Faisal Roobe exposed himself and fired his gun without even checking the facts. I want to say few things about the CJ chain of restaurant owners. I have friends with some of the family who own them, and I was in Kampala few years ago as a guest. In Uganda , they are called Javax Cafe dominating the high end food business in the city. They have been in the business for 40 years starting from zero , and I can tell you that they are not the kind of people who will throw away $10,000 let alone a quarter a million. When you earn your money legally and through hard work every penny has a value. Mr. Rooble went to a law blow by smearing an honest family who has nothing to do with the corrupt KIsmaayo selection. Furthermore, every Cali and Omar from the greedy D block believes that they have a place and seat in Jubbaland which unacceptable in the real world. Faisal Rooble clan doesn't have enough number to elect a city council in Jubbaland let alone a senator, yet they have been rewarded with that seat thanks to the campaign Faisal Rooble waged for Ahmed Madoobe. When that seat went to someone else this time around he is crying like a baby. And one more thing, the other Mr No Cabdi Ismaciil Samatar is seeking a seat at the senate while being carried by Oday Cabdi Haashi. The problem is he won't getting any seat from us Awdaltes. Let Candi Hashi give him one of the seats from west Hargeisa.

They can have a regional bank for investment to give loans to companies and finance regional development projects. The regional government might give money to the bank and ask him to manage and few other things. Yet, the idea of regional bank managing currency and the markets has nothing to do with a regional administration. Puntland probably knows how the world works, although these fools might not consult their own experts. So, in my in my opinion, these boys have some future ideas for this bank. First, they might have no hope for the future functioning Somali government and as usual might continue their old ways of printing money, or as many suspect, they might bad ideas that I do not want to say here yet.

