Borama is an evil town

[Sincere]

ANN has seen its viewer volume exponentially grow in the post "SNM in Balance" period, so they continue to publish controversial articles and opinions to maintain their clientelle. Yellow journalism at its peak, no?

The author is an ignoramus spewing vile and hate, but blame lies totally on the medium for giving this brand of sub standard journalism a platform. This is a classical example where business ideals dominate, and dictate journalistic integrity. How much further low will we stoop I wonder.

[-Serenity-]

Tolstoy, didn’t know you had a sense of humour too . You always bring a smile to my face. Thank you. Watch me use and abuse that line here. But what if they call me your tail then?

[AYOUB]

Originally posted by wind.talker:

I posted this article for one reason: to make sure people notice the

change of tone

diehard SNM supporters have undergone in light of the Awdal News Network editorial entitled "SNM is Balance:..

Really?

 

Originally posted by wind.talker:

I know I posted it out of musuq-musuqnimo,

Beentaada hore, runtaada dambey u daran tahay.

[AYOUB]

Originally posted by Tolstoy:

And less we invariably forget, one has already alluded to in another place and in another thread, that certain people - who shall remain nameless for sake of this discourse - would on the whole insult the bespoken intelligence of local village's mentally-challenge fellow, particularly, whenever they open their mouth in-order for that sort of fellow to argue a political discourse to which, unfortunately, they have little background facts to support their corner, and this latest post as well as the gentleman who posted it in here fall into that category.

[wind.talker]

^^

 

HEHE Tuug la qabtey, talo ma leh. Wasaqaan baad tahay. That's commendable investigative work.

 

TOLSTOY -

 

Keep attacking him like that'll land you a ticket into Heaven son. I could care less what you think of me - and I say this for the umpteenth time. You seem so pre-occupied with discrediting me that you forgot to respond to the issue at hand. Since you agree with the author, I suggest you quit sugarcoating your true feelings and put 'em out. Until then, keep jockin' these peaNUTS, son.

[Baashi]

^ Preemptive strike...and good one at that. Let's see if the lectured nomad blindly obeys him and obliges his instructions. It would be a sight to see Amy and the distinguished nomad who authered this piece celebrating in a jubilant fashion for that sacred day May 18th!! waving the falg without noticing the black star on it and what that symbolizes No wonder Tolstoy has rushed to console and council our beloved Lady Amy from the thought one might entertain after reading such crap as if she needs it

 

No surprise here! This cyber hawk is, and has always been, a true Somalilander He has spewed clannish lava against other Somalis again and again. Some of you have posted his opinions in this forum before. He hasn’t changed! The man is the same man. What's so different this time one might wonder! Well the target has changed! This time he has picked the wrong clan. He supposed to badmouth "other" Somalis not the one durriyada shares destiny with . Why else would the reaction of some folks be different say when Puntland is badmouthed? Isn't insult a insult regardless of the target? That’s all really. If anything this cyber warrior speaks in a voice and tone that does not betray his emotions! He feels so passionately about the destiny his clan have chosen and it’s for that reason that he took on those that don’t see the glory he seems to accord with SNM and its legacy. Needless to say, he is way wrong on this city and its residents.

 

Tolstoy,

I find your reasoning very interesting! I must say you’ve disappointed me in one small way. The saying “Hasha ayadaa geela cunaysaa, misana cabaadeysa is a fitting proverb in your case. Why would you take the liberty to write a lengthy commentary on the affairs of Somalis everywhere – South, North, East, West – and turn around 180 degree to reprimand us for doing the same thing? So much of “Is-Qor†comment!!! Your rather flowery verbaige in which you ornate and diffuse has no substance at all runtii!

