President of Republic of Somaliland His Excellency Muse Bihi Abdi and a high level delegation of ministers including the Chief of Staff of Somaliland’s Armed Forces are scheduled to arrive in Addis Ababa tomorrow February 20th, 2019 on an official state visit to meet with Ethiopian Prime Minister His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Sources close to the Somaliland Presidency, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirm that the delegation is headed to Addis Ababa tomorrow on an official invitation from the Ethiopian Prime Minister’s office.
Somaliland Vice President with the Ministers of Finance and Interior.
President Bihi will also be accompanied by the Minister of Interior Hon. Mohamed Kahin, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hon. Mr. Yaasiin Maxamuud Xiir Faratoon, the Minister of Finance Hon. Sa’ad Ali Shire, the Minister of Commerce Hon. Mohamoud Hassan Saad (Saajin) and the Chief of Staff of Somaliland Armed Forces General Nuh Ismail Taani.
Somaliland Minister of Foreign Affairs Yasin Mahmoud Hiir and his delegation met with Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Tayé-Brook Zerihoun at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.
Though details about the meeting are scarce, according to experts and judging from the composition of the delegation travelling with President Bihi, it is likely that the two sides plan to discuss matters related to cross-border trade and security cooperation between Somaliland and Ethiopia.
While it’s rumored that there has been a lot of behind-the-scenes diplomacy ongoing between the leaders of the two neighbors since May of 2018, this will be the first in-person meeting between His Excellency Muse Bihi Abdi and the Ethiopian Prime Minister His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
President Bihi with General Taani (left)
While it’s rumored that there has been a lot of behind-the-scenes diplomacy ongoing between the leaders of the two neighbors for a while, this will be the first in-person meeting between His Excellency Muse Bihi Abdi and the Ethiopian Prime Minister His Excellency Dr. Abiy Ahmed since taking office in January last year.
Update
Somaliland President HE Muse Bihi Abdi arrives in addis Ababa.
President Muse Bihi arrives in Addis Ababa
According to a statement from the Ethiopian Prime Minister’s office the two sides discussed ” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received at his office today the President of the Somaliland Administration H.E. Muse Bihi Abdi and his delegation. The two parties discussed on a number of key issues of mutual interest. “
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received at his office today the President of the Somaliland Administration H.E. Muse Bihi Abdi and his delegation. The two parties discussed on a number of key issues of mutual interest.
Somaliland’s cities are vibrant and
full of life and growth; why are the streets so dangerous? What do we need to
do to make sure that people can walk and drive without fear?
My
grandmother fled the civil unrest between Somalia and Somaliland as a single
mom, arrived in Canada as a refugee and finally saved enough money to move back
to Somaliland to build a nice little house near the downtown core of Hargeisa a
few years ago. Yet, she can’t walk over to her friends’ houses nearby or go to
the small store at the end of her street by herself without being seriously
afraid for her safety. She has to wait to have someone walk with her and drive
her to her destination.
Hargeisa
prides itself in being a city where one can walk and drive around freely
without fear of being attacked by Al-Shabaab. The people of Somaliland deserve
recognition for their commitment to peace and safety. However, Al-Shabaab is not the reason she’s afraid to leave her
house alone. Any family in Burco, Hargeisa, Berbera, or any of the larger
cities can tell you about an even more dire threat to people’s safety in
Somaliland, a seemingly innocent part of daily life with which we’re all
familiar: its roads.
As an urban
planner who loves the vibrant city of Hargeisa and proudly calls Somaliland her
ancestral home, the dangerously unregulated and poorly designed roads of
Somaliland’s cities are of serious concern to me. We all know someone who’s barely escaped death on Somaliland’s roads,
whether in a car crash, pedestrian accident, or the unnecessary crossing of the
treacherous doox. Car-related deaths
are an issue across the globe, but a vast majority of those occurring in
Somaliland are so obviously preventable that it breaks my heart to know how
many people we lose to these avoidable situations.
