HORN-WATCH: MAANSO BAROORDIIQ AH: MARXUUN JAMA MOHAMOUD HAYD -...

Abwaan ka wayn Xasan Xaaji Cabdillaahi (Xasan-Ganey) ayaa Maanso Baroor-diiq ah u mariyay geeridii Naxdinta lahayd ee Marxuun Jaamac Maxamuud Xayd ku timid, Abwaanku Maansada wuxuu ugu magac daray CAWIL, waxanu ku hal qabsanayaa Ganacsadaha Caanka ah Axmed Aw Cismaan (Ina Geele Arab) oo Saaxiib dhaw la ahaa Marxuunka. Maansada oo dhamaystiran hoos ka akhri:

Cabdiyoow warkaagii

Cawayskii i-siisaa

Caqligayga rogayoo,

habeenkoo caraaboo

Intii badani carartoo,

cabaar yari ka hadhaybaan,

caskii waaga ka hortow

Bahalaha ciyaayiyo

Ciidan gaadha mooyee

Caam-ahaan dadku hurdaan

Cidiyaha fadhmooyee

Cashadii la dhigay-iyo

Anoon caanihii dayn

Caloolyow la kacayoo

Waanse camal wareeraye

Cartankiyo galgalashada

Gogashaan camaaluqay

Ku car-gaagtankeedii

Naxdin Caynka furatiyo

Warwarka I cileeyaa

Hilbahayga cunayoo

Cimrigayga qaar baa

Ka baxaayay cagahoo

Naftuun baan cadibayee

Caday Gees kamaan jabin

Cishaday ka idishee

Calafkeedu  joogsado

cid kastoo aad jeceshahay

wadka lagama celin karo

Axmed ina-cismaanow

Cududaan ku dhaatiyo

Intiina caawa nooleey

Cimrigiin ha raagee

Siqigii caraabee

Jimcii ciida hoos maray

Nin cibaado badanoo

Rabi caabuduu ahaa

Nin cadaalad taliyoo

Caadaystaybuu ahaa

Carab dalab le’e iyo been

Nin ka caagan-buu ahaa

Runta wiil cadeeyo

Ka cabsoonin-buu ahaa

Nimaan curuf xumaynoo

Camal suuban-buu ahaa

Marka ay nin celis tahay

Nin cad-goosta-buu ahaa

Cilmigii dhaqaalaha

Weelka u culaayee

Curinaayey-buu ahaa

Xilkuu qaranku u calmaday

Hanad caabiyuu ahaa

Cuqaasha iyo waxgaradkana

Nin ciseeya-buu ahaa

Caydhiyo agoontiyo

Maatida cadilan-iyo

Caamiyaha indhahaliyo

Inta cudur la jiiftiyo

Intii caafimaad qaba

Culima iyo caamaba’a

Sikhi caawiyuu ahaa

Ceelkii danyarihiyo

Mahwi laga cabuu ahaa

Intaas oo caqiibo ah

Jaamacii ku caan baxay

Casiiskii lahaa qaad

Qadarkaana caaynka ah

Ma cidbaa wax lalahayd

Calwisoow waxba ha tarin

Ma calaacalbaa jira

Axmed ina-cismaanow

Gurigii cusbaayee

Camirnaa dhamaane

Bada cidhifka kaga yiil

Caawana madawga ah

Dadkaa geeri culusiyo

Masiibadu ku ciirtee

Cunadii ka soomee

Kolaytahay candhuuftii

Cunahooda wax u marin

Intay cadhadu haysiyo

Cadaawaha farxaayee

Ku cawaysanaayee

Caleemaha lulaayee

Ciyaaraana way dhiman

Waase xaajoo curatoo

Dadka caado u ahayn

