A family of four who perished after their home collapsed in Hargeisa today were laid to rest in the Massalaha burrial ground in a ceremony attended by the President of the Republic of Somaliland HE Muse Bihi Abdi.
According to first responder sources four members of the family were lost after their home collapsed in their Hargeisa suburb near Birjeeh military base.
President Bihi consoles a relative of the deceased.
There has been continuous rain showers in the capital the last few days that may have contributed to the collapse of the house. Although the President reminded citizens to stay away from flood-prone areas, there was no official statement from the Mayor of Hargeisa or the government of Somaliland on the cause or what type of dwelling the perished family inhibited.
In the past, heavy floods have caused death and injury in the capital due to clogged and debilitated drainage system. Others were electrocuted by downed electric wires.
Although there is a building boom in most major cities in Somaliland, there are no building and safety regulation that prohibit construction in flood prone areas or ensuring proper gauge wires are used for overhead power lines.
The President of the Republic of Somaliland HE Muse Bihi Abdi has reshuffled his administration today for the fourth time since taking office two years ago.
The Ministers of Education, Planning and Justice were relieved of their duties in addition, the President sacked the Deputy Ministers of Planning and Finance.
With the exception of the Deputy Minister of Planning Eng. Hussein I Buni, all others were relatively new appointees where some have been in their current positions for less than a year.
Mr. Mohamed Muse Diriye Wacays
Mr. Saleban Yusuf Ali Koore
In addition to the sacking of these ministers, President Bihi has also swapped the Minister of Water Development Mr. Saleban Yusuf Ali Koore and the Minister of Information Mr. Mohamed Muse Diriye Wacays. Minister Wacays has been heading the Ministry of Information for less than 6 months.
The Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Development Mr. Hassan Mohamed Ali Gafadhi to head the Ministry of Planning and National Development.
Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Diriye Egeh
Mr. Saeed Sulub Mohamed Hussein
Mr. Mustafe Mohamoud Ali Bile
President Bihi has added three new Ministers to his cabinet, Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Diriye Egeh as the Minister of Education and Science and Mr. Saeed Sulub Mohamed Hussein as the minister of Livestock and Fisheries Development and Mr. Mustafe Mohamoud Ali Bile as the minister of Justice. Mr. Bile has previously served as the Director General of the Ministry of Commerce and Tourism.
Mr. Saeed Sulub has served as a minister in President Kahin’s administration and is a heavyweight politician from the Waddani opposition party.
Questions to the Presidency to understand why some ministers were sacked or moved while in office for less than 9 months were unanswered.
The international community has admonished Somaliland over its handling of important issues such as freedom of speech and its recent spastic political discourse which featured some unnecessary and possibly unlawful arrest of opposition figures.
Somaliland democracy has been tarnished by repeated delay of parliamentary and local council elections and is far from perfect but generally rates higher than many countries in the region including Djibouti, Eritrea, Tanzania, Sudan, South Sudan and more importantly Somalia.
IGAD member countries
With the exception of Kenya’s problematic election in 2017, none of the IGAD member countries have ever held a one man one vote election, where Somaliland has had five peaceful transitions of power with three nation wide elections.
So why is the International Community quick to denounce Somaliland?
“One Somalia Policy”
UK is deeply concerned by ongoing detention of oppositions politicians in #Somaliland. We have called on government to bring charges or release immediately. Encourage all parties to renew dialogue and uphold their commitment to hold paliamentary and local elections without delay.
Because most countries, the ones that matter anyway, including the United States and United Kingdom have adopted a “one Somalia policy” and have no interest in seeing Somaliland stand on its own.
IGAD and the United Nations’ position are understandable as they derive their relevancy from Somalia’s chaos and IGAD with its line up of dictators and strong men has zero interest in seeing Somaliland succeed.
Despite regular terror attacks and targetted killing of at times, Somali intellectuals with European and other foreign passport holders in Somalia, the International Community has never condemned Somalia in many of its failures.
While the International Community is quick to bounce on Somaliland’s stumbles, its approach to Somalia is entirely different.
One recent example of the International Community’s hypocrisy and double standard towards Somaliland is its response to the assassination of the Mayor of Mogadishu, Mr. Abdirahman Omar Osman (Yarisow) a dual Somali and British national. The intended target, according to some media reports was the United Nation Secretary General Special Representative Mr. James Swan who has met the mayor earlier in the day.
Britain and its Ambassador has offered simple condolence for Mr. Yarisow’s untimely death.
