Exclusive Interview with Jonathan Starr – Founder of Abaarso School in Somaliland

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October 31, 2018

Jonathan Starr, the founder of Abaarso School in the outskirts of Hargeisa, discusses future plans for the school, expansion plans and challenges he faced in Somaliland.

Somaliland Chronicle: Mr. Starr, we really appreciate you giving us the opportunity to talk to you and Abaarso School to learn a little bit more about you and the school’s operations and future plans.

Somaliland Chronicle: There is quite a bit of literature about your background and how you started the Abaarso School but out of all of the countries you could’ve picked, why did you choose Somaliland? Tell us the first time you visited Somaliland

Jonathan Starr: First I want to thank you for doing this interview. We always appreciate the opportunity to help people understand Abaarso School.

I have a Somali uncle named Billeh Osman who is originally from Erigavo, attended Sheikh Secondary School, and then came to America for his university studies. While in America he married my aunt and enjoyed a long career with the United Nations. From the time I was a child Billeh had told me about his home country of Somaliland, which he spoke of with great pride. My career was in finance where I had made some money and now wanted to make a contribution to the world. Billeh convinced me to come visit Somaliland in 2008 to see if my contribution could be there. Before I’d even left the 2 week trip I’d committed to starting a great school. I returned to America where I worked on the plans and then moved to Somaliland to found Abaarso in 2009.

Somaliland Chronicle: Abaarso School is feeder to prestigious universities around the world, particularly the United States. So far how many Abaarso Students were accepted into international schools?

Jonathan Starr: Over 130 Abaarso students have continued their education around the world, including at Harvard, Yale, MIT, and Cambridge. In total these students have earned over $23 million in scholarships. These students are showing the world just how smart and capable Somalis are while also exposing America and other countries to Somali culture. Abaarso students are great ambassadors for all the wonderful potential in the country.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the scholarships is that Abaarso students are going abroad so as to develop new skills that can be brought back to their country. Abaarso students are now graduating from foreign universities and are already making contributions to society.

Somaliland Chronicle: Does the school give special consideration or programs to students with disabilities?

Jonathan Starr: Abaarso seeks a student body who is dedicated to improving themselves and their country. While this is not a perfect process, the school continuously works to improve its admissions policies. As part of the process, the administration takes into consideration students’ backgrounds and how much they have overcome to reach Abaarso. Students with disabilities have needed to face an extra challenge to succeed and they should receive credit for that. The school also seeks students from small villages and orphanages for the same reason. These students have proven themselves by overcoming their tough environments.

Somaliland Chronicle: While the school is doing a great job there is much more work that needs to happen in the education sector in Somaliland. Are you doing any collaboration with the Ministry of Education or other privately owned institutions to help them up their teaching standards?

Jonathan Starr: Abaarso enjoys a positive relationship with the Somaliland government and the Ministry of Education. We were honored this summer when the President invited Abaarso alumni and faculty to the Presidential Palace. We are happy to work with the Ministry of Education to improve Somaliland as well as to share our educational methods with other schools.

Somaliland Chronicle: To maximize your effort of making an impact in Somaliland and it is future, does it make sense to train recent university graduates to become teachers and equip them with Abaarso School’s trade secrets to perhaps educate more student than Abaarso School alone can accommodate?

Jonathan Starr: That is almost exactly what we’re doing except that we are starting with recent secondary school graduates. A year ago Abaarso School launched Barwaaqo University, which is a 4 year all-women boarding university for the purpose of training teachers. We are extremely pleased with how the students progressed last year and we expect them to continue improving themselves even after they become teachers. With the Barwaaqo graduates out in the world, Abaarso’s quality of education will spread around the country.

Somaliland Chronicle: Abaarso School is Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and though listed as Somalia, Somaliland is the only country with a school accredited by this prestigious body, tell us what kind of impact this has to students who seek admission to overseas universities.

Jonathan Starr: The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation was a great stamp of approval for Abaarso School and for the wider Somaliland community. It tells the world that Somaliland can host world-class institutions. Clearly excellence can be attained in Somaliland so investors and donors should take an increased interest in the country.

NEASC accreditation benefits Abaarso students in many ways. It means that universities all around the world view Abaarso students at the equivalent of US graduates, which makes many more universities possible for them to attend. It also tells potential teachers, administrators, and donors that Abaarso has been thoroughly vetted and approved.

Somaliland Chronicle: Are there any future plans to open branches in other parts of the country?

Jonathan Starr: We have extensive plans to go further into Somaliland education, just as we’ve already shown by opening Barwaaqo University. Barwaaqo is a boarding university for girls, and similarly we’ll want to eventually launch a boarding university for boys. In addition, we’ll be opening primary schools in the coming years, first in Hargeisa and then in other Somaliland cities. We want to make sure many more families get access to our quality of education.

Somaliland Chronicle: Were Abaarso Tech University and Abaarso School affiliated at some point? We understand there is some kind of dispute, are you at liberty to talk about that?

Jonathan Starr: I originally founded and oversaw Abaarso Tech University, initially with classes held on Abaarso School’s campus. This is how it got the Abaarso name and why it started with business, which is my background. There were some great classes with students like Munir Abusita, Ahmed Elmi, and Saeed Abdulkadir, as we discussed business strategy in Somaliland. However, those early years for Abaarso were very challenging as we were dealing with individuals trying to kick us out of the country. Ultimately we decided that we couldn’t make commitments to new students until the situation improved. For this reason Abaarso School did not take a new class of students in 2012 and we felt little choice but to close down Abaarso Tech University that same year.

After we closed Abaarso Tech University, someone else used all our old logos to start what they called Abaarso Tech University. This was not in Abaarso nor was it in any way affiliated with Abaarso School, so it begs the question of why someone would use that name rather than developing their own brand? Later we changed our Abaarso School logo, but unfortunately the new institution calling itself Abaarso Tech University decided to change their logo to look almost exactly like our new logo. This has caused significant confusion, which I can only assume was the reason why this group chose to use the Abaarso name and copy the Abaarso logo. I find that many people are still confused by this, thinking that in some way Abaarso School and Abaarso Tech University are related. They are absolutely not.

