Evaluate Your President!
We are excited to introduce Somaliland Chronicle Polls. Today, we are conducting a poll to gauge the public opinion on the performance of President Muse Bihi Abdi and his Administration. The Poll is open until midnight August 16th and will publish the results as soon as it closes.
Somaliland and Somalia have accepted peace treaty brokered by the United States Chargé d’affaires Martin Dale. Mr Dale met with Somaliland President HE Muse Bihi Abdi on August 4th and discussed the terms of the peace settlement to end the conflict in Tukeraq with Somalia’s state of Puntland.
SL President Bihi and US Charge Dale had a productive meeting on regional politics, development and humanitarian assistance, and finding an immediate resolution to the SL-PL conflict. pic.twitter.com/WeIHasCGq2
— U.S. Mission-Somalia (@US2SOMALIA) August 4, 2018
Additionally, Mr Dale met with the Somali President Mohamed Abdillahi Farmajo in Mogadishu the same day.
Mr. Dale’s meeting with the two heads of state follows the meetings with the recent visit of IGAD and UNSOM delegation that met with both sides of the Tukeraq conflict as well as members of Somaliland’s opposition parties.
In #Hargeisa today, as part of joint efforts to resolve #Tukaraq conflict, IGAD's Mohamed Ali Guyo and @UNSOM's Raisedon Zenenga presented President Muse Bihi and others with proposals that could lead to peaceful solution. It was agreed that these should be further discussed. pic.twitter.com/945xwhQSfb
— UNSOM (@UNSomalia) July 30, 2018
Diplomatic sources in Nairobi as well as others in Somaliland Presidency confirm the peace settlement and that all sides have accepted and have started to quietly implement its terms.
The most important elements of the settlement include the immediate cessation of hostilities and establishment of direct communication channel between commanders, restart Somaliland and Somalia talks as early as possible and release of POWS.
There are additional terms that Somaliland Chronicle have agreed to not discuss due to the sensitive nature of the settlement.
Mohamed Mohamoud Sheik is the latest casualty of a war that continues to claim thousands of innocent lives in Somalia, what is different this time is, the victim, Mohamed Mohamoud Sheik was the embodiment of hope and unrelenting ambition and tragically, he too has been consumed by the city where hope itself goes to die.
Mohamed was a prolific entrepreneur and a diaspora returnee who sought to create not only much needed services but also got involved in multiple causes including Startup Grind a global business incubator and a entrepreneur support network in partnership with tech giants like Google.
Mr. Sheikh was also featured as judge on Inspire Somalia a sort of Shark Tank, where entrepreneurs pitch business ideas to seek funding and guidance from seasoned business people like Mr Sheikh.
In Tedx talk in Mogadishu Mr Sheikh talked about what inspired him to return to Somalia and start a business in Mogadishu.
Aside from his enterpreneurial spirit and infectious smile that has won the hearts of everyone who has come to know him, Mr Sheikh was far from a nobody, instead he was the son of the commanding General of Somalia’s Air force General Mohamoud Sheikh Ali.
Mr Sheikh’s killing bears all the hallmarks of recent spate of brazen assassinations by Al-Shabaab, where victims who were mostly identified as government officials were targeted in public places such as restaurants. Oddly enough though Al-Shabaab generally take credit for terror attacks almost immediately but in the case of Mr Sheikh slaying, there has been no claim of responsibility.
Although no arrests were made public, sources in security services in Mogadishu say there are three suspects in custody and confirmed that they are not affiliated with Al-Shabaab.
From his twitter Mr Sheikh was an outspoken and openly discussed all sorts of things including politics and freely shared his displeasure with some government officials.
Which he has the right to say that with explanation why they don’t recognize them, I don’t see why he should be fired and not these useless other ministers who just attend the music concerts
— Mohamed sheik Ali (@Moesheikali) July 26, 2018
We have reached out to family members of Mr Sheikh to ask if he had any enemies or had any safety concerns and they were unaware of any specific threats to Mr Sheikh’s life. A relative of Mr Sheikh in Switzerland confirmed that there has been reports of arrests though the government has not made any details public and he added that the accused are not Al-Shabaab.
Even in death, Mr Sheikh is still a lightening rod for social justice and his friends in Mogadishu have launched a rally to demand justice for Mr. Sheikh’s killing.
