The Shady Character: The Resident of Villa Somalia

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September 30, 2020

His name is Mohamed Abdullahi-Farmajo, born in 1962 in Mogadishu. He was one of the few fortunate youths, not by virtue of merit, but by his clan affiliation. His uncle was the former dictator of Somalia, Mohamed Siad Barre.

When he graduated from high school he was sent off to Washington DC. and became the first secretary for the Somali ambassador of the Somali Embassy in Washington DC. It was common under the Siad Barre regime to place clan members in key prominent positions of power regardless of their educational background or experience level in any given department. The goal was to groom him for future government leadership and eventually the future Somali Ambassador in some future country.

Unfortunately, this dream was cut short when the Mohamed Siad Barre regime collapsed in 1991, which he primarily blames Somalilanders especially the Isaq clan for being responsible. The fall of the regime was a heavy blow to his pre-planned path to success in the future Siad Bare’s government. Consequently, it resulted in the disruption of his lavish lifestyle as a young man living in Washington DC. Certainly, his resentment and hostility towards Somaliland are of personal nature.

Now that he is in a position of authority to retaliate and punish those who were responsible for the demise and the collapse of his uncle’s regime (the independent Somaliland government), he found himself in a weaker position to inflict any harm. This is by far his second greatest disappointment as the president of the Somali Federal government and is now unable to hurt Somaliland. When every effort failed, he resorted to social media propaganda by recruiting uneducated youngsters to do his dirty job for him.

Surprisingly, his simplistic view of what had happened in Somalia during and after the regime of Siad Bare is mind-boggling, and it is a testament to his sheltered life of entitlement under his uncle’s regime. This was particularly obvious as to how he undermined the authority of local governments to elect their leaders without the interference of the federal government. These behaviors are not the characteristics of someone who understands the history of the civil war and the long difficult journey traveled by the Somalis to get to where they are today.

His uncle committed major atrocities against humanity particularly against the Isaq clan. Somalilanders love their fellow Somalis but they have issues with the word “unity” and the blue flag. Through the flag they see genocide committed against them; they see the torture of helpless young women; they see mass murder; they see innocent women being raped; they see pregnant women being violated; they see the fighter jet with Somali Flag emblem on its side bombarding them while they are fleeing. They see the elderly left for dead when unable to escape. Mothers have to choose which child they have to leave behind when they exhaust the last effort to move forward. The Tanks and the weapons that were used including the uniforms of the soldiers carrying these atrocities all displayed the blue national flag.

After the failed Djibouti talks, during one of his speeches, he half-heartedly offered a quasi-apology for the atrocities committed by Siad Bare against the Somalilanders particularly the Isaq clan which was insincere and lip service. He is by nature a con man as he himself admitted in his last concession speech when the last-ditch ambition for more years was squashed by the regional leaders. He admitted to his divide and rule tactic without being obvious, but one could read between the lines.

Farmajo is no longer a threat to Somaliland, but he could try his under-handed attempts to undermine the progress of the Somaliland Government, but it is not going to work because Somaliland is in a better and stronger position.

In one of his last remarks, he said that Somaliland was seeking recognition for the last thirty years, but they did not succeed. Although recognition would be a plus, the lack of it would not compromise its independence no matter how long it takes. Somaliland is a strong, free, and democratic nation and has many friends around the world.

About the Author:

Mohamed Adan Samatar is a Former State of Arizona Government Management and holds BSc, MS Agriculture. He can be reached adan.samatar01[@]gmail.com

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

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

President Bihi Unveils the Second Phase of Somaliland Development Fund

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September 29, 2020

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In a ceremony attended by government officials and Somaliland’s international partners, the President of the Republic of Somaliland Republic HE Muse Bihi Abdi has unveiled the second phase of the Somaliland Development Fund.

According to a statement released by Somaliland Presidency, the 2nd phase of the SDF will fund a total of 9 projects including a fishing jetty in Mayd and the rehabilitation of Berbera – Burao road.

Somaliland Development Fund is designed to be a single stream for donor funds to Somaliland where projects are aligned with the Somaliland National Development plan. Current contributors of SDF include the United Kingdom, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

According to the Minister of National Planning and Development Hon. Hassan Mohamed Ali Gafadhi, “SDFI has realized the implementation of 12 projects across the country in various sectors”. The first phase of the Somaliland Development Fund cost a total of 58 million US Dollars.

