Misanthrope thinking this forum give a sh*t about his biased bullshit balderdash at it again. Please make it stop.

^The livestock sector makes up more than 60% of the economy for Somalis. And yet very little is spent on improving production and livelihoods. Instead of having all of these folks destitute and desperate - the government could step in and provide fodder and water obtained from NGOs as part of an insurance scheme. In return - the government takes ownership of 1/4 or 1/3 of the animals of each herder which they can fatten and sell on to cover the costs of this program. And the nomad doesn't lose all his animals and can look forward to rebuilding his herd once the rains return. This isn't rocket science. It requires intelligent people who actually care. I blame the people - they're completely useless. They pay taxes and get nothing in return. Everything is paid out of pocket - education, infrastructure, healthcare etc. Where the hell does tax money go? And the Americans had a war more than two centuries ago about taxation without representation.

Faroole is like Siilanyo - a throwback to African strong men dictators that have no vision/agenda apart from staying in power. In short - a species that should quietly go extinct.

Somaliland: A parched earth Somaliland's harshest drought is decimating the herder way of life and displacing thousands. Ashley Hamer | 02 Dec 2015 13:51 GMT | Climate Change, Environment, Somalia, Africa Hargeisa, Somaliland - Swaths of Somaliland, a fragile, internationally unrecognised nation-state in the Horn of Africa, have been racked by one of the harshest droughts in two decades which is destroying livelihoods and pushing families into destitution. When a storm broke in mid-November, Aicha Jama huddled her last-remaining sheep and goats out of their bush pen and into her own tiny hut. Jama's handful of wretched animals, already close to death from starvation, could not bear a violent gale. "Two goats died from cold just now," Musa, Jama's nephew, told Al Jazeera. IN PICTURES: Somaliland's herders devastated by drought In the drizzly aftermath, Jama carried the bony bodies of the survivors out of her hut and they crumpled, shivering with their hides soaked, the animals were too weak to hold their heads off the ground. November's rain was some of the first to fall here for three years. One Minute El Nino The coastal Awdal and Galbeed regions of northwestern Somaliland are suffering the driest conditions in recent memory. Across three fractured territories that the international community still recognises as Somalia - Somaliland, Puntland and South Central - aid groups warn that a combination of protracted drought and sudden heavy rainfall brought on by El Nino weather patterns this year will probably push 855,000 people close to catastrophe in 2016. In Somaliland's Awdal region, traditional rains - known locally as Gu and Deyr - which should occur regularly though the year and serve to replenish water reserves and rejuvenate grazing pasture, have failed for several consecutive years. " Two years ago we owned 200 sheep and goats," said Jama. "But there has been no water, no food and the animals are dying continuously." Her small extended family say that they cannot move from the remote dry zone because their last donkey died and the remaining sheep and goats are too weak to walk. En route from the coast inland through desiccated terrain dozens of pastoralist families like Jama's displayed the meagre remains of once profitable herds - their lifeline - now reduced to three, five, 15 animals - or none at all. Goat, sheep, donkey and even camel carcasses litter the bush around rural camps. OPINION: A final warning on climate change Livestock production is the backbone of Somaliland's economy. Around 60 percent of the population practise some form of pastoralism or depend on animal products, primarily because the arid regional climate allows for few alternative livelihoods, says Abdullahi Rabile, a livestock specialist with the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Somaliland. Eighty percent of Somaliland's export income is generated from sales of sheep, goats, cattle and camel. In 2014, the combined territories of Somaliland, Puntland and South Central Somalia exported a record 5 million livestock, worth an estimated $360m. Most of those beasts were raised in Somaliland - the most politically stable of the three territories - and the majority of sales went to Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the Gulf states. But few communities in the drought zone sold any animals or managed to plant crops at all this year. Instead they are accumulating debt. 'I lost them all' In Lughaya, a windswept town on the Awdal seafront, Marian Hussain, 60, says she used to own 300 sheep and goats. Before the drought she would sell up to 10 animals a year, with a goat or sheep making on average $50 to $80, and additional income earned through sales of milk and meat. " But slowly I lost them all. Now I have five goats left. I depend on food and support from my relatives." Lughaya town elder, Ege Ali, earns more as a livestock trader than the transient pastoralists who raise the animals in the bush. He says he is regularly lending food rations to rural nomads whose herds have been decimated. The business of the town is livestock, but there were no animal sales this year, not even camels … the animals that remain are too poor condition to sell. - Ege Ali, Town elder "The business of the town is livestock, but there were no animal sales this year, not even camels … the animals that remain are too poor condition to sell," Ali said. Average household debt in Awdal increased from $68 in September 2014 to $400 in the same month this year, according to Rabile. Rural communities across this parched region are familiar with drought; they have experienced it from time to time for generations. But they say the rains they rely on have become increasingly erratic and less generous, and they notice that the