STOIC;800708 wrote: Lander, Let's suppose, if the SL project will not take off twenty years down the road and the south builds a confident government, i think it will be safe to play a genial host to the blue flag one more time.I hope a consensus will be reached by SL leaders to abandon the project or else we will stay in limbo forever...I'm sure this back-to-the-future approach brings little enthusiasm in you and all the die-hard secessionist, but I'll not be surprised if opinions shift.I console myself that the rest of the world will take notice, but sometimes practical problems will call for practical solutions.My goal is not to induce a sense of defeat and i wholeheartedly support the project. This is not a mishmash of appeasement, but just looking ahead....for now all what i'm saying is just pie-in-the-sky.... Well first off Somaliland isn't a 'project' or an experimentation those are words exclusively used by detractors and resoundingly anti-Somaliland crowds, its unfortunate you would refer to it as such. Somaliland is a fact on the ground today and I'm sure you're well aware of its growth in governance and sustainability. Nearly a decade ago, when you and I first started posting in these forums, Somaliland was hardly known even amongst Somalis, its government institutions were quite weak (or non-existent in some cases) and its reach was limited. Nevertheless, in the mind of most Somalilanders their country was to be nurtured and strenghtened, most of them didn't consider and don't consider a Plan B. The country has grown in leaps and bounds since than and its case is fairly well known in the international arena, Though I may be perceived as a "die-hard" Somalilander as your suggesting in these neck of the woods (SOL), my views within the Somaliland political spectrum could hardly be described as such. Ironically, I feel your views are shared by a certain segments of the population in Somaliland and its diaspora but for totally different reasons. Those who feel that Somaliland is under constant existential threat and that the majority of resources should be devoted to defense and and security also talk about these same 'scenarios' of being made to fall under the blue flag. I do not agree with these people and feel a future Somalia that can stand on its two feet can only be a positive for Somaliland in resolving its political status and solving outstanding issues. However, its not to say that these folks are completely wrong I just feel they're overly focused on that front. I don't see political 'limbo' as a doom on Somaliland and I don't see it only having two options being either recognized as a sovereign entity or going back to a union with Somalia as again your suggesting. Lastly, I can't really say what will happen in 20 years or what the political stance of most Somalilanders will be vis-a-vis the affairs of their country. However, what I can tell you based on what I see today, that hoisting a blue flag or unifying with other Somalis in a single country will simply not be an option for Somalilanders. There is an entire generation of younger people born in the 90s that have not witnessed the war and who's view are far more 'hard core' or nationalistic than my own and the generation that came before me. They were born under the green, white and red and have never known Somalia, some of them surprise me in just how politically aware they are, so that is one of the main reasons I also think what your suggesting is simply not plausible.

STOIC;800691 wrote: MM, Waar Xajiyataa wa Fish and Chips...Koronto aya lagukoreey..Waar baa mahayso...though She warn me not to post anything on SOL anymore, but my argument was I was member here for eight years.I can't just drop my SOL family....I was ambivalent too ever since I was in Kenya even when i was seven years old they brought victims of Barre in our homes during the SNM war...I just had to support the SL project for practical reasons, but if the south becomes peaceful and builds a clean government i will get my blue flag....Horta anything i say here is just dacdacshoo..hope nobody takes it serious..... Ceebay did you say Blue flag. War Sujui-ow ha nagu ceebayn meesha bal eeg qosolka weyn ee kaga keentay ninkan magac Miskiinka la baxay.

FreshPrince;800517 wrote: ^ Is funny how all you just named are from ONE tribe. lol Again, thanks for proving my point. XX, Please find this young man someone from his tribe was a member of the USP or NUF or any other of those parties. It may go a long way in keeping him happy.

FreshPrince;800488 wrote: The Founders of the 1960 Union were SYL and Members of Mixed Clans from Northern Somalia, mainly USP and SNL. The important thing is, "Who are the defenders of the Union of 1960"? The SYL was irrelevant to Somaliland representation before it joined the union, they garnered less than 1 percent in Somaliland. The SNL had the majority of the representation in Somaliland with the USP a distant second. If the SNL had decided against the Union, Somaliland would have remained an independent state with or without the other parties.

