A high level delegation led by the Eritrean Foreign Minister Mr. Osman Saleh arrived in Hargeisa, the capital of the Republic of Somaliland on an official state visit.
According to Mr. Saleh, the delegation was sent by the Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki on a fact finding mission to have a first hand account of what is going on in Somaliland.
President Muse Bihi receives the Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Salah
The Minister holding a joint press briefing with his Somaliland counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mr. Yasin Hagi Mohamoud Hiir (Faratoon) on the purpose of their visit stated “The Eritrean delegation was sent and we are sent by our President, Isaias Afwerki, at least to know the situation what is going on in Somaliland. We have been away from the situation in the Horn of Africa for the last 20 years because we had a very bad situation. A war was waged against Eritrea by the TPLF Regime and later it was followed by a sanction on Eritrea and we were struggling from all these, what you call subjugation. Now at this moment peace has prevailed in the Horn of Africa, especially between Eritrea and Ethiopia and now we started our cooperation so we said, now we have been away and now it is time for us to go Somaliland and look into the Situation.”.
President Muse Bihi receives the Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Salah
Mr Salah added that his delegation have met the President of Somaliland, HE Muse Bihi Abdi and were briefed by the political and socio-economic situation of Somaliland. The Minister said “And now, we will go back and convey the situations prevailing in Somaliland to my President”.
This is the highest level Eritrean delegation to visit Somaliland since both countries gained independence in 1991 from Somali and Ethiopia respectively.
In October 2018, Somaliland’s Ministry of Investment and Salternas signed an agreement to develop the world’s largest solar salt production facility in Somaliland. This deal, according to the company will generate an estimated 9.6 Billion US dollars in 21 years, that is a whopping 450 million US dollars a year.
This is a good news, and if these figures hold any truth, this is the most lucrative deal Somaliland has ever signed. But before we get our hopes up, there are quite a few red flags with the deal, the company Salternas, its operators and some very basic facts. Let us examine this deal closely.
According to investor memorandum published by the company in its website, Somaliland government has conceded an area of 150 km2 of ocean front land in Berbera area.
“Already, Salternas has a binding agreement with the Somaliland Government for a renewable 25-year lease of 150 sq.km of oceanfront land to locate the project and its infrastructure, with an option for more, if required.”
To put the size of the area the company is claiming to have a binding contract on in perspective, the combined area of the UAE military base in Berbera and the port, currently managed by DP World is smaller than 150 km2.
The [shell of a] Company – Salternas
SALTERNAS PTY LTD is an Australian company created in 01-07-2012 (ABN 19 153 123 801) with two additional companies listed as subsidiaries Agrisal and Agrisalfood. The amount of information available on these entities is very limited.
Then there is the German subsidiary Salternas GmbH which according to the company is the entity that will be actually doing business in Somaliland to mitigate sovereign risk. Here is the company’s explanation and how Somalia also fits into its calculus of minimizing its risk.
What does this mean? Salternas GmbH will take Somalia to the International Court of Justice in the event of a dispute. And to further mitigate their risk, Salternas plans to obtain additional contractual approvals from Somalia.
The fact that Somaliland and Somalia are separate countries are irrelevant to Salternas. More on this later.
Document filed with the German authorities, the total share capital listed by Salternas GmbH is 25,000 Euros
So is Salternas qualified to undertake an effort of this magnitude? The answer lies in one of the risk factors the company lists in its information memo and its a resounding negative.
The Somalia Connection
Mr. Colin Roberts
Salternas is headed by Mr. Colin Roberts, an Australian Attorney who specializes in resources and dispute arbitration. Before Salternas, Mr. Roberts was the head of an Angolan mining interest called Sable Minerals GmbH. Sable Minerals operated as yet another subsidiary of Rift Valley Resources.
Turtles all the way down
Additionally, it has a team of former engineers with one notable Somali gentleman – Mr Mohamoud Jirdeh Hussein.
Mr. Mohamoud Jirdeh Hussein comes from one of the most prominent families in Somaliland but seems to have held various high level positions in successive Somali Governments.
Former Foreign Office Minister Henry Bellingham, Somali Sports Minister Mohamoud Jirdeh Hussein, and Prime Minister David Cameron in London, 3 August 2012.