landscape is changing, growing more hostile. "The current year is bad, but this follows a series of poor rainy seasons in many years," said Richard Trenchard, FAO representative for Somalia. "Most farmers and livestock owners are able to withstand a poor season or two. However ... we often see that one particularly bad season, after a series of poor ones, can tip vast numbers of people into desperate food security situations. This is where we are now, at least potentially: thousands of people are staring into a hunger abyss following a series of poor rainy seasons." A direct link between human-induced global climate change and increasing drought in the Horn of Africa is difficult to make, says Friederike Otto, a senior researcher at Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute. The region is geographically diverse with complex climate variations and there is a lack of long-term observational records which make it difficult to validate climate models. Nevertheless, a report published by Oxfam in October suggests that soaring global temperatures in 2014 and 2015, coupled with the onset of a particularly powerful El Nino in the late months of 2015, may exacerbate the impact of disrupted rainfall patterns with dire consequences for populations across the Horn of Africa. In Somaliland, Trenchard says the current drought is further intensified by poor land management and the limited capacity of the territorial government to regulate and manage land and water use sustainably. Aggravating practices include unregulated over-grazing in concentrated areas and the relentless chopping-down of trees for charcoal production - another significant source of income for Somaliland - which causes deforestation leaving the soil weak and unable to retain water. When the herd is gone the pastoralists can no longer support their families in the bush. People are forced to seek help and alternative sources of income in towns and cities. Internally displaced Somaliland proclaimed independence from Somalia in 1991 and maintains a fragile democracy. It is also the world's fourth poorest economy. However, an estimated 84,000 people are internally displaced (IDP) within its borders and it shelters thousands of refugees from other countries - most notably at least 8,000 from Ethiopia and an influx of more than 9,000 from Yemen after the crisis there this year. Many of Somaliland's IDPs have been uprooted by conflict in the region but the majority, according to the territory's Ministry of Resettlement, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, have been forced to move by recurring drought and deteriorating landscapes that have rendered life impossible for herders. On the outskirts of the capital Hargeisa, thousands of displaced families live in shanty towns and ragged camps. Some IDP settlements have been supported by humanitarian organisations, while others appear starkly neglected. RELATED: Climate Change: Arctic reindeer herders on thin ice The Naasa Hablod camp, for instance, sprawls over a hilltop above the city. Some IDP settlements are supported by humanitarian organisations. Naasa Hablod, however, is starkly neglected. Osman Hugur Obsiye, chief of the camp, thinks about 1,000 families - perhaps as many as 5,000 individuals - squat on this rocky hill. He says most families, including his own, are nomads displaced to the city over the past five years as drought and disease killed off their herds of sheep, goats, cattle and camel. Obsiye claims Naasa Hablod receives almost no aid. Whereas humanitarian groups have built permanent structures in other settlements, here residents lash together their own homes from sticks, rags and rope. There is no school, no mosque, no health facility and no police station. Water is brought up in trucks by merchants from the city and as a result residents claim they must buy it at an inflated price. No funding Maria Abdullahi owned more than 200 sheep and goats and lost them all to starvation in a single year. "I have seven children … we came to the city because our chances are somehow better. In the countryside my husband could not find money for us," she said. "Here he collects rocks [as manual work] and I can sew cloth rugs to sell in town." In camps such as Naasa Hablod, Somaliland's displaced populations are chronically neglected because the international community does not recognise the territory's independence and channels the majority of humanitarian aid into the more visible crisis of South Central Somalia, believes Ahmed Fagaase, a displacement specialist with the aid group Danish Refugee Council in Hargeisa. Back in Awdal, Aicha Jama thinks that with a handful of decent downpours over the coming weeks her surviving animals could begin to recover after three months. But the family has no source of income in the interim. Aid groups have distributed rations of flour, sugar, rice and cooking oil and are treating rising malnutrition in the region, but the support so far is insufficient to meet the needs of the people affected. FAO wants to restock drought-hit communities with live sheep and goats, but as yet there is no funding for the proposal. As of October, the international humanitarian response plan for the whole of Somalia was only 36 percent funded. Meanwhile, for pastoralists existing in the drought zone the land grows drier. Even now with spotty rain falling in some areas it will be months before surviving herds are restored and crops can be grown. Families who have lost all their animals and their livelihoods may have no choice but to move to a town where they must find alternative ways to earn a living. In a territory with a youth unemployment rate of 75 percent, they risk being cast to the margins. "My animals are my life," says Shukri Bare, a pregnant mother-of-two in the small Awdal settlement of Kalowle. "When they were almost finished we could no longer survive [in the bush] and we had to come for help here three months ago. We cannot go back. We do not know if we can recover from this."