To be clear, I wish all universities in Somaliland well. I just want the people running the university calling itself Abaarso Tech University to use a different name and be clear that we are in no way related. This confusion is not fair to the Somaliland people.

Somaliland Chronicle: You have undoubtedly run into challenges in Somaliland, could you share with us some challenges you faced in Somaliland and how you managed to resolve them?

Jonathan Starr: To say we’ve run into challenges is an understatement. We’ve had people trying to kick us out of the country from very early on. Even now there are particular individuals spreading absurd stories online in an attempt to bully us into leaving. Since such people have never cared about the truth, it is clear that they have other motivations, including jealousy, power, and even politics. There are certainly people out there who do not like the positive publicity that Abaarso has brought to Somaliland.

We’ve had one simple strategy of dealing with these challenges, which is to just continue to produce great students. Abaarso students have gone on to success that showed the world just how great Somali students can be. What’s more, they are deeply committed to helping their country. The truth about Abaarso’s positive impact will continue to become clearer as Somali society benefits more and more from Abaarso students.

Somaliland Chronicle: Aside from bringing high quality education, you are also bringing a much needed international exposure to what Somaliland has achieved. What would you tell the world about Somaliland and it’s people?

Jonathan Starr: When you look at Abaarso’s success despite a small budget and reliance on many foreigners, it becomes clear that a lot is possible in Somaliland. Over the past 10 years I’ve also seen the development mindset getting more and more ingrained in Somalilanders. When I first arrived there seemed to be a fear of anything new, and some bad folks would spread those fears to keep their own position in society. Fear was essentially a business tactic to stop competition. However, now Somalilanders have gotten used to foreigners, especially with all those who’ve come in from the Middle East adding new skills to the country. The return of many talented diaspora has also brought innovation. So whereas a decade ago there were so few projects that you could know about all of them, today change is happening all the time. I’m not claiming it is all easy, but with each year I see the country moving forward. I’m very excited for what the next couple decades will bring.

Somaliland Chronicle: We want to thank you for your time and wish to speak to you in the future. Good luck with the School and thank you for the work you are doing for our people and Somaliland.

Jonathan Starr: Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity.

`Ides of March` in Somaliland – Eulogy For Hersi Haji Hassan’s Brave Political Career

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Staff

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October 30, 2018

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Today we mourn the death of the political career of Mr. Hersi Ali Haji Hassan. May it rest in peace. A political career wielded by the most powerful minister to ever grace Somaliland’s political arena and currently the leader of the Wadani opposition group. It is a political career that we will all miss and wonder what it could have turned into, perhaps a president one day but it was not meant to be.

Maybe, we don’t know.

We want to make sure that people understand Mr. Hersi himself is fine, we cannot stress this enough, his political career however decided to throw itself off a roof of a short building and onto oncoming stampeding hordes of social media trolls and turning itself into a punching bag for former colleagues, rivals and the general citizenry.

The cause of death of this illustrious political career is a gross miscalculation that has caused it major injury in the past, in fact 3 years ago to be exact but it survived and came back stronger and almost carried the opposition party across the finish line to victory. Amazing!

This time, the miscalculation came by way of a new career this supernaturally ambitious political career has tried its hand on – writing a memoir to share of its exploits and the heights it grazed with the general public.

This literary work has ignited Somaliland’s media into a flaming ball of he said she said. This is a work the likes of which has never been seen in Somaliland before for it turned ordinary people into an overnight constitutional scholars, prosecutors, book critics and the occasional human shields.

The Death of Julius Caesar by Vincenzo Camuccini

The content of the book though written in Somali has confused most people and they are finding it difficult to get the same reading and have caused some to quote other famous literary work by characterizing it as a new interpretation of Ides of March set in modern Somaliland.

Others have hailed it the ultimate truth teller as far as political careers go and finally informing the public on important chapters in Somaliland’s history, albeit 8 years late.

The political career by itself was helpless to try to quiet the crescendo of misunderstanding that is caused by the book and has enlisted Mr. Hersi, the real Mr. Hersi to explain the meaning of this green colored object he is holding in his hand. The event was as hyped by Horn Cable TV and was every bit worth the wait as Mr. Hersi showcased his oratory skills next to a hapless reporter on live television using just the power of repetition and won the debate against himself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AGkZqMocPM

Mr. Hersi’s political career is being mourned privately by many other political careers, some already on life support and others suffering mini scandals of their own until this brave and selfless political career took one for the team and gave a much needed reprieve to these other political careers that were increasingly in the public eye.

In an act of true altruism, Mr. Hersi’s departed political career has given one last gift of throwing itself in front of a marauding hoard of internet trolls, truth tellers and the occasional political scavengers. What we know is that the cause of death is confirmed to be a case of repetitive and chronic political miscalculation.

How to Govern Inefficiently: Multiple Government Agencies Performing the same Function

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Staff

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October 26, 2018

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In this series, we will examine inefficiencies and duplication of efforts in our government, where multiple agencies perform similar and sometimes exact functions and often compete for resource.

We will be looking at this long standing tradition in Somaliland where critical functions that should be part of a unified system are sliced off as a separate and independent agencies that affect service delivery and create a bureaucratic maze for citizens.

In Somaliland, instead of sacking an under performing official or bringing institutional change to a ministry, the solution is often to create an independent government institution that performs the exact same function.

We will start our series with two competing entities where one exists in the President’s office.

Ministry of Information and National Guidance vs The Information Office of the Presidency

The Ministry of Information and National Guidance is one of the most expensive operations in Somaliland government and the least effective. So ineffective, that even the government itself does not use it to reach broad audience, they prefer private televisions and other news outlets.

Recently, the President’s Office has established it own media department. A department that seems to be in direct competition with the Ministry of Information and National Guidance. It is unclear what the purpose of this office and why the President would sidestep the Ministry but what is clear is how active it is on social media often defending government positions.