Goodbye @engyarisow, public servant, kind and gentle colleague, friend. You have been called away much too soon. Our hearts are so heavy today. We will join hands to finish the work you started, and the Somalia we build will be your greatest memorial. https://t.co/5QCbnJ5yFf
Another tragic example is the death of Ms. Almas Elmi was shot dead while driving inside the seat of the government known as Halane and supposedly one of the most secure areas of Mogadishu.
Almaas Elman, a Somali-Canadian aid worker, was shot dead on Wednesday in Mogadishu, a police official said. A Human Rights Watch researcher called her “a committed, tireless advocate for the countless survivors of sexual violence in Somalia.” https://t.co/4qIdU5WNIO
On the issue freedom of speech and rule of law that the International Community and more specifically the Brits have repeated criticized Somaliland, Somalia is currently detaining a journalist who is also a dual Somali and British National who was accompanying a young Somali activist without any explanation.
Although AMISOM has quickly issued a statement attributing Ms Elman’s death to a stray bullet, the International Community has not uttered a word about the killing of this young promising women and the detention of the only eye witness to the circumstances around her death besides the usual condolence to the deceased and has quickly moved on to loud Somalia’s unseen successes.
The International Community has been very clear about its obvious bias and tilt towards Somalia to the point where it never criticized Somalia on almost anything and is almost complicit in Villa Somalia’s social media based governance.
Perhaps one reason why the International Community walks on eggshells in Mogadishu and is reluctant in criticizing it is Somalia’s spectacular bluff of assigning a persona non-grata to Mr. Swan’s predecessor Mr. Nicholas Haysom when he took villa Somalia to task on its criminal intervention in Baidoa that resulted in death of civilians. Somalia bluffed and the International Community blinked.
Maybe the International Community holds Somaliland to a higher bar than the failed state of Somalia and want to keep Somaliland on track to further improvement of its democratic institutions, good governance and rule of law.
Somaliland in its quest for recognition has been painfully polite and rather timid at times in its dealing with the International Community and at times seems to accept criticism from the very actors who have spent billions of their taxpayer funds in propping up Farmajo’s regime in Mogadishu.
It is quite clear that Messrs Fender and Yamamoto wont recognize Somaliland anytime soon and although their countries do contribute aid to Somaliland the relationship seems woefully lopsided and uneven.
Contrary to what many believe, Somaliland’s recognition does not depend on the level of politeness to Britain’s lowly diplomat in Hargeisa but instead taking its case to new capitals and reminding the world of its strategic importance.
It is time that Somaliland took a more aggressive approach and pushed back on the false narratives from the international hypocrites and maybe even ban few in working in Somaliland. After all, these are Ambassadors to Somalia and not Somaliland.
Somaliland Chronicle is responsible for the content of this editorial.
Is the concern of full militarization of Somaliland Police with the appointment of a military General legitimate cause for concern?
On November 5th, the President of the Republic of Somaliland His Excellency Muse Bihi Abdi appointed a new Police Commander to replace the late Major General Abdillahi Fadal Iman.
Late Police commander Major General Abdillahi Fadal Iman with President Bihi
Brigadier General Mohamed Adan Saqadhi Mohamoud (Dabagale) has been a member of Somaliland’s military since its inception and has steadily risen through the ranks.
During his service in Somaliland military, he has also been busy studying in Somaliland and has had the good fortune to attend overseas military education in the UK and Ethiopia where he has graduated at the top of his class and received a master’s degree in military sciences.
Those that know the General describe him as a very pious man constantly in search for knowledge and is not shy to ask.
There is however another side to Somaliland’s new Police Commander, he is a decorated SNM veteran. Brigadier General Dabagale is said to have joined SNM forces as a young man and has quickly gained a reputation for bravery and exemplary leadership.
So what should we all expect from Brigadier General Mohamed Adan Saqadhi Mohamoud (Dabagale) as the Commander of Somaliland Police? Before we get into that, we should ask why did President Bihi choose a military man for what should be a civilian law enforcement agency?
Brigadier General Mohamed Adan Saqadhi Mohamoud (Dabagale)
Perhaps, the answer lies in the new Commander’s reputation for fierce independence and fairness to the point of appearing inflexible. This is according to people that have known him for decades and have served with him in the Army.
According to sources, President Bihi is intent on modernizing Somaliland Police by instituting systems to ensure civil liberties are protected and prevent unlawful arrests and to achieve this, it made sense to him bring in an outsider to ensure meaningful changes are instituted.
Somaliland Police is a vast system with many moving parts but unfortunately there is no system in place to help manage it and connect its various pieces, for instance, all case records are on paper and records can be lost or altered.
One of the other main issues with Somaliland Police is that there is no oversight of any kind, civilian or otherwise, and unfortunately have at their disposal a rather draconian piece of legislation that was recently modified and passed – Law Number 63/2013 generally referred to as the Somaliland Police Law.