Salternas displays a remarkable lack of basic understanding understanding in Somaliland especially how the public views those that are aligned with Somalia. This is Mr. Jirdeh Hussein’s bio on Salternas website “He was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Somali National Government Reconciliation Committee; Minister of Health; Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Youth and Sport; Somali Diplomatic Representative at London Olympics and attended the Non-Aligned Movement Conference in Iran“
This is the first time that he is reported to be involved in a business in Somaliland.
In addition to Mr. Jirdeh Hussein, there is also Mr John Balfe and a Somalia Connoisseur who seems to have done a lot of business with successive governments of Somalia including unspecified work on Somali Air Traffic Management.
This brings up an important question: Why hasn’t Salternas implement its salt production facility in Somalia where their principals are well connected?
Project Financing
Salternas has no money to finance a project of this magnitude and its operators are not putting any in skin in the game, instead, they have convinced Somaliland government to sign over 150 km2 of the most strategic and sought after land in the world on a handshake and perhaps a pie in the sky.
Salternas is currently raising 14 million Australian Dollars to finance the first phase of the project to conduct even the most basic aspect of a project of this magnitude.
It is unclear if Salternas has been successful in raising any funds so far.
The Deal
The most alarming part of this agreement between Somaliland and Salternas is the fact that Somaliland does not own any part of the salt production facility.
Additionally, there is absolutely no information related to if Salternas will pay ground rent to Somaliland for use of 150 km2 or the use of its natural resources to produce its core product of salt.
Even though Salternas and Mr. Roberts took great pains to explain to their investors how they have minimized and mitigated the risk from this project, there is simply no mention of how Somaliland will share in the profits with Salternas.
There is however, one thing that that Salternas will do for the people of Somaliland, and that is it will feed them in a rather non specific way by creating a zero hunger conditions in Somaliland and relieve them of famine.
Has Somaliland done its homework?
It does not look like Somaliland’s Ministry of Investment, though charged with the herculean task of attracting investment to Somaliland, has done any due diligence and may have signed a contract instead of a simple Memorandum of Understanding. According to Salternas, they have a binding contract with Somaliland.
Our search to information and details about this agreement has led us to the Ministry of Investment, where the Minister, Mr. Mohamed Ahmed Mohamoud was kind enough to give us some background on the project including the fact that the agreement was actually signed by the former Minister of Commerce Mr. Mohamed Abdillahi Omer and that he simply renewed an existing agreement.
Mr. Mohamed Abdillahi Omer Somaliland former Minister of Trade and Foreign Affairs
We have reached out to the former Minister of Commerce Mr. Mohamed Abdillahi Omer to ask him about Salternas and the agreement he has signed with them on behalf of Somaliland. Here is his answer verbatim.
Dear [Somaliland Chronicle], Thank you for your contact . In relation to your question, I want to tell you that i have never signed a n agreement / concession with Australian or any any company. The Ministry of Mines are responsible for dealing such duties. but i recall an Australian man who was arrogant who called me when I because the trade minister on one occasions and asking me why I was not acting his Request for investment on project around Berbera area which I refused to process because it was clear how he was investing the project . I don’t recall the details of his project at the time . If that’s the case you are referring to I did not sign nor accepted his requests .. Regards – Mohamed
We have shared additional details with the ministry of investment including the recently made public Salternas Information Memorandum. It is unclear if the ministry will be taking any steps or undertaking a review of the agreement.
Salternas and Mr. Colin Roberts did not respond to our request for information for this report.
President of Somaliland HE Muse Bihi Abdi addresses the Somaliland community in UAE about his trip to the UAE, the topics he discussed with the UAE government as well as overall state of Somaliland, the challenges his government has encountered and successes they have achieved.
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis in the Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy/MC3 Kenneth Abbate)
An internal U.S. Navy review concluded that the service and its various industry partners are “under cyber siege” from Chinese hackers who are building Beijing’s military capabilities while eroding the U.S.’s advantage, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
Chinese hackers have repeatedly hit the Navy, defense contractors, and even universities that partner with the service.
“We are under siege,” a senior Navy official told The Journal. “People think it’s much like a deadly virus — if we don’t do anything, we could die.”
Breaches have been “numerous,” according to the review. While China is identified as the primary threat, hackers from Russia and Iran have also been causing their share of trouble.
(U.S. Navy photo)
Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer launched the recently concluded review in October, warning that “attacks on our networks are not new, but attempts to steal critical information are increasing in both severity and sophistication.”
“We must act decisively to fully understand both the nature of these attacks and how to prevent further loss of vital military information,” he added.