Huge turnout is ongoing in Mogadishu's Benadir junction attended by hundreds of youth showcasing the awful act of a young entrepreneur killed in Mogadishu. They are demanding justice for Moahemd. #WeAreNotSafe. pic.twitter.com/VAM5GgZV6K
— Bashiir Maxmud (@BashiirMaxmud) August 5, 2018
Update: There are unconfirmed reports via twitter and other social media network that Somali authorities have killed the assailants behind Mr Sheikh’s killing. At the moment, Somaliland Chronicle is unable to locate an official statement from the Ministry of Information.
BREAKING: Somali Minister of Information Dahir Mohamud Gelle, told SONNA that the security forces killed today a gunmen behind killing of Mohamed Sheikh Ali youth Activist
— Mohamed isse (@mociise) August 5, 2018
Welcome to a not so distant future where robots make your burgers!
Unrest in Ethiopia’s Somali region has gained momentum on Saturday following the deployment of military in regional capital of Jijiga early Saturday morning.
Looting and burning of property has been reported by witnesses on Satuday as unrest spread across the region. Witnesses also reported gunfire and sporadic fighting between the Ethiopian military and local security forces known as Liyu.
Reports of arson against Ethiopian Orthodox churches have been reported as well as violence against non-Somali ethic groups according to witnesses.
The fate of regional administration officials is unclear and there are conflicting reports as to their whereabouts. What is clear though is that all regional administration offices are under military control across the region.
It is unclear why the central authorities Addis Ababa have intervened in the Somali region but there have been unconfirmed reports that members of the Somali regional parliament were planning on Saturday to invoke article 39 of the Ethiopian constitution which allows self-determination including secession from Ethiopia.
Statement from the Ethiopian Ministry of Defense confirmed the troop deployment. “The violence has not been halted despite attempts by defense forces and other security forces to restore calm,” the ministry said in a statement.
“The violence has not been halted despite attempts by defense forces and other security forces to restore calm,”
Ethiopian Ministry of Defense
The statement from the ministry stated “Hence, as the region’s peace and security has come under threat, our defense forces will not remain silent in the face of unrest and chaos and will take necessary measures in accordance with constitutional obligations.” Underscoring the seriousness of the situation in Ethiopia’s Somali region.
#Ethiopia Security Alert: Reports that Ethiopia’s National Defense Force seized control of highways, govt buildings, and airport in #Jijiga, capital of Ethiopia’s Somali region. Reports of churches, houses, and cars, and Amhara and Oromo minority groups in area under attack. pic.twitter.com/TxFeA8AhZw
— Travel – State Dept (@TravelGov) August 4, 2018
The province has been plagued by violence for the last three decades. The government has fought the rebel Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) since 1984 after the group launched a bid for secession of the region, also known as Ogaden.
Since 2017, clashes along the Somali region’s border with Oromiya province have displaced tens of thousands of people.
On July 4th, the Human Rights Watch published a detailed report of human rights violation at the notorious Ogaden prison in Jijiga. Last month, Ethiopia fired senior prison officials there after details emerged of torture and other abuses in one notorious prison.
Jail Ogaden is unthinkable. From the moment you are put there until the moment you are released, you do not know if you are alive or dead. You are tortured and humiliated day and night, you are starved, [and] you can’t sleep because there’s so many people.
42-year-old Mohamed who spent five years without charge in Jail Ogaden, August 2017
In a statement, the ONLF criticized the deployment of federal troops, saying the government had ordered its military “to attack and take over the Somali regional administration … creating chaos and uncertainty”.
The “ONLF calls upon the new Prime Minister of Ethiopia to halt immediately any military activities and initiate a peaceful process,” it added, referring to Abiy Ahmed, who took office in April.
Somaliland authorities have issued a directive to tighten border with Ethiopia following the unrests. It is unclear how much the chaos in the region will affect Somaliland’s massive trade Ethiopia specifically the Somali Ethiopian region currently roiled by unrest.
Sources: Wire Services, AP and Reuters.
Somaliland’s Vice Minister of Finance HE Mohamed Ahmed Dahir, in a speech to the Inland Revenue Services team at a training event said the 20 largest businesses in Somaliland have paid a combined 0.4% of Payroll taxes in 2017.
The Vice Minister said “in 2017, the total Payroll Tax collected was 5.8 Million US Dollars, of which only 0.4% or less than 1% came from the 20 largest businesses in Somaliland”
He added that “99.4% of the payroll collected was paid by government NGO emplyees”.
