When We Die, and Doctors 'Did Everything They Could,' Should Our Families Watch?

Emergency resuscitation can be grisly. But people who watched it performed on their family members reported less anxiety and depression after the event -- regardless of whether the person lived or died.

From the other side of the wall, in the hallway or waiting room, the accomplishments of emergency resuscitation can seem miraculous. On the inside, it's cold and disquieting. As Dr. Rosemarie Fernandez, an associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Washington, told The New York Times, "It's not like on Baywatch*, where somebody gets pulled out of the water and you do a few compressions and they walk away."

When someone's heart stops beating in a hospital, doctors, nurses, and technologists run to their room. One will stand over the patient on a tall stool to get a vantage where they use the leverage of their entire upper body to compress the patient's chest. It's not uncommon to hear and feel ribs cracking under their fingers as they press. Keeping the person's airway open can mean passing a large tube down their throat. Shocks of electricity are delivered that can make their limp body convulse. Doctors often need to insert a large I.V. through the side of the patient's neck in order to give the drugs that help restart their heart, which can be a bloody procedure.

We know that the support of friends and family during illness is of great benefit. The traditional wisdom around them being present during resuscitation, though, is that it's best for them to stay out of the room. The patient is not conscious -- at points, not even alive -- and they are being handled in an indelicate, impersonal way. Dire circumstances require it. It's not an idyllic last memory of a loved one.

In research published this morning in the New England Journal of Medicine, though, French physicians found that family members were ultimately better off when they watched CPR. Of 570 people, the 211 who witnessed resuscitation of a family member later reported significantly fewer symptoms of PTSD -- and less anxiety and depression -- at checkups following the event, regardless of whether the person survived.
The cases here, though, took place outside of hospitals. They happened wherever emergency medics got to the people. Resuscitation is usually less invasive when performed, say, in someone's home. There may also be more space to work. A hospital room gets crowded, and people become physical barriers. Some doctors argue that family being present disrupts the process in other ways, too. Emergency resuscitation is a choreographed procedure; one where stopping to address questions or console spectators could throw everything off.

In the New England Journal study, though, they found that the presence of family did not interfere with medical efforts or result in the health care team feeling more stress.

Dr. James Downar at Toronto General Hospital writes in an accompanying editorial that he rarely invites families into a room during resuscitation, and that he is hesitant to change his practice based on this research. "Cardiac arrests that occur at home are different in that family members actually 'invite' EMS to be present for the resuscitation, rather than the reverse," he notes.

Dr. Patricia Kritek at University of Washington offered a slightly more optimistic take. She believes that, when possible, families should have "the opportunity to be in the room in what may be the last minutes of [a patient's] life." She offers the thoughtful caveat, though, that it would be inappropriate to invite them in without also providing a liaison that could talk them through what's happening.

Kritek also gets to the point that immediately struck me. Emergency resuscitation is still, to many people, a mysterious process. Understanding the "brutal" nature of what we sometimes put people through is integral to any advance directive decision. When someone dies and is resuscitated, they do not bounce immediately back to normal. Their family is likely going to be speaking for them, making medical decisions on their behalf. When a family witnesses what "do everything possible" entails, it will inform future decisions. It will inform an increasingly transparent culture, where everyone has an accurate sense what resuscitation is and means before they opt into or out of it.

When people tell me they'd like extensive measures taken to revive their 105-year-old grandmother with advanced dementia and terminal cancer, it's hard to believe they'd say the same if they'd witnessed a similar resuscitation. Holding this curtain back as far as possible is best for patients. It seems like it's best for their families, too.

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* Baywatch was a TV fiction series that premiered in 1989. It starred Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff, and nothing it portrays should be mistaken for reality.

Ecuadorian minister visits Assange Wikileaks Founder

This August 19, 2012 file photo shows WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange making a statement to the media and supporters at a window of Ecuadorian Embassy in central London.

London - An Ecuadorian minister said on Wednesday that Julian Assange was in “good spirits” after visiting the WikiLeaks founder inside Ecuador's embassy in London. 