This new department in the President’s Office is known as The Information Office of the Presidency and it is said to be the brainchild of Mohamed Ali Bile, the Director General of the Presidency and it is staffed largely by Kulmiye Party’s campaign personnel.

Presidential Director General Mohamed Ali Bile explains the purpose of the President’s Media Department.

It is unclear if the purpose of the Information Office of the Presidency has been established to a fill a specific need or to overcome other difficulties but what is known is that every footage of the President is shot by personnel from this office and is redistributed to other media outlets.

Here is one of the videos produced by the Presidency to highlight President Bihi’s 120th day in office and what his administration has accomplished.

So why does the Presidency need an entire department dedicated to producing content that can be produced by the Ministry of Information? There is a clear technical depth in the videos produced by the Presidency compared to those from Somaliland National Television.

Minister of Information Hon. Abdirahman Abdillahi Farah (Guri-Barwaqo)

The quality of the programming coming out of Hargeisa Radio, Somaliland National Television and Dawan news are nothing more than government announcements and a recap of the President’s day and activities by various ministries. Most often, information that has been in the public domain for hours.

The biggest reason that makes Somaliland’s official media operation dead on arrival is its inability reach audience with current information and live web broadcasts, technologies that are far more cost effective then traditional radio and television broadcasting.

A Somaliland National TV program about media

One may argue there are many older Somalilanders who get their daily dose of news from Radio Hargeisa and Somaliland National Television but this alone cannot justify the millions of dollars to inform few people of the President’s activities.

The beating heart of the information age is the internet and there is no particular place one can find Somaliland National TV programs except for a Youtube channel that does not seem to be updated often and there is a level of neglect that one can immediately sense from the quality of the programming, despite the best effort of the professionals that work on these programs.

Though the Ministry of Information’s media departments are taxpayer funded, they are not open to the opposition and only carry positive news. This could be a contributing factor to their limited reach to wider audience.

It is unclear if the Ministry of Information would be better if the technical talent at the Information Office of the Presidency were to augment their existing staff or if any kind of discussion took place to bridge the knowledge gap before a decision was made to create an entire department in the Presidency that has both cost and creates another layer of bureaucracy into an already complex system of governance.

If bringing Somaliland’s case for recognition to the world or what it has achieved is one of the objectives of these two competing entities, both are sadly falling short of this goal.

When Wolves Wear Medals: Why The Eritrean Dictator is the Ultimate Beneficiary from “The Abiy Ahmed” Phenomenon

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Staff

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October 25, 2018

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The world is still enamored with the new Prime Minister of Ethiopia Dr. Abiy Ahmed and the groundbreaking peace deals he has so far made with all of Ethiopia’s traditional rivals including their longtime archenemy Eritrea.

Despite the recent upheaval in the Somali region that led to the ouster of the regional President Abdi Illey and his eventual imprisonment, Dr Abiy has managed to bring the situation under control and made peace with Ginbot 7 and ONLF rebel groups.

Rally where PM Abiy survived a grenade attack

Despite these challenges, the Ethiopian Prime Minister also notched another right of passage for African leaders, he has survived his second assassination attempt, the first a bomb and the second the marching of elite troops to his office.

In the much reported whirlwind of activities by the Ethiopian Prime Minister, perhaps the most significant was the peace deal with Eritrea and Isaias Afwerki. This was the ultimate test of the new untested Prime Minister and how effective his charm offensive would work on the weary
Afwerki. It worked!

It worked! Prime Minister of Ethiopia with President of Eritrea Afwerki

The Jeddah Peace Agreement signed today before the CTHM is a historic milestone for the peoples of Ethiopia and Eritrea and will contribute to strengthening security and stability in the region at large pic.twitter.com/rkfUeP5rOw
— Adel Aljubeir عادل الجبير (@AdelAljubeir) September 16, 2018

The world gasped as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed achieved victory after incredible victory and rubbed shoulders with regional and world leaders.

He is not done delivering, Prime Minister Abiy took another rare step and appointed 50 percent women to his new cabinet. And two days later Rwanda’s Kigame followed suit and changed his cabinet composition and appointed 50 percent female ministers.

The honeymoon continues for now but long after the cameras are off and the euphoria of what Ethiopian termed as “their miracle” wears off, Dr Abiy Ahmed will have to deliver on all of those messages of hope. Hope will need to be translated to material and economic well-being. This is the hard part.

Somali President embraces Ethiopian Prime Minister in Mogadishu in June 2018

Under the skin, the Ethiopian Minister Abiy is driven by a singular and almost primal need to get his 100 million people access to proper ports to fuel the growth he envisions for his people. Not democracy and bringing a renaissance to East Africa. This is where both Somalia and Eritrea factored in his calculus of success.

Getting concession to Somalia’s ports was half of the day’s work for Prime Minister Abiy. The Somali President Mohamed Abdillahi Farmajo was not a challenge and readily conceded three ports in Somalia and possibly threw in one out of his reach in Somaliland.

Then there is Afwerki. This is not Farmajo, in fact he just happens to be one of Africa’s most brutal dictators and his nation has been called Africa’s North Korea.

Afwerki has run Eritrea since 1993 with an iron fist and has a track record of severe human rights violations and Amnesty International’s latest report about Eritrea includes an entire section about forced labor and slavery.

Eritrea was also sanctioned in 2009 by the United Nations Security Council for providing weapons to Al-Shabaab terrorist group in Somalia.

Another trait that makes Afwerki an even more dangerous dictator is his mercurial personality that borders on unstable. It has been said that the slightest infraction. An example of his unpredictability is when he canceled the 5.4 million dollar World Bank-funded Cultural Assets Rehabilitation Project (CARP), simply because proper homage was not paid to his patronage of the book “Asmara: Africa’s Secret Modernist City”.

This is the wolf that has been unleashed by Prime Minister Abiy and presented as an African elder statesman and peacemaker and
is seems to be king full advantage of Abiy’s political naivete.