Although most Somalis have not gained anything meaningful in terms of stable and functioning state or long term peace for the last 30 years , and the people who died and those who were killed by suicide bombers and other horrible means out number 10: 1 compared to those who suffred before 1991, still there are some who think they might have reached top of the mountain. I understand here in SOL there are some who genuinely fear an Ethiopian hegemony of Amara by any name regardless of the leader, yet I have a feeling that some Somalis, who in their deluded mind think they have gained something through the TPLF, are cheering for their return. Aren't we supposed to flow the money and judge Abiy Ahmed by his actions toward the republic and that criteria should trump any other card?. The man has shown to respect the unity and territorial integrity of Somalia and so far has kept his word. The horn of Africa economic integration which Abiy Ahmed is spearheading could lift millions out of poverty and create wealth for the business-oriented Somalis who sit on the largest coast of Africa. Furthermore, the unity, freedom and visibility of the Ethiopian Muslims has increased under the leadership of Abiy Ahmed. You will be amazed how many women wearing Hijaab are seated in the parliament or within the cabinet including Somalis. Addis Abbaba has elected its first Somali member of parliament which is historic in its nature. So, Somali republic and Muslims are both fairing well under Abiy led Ethiopia. Bal hadaba geel jiruhu muxuu rabaa? So what is the wondering and unprincipled nomad is after? I understand that the separatists want to maintain their fake secession ideology and buy more time. Certainly they do not favor a unity focused Ethiopia, I also understand the likes of C/raxman Faroole who accused Farmaajo siding with two war mongers which means he is hurting for the loss of the TPLF, and longing for those trips to kilometre 4 in Addis (Arat Kilo). Yet, how what about Djibouti and those in Somali Galbeed cheering for the TPLF. Here is one called Dal Jire cheering for the TPLF day in and day out. The chances are Djibouti dictator Omar Geelle might not even survive five more years despite many parasites from Hargeisa cheering for the despot. Wise people will tell you before Somalia collapsed , some of the major signs were people within the big cities despised each other ( Dadku way is naceen). When you see your illiterate neighbor ridding his ill-gotten Landcruiser and flashing money, you will wait the moment thing go south and the chances are they will begin the rampage from their neighbor. Djibouti is at that stage. At the moment , police can beat you up and torture you because they are the only ones with the gun. When the Ethiopian conflict brings guns to Djibouti the ruling clan will be confronted and things could get ugly. I see headline like 'Somali-Afar conflict in Djibouri'. Yet, despite the bandwagon Omar Geele joined lately in order to take advantage of the Somali anarchy to prolong his reign and monopolize trade routes to Ethiopia, , Djibouti rejected being Somali, and the Jesus community had forfeited their Somalinimo in 1967 in favor of clan power. When the referendum took place in Djibouti in March of 1967, the French claimed that those who were in favor of French staying in Djibouti won poll despite the vote rigging. Then In the summer heat of 1967, after the vote, the French identified that those from Awdal community were the leading voices of the independent movement, thus they deported 10,000 people from the French Somaliland and many had died in the desert. Imagine with the Somali population of 40,000, 25% of them were thrown out. Trucks lined up in neighborhoods and without notice loaded their belongings and crossed the border. From 1977-1991 Somalis were restricted and deported for entering Djibouti while Ethiopians just jumped on the train. After the referendum, the French removed the Somali name and called it the ' the territory of Affar and Issa' . He gave people ethnic and tribal cards with Afar being 01, Jesus community 02 and Awdal community 03. The Jesus community along the Afar welcomed this name change and discarded the French Somaliand. In the last 40 years the Afar never hurt any Somali in Djibouti or in Ethiopia. Of course there are nomadic skirmishes between them and the Jesus community like any other, but they lived peacefully with the Somalis for a long time. In Djibouti the intermarriage is complete and today Afar girls wear Somali dresses like the 'Dirac" . Furthermore, they don't only border the Jesus community in Ethiopia, but also Karanle and Gurgure in northern border sof Diredawa with zero conflict. They have waged a war against Omar Geelle , and in 1991 all Somalis in Djibouti including those without proper document were recruited to fight and stop their advance after they were promised citizenship cards. After the war all of those starved in Djibouti with zero help. But this time around, no one is dying to defend the despot, Omar Geelle. I heard Muuse Biixi is recruiting soldiers from Somaliland to defend Geelle while promising them a Djibouti passport. So, some of us will not buy the Somali vs Afar conflict in Djibouti framed by the despots and others who do not understand the game. Now, the Afar people are dying and fighting the TPLF who want to control the trade routes. Two weeks ago the TPLF massacred hundreds of Afar who refused to go along, and now Omar Geelle is fueling war in Siti region of Somali Galbeed with unnecessary deaths from both community for barren and desert like villages. It is true that the Afar had killed civilians in that region last week including women and children, and we strongly condemn them for their brutal actions. The issue of the Somalis inside the Afar region border could be either resolved by joining the Somali region through referendum if they are the majority or have their rights within the Afar administration who are fellow Muslims and nomads with similar culture. Somalis can not force the issue and relocate their villages within the Afar by force. Afar ima Xukumayso caqli ma ahan Yet, this is not the time for Somalis in Siti to confront or fight the Afar who are trying to fend of the the TPLF attacks. Omar Geelle is part of the coalition that want to destabilize Ethiopia and overthrow Abiy Ahmed. According to reliable reports, when the TPLF reached the Addis-Djibouti Highway, they clandestinely transferred many family members of the top TPLF leadership family members dressed as Somali/Afar and reached Djibouti. Joining the coalition to defeat Farmaajo doesn't cost Omar Geelle much, but to join the coalition against Abiy will not only cost Geelle, but the price will be very high for the people of Djibouti. Furthermore, some Somali youths in the region had blocked the train and the highway from Djibouti which is the lifeline of Ethiopia. This will not only hurt Ethiopia, but also damage the Djibouti economy. According to international reports, the TPLF has looted close to $20 billion dollars from the Ethiopian coffers and transferred to Djibouti, Sudan and Somaliland. Some of the money were American money allocated for the war on terror. Cabdi Illey used to transfer millions through a Somali Hawala called Kaah which has collapsed since the fall of the TPLF lost power. Also, major share of the money came from the engineering and weapons company led by the TPLF which sold arms to countries and entities in the region including Somaliland and Puntland. Those money were pocketed directly by the TPLF crooks. The Ethiopian intelligence believe that most of that money is active in foreign capitals to buy access and fuel the media campaign targeted against the Abiy government. Now, again what do the pro TPLF nomads want? It is hard to get all the answers, but in my humble opinion, they fear the reversal of the regressive clan order they have gained with the help of Mengistu in the eighties and through TPLF in since 1991. Furthermore, some might fear that other anti TPLF clans who were inaccessible to that regime might get some help and travel the same route as they did three decades ago. No wonder , I see Somalis some lamenting for the departure of the TPLF. Finally, Omar Geelle has punched above his trying to control corrupt allies from Mogadishu, Garoowe, Hargeisa and Nairobi, but this time around he is biting more than he can swallow and might even bring his demise.

Maakhiri, The Taliban already knows they can not rule by force. They do not want another civil war. So, they should negotiate in good faith with other Afghans and the current government to establish national government. Certainly they are a powerful movement, but no mistake about, that they are based in Bashtun tribal land mostly. Remember , the Islamic court union were sweeping the land inhabited by HAG mostly, but they were rejected in Puntland, and the South west. I am not saying Turkey could defeat them, but unless they negotiate with others, they couldn't rule by force. Furthermore, as Erdogan mentioned, Turkey needs a UN mandate and full diplomatic cover from America to protect them from future legal problems.

good luck to all.

