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Attacks on the Press: Journalists caught between terrorists and governments

By
Goth Mohamed
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0

CPJ releases annual assessment of press freedom worldwide
New York, April 27, 2015-Terrorist groups and the governments who purport to fight them have made recent years the most dangerous period to be a journalist, the Committee to Protect Journalists found in its annual global assessment of press freedom, Attacks on the Press, released today. Some journalists are kidnapped or killed by militant groups while others are surveiled, censored, or imprisoned by governments seeking to respond to that threat, real or perceived.


Attacks on the Press is a collection of essays by regional experts and CPJ staff that examines the array of challenges journalists face. The 2015 edition features a foreword by CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour, a member of CPJ’s board of directors.
“Journalists are being caught in a terror dynamic, in which they are threatened by non-state actors who target them and governments that restrict civil liberties including press freedom in the name of fighting terror,” said Joel Simon, CPJ’s executive director. “Attacks on the Press surveys this new landscape, providing insights into the myriad threats- from surveillance and self-censorship to violence and imprisonment-that make this the most deadly and dangerous period for journalists in recent history.”
Non-state actors, including criminal organizations and violent political groups, pose a significant threat to journalists as well as a challenge to press freedom advocates and news organizations. In places like Mexico and Paraguay, trafficking organizations are the primary threat. One essay examines how in 2014 journalists became props in propaganda films, reflecting a global trend in the documentation of violence by the perpetrators. Another essay looks at how journalists cope with continuous risks to their well-being.
Further essays examine how governments abuse anti-terror and national security laws to silence criticism. Ethiopia, one of the world’s worst jailers of journalists, has charged most of the journalists behind bars with promoting terrorism. Egypt under President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi uses a similar technique; the country recently sentenced three reporters to life in prison because of alleged connections to the Muslim Brotherhood. In fact, across the Middle East, the Internet is treated as an enemy, as leaders are all too aware of its power in galvanizing anti-government movements.
In Europe, journalists must contend with limitations in the name of privacy, a rise in right-wing extremism, and homegrown terrorists such as those who murdered eight journalists at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. As in the U.S., a focus on national security forces journalists to think and act like spies to protect their sources, as CPJ Staff Technologist Tom Lowenthal writes.
The combination of threats poses an array of safety concerns for journalists. Conflict in Syria has reshaped the rules for covering conflict, as Janine di Giovanni writes. Many of those covering Syria are in fact covering their first war. Freelancers make up an increasing percentage of journalists killed for their work, leading CPJ and a coalition of press freedom organizations and media outlets to advocate for better global standards for protecting them and the local journalists on whom they rely.
The book is rounded out by essays on the different forms of censorship-wielded by governments and non-state actors-in Hong Kong, India, Libya, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, and West Africa during the Ebola epidemic.


Attacks on the Press was first published in 1986. The 2015 print edition is published by Bloomberg Press, an imprint of Wiley, and is available for purchase.

ETHIOPIA: Cry Once Again, Our Beloved Country!

By
Goth Mohamed
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0

isis -ethiopiaBy Alemayehu G Mariam

Ethiopian lives matter!

Exactly ten years ago in 2005, almost to the month, the late supreme leader of the Thugtatorship of the Tigrean Peoples Liberation Front (T-TPLF), Meles Zenawi, personally directed a campaign of brutal suppression of unarmed protesters following the general election that year. On May 16, 2005, Meles Zenawi declared a state of emergency, outlawed all public gatherings and placed under his direct personal command and control all police, security and military forces, and replaced the capital city police with federal police and special forces. In the coming weeks, Meles’ forces went on a killing rampage slaughtering 193 innocent protesters and severely wounding nearly 800 o

Somaliland:My visit to the Smiley coast of Africa

By
Goth Mohamed
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0

Gambia & Senegal border(Part 1)

 

I had the opportunity to visit Gambia for the second time in a year as an International Programmes Officer responsible for monitoring orphan programmes for an NGO in London. My visit lasted 10 days and I met many orphans, widows and many other local Gambian people. Gambia celebrated its 50th independence anniversary on 18 February. One of the first things you will notice when you go to the country is how secure and peaceful this country dubbed the smiley coast of Africa is. You will specially notice this at nights when you see many women in the middle of the night walking alone. I said to my Gambian friends aren’t these women afraid to be harmed by criminals or sick men who may want to rape them. They told any man who rapes a woman in Gambia will face the prospect of life imprisonment and any man who resorts to such violent sexual abuse will be disowned by his own tribe due to the shame he will bring to them. One day when I was going to the market, I saw a group of young and old men circling a young Gambian man. Some were holding him by the collar of his shirt and others pushing him around. When I enquired about what was unfolding in front of my eyes, I was informed these are group of vigilantes taking the young man they are holding to the police station as he was caught shoplifting.

At an orphanage

With a population of 1.8 Million, everywhere you look there are very young children in Gambia. Marrying two wives is the norm and when you see the numerous children in the streets you will think couples were given assignments to increase the Gambian population. People work hard for their living though. Gambia is a tourist county and many people work in the hotel industry, but tourism has been hit hard this year by the Ebola decease outbreak in Sierra Leone, Liberia & Guinea. Although there has been no single case of Ebola in Gambia many tourists avoided travelling to West Africa this year and the hotel I was staying lost almost 50% of its customers. Assisatou – a hard working worker at the restaurant of the hotel told me she will be out of work from 24 April until October as most employees will be sent home except few permanent maintenance staff who will receive 75% of their normal salary and continue working until the hotel reopens. Modou, the senior housekeeping supervisors who has been with the hotel for 16 years is amongst the lucky ones who will be staying with a pay cut.

 

Children as young as 6 & 7 are on the streets selling all kinds products. I met a 9 year old selling cashew nuts and was approached by young girls who wanted to sell me boiled eggs at the Gambian Senegal border. How many boiled eggs can a genetically modified African living in London eat? I gave them some money to share and spared myself to gulp down dozen eggs. I also met Gambian women in a village making traditional brooms. They sell the brooms for 5 dalasi each; that’s less than a penny. Despite all the hardships they face the people of Gambia are proud of their country and see working and earning a living an honour. I don’t like to see children as young as 6 working but the necessities of life and endless needs of poor families force these young children to earn income by selling whatever they can