Wadani;799622 wrote: which coastal Somalis? U mean zaylac, berbera etc. Or down sourth such as xamar and marka? Be specific, cuz the answer will depend on which coastal communities u r talking about. Like i already told u, southern coastal people such as the bajunis and the xamar cadcad are not ethnic somalis. But the average Somali man from Zaylac for example doesnt have any more arab blood in him than a man from gaalkacyo, which like i said is negligible amounts if any. Somalis are a xenophobic people, who did not traditionally marry outside the race. Anyway if u wanna claim Arab blood thats on u, but dont speak for the rest of us Somalis who are proud african cushites. Wadani is on to something, some somalis I know did DNA tests and it showed them to have more DNA in common with other east africans such as those mentioned above than with Arabs. Not to say that some people may have more or less blood from different ethnicities, one friend found Indonesian DNA on her maternal side. By the way the two cute little smiling girls are Bajunis from the Bajun islands in the south of Somalia.

"They limited the number of political parties to three to prevent a repeat of the fragmentation of the 1960s, when nationwide elections spawned more than 60 political parties, essentially one for each subclan. It was an attempt to create parties based on ideology, not tribe, something that has proven difficult across Africa." Now that Siilanyo has opened up political parties and you see the like of SSC type parties coming to light, what does this mean for Somaliiland and its ability to created post-tribal political parties P.S Haji google the article and you will find it http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/07/world/africa/07iht-somalia.4826198.html?pagewanted=all

This is not necessarily about Clan, Dahabshiil was ear marked not long ago to buy a villa that was government owned and that was occupied for 20 years by SNM veterans and orphans of SNM deceased veterans (Ilaahey ha u naxaristee) that was the first strike against Dahabshiil. People couldn't understand why he (Dahabshiil owner) had to have that villa of all places or why he simply couldn't built himself another. Unrelated to this story but Dahabshiil had become unpopular with the population there.

Cyrenaica existed in a federal system in the 50's and was largely neglected by Ghadafi in terms of development despite having 2/3rds of the countries reserves. Not to mention they took the worse of the fighting against Ghadafi When he was within sites of Bengazhi. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17271431

Khatumoo should join the frey and make their own party, no need to fight in this day and age. Even in the old Somaliland people joined political groups like USP and SNL. I use to wonder if it was wise to open up and make room for more political parties in such a young democracy as Somaliland, but if our folk in parts of Sool and Sanaag that are not active participants at the moment join in the democractic process it will be well a worthwile effort. Still I can only imagine if the electorate gets divided in the main cities along smaller political groups, it will be a headache to govern in such an environment!

A_Khadar;799389 wrote: Basically Garoowe online.. What bad word choice.. Contested area kulaahaa... XX, do you have self doubt that Siilanyo has no choice but to vacate Khatumo lands and have talk to live peace side by side for two communities.. Or you still have that dream of one day, the clan will secure its long waited recognition and will force other clans to join.. This reminds me the famous song of Saado "Sandulaad ku soo noqon".. Her prediction wasn't bad after all.. Somaliland's international recognition is also your recognition, I am curious to know where the likes of you would stand should that scenario unfold. There are other communities in the international arena that face such dilemmas and creating a non cooperative stance against the government of a newly recognized independent state. Continuing to refuse any engagement with the majority rule based on ethnic, religious or tribal grounds only exacerbates the situation in those areas leading to unrest and under development. Take Kashmir, republica Sprska, Western Sahara or even South Sudan border areas for example. Finding a healthy medium to express your desire for autonomy while not completely ignoring the said government seems to be the best course for action in my opinion. They said Albanian Kosovars were 'dreaming' and bosniaks were foolish to think the serbs would let them go. Until very recently, I knew Serbs who claimed to be from Yugoslavia or some that would even claim Sarajevo to be Serbia, but eventually they come to accept reality, being they are in fact Bosnian Serbs from Sarajevo and that there country is actually called Bosnia Herzgovina and not Yusgoslavia or Serbia. Its approaching 2 decades since the independence of Bosnia and it may take a full 20 years or more for these people to accept Bosnia as their country. I believe the same will happen for Somaliland and its minority opposition. In the end this is all speculation, but only one of us can be right. At this point in time Somalia has no real legitimate government and if it were to get one soon, one its chances of extending its reach to well established Somaliland is next to nothing. Somaliland gaining independence is far more plausible than you may think, I really wonder if those opposed to Somaliland would be pragmatic or would act much like others in Europe and elsewhere and stall their own progress and their communities progress.