Waase camalka shaydaan

Cajabtaana la hayaa

Mid cishooyin joogtiyo

Ceeyoon mid hooyataba

Cabdo-waliba way socon

Marbaa cawda loo goyn

Kaga ciilaw-taa

Axmed ina-cismaanow

Markay taladu calowdee

Gasho meel cidhiidhiya

Cida aan ku baqaniyo

Ciirsigaynu leenahay

Cadiimkeena weeyee

Cuskadoo ilaahay

Casiis aan u barinee

Inta aan calmanayaay

Calacalaha ila dhiga

Cishadii arbacadee

Maskidkii cirooliyo

Caruurtiyo haweenkiyo

Casriga iyo barbaarta ah

Cilmi daalibka ahiyo

Culimadu ka buuxdee

Casarkii istaagow

Calaacalaha ila dhiga

Inta gabayga curisiyo

Bahda caafimaadkiyo

Inta Wali carceertee

Karaamada ku caaniyo

Dhamaan caabudiintaay

Malaa’igta culusee

Danbi lagu cadaabiyo

Aan ceeb samayneey

Calaacalaha ila dhiga

Codka waxa ugu baridaan

Sikhigii caraabee

Jimcii ciida hoos maray

Allow iil cidhiidh-yiyo

Ciqaab iyo dhib mudatiyo

Cadaabaha ka nabad gali

Allow ciida hoosana

Waasici calooshoo

Coloodhada u weynee

Allow nuur cadaaniyo

Cadar iyo udgooniyo

Ku casuun fardawsoo

Caf adoonkii naga tagay

Codka waxa ugu baridaan

Shukri iyo caruurtiyo

Intii Ay calaashiyo

La wadaagtay caanee

Maxamuud cadkiisiyo

Curuqdiisa laga jaray

Cayliyada hoosiyo

Cashiiryo tol iyo xiddid

Caam ahaan dadweynaha

Gaar ahaan colkeeniyo

Cutubkuu ka mid ahaa

Cawil khayrle Eebow

Noogu celi halkiisii

Codka waxa ugu baridaan

Cindalaahi kaligaa

Cabashada ku maqanee

Carshigaaga taaliyo

Codsiga iyo waraaqaha

Boostaada ka camiran

Cadiimow hanagu qadin

Baryadana ha soo celin

Qalin caaro khayr badan

Ku saxeex casiisow

Tacsi Tiiraanyo leh oo ku Socota qoyska Marxuum Jaamac Xayd

Anigoo ah Eng. Hussein Adan Igeh (Hussein Deyr) iyo dhammaan dadka hoos ku qoran oo ka mid ah bulshada Somaliland ee ku nool dalkan Ingiriiska waxay Tacsi Tiiraanyo leh u dirayaan Qoysaska: Reer Maxamuud Xayd, Reer Cumar Ducaale iyo Reer Cumar Geelle oo aanu ka tacsiyadaynayno Geeridii Naxdinta Lahayd ee ku timid Guddoomiyihii Baanka Jam. Djibouti Marxuun Jaamac Maxamuud Xayd oo 11.01.2013 ku geeriyooday Magaalada Nairobi ee dalka Kenya. Waxaannu marxuumka Eebbe uga baryeynaa inuu u Dembi dhaafo, Qabriga Naxariis iyo Neecow Qabowba ugu geeyo, Jannadii Fardawsana ka waraabiyo. Xaaskiisa, Carruurtiisa, Eheladii, Qaraabadii, Asxaabtii iyo Ummadda Reer Djibouti ee uu Marxuumku ka baxayna waxaanu leenahay RABBI samir iyo iimaan ha idinka siiyo. (AAMIIN)

