It's like the diplomatic recognition Northern Cyprus received from Turkey in 1983 . It amounts to nothing. ----- US slams Russian recognition of breakaway areas By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 9 minutes ago WASHINGTON - The White House on Tuesday blasted Russia's formal recognition of two separatist Georgian provinces, calling it "irrational" behavior that is rejected by the world. White House spokesman Tony Fratto said the U.S. would use its veto power on the U.N. Security Council to make sure Russia's move is "dead on arrival" in the international forum. "Russia is making, I would say, a number of irrational decisions," Fratto said from Crawford, Texas, where the Russian conflict continues to hang over President Bush's quiet time at his ranch. The president was expected to issue a written statement on the matter later Tuesday. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced Tuesday that his country will grant diplomatic recognition to the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. By doing so, Medvedev rebuffed President Bush's plea to him of just a day earlier. Medvedev said Georgia forced Russia's hand by trying to reassert control by force in the smaller of the two regions, South Ossetia, on Aug. 7. The self-governing regions seek independence from Georgia and eventual annexation by Russia. Fratto said the conflict is not solely between the U.S. and Russia, as other world leaders spoke up Tuesday to condemn Russia's stand behind the breakaway regions. "We hope that they hear the loud voices from the international community and understand that it's not in their long-term interests to take these kinds of actions," Fratto said. Vice President Cheney leaves next week on a trip that includes a stop in Georgia; Fratto said that no U.S. officials plan to go Russia to appeal directly to leaders there. "The Russians know their obligations and I don't know that it requires anyone going to Russia to inform them of it," he said. Meanwhile, the United States dispatched a military ship bearing aid to a Georgian port city still patrolled by Russian troops. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Russia has no business declaring the provinces independent of U.S.-backed Georgia while the United Nations Security Council on which Russia sits has declared that the regions are part of Georgia. "I think it is regrettable," Rice said when asked at a news conference in Ramallah, West Bank about Russia's announcement. "It puts Russia of course in opposition to a number of Security Council resolutions to which it is party, most appallingly as a member of the P-5." She was using the shorthand for the permanent five members of the powerful Security Council: the U.S, Britain, France, China and Russia. All have veto power. Rice said the U.S. regards Abkhazia and South Ossetia as "part of the internationally recognized borders of Georgia." In Washington, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the U.S. is looking at a variety of options to respond. "We're not trying to escalate anything," Wood said when asked whether disagreement between the West and Russia would jeopardize international cooperation. But, he added, "We obviously can't allow what Russia's done to go without there being some consequences." He would not provide details about possible punishment the U.S. is considering. Russian tanks and troops drove deep into undisputed Georgian territory in a five-day war that Moscow saw as a justified response to a military threat in its backyard and the West viewed as a repeat of Soviet-style intervention. The U.S. has said Russia is not fully complying with a cease-fire signed more than a week ago. Rice noted that the cease-fire calls for international input to settle the future of the two breakaway regions. Russian forces have staked out positions beyond the de-facto borders of the separatist regions, which the U.S. and other Western nations call a cease-fire violation. "While there have been some significant Russian movements, they are not yet living up to the terms of the cease-fire agreement," Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said Tuesday. He said there still is a "sizable Russian presence in Georgia," though he declined to discuss the specific locations of the remaining troops. Angering Russia, the U.S. sent the missile destroyer USS McFaul to the southern Georgian port of Batumi, well away from the conflict zone, to deliver 34 tons of humanitarian aid on Sunday. The McFaul left Batumi on Tuesday but would remain in the Black Sea area, said Commander Scott Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy's 6th Fleet in Naples, Italy. The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Dallas, meanwhile, was headed for Georgia with a shipment of aid. It may try to enter Poti. __