Amazing Siilanyo in that 80s video looks like a young buck I didn't even recognize him.

Oodweyne;798391 wrote: Abwaan , finally, I really can't thank enough the likes of Gen. Samatar of this world. For he has made it abundantly clear, at least to the likes of me, the meaning of "Somalinimo" in which him and the likes of his tireless defenders around the world believe in. And, for that, I am extremely grateful for it, indeed. Amazing to me that till this day you still see these qacan folk and Siad Barre sympathizers who shamelessly speak on behalf of genocidal criminals like this man. The Somalis and their polar opposite views war and crimes reminds me alot of my friends who hail from ex-Yugoslavia. The Serbs view men like Milosevic, Hadzich and Mladic as men who were 'nationalist' and looking out for the best interest of the country and were justified in their actions to put down so-called rebels and 'renegade' ethnic groups, some even go so far as to claim they are heros. They also often like to state 'the bosnian rebel leaders are not facing the same courts in the same numbers' While the bosnians, kosovars and others rejoice at any of these men being arrested and having to face justice and made accountable for the genocial crimes commited against their population. Nevermind that the Serbs used the state military and militias loyal to the state military to commit the most heinous crimes known to Europe since WW2. This is a military killing the very same population they are suppose to protect from outside threat. Quite similar to what criminals like Samatar did in Somaliland except our people did not have the benefit of NATO no fly zones and protection from aerial carpet bombing. The use of certain planes that required the skills of foreign mercenaries is irrelevant, this man had direct control of said bombings and should be held accountable from now till the end of times. A foreign reporter apparently testified and still had an audio of an interview with this man where she asked about the bombings and the orders given and perhaps had this not been brought to light he wouldn't have been so quick to accept judgement. I understand that some folks who were privileged children under the former regime where their fathers and uncles ransacked the public treasury for their own comfort and tend to see the 'rebel' groups as the destroyers of 'all the things that were good about Somalia'. But don't be shameless and have the decency to at least not defend the indefensible, nobody is denying the crimes of militias in the 90s within Somalia once there was no central government and it become a free for all. But this has no bearing on the actions taken by the government of Somalia at the time against a segment of Somaliland's population. Stop grasping at things that are either unrelated or do not change the criminal actions of Ali Samatar and other high ranking military and defense officials of that government. Somalinimo is a bogus idea when you really look at the views of Somali people on matters such as these. People are trying to get highest ranking members of a former governing body to be held accountable for their crimes and most of these sympathizers are likely looking at it from a tribal prism. it's a shame he isn't facing a real international criminal court and its also a shame the likes of Gen Morgan are allowed to roam freely in this world. I hope Inshallah the latest generation of Somalilanders take these criminals to task where the older generations failed to act. They're aging and time is of the essence.