We are already fragmented. Let the 'Af Maay be the Lingua franca of Bay, but I wouldn't encourage for higher education because of the scarce resources. In terms of the exams, let the best win just like Olympics. Let the , South west be the champions. they deserve.

wHat in the world, Somalis dying to defend Amhara. THey claim to be 25 million, yet they can not defend from Tigray. Heck, the whole Ethiopia of 100 million can not defend 5 million determined Tigray. In 1977, the world was in awe about 5 million Somalis defeating the thousand years old 40 million Ethiopian empire and taking a third of the country. It is all about attitude and courage. We used to listen the nationalist songs of that era. When Khadra Daahir said" Curyaan baratan raadsaday waa gumeysi cudud iyo caqli aan lahayno nin ka cooba weyn raba in uu caydhasho oo raro. The arrogance of the Amhara has no limits. In those days we compared him like a handicap person trying to race sprints by trying to oppress Somalis. Ah times had changed.

'Taliban should end the occupation of Afghanistan'. While on his way to Cypress this week, president Erdogan has almost threatened the Taliban forces hell bent to take the power by force. It was during the NATO summit that US president Biden asked Erdogan to station Turkish troops to protect Hamid Karzai airport and keep diplomatic access to the country. While Turkey was part of the NATO mission in Afghanistan, its soldiers never took part in any combat mission in the country. They were there mostly for logistical help. A usual , the Taliban spokesman threatened Turkey and warned the consequences of any foreign troops remaining in the country after the departure of the Americans and NATO. Yet, despite the huge media propaganda that is anticipating the total collapse of the Afghan government, the Taliban are not invincible. Their total force is between 15,000--20,000, and even if you add the part time civilian and Bashtun tribes men mobilized from the countryside, they don't even reach 75,000 . Like most extremist forces, they use fear and intimidation to achieve total submission of the an armed population. It is not secret that the Taliban campaign are aided by proxy forces in the region, mainly Pakistan, Russia and China. The Pakistanis are very wary of an Afghan government allied with India in which the later aids separatists in Baluchistan and fomenting uprising among the Pakistani Bashtunes who live in the tribal north west regions of the country. In fact, the Pakistanis were always guarded against the Afghan leadership since 1947 when the Afghan king voted against the Pakistani independence at the UN after the partition with India. On the other side, it is an open secret that the Chinese had supported the Taliban campaign . I read that rather than give weapons to the Taliban which might expose the Chinese involvement, they offered money to buy weapons from Russia, and other Afghan soldiers, while Russia was open in its proxy war to defeat America and force its withdrawal. Afghanistan has a tradition of luring cold war rivals and empires . Everyone rushes with hubris and haste and leaves the same way they entered. No wonder the call the grave yards of empires. For starters, America doesn't want a Vietnam style collapse of the Afghan government and throw away all the sacrifices it did for the last 20 years. Thus, with help of Turkey, coupled with Qatar and Pakistan, it could not only keep the Taliban from overrunning Kabul, but also keep out the new cold war rivals China and Russia. Even the Taliban have realized by now that they can not take over the whole country by force without triggering a new civil war. The Taliban, despite taking over hostile districts of the north, their leadership knows that they can not defeat Tajik minorities who have border access with the Tajikistan , Uzbeks and those who live in Herat province bordering Iran. Uzbek strongman C/Rashid Dustam has already met the Turkish leadership and will pose a threat to the Taliban. After all the Taliban have no more legitimacy than anyone of those who have men and weapons to impose their on the people. Their regime might have been overthrown by US in 2001, but they were not elected then and now. Marching and imposing their will to the people couldn't work in 2021. It is the main reason Erdogan is calling the Taliban to stop occupying their Afghan brothers. Furthermore, we have witnessed the defeat of Khalifa Hifter of Libya who wanted to overthrow the UN recognized government by force. Despite its weakness, the current Afghan government could be replaced by agreed upon coalition government , Taliban included. In today's news the Taliban spokesman demanded that the president Ashraf Ghani to step down and pave the way for a new inclusive government while accusing Ghani as war monger who called war against the Taliban during his Eidul Adha speech. Mr. Shaheen said 'there must be an agreement on a new government that is acceptable to the Taliban and to other Afghans. If that happens, he insisted, “there will be no war.” That is a totally different statement than the usual Taliban hubris of threatening everyone. This spokesman had even moderated his threat against Turkey lately. He said, ' they want to have good relations with Turkey" These trio of Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan could moderate the Taliban militants and create an inclusive and agreed upon government in Afghanistan. While Pakistan has tied its future economy and development with China with massive $65 billion Pakistan China Economic Corridor (CPEC) investment from China, it could cooperate with Turkey to avoid a new civil war. The soon the Taliban realize that they cannot rule Afghanistan by force without no excuse of fighting foreign occupation, the better the chances of agreeing with a coalition government. The current president, with questionable second mandate obtained through unfair election, must give way to a new group of leadership. To keep the threat of force on the table, Turkey could deploy their world renown drones at Bagram airport to deter any Taliban misadventure to threaten the airport. Also, unlike American pilots who are famous for shooting the wrong targets like Weddings and other civilian targets, Turkish forces had proven to exclusively target military and militant targets. Just compare between the Syrian town of Raqqa and Afrin. One is devastated to the stone age while Afrin is almost intact. With Turkey taking over Afghan rebuilding, the Turkic silk road of the 13th century will be active again. With a 40 million population and huge concentration of Rare Earth Elements (REE) , Afghanistan could be the center of trade in central Asia. This nation has borders with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Pakistan and China. It seems everything goes through them. With successful Afghan peace , Turkey could become the indispensable nation of Asia minor and central Asia.

