According to sources, the President of the Republic of Somaliland HE Muse Bihi Abdi has instructed close confidants to explore ways to strengthen Somaliland’s bilateral ties with Taiwan and explore the possibility of mutual recognition between Taiwan and Somaliland.
Sources who spoke to Somaliland Chronicle on condition of anonymity added that President Bihi has ordered a close examination of a law recently passed by the United States Congress known as the TAIPEI Act, and to immediately provide him with recommendations, and risk analysis on the pros and cons of unilateral recognition of Taiwan.
As a response to China’s aggressive policy preventing other countries from recognizing or maintaining diplomatic ties Taiwan, the United States Congress unanimously passed the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative or the TAIPEI Act on March 26, 2020.
Section 3 of The TAIPEI Act explicitly encourages diplomatic and bilateral ties with Taiwan and discourages countries from any actions that undermine Taiwan.
President of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen TAIPEI Act sponsors U.S. Senator Cory Gardner
Great to see #Taiwan stepping up its engagement in East #Africa in a time of such tremendous need. #Taiwan is a great partner in health, education, technical assistance, and more!https://t.co/wVej4KieZ4
Previously, the Whitehouse Security Council has praised Taiwan’s engagement in East Africa after Taipei and Hargeisa established bilateral ties on July 1st, 2020. Somaliland has had a string of diplomatic successes recently due to its strategic location in the Horn of Africa where Ethiopia and Egypt are now competing for closer ties with Somaliland.
Taiwan is China's inherent territory. China exercised effective jurisdiction over Taiwan since the China's Ming and Qing governments hundreds of years ago. Every inch of China's territory can't be discarded. if is not China's territory, China doesn't want an inch. #Somalia
Somalia’s opposition to Somaliland – Taiwan’s diplomatic ties and alignment with China, puts the United States Embassy in Somalia and Ambassador Donald Yamamoto who has thrown his full support behind President Mohamed Abdillahi Farmajo out of step with the rest of the United States government and specifically with TAIPEI Act.
Chinese Ambassador to Somalia Mr. Qin Jian
The Chinese Ambassador to Somalia Mr. Qin Jian arrived in Hargeisa yesterday for the third time this year and according to sources, President Bihi has rejected meeting the Chinese Ambassador who remains in Hargeisa. It is unclear if the latest visit of Ambassador Jian to Hargeisa is related to Somaliland’s potential recognition of Taiwan. Somaliland has previously rejected China’s demand to cut ties with Taiwan.
It is unclear how or who allowed the Chinese Ambassador to Somalia to return Somaliland after the statement from Villa Somalia reiterating China’s commitment to the territorial integrity of Somalia.
In addition, China and Somalia recently reached an agreement for joint patrols of Somaliland’s territorial waters.
Currently, fifteen countries around the world recognize Taiwan and after Eswatini, Somaliland would be the second country in Africa to officially recognize Taiwan.
According to sources from Somaliland government, the Chinese Ambassador to Somalia Mr. Qin Jian arrived in Hargeisa today for talks with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperations and representatives from the President’s office.
Sources add that the Ambassador’s itinerary does not include a meeting with President Muse Bihi Abdi.
Taiwan is China's inherent territory. China exercised effective jurisdiction over Taiwan since the China's Ming and Qing governments hundreds of years ago. Every inch of China's territory can't be discarded. if is not China's territory, China doesn't want an inch. #Somalia
Chinese Ambassador together with the President of Somalia Mr. Mohamed Abdillahi Farmajo issued a strong statement opposing the bilateral ties between Somaliland and Taiwan and reiterated their mutual commitment to the territorial integrity of China and Somalia.
Similar to Somalia’s territorial claim over Somaliland, China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes any diplomatic ties with Taipei.
It is unclear if Ambassador Jian’s mission to Somaliland is to deliver an ultimatum from Beijing given his country’s strong statement and commitment to Somalia’s territorial integrity and opposition to Somaliland’s independence.
China and Somalia recently reached an agreement for joint patrols of Somaliland’s territorial waters.
Efforts to reach Somaliland government officials for more information about Ambassador Jian’s visit were unsuccessful.