 

Why would you counsel lady Amy to treat other SOL members, the ones that don’t endorse the secession, with contempt? Let me ask while I’m at it this – why would you insist equating the mere cyber comments on the political discourse of your corner with sinister under-hand comment against your lot? If you really think what goes on in that corner in terms of political events (or as you put it “internal†affairs) is off limit for nomads in this forum to give their two cents why even bother posting such lengthy articles? Are you willing to practice what you are breaching and stop in meddling in the internal affairs of the other Italian former colony by the name of “South�

 

Of course you would want to share your opinion/analysis on what goes on in Somalia as whole! You have every right to do so! This is a free forum and folks will share their take on these political events as they unfold whether in Nairobi, Mogadishu, Garowe, or in Hargeisa. It might bother you to see us challenging the wisdom of the secession and you might think that we are envious of you or we are filled with hate and the only reason we dare to question and refute the core of your case is because we can’t stand the peace, progress, democracy, victory, prosperity, and etc. you think you’ve attained for yourself! No problem!! Whatever pleases you friend but as long as this forum exists we, out of moral principle, continue to refute the myth the secessionist propagate in this forum.

 

I expect you to be manly about these exchanges and have the backbone to take on the few mild bunches I may land on your mouth from time to time. It's a cyber swing and there is no harm in taking cyber hit with gentlemanly fashion. Keep ya head up sxb and don't stoop too low with such comments like don't talk about Northwest affairs and let me take all the bandwidth available in this site to post my lengthy articles about Puntland, Inna Yussuf, and other Somali affairs. It's your choice sxb.

[xiinfaniin]

EDITED.

[SOO MAAL]

As long as some Somalilanders believe 'Somaliland' is the exclusive Republic of a certain Somali clan,

True wind talker

 

The fact that secessionists think Somaliland is exclusive to a specific clan led by a clan faction SNM, made impossible for the international community to grant recognition to the self-declared Somaliland, and convinced other clans of former British Somaliland (now Somalia) unrealistic to accept Somaliland notion, and to disbelieve the motives behind the clan-state.

[Johnny B]

I never thought i´ll share a street corner with Wind.Talker ,boi, was i wrong !!

 

As a childhood freind of mine who happens to hail from Puntland put it once.

"We (Puntlansers n Nolanders) may kill each other to the extent ONLY two of us will be left,

Those two will still tell ya " No to Somaliland ".

 

Correct me if i´m wrong but there´re issues that are swept under the carpet among the Awdalians n Hargeisawis. they may marry each other to the extent that it becomes a constitutional LAW.

 

It is sort of delicate situation we´ve in Somaliland politics today.

The delimas are many , but the Awdalian question is the most sensitive in Somaliland politics, having LaasAnod and Sanag bari gone, Borama has to b entertained .

 

The "jiinagad" that came to Boorama from Hargeisa is ONLY a top of iceberg.

the Awadalians supported Barre for the same reason LaasAnod supports Puntland , namely they don´t want to be minority under the dominating sub/clan.

 

The dominating clan feels that it has comprimissed way too much by not taking revenge and by bringing up Riyaale to the otherwise hot chair of the presidency which would surely be the fail of the somaliland issue , had it been occupied by one of the dominating clan.

 

The Awdelians have a weird situation ,they kina love it looth it .

 

They can´t rebel as the laasanod becouse they don´t have puntland watching their back.

They can´t put all their eggs into the Riyaale basket as he is way too currupt n way too puppet for the Hargeisa club.

 

Due to the uncertainity of Somaliland getting ever recognized , everything is up in the air for the Awdelians, but if they had their way , they sure had followed LaasAnod n Sanag bari , just as they did back in the 50s.

 

SNM has always been lurkin in the dark for this town(Borama) ,but somehow it scaped disaster.

let´s hope it stays that way.

 

I don´t think the dominating clan in Somaliland will remain cautious and freindly once they realize that Somaliland exists ONLY in their minds.

 

Now can anyone tell me what does Borama mean?

i know Boor = "bus" ( pure Xamarawi as i´m )

[xiinfaniin]

WT, I see your point. But don't loose your coolness.

 

To stimulate and trigger intellectual discussion by highlighting the recent change of tone diehard SNM supporters have undergone in light of the Awdal News Network editorial entitled "SNM is Balance: The Need for a Truth and Reconcilliation Committee in Somaliland.", you intended. A shameless intruder who’s poised to draw wedge between the friendly communities of the north, you’re labeled! And the result is quite disappointing, I must say.

