The Minister of Interior HE Mohamed Kahin Ahmed has returned from the United Arab Emirates where he has spent the last several months for medical treatment. Minister Kahin who is one of President Bihi’s closes allies has fallen ill in January where he was hospitalized in Gargar private hospital and subsequently flown to the UAE. Minister Kahin’s exact medical condition was not officially disclosed.
Minister
Minister Kahin was received at Egal International Airport by a cadre of ministers as well as the heads of various armed services including Somaliland Police Commander Brigadier General Mohammed Adan Saqadhi.
Minister Kahin who briefly addressed the media stated that he is in full health and thanked the public in general for their prayers while he was away on medical leave. In Somaliland, there is no particular law or requirement to publicly disclose officials’ health conditions and if they are able to continue serving in high-stress positions.
In addition to Minister Kahin’s long absence, there are other critical positions in the Somaliland government that have been vacant for a while including the post of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The European Union, Sweden, and the UN Joint Rule of Law team provided 13 new cars to government institutions in Somaliland at a ceremony held in Hargeisa this morning. Recipients included the Somaliland Police, the Ministry of Interior, the Somaliland Judicial Commission, and the Attorney General’s Office.
Eight of the cars will be used in new police stations being constructed this year with support from UNDP. The remaining cars will be used by justice officials to facilitate monitoring visits to regional courts and dedicated Women and Children Units where female prosecutors assist those reporting abuse. In the short term, the cars will also be used by election security risk assessment teams to meet with police officers and local communities in six regions and to monitor local election preparations and voting.
“The European Union is strongly committed to supporting democracy in Somaliland. These vehicles will play a crucial role in monitoring elections preparation and ensuring election security,” said Nicolas Berlanga Martinez, EU Ambassador. “After the elections, the vehicles will be used by rule of law institutions where they will help enhance community policing and access to justice for the most vulnerable members of the community such as children, IDPs, and those affected by gender-based violence.”
“I would like to express our thanks to the EU and Sweden and to UNDP, UNSOM and the other agencies involved in the Joint Rule of Law Programme in Somaliland for helping us make Somaliland safer and more secure,” said Naasir Aydid Mohamed, Vice Minister of Interior.
“We are delighted to be part of an initiative that will help justice officials monitor services across Somaliland to ensure that citizens can enjoy fair and open courts, efficient policing and access to justice no matter where they live,” said Samira Hassan Ahmed, UNDP’s Head of Area Office. “This complements our work over many years in Somaliland to help develop community policing and legal aid as well as counselling and other services for victims of domestic violence.”
“The provision of these vehicles is part of the UN’s broader support to Somaliland in its efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Simon Strachan, UNSOM’s Head of Office. “Other Joint Rule of Law Programme activities include legal aid for women and vulnerable groups, such as children, minorities and refugees/IDPs; the monitoring of prisons and police stations to ensure compliance with human rights standards; and capacity building for all justice institutions, including training and equipment.
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints of the Somaliland Chronicle, and its staff.
The May 1 vote by Somalia’s caretaker lower house of parliament to scrap the illegal extension of Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed’s presidential term and back fresh elections is a step in the right direction. Known popularly as Farmaajo, Mohamed’s term in office expired in early February, giving rise to a political crisis that has raised serious questions about the country’s stability. The clashes between Farmaajo loyalist and opposition military units in Mogadishu at the end of April and the suicide bomb attack on a police station in the capital’s Waberi district on May 9 are only the latest signs of a worsening security crisis. The potential for violence to escalate further is all too real and more will need to be done, especially on the part of Somalia’s donors, to ensure a peaceful election and transfer of power.
As a result of parliament’s reversal of its decision last month to extend Farmaajo’s term, he has been forced to hand over election preparations to the caretaker prime minister, Mohamed Hussein Roble. On May 2, Roble scheduled election talks for May 20 and appointed a committee headed by the minister of internal security to investigate the clashes between rival security forces that brought Mogadishu to the brink of war at the end of April. The caretaker PM, who is viewed as a loyalist, set up a similar committee to look into the Feb. 19 alleged assassination attempts against two former presidents, but to date has not followed up and this is likely another bid to buy time.