1. Eng. Hussein Adan Igeh (Hussein Deyr)
2. Idiris Muxumed Ahmed (Camaj)
3. Maxamed Muxumed Ahmed (Camaj)
4. Abdi Ibraahim Wayrax
5. Saciid Mohamed Ibrahim “Siciid Gadhle”
6. Maxamuud Faarax Maxamed
7. Siciid Xirsi Qalinle
8. Eng. Ismaciil Xirsi Qalinle
9. Cabdi Dhoore
10. C/risaaq Adan Cumar (Gufi)
11. Cumar Qiyaas Ahmed
12. Ali Mawliid Aw Ali
13. Maxamuud Mawliid Aw Ali
14. Cumar Doolli
15. Cali Muuse Jaamac
16. Ahmed Sheekh Muxumed Warsame
17. Ismaciil Hassan Warsame
18. Mohamed Hassan Warsame
19. Ahmed Mohamuud Bayle
20. Cabdulqadir Aw Bile
21. Cabdi Hassan
22. Xaaji Cumar Sheekh
23. Mohamed Aw Dahir
24. CabdinasirAw Dahir
25. Ahemd Sacad
26. Shiine Cali Muuse
27. Maxamed Cabdi Adan (Laba Dhako)
28. Keynuun Cawaale Odowaa
29. Maxamed Nuux
30. Obsiiye Hussein Obsiiye
31. Mohamed Xaaji Cilmi
32. Mohamed Xaaji Abdi Obsiiye
33. Abiib Cali Mohamed
34. Ahmed Qodax
35. Ahmed Ali
36. Ahmed Abdi Amiin

New Writer at AfriCom

by gallaghorical

YWAM AfriCom is pleased to welcome Sarah Gallagher to join us to experience work with the communications team for YWAM Africa while at the same time do a DTS with YWAM Muizenberg…

Sarah Gallaghe

Three weeks ago, I was sitting at my desk at home in the states, emailing ministry leaders and sipping coffee to ward off the chill as winter seeped into my apartment. I was juggling social media accounts, phone calls, and grant-application tips all while cramming my summer clothes into a couple of baggy suitcases.

Today, I am sitting at a desk in the AfriCom office in Cape Town, South Africa, where a cool breeze is blowing through the open window to tame the summer heat. Tea is now my drink of choice, and rather than facilitating resources for those in the trenches of long-term missions, I am ankle-deep in missions work myself. God put South Africa on my heart back in 2007 and 6 years later, He has graciously brought me to this beautiful country. I first learned about AfriCom in June of 2012 when I was looking for ministry opportunities in South Africa involving communications. I studied English, journalism, and global studies during my time at University, and have been eager to be involved in long-term missions work since graduating last spring.

When I heard about AfriCom, I was eager to learn everything I could about the work they are doing to invest in missionaries committed to and serving at YWAM bases in Africa. I spent the past year-and-a-half as a team manager for a grant-giving ministry and had the privilege of interacting with ministry leaders serving in a variety of communities all over the world. During this time, God reaffirmed my strong desire to be involved in long-term missions. I was familiar with YWAM and was very compelled by South Africa, so once I realized that AfriCom is located in Cape Town, I was very eager to find out more.

By the grace of God, I am able to be a DTS student while simultaneously completing an internship with AfriCom to see if this might be a long-term placement. I am enjoying hearing from other missionaries who have been serving in Africa or in other parts of the world for an extended period of time. The YWAM community is so vibrant and diverse here in Muizenberg and I am learning a lot from the experiences and stories of others. I am looking forward to diving into more projects with AfriCom over the next few months and am excited about all of the ministry opportunities that lie ahead in South Africa.

It is evident that God is at work in many areas throughout Cape Town. I am looking forward to connecting with locals and meeting needs in South Africa as well as discovering needs at other YWAM bases throughout Africa and investing in the lives of those doing ministry at other bases. It is a privilege and blessing to be partnering with so many inspiring people who have also responded to God’s call to this area. May we grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ as we seek to know God and make Him known!

Weftigii Xukuumadda ee Saylac oo Maanta ku Dhawaaqaya Go’aan lagu soo Afjarayo Khilaafka Maayarnimo ee ilaa Jabuuti la galay

Maayirkii dhawaan Golaha deegaanka Saylac Doortay oo laga wareejiyay shaambadihii xafiiska iyo Beesha Ciise oo Maayirka la siin doono

Wasiiradii Xukuumadda Somaliland u dirtay Xalinta Muranka Maayirka iyo Maayir ku-xigeenka Degmada Saylac ee xalinta arintaaina ilaa Jabuuti u tegay oo shalay dib ugu soo laabtay degmada Saylac, ayaa la filayaa inay maanta soo saaraan go’aan kama dambeys ah oo arintaasi lagu soo afjarayo, kaasoo sida la sheegay ay kaga dhawaaqi doonaan Magaalada Saylac.