Somaliland Chronicle has already highlighted the dangers of Somaliland’s unregulated vehicles and road systems in their recent transportation-related series. I’d like to take the conversation further and discuss the dangers of walking and driving on Somaliland’s streets, particularly those in Hargeisa, and provide some suggestions for solutions from an urban planner’s perspective. As is the case with all planning-related issues, the transportation problems facing Somaliland are all interconnected. A detailed plan to resolve these issues would require more than just one guest writer on Somaliland Chronicle, but I’d like to briefly discuss two related-issues that stand out to me – the lack of pedestrian infrastructure and the general inadequate planning of streets in Somaliland – and potential opportunity for working on Somaliland’s streets in the future.
It’s
my belief that a significant amount of the issues faced by Somaliland and its
cities can trace their roots back to the lack of planning and transparent
governance. However, this article is by
no means a push for the implementation of an active city planning department or
zoning ordinances. Whether intentionally or not, outdated, Euclidean zoning
ordinances have led to racial segregation, dependence on automobiles, weak civic
environments, and environmental degradation in the United States and across the
world. Somaliland needs to put some
foundations in place and seriously consider participatory planning practices
before it embarks on that journey.
Lack
of Pedestrian-Friendly Roads
One of the areas
where the lack of planning and forethought in Somaliland’s roads by local
governments manifest is the pedestrian infrastructure – or lack thereof. As far
as I know, there are no sidewalks in Hargeisa that are accessible by all
people, actually get people where they need to go, and have all the
“amenities”, such as tactile warning strips, ramps, protection from vehicles
and street furniture, that sidewalks should have.
Of course, the roads in Somaliland themselves are not in good shape for vehicle use and that is a regular topic of discussion. However, it seems that everyone agrees that improvements to our transportation system are desperately needed. Despite the road improvements we’ve seen in Hargeisa in recent years, they have, unfortunately, not been comprehensive upgrades. Improvements for cars and trucks must also come with considerations for pedestrians: sidewalks, crosswalks, and street furniture. The majority of Hargeisa’s residents rely on walking as their mode of everyday transportation and without this infrastructure in place, the roads will never be safe for people to walk on. Pedestrian infrastructure must also be accessible for children, the elderly, and the disabled; this means that we must have curb ramps for anyone using assistive devices like wheelchairs or pulling a wheeled bag or trolley.
Same road for everyone and everything.
So, what can we do? I’d like to see the people that
witness unnecessary injury and death on our roads demand that accessible pedestrian
infrastructure is included when new road construction is being announced.
Demand that your streets are safe for all residents to access. Let your
representatives know that you want sidewalks with curb ramps and smooth, flat
surfaces so that our grandmothers don’t
have to worry about tripping. It’s
my hope that one day we’ll have the requirements for accessible and safe
pedestrian-friendly spaces included in local government ordinances, but until
that day comes, we must advocate for ourselves.
Trucks,
Pedestrians, Cars and Donkeys All on the Same Street?
The lack of pedestrian infrastructure is just part of the overall absence of planning done in Somaliland. Another one of the more visible manifestations of this inadequacy that is immediately obvious to anyone travelling on Hargeisa’s streets, whether in a car or on foot, is the merging of large delivery trucks, personal vehicles, the biyoole delivering water with their donkey, and people on their way to school, work or the market all on the same, badly-planned street.
What sidewalks?
Another one of the more visible manifestations of this inadequacy that is immediately obvious to anyone travelling on Hargeisa’s streets, whether in a car or on foot, is the merging of large delivery trucks, personal vehicles, the biyoole delivering water with their donkey, and people on their way to school, work or the market all on the same, badly-planned street.
While this
might come as a surprise for most people, from a modern transportation-planning
POV, this mix of modes of transportation is wonderful and is crucial to
sustainable urban development. However, if the parts of the street dedicated to
each mode aren’t properly planned and safety provisions like barriers and
traffic management aren’t incorporated, people will have to risk their lives on
a daily basis, regardless of which mode they use.
Complete
Streets for Hargeisa
So, how can
we solve these problems and create safer, dynamic and welcoming streets? I’m
advocating for the implementation of complete streets in Hargeisa and across
Somaliland.
