MMA...That's significant jump. Have you left Kenya? Stoic....I was reading an article on one of the Kenyan papers that Ministerial budgets are being revised to pay for the war. Social services will be hit the most. Let's say they make it to Kismayo, what's their plan, just stay there and get bogged down like Tigrays? And also, Kenya hasn't addressed the post-election violence, is the war meant to mask the underlying ethnic problems?

I wonder how does Kenya's coming election figure into this war?

Is this guy even Muslim?

Yaala tartamoosaa?

It's very fair to say the TFG including all MPs are not accountable to the Somali people. Ghandi being accountable to the TFG hence makes no difference, Men that represent us must answer to someone, either to truly independent Somali Government or to the tol in which the tol has decide if their interests lie in united stable Somalia.

Abtagiis.....Nothing short of true reconcialation will cure our ills and to achieve that, I sincerely beleive we need accountability. It's matter who of should Somali leaders be accountable to and who our collective actions be accountable to? If Azania project, who should Ghandi be accountable to?

What was this guy's motivation one wonders?

those dirty street are empty...are the businesses open or they are in lock down?

looooooooooooooool

^It wouldn't make any difference not because Farmaajo was not good man or incapable, simply because the way the system is setup or the game is being played severely undermines the TGH legitimacy or any competent Somali leader. Wax farahayna kujira malaha.

Nothing remains constant and change is inevitable whether one accepts it or not and so far nothing in Somalia including your enclave have bore a fruit in the larger geopolitical context. As for AS, they have failed in that they have not learned from others before them and didn't put any effort in creating any institutions that would satisfy the hunger for peace and good governance in Somalia but in regards to current situation with Kenya, as in the case of Ethiopian invasion, I will take AS over any foriegn invaders in any given day.

looool...it only took a minute to go back to your old self.

You are trying too hard....loool

Somalia: Clarification Statement First of all, we need to underline the following: Kenya and Somalia have a long history of friendship and cooperation, and that continues today. Kenya has long been an active supporter of peace and stability in Somalia. The Transitional Federal Charter that created the TFG was agreed to in Kenya, and Kenya has long been a leading advocate of having the international community assist in the stabilization and rebuilding of our country. Secondly, we thank Kenyan government for its working together with Somali transitional federal government to stabilize Somalia and for training good number of Somali soldiers as well as hosting huge number of Somali refugees. In fact, the people of Somalia as well as many of friends in the region including Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Ethiopia, etc. have suffered at the hands of Al-Shabaab from their violence. We all share the need to defeat and destroy Al-Shabaab. No one wants to see demise of Al-Shabaab more than the people of Somalia. We also share the attitude that Al-Shabaab constitutes a common enemy to both countries and in this regard, the sovereignty and the Territorial integrity of both Somalia and Kenya should be respected. Therefore, to evolve a common security strategy, we agreed with our brothers Kenyan government on the following: Cooperation in undertaking coordinated security and military operations spearheaded by TFG soldiers trained by Kenyan government. Cooperation and collaboration in sharing and exchange of information that is relevant to the fight against cross border crimes and operations. Somali Prime Minister is assigned to this issue and he is going to appoint a joint security committee led by the prime minister himself that will work with their Kenyan counterparts. We also need to clarify that as part of NSSP endorsed by the stakeholders the TFG will do the following: Liberating the whole country from the tyranny of al-Shabaab with the help of AMISOM, IGAD and friendly countries. Stabilizing all areas freed from Al-Shabaab. Establishing – in accordance with the Transitional Federal charter – local administrations in the liberated areas to avoid a vacuum. We call on the international community to redouble its efforts to help those most in need once these territories are freed from the tyranny of al Shabaab. Once again we welcome the support of the International Community in defeating Al-Shabaab and wish to emphasize the need to do this while respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia. END Source: TFG

loool@Mintid....I think the realization that our problems need a common and unified solution and that we face common threat despite our political difference is good start. Soon, necessity will dedicate that Somalis work together.

