shabab. Matt Bryden, the former head of the United Nations Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, said the tactics used in the Westgate attack were similar to those used by the Shabab in a number of operations in Somalia this year. But he also said that local help was needed to pull off an attack on that scale, and that several of the men identified as taking part in the attack were connected to group’s Kenyan affiliate, known as Al Hijra. “We should certainly expect Al Hijra and Al Shabab to try again,” Mr. Bryden said. “And we should expect them to have the capacity to do so.” The raid on Saturday appeared to have been intended to blunt those capabilities. A witness in Baraawe said the house was known as a place where senior foreign commanders stayed, though he could not say whether they were there at the time of the attack. The witness said 12 well-trained Shabab fighters scheduled for a mission abroad were staying there at the time of the assault. There was some confusion as to exactly what happened before sunrise on Saturday. Witnesses described the SEAL team using silencers in the initial attack, but a loud firefight afterward. Before confirmation that an American SEAL team was behind the attack, a Shabab spokesman said British and Turkish forces were involved, which both countries immediately denied. “The attackers were not able to enter the house,” the spokesman, Sheik Abdiaziz Abu Musab, said in a telephone interview. “Our fighters were fighting very hard.” Nicholas Kulish reported from Nairobi, and Eric Schmitt from San Francisco. Reporting was contributed by Josh Kron from Mombasa, Kenya; Sebnem Arsu from Istanbul; Michael S. Schmidt from Washington; and Mohammed Ibrahim from Mogadishu, Somalia. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/world/africa/US-Says-Navy-SEALs-Stage-Raid-on-Somali-Militants.html?from=homepage

An impressive coup for Somaliland... And achieved without even showing up to the Conference...

Ali Khalif, along with Buri Hamza, got stuck in Westgate during the initial shooting. They were having coffee with an African Union political liaison officer from Burundi when the shooting commenced. All three were able to eventually escape from the mall.

Many are looking at this from the wrong angle. There's a far bigger actor than Ahmed Madobe in convincing Faroole to endorse the agreement, much against his natural inclinations. That actor is 'the Ethiopian Government'. If you look at the official signed agreement between Ahmed Madobe and the SFG representative, the last article of the agreement stands out: (23) The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia as chair of IGAD shall be the guarantor of this agreement. The Ethiopian Foreign Minister even signs the agreement with the title of 'Guarantor'. http://dhanaan.com/Dhanaan%20documents/FGS%20and%20Juba%20Agreement.pdf Now what is a 'guarantor'? A guarantor is defined as: a person or entity that agrees to be responsible for another's debt or performance under a contract, if the other fails to pay or perform. Now, in the Puntland press statement posted by Carafaat above, the same homage is paid to the Ethiopian government for being the indispensible overseer of the whole process: 'Puntland waxay aqoonsantahay ayna ammaanaysaa doorkii muhiimka ahaa ay ciyaartay Dowladda Ethiopia oo ah Gudoonka Urur-goboleedka IGAD iyo Beesha Caalamka'. So if SOL readers are looking for who's behind Faroole's abrupt about-face on the recent agreement, look no further than the 'Ethiopian Government'--- An Ethiopian government that was increasingly uncomfortable with Kenya's recent power play as the key regional hegemon in Southern Somalia and wanted to reclaim its past 'outsized' role in Somali affairs. That same Ethiopian government will do all it can in terms of pressure and arm-twisting to make sure Faroole and his Puntland do not stand in the way of Ethiopia reclaiming the steering wheel of Southern Somali affairs from the recent Kenyan poaching. That, gentlemen, is the bigger game at play here......

Actually, I was referring to the fact that he(XX) was the first to inform us that Abdiweli was going to run. He beat the official announcement by a few weeks.

It looks like Xaaji Xunjuf had this one right (last month). Let's see how it plays out.