As their animals starve to death, thousands of herder families are struggling to survive. Ashley Hamer | 02 Dec 2015 13:53 GMT | Climate Change, Weather, Human Rights, Environment, Africa Hargeisa, Somaliland - Vast regions of Somaliland, the autonomous territory that declared independence from Somalia in 1991, but has not been internationally recognised, are enduring one of their harshest droughts in two decades. As the wet seasons have grown increasingly erratic and the rainfall more sporadic over recent years, thousands of herding families across the remote coastal Awdal and Galbeed territories have been pushed into crisis. RELATED: Somaliland: A parched earth These are communities for whom livestock provide the only source of income, but the parched earth means that they are no longer able to feed and hydrate their animals. As a result, their herds are starving to death. The onset of powerful El Nino weather patterns in November have only exacerbated the current drought. And the forecast for December predicts even more devastation. http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2015/11/somaliland-herders-devastated-drought-151125092138707.html

^This is what happens when you make a 'deal' with mooryaan. And to think this all started with paving a road - to which the mooryaan response was shelling civilian nieghbourhoods. Go figure.

This guy is a piece of sh*t danayste. It's amazing that after some 30 years running around in Somali politics and his abysmal record - that there are folks clapping for this idiot. Somalis are amazing.

^Where did you get the idea that Sri Lanka has no rivers??? Yoniz - how much did it cost? Who paid for it - the government or NGOs? So much money wasted on capacity building and training - what would have happened if some of this was diverted to projects like this? I will be honest - I've been to some of these remote sites in Somalia - the people quite frankly are dumb, deaf and blind. They seem unable to grasp that they can do something to change their lives and that they are the prime actors in their own development. I hope projects like this wake them up for a deep slumber.

<cite> @Che -Guevara said:</cite> I am rather puzzled by the coverage. Suicide bombings killed 43 people in Beirut on Thursday. Where was the outrage? Great point. And all the hoopla about the French flag pasted everywhere and the memorials etc etc. You would think the only lives that matter are ones that the dominant western media identifies with. It is pretty starkly ugly - I'm guessing commentators are too scared to note the obvious hypocrisy.

<cite> @Allyourbase said:</cite> Unfortunately they are using core components of Quran and Sunna to support their violent, extremist, barbaric acts The great people of Paris will recover from this, have no doubt. The Quran and Sunnah have been around for more than 1400 years. Suicide bombing by Muslims has been around for 30 years. Suicide bombing was started by the Tamil Tigers and the first one done by Muslims was by Hezbollah in the mid eighties. These attacks are nothing more than political grievances dressed up in the garb of Islam. But of course you and the other bigots are trying to sell us the same old prejudiced horse-sh*t by claiming this is somehow at the core of Islam.

What an enterprising fellow. Good German, a job and a 'local' girl in two years. Wow. It would be Germany's loss if they didn't accept him.

LOL - a money grab by the government but nice to see nonetheless.

Kenyans charged with illegal stay in Mogadishu Hiiraan Online Wednesday, November 4, 2015 advertisements MOGADISHU (HOL) – Somali authorities have brought charges against Kenyan nationals for illegally staying and working in Mogadishu, officials said Wednesday. The 24 Kenyans, who work for a local Somali firm could face deportations if found guilty as their trial was postponed to Thursday. The Kenyans were arrested after an objection by the immigration department which accused them of illegally entering and staying in the Somalia. Somalia’s deputy attorney general Mohamed Hassan who arraigned the foreign workers said that the arrested Kenyan had no legal papers to stay and work permits to work in Somalia Somalia had previously warmed that it would repatriate any foreigners working or staying in the country illegally. Kenyan government hasn’t so far commented on the development, which may further dent troubled relations between the two neighboring countries. The development comes as Somalia’s parliament is expected to vote on the foreign investment and foreign worker’s draft law next month. Since the Somali central government was overthrown by warlords in 1991, the country’s immigration system ceased to operate despite efforts by the country’s immigration to adopt a strict immigration law to encourage all undocumented foreigners to register at its offices in the capital Mogadishu. Due to the long absence of governmental regulation, it is uncertain how many foreigners travel to Somalia per year. However, according to the Somali Immigration authority visas and residence permits are now mandatory for all foreign nationals.

