It is another competition on the ATM machines ...

POSTCARD

Originally posted by nuune: Dhamaantood calooshaa fakatey, maxay cuneen talaw, wey wada calool buuranyihiin Ma Kuwan ? ,,,

Somaliland gives suitors breathing space Somaliland is giving suitors an extra three months to submit bids in its debut licensing round, with the Ministry of Water & Mineral Resources pushing the deadline back until December. The deadline for final submission of bids is now 15 December, rather than August, with bids due to be opened on 19 February next year. Concessions will now be awarded on 15 March next year instead of in December. The round includes eight concession blocks covering more than 89,624 square kilometres in both on- and offshore plays. “The geology off the coast of Somaliland is analogous to the oil-producing basins in nearby Yemen that have yielded several discoveries to date,” the ministry in a statement. “Yemen’s Balhaf Graben basin and Somaliland’s Berbera basin contain similarities in fault trends and structural complexity.” Ahead of the round, Norway’s TGS-Nopec shot 5300 kilometres of seismic, gravity and magnetic data in the offshore areas and 34,700 kilometers of high resolution aeromagnetic data of the onshore areas. The surveys mark the first geophysical data acquired in Somaliland for almost 30 years.

The Somaliland Ministry of Water and Mineral Resources has extended the country’s first bid round for hydrocarbon concessions by three months. The deadline for final submission of bids has been pushed to Dec. 15, 2009, and concessions will be awarded on March 15, 2010. The bid round includes eight concession blocks comprised of more than 34,604 square miles (89,624 sq km) of onshore and offshore areas. The bid round was originally scheduled to close and award bids in August and December, respectively. The geology off the coast of Somaliland is analogous to the oil-producing basins in nearby Yemen that have yielded several discoveries. Yemen’s Balhaf Graben Basin and Somaliland’s Berbera Basin contain similarities in fault trends and structural complexity. In preparation for the Somaliland licensing round, TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co. ASA acquired 3,293 miles (5,300 km) of seismic, gravity and magnetic data in the offshore areas and 21,562 miles (34,700 km) of high resolution aeromagnetic data covering all known petroleum basins. The surveys mark the first new geophysical data acquired in the area in almost 30 years. The data acquisition was completed in 2007 and 2008, and TGS used this data along with existing well logs and interpreted data to create comprehensive interpretation reports for the Ministry. The reports, as well as the newly acquired geophysical data and well logs are all multi-client products to be exclusively marketed by TGS on behalf of the Ministry. One hindrance to the bid round could come from the fact that Somaliland has not been recognized as its own country, but rather still a part of Somalia. Somaliland, which is located in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Ethiopia, Djibouti, the Puntland region of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, withdrew from Somalia in 1991 and has maintained a de jure separate status since that time. However, without international recognition, oil and gas companies may be hesitant to sign long-term contracts and invest money into projects that could possibly become void if the political situation in Somaliland changes in the future.

Originally posted by Hunguri: Faisal Ali Waraabe horta madaxii ma waynaaday ? Waxa la yidhi islaan fooxa ugu rida, ayaa waxay ku tidhi. Waxaad madaxwayne noqonaysaa marka madaxu ku waynaado sida Daahir Rayaale Kaahin. Niyow siduu lahaa waynee buu labada dhinac u ballaadhay bahal bidaar ahina markaasay sidii dooxiii ka dhex dillaacday ,,,

berigii aan tegey waxaan soo bartay "Matako" ,,,

Jacaylbaro airlines are also coming in few months time ......... stay tuned ,,

waxay u eg yihiin qaar laga soo qaaday luuq ganaane iyo dhuusamareeb .........