BEESHA OGAYSLABE OO QADO SHARAF U SAMEEYEY WAFDIGA UU HOGAMINAYO GENERAL C/LAAHI AXMED JAAMAC + [sAWIRO] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Badhan:- Waxa maanta Qado sharaf u fidiyey wafdiga u hogaminayo General C/Laahi Axmed Jaamac {ilko Jiir}Beesha ogayslabe qado sharaftan oo ujeedadeedu ahayd sidii ay labada dhinacba isugu xog warami lahaayeen, Waxaana goob jog ka ahaa qado sharaftaasi, Cuqaasha iyo odayaal dhaqamedka iyo waliba qaar ka mid ah Saraakiisha ciidamada Gobolka sanaag. Waxaana madasha qada sharafta dhanka wafdiga ka hadlay Mudane:- Cali Maxamed Xirsi ka mid ah wafdiga uu hogaminayo General C/Laah Axmed Jaamac {Ilka jiir} Oo sheegay in ay aad ugu faraxsan yihiin qado sharaftan qimaha badan oo usameyeyen Beesha ogayslabe ayna aad iyo aad ugu mahad naqayaan. Sawir Qade Mukhtar {Maakhaari} Email: koronto011@hotmail.com Sawiradi iyo warbixinti Ismail Shidemadaare

More pics for the Die-hard nationalists' welcome of the General in Midigale, Sanaag. WARBIXIN DHERAAD AH, MAGAALADA MINDIGALE IYO SOO DHOWEYNTII[sAWIRO DHEERAAD AH] MINDIGALE:- War bixin dheeraad ah oo ku saabsan soo dhowayntii wafdiga uu hogaaminayo general C/laahi Axmed Jaamac (ilkajiir) ee magaalada Mindigale, Waxay ahayd maalin aad layaab badan u leh, abaabulka iyo soo dhowaynta shacabka reer mindigale siday u soobexeen. Sidaanu kor kusoo xusney waxaa soo dhoweeyey musharaxa dadwayne aad u balaaran oo uu horkacayeen Ururadda Bulshada iyo Qaybaha kala duwan ee Bulshada iyo waliba Gudiga Magaalada Mindigale iyo waxgaradka culumada cugaasha isimada iyo waliba dhamaan dadwayanaha Magaalada Mindigale.

Daalibul' Ilm, the Islamists in Kismayo are quite moderate and they're not purely comprised of Al-shabaab group. Time will clarify the uncertainty about the future of Kismayo and the whole south in General. Somalia – August 18 Djibouti Agreement The United States welcomes the implementation phase of a process begun by the Transitional Federal Government and the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia to promote peace and stability in Somalia. The August 18 signing of the Djibouti Agreement by representatives of these two groups officially starts this crucial phase. We thank the government of Djibouti for hosting these important talks, and the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General for his leadership in facilitating them. The United States was represented at a senior level at the talks to demonstrate support for the process. The United States reaffirms its support for rapid deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Somalia, and calls on all Somalis who seek peace and stability to support implementation of the Djibouti Agreement. 2008/659

Mindigale oo sidii ugu weyneyd loogu soo dhaweeyey Wefdigii Gen. Cabdullahi Axmed Jaamac Ilko-jiir Generalka iyo Korneel Goronyo Cawl The General getting Royal treatment from Queen Araweelo

