President Bihi Submits New List of Election Commissioners to Parliament for Approval

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June 11, 2022

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.

Mystery Lawyer Who Claims to Represent SOMCABLE Chairman Sends Cease and Desist

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June 5, 2022

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In a follow up to an article we have published on November 8, 2019, titled “False Advertising – SOMCABLE Chairman Lies About his Philanthropic Activities in Somaliland“, Mr. Venson Caryll who claimed to represent Mr. Mohamed Said Guedi has contacted us with a bizarre cease and Desist request to remove the said article from 2 years ago.

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.

Is Larry André serving in the Best Interest of the United States in Somalia and Somaliland?

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May 30, 2022

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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 26^th 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 26^th 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
— US AFRICOM (@USAfricaCommand) May 12, 2022

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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Guled Ahmed is a Resident Scholar with the Middle East Institute and an expert in Horn of Africa Security and Development.

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

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

2 Africa Cable Lands In Berbera with SOMCABLE submarine Network

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May 29, 2022

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Press Release

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.

End

Urge your Senator and Congressional Representative to Support Somaliland Partnership Act — Somaliland Strategic Advisory Group

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May 29, 2022

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Press Release

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.

Regular Elections Can Save Somaliland from a Crisis It Cannot Afford

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May 24, 2022

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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.

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

Taiwan signs the Energy and Mineral Resources Cooperation Agreement with Somaliland

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May 24, 2022

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Press Release

The Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) completed the signing of the “Agreement between the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Government of the Republic of Somaliland on Energy and Mineral Resources Cooperation” on 23^rd May 2022. The signing ceremony was held at the Ministry of Energy and Minerals of the Republic of Somaliland, and the Ambassador Allen LOU of the Taiwan Representative office in Somaliland witnessed the signing of the said Agreement by H.E. Abdilahi Farah Abdi, Minister of Energy and Mines of Somaliland.

The signing of the said Agreement aims to lay the legal foundation for the energy and mineral resources cooperation. A joint working group will be formed to promote exchange of information, exploration of drilling, capacity building, trainings, and further investment.

Minister Abdilahi Farah Abdi reaffirms the commitment to jointly promote energy and mineral resources cooperation. The signing of the said Agreement covers important sectors for the development of Somaliland. The Ministry appreciates all the support from the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Ambassador Allen LOU remarks that this is a model of the mutual assistance-for-mutual-benefit (MAMB) cooperation for both countries. The signing of this Agreement not only symbolizes the Taiwan-Somaliland cooperation is in progress but also empowers Somaliland to demonstrate its sovereignty to the international communities. It is believed that more and more liked-minded countries will come to Somaliland-the “Treasury Island” to invest in.

In December 2021, Taiwan’s CPC Corporation signed the transfer agreement with UK’s Genel Energy, acquiring 49% of the rights on exploring the hydrocarbon resources in the SL10B and SL13 mining areas, and such agreement has been approved by the Somaliland government. Following the signing of the agreement, the first exploration well is expected to be drilled in 2023.

On the journey to explore Taiwan-Somaliland energy and mineral resources cooperation, both countries will work closely to reach the mutually beneficial goal.

Issued by The Taiwan Representative Office in the Republic of Somaliland on 23^rd May 2022.

The Somaliland Human Rights Center condemns the arrest of Djiboutian citizen Arreh Suleyman Awled Arreh in Gabilay, Somaliland

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May 22, 2022

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Press release

Aare is a social activist who lives in the city of Gebilay, a Djiboutian national for four years. He is a social activist whose primary work elucidates the problems in Djibouti at the hands of the president of dijbouti, Ismail Omar Geele.

His work highlights socio-political issues of the Djiboutian government, specifically human rights issues in the country. Human Rights Center was able to get in contact with his family and can report that he was arrested without proper procedure and without a warrant as indicated in Somaliland constitution, nor charges that he is accused of.

HRC is concerned the previous history where Somaliland government handed over to the Djiboutian government a Somaliland citizen on 2014, will repeat itself here.

We are requesting that the same actions are not applicable to this case and are requesting the government to follow the constitution, specifically article 35(3) which states “The Republic of Somaliland may extradite to their countries convicted or accused foreigners if there is a treaty between the Republic of Somaliland and the country requesting their extradition.”

We have reason to be concerned as Abdullahi Sheik Abdirahman Ibrahim is still in prison in Djibouti presently. Therefore, we are urgently requesting that Somaliland authorities follow proper procedure in a fair and justified way and be reminded that Somaliland government does not have any treaty with Djibouti in place regarding accused citizens.

It will be morally unethical if the Somaliland government hands over Aareh Suleyman Awled Arreh. The center would like to request his immediate release and freedom.