General Duke;797666 wrote: Its like having George Washington denouncing the U.S. and then Historians saying, oh well he was only the first President and not the founder. Its clear many secessionist here don's even know what they are talking about. Tuur and Egaal AUN, even fought a sub clan wars which destroyed whole towns and left thousands dead. Yet we are all told to forget this part of the glorious history of the SNM clan claims.. George Washington never recanted on the continental secession from the British Empire. However, Benedict Arnold one of the best if not the absolute best general and strategist the Americans had during their war of indepedence did try to bring the Americans back into the hands of the British. He was not successful because the American population was determined and History is full of such events. Tur and Egal did not "fight", Tur stepped down at the request of tribal elders who decided an SNM leader (being the tribal organization it was) was not the best way forward for reconciliation and peace but a civilian leader would be most suitable, short lived tribal battles broke out and 'thousands upon thousands' did NOT perish unlike during the Siad barre era. If you are a cheap propagandist you should stick with what you know and not speak so loosely, its sad when I see tribalist who actually wish other people had slaughtered each other in the thousands in the hopes of somehow saying " See! your not so different from the rest!". Sorry to burst your bubble bud we didn't slaughter each other like you wish we had (in Somaliland). Abdirahman Tur (Ilaahey ha u naxaristee) was a hero even if he had different opinions from the majority of the population, he is respected and remembered as such. Not for wanting a "confederacy or union with Somalia" but for all the real deeds he did for his people prior to politics that allow those people to survive and live freely today. He's no Benedict Arnold he did not try to hand over the SNM to Siad Barre, yet even Arnold is remembered fondly at times for what he meant, sacrificed and did for the american war of independence. So it should be no surprise to you that a hero who saved his people from eradication and who's only public sin is to have gotten involved in politics and have an opinion contrary to that of the majority should still be celebrated as a hero and not a traitor. P.S. Rest your tribal mind, I do not hail from Tur's tribe should you feel the need to associate me with a bias towards the man Ilaahey ha u naxaristee.

Abu-Salman;797457 wrote: lol so we'll buy baagiye from Lander on Gabiley streets? I remember back in around Christmas 2001 in a small French town buying an irresistible "crepe with nutella". Street vendors in the West make good profits. Who knows if the economy take off these may be lucrative though not a healthy diet... PS: Saad Shire 4 years plan leave almost nothing to vital health services though! Gabiley is too small a market we're aiming to have H-town on lock first. Plus I heard Gabiley's mayor, she's a little too hands on in everything that goes down over there and I like to keep control of my financial affairs Sage, Liberal and neo-Liberal economic theories are for western academics to hagle over, we're talking about real every day people ish son! Bagiye business for me Ice cream biz for Blessed if you holla at us we may just allow you to buy into our little venture. Real talk though, Somaliland has a fairly free movement of capital, labor and investments. There is virtually no government interference at the moment, that creates an ideal investment environment for those willing to come there and put there money to work. You don't wanna tamper with that right now. Plus we haven't reached the level of worrying about foreign capital influence in the economy and protecting domestic industries. The country has to attract a significant amout of FDI before we start to worry about which direction or model would be most beneficial to our people as a whole.

*Blessed;797449 wrote: Great stuff! I personally think this is way more important than recognition, jobs and some much needed competition. Waan soo socdaa with my ice cream fan. Well Said and I totally agree! move over with your ice cream, I plan on monopolizing the street food vending with my world famous 'Bagiya'