The Zack;972233 wrote: Same ole same ole! Hassan "scores' big and "puts" pressure on Jubaland from OUTSIDE, yet he achieves nothing on the GROUND.. On that part we agree. Notice, I've carefully used the phrase 'diplomatic pressure' through out all my postings on Kismayo/Jubbaland. I've long understood that's the only card Hassan Sheikh has in the current line-up. However, if you would put down your emotional glasses for a second, you would also see that Ras Kamboni's situation is just as precarious. Both are propped up by outside powers. If the outside powers withdraw their support, each side would collapse.

The Zack;968746 wrote: Mintid, You are an epic failure! You have told us "you knew Hasan" and he will use his political weights and get rid of Jubaland. Well guess what? It has been 5 months and Jubaland is flying as high as any one could imagine. You predictions and wishes were both wrong. As for this report, it will not change anything on the ground. Come back to us when this changes anything. Haye Zack, What do you have to say about my warnings of 'diplomatic pressure' from Hassan these days??

Xaaji, There you go again humoring little characters attempting to score little cyber flames. Let's stick to the major point at hand. The former Somali Republic has legally been a ward of international organizations(such as the UN) through which big powers attempt to influence the trajectory of events. SL for the first time has a Foreign Minister seasoned in the workings of these 'international organizations'. One expects that he will bring foreign policy to a steady incline while aware of just how far to push the envelope. He has his work cut out for him. Much damage was inflicted on SL through inept postings at the Foreign Ministery since SL reclaimed its independence.

Mooge;970065 wrote: ninyoow he is not trying his best. we know you are his relative, but please be objective for once in you life and recognize qoslaaye has been a disaster for somalia. even the decent Unuka guys like Dr. Baadiyoow are blasting this Da**adiid mashruuc which came to power through Qatari money and corruption. ninyoow, this is the end of this da**adiid goverment. sooner you accept, the better it will be for you. Mooge, So what do you suggest as the solution? And please try to think bigger than the usual 'Eagle clan'(as you so lovingly put it) should be in charge. What would create a stable society in the former Italian Somaliland where all clan interests feel equitably represented? Because the way things have been going for the last few years, the former Somali Republic (excluding Somaliland and Puntland) has become a place where every minor power gets to exercise its attempts at being a regional power!

The thread is about 600 militiamen who've had a change of heart and Somaliland's expansion into all of its claimed space. There are countless other threads about Jubbaland to continue this sort of discussion. Or is this another attempt to distract from a bad news day??

Homunculus;969940 wrote: Admittedly Somaliland is doing a better job trying to integrate Sool (I mean bribing) than Eastern Sanaag. It doesn't help that the SFG threw them under the bus and refused to acknowledge their existence. God.... I don't want to call myself a Somalilander, what a stup1d name. You would be a Somali from Somaliland, if that's what you're alluding to...

Stoic, The whole Somali equation is currently a ball being kicked between various international interest groups: 1)A group of Western countries led by the U.S. & Britain, 2)Interested Arab countries as well as Turkey (let's call this the Islamic Coalition) 3)Regional neighbors (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, and Djibouti) Unfortunately, Somaliland currently lacks individuals with a solid knowledge of interacting with any of the above 3 blocks of interest determining the current trajectory of the Somali peninsula. We're still hostage to the Sheikh/Amoud Graduate Club, stuck in a post-WW2, Cold War understanding of international relations. While that Amoud/Sheikh generation has been exemplary in managing the internal jockeying and stability of the various SL communities, they've been a step behind on the international stage. I don't know if M. Bixi will be an improvement in this regard, but I certainly pray so! Let's hope he doesn't get too caught up in the constant 'Xaflado' that are the hallmark of all Somalis when a new personality comes to the scene....