MMA, That is a big news. Dalmar didn't mention the SNA in these operations. Guul xooga dalka.

You might be correct in your assessment on the news. I don't flow most news unless something big happens, yet I was hearing pit and peaces of news about Al-shabaab taking over here and there in Galnudug. Last month they took Dhaghaye village in Hobyo, then Ceelheeri, and Wasil . THere were even skirmishes in near Dhuusamareeb. This week I heard Saadiq John leading forces against Al-shabaab .Why the sudden reemergence of these groups in Mudug lately ? I hope they keep liberating and keeping out the extremists for their own good and for the country.In terms of bias, we all got some.

Xaaji, Al-shabaab can't take over Mogadishu. They have more chances to occupy Galmudug if the internal disagreements of HG continues. Even Bay/Bakool region is getting better. Today Al-shabaab strongholds are Shabeelaha Dhexe and Middle Jubba.Yet, unless the Somali security forces takes over ports, airports and even Villa-Somalia, the withdraw talks are just meaningless.

I think the TPLF has its sight on the Djibouti-Ethiopia corridor. The TPLF already took over couple of districts. Just like the former Derg of Mengistu, Abiy is throwing to the fire untrained Oromo and other militia who have law moral to fight the Tigray rebels. Where is the Ethiopian army?. It seems all the special forces and trained members were Tigray. Oromo Liberation Front in the west are also very active. The TPLF so far had ignored to go west to the Sudanese border, maybe they want to divert most Ethiopian forces to the east and then move there after.

I think you have a point. The Somali police and those who are manning major places like airports are not up to the task or could be infiltrated by the enemy. A guy in Halane told me that the Ugandans at the check points are very serious and meticulous in their checking of vehicles and people. He said, we just passed a check point forgot something , and we turned around. They flowed the same protocol although the people and the vehicle were the same. Also , you have a lot of people who were deputized and joined rhe security service . THese people have blood in their hands and couldn't be trusted to sensitive security.

Not only the highway but also instigate the Affar to curve out their own country. In fact, In all the regions, the Affar has the best chance to get a sea access and even create their own country. The southern tip of Eritrea along the coastal region is 100% Affar. Besides, the TPLF was the first entity to ever recognize an Affar Territory in Ethiopia. There are Affar separatist aligned with TPLF. The Affar are active in northern Djibouti already. The philosopher, Allah ha u Naxatiiste, Dr. Omar Raabe had created a map in 2002. In that futuristic map, The Somali region and half of Djibouti will join the Somali republic, Oromo will have a state and the Amhara and Tigray join in one scenario and separate in another, while the Affar will curve land both from Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea. The TPLF is counting on others to weaken Ethiopia. Abiy is flowing the tribal moves of Somalia in 1991 where soldiers abandoned their position on behalf of the tribes.

Where are the courts . There is no government institution that is working in Somaliland at the moment. The system became a tribal council. If you have issues with your plot of land you take your elder and complain to Muuse Biixi, if your son is visiting from Mogadishu and arrested by the security people, you have to take your clan elders to Muuse Biixi. These girls have been in jail for almost a month, there is no judge or district court to deal their cases. As usual clan elders had to go and see the tribal chief to release them. Now, everyone is thanking to the chief for their release. Hail to the chief. I guess Musse Biixi has to take credit. In 26 June, the flag that was raised in Hargeisa was the blue flag and these kids did the same thing.

Agree. I haven't seen one single fire fight between Amisom and Al-Shabaab. The only area Al-shabaan could take over is JUbbaland area. I don't mind Kenya staying there until the capability of the national force grows and the political climate stabilizes. Ethiopia has already left, and Djibouti could transfer Hiiraan within a year to one of those Turkish trained forces.