Assange has been holed up in the tiny diplomatic mission for nine months as he seeks to avoid extradition to Sweden over allegations of rape and sexual assault, which he denies. 

Ecuador's secretary of state for planning and development, Fander Falconi, met the former computer hacker during a brief visit to Britain. 

“He is in very good health and good spirits,” Falconi told reporters at the embassy. 

“He is very proud of Ecuador's foreign policy and the very professional way the government of Ecuador is dealing with this issue.” 

Assange fled to the embassy in June after losing his battle in the British courts against extradition to Sweden.

Ecuador granted him asylum in August but Britain has refused to allow him safe passage out of the country, sparking a diplomatic stalemate. 

Assange founded the WikiLeaks website that enraged Washington by releasing cables and war logs relating to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the biggest security breach in US history. - Sapa-AFP

Bildt accused of leaking secrets to the US

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has denied claims he leaked details of secret meetings to the United States following media reports based on diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks.

• Assange Swedish fears 'sheer fantasy': Australia (26 Feb 13)
• Sweden hailed as EU foreign policy bigshot (31 Jan 13)
• 'Sweden should make promises': Amnesty (28 Sep 12)

 On Friday, the Aftonbladet tabloid reported that Bildt, at the age of 27, reported to the United States about details of closed-door government coalition talks in 1976.

That information was then sent on to the CIA, the paper claimed.

"He was well informed. I reported on everything he told us," US envoy Ronald E Woods told the paper.

Information about the make-up of the three-party coalition, the parties' attitudes to nuclear power, and how they would handle a referendum reached the United States before it reached the Swedish people.

Per Ahlmark of the Liberal Party (Folkpartiet) was involved in the talks and emphasized that nothing said in the meetings should have been reported to outsiders.

"Everything we said was secret. Not only for foreign powers, but also for our own parties. We were very thorough about ensuring that nothing would get out," he said.

"Had I known that Bildt went and blabbed, I would have been very annoyed."

However, Bildt dismissed the conclusions Aftonbladet drew from the WikiLeaks cables.

"Today, the campaigning-style journalism that Aftonbladet occasionally engages in has celebrated new triumphs," Bildt wrote on his blog on Friday in response to the report.

He referred to the cables handed over to the paper by WikiLeaks' Swedish representative Johannes Wahlström as "pretty normal diplomatic reporting" and "pretty banal information".

"It is not about anything that can be labelled as 'secret'," according to Bildt.

One of the documents states that Bildt told Woods about a government deal on nuclear power.

Bildt admitted on his blog that the information about how the conservative coalition government planned to resolve the contentious issue of nuclear power was indeed sensitive.

But he denied that the telegram shows that he had leaked any information about the matter to the United States.

"What the telegram says on this point is factually incorrect - and it is unclear why. My bet is that the embassy twisted what they read in some newspaper. All the same, it was incorrect."

The publication of the WikiLeaks cables does not come as a surprise.

In February last year, the Swedish tabloid Expressen revealed that WikiLeaks was planning a smear campaign against Sweden to halt the extradition of its founder, Julian Assange, to the United States.

Expressen wrote that WikiLeaks planned to release documents allegedly showing that Bildt had acted as an informant for the United States since 1973.

The internal WikiLeaks memo reviewed by Expressen said that the organization planned to release classified documents, organize blockades of Swedish embassies and consulates as well as boycotts of Swedish companies.

“This is going to hurt Sweden more than the debate about the Mohammad cartoons,” a source with knowledge of the matter told Expressen at the time.

A WikiLeaks source claimed that “there are secret documents that reveal that Bildt cooperated with the American administration in a way that violates Swedish law… He'll be forced to resign. It will be the end of his political career.”

On his blog, Bildt wrote on Friday that Aftonbladet had mistranslated the original telegram and skewed its contents to fit the tabloid's own interpretation of events.

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Assange threatens the USA with sensational expose

In the coming months the British authorities can give up their plans for the extradition of Julian Assange of WikiLeaks to Sweden, where he is accused of raping two women. This means that the world famous journalist and Internet rebel, who has been hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since June of last year, will be set “free”.