In one high-profile incident last year, Chinese government hackers stole important data on U.S. Navy undersea-warfare programs from an unidentified contractor. Among the stolen information were plans for a new supersonic anti-ship missile, The Washington Post reported in June, citing U.S. officials.
That and a second breach led Navy leadership to order the review.
The Journal described the findings of the internal Navy cyber security review as “dire,” adding that the report “depicts a branch of the armed forces under relentless cyber attack by foreign adversaries and struggling in its response to the scale and sophistication of the problem.”
The Navy and the Pentagon reportedly “have only a limited understanding of the actual totality of losses that are occurring,” meaning the situation could be even worse than the Navy fears.
U.S. Fleet Cyber Command
Last week, The Journal reported that Chinese hackers have targeted more than two dozen universities in the US and elsewhere in an attempt to steal military secrets, particularly those related to maritime technology.
The Navy is not the only U.S. military service branch in China’s crosshairs.
Adm. Philip Davidson, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee in April 2018 that Beijing is snatching anything not nailed down — “stealing technology in just about every domain and trying to use it to their advantage,” Stars and Stripes reported.
A U.S. defense official previously told The Journal that China was targeting America’s “weak underbelly,” saying that cybersecurity breaches are “an asymmetric way to engage the United States without ever having to fire a round.”
China has repeatedly denied engaging in cyberattacks against the U.S. or other countries.
Somaliland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Yasin Hagi Mohamoud Hiir (Faratoon) is expected to visit Ankara Turkey early next week to participate in preliminary talks with Somalia.
President Muse Bihi Abdi in a recent speech following his first meeting with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed, stated that Somaliland will support Turkey’s participation of the Somaliland – Somalia dialogue as long as other international community partners were also participating. The preferred partners according to the President are the European Union, United States and Sweden.
Previous failed talks between Somaliland and Somalia hosted by Turkey
In addition to widening the mediation to include members of the International Community, President Bihi also stated that he told the Turkish Special Envoy for the Somaliland – Somalia talks that Somaliland does not consider Turkey to be impartial and wants to see Turkey provide aid and development funds equal to what it spends in Somalia.
It is unclear if President Bihi’s preconditions to the talks were conveyed in writing to Turkey and if any these conditions have been met by turkey including the acceptance of International community to participate in the talks. Turkey has hosted multiple failed talks between the two countries in the past and is seeking to host these talks again.
President Bihi received by UAE Justice Minister Sultan bin Saeed Al Badi
The Minster’s trip is coming to light at a time when the President of Somaliland, His Excellency Muse Bihi Abdi is in concluding his second visit the United Arab Emirates where he has been received with state honors and has been holding talks with the leadership of that country regarding the Berbera Corridor and other project the UAE is implementing in Somaliland.
It is unclear if the international community will join Mr. Faratoon and his Somali counterpart in Ankara to participate in the preliminary talks.
French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Tuesday of risks to the sovereignty of African countries from China’s increasing economic presence as he began a visit to the east of the continent.
Macron arrived in Djibouti looking to reassert French influence in a former colony on the Horn of Africa where China has built a military base and invested billions of dollars in infrastructure.
The French leader, who will also visit Kenya and Ethiopia on his current tour, cautioned that conditions attached to Chinese loans could be dangerous in the long term.
“China is a great world power and has expanded its presence in many countries, especially in Africa, in recent years,” he said alongside Djibouti President Ismail mar Guelleh. “But what can look good in the short term … can often end up being bad over the medium to long term.
“I wouldn’t want a new generation of international investments to encroach on our historical partners’ sovereignty or weaken their economies,” Macron added.
China said in September last year it was helping Africa develop, not pile up debt, as the government pledged $60 billion to African nations and rejected criticism it is loading the continent with an unsustainable burden.
Djibouti is strategically located at the southern entrance to the Red Sea on the route to the Suez Canal. It hosts France’s largest naval base in Africa with 1,400 French personnel used to train African troops and monitor the Horn of Africa and Yemen.
DRIFTING APART
While Djibouti was regarded as a key French outpost in the past, Macron is only the second French leader to visit the tiny country of 1 million people in the last 20 years.
In a reminder of Beijing’s growing presence, Macron was received at Djibouti’s new Chinese-built presidential palace.
“Business is business. The Chinese invest here, while the French aren’t competitive,” a Djibouti government official said. “The French are late, very late. And they have no money.”