What has Ethiopia gained so far from deals with Eritrea? How long will new affection between Isaias, Abiyi, and Farmajo continue, given the insecurity in Somalia, political upheavals within Ethiopia’s ethnic groups, and Afwerki’s unpredictable personality?

Ethiopia’s cross-border trade should be as between two sovereign nations and not as local on the reasoning that “we are one people and don’t need borders.” It was a similar fuzzy sentiment that ignited the war of 1998 and 2000 and Afwerki has not changed, in fact, he became less stable.

Regional allies like Djibouti and Somaliland continue to vigilantly observe the developments in Ethiopia provided that 70% of their imports go through Djibouti and Berbera Port maintains 30% of Ethiopia’s imports according to the new trade MoU between Somaliland and Ethiopia. Somaliland and DP World gave the Ethiopians a 19% stake in Berbera Port.

Exclusive – How the Minister of Finance Ordered the Extrajudicial Arrest of A Private Citizen

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Staff

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October 16, 2018

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Sharmarke Jama, a well known Somalilander and a technical consultant who works closely with multiple Somaliland government agencies was arrested yesterday in Hargeisa.

The Geeska newspaper was the first news outlet to break the news of Mr. Jama’s arrest on twitter. At the time of his arrest, the reasons behind Mr. Jama’s arrest were not clear.

#Somaliland: For reasons yet revealed #Somaliland government has arrested @sharmarke_jama, a prominent citizen and national asset. Hargeisa youths urge immediate release. @GuleidJ @SomalilandSun pic.twitter.com/xLY5VPf6Sr
— Geeska Afrika Media (@GeeskaM) October 14, 2018

According to sources familiar with the matter, Mr. Jama’s arrest is due to a simple misunderstanding related to a scheduling conflict to an event Mr. Jama was facilitating where the Minister of Finance Hon
Yusuf Mohamed Abdi was invited.

It is unknown what exactly transpired between the Minister of Finance and Mr. Jama, but what is known is that The Minister of Finance ordered the Commander of Police to arrest Mr. Jama.

Mr. Jama’s arrest, however brief is not at all that unusual in Somaliland. There has been widespread reports of government officials ordering the arrest of random citizens for minor infractions including personal insults or what would be otherwise personal disagreements, unfortunately this is often without a court warrant.

Minister of Finance Yusuf M Abdi with President Bihi

Mr. Jama at DP World Berbera expansion ceremony

What is unusual though is the speed with which the President of Somaliland HE Muse Bihi Abdi was informed of Mr. Jama’s arrest and how quickly his freedom was restored. It is unclear if Mr. Jama’s existing relationship with Somaliland government played a role to bring attention to his incarceration.

According to sources briefed on the matter, a visibly upset President Bihi promptly summoned the Police Commander General Fadal to the Presidency to learn more about the arrest of Mr. Jama.

“This arrest is the only evidence I need that there are many people that do not have someone to speak up for them or to get me to intervene that are wasting away in your Police Stations” President Bihi

General Fadal informed the President that infact Mr. Jama is in police custody and he was acting on request from the Minister of Finance Yusuf M Abdi to arrest Mr. Jama and that he has not been given a reason for the arrest and as a result, the President asked the Minister of Finance to see him immediately.

Police Commander with President Bihi at a Police Academy graduation ceremony

After a lengthy discussion between the President, Police Commander and the Minister of Finance, along with other unnamed high ranking officials and tribal leaders, the President ordered the immediate release of Mr. Jama.

Released late last night. Still not sure why I was arrested to begin with, but would like to thank everyone for their support and kind messages/calls.
— Sharmarke Jama (@sharmarke_jama) October 15, 2018

During the discussion, according to an individual present who insisted on anonymity, the President turned to the Police Commander, General Fadal and said “This arrest is the only evidence I need that there are many people that do not have someone to speak up for them or to get me to intervene that are wasting away in your Police Stations”.

It is unclear what steps the President will take to ensure citizen’s rights and due process are not violated or if there would be any consequences for the officials involved in Mr. Jama’s unlawful incarceration.

We have been unable to reach the Presidency, Police Command, Minister of Finance Yusuf M Abdi or Mr. Jama for additional comments.

Firing on All Cylinders: President and Vice President’s Best Day Yet.

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Staff

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October 11, 2018

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President of Somaliland HE Muse Bihi Abdi opened a high level conference organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation titled “Somaliland Achievements and Challenges ahead 27 years later”.

The meeting was attended by world renown experts in international relations and diplomacy experts as well as many dignitaries from current, previous government and members of both opposition parties of Somaliland

The President, in his opening remark, highlighted both the successes and the challenges that faces the Republic of Somaliland in the last 27 years.

Accomplishments

Foreign dignitaries with President’s Special Advisor Mr Ibrahim Dubad (Right)

Peace and reconciliation among the Somaliland clans;
Demobilization of the Militia and the establishment of Somaliland national armed forces;
State and institutions building;
Referendum on the constitution and its approval by 97% o the Somaliland voters;
Implementation of the democratization process and holding of multiple rounds of peaceful, credible, free and fair elections;
Economic development and successful efforts to attract Foreign Direct Investment chief among them is the expansion and modernization of the Berbera Port;
Somaliland’s contribution to the regional peace and stability;
The role we play in the Regional Economic integration through utilization of the soon to be expanded and modernized Berbera port.

Challenges

Economy with limited resources;
Huge unemployment level particularly among the youth;
Lack of international recognition which impacts negatively on our ability to obtain our rights including international economic support, specially from International Financial Institutions;
Limited resources for a better infrastructure development.
Our government is continuously working on strategies to address these challenges facing us in this contemporary period.

President Bihi welcomes the Danish Ambassador Mette Knudsen

On the same day, the President met with the Danish Ambassador to Somaliland and Somalia Mette Knudsen and the head of the Danish aid agency DANIDA Anne Elisabeth Kobæk.

President Bihi with Danish Ambassador and Head of DANIDA

Berbera Port Expansion Project

About 50 miles to the east of Hargeisa, the Vice President of Somaliland HE Abdirahman Abdallahi Ismail Saylici was attending another high profile event in Berbera.