The recent statements made by Ricardo Patino, Ecuador's Minister of Foreign Affairs, leads one to such a conclusion. According to him, after the reelection for the third term of president Rafael Correa, «Great Britain realized that for the next four years Ecuador's position on Assange would not change». Given that the minister expressed his hope that already this year the sides would come to an agreement regarding the Australian's further destiny.

Not only the firm position of Ecuadorian leader can push the British towards the decision to stop prosecuting Assange. One must recall the reason's for the WikiLeaks' founder's «voluntary confinement». According to Assange, he chose such a destiny not due to what he believes to be «ridiculous» accusations of the Swedish side. The real danger for the journalist comes from the USA, where he can be brought from Stockholm. The alleged rape was Pentagon's response to the published secret materials about the military actions of the Americans in Iraq, says Assange. And for such «misbehavior» Washington punishes very strictly, up to the capital punishment.

However, strange as it appears, the salvation for the Australian can also come from across the ocean. These days in the US the court hearings on the case of the US soldier Bradley Manning, accused of releasing a great deal of secret documents to WikiLeaks, are coming to an end. Of all the documents he handed over, the most scandalous was the video, in which the US soldiers shoot Iraqi civilians. That video cause a massive reaction in the US and all over the world, while Manning's personality according to the British newspaper The Independent became «the symbol of American hypocrisy». Julian Assange hopes that this court trials would help open the eyes of the world community as far as the role of the US in today's world is concerned and would force many people to view the situation around the founder of WikiLeaks differently:

«Manning's trial is a public beating of all those who is trying to open people's eyes. This is also proved by the degrading circumstances of keeping him under arrest. Not one single prisoner in the US has spent so much time in jail before the verdict», says Assange recalling that Manning was arrested back in 2010.

Depending on what Manning's verdict will be - the judge will announce the verdict on March 15 – Assange threatens to publish a new portion of documents revealing the US military atrocities. And in that case he will act as a prosecutor supported by the entire world community.

MUSUQMAASUQ MALAAYIIN DOLLAR LAGA SAMEEYEY MUQDISHO!

Minesota - Hayad fadhigeedu yahay  waddanka Belgum ayaa dhowaan u dirtay magaalada Muqdisho  howl-wadeen hayaddaasi ka socda  si uu baaritaan  ugu soo sameeyo  Howl-gallada nabad gelyada lagu sugayo iyo saamaynta dadka shicibka ah ay ku yeelato. Howl-wadeenkaasi ayaa muddadii uu Muqdisho joogay ,waxa uu waraysiyo kala duwan la yeeshay dadka ku waxyeeloobay howl-galadaasi Militeri,dad cusbataalada ku jira ,Ciidanka Bilayska,Militeriga iyo weliba Haydadaha ajaanibka ah ee qaabilsan  nabad gelyada Somaliya .

Haddaba howl-wadeenkaasi Muqdisho tegay ayaa waxaa soo food saaray arrin kale oo dhabbana-hays ku noqotay oo kaba sii daran tii uu daba socday  ee dhinaca nabad gelyada ku saabsanayd . Musuqmaasuq kobcay ,oo baaxad weyn ku yeeshay  xukuumadihii dalka isaga danbeeyey  oo ku laxaadsaday ibihii dhaqaalaha iyo hantidii qaranka iyo tii shacabka soomalida oo dad gaar ahi ay ku mabeen ,kana sameeyeen Malaayiin Dollar oo aanay biyo u soo kaban  ama ku soo tabcin.

Howl-wadeenkaasi ayaa warbixin uu qoray ku soo bandhigay liiska magacyada 11 qof oo isugu jira ,ganacsato,xildhibaano,Dublamaasiyiin iyo mas?uuliyiin kale ,kuwaasi oo ragaadiyey halbowlayaashii dhaqaale ee Soomaaliya oo markii horeba la kacaa kufaysay  Saboolnimo iyo loolan siyaasadeed  iyo kursi jacayl lagu baab?iyo dhaqaale wax u qaban lahaa carruuro badan oo Soomaali ah oo maanta ay ka maqan tahay  kaalintii wax barasho iyo tii caafimaadba .Sagaal ka mid ah liiska dadka hantida waddanka dhacay ka akhriso hoos.   