To put this in perspective, the largest corporations in Somaliland including Dahabshiil, Telesom, Somtel, Salama Bank and many other multi million dollar companies collectively paid $23,200.00 in payroll taxes.
Deputy Minister Dahir asked the largest 20 corporations in Somaliland to deduct payroll taxes from their employees and added that Somaliland’s 6% payroll tax rate is one of cheapest in the world, while some countries payroll taxes are minimum of 15%.
“The only way to build our country is to abide by our laws and pay our fair share of taxes”
Deputy Finance Minister
The Deputy Minister stated that the employer is responsible for filling out the relevant forms for payroll tax assessment and will be penalized and will be prosecuted for any false declaration on these official government forms ie reporting false number of employees or their salaries.
The Vice Minister concluded his remark “The only way to build out country is to abide by our laws and pay our fair share of taxes”.
Mr Dahir did not specify what kind of penalties the government would levy against companies for under-reporting their employees’ income to reduce their payroll tax obligations.
An Inland Revenue Services employee described the training as “learning how to fill forms!” adding “its like pushing a boulder uphill with oil under your feet, how I am going to ensure Dahabshiil and Telesom are not lying about how many employees they have?”
Others officials at the Ministry of Finance stated that enforcement is key to assessing payroll taxes while others complained about their own pay scales being less than a living wage.
“I seriously doubt anyone can prosecute Dahabshiil or Somcable, the owners have friends in high places, I guarantee someone will loose their job instantly if they complain about them” said a senior Finance Minister official on condition of anonymity.
We have reached to an HR manager at one of these large corporations to ask him about the Vice Minister’s comment and if their organizations are positioned to deduct payroll taxes and he stated “I think the government needs to earn the trust of the people and that their taxes will not be used to private mansions but would go to health care and education”.
Despite millions of dollars spent by the World Bank on the Ministry of Finance’s PFM project, this effort to reenergize the payroll tax collection remains a manual process and is based entirely on physical forms.
Somali’s Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire arrived in Garowe today the capital of Puntland regional administration amid heavy security.
The purpose of the Prime Minister’s visit is unclear and coincides with the visit of the Somali President Farmajo’s visit to Eritrea. What is clear is that according to reports, Mr Khaire is in Garowe to show solidarity with Mr Abdiwali Gas.
Additionally, Mr Khaire’s visit is as provocative as Somali President’s visit to Garowe last January when hostilities in Tukeraq ignited with Somaliland on his second day of visiting Puntland. Since January, Somaliland forces in Tukeraq have been attacked multiple times by Puntland militias.
There are confirmed reports from Villa Somalia of power struggle between Prime Minister Khaire and President Farmajo. The two leaders of Somalia’s Federal Government have recently engaged in tit for tat sacking of officials from their government.
While Farmajo has disavowed any hand in supporting Puntland’s war with Somaliland, Mr. Khaire is said to be more directly involved if at least to undermine Mr. Farmajo, especially during his absence to his official state visit to Eritrea.
Puntland’s regional government is facing a host of issues including a resurgent Al-Shabaab and other groups associated with ISIL and an election in less than 5 months and has been accused of using the conflict with Somaliland as a delay tactic.
Somaliland Government has not addressed the visit of the Somali Prime Minister go Garowe, less than 50 km from Tukeraq.
Top @UNSOM official Raisedon Zenenga and IGAD Special Envoy Mohamed Ali Guyo were in #Garowe today as part of ongoing efforts to find peaceful solution to #Tukaraq conflict. They met #Puntland's President and Vice-President, and Sool region elders. They go to Hargeisa on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/IrbMff9vWg
— UNSOM (@UNSomalia) July 28, 2018
International community is trying to mediate a truce between Somaliland and Somalia’s regional administration of Puntland.
Somaliland government has been clear about its desire to have a peaceful coexistence of its neighbors including Somalia but also that will defend the territorial integrity.
The Chairman of the opposition party UCID, Eng Faisal Ali Warabe returned to Hargeisa from a trip to Belgium where he met with the Somali President Mohamed Abdillahi Mohamed Farmajo in Brussels last week.
Mr. Warabe has also stopped in Dubai on his way back to Somaliland to attend the inauguration of the Somaliland Trade Office in UAE.
Mr Warabe was met by cheering crowds waving the UCID party flags at the Egal International airport to welcome him back to Somaliland.