SOMALIA: Somaliland Women Take on New Roles May 3, 2005 - (IRIN) The old Somali adage, "A mother's purpose is to be a cook, laundrywoman, nurturer and wife to her husband," describes to some degree the traditional role of the women in Somaliland. That role was radically altered by the Somali civil war of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Traditionally, Somali men were the providers of their families' basic needs. However, when the civil war erupted, thousands of them were killed, maimed or exiled. "More than 20,000 men lost their lives during the civil war, leaving widows and orphans behind," Hussein Ahmed, of Somaliland's War Crimes Investigation Commission, told IRIN in Hargeysa, the capital of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland. "Over 300,000 people were displaced externally and internally due to the war, many of them men who have permanently settled elsewhere and married other wives," Hussein added. Of the dead, up to 3,500 people in Somaliland were killed by landmines alone, according to the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières. Another estimated 1,500 had their limbs amputated, rendering the men among them unable to work to support their families. In the aftermath of the war, the task of caring for the thousands of families in Somaliland fell to the women, who had to take on the dual role of father and mother in their homes. According to a 2004 World Bank survey, women were the breadwinners in 70 percent of Somaliland households. SOCIAL FACTORS Apart from death and displacement, there was another significant reason that forced women to become the breadwinners in their homes: Most men in Somaliland consume khat, which can become addictive and stop users from being productive. Khat is a plant found across East Africa whose leaves or buds are either chewed or brewed as a drink, primarily as a stimulant. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) describes the short-term effects of using khat as mental alertness and excitement. Once the euphoria has worn off, UNODC says, users become morose, irritable and slack. Prolonged use leads to depression, aggressive behaviour and psychological dependence. A look around the busy market in Hargeysa reveals that women run many of the stalls. They must work or their families would go without even the most basic needs. "I started trading in the market in 1995 when my husband got hooked to chewing khat," Asha Mohammed, a vendor in the market told IRIN. "He lost his job because of chewing khat." Her husband later deserted the family, leaving her to care for their six children, she added. Mohammed's story is not uncommon in Somaliland, as the use of the stimulant is very much a part of the social fabric and is therefore widely accepted. It is so well established in Somali culture that when the price of khat doubled in 2003, hundreds of people who chew khat marched in protest in Hargeysa. "Most men in Somaliland have forsaken their families and gotten hooked on khat," Shukri Harir Ismail, of the project, Health Unlimited - Well Woman Media, told IRIN. "These men could have made a big difference to the country's living standards with all the money they spend on khat," she said. Somalia's civil war also led to rampant unemployment in Somaliland, which has one of the world's poorest economies. According to the UN, more than 73 percent of the population lives in poverty, while 43 percent live in extreme poverty. The use of Khat has increased in part due to the rise in unemployment. Polygamy has also contributed to the increasing number of female breadwinners in Somaliland. Somalis follow Islamic tradition, which allows men to marry up to four wives provided they are able to support them. However, Somaliland's men are so poor that they can barely afford to support one wife. When a man marries several women, his wives are forced to take up an economic activity to sustain their families. Fozia Elmi had to begin selling fresh milk when her husband married a second wife. "He was jobless for a long time, but still married another woman, knowing that he was already unable to provide for me and our children," she told IRIN. While women's responsibilities in Somaliland society have drastically increased recently, the change has not been translated to an improvement in their status in society. Women remain at the bottom rung of the social ladder in Somaliland. They continue to be subjected to serious injustices like female genital mutilation: A 2004 study by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) found that Somaliland has a 98 percent prevalence rate. Illiteracy is also widespread in Somaliland, particularly among women. According to UNICEF, the country had only a 22 percent primary school enrolment in 2004, nine percent of which were girls. That figure dropped to six percent for secondary school. Relief workers in Hargeysa said violent crimes against women were also common in Somaliland. "Cases of domestic violence and rape are on the increase," Ayanle Jama, a human rights officer with NAGAAD, an umbrella organisation for women in Somaliland, told IRIN. She also said divorce was on the rise, adding that women rarely received a fair hearing in a judicial system whose laws favour men. Husbands are able to divorce their wives easily in Somaliland, leaving many women to sustain their families single-handedly. Even in the marketplace, where the women sit for hours each day trying to eke out a living, conditions aren't easy. "We [women] cannot use the public toilets in the [Hargeysa] market," Fatima Ibrahim, a khat trader, told IRIN. Women often arrive at the market as early as four o'clock in the morning and have to stay there until late in the evening. However, because women and men are discouraged from mixing in public areas, women are forced to spend all day without visiting the shared toilets. "I was recently diagnosed with a kidney complication, which was probably caused by the situation I find myself in," Ibrahim added. PROMOTING WOMEN Aid agencies are trying to provide some relief to women. UNICEF has started education projects to promote the education of girls, and the relief organisation, CARE International, is setting up micro-credit schemes to enable women to start up small businesses. In 2002, the UN Development Fund for Women, UNIFEM, carried out a gender-justice project. "As a result of the gender awareness created and the advocacy initiatives generated towards the inclusion of women into law enforcement agencies, 30 women police officers were recruited by the Somaliland police," it said. Local NGOs such as NAGAAD are also involved in trying to advance the economic, social and political status of women in Somaliland. Recently, the Somaliland government appointed two women to its cabinet, a first for the republic. However, for the women in Hargeysa market, much more needs to be done to redress the imbalance in their society. "Appointing two women to cabinet should not be considered a development yardstick - our problems must be addressed," one trader told IRIN. Somaliland is located to the northwest of Somalia, in the Horn of Africa. It declared its independence from Somalia in 1991, but to date has not gained recognition as a legitimate state.

