Somaliland Parliament voted today to approve four out of seven new commissioners slated to replace the recently dissolved Election Commissioners. Three proposed Election Commissioners did not garner enough votes from the parliament. President Bihi has submitted the list of proposed election commissioners to the Parliament on June 11.
The three rejected candidates include Mr. Muse Haji Hassan Yusuf, the current Chairman of Somaliland’s Quality Control Commission who has received the lowest votes. Several members of parliament who spoke to the media after the vote indicated their opposition to Mr. Yusuf’s appointment to the commission is due to his current position. It is unclear if Mr. Yusuf has resigned as the Chairman the Quality Control Commission.
Despite speedy constitution of the new election commission, the rejection of the three candidates is a set back for election logistics as several important precursor steps for presidential election such as voter registration are on hold.
Two of the three rejected candidates for the election commission were appointed by President Bihi. It is unclear who or how quickly President Bihi will submit replacement candidates for the three slots to complete the commission’s quorum.
The approved commissioners include one female, Ms. Fadumo Ismail Abi who received the second highest votes of 67.
According to diplomatic and government sources, the UK government has suspended its support for Somaliland Police and has asked the Somaliland government to investigate allegations of police brutality following the opposition-led protests in Hargeisa on Thursday, June 9th, 2022.
The International Partners, which includes the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Scandinavian countries, support Somaliland in the areas of democratization and provide capacity-building programs to various government entities, including the Somaliland Police.
On Thursday, June 9th, Somaliland Police clashed with demonstrators in Hargeisa following what the opposition called a rehearsal and an orientation for demonstrators for a nationwide demonstration on the political standoff with the President on whether the presidential election will be held on November 13th.
Opposition parties have accused the government of using excessive force, live fire, tear gas, and unlawful incarceration of opposition figures, journalists, and protestors.
Somaliland government denies the accusation and stated that the protestors attacked the Police, and the security detail of Mr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Cirro, the former Chairman of the Waddani Party and presidential candidate, has fired on the Police.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued multiple statements explaining the demonstration and placed the blame on the opposition parties for conducting what the government called unwarranted protests and firing on the Police have shown maximum restraint.
In addition, Somaliland Police stated they will investigate the injuries reported by members of the opposition party, including Member of Parliament Mr. Barkhad Batun, who stated that he has been shot in the lower extremities.
Detained politicians from the opposition parties and journalists appeared before the Marodijeh Regional Court in Hargeisa since they were arrested on June 9th and subsequent days. No charges were brought against them, and the government was granted an additional seven-day remand in custody for additional investigation. Courts routinely grant additional remand to police to hold suspects without charges.
“International partners following Somaliland’s democratization process are very concerned by the violent incidents that occurred during the political protests in Hargeisa today. We urge restraint from all sides in order to de-escalate the situation and prevent harm & injury” said a statement issued by the international community on June 9th.
In 2019, the UK government has suspended operational support of Somaliland intelligence services and the counter-terrorism police units known as the RRU. The impact of the UK government suspending its support to Somaliland is unknown as Somaliland spends heavily on its security.
Major General Mohamed Adan Saqadhi (Dabagale) who we contacted for this report, denied the UK government has suspended support for Somaliland Police, but other government officials who spoke on background stated that there are still ongoing talks with the UK government. Officials from the British Office in Somaliland did not comment.
The Somaliland National Human Rights Commission has distanced itself from a statement made by one of its commissioners on Facebook that called for a harsher treatment of Thursday’s opposition-organized protests.
Mr. Omar Mohamoud Hussein (Godad), a lawyer by trade and a staunch supporter and an appointee of President Bihi mused that “They speak of injuries, perhaps they should’ve been shot in the heart as they contribute nothing but chaos to the nation”.
Mr. Omar Mohamoud Hussein (Godad)
The Somaliland Human Rights Commission stated its regrets regarding Mr. Godad’s statement and that it does not represent teh commission, and reiterated the independent nature of the commission and that Mr. Godad’s statement was detrimental to the commission’s reputation and its relationship with the public. In addition, the statement indicated that Mr. Godad has been repeatedly warned against actions contrary to the commission’s bylaws.
