A US-backed warlord attacked the town yesterday but was eventually defeated by the local security force. The warlord's militia used an American M113 to attack, clearly a sign that arms embargoes were broken and Washington was pushing buttons. The story of Cadaado is amazing, the guy behind the project needs to be recognized for his work. I have a feeling that Somalia's civil war would've ended along time ago if American & Ethiopian interference didn't fuel the rival factions.
Video - A Somali-American's improbable return
Amazing what one man can do to help a whole community.
As a point of reference, Cadaado is a remote village in Central Somalia not far from the Ogaden border.
As a point of reference, Cadaado is a remote village in Central Somalia not far from the Ogaden border.
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
Wow, left all, especially his family. And into a land of uncertainity ravaged by chaos and bloodshed. Very interesting.
I just read up on that...kind of ironic that I posted it without looking, the area is in the middle of a lion's den with that US-backed warlord Abdi Shukri being a troublemaker, and Al Shabab is moving ever more northward.A US-backed warlord attacked the town yesterday but was eventually defeated by the local security force. The warlord's militia used an American M113 to attack, clearly a sign that arms embargoes were broken and Washington was pushing buttons.
Cadaado is actually part of Al-Shabaab's territory. :lol:I just read up on that...kind of ironic that I posted it without looking, the area is in the middle of a lion's den with that US-backed warlord Abdi Shukri being a troublemaker, and Al Shabab is moving ever more northward.
The guy running the administration is smart, he made concessions with Al-Shabaab months ago to support them, and in return they just leave his region alone and allow him and his constituents to do their own thing. His entire regional administration is a vassal of Al-Shabaab. This shows that other regions like Puntland & Somaliland can make similar deals with Al-Shabaab to avoid direct conflict, by simply paying lip service they can continue what they are doing at no cost to their administration physically or militarily - I know Silanyo is not a moron like Riyaale and can make such agreements, and Faroole used to be a moderate guy before he went nuts after entering office, I still think he has his senses, and we're all lucky to have a smart administration this time in Hargeisa that seeks to work with Puntland constructively. Sounds strange but Somalia's future doesn't look too bad aside from a few warlords who are still stuck in the early 90s days of looting and the ever-growing presence of outsiders.
^^ It is? Interesting. They are getting closer to Gaalkacyo. :shifty:
Yes, Cadaado is a vassal of Al-Shabaab and gives them strong support. I've been hearing through the grapevine that Gaalkacyo has been preparing itself to welcome Al-Shabaab for months. This seems like a ripe time for the Shabaab to enter the town if they will. The main military force there was Puntland, whose entire military force has become occupied by Faroole's clan who are centered in Garowe and have been reinforcing in Bari for the past few months. Puntland up to Garowe at least is open range right now, and any invading force from the south won't see strong resistance except maybe in Bosaso - strangely that city has always been the scene of the worst fighting going back to the Al-Itihaad wars in 1992 and Abdullahi Yusuf's invasion in 2002.^^ It is? Interesting. They are getting closer to Gaalkacyo. :shifty:
That is a very inspiring man. Imagine how our countries would benefit if all of us returned home and shared our skills.
This is why I think that as soon as Somalia gets peace, the country will develop fast and will catch up with the rest of the continent in little time.
This is why I think that as soon as Somalia gets peace, the country will develop fast and will catch up with the rest of the continent in little time.
I have said this many times before. Somalia is always shocking with some news.That is a very inspiring man. Imagine how our countries would benefit if all of us returned home and shared our skills.
This is why I think that as soon as Somalia gets peace, the country will develop fast and will catch up with the rest of the continent in little time.
Also the returning diaspora with skills can be a very big asset for countries, but only if they are given chances to practice more freely.
The skilled diaspora coming back is a big asset because you have a knowledgable resource that knows both worlds (developed and developing or underdeveloped) these people understand things easily than most in the country. Nor do they waste time like the ones at home.
Lovely story, very inspiring. I think when Somalia regains it's peace, alot more people like him would be returning back home 
Here's more background on Somalia's new prime minister. He's been a very active leader in the Somali community in Buffalo for two decades:
UB grad is named premier of Somalia; Grand Isle resident tapped by president
Jay Rey. Buffalo News. Buffalo, N.Y.: Oct 16, 2010. pg. A.1
Copyright Buffalo News Oct 16, 2010
A few days ago, Mohamed A. Mohamed was just a guy from Grand Island with a wife and four kids working for the state Department of Transportation in Buffalo.
