The issue is not who is better than who, despite what earlier posters were trying to insinuate. The issue is that we seem to be in a vicious cycle of polarizing debates tainting analysis, and fueling misunderstanding of our own context and dynamics. Yes pastoral nomadic culture can be highly competitive with constant friction, due to scarcity and insecure access to water and pasture land that can turn to violent conflicts. But at the same time, they used to have traditional governance system with traditional leaders and customs that facilitated peace and reconciliation in pastoralist communities. Both pictures are highly contrasting, but it has worked for thousands of years and kept the balance. Was it not for that our traditional system being highly weakened, neglected and undermined, resulting to the Somali leadership one sidedly being populated with ‘waranles’(fighters and warmongers) without finding a place for ‘nabadoons’(peacemakers and mediators), significantly eliminating the capacity of the Somali people to manage and prevent conflict and criminality. Modern forms of governance and state authorities that we have adopted, has only exacerbated this problem, without providing a platform for the traditional mechanism and governance that Somali’s so direly need to resolve friction, disputes and conflicts. We have thrown away that what has worked for thousands of years for our people, without having an alternative to replace it bringing us to our current situation of never ending cycle of disputes and conflicts accumulating without any of them being actually resolved.

Aside from clan, please also take in to account that certain communities are largely agro‐pastoral whereas others are largely nomadic with distinctively different cultural, linguistic, social structures and political cultures. And fact is that Somali political culture might have been largely influenced by Nomadic communities where competition for hegemony is inherently part of the socio-cultural dynamics . Meaning that the ‘game’ of politics played in Mogadishu might be closer to the Nomadic game of ‘geel dhac’ of Mudug and than the agro-pastoral game of ‘istunka’ as played in Wanlaweyn and environments, despite the proximity of one another to Mogadishu.

Che, are you denying Somali kinship to the Rendille?

Kudos to the Professore!

Mogadishu is a great city, and the more reason you would want to keep it a Capital, but need try to regain it’s commercial and touristic significance on the Indian Ocean again. And remove the dirty politics and politicians from Mogadishu by moving the Seat of Government to a new location to be developed somewhere in the hinterland, somewhere on the border between the Nomadic Pastoralist and the more-Pastor-Agrarian communities, somewhere between the Maay and Mahaa Tidhi dialect speakers, somewhere in the middle of it all, somewhere where people are versed in clan and clan politics, in war and peace, somewhere between Hiiraan and Mudug regions.

The Capital doesn’t necessarily have to be also the Seat of Government. Many countries with less troubles have re-located their Seat of Governments. Funny thing is that African countries tend to move their Seat of Governments away from the coast to the hinterland. Coastal cities are much more suited for trade and tourism. I am sure Mogadishu residents must be fed up with politics dominating their daily lives, trade and traffics for that matter. Mogadishu could really flourish as a Capital with Commercial and Touristic centre, without politics polarising and paralyzing people’s daily lives. It’s common sense. And last point, one can also develop a new locality for the Seat of Government, it doesn’t have to be an existing City. And lastly, If small towns as Adado, Dhuusamareeb and Garowe, can be developed in to bustling towns, why not a new Town that becomes the seat of government, preferably in the hinterland and not on the coast. We don’t want the politicians and civil servants to enjoy themselves to much or pre-occupy themselves to much with coastal or ‘makhirian’ games. Could this work?

A Professor who is a US citizen based in the States, is accusing another US citizen, who also comes from the US and whose family is based there where he soon will returning to, of not being a Somali Patriot (Wadani). The irony.

Is it the same Rashid Abdi, who is on trial for treason?

Don’t think it will happen. PM Roble is to kind hearted and not power hungry. Parliament won’t remove him like they did with his power hungry predecessors.

It seems that the riverine states of South-West and Hirshabbele, are the dealbreakers. That’s a game changer, could this lead to the new President and PM coming from those corners?

Chairman Faisal is currently the second longest serving Somali politician. He has held a political office and position for the last 22 years, since 1999 straight without interruptions. Only President Ismail Omer Guelleh of Djibouti has been longer in a political position. Point being, don’t underestimate Faisal. So his many ‘turns’ or ‘twists’ has clearly kept him in the game, and outlive many others politically. p.s. this is not support for his comments, just stating that it clearly serves a purpose.

MMA, If the election process in Somalia was clear to everyone, there would be no fertile ground for creating “been abuur” as you are claiming. But fact remains election process is not clear, election date has not been set or clarified and many assume that it’s not a fair process either. Otherwise there would be no need to announce boycots by regions who have always so far enthusiastically participated in Somalia’s Political Election process. Could you react to that pls? And also pls explain to us why we are not seeing progression in terms of process clarity in 2021, compared to earlier processes. Shouldn’t one have learned, improved and showed progression from earlier times? What is the cause of this regression in political power play? Where is this heading to?

MMA, the topic is arbitrary arrest. Your personal dislike for Somaliland isn’t really relevant for the discussion. What is your take on this subject? And is this something only happening in Somaliland, or is it also common practice across the region in Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya or Ethiopia? And if so, what effects does it have on the people’s? On the other efforts to create a region based on adherence to law and order and who’s people and government are law abiding? What image of the region will arbitrarily arrests create to the rest of the world, will it portray and create a sense of confidence, sense of trust and sense of security?

To date It’s been 100 years since Sayid Cabdalle Hassan historic movement and legacy, and he entered the history pages. Even the westerns still remember him and mention him in publications and historic documentaries like this one here, why don’t we Somali’s do that?