A lot of Monday morning quarter backs are questioning why Hassan Shiek signed agreement with Somaliland. Some of you even have the audacity to call him traitor, Corrupt etc. Have you ever considered this fact of life: No investment will be done in Somalia and also in Somaliland unless both of them guarantee that, even in the worst case if they war each other will still respect investment agreements entered for development only development activities by either side. Actually Ghelleh needs a thank you and praises for helping both in achieving this agreement. Do you think Somalia can have all kinds of investment raining on her, yet is able to stop a penny rolling towards Somaliland? If you believe that then you are being dishonest to yourself. Look at Puntland and investments not only China, but even American companies were interested. Tell me if you had money and would invest it in any of these places with current situation that is uncertain. I do not know, I am too small to know, but have my doubt that the visits by Farmaajo and Bixi to Djibouti within days of each other probably had something to do with it.

Ethiopia deals with Qatar, UAE, Saudis, Sudan...yet all of them are cat and mouse depending on season.Ethiopia deals with America, Russia, China, Britain, Japan...yet these are cat and mouse at all times. Those are the facts. President Farmaajo should have taken responsibility and authority of this issue, especially when parliament, PM..were going in different directions with it and using the issue in their tussle. I also commented that the SFG needs to resolve, file necessary documents and move on. The more time spent on this the more trivial issues becoming reason of disunity. Anything wrong? As far as kilil goes, Somaliland is further south than Djibouti and any business in Somaliland covers more population and more geographic area. Kilil also can participate with more development projects in that than Djibouti which only covers small part of the kilil. Anything wrong? Or is just you cannot make your point without mentioning Ethiopia/kilil in your "nationalist" propaganda?

The Egyptians thought to lock Somalia in the box and have free use of Somalia against Ethiopia, otherwise Ethiopia and Eritrea have more Arabs than Somalia. The Saudi and Gulf were never that enthusiastic of Arab League. It was just Egypt. Its very easy for Somalia to become an important country in Africa, but almost impossible with Arabs.

Mooge, Are you starting to pull the other shoe since one shoe has fallen already? Now the PM will have full time job of guarding his chair.

I think the disappointment in Puntland if there is at all on current president is of not taking change of direction. 20 years waiting for others to put their houses in order and each one to do their share and other side living with Somaliland unresolved status is very expensive, very difficult and everytime someone else want to drag you down by sending the all season tool of terrorism is a very complicated life. Puntland has more strategic issues to deal with than most countries of the world. Imagine how much the Chinese could have invested had the Somaliland status was clear? As for Gen. Morgan, he understands and accepts the situation that war is not a solution.

I do not think he will win, but he may become in charge of defence since that will be next measure department to worry about in Puntland. A lot of storm gathering on Puntland.

So far the only one disappointed and spekaing/writing against him are the Amhara/particularly the group that is known as chauvinist and from the Oromo the Jawar type that expected him to act against Somali and Tigray which he has done the opposite. The groups that are inpatient are the ones that are against him, others are all saying he needs time and has to be given time. From Amhara the chauvinists are really scared and calling do or die, afraid that they would be completely out of the system in short coming years. Example there was a conference of about 3,000 people in Meqelle. When a Somali spoke that the Somali also want to be prime minister of this country, we want to govern Ethiopia as well and EPRDF has to expand and do it soon, the whole conference gave him a long applause, but you can see on the faces of the Amhara that sinking feeling.

Ethiopian parliament approves appointment of Ministers Addis Ababa, April 19, 2018 (FBC) –The House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR) today approved the appointment of members of the Council of Ministers nominated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Accordingly, the House approved the appointment of the following ministers: 1. Shiferaw Shigute - Minister of Agriculture and Livestock 2. Siraj Fegessa - Minister of Transport 3. Dr Hirut Woldemariam- Minister of Labor and Social Affairs 4. Ambassador Teshome Toga- Minister of Public Enterprises 5. Umer Hussen – Director General of Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority with the rank of Minister 6. Uba Mohammed- Minister of Communication and Information Technology 7. Dr Ambachew Mekonnen- Minister of Industry 8. Motuma Mekassa – Minister of Defense 9. Fozia Amin – Minister of Culture and Tourism 10. Ahmed Shide -Minister of Government Communications Affairs Office 11. Jantrar Abay – Minister of Urban Development and Housing 12. Melese Alemu –Minister of Mines and Energy 13. Berhanu Tsegaye – Attorney General 14. Yalem Tsegaye – Minister of Women and Children 15. Melaku Alebel – Minister of Trade 16. Dr Amir Aman – Minister of Health Similarly, Muferiat Kamil has been elected Speaker of the House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR), replacing Abadula Gemeda. The House also approved the draft bill prepared to merge the Ministry of Farming and Natural Resource and the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries. The new name of the merged ministries is “Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed today appointed the following nine officials as heads of federal offices: Videos From Around The World 1. Fetlework Gebre-Egziabher- Chief Coordinator of Democratic System Building Coordination Center with the Rank of Minister 2. Demitu Hambisa –Head of Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Affairs Minister 3. Abadula Gemeda – National Security Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister 4. Ahmed Abitew – Director General of Policy Study and Research Center with the Rank of Minister 5. Moges Balcha- Democratic System Building Coordination Center’s Coordinator at the Prime Minister’s office with the Rank of Minister 6. Aleminew Mekonnen- President of Meles Zenawi Leadership Academy with the Rank of Minister 7. Dr Bekele Bulado- Director General of Metals and Engineering Corporation (METEC) 8. Temesgen Tiruneh – Director General of Information Network Security Agency (INSA) 9. Yared Zerihun – Commissioner General of Federal Police Commission The appointment took into consideration educational background, political and leadership skills, it was noted.