Djibouti’s president accused France in 2015 of abandoning Djibouti and investing very little there.
Macron said French firms were ready to invest in Djibouti for the long term but a better business environment was needed to shore up the country’s attractiveness to investors.
No commercial deals were signed during his visit.
“France considered Djibouti for too long to be a territory that was won,” said a senior French diplomat based in the region. “But now the competition from China is fierce.”
Djibouti also has a U.S. military base used as a launchpad for operations against Islamist militants in Yemen and Somalia, but in 2013 China opened its largest overseas military base in the country, rivaling those of Paris and Washington.
Beijing has provided financial aid, developed industrial output in Djibouti and poured investment into infrastructure projects, including upgrading a French railway built in 1917 linking Djibouti to Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.
Chinese Military personnel training in Djibouti
Chinese state banks have funded an infrastructure building spree across Africa. Many African leaders praise the Chinese for being willing to fund desperately needed projects to help kickstart their economies with less bureaucracy than multilateral institutions like the World Bank.
But some Western nations have expressed concern that the loans could trap poor countries in debt, saddling them with poor quality projects and forcing them to hand over control of strategic assets used as collateral.
Ethiopia and France agreed their first military cooperation accord on Tuesday, a deal that includes helping the landlocked nation build a navy, as Paris seeks to boost economic ties in Africa’s second-most populous country.
On a four-day visit to the Horn of Africa, President Emmanuel Macron is looking to break from France’s colonial history on the continent and nurture relationships in a region where it has lagged behind in recent years.
Macron wants to leverage a mixture of Paris’ soft power in culture and education and its military know-how to give it a foothold at a time when Ethiopia is opening up.
“This unprecedented defense cooperation agreement provides a framework… and notably opens the way for France to assist in establishing an Ethiopian naval component,” Macron told a news conference alongside Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
The accord also provides for air cooperation, joint operations and opportunities for training and equipment purchases.
Abiy, who took over as premier in April last year, has presided over major political and economic changes that have included the pardoning of exiled rebel groups and reconciliation with longtime neighboring foe Eritrea.
The country disbanded its navy in 1991 after its then-province Eritrea, which is on the Red Sea, seceded following a three-decade war for independence.
“We are here in a friendly country where we want to strengthen and build a new page in our common history,” Macron said. “Since you became prime minister our vision (of Ethiopia) has profoundly changed.”
He and Abiy also agreed deals to develop Ethiopia’s cultural heritage, including preserving churches and opening an archaeological dig at a 12th century village. Paris will provide 100 million euros to help the country’s economic transition.
Macron was accompanied by a delegation of businessmen, including the chief executive of telecommunications group Orange, Stephane Richard, who is looking to position the company ahead of Ethiopia’s privatisation of the sector.
Shipper CMA-CGM and family-owned agri-food group Soufflet are among firms signing deals on Wednesday. A 50-strong French business delegation is due in Addis on Friday.
France’s history in Ethiopia dates back to the start of the 20th century. Its largest embassy compound in the world by size – 43 hectares (106 acres) – was given to it by Emperor Menelik II in 1907. In 1917 it built the rail link between former colony Djibouti and Addis. But these days its influence and business deals fail to rival the likes of China.
“The railway between Djibouti and France is 100 years old and the work that we now want to complete with President Macron is for the long-term. Perhaps in 100 years we’ll talk about it again,” Abiy said.
Somaliland’s healthcare is arguably one of the least developed anywhere in the world, this is due to many factors including cost, incompetence, and rampant corruption but this is not a story about the state of healthcare itself, this is about mental health in Somaliland and the people it affects.
In this report, we will focus on the laws and regulations that are in place to protect the mentally ill in Somaliland and the role of the government in ensuring the well-being of these vulnerable citizens.
Mental illness, in many cases, requires lifetime care. It is financially, physically and emotionally draining for the caretaker and the family but in Somaliland, the options for those who can afford any level of care is limited to sending their loved one to a facility for the mentally ill.
Those that cannot afford are forced to confine their mentally ill relative in a room more often chained and isolated or worse let them loose into the streets of Somaliland.
The level of care provided by the existing facilities varies where a handful have structured programs to care for their patients but unfortunately, the vast majority are nothing more than private prisons for the mentally ill.
One characteristic that both public and private facilities share is their lack of access to mental health professionals and proper medication to treat their patients.