Facing the major task of de-escalating tensions and implementing elections, on May 6 Roble made concession to opposition leaders representing the army units that intervened in support of Somalia’s democracy and took control of the majority of Mogadishu in an effort to convince them to avoid further clashes and return to their bases. This also brought relief to residents of the capital who had fled to escape the escalating violence.
While Farmaajo claims to have delegated the election preparations to his PM, serious concerns remain. On May 2, the Federal Member State of Jubaland issued a statement demanding that he hand over command of the security forces to Roble as well. This is in line with a precedent set by his predecessor Hassan Sheikh, who transferred executive power to his then-Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid ahead of the 2017 elections.
In light of Somalia’s current volatile situation, building widespread trust is now more critical than ever, especially since Farmaajo has eroded the confidence of the public and parts of the army. The key question now is can Roble proceed with mediation efforts facilitated by African Union (AU) Special Envoy John Dramani Mahama without Farmaajo interfering to rig the election after the failure of his attempted coup on April 25?
Mogadishu rejects Farmaajo’s rule
The people of Somalia and the residents of Mogadishu in particular have run out of patience with Farmaajo. He has turned their city into an open-air prison over the last four years, blockading all of the major streets and restricting mobility under the pretext of fighting terrorism — a problem which has only worsened under his government. As a result of the security measures, residents have been forced to walk miles to take pregnant women and the sick to the hospital and even to bury their dead.
Moreover, the city’s economy has suffered significantly since Farmaajo became president in 2017. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of security have only made things worse, and the government has turned a blind eye to al-Shabaab’sextortion of businesses and locals. This is despite the fact that the region of Benadir, which includes Mogadishu, is the only one that directly pays taxes to the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS). Somalia remains an aid-dependent nation and its government has lost revenue in the form of supplemental and budgetary support from the EU and the U.S. due to excessive corruption. Moreover, the government has mismanaged taxpayers’ money, using it to bribe politicians and local tribal chiefs to support Farmaajo and finance troll farms and lobbyists to polish its image. This caused local businesses to revolt and call for merchants and residents in Benadir to stop paying taxes to the FGS.
While Farmaajo has pushed to hold elections under a “one person, one vote” system, what Mogadishu residents got amid the clashes on April 25 was something else entirely: a “one person, one mattress” system, as locals called it, as they were forced to flee for their lives in the Qaxi Faramaajo, or “Farmaajo Internal Displacement.” In less than a week an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 people were displaced from the capital, according to figures from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Foiling a coup attempt
Although the military in Somalia is generally still divided along clan lines, the Somalia National Army (SNA) maintains its professionalism and duty to protect civilians. Prior to the civil war in 1991, the military was controlled by the ex-dictator Siad Barre’s clan and was in a state of disarray, resulting in a growing number of defections. We are now seeing something similar happen with Farmaajo’s government.
Following his attempted power grab in April, opposition military forces intervened in support of Somalia’s democracy, entering the capital and taking control of much of the city. This was driven by several factors. First, the alleged assassination attempts on Farmaajo’s two predecessors, which were interpreted by the predominately Hawiye military as an attack on their clan. Second, Farmaajo’s efforts to fracture the military along tribal lines by sending Hawiye units to the frontline to fight against al-Shabaab with poor equipment and irregular salaries while using those from his own clan (the so-called Gorgor and Haramcad units — trained by the Turkish government — along with other clans) to attack his mainly Hawiye opposition, including civilian protesters. Third, Farmaajo’s attempt to illegally extend his term of office, which was seen as a direct threat to Somalia’s federalism and stability. As one army general leading the pro-democracy troops said, “If illegal extensions were acceptable, ex-President Farmaajo wouldn’t have become president in 2017 because his predecessors would have extended their terms.”
Having stopped Farmaajo’s attempted coup and forced him to return to the negotiating table, the opposition military forces have now returned to their military base outside the city. They overpowered Farmaajo militarily and politically to save Somalia’s democracy, but if Farmaajo tries to interfere in the election and Somalia’s donors sideline him, he will likely be forced out.
But concerns remains over election rigging
Additional measures need to be taken to ensure a peaceful election and transfer of power takes place in Somalia. Farmaajo’s own track record on this front is worrying. There were allegations of fraud over a local housing race in which he ran in Buffalo, New York in 1994 and recent reporting by The New York Times points to a troubling parallel from 2007, when several Somali community leaders in Buffalo accused him of manipulation and an attempted power grab for refusing to step down from a community leadership role when his term ended. His opponents see these as example of how far he might be willing to go to hold onto power, especially when the stakes are much higher.