Profile Ahmed Hussen: From teenage refugee to rookie MP Canada's 1st Somali-born member of Parliament says he'll heed his mother's advice: 'Don't forget who you are' CBC News Posted: Nov 03, 2015 8:25 PM ET Last Updated: Nov 03, 2015 9:18 PM ET He's young and well-spoken. He has a telegenic family. He's captured the excitement of voters. And no, he's not Justin Trudeau. He's Ahmed Hussen, a 39-year-old newly minted Ontario Liberal MP. And while he shares some attributes with the prime minister-designate, Hussen has had a remarkably different path to power. He arrived in Canada as a teenage refugee from Somalia. Toronto's Ahmed Hussen 1st Somali-Canadian elected to Parliament Canada election 2015 recap: 5 top Toronto storylines Video: Toronto turns red as Liberals capture the entire city Just don't call him a token Somali. Ahmed Hussen Ahmed Hussen is the first Somali-Canadian elected to Parliament, but he resists being defined by his heritage. "I have a lot to contribute to Canada and I'm a mainstream guy," he said. (CBC News) "I'm a mainstream guy," Hussen said. "I'm not limited to my community. "I mean, everyone has a heritage, but we have a shared citizenship, right?" Still, watching the excitement surrounding Hussen during a recent visit to a café in his Toronto riding of York South-Weston, it's clear that many Somali Canadians see his background as hugely important and inspirational. "For Somali youth, it will be a new day," said Ahmed Abdi, a supporter. "Maybe our youth [will] follow him and have hope they can be something in Canada." High expectations, unfamiliar hurdles Such high expectations are likely trailing many MPs to Ottawa this week. There are 29 Liberal MPs who are born outside Canada, a record number in government. Judging by Hussen's experience, the mantle comes with a double challenge of representing a community's hopes while navigating all the unfamiliar hurdles of being a new MP. What's the budget? How quickly can he set up a constituency office and hire staff? Where can he find wreaths for the two Remembrance Day events he's to attend'? Ahmed Hussen, right, in his Toronto riding of York South-Weston. "There's a lot of pride, but a lot of pressure and expectations," he said. (CBC News) The demands are piling up. "There's a lot of pride but a lot of pressure and expectations because then people say, 'Well, now you've got to solve the problem for 200,000 people,' which is not the case." Still, it seems Hussen plans to draw on his background in the days ahead. He has called his mother, who lives in Kenya, for advice. "She said, you know, 'Don't forget who you are, and don't forget where you come from.' So, pretty good advice." You can watch Susan Ormiston's full story on Ahmed Hussen, which tracks his rise from housing projects to Ottawa, in the video player below. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ahmed-hussen-from-teenage-refugee-to-rookie-mp-1.3302277

A masterful campaign by Ahmed and his team. The number of doors knocked on, the motivation and organization of the volunteers and the sheer savvy of the candidate himself would have won him this riding even without a huge Liberal sweep. Well done. I do want to emphasize the significance of this win. This is not a city/councillor position - not that there is anything wrong with that. This is for the federal government of Canada - the highest level of government. Furthermore - Ahmed did not emerge from a party list such as happens in Europe whereby parties add candidates for diversity purposes. Ahmed won the Liberal nomination through an open contest and then went on defeat the incumbent member of parliament through a hard fought race. Somali Canadians leading the way!

<cite> @Che -Guevara said:</cite> ^We shouldn't undercut the efforts of those who tried to make it. Somalis in Mnpls did well when they sent of theirs to the Mnpls City Council. Noor and Ilhan have been very involved in the local party politics and made name for themselves They are not off the street Jago doon. They deserve the community's support. P.s. Every person who runs for an office is jago-doon. The difference is what Somalis do afterwards. There is nothing to undercut here. Somalis seeking office do that all by themselves. Wasn't the Noor guy and his supporters involved in a brawl over politics that had to be broken up by police? Wasn't the lady running firmly in the Noor corner and now she's running against him? These folks seek office claiming to represent Somalis and seek support and donations from Somalis in Minnesota. There must be a modicum of honourable behaviour and serving group interests first rather than individual interests to be taken seriously. Sadly this is usually not the case either here or in Somalia.