There is no reliable data and basic information related to the mentally ill or mental illness is nonexistent in Somaliland. The most comprehensive report about the state of Somaliland’s mental health facilities and patients was produced by Human Rights Watch in 2015.
Somaliland government’s own Human Rights Commission produced a report back in 2015 and out of the 70 odd pages, only two pages are devoted to mental health facilities known as “Cilaaj” in Somaliland.
The section of the Commission’s report on mental health facilities has no data it does however briefly describe the abhorrent sanitary conditions of the facilities including broken washroom facilities that leak into patients’ sleeping quarters, flea and other insect infestation causing the patients’ skin irritations.
Medication’s has to be purchased by the patients’ family from outside but in many instances, privately owned facilities concoct their own potions from plants and other unknown sources and sell them to the patients.
Somaliland Quality Control Commission recently confiscated thousands of empty capsule that were reportedly intended to be filled with traditional medicine for the mentally ill.
The Quality Control Commission did not return calls about the shipment of empty capsules and there has been reports that it was released to its owners.
The privately owned facilities for the mentally ill are run out of nondescript homes located in the middle of neighborhoods with absolutely no government regulation or oversight of any kind and more importantly, none have no background in medicine and specifically mental health.
There are two categories of patients held in these private prisons for the mentally ill:
Someone with actual mental health whose family cannot provide the round-the-clock care needed but can afford the boarding fees of these facilities.
Someone whose family have placed them in these facilities for rehabilitation, often from drugs and alcohol.
Even though family members are aware of the conditions of the mental health facilities, unfortunately, the vast majority of them do not have an alternative.
The are numerous cases of abuse at the hands of caretakers at mental facilities, there has been even deaths that were never investigated, following is the story of one of those victims.
The Case of Abdillahi Mohamed Abdi
A family member described the mysterious circumstance surrounding the death of his younger brother who passed away in a facility in Hero Awr area of Hargeisa.
The patient, Mr. Abdillahi Mohamed Abdi had suffered a traumatic head injury as a child when he was hit by a vehicle. The accident left him with seizures that were under control by medication from Dr. Gaboose.
Mr. Abdi grew older and stronger; any lapse in his medication regiment resulted in psychotic episodes that his aging parents could no longer control, and as a result, sent him to a facility that cost them $160 a month.
Two weeks into Mr. Abdi’s stay in the facility, the family got a call informing them of the death of Mr. Abdi . The facility explained that Mr. Abdi has passed away in his sleep possibly from a heart attack.
It is worth noting that the facility did not employ medically trained staff at the time of Mr. Abdi ’s untimely passing and could not, with any certainty, be sure that the cause of death was a heart attack.
There was no investigation into the cause of Mr. Abdi ‘s death by the facility or government. According to his brother, despite his mental illness, Mr. Abdi was in excellent physical shape and he cannot believe that he would die of a heart attack just two weeks of being placed in that facility.
No recourse for Mr. Abdi’s family. Case closed.
A Semblance of Regulation?
Committing someone to a mental institution has been incredibly easy in the past. Just pay the fee, point out the person and it is done.
According to many people we have spoken to for this story, including former residents, they described how shockingly easy to place someone in these facilities, pay the fee and point the person out is reportedly how these facilities operated.
The Ministry of Health and the courts got involved and instituted new requirements that a patient must be evaluated by the Ministry of Health, and under oath their tribal elders attest to the court that a patient needs to be committed.
This is the only process with which mental health facilities accept new patients.
This process is confirmed by multiple sources that have placed family members in facilities, and though this is a major step in the right direction, unfortunately, like many things in Somaliland, there is no actual law that codifies this workflow. There is no follow up inspection from the Ministry of Health who issue licenses for these facilities.
It is unclear if the Ministry of Health has any guidelines that help determine if an operator is qualified to run and operate a mental health facility.
Even more alarming is the type of medication some of the facilities are using. Here is a promotional video from Raywan Advocacy Mental Organization displaying an array of packaged goods where almost all are have suspiciously Arabic sounding names.
Raywan Advocacy Mental Organization which is large center for the mentally ill seems to be sketchy in its services. The poster below is advertising a Sheikh that has joined their team who will cure black magic, possession by Jinn, Haemorrhoids and tooth decay.
Sahan is one the largest mental health facility in Somaliland and is reported to relatively speaking, one of the best. There are programs that train patients in various skills such as sawing, electric work and even provide recreational facilities. However, they too are reported to isolate a patient upon intake until they understand their general behavior and will use detention when a patient refuses to follow directions.