Although the government’s watchdog rarely finds faults in government actions including a major uptick in extrajudicial arrests of citizens and journalists, the Human Rights Commission was established by Parliamentary Act No. 39/2010 and its commissioners are jointly appointed by the President, Guurti and Chief Justice, and have immunity to ensure their impartiality and independence. The prime directive of the commission is to ensure civil liberties and human rights are safeguarded in Somaliland.
At the helm of the Agency is Mr. Mohamed Barud Ali, a veteran and highly educated politician who was severely tortured and spent years in solitary confinement under Dictator Barre’s regime for being a member of UFO. Mr. Barud’s ordeal is chronicled in this NPR story.
Chances of you hearing of Mr. Omar Mohamoud Hussein (Godad) are slim, but he has been around for a while and has exhibited a brazen pattern of corruption and outright theft dating back to his days as a District Court Judge under former President Ahmed Mahamoud Siilaanyo.
When Mr. Godad served as a District Court Judge, he was accused and subsequently fired for stealing court-mandated alimony funds known as Nafaqo in Somaliland. Nafaqo is part of a divorce settlement in Islamic law that a husband is obligated to pay their former spouse and children, and in some circumstances of delinquency, the funds are paid directly to the court to be disbursed to the family to ensure compliance. According to sources familiar with the accusation and Mr. Godad’s judicial record, these funds went directly to him, and as a result, Mr. Godad was removed from office.
On August 3rd, the former Governor of Somaliland Central Bank Mr. Ali Ibrahim Jama (Baghdadi) wrote a letter to the Police, the Attorney General’s Office, and the Human Rights Commission to bring to their attention a check in the amount of 25 million Somaliland Shillings written by Mr. Godad with a forged signature of the Central Bank Governor and asked that they investigation the financial crime committed by Mr. Godad.
Mr. Ali Ibrahim Jama (Baghdadi, former Governor of Somaliland Central Bank
Sources add that following an investigation by the Police CID, the Attorney General’s Office has concluded that a crime has been committed and promptly submitted a request to the Office of the President to start the process to revoke Mr. Godad’s immunity to allow the criminal proceedings to begin. By law, Human Rights Commissioners, much like Election Commissioners, have immunity to ensure their impartiality and independence.
According to multiple sources close to the government body entrusted with safeguarding human rights, Mr. Godad has assaulted a random person at the Commission’s Head Quarters for allegedly parking in his spot. Sources add the unnamed civilian assaulted by Mr. Godad suffered a broken collarbone and has lodged a complaint against Mr. Godad to the Human Rights Commission. It is unclear if assault and injury was referred to law enforcement agencies or any disciplinary action was taken as a result.
Sources privy to the internal discourse at the Human Rights Commission about Mr. Godad stated that the other commissioners and especially the Chairman, Mr. Mohamed Barud Ali are distraught but are powerless to remove Mr. Godad as a commissioner due to his immunity and the fact that criminal complaint filed by the Attorney General on the forgery case is still pending with the President.
It is unclear if President Muse Bihi Abdi, who appointed Mr. Godad to the human rights watchdog, was aware of his misconduct as a District Court judge under his predecessor and why the President has not taken action after almost a year of receiving the criminal complaint from the Attorney General’s Office on Mr. Godad’s forgery allegation.
Efforts to reach Chairman Barud, Mr. Godad, and other members of the Human Rights Commission for comments on this incident and Mr. Godad’s past behavior, including the allegation of misappropriation of Nafaqo or alimony funds, forging of the Central Bank Chairman’s signature on a check, the pending case, and assault of a member of the public on the commissioner’s premises were unsuccessful.
There is no right way to grieve and each of us reacts in our own way to the loss of a friend. Today, we have lost a dear friend whose wisdom, wit and charm have deeply affected all who have had any association with his world. Said Jama Hussein died in London at the age of 80 and many people, belonging to different generations, are mourning his passing. I asked him in the last days of his life, his views on life, and he answered, “as a member of the humankind living on this earth, I have always – since my adulthood at least- maintained that the best legacy to leave behind was to take part in the process of human reproduction – giving birth to children, who hopefully might come up with brilliant ideas; but more importantly, to leave behind ideas that contribute to the progress of man on his journey on this planet.” Said was one in a million.