By way of example you have king menelik of Ethiopia who is despised as chicken scared of Europeans to sell all the sea shore, cruel to people as in monument in Oromo state of breasts and hands of people he cut, yet in one province of the Amhara region Menelik is a hero. History is full of that. Its like one man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter. The balance is those who like him should respect the grievance of those who received short end of his stick and those who suffered should understand that he is someon's hero. If you are living separately is very easy, but if still want to live together is difficult.

Not only forecasting. Past history is very important. They had the most developed government in pre-colonial Somali peoples. They had kingdom while the next most developed ones had Sultanates which is less developed than Kingdom/Boqor. Its much easier to recover memory in people. Its easy to say "make puntland great again". You can see Scotland having own government after 300 years of no self government. Ones society reaches certain level of organization, no matter how difficult the road wars, famine, destabilization, disorganization..cannot erase from memory.

But he needs some more talk, than what he is doing. This is the age of facebook and is very challenging even if one is doing a great work, if he is not in your face on TV, Radio, public townhall meetings etc.

He is. Invite him to Garowe for a tour and investment. He has a lot of debt, but he has also money to invest. If America can function with all this debt and show off everywhere, so can Ghelleh. He invests a lot in Ethiopia, of course is birth country, but the man is good Somali and even with the Afar good leader.

General Morgan is a changed man from his role and past pre-1991. Listen to an interview he gave in 2006 in Mogadishu after the ICU defeat and exit. Somalilanders and blind nationalists will be hard to convince. Somalilanders for pre-1991 and blind nationalists for his call for Ethiopians to stop Aidiid, which they did in the Bay and areas there. He also has become more religious more godfearing as westerners saying. Of course he must understand that Puntland has to have a modus vivendi "how to live with" the situation with Somaliland. He could not use Puntland to get at Somaliland. Regardless of the status of Somaliland both need to live together and to the extent possible at peace. If Djibouti and Kilil can have perfect modus vivendi with Somaliland regardless of the status, so can Puntland.

Even a cousin has place and weight separate from your children and own family. Puntland needs a security arrangement with Somaliland an Economic link with kilil and respectable position in Parliament and good understanding with kilil and Djibouti. Puntland has the highest risk of all regions in Somalia. If that conflicts between cousins so be it.

You are rolling today. I like your enthusiasm. I also like your decision making in split seconds. Its amazing how you always deal from position of strength. BTW Somalia is not most strategic even in Africa let alone the world. Egypt is most strategic location, then Turkey and so on. Check history. Every empire known to man, except far east all went and conquered Egypt. Even the weakest empires or group of friends. Somalia for the most part was untouched until the Dutch and portugues tried Kismayu and Zeila and then every joe like Oman, or Joel like Italian, French, Ottoman, Persian, British came.

galbeedi, You just laid to waste all "enemies" of Somalia right here on this post. The problem is these are not enemies of Somalia. Some of them are gift of nature, neighbours. Somehow you need to find a way to live in this tough neighbourhood. Today you have become the perfect arm chair general. Since I agree with some of your dreams, I say if only our galbeedi had an army, he would have solved most problems and made the horn of Africa feed itself, peaceful, productive, developed and dominating the age of technology, a radar and mobile command on the back of every camel. Some of it is entertaining, but sad as you are oblivious to the real people on the ground.

Some quotable musings from ex-speaker Jawari "I am not going anywhere far and will be staying with you, as now I have time to do extra effort, that I will redouble my performance as an MP"

Weak and unprincipled politicians always hide behind bogeyman titles and phantom enemies. In Mogadishu its Ethiopia, Somaliland, Kenya, Puntland and even Bay that get blamed for this or that failure. Yet I have never seen a single issue that is so significant for Somalia that failed because of these entities. Those who speak of bogeyman are first to deal with the bogeyman. Late president Barre had no qualms calling Ethiopians to help and sending General Morgan when he needed. One of the power houses in Mogadishu also had no qualms being friend of Ethiopia when needed to compete with the other power house there.