President Bihi during his remark at the unveiling ceremony touched on few issues including complaints from donor countries on how the previous phase of the SDF was implemented and pledged that his government has strengthened financial transparency and will ensure the 2nd phase will be implemented to produce tangible results as intended by the donor countries taxpayers. The President added that donor countries and agencies to respect Somaliland’s sovereignty and rule of law.

The President spoke at length about the need of finding new water sources for the rapidly expanding Hargeisa and that despite tens of millions of dollars already spent on the water expansion project in Hargeisa, the currently available wells in Geed Deeble can only supply about 40% of the capital’s inhabitants.

Previous projects implemented by SDFI have been marred by lack of oversight and prioritization of critical infrastructure, despite the 58 million US dollar price tag, there is no little to no visible impact of the first phase of the Somaliland Development Fund.

Somaliland And Ethiopian Officials Meet for Security Cooperation

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September 29, 2020

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According to a statement released by the Ministry of Interior, Somaliland government officials from the security sector met officials from the Somali region and Ethiopian defenses to discuss strengthening the security cooperation between the two countries.

From the Republic of Somaliland, the meeting was attended by the Minister of Interior Affairs Hon. Mohamed Kahin Ahmed, the Minister of Defense Hon. Abdiqani Mohammud A’ateye (Farid), the Commander of Somaliland’s Armed Forces Brigadier General Nuh Ismail Tani, and Mr. Barkhad M. Kaariye, Somaliland’s Deputy Ambassador to Ethiopia.

The head of the Special Liyu Police General Mohamed Ahmed Mohamoud and the Eastern Deputy Commander of the Ethiopian Forces among others attended the meeting.

Somaliland shares its western border with Ethiopia’s Somali region where the movement of people and massive amounts of commerce takes place making the Wajale town of the most vibrant economic hubs in Somaliland.

Although Ethiopia does not officially recognize Somaliland and the arrival of the current Prime Minister Mr. Ahmed Abiy has pivoted Ethiopia to support Villa Somalia, it maintains close ties with Somaliland in trade and security.

Guban View: Agriculture Minister, Ahmed Muumin Seed, Must Go

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Staff

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September 29, 2020

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The time has come for Ahmed Muumin Seed, Agriculture Minister to go. The damage he has done to Somaliland Agriculture the country can’t ignore anymore. His decision to give a whopping 2,000 hectares of Wajaale Plains, the best agricultural land, to a sham Chinese company to grow Castor beans without the consent of local communities, without environmental studies on the impact on land and the livelihood of communal farmers, was truly reprehensible, if not a criminal.

After fierce public pressure from affected communities and activists, the Bihi administration rescinded the Chinese Wajaale Plains farm project. This is welcome news for the communal farmers in Gabiley, but Somaliland people would like to know why the Agriculture Minister gave that land to an unknown Chinese company, in the first place?

Under his watch, the Ministry of Agriculture never did proper vetting and through investigation of the Chinese African Agricultural Development Company, or even verified whether it existed.

Gubanmedia researched the Chinese company and found no record of such a company showing up.

Up to date, no contract is available to the public about the Chinese farm project in Wajaale Plains. We do not know whether a legal contract existed, and even if it existed Mr. Muumin never made it available to local communities affected by such agreement or to the media. The secrecy surrounding the Wajaale Plains Castor Beans farm project did irreparable harm to government accountability and transparency, increased the likelihood of corruption, and people suspecting fraud on Ahmed Muumin Seed and a rogue local agent of the Chinese company.

According to Somaliland Chronicle, Abdullahi Abdi Mousa, who used to run a hotel located on the flood-prone area of Hargeisa, brought the Chinese to Somaliland. Mr. Mousa indicated that the Castor Beans project will create 200 jobs for the local people, help food production, which was a hoax. Castor Beans is not a food crop.

Under his leadership at the Ministry of Agriculture, we have become a laughing stock of the world. Ahmed Muumin Seed should be held accountable, because the whole Chinese Castor Beans farm project in Wajaale Plains was fraud. At least,Ahmed Muumim Seed must go. The government should also probe the whole Chinese Castor beans farm project.

While he was showing the Chinese company to Wajaale Plains, his displayed a disdain toward the local farmers. He said that the local farmers have not been using the land to its potential. “From Kala-baydh up to here, there was just empty land where people settled and no one had utilized the land.”