The United
States Department of Transportation defines complete
streets as “streets designed and operated to enable safe use
and support mobility for all users. Those include people of all ages and
abilities, regardless of whether they are travelling as drivers, pedestrians,
bicyclists, or public transportation riders.” (https://www.transportation.gov/mission/health/complete-streets)
Courtesy of Bikemore.net
In many other
countries, the United States included, streets are designed to accommodate
certain modes of transportation (for example, highways are designed for motor
vehicles only; pedestrians and bicyclists are strictly forbidden, and understandably
so). However, in Somaliland it’s a different story. The now-outdated zoning and
transportation requirements that traditionally separated land uses and modes of
transportation in the 1950’s and 60’s in the United States haven’t materialized
in Somaliland. This kind of strict separation has led to sprawl and
unsustainable energy consumption in the United States today; many
municipalities are now working to remedy the mistakes of the past by
incorporating complete streets and mixed-use zoning. I’m grateful that this is
not a planning practice Somaliland has adopted, and I have hope that we can use
the natural mix of transportation modes we have on our streets today as an
advantage.
Some of the
benefits of complete streets include:
Increase in pedestrian safety (by incorporating high visibility
crosswalks, raised medians, and barriers between pedestrians on sidewalks and
higher velocity modes of transportation,
Encouragement
of bicycling and walking, helping people maintain more active lifestyles,
Promote
social health through the transformation of sidewalks and storefront areas into
accessible public spaces, and
Increase
in economic vitality of storefronts on complete streets through the
encouragement of safe, pedestrian activity on the street.
Potential
for Somaliland’s Streets
Clearly,
Somaliland needs comprehensive transportation planning. It also lacks the
legally binding urban design and planning regulations needed to ensure safe,
equitable design of its cities and streets. The issue seems daunting, but I am
hopeful that with people demanding comprehensive street improvements that
provide equal accessibility for all road users, our streets will become hubs
for sustainable transportation that is welcoming to all people, regardless of
age, disability or mode of transportation.
My ayeeyo survived being a single mom in Somalia in the 1970’s and 80s, genocidal attempts and resettlement in a foreign country. Hargeisa’s streets are now her biggest fear, and it’s heartbreaking to see how many older and disabled people’s lives are negatively affected by our lack of awareness and unwillingness to implement something as simple as pedestrian infrastructure in our largest city. Establishing complete streets to remedy the unsafe conditions, for both vehicles and pedestrians, on our streets is one way Somaliland can move forward.
About the Author Nasibah Elmi is a graduate student in an urban and regional planning masters program, specializing in environmental and land-use planning. She currently works on organic waste management and recycling programs for New York State. She has a B.A. in Globalization Studies and Spanish and is passionate about urban planning issues in the developing world. Her research interests include zoning reform, sustainable materials management, participatory politics, informal urban settlements, and environmental law and planning. In her free time, she enjoys reading historical fiction novels, hiking, baking, upcycling old materials into new décor and dabbling in hand embroidery. She can be reached at nasibah.elmi[at]gmail.com.
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints of Somaliland Chronicle and it’s staff.
The recent mission by Turkish envoy, Mr. Olgan Bekar to Somaliland and Somalia has made one thing crystal clear, President Muse Bihi Abdi of Somaliland is not prepared to resume any talks with Somalia without the involvement of the international community.
The proposal that Turkey should be the only arbiter in any further talks between Somaliland and Somalia is a non-starter. This has been tried before and has failed to produce any tangible results. In fact, all of the nascent agreements of the Istanbul Accords have been renegaded on by Somalia.
For example, the agreement to jointly manage the air space of the defunct Somali Republic were blatantly disregarded by the federal entity in Mogadishu, which somehow convinced the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, to transfer operations from Nairobi to Mogadishu. Even though, the federal entity in Mogadishu doesn’t even control the whole of that city, let alone, the air space, it was done without consulting Somaliland. Now, if a second tier matter like the civil aviation management cannot be agreed upon and Turkey is unable to intercede or enforce the Istanbul accords, what chance does it have of being an impartial arbiter with regard to Somaliland’s restoration of sovereignty and the future relationship between the two countries? The answer is none.