From left: Rashid Sh Abdillahi, Dr. Jama Musse Jama, Said Jama Hussein (RIP), Mohamud Sh Dalmar – London, 2016
Many people know Said Jama Hussein as a leading scholar and visionary Somali short story writer. He was beyond that. He was someone who was full of wisdom and eventful life. Even though I met him after I was a grown man, meeting him has shaped me in many ways. His independent thinking with his critical observation skills and playful but concrete advice is one of the qualities that made him stand out. His sharp observation skills and power of remembering details of events, not only those he was a participant in, but also those he is told of, are still a mystery to me. His connection with people across generations is another quality Said had. He was a great mentor to many young people, be it in life in general, or in the profession of short story writing for which he is praised as the “king of Short Story writing”.
A lover of all kinds of art, one day I sent Said Jama the photo of a painting exhibited in a hotel in Addis Ababa, by an anonymous artist, and as usual he was able to find a way to use the same painting to express his feeling about the sociopolitical state of Somali society. He wrote me back “This type of miniature art belongs to the era of impressionism in painting. Such a pathetic expression on her face must have been moved by a very disturbing spectacle, like seeing (a) Dante’s Inferno – a dreadful calamity or (b) the catastrophic precipice the Somalis are mindlessly heading towards.” He was an artist and art historian, who would tell you in his own words to discover the thought and emotion which the artist of the painting has portrayed.
Fluent in English, Arabic, and of course Somali, his mastery of six languages has made him have a wider world understanding and the capacity to express his thoughts beyond a language limit. His principle of tolerance and kindness is a human characteristic he wished the Somali community developed more for peaceful coexistence. For this, he has contributed immensely by bridging the language gap through the translation works he did.
There are many incidents I could write as a tribute to him, but I remember our conversation in 2016 in London. I was intrigued to know about his childhood and perspectives and asked him “who is your childhood role model that impacted your life?”. I remember the way he looked at me with a heartwarming smile and checked our surrounding if anyone was looking at us followed by saying in a very low tone “is it only us?”. I was surprised and thought it was a simple question and said “yes, it is only us”. Said laughed so hard and loud with my response which was still confusing for me. Then he reached out to his bag and brought out messy papers written all over them, and he said, “I have a gift for you”. It is some writing that I have been collecting and I call it “is it only us”. We both laughed aloud. He then said “it is not yet a book or something you can read. But try to read and make it look like a book, print it, and let it reach people.” He then added, “you have a look at it and you will find the answers to some of the questions you just asked me”. This is how the book “Ma innagii uun baa” came to be with my curiosity and interesting conversation with the great storyteller.
Someone very close to him characterized him by saying, “he is a nation on his own” which I agree 100% and will add that the nation he was is one of peaceful, tolerant land where everyone is accepted and heard. That is what he makes you feel when you are around him, and it doesn’t matter who and what you are; he had space and love for everyone. This is how he impacted many lives in the past 60 years. He embodies a person of civic virtues, creative writing, eloquent storytelling, hospitable, sympathetic, and considerate and many more things beyond words.
Though well-read and connected to the world of books and ideas, his love of soccer might be something a lot of people do not know. He played the game when he was young in Aden, Yemen, and his favorite number was No. 8.
Nabadgelyo macallin.
Hargeysa, 11 June 2022
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr Jama Musse Jama has a PhD in Computational Linguistics, and has extensive research publications in mathematics, ICT and the role of art and culture in development. Founder of the Hargeysa International Book Fair, and currently Director of the Hargeysa Cultural Centre in Somaliland, Dr. Jama has also a Senior Research Associate position at DPU, University College London, UK. Dr. Jama can be reached @JamaMusse or email: jama[@]redsea-online.org
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints of Somaliland Chronicle, and its staff.
Following the resignation and effective disbandment of the last National Election Commissioners, the President of the Republic of Somaliland Muse Bihi Abdi has submitted the seven member list of the new Election Commission to Parliament for approval.