But it is the dereliction of his duty that has caused harm to the local farmers in Gabiley region or elsewhere: Whether it’s for failing to providing them crop protection, fertilizers, or farm machinery, or fighting the locust, under his leadership, the Ministry of Agriculture was AWOL.

The only solution for the conundrum of Wajaale Plains is first to remove the military from that fertile land and give back to the rightful owners of the Wajaale owners—-Gabiley communities, and let them manage the land, and grow food and vegetables to feed for their own families and the country. The government should support that effort by developing groundwater in the aquafiers so hardworking people can grow food, instead of the government selling their land to the foreign investment scammers.

The local communities are saying that Wajaale Plains is not for sale or open for investment of the scammers or fraudsters. Mr. Muumin Seed has repeatedly brought Wajaale Plains purported investors year after year showcasing it as it was government land. This charade of bringing fraudsters to Wajaale Plains must stop now.

This prime agricultural land should only be used to grow crops such as corn or wheat, which can then be processed locally into flour and bakery products to create more jobs for the youth, and help our food security. For instance, companies such as Boodhari Mills or any other commodity food traders should also be given an incentive to develop Wajaale Plains.

In the past, Gubanmedi.com has serious reservations about Ahmed Muumin Seed as Minister of Agriculture—-a man with zero government experience or agricultural experience , with a standard eight level education whose chief credential was being Wadani party’s loyal apparatchiks. In fact, Bihi was wrong, in the first place, to appoint him as Agriculture Minister.

Ahmed Muumin Seed has to go because Somaliland deserves better. But it is unlikely for Bihi to fire him because of the pandering to Borama constituents. And that is bad for Somaliland, for the agriculture and for the local farmers. Bihi should do the right thing and put the nation over his re-election efforts.

More importantly, President Bihi should have to explain to the public why such blatant fraud happened, under his watch because “The buck stops at his desk.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ali-Guban Mohamed
Founder and Editor

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

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

A Call Against the Rejection of Quota for Women and Minorities by The House of Representatives

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September 28, 2020

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Press Release by Center for Policy Analysis in Horn of Africa

We are deeply concerned and disappointed that the House of Representatives of Somaliland rejected to approve the Quota for Women and Minority Groups. For the last two decades, Somaliland Civil Society was advocating the Quota in different stages, this time they were hoping to achieve that goal. During the Debate of the Election bill in the House, Civil Society members led by ISCO Somaliland met the Acting Speaker of the House AhmedYasin Sheikh Ali Ayanle, they requested the House to approve the Election Bill with the Quota for Women and Minority Groups. Somaliland Civil Society was expecting that their voice would be heard, but now it seems that the House did not. This is not a surprise decision when all government institutions are dominated by male officers.

According to CPA’s data collection of Women in Government institutions in April 2020, Women secures only 2% of the 407 directly Elected Officials. There is only one female in both Houses of the Parliament. In other words, Somaliland has 613 elected or nominated public officials including the Parliament, the Cabinet Ministers, the Independent Institutions, Local Councils, Regional Governors, etc. Women secures only 16 positions out of the 613 public officers. That figure shows how women are already marginalized from the decision-making platforms, and it becomes a more male-dominated system, now it seems that even the outcome from the government institutions became a male favored output decision. That is why it is very important to have a Quota for Women and Minority groups to have voices that can represent them in decision-making platforms and to increase their political participation since the current male-dominated systems fail to listen to the concerns of the Women and Minority Groups.

We are calling the President of Somaliland to reform the government institutions and to make sure that women and minority groups are represented within the government institutions. Since women and minority groups have no voice in both chambers of the parliament, we are calling the speakers of the parliament to listen to the voices of women and minority groups. We are calling the House of Elders to review the Election Bill and to make sure that the Quota is included in both the Parliament and Local Councils.

THE END

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

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

Somaliland Parliament Votes Against Women and Minority Quota in Election Bill

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Staff

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September 27, 2020

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In a raucous session, the Somaliland Parliament has passed the much-anticipated election law without the critical components that were intended to give women and minorities a fair representation in the legislator.

A vote on the election bill was scheduled for a vote in the Parliament on September 12th but was delayed for other debates on bills submitted to Parliament by President Muse Bihi Abdi concerning free trade zone and foreign investment.

The exclusion of parliamentary seat quota in the election is major setback for Somaliland’s women and minority groups who have lobbied the government and political parties extensively.

Although some members of the Parliament have objected to the quota on grounds of unconstitutionality, there is nothing in Somaliland’s constitution that prohibits a mechanism that guarantees fair representation for women and minority groups in the country’s parliament.