Originally posted by Sayid*Somal: Finally A Worthy Topic!!! but why are they unknown - i knew they were the unsung heroes of somalia, but definitely not unknown. Unknown soldier is not a honorific title, unsung heroes or heroins of the civil war would be appropriate.

Good articles, thanks Cynical-lady

Given the verifiable reports of rape, checkpoints and ethnic cleansing in the city for the last 8 years of power struggle over the control of the city between rival clans, I speculate the government will allow the city to be temporarily ruled by the Islamists based on the Djibouti Accord as a pilot program for the evenual withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from the rest of Somalia and the consolidation of the TFG's authority in the whole south. Uncertainty as Somalia’s Kismayo port falls to Islamists 23 Aug 23, 2008 - 4:10:13 PM KISMAYO, Somalia Aug 23 (Garowe Online) - The strategic port city of Kismayo, in Somalia’s deep south, was reportedly calm on Saturday after heavy battles in the preceding days killed upwards of 50 people and wounded more than 164 others. An alliance of militias loyal to local clans and the Islamic Courts movement are maintaining control of the security situation, according to a Radio Garowe correspondent and local sources. Col. Barre Hirale, Kismayo’s former warlord-ruler and a member of the Somali parliament, had reportedly reached parts of Gedo region. Two trucks manned by MP Hirale’s gunmen that “ran out of gas” were burned by Islamist fighters who were reportedly pursuing the fleeing warlord, according to witnesses. Upwards of 50 people were killed in two days of fierce fighting inside Kismayo, with hospital director Dr. Ali Hassan confirming to Radio Garowe that 164 wounded people were admitted for treatment since Thursday. An Islamist military officer who spoke with Radio Garowe on the condition of anonymity described the situation as “very calm,” adding: “The local people have welcomed Islamic rule.” He said MP Hirale and loyal militiamen “fled and are being chased.” He claimed that Islamist fighters seized some of Hirale’s armored trucks. Radio Garowe asked the Islamist officer whether or not Sheikh Hassan Turki – a well-known Islamist commander – is inside Kismayo. “No, no…He is part of the jihad, but I cannot say where he is,” the source added. He claimed that Islamist fighters now control “the road linking Kismayo to Mogadishu,” which is a 500-kilometer stretch spanning the regions of Lower Jubba, Middle Jubba, Lower Shabelle and Banadir. Islamist commanders are scheduled to meet with the region's traditional elders tomorrow, according to the Islamist officer and a clan elder. Mr. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the United Nations Special Envoy to Somalia, condemned the latest violence in Kismayo and called on all sides to respect "humanitarian law." [ READ: UN Envoy condemns deadly violence in port city] Kismayo has been the scene of clan-based violence since the early 1990s, when Gen. Mohamed Farah Aideed repeatedly attacked the town valued for its strategic port. Another warlord, Gen. Mohamed Hersi Morgan, defended Kismayo from Gen. Aideed’s military advances and ruled the town during the mid-1990s. In 1999, an alliance of clans led by Col. Hirale invaded Kismayo and dislodged Gen. Morgan from power. In September 2006, as the Islamic Courts rose to power, Islamist fighters seized Kismayo and forced Col. Hirale and his clan militia to flee, until they were expelled by Ethiopian-backed government troops in January 2007. A month after Ethiopian troops withdrew, Somali government troops divided along clan lines and battled for control of Kismayo, with Hirale’s clan militias successfully capturing the port town and expelling the government-appointed regional administration. Informed sources tell Radio Garowe that the militias who now control Kismayo allied with the Islamic Courts movement after the Somali government "neglected" local clans, who were subject to "clan domination" under Hirale's reign. People interviewed by Radio Garowe on Kismayo streets said they welcomed the change, with several interviewees accusing Col. Hirale's militiamen of "subjugating" the local unarmed population. Abdullahi Yusuf, president of the Ethiopian-backed Somali interim government, long ago declared that Kismayo is not under the government's control. It is not clear what Yusuf's government will do about Kismayo, a town that has changed hands many times in recent years. But Islamist fighters now control many towns across Somalia, including the town of Bal'ad, which is located 30km north of the capital Mogadishu. Source: Garowe Online