Their mandate ends December 2021, yet even six more months means trust had broken. The federal government has every right to have a say about the future deployment of these troops. 14 years is enough , they should leave.

Abiy and his actions could dismantle Ethiopia for good. his options are narrowing as time passes. He had choices bust wasted. With the help of Eritrea he crushed the TPLF and they retreated to the mountains. Of course there was resistance and hit and run guerrilla warfare , but those rebel couldn't be sustained that long. How long one can last in the mountains with zero supply?In 1991, it was EPLF of Eritrea which routed the main Derg army and helped TPLF march to Addis. He could have ignored and insisted to negotiate only on with disarmed TPLF. The moment he accepted to withdraw the army from Tigray , Abiy lost the advantage. How could you accept the army to leave its own country. Now he even went further and allowed tribes to arm themselves and fight among them while he is watching from the distance. Armed tribes and ethnics means anarchy and instability. Furthermore, the TPLF are masters of propaganda. Credible reports say that when they attacked the northern command in November 4 2020, while soldiers were sleep, they killed many officers and took thousands of soldiers as prisoners . Someof them fought and escaped to Eritrea , but others were marched to the mountains and used as human shield. It is a plausible explanation, otherwise how can Ethiopia abandon thousands of soldiers to be captured. If the TPLF is telling the truth and these soldiers were captured after they were defeated in a battle, them Amhara or other demoralized militia couldn't stop the desperate Wayaane. Mustafe Cagjar is sending about a thousand Somalis Liyuu police to the front to defend Amhara. Certainly we are living in strange times when Somali soldiers are dispatched to die for the Amhara. The Somali Liyu police are not stupid, and I hope they will depose Mustafe Axmaar first before dying in southern Tigray.