Setting up a quota for women and minority groups have been in the works for a while and President Bihi and his cabinet have approved a quota allocating 21 seats for women and minority clans in June 2018. Similarly, all three political parties have expressed support for the quota.

Civil society and community activists have expressed their disappointment in the parliament’s vote against the quota for women and minority groups

Women and minority groups have been particularly disadvantaged in Somaliland politics where tribal dynamics and numbers play a major role in elections. The failure of this important feature in Somaliland’s democracy was widely criticized by Somaliland civil society groups and activists.

It is a very disappointing that the House members rejected to approve the Quota for Women and Minority. Already the Somaliland governance, including the Parliament, are a male dominated system. the Quota system is supporting both Women & Minority Participation in decision-making https://t.co/5xdjX55Fqn
— Center for Policy Analysis in Horn of Africa (@CPA_Horn) September 27, 2020

Ministry of Agriculture Development and Chinese Company Agree to Castor Plantation in 40% of Wajale Plains

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Staff

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September 20, 2020

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On September 1st, the Minister of Agricultural Development Mr. Ahmed Mumin Seed announced that his ministry has reached an agreement with a Chinese company to farm castor plant on Wajale plains.

Minister Moumin, accompanied by Chinese company representatives and Mr. Abdullahi Abdi Moussa who announced that the company, known as Africa Agriculture Development will create employment opportunities for the youth and food security of the nation.

According to Mr. Abdullahi Abdi Moussa, the company has been working on its investment in Wajale Plains with the Ministry for a period of time and will start to plant the castor plant in 2000 hectors. He added the most immediate benefit of the project to the nation is the employment of 200 people and that the first year’s production will be distributed as a seed to farmers in the area so they can also farm castor plants.

“This is the first investment of agriculture or food production that has arrived in Somaliland,” Mr. Abdullahi said.

Minister Ahmed Moumin Seed who spoke briefly, stated that this is in line with President Moussa Bihi Abdi’s leadership policies to bring more investment to Somaliland. He did not provide any details on what the project entails and especially who and why the castor plant was selected for this project.

Efforts to locate any details about the company known as Africa Agriculture Development were unsuccessful.

This is not the first time the Somaliland government signed deals with shady or non-existent Chinese companies. The latest one of these companies is Singapore New Silk Somaliland Energy Company and Africa Agriculture Development share a common denominator in Mr. Abdullahi Abdi Moussa.

Singapore New Silk Somaliland Energy Company has entered into an agreement with Somaliland Government to build an oil refinery and employ 400 National Service Graduates. None of it has so far materialized.

Mr. Ahmed Arwo, Director-General of Somaliland Central Bank discussing the importance of the Singapore New Silk Somaliland Energy Company in April 2019

Mr. Abdullahi Abdi Moussa with *Vice President of Somaliland Abdirahman Saylici breaking ground with foreign investors in Berbera.*

Mr. Abdoulahi was one of the representatives of Singapore New Silk Somaliland Energy Company.

Mr. Hamse Khaire, a member of the opposition party of Waddani has warned of the dangers of ricin a poison found in the castor plant, and questioned the need for this type of plant at a time when there is a more immediate need for basic vegetables in Somaliland.

Although used to produce oil the castor plant is also the source of the ricin poison and according to the United States Centers for Disease Control, “Ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans. If castor beans are chewed and swallowed, the released ricin can cause injury. Ricin can be made from the waste material left over from processing castor beans. It can be in the form of a powder, a mist, or a pellet, or it can be dissolved in water or weak acid.“.

It is unclear why the Ministry of Agriculture chose the large scale plantation of the castor plant in 2000 hectors which is more than 40 percent of Wachaale plains when Somaliland is still importing basic vegetables such as tomatoes from onions from Ethiopia.

As recently as last month Somaliland experienced vegetable shortage due to the clashes in Oromia. Currently, supply of vegetables produced in Somaliland is not sufficient to supply market demand.

Efforts to reach Mr. Abdoulahi and Minister Moumin Seed for details on what type of due diligence his ministry has done to ensure the company known as African Agriculture Development is legitimate and if they have reviewed their past track record were unsuccessful.

Questions sent to Mr. Abdullahi Abdi Moussa about Singapore New Silk Somaliland Energy Company, the oil refinery, and the employment of the 400 National Service graduates and given his track record so far, why should the public trust him and the new company Africa Agriculture Development were unanswered.

