ENG ABSHIR MUSE SAID's election campaign in Las Anod a few days earlier. More pictures...

It looks like the list of candidates is still growing. Muhammad Said Shabel, a Pland minister joined the crew. Musharrax cusub oo ku soo biiray tartanka madaxtinimada Puntland Garoowe - 20.December.2004 Waxaa maanta si rasmi ah musharraxnimadasiisii shaaca uga qaaday shir jaraa'idna ku qabtay magaalada Garoowe musharraxa Maxamed Siciid Aadan, oo shegay in uu sannadkii 1940-kii ku dhashay gobolka magaaladan Boosaaso ee xarunta gobolka Bari. Musharraxu waxaa uu shirkiisa jaraa'id ku sheegay kagana war bixiyey waxqabadkiisa iyo weliba barnaamijyadiisa madaxweynenimo. Maxamed Siciid Aadan waxaa uu sheegay in uu wax weyn ka qaban doono dhinacyada adeegyada bulshada sida caafimaadka iyo waxbarashada. Waxaa maalinta maalinta ka dambeysa soo kordhaya musharrixiinta u tartamaya madaxweynenimada Puntland oo loo ballansan yahay in ay doorashadu dhacdo bisha January ee foodda inagu soo haysa, waxaana magaalada Garoowe gaar ahaan fagaarayaasha ay dadku isugu yimaaddaan lagu arki karayey sawirrada iyo halkudhigyada musharrixiinta. C/naasir Yaasiin SBC Garoowe

Gen Adde Muse, Col Abdisamad Ali Shire and Col Hasan Farah Jama 'Gerash' discussing matters

Element 6, great page man. I see you've also seen those pictures of the hardcore Nigerian gangs in Lagos with their baboon and hyenas as pets. Seriously they are mostly from the Yoruba tribe, and they're crazy with their black magic. Also those hyenas are bigger than the ones I saw in northeast Somalia, they must have been fed well from their birth. I think I will post a thread about the Nigerian gangs.

Originally posted by Yasmine: Sorry for the late reply nomads. I was a bit busy with exams and a few others things, so I haven't had enough time to formulate a corherent response until now. Nationalist, I dislike the manner in which Samsam has been sucked into mechanisms that are reducing the sister's case to yet another tribalism-disguised-as-politics exercise (i.e. propaganda machines). If you think that stance somehow acts as a buffer for Somaliland or its government, it is a real pity. Then again, that line of reasoning is so typical of people who think and define their existence in accordance with perilous us/them dichotomies, I'm not at all surprised with your skewed deduction (maybe I am psychic). Depicting the Samsam issue as one of sides and reducing it to another pitiable showdown between two regions - as propaganda machines appear to be doing - does nothing productive or long-lasting for the cause. In case anyone's wondering exactly that 'cause' is, it is Samsam's plight in particular but rape crimes in Somalia as a whole. Did it take such a long time to come up with a crappy response my dear? I think this is the way you feel about the whole case, but since you can't directly point fingers at anyone doing the thing that you are accusing me of, you are projecting it on me. May I remind you that in this particular thread, I only copied and pasted an important article. In other threads I defied people trying to deny and minimize the ordeal or even the devil's advocates. What a way to pee against the wind here. Next time reply quicker and clearer dear. It will save us the trouble.

Viking allow them brother. They don't see how Africa is doomed with Africans like these.

Mondane jealousy? The term mondane jealousy would be applicable if Somalis were to criticise the Japanese. What they did to their country was a development from rags to riches not receiving the credit that it deserves. Unfortunately I can't say the same thing about the Arabs whom we share the same faith with. The farsight of the Arab sheikhs you're talking about, is the 'farsight' of their financial and business advisors from the US. So don't try to fool the Somalis. Arabs are just lucky bums. Some Somali fuuto madow look like they're on the payroll of the Arab absolute kings and dictators.

Yes I am a blogger. Visit http://halgan.blogspot.com/ . I mainly write about problems Somalis are facing and copy some interesting articles. There are a lot of interesting posts coming up, I allready have them as drafts.