Vice President Breaks ground in expansion project in Berbera with DP World and Berbera Port Manager Said Hassan Abdillahi

Vice President Saylici addressing attendees of the ground breaking ceremony

The Vice President broke ground on a new project to expand the Berbera port container terminal by an additional 400 meters.

The Vice President and the Port Manager spoke of the improvements and the changes that DP World has completed in the Berbera DP World since it assumed operating the port.

Somaliland’s latest acquisition: A brand new tug boat for Berbera Port.

The kick off ceremony of the first face of the expansion project was attended by senior members of the constructions firm that will be undertaking the construction as well as members from DP World management.

Broken Promises: Hargeisa Mayor “Soltelco” Fails to Deliver Land Promised to Military Families

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Staff

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October 11, 2018

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Mayor of Somaliland’s capital city of Hargeisa Abdirahman Aideed “soltelco” failed to deliver land he promised to Somaliland military and their families on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr back in June 2018.

The mayor’s pledge was a welcome news though it was short on specifics. There was no mention of the size of the land and location.

Member’s of Somaliland Military march on Somaliland independence day

Somaliland Chronicle has reached out to the Mayor, his deputy and members of Hargeisa Local Council on multiple occasions to get additional details or comments without much success. It is unclear if the Mayor plans toto follow through and fulfill this pledge to the military and their families.

Mayor Abdirahman Aideed “Soltelco” with his Deputy Mr.Abdiaziz Mohammed Hashi with President Bihi and VP Saylici

A member of the local council who did not wish to speak on record was surprised that Somaliland Chronicle was seeking clarification regarding the land pledge “He makes promises far more than he takes breaths, good luck untangling his million promises” said with a smile.

Khadar Y Ali, a close adviser of Hargeisa Mayor

Somali Cable reported a new twist to the Mayor’s unfulfilled land pledge. This time, military officers and their families are making a public appeal to the Ministry of Defense, Military Commanders and the President to intervene their eviction from the 24th Military base currently used by the 31st Division of Somaliland Army located in the outskirts of the capital.

The officer, addressing the President of Somaliland, HE Muse Bihi Abdi, stated that they have come back from the front lines to ensure their families are not evicted.

Speaking directly to the President, the officer said “Mr. President, we cannot afford to rent or buy land, our financial resources are limited and maybe we should bring our families and children to the Presidency so you can look after them we can stand guard, spill our blood and sacrifice ourselves in defending of the country”

President Bihi during his Military service as an Air Force Pilot

Continuing his direct appeal the President directly, the officer said “Mr. President, you have been a soldier, attained rank and today you are the President of the Republic you have felt and know the challenges faced by a soldier”

President of Somaliland HE Muse Bihi Abdi has served as a pilot with the Somali Air Force before he joined the struggle against Siad Barre regime.

Land disputes has been flash point of civil conflicts in Somaliland and accounts for the majority of civil litigation cases in all of Somaliland courts.

We have been unsuccessful in reaching to the Military command, the Presidency and Mayor Soltelco’s office for comment and clarification on the complaint of the members of the 31st Division.

Exclusive Interview with Bashir Goth – Somaliland’s New Representative to the United States.

By

Staff

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October 9, 2018

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The new Somaliland Representative to the United States, His Excellency Bashir Goth discusses Somaliland in the United States, the sweeping changes in the region, challenges ahead and opportunities to revitalize Somaliland’s mission to the United States.

Somaliland Chronicle: Thank you very much for granting us the opportunity to speak with you. Once again, we want to congratulate you on your appointment as Somaliland’s Representative to the United States, no doubt a hard job.

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself, academic background, professional life and anything else you want to share with the Somaliland public.

Representative Goth: I was born and raised in Somaliland, or Somalia as it was known at the time. I spent my formative years in the British built boarding schools of Sheikh and Amoud and later I attended Lafoole College of Education on the outskirts of Mogadishu. I was lucky also to have started my elementary school in Dilla School, the first co-educational school in the then British Somaliland Protectorate. A daring initiative at the time which was pioneered by my father.

I spent most of my career as a communication and media professional, working over 30 years as a journalist, news editor, and communication advisor for global energy corporations, international organizations and governments. In the meantime, I pursued further education both through instituions and through personal calling. I am an avid reader and I love to spend as much time as I could in reading or browsing through libraries and bookstores.

People know me as writer who authored numerous English and Arabic articles on political, business, cultural and social issues. My essays of critique on cultural dialogue have been translated into many languages such as French, German, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Hebrew and Arabic. Somali people also know me as a cultural custodian and a unique voice in modern Somali poetry.

Somaliland Chronicle: Let’s also get an obvious question out of the way; Are you the right man for the job of representing Somaliland in the United States of America?

“I will do a good job beyond the call of duty”

Representative Goth: I didn’t seek this job. I was approached by the government of Somaliland and as a Somalilander I had to accept the country’s call of duty. I, therefore, assume that you should address this question to the employer not the employee. It is the employer who decides who is the right person for the right position. But I wouldn’t have accepted the position if I didn’t know that I will do a good job beyond the call of duty.

Somaliland Chronicle: Somaliland’s representation in the US has not been as active as it should’ve been due to many factors, knowing the challenges ahead, give us a preview of your plans and what you will be doing different to make Somaliland visible in the United States

Representative Goth: Somaliland is a beacon of hope in the Horn of Africa. It is a small country that achieved a lot without much international help. It established peace and stability through homegrown reconciliation efforts. Somaliland is not only a country that practices constitutional democracy and guarantees free elections, free speech, and free press but it is also a country that kept its land free of terrorism and its waters free of piracy.

“a model of an African solution for African problems”

My duty, therefore, is to make Somaliland’s contribution to the peace and stability in the region and the world at large visible, appreciated and supported. It is in the interest of the world, the United States included, to help Somaliland in preventing the turbulence taking place in the neighborhood from spilling over to Somaliland and hence opening new floodgates of refugees and illegal immigration.

