Investigative Reports

Somaliland Office in Taiwan Rejects Sexual Misconduct Allegations

The Republic of Somaliland Representative Office in Taiwan has...

Ministry of Information Spends 600,000 US Dollars to Fix a Decade Old Radio Station

According to a contract signed by the Minister of Information, Culture...

How Somalia is trying to Stifle Somaliland – US ties with an Online Troll and a pseudo-Charitable Organization

In February, June, and  August 2022, Mr. Okeke-Von Batten filed Lobby Disclosure Act...
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Russia invades Ukraine – 5 essential reads from experts

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Naomi Schalit, The Conversation

This is a frightening moment. Russia has invaded Ukraine, and certainly those most frightened right now are the people of Ukraine. But violent aggression – a war mounted by a country with vast military resources against a smaller, weaker country – strikes fear in all of us. As a Washington Post headline writer recently wrote: The Ukraine crisis is “5,000 miles away but hitting home.”

The Conversation U.S. has spent the past couple of months digging into the history and politics of Ukraine and Russia. We’ve looked at their cultures, their religions, their military and technological capacities. We’ve provided you with stories about NATO, about cyberwarfare, the Cold War and the efficacy of sanctions.

Below, you’ll find a selection of stories from our coverage. We hope they will help you understand that today may feel both inevitable – yet inexplicable.

1. The US promised to protect Ukraine

In 1994, Ukraine got a signed commitment from Russia, the U.S. and the U.K. in which the three countries promised to protect the newly independent state’s sovereignty.

“Ukraine as an independent state was born from the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union,” write scholars Lee Feinstein of Indiana University and Mariana Budjeryn of Harvard. “Its independence came with a complicated Cold War inheritance: the world’s third-largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. Ukraine was one of the three non-Russian former Soviet states, including Belarus and Kazakhstan, that emerged from the Soviet collapse with nuclear weapons on its territory.”

A soldier wearing a helmet peeks out of a tank.
A Ukrainian serviceman rides atop a military vehicle past Independence Square in central Kyiv on Feb. 24, 2022. Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images)

The 1994 agreement was signed in return for Ukraine giving up the nuclear weapons within its borders, sending them to Russia for dismantling. But the agreement, not legally binding, was broken by Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014. And today’s invasion is yet another example of the weakness of that agreement.

2. Clues to how Russia will wage war

During the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Russia invaded Georgia, a country on the Black Sea. In 2014, Putin ordered troops to seize Crimea, a peninsula that juts into the Black Sea and housed a Russian naval base.

West Point scholar and career U.S. special forces officer Liam Collins conducted field research on the 2008 and 2014 wars in Georgia and Ukraine.

“From what I have learned, I expect a possible Russian invasion would start with cyberattacks and electronic warfare to sever communications between Ukraine’s capital and the troops. Shortly thereafter, tanks and mechanized infantry formations supported by the Russian air force would cross at multiple points along the nearly 1,200-mile border, assisted by Russian special forces. Russia would seek to bypass large urban areas.”

3. Spies replaced by smartphones

If you love spy movies, you’ve got an image of how intelligence is gathered: agents on the ground and satellites in the sky.

But you’re way out of date. These days, writes Craig Nazareth, a scholar of intelligence and information operations at the University of Arizona, “massive amounts of valuable information are publicly available, and not all of it is collected by governments. Satellites and drones are much cheaper than they were even a decade ago, allowing private companies to operate them, and nearly everyone has a smartphone with advanced photo and video capabilities.”

This means people around the world may see this invasion unfold in real time. “Commercial imaging companies are posting up-to-the-minute, geographically precise images of Russia’s military forces. Several news agencies are regularly monitoring and reporting on the situation. TikTok users are posting video of Russian military equipment on rail cars allegedly on their way to augment forces already in position around Ukraine. And internet sleuths are tracking this flow of information.”

A rocket is stuck coming through the ceiling of a damaged apartment with rubble around it.
The body of a rocket stuck in a flat after recent shelling on the northern outskirts of Kharkiv, Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images

4. Targeting the US with cyberattacks

As Russia edged closer to war with Ukraine, cybersecurity scholar Justin Pelletier at Rochester Institute of Technology wrote of the growing likelihood of destructive Russian cyberattacks against the U.S.

Pelletier quoted a Department of Homeland Security bulletin from late January that said, “We assess that Russia would consider initiating a cyberattack against the Homeland if it perceived a U.S. or NATO response to a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine threatened its long-term national security.”

And that’s not all. “Americans can probably expect to see Russian-sponsored cyber-activities working in tandem with propaganda campaigns,” writes Pelletier. The aim of such campaigns: to use “social and other online media like a military-grade fog machine that confuses the U.S. population and encourages mistrust in the strength and validity of the U.S. government.”