MAGACYADA LIISKA DADKA KU BAHALOOBAY WIIQIDDA HANTIDA  UMADDA IYO TANN QARANKA SOOMAALIYEED :

1- Khadija Cali Cosoble

Warbixinta ayaa qortay in Khadija iyo saygeeduba ay magac xumo dhulka ku jiideen magacii Soomaaliya.Labadooduba  waxay  samaysteen shirkado ay ka mid yihiin SAACID,DEEQA, IYO SAADEEQ. Shirkadda Saacid ,waxa ay caan ku tahay qaybinta deeqaha raashin ee caalamku siiyo dadka tabaalaysan ee ku waxyeelooba  Abaaraha ama dagaalada . Dhinaca kale ,Khadiija,Saygeeda iyo walaalkeedba  waxa ay cuntada iyo Shiidaalkaba siiyaan oo gaarsiiyaan  AMISOM. Waxay malaayiin Dollar ka helaan qandaraasyo ay ka qaataan AMISOM.

Haatan Khadiija  Cali Cosoble ,waxaa baaritaan ku haya FBI iyo haydda  UNMG oo iyadu qaabilsan deeqaha la lunsado iyo lacagaha la is daba mariyo.

Lacago laba Million oo Dollar ku dhow ayay Khadija Cosoble ku bixisay tartankii doorashada madaxweynanimo ee Somaliya oo uu walaalked jagadaasi isu soo taagay .Khadiija Cali Cosoble,waxaa warbixintu ay qoraysaa inay socod iyo tamashleba ay daasha-daashooto Guri hal Million oo Dollar oo   ay ka bixisay oo ku yaalla xaafadha raaxada loo tago ee magaalada Nairobi.

2- GENERAL C/LAAHI  GAAFOW  MAXAMUUD: Gaafow,xilligan waxaa baaritaan ku haya hayadda  UNMG, baaritaankaasi oo ku saabsan   lacago uu isdaba mariyeyiyo musuqmaasuq  uu lacago ku hantiyey . Gaafoow laanta socdalka ee Soomaaliya  waxa uu ka shaqaynayey ilaa iyo 35 sano .Xafiiskiisu waxa uu gaaray  meel aan dowladduba gaarin ama hiigsan .Waxa warbixintu ay qortay in  Gaafoow  uu meel walba ku haysto Qalabka ama Aaladaha Baasboorka lagu daabaco .Wuxuu ka baayac-mushtaraa oo iibiyaa Baasa-boorada Soomaaliga .Waxa kale oo uu ka qaataa  lacag ,dadka uu siiyey qalabka Baasa-boorka lagu daabaco ,waxa dadkaasi ugu tun weyn ,wasiirka warfaafinta ee Somalia xilligan,Mr Ciil-Mooge.

General Gaafow, waxa uu heshiis dhaqaale xoog leh uu la saxiixday labada safaaradood ee Soomalidu ku leedahay  magaalada Nairobi iyo Dubai.Lacagahaasi  waxay toos u galaan xisaabtiisa Bangiga .Warbixintu waxa y intaasi ku dartay in wasiirka ganacsiga ee Somaliya aanuu awood u lahayn in uu heshiisyadan  isagu galo.

3- MAXAMED DAYLAAF:  Waa ganacsade  Malaayiin Dollar ka sameeyey ,hayadda WFP, Wuxuu ka mid ahaa saddex nin oo ku guulaystay 80% 200 oo Million oo Dolar  hayadda WFP ay Qandaraas ku bixisay . Xilligan lagu jiro Mr Daylaaf waxa uu ku andacoonayaa inuu isagu masuul ka yahay  Shiidaalkii hore ee dowladdii Maxamed Siyaad Barra dowladiisa ee dekedda weyn ee Muqdisho .Qaybaha shiidaalka ee dekedda ku jira ayaa ahaa mid la xiray muddo 20 sano ka badan ,iyada oo Khubarada Calamku ay ku taliyeen inaan la taataaban shiidaalkaasi . Haseyeeshee waxaa lingaxa ka jaray oo jabsaday dhaqlaheediina  jeebka ku shubtay  Mr Daylaaf .