Somaliland does not need only recognition for its statehood, which it deserves, but it needs the United States and other industrial countries to support it as a model of an African solution for African problems. Somaliland is a natural ally for the United States as a peaceful and democractic country. And this is the message I want to convey to the US authorities and institutions.

“Somaliland is a beacon of hope in the Horn of Africa”

Somaliland Chronicle: Some have said that your predecessor has not actively engaged and utilized the strong Somaliland communities in the United States, what do you plan to do differently in terms of the Mission’s community engagement and mobilization to further Somaliland’s interest?

Representative Goth: The mission cannot achieve its objectives without the support and engagement of the Somaliland communities in the United States. It is the communities, particularly the youth and women who can advocate the Somaliland cause. Yes, we must work as one unit to strengthen the friendship between Somaliland and the United States.

Somaliland Chronicle: Because of its sheer size and how widely Somalilanders are dispersed throughout the United States, are there plans to open regional offices to serve communities in Ohio, Minnesota or Washington State and help them organize and lobby their representatives on behalf of Somaliland?

Representative Goth: The communities have their own structures and platforms. The mission will work with all communities and whoever they elect to represent them. I will visit all the communities in all places you mentioned to acquaint myself with the activities and structures of the various communities and to find new ways to cooperate with them to win friends for Somaliland.

Somaliland Chronicle: Diplomacy and International relations are very expensive, do you have all the resources you need to bring Somaliland front and center in the United States?

Representative Goth: As you know Somaliland is not a recognized state and hence it doesn’t get a lot of international aid and it cannot access international financial institutions. It barely struggles to attract foreign investment for its potential energy reserves, its tourism, and its fishing and agricultural sector as well as its infrastructure. The meager revenue the country generates from tax collection is spent on the country’s security, education and on the government’s running cost. And as important as diplomatic missions are in promoting Somaliland’s cause and winning friends, they do not have the resources they need to work at their full potential. We operate on a shoestring budget to do as much as we can do.

Somaliland Chronicle: We have recently spoken to our Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation about the changes in the region, give us your view of what is happening in the region and how it affects Somaliland?

Representative Goth: It is obvious that the Horn of Africa is going through a period of change that started with the rise of Abiye Ahmed as the new Prime Minister of Ethiopia. The region was ripe for a change. An Ethnic conflict in Ethiopia, two-decades of military confrontation between Ethiopia and Eritrea, a decade old border tension between Eritrea and Djibouti, the internice fratricide in South Sudan, and the decades-long civil war in Somalia. This was not a normal situation by any standard and it was hampering the region’s economic growth and social development.

So, when the Ethiopian Prime Minister mended ties with Eritrea, analysts immediately sensed that this step would bring a larger positive impact to the whole region. Now, that peace looks certain in the region apart from the war-ravaged Somalia, I think the next step would be to talk about economic integration and the possibility of the Horn countries forming a strong economic bloc. Somaliland as the peaceful, stable and democratic country in the region can only gain from the new situation. I don’t think any creative thinking like that of Abiye Ahmed will ever come from Mogadishu, but it must be clear to everyone that no economic integration can be achieved without Somaliland. It is therefore my hope that Somaliland would be invited to the palace ball at the end.

“We need to measure ourselves with higher benchmarks”

Somaliland Chronicle: As the newest member of Somaliland’s foreign services team, we have been a functional democracy for 27 years, what do you think we have done right in terms of seeking recognition from the world and is there anything that we should be doing differently?

Representative Goth: The Somaliland diaspora community and particularly the second-generation youth who are savvier in social media should be more robust in pushing Somaliland’s recognition. We need a more united and more concerted effort by the communities for the cause. Until now, the search for recognition was widely considered to be a government job. Somaliland’s cause should be a people’s cause if we want to achieve recognition. And for the people to own the cause, we should show the world that we are serious about establishing a system based on justice, accountability, respect for the citizen’s rights, a dynamic civil society and civic engagement in public discourse. We need to measure ourselves with higher benchmarks.

Somaliland Chronicle: Did you have a working relationship with the Somali Federal Government and if so could you describe the nature of the relationship? Was the relationship based on alignment of thought with greater Somalia?

Representative Goth: I worked for the Somali Federal Government as a secondee from an international organization. I now represent the Somaliland people and government. The thought of greater Somalia was the Somali dream of our fathers and forefathers. I was of the generation who grew up with the aspiration of one day seeing a united greater Somalia. But today the reality is different. We all know that.

Somaliland Chronicle: About your Open letter to the President of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo which is your pinned tweet, did you write it as a generic Somali and someone who believes in Greater Somalia or a citizen of the Republic of Somaliland?

Representative Goth: Whichever you way you read it. It is an opinion piece and people are free to interpret the way they like.

Somaliland Chronicle: Do you believe in Somaliland and it is right to exist as an independent country?

Representative Goth: I hail from Somaliland. I represent Somaliland. And I am not aware if Somaliland has yet constituted a test for patriotism. Did you?

Somaliland Chronicle: Finally, though Somaliland has a compelling case for international recognition and has been described ad nauseum by lots of people, as a renowned wordsmith we want to hear your version, could you tell the world why Somaliland deserves to be recognized?

Representative Goth: It is the will of the people and the will of the people anywhere in the world has to be respected.

Policy Brief: Waves of Change in the Horn of Africa: Challenges and Opportunities

By

Staff

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October 7, 2018

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Background

The Horn of Africa is a strategically significant region that geographically commands the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the northwest edge of the Indian Ocean. The region consists of one of the fastest growing economies in the world that have seen a remarkable economic expansion for the last decade. There are countries in the region that can be categorized as failed states, and some that pursue democratic principles whereby freedom is cherished. It’s a complex and diverse region in terms of culture, religion, economy, security, and politics. It is one of the most dynamic regions in the world but is marred by terrorism, pirates, border issues, human trafficking, and ethnic feuds. The traditional understanding of the Horn is that it is prone to conflicts and mistrust. In fact, the rapprochement of Ethiopia and Eritrea became a new window of opportunity that illuminates the renaissance in the region whereby member states are working to advance their mutual interests.