There are quite a few key projects, institutions, and associations that are critical for meaningful economic growth in Somaliland that demand optimization of Somaliland national policy for Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in the light of recent partnership and alliance with Taiwan. FDI plays a vital role in sustaining a viable domestic economy. In Asia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam are the emerging economic powers that continued to attract significant amounts of foreign investment due to refining their foreign investment policy, and Somaliland should model after them.
In developing as well as in third world countries, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is an indispensable long term funding source for many basic pillars of the economy to achieve tangible and sustainable development.
The core incentives, that are critical in any given country, for attracting FDI are the country’s economic policy and the performance of institutions that serve that policy, setting aside the de jure recognition of the country as many countries, enjoying with international recognition, are ruled by dictators and juntas who only engage in stealing national resources for their own interests – a practice that shuts the doors on any foreign investment. Arguably, this is a testament to the fact that Somaliland’s de facto status cannot be considered a barrier to any FDI procurement if the contributing conditions and the environment for this end are adopted within Somaliland.
With the exception of small aids from UN agencies such as UN Development Programs and the developmental aid from several European partner countries channeled through Somaliland Development Fund, the first major Foreign Direct Investment came in 2016 when DP World won a 30-year concession for the port of Berbera. This cooperation between Somaliland and Taiwan is the second breakthrough for a potential FDI in this young nascent nation with an almost population of 5 million.
Somaliland is naturally situated in a prime geopolitical location and is the gateway to Africa, but she is in dire need of international relations with other countries, whereas, Taiwan is economically developed with international trade relations but has little support in Africa.
That being so, for this cooperation between Somaliland and Taiwan to mature and grow, the Somaliland government needs to establish new institutions: Somaliland Development Bank and Somaliland Investment Commission, similar to Ethiopia’s autonomous government institution known as EIC, that would foster development and investment, and revamp existing institutions such as the Somaliland Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture that has no presence at all in the world wide web yet. In the private sector also, effective Businesses Associations in commerce, trade, and service sectors of the economy must be in place so that they can have an influence on and be another layer of creative minds in the foreign direct investment discourse. The Somaliland Development Bank will be the authority to manage investment finances and oversee projects in the country, whereas Somaliland Investment Commission will be the machinery distributing the shares into the projects to be implemented as well as to the interested local investors in the country, and also selecting the individuals that would be managing these projects collectively as a Board of directors.
The high priority projects that Somaliland needs at the moment are
Berbera Cement Factory
(estimated to cost US$ 100 Million)
The Berbera Cement Factory has become a never-ending project for the country that could have been dealt with in the past to make it productive by now. But unfortunately, that is not the case, and for this project to take off the ground it must become one of the ventures on the table for this new cooperation with Taiwan with two possible options:
The first option is for Taiwan or Taiwanese companies to invest in the project and run it for a fixed period of term for recouping the initial investment with a nominal profit, and then transfer its ownership to a joint venture managed by the Somaliland government and Taiwan interest holders upon completion of that tenure, after settling the ratio of profit sharing for the life of the venture
The second option is for Taiwan and Somaliland to co-own just like the Berbera port – DP World deal, each of which contributes 50% of the project cost and shares profits in the same ratio for a limited period of time allowing both parties to recover the initial investment. At the end of this period, the project becomes a joint venture. The Somaliland government can transfer its share to Somaliland investors if it is unable to provide the money.
Coal Powered Electricity Plant
(estimated to cost US$350- 450 Million)
Taiwan produces 30% of its electricity from coal and is the 14th largest consumer of coal in the world. Because of this, Taiwan averages 7 cents/Kwh (about US$153 a month, per customer, using 1,000 kWh.). The electricity generated from nuclear power costs 1.9 cents/kWh, coal 7 cents/kWh, and Natural Gas US 11.25 cents/kWh. Power consumption in Taiwan is broken down into 18.2% for households, 54% for factors, & 18.5% for routine business.
In Somaliland, the light industries necessary for taking the country to the next phase of development necessitates first the production and availability of cheap electricity in the country. For example, the Berbera Cement Factory needs a lot of inexpensive electricity to make a profit and at the same time supply cheap cement, otherwise imported cement would be cheaper than domestically produced one.