4- MAXAMUUD CUMAR CADDAANI;  Mr Caddaani, Sida Khadija, Deylaaf, Ambasador Cali Americo, Amb Shiikhaaley ayaa isagana ay baaritaan ku wadaan UNMG. Mr Caddaani wuxuu dekedda Ceel-Macaan muddo dheer ka dhoofsanayey Dhuxusha iyo Riyaha. Dhoofinta dhuxushiisa ayaa sabab looga dhigaa mushkiladdii ka dhex oogantay Masuuliyiinta  Jubba-land iyo madaxweyne Xasan Sh.Waxana Caddaani Kismaayo u tiillay  dhuxul aad u badan .

5-MAXAMUUD CALI GABAYRE: Mr Gabayre, waxa shaqsiyan uu iska dhaadhiciyey  inuu yahay madaxa rugta ganacsiga ee Somaliya iyada oo aanay cidina u magacaabin. Waa ganacsade qaabilsan dhoofinta iyo keenidda shiidaalka. Waxa uu ganacsiga ka bilaabay xoolo iyo hanti dowladdii Somaliya laga bililiqaystay,waxana uu qabsaday  Bakhaaro waaweyn oo ay lahayd wakaaladdii ADC,taasi oo ay lahayd wasaaraddii ganacsiga . Marna kiro ama ijaar Bakhaaradaasi kama bixin .Ninkani waa uu aad u dhibaa Ra?isal wasaarayaasha isaga oo dadka ku kiciya ama saxmad ku aloosa. Wuxuu abuuraa in aan canshuur la bixin ,canshuurta Dekedda ka timaadana waxa uu ka dhigaa wax ganacsatada gacanteeda soo gala. Wuxuu shir u qabtay ganacasatda iyo maal qabeenada Muqdisho. Waxana uu madaxweynaha u ururiyey hanti dhan hal million iyo Nus ku dhowaad  laaluush ah. si xaalku u noqdo af-wax cunay xishoo.

6- AMB MAXAMED CALI AMERICO(Haysta dhalasho Canada ah);

Danjire, Maxamed Cali Americo waxaa lagu eedeeyaa ,inuu xado oo bililiqaysto deeqaha reer Galbeedku ay u soo gudbiyaan dadka macaluushu ku habsatay ee Somalida ,waxana warbixintu ay qoraysaa inuu Cali Americo duhurka cad deeqahaasi uu uga iibiyo magaalada Mombasa iyo suuqyada kale ee dalka Kenya .Waxa kale oo Danjire Maxamed Cali America uu lacag badan ka sameeyaa waraaqaha sharciyada iyo Baasaboorada ,waxana ilo xogogaal ahi ay sheegeen,in bishii ay soo gasho inta u dhaxaysa konton ilaa toddobaatan kun oo Dollar . Lacagahaasi baaxadda lihi marna kuma dhacaan khasnadda dowladda Somaliya.

Danjire Maxamed Cali Americo ,si aan looga bedelin jagada uu hayo ee safiirka Somalida ee Kenya,waxa uu lacag laaluusha uu siiyaa ,wasaaradda  arrimaha debedda ee Kenya,taasi oo keentay in marar badan oo la isku dayey in la bedelo ,loo caal waayey ,dabeetana faraha laga qaaday .