Go’aankan oo aan war sugan laga hayn halka uu dhigi doono Khilaafka lagu raftay ee halkaasi ka oognaa tan iyo markii lagu dhawaaqay Natiijadii Doorashada, ayaa ka dambeeyay wada xaajood Magaalada Jbauuti ku dhex maray Wasiiradda Somaliland iyo Ergooyin Beesha Ciise ka socda oo isaga kala yimi Wadamada Itoobiya, Somaliland iyo dalka Jabuuti, oo socday mudo afar maalmood ah.

Ma jiro War rasmiya oo ka soo baxay natiijada kulamadi Jabuuti ka dhacay, hase ahaatee warar xogogaal ah oo Wargeyska Waaheen ka helay ayaa sheegaya inay labada dhinac ee Xukuumadda iyo Ergada Beesha Ciise isfaham kala soo laabteen dalka Jabuuti, kaasoo ah ka maanta lagu dhawaaqi doono.

Warku wuxuu intaasi ku darayaa in la filayo in Maayirka Degmada SAYLAC oo ahaa xudunta Khilaafka  la siin doono Beesha Ciise ee degta Gobolka Selel, isla markaana beesha kale ee ay isku haystaan saami ku filan oo ay ku qancaan laga siin doono Maamulka degmada iyo ka Gobolka.

Afar maalmood ka hor intii aanay Weftiga Xukuumadda Somaliland iyo Ergada Ciise ee saylac ka tagtay oo ka kooban Siyaasiyiin iyo cuqaal ka amba bixin Magaalada SAYLAC, waxa  guud ahaan qalabkii Xafiiska Maayirka Saylac lagu wareejiyay Xoghayaha Fulinta dawlada ee degmadaasi, iyadoo agabkaasi laga wareejiyay Maayirka cusub ee dhawaan la doortay.

Arintan ayaa ka mid ah waxyaabaha sii xoojinaya dareenka ah in Maayirka Saylac sababta kasta haku timaadee la siin doono Beesha Ciise, iyadoo ay jiraan arimo kale oo iyaguna sii kordhinaya tuhunka la xidhiidha arintaasi.

Cuqaasha iyo Siyaasiyiinta Beesha Ciise ee Saylac intii lagu gudo jiray kulamadii dalka Jabuuti ka dhacay maalmihii la soo dhaafay waxay balan qaadeen inay dhawrayaan sharciyada iyo qawaaniinta Somaliland iyo amaanka Gobolka dhankooda, balse waxay taasi bar-bar dhigayaan sida la soo wariyay inaanay marna ka hadhayn rabitaankooda muranku ku jiray.

Si kastaba ha u dhacdee waxa maanta la wada sugayaa go’aanka Xukuumada Somaliand iyo Ergooyinka Jabuuti kula kulmay ay ka soo saari doonaan Khilaafkii mudada aloosnaa ee ka taagnaa Maamulka degmada saylac, kaasoo hada ka hor waxyaabaha ay xukuuamdda Somaliland ugu dhiiran wayday ay ka mid ahayd dhinaca Beesha Awdal oo meel adag ka taagan Maayirnimada Saylac.

Short URL: http://waaheen.com/?p=58263

Britain Warns Its Citizens in Somaliland to Leave

By JOHN F. BURNS

LONDON — Citing a “specific threat to Westerners,” the British government issued a warning on Sunday for any of its citizens living in Somaliland to flee the breakaway territory that lies between Ethiopia and the Gulf of Aden, on the northern tip of the Horn of Africa.  

The notice came only days after Britain and other European nations issued urgent warnings to their citizens to leave the Libyan city of Benghazi, 2,500 miles northwest of Somaliland, because of what Britain described as “a specific, imminent threat to Westerners.” 