Patients are allowed visitation once a week at Sahan to bring change of clothes and bedding and if several visits are missed, the facility automatically discharges the patient.
According to a family member who recently placed moved a relative from another facility to Sahan, the level of care provided in this facility is much better. There is a nurse who sees patients and helps them take their medication.
There are multiple charitable organizations that support Sahan in food provisions and clothing for the patients.
Who is Job is it to Protect the Mentally ill in Somaliland?
There is no actual legislation in Somaliland that protects the mentally ill and we are uncertain if they are covered under existing laws for people with disabilities in Somaliland but what is clear is that no one is actually responsible or has the mandate to protect this vulnerable group of Somalilanders.
One of the government officials we have spoken to is Ibrahim Khadar Saeed, the former Director of Prisons from the Ministry of Justice.
Mr. Saeed saw the link between mental health facilities and his ministry’s mandate and wanted to leverage its expertise in managing prisons to help craft a framework of legislation with the relevant stakeholders. His efforts were futile.
Interview with Ibrahim Khadar Saeed
Speaking with Khadar Nouh for this story, he went on to explain that multiple government agencies are involved in issuing licenses for mental health facilities, including Hargeisa Local Government, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowments.
In explaining the obstacles that have so far prevented the government from robust oversight and legislation to protect the mentally ill, Mr. Saeed stated that there are powerful interest groups in the mental health business including the most prominent business owners and Sheikhs from Somaliland.
We have been unable to locate any policy or framework from the Ministry of Health that governs the mental health facilities and as usual from Somaliland government websites, the policy section of the Ministry’s website lists less than useful information.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowment seems to exercise some kind of regulatory control over private mental healthcare facilities and according to the Director General Mr. Adam Abdallah, the ministry is working on the creation of legislation to govern mental health facilities.
The Somaliland Human Rights Commission we cited earlier states that this is one of the ministries that are in charge of licensing such facilities.
According to the Human Rights Commission report, an unknown number of mental healthcare facilities use a combination of traditional healing and religious methods.
The use Quran is the only reasonable explanation that the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowments would be involved in mental health institutions.
The Director General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and National Endowment Mr. Adam Abdallahrecently tweeted “The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowments will take action against religious centers (Cilaajyada [mental healthcare centers]) after we received reports of abuse”.
The Director General Mr. Adam Abdallah did not specify the nature of abuse and what action the ministry is planning to take and did not respond to questions about the actions he announced.
The Director General, Mr. Adam Abdallah also tweeted that the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowment will be administering a test to the owners of the facilities for the mentally ill to gauge their religious knowledge. According to Mr. Abdallah, this was decided in a meeting with the leaders of the mental health facilities of Hargeisa.
Once again, its unclear from the Director General’s announcement that they will be testing the owners on their knowledge of the Quran or how effective it is use is in mental health.
Additionally, it is unclear if the Ministry has plans to visit facilities to actually inspect the living condition of the mentally ill patients.
There is a pecking order among government agencies that supersedes mandate. The Minister of the Religious Affairs and National Endowment is one of the most powerful ministers in President Bihi’s cabinet.
So why would the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowment lend credence and validity to these predatory businesses who profit from the misery of the most vulnerable members of our society? It’s about business, and this might be one of the most profitable businesses in Somaliland.
Income streams are direct boarding fees from residents ranging from $100 to as high as $160 a month and vast sums that come by way of donations.
What is being done?
Aside from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowments’ effort to register and test the operators, there are no efforts to create a legal framework for protecting the mentally ill people and regulate mental health facilities in Somaliland.
Somaliland’s meager national budget of several hundred million a year will not be enough if one were to argue a world class standard of care for the mentally ill in Somaliland but what is well within the government ability is not being done.
Legislation to regulate privately owned mental health facilities and ensure the wellbeing of the mentally ill in Somaliland is what is missing. The role of the Ministry of Health and Justice is what is missing.
According to a Ministry of Health official who would not speak on the record for fear of reprisal said “No one is arguing for a level of care that is equivalent to what developed nations spend on caring for their mentally ill, that would cost more than Somaliland’s entire national budget, but we have thousands of employees in the ministry and assigning a mere 100 to go and inspect these hell holes, make sure the facilities are fit for human beings. That small step alone will do wonders for these poor people”.