7-CAASHA XAAJI CILMI:(haysata dhalasho Kenya ah): Waa afada u dhaxday Ra?isal wasaaraha Waa haweenay adadag oo meel walba gasha ,shaqaalaha Ra?isal wasaruhu waxay ku naanaysaan "Gabadhii Birta ama xadiidka ahayd"  Caasho waxay saaxiib isu dhow yihiin Khadiija Cosoble. Waxaa la yiraahdaa  shookaanta laga wado wasaaradaha iyo madaxtooyaduba  waa qolka Caasha Xaaji Cilmi.  Waxay door weyn ku leedahay  go?aanada siyaasadeed ee  dowladda.  Caasha waxay shaqaalaysay Kamal Guutaale oo ah nin dhallin yaro ah oo madaxweynaha u ah  Madaxa wasiirada,,kaasi oo u soo gudbiya Caasha go?aanada iyo qorshayaasha dowladda ka hor inta aan wax tallaabo siyaasadeed ah ama go?aan ah  dowladdu ku tallaabsan

Caasha iyada oo og gal daloolooyinka iyo daciifnimada ninkeeda ee shaqada loo dhiibay oo ka weyn ayay iyadu la shirtaa oo la kulantaaa Danjirayaasha  shisheeyaha,,golaha wasiirada, iyo  Hayadaha Qaaraanka bixiya,waxayna dhammaantoodba kula kulantaa gurigeeda .

8-FARAH SH.A/QAADIR (Haysta dhalasho Kenya ah ): Wuxuu hore u ahan jiray madaxa  hayada Africa Muslim. Hayaddaasi waxa ugu yaboohday Malaayiin Dollar  dadka saboolka ah ee Somalida in lagu caawiyo. Lacagahaasi . Mr Farax waxa uu u leexiyey  dhinaca ololihii madaxweynanimo ee Xasan Sh. Waxa kale oo uu ahaa ninkii ka danbeeyey  lacagtii sadaqa ahayd ee waddanka Qatar bixisay oo ahayd Malaayiin Dollar oo lagu caleemo saaray madaxweyne Xasan Sh Maxamuud .

Waxa ninkani isu magacaabay inuu yahay ninka madaxda ka ah dhammaan duulimaadyada diyaaradha ee Somaliya ,sida tana Turkiga ,IGAD,Jubba,iyo xiriirka Carabaha iyo Somalia. Waxa uu iska dhisaa madaxweyne Xasan Sh,waxana uu farta ka saaraa lacag kasta oo uu ku soo helo tuugnimada iyo magaca dadka masaakiinta ah ee Somalida .Waxa kale kale oo uu isu haystaa inuu yahay nin Qabiili ah o ay ku daba tukadaan dhammaan reerka  Wacayslaha oo uu madaxweynuhu ka soo jeedo

 9- XAAJI MUUSE DHIBLAAWE (Haysta dhalasho S.Africa iyo Canada) Xaaji Muuse,waxay  aad isugu dhow yihiin madaxweyne Xasan Sh. Maxamuud.

Xaajiga waxaa lagu eedeeyaa  isaga oo isticmaalaya waraaqo been abuur ah inuu xaday  dhul ballaaran oo dowladdu lahayd ,isaga oo ku andacoonaya shirkad dhinaca dhismaha ah oo uu ku leeyahay  Koonfurta Africa  inay  dhisayaan Dugsiyo wax lagu barto iyo  xarun dhallinyarada loo sameeyo. Waxa uu magaalada Muqdisho la yimid nin Turki ah oo ganacsade ah oo uu ku sheegay inay wada shaqeeyaan . Qandraaaska dhulkaasi ay dowladdu lahayd ayaa ku kacay ilaa iyo 8million oo Dollar ,lacagtaasi oo uu Xaaji Dhiblaawe afka iska mariyey oo uu lunsaday .Xaajigu waxa kale oo uu la wereegay dhammaan xarumihii shiidaalka ee dowladii Maxamed Siyaad Barre,waxana uu ku qoray dhammaantoodba calaamadiisa oo ah :TURK-SOMA"

Xaaji Muuse dhiblaawe ayaa hadda ka hor laga soo tarxiilay waddanka Gabon ,isaga oo lagu eedeeyey musuqmaasuq,laaluush iyo is daba-marin  lacago ay lahaayeen dadka reer Gabon.