Somaliland is said to be rich in coal reserves and extraction of this natural resource is another potential project for FDI that Taiwan can invest in. If the exploration of coal reserves in the country uncovers huge deposits of coal, then that needs to be tapped into, A huge revenue would be earned out of it and the surplus production, if any, could be exported to either elsewhere or to Taiwan, offsetting the repayment of any investment loans owed.
According to some informed sources, a Chinese company that came to Somaliland to extract coal reserves and then planning to use it to generate electricity sufficient for the whole nation was sued by the Somali Federal Government, prompting it eventually to leave Somaliland because of that threat.
When implementing this power plant, the two funding and financing options mentioned above should be followed. In addition, the existing power companies in the country should be given a stake in the new power plant, with their assets first valued and exchanged for an equivalent share.
Fossil Fuel and Liquefied Natural Gas
Oodweyne Blocks acquired by Genel Energy
CPC Corporation is a Taiwanese government-owned company that was founded on June 1st, 1946 solely for the energy needs of that country. This company explores, drills, refines and sells petroleum and natural gas. Although Taiwan consumes 1.1 million barrels of fossil fuel, it produces only 28,000 barrels of petroleum per day.
Somaliland is said to contain reservoirs of crude oil and natural gas, and in August 2012, Genel was awarded an exploration license for onshore blocks SL-10-B and SL-13, potentially targeting 2 billion barrels of oil. As widely believed in Somaliland, the exploration phase, as well as data collection, are complete and the drilling phase may undergo soon.
It is important that these companies contracted to extract oil and gas from the country, not to waste too much time, but to come up with a comprehensive plan that shows expected production and completion time. If that does not happen, this would be another opportunity for Taiwan to become involved in oil and gas production and later become a market.
On the other hand, global oil prices have fallen and will remain so for a year or two, according to forecasts. In the United States alone, many oil companies have closed down and oil rigs are mostly idle. Now is the best time to expedite those undertakings, as it requires a small investment.
National Airline Carrier with Somaliland Logo
There should be permanent whether direct or indirect incoming and outgoing flights that provide the connection between Somaliland and the rest of the world. This service is very important for the Somaliland state at the moment, and it should not be outsourced to individual citizens but rather should be under the control of Somaliland Civil Aviation and Airports Authority.
Flydubai airline taxing at Egal airport in Hargeisa, Somaliland
Before the movement disruption due to COVID-19 pandemic, three foreign airlines: Flydubai, Air Arabia, and Ethiopian Airlines were operating in Somaliland, two of which were based in the UAE. Somaliland nationals have entered into representation agreements with foreign airlines, and then the government blessed their contracts by granting permission to operate.
It is in the interest of Somaliland to have a national airline bearing Somaliland logo that operates flights both inside and outside the country, when you look at the debate between Somalia and Somaliland on the airspace management and how the foreign-owned airlines can easily fall into the traps of Somalia. An instance of this is when the Flydubai flight to Hargeisa responded to a request from Somali’s AirTraffic Control sending the flight back to Dubai. Subsequently, the Somaliland government revoked the licenses of both Flydubai and Air Arabiya.
Dams for Crop Irrigation & Livestock Water
In the spring every year, the powerful rushing water in Somaliland’s major waterways and streams carry away heavy vehicles, and many lives are lost due drowning, before eventually flowing into the sea. Medium size dams are what Somaliland needs in order to capture the rainy season water in all regions throughout the country. The Ambouli Friendship Dam constructed by the Turkish state-run agency State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) in Djibouti cost 20 million US Dollars, according to published reports. Somaliland needs, at least, three dams like the one in Djibouti that can be financed with foreign direct investments.
Major Livestock Markets in Somaliland
In order for these dams to be productive and beneficial, large scale farms of 10,000 – 20,000 hectares and livestock ranches must be built adjacent to them, growing locally both the food country needs and the feed consumed by the livestock destined for export. Large-scale agricultural farms, like the cement factory and coal-powered plant, would be an opportunity for Somaliland investors if the concept of pooling share is embraced. Livestock export from Somaliland to the Arabian Peninsula countries is an important economic activity and the main source of Somaliland’s foreign exchange earnings. The epicenter of livestock exports in the Horn of Africa region is Somaliland. Togwajale, Hargeisa, and Burao host terminal markets in Somaliland attracting livestock herds for export from within Somaliland, eastern Ethiopia, and south-central Somalia. The best and prime places to build dams are in these three cities.