5. Will war sink Putin’s stock with Russians?

“War ultimately requires an enormous amount of public goodwill and support for a political leader,” writes Arik Burakovsky, a scholar of Russia and public opinion at Tufts University’s Fletcher School.

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Putin’s support among Russians has been rising as the country massed troops along the Ukrainian border – the public believes that its leaders are defending Russia by standing up to the West. But Burakovsky writes that “the rally ‘round the flag effect of supporting political leadership during an international crisis will likely be short-lived.”

Most Russians, it turns out, don’t want war. The return of body bags from the front could well prove damaging to Putin domestically.

Editor’s note: This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversation’s archives.

Want to learn more? Here’s an even bigger collection of our coverage of the crisis in Ukraine.

Naomi Schalit, Senior Editor, Politics + Society, The Conversation

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Life in the Lap of Luxury: Chairman of Parliament, Other Members and Staff Charged Personal Travel Expenses to the Taxpayers

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Somaliland’s new Parliament was elected amid fervor and a permeating atmosphere of hope that it will hold the Executive Branch’s feet to the fire and finally put an end to the revolving door of political expediency and corruption that has become the norm in Somaliland’s government. The fact that most of the new Members of Parliament are young and fairly educated with the bonus of the ruling party of Kulmiye losing to the opposition party has reinforced the notion that major changes were coming. Prayers finally answered and saviors finally represent the people are in office. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and the new members of parliament staff and especially the Speaker, Hon. Abdirasak Khalif has been using the public coffers t cover their personal expenses, including extended paid vacations on the taxpayer dime.

Members of Parliament are the highest-paid public officials and command salaries that are higher or equivalent to cabinet ministers but have been charging the public for their most basic personal expenses, including personal travel. This has continued in the current parliament, led by Hon. Abdirasak Khalif.

Two months after winning the leadership of the newly elected parliament, the Chairman, Hon. Abdirasak Khalif went to Turkey for 28 days from October 4th to November 2nd, 2021 at the cost of 115,685,000.00 Somaliland Shillings or 13,451.74 US dollars, which comes to 480 US dollars a day. Parliamentary records state that Chairman Khalif was taking part in a conference taking place at the Turkish Parliament.

Only a month later, Chairman Khalif went to Turkey again for 34 days from December 1st, 2021 to January 3rd, 2022 99,441,000 Somaliland Shillings or 11,562.90 US dollars, which comes to 340 US dollars a day. Once again, the official reason for the Chairman’s visit to Turkey was to attend an unspecified conference in Turkey. This is according to congressional records examined by Somaliland Chronicle.

Multiple sources familiar with the Chairman’s trips to Turkey have confirmed the personal nature of his visit and that aside from addressing a gathering of Somaliland diaspora in Ankara on October 30th, 2021 there were no official business or conferences taking place in the Turkish Parliament that Chairman Khalif has attended and other sources have confirmed that Chairman Khalif’s family has lived in Turkey years before taking the top post of Somaliland Parliament.

Although Chairman Khalif’s election of Hon. Khalif as the Chairman of the new parliament was seen as a major win for the opposition parties, he has since moderated his rhetoric and in a speech at a banquet held by President Bihi declared that the parliament is under the command of the President and squarely falls under leadership. On the legislative agenda, the new Parliament has approved the 2022 budget with superficial changes and has passed all executive-level positions nominated by President Bihi since the election of the new parliament.

Leadership of the new Parliament is congratulated by President Bihi

As we previously reported, it has been a common practice that many government officials including ministers have their personal expenses such as housing and what are clearly personal trips overseas covered by the government. This includes the previous Chairman of the Parliament and the Chairman of the house of elders whose travels as well as all domestic expenses were paid with public funds.

It is unclear why the Speaker of the parliament, Hon. Abdirasak Khalif who commands a monthly salary of 5,445.29 US dollars and is said to be personally well off has chosen to use public funds to travel to Turkey twice for personal matters.

Amid catastrophic droughts that are ravaging Somaliland, the Parliament has taken a two-month recess which has prompted many staffers and legislators to travel to many parts of the world and as far as Kuala Lumpur for what is vaguely termed as recognition efforts and much like Chairman Khalif, all expenses in the tens of thousands of dollars are being footed by the public.

Although there is a commendable effort by some legislators to publicly grill government officials on television, some legislators privately complain of the parliament’s lack of organizational capacity to gather, analyze and formulate effective oversight and the leadership’s desire to minimize conflict with the executive branch.

In Somaliland, where many government employees, including military and law enforcement personnel, are severely underpaid, it is unclear if the lavish living expenses of some high-ranking officials are part of their compensation packages and if so, why these expense records are falsely categorized as official business.