waaba isu eg tihiine ,,,

masaajid maalin walba waa la dhisaa ,, what is with this one bal ?? ,,, ehem

shaaha kuwait baa macaan baa la yidhi oo halkaasaa loogu bun karinayaa ,,,

I thought niman diyaarad ka soo degeya ,,,,,

Ilaahay idankii shaah ka dherga ... iyo bun

Well, i'm better ,,,

Man, you're too bored today ,,,

Kulankii Axmed M. Siilaanyo: "Waxaan Xusuustay Xaaladdii Adkayd & Xanuunkii Berigii 1988kii" Waxa laga joogaa 21 sannaddood markii heshiisku dhexmaray Maxamed Siyaad Barre iyo Mingistu Xayle oo kala hoggaamin jiray xukuumado kelitalis ahaa oo ka dhisnaa Jamhuuriyaddii Somaliya iyo Itoobiya. Heshiiskaasi markii uu dhacay waxa aan joogay magaalada Sheekh. Bishii Labaad ee sannadkii 1988 ayaan ka soo kicitimay Muqdish, waa na lagu nabad qabay, waxa keliya ee dhegaha dadku ay maqlayeen hadalhayntii xukunkii maalmahaa ku dhacay Ismaaciil Cali Abokor oo ahaan jiray madaxweyne ku xigeen iyo Cumar Carte Qaalib oo muddo dheer ahaa Wasiirkii arrimaha dibedda oo labadoodaba lagu xukumay dil iyadoo la sii daayey dhammaan xubnihii la xidhnaa oo ka soo jeeday koonfurtii Soomaaliya ee xilligaa. Dilkaas oo markii danbe loogu bedelay xabsi aan dhammaad lahayn. Maalmahaas ayaan ka soo anbabaxay Muqdisho. Socdaalkaygii hore waxa aan ku horreeyey Hargeysa, balse markii danbe waxa aan ku soo noqday Sheekh. Goor galab ah oo saacadda afrikada bari caga-cagaynayso shantii galabnimo ayaa loo diyaargaroobay BBC dii. Waa Makhaayad hadhqoodaarkeeda, waxa fadhiya dad badan waxa dhegta loo taagayaa heshiiskii dhexmaray Siyaad iyo Mingistu. Wax la sugoba waxa ay si faahfaahsan uga warrantay heshiiskii. Waxa aan ka xasuustaa 1. In ciidanka xadka fadhiya 30 km laga durkiyo soohdimaha. 2. In la xidho idaacadaha xooggaga mucaaradka ku ah labada dal. 3 In tageerada laga joojiyo xooggaga mucaaradka labada dhanba. Xilligaa waxa jiray oo keliya oo xoog ahaa jabhaddii SNM. Waayo muddo ka hor ayey burburtay jabhaddii ugu da'da weynayd ee SSDF oo uu hoggaaminayey Cabdilaahi Yuusuf Axmed, oo xilligaa xidhnaa, kuna xidhnaa Itoobiya. Heshiiskaasi waa mid aan tuugna xadi karin. Waxa uu ahaa mid muujinayey daciifnimadii maamulkii Siyaad Barre. Waayo waxa uu u saxeexay in aan laga hadli karin dhulkii Soomaligalbeed oo ay Itoobiya iska leedahay. Isagoo xilligaa u arkayey dhibka ugu weyni in uu yahay kursiga oo lagu soo weeraro. Sheekadaas umaan bixin ee yaanaan qalin taraarin ee aan soo gondadego. Makhaayaddii baynu fadhinay. Markii ay BBC dii warkii dhammaysay baa dadkii sheekaysteen. Nin Gaashaanle sare ahaa oo haystay ciidanka xoogga dalka ee xerada Sheekh baa intuu qoslay yidhi: " Maantaa geeleenu nabad ku daaqayaa dhulkii Hawdka" Dee cidi uma ay jawaabaynoo waaba laga baqayey. Laakiin waxa hoos loo sii lahaa" Yaa... ... waar maantay inoo dhammatay. Maantaa la soo qabqabanayaa SNMtii iwm. Maalintii danbe ayaa la waraystay Muj: Axmed Siilaanyo. Waxa aan ka xasuustaa su'aalihii la weydiiyey: "Miyaan halgankiiníi sidaa ku istaagin mar haddii ay heshiiyeen Siyaad Barre iyo Mingistu? warcelintiisii baanaan illaabi karin oo ka kululaa madaafiic. Waxa uu Axmed ku jawaabay: " Halgan kayagu