The composition of the six male and one female commissioners are nominated among stake holders where the President nominated three, the Guurti or House of Elders have nominated two members and the two opposition members of Waddani and UCID have nominated one each.
Unlike the last commission, whose nomination were mired by major dispute between the opposition parties and the government which took months of mediation, the swift nomination and the lack of opposition to its composition may signal political fatigue or a new level of maturity among Somaliland’s political stake holders.
It is unclear if any of the new commissioners will face hurdles in Parliament, which despite the opposition holding majority including the speakership, has so far been very generous with its ratification of various officials nominated by President Bihi.
New Commissioners include Mr. Muse Haji Hassan Yusuf, the current Chairman of Somaliland’s Quality Control Commission, its unclear if his nomination to the Election Commission is part of a major reshuffle that President Bihi is reported to announce.
Political uncertainly has been on the rise recently in Somaliland where the opposition parties have called for a nation-wide protests and accused the President of seeking a term extension by nullifying existing parties before their mandate and meddling in the Election Commission. Government and its supporters accuse the Waddani and UCID political parties of continuing the status quo to ensure their political survival.
Efforts to mediate the government and opposition parties are underway and initial concessions include halt to nation-wide protests by the opposition and release of all those detained following Thursday’s protests in Hargeisa.
Voter registration are among the efforts currently delayed by the disbandment of the former Election Commissioners, its unclear if the new commissioners will be able to complete the election logistics in time for November 2022.
Mr. Caryll, who did not provide anyway to contact him besides the Gmail address he used to send the cease and desist, included a statement that made the nature of the request even more baffling. It referred to a court acquittal and stated that his client, Mr. Mohamed Said Guedi, has been found innocent. Although our article mentioned the fact that Mr. Mohamed Said Guedi is litigious and is mired in multiple court cases in Somaliland, we did not cite any specific legal case where he has been accused of wrong doing and subsequently acquitted.
Cease and Desist sent to Somaliland Chronicle by Mr. Venson Caryll on behalf of SOMCABLE and its Chairman Mr. Mohamed Said Guedi.
“As long as my client is concerned he has been acquitted of all the accusations he has been loaded with all this while, but here the author portrays a picture where all this information is true and authentic which affects his family. Now that he is proved innocent in front of the honourable Court, and is in the public eye, this article is disturbing and concerning at multiple levels.” Said Venson Caryll in the request to cease and desist.
In addition to resisting providing any more information about himself, Mr. Venson Caryll declined to say what jurisdiction he practices law or if he was part of a law practice that seems to have been wholly plagiarized the entire cease and desist letter from one that the Times of Assam has received in 2018.
Cease and Desist sent to Times of Assam in 2018
It is unclear if Mr. Venson Caryll, who did not appear in multiple law jurisdictions we have searched, is in fact, a real person and an attorney who represents SOMCABLE Chairman Mr. Mohamed Said Guedi, but Mr. Caryll is intent on ensuring anonymity for himself while threatening legal action.
Efforts to reach Mr. Mohamed Said Guedi regarding the cease and desist and Mr. Caryll were unsuccessful.
On May 26th, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee met to discuss several legislations. One item on discussion is one of the most consequential Acts in recent memory that will tip the balance of geopolitics and geo-economics in favor of the United States and increase its influence in the Horn of Africa—The Somaliland Partnership Act—and is scheduled for debate on the Senate floor on June 9th.
The Somaliland Partnership Act, with bipartisan support from veteran senators Risch, Van Hollan, and Rounds, is the result of Somaliland President Mr. Muse Bihi Abdi’s visit to the US back in March 2022 who was enthusiastically received by both house senate and congress leaders; this legislation and President Bihi’s trip were almost jeopardized by US Ambassador to Somalia Mr. Larry André who has been working behind to pressure President Bihi to delay his visit the US initially and when rebuffed asked if the delegation can to keep their visit as low key as possible in Washington DC; shockingly enough when Muse Bihi ignored Larry André’s unprecedented diplomatic pressure, the U.S ambassador to Somalia sought to undermine the trip by reaching out to Garowe Online for an interview to downplay the significance of the trip.