Yasmin Omar H. Mohamoud

The Chairperson of Human Rights Center

Somaliland celebrates 31st anniversary of regaining its sovereignty

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May 19, 2022

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This year, the Somaliland’s national 18^th May 2022 fall on a Wednesday. It is time that the people from all over Somaliland celebrate their independence. Time flies so fast and we are already celebrating the 31st anniversary of Somaliland. According to the Somaliland Diaspora Office, the motto of this years’ celebration is Statehood Recognition & Prosperity. It is our common goal to work together and ensure that Somaliland achieves recognition and prosperity.

For this year the people of Somaliland are celebrating their nation’s 31^st anniversary while at the same time supporting the victims of the Waheen market fire. Thousands of people lost their businesses and livelihood as a result of the fire that broke out in Waaheen market on the 2^nd April 2022. The people of Somaliland have once again shown resilience and unity. Both the people and the Government have shown during the last few weeks to be supportive of each other in a multi-pronged approach to recover from the devastation caused by the market fire. The tragedy of the fire was seen as yet another test facing Somaliland and needs to overcome through unity and co-operation between the government institutions and all the sections of Somaliland society, including business community, public and the Diaspora.

The drought that has severely affected many parts of Somaliland, especially the eastern regions of Somaliland, this is one of the things we must remember on this 31^st Anniversary. The drought issue was another test of the strength of solidarity and resilience for the people of Somaliland. The good news is that the business community and the Government of Somaliland were worked together to help people affected by the drought. However this is just the tip of the iceberg and the effects of the drought are still ongoing for the people of Somaliland. We must continue our efforts to support our people.

Coming back to my article, the 18^th May celebration is a part of a long journey for the Republic of Somaliland and its people. This young nation has since 1991 gone through testing challenges, grew by leaps and bounds to get to where it is today. You may be wondering what it has achieved since the reassertion of its independence. In this brief article, I do not intend to present all of its historical past or how it has reached its current position as a nation. You may want to refer, for this, to my article on the 30^th anniversary: https://gabiley.net/2021/05/somaliland-30th-anniversary-2021-by-abdi-cabdilahi-jibril-awliyo/

First of all, May 18^th is a day to remember that historically Somaliland gained its independence from the United Kingdom on 26^th June 1960 and lost its sovereignty five days after Somaliland formed a dubious union with Somalia on 1^st July 1960. It is therefore a day to remember the connections between 26^th June 1960 and 18^th May 1991. It is a day for the Somaliland people to remember their hard struggle for rectifying the June 1960 mistake. It is also a day to remember those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom we enjoy today. It is a day to celebrate achievements and ponder over challenges the nation is facing as a sovereign country.

May 18^th is a day we appreciate how we established formidable functioning state institutions in Somaliland including the executive branch, the legislative branch and the judicial branch. In addition to the institutions, Somaliland has also achieved to have the following: constitution, national flag, passport, currency, national anthem etc. We note in particular that in many countries around the world, Somalilanders travel on a Somaliland passport. An example of this is the recent visit on 13^th March 2022 by the president of Somaliland Muse Bihi Abdi and his delegation to the United Sates. Achievements in Somaliland over the past 31 years have also included the change of leadership of the country by five presidents, each of whom at the end of his term made a peaceful power transfer to the winning president. The five presidents are:

HE: Late: Abdirahman Ahmed Ali: 1991-1993
HE: Late: Ibrahim Haji Egal: 1993-2002
HE: Dahir Riyale Kahin: 2002-2010
HE: Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud (Siilaanyo): 2010-2017
HE: Muse Bihi Abdi, the current president: 2017-until present

Somaliland is also a country proud of its electoral achievements. It is politically a country with contesting parties and is sometimes described as beacon of democracy. In the case of the Somaliland elections we can take as an example the election held on the 31st of May 2021. It was a combined election contested by the Parliament and Local District Elections. According to the National Election Commission, two opposition parties (Waddani and Ucid) have won a majority of seats with 52 seats and the ruling party (Kulmiye) secured 30 seats. The current president of Somaliland Muse Bihi Abdi and his government have accepted the election was won by the opposition. Since regaining its sovereignty, Somaliland has peacefully held many elections, including local council, parliamentary and presidential elections. All these elections were monitored by international observers mainly from the EU, America and Africa.

Since Somaliland regained its sovereignty, it has invested a lot of time and effort in engaging with other countries in the world. Somaliland has over 20 Diplomatic missions countries in Europe, North Africa, North America, Asia and the Middle East. In recent years Somaliland’s foreign policy has become more proactive in dealing and engaging with other countries. An example of this is the recent visit of the Somaliland President and delegation led by him to the United States in March this year. It was a historic Diplomatic visit, in which they met with officials from US Congress, the State Department, the Pentagon and other important institutions.

The visit of the Somaliland foreign Minister and his Delegation to Taiwan in this year was also another historic visit. During their visit they met with the president of the country and other Taiwanese Government officials.