Efforts to reach the Chairman of the Parliament Hon. Abdirasak Khalif for comments were unsuccessful.

What are false flag attacks – and could Russia make one work in the information age?

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Scott Radnitz, University of Washington

In the past few weeks, U.S. officials have warned several times that Russia plans to create the appearance of an attack on its own forces and broadcast those images to the world. Such a “false flag” operation, they alleged, would give Russia the pretext to invade Ukraine by provoking shock and outrage.

By exposing this plan, the Biden administration sought to undermine its emotional power and stop the Kremlin from manufacturing a casus belli, or justification for war.

But false flag attacks aren’t what they used to be. With satellite photos and live video on the ground shared widely and instantly on the internet – and with journalists and armchair sleuths joining intelligence professionals in analyzing the information – it’s difficult to get away with false flag attacks today. And with the prevalence of disinformation campaigns, manufacturing a justification for war doesn’t require the expense or risk of a false flag – let alone an actual attack.

The long history of false flag attacks

Both false flag attacks and allegations that states engage in them have a long history. The term originated to describe pirates’ wielding of friendly (and false) flags to lure merchant ships close enough to attack. It was later used as a label for any attack – real or simulated – that the instigators inflict against “friendly” forces to incriminate an adversary and create the basis for retaliation.

a large open-frame tower in a field
The Gleiwitz incident involved Nazi operatives staging an attack on a radio station near the Polish border in 1939 and blaming the attack on the Polish government as an excuse to invade Poland. Grimmi59 rade/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

In the 20th century, there were several prominent episodes involving false flag operations. In 1939, agents from Nazi Germany broadcast anti-German messages from a German radio station near the Polish border. They also murdered several civilians whom they dressed in Polish military uniforms to create a pretext for Germany’s planned invasion of Poland.

That same year, the Soviet Union detonated shells in Soviet territory near the Finnish border and blamed Finland, which it then proceeded to invade.

The U.S. has also been implicated in similar plots. Operation Northwoods was a proposal to kill Americans and blame the attack on Castro, thereby granting the military the pretext to invade Cuba. The Kennedy administration ultimately rejected the plan.

In addition to these actual plots, there have been numerous alleged false flag attacks involving the U.S. government. The sinking of the USS Maine in 1898 and the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964 – each of which was a critical part of a casus belli – have been claimed as possible false flag attacks, though the evidence supporting these allegations is weak.

Global visibility, disinformation and cynicism

More recent and even less fact-based is the “9/11 Truth” movement, which alleged that the Bush administration engineered the destruction of the twin towers to justify restrictions on civil liberties and lay the foundation for invading Iraq. Right-wing pundits and politicians have promoted the conspiracy theory that Democrats have staged mass shootings, such as the one at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in 2018, in order to push for gun control laws.

If people believe that false flag operations happen, it is not because they are common. Instead, they gain plausibility from the widespread perception that politicians are unscrupulous and take advantage of crises.

Furthermore, governments operate in relative secrecy and have recourse to tools of coercion such as intelligence, well-trained agents and weapons to implement their agenda. It is not a huge leap to imagine that leaders deliberately cause the high-impact events that they later exploit for political gain, notwithstanding the logistical complexities, large number of people who would have to be involved and moral qualms leaders might have about murdering their own citizens.

For example, it is not controversial to note that the Bush administration used the 9/11 attacks to build support for its invasion of Iraq. Yet this led some people to conclude that, since the Bush administration benefited politically from 9/11, it therefore must have caused the attacks, despite all evidence to the contrary.

The challenge of credibility

The willingness to believe that leaders are capable of such atrocities reflects a broader trend of rising distrust toward governments worldwide, which, incidentally, complicates matters for leaders who intend to carry out false flag attacks. If the impact of such attacks has historically come from their ability to rally citizens around their leader, false flag attacks staged today may not only fail to provoke outrage against the purported aggressor, but they can also backfire by casting suspicion on the leaders who stand to benefit.

Furthermore, investigators using open source intelligence, such as the Bellingcat collective of citizen internet sleuths, make it more difficult for governments to get away with egregious violations of laws and international norms.

Even as the Biden administration attempts to blunt Russia’s ability to seize the initiative, it too faces credibility challenges. Reporters were justifiably skeptical of State Department spokesman Ned Price’s warning about Russia’s false flag plans, especially since he did not provide evidence for the claim.

Skeptics pointed to the August 2021 drone strike during the U.S. withdrawal from Kabul, which the military initially asserted was a “righteous strike” to kill a suicide bomber but that later turned out to be a mistaken attack on an innocent man and his family. It took overwhelming and undeniable evidence from media investigations before the U.S. government admitted the mistake.