It’s important to note that Garowe Online has falsely claimed that visas were denied for members of President Bihi’s delegation and that the trip itself did not amount to anything as they were not invited by the United States government, a notion that Mr. André’s bizarre interview has reinforced. It is also important to note that decisions on visa applications are extremely sensitive and given Mr. André’s cozy relationship with the Puntland-based outlet Garowe Online, which has deleted its tweet bragging that they have obtained this sensitive information from diplomatic sources it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he may be the source of the leak of this sensitive information. Leaking visa-related information to gain political leverage is extremely dangerous and maybe something that the US Inspector General may want to look into.
Garowe Online, of all media in Somalia, is a shady and propaganda media owned by Mohamed Abdirahman Faroole, son and media advisor of the former autocratic leader of Puntland State Ahmed Farole, and current Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni. In 2009 Garowe Online media owner was given a free rein to crack down on political rivals and media and free speech in Puntland state; Further, more Garowe Online media spreads disinformation about Mogadishu and Somaliland’s ambition for recognition. This was followed by a non-diplomatic and never seen move by a sitting US ambassador wearing sportswear with the Somalia flag took a photo op with current caretaker Prime Minister Roble to coincide it Somaliland President’s high-level meeting with the US government in Washington DC.
It was an honor to walk with the @SomaliPM team on the beach today. During their conversation, Ambassador André emphasized our support for @MohamedHRoble’s leadership in finalizing #Somalia’s long overdue electoral process. pic.twitter.com/6DPgqfmP9h
— U.S. Embassy Mogadishu, Somalia (@US2SOMALIA) March 22, 2022
Keep in mind Larry André’s aggressive campaign against Somaliland’s diplomatic outreach to the United States was happening in midst of Somalia’s last-mile election, which demanded his undivided attention. Sadly, the United States Ambassador, Mr. André who has been in the country for a few months, continued his media campaign by giving an interview to Voice of America Somali service, this time he went out of his way to send a message to Somalia unionists and nationalists by stating that America has maintained “One Somalia” policy since 1960, failed to mention Somaliland obtained independence on June 26th of 1960, five days before Somalia gained independence and was recognized by 35 countries including a congratulatory message from U.S. Secretary of State, Mr. Christian Herter.
Despite all of this, Mr. André is intent on keeping Somaliland as part of Somalia despite his country’s reproachment with Somaliland and the consequential legislation working its way through the Senate that may lead to an important base in Berbera for US Africa Command.
This brings up two important questions; first, why is Larry André moving heaven and earth to block Somaliland from pursuing closer ties with the United States and recognition? The answer lies in his past diplomatic career; before Mr. André became an ambassador, he served as Political Counselor at U.S. Embassy in Nairobi from 2006 to 2008, infact he established the Somalia Affairs Mission in Nairobi in 2007, allowing him to be involved in several high-level meeting between US Department of State officials and the Kenyan government to witness two former Kenyan presidents advocate for Somaliland; at one point President Moi discussed recognition of Somaliland, while President Kibaki who was sympathetic to Somaliland situation suggested at the time to aid Somaliland to join African Union as an observer and pursue Somaliland recognition through IGAD countries- fast forward 17 years later and Somaliland is in a much better position and the path to recognition is gaining momentum and is being discussed in many important fora including the British, Canadian parliament, and even US Congress and Senate. This is problematic for Larry André, the principal architect of the defunct “One Somalia” policy which has not served in the best interest of the United States.
Somalia, as a diplomatic post is a career killer and any ambassador sent there is likely heading to retirement after his term is up, and rather than working in the interest of the United States, these ambassadors and diplomats superimpose their biases and interests to chase a mirage of a lasting legacy, which makes them act like colonial governors negatively impacting Somalia’s domestic and foreign policy, case in point Larry André’s predecessor Mr. Donald Yamamoto, who was the chief architect of the disastrous Ethiopia invasion to Somalia which he has later apologized, he has emboldened former Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo who has become a depot overnight who has melded intelligence and security services with Al-Shabaab and has been accused of murdering political opponents and waged an economic war against Somaliland Somaliland including the weaponization of aid and blocking livestock export that cost Somaliland economy an estimated 2 billion dollars, all the while being inexplicably obsessed with pressuring Somaliland to sit down with Somalia on a fresh round of fruitless talks.