Zoning Land for Industrial Parks
As always believed, the function determines the form, and designating land exclusively for different purposes is important. An industrial park is an area dedicated or zoned solely for industrial uses rather than residential or commercial ones. It is just like business or office parks. It is an area concentrated with warehouses, distribution centers, and small factories with dedicated power and water supply and waste management facilities.
Taiwan is one of the highly industrialized countries in the world, and China’s economic growth, in the last four decades, has been made possible with the investments derived from Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Many Taiwanese companies are based in China and employ millions of Chinese workers. At present, the deteriorating relationship between China and Taiwan forces many Taiwanese companies to move out of China to other Asian countries.
At the onset of the relationship, Taiwan hinted to help the IT and many other sectors in Somaliland. So we should ask Taiwan to assist us in the field of industry, especially electronics and textile manufacturers, as Taiwanese companies would establish industrial parks in Somaliland.
Industrial park jobs usually involve assembling lines like electronics and fabric manufacturing for apparel making. The project could create jobs for unemployed Somaliland youth. In addition, industrial parks in Somaliland can easily feed demands coming from Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
Hawassa Industrial Park in Ethiopia
Industrial Parks Development Corporation of Ethiopia (IPDC) is the entity behind the development of ten industrial parks in Ethiopia, including Hawassa Industrial Park. Hawassa Industrial Parks is home to 50 international apparel companies, employs approximately 60,000 people and generates US $ 1 billion annually. Since Ethiopia does not have easy access to ports, raw materials must be transported in trucks, and exported garments must be transported back to the ports in trucks. But unlike in Ethiopia, Berbera port facilitates cuts short the long bidirectional hauls. This is an advantage that industrial parks in Somaliland have over those in Ethiopia.
Finally, although Taiwan is a rich and independent country, China, which is richer and more powerful, claims her to be part of it. Somaliland has preferred Taiwan over having a relationship with China. So, it is incumbent upon Taiwan to reward Somaliland for this courageous step with foreign direct investments that Somaliland so desperately needs.
If these projects are implemented with Taiwanese investments, in a year or two, they would pay off the investment capital , and the public would benefit in terms of job creations. It is certain that many African countries and third countries with ties to China would switch sides, if this relationship between Somaliland and Taiwan becomes a success story.
The success of this partnership does not mainly depend on what Taiwan offers to Somaliland, but it would tremendously fall on what Somaliland is willing to enact as well as to reform. . Therefore, Somaliland must first draft a number of laws such as the Investment Law, the Banking Law, and Shareholders Law. At the same time, in the upcoming elections for the House of Representatives and the Local Government Councilmen, candidates in line with Somaliland development goals must be elected.
If Somaliland wants to compete in the world arena and gain trust that attracts foreign direct investment, the leadership of the various branches of the Somaliland government must be competent and capable of efficiently discharging their obligations. If clueless and corruption-minded folks, who do not know what is going on in the world, come back again for the next fives, the main culprits of this crime would be the party leaders and the electorate who settled with mediocre public officials.
About the Authors:
Omer A Yussuf is an Electrical Engineer with California Transportation Department’s Traffic Division, Oakland, California and can be reached at Omaryousuf455@gmail.com
Ahmed J Yassin is a Clinical Laboratory Professional with UF Healthcare, Jacksonville Florida and can be reached at ajyassin4@gmail.com
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints of Somaliland Chronicle, and its staff.
According to diplomatic and defense sources briefed on the matter, The People’s Republic of China and the Somalia Federal Government have agreed to conduct joint naval patrols in the Red Sea. As part of the agreement which has not been made public, Somalia is to withdraw from its membership of the Red Sea Initiative.
Sources add that the agreement is a direct result of the recently established Somaliland – Taiwan bilateral ties.
Both China and Somalia have condemned the bilateral ties between Taiwan and Somaliland as a violation of their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Although the White House National Security Council has indirectly welcomed the new ties between Somaliland and Taiwan, neither country is formally recognized.