While Farmaajo has officially handed over election preparations to Roble, there is a widespread popular belief that he remains in control. “Farmaajo still rules everything … Roble is just his remote control,” as one Mogadishu shopkeeper told Reuters. The EU has reportedly suspended Somalia’s budgetary support since mid-2020 over concerns about potential election rigging, alongside the treatment of journalists and human rights violations. There are additional concerns as well over Somalia’s intelligence chief Fahad Yasin, who allegedly has links to al-Shabab, and the Qatari-funded security apparatus.
In the run-up to the election there are very real worries that Farmaajo may try to manipulate the electoral process through intimidation, bribery, or even outright rigging to stay in power. It’s one thing for Somalia’s donors to insist on the need for transparency, but it is impossible to have that unless steps are taken to build trust and accountability, like having Farmaajo hand over control of the security apparatus. Anything else will just delay the inevitable return to violent clashes. Holding Farmaajo and his enablers accountable and demanding his prompt exit is the only guarantee of a free and fair election and an eventual peaceful transfer of power in Somalia.
Recommendations for the Biden administration and EU
While Somalia’s donors have urged that elections be expedited, Farmaajo has already ensured further delays by appointing an inexperienced caretaker PM to oversee the process, in an attempt to derail AU Special Envoy Mahama from reaching an agreement on how to move forward. To finalize the elections and avoid any additional delays that could further destabilize Somalia, donors should take the following steps:
Farmaajo must sign a legal document stating that he is only a candidate and transfer total executive power to the caretaker PM, as his predecessors did, including control of the security apparatus. If he fails to do so, sanctions should be imposed on him and his enablers until he exits the political arena.
The caretaker PM and Somalia’s donors must begin to remove all security sector officials involved in attacks on the opposition, including intelligence chief Yasin, the interior minister, and the chief of the army, and quarantine tribal units (including the majority of the Haramcad, Duufaan, and Gorgor units, which are mainly Farmaajo clan militias) that have committed atrocities in Mogadishu and beyond.
A multilateral approach must be implemented by coordinating with the EU, Canada, and Australia to prevent Qatar and Eritrea, two of Farmaajo’s key backers and allies, from interfering in Somalia’s election. This will require imposing targeted sanctions on all Somali officials with dual citizenship who have committed crimes such as corruption and human rights violations at all levels of government, including those with EU, Canadian, and Australian passports.
The AU and Somalia’s donors should set up an independent U.N. human rights committee to investigate the Feb. 19 alleged assassination attempts, the April 25 violence, and the subsequent population displacement and crimes committed by the Farmaajo government so the lesson is learned that any future Somali leaders who do the same will be held accountable.
Somalia’s donors should not release any budgetary support to the Farmaajo government in the run-up to the elections as the money may be used to rig it. Alternatively, donors should open a special account to fund election implementation that is overseen by an independent committee and they should closely monitor the flow of money.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Guled Ahmed is a non-resident scholar at MEI, a renewable energy and water infrastructure expert, and an entrepreneur. The views expressed in this piece are his own.
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints of the Somaliland Chronicle, and its staff.
It’s almost 20 years since the first local council elections were held in the Republic of Somaliland – a country that emerged out of the ruins of the war carried out by the cruel Somali National Forces under the regime of Siad Barre in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
High hopes and euphoria overwhelmed the populace who yearned for many years to cast their vote in free, fair, and peaceful elections for the first time and to elect the candidates of their choice. Note-worthily is the fact that African countries – with exception of a few – didn’t have any elections at all. Democratic elections and transitions in the continent and particularly in the Horn of Africa region are in a short supply.
In 2002, Hargeisa, a city of approximately over 1 million residents elected a council of 25 members tasked to manage the local municipality affairs in the next 5 years.
In that year, H. Mohamoud Ji’ir was elected as mayor of Hargeisa – after lengthy negotiations within the council members, bringing an end to the direct nomination process usually made by the Presidents of Somaliland for all the mayors in the country. It coincided at the time- the country adopted the multi-party system, where citizens pick out their favorite political parties and leaders.