This is indeed going to be a close race lads. The candidates till now: 1- President Muhammad Abdi Hashi [sool] 2- Eng. Abshir Muse Said [bari] 3- Gen. Mahamud Muse Hirsi [Karkaar] 4- Dr. Abdirahman Muhammad Farole [Nugaal] 5- Drs. Asha Gelle Dirie [Mudugh] Somalitalk coverage of candidate's campaigns: Abshir Muse's campaign Abdirahman Farole's campaign This will be a tight race, because the candidates are all of high quality. They have karti and love for Pland. I honestly believe that Pland has a promising future. Lol at the SSDF flag. They put something on our Somali flag, but nobody is to touch the Woqooyi-Bari Soomaaliya flag. What in the world..

The lightskinned fellow can't box. What the hell is this? I've seen worse fights, where a guy's arm or legs broke instantly. I can still hear "knack".

What on earth are you on about? Better yet, what kind of pills are you on?

Where do you live boy, it looks like you want to pick up a fight with me. Just tell me what time and place.

^^ Like my dear sister Classique said: "Keep talking to the wind"

The loss of that particular argument doesn't effect my perspective. I would love to share with you my views about the Arabs, but I have no time right now. Perhaps later Ngonge.

Gaalkacyo: Gabar isu soo taagtay tartanka madaxwaynenimada Puntland - Friday, December 17, 2004 at 09:42 Gaalkacyo (AllPuntland) Drs Caasho Geelle Diiriye oo kamid ah gabdhaha magac ku leh Puntland dhexedeeda ayaa maanta ku dhawaaqday inay u tartamayso kursiga madaxwaynaha Puntland ee doorashooyinka Janaayo 2005ta. Caasho, oo u waramaysay Idaacadda Dalir ee ku taalla Gaalkacyo ayaa maanta sheegtay iney doonayso inay madaxwayne ka noqoto Puntland. Waxayna sheegtay musharaxaddu in hadda la soo gaaray xiligii laga bixi lahaa dhibaatooyinkii 14ka sano - lana soo gaaray wakhti ay tahay inay taliso aqoonta iyo daacad nimadu. Caasho, waxay sheegtay in haddii la doorto, ay wax badan oo horumar ah u horseedi doonto Puntland. Drs Caasho, mar la waydiiyey in arintaan culamada diintu su'aal ka keeni karaan - waxay sheegtay in haweenka xilka noocaan oo kale ah xaq u leeyihiin inay qabtaan diintuna ay waafaqsan tahay, maadaama maamulkani yahay mid gobol dowladdii dhexana ay dhisan tahay. Drs Caasho waxay sheegtay musharaxaddu inay dhawaan soo gudbin doonto barnaamijkeeda siyaasadeed, waxayna muujisay inay kalsooni wayn ku qabto in baarlamaanka la soo doorto ay u codeeyaan ayada - ayadoo dhanka kalena muujisya in xitaa haddii doorashooyin dadwayne ay dhacaana ay kalsooni wayn ku sii qabi lahay. ugu dambeyan, waxay sheegtay musharaxaddu, in aysan bixin doonin wax laaluush ah (si loo doorto) isla markaasna ay kalsoonida golaha shacabka ku raadinayso oo qura, wixii arimo horumarineed ah ee ay ka fulisey dhulka Puntland mudadii burburku jiray iyo kartideeda hogaamineed. Drs Caasho Geelle Diiriye, waxay lixdii sano iyo barkii la soo dhaafay kamid ahayd golaha wakiilada Puntland, waa agaasimaha guud ee Ururka Danaha Haweenka Soomaaliyeed (SWC) oo la asaasay 1988kii, isla markaasna waa gudoomiyaha daladda isutagga haweenka Puntland ee WAWA. Caasho waa gabadhii ugu horeysey ee Puntland isu soo taagta xilka noocaan oo kale ah, waxayna kamid ahayd xubnihii doorka fiican ka qaatay dhismihii Puntland 1998kii This lady is a true Plander, she was a longtime member of Pland's house of representatives and chairman of WAWA, wich helps Pland women. She's the wife of my uncle, so I'm very proud.