 

But why? Why would SOL heavy-weights resort to cheap dismissals and discounted name-callings? Is it because under the heat of Somaliland politics that much-valued superficial uniformity is rapidly vanishing and unanimity is evaporating? What ever it may be, the fact remains that this attitude of over-protectiveness and defensiveness is apparently exposing some intellectual incompetent. And this technique of lynching the messenger and evasively avoiding the message is not really suiting.

 

P.S. this article,I must admit, is too insginificant to arouse the kind of intellectual discussion one would want to have.

[LANDER]

There is a conspicuous irony to this thread in that the article alleges Borama was profiteering from looted goods, and is posted by a proud Puntlander. Surely everyone should be proud of their respective regions but they should also be aware of the socio-economic factors that prevail in those regions, before preoccupying one self with another. That is just an opinion, what I’m really getting to is that there exist a city that factually does profit from looting, extortion, robbery, human trafficking and piracy. M.Farah Ali Jama might be surprised to find out that the city in question is actually not Borama but Bossasso. Unlike the fabulous tales of mystic evil and sorcery hanging over the city of Borama that were used in alleged grievances against that city, there exist ample evidence to support the prior statements with regard to Bossasso. That coastal town as well as the remainder of Puntland seems to profit from the bounty captured by its pirat/militia off that coast. We are not talking about a few dollars here, but thousands of dollars at a time and even on one occasion I read of a ransom of up to 1 000 000 dollars. Time and again I read about these incident in the media, perpetrated by Somalis, and it mostly ends up being the same city involved in the coverage. By no means should this reflect on the people of Bossasso or Puntland as a whole, but nonetheless these problems are very much real and they do exist.

 

Now surely the rulers will pretend to be unaware of these on goings, or even feign fighting piracy and looting on the high seas (as ridiculous as that sounds); further analysis of the economic situation will lead to the logical conclusion that these activities provide a substantial source of income for the area. The local warlord and his administration (now ceremonial president) was/is surely profiting from these activities and therefore would have no reason to see them discontinued. Now, the affairs of Bossasso and Puntland are irrelevant to me personally and I have nothing against any of the people from Puntland. But why these matters do not seem to preoccupy some of the natives/patrials of the region and why some of them in this forum seem all to eager to discuss Somaliland internal affairs, propagating myths and otherwise considering themselves experts on Somaliland, all the while ignoring some of the real deficiencies (to put it mildly) of their homeland is quite a mystery.

 

Some documented events and figures:

 

In April 1998, an Italian-owned trawler based in Mombasa, the MV Bahari One, was held in northeast Somalia for more than 50 days by militia demanding

$200,000

. The vessel was impounded for allegedly fishing illegally in Somali waters, possessing firearms, destroying marine life, and stealing marine products from its territorial waters. In December 1998, the same vessel and its 33-member crew were arrested and taken in Eyl, northeast Somalia, for allegedly violating Somali territorial waters, destroying local fishing nets, and firing at local fishing boats. A clash occurred before the capture and two Somali fishing boats were destroyed. The vessel was impounded by militiamen supporting warlord Mohammed Said Hersi, alias General Morgan, who is in control of the southern port town of Kismayo. Crew members were fined

$500,000

and vessel owners warned that the vessel would be confiscated and the crew members jailed if the fine was not paid immediately. The vessel and crew were released in February 1999 after the owners paid a ransom of

$230,000

. Puntland State authorities have since offered to issue fishing licences to foreign vessels conducting "safe fishing operations."

 

source:

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~ar120/somalia.html

 

In January 1998, militiamen in northeast Somalia captured two foreign ships, a Bulgarian freighter towed by a Syrian vessel. Elders and businessmen in Bosasso, northeast Somalia, helped negotiate release of the crews on 13 February 1998 in exchange for

$110,000

.

 

On 27 July, 1998, after being held hostage for 55 days near Bosasso, two Frenchmen (not fishermen) who had been sailing to Réunion, were handed over to a representative of the international community in exchange for

$50,000

.

 

On 28 December, 1998, four Ukrainian tourists harvesting sea shells from the yacht Voyager were captured by Somali gunmen near Alula, Puntland. After one month of detention, they returned to the Ukraine without possessions or the yacht. In late April 1999, two Finns sailing to Madagascar were abducted off Northeast Somalia by pirates who demanded

$50,000

for their release. Although clan elders said no ransom was paid for their release on May 6 in Bosasso, the kidnappers kept the yacht.