The second question is would Mr. André stay on Yamamoto course and prioritize Somalia-Somaliland talks? during his Senate confirmation hearing, speaking in indiscernible generalities he said “ I will continue the work of Ambassador Yamamoto to bring to bear the full range of tools to help Somalis defend themselves and rid their country of terrorism” either Biden administration completely oblivious to Donald Yammato record of diplomatic malpractice or have 100% supported his actions, but one thing is for sure Larry André is following the footsteps of Donald Yamammato when it comes Somaliland-Somalia politicization; this was evident his recent interview with VOA Somali on May 26th that he was impressed with Somalia new president prioritization after his second meeting; despite all the challenges lie ahead of the current Somalia administration led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the new president quickly appointed Somalia drought envoy, and Somalia-Somaliland Talks envoy; the former is completely understandable since Somalia is in the midst of devastating humanitarian crisis, but the later appointment was likely on Larry André wish list and he may have pushed the new president to prioritize the talks higher than restructuring the security services to get them in a position to take the fight to Alshabaab.
From the geostrategic perspective, the Department of Defense’s interest in the Horn of Africa to deter China and Russian influence supersedes the State Department’s and especially Larry André’s ambition and whatever unknown grudges he harbors against Somaliland, this was evident when General Townsend’s visit to Somaliland is a sign that talks between Somaliland and the United States on the possibility of a US base there are a lot more advanced than either party is admitting and that the Berbera Airport is likely to be AFRICOM’s future base in the Horn of Africa.
After General Townsend’s historic trip to Somaliland, Mr. André’s most likely contribution was a statement that was later issued by AFRICOM that referred to Somaliland as the Federal Member State of Somalia and stated that it is dealing with it under the auspices of the Federal Government of Somalia and its constitution. AFRICOM later walked back the unnecessarily harsh language that has caused an uproar but once again, Mr. André’s rigid mindset on Somaliland and its independence seems to be set in stone even at the potential cost of a valuable military real estate for the United States in the de facto nation.
That assessment and this visit are a part of routine efforts to assess potential operating locations to be able to prepare for contingencies, exercise readiness or adjust force posture as needed. pic.twitter.com/KK8Vq506g1
Unfortunately, the Biden administration is sending mixed signals when it comes to its commitment to keeping the Horn of Africa in its sphere of influence where the State Department is openly appeasing the Somali government by reaffirming the “one Somalia policy’ much like the “one China policy” while on other hand US government is directly engaged in negotiation with Somaliland to have security and maritime cooperation in the Gulf of Aden, which is akin Bush and Obama era US dual-track policy. These internal opposed views of the US government on the region and Somaliland has as one point spilled onto the open where the US Foreign Relations Committee come down hard on the diplomatic folks on their adherence to the obsolete One Somalia policy.
Biden admin or future US government has to choose either risk losing Somaliland, a Horn of Africa geostrategic partner that not only controls its demarcated territory (former British Somaliland), yet democratic and stable for the last 30 years but unrecognized or stay the course and pursue Larry and his predecessor Yamamoto’s failed adventures in Somalia where the United States, despite the heavy investment of blood and treasure, has lost all influence to China where it is reaping untold riches from Somalia.
Somalia’s new government facing down the compounded effect of an emboldened and resurgent Al-Shabab and ISIS terrorist organization that has been checked for the last five years, while Somaliland, although stable, is entering a tough election year; such complex dynamics in fragile states require a deeper understanding of a lot of moving variables and an ambassador that is not tainted by the viewpoints of shady media that carries the political interest of select view. At this juncture, Ambassador Larry André is no longer an honest and an impartial party but is part of what ails Somalia in general and his obsession with the “One Somalia” policy to appease those who have recruited him to their nationalist cause and will most assuredly put the interest of the United in gaining a valuable foothold in the Strait of Bab-Al-Mandab at an extreme disadvantage and will damage its relationship with both Somalia and Somaliland in the long run.