For those saying Kenya is merely reacting to recent kidnappings. Kenyan Motives in Somalia Predate Recent Abductions By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN Published: October 26, 2011 NAIROBI, Kenya — The Kenyan government revealed on Wednesday that its extensive military foray into Somalia this month to battle Islamist militants was not simply a response to a wave of recent kidnappings, as previously claimed, but was actually planned far in advance, part of a covert strategy to penetrate Somalia and keep the violence in one of Africa’s most anarchic countries from spilling into one of Africa’s most stable. For several years, the American-backed Kenyan military has been secretly arming and training clan-based militias inside Somalia to safeguard Kenya’s borders and economic interests, especially a huge port to be built just 60 miles south of Somalia. But now many diplomats, analysts and Kenyans fear that the country, by essentially invading southern Somalia, has bitten off far more than it can chew, opening itself up to terrorist reprisals and impeding the stressed relief efforts to save hundreds of thousands of starving Somalis. Somalia has been a thorn in Kenya’s side ever since Kenya became independent in 1963. Somalia has become synonymous with famine, war and anarchy, while Kenya has become one of America’s closest African allies, a bastion of stability and a favorite of tourists worldwide. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/27/world/africa/kenya-planned-somalia-incursion-far-in-advance.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1&ref=world

Johnny...The TFG has been in existence in 2004 and in that long period has not managed to establish itself even with the help of foriegn forces including AMISOM. Theoretically, AMISOM's mandate is to help Somalia till such time that Somalia Government has the capacity to render its services and obligations towards its citizens without any hindrance. Even if I was to agree with you on AMISOM mandate, the question is has AMISOM's presence helped the Somalia in building capacity in terms of national security and to lesser extent social services? In the larger context, does the presence of the international community including our neighbors helped the TFG in meeting its obligations. What Somalia needs is not government in name or government whose existence is determined by the President, Prime-Minister and the Speaker and the presence of foriegn forces. What Somalia and Somalis need are institutions that deliver services,exert control, and protect the country's sovereignty. The international community and AMISOM have not helped Somalia or TFG in building capacity to the point that AMISOM becomes irrelevant. Take for example Somalia's security apparatus, Xiin posted an article about Pland's security services being send to Uganda for training. This is to enhance Pland's and by extension Somalia's ability to provide security for its people. Now if there was genuine effort to help Somalis in building institutional capacity, why would thousands of Somali recruits be send to foriegn lands? Couldn't they be trained in Somalia at fraction of the cost? Couldn't the rest of the money be used to equip them and pay their salaries. Does it make sense that hundreds of millions are spent on AMISOM while the Somali troops could barely feed themselves and resort to selling their weapons to the very people that they are suppose to be fighting? The scheme of sending thousands of Somali recruits to Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya and Jabouti is clear example, this is mashruuc for other stakeholders. None of this is being done to enable the TFG to achieve dominance or prove itself to be real government. The presence does not help the TFG. Resources that would have gone to the TFG are diverted to AMISOM and the TFG with its weak leaders and divisions is not in position to object to any decision made by third parties. If the idea is to defeat AS, in my estimation, this could only be done through two ways, one is to have capable and unified Somali force that could stand up to it. This of course requires political will and willingness to compromise and win over other Somali stakeholders including the Ethiopian backed Ahlu Sunnah, Pland and even the secessionist. I see no Somali leaders that is both willing and able to unite different factions for common cause. The other option and more realistic one is to coopt all or elements of AS into the TFG. The success in Xamar and mishandling of the famine have created splits in AS and some could have been persuaded to abandon the cause. The invasion and I hope you would stop calling it incursion gave new lease of life for AS. It is counterproductive and couldn't come at worst time for TFG and our people as we are suffering severe famine and TFG was beginning to look abit competent. This invasion undermines the TFG and exposes lack of political will. Abtagiis...You talk about Somalis as if you are removed from them. They are just like you who made chooses to deliberately support a group at the expense of our national interest. Admittedly, this includes me as well.