A person who has been briefed on the new British warning said that a terrorist organization, most likely the Shabab, had threatened to kidnap foreigners in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland. As the Shabab fighters have been routed from parts of Somalia by African Union forces, many have moved north, to Somaliland and the semiautonomous Puntland region of northeastern Somalia, Western intelligence officials have said.

The Foreign Office in London linked its Benghazi warning on Thursday to the French military intervention against Islamic militant rebels in Mali. Its advisory then said there was a risk of retaliatory attacks against Western interests in the region in the wake of the French campaign in Mali and the attack on a remote gas plant in Algeria, described by some of those claiming to be its masterminds as a response to events in Mali.

There was no repeat of the link to the Mali conflict in the new British warning on Somaliland, only a brusque note appended on the Foreign Office Web site saying, “We cannot comment further on the nature of the threats at this time.”

But Africa experts in London said there was little doubt that a common thread in the two warnings was the high-profile role the British government had taken in its response to the surging tempo of Islamic militancy in North Africa.

Britain was the first European country to pledge support for the French effort in Mali, deploying two C-17 military transport aircraft to carry French troops, vehicles and equipment to Mali. On Friday, while renewing its vow not to join in ground combat in Mali, Britain said it had deployed a military spy plane to the region to bolster French intelligence gathering.

But it has been Prime Minister David Cameron’s strident warnings about the events in Mali and Algeria and their significance as milestones in the metastasizing threat of Islamic militancy that has attracted the greatest attention to Britain.

 

Describing it as a “global threat,” he has said that it will require a “global response” that will last “years, even decades, rather than months,” and he has warned other countries, including the United States, not to underestimate the gravity of the challenge.

At the height of the gas plant siege, in which six Britons are believed to have died, Mr. Cameron said that Al Qaeda’s ambition was to establish “Islamic rule” across the Sahel, the vast region stretching more than 3,000 miles from the Atlantic in the west to the Horn of Africa in the east, and that the militants’ ambitions were a threat not only to the nations involved, but “to us,” meaning Britain, the rest of Europe and the United States.

It was in that context that the Benghazi warning, and now the Somaliland one, were issued, Africa experts in London said.

Somaliland has been in international limbo since a secessionist rebellion seeking independence from Somalia erupted 20 years ago, and its history throughout that period has been marked by assassinations, abductions and bombings.

Jeffrey Gettleman contributed reporting from Nairobi, Kenya.

UK: Specific Threat to Westerners in Somaliland

LONDON January 27, 2013 (AP)  British citizens should immediately leave the Somaliland region of Somalia because of a specific threat to Westerners, British diplomats said Sunday.

In a statement emailed to reporters, Britain’s Foreign Office did not go into any further detail about the nature of the threat but noted that “kidnapping for financial or political gain, motivated by criminality or terrorism” is an issue throughout the country.

The new warning was issued only days after Britain, Germany, the Netherlands and Canada urged their citizens in the Libyan city of Benghazi to evacuate in response to what was then described as an imminent threat to Westerners.

European officials told The Associated Press at the time that schools were thought to be among the potential targets.

The exact reason for the warnings remains unclear, but they come at a time of heightened tension across north Africa.

French and African land forces are battling al-Qaida-linked Islamists in northern Mali, while a renewed bout of unrest has gripped Egypt following the two year anniversary of the revolution that toppled strongman Hosni Mubarak.

A Jan. 16 attack on the Ain Amenas natural gas plant in the Sahara ignited a four-day siege by Algerian forces in which at least 37 hostages and 29 militants died. An al-Qaida-affiliated group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Libya also remains unstable following the overthrow of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi. It was unclear if any of those factors played a role in Britain’s latest warning.

Somaliland, a former British colony, declared independence in 1991 when Somalia’s central government in Mogadishu collapsed. The international community does not recognize Somaliland as a separate. 