Something tells me the majority of people responding haven't actually read the entire article, at least Carafaat admited as much. Take this article in its context, it's in part a response to other writers who (allegedly) routinely demonize this authors tribe as being the root of all somali problems. But it goes much further and talks about many figures in history and inconsistencies in the political realm. Che -Guevara;796982 wrote: He turned incoherent rant into art-form. I'm pretty sure he was coherent when he described december 2006 as one of the great catastrophes experienced by Somali people and Somali nationhood but perhaps you disagree. http://somalilandpress.com/calling-a-spade-a-spade-26746 Che -Guevara;796982 wrote: The Third Catastrophe: December, 24, 2006—another day of infamy in the history of the Somalis. It was the day the unthinkable actually took place. It was the day that the great city of Mogadishu unbelievably, in point of fact nonetheless, fell into the hands of an invading foreign army. It was the day that, in the annals of nations, Somalia joined the short list of countries where a nation‟s sovereignty was effectively transferred to—and exercised from—the capital of another country as a result of a conquest. The incongruity, the shock, the disbelief and the lingering dismay that this event inflicted on every Somali worth his/her salt were rendered all the more agonizing by the fact that the invader had not initiated and declared war on Somalia. Instead, the invader‟s takeover of the nation‟s capital and most its territory had come about at the express behest and pleasure of the “president of Somalia” at the time. The name of that “president of Somalia” was Abdillahi Yusuf Ahmed. He ended up to be a Traitor without equal anywhere and at any time. Without a doubt, his character and antics were decidedly un-Somali as well as un-Islamic. Unlike Mohamed the Mullah and Mohamed the Fascist, Abdillahi the Traitor had not even felt the need to employ initial discretion, stealth or lofty proclamations to ascend to the station that eventually allowed him to commit the crimes his “Traitor” tag so aptly denotes. Abdillahi the Traitor was a man terminally crazed by love for power and crazily still, he never made any secret of that affliction. From the time in the late 1979s when he staged a failed coup d‟état against Mohamed the Fascist‟s regime to his days as the head of the grossly ineffective SSDF insurgency in 1980s; from his super-warlord tenure in Puntland following the Fascist‟s downfall to the day of his selection as „president‟, Abdillahi the Traitor left no stone unturned in his tireless quest to become the ruler of Somalia. Moreover, his obsession was mostly characterized by violence. Eventually, two years prior to the invasion, his dreams had come true when he was installed as “president of Somalia” in Nairobi, Kenya, by—oh! No need to say by whom again. Everyone knows where Somali „presidents‟ are installed these days and more importantly by whom. It is a sad saga by itself, but let us proceed with the tale of the tale. In the inaugural address at his coronation ceremony—in Nairobi, where else?—Abdillahi the Traitor made no secret of his desire and determination to see foreign troops to be the bedrock of his “presidential” authority. Without mincing words, he begged his foreign sponsors to put their Armed Forces at his disposal! The Traitor was so bold—some might say so foolhardy—as to appoint the number and the time. He wanted twenty thousand soldiers and he wanted them now! No legitimate, semi-legitimate or even illegitimate Somali head of state before him, even those struggling under similar circumstances of powerlessness, even if adorned with grandiose titles, had ever contemplated—much less had called for—such monstrous treason against his own country. But, of course, Abdillahi the Traitor was only joking. He was just being characteristically bombastic. He was merely exercising his penchant for hyperbole and indulging in the normally harmless fantasies that his super-warlord illusions of grandeur had inflicted to his frame of mind. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, don‟t worry, Abdillahi the Traitor was, of course, only joking. This was because it was unthinkable that a Somali—much less one who, after a long quest, had at last laid claim to the highest office of his country; never mind the murky circumstances and the dubious legitimacy of his ascension to that exalted station—well, I was saying it was unthinkable that a Somali would entice foreign troops to occupy so much a square inch of his own country‟s territory. No personal ambition or no tribal interest or no national exigency, however so overwhelming and pressing, or no circumstance of any definition would justifiably drive a Somali to call for such so extraordinarily heinous and traitorous action. And was there