Unclebin, again I didn't say he was the Mahdi, but when you look at the overall piece of work especially pre-1986 it was pretty impressive at times revolutionary.
As for villifying him for 'loving power' and things of that nature, when you look at the climate of tyranny in the Middle East, Africa at the time and even today, he certainly doesn't stand out. Yes he loved power, just like anybody else. It seems his legacy will be pondered upon for a long time.
In any event I have to give kudos to Puntland/Somaliland for at least moving on with their lives and building something, instead of bashing a man who's been dead for over a decade and at the same breath selling Somali national treasures overseas at wholesale rates and dismembering a beautiful capital. Now if only the Somaliland group would stop with all the calacal in the form of War Crime tribunals and inquries on innocent Somalis. Wallahi a Dhulbahante mother was put in jail the other day on immigration charges in my area because her husband was tried and found innocent of war crimes in Burco in the '80s. They found out about her case and she's in prison now.
Also Unclebin you mentioned something about Ali Samatr earlier. If he wasn't an astute and classy political figure why then did your Adeer see fit to give him a post?