The O community has indeed become a major political player in the region, for a long time they were politically on the fringes determined by their position on the peripheries of the Somali territory. But as the region is becoming more interconnected and integrated it is an advantage and opportunity for those on the outer edges. However, as one still needs to leave a political stamp on the region, I am wondering if their politics will be characterised by building bridges between peoples or one of trampling people under their 🦶.

Territorial collaboration and integration is not only a matter of communal affinity (clan relations), but economy, geography and mobility plays an important role as well. There are no road connections between Sanaag and Sool, and hardly any economic linkages between the two. Sool is more connected to Toghdheer and Nugaal(Garowe) economically, whereas Eastern Sanaag is connected to western-Sanaag(Erigavo) and Bari(Bosasso). This also goes for movement of people.

Excellent proposition, now we are talking. One ‘ ‘Somali’ regional internal trade market, and for such an internal market to be viable you would need to have a common trade policy and negotiate external trade agreements under the same tariff regimes. Let’s talk further on this, perhaps in a separate topic.

Puntland is not the only region with severe structural economic and political problems, and where such violent incidents have taken place or dangerous factors exists for it to easily happen. Somali’s have a very short term memory, and little sense of pre-perception.

MMA, Hassan Sheick and Farmaajo visited the same number of countries in their first two months. But nevertheless, I fully agree with you that Somali leaders have their priorities wrong and should better focus on the domestic and getting their own house in order. And rather should visit the regions in the country rather all these foreign visits. It’s ridiculous that sometimes in their term they haven’t even visit some regions and many large towns, but visit some countries 3 or 4x times within one term, it’s indeed ridiculous.

I get that the Deni and Diani issue is still unresolved, but nevertheless this latest incident could have easily been prevented as neither had actually intended going to war or inflict so many casualties on one another at this moment on this issue. Similar incidents can easily repeat itself between regional and federal officials, even in other states, if there is no structural coordination, communication and diplomacy between the federal and regional officials.

Try to the understand the context, these were begin of the 90’s, most families that fled or were send to the west were themselves very young mothers without the husband there in foreign country, often traumatised, raising young her own young children and in addition young kids from relatives like Mo Farah who were probably older then her own kids and mostly likely mother came herself straight from the rural areas where she probably grew up in a harsh environment herself and knows not better. I am not saying it happened like that exactly, but these were different times and different kind of families, often with limited knowledge of both Islam and pedagogy and without the rich access to information and knowledge that you and I have nowadays. I am sure that family is looking at things differently today.

A lot of Somali children who have been brought to the west and are raised by close relatives, feel often a sense of abandonment, neglect and even abuse, even though the families reasoning for bringing the child to the west is to give them a better future not abuse them. I guess these parents are often traumatised themselves and unprepared to show the adopted children the love and caring they need.

Allah ha u naxariisto masakiinta meesha ku dhimatay. I think this is an unfortunate and unintended incident and not as politically charge as it might seem. Cause this isn’t the first time that similar incidents have occurred around fededal officials visiting regional states. it seems there is a lack of structural and clear lines of communication and coordination between the two layers. These recurring misunderstandings can be easly solved if federal government would have a low key official in each state, finetuning communication and logistical arrangements between federal government and regions. Call it regional representative, commissioner, logistical officer, or whatever but there needs to be a clear entry point responsible for fine tuning and smoothing communication and coordination of logistics and those sort of things with regional officials. Preferably someone with excellent social and communication skills, who is familiar with locality, with a modest posture and doesn’t feel urges to asserting authority, status or power but employs DIPLOMACY to get things done.

Don’t take it personal, but as this is a discussion forum its purpose is to debate one another, even disagree or disquify each other’s statements and positions. And on that note, I don’t have an issue if one associates clans with specific urban settlement, but in your statements you equate repeatedly clans to specific urban settlements and that’s what I have an issue with and find malignant. Contrary to some pastoral and rural grazing lands, A city is its people and not the same or equivalent to clans. This kind of thinking in classifications and making the wrong equations is what often leads to depersonalisation,dehumanisation and basically denying and trampling on peoples basic rights and human existence.

Tariikhdii dhameed, casharkii ka baran leheen, wixii dhacay, kuli isku soo wada duub sheekada tolka ayaa kusoo xidhay.

If we are talking native clan communities, in my book native reer Xamar are those mixed communities from Shibis, Shangaani iyo Hamarweyne, the inland Banadiri, Afgooye and those from close by Balcad environs. Natives from Mudug and Galgaduud are neither part of those communities nor close to those communities neither in geographical proximity, culture, values or norms. irrelevant how many guns or force one can apply, as guns and force can easily turn sides, but culture and value don’t.

Fitnah ayaa wakhtigaas dhacday, Madaxweynihii ayaa la dilay, taasna waxa usii dheereed afgambi, iyo Raisal Wasaare, Gudoomiyaha Baarlamanka iyo madaxdii kale xabsi lagu xidho. Ta ugu daran wexe eheed umadii oo badankooda waxaas oo fitnah sacabka u tumiyaa oo soo dhaweeniya. Madaxda wa loo duceeya ama laga duceystaa, laakinse Somali albaabka fitnaha ayee isku fureen oo kursi fadhisiyeen oo ila maantada inkaarta gudaha kursi ugu fadhida.