One of the undesired and embarrassing outcomes of the ill-informed policies of the United States is an episode reminiscent of Iran-Contra where Puntland Security Forces who were trained and equipped by the Central Intelligence Agency have joined in the very piracy operations they were intended to confront and disrupt and have been implicated in the trade illicit arms that flow into Somalia and Somaliland from Iran and Yemen but also the main sources of instability in Puntland, this US taxpayer operation that came off the wheels was run from the US Embassy in Mogadishu under Yamamoto while he was cozying up to Farmajo and to date, Larry André has yet to address it. Just like a consent decree, the United States government and particularly the State Department should consider monitoring Larry André’s policy-making decisions, and ascertain it aligns with the United States interests and does not harm its foreign policy and relation with Somalia or Somaliland, two fragile states that are immensely vital to the to US interest’s in the Horn of Africa and Indian ocean.
On 25 of May 2022 , Somcable Submarine Network welcomed the 2Africa cable to Berbera in a local ceremony hosted at the Somcable International Submarine Hub which was attended by the senior management team and Government officials of Somaliland.
This was the second submarine cable to land in Bebera in the month of May 2022.
2 Africa cable is the largest submarine cable to be built. According to the consortium, 45,000km is length and runs between 33 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia, with 46 landings it will be the longest subsea cable ever deployed, “serving communities that rely on the internet for services from education to healthcare and business, with all experiencing the economic and social benefits that come from this increased connectivity.”
The 2Africa subsea cable system together with its Pearls extension is designed to deliver international connectivity to approximately 3 billion people, representing 36% of the global population and connecting three continents, Africa, Europe, and Asia.
Somcable Submarine Network currently works on an open access policy which fits perfectly with what 2africa stands for ‘as quoted by Mr Said Mohamed , Vice Board chairman”, “We welcome all other international submarine cables whom are currently in planning or have existing and upcoming submarine projects to consider Berbera as its now quickly becoming an important strategic location in the Horn of Africa.”
Somcable is working endlessly to provided and support regional growth with reliable, efficient and affordable services.
Somaliland Strategic Advisory Group (SL-SAG) wish the people of the Republic of Somaliland Independence Day to commemorate the commencement of 31st year of Independence Day.
As the entire world can attest to, The Republic of Somaliland has been a standard-bearer for democracy, peace, and rule of law in the Horn of Africa and has surpassed many countries around the world in these important benchmarks without recognition for 31 years and this is all because of the resilient people of Somaliland and their desire to support peace and order in their country.
Somaliland’s legal case for recognition extends back to its founding and independence from Great Britain in June 1960, when it voluntarily joined with the former Italian Somalia to form what was at the time known as the Somali Republic. Due to the sweat and sacrifice made by our heroes who have made this day a realty, The Somaliland of Somaliland has had five peaceful transfers of power and has held a credible one-person-one-vote since 1991.
To the people of the Republic of Somaliland, recognition is more than gaining a seat at the UN or other important fora, instead, it is something that affects every aspect of their daily life, and it is simply unacceptable that Somaliland is still unrecognized after 31 years of checking every box of what defines a nation-state stays unrecognized. The struggle by our heroes for independence has not ended. We contribute our Quota by striving for prosperity and betterment of this great country.
The wind is on the back of the Republic of Somaliland and years of challenging work are coming to fruition by setting up strategic bilateral ties with the United States following the successful visit of President Muse Bihi Abdi to the United States and we urge the United States Congress to support the Somaliland Partnership Act.
Somaliland Strategic Advisory Group (SL-SAG) will work tirelessly to organize Somalilander – Americans to urge their Senator and congressional representative to support the Somaliland Partnership Act to codify the historic relationship between the United States of America and the Republic of Somaliland.
Somaliland is marching towards a full blown political crisis precipitated by fears of electoral delays. This crisis risks plunging the country into instability, undermining the nation’s gains over the last three decades.