Now, he's been named prime minister of Somalia.
Mohamed, a Somali native who resettled in Western New York in 1990, was named prime minister of his troubled homeland Thursday by the Somali president.
The news out of the country's capital reportedly came as a surprise to many in Somalia, who doubted whether Mohamed was up to the task of bringing stability to the country.
It certainly surprised those in Western New York, who know the 48-year-old University at Buffalo graduate as a refugee advocate and soft-spoken leader in the local Somali community.
"I heard a couple of things over the past few days and said, 'Well, maybe they're thinking of a different Mohamed Mohamed,' " said West Side activist Harvey Garrett.
Just Monday, Mohamed stopped in at the YWCA of Western New York on Grant Street to chat with chief executive officer Deborah Lynn Williams.
"Hey what's new? I haven't seen you," Williams asked him.
"Well, I'm hoping I might be the prime minister," Mohamed told her.
It's not clear how Mohamed landed the appointment, and he was not available to comment Friday.
But friends said Mohamed had worked for the Somali Embassy in Washington D.C., and was still plugged into politics back home.
When the previous prime minister resigned last month after a long-running dispute with the president, Mohamed apparently made it known he was interested in the job.
Despite their surprise, friends understand why he was picked.
"He's soft-spoken, but articulate. He's also fair, but he's got opinions, and I think people step back and listen to him," said Denise Beehag, director of refugee services at the International Institute on Delaware Avenue. "It's very obvious to see he has these leadership qualities and the ability to rally people and pull them together."
When West Side leaders organized a local refugee coalition, it was Mohamed who stepped forward as a leader and was elected as the organization's first president.
"He's very calm, he speaks softly, he listens and he tries to pull people together," Garrett said. "I never saw him being devisive and never saw him seek power. So what they're seeking in Somalia, he'd certainly by a good candidate. He's a peacemaker, and Somalia needs a peacemaker."
The country of 9 million people on the East African coast has been without an effective government since the president was overthrown in 1991. Divided by clans, the country for years has been immersed in fighting by rival warlords.
An Islamic insurgent movement, which controls much of central and southern Somalia, is trying to overthrow the U.N.-backed Somali government, which is generally seen as weak, corrupt and ineffective.
When Mohamed told Williams he was interested in being Somalia's prime minister, she feared for his safety.
"We had a long talk," Williams said. "He was pretty clear he really feels a calling to serve his country and help it get on its feet, to help it be a less violent place and be a functioning country."
Born in Somalia, Mohamed worked in the Somali Embassy in Washington, D.C., from 1985 to 1989, according to his resume.
The political upheaval in Somalia prevented him from returning to his country, forcing him to seek asylum in the United States, friends said.
He resettled in Buffalo, where he was a student at UB from 1989 to 1993, earning a bachelor's degree in history. He also earned U.S. citizenship.
After college, Mohamed served as an at-large commissioner for the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority from 1994 to 1997; a case manager for a lead abatement program in Buffalo from 1995 to 1999; and a minority business coordinator for the Erie County Division of Equal Employment Opportunity from 2000 to 2002.
Since 2002, Mohamed has worked as a civil rights manager with the DOT in Buffalo.
Mohamed and his wife, Zeinab Moallim, have two sons and two daughters, ages 7 to 19, said Suad Obsiye, a friend and caseworker for Catholic Charities. The family first settled on Buffalo's West Side, she said, before moving to Amherst and most recently, Grand Island.
He's a leader in the local Somali community.
"He's well respected, well known," she said.
In 2009, Mohamed earned his master's degree in American Studies from UB. His thesis was titled: "U.S. Strategic Interest in Somalia: From the Cold War Era to the War on Terror."
"He's a very personable guy, a very likable guy," said UB professor Donald A. Grinde Jr., chairman of the department of American studies and Mohamed's thesis adviser. "He's also very bright. I learned a lot about Somalia. He understands what's going on."
Grinde and Mohamed became friends, and the student and professor often spoke about ways to restructure Somalia peacefully, with the warlords serving as territorial governors under a national government overseeing defense and education.
"We had some interesting conversations about structures of government and the dilemma Somalia had in terms of structure and divisions," Grinde said.