While we Somalis are debating about the next selection in Mogadishu or who is bribing who to select the next mayor of Borama and Burco, who might not be even able to collect the garbage from the city, the world is changing in unprecedented speed in terms development. Two or three decades ago, high speed railways, four lane highways, huge airports, and urban infrastructure were the exclusive perks of being a first world country. Railways moving people and freight were scarce in Africa and Unkown in our country. Then suddenly China shows up and opened the secrets of the world. Infrastructure projects that used to take a generation to finish , just took three or four years. Goods are moving from ports and reaching to the major cities and neighboring countries within 24 hours. According to America research data, 42% of the Chinese global infrastructure investments are: roads, railways, ports, airports, electric grids and dams. Another 42% are social infrastructure like hospitals and school while the remaining are supporting tourism and agricultural. America might still have some chances to sideline Chinese companies from taking a big share of the European market, but Africa is already gone to China and it's not coming back. Now, enough of Chinese infrastructure investment in Africa. I would like to try and explain here with my limited knowledge of how all these developments in these continents will be affecting the future of trade routes of our region and in Somalia in particular . For ages, there has been a talk of how strategic the location of Somalia is in terms of world trade routes in the Indian ocean and the Red Sea. Of course , Somalia is sitting across the Gulf of Eden, an important shipping route where thousands of ships travel in Somali waters. Furthermore, having one of the largest coasts in Africa, Somalia is sitting in a huge under the sea resource. Flights from Somalia could reach Lagos, Chandu, China , Cape town, South Africa and most of Europe with less than eight hours. Yet, all that has no value if you are not exporting anything or trading with the world. In the future, we might exploit our minerals, fisheries and undersea gas; we might export our processed meat to China and others, but if you are not connected with major trade routes in the continent of Africa and within your own region, your logistical value diminishes substantially. Also having small population means being overlooked in terms of markets. Thus, the Red Sea itself could be ignored in terms of trade volume compared to those bordering the Indian Ocean, mainly Kenya, Tanzania and the landlocked countries that border them. The disconnection between resource rich region and market and people has been consistent not only in Africa, but also in Somalia between the distance of water and livestock which creates the repetitive droughts that happen in the semi-arid regions. People brag about our ports and their value to the world trade, but if your port is not connected to major trading nations, it could be a useless lake unloading few containers with imported stable foods and Chinese merchandises. Let us look at Berbera, a port sitting empty for 30 years, and will sit empty another decade if nothing changes. In the spring of 2016, Cali Xoor Xoor, the manager of the Berbera port, came back from Dubai after signing an agreement with DP World, and proclaimed that the port will produce 20 or 30 times more than the current volume and will be a place the east African countries will shop ( Waxa ay noqon meel dadka Afrikada Bari degani ka adeegtaan). That port was transferred to the gulf just for five million dollars of lease a year. Lately we did hear about UAE port company expanding port and its tonnage. We also saw some Ethiopian delegation passing through town. Furthermore, there were news about a ship carrying goods for Ethiopia docking in Berbera. Of course, during draughts or calamities in the region, the world food program sends food shipments all over the region and Berbera is one of them. The issue here is there is no any Ethiopian contracts or agreements to use the port to import or export anything meaningful. The Berbera corridor has been in the pipelines since 2007. Not one single mile of road to connect to Wajaale has been built. Ethiopia will not enter any agreements unless the status of Somaliland changes. Period. Today the largest infrastructure projects are taking place in east Africa, Congo and west Africa. In our region the largest one is spearheaded by Kenya along with Ethiopia and South Sudan. The LAPSSET ( Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport Corridor) project is one of the largest in the region with estimated $24 billion dollars, connecting Lamu port to Jubba, South Sudan and Ethiopia. There will be a railway connecting Juba and Addis Ababa, and a crude pipeline carrying oil from Juba to refineries in Lamu which is part of the project. According to analysts, the LAPSSET project will boost the Kenyan economy and will double its GDP. In fact, there are other major six projects underway or almost finished in Kenya. Among them Kipevu oil terminal in Mombasa, Mega dams worth billions of Kenya Shillings, New cities, and more expansion of the Gage Standard Railway that was already completed from Mombasa to Nairobi--Naivasha in 2017, and 2019 respectively. In Tanzania, the Tanzania Standard Railway is underway to connect to Rwanda and Uganda and through these two countries will connect to Burundi and Democratic of Congo as part of East African Railway. Even if you exclude Ethiopia, These projects are connecting a population of more than two hundred million people in east and central Africa. Now, what would a population of 1.5--2 million people in Somaliland sitting in this huge empty port do to reach out these markets. In fact, you can add Boosaaso too in the equation. At the moment , Boosaaso is serving the commercial needs of Puntland and central Somalia which are probably two million people in total. At the moment Boosaaso is in a deep stagnation and quagmire orchestrated by UAE with no way out. Mombasa is digging deep and targeting huge Ships carrying 19,000 containers. 