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Insofar as the Kremlin might expect to benefit from executing a false flag attack, it would be to manufacture a casus belli among Russian citizens rather than to persuade audiences abroad. Surveys have shown that the vast majority of Russians are opposed to invading Ukraine, yet they also harbor negative attitudes toward NATO.

The spectacle of a provocation aimed against Russia on state-run television might provide a jolt of support for an invasion, at least initially. At the same time, Russians are cynical about their own leaders and might harbor the suspicion that a purported attack was manufactured for political gain.

False flag alternatives

In any event, Russia has other options to facilitate an invasion. At the start of its incursion into Crimea in 2014, the Kremlin used “active measures,” including disinformation and deception, to prevent Ukrainian resistance and secure domestic approval. Russia and other post-Soviet states are also prone to claim a “provocation,” which frames any military action as a justified response rather than a first move.

By contrast, false flag operations are complex and perhaps overly theatrical in a way that invites unwanted scrutiny. Governments seeking to sway public opinion face far greater challenges today than they did in the 20th century. False flag attacks are risky, while leaders seeking to manufacture a casus belli can select from a range of subtler and less costly alternatives.

Scott Radnitz, Associate Professor of International Studies, University of Washington

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Telesom and SOMTEL Telecom Operators sign Interconnectivity Agreement

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According to a statement from the Ministry of Telecommunication and Technology, Telesom and SOMTEL have signed a telecom interconnect agreement that will enable users of either network to communicate with each other. The statement does not specify if the interconnectivity will cost the user additional fees.

Telecommunication operators of Somaliland have agreed on February 8th to own equal shares of the fiber optic network in Somaliland, previously owned by SOMCABLE, with a minor share purchased the government of Somaliland at the cost of 1.6 million US dollars.

2022 Budget allocation for the government’s share of the land-based fiber optic.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that Telesom, which dominates Somaliland’s mobile phone and mobile money markets, has been resisting carrier interconnectivity with SOMTEL, but stipulation in the fiber agreement includes clauses that have paved the way for today’s interconnectivity agreement.

CEOs of SOMTEL, Telesom and SOMCABLE sign Fiber agreement with the Government of Somaliland on February 8th

“The main challenge is the tough competition between the two leading operators in the country. Their competition covers every side in the telecom, like pricing, subsidization, and the infrastructure.  By taking those factors into consideration, the Ministry has developed Interconnection Regulations and roadmap that will guide the telecom interconnection. Similarly, the Ministry has brought together both Telecom operators and has hosted negotiations between the operators to solve issues and start interconnection service. The parties conducted several meetings at the Ministry premises. Therefore, the Ministry is working to enable this service to the Somaliland population soon.” Dr. Abdiweli Abdillahi Soufi, the Minister of Telecommunication and Technology said on interconnectivity.

The success of ZAAD mobile money which is based on the Telesom network is largely based on its market dominance, it’s unclear if the new agreement between Telesom and SOMTEL will affect Telesom’s competitive advantage over SOMTEL which historically struggled to catch up both in cell service and mobile money. The agreement announced by the Ministry of Telecommunication and Technology did not mention if the interconnect will affect the mobile money aspects of the telecom operators.

This is not the first time the Somaliland government has announced an agreement to interconnect telecom operators. It’s unclear the agreement is legally binding and what measures the Ministry of Telecommunication and Technology will take if SOMTEL and Telesom cannot complete the interconnectivity.

Telesom Debt collection letter to the government of Somaliland

Somaliland government maintains little to no leverage over telecom operators, which are also Somaliland’s largest financial institutions and government creditors.

Although cellphone penetration in Somaliland is higher than in many countries in Africa and the developing world, some basic services such as voicemail, call waiting, and 911 equivalent systems to help first responders locate and render emergency services are not deployed by telecom operators.

Attempts to reach the Minister of Telecommunication and Technology, Dr. Abdiweli Abdillahi Soufi, and officials from SOMTEL and Telesom for comments were unsuccessful.