The United States has expressed concerns over the Chinese military’s base in Djibouti and particularly its proximity to its Africa Command base and Djibouti’s long-term viability as a host given its heavy debt obligations to China.
On July 21st, President of the Republic of Somaliland HE Muse Bihi Abdi, addressing police and army cadet graduates reiterated Somaliland’s stance on the Red Sea Initiative and without mentioning the Somalia – China agreement.
Sources who spoke to Somaliland Chronicle confirm that President Bihi and few cabinet members have been briefed on the agreement between China and Somalia. It is unclear if Somaliland has formulated a strategy to prevent Chinese naval forces in its territorial waters.
It is unclear if the agreement will go into effect given Somalia’s tense political atmosphere following the ouster of the Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire by a surprise parliamentary no vote of confidence on Saturday.
Former Somali Prime Minister Mr. Hassan Ali Khaire with Former National Security Advisor Mr. John Bolton in Washington DC
During a two day internet shut off in Mogadishu, the Somali President Mr. Mohamed Abdillahi Farmajo has carried out a purge of the former Prime Minister’s allies from security, law enforcement, and other areas of the Somali government.
Somalia’s western backers have unanimously condemned the removal of Prime Minister Khaire and warned against term extension. The United States Embassy in Somalia went a step further and threatened unspecified actions against what it called “spoilers”.
According to a report given at Thursday’s cabinet meeting, chaired by HE President Muse Bihi Abdi, the Minister of Education and Science Hon. Ahmed Mohamed Diriye Egeh stated that 40% of school-age children in Somaliland lack access to basic education.
Minister Egeh addressing the state of education in Somaliland stated that out of 1,516 settlements in Somaliland, 620 or roughly 40% do not have any educational facilities including primary and middle schools.
It is unclear what and how the Ministry of Education and Science classifies as a settlement and Minister Egeh did not specify if the 620 are concentrated on particular areas of the country.
The Ministry of Education and Science is one of the best-funded institutions in Somaliland both by taxpayers and aid agencies. In the last three years, the Education sector received more than 80 million US dollars.
On July 6th, Minister Egeh on tour to the eastern regions of Somaliland, seemed befuddled when school-aged children informed him that there were no schools in their village and the nearest schools were tens of kilometers away.
In an interview with the BBC Somali Service, the Director-General Mr. Ahmed Abokor Mohamed alluded to a lack of funding being one of the reasons public education is lagging behind in Somaliland. In addition, he explained that some of the affected areas may be the rural and sparsely populated areas of Somaliland.
According to confidential sources who spoke to Somaliland Chronicle, Minister Egeh has recently appealed directly to President Bihi for help removing entrenched corruption at the Ministry of Education and Science. Since his appointment earlier year, Minister Egeh has made sweeping changes.
Efforts to reach the Minister and other government officials for this report were unsuccessful.
There is a Somali proverb that says “Aanu wada hadalno wa aanu heshiino”, when translated means; initiating a dialogue between opposing sides will finally end in peace.
This is an apt description of mediation in peacebuilding; voluntary acts of facilitation by a third party (e.g. Djibouti) to help disputants (in this case; Somaliland and Somalia) reach a sustainable peace agreement.
So let us idealize what the characteristics of the mediator should be. They should be impartial, neutral, committed, and well experienced in the disputed issues and familiar with their indigenous perceptions, cultures, values, and norms.
The mediation process in Djibouti between Somaliland and Somalia which took place on the 14th of June, 2020 is unprecedented in its kind, both due to the caliber and number of delegations participating such as the President of Djibouti, Mr. Ismail Omer Gelle; the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Mr. Abiye Ahmed; the President of Somaliland, Mr. Muse Bixi; the President of Somalia, Mr. Mohamed Abdillahi ‘’Farmaajo’’; the Ambassador of United States, Mr. Donald Yamamato and finally, various other delegations from IGAD, AU and EU.
An interesting detail to note is that there remains a period of only months before the duration of the presidential term of Mohamed Abdillahi Farmaajo comes to a close. This has raised many questions in the minds of the Somali people, again both of the ‘timing’ and the sudden ‘high priority status’ accorded to the meeting by the United States and the Ethiopian governments in particular and the international community in general. To illuminate what this entails, I believe we have to look at the interest held by these two countries in Somalia and what is at stake.