Somali gunmen hijack cargo ship

3 July, 2002

[...]the vessel, the Aamir, was reportedly hijacked in a region off Puntland, which is notorious for piracy.

 

There have been a number of boat hijacks in recent times of vessels carrying commodities over from the Gulf states.

 

According to businessmen in Mogadishu, the Aamir started its journey in the United Arab Emirates bound for Mogadishu and the southern port town of Kismaiyu.

 

$100,000 ransom

 

Following severe weather conditions, the ship had to break its journey on the Puntland Coast.

 

The vessel, which was carrying over 2,200 metric tons of miscellaneous commodities, from foodstuffs to cosmetics, was attacked by freelance gangs in fishing boats.

 

12 August, 2002

Somali pirates hold Greek tanker

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2188900.stm

 

...Somali waters have been the scene of several acts of piracy and vessels are advised to keep at least 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the coast...The seized vessel has been moored off the coast of Puntland, a breakaway region in the northwest of the country, aid workers in Somalia told AFP news agency.

 

Negotiations

 

They said the pirates were members of a powerful clan and that they had originally demanded

$300,000 (£200,000)

for the ship's return before increasing the ransom.

 

Ransom negotiations are already underway between a North Korean ship's owners and the pirates.

 

Following an earlier seizure off Puntland in the past month, the owners of a Cyprus-registered vessel paid a

$400,000 (£260,000)

ransom.

Somali pirates 'demand $1m for ship'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2187862.stm

 

Somalia's trafficking boom town

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3664633.stm

The people smuggling business is booming for those who run it but it is dangerous and at times tragic for the migrants themselves.

 

Because of the lack of a meaningful authority in this part of war-torn Somalia, this business undertaken by networks of smugglers and their counterparts all over Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Italy is getting bigger and more lucrative by the day.

 

Sri Lankans for Italy

 

Those coming to Bossaso to migrate come from far and near...

Capsized ship 'kills 100 Somalis'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2188900.stm

...

$500 voyage'

 

Reports say the vessel capsized in rough seas off the Somali coast, after setting off from the port of Mareer, near Boosaaso in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland.

P.S.

Should we now start a thread titled Bossasso is an "evil" town? are these human calamities worth degrading by being utilized as a means to stimulate a few moronic antagonistic arguments?

[Rahima]

Lander, Ayoub, Tolstoy and all SL, just a small side-point (more like an unrelated question if I may).

 

As some of you are aware, half of my family reside in Boorama and many are “natives†(as is defined by Somalis). Having said that obviously I have contact with many and recently in a discussion with some of the reer Boorama folk here, they voiced a very interesting point which I’d like to read your views on.

 

They expressed that the concept of SL is hopefully a temporary feature until hopefully the rest of the country get their act together. They expressed that there was no way that SLs could refuse the offer of under the hypothetical situation, Somalia electing a leader and government for themselves, stablise and prosper to a degree, and then come to the table of discussion with SL so as to unite once more. They also stated that in reality SL needed Somalia and that this self-governance is a temporary thing till we all get our act together. How do you guys see this?

[Sky]

Now, the on goings of Bossasso and Puntland are irrelevant to me personally and I have nothing against any of the people from Puntland. But why these matters do not seem to preoccupy some of the natives/patrials of the region and why some of them in this forum seem all to eager to discuss Somaliland internal affairs, propagating myths and otherwise considering themselves experts on Somaliland all the while ignoring some of the real deficiencies (to put it mildly) of their homeland is quite a mystery.

lander i totally agree. some puntlanders here as well as (nolanders) are obsessed with somaliland. you have this gentleman windtalker who some ppl would believe is a hargeysa native or something based on siduu arimaha soomaalilaan ku mashquulsan yahay. which i see as pure waste from a fellow puntlander who seems to be knowledgable and bright. what confuses me is that hes supposed to be against the notion of somaliland, yet he is busy on telling what somalilanders should do to get recognized. i mean wtf? :confused:

 

but you do have to admit that you just generalized the puntlanders in SOL politics section. you have ppl like me who do like to discuss puntland politics. you have general duke who discusses actual events, the TFG and its progress. and many more.