Mr. Warabe’s visit to Belgium has ignited a controversy when the opposition party leader met with the Somali President.
Somaliland government has declined to participate in the Somali Partnership Forum held in Brussels, Belgium by international donors for the Somali Federal government and its regional various regional administrations.
Mr. Warabe did not attend the meeting but indicated he was there to speak with the donors on behalf of Somaliland.
It is unclear how much of a political impact the meeting with Mr Farmajo has on Mr Warabe’s close working relationship with the President of Somaliland HE Muse Bihi Abdi, who expressed shock at the news of the meeting and the surfacing of the photos of the meeting.
Upon arrival Mr Warabe addressed the welcoming crowd and touched on many topics including the controversy surrounding his initial visit to Brussels and meeting with Mr. Farmajo. While not mentioning President Bihi by name, Mr. Warabe has aired a lot of grievances and recounted his long history of working for piece and reconciliation in Somaliland.
“it is not the visit that shocked the president, its the Farmajo meeting, this is where Mr Warabe went off script”
Mr Warabe, again without mentioning any names, took a swipe at the other opposition party leader in crying foul in their recent address to the media where they accused the ruling party of hypocrisy of labeling the Wadani party as a pro-Somalia party in the run up to the recent Somaliland elections.
According to sources close to the Somaliland Presidency, President HE Muse Bihi Abdi was aware of Mr Warabe’s visit to Brussels and that Mr Warabe himself has been part of every discussion including the rejection of the government to participate in the Brussels meeting. The source added “it is not the visit that shocked us, its the Farmajo meeting, this is where Mr Warabe went off script”. These sources did not wish to be identified for fear of loosing their jobs.
Additionally, Mr Warabe stated that the plan was for himself, Mr Galaydh and Professor Ahmed Ismail Samatar to go to Brussels to show a unified Somaliland represented by the total sum of its parts, he added that Mr Samatar could not make it because of prior commitments that included a visit to the troops in the frontlines in Tukeraq.
Mr. Warabe, addressed the crowd and explaining his visit to Brussels stated that he was simply doing his duty as a citizen and reiterated the atrocities that Somaliland people suffered under the union with Somalia and for Somalilanders to live in dignity is why he want to Brussels.
“I am the chairman of a national party and I am accountable to its charters and code of conduct, I am accountable to the Somaliland constitution but I take orders from no one” added Mr. Warabe to underscode his independence to speak on Somaliland’s bahalf in any venue.
“I have supported our government on its decision to secure our borders and Tukeraq is analogues to two bald men fighting over a comb, but 100 dead and wounded to achieve that goal is not something I have expected. You are all aware that we have lost the media and diplomatic wars and I have always responded to them to the point where some asked if I was the President’s Spokesman” said Mr. Warabe speaking of his continued war of words with Puntland.
Puntland leaders have called for the assassination of Mr Warabe in the recent past.
Mr Warabe referring to the current leadership in Mogadishu, pointed out that most of them have been out of the country and came from the United States and Europe and are still bitter over the toppling of the late dictator Siyad Barre.
“Ali Khalif and I have brought victory to Somaliland, out of the 500 millions that is allocated, 200 millions of it will be given to Somaliland” said Mr Warabe to a cheer from the crowd.
There is no official word from the EU donors in the Somalia Partnership Forum that any funds are specifically earmarked for Somaliland.
“if we see that the ones in charge do not have a capacity to lead this country, we will come up different plans” Mr Warabe
Mr Warabe spoke of the longtime he has known the Somali President and his family and said “He had requested to meet with us and we told him of the things that are said behind his back that he is beating the drum of tribalism and war and that he has been supporting Puntland’s Abdiwali morally and materially and he had swore that he was not involved in all of it. We have agreed that he will indirectly ensure others will withdraw support from Abdiwali, we agreed to restart Somaliland/Somalia talks immediately” Mr Warabe added that conditions of mutual trust must be worked on to ensure negotiations can be conducted, otherwise the parties will remain enemies in perpetual face-off.
“The President’s job is to bring people together and unite them and to bring them development and prosperity, this is the first President who prefers war of words and animosity to cooperating and working relationship, this is a first for us but I am not going to get into a back and forth with Muse Bihi, because if that happens the country will not exist” Mr Warabi said speaking of the President of Somaliland HE Muse Bihi Abdi.