Somaliland-Taiwan Economic Cooperation: Challenges, Opportunities, and Prospects

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Abdiqani Muse Hassan
Ph.D. Candidate in International Business
Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan

In 2020, the Republic of Somaliland and the Republic of China (Taiwan) formed diplomatic relations and established representative offices in the respective capitals. Since then, the two countries have started technical assistance projects in agriculture, information technology, and medical sectors, nevertheless, the economic cooperation has yet to get momentum. The relationship between Somaliland and Taiwan is conducive to greater economic integration because of the existing industry complementarity and commitment to do business with one another. Taiwan’s government and business community have eyes on Africa and are fully aware of business opportunities and market potentials in Africa, unfortunately, the country has a few allies in the continent including Eswatini and Somaliland. Therefore, Somaliland could become a hub for Taiwan to establish economic ties with the population of 400 million-plus in the East African region. With that in mind, Taiwan has begun its efforts to engage Africa through Somaliland and has organized trade fairs that brought together businesspeople and chambers of commerce from East African countries in Hargeisa, Somaliland. Taiwan’s presence in Somaliland provides an opportunity for the Taiwanese business community to take advantage of the free trade agreements of African countries such as the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) and to explore investment opportunities in Africa. But for bilateral relations to be mutually beneficial, Taiwan can contribute to the development of Somaliland’s domestic economy by sharing its miraculous economic experience from the 1960s to the 1990s. If Taiwan helps Somaliland build a debt-free economy through know-how exchange and capacity building, it may convince other African countries to set up diplomatic offices in Taiwan. Aside from the importance and benefits that Somaliland-Taiwan economic ties can bring to Taiwan; the question is whether Somaliland is a place worth investing in? or is it a place where economic growth can take place?

Somaliland’s Market Potentials

Unlike some of the neighboring countries, Somaliland is a peaceful, stable, and democratic nation with a free-market economy. Somaliland locates at a strategic location which makes it an integral part of the world economy since ancient times. Somaliland’s coastal towns of Zeila, Lasqoray, and Berbera were famous for vibrant trade activities where raw materials and primary products from inland Africa were exported to other territories, and the imports from the rest of the world were received. In addition, Somaliland has plenty of untapped reserves of natural resources such as minerals (iron ore, uranium, copper, tin, bauxite, gypsum, etc.), salt, and natural gas. These numerous natural resources are yet to be exploited because of the poor infrastructure and the decades of international isolation. On the other hand, Somaliland has a predominantly young and multilingual workforce that can play an important role in economic development. In terms of physical infrastructure, Somaliland and neighboring countries are building their infrastructure to promote trade flow and connectivity such as the Berbera Corridor which aims to connect Berber, Somaliland port city, and Addis-Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia.

UAE also invests 500 million to increase Berbera port capacity and build Berbera airport. On the other hand, Somaliland is improving its trade and investment regulations to create legal frameworks that can attract foreign partners to invest in Somaliland. There are also plenty of profitable business opportunities in the sectors of livestock production, fishery development, outsourcing manufacturing, tourism, and services. The Somaliland National Development Plan Vision of 2030 gives the highest priority to economic development; hence the government of Somaliland is committed to establishing economic cooperation with partner countries. On the other hand, the people of Somaliland are creative and entrepreneurial people who prefer to get foreign direct investment instead of foreign aid. All these factors taken together can make Somaliland an attractive investment destination for Taiwanese businesses.

Current and Future Collaborations

Despite the COVID19 restrictions and its subsequent difficulties in trade, travel, and investment flow, Somaliland and Taiwan have successfully collaborated in organizing trade fairs, matchmaking webinars, market opportunity seminars, and many more trade and investment promotion activities. Several MOUs were signed by companies and institutions from Taiwan, Somaliland, and other East African partners. Moreover, there were some import-export activities of products from Taiwan and some raw materials from Somaliland such as Frankincense. In terms of investment, China Petroleum Corporation (CPC) lead the way and pleaded to invest millions in Somaliland’s oil exploration and drilling activities. Most importantly, recent Somaliland’s delegation to Taiwan has met with the Minister of Economic Affairs of Taiwan and important trade and business associations in Taiwan to discuss future economic cooperation. To maintain these efforts, it is necessary to remove the basic barriers hindering economic cooperation and establish favorable trade and investment environment. One of the biggest challenges facing Somaliland in terms of international economic cooperation is the immature regulatory system which is sometimes incomplete or doesn’t exist at all.

Therefore, Taiwan and Somaliland authorities should prioritize collaborating in reviewing Somaliland’s trade and investment laws to establish global standard regulations which can attract international investors and can facilitate economic diversification and growth. Data and statistics are also necessary to make business and financial decisions, hence, the two countries should conduct joint feasibility studies and work together in the areas of research, exploration, and data collection. Another key element of economic development is to have a strong human infrastructure that is healthy, well-educated, and well-trained society. Taiwan can assist in the development of basic industrial human resources through establishing vocational schools, providing scholarships, training, industry visits, and exchange of human capital. In addition to the human resource development cooperation and policy reviews, Taiwan can also contribute by investing the critical infrastructure for economic development such as roads, telecommunications, water, energy, food processing manufacturers, and other sectors which are necessary to boost the country’s productivity. Taiwan has lending and investment programs for partner countries therefore funding Somaliland’s basic infrastructure can boost economic cooperation between the two countries.