Furthermore, the strategic advantage of Somaliland’s position attracted giant regional players and other big powers to attempt to gain leverage in Somaliland. Ethiopia advanced its bilateral cooperation with Somaliland to a new dimension, besides the security and the diplomatic fronts, by taking advantage of the UAE’s investment of nearly $450 million in Berbera port. Ethiopia’s efforts aim to reduce its dependency on Djibouti ports and thus it cosigned a concession deal with Somaliland and the UAE that gives 51%, 30% and 19% to UAE, Somaliland, and Ethiopia respectively.

From a geostrategic point of view, it is obvious that Ethiopia has a great interest in the Berbera Port since it is the closest port to the isolated but economically viable eastern region of Ethiopia where the export and imports of livestock, agriculture and newly found oil originate. This tripartite deal triggered a port acquisition competition in the greater Horn. Later, Ethiopia signed new ports deals with Djibouti, Sudan, Somalia and Kenya while the UAE, driven by Djibouti’s Doraleh port confiscation from DP World, invested in Berbera. This fall out with Djibouti encouraged the UAE to support and facilitate new diplomatic engagements between the hostile neighbors of Ethiopia and the previously isolated Eritrea. One can argue that Berbera port fundamentally shifted the state of affairs of the Horn and played a key role the resurgence of the wider Horn of Africa to promote a deeper economic integration.

Ethiopia is the largest economy in the Horn, a region that is a gatekeeper for Africa with its natural and human resources. After Abiy Ahmed was appointed as Ethiopia’s Prime Minister in April, when a revolution forced his predecessor’s resignation, the new Prime Minister has introduced enormous and swift reforms which had wide-ranging implications, including the rapprochement between Eritrea and Ethiopia after 20 years of stalemate that had changed the dynamics of the region in particular and throughout the continent. Moreover, the Ethiopian Prime Minister and Somalia President, Dr. Abiy Ahmed and H.E Mohamed Farmajo respectively called for the UN to lift the sanctions imposed on Eritrea for its alleged role in destabilizing the region. This upset Djibouti because of its unresolved Dumeira dispute with Eritrea.

It is worth mentioning that Djibouti accommodates global powers as it hosts the largest American permanent military base in Africa, the only Chinese base outside its mainland, and other major powers. It is understood that the Americans are uncomfortable with the Chinese base in Djibouti and are not convinced that Beijing does not have ulterior motives. Moreover, the Americans expressed discomfort with a deal that allowed a Chinese-state owned enterprise to operate Doraleh Container Terminal after DP World was expelled.

The United States is the architect behind the Ethiopia and Eritrea peace process through the UAE. Earlier this year, Donald Yamamoto, then the top U.S. official on Africa and current US Ambassador to Somalia, met the Eritrean President in Asmara, before meeting with Ahmed Abiy in the Ethiopian capital. This shows that the US, through Saudi Arabia and other GSS members, wants to strengthen its influence in the region to counter China’s growing power, which manifests itself in Djibouti through its enormous investment.

The latest developments in the Horn of Africa are not good news for Djibouti. It further isolates the tiny country from the rest of the region. It seems any additional segregation could potentially push Djibouti to retaliate negatively. Such a move will have a destructive impact on the stability of the Horn and might create new political rivalries in the already fragile region.

Challenges and Opportunities

The current State of affairs in Ethiopia poses many challenges to the new leadership in Addis Ababa including the disproportional representation in the administration, military, and security. In addition to this, Ethiopia has not yet laid the grounds for more democratic, transparent, fair and inclusive elections, which would give the chance for the democratic plurality and free speech enshrined in the Constitution to make meaningful institutional, political and economic changes. As it stands, there is no constitutional separation and independence of the branches of government to prevent the legislative and judiciary branches from becoming rubberstamping tools of the government.

Ethiopia and Eritrea fought several times during the independence and post-independence of Eritrea and later exported their conflict to the whole region. They waged a proxy war in Somalia; Eritrea is often accused of accommodating, training and arming the terrorist networks in Somalia to overthrow the weak governments that were backed by Ethiopia. On the other hand, Djibouti and Eritrea had a military confrontation over a border dispute. In this regard, Eritrea was seen as a repressive and destabilizing force by many. Subsequently, this led to sanctions being imposed on Eritrea which negatively affected the lives of the ordinary people and led to mass migration. The Ethiopian-Eritrean proxy conflict increased opportunities for terrorist infiltration of the Horn and East Africa and for ignition of a larger regional conflict.

Somalia has long been regarded as a failed state which suffers from terrorism, piracy, armed conflicts, poverty, and recurrent droughts. The current federal government has no strong relations with its own federal member states. Recently, Somalia’s federal states withdrew cooperation with the federal government; at a time when the president of Somalia was taking part in a tripartite conference in Asmara intended to seek regional cooperation. This clearly weakens the president’s capacity to maximize his diplomatic policies and serve Somalia’s interests in the region.

Security is an important factor – more specifically extremism-related incidents. Somalia seemingly became a safe haven for radical groups; mainly Alshabab and ISIS. Throughout the years, the militant groups became a more regional threat by carrying out terror attacks in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Somaliland. Such beyond border incidents could contribute to less stable environment and rein the new waves of change in the region. Since the deployment of African Union peacekeeping forces, known as AMISOM, a little but significant progress have been made to contain the expansion of those groups into more regions within Somalia and the neighboring countries.

Somaliland is an example of peace and democracy in the Horn that regained its independence from Somalia in 1991. Somaliland’s recognition is viewed by many as an expression of peace, stability, and democracy in a very strategic but turbulent region. As Somaliland struggles for its acknowledged position in the region and, as it is already attracting foreign investments, increased disorder can negatively impact the little progress that Somaliland gained.