A Kenyan man arrested in connection with two grenade explosions in the country's capital claimed in court on Wednesday that he was a member of al-Shabaab, Somalia's Islamist insurgent group. By Mike Pflanz, Nairob Wednesday, October 26, 2011 Elgiva Oliacha, 28, pleaded guilty to nine charges, including causing grievous bodily harm to two people in the second attack, on a bus stop in central Nairobi late on Monday. Anti-terror police said that he was likely to face further charges relating to another explosion earlier the same day at an after-hours pub in the city. Despite telling the court hearing that he was an al-Shabaab member, security sources said that they suspected that he acted alone and that the twin grenade attacks were not ordered by the Islamists' leadership in Somalia. "It's just not their style, they'd go for something much bigger," said one Western diplomat in Nairobi. The explosions had, however, deeply concerned commuters travelling in and out of Nairobi's centre, and led to even tighter security across the city. "Usually that place is so loud, people shouting and noisy everywhere," said Evelyn Waimiru, an insurance administrator. "These last two days, guys have been so quiet, not really looking at each other. The police are there in force, but they cannot be everywhere. We are worried, but we are alert." The US said last week that it had "credible" information of an "imminent" terror attack on Nairobi, especially on areas frequented by foreigners including shopping centres and nightclubs. Kenya's authorities have been stressing that they have significantly increased the numbers of armed and uniformed police in the city. Officers found a cache of weapons, including 13 grenades, an AK47 and four pistols, at an address in a low-income estate on the city centre's edge late on Tuesday. Security checks at some malls caused long traffic jams on Wednesday, and television news reports have featured hotels which have introduced state-of-the-art security measures to foil potential attacks. Kenya sent two battalions of its armed forces into Somalia last week with a stated mission to root out al-Shabaab from its bases close to the countries' shared border. Nairobi blames the Islamists for a series of abductions of Westerners from northern Kenya. Al-Shabaab's leaders deny this, and have vowed revenge for the invasion, including fresh terror strikes on Nairobi. Source: Telegraph

Abtigiis....Somalis are plenty capable. I don't for even minute buy that they are not able to solve their own problems, what's missing is accountability. To equate AS with invaders is pure silliness and to expect another man to do your job is even sillier. Though AS is part of the Somalia's problems now, they are not the cause and unlike what many would say they are not Somalia's biggest problem. AS exists because those that supposedly despise it can not or would not agree to sit down together to find a common solution.It's ironic majority in this site oppose AS yet no one eill forego their narrow interests to defeat a common enemy and put Somalia first, hence why many are reduced to many mini-lands hoping foriegners will solve their problems at the expense of other Somalis. Anyone serious about defeating AS knows the answer is not in foriegn intervention.

As another neighbor invaded our beloved country, Somalis have again choose to define themselves along narrow interests which if history is any indication will come to nothing. It has been two decades since the first foriegn intervention when the whole world led by the Yanks came to Somalia in response to famine-stricken people of Somalia. If there was ever any benevolent foriegn intervention in Somalia, Operation Restore Hope was the closest thing. The Bush Administration was high on its victory over Saddam and declared itself the sole remaining power of the world. Somalia was to be test tube for America's new world order. Had the Somali rebel leaders exercised some common sense, the country and the state could have been saved and the world's goodwill could have been put to good use by the Somalis but as faith would have it, Somali leaders who were and still are not accountable to anyone including own individual their tribes faltered the opportunity the world has given. It all came to ahead with the killing of the Pakistani peacekeepers and the botched American operation resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Somalia and 19 US Servicemen. Without going any farther into the history, it is safe to say it was this day the world decided to wash its hands off Somalia. A policy of containment was instituted and that policy holds to this day. Any subsequent foriegn intervention was and is simply response to the policy of the containment. It is not to aid Somalis in re-establishing their State or eliminate any special menace facing the Somali population.With no real government, credible leaders and empowered civil society, the Somali conflict became complex and the will of foriegn stakeholders became the final word. The Ethiopian invasion, AMISOM and Kenyan invasion represents complex mix of foriegn stakeholders with competing interests but with one goal, and that's Somalia's problems should stay in Somalia.There is no evidence to suggest any of the interventions was conceived to benefit Somalia and Somalis. With no real Somali leadership that can stand toe to toe with foriegn stakeholders and no sovereignty over our own country, what arguments can Somalis make to justify anymore foriegn intervention?

^LooooooooooooooL...how's it buffer zone?

^Calm down buddy...don't excited.

Khayr;753745 wrote: Che, do you know what they call black people in Boston? Hint: Its the day of the week everybody dislikes. I'm not sure where you are going with this. p.s. I love Mondays. And you must be working with some militant atheist. You are on the draw and ready for battle even there's none.

Is it me or does Somalia and Knight sound like the same person, different only in font color.