The excitement and hope of the people of Hargeisa were short-lived – as in-fights between elected mayor and Councillors contested for power and the meager resources of the weak institution. Corruption, land grab, nepotism, internal division, and neglect of public social services have surfaced in their tenure.
Alas, it took until 2012 to replace old Councillors and elect new members. Sadly, the elected Councillors become even worse than their predecessors – as lack of leadership resulted institutional decay of the local government, leading protests of some districts in Hargeisa city calling the mayor to step down as he failed to deliver his responsibilities.
Nevertheless, as the third local council election approaches, this article will briefly look at the pressing issues and challenges the upcoming mayor and council needs to overcome, in order to win the hearts and minds of the local residents.
Time to fix the broken Institution
Institutions play a greater role in economic and social development and local governments are not an exception. It is argued that well‐functioning institutions can promote growth and reduce poverty by providing a conducive environment for the implementation of sustainable development programmes.
For many reasons, Hargeisa local government is weak and ineffective as corruption, mismanagement and lack of leadership hinder its work. The upcoming mayor and the city Councillors need to come up with new plans to fix this broken institution and remove corrupted elements within the system. The institution needs a massive facelift and review of its organizational structure to de-centralize the service delivery and smooth implementation of the local government projects. Organizationally, Hargeisa local government consists of 8 districts, and it requires to empower these district commissioners by delegating certain tasks. This allows the mayor to strategically think and have time for dealing with broader and more challenging issues.
The districts can further engage and establish extended local community structures which can additionally support the local government in community mobilization campaigns. As an old adage says: Charity begins at home, the upcoming local Councillors should focus on putting the house in order before they embark on drafting projects and programmes which could fail unless there are policies and strategies that would direct and guide its implementations.
Curbing Corruption
As the local government is tasked with many of the multi-sector functions– education, social services, construction of city infrastructure, and tax collection, for example, it’s paramount to curb and fight corruption elements in all departments. The new leadership should have anti-corruption mechanisms and a clear accountability system to their citizens for providing these services and this is the only way the meager resources of the institution can be utilized optimally.
State of Hargeisa roads
Roads are the inter-spatial places that enable cities: they provide a system for all of the dynamic social, economic, and physical activities that make cities an important human environment. By strategy, roads channel and convey floodwater, providing a network along which all the rain that falls on the city can be routed. unfortunately, Hargeisa city is a disaster when it rains – as there is no drainage system that could remove the water from the city. Each year, street floods take lives and precious properties are damaged. This needs immediate strategy from the upcoming mayor and local Councillors. Concerted efforts are required to manage the debilitating situation of the city roads and the management of rainwater.
The new leadership has a huge task in improving the state of roads in the capital.
Tima’ade street flooded by water, photo @Social media
City waste management
It’s undeniable that the state of waste management in Hargeisa city is a disaster too. During the rainy season, garbage, trash, and litter materials discarded by people, usually due to lack of waste management system are seen on streets floating like marine birds. Although, there are private companies that are tasked to collect the garbage from the local residents on weekly basis at their own costs. However, this delegation of responsibility to private companies is not enough and must be reviewed immediately.
litter taken way by floods on civil service street photo @social media
Removing animal from the city
In the last few years, as the city has expanded tremendously in all directions – many people from the rural areas affected by climate change and droughts brought their animals into the city. Now, Hargeisa became a city co-inhabited peacefully by people and animals without any sort of conflict. These animals are at risk of dying in the streets as they eat litter thrown out into the streets like plastic bags, which is very harmful to animals and the environment as well. The local government and the upcoming Councillors are expected to plan on how to take these animals from the city in a sustainable manner.
Sheep in mushrooming in Hargeisa streets @social media
Closure of street garages
As thousands of used cars are imported each year from gulf states, especially Dubai, UAE – these cars end up in the streets for maintenance and repairs. In the last couple of years, streets become open garages and mechanic workshops, where hundreds of cars are left at the roadside for repairs. Others dismantle cars when they are of no use because of heavy accidents. In order for the city to be clean and environmentally healthy, the local government needs to take a strong stance in removing cars from the streets and closing all garages that are not in a secure and safe place. Anyone who services cars in the streets, for example changing oil should be penalized as this behavior endangers the environment as well as the lives of local residents.