Of course the Arabs do something. But if I would send a penny to a starving child in Africa, while I'm a millionaire, would I deserve credit of helping here? Of course not. This is exactly the case with the Arabs. I was fuming with anger when I heard an Arab sheikh offering $ 15 mln USD for the victims of 9/11. What about the victims in the air raid by the US in Khartoum, razing a promising medicine manufacturer to the ground? Or when another Arab sheikh bought a necklace worth $40 mln USD for his daughter? Even Westerners themselves loath the extravagant lifestyle of those Arabs. They also treat non-Arabs, including Somalis like dirt. I read a book of a Danish woman who used to live in Saudi Arabia. The whole book is about the pity she has for the shallow Arabs and she praises the Somalis in her book for being honest, friendly, strong and able to cope with the Arabs. But what disgusts me and affects my country in a terrible way is their unfounded ban of Somali livestock or more importantly they are responsible of the destruction of Somalia's flora and fauna. Our precious acacia trees and animal wildlife are sold by Somalis to the rich Arabs, while Arabs themselves invest $7.000 USD per tree in their lifeless deserts. Why do Somalis sell their national heritage? Because of the import ban by the Arabs on Somali livestock. If there's something wrong with our livestock, how come there are no epidemics in Somalia due to our 'bad meat'? I can't understand it when Somalis defend the Arabs. You lads are a minority among Somalis and for a reason. They may have been the 'chosen people' by Allah swt, but like the Jews they are squandering their blessing.

Originally posted by Qudhac: how primitive and backward some people are. :eek:

Hasan Qarboobe, isn't he also a famous poet? About the horses, no offense but every average Somali family says they own the finest horses or the most horses. The latter is a claim from my own family. Lol Seeing you and Orgilaqe, might show that Kenadid's forces was large and well organised according to Somali standards of that era.

Jumatatu and HornAfrique, now let's not get way over our heads about the greatness of Mogadishu as of current. I believe many residents in Mogadishu would disagree.

HornAfrique, we have something in common. My greatgreat-grandfather was one of King Kenadid's military commanders as well. Abandule sare. Muhammad [ib'ad'] Farah Samatar. The old chap is buried in Hobyo.