Somalis and jaago doon. Every Farax and Xalimo thinks he/she is the one who will succeed. Just like with the umpteen copycat dukaano they open. The only surprise is that it is only two who are challenging the incumbent.

^Nice. They made it to the NY Times. I hope they're ready for the traffic that will no doubt come. At its best Somali food is great - however we are not good at service or ambiance. Good luck to them.

^What kind of strange reasoning is that - it didn't work in the past so we should shut up? We won't get to accountability if we don't point out shortcomings and deficiencies. Or do you believe that the best we Somalis can do in terms of leadership is Culusow, Gaas, Siilanyo et al. If the criticisms are valid then acknowledge them as so. This is what happens everyday in well functioning countries. Are you going to tell the New York Times to stop criticizing Obama or the Daily Telegraph to shut up about David Cameron? Or claim that it does no good? I think not. I would advise anyone who wishes to contribute to Somalia to avoid having anything to with the administrations. It is better to establish businesses to employ people and fill a market need. I wouldn't hire the majority of folks in these administrations to polish my floors.

^You take issue with diaspora complaining and condemning and then you turn right around and condemn the diaspora? That is not a solid argument. One thing I will say about the people of SL/PL is that they really put up with a lot. Governments that tax them, provide zero accountability, full of corruption and use clan cards whenever it suits them. These are legitimate criticisms and must be raised by any thinking Somali. That there is opportunity, desire and potential for progress is undeniable. And I as a proud member of the diaspora do like to emphasize the good stories when I come back from Somalia. But there is a serious governance problem in these parts that needs to be properly resolved in order for confidence, trust and ultimately investment to drive progress. And this won't happen if we shy away from talking about the real issues.

How can he be the face of disgrace if he was the one standing in the way of selling public assets in secret?

Talk of printing Somali Shillings misunderstands the economic reality of Puntland. The reality is that very few people use the Somali Shilling on a day to day basis. Everyone has a phone with Sahal and goods and services are exchanged in USD. And these exchanges are not done using paper money but telephonic transfers. Almost all goods and services are quoted in USD. The maids that work in people's homes are paid in USD and day labourers demand USD for their services. The economy is defacto dollarized. So the question is who will take these shillings that are being printed. No one. It will only serve to further marginalize and delegitimize the Somali Shilling. There is no liquidity crisis in Puntland. There is a mismanagement crisis. For the last 25 years traders in the marketplace have regulated exchange rates and printed shillings as needed in the economy. This accounts for the remarkable resilience of the currency. Puntland needs to work within its economic reality. There are a set of revenues that must match expenses. If they don't you must cut somewhere. You would think an economist as President would understand this basic equation.

<cite> @Illyria said:</cite> Again, if you have got substantive data to share, let us hear it. If not, and until you have taken the trouble to do so, then exercise humility, wisdom and refrain from making allegations. Let's face it. There can't be substantive data - it's Somalia not Sweden. The bar you're setting here is excessively high. There is anecdotal evidence of corruption or mismanagement. I can't remember a PL administration where there were allegations/issues with military pay this early in the term. It really is a record. Having been in PL earlier this year - I met a driver who was part of the convoy that toured Mudug soon after Gaas became President in 2014. He told me that he and the others got paid 50% of what they were due and he's given up on getting the rest after multiple attempts at collection. I found this deeply disturbing. I was a big supporter of Gaas - but to me there seems to be the absent minded professor way of governing about him. This is ineffective and will see him run out of Garowe if he doesn't get his act together.

^Absolutely no family planning needed. We already face an existential demographic threat from Ethiopia of 90 million people already invading what is largely an empty country. Your playbook is dangerous and sounds ripped out from Ethiopia. Salaax - no African dictator steps down no matter how failed. But there are two sides to government - the executive and legislative. Where is the SL parliament - why have they failed to hold the admin accountable? Why is it that representatives from the clans that live there are not able to voice the interests of their constituents? And why is it that the citizens don't demand accountability from the folks who represents their clan in parliament? There is whole lot failures to go around.

Why waste the money on a palace, a blatant ego project, unless he is moving the capital from Garowe? He would have been better to build a school or some other public building. I'm amazed at the lack of critical reaction to this annoucement. There is no real media in Somalia.