ABC News

Dawladda Ingiriiska Oo Muwaadiniinteeda Somaliland Ku Sugan u Gacan Haadisay, Ugana Digtay Afduub Iyo Falal Argagixisonimo

London – Dawladda Boqortooyada Ingiriiska ayaa digniin ay shalay soo saartay muwaadiniinteeda Somaliland ku sugan ugu baaqady inay sida ugu dhakhaha badan uga baxaan Somaliland.

Fariintan oo ka soo baxday Wasaarada arimaha dibada Ingiriiska, ayaa lagu sheegay inay jirto cabsi laga qabbo in la bartlmaameedsado muwaadiniinta reer galbeedka, gaar ahaan kuwo Ingiriiska ee Somaliland ku sugan.

Qoraal warbaahinta caalamiga ah lagu baahiyey in sababta dadka ingiriiska ah loogaga digayo joogitaanka Somaliland inay tahay in looga baqayo afduub iyo dambiyo argagixisonimo oo loo gaysto.

Qoraalkan oo ka soo baxay Wasaarada arimaha dibada Ingiriiska ayaa lagu yidhi  sidan  “Waxaanu ugu baaqaynaa Muwaadiniinta Ingiriiska ee Somaliland ku sugan inay sida ugu dhakhsaha badan uga baxaan Somaliland cabsi laga qabo in lagu bartilmaameedsado reer galbeedka darteed, gaar ahaan Muwaadiniinta Ingiirska”

Inkasta oo aan qoraalkaasi lagu faahfaahin ujeedada muwaadiniinta digniintan iyo yeedhmada la isugu raaciyey, haddana qoraalka ayaa lagu sheegay in laga cabsi qabbo afduub iyo dambiyo argagixisonimo “Afduub iyo dambiyo argagixisonimo”ayay tidhi Wasaarada arimaha dibada Ingiriiisku oo intaasi ku dartay “Waxaanu ku wargalinaynaa khatar soo ku soo fool leh reer galbeedka, waxaanu ugu baaqayna muwaadin kasta oo ay gaadhay digniintani inay si dhakhso uga soo laabtaan Somaliland”

Wasaarada arimaha dibada Ingiriiska ayaa digniintan ay soo saartay waxay ku soo beegmaysaa xili todobaadyo ka hor ciidamada Kamaadowsta Faransiisku hawlgal ka fuliyeen dalka Somaliya, kaasi oo ay ku soo furanayeen basaas Faransiis ah, halka sidoo kale ciidamada Faransiisku hawlgalo ka wadaan dalka Maali, taasi oo la filayo inay kor u qaaday necaybka kooxaha argagixisada ee wadamada reer galbeedka oo muwaadiniinta Ingiriisku ka mid yihiin ka joogaan Somaliland.

Qoraalka Wasaarada arimaha dibada Ingiriiska, ayaa sidoo kale lagu sheegay in digniintani daba socoto  digniin hore muwaadiniinta looga digay inay tagaan dalka Somaliya oo Somaliland-na ku jirto.
Dhanka kale, tallaabada dawladda Ingiriisku qaaday ayaa cawaaqibkeeda ku leh Somaliland iyo amaankeeda adduunku ku kalsoonaa.

Short URL: http://waaheen.com/?p=58272

Somalia Needs Secure Funds Before Troops Can Leave, UN Says

The Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Council of Ministers on Wednesday (January 23rd) called on Somalia to submit a detailed proposal of its stabilisation plan for the council's next meeting sometime in the coming six weeks, IGAD said in a press release.

In a meeting attended by Somali Foreign Affairs Minister Fowsiyo Yusuf Haji Aadan, the council said that Somalia must work to build a cohesive national security force under a single national command, and called for an enhanced mandate of the African Union Mission in Somalia until such a structure is put into place.

The IGAD Council of Ministers also urged the Somali government to prepare a proposal for its request to have the United Nations arms embargo lifted.

The council said the government should build "legitimate and representative local governments and security structures in all areas recovered from al-Shabaab, which should take place in all regions of Somalia, especially in south-central Somalia region".

The council's discussion on Somali affairs also included praise for Somalia's recent political progress and emphasised the importance of continued IGAD support for Somali development.

