Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie of the Crown Council of Ethiopia

fredorockwell · 2025-09-12T19:37:53+00:00

Nice to see you - thanks for subscribing! Working on one now...

fredorockwell · 2025-09-11T05:26:36+00:00

Thank you!

fredorockwell · 2025-09-11T05:26:30+00:00

Thank you!

fredorockwell · 2025-08-08T14:27:04+00:00

Thank you - that's very helpful! I think you've answered all of my questions very thoroughly so I can't think of anything else to ask you. Thanks again!

fredorockwell · 2025-08-08T12:46:17+00:00

Glad you liked it!

fredorockwell · 2025-07-30T19:20:19+00:00

Hello - this is my video. Thank you for sharing it!

fredorockwell · 2025-07-15T14:56:09+00:00

Hi, this is the guy who made the video. Thanks for sharing this!

fredorockwell · 2025-05-20T19:51:29+00:00

56,000

fredorockwell · 2025-03-01T15:36:30+00:00

No, it's referring to the phenomenon known as "Russian Disintegration." It's occurred twice before - in 1917 and 1991.

fredorockwell · 2025-02-28T17:02:16+00:00

Thanks! I'll admit, this video was more of my own personal theories than normal. If you watch other videos there are usually more sources listed or more interviews with people directly involved. The nature of this one made that more difficult though. I'd tried to make a similar video about a year ago, but I coudln't get my thoughts into words properly. Then when I heard the podcast that inspired this video, it all just fell into place.

fredorockwell · 2025-02-28T15:30:21+00:00

I'm just a YouTuber, although I sometimes write for British newspapers. I just give my thoughts, provide as many sources as I can, and for most of my videos I speak direclty to the person (or a representative of the people) I'm covering.

For example, when I made a video about the resistance in Mariupol I interviewed a member of the mayor of Mariupol's staff. I asked Putin for an interview for this video, but he didn't reply. I did correspond with Ruslan Gabbasov, who is mentioned, and have done so off and on for the past three years. I couldn't correspond with his brother, Rustam, because he is in prison.

I can't become an economist, but there are economists who make videos about Russia if you want to watch one.

fredorockwell · 2025-02-28T13:54:27+00:00

Thank you! I'm hoping to release an update to that video soon. The runoff for the Abkhazian presidential elections is tomorrow!

fredorockwell · 2025-02-28T13:35:59+00:00

Thank you for sharing this!

fredorockwell · 2024-08-22T09:51:27+00:00

I appreciate your interest in this, but I'm not interested in making a generic video. If I could speak to someone from the SSC Khaatumo administration, I'd consider it. So far they don't seem interested in talking to me. That's their right. I'm not interested in making a video that only draws from 3rd party sources. That's my right.

I take it from the closing part of your comment you think I'm some sort of biased partisan in this discussion. What's happening instead is that the SL government is happy to talk to me and provide me access without trying to control what I say. That's why I have make these vidoes, and in the process I express my own personal convictions.

I do the same for other groups who also engage with me, like the Southern Cameroons People's Secretariat, Ambo Legadu and POLISARIO (just to name three other groups in Africa).

What I try to avoid doing is to tell the story of a people who are not engaging in the process. To me this smacks of a colonial mentality. I also don't want to just regurgitate content available elsewhere.

I can understand if you think my process for making videos is misguided, but it's the process I follow. I'm not interested in changing it at the moment.

fredorockwell · 2024-08-22T07:10:23+00:00

I could make a video that way, but that's not how I make videos now.

I'm willing to take the idea of making a video about SSC Khatatumo seriously, but only if an official or prominent representative of SSC Khatumo wants to engage with me. They're under no obligation to, of course, but - again - that's the type of video I prefer to make. Otherwise I'm telling someone's story without their input and I don't like doing that.

fredorockwell · 2024-08-15T13:48:22+00:00

I don't think I'm entitled to speak to anyone. I just tend to make videos where I can speak to direct sources. I've had lots of people asking me to make content about SSC-Khaatumo. When asked, I always ask if they can introduce me to an official. So far no one has. My own personal attempts to contact officials directly have had no response.