anyone who doubted that Abdillahi the Traitor, in spite of all his obviously frightening shortcomings, was a Somali indeed? Nonetheless, for the third time in less than a century, a Somali „leader‟, senseless with boundless avarice for self-aggrandizement and brimming with tribal vendetta, has managed to visit on fellow Somalis yet another catastrophe of monumental proportions. It turned out that Abdillahi the Traitor had not been joking about shepherding foreign troops to invade and occupy his country after all. He did not flinch a moment or waste a second when the first feasible opportunity in realizing his wish presented itself. Thus in mid December 2006, at Abdillahi the Traitor‟s express behest and pleasure, a foreign army matched from several fronts into Somalia. In less than two weeks, much of southern Somalia, including the nation‟s capital, fell firmly into that alien army‟s hands. Yet another gruesome „first‟! Yet another indelibly ugly stain was embossed into the lore of Somali body polity! Utter incredulity, unbearable dismay, intolerable humiliation, excruciating disgrace and paralyzing agony could naturally only be the sorry lot of every Somali worth his/her salt as this cataclysmal turn of events unfolded before him/her. Worse still and adding insult to injury, the occupying army happened to be none other than that of Somalia‟s neighbor, Ethiopia. The longtime and somewhat irrational enmity between Somalis and Ethiopians had ebbed somewhat, at least in its naked form, in later years. Nonetheless, every Somali worth his/her salt would only consider an Ethiopian army occupying any part of an independent Somali territory—that be Somalia, including the so-called Puntland, or Somaliland or Djibouti—as nothing less than a doomsday. And indeed nearly a doomsday it was. The invasion and subsequent occupation was a doomsday—a doomsday, a time of cataclysmic destruction and death; a doomsday, which matched the two catastrophes that Mohamed the Mullah and Mohamed the Fascist had visited on Somalis in their times. Nobody knows exactly how many Somalis died in this Abdillahi the Traitor-promoted aggression, but knowledgeable observers say the number was well over hundred fifty thousand. Hundreds of thousands more were wounded or maimed. Over a million yet others were forced to flee their homes or were generally displaced or dislocated by the fighting. The loss in properties and of livelihoods was incalculable. For the second time in Somali history, cities and their civilian residents were bombarded with artillery barrages, tank and other heavy weaponry shells which had been fired from positions within these cities‟ environs. For the second time in Somali history, cities and their civilian residents were bombed and strafed by warplanes, which had taken off from these cities‟ airports. The ill-effects of this invasion and occupation went well beyond the immediate physical human sufferings it had caused, abhorrent as they were. The invaders also succeeded in uprooting the only indigenously inspired and owned semblance of effective governance that had emerged in Somalia in over a decade and half. read on he continues... Maaddeey;797028 wrote: I stopped when he called Sayid's struggle a catastrophe!. Ciddaas maxaa Sayidka laga siiyaa?. Its perfectly normal to disagree with the author, few somali figures are as polarizing as Mohamed Abdullah Hassan. However, perhaps you did yourself a disservice by not reading the rest of what he had to say on ina Abdullah Hassan. His main point was that beyond what the self-proclaimed Sayid and his movement did or didn’t do, what was more important was what legacy it had left and was learnt from them by Somalis. He references a Somali adage “Waxuu na baday, waxuu na baray baa nagaga daran Rather than what [the suffering] he caused to us, what [the misbehavior] he taught us is more harmful”. I hope your not in the category of those who know of the ‘Sayid’ by a statue in Xamar that was propogated to entire generations as that of a Somali hero spread on many social networking sites nowadays and that is the beginning and the end of most of this generations real knowledge on the historical figure that is Mohamed Abdullah Hassan. Regardless, whether you see the man as a saint or as a villain there are a few undeniable facts in history about his movement. 1st-The stated goal of the movement was to remove the British, that was not achieved nor did they come close to it. 2nd-The majority of those who died at the hand of the ‘darwiish’ and were most oft targeted, were not the British, the Somaliland Camel Corps or any subsequent armed mercenaries recruited by the British. Rather they were unsuspecting somali nomads who were uninvolved and unarmed and who’s only crime was to go on about their daily lives as they had long before the growth of the ‘Darwiish’ movements or the arrival of the British.