What is also important for the anniversary of this year is the adjournment debate on Somaliland’s recognition held by some of the UK parliament members on Tuesday 18 January 2022. We are all well aware that all regions of Somaliland have welcomed the debate on recognition of Somaliland in the House of Commons organised by Gavin Williamson (MP South Staffordshire), former Secretary for Defense and Education. The view of the Somaliland people on this debate was very positive. In the future, they see this debate as a way to help the issue of Somaliland to gain recognition from the other countries.

We appreciate all the MPs who took part in the Somaliland debate and presented a strong case for recognition that shed light on the issue of Somaliland case and its existence. Apart from Gavin Williamson other MPs who took an active part in the debate include: Stephen Doughty ( Lab ), Rushanara Ali ( Lab ), Tom Tugendhat ( Con )
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs committee, Andrew Mitchell ( Con ) Former Secretary of state for International development, Sir Robert Buckland ( Con ), Clive Betts ( Lab ), Alun Cairns ( Con), Paul Blomfield ( Lab ), Ruth Jones ( Lab ), James Daly ( Con ), Kerry McCarthy ( Lab ).

The commemoration of 18th May includes remembering and appreciating Somaliland’s friends in the world who helped Somaliland in its long journey and struggle. Somaliland will never forget the countries and friends of the world who have long supported the cause of Somaliland and expressed their support and solidarity during Somaliland’s difficult times.

With this 31st anniversary, Somaliland with its citizens are celebrating as the country still lacks international recognition but on the other hand a great opportunity for diplomacy is going forward as some other countries have diplomatic offices in Hargeisa (The capital of Somaliland). Such countries, we can take as an example UK, UAE, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Taiwan, Turkey, Kenya and Denmark (Programme Office).

When you look at the instability of neighbouring countries in the horn of Africa, Somaliland’s 31 years of existence has clearly shown resilience in terms of security and stability. The people of Somaliland are naturally respectful and peaceful loving people. Despite the many circumstances and challenges that Somalilanders face in their daily lives, they are law abiding citizens. They are citizens who’s main ambition is to one day see the international community acknowledging the existence of Somaliland and the right of self-determination of the people of Somaliland.

A Message to the newly selected president of Somalia

I hope the newly selected president the newly elected president (Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud) will face the reality on the ground and respect the self-determination and the aspiration of the Somaliland people. The fact is that today the majority of the Somaliland population are people born after 1991. I hope the newly selected president will learn a lot from the mistakes of his predecessors. He does not need a policy based on hostility and repeat the failing tactics used by the Farmaajo regime. I also hope the new president of Somalia will be courageous enough to accept that the failed bibulous union will never be reinstated and that Somaliland will never be brought under colonization again but that the two countries should better live together as neighbours working together for the development and the security in the region.

It is important to mention that the majority of Somalilanders who make up about 70% of the population are under the age of 30 born after Somaliland regained its sovereignty in 1991. This new generations are the ones shaping and leading the country and deciding the future destiny of Somaliland. The same is true for Somalia. The new generations of both countries do not need to waste their time on things that are not in the best interest of both countries. For, there is no hope to continue the negotiations between Somaliland and Somalia, which started in 2012. It is clear that the nine rounds of talks between the two sides ended in failure. According to the Somaliland presidential speech, “Somalia was fully responsible for the failed talks and Somaliland sees no future in continuing any dialogue between the two sides”.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, with or without international recognition Somaliland will continue its struggle for a better and brighter future for its younger generations. There is no doubt that the people of Somaliland have achieved tremendous positive developments during the 31 years of existence as a sovereignty state. As we are celebrating on 31^st anniversary, the people of Somaliland are still facing challenges. The impact of the drought on people, livestock and life in general is taking time to ease.

The devastation caused by the fire in Waheen Market is another major challenge affecting thousands of traders. However these challenges as well as the challenged related to the lack of international recognition can only be overcome through genuine understanding and

cooperation between institutions and self-reliance which is the trademark of Somalilanders. So, in my view, we Somalilanders have a reason to celebrate and I wish to share my congratulation to all Somalilanders both in the diaspora or back home

.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mr. Abdi Abdullahi Jibril (Awliyo) is a development specialist and holds an MA (Leadership and Management) from Edge Hill University, PgDip (Urban Management) from Institute of Housing and Urban Development Studies, Rotterdam and first Degree (Statistics) from Institute of National Statistics and Applied Economics, Mogadishu. He has an extensive experience in the fields of education and integration and has worked in in NGO’s and LGO’s. He is currently the Chief Executive of Bolton Solidarity Community Association, and has keen interest in issues related to organizational development of Diaspora networks. He can be reached at jabdi35[at]yahoo.com.