“are we better off than we were seven months ago”
Finally, Mr Warabe concluded his speech with a question “What we need to ask ourselves is, are we better off than we were seven months ago, the questions is not that Faisal went Farmajo and said hello, what we are talking about is Muse has been President for seven months and it is time for evaluation, are we worse off than we were, or are we better of?”
In what seems like a direct response to the President Muse Bihi Abdi’s recent speech in which he spoke of his view of the meeting with Farmajo, Mr Warabe said “You have all heard MP Abdiqadir Jirde, who is one of those rare folks that know what they are talking about and MP Kajandhe and see how concerned they are about the state of the country, we we will see each other right after we are done with Tukeraq and if we see that the ones in charge do not have a capacity to lead this country, we will come up different plans.”
The criticism showed some scrapes in the so far good cooperation between the two political leaders since the election of president Bihi.
Hargeisa International Book Fair HIBF Turned to political platform that encourages public mobocracy; In the short history of HIBF, there has been always some controversy associated, albeit its contents or the guest it brings to the country.
Dr Michael Walls appearance on the HIBF synonymies the past success or in this case the future failure of HIBF, if he has any part in it, that is. Michael Walls has used Hargeisa International Book Fair HIBF as his public relation weapon, a platform to flex his academic prominence with the help of his long standing friends Ayan Mohamoud and the managing director of the cultural centre of Hargeisa Jama Muse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtIfm3zhRVs
In gripping open letter posted on social media sites yesterday i.e. twitter and Facebook, with massive outpouring of allegations that has been the focus of discussions of recent documentary (Baadi Goob) released in Somaliland, which had claimed to investigated the outcome of the recent presidential election in Somaliland, and have prompted vigorous online debate about the partiality of the IEOM, in addition to other allegations of collusion with the ruling party (Kulmiye) to officiate the results on the favor of the ruling party.
The statement released yesterday by Dr Michael Walls head of the International Election observers mission IEOM, ahead of presenting the last presidential election report in ambassador Hotel, Hargeisa.
Michael had refuted the allegation presented by the documentary. However, what was striking about the sudden repudiate was the manners in which Dr Walls had presented tirades of counter argument indictment to Somaliland opposition party Waddani and the makers of the documentary.
He wrote “We have been following recent events closely, the release of documentary entitled Baadi Goob and subsequent press release from Waddani party; each associates with clan conference held in Gaxcan Libaax, Somaliland” Dr Walls went afar to bring Somaliland internal Clan structure in an issues that’s has both international and local political consequence.
This will have political dire consequences in the country that is in both political and tribal turmoil, no doubt that it will undermines the efforts of the government on dealing with the aftermath of what was a fiercely contested election, the government is working hard to bring people together of different political affiliation. It is also without a doubt that this will have an impact on the future of the book fair itself as consequences of his irrational outburst.
About the Author
You can reach Mr. Farah: farah46egal@gmail.com
How did two giants of Somaliland’s political elite end up being photographed flanking the Somali President Mohamed Abdillahi Farmaajo, hand in hand? Hold on to your hat, there is a lot to unpack.
What was another week of business as usual in Somaliland was shattered by the surfacing of a photo of UCID opposition party leader Faysal Ali Waraabe and President of Khatumo State Ali Khalif Galaydh, holding hands with Mr. Farmajo.
Prior to this now infamous photo, both Warabe and Galaydh have been spotted in Brussels, the site of Somalia Partnership Forum though the reason of their visit to Belgium was not clear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZNqjHsi8Rg&t=36s
The uproar on social media was swift and intense, where some immediately accused the ruling party and the government of hypocrisy for not condemning Mr Warabe for meeting the Somali President. Others, including Mayor of Hargeisa Abdirahman Aideed “soltelco” have compared Mr. Warabe’s meeting with Farmajo with Prime Minister Abiye of Ethiopia and the President of Eritrea.
Mr Warabe has given a series of interviews explaining the reason for his visit to Brussels and the meeting with the Somali President and the reason for his presence in Brussels.
In the above short interview, Mr Waraabe made it clear that he did not attend the meeting and that Somaliland government has declined to attend the meeting. He stated that he came to Brussels to lobby for Somaliland interests and to apply pressure to the international community. He also discussed the specifics of the meeting with the Somali President and stated that Somalia and Somaliland talks should be kicked off immediately.