The opposition leaders over the last few weeks have stepped up their rhetoric threatening to mobilize their supporters. Abdirahman Irro, the presidential candidate of Waddani party, asked his supporters to wait for his signal — presumably for them to come to the streets. On his part, Faisal Ali Warabe, the veteran chairman of UCID party, literally threatened president Bihi with citizens breaking into the presidential palace to eject him.
The ruling party leaders also contributed to the escalating rhetoric during their celebration of the 20th anniversary of Kulmiye’s establishment. The Minister of the Interior, Mohamed Kahin, raised the tempo when he claimed that his party is up against unionist forces as he alleged Faisal Ali Warabe suggested joining Somalia in a confederation union in a recent meeting. Predictably, Faisal shot back angrily on Twitter saying that the minister’s allegation was the same justification for the bloody civil war in the 1990s.
The list of allegations and counter allegations is long, but the bottom line is that it increasingly seems it could lead to street confrontations if not worse. .
More than anytime in its history, Somaliland cannot afford that. Somaliland is in a volatile region where instability seems to be the norm and peace the exception. Spillovers of chaos are not unheard of in the region when the homefront is weakened.
Somaliland also has the unique vulnerability of lacking international recognition which theoretically would have protected her from the most destructive foreign interference aimed at undermining the polity altogether. Somalilanders have long understood that the only guarantee for their independence was their strength rooted in a stable government and a majority united behind the independence project. Any prolonged political crisis is a threat to the consensus of that majority and an opening for those malicious interferences.
More recently, those intentions to undermine Somalialnd’s polity are strengthened by Somaliland’s recent entanglement in world geopolitics. This involvement took the shape of rapprochement with the U.S by offering her a naval base in Berbera and an affront to China with the establishing of diplomatic relations with Taiwan accompanied by cavalry dismissal of China’s reactions. Nevertheless, China has been boosting its presence in the region and is not shy to let Somaliland know of its displeasure. When Somaliland’s minister of Foreign Affairs visited Taipe, Peking issued a strongly-worded condemnation and immediately sent military gear to Mogadishu. Most recently, the recent visit of the U.S Africom forces to Hargeisa and Berbera facilities coincided with China dispatching its 41st navy to the Gulf of Aden in an ‘anti-piracy and terrorism’ mission.
Considering all this, Somaliland can ill afford a political crisis at this juncture.
Fortunately, Somaliland can avoid this political crisis and all risks associated with it. The way to do that is to respect Somalialnd’s founding social contract and follow through with the democratic process.
The constitution of Somaliland clearly stipulates a democratic system with two basic tenets – elected leaders and regular elections.
Somaliland had nailed the first part from the beginning. It never had an unelected president or a person attempt to assume power without the consent of the electorate. That has paid off nicely with a peace generation that could lead the country to the next level of development.
However, it struggled with the second tenet as electoral delays are a constant feature of the political process. Recurring political crises always followed those delays which had to be resolved with a mixture of traditional conflict resolution mechanisms and international mediations.
As Somaliland is facing unprecedented challenges, those remedies are no longer suitable. A robust system that needs fewer interventions is overdue. And that is for Somaliland to nail the second tenet of its democracy — holding regular elections. .
Regular elections held in specific time intervals are indispensable for political stability. For one, It opens up the opportunity for peaceful assumption of power to all who can convince their fellow citizens of their worth. That clearly decentives anyone from seeking power by extralegal means. Secondly, regular elections lower the stakes in each contest. If elections were few and far in between, each election would be contested fanatically. As a matter of life or death. And finally, without this regularity, it would be harder for losing parties to accept results as there is no other opportunity in sight.
It is this regularity, the assured return of the chance, that makes competing in an election the most cost effective path to gaining power for anyone who is seeking it. When Somaliland fails to make elections regular, what loses is this critical safety valve of its governing system. It is about time we fixed that.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mr. Abdillahi Hassan is a broadcast journalist and documentary filmmaker based in Hargeisa, Somaliland. He can be reached at abdiplastaro[at]gmail.com
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, or viewpoints of Somaliland Chronicle, and its staff.