Therefore, the news that Turkey is willing to have Sweden as an additional arbiter, along with the USA, UK, and the European Union as guarantors, is welcome on Somaliland’s part. Unsurprisingly, the federal entity in Mogadishu appears to be opposed to such developments. As are the United Nations and the African Union, which have a huge stake in Somalia and would be marginalized.
So, it would seem that an impasse has been reached, even before the talks about the talks can begin!.
The end game for the politicians in Mogadishu is to delay any talks until, and if, the proposed 2020 “national elections” in Somalia are held. These “elections” are supposed to be based on universal franchise, one person, one vote and you can wager, that even though not a single polling station will be in Somaliland territory, whomsoever emerges victorious, after the usual bribes are paid, will claim that there is no need for talks.
The people of Somaliland know exactly the kind of politicians that claim to make the decisions in Mogadishu. They are unscrupulous, devious and mendacious. A miserable thirty year union and it’s dreadful aftermath has thought Somaliland a lesson it will never forget.
So, let the talks about talks continue, in the meanwhile, Somaliland will continue to march forward.
Allaa Mahad Leh
About the Author Ahmed Kheyre is based in London, UK and can be reached @ ruraledcomm[at]yahoo.co.uk
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints of Somaliland Chronicle and it’s staff.
Project adds 60 percent more water to local distribution system
Global trade enabler DP World on Monday launched a new water distribution center that increased the water supply in Berbera, Somaliland, by 60 percent.
The $1 million project started in 2018 and includes
four water wells, two shallow pools, two water troughs, a concrete reservoir
tank and 7.0 km pipeline connected to the main water supply.
The project, powered by a hybrid solar system and a main generator, also included the construction of a mosque near the water distribution center.
It is designed to lessen water shortages in Berbera
and to provide clean drinking water to local people and rural communities in
the area. The project is part of DP World’s strategy for the sustainable
development in Somaliland as the increased water capacity will be required due
to the growth of Berbera catalyzed by DP World’s investment in the port and
Special Economic Zone.
Three wells have been handed over to Berbera
Municipality with the fourth well and two shallow pools allocated for free
drinking water for the local community and their animals.
Since 2017 DP World have improved Berbera Port’s performance by 70% and increased the port capacity by 50%. Currently DP World Berbera is developing local talents and has trained over 2700 Somalilanders in 2018 locally and overseas.
Suhail Al Banna, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of DP World Middle East and Africa
Suhail Al Banna, Chief Executive Officer and Managing
Director of DP World Middle East and Africa, said: “This support for Berbera
is part of our commitment to help develop the areas in which we operate, and we
are confident this project will have important benefits for many people across
the region. We are committed to ensuring everything we do leaves long term
benefit for people in Somaliland and we look forward to continuing to work
closely with the Somaliland authorities and people to help improve the quality
of life through key infrastructure and sustainability projects.”
DP World’s initiatives in Somaliland include the
sponsorship of 11 schools, a maritime education academy, two hospitals, and a
clinic. DP World provided 4.5 million liters of water to the drought committee
in Berbera in 2017 to support 15,000 families.
Dr Saad Ali Shire interview; ENGLAND: London: Carlton Gardens:
EXT
Dr Saad Ali Shire (Foreign Minister of Somaliland) interview SOT
- re drought in Somaliland
Following a recent meeting of the Minister of Finance Dr. Saad Ali Shire with National Assets Monitoring Committee of Somaliland Parliament, The Committee chairman Mr. Ibraahim Mahdi Buubaa stated that Somaliland government owes an 80 Million Dollar debt left by the previous administration of former President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Siilaanyo.
There has been unconfirmed reports of massive debt left behind by the previous administration ranging from 80 to as high as 160 millions but there has been no official acknowledgement from Somaliland government and previous Finance Minister Ms Samsam Abdi has vehemently denied the existence of the debt all together.
Somaliland Chronicle has asked the Minister of Finance Dr Saad Ali Shire the following the gain a better of understanding of Mr. Buubaa’s comments regarding the alleged debt.
Somaliland Chronicle: We are seeking clarification about MP Buubaa revelation of the $80 Million Dollar Debt as you did not actually mention it during the press briefing following your meeting with the Parliamentary committee. Can you confirm the former administration has actually left an $80 Million dollar debt and if so, has any of it been repaid?