This is an issue that is "the elephant in the room" which is more consequential than the UAE Qatar tussle and politicians competing who is who by the UAE Qatar scale. There is the constitutional file, which seems everyone avoiding to talk about which is most critical issue on the grund. Who ever is next speaker should bring politicians to deal with this file openly, publicly and clearly. Every corner should state what they want directly and in public.

If I were president Farmaajo I would appoint Hassan Shiek as foreign minister, or make him speaker or make him in charge of some very important function. He can deal with Djibouti, Ethiopia, Turkey, Kenya, Uganda sensibly and competently. In the home front he can deal with regions and concerns. He would handle many files more competently. These are countries that have interest and place in Somalia same as Somalia have interest and place in their affairs. He would also be more productive in the accomodation with Somaliland of the no war, no trust, no agreed peace....with Mugadisho. Accusing someone of being UAE while yourself being a Qatar will not get people anywhere except creating another front and wasting lives, time and resource. But since a Tigray, Tigray AI, Xabeshi..is saying this go ahead those unrealistic, by taking the complete opposite. No time to see things on their merits. Only what and who is saying this. If an Ethiopian says this, must be against Somalia is the modus operandi some of you follow.

"May God save you from the teeth of tiger, the venom of cobra and the revenge of Afghan" - Alexander the great. In the mean time the Bantu has become a lion to some degree, but your wishes is good. Uganda is now an oil producing country, has a big Somali community and successful at that in its country, has allies in Mogadishu who are really close, and has America behind it.

Don't jump accusing your fellow Somali of being installed by someone foreign. Especially regional governments. They have a population behind them and a reason for doing so. As soon as you point finger accusing your fellow Somali of being foreign support, you are putting your self in the service of another foreign influence. All those accusing fellow Somali of siding with UAE are shamelessly with Qatar. They just hide by making Qatar (supporter of terrorism) as Somali friend and UAE which actually contributed a lot in the fight against terrorism, as enemy of Somali.

Some of the solutions: 1. Stop mixing internal and external issues. Example PM and Speaker tussle was what made this worst 2. Consult with Kwait and Oman that have successfuly been navigating with this problem 3. Let the UAE continue their work in regions like Puntland. Since Arabs are like children when they fight and reconcile, don't get too deep anywhere. 4. Deal with Djibouti, Ethiopia and to some extent Kenya so that there is no misunderstanding on this issue 5. Do not associate any other issue with the main issue. Not everything is related. Give more weight to internal matters as it relates to this issue. Example if HirShebele is going to be affected, deal directly with the region rather than decisions from the top and then accusing the region of siding with this or that power. 6. Accept the fact that Somalia is not neutral. Somalia is only neutral in name. Practically there are a lot of issues that show Somalia to be in the Qatar camp. 7. Take advantage of the friction between Saudi and UAE to the extent possible. Follow what Djibouti and Ethiopia do. They are singing Kumbaya with the Saudis.

Now my friend you are talking facebook country rather than the real country, real people on the ground. No need to go that far and that direction. Do you ever get concerned of the poor nomad tending his camels not knowing that our galbeedi wants to bring Iran and victimize this nomad to no benefit? Do you think residents of Bassaso will be accepting your childish games at their expense and without their acceptance? Weren't you the one condemning Shia in favour of Wahabbis just recently? What changed? Ethiopia and Saudi joint ministerial commission meeting just ended. You will be shocked of the results with the logic you follow. Now you will be calling for bombing of Ethiopia. lol The Ethioians are in dire need of hard currency. Their economy is showing signs of weakness. Djibouti also will have Saudi base functioning soon. See how confusing all this gets. My hope is Bassasso will not be affected deeply by all this and should work with Djibouti to handle things in perspective.

You mean with Saudi Arabia? From that side its the Saudis that have closer relation to Ethiopia than UAE. Turkey is too big of a country to follow our galbeedi's tantrum behaviour of "if you are friends with Malik you cannot be my friend". These are countries, not teenager school yard players. Ethiopia BTW as you are well aware is one of the few countries that is friends with America, China, Russia, Britain all at the same time and in good standing. Same with Turkey, Israel, and even Iran. I know its hard to understand how this is done. Somalia needs to develop this kind of capacity. Jumping from one frying pan to another will not make the food better. Qatar is also a deadly country and do not forget that as you huff and puff about UAE. Since now you have Oromo PM, Oromo president, Oromo speaker in Ethiopia should not be hard for our galbeedi to work with.