December 17, 2004 - 04:46 African Rights Statement on Zamzam verdict: An Unfair Trial, a harsh judgement ZAMZAM AHMED DUALEH SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS = Obtained by Awdalnews Netowrk HARGEISA, 16 Dec. 2004--African Rights is shocked and saddened that 17-year old Zamzam Ahmed Dualeh was sentenced yesterday, 15 December, to five years in prison by the regional court of Hargeisa, four years for “espionage†and one year for allegedly lying about her name, identity and clan. The sentence was handed down in the absence of her four defence lawyers, who had themselves been imprisoned for two weeks, and released on Saturday after they received one-year sentences and paid a fine in lieu of imprisonment. Zamzam’s co-defendant, Omer Jama Warsame, the driver who brought her from Bosasso to Hargeisa on 15 August, was acquitted, a decision which accurately reflected fundamental flaws in the prosecution case, flaws which apply equally to the case against Zamzam. This is a further indication that political rather than judicial concerns informed the decision of the judge, Abdirahman Jama Hayaan. It raises questions about whether direct or indirect pressures were brought upon judge Hayaan in a case which has awakened national and international attention and which became politically significant on several levels. From the first day Zamzam was brought to court, on 4 October, to the judgement yesterday, the trial has been characterised by a profound lack of fairness, justice and professionalism. Zamzam is accused of visiting the residence of the Vice President of Somaliland on 15 August, accompanied by Omer, in order to meet with him, and gather intelligence about his family and security arrangements. She was, argues the prosecution, sent by a certain Mohamed Ali Farah, said to be a member of Al Itihaad based in Bosasso, who paid her a modest amount and promised her considerably more money on completion of her mission. The notion that a politician intent on murdering the Vice President would entrust such a sensitive and politically delicate matter to a 17-year old girl who had never visited Hargeisa, and who did not even have the money to pay her fare from Bosasso to Hargeisa, is difficult to take seriously. But more importantly, the prosecution has not produced a single piece of substantial evidence to back the argument that Zamzam had links with politicians in Puntland or with Al Itihaad. The allegations are supposedly based on written “confessions†which both Zamzam and Omer repeatedly stated in court had been extracted under torture and coercion. Contrary to the statements from the government, neither defendant has ever admitted guilt in court. The prosecution’s entire arsenal of evidence to proof a connection with Al Itihaad was the production of a jilabiya, the Islamic cloak worn by more than half the female population of Somaliland. The location of the Vice President’s residence in Hargeisa is a matter of public knowledge. According to testimony from the police officers on guard duty that day, Zamzam never entered the house, and so had no opportunity to carry out surveillance of the residence, let alone to damage, in any way, the interests of the Vice President. Moreover, the question of whether Zamzam changed her name and clan identity cannot legitimately be deemed a separate issue meriting a one-year sentence; its significance depended entirely upon whether there was any substance to the espionage charge. Zamzam has consistently denied all the charges against her. With their lawyers in jail, and their supporters discouraged by the intimidating, and often violent behaviour of the police guarding the court, Zamzam and Omer never had a chance of a fair trial. Despite the serious charges of espionage they faced, and the prospects of a ten-year prison sentence, they were not given the opportunity to call any witnesses to the stand. The judge and the prosecutor involved in jailing the lawyers, who should have been disqualified from the case, were retained and continued to interrogate and hear the case both in camera and publicly. Beyond the charges against Zamzam and Omer, the case was important because it marked an attempt to put suspected torturers and rapists within the CID on trial. An extremely worrying precedent was, therefore, set when the court threw out the accusations that CID officers had tortured both defendants, and that six CID officers had raped Zamzam. Citing medical reports compiled by doctors in government service, which have never been shown to the victims, their relatives or their lawyers, and the testimony of two of these doctors given in court in the absence of the defendants’ lawyers, the judge ruled that neither torture nor rape had taken place. Yesterday’s proceedings in Hargeisa regional court constitute an injustice which has damaged the lives of two individuals and their families, but beyond this they demonstrate just how superficial institutional reforms in Somaliland in recent years have been. The administration of justice in Somaliland was under the spotlight and its weaknesses and vulnerability to political pressure were all too painfully apparent. The acquittal of Omer Jama Warsame illustrates the contradictions and confusion at the heart of this trial. The judge’s explanations for “espionage†involved not only Zamzam but also Omer. Yet he was released and she was condemned for four years for espionage. Omer told the court that he was set free after two days of interrogations in mid-August, and then re-arrested and tortured on the orders of the deputy head of the CID, Saeed Mohamed Absiye, after he accused him of damaging his car and demanded compensation. The court did not address this serious allegation against a senior police officer who remains above the law, to the detriment of all the citizens of Somaliland and the prospects of institutionalising respect for the rule of law. It is deeply unfortunate, above all for Zamzam and her family, that this case has become highly politicised and caught up in the emotions of the current tension between Somaliland and Puntland. Given the intensity of the propaganda that has been unleashed about the case both within and beyond Somaliland, many people lost sight of what matters most: the right of a young girl to a fair hearing and humane treatment in detention.

Waryaa LSKT, was your grandfather Farah Kowte by any chance? If he's your grandfather, you have 1001 reasons to be as proud as one who defied a lion.

It's a disgrace how Slanders are always quick to point fingers at Pland when things get tough. When the development workers were killed in Sland, the perpetrators were all from Sland itself, Mogadishu and one from the disputed Sool region. It has been proven that the operation was supervised from Mogadishu. Yet Planders are blamed for the malaise in Sland. Planders are ought by Slanders to be the only group capable of resorting to such horrendous acts. I assure you, and note that for the large breasted minister of foreign affairs of Sland Edna as well, that all the poking by Sland on Pland only gives Pland a reason wich did not exist before to strike at Sland with a vengeance. I'm sorry for being so blunt, but some people have the audacity to favour known criminals over a innocent Somali girl.

^^ waryaa shiraap. You think the people of Mogadishu are enjoying this situation, much less choosing for it? It wasn't too long ago when Hargeisa's airport and Berbera port were being held by clan militias and reduced the important infrastructural centres into no-go areas.

Ok I see now. I thought you were losing it Bari Nomad. This picture is of my aunt's neighbourhood Raf & Raaxo in Bosaso. I took the picture last summer while I took a walk with some of my cousins. R&R is not like the fancy BiyoKulule, but at least it shows how Bosaso's ordinary neighbourhoods look like. I should have climbed the hills though to make a splendid panoramic view of this part of the city. Oh well next time eyh?