kuma xidhna laba dal oo heshiiya ee waa halgan ummadeed, mana joogsanayo" Hadaladaasi waxa ay u ahaayeen dulmanihii xilligaa joogay, hadallo lagu diirsado. Waxa ay u ahayd yididiilo. Waxa tuhun uu geliyey in uu ogyahay arrimo u qarsoon iyo awoodo uu ku faani karo oo ka qarsoon Labada dawladood ee heshiiyey. Waxa taa xigtay saddex bilood dabadeed, in dalkiiba la soo galay oo SNM ka dhextoostay Burco iyo Hargeysa. Markii uu dagaalku bilaabmay ayaa la weydiiyey qaabka dagaalku uu u dhacay. Axmed Siilaanyo markii uu ka jawaabay su'aalihii kale ayaa la weydiiyey in ay Sheekh gacanta ku hayaan. Runta ayuu ka sheegay oo yidhi Maya, Sheekh ma odhan karo. Markaa waxa aan ku sugnaa magaalada Sheekh, oo dee haddii uu odhan lahaa SNM baa haysata warkii oo dhan waxaanu is odhan lahayn waa been. Waxaase waraysigaasi uu noo caddeeyey in uu xaqiiqo ka sheegayey goobihii dagaalku ka dhacay. Haddii aan xasuusta dib halkaa uga sii celiyo. Dagaalkii uu ku dhintay Maxamed Xaashi Lixle 1984kii ilaahay ha u naxariistee ayaa uu ku jawaabay, SNM waa wada Lixle, oo macnaheedu ahaa haddii uu geesi naga dhintay SNM waa wada Geesi. Isku soo wada xoori. Maalintii Jimcihii ee bishu ahayd 12/06/2009 ayaan kula kulmay casha sharaf loo sameeyey Mud: Axmed Maxamed Maxamuud Siilaanyo iyo Marwadiisa iyo xoghayaha arrimaha dibedda ee KULMIYE. Waxa cashasharaf-taas sameeyey Jaaliyadda deegaanka Dariiqada Sheekh oo aan ka mid ahay. Waxa dad badan garanayaan deegaanka Dariiqada Sheekh oo xilli laga joogo 150 sannadood ka hor ka xoroobay qabyaaladda iyo kala qaybsanaanta dadka soomaaliyeed ragaadiyey. Waa deegaan kooban oo haddana ay deggenyihiin qabaal aad u fara badan oo ka kala yimi deegaanno kala fog. Waa deegaan ku caan ahaa waxbarashada, waa meel ka tilmaaman deegaanada kale. Waxba yaanaan taa ku dheeraan ee aan ku soo noqdo cashadii iyo kulankii Siilaanyo. Kulan kaasi ma uu ahayn mid lagaga sheekaysanayey xaallada maanta taagan, ee waxa aad u xiise badnaa, in waayo hore iyo taariikho hore ilaa dugsigii hoose ay isla garteen si fiicanna noogu soo gudbiyeen Ruugcaddaaga, Rashiid Sh Adan Xasan iyo Axmed Maxamed Siilaanyo. Sheekooyinkaas iyo kaftankaas waxa dhexsocday cuntadii iyo cabbitaankii oo uu xilweyn iska saaray Caddaruus Sh Aadan oo gurigiisa marti loo ahaa. Qoraalkan uguma aan talo gelin xaaladda maanta taagan iyo xisbiyada toonna. Qof kastaaba xisbiga uu doono ayuu taageerayaa oo uu xor u yahay ee taariikh hore iyo xusuus ayuunbaan qalinka u qaatay iyo tilmaamid kulankii iigu horreeyey ee aan la kulmo Axmed Siilaanyo oo aan aad u xasuusto anigoo dhawr iyo toban jir ah iyo xaaladdii adkayd ee dalku berigaa ku jiray oo uu ahaa hoggaamiyihii SNM iyo maanta oo Afartan jirkii wax ii weheliyaan. Waad qiyaasi kartaa muddada u dhaxaysa. Wax badan baa isbedelay oo ilmihii maalintaa dhashay xaas buu leeyahay. Kii shan jirka ahaa waa soddon jir ku dhowaad. Dadkuna taariikhda waxa ay ka eegaan kolba halka maanta taagan. Tagtada ayaa lagu saxaa timaaddada. Haddii kale meel laga yimi iyo meel loo socda toonna garanmaysid oo waxaad noqonaysaa "Dhirad onkod kiciyey" Sayid Maxamed Yuusuf Stockholm/Sweden