Conclusion
It’s very true that these listed actions are not the only pressing issues for the upcoming mayor and Councillors, there are many challenges to overcome. However, these are visible and manageable problems currently all local residents encounter every day in their lives.
Lastly, Hargeisa needs a strong leadership able to amicably plan strategies and execute them accordingly. As Rome was not built in a day, Hargeisa residents should support all the efforts of the expected major, as it’s the only way – the city can recuperate from the mismanagement and corruption of current leadership.
About the Author
Mohamed Yassin is a management specialist, development practitioner, and researcher. Mohamed works as a blogger and writes extensively about Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa. The article originally appeared on Mohamed’s Blog and is republished with permission.
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints of the Somaliland Chronicle, and its staff.
According to sources, the Somaliland government will release all candidates detained Parliamentary and Local Council Election Candidates, following intense lobbying by opposition parties and election stakeholders including the Somaliland National Election Commission. Somaliland parliamentary and local council elections are scheduled for Monday, May 31, 2021.
Several candidates mostly from the opposition parties of UCID and Waddani have been detained on a range of charges including counterfeit documents to qualify for election and having links to the government of Somalia according to statements made by government officials and Somali Police which published what they referred to as the evidence against the detained candidates.
Somaliland National Election Commission, opposition parties, the government’s human rights organization, and members of the International Community have urged the government to release the detained candidates. Somaliland Election Law gives official candidates an immunity from prosecution during the election unless caught in the act of commission of a crime.
Opposition parties have accused the government of using state institutions including the Ministry of Education and Science, The Commission on Higher Education, and law enforcement agencies including the Police to target opposition candidates to prevent them from running for office. The government denies the accusation and insists that the candidates include some from the ruling party of Kulmiye and are detained on legitimate charges.
Although the government of Somaliland has been focal about why the candidates have been detained, it has not officially charged any of them with a crime. It is unclear if the government intends to drop charges or will release the candidates on bail to continue campaigning while investigations continue.
According to sources privy to discussions between the President of the Republic of Somaliland HE Muse Bihi Abdi, and the Qatari delegation headed by the Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Counterterrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution Dr. Mutlaq bin Majed Al-Qahtani, in addition to the establishment of bilateral ties between Qatar and Somaliland and opening Qatar Charity office in Somaliland the delegation spoke to the President about Qatar’s desire to be part of the international efforts to mediate Somaliland and Somalia talks.
Sources add that President Bihi shared with the delegation Somaliland’s position on the talks, and because of Somaliland’s confidence in its case for independence, it will take part in talks with Somalia in any neutral setting but that reciprocity on the side of Mogadishu has been a major obstacle, he also informed that Somaliland will need to wait for current political instability in Somalia to subside. The last round of talks between Somaliland and Somali were held in Djibouti on June 14th, 2020 and subsequent technical committee meetings did not take place.
Somaliland – Somalia talks in Djibouti in June 14th 2020.
Another important issue discussed by President Bihi and the Qatari delegation is a direct flight of Qatar Airways to Somaliland. Currently, Ethiopian Airlines is the only major carrier with direct flights to Somaliland.
According to sources, Mr. Qahtani was impressed with Somaliland’s political stability and receptiveness to engage with Qatar despite its bilateral ties with the United Arab Emirates. Sources add that the Somaliland government has given a heads up to the Emirati Trade Representative recently appointed to Somaliland on the Qatari delegation arrival. Although the Gulf crisis has subsided, Somaliland has sided with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia against Qatar.
The Qatari delegation has been on a whirlwind tour in East Africa and has met members of President Farmajo’s government as well as opposition figures and presidential candidates. Qatar has been a staunch supporter of Somalia and supplied its armed forces with military equipment.
Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Counterterrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution Dr. Mutlaq bin Majed Al-Qahtan with the Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The Qatari delegation led by Dr. Al-Qahtani is credited with brokering the re-normalization of ties between Kenya and Somalia. Somalia has severed diplomatic ties with Kenya six months ago for what it called interference in its internal affairs.
“We believe that normalizing the relationship between the two neighbors is very important for political stability, especially in Somalia which is currently going through political turmoil … and we look forward to the elections there,” Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told Reuters.