Despite Somaliland’s long-standing relationship with Ethiopia, the country’s engagement with other regional states has been limited due to the lack of substantial foreign policy strategy to engage with the regional block as a gateway for its quest of recognition. Somaliland failed to synergize its priorities with those of regional members through diplomatic means, to protect its interest and maneuver the new waves in the Horn. Consequently, these failures represent a substantial obstacle to Somaliland in particular and the region in general.

Conclusion

The Horn of Africa region is currently taking a different direction focusing more on peace and political maturity that can benefit all. As now the most pressing conflicts in the region have been transformed into more cooperation and economic integration, the few remaining issues can be dealt with through the same approach. Berbera Port along with DP World’s African market in Ethiopia can create an enormous regional economic power over the rest of the continent. Although it is a long way to go for a sustained peace and development in the Horn of Africa, some cases present positive regional development: the resolved Badame case is expected to contribute to the regional peace and stability.

Saudi Arabia and its ally the United Arab Emirates are attempting to broker peace in the region. This shows the increasing importance the GCC nations put on East Africa in an attempt to battle the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in nearby Yemen.

The recent Jeddah meeting between the leaders of Djibouti and Eritrea to resolve the decades-lasting border-related standoff can also be considered another element in the wind of change blowing in the Horn. Thereafter, another layer of exercises is still waiting to be resolved – including tackling ethnic conflicts within and or across the borders and contextualizing democratic values in the region. Finally, to complete the peace efforts, the leaders of the region must find a lasting solution for the Somaliland/Somalia issue by engaging in mediation efforts between the two sides.

Recommendations

To Eritrea

Prepare a strategy to solve Ras-Dumeira case with the assistance of the other stakeholders
Since the Horn of Africa is shifting its Paradigm to promoting democracy, human rights and economic integration, Eritrea needs to adopt such change and shift its institutions accordingly.
Eritrea should work for a long-lasting peace mechanism with Ethiopia that will not be affected by a regime change in the long run
As Eritrea rejoins IGAD, it is essential for the country to be proactive in its engagement within the organization

To Djibouti

Djibouti should resolve issues with UAE regarding Daroleh port case and restore its relations with the Emirate
Djibouti should adopt and implement the agreement concerning the case of Ras-Dumeirah that was recently signed in Saudi Arabia
Djibouti should find a way to harmonize the superpowers presence in the region before those interests turn into confrontations.

To Somaliland

Somaliland needs to initiate an independent, prudent and cohesive foreign policy strategy that pursues national interest priorities.
Somaliland should continue to be an example of democracy in Africa, thus the parliamentary elections in 2019 should be held on time and in a fair and free manner.
Somaliland needs to revisit its approach in talks with Somalia and come up with a new strategy to ensure mutual interest. Both Somaliland and Somalia should be honest about finding a long-lasting solution to their current stand-off
Having significant geo-strategic location, Somaliland should translate its position into the benefit of the Horn of Africa and the world.

To Ethiopia

Ethiopia should use the current change to promote democracy and human rights at federal and regional levels.
Ethiopia should work out a new strategy to soften regulations and open its market with its neighbors as the regional economic integration is gaining momentum.
Ethiopia should continue the current engagement with its neighbors towards peace mediation efforts and extend the initiative to other African countries.

To Somalia

The Federal government needs to implement the agreed federal constitution and allow the regional member states their fair share in the areas of long-term strategic decision making with regard to the future of the country.
Council of regional member states should always open a door for dialogue and working relationships must be reinstated.
Federal Government should avoid measures to undermine the regional member states. Such actions may lead to chaos and give room to the militant groups.
Somalia should be prepared for serious dialogue with Somaliland for a forward-thinking strategy.
Somalia should implement previous agreements with Somaliland to ensure the trustworthiness of any future talks.
Somalia and Somaliland should refrain from speeches and actions that can hinder dialogue

Freedom Center for Strategic Studies (FCSS) is a nonprofit policy research organization dedicated to providing strategic insights and policy solutions to help decision makers work towards a better world. The Center provides effective and sustainable strategic policy alternatives that improve governments, institutions and decision making through research and analysis. Peace and security research are a priority. FCSS aims to provide dialogue in matters related to disputes.
• 06th October, 2018
• www.Freedomcenterss.com

Printed with permission. The opinion expressed in this policy brief are that of the Freedom Center for Strategic Studies (FCSS) and do not necessarily reflect that of Somaliland Chronicle.

Critical Artery: The State of Hargeisa Main Bridge

By

Staff

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October 7, 2018

0

Hargeisa resident woke up to news that the main bridge that connects the city across its dry river bed is near collapse, there is a a massive concrete slap that is visibly leaning against the main spans of the bridge.

According to the Somaliland Road Agency, the responsibility of maintaining bridges and interstate connector highways are their responsibility.

According to one of the engineers from the Somaliland Road Agency, Abdillahi Abdisalam Sheikh Ali Jawhar, the concrete skirt is not part of the bridge support system and stated that it is an addition that was made in 2006 when erosion exposed the piles.

Engineer Ali Jawhar gave a detailed background of the issue and added that barrier intended to protect against erosion was washed out by recent floods. He stated that the bridge is stable and assured citizens that it is by no means collapsing.

Without specifying what sort of maintenance was being done, Engineer Ali Jawhar spoke of a lack of experience from personnel from the Ministry of Public works and without specifics stated that they should not have dug the base of the concrete slap around the middle span. It is this digging that supposedly caused the massive concrete slap to lean against the span.

The Ministry of Public works officials including the Honorable Minister, Abdirashid Dualeh Qambi, visited the the bridge, however there was little explanation to the maintenance work that led to the concrete slap’s tilt but mainly complained that they have been criticized.

There was no official statement from Hargeisa local government regarding the bridge or its state. The mayor however responded directly to criticism on social media with below response where he called his detractors “sick”.

While the Somaliland Road Agency promised to quickly cover the exposed base of the concrete skirt and may consider removing it all together, there was no mention of when the remediation work will start.

Investigative Reports

Accomplishments

Challenges

Berbera Port Expansion Project

Background

Challenges and Opportunities

Conclusion

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