Minister Shire: In short, the answer is ‘NO’.
Minister Shire meeting the Parliamentary Committee
But just to give you the context of the press conference. Each year, the law requires the auditor general to audit the national accounts and submit his report to parliament for scrutiny. In that context, the parliamentary committee responsible for overseeing and safeguarding national assets invited me to a meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to share with us the report of the parliamentary committee based on the auditor’s report and their recommendations on 2017 budget. The meeting went very well. We discussed several issues including asset registration, debt management, and fiscal discipline. The amount of debt owed by the government was not discussed; that was not in the auditor’s report and that was not in the parliamentary committee’s report either. Like all governments on earth, our government owes outstanding bills to contractors and suppliers at any time, but it NOT does owe $80 million. That is sheer fabrication.
Mr. Buubaa is a member of the Wadani opposition party and until today has served as the official Spokesman of the party. He has been replaced with Mr. Barkhad Jama Batun.
Chances are you may not have heard of Transparency Solutions, but it is one of the largest Non-Governmental Organizations in Somaliland, and has a staff of over a dozen in Hargeisa and across Somaliland.
Transparency Solutions Staff in Hargeisa.
According to their website, they are a strategic partner of the world renowned University of Bristol in England. Many of the organization’s current and former staffers – including its founder, Mr. Latif Ismail – have worked as Research Associates in the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies (SPAIS) of Bristol University.
Transparency Solutions’ work is focused on both Somaliland and Somalia, and is a specialist firm in research and sociology studies, but the bulk of their work is on the other side of the border, where many of their staff have gone on to work for the Somali Federal Government. An example is its prominent former alumni Abdi Barud, who currently serves as an Adviser to Somalia’s PM.
Mr. Barud is not the only high ranking official in the Somali Federal Government to have worked for Transparancy Solutions, there is also Mr. Liban Obsiye, another unionist originally from Somaliland who has worked with Transparency Solutions. In fact, Mr. Obsiye’s Linkedin profile still lists him as actively working for Transparency Solutions.
Mr. Liban Obsiye claims to be actively employed by Transparency Solutions.
Mr. Obsiye with Somalia’s Minister of Finance
Mr. Obsiye with Farmaajo and other Government Officials from Somalia.
Mr. Latif Ismail with Telesom CEO Abdikarim Mohamed Eid
For an NGO, Transparency Solutions behaves in a peculiar manner that makes it look a lot more like a shell company than your average run of the mill NGO. It has gone through numerous permutations over the years, and has shut down various entities only to reopen them a short while later with a different name altogether; interestingly with the same two founders Mr. Latif Ismail and Alex Hall (more on Mr. Hall later).
Before Transparency Solutions, there was Transparency Development, which was dissolved on September 15, 2015.
If we begin with Transparency Solutions Limited and its current status in the British companies register (otherwise known as Companies House), it’s easy to access and confirm the openly available information that it has actually been dissolved as of the 15th of January, 2019 via a voluntary strike off.
Voluntary strike off in this case means the company directors Mr. Latif Ismail and Alexander Hall requested the company to be dissolved.
While the voluntary dissolution of an active company is in itself odd, what remains unclear is why it is still operational in Somaliland.
Transparency Solutions founder Mr. Latif Ismail is rather prolific for his relatively short experience in the security sector, and seems to have a lot of connections in the private security industry. Recently, he has been involved with another entity – Horn Risk Management – that at one point managed the security of Hargeisa Airport and has been accused of improperly collecting a $20 “security fee” from all passengers using equipment donated by the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID) and installed by Adam Smith International.
Though we are unable to substantiate detailed information received from our sources, Horn Risk Management has also been accused of sending passenger information (PAX details and itineraries) to overseas servers by the former Ministry of Aviation’s executive, prompting concerns of improper dissemination of critical and personally identifiable information to unauthorized and unkown third parties, causing their prompt removal from access to sensitive traveller data along with the subsequent loss of their lucrative contract.
While we were unable to locate the registration of Horn Risk Management, the entity seems to have ceased operations, and their website is down (but archived) as of the writing of this article. We were only able to explore their existence further through their once-active LinkedIn profile. Additionally, Mr. Ismail has worked with yet another dubious private security firm known as Praetorian Connection.