It is unclear how the rapprochement with Qatar will affect Somaliland’s bilateral ties with the United Arab Emirates and if there are follow-up technical discussions on the logistics of the bilateral ties between Qatar and Somaliland, Qatar Charity, and Qatar Airways flights to Somaliland. Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Presidency did not respond to questions for this report.
MoU paves way for formal discussions on potentials to develop the corridor to unlock economic benefits
DP World and its partners envisage investing up to US$1bn in developing supply chain infrastructure along the corridor
DP World, a leading global provider of end to end logistics solutions, and the Ministry of Transport have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the aim of developing the Ethiopian side of the road linking Ethiopia to Berbera into one of the major trade and logistics corridors of the Country’s international trade routes.
The MoU, which was signed in Addis Ababa today by Her Excellency, Dagmawit Moges, Ethiopia’s Minister of Transport, and Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, follows a decision by the two parties to explore the potentials for developing logistics infrastructure and the provision of end to end logistics services along the corridor to unlock major economic benefits for Ethiopia.
In terms of the MoU, it is proposed that the Parties would establish a joint venture logistics company to perform logistic operations from origin to destination. It is intended that for export, DP World will offer services from origin in Ethiopia up to Berbera Port, while for imports, it will offer from the port of loading to the delivery of shipments in one of the dry ports in the hinterlands or the final destination of the consignees.
DP World and its partners envisage investing up to US$1bn over the next ten years in developing the supply chain infrastructure along the corridor. This will include dry ports, silos, warehouses, container yards, cool and cold chain depots, freight forwarding and clearing activities. The infrastructure investment will be in parallel with the implementation of the latest IT infrastructure and technology to ensure the efficient functioning of the corridor, and smooth, secure and transparent transfer of cargo throughout the entire transportation journey.
The MoU also envisages that the Ministry of Transport will see to it that a review and resolution of regulatory obstacles facing the Ethiopian side of the Berbera Corridor are exercised with a view to ensuring competitive arrangements for logistics companies so that they could be able to use the Corridor on a common user basis.
“As we kick off the journey towards prosperity, aiming at unlocking Ethiopia’s development potentials designed to propel the country into becoming an African beacon of prosperity, the transformation of the logistics industry is expected to play the leading catalytic role. Ethiopia aims to diversify its port access facilities and services to improve its trade corridor access routes; utilizing the Berbera corridor will surely have the potential to make Ethiopia a front runner in logistics operations, boosting the competitive advantage of delivering our products to the world market. The development of this Corridor will not only meet with the growing demand of Ethiopian’s international trade, but it would also enhance our Nation’s capacity in utilizing our existing major corridor both in terms of volume of trade and efficiency.” said the Ethiopian Minister of Transport Dagmawit Moges.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Addis Ababa Mr. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, said: “As a leading global provider of trade and logistics solutions, we strongly believe that developing the Berbera Corridor into one of the major trade and logistics corridors will unlock huge economic benefits for Ethiopia, and support its ambitious development plans. It will create new jobs, attract new businesses and investment along the corridor, as well as diversify and strengthen the country’s access to international trade by having a direct, seamless and efficient link between Ethiopia and Berbera Port.”
The road infrastructure that will connect Berbera Port to Wajaale at the border with Ethiopia, funded by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and the UK’s Department for International Development, is expected to be completed by the end of 2021. The road will link to the existing modern highway on the Ethiopian side and will further position Berbera as one of the key trade gateways in the region and will be one of the fastest and most efficient routes for Ethiopian transit cargo.
DP World has committed to investing up to US$442 million to develop and expand Berbera port, with the first phase nearly completed. Further work is already underway on expansion of the quay to 1000 metres which will increase capacity to two million TEUs, operated by 10 quay cranes.
The British Ambassador, Kate Foster, visited Hargeisa this week to reaffirm the strength of the UK’s partnership with Somaliland including in the trade and development sector.
In her first visit to Somaliland since her appointment in February, Ms. Foster joined President Muse Bihi in launching the main construction phase of the 22.5 km Hargeisa bypass. The UK-supported bypass will reduce the time and cost of transporting goods between Berbera Port and landlocked Ethiopia by addressing a strategic chokepoint on the Berbera corridor.
In the construction phase, particular attention will be paid to climate proofing, ensuring the road is built to last. Protection of local heritage is also a key consideration, recognising the road’s proximity to the iconic Nasa Hablood hills – the symbol of Hargeisa city.