 

about boossaasso, you have to understand that it is a town that became a large city without a government. therefore local ppl have found easy ways of entering the criminal world. this whole problem that is typical to boossaasso; ppl trafficking, drugs smuggling, modern piracy etc. in the somali context; poverty and lawlessness these practices can hardly be seen as crimes, but as a way of living just like the devastating charcoal traders and khaadwales.

 

shit hits the fan though, when some criminals become so bold that they intend to throw the ppl they smuggle in the red sea. or when smuggled loads of 'innocent' marihuana and ethiopian liquor changes to more serious business. than there really is a problem.

 

i think as long as foreign vessels keep fishing the somali coasts without permission with illegal methods and tools. than i welcome any attack of somali pirate militias from boossaasso on them. what comes around, goes around.

 

by the way, c/yussef or the puntland government as a whole doesnt benefit from the illegal activities of its constituents. its actually damaging to them, as c/yussef and PL were and are the ones with ties to the foreign fishing companies whom got permission to fish in somali waters in turn for a generous payment. the pirates are lawless militias loyal to no one, except their subsubclan elders.

 

P.S.

Should we now start a thread titled Bossasso is an "evil" town?

bring it on. :cool:

[NGONGE]

Sometimes, after reading a particular article or having a political discussion with a fellow Somali (Somalilander), I’m left confused, numb and melancholic! The approach of Somaliland’s independence celebrations and the events of the recent past in Somalia (South, as a friend of mine likes to call it), have contributed to an increase in the sense of despair to which I alluded shortly. This thread is another depressing example.

 

First of all, it’s only fair that one should deal with the initiator of the thread who, oddly enough, is not a citizen of Somaliland! This fellow is in fact an opponent of Somaliland (someone opposing the existence of that entity as opposed to being someone who is an enemy of it). Knowing this fact and reading the supporting confession he penned on these pages about his intention originating out of a sense of mischief, one is, seemingly, in no doubt about this Nomad’s motives. Or is one? Was it really a case of rattling a few Somaliland cages? Was it a meaningless attempt to light the cyber touch-paper then sit back and enjoy the reaction? One doubts if such was the case! Indeed, one suspects such an action to be the result, and reinforcement of an intricate political belief! Such a belief is not limited to our current guinea pig alone. Sadly, such a principle is prevalent in all walks of Somali life (nor is it the exclusive domain of Somalis alone might I add).

 

Lest wind-talker feel lonesome, victimised or singled-out for categorization, let me in the name of political solidarity and shared principles, bring other opponents of Somaliland into this illogical equation. What most the opponents of Somaliland have in common is their refusal to acknowledge or accept the political choice Somaliland had made. This refusal, I should add, is neither absurd nor offensive. Here though, is where the similarity (for most of them) ends. They have their own disagreements, struggles and, some would say, hatred towards each other. The theme of the article above is habitually replicated in their own backyards, yet, because the blinkers are well and truly on, they fail to see them or refuse to! In their eyes, disagreements in Somaliland will herald the collapse of that nation! While, laughably, disagreements in Somalia are possible to solve (Somalia here would include Puntland, in case the optimistic amongst us start looking further south)! In light of this, should one take any of their arguments seriously? For at best, one can conclude that they’re deluding themselves by the use of such blinkered arguments and, at worst, one can consider them to be hypocritical!

 

Be that as it may, I find myself in fact agreeing with Wind-talker (to a certain extent of course). Though I’m loath, disinclined and reluctant to use a common cliché, I think that the expression “even a broken clock is correct twice a day†will save me the hassle of having to explain why I chose to declare my agreement with this Nomad!

 

Now it’s time to address the article above and some of the Somaliland reactions to it. But, again, let me have a final shot at Wind-talker before I continue describing the reactions of the Somalilanders (I like the guy - honestly). It’s not that Wind-talker is a genius, a reader of people or (probably) an expert on Somaliland affairs that I agree with him. It’s only because the Borama story has an element of truth in it and that his anticipation of the textbook Somaliland reactions was, on the whole, also true. Both cases, are not surprising presumptions even for a Wind-talker.