Mr. Hall, Latif Ismail’s cofounder at Transparency Solutions is a virtual ghost with almost no digital footprint despite the fact that he co-authored every paper that Mr. Ismail listed on his University of Bristol’s SPAIS profile.
Mr. Hall’s lack of a digital footprint online, appears more of an intelligence handler’s attribute, than that of a prolific academic’s. Mr. Latif on the other hand, has enjoyed a relatively quick rise to prominence in his field on the back of Mr. Hall’s extensive academic writing catalog.
Even more peculiar are the other companies registered to Mr. Hall. Aside from Transparency Solutions, he operates multiple gambling interests by way of Betting Gateway Limited (07355733) as well as Elitebet Limited (10159311). According to many published autobiographies of prominent intelligence operatives, it is common knowledge that they have historically used either NGOs, charities or gambling operations to launder and move money in less sophisticated nations to finance their operational objectives.
We have called Transparency Solutions’ office in Hargeisa Somaliland to get more information on Mr. Hall, to understand how they are registered in Somaliland, and various basic details a normal entity would readily provide. The unusually combative and defensive secretary questioned why we needed to know such information, and would not provide anything more than their website address as a referral.
We have also reached out to former employees of Transparency Solutions such as Khadar Abdi, a prominent member of the UK Somali community, the Interim Secretary General of Somaliland’s strongest opposition party, who has worked with both Transparency Solutions and Horn Risk Management, and was a researcher with the University of Bristol’s SPAIS program; but he declined to make any comment and promptly disconnected our call.
We have asked a number of high-ranking officials in Somaliland’s Government about Transparency Solutions including their operations in the country, and they were unanimous in their suspicion but declined to comment any further.
Furthermore, we were unable to find any indication that any reports on the sensitive research Transparency Solutions conducts, is shared with the Government of Somaliland according to various officials we interviewed.
Another alarming anomaly that stands out about Transparency Solutions, is the number of University of Bristol graduates (and former researchers) associated with it; many of which are also associated with both its various initiatives and activities, and employment pertaining to Somalia and its government.
This raises serious concerns and red flags, as the University of Bristol has been accused of links to British Intelligence in the past – specifically the GHCQ, where they were singled out in an explosive scandal in recent years.
According to security experts familiar with the Horn of Africa region we consulted with prior to publishing this article (who declined to be on record), there is a low probability of this being a British Government intelligence operation, but “it is more likely that former intelligence assets are working directly for the Government of Somalia to not only conduct research, but mine data that serves Somalia’s interests from telecom companies in Somaliland.”
In fact, according to Mr. Latif Ismail himself, the stated goal of their various efforts is for the reconstruction of Somalia.
“What grew from a research collaboration in 2012, has transformed into a dynamic, productive relationship, based on shared visionary aims for the reconstruction of Somalia which is ethical, sustainable and crucially, is Somali-led.”
Latif Ismail, Founder of Transparency Solutions
This leaves us with the obvious question: how transparent is Transparency Solutions and why are they still operating in Somaliland?
The United Kingdom Defence Secretary
Gavin Williamson MP paid a visit to Somaliland to discuss areas of mutual
interest between the two parties.
Mr. Williamson was met with the usual protocol and paid a courtesy call to Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi. The meeting which took place at the presidency lasted for several hours and was by all accounts mutually beneficial to both the United Kingdom and Somaliland.
As we are all aware, Somaliland and
the United Kingdom share historic ties dating back at least two centuries. When
Somaliland gained independence on the 26th of June 1960, it was against the
advice of the then protectorate power to form a non-negotiated union with
Italian Somaliland.
The desire for a “Greater
Somalia” consisting of Somaliland, Somalia, Djibouti, the Northern
Frontier district of Kenya and the Hawd and Ogaden region of Ethiopia was the
driving force behind the hasty decision to form the union. The newly created
entity, the Somali Republic, is now defunct and Somaliland restored its
independence on the 18th of May, 1991.