Somaliland Government Orders its Media Outlets to become ‘Fair and Balanced’

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Staff

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September 19, 2020

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In an unprecedented move, the Ministry of Information and National Guidance ordered all government-owned media outlets to allow opposition voices an equal coverage.

In a circular addressed to the Radio Hargeisa, Somaliland National Television, Dawan newspaper, and all other government-owned media outlets, the Deputy Minister of Ministry of Information and National Guidance Hon. Abdinasir Omer Jama ordered that an independent and balanced coverage be given to all aspects of the news cycle in Somaliland.

The circular notes the importance of giving equal and fair coverage to all political parties especially dissenting voices from the opposition and the public.

Government-owned media outlets in Somaliland lag far behind independent media and focus on programming designed to showcase government achievement and the activities of government officials.

It is unclear if the circular from the Ministry of Information and National Guidance marks an end to the government’s ham-fisted policy towards freedom of speech and arbitrary detention of journalists.

Dawan a government-owned newspaper and one of the oldest and continuously operating papers in Somaliland seems to have put an immediate effect by running a segment featuring a Waddani opposition party criticizing Hargeisa Local Municipality for the poor road infrastructure in the capital.

This is the first time in Somaliland’s history that government-owned media are explicitly instructed to be impartial and operate independently.

Auditor-General Arrests Multiple Government Officials on Corruption Across Somaliland

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September 18, 2020

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In the last few weeks, officials from the Somaliland Auditor-General have been conducting investigations at multiple government agencies including local governments, and have announced multiple arrests across the country.

In an interview given to the VOA Somali, Mr. Ahmed Yusuf Dirir, the Auditor General of Somaliland announced the arrests and stated that criminal complaints have been filed and the process is going through the judiciary channels.

Somaliland Auditor-General Mr. Ahmed Yusuf Dirir

Although the Auditor-General’s Office has investigated government agencies such as the Ministry of Education and Science and Hargeisa Local Municipality, the Civil Service Commission, and many more, no information has emerged on what was uncovered and no arrests made. Auditor-General reports are not available to the media and the public at large for scrutiny.

In the interview with VOA Somalia, Mr. Ahmed Yusuf Dirir stated that his office has arrested officials from Borama, Berbera, and Burao and charged them with corruption.

Charges were filed against the former Minister of Information and Culture Mr. Abdirahman Abdillahi Farah (Guri-Barwaqo) and the former Defense Minister Mr. Issa Ahmed Hawar along with other officials from those ministries in March 2019.

The Auditor-General’s office has filed criminal complaints against ministers and director-generals in the early months of President Muse Bihi Abdi’s administration, no one was convicted of a crime although most of the officials named in the complaints have been fired as a result.

According to sources, many of the officials charged with corruption are mid to low level and are mostly from local municipalities. It is unclear if the charges filed will cause convictions and prison sentences.

Efforts to reach officials from the Auditor-General’s office to ask about the reason for increased activity after years of inactivity and why their previous criminal complaints have not resulted in convictions were unsuccessful.

Guban View: Kudos to President Bihi for Bringing Big Commodity Trader Trafigura to Berbera Oil Terminal

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Staff

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September 16, 2020

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The Bihi administration got it right for bringing to Somaliland, Trafigura Group Pte, the world’s second-biggest independent oil and industrial metals trader. Trafigura will help the Somaliland Government’s efforts to transform the Berbera port as a strategic hub in the Horn of Africa region where the demand for energy is growing year on year.—-which could spur economic growth and create more jobs.

Port of Berbera’s Oil Terminal, upper left, and its newly expanded container terminal, foreground (Photo/ Government of Somaliland)

According to a press release, Trafigura has signed with Somaliland Ministry of Commerce, Tourism and Industry an agreement “to invest Berbera Oil Terminal(BOT) facilities to position it as a gateway to serve customers within the country, and integrate oil logistics across the Horn of Africa.”

Founded more than a quarter century ago, Trafigura trades 6.1 million barrels a day, is based in Singapore but it run from Geneva. Its total revenue is $83 billion by June 2020, according to company’s financial statement.

Trafigura has its own misdeeds in the past. In 2010, a Dutch court had found Trafigura guilty of illegally exporting toxic waste from Amsterdam to Ivory Coast, allegedly making people sick and killing up to 16 people. Trafigura paid a $200 million settlement and Ivory Coast’s prosecutor declared that there was no evidence of any illegality or misconduct by any Trafigura company or staff..