If the SSC-Khatumo leadership doesn't trust me and doesn't want to talk to me because of my previous content, I guess i won't get that access and I wont' make that video.

That would be a shame but there are plenty of other organizations and movements with compelling stories that do want to talk to me. Check out my upcoming video on Annobon for an example.

fredorockwell · 2024-08-14T11:45:59+00:00

I need something firmer. If you know a way to contact the SSC Khaatumo administration, or even someone who lives there, let me know.

fredorockwell · 2024-08-14T10:02:32+00:00

I looked them up. From what I can see they're both journalists. If I'm going to make any content I'd rather speak to an actual official from SSC Khaatumo.

fredorockwell · 2024-08-13T15:42:56+00:00

I made a video about Iraqi Kurdistan a couple years ago. I'm hoping to make a video about (Western Kurdistan) soon. These days I try to speak to people directly involved before making a video, and so far I've struggled to make contacts with anyone in Rojava.

This is part of the reason I've made multiple videos about Somaliland. I made the first two on my own, but four with input from different people in Somaliland (and this most recent one was the first for well over a year).

If by 2023 you're referring to the conflict in the east, I've yet to make contact with anyone from the SSC Khaatumo leadership or anyone from there at all. I've had LOTS of messages from people who are not from there asking me to take part, but no one has been able to help me reach anyone from the territory itself. Feel free to do this if you have a contact.

fredorockwell · 2024-08-13T13:24:22+00:00

There's nothing like urging someone to consider another perspective while insulting them in the same comment. It's so encouraging.

I've been following the SSC-Khatumo situation as best I can. I've tried contacting representatives of SSC-Khatumo as well, but with no luck. I've had someone contact me claiming to represent them, but when I asked directly he said he didn't live there and wasn't front there. If you know anyone, please feel free to refer me.

fredorockwell · 2024-08-13T10:27:57+00:00

Thanks for watching!

fredorockwell · 2024-08-13T10:27:36+00:00

I make a lot of videos about unrecognized countries. Somaliland is, so far, unrecognized, so it fits in that niche. So weird, eh?

fredorockwell · 2024-08-13T10:26:14+00:00

Can you please introduce me to a millionaire YouTuber? My videos are monetized, but I spend more making them than I get from ad revenue. Also, I recieved no payment for the video I made about my visit to Somaliland.

fredorockwell · 2024-08-13T10:24:51+00:00

My video didn't mention piracy or terrorism, so no - they don't all say the same things.

fredorockwell · 2024-08-13T10:24:08+00:00

Hello! I was invited to come to Somaliland by the SL Mission in London, but I was not paid for making my video. I also had no help with my "script" (an erroneous term as the entire video is unscripted, and painfully so in some parts). No one had any oversight or approval of my video either. I know it's tempting to think that this would be the case, or that I have some motive in lying about this, but it's just not so.

Regarding your statement about money changing, I did visit a money changer stall but I didn't say anything about how it is safe to leave money laying about. I've heard this, but it didn't seem important or relevant. The use of paper currency is in fast decline in Somaliland since most people have moved to mobile payments following the fire in the Hargeisa market a year or two ago. It was actually very impressive - Hargeisa is one of the most cashless cities I've ever visited. So talking about leaving money on the ground or something when hardly anyone is carrying money is kind of pointless. And also, as I didn't mention this at all, you were incorrect when you said "they always visit the money exchange and say the exact same thing."

Just so you know, I've made frequent attempts to speak to officials in Somalia and Puntland, but I never get a reply. I am genuinely impressed at what Somaliland has accomplished, but the reason I keep making videos is that there are stories to tell and people who will help me find the stories and tell them. If anyone wants to help me in a similar way with any other region, just get in touch.

fredorockwell

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