The fall out from the union is well
documented, but it is a reminder of the past. Suffice to say, Somaliland and
its people paid a heavy price during the thirty year union and even a, if it is
at all possible, bigger price to withdraw. The destruction of Hargeisa and
Burao, the use of mercenaries to bomb the cities and its population, the
land mines buried everywhere, and the exodus to the Hawd region are all
undisputed facts.
In fact, the whole of Somalia paid a
heavy price during the union, and especially, during the late death throes of
the Barre regime. So, it comes as no surprise, that the recent events in
Baidoa, Somalia, the arrest and slaughter of protesting civilians, which has
led to the expulsion of the UN Representative for Somalia and Somaliland, Mr.
Nicholas Haysom, for having the “temerity” to offer constructive
criticism and demand an explanation for these deplorable actions, were
committed under the “leadership” of Siyad Barre’s distant
nephew, Mr. Farmajo, the head of the federal entity in Mogadishu.
I suppose it is true, the apple does
not fall too far from the tree.
After billions of dollars spent,
thousands of staff, countless hours of toil and all the support imaginable to
help the people of Somalia, the United Nations finally received it’s reward,
their eminent representative was banished unceremoniously, and their compound was
mortared!.
We have often said, Somaliland is
Africa’s best kept secret. We have different way of doing things. We use
dialogue, discussion and consensus to reach our goals. We welcome constructive
criticism from both at home and abroad.
Defense Secretary Williamson’s visit
to Somaliland could be seen by some as a pointed reminder to the weak federal
entity in Mogadishu, that the world is more than happy to do business with
Somaliland on a de-jure basis. Somaliland is already engaged by the international
community on a de-facto status, but, if the need be, all options are available.
As the UK prepares to exit the
European Union, it is beginning to broaden its horizons, vis-a-vis future
military relations with other nations. Secretary Williamson, who even had time
to have lunch at the Officer’s Mess at Army Headquarters in Hargeisa, is more
than welcome to see Somaliland as a future partner.
Allaa Mahad Leh
About the Author Ahmed Kheyre is based in London, UK and can be reached @ ruraledcomm[at]yahoo.co.uk
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints of Somaliland Chronicle and it’s staff.
My wise grandmother had used to say to mock someone, “I bet
you pay attention to this person and not laugh.’ Similarly, I bet you pay
attention to Somaliland’s foreign policy and not be angry if you are its friend
and laugh if you are its foe.
Since Somaliland declared its independence, the foreign
office has been crippled by the lack of enough funding, a guiding foreign policy,
and qualified staff. For a long time, Somaliland
lovers like me have been screaming at the top of their lungs to change the
course and even asked the termination of Dr. Saad Ali Shire and his replacement
with someone who has excellent salesman’s characteristics or at least has the courage
to knock doors that we have never tried to reach.
Strangely enough, Dr. Saad has been replaced with a man who is
less qualified for the position. Dr.
Shire’s was very honest and well-educated man but unaggressive and lacked the
maneuvering qualities to try to pull the simplest strings at his possession.
If I were the top decision maker, I would have appointed a team of strikers and their staff, each one of whom assigned to a different task and report to me directly. My strikers will consist of Professor Ahmed Samatar, Abdilahi Mohamed Dualeh and the spiritual leader of Somaliland , F. A. Warabeh.
In reality, the foreign ministry has no strategy at all. It has failed to stand up to Ethiopia by using the trade deficit. It has never tried to take a different route such as reaching out to the interesting and courageous countries like Russia, Iran and Israel. UAE has easily scored a fine touch down to block Berbera base from US competitors like Russia and Iran. I suspect that USA has orchestrated the plan, behind the scene, and handed it over to Abu Dhabi that skillfully got the base and for free- except offering empty promises yet to be seen.
Going back to the point, the new foreign affairs minister has
been sent to the USA while the vice president and the Central Bank director
have been sent to UK to encourage Somaliland communities to reach out to their elected
politicians and use their democratic votes to easily snatch a recognition for Somaliland.
Instead of sending these officials to their own people and
wasting money and time, they could have used the money and energy to hire
lobbyists in few targeted countries.
Instead of going to Russia and asking for recognition and support in
exchange for a base on the Red Sea, president Bihi has sent Faratoon to
Minneaplis, Columbus and DC. Instead of sending a secret delegation to Israel,
he sent his vice president to UK.