Somali Diaspora's Remittances Cast a Lifeline

Abdirashid Duale, Chief Executive of Dahabshiil the largest Money Transfer Company in Africa

INTERVIEW

During two decades of conflict, famines and floods, Somali expatriates' transmission of money back home -- known as "remittances" -- has been instrumental in keeping Somalia afloat.

The UN Development Programme estimates that $1.6 billion in remittances are sent back annually by Somali emigrants living in North America and Europe. Abdirashid Duale, a Somali who is chief executive of Dahabshiil, one of the largest money-transfer businesses in Africa, says that such transfers have been a lifeline. Now that security has improved in Mogadishu after the ouster of Al Shabaab Islamist militants in October 2012, he believes that strong economic growth can help drive peace. He shared with Africa Renewal's Jocelyne Sambira his hopes for a "business-friendly" administration.

How do you see the political situation in Mogadishu today?

The recent election, which was the first held in Mogadishu in more than 20 years ago, represents a great achievement. It's early days yet, and the new administration has a lot of issues to address. I am a businessman, not a politician, so it is not my role to talk about politics. I hope, however, that the new government will be business-friendly.

I believe that encouraging the Somali business community, which is extremely dynamic, will enhance peace and development. The diaspora, as the primary source of funding for Somali enterprise, will of course play an important role. Remittance finance, the majority of which comes through Dahabshiil, accounts for a large proportion of start-up capital in the Somali territories and has enabled the private sector to be the "great survivor" of the last two decades.

Security has improved in the capital, Mogadishu, and Kismayo is now in the hands of the government. What do you think will help stabilize the country?

There are still many challenges ahead. Addressing them will take time. However, I am sure development and job creation will help, as economic improvement plays such a key role in enhancing and cementing peace and stability. The business community, which is in so many ways a Somali success story, can help stabilize the situation. Dahabshiil, for example, works all over the Somali territories. It employs thousands of Somali people regardless of their clan or regional affiliations. We also apply this unifying approach to our customers, as we serve all Somalis, no matter where they come from.

As a businessman, what are your expectations of the new government?

I am always optimistic, and I hope the recent changes will improve life for all Somalis. I hope the new government will introduce policies that encourage the private sector. I also hope it will focus on the new generation and listen to the ideas of the youth. It will be important to encourage the growing number of people returning from the diaspora to invest and stay in the Somali territories. Many members of the diaspora are returning with useful skills, but it is also important to train people locally. The new government should work hard to encourage not only Somali but also foreign investment. Dahabshiil continues to set an example by being fully compliant with anti-money laundering and other regulations, both locally and internationally.

Somalia relies heavily on remittances to survive. Will this continue for long, or do you expect other investments to flow in?

Remittances remain a lifeline for many Somalis. They help Somalis in many different ways. Somalis are by nature entrepreneurial, which explains the recent increase in investment in Mogadishu and other parts of Somali territories. I expect this trend to continue. As long as there is peace, people will keep on coming back to their homeland. Remittances are set to keep flowing, as are other investments.

Dahabshiil has noticed that remittances still flow into the other African countries in which we operate, including South Sudan, Rwanda and Uganda. Remittances play a crucial part in the development of many of the 150 countries we operate in. They are part of the global economy. They are part of life, not only in the Somali territories, but in many other parts of the world.

You travel to Mogadishu. What is the situation like now?

Security has been improving in Mogadishu. The humanitarian situation has improved for some Somalis, but many are still in desperate need. Dahabshiil works and will continue to work with international aid organizations. One of our most recent activities was the donation of more than $100,000 for flood-stricken communities in the Beledwein region.

P.S. Don't Forget About Somalia

Thymaya Payne
Director, producer


In 2009, as part of my research for my Somali pirate documentary, Stolen Seas, which is comes out in New York in one week and airs on DIRECTV the end of January, I traveled to a wasteland beyond my wildest nightmares: Dadaab refugee camp. I have been to some horrible places in my life, but this short trip to Dadaab continues to haunt me now three years later. I can't get out of my head, Yusef, our smart as a whip, fluent in English, 20 year-old Somali interpreter, who had spent almost his entire life trapped in this camp made up of mud huts and twig roofed tents. Yusef hoped to one day live in America. But I know that he has little if any real chance of ever leaving Dadaab. He is imprisoned interminably in one of the layers of hell, simply for being born Somali.