Si kastaba ha noqotee waxa Muqdisho la camalaynaysaa dhinaca dhaqaalaha marka la eego waa lacago dhiig-miirad ah oo laga sameeyey magaca dadka saboolka ah ee Somalida oo hayadaha iyo bulshada caalamka lagu dawarsado. Dadka dhiig-miradka ku shaqeeya waxaa iyaguna raali ka ah oo dani ugu jirtaa masuuliyiinta dowlad kasta oo Soamlia ka dhalata.

Waxaa iyaduna ka mid ah meelha laga lacagaysatay ee magaca Soomalida bulshada caalamku malaayiinta ay ku bixiso ,haseyeeshee gala jeebka  dad u tafa-xaytay dhaca iyo xaaraanta,Guddiga Olympic kada Somalida .

Sababta u weyn ee dad badan oo ganacsato ahi ay u diidan yihiin in la helo nabad iyo dowlada caddaalada ah waa midda dhaqaalaha ay ka sameeyeen shacabka masaakiinta ah ee Soomaaliyeed, mana rabaan in tuubadaasi laga jaro haddiiba ay dowlad caddaalad ahi timaado .

Somaliland Trip Report

Somalilandsun - Just got back from a few days in Somaliland. Felt completely safe. On the ground people are saying that the travel warning from the UK was political and the Somaliland govt is negotiating to have it removed some time soon. Regardless, I never felt any threat.

Was scheduled to fly from Djibouti to Berbera on Daallo but flight cancelled at last minute. Fly Jubba if you plan to do this route - their reputation is more reliable. I ended up travelling back through Ethiopia.

Flew to Dire Dawa from Addis ($58) and then took mini bus to Jijiga (80 Birr, 3 hours). Stayed at Ras Hotel in Dire Dawa for 200 Birr. Switched immediately to bus to Wachale for 30 Birr (1 1/2 hours). It drops you off and you have to walk a few hundred metres to border. Along the way the Ethiopian border control to exit is in an unmarked white building on your left. People will show you. Entering Somaliland no problem with visa issued in London - 30 Pounds on the spot in London. Shared taxi from Wachale to Hargiesa - 40,000 shillings. Waited for a couple of hours for it to leave. Money changers at the border - look for the yellow cages. Trip to Hargiesa took about 3 hours but this was because we stopped for lunch along the way.

Stayed at Oriental in Hargiesa - $15 (102,000 shilings) - good value. Wi-fi was ok. Better in mornings and day than at night but hotel was very nice. Camel and goat market was wonderful. It's on from early morning to about 11am or a bit later. I took a mini bus for 1500 shillings there and 1300 shillings on the way back.

Went to Ministry of Tourism for car/driver/guard for Las Geel. Cost was $60 for car and driver, $20 for guard and $25 for permit. (although other posters have said they paid $55 for car, driver and guard). Cost if you arrange at Oriental is $100 for car, driver and guard. Department of Tourism was hard to find. Make your way to the President's House (everyone will know), then turn left at the next roundabout. Then ask for the Ministry of Commerce - it's down the road and to the left. The Tourism Department is in there. However it may change in the future to the Ministry of Youth and Sport building - which is in the same general area. Las Geel was wonderful (about 1 1/2 hour drive and spend a coupe of hours there). There is a guy on site who shows you around although his English was limited - we had a Somalilander with us who translated. Tourism Department shuts at 1pm so get organized in the mornings.

I changed $50 at the border (rate was 6,400) but wish I'd only changed about $10. Practically everything (except for local buses) was quoted to me in USD and people seemed to want USD and many locals were paying in USD as well. However, people seemed to use wildly varying exchange rates so I always asked for both the dollar and shilling price. I tried taking taxis in Hargiesa a few times and they always asked for $10USD so didn't bother.

The Ethiopian Airways office is hard to find in Hargiesa. Walk down the main street towards Wachale, past the MIG jet, past the Central Bank and there is a big Daallo airlines office on your left. Keep walking about a block and you will come to a small lane between Daallo Express Cargo and Caalami Furniture. Go down this lane and you'll see signs to the office. It's easier to find if you go past the lane and look back as they have signs that way.