The fact is Somaliland expatriates have lost faith in their slow-witted
politicians.
Watching the meetings that the new foreign minister held in the US, he does not seem any better than his predecessor, Saad. For sure, the man does not seems charismatic or eloquent even in his own language, let alone lecturing in another foreign language to sell this tough case.
It is obvious that president Bihi has a disastrous way of
choosing his team as his last three appointees unveiled. He had appointed a kindergarten teacher to
represent Somaliland in UAE in spite of the fact that our economic and
political hopes are dependent on this new relationship, at least for now. To
represent him in Washington DC, he hired from Mogadishu Bashir Goth who is a known
unionist Somali writer and finally Faratoon, as the foreign minister.
Lastly, If Mr. Bihi does not bring in the right people to come up with smart strategy, I am afraid that our hopes to see internationally recognized Somaliland will cease soon.
About the Author: Khadar CaloolGeele is a Somalilander based out of Austin TX and can be reached @ email: qadarosman[at]gmail.com
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints of Somaliland Chronicle and it’s staff.
In a broadcast from United Nations Support Office in Somalia and particularly Mogadishu. According to travel advisory email that was sent to all the staff stationed or are soon headed to Somalia, the statement cites the recent mortar attack on the UN compound on January 1st 2019.
According to the travel advisory, all personnel headed to Mogadishu on official duty will have to remain in Nairobi and report to work there.
There is no official statement from the Somali government regarding the travel advisory.
Conditions in Somalia have been on a downward spiral since the unrest in Baidao that claimed more than a dozen lives following arrest of Mukhtaar Roobow and some 300 people.
On January 1st the United Nations compound in Mogadishu came under indirect mortar fire injuring three UN personnel.
Following condemnation from SSGR Nicholas Haysom who previuosly demanded answers to the Somalia’s Federal government actions in the South West State, the Somali Government assigned a persona non grata status to Mr. Haysom.
Secretary General António Guterres, while disagreeing with the legality of Mr. Haysom’s PNG status has agreed to name a new envoy to Somalia.
It is unknown how long the United Nations’ footprint reduction in Mogadishu will remain in effect.
Read the UNSOS travel advisory below
From: UNSOS-BROADCAST unsoabroadcast@un.org
Sent: Sunday, January 6, 2019 2:30 pm
Subject: Reduction of staffing footprint Somalia
Dear Colleagues,
Following the mortar attack on the UN compound in Mogadishu on 1 January 2019, the Designated Official for Somalia has decided, as a precautionary measure, to limit the staffing footprint in Mogadishu for the immediate future. Some personnel who were scheduled to travel to Somalia on Sunday 6 January have been directed to temporary remain in Nairobi. Some who are scheduled to travel on Monday 7 January will be individually contacted and directed to temporarily remain in Nairobi.
This measure applies only to personnel assigned to Mogadishu, and not to those in duty stations in the sectors and regions. MovCon colleagues will vet the manifest during check-in in Nairobi, and those who have been asked to remain will not be checked in. Those who do not receive any notification should proceed to Mogadishu as planned.
Individuals who have been instructed to remain in Nairobi are required to report for duty, and to work from the UNSOM or UNSOS office in Nairobi. They will be considered as being on official business travel status, and entitled to daily subsistence allowance in Nairobi, on the condition that they report daily to the Nairobi Office. They should register with the colleagues in Human Resources Management Section below upon arrival at the office in Nairobi, so that work spaces can be identified for them:
Ms. Teresa Benedict on extension 6143, mobile +254 798 363 691.
Mr. John Wachira on extension 6128, mobile +254 720 713 475.
Those who have any difficulty in accessing the UNON compound should also contact the same HR colleagues.
Persons held back in Nairobi may choose to remain on leave, and not to report to work. In that case they will not be entitled to DSA.
All affected personnel will subsequently be informed when they should travel to Mogadishu.
We regret any inconvenience caused by the short notice given to affected personnel, and trust that all will understand that this temporary measure is being taken in the overall interest of the security and safety of all United Nations personnel.