Stoic, M.Bixi is a highly qualified international civil servant who's worked within the U.N. and Africa Development Bank for decades. His professional accomplishments are too extensive to be listed here. Besides hiring lots of SL'ers over the years, he's also hired and brought into the UN system such individuals as Omar Abdirashid, the previous TFG Prime Minister. He was highly resourceful (in providing funds) for the SNM struggle during his stint at the Africa Development Bank(which gives him deep personal bonds with all remaining members of the SNM executive committee - Siilaanyo, Hassan Isse, Muuse Bixi, Mohamed Kahin, Mohamed Xaashi). He comes from an old school Hargeisa family. However, the recognition issue is bigger than one individual and his resume. Powerful international interests oppose the SL recognition, in particular within the Arab League. M. Bixi has his work cut out for him. He'll need to coordinate the different SL groups(gov't ministers, opposition parties, outside of office SLers) to speak with one voice when it comes to the 'Recognition Equation' and the process for achieving it. He'll need to reach an accommodation with a powerful Minister in the Presidency who has far larger future political ambitions and prefers to be the final decision-maker on all matters. However, he is a seasoned international diplomat who's used to interacting with world leaders for many years. Finally, on a personal level, M.Bixi is an old school Somaliland 'gentleman' in the full sense of the word!

Like I've said before, Somaliland is unmatched in the internal 'Somali game'. All other actors in the Somali peninsula eventually come up losers when they oppose SL within internal Somali jockeying. Where SL has been slacking lately(last few years) is in the Foreign Policy game. Hopefully, M.Bixi will change that. Insha'Allah!

Garoodi :) I think you've single-handedly put that history to rest. Any future questions on this subject matter and we'll kindly refer them to this 'thread'. It takes a lot of effort to put this research together. Your contrasting presentations of 'Kacaan-ist' youtube dissertations with actual first-hand, historical British military intelligence reports (which the Kacaan historians themselves referenced, as Wadani pointed out) left little space for others to challenge. Therefore, all retorts have attacked you personally, rather than your argument. Overall, an interesting read. Thank you...

Garoodi presented quite a number of first-hand accounts of the discussed events written by the British fighting the Darwiish. Instead of attacking the man, does anyone have a different narrative to buttress the 'Kacaan' version of events? If not, then sit back and let him 'take you to school'. His motivations are between 'isaga iyo Allah'! Advice to Garoodi: Stay away from the broad lumping of all members of a clan together. The 'Kacaan' had its tribal agenda but many of the same lineage were innocent bystanders who neither benefited nor participated in that sad history. Many hold on to the myths of the Kacaan (that you've effectively exposed here) as a coping mechanism for the debacle that has befallen them post 1991.

As events develop with the charcoal allegations, it will become clear(even to the extremely obtuse, of which there were many loud examples) where I was going with this thread earlier in the year. _________________________________________________ UN to be briefed on Somalia charcoal TUESDAY, JULY 16, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY NZAU MUSAU THE UN Security Council will on Wednesday be briefed of the Somali monitoring report which blames Kenya Defence Forces of facilitating a banned multibillion charcoal export business in Kismayu port city. The report whose contents have been reported by Reuters will be tabled by Korean chair Kim Sook in New York. The report was due for presentation last Friday according to the UNSC programme. Resolution 2036 of 2012 imposed a ban on the direct or indirect import of charcoal from Somalia as one of the ways of financially crippling the al Shaabab militants who were running the port. “All member states shall take the necessary measures to prevent the direct or indirect import of charcoal from Somalia, whether or not such charcoal originated in Somalia. Somali authorities shall take the necessary measures to prevent the export of charcoal from Somalia,” it said. But the report which Sook will be presenting KDF of not only abetting the export business but also expanding it. It says KDF resorted to abetting the export business after the UNSC failed to lift the ban following a request by the African Union. The report shows the thrust of KDF arguments in supporting the AU position on the charcoal ban was that angry charcoal dealers could have undermined its presence in Kismayu. “Instead, it was far more likely that exporting charcoal would exacerbate clan tensions and resource interests, leading to much broader conditions of conflict. And this is precisely what subsequently occurred,” Reuters quoted the report as saying. Last month, fierce fighting erupted in Kismayu between rival militias over control of the city. The fighting happened after Ahmed Madobe, the leader of the Ras Kamboni militia, became the leader of the Jubaland region (which includes Kismayu) in May. - See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-128234/un-be-briefed-somalia-charcoal#sthash.odrzAEXO.dpuf