Two questions come to mind; Does Somalia have relations with Palestina? If not, how wise would it be to develop relations with only one of the two countries engaged in a conflict? After all you are getting yourself involved in conflicts that you can’t comprehend and that potentially could backfire. And Somalia has a long and bad experience with this, very recently with the Gulf, but also during the Cold War and also in Africa, it was getting involved and choosing sides in conflicts and wars.

It’s sign of maturity to develop foreign relationships based on national interest raising it above the partisan politics, immature favouritism or the narrow interest of few individuals. Each country pursues foreign policy based on securing its national interest and its goals, It’s a universally accepted right of each state. Lets hope one can continue to develop mature and balanced relationships based on interest, diplomacy, informed negotiations and compromise without the childish tit for tat with other countries, e.g. Ethiopia, Kenya, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran, Turkey, EU, US, China, Russia and whomever.

It goes against basic civility and morality for any leader, let alone a former President, to criticise his successor or for a sitting one to criticise his predecessor. It sets a bad example specially as predecessors form a moral authority, are emulated by and set the bar for both succeeding leaders, their subordinates and bigger public. And for a successor it can work as a boomerang, how you treat your predecessors will also set the bar for how you and your legacy will be treated when you are gone. It just leads to moral and ethical decay and degeneration, and undermines compassion and cooperation. P.S. I am not talking about HSM or Farmaajo perse, but in general why it wouldn’t be appropriate.

I guess this is not a debate about history, but rather an attempt to substantiate your theory of clan exceptionalism. Which is okey, and quite common as well, every Somali clan thinks they are exceptional.

She wasn’t thinking, dhiiga yara kacay oo seefta ayee lasoo booday.

On that note, in antiquities for centuries until the 19th century, the trading centre of the world was the Indian Ocean area with a thriving trade between a chain of coastal cities, like Aden, Berbera, Calcutta, Zanzibar, Mogadishu, Mombasa. Long-distance trade in dhows made it a dynamic zone of interaction between peoples, cultures, and civilizations stretching from Southeast Asia to East and South East Africa and East Mediterranean in the West in prehistoric and early historic periods. Cities and states on the Indian Ocean rim focused on connecting both the sea and the land. In fact Berbera was once the site of an annual trade fair, It was the largest of its kind in the region. Traders from as far as Ethiopia and even India would congregate here in their thousands. Guess what happened with that trade? And guess where the trade moved to? The region can restore that trade and connection again, once more become to become the economic and trade centre of the world, if we can only start to look beyond the current trivial discourse.

First of all, nobody is implying that one is better then the other, that kind of chauvinistic thinking has no place in serious political and historical discussions. If it was soccer on the other hand or any other form of recreational sports, I would have stood beside you in the soccer stadium cheering for the home team, and believing they are better then the opponents, which was also kinda true with Hargeisa and Toghdheer teams being the best teams. Second, Nobody is doubting the importance and economic value Berbera, as Berbera was the main reason for Britains presence in the region. But when it comes to history, you can’t compare the behaviour of one (Italians) in a particular geography(South-Somalia, more fertile land, rivers, perfectly suited for agriculture, different economy), with a different climate (Indian ocean climate, nice and tropical, more rainfall) and context (Italy having no other colonies except for Somalia and Eritrea). In 1930, there were already more then 30.000 Italians living in Somalia, not only in Mogadishu but throughout in Marka, Kismayo, Baidoa, Jowhar and across the agricultural areas of the riverine Jubba and Shebelle valleys wherrw they set-up large agricultural plantations. Now how can you compare that with the behaviour of another(the British) in a region (Somaliland, with nomadic peoples, and pastoral economy), in a geography (mountainous, difficult to access in those years before you had large vehicles), with a climate (Red sea, arid and dry climate, limited rainfall) that is inhospitable for Europeans, and context where the British already have large and historical presence in the region with Egypt, Sudan, Yemen and have colonised already 25% of the earths surface where half of the earths population live in. The British presence in Somaliland had no time more then 500 British citizens in the country, mostly consisting of soldiers and administrative officials, compare that with 30.000 Italians who were running farms, hotels and business in the country. Based on all that I don’t think you can compare or conclude that one peoples is better then the other, or one colonial power was better then the other, as context determines the behaviour of peoples.

You are comparing two completely different geographies that couldn’t have been more different. do you think the British would have acted the same if Somaliland had the same climate as Somalia, floating rivers, fertile lands, developed coastal cities. Belief me they would have come with more then the 500 soldiers they would have come with tens of thousands, settled there permanently and definitely abused the population just as they have in Kenya, Zimbabwe, India and every other place they deemed worth of real colonisation.

Dalmar, Mogadishu naga daa warkeeda waan hayaa, ee iga waran xaalka Dhuusamareeb, Guriceel, Matabaan iyo Ceel Dheere. Give us update on those localities.

Again, this doesn’t belong in the politics section. This forum needs a special section for special mental and psychological cases.

When u see a Somali overly claiming a region, you know they are definitely not from there. Wouldn’t be surprise if our friend here is actually from Mudug or Galgaduud.

This is one understandable, having a personal medical doctor you can trust. Not everything has to be done 4.5. Let the President be treated by his nephew and let him bring his personal cook and driver, I don’t have an issue with that as they are working with his own personal domain and not part of making national policies.