On 16th of February, 2017, President Mohamed Abdillahi Farmaajo was elected in a landslide by the Somali congress. They elected him with the high hopes that by giving him the mandate to lead the country, President Mohamed Abdillahi Farmaajo will enact his election promises of forming a concise, hardworking and qualified government which upholds law and order, transparency, oppose structural corruption and nepotism while minimizing acts of terrorism by Al Shabaab in the country. A lesser-known but just as significant reason for the strong backing of the current administration initially was the expectation that they would form a strong government that can withstand any foreign military and political interference within Somali affairs in general and particularly from the historical enemy of Somalia, Ethiopia, under the guidance of their representative in Mogadishu, then, the strong man General Gabre.
Fast forward to today, after three years and a half in office, the Somali people have become disillusioned with President Mohamed Abdillahi‘s inept handling of the government which has worsened the daily life of the people of Somalia, a fact reflected by the lack of progress in every issue the government had promised to tackle. To pinpoint out how things went wrong for the Somalia President, we have to go back towards the first steps he had taken:
Despite the Somali government adopting the federal system, the President had started to suppress the authorities of the federal states and chose to go into direct confrontation with them, expending valuable time and resources. He did succeed in controlling and putting under his influence; the two states of South West and Hir Shabelle with the help of the Ethiopian government led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. However, in turn, the President has lost the trust of the other federal states. Puntland and Jubaland states have nearly cut ties with the federal government while Galmudug state is in turmoil and their administration had collapsed due to interference from the presidential administration. With regard to why Ethiopia is providing strong support of the Somalian President, it is important to remember that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power as a result of the political upheaval caused by the uprising of the Oromia people – and thus the first time an Oromia official rules Ethiopia. Prime minister Abiy Ahmed, being well aware of the historical suppression and oppression of the Oromia by the Amhara and Tigre rulers, has sought to seize this opportunity afforded to him and change the longstanding foreign policy stratagems of his predecessors in spite of the imminent risks to his administration that is expected from his foes inside Ethiopia; particularly the leaders of Amhara, Tigre and the Oromia Liberation Front. This has compelled Abiy Ahmed to find new alliances and that is why he has made peace with Eritrea, the traditional foe of TPLF and Somalia, the traditional enemy of Amhara.
President Mohamed Abdillahi, with the help of his mentor Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has put a lot of diplomatic and economic pressure on Somaliland and tried to stop the flow of international donations and investments to the country, including the expansion of Berbera port by DP World, of which interestingly, there are currently rumors that Ethiopia is seeking to freeze its 19% share ownership of the Berbera port. This all demonstrates the subtle desire of the Somalia President to demonstrate influence within the region and showcase strong leadership despite the risk of actually being perceived as spiteful and vindictive by the Somali people.
The United States and other western countries have pumped billions of dollars to stabilize Somalia by strengthening its security and armed forces and pay the salaries of 21,000 UNISOM soldiers present in Somalia. The end goal of these countries with their involvement is generally considered to involve limiting the influence of countries such as Turkey and China in the region. Despite their intentions however, the reality on the ground shows that little has changed with respect to the security situation with explosions and attacks by Al-Shabaab occurring regularly in the capital Mogadishu and across Somalia in general. Furthermore, nepotism and corruption have become the norm in Somalia, an ongoing matter of disappointment for the western countries who had high hopes for the administration of President Mohamed Abdillahi to seriously tackle this issue.
With the presidential term of Mohamed Abdillahi Farmaajo coming to an unsatisfactory end, his allies, namely the United States, Ethiopia, and other western countries have sought to launch a last-ditch attempt in salvaging his legacy among the Somali people by holding a high caliber mediation conference in Djibouti between Somaliland and Somalia. Their bet was to demonstrate that Somaliland is willing to come back to the fold of Somalia and this would be a winning proposition to the Somali public. In their diplomatic sessions, it was clear that they felt that an apology from Somalia by President Mohamed Abdillahi to the people of Somaliland for the atrocities committed to them by Siyad Bare would be enough to heal all wounds and provide grounds for an immediate reunion. However, the fact remains that Somaliland approached this opportunity for mediation to take some time to build trust between the two states and in addition, the fulfillment of the outcomes from the three previous agreements. The main outcomes that had resulted from this latest attempt at mediation namely included joint management of the air space in Somaliland; a stop to the placement of any obstacles towards the flow of international aid and investment to Somaliland and co-operation in security and free movement of the Somali people between the two countries.