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

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

The Great Promise of Closer US – Somaliland Ties & AFRICOM recent Visit.

By

Staff

-

May 18, 2022

0

The visit goes by this name and it has started with President Muse Bihi official tour to Washington DC.

His visit – the first by a sitting president of Somaliland but it’s not the first for the man in person.

The tour is mainly to get US attention towards Somaliland and to establish an engagement with Somaliland and to conduct a feasibility study, one reason to do that was that US didn’t want to limit itself anymore with Somalia policy and this is what exactly senator US Senate Statement

Van Hollen and Senator Jim Risch of US Senate Foreign relations committee had emphasized the necessity to work with like-minded Somaliland who is committed to peace, democracy and prosperity

Historically – these remarks are not unique and something new to the ears of Somaliland because Similarly Dr. Jendayi Frazer – former U.S assistant secretary of state for African Affairs said something similar and praised Somaliland achievement to restore peace and stability in a volatile region that could explode in any minute. She had even claimed that Somaliland unique story should be acknowledged and pushed for recognition – yes recognition in which she regretted not moving Somaliland legal case in her tenure and time. After all it was a mission impossible for her just like she failed to convince Khartoum about Sudan’s Darfur crisis.

Dr. Jendayi Frazer not only knew about Africa but she led US policy towards the continent after Berry Newman left the office, Frazer Said she is willing Africa on Bush term to be nothing but characterized by continuity – it was US strategy too to develop relations and engage deep with Africans but today many US policy makers and foreign relations do know little about Africa let alone Somaliland.

Accountability also matters. While Somalia is among world’s most corrupt states – a place many saw as irredeemable disaster if not worse and while US Africa Command (AFRICOM) proved working and restoring stability for so many African countries, surely that is different and beyond reach in Somalia.

Again there was another surge of interest in Biden administration for Somaliland’s case that has regained the traction it lost during Hillary Clinton’s as Secretary of State and her US dual-track policy towards Somaliland. This time was from an official US congressional staff who had paid visit to Hargeysa and who marked a turning point in the U.S government engagement to Somaliland that was a response to the Somaliland Foreigner Minister – Dr. Essa Kayd along with Dr. Edna Aden – their visit was nothing but to engage with Washington once again to develop on diplomatic relations and security defense partnership with Somaliland.

But suddenly a recent visit of US Africa Command has lashed all these efforts – even changed the narrative of this relations, one that jeopardize and undermined the sovereignty and statehood of Somaliland

This has started from a mere Readout of US AFRICOM stating that they will deal with Somaliland similar as a federal member of Somalia – something that has upset many Somalilanders in the social media and elsewhere and saw it nothing but as an insult to their legal status as a free and independent country – is shockingly untrue too , simply because Somaliland has its own statehood and sovereignty and US foreign policy do want little to be briefed about, in fact US were dealing with Somaliland always differently as a separate country since they reclaimed their independence in 1991.

The visit of AFRICOM has come after huge attraction on Berbera facilities including airfield and rapidly developing of its port, this also advances shared interest by both countries to protect regional stability and protecting vital trade routes.

Unlike Somalia which has no control over piracy, terrorism and trafficking, Somaliland coast guard founded in 1995 did this alone over the past 30 years almost and with policing almost 530-mile coastline of Somaliland without any help or support from EU, UK or USA. This is if any single out the role of the coast guards as an example of successful policing which barely nowhere except Somaliland.

Piracy, or its absence, like the relative peace in Somaliland, was portrayed as symptomatic of an essential difference between Somaliland and Somalia – Something AFRICOM didn’t grasp yet.

Additionally and with China increasing presence in Africa and its giant base in Djibouti, one that is not going to end very soon and one that put Djibout in its debt trap, on the other hand US are very careful about any out leverage of China could risk their presence and that’s why is so important for United States to have reconsider its geopolitical move. Berbera port was always important and geopolitical battlefield between Russia,China and now US .

Russia because they wanted to change their troubled Sudan Naval plans, China because for seeking mining concessions in Somaliland and to give China huge advantage of control near the suez canal for the cargo in-out from Gulf of Aden to the Mediterranean – China as well don’t have any of US or Russia qualms.

With AFRICOM reaching to Somaliland – we could only think of the Win-Win deal that has been on the move and being discussed extensively within the US Congress members on how they would engage with Somaliland – that proved to be better than even the UK treatment ( de facto recognition) specially when Somaliland had enjoyed this with other nations like UK,UAE and Taiwan Win-Win or No Deal

Conclusion

Surely Somaliland – US partnership act should reinforce strongly the recognition part of Somaliland that was missing so that the country could be an important member that can be acknowledged for the tremendous and huge role played by more than half a century.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Faisel Ahmed is a Somalilander based in Qatar. Works as Contract specialist in QIB, Doha – Qatar

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

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

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