There are many documented incidents where police not only overstepped their authority but have behaved in ways that were outright illegal, one of these incidents happened right after when President Bihi took office where Police have sheered hair off some youth because of a supposed joke that he will discipline youngsters by shaving their heads.
Free haircuts, courtesy of Somaliland Police.
The concern of full militarization of Somaliland police by the appointment of General Dabagale spilled into full public view when the opposition Wadani Leader Mr. Hersi Haji Hassan echoed these concerns at the new Commanders swearing-in ceremony.
Past performance is generally not an indicator for future outcome and it is simply too early to judge how the new Police Commander will turn out but what is certain is that his success and failures depend on how much institutional change and accountability he brings into Somaliland Police.
In another special segment to showcase the beating heart of Somaliland’s entrepreneurial spirit, we caught up with Mr. Abdirahman Hirsi, the founder and the CEO of Horn of Africa Strategic Initiative (HASI) to get him to divulge the secret to his success and encourage the next generation of Somaliland entrepreneurs.
Mr. Hirsi and his business are entirely unique in Somaliland and are taking a different approach to business; he is not in the import and export business, build houses or run a non-governmental organization. What he does is rather novel and smart; he is probably the first person to create an entire business around management consultancy in Somaliland.
Mr. Hersi, explain to us your business and how you got started
What we do is pretty straightforward, we develop leaders and help businesses to adopt a strategic posture to think beyond today and help them create a plan for success.
As you know Somaliland’s business environment is becoming more competitive so one area we focus on for private businesses in marketing and customer acquisition and retention while helping them understand the value of their employees.
Leadership is an area that is somehow misunderstood where the head of company or a government entity is unapproachable and the only means of communication are a memo or notice stuck on a wall but we see it differently, leadership is a science and one of our specialty is leadership development.
Another area that we focus on is is change management and help businesses and individuals understand that a change is not a threat to them when properly managed.
The easiest way to understand what HASI Consulting does is that we help businesses convert their human capital into a structural capital.
Who is your customer, is it mostly private, government and NGOs or combination of all.
The majority of our customers are from the private sector but we also have some government clients though those are mainly individuals in public service who want to take advantage of our expertise.
We hope to work more with the public sector as we see the current challenges faced by our government, at the risk of sounding bit political, I am always amused when I see a government agency announcing a new effort for this and that and claiming it is the first time and I remember hearing similar announcements from that same ministry, the issue here is the lack of continuity between appointees.
This is an area we can bring in a lot of value in creating institutional memory and ensuring knowledge does not walk away when someone is replaced but is distilled into a repeatable and measurable business process.
This is certainly an unconventional business, what are the challenges you face?
We have had a lot of doors shut in my face over the years but tenacity definitely pays off but the main challenge is how some businesses and most NGOs value our expertise compared to an expatriate. There is an assumption that an expat flown in from Nairobi is more knowledgeable and this is something we have managed to overcome.
It surprised me when I learned there were two different rates for us, local management consultancy and training versus an expat, they call it local or international rate. We have always had a policy of not accepting this and clients have recognized the value we bring to their business and especially our deep understand of the local market.
Christine Lagarde, IMF Managing Director
Even Christine Lagarde, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund thinks it’s a waste of precious resources and unworkable to use international consultants for developing strategic plans.
How did you get started in this business?
Well, the short version is that I did not have a half a million dollars to start a hawala or a construction company so you can say it was out of necessity to start a business that is built on what I know and my core competency but I have always dreamed of having my business. I had the privilege to work with an NGO called PSI that has done similar things where I have learned the robes.
You have traveled extensively outside of Somaliland and have been to Europe and North America, have you thought of staying there?
Perhaps, if I were in my teens but the hustle overseas especially in America is a young man’s game. It’s funny, every time I travel to one those countries everyone I know urges me to stay and apply for asylum and are always shocked when I tell them that I am not interested in living there and my reason is simply there are more opportunities in Somaliland.
What is your advice to young people who are looking to enter the workforce or are looking to start a business?
I am biased and will always be on the side of the entrepreneur but it is not for everyone, some people prefer the security of a paycheck and the structure of 9 to 5 but I would advise young people to start somewhere and not wait for a government appointment, or getting hold of that half a million to start your dream job, start somewhere, put your soul and heart into it and you will see it grow.
On October 29, 2019 Mr. Mohamed Said Guedi, one of the wealthiest businessmen in Somaliland, the owner of somcable, MSG and other businesses was featured on Allafrica.com with an article titled Mohamed Said Guedi: Improving East Africa.