Thanks Duke for the UPdate.

Ilka jiir oo booqday deegaanka Laako.

U.S Department of State

Caamir: Seems like ppl hugely welcoming him everywhere in PL.

Shirkii uu saaka ku qabtey Musharax Ilka Jiir Degmada Baran....

This is the heart of Somali Nationalism.

Daawo sawiradii soo dhaweynta Musharax Ilka jiir ee magaalada Badhan

Ethio-Djibouti railway rehabilitation well underway Addis Ababa (WIC) – The rehabilitation of the old Ethio-Djibouti railway trucks is well underway with 40 million Euro, Ethio-Djibouti Railway Enterprise General Manager disclosed. Enterprise General Manager Ti’ume Tekle told WIC the 114 Km rail truck in need of rehabilitation out of the 781 Km long rail and the rebuilding of 40 bridges is going on very well. The maintenance and reconstruction of the more than hundred years old trucks is progressing according to plan, the General Manager said, adding that it will be finalized and go operational next year. As the maintenance is given special attention, the Enterprise is constructing new rail trucks at some particular places, according to the General Manager. The Enterprise is currently providing cargo service from the port of Djibouti to Diredawa and will extend the service to Addis Ababa, he indicated. Alongside the maintenance and reconstruction of worn out rail trucks, preparations are underway to raise the number of cargos and locomotives as well as to update its communication methods, according to the General Manager. Representative of the Italian based Construction Company, CONSTA Joint Venture, on his part said the maintenance and reconstruction of the railway is going on well and will be completed according to plan. The maintenance is carried out with the state-of-the-art technology and the company intends to take up contracts in other railway constructions, the representative indicated. Employees of the Ethio-Djibouti Railway Enterprise are doing their levels best to improve and scale up its services, it was learnt. Source: Walta Information, Aug 17, 2008

Originally posted by Saqajaan: Elections? You mean clan appointment? s way into continuing to be the head mafiaso. Jacaylbaro, no one wants to swim the muddy water with you. Being too angry all the time is unhealthy

Who is this Saqajaan? He's been violating the golden rules of the site over and over.

Booqashadii iyo kulankii Buraan oo faahfaahsan See the full Report http://www.puntlandfuture.com/news9.php

^JB, stop being a spoiler. Who said the visit by the General to his hometowns is an election campaign. it is about building up consensus and putting the house in order prior to the election which is set to begin on November 1st.

^ I think it's trade union, but the political integration will take some time.

General Abdullahi receives another heroe's welcome in Ceelbuh, Sanaag. Ceelbuh:- Dadwayne aad u farabadan ayaa soo dhoweeyey musharaxa Generalk Cabdulahi Axmed Jaamac [ilka Jiir] iyadoo soo dhowaynta ay ka soo bilaabatay ilaa 10 km dhinaca bari ka xigta ee magaalada Ceelbuh iyadoo bulshada reer Ceelbuh ay muujiyeen sida ay ugu faraxsan yihiin imaanshaha iyo booqashada wefdigan culus. Sidaanu kor kusoo xusney waxaa soo dhoweeyey musharaxa dadwayne aad u balaaran oo uu horkacayeen Gudiga Magaalada Ceelbuh iyo waliba waxgaradka culumada cugaasha isimada iyo waliba dhamaan dadwayanaha degmada Ceelbuh. Source: Dhahar.com