It also used to rely on middlemen to win contracts in natural resources rich African countries such as Democratic Republic of Congo—where corruption is rife, and it’s difficult to do business without first paying a bribe or kickbacks. But it ended that predatory practice after it faced corruption probes from regulators.

In Somaliland, Trafigura would supply fuel with low sulphur content with the international or regional standard. Last week, Trafigura delivered the first shipment of such fuel to BOT. “We’re delighted to be working with a leading independent, international company like Trafigura to improve the quality and reliability of refined petroleum product supply into the country,” said Mr. Mohamoud Hassan Saad, Minister of Trade Industry and Tourism, “By working with Trafigura there will be increased transparency, high standards, and increased competitiveness across the supply chain.”

There are currently six companies that supply fuel to BOT, or operate fuel depot: Red-Sea, Som-Petroleum,Hass, Al-Harbi Petroleum, Waraabe Petroleum, Dahabshil Group and others. Some of the owners of these companies include a fuel distributor from Kenya, a livestock trader, confectionery supplier, a money remittance operator, and a fuel gas station operator.

Unscrupulous merchants had entrenched themselves in the fuel supply business. They dumb dirty fuel to the local market , without regard the effect it would had on consumers. The local Consumers have no recourse to take legal action against fuel station operators selling dirty fuels, which damaged motor vehicles because of Somaliland’s weak regulatory and justice system. Fuel shortages, high fuel prices, or gas stations running out of fuel , are routine in Somaliland, especially Hargeisa, the capital city.

Now, With Trafigura solely supplying the fuel in BOT, Somaliland consumers will get a reliable supply of fuel from a global leader in energy supply. A fuel we could know its source.

Somaliland is one of the poorest country in the world yet it has the highest gasoline price in world, close to a $4/US gallon for a dirty fuel. In contrast, the price of unleaded gasoline in US is $2/US gallon. I would welcome Trafigura coming to Somaliland if it would bring down the cost of fuel—which is hampering local economy and development.

I am not against local private entrepreneurs managing or developing BOT; however, these merchants of dirty fuel had ten years to develop and expand BOT and bring a reputable fuel supplier—-but they have failed to do so. These suppliers have no resources or know how to expand our energy infrastructure. And, the process they got the contract during the corrupt Silanyo/ Hirsi administration, to supply the fuel was marred with corruption and nepotism.

For instance, Dahabshill Group which owns and manages a fuel depot , or Trafigura Pte—-which one of these companies is able to cleanup, Allah forbid, if oil spill occurs at BOT ? Trafigura Pte does, but Dahabshil Group does not.

And if Trafigura fails to clean up its mess, we could take it to European courts. But in the case of Dahabshil Group —Somaliland people have no recourse to force Dahabshil to clean up the disaster.In fact, even if a driver that hauls fuel is involved an accident, the driver’s clan, and not the proprietor of the business, are responsible for any damages.We can’t take that risky on our energy supply.

Gubanmedia have some other issues or policies that we disagree with the President Bihi ; but in this initiative, we are supporting Bihi’s decision to bring Trafigura.

This deal is not only good for our economy, but would strengthen our National Security in the long run.Trafigura could also help Somaliland develop our untapped mineral resources such as zinc and copper—-—where millions of our people are living in abject poverty despite the abundance of these metals in the country.The deal shows the confidence big companies have in investing Somaliland—-a country that has not yet received a diplomatic recognition.

I concur that people should know the terms of the Agreement. We should expect the leaders of do no-thing legislature to do its job and demand from the Bihi administration transparency and accountability and probe more details about the Trafigura deal.

But the failed un-elected party apparatchiks of the Wadani party should stop propagating fearmongering and disinformation campaign against Trafigura deal.We should move out the petty interest of the few merchants of dirty fuel.

I hope that Trafigura deal works out, because the current system of relying our fuel supply on unscrupulous merchants mired with corruption and prone to disaster is reckless. Therefore, I believe it’s time to move on and find a new source for the supply of our petroleum products needs.

President Bihi did the right thing for bringing big commodity trader Trafigura Pte, not because our consumers deserve a reliable source of fuel supply, but because Somaliland needs and the region would benefit as well. This is a win, win for Somaliland, for our security,for our economy, for local consumers, and for the region.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ali-Guban Mohamed
Founder and Editor

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

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

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