Mr. Mohamed Said Guedi
Mr. Mohamed Said Guedi may be working on Improving East Africa and possibly Somaliland but this article is not real. He has paid money to have it published and promoted in what is known as native advertising or in the case of Allafrica.com “Content from our Premium Partner”.
AllAfrica.com’s advertising service catalogue
As strange as this sounds, it is very common for a business to have its own content published on even the most premier news outlets such Washington Post and NY Times as what is known as native advertising. And it costs a lot of money.
With digital juggernauts such as Facebook and google who have changed the advertising business, native advertising is a relatively new direction that media outlets are using to counter the loss of revenue to the tech giants.
Native advertising differs from traditional advertising where businesses purchased a space on a publication or a website to showcase their products and services to attract customers, instead native advertising takes a much more subtle approach and wraps the company’s brand, products, and services with compelling storytelling that creates a connection with the consumer rather than trying to sell them products with an impersonal advert.
Stealth Philanthropist
So what makes Mr. Mohamed Said Guedi, or Ina Aw Saeed, as he is colloquially known in Somaliland and Djibouti’s advertisement disguised as a news problematic? Because Mr. Guedi is known to be a mercurial businessman who have used his connections to Djibouti’s first family and various Somaliland governments to bully and imprison business associates and employees at an alarming rate.
The section about his philanthropic activities in Somaliland is highly exaggerated at best. Mr. Guedi claims to have “funded various road projects such as Dawga Camuud and Dawga Caad, maintenance of Hargeisa Airport road, maintenance of Hargeisa local government roads, rehabilitation of Doobo mountain road, and reconstruction of roads in the district of Dar es-salam outside Hargeisa, Somaliland.”
There are few issues with some of these claims, and especially the roads he has maintained in Hargeisa district of Dar es-salam outside Hargeisa.
Hargeisa roads during the rainy season
However, we found that Mr. Guedi has contributed to road project of Dawga Caad where his construction equipment was used. This is the road that was used when the terrestrial fiber cable was being laid down for somcable.
We have asked Mr. Guedi’s MSG details on their philanthropic activities detailed in the article, no response was provided to our queries.
We have briefly chatted with Mr. Guedi via text and though initially befuddled about our interest in the article and these activities; he stated that he did not know the figures and the specific projects but confirmed that his staff has provided the details to AllAfrica.com and promised to get back to us with details though that has not materialized.
Proper Oligarch
While Mr. Guedi may have embellished his charitable giving, he is well known to spend lavishly on politics. According to close business associates, Mr. Guedi has been known to boast about how much he has spent on the election of the current President of Somaliland HE Muse Bihi Abdi.
It is important to note that Somaliland has no campaign finance laws that prohibit or limit the size of donor contribution and Mr. Guedi’s alleged ties to President Bihi’s government are not proven, although Mr. Guedi has won no-contest bids for major projects such as Cement factory and container cargo x-ray system at Berbera Port.
Multiple people with past dealings with Guedi who spoke about their experiences were unanimous in characterizing him as litigious and unpredictable and many stated that they have either ended up bankrupt via a court injunction or served unjust prison sentences.
The Chairman of somcable, Mr. Guedi (2nd from left)
While Mr. Guedi has failed in his attempt to give himself an image makeover as a benevolent and shrewd businessman who has given back to his people and country, the reality is Mr. Guedi has taken from Somaliland and its people much more even if all of his purported charitable contributions were true. Mr. Guedi is the very definition of an unapologetic oligarch who takes what he wants when he wants it.
For the second time since taking office, President of the Republic of Somaliland has reshuffled the heads of diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Norway, Yemen, the EU, Ethiopia, South Africa and Germany.
This follow yesterday’s appointment of a new Commander and Deputy Commander of Somaliland Police forces to replace the late Major General Abdillahi Fadal Iman who passed away on November 1st in Hargeisa.
The decree from the Presidency did not mention a reason for the reshuffle and efforts to reach former Representatives were unsuccessful.
Almost a year ago, we reported that Mr. Sharmarke Jama, a well known Somalilander and a technical consultant who has worked closely with multiple Somaliland government agencies, was arrested in Hargeisa.
Mr. Jama with Somaliland Ministers of Investment and CommerceMr. Jama at DP World groundbreaking ceremony in Berbera, Somaliland.
Prior to his brief incarceration, Mr. Jama has been a passionate supporter of Somaliland on social media and have always taken the time to call out Villa Somalia but this week he has updated his twitter profile with his new employment with Villa Somalia as Economic & Trade Adviser to Mr. Hassan Ali Khayre, the Somali Prime Minister.