The corridor is already facilitating the delivery of much-needed humanitarian assistance to vulnerable communities in the wider region. The World Food Programme uses Berbera to bring 65% of its food aid into Ethiopia. With Ethiopia’s trade volumes projected to continue expanding, Berbera also represents an alternative for increasing trade and prosperity in the Horn of Africa.
The continued development of the Berbera corridor will ensure that ordinary people from across Somaliland will benefit from inclusive economic development. Future UK support will focus on more efficient cross border trade between Somaliland and Ethiopia including through the use of one-stop border posts, cargo tracking systems and efficient regulation at the border.
At the launch event, Somaliland President, Muse Bihi, said: “I would like to thank the UK and partners for their role in investing in Somaliland’s infrastructure to boost the economy, which will help in service delivery as well as create employment.”
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Kate Foster said:
“We are proud to support the Hargeisa bypass, which is a crucial part of the Berbera corridor. Once this 240 km project – in coordination with our Abu Dhabi and European partners – is completed late next year, it will improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people by creating jobs, unlocking the region’s economic potential and ease the delivery of humanitarian supplies.
“At a time of huge challenges for Somaliland, including tackling COVID-19, this is a demonstration of the UK’s commitment to the people of Somaliland.”
Eugene Torero, Director of Trade Policy at TradeMark East Africa, said:
“We are grateful for the continued support by United Kingdom and the fruitful partnership with the Somaliland government which has ensured steady progress in the construction of this important road amidst many challenges.”
“TMEA is committed to continue implementing various initiatives, with the government, that will support Somaliland’s agenda in increasing trade not only within its borders but also with its neighbours consequently creating jobs and helping reduce poverty”
The President of the Republic of Somaliland HE Muse Bihi Abdi attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the 22.5 kilometer Hargeisa Bypass Road funded by UKAID. The bypass is expected to alleviate congestion from commercial traffic from the Berbera Corridor by swinging traffic to the north of the capital city of Hargeisa and rejoining the main Hargeisa – Wajale highway.
Berbera – Hargeisa highway known as Berbera Corridor is currently under construction and is funded by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development as part of the DP World Berbera port expansion project.
“We need to put our minds together to build roads, we are grateful to Allah for the help we are getting, but we too can build more roads, and I would like to suggest to the business community and the wealthy in the country that they can build the road from Burao to Hargeisa,” said President Bihi.
President Bihi stressed the need for a better road network in Somaliland and invited the business community to invest in highways, and briefly touched on the possibility of tall roads to encourage private investment in transportation network development.
At the end of his speech, the President who recently visited the Hargeisa main bridge which has sustained an unspecified damage from the recent floods said that the expertise and equipment for the Hargeisa bypass project should be utilized to fix the Hargeisa bridge.
Among the dignitaries that attended the groundbreaking ceremony was Taiwan Ambassador to Somaliland Mr. Allen C. Lou, the newly appointed Director of UAE Trade office in Somaliland Mr. Abdullah Muhammad Al Naqbi, and the British Ambassador Kate Foster, the UK Ambassador to Somalia who is on her first official visit to Somaliland since taking over from Ambassador Ben Fender in February 2021.
“We are proud to support the Hargeisa bypass, which is a crucial part of the Berbera corridor. Once this 240 km project – in coordination with our Abu Dhabi and European partners – is completed late next year, it will improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people by creating jobs, unlocking the region’s economic potential, and ease the delivery of humanitarian supplies.” the UK Ambassador said.
The Hargeisa bypass road is slated to be completed in 22 according to the Berbera Corridor Project Manager Mr. Angus Miller who spoke at the event.
Besides the Hargeisa bypass project, the President addressed opposition parties’ concern of candidate detention and urged patience and trust in the rule of law to ensure the process runs its course and that no candidate will be prevented from running for office if exonerated of charges. Opposition parties have accused the government and the ruling Kulmiye party of deliberately targeting their candidates to prevent them from participating in the elections. The local and parliamentary elections are scheduled for May 31st.