“We BelieveD Farmaajo” Mr Warabe
In a curious break with the position of official of Somaliland government of holding the Somali President responsible for the Tukeraq attacks on Somaliland, Mr. Warabe stated that he had confronted the Somali President and accused him of being behind the hostilities against Somaliland or at least has encouraged it. He added that Mr Farmajo has categorically denied any role in the hostilities and that they believe him and discussed his role in bringing an end to the hostilities since Garowe is part of Somalia.
It is unclear if Mr Warabe saw an opening to achieve results similar to what Mr Abiye has done in the region by reaching out to foes and rivals and though he is the leader of one of the only three political parties in Somaliland and commands a high regard, legally speaking, he does not represent Somaliland in any capacity to enter into binding agreements on it is behalf.
The UCID party while technically an opposition party, has been seen as enjoying close working relationship with the ruling party of Kulmiye and President Muse Abdi Bihi.
Mr. Abdillahi Abdirahman Cirro, the leader of the Wadani opposition leader swung into campaign mode and in speaking to the media quoted former President of the United States “If you have to win a campaign by dividing people, you’re not going to be able to govern them”.
Mr Irro went on to talk about the most stinging attacks leveled against him and his party during the bitter election campaign where Kulmiye accused them of being Pro-Somalia.
The Wadani leader, flanked by his deputies Abdiqadir Jirde and the General Secretary of the party, went on to describe the state of the nation which he called dire and ill-managed.
Mr. Irro spoke about the upcoming parliamentary elections and that his party has not been part of the preparation since they have no confidence in the current Election Commission and have repeated asked the President to disband them.
Finally, Mr Irro asked if Kulmiye party has reneged on the promise of nationhood.
While the leader of the opposition leader has touched on many important topics, aside from airing of grievances against the ruling party and its leader or the President, he has not offered any solutions of note.
The President of Somaliland HE Muse Bihi Abdi in a brief speech yesterday during his visit to the courts has clarified his government’s position on the Brussels conference, Mr. Warabe’s meeting with Mr Farmaajo.
President Bihi stated that the Brussels meeting was actually held for Somalia and their affairs and that Somaliland did not have a place in that conference. He added that his administration had disagreed with the EU on the format due to the fact that the host countries did not differentiate between Somaliland and Somalia.
“treat us as two separate countries” pRESIDENT bIHI
“They [EU] said we will be granted Special Arrangement, and we told them we do not know what that is, Somalia has not conquered or occupied us, Somaliland and Somalia use to be two countries which united. That union has not worked and we have won our independence back. Either treat us as two separate countries or otherwise deal with Somalia and you can get back to us when the conditions are right. They understood our position and have not tried to force the issue ” Said President Muse Bihi speaking on the invitation his administration received from the EU for the Brussels meeting.
“we are not going to trade our honor and independence for aid” President bihi
Continuing to address the Brussels meeting, President Bihi said “On the topic of aid, some said there are funds being allocated in this meeting and why are we not attending? First, we are not going to trade our honor and independence for aid, we are not going to trade our people’s determination for aid. We have determined to be a separate and an independent country.
“We were completely blindsided” President bihi
“It does not concern us if funds are being given the Americans or the Europeans, unless we are not getting a direct aid as a separate country. We have sacrificed something greater than money to win our independence back, we are not discussing aid and funding, we are talking about the case for indepence for Somaliland” The President added.
Finally, the President addressed the meeting of Mr. Warabe, the leader of the opposition party UCID and the Somali President said “Our international partners understood and that is where we concluded the discussion regarding the Brussels conference, be that as it may, the Chairman of UCID went to Brussels, we were unaware of it, he did not consult us and its an entirely new matter and it is something that needs to be examined and discussed. We were completely blindsided, we were not even aware that he traveled, we were beyond surprised to hear about his meeting with Farmajo, it just something unbelievable and we will see what comes out of that”
President Bihi who is known to not respond to the daily news cycle seemed genuinely upset by the meeting of a leader of a major political leader with the President of Somalia who has been applying pressure on Somaliland on multiple fronts in recent months.
The President’s speech and how he clarified Somaliland’s position was a major hit with most Somalilanders’ including some opposition party members. The former Governor of Awdal and Sanaag, Mustafe Issa wrote on his facebook how much he agreed with the President’s speech regarding aid to Somaliland and has condemned Mr Warabe’s meeting with the Somali President.