As the president of Somaliland, H.E Musa Bihi has repeatedly said Somaliland’s people and government prefer to attract foreign investment and establish trade relations with friendly countries instead of receiving foreign aid. On the other hand, Taiwan understands the importance of Africa and is committed to coming back to the African continent for mutually beneficial economic cooperation. In conclusion, the existence of business and investment opportunities coupled with the recent bilateral efforts for economic cooperation and the willingness of authorities to work together can predict positive future economic collaboration.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Abdiqani Muse Hassan is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in International Business at Asia University in Taiwan. The author received his undergraduate degree from the University of Hargeisa in Somaliland. In 2019, the author graduated with an MBA degree from Asia University in Taiwan. The author is currently a research assistant at Asia university and a member of the Somaliland diplomatic mission in Taiwan.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints of the Somaliland Chronicle and its staff. 

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Notice: This article by Somaliland Chronicle is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Under this license, all reprints and non-commercial distribution of this work are permitted.

THE REPUBLIC OF SOMALILAND IS A BEACON OF AFRICAN HOPE IN THE INTERNATIONAL ORDER.

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1)  HISTORY OF RESILIENCE:

The people of Somaliland have a long history of resilience, determination, and selfless devotion to their country’s love. Somalilanders do not consider hardships and challenges as insurmountable barriers, but instead, they see it as opportunities for reflection, learning, growth, and development.

Somalilanders have the strength, fortitude, willpower, and determination to translate problems they experience into opportunities since they believe that the power to solve a problem or problems is always greater than the problem or problems themselves. Somalilanders’ patriotic instinct, their unyielding spirit of bravery and resilience is a true reflection of who they are as a nation.

These characteristics of resilience and perseverance have been demonstrated not only in the battlefronts but also during peacebuilding and sustained the nation’s stability in an unpredictable and volatile region. The economic, social, and democratic progress of the past 30 years is also an indisputable homemade success story. These elements and many more are something that really makes the people of the Republic of Somaliland VERY PROUD, UNIQUE, and SPECIAL!!

Somaliland’s outstanding accomplishments attained on all fronts; such as peace and stability, political, economic, and social and democratic progress constitute a MORAL CHALLENGE to THOSE WHO ARE CONTINUOUSLY DENYING Somaliland’s statehood and fundamental rights for self-determination of its people.

Further, Somaliland’s constructive engagement in regional and international issues for peace, stability, security, democracy, and development PRESENTS A HUGE MORAL AND ETHICAL DILEMMA to THOSE INTERNATIONAL BODIES (AU, IGAD, UN, EU, etc) that have shown a hardened adherence to the FICTION, UNREALISTIC AND DELUSIONAL NOTION OF A UNITY BETWEEN SOMALILAND AND SOMALIA!

2) NEVER EVER AGAIN JOIN AN UNREALISTIC UNION WITH SOMALIA!!

The international community is increasingly focusing on a country that failed to meet even the most basic criteria for statehood (SOMALIA) while ignoring a country that tremendously met all international terms and requirements to be recognized as a separate and independent country (REPUBLIC OF SOMALILAND).

The International Community must not and should not ignore the historical argument and plea of the people of Somaliland. The International Community, particularly the Western Powers need to assist a country that has succeeded in the strengthening of peace and security, democracy, respect for human rights, good governance, justice, and the rule of law for more than three decades.

Somaliland is the only functioning democracy in the region. As Ayn Rand once said, “You can ignore reality, but you cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.” I believe the international community is making a very serious mistake by ignoring the reality on the ground in the Horn of Africa. Somaliland is the shining light over the horizon of the Horn of Africa and a beacon of African hope in the international order. Somaliland should have been long recognized as an independent country and it has long since deserved to be embraced by the global community.

To put it in a nutshell, the people of Somaliland have tested the real benefits and values of independence, freedom, peace, and democracy. The people of Somaliland will never ever join again whatsoever an unrealistic union with Somalia at the cost of their freedom, statehood, and independence.

ALLAH BLESS AND PROTECT THE REPUBLIC OF SOMALILAND.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eng. Hussein Adan Igeh (Deyr) is the Former Minister of Trade & Investment and Former Presidential Spokesman.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints of the Somaliland Chronicle and its staff. 

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Notice: This article by Somaliland Chronicle is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Under this license, all reprints and non-commercial distribution of this work are permitted.

Exclusive Interview with Dr. Issa Kayd, Somaliland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

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In a brief phone interview we caught up with Somaliland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Dr. Issa Kayd who was in Addis Ababa for the second time in less than a month where the African Union 35th Ordinary Summit is taking place, we asked him about the current trajectory of Somaliland’s existing and future bilateral ties, challenges, and his approach to getting the message out about Somaliland and the value it offers to the world.