I think they should invite the real Sheikh Sharif to H-town, no reason why Somaliland shouldn't sit down and have productive discussions with him now. Advance its cause and set him straight on the khatumo stuff since he seems a little lost when he talks about it. Discuss matters of commoninterest to helping him further his presidency beyond the Transitional mandate, I think he can prove to be an ally if Somaliland can put its diplomacy into action. Sure him being in Hargeisa will serve as propaganda for all the simpletons but that shouldn't deter Somaliland from talking to anyone.

Oodweyne;794644 wrote: ^^You remember that old Mexican's writer who once lamented that the tragedy of his nation is that they are too far from God's grace and too close to America. Well, exactly, that is the position of the Somalis at the moment with Ethiopia. Hence, it's best to be lips-bitingly-polite at this stage of your political failure to his kind of arrogance. And, therefore, when you are eventually in a position to stand on your two-feat, then, you can say to him that all bets are off (which is exactly the manner Eritrea have dealt his insufferable conceit, indeed). But, now, he has all the telling cards in here; and you have nothing but a fleeting sentiment of the west. Hence, it's best to deal with him in a manner that is in a proportionally equal to the cards he hold in his hands at the moment. But, tomorrow is another day. Well said.

what's in it for Somaliland? Taking on other peoples criminals is a one way street to me.

The Hermet;794681 wrote: The man speaks logic, you cant deny logic. so balls in the Presidents court...put down what you gonna do for the people of buhoodle and las canod?? lets see what happens then. That may be true, but with all due respect to Siilanyo there seems to be a lack of clear strategy when it comes to Buhoodle and other smaller towns on the boarder. I suppose coming together with Somalis always takes time, it took years in Lascanood and perhaps Buhoodle will be the same, but this old man has a point, the government might need to take a more clear initiative and be more specific about what they're offering Buhoodlee.

Mario B;794149 wrote: I told Oodweyne a week before the conference that the London meeting will be about doubling the AMISON troops, Somaliland being told to build prisons to hold Pirates from the rest of Somalia and any breakway from Somalia by SL will have to be approved by Mogadishu. Oodweyne response was he is happy to be in "LEGAL LIMBO".... Ha ha ha... There is no such thing as 'approval' of anothers independence but only coming to terms with it. Ethiopia was forced to come to terms to with Eritrea and Sudan much the same with South Sudan. They understood it was mutually beneficial to move on. When there is a legitimate government in Somalia, they too will come to terms with Somaliland. I'm amazed to see so many Somalis in uproar over a conference that lasted a few hours, and where some of the bigger players were eager to discuss more pressing matters to them such as 'Syria' and 'Pakistan'. Somaliland's legitimacy does not lie at the feet of any world leaders contrary to some of my countrymen's beliefs and the solution to Somalia's problems will not come from the sky after a few speeches from high profile world leaders and photo ops. In other words, its nice for the world to care or pretend to care about Somali issues but in the grand scheme of things, this conference isn't bringing earth shattering change to the Somalia or Somaliland.

burahadeer;792734 wrote: NORF it's amazing how they(pseudo unionists) interpret to their liking...it's been same routine last 20yrs.Who said this meeting is about unifing or recognition in the first place.Hey let thm keep playing tennis in football field. Thank You! There are still some sane somalis left, it is really sad to see when the brits have to continuously re-direct the discussion of this conference towards its intended goals! Address Somalia's biggest problems (as seen through western eyes) namely effective governance, piracy and efficient aid. Nobody said anything about Somaliland's recognition or Somalia's unification with Somaliland. How typical of Somalis to put the cart before the horse. People are starving, a deadly religious militia is running wild, foreign armies are trampling through what you have left of your 'sovereignty' and all you can talk about is that you oppose Somaliland's recognition. Do you people not realize it's only playing in the hands of the biggest advocates of Somaliland's recognition to have this conference centered around that subject? How small minded can you get?? Please stop pretending like you care about Somalia's future you clearly care more about blocking the efforts of Somaliland than advancing and helping Somalia exit its predicament.

Some Khatumoseeg wrapping themselves up in the Blue and white in hopes of bringing other communities into their 'tribal cause' nothing more. SL community in UK hopefully responds by also reaching out to other Somali communities and highlighting the tribal nature of these pseudo-patriots.

lol@niiko warya Carafaat stop bashing our Xamarawii peoples, they don't all niiko.

I hope Sharif stays on to lead Somalia, I sense he would make a credible partner for Somaliland to deal with once Somalia has a solid representative government.