Contributors:
Khadar Nouh is a multimedia journalist based in Hargeisa, Somaliland.
Ilyas Abdi a journalist with Radio Ergo based in Hargeisa, Somaliland
President of the Republic of Somaliland Muse Bihi Abdi is headed to the United Arab Emarites today on an official visit.Sources in Somaliland government were tight-lipped about the details of the invitation and who President Bihi will meet on his visit to the United Arab Emirates.
United Arab Emirates is involved in large-scale projects in Somaliland including the management and expansion of the Berbera port by DP World, the Berbera Corridor road expansion/construction project and leasing the Berbera Airport for use by its military.
Recently, Somaliland has been enjoying diplomatic overtures from multiple countries including Germany, the United Kingdom, and Ethiopia.
This is a developing story and we will update as we know more.
It is imperative that Somaliland parliamentary elections must be
held this year. There is no excuse for delaying or continuously increasing
the mandate of the current moribund parliament which has been sitting for
almost two decades. It is inexcusable and it is embarrassing to both
the nation and it’s people.
The main issues concerning the current impasse are,
The National Elections Commission,
The Allocation of parliamentary seats.
Somaliland has a constitution which address both issues. If we are serious about our democratic credentials, then we should pay head to the constitution.
Somaliland National Election Commission
With regard to the National Elections Commission, (NEC), the current commission whose mandate expires prior to the scheduled parliamentary elections in 2019, has failed in its duties. That much is clear. It has failed to prepare and maintain the support of the Somaliland political parties. The current commission has also failed to do the honorable thing and resign, both for their own self-respect and for the sake of the nation.
Somaliland Parliament
Neither the President of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi nor the
legislative bodies of the republic have taken control of the issue. It is
time to point something out to the President. Sir, you have won the election,
you don’t owe anything to the current Elections Commission, accept their
resignation or fire them.
In terms of the House of Elders, which has also been sitting for three decades, and itself in need of serious reform, and has become a hereditary place, it is quite clear that they have no intention of taking charge of the matter by either constituting a new commission or addressing the reasonable demands being made by the opposition parties, Waddani and UCID.
Somaliland House of Elders
The current moribund House of Representatives, which has been
sitting for more than 14 years, and has had more extensions than humanly
possible, is incapable of drafting a new elections bill which takes into
consideration the growth of the population and need to allocate proper
representation.
As the President recently stated in a speech at the launch
of the National Service program, Somaliland has not been able to conduct a
proper census, nor have some of the more rural districts of the country
accessed by the political dispensation. Both are valid points, but at the time
of deadlock and crisis, Somaliland needs leadership.
If we are unable to conduct a census and the constitution states
that the House of Representative shall consist of 82 members, then we must look
into adding an amendment to the constitution to address the
matter.
If we can increase the number of regions from 6 to 13 and
continuing to add more, surely it makes sense to increase the number of
parliamentary seats! The population has grown, the regions have increased,
therefore the number of parliamentary seats must reflect the current situation.
Somaliland has moved on from a political discourse based on
communities and districts, it has a written constitution which can be
amended and enhanced. But, for this to happen, the nation needs
leadership.
The international community is ready to offer logistical,
moral and financial support, as evidence by the recent visit from the
European Union, but first, we must get our own house in order.
So, here in my humble opinion are several suggestions:
Firstly, since the current members of the Somaliland Elections
Commission (NEC) seemed glued to their desks, increase their number by adding
an additional two members from each party. These new members will be the
presumptive future commission after the mandate for the current one expires.
The new enlarged commission will work together to hold the elections in
December 2019.
Secondly, file a motion with the Somaliland
Constitutional Court to add an amendment to the constitution to
increase to the number of parliamentary seats by 20 to 102.
Thirdly, inaugurate an interim parliament with 102 seats.
The 20 new members will be selected from the Somaliland non-governmental bodies
such as community activist, intellectuals, judiciary and other professionals.
They will be free from party affiliation and sit until the elections are held
in December, 2019. The interim parliament will be given the task of creating a
new bills to make the necessary amendments to the constitution.
And lastly, completely reform the House of Elders. Follow the
constitution which allows for neither hereditary or under-age
members. It is scandalous that the House of Elders, the final arbiter and
peacemaker of the nation be filled with cronies and ineffective members.
Somaliland has the support of its people, it also has many
talented and loyal citizens, it cannot be held hostage to discredited and
redundant politicians.