Somaliland Chronicle: You have recently announced that Somaliland government is suspending the Somaliland – Somalia talks, could you tell us more about your thoughts on the talks in general and what has changed the government’s view about the talks with Somalia?

Dr. Kayd: The genesis of the talks was problematic in the first place and is no secret that the talks led nowhere and frankly the other side lacked any semblance of sincerity and made every effort to falsely repackage the talks as some sort of reconciliation between Somaliland and Somalia. The talks in their most basic form are not in Somaliland’s best interest and we have other priorities that require our full attention; we don’t want to waste our time in fruitless talks with Somalia anymore. 

Somaliland Chronicle: There are many foreign ambassadors that are send to Somalia by their respective countries and Somaliland has traditionally worked with them calling them “Ambassador to Somaliland and Somalia “, doesn’t this send the wrong signal to these countries that Somaliland is seeking recognition from particularly the US and UK?

Dr. Kayd: What I can tell is is that we are reviewing many aspects of our foreign outreach and international relations but our posture is that we do not work with anyone who does not regard Somaliland as a sovereign and independent nation. The fact of the matter is that these ambassadors to Somalia do not spend a great deal of time in Mogadishu and when they are there are essentially hostages with body armor that are working in a warzone and they are well aware of the value that Somaliland has to their countries.

One example is the new US Ambassador to Somalia Mr. Larry Andre who is an experienced diplomat who was representing the United States in Djibouti recently and that uniquely positions him to understand the region and Somaliland’s strategic importance to the United States national security interest.  

Somaliland Chronicle: Taiwan does not work with the US or the United Kingdom’s ambassadors to China, has Somaliland asked these countries, particularly the UK and the United States which seem to be very interested in Somaliland at the moment to send representatives exclusive to Somaliland?

Kayd: As I said, we are reviewing a lot of things and a lot of options are under consideration. We are working tirelessly to ensure Somaliland is rewarded for the amazing things it has achieved for the last 30 years.

Somaliland Chronicle: Lots of diplomatic barriers have come down in the the middle east in the wake of the Abraham Accords that resulted in many prominent Muslim and Arab countries establishing diplomatic ties with Israel and in a recent interview on i24 Dr. Edna Adan welcomed bilateral ties with Israel . Is Somaliland actively pursuing bilateral ties with the State of Israel?

First, we do not discuss what we are doing with individual countries but my answer once again, Somaliland is open for business and everyone is welcome to Somaliland.

Somaliland Chronicle: It has been a year and seven months years since Somaliland and Taiwan have established bilateral ties and signed agreements on cooperation on the sectors of Health, Agriculture and Information Technology, there is a sense that Somaliland has turned Taiwan into yet another aid agency and nothing tangible was achieved so far. What is your view on what Taiwan and Somaliland has achieved together so far and where do you see this relationship in the future?

Dr. Kayd: We have already achieved tremendous things together but there are always more opportunities for even greater cooperation between our nations. We a resource-rich country, we are asking Taiwan a hand on many fronts to fuel Somaliland’s development in responsibly exploring its abundant natural resources.

What we want from Taiwan is mainly knowledge transfer in the areas of cyber, security food and water security to ensure Somaliland is better prepared for the cyclical droughts exacerbated by climate change, commercial banking, and hydrological mapping to get a full sense of what minerals and other resources are present in our country to be able to attract and negotiate from a position of strength with extractive industry leaders.

On education, we are grateful for the scholarships that Taiwan has offered to our students but dozens of new graduates from Taiwanese universities are a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things and Somaliland needs thousands of subject matter experts in all sorts of disciplines so where we want to be with Taiwan is to get their higher education institutions to twin with public institutions to achieve this.

Another area that is extremely beneficial to both Taiwan and Somaliland is the Free Trade Zone where Taiwanese manufacturers can take full advantage of bringing their products closer to their end consumers in East Africa and beyond and even getting a leg up on their Chinese competitors.

Our intention is to take full control of our airspace and this is an area that Taiwan can be of great help to Somaliland, this is a priority for us and we believe we can learn from Taiwan’s vast expertise in this critical area.

Somaliland Chronicle: As the new Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in just few months there is a noticeable energy and a lot of things are happening what are you doing differently and what is your message to the world about Somaliland?

Dr. Kayd: What we are saying to the world is come and meet with us, come see what we have achieved, the fully-fledged multiparty-based democracy, and the organic security we have achieved. Somaliland is resilient and has unique safety nets that help resolve political disputes which are the hallmarks of democracy. We have two houses of parliament and a constitutional court which time and again have done a remarkable thing to ensure Somaliland’s hard-earned democratic bona fide remains intact. In fact, what we have achieved on our own is a template that can benefit many countries.