Oriental list price to go to Berbera and back is $189 (via Las Geel). I asked for a one-way price from Hargiesa to Berbera (without Las Geel) and was quoted $110 but it felt like a made up price you couldn't rely on. Oriental and Hardwahaag Hotels both advised I needed a guard and travel permit to go in shared taxi. Not sure if this is true or not and I did not check with Ministory of Tourism. $34 exit fee + $10 luggage fee at Berbera airport.

Had a wonderful time. People were incredibly friendly and helpful and so pleased to see you and have you spread the word that Somaliland is safe. Am a solo female traveller so the women were especially fascinated that I was there. I was told by many people that it was not "necessary" for me to wear a head scarf and long skirt. However, I felt much more comfortable wearing a head scarf all the time and I wore a sarong over my trousers during the day.

Hope this helps.

Jez

Somaliland leader in Turkey for talks

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu welcomes the leader of Somalia's autonomous Somaliland region, Ahmed Mahamoud Silanyo, in front of his offical residence. (Photo: AA, Hakan Göktepe)

Ahmed Mahamoud Silanyo, president of Somalia's autonomous Somaliland region, paid a visit to Ankara on Tuesday for talks with Turkish officials.

Silanyo had talks with Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ and officials from the Ministry of Energy. He was also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday; however, the meeting had to be canceled due to Erdoğan's ill health. Erdoğan has caught a cold and will rest at home for a couple of days, according to reports. Today's Zaman was unable to confirm with the Prime Ministry whether the meeting between Erdoğan and Silanyo will take place at a later date.

Somaliland unilaterally declared its independence as a de facto sovereign state in 1991 but is internationally recognized as an autonomous region of Somalia, after a coalition of clan-based armed opposition groups ousted the nation's long-standing military government.

From time to time, there are also reports published by media claiming that the Somaliland leadership supports al-Shabaab, a Somali-based terrorist splinter group of the militant Islamist group al-Qaeda, and has links with the assassinations, abductions and bombings that have taken place in the country.

In a 2011 interview with BBC news, Silanyo said he hopes for independence and that Somaliland deserved to be seen as an independent country. “The people of Somaliland cannot be denied the chance of their own referendum to vote for secession,” said Silanyo.

A senior Turkish diplomat, who spoke to Today's Zaman on condition of anonymity, however, stated that it would be wrong to qualify Somaliland as a separatist region. “Within Somalia there are several regions, including Somaliland, that have their own administrative structure and a president. It is claimed that Somaliland is as separatist region; however, it would be wrong to qualify it as such,” said the diplomat.

The diplomat maintained that Turkey is against the division of Somalia, adding that Turkey will never support a group that poses a threat to the territorial integrity of Somalia. "In order to protect the territorial integrity of the country, we are in contact with all the sides in Somalia. Due to the instability, which is caused by terrorism and poverty, in the country, there are many groups calling for division. Somaliland is the only region which has been able to free itself from the effects of instability,” said the diplomat, adding that when stability can be maintained in the country, the separatist groups will give up the idea of division.

An Ankara-based Somali diplomat, who also spoke to Today's Zaman on condition of anonymity, stated that the visit was taking place to discuss issues of development in Somalia rather than political issues. "We have no problem with this visit. We have been aware of the demands of Somaliland since 1991 but we are against the division of the country," said the diplomat.

Somalia has suffered from civil war and religious extremism due to the political vacuum in the country since 1991. When asked whether the Somali government is uncomfortable about the visit, the same diplomat replied that this was out of the question, adding that the visit is taking place with the knowledge of the Somali state.

"Turkey will never support a group that poses a threat to the territorial integrity of Somalia. There is nothing to make the Somali state uncomfortable,” said the diplomat, adding that Turkey has made important contributions to the improvement of the situation in the country.

In 2011 a drought in Somalia killed 29,000 children under the age of 5 and left 12 million people on the brink of starvation. In Somalia, the drought has added to already present troubles resulting from the 20-year-long civil war in the country. The United Nations said Somalia's drought was one of the largest humanitarian crises in decades. Turkey initiated a countrywide aid campaign to help Somalia after the drought.