200 containers of good would flood both the north west and north east regions. As logistics and shipping goods get expensive, the Red Sea market could be abandoned as a whole. I was talking to a Chinese lady who imports one time use plastic container which became very popular during Covid -19 lock downs to carry take out foods from restaurants. The lady told me that due to tripling of cost of shiping she might abandon the business for good. A container that costed $4000 to transport from China to northern Canada had become $11,000 dollars due to the backlog . Another importer told me that a shipping container carrying dry food, spices and other foods imported from China has reached $18,000. Not only due to backlogs, but also, the United States is targeting China's economy by making shipping very expensive due to high insurance rates and other costs. In order to reduce costs , major shipping companies are using large ships that could carry thousands of containers. Berbera port at the moment is serving 1.5 million in Somaliland and sometimes aid organizations use to ship food for Ethiopia and the region. There are some stable food and merchandise shipments for the Somali region of Ethiopia which doesn't have major cities, population or any meaningful purchasing power. When a ship carrying food to Ethiopia docks to the port, we all hear the enthusiasm and false propaganda of the ruling class and their supporters as hitting a gold, but the reality is totally different. Without the Ethiopian market, Berbera has no value in terms of trade. The less than two million people in Somaliland could be overwhelmed by a single ship with 300 containers. By the time these huge infrastructures are finished in our region, no one will need these clan run ports. Why I am saying about clans? because clans do not think big or plan for the future. Couple of million dollars would satisfy their small greedy and hungry stomach. Last year, according to former minister of fisheries of Somalia, rather than earn hundreds of millions of dollars through establishing fish processing factories or investing in local fishermen, the Puntland leaders took just a couple of million dollars from a Thai based renegade fishing trawlers who were banned across the world. No one can tell us if that money went to the regional treasuries or in the pockets of the leader. People and nation-oriented leaders try to lift their people out of poverty and exploit their resources for the greater good. In Djibouti, Omar Gheelle is trying to steal as much business as possible from Somali Republic and fragmented regions. He built a port which exclusively exports livestock from Ethiopia and Somaliland to the gulf. Yet, Just like other Somalis in the region, he doesn't have the capacity to diversify the economy like building fishing factories or processing the meat and export outside the gulf region. . As Mombasa grows, and Massawa and Assab of Eritrea join in the business, Djibouti itself which has one single customer --Ethiopia---will suffer. An integrated trade and economy of the horn of Africa : Somalia, Ethiopia , Eritrea and Djibouti with almost 140 million people could lift millions out of poverty and lead to new possibilities. Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed had proposed economic integration of the region two years ago, but many in Somalia and Ethiopia considered the idea to be far-fetched and impossible to achieve. Many Somalis wary of Ethiopian huge population and their constant interference of Somalia affairs since 1991, rejected it completely. Besides, infrastructure building is a foreign thing to most Somalis. It is also some of the main issues that put Abiy Ahmed in hot waters in the region. This region of the horn which is famous for wars, conflicts and famine had never seen any minor trade agreements or any long-term stability to talk business and trade across their borders let alone economic integration. Even in one of his speeches, Abiy said that the horn of Africa has half of the population of United States, and we shouldn't be begging the gulf nations for help. That preacher , Abiy , should have kept his mouth and worked slowly and carefully by avoiding any big moves including wars. So, what are the economists and social scientists in Hargeisa are doing to earn some business and change the staus quo? Well, first of all, there are no economists, thinkers or even modest intellectuals in Hargeisa today. Those who had some expertise had either retired or cannot even see beyond the current quagmire. There might be some who could understand the dire economic situations they are in , but no one would listen even if they offer solutions . Proff. Ahmed Samatar might hold court in Hargeisa during his brief visits and explain about inter-connectivity of world trade , but he can bark as much as he wants and will be dismissed quickly. Who will tell them that you have to be a nation state to get small share of the 100 trillion economies of the world. In Hargeisa, old farts like C/laahi Jawaan, who is useless in 21 century, or high school dropouts like Mohamuud Hashi are holding court today. Sometimes, a couple enterprising guys from the diaspora would bring delegates from Gunnie, Singapore or Cameroon and sell false hopes to the man secluded in Morgans house. Wafti ka socda Singapore oo Berbera yimid. Yet, despite the isolation and poverty, the Hargeisa crowd even went further and increased the misery of the people by pocking the eyes of the biggest economy in the world--China. They confronted China by trying to recognize Taiwan. Is this the advice of couple of Nairobi based American neocons who might write a glowing peace in the foreign journals, or a scheme to make a buck from another amateur masquerading as an expert. It was Meles Zanawi who took Ahmed Siilaanyo to Beijing few years ago in order to convince the Chinese to invest the gas fields in the Somali region and build pipelines to Berbera for export. That was ages ago. Today, Ethiopia and China had agreed to build the pipeline to Djibouti which is almost 1200 km compared to the Berbera route which is 400 km less than the Djibouti one. Who knows , Chinese businesses might even blacklist the port from their ships. There is no one single major project in the horn that doesn't involve China, yet the backward-looking leadership in Hargeisa has decided to fight the Asian dragon. For what in exchange? nothing. The choice is simple. You either integrate your economy , trade and people or you remain poor for another 30 years. Yes, the EU and the NGO's will throw few crumbs for the elite in Hargeisa which is enough for the few connected to prolong the misery, but life changing infrastructure and big trade agreements will not happen in these Somali enclaves trying to be big fish in a small pound. Who is going to sign five billion dollars railway or port to a small-time governor? ? Waakan Alah ha naxariistee abwaankii abwaanada Hassan Shiekh Muumin oo ka hadlaya Soomalida kala socota. This is 1993 in , the great composer is talking to the delegates in Borama during the reconciliation 'Shir'. Magacya badanaa bisadu ma Soomaaliba.