Dr. Chen Shih-chung Minister of Health and Welfare Republic of China (Taiwan)
The threat that emerging infectious diseases pose to global health and the economy, trade, and tourism never ceases. Pandemics can spread rapidly around the world due to international aviation and transport. As of March 2021, a novel form of pneumonia that first emerged in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019 and has since been classified as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused more than 126 million cases and more than 2.7 million deaths worldwide. The disease has had an enormous medical, economic, and social impact around the world, and significantly threatened global efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Due to its proximity to China, Taiwan had been expected to be one of the countries most severely affected by the epidemic. But given its experience of fighting the 2003 SARS outbreak, Taiwan did not ignore the alarms, piecing together evolving official and unofficial accounts to form a picture of the emerging disease that implied a scope and severity worse than the global public perception suggested. Authorities used this information to launch enhanced monitoring on December 31, 2019, and have tirelessly implemented public health containment measures since Taiwan’s first case was detected on January 21, 2020. As of April 22, 2021, there had been 1,086 confirmed cases, including 11 deaths, in Taiwan. Life and work have continued much as normal for the majority of the population. Taiwan has contained COVID-19 ever since the beginning of the pandemic, including a record 253 days without any cases of domestic transmission between April and December 2020.
After dealing with SARS, Taiwan established a nationwide infectious disease healthcare network that is led and overseen by infectious disease experts across six regions. More than 100 secondary response hospitals are included in the network and all twenty-two special municipalities, counties and cities have designated their primary response hospitals. The network also provides the legal authority for transferring patients with highly contagious diseases to designated facilities based on public health and clinical need. This has proven instrumental in protecting health systems and health professionals from being overwhelmed, and allowed most non-COVID-19 health services to continue to operate without disruption during the pandemic. To date, there have been only two hospital-associated COVID-19 outbreaks in Taiwan. Both were well managed resulting a total of 11 cases and zero death of health professionals.
By introducing public health control measures early and effectively, Taiwan has also mitigated the economic impact of COVID-19. To maintain essential international, social, economic, and trade activities, Taiwan implemented flexible adjustments for related quarantine measures for vessels and aircraft so that fisheries, offshore wind farms, and air transport industries could continue operations. In stark contrast with the global economic contraction, Taiwan’s GDP growth for 2020 was approximately 3.11 percent, with even higher growth of 4.94 percent in the fourth quarter. Furthermore, public trust and cooperation with the government’s response have been key to successfully containing COVID-19. In formulating disease control regulations, the government has adhered to the principles of reasonable response, minimum damage, and gradual adoption. It has worked hard to maintain the balance between people’s right to know and personal privacy and freedom, actively responding to people’s wishes by upholding the principle of fairness at the same time as prioritizing the protection of disadvantaged groups, including migrant workers. Throughout this pandemic, Taiwan has demonstrated an emphasis on the right to health and associated protections and strong opposition to human rights abuses. Indeed, at no point has Taiwan restricted people’s right to free expression, assembly, or participation in public life.
Although COVID-19 has hit all countries hard, its impact has been harshest among already vulnerable and high-risk communities, as well as those lacking quality health care services and those unable to handle the adverse consequences of antipandemic containment measures. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will do its utmost to work with the World Health Organization and global health leaders to ensure that all people enjoy living and working conditions that are conducive to good health. We will also monitor health inequities to advocate more effectively for universal access to quality health services.
Thanks to its robust health system, rigorous testing strategies, information transparency, and public-private partnerships, Taiwan’s response to COVID-19 has been one of the world’s success stories. This pandemic has proven yet again that Taiwan cannot remain outside of the global health network. Taiwan plays an indispensable role in the global monitoring and early warning systems that detect the threat of emerging infectious diseases, and the Taiwan Model has proven consistently capable of containing COVID-19. The pandemic has also highlighted Taiwan’s capacity to research, develop, produce, and supply therapies and associated tools quickly (including two COVID-19 vaccines that are presently in Phase 2 trials). Being able to comprehensively participate in and contribute to international COVID-19 supply chain systems, as well as global diagnostics, vaccine, and therapeutics platforms, would allow Taiwan to work with the rest of the world.
We urge WHO and related parties to acknowledge Taiwan’s longstanding contributions to the international community in the areas of public health, disease prevention, and the human right to health, and to include Taiwan in WHO and its meetings, mechanisms, and activities. Taiwan will continue to work with the rest of the world to ensure that all enjoy the fundamental human right to health as stipulated in the WHO Constitution. Echoing the mantra of the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, no one should be left behind.