With the Djibouti mediation coming to a deadlock, a communique was finally issued calling for the formation of three committees to tackle the three issues mentioned above as a means of ensuring that the meeting did not officially end up as a failure, but which has to be admitted, will not bear further fruit as past history has already taught us.
About the Author:
Ismail Abdi Abdillahi (Bashe Abdi Gaboobe), holds Marine Engineer Certificate from Arab Maritime Transport Academy in Alexandria-Egypt, Marine Engineer Certificate from Sharjah- UAE, Post Graduate Diploma in Peace Building from Hargeysa University and Master degree in Peace Building from Coventry University, UK. Mr. Gaboobe can be reached gaboobe _3[@]hotmail.com
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints of Somaliland Chronicle, and its staff.
An Ethiopian delegation led by the Minister of Finance Mr. Ahmed Shide arrived today in Hargeisa, the capital of the Republic of Somaliland. The delegation includes the Minister of Education Dr.Ing Getahun Mekuria and the State Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Tensions between Ethiopia and Egypt are at an all-time high over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Egypt calls the filling of the dam an “existential threat”.
Long-established bilateral ties between Ethiopia and Somaliland have withered under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed …Despite the fact that Ethiopia is one of Somaliland’s largest trading partners and holds a 19% stake in Berbera Port currently managed by Dubai World Ports. The 442 million dollar project is the largest direct foreign investment in Somaliland.
President Muse Bihi Abdi in Addis with Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu and Hon Ahmed Shide.
It is unclear if the Ethiopian delegation will offer any concessions to ensure Somaliland remains in its political sphere and keep Egypt at bay.
This is the second time a delegation led by Mr. Shide, the highest-ranking ethnic Somali in the Ethiopian government visited Somaliland for talks with President Bihi. No details regarding the meeting in late February have been made public.
JOINT PRESS STATEMENT ON SOMALILAND’S POLITICAL PARTIES AGREEMENT
The International Partners (listed below) supporting Somaliland’s democratization process welcome the Somaliland Political Parties agreement, signed on 12th July 2020, to conduct Local Council and Parliamentary Elections in 2020.
This landmark agreement presents new opportunities to advance preparations for the elections and requires the NEC to present technical time schedule within 14 days starting from 12th July 2020.
Having all Somalilanders being part of the process, notably the large majority of young women and men who have never voted for their representatives or had the opportunity to be elected, is of utmost importance for the democratic credentials and the stability of Somaliland.
The international partners call for all stakeholders to ensure that women, youth and minority groups are being included, both as voters and candidates and call on the President, Political Parties, Parliament, the NEC and the Supreme Court to include women and minorities quota in their decisions.
The international community strongly commends Somaliland’s progress towards the elections and are ready to support the Somaliland’s electoral process, including safeguarding the women and the minorities quota.
* Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Djibouti, Ethiopia, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, and United Nations.
The website of the Ministry of Transportation and Road Development is exposing sensitive and personal details of 20,000 former driver license holders. According to the Ministry’s website, the list is intended to help former driver license holders to look up the details of their previous license to help them with the application process of the newer and secure driver’s license.
There is no security mechanism to prevent unauthorized access of this sensitive information on the ministry’s website, the links expose the entire list at once. It is unclear if the Ministry of Transportation and Road Development deems the list sensitive or it has been published by mistake.
Although no citizen services are provided online by the Somaliland government, most government websites lack basic security features such as SSL and best practices to safeguard critical information.
The Ministry of Information and Telecommunication Technology whose own website is among many insecure government websites did not answer questions for this article.
Our efforts to reach the Minister of Transportation and Road Development, Mr. Abdillahi Abokor Osman were unsuccessful.