As a country that spends more than 30% of its budget on security and we have been an important security ally and a buffer both Djibouti and Ethiopia. We have been successful in keeping our 850km waterways free from piracy and have kept terrorism at bay.

My message to the world is very simple and it is that Somaliland is open for business; our doors are open for everyone who respects our sovereignty and wants to do business with us. Just as we extended our hand in friendship to Taiwan, we are open to establishing bilateral ties with every country on earth.

Somaliland Chronicle: Final question, you were part of President Bihi’s recent delegation to Addis Ababa, what is the purpose of your visit to Addis Ababa and is it a follow up to the previous visit and the meeting with the Ethiopian government and Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed?

Dr. Kayd: Addis Ababa is home to the African Union and is a major diplomatic hub in Africa and no, my visit is not related to our recent visit I am not going into details but this is an equally important event but unfortunately, this is not the right time to discuss it.

Breaking — Delegation of Ministers led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to Visit Taiwan

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According to diplomatic sources, a delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Dr. Issa Kayd will be visiting Taiwan in the coming days on an invitation from the President of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen.

This is the first time a high-level delegation of ministers is visiting Taiwan since Somaliland and Taiwan have established bilateral ties in June 2020. So far, the two countries have cooperated in the areas of agriculture, information technology, health, and fisheries.

Sources add that the Somaliland delegation to Taipei will include the Minister of Finance Development, Dr. Saad Ali Shire who has previously held the portfolio of Foreign Affairs under former President Ahmed Mohamoud Siilanyo, and the Minister of Planning and National Development Hon. Omar Ali Abdilahi.

China has strongly objected to the bilateral ties between Somaliland and Taiwan and has unsuccessfully tried to convince the Somaliland government to abandon its bilateral ties with Taiwan in exchange for a development package and a Liaison Office in Somaliland. China has replaced its Somalia, Mr. Qin Jian shortly. It is unclear if his replacement is directly related to Somaliland and Taiwan bilateral ties and China’s unsuccessful attempt to undo them.

Recently, the former Chairman of Waddani Party and Presidential candidate Mr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi “Cirro” in a speech to the party’s 2nd General Assembly questioned the value of Somaliland’s bilateral ties with Taiwan to the quest for international recognition and called for improved ties with the People’s Republic of China instead. 

Somaliland’s international stature has been steadily on the rise as more countries particularly have shown interest in direct engagement with Somaliland. The United States is has been reported to be in talks with the Somaliland government for strategic and security cooperation is the United States.

Taiwan to provide Taiwan Scholarship to Somaliland students

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News Release

Education is one of the fields listed in the Taiwan-Somaliland Bilateral Protocol 〔Agreements and Conventions〕. The Somaliland outstanding students are encouraged to apply for the Taiwan Scholarship by the above-mentioned deadline. Let’s build dreams together through education.

Taiwan Representative Office in the Republic of Somaliland is delighted to announce the application for the Taiwan Scholarship from February 1st to March 31st, 2022.

Attached please see the detailed information of Taiwan Scholarship for reference.

Breaking—President Bihi to Reshuffle Armed Forces’ Top Brass

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According to reliable sources, the President of the Republic of Somaliland HE Muse Bihi Abdi is preparing to reshuffle the heads of Armed Forces, including the Police, Military, Intelligence Agency, and possibly others. Sources add Major General Nuh Ismail Tani, the current Commander of Somaliland’s Defence Forces is slated to be replaced by the current Chief of Police Major General Mohamed Adan Saqadhi (Dabagale).

Major General Dabagale, as he is widely known, was among several high-ranking officers from various armed services promoted by President Bihi on January 25th. Before taking over the command of Somaliland Police on November 5th, 2019, General Dabagale was a member of the Armed forces since its establishment.

Major General Tani was first appointed as the Commander of Somaliland’s Defense forces from 2003 to 2011 and was reappointed again in 2016. It is unclear if Major General Tani’s replacement as the Commander of Somaliland’s Army is because of his advanced age.

In addition to the Police and Army, the upcoming reshuffle of the armed forces’ top brass may include the head of Somaliland’s Intelligence. In an unusually publicized visit, President Muse Bihi Abdi inspected the highly sensitive headquarters of the intelligence services in early January.

Major General Dabagale who initially spoke of his desire to reshape the police force and recruit more college graduates into the ranks has not achieved a meaningful reform agenda and incidents of police brutality and extrajudicial arrests are persistent under his tenure, nevertheless, General Dabagale is described as one of the most loyal and closest confidants of President Muse Bihi Abdi.

Efforts to reach The President’s Office, Police, and Army command for details were unsuccessful.