 

I’m uncomfortable with the argument that the article in question, the opinions expressed and their author are isolated incidents in the Somaliland mindset. I fear that by using such a lame excuse, many Somalilanders are dodging the issues and refusing to deal with the unreasonable elements in their midst. I doubt that Farah Ali Jama invented all of the accusations that he levels at the people of Borama! I rather suspect that such accusations have been invented by others (stay with me now and don’t start assuming that I’m not talking about Somalilanders). I have a hunch that a sizeable section of non-Borama residents (work out the tribal connotations if you will) share some (if not all) of the views of Mr Jama! It’s possible that not all are as idiotic in their accusations or offensiveness, but it’s also plausible that many hold such anger and grievances. Here, sadly, the tired allegation of Somaliland being a one-clan-state gains some semblance of credence. In addition, having read some of the replies of few Boramawis (for lack of another description), it appears that they’re by no means harmless victims of Mr Jama’s gibberish, some in fact produced equal (if not better) nonsense in reply! Again, in their emotionally ridden replies (on the original website) they too seemed to give the idea of One-Clan-State some credibility! It is of course not a one-clan-state; however, sometimes the perception is stronger than reality! Here, Mr Jama, Wind-talker, the opponents of Somaliland and the die-hard defenders of Somaliland are all in total agreement (even though most don’t know it). They all choose to reside in their own make-believe little worlds than face the harsh reality of the real one!

 

It’s a shame that such a badly written, badly argued and badly intended article should form the basis for a discussion about the Somali (might as well widen the net) way of thinking. However, in the absence of any softer (on the eye at least) alternatives, we might as well use Mr Jama’s rough cardboard as a canvas for our (should really say mine but I’m magnanimous enough to let you share the glory) masterpiece.

 

 

Despite all evidence to the contrary, let me assure all the readers that it is possible to be passionate about one’s cause while preserving one’s intellectual honesty. Sentimentally and emotion are great at eradicating despair, fuelling energy and strengthening conviction. However, if left unchecked, they can also influence beliefs, erode on principles and corrupt one’s morals. This is not to say that people do not let their emotions get the better of them, after all, that’s the essence of being human. Nevertheless, one needs to know, acknowledge and accept that such occurrences take place. One needs to admit to having such a weakness. If you’re a Somali Republic proponent and are against Somaliland’s goals, come forth with your opposition, present your arguments and try to win converts. But don’t risk your own integrity to achieve that goal. Likewise if you’re a Somalilander!

Furthermore, and because the article highlighted divisions in Somaliland, if you are a Somalilander, is it not time you thought long and hard about such divisions? Their origins? Ways to eradicate them? The way forward, etc?

 

Time is really running out. Bragging about buildings, mountains, ‘democratic’ progress and the million other secondary issues has reached saturation point. It’s really time to deal with the issue of nationhood, coin new common goals, ideas and perceptions. It’s time to glorify Somaliland’s own heroes, historical symbols, unique traditions (invent some if you have none) and habits. If all that exists, it’s time that the attention of people like Mr Jama is fully focused on spreading and cementing such issues. These are the things that bind people together, not democratic processes or artificial borders.

[STOIC]

Conscientious people derive pleasure from clear objective perception, whereas malicious people derive pleasure from blind biased perception.When you read most of the posting from the frequent contributor of this forum, you will realise most of the information are not completely neutral-it doesn't have to be that way always-and that the author or the cut&paste person has a stake in the information he is presenting.Clear objectivity with no bias in it is what separate the "wheat from the chaff"(as the common idiom goes).We all know as a human we have a bias within ourselves (i am personally bias sometimes) but as our fellow nomad(Ngonge) stated shall we compromise our integrity and honesty for our beloved region/clan loyalty?.

It's obvious that there is a complete bias in all the information that is being presented on the political forum of this site.There is some furor know about this guy's article, much fuss about nothing, since it is clear that such kind of Unintelligible or nonsensical writing make its way through this forum everytime.Its good that this article has raised some eyebrows! (may be).