Remarkably, Mohamed now has a chance to act.
"He obviously understood the chaos and had a strong interest in finding ways to overcome that," Grinde said. "He spent a great deal of time thinking about it."
UB grad is named premier of Somalia; Grand Isle resident tapped by president
Jay Rey. Buffalo News. Buffalo, N.Y.: Oct 16, 2010. pg. A.1
Copyright Buffalo News Oct 16, 2010
A few days ago, Mohamed A. Mohamed was just a guy from Grand Island with a wife and four kids working for the state Department of Transportation in Buffalo.
Now, he's been named prime minister of Somalia.
Mohamed, a Somali native who resettled in Western New York in 1990, was named prime minister of his troubled homeland Thursday by the Somali president.
The news out of the country's capital reportedly came as a surprise to many in Somalia, who doubted whether Mohamed was up to the task of bringing stability to the country.
It certainly surprised those in Western New York, who know the 48-year-old University at Buffalo graduate as a refugee advocate and soft-spoken leader in the local Somali community.
"I heard a couple of things over the past few days and said, 'Well, maybe they're thinking of a different Mohamed Mohamed,' " said West Side activist Harvey Garrett.
Just Monday, Mohamed stopped in at the YWCA of Western New York on Grant Street to chat with chief executive officer Deborah Lynn Williams.
"Hey what's new? I haven't seen you," Williams asked him.
"Well, I'm hoping I might be the prime minister," Mohamed told her.
It's not clear how Mohamed landed the appointment, and he was not available to comment Friday.
But friends said Mohamed had worked for the Somali Embassy in Washington D.C., and was still plugged into politics back home.
When the previous prime minister resigned last month after a long-running dispute with the president, Mohamed apparently made it known he was interested in the job.
Despite their surprise, friends understand why he was picked.
"He's soft-spoken, but articulate. He's also fair, but he's got opinions, and I think people step back and listen to him," said Denise Beehag, director of refugee services at the International Institute on Delaware Avenue. "It's very obvious to see he has these leadership qualities and the ability to rally people and pull them together."
When West Side leaders organized a local refugee coalition, it was Mohamed who stepped forward as a leader and was elected as the organization's first president.
"He's very calm, he speaks softly, he listens and he tries to pull people together," Garrett said. "I never saw him being devisive and never saw him seek power. So what they're seeking in Somalia, he'd certainly by a good candidate. He's a peacemaker, and Somalia needs a peacemaker."
The country of 9 million people on the East African coast has been without an effective government since the president was overthrown in 1991. Divided by clans, the country for years has been immersed in fighting by rival warlords.
An Islamic insurgent movement, which controls much of central and southern Somalia, is trying to overthrow the U.N.-backed Somali government, which is generally seen as weak, corrupt and ineffective.
When Mohamed told Williams he was interested in being Somalia's prime minister, she feared for his safety.
"We had a long talk," Williams said. "He was pretty clear he really feels a calling to serve his country and help it get on its feet, to help it be a less violent place and be a functioning country."
Born in Somalia, Mohamed worked in the Somali Embassy in Washington, D.C., from 1985 to 1989, according to his resume.
The political upheaval in Somalia prevented him from returning to his country, forcing him to seek asylum in the United States, friends said.
He resettled in Buffalo, where he was a student at UB from 1989 to 1993, earning a bachelor's degree in history. He also earned U.S. citizenship.
After college, Mohamed served as an at-large commissioner for the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority from 1994 to 1997; a case manager for a lead abatement program in Buffalo from 1995 to 1999; and a minority business coordinator for the Erie County Division of Equal Employment Opportunity from 2000 to 2002.
Since 2002, Mohamed has worked as a civil rights manager with the DOT in Buffalo.
Mohamed and his wife, Zeinab Moallim, have two sons and two daughters, ages 7 to 19, said Suad Obsiye, a friend and caseworker for Catholic Charities. The family first settled on Buffalo's West Side, she said, before moving to Amherst and most recently, Grand Island.
He's a leader in the local Somali community.
"He's well respected, well known," she said.
In 2009, Mohamed earned his master's degree in American Studies from UB. His thesis was titled: "U.S. Strategic Interest in Somalia: From the Cold War Era to the War on Terror."