Yusef is part of an entire generation of Somalis lost in a world that has forgotten them. I started my film trying to tell the story of the pirates, which continue to this day, but soon realized the real story was of the pain of the Somali people.

For three years the Somali pirates enthralled the world. The phenomenon reached its apex in 2010, a banner year that saw numerous clandestine negotiations, brazen shoot-outs and Hollywood inspired naval showdowns. Somali piracy was sold as a major threat to the very foundation of global capitalism. The world's commerce, it would seem, was being held hostage by a bunch of rag-tag Somalis armed with AK-47s and bazookas. The pirates put Somalia back on the map. People started asking questions. Why was this happening? How can we stop it?

Today Somali piracy is on the wane. Some would say that it's yesterday's news. But its "defeat" has come at a ridiculous cost: billions of dollars a year spent patrolling the coast for a few Somali pirates. Imagine if that money was spent preventing the underlying conditions, which caused the piracy in the first place. Yes, there has been more attention paid to the Somali because of the pirates. Yet, once the Somali pirates became fodder for late night television, the world's attention moved on to newer more salacious disasters. There were several hijackings by pirates in 2012 (albeit down from previous years) but very few of these incidents have been covered. The story has grown stale, the market "saturated." While we grew bored with the pirates, the problems plaguing Somalia got worse.

When I traveled to Dadaab three years ago and met Yusef, there were 400,000 people living in the camps. Now the number is close to half a million. If Dadaab were considered an "actual" city, it would be the third largest in Kenya. In Dadaab, despite the valiant efforts of the UNHCR and various aid organizations this place is a dead end for far too many. Throughout Somalia there are over 1,000,000 IDPs (Internal Displaced People). This year alone 4,000,000 -- half the population of Somalia -- people are in urgent need of food and up to three-quarters of a million are at risk for immediate starvation. Yusef and his countrymen want nothing more than to live a life worth living. When people ask me why Somalis become pirates I can't help but respond, who among us would not do whatever it takes to survive, "legal or not," in those same conditions?

The pirates are horrible hooligans, but their desperate acts provided an opportunity for engagement and the possibility of real change in that part of the world. I say, for the sake of keeping the world's attention on Somalia, that we needed the pirates to raise awareness of the plight of the Somali people. But once we had this awareness, we have a role to play to in helping manifest change in Somalia. Whether it be through the support of NGO's working in the area or partnering with the Somali community to identify smart investments, let's take the opportunity the pirates gave us and use it to look for long-term solutions placing the country on a sustainable path towards growth and stability. We can't afford to ignore Somalia. We did that before and Somali pirates were the by-product. Next time the results of our apathy will be far more dangerous.

Some Organizations Doing Great Work in the Region:

Daadab:

• UNHCR

• CARE

Long-term investment:

Shuraako -- They help investors work with the Somali community to find investment opportunities.

Small NGO's doing interesting work:

S.A.F.E -- a Somali-born American who runs an initiative to build schools with local labor and partnerships within the Somali government.

Somali Fair Fishing -- a nonprofit group started by Per Gullestrup, the former CEO of a Danish shipping company whose ship the CEC Future was held by Somali pirates and was also the subject of my documentary, Stolen Seas. This group aims to develop the fishing industry in Somalia to help prevent fishermen from turning into the very pirates that attacked their ships.

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Thymaya Payne is a documentary filmmaker based in Los Angeles. His film 'Stolen Seas' is presented as part of 'Something to Talk About' by Brainstorm Media and DIRECTV's AUDIENCE NETWORK in theaters, on video and via satellite. For more information, please consult www.stolenseas.com or http://somethingtotalkabout.us/.