Norf, Just a mobile phone sxb and an account at Telesom ......

They want to compete with Dahabshiil in the local markets ... instead of opening bank accounts at Dahabshiil, you open at Telesom and use your phone to buy, transfer and use your money without holding a cash.

We had dinner together last night ,,, she is funny ,,

PART TWO It is a great privilege to be here in Hargeisa. The sounds of the call to prayer wake me up each morning as the city bustles around me. It is much more alive than other cities I have come to know; here you can always find people outside, sipping tea, chatting, hauling loads on their mules, chewing qat [a narcotic leaf chewed in parts of East Africa and Yemen]. I had intended to write this article sooner but my internet access has been limited to the internet café across the street, and my 7-year old laptop has retired. My co-workers were amused that my laptop was not shiny and new, but quickly hooked up a reliable desktop in my breezy office so now I should have regular internet access. My flight here was an adventure as I expected it would be. The visa process in Addis was very easy though, and I would recommend acquiring a visa there to other travelers. The hardest part of the process was finding the Somaliland Liaison Office, which is hidden behind the Mozambiquean and South African Embassies. But once you find the office, with its gardens and dusty driveway, the entire visa process takes only about 10 minutes, and is very straight forward. When I was ready to leave Addis with my visa in hand, I arrived at Bole International Airport an hour and a half before my flight, as I was instructed to. I had picked up my boarding pass the day before at Air Ethiopia’s office downtown, but when I asked the airport officers where to find the flight to Hargeisa, they looked at me and my boarding pass quizzically. Nobody I spoke with had heard about this flight, and they even told me that there were no flights to Hargeisa from Addis. Luckily I maintained my confidence and thanks to the Somali dress I was wearing, some fellow passengers walked over and asked me if I was looking for the flight to Hargeisa. With relief, I told them I was, but they too were just as lost as I was. We all commiserated for a few minutes before taking a seat and waiting for someone who knew something. Eventually a young, skinny Somali guy showed up and asked us for our boarding passes and collected our bags. We then proceeded to customs and through security; the whole while airport officials were confused as to who we were and where we were going. Had I been alone I may have just given up! After customs and security, we looked around the gates and read the illuminated screens, but found no indication of a flight to Hargeisa or of the Somali man who had taken our bags. We decided to sit in a group (there were 8 of us in total) and wait by Gate 5, hoping someone would come. One passenger seemed more informed than all of us so we just followed whatever he did. The flight was slated to depart at 11:00, but by 11:15 we still did not know where to go. We all remained calm though, waiting further instruction. Eventually the same man who had taken our bags returned, and guided us to the gate where we were told to wait for a van to take us to the plane. We waited, and after a few false alarms the van came and we all got inside, curious as to what the plane would look like. It was a plane white plane with a blue stripe, and from the outside it was essentially what I had imagined, but once I got inside I was stunned at how tiny it was! There were no overhead compartments and certainly no safety orientation before take-off. We were all happy to be inside though, at this point it was about 1:00, and luckily I had brought some cookies and chocolate which I shared with the other passengers. The flight was smooth enough, we were given bottled water, and I was trying not to worry about whether or not someone would be waiting for me when we landed, and if he would be able to recognize me or not. As we descended towards the ground, it looked as though we were landing in the desert, with no buildings in sight. But just as we hit the ground I could make out the city of Hargeisa, which was larger than I had imagined it. We walked off the plane onto the pavement and someone from my work (Abdi) was indeed waiting for me, al-hamdu l’illah. I suppose I was easy to recognize being the only female and only foreigner on the flight. When he saw me, Abdi grasped my arm and led me quickly to the customs area, where he asked me for $50 and for my passport. In my head I was thinking, who is this man and why does he want my money? I decided to bargain with him and said I will give you $40, before I realized that the $50 was not for him but was a required amount of money you need to change into Somaliland shillings in order to enter the country. Within two minutes he handed me two huge stacks of money held together with rubber bands, along with my passport and entry stamp. Now is a good time to point out for those who may not know, that $1 is equal to 7,000 Somaliland shillings, and the remarkable part is that the highest bill they have is 500 shillings, so for $50, you receive 700 individual bills. We proceeded forward in a rush, and then Abdi led me back outside were I pointed to my bag which someone thrust on his shoulders and brought to the car. The car ride was my first opportunity to see the city and I enjoyed looking out the window and attempting to chat with Abdi in a mix of broken Somali and English. Abdi drove me to the bed and breakfast where I am staying. In order to give him directions, I just told him the color of the house and the name of the owner and he knew where it was. Directions here are often given in such terms, using landmarks and names instead of numbers and streets. When we arrived at the gate of the house, Abdi honked for the guard to open the door, but the guard just looked at the car then closed the gate. I assumed he was alerting the owners of my arrival, whereas Abdi assumed the guy was a rude man and started yelling at him. I tried to calm him down but it was too late, and the sort of amusing scene culminated with the guard spitting at Abdi who slapped him across the cheek. Abdi then told me I could not stay there, that he would not come get me each day for work, and he was going to take me to a guest house. I insisted that I must stay here and that he should come every day, we shook hands, and I went inside. Do not be fooled by this introduction I had to Hargeisa, as it is certainly not typical and was actually a drama which spread around, and which I heard recounted in several different ways during my first few days here. Life has actually been quite calm and laid back. During the weekend I had a chance to get to know my surroundings a bit, and am grateful to the family I am staying with for showing me around, feeding me, and being such wonderful hosts. (They are not reading this so rest assured this is not a shameful plug). I already feel comfortable. Likewise, my co-workers have been very helpful and friendly and I am learning fascinating information about the history and intricacies of Somaliland. I remember when I was in Addis the night before leaving for Hargeisa, my stomach was so nervous and I could hardly sleep– I did not know what was awaiting me. I even said to my friend that I was afraid my stomach would stay in a knot all summer! But as soon as I landed the knot went away and I have been able to sleep well each night here. Indeed the misconceptions about Somaliland, which is internationally known as Somalia, are plentiful and disturbing. I found the same to be true about Ethiopia. I packed enough soap, shampoo and toothpaste to last me for months, and just across the street from where I am staying are rows of shops which sell the very items I brought. Don’t get me wrong, Hargeisa is vastly different from any other place I have been, it does not have the high-rises of Boston and hot water is hard to come by, but the city is peaceful, lively, functioning, and far more developed than I had imagined. I hope to post pictures and provide you with more information about my experiences here next time, and look forward to your comments and insights as always.

Alla maxaa idin haysta ,,,

Originally posted by xiinfaniin: alla maxay xamar bur-burtay! It is easy to rehabilitate this and would be the most beautiful one .............