"He's a very personable guy, a very likable guy," said UB professor Donald A. Grinde Jr., chairman of the department of American studies and Mohamed's thesis adviser. "He's also very bright. I learned a lot about Somalia. He understands what's going on."
Grinde and Mohamed became friends, and the student and professor often spoke about ways to restructure Somalia peacefully, with the warlords serving as territorial governors under a national government overseeing defense and education.
"We had some interesting conversations about structures of government and the dilemma Somalia had in terms of structure and divisions," Grinde said.
Remarkably, Mohamed now has a chance to act.
"He obviously understood the chaos and had a strong interest in finding ways to overcome that," Grinde said. "He spent a great deal of time thinking about it."
^^M113 dates from the early 60s, no reason it's not a holdover from the Siad Barre days.A US-backed warlord attacked the town yesterday but was eventually defeated by the local security force. The warlord's militia used an American M113 to attack, clearly a sign that arms embargoes were broken and Washington was pushing buttons. The story of Cadaado is amazing, the guy behind the project needs to be recognized for his work. I have a feeling that Somalia's civil war would've ended along time ago if American & Ethiopian interference didn't fuel the rival factions.
Two thumbs up for this guy!
Siad Barre didn't receive American arms until the late 1980s and they were only sending small arms to fight against rebels. Somalia has tons of Fiat APCs but that's the first time I've seen an American APC, or any non-Fiat APC for that matter, its definitely a recent arrival. I'm not saying America is directly arming those factions, but Ethiopia has a track record of providing favorable warlords with decent arms.^^M113 dates from the early 60s, no reason it's not a holdover from the Siad Barre days.
Two thumbs up for this guy!
I was surprised myself to read that a guy who went to the school that I am attending is going to be a prime minister! :shocked:
But...I doubt he will actually do anything of substance and he's probably not even going to last a year like the rest of them.
But...I doubt he will actually do anything of substance and he's probably not even going to last a year like the rest of them.
Hmm.. first we hear moderator Xusein and then his classmate is becoming PM of Somalia...hmm... how interesting!I was surprised myself to read that a guy who went to the school that I am attending is going to be a prime minister! :shocked:
But...I doubt he will actually do anything of substance and he's probably not even going to last a year like the rest of them.
:nuts::rofl::crazy2:
Haha, you're from Buffalo I see, tell him to hook you up with a speaker-of-parliament position.I was surprised myself to read that a guy who went to the school that I am attending is going to be a prime minister! :shocked:
But...I doubt he will actually do anything of substance and he's probably not even going to last a year like the rest of them.
The world is a small place, the Somali community is even smaller. :lol:
I knew a pair of guys who left my city in 2007 and made a propaganda tape for Abdullahi Yusuf during his arrival to Mogadishu, they pocketed $15,000 each for their trip with Abdullahi. I knew like 30 guys who were part of the Asmara Group, I've also known cab drivers who are now making $100,000 a month from warlord activities; its strange how easy these guys go from a comfortable diaspora life to a rugged gangster lifestyle back home in a snap. I live near former Prime Minister and warlord-in-chief Ali Mahdi lol.
Not my classmate, he's older than my mother. And I don't know him anyway.Hmm.. first we hear moderator Xusein and then his classmate is becoming PM of Somalia...hmm... how interesting!
No comment.I knew a pair of guys who left my city in 2007 and made a propaganda tape for Abdullahi Yusuf during his arrival to Mogadishu, they pocketed $15,000 each for their trip with Abdullahi. I knew like 30 guys who were part of the Asmara Group, I've also known cab drivers who are now making $100,000 a month from warlord activities; its strange how easy these guys go from a comfortable diaspora life to a rugged gangster lifestyle back home in a snap. I live near former Prime Minister and warlord-in-chief Ali Mahdi lol.
hno:Well, you never know.I was surprised myself to read that a guy who went to the school that I am attending is going to be a prime minister! :shocked:
But...I doubt he will actually do anything of substance and he's probably not even going to last a year like the rest of them.
Of course I don’t know Mohamed Mohamad personally. But I’d hear & read about the good organizing work he was doing in Buffalo, when Somali community was just getting started in the 1990s. That double name really stood out!
I’ll say this: Being successful in developing resources & a voice for a small, poor, & struggling community in a failing city like Buffalo makes very good preparation for coming up with solutions for a failing country.
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