Che, Have you seen the false bravado of the Amhara. They brag about their numbers being 25 million against five million Tigray, yet they are asking others to die for them. Why would Oromo special forces die to defend Amhara? Where are the gun wielding Amhara special forces who calling for war? This cowards want others to save them from TPLF. Furthermore, I hope no Somali force should involve this war among northern highlanders. Ha isku jabaan.

PM Abiy's party clinches landslide victory in Ethiopia elections Ethiopia’s ruling Prosperity Party on Saturday was declared the winner of last month’s national election in a landslide, assuring a second five-year term for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The National Election Board of Ethiopia said the ruling party won 410 seats out of 436 contested in the federal parliament, which will see dozens of other seats remain vacant after one-fifth of constituencies didn't vote due to unrest or logistical reasons. Ethiopia's new government is expected to be formed in October. Abiy on Saturday hailed the outcome. He described the June 21 vote as a "historically inclusive election," in a statement on Twitter, adding: "Our party is also happy that it has been chosen by the will of the people to administer the country." The vote was a major test for Abiy, who came to power in 2018 after the former prime minister resigned amid widespread protests. Abiy oversaw dramatic political reforms that led in part to a Nobel Peace Prize the following year, but critics say he is backtracking on political and media freedoms. Abiy also has drawn massive international criticism for his handling of the conflict in the Tigray region that has left thousands of people dead. June’s vote, which had been postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic and logistical issues, was largely peaceful but opposition parties decried harassment and intimidation. No voting was held in the Tigray region. Abiy has hailed the election as the nation’s first attempt at a free and fair vote, but the United States has called it "significantly flawed,” citing the detention of some opposition figures and insecurity in parts of Africa’s second-most populous country. The leader of the main opposition Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice party, Birhanu Nega, lost while opposition parties won just 11 seats. The Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice party has filed 207 complaints with the electoral body over the vote. Popular opposition parties in the Oromia region, the Oromo Federalist Congress and the Oromo Liberation Front of Ethiopia's largest federal state, boycotted the election saying their candidates had been arrested and offices vandalized. The ruling party ran alone in several dozen constituencies. The most competitive regions were Amhara, the country's second-largest, and the capital Addis Ababa. The head of the electoral board, Birtukan Mideksa, said during Saturday's announcement that the vote was held at a time when Ethiopia was experiencing challenges, "but this voting process has guaranteed that people will be governed through their votes.” "I want to confirm that we have managed to conduct a credible election,” she said according to remarks carried by the Associated Press (AP). Voter turnout was just over 90% among the more than 37 million people who had been registered to vote. The Prosperity Party was formed after the dismantling of Ethiopia’s former ruling coalition, which had been dominated by Tigray politicians. Disagreements over that decision signaled the first tensions between Abiy and Tigray leaders that finally led to the conflict in the region in November. Though Abiy hinted in 2018 that Ethiopia will limit a prime minister's terms to two, it is not clear whether he will act on that. Election day saw "no serious or widespread human rights violations" in stations observed by the state-affiliated Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Yet in a preliminary report, the EHRC noted that some constituencies experienced "improper arrests," voter intimidation and "harassment" of observers and journalists. The EHRC also said it had observed several killings in the days leading up the vote in Oromia. The opposition National Movement for Amhara filed a complaint to the electoral board over "serious problems" during the vote. "A lot of our observers were beaten and chased down by militias of the ruling party," senior party member Dessalegn Chanie told Agence France-Presse (AFP). Dessalegn is one of the opposition politicians who has so far won a spot in the federal parliament, though he said the party would decide whether to take its seats only after the electoral board rules on its complaints. Even a small amount of opposition representation in parliament would be an improvement and could fend off future instability, said Addisu Lashitew of the Brookings Institution in Washington. "People, especially the youth, they need to be heard, so they should have a voice in the political process," Addisu said. "Even if it may not be always successful in influencing political decisions, the fact that they are heard itself is important." Incorporating opposition voices into formal political processes means they are less likely to become "radicalized" or spur a large-scale protest movement, he added. The Prosperity Party "shouldn't read too much" into the results given the "deep political cleavages" that remain, Tegbaru Yared, a researcher with the Institute for Security Studies, wrote this week. Instead, the party "should focus on stabilizing the country, stopping intercommunal conflicts, managing inflation, engaging the opposition and initiating an all-inclusive national dialogue," Tegbaru wrote.

Ethnic expansion is probably intended for a future country nothing else. Amhara ethnic groups do not want to leave inside Tigray region, or vice versa. Oromo want to cleanse all Amhara from their region, so does the Ben Shanguli and others. If if we don't wise up and put our hoses in order, even we Somalis might flow that TPLF designed system of clan/ethnic federalism where every one is condemned to stay in his/her village. We are nomads for God sake, and have to roam the land.

The Northern guys were expecting to get to power or alternate the Bashtunes, but for 20 years, all they saw is Hamid Karzai and the current one alternate. Their top leader Cabdalla, disputed the last two elections, and was given only as number two. They are probably bitter. After all the fighting they did against the Taliban, they were never good enough to lead.It is the nature of things, you please the trouble makers.

Hit men every where in the developing world. Just look at Haiti. Well organised hit men speaking Spanish and American English visit the presidential place at 1:00 AM, acting like special group to save the president, pass or disable his security detail, and enter the panic room ( a bullet proof door with electronic lock) and kill the president. The next day the police chief arrests a dozen Colombian men, two Haitian Americans, and kills others with fire fight. He said a total 26 mercenaries came to kill the president. The assassinated president was known to be connected with drug dealers and Latin American cartel. Furthermore, the supreme court chief who supposed to take over has died with Covid, the senate could't convene to choose one, and the current premier was the acting one while the one appointed by the president supposed to take over this coming month. How many things could go wrong? Yet, many people believe that the Haitian police chief is playing games. How come an organised hit men who passed multiple security details did't have any plan to leave the country or escape plan? He probably arrested the Columbian drug dealers within the country and paraded them as suspects.

He is putting fuel to the fire already. fair election had to wait another four years.