All indications are that Mr. Jama has enthusiastically believed in Somaliland as he told the Irish Times “As our economic interests align with the region and we become more economically integrated, that can only help with recognition,”
Mr. Jama’s debut tweet as a Villa Somalia employee
Although an adviser to the Prime Minister is low on the totem pole, Mr. Jama is hardly the first Somalilander to go to work for Villa Somalia.
Fauzia Yusuf Haji Adan, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia
Dr. Abdillahi Beileh, Minister of Finance, Somalia
Mohamed Omer Arteh, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia
Mahdi Guleid, Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia
Somalia’s Chief Justice Mr. Bashe Yusuf Ahmed with US Ambassador to Somalia Mr. Donald Yamamoto
For many in both countries of Somaliland and Somalia, a government post such as the Deputy Prime Minister in Somalia or a ministerial post in Somaliland is akin to winning the lottery, regardless of one’s view perhaps it is the opportunity of a lifetime.
An example is Mr. Bashe Yusuf Ahmed, Somalia’s Chief Justice who was also recruited from Somaliland as an untested lawyer who has never practiced law. Incidentally, Mr. Ahmed has alluded to mistreatment he has encountered during the Somaliland Presidential election of 2017 as his main reason for hopping the fence to Somalia.
We have put the question to many Somaliland officials who have worked with Mr. Jama on their view of his latest employer, many declined to comment. Questions regarding specific projects Mr. Jama has involved in and their sensitivity were also not answered.
Our attempt to reach Mr. Jama to ask if his arrest and mistreatment in Somaliland has influenced his decision to join Somaliland despite his well-documented support for the government of Somaliland or if the employment opportunity with Villa Somalia was too lucrative to pass.
Somaliland’s Police Commander General Abdillahi Fadal Iman who has passed away yesterday in Hargeisa hospital was laid to rest today in the outskirts of the capital.
Madaxweynaha Jamhuuriyadda Somaliland Oo Ka Qayb-galay Aas Qaran Oo Loo Sameeyey Taliyihii Ciidanka Booliska…
General Fadal as he was known has been a lifelong civil servant who has risen through the ranks and has been the longest serving Police commander.
President Bihi, in his eulogy to General Fadal described him as a founding father of the Police forces who has worked tirelessly day and night to strengthen peace and security throughout Somaliland.
At the General’s burial, the President of Somaliland HE Muse Bihi Abdi who spoke stated “General Fadal has dedicated his entire life to serving his nation.”
إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُون Our Late major Gen. Abdillahi Fadal was a veteran police officer who spent most of his life in the country’s security, re-assertion of independence & the pacification of #Somaliland – he was a man of virtue who practised righteousness. pic.twitter.com/QVwypKaJYn
Despite a polarized political atmosphere in Somaliland, there was unanimous out-pour of sympathy and condolences for the Police Commander’s passing.
Brigadier General Abdirahman Liban Ahmed “Fooxle”
It is unclear when President Bihi will nominate a new Police Commander, but he has recently reassigned the late General’s Deputy Commander Brigadier General Abdirahman Liban Ahmed “Fooxle”
The President of the Republic of Somaliland HE Muse Bihi Abdi inaugurated a new solar power plant by Sompower, the largest electricity producer and supplier in Somaliland.
President Bihi with Chairman of the opposition party of Waddani Mr. Irro
The statement from the Presidency stated that the new solar plant will produce 20 Megawatt and can supply eighty percent of electricity to Hargeisa.
Electricity rates in Somaliland is one of the highest in the developing world because of the price of diesel fuel and much like the developing world is thought to a major impediment to economic growth and industrialization.
While no potential price reduction was announced at the event headlined by President Bihi, government officials and the heads of the opposition parties of UCID and Waddani, it is expected the new solar power plant will have a major impact on electricity rates in Hargeisa and will encourage others to invest in clean energy.
According to the statement from the Presidency, the price tag of the solar power farm is 20 million US dollars which is the largest investment by a local company in Somaliland.
Sompower, the largest energy producer and supplier in Somaliland is the result of coalescence of many independent electric suppliers. Dahabshiil Group is the majority stakeholder of Sompower.
During his speech, President Bihi congratulated Sompower for its effort and the investment it made in Somaliland and spoke of his government’s effort to encourage the free market. He also encouraged other companies to pool their financial resources to be undertake many important infrastructure projects that need investment.
Electric power line in Hargeisa, Somaliland.
Power lines has been a major issue in Somaliland and a hazard to the public that have caused deaths during the rainy season, it is unclear if there is a plan to regulate installation of electric lines and ensuring public safety; it is also unclear if there are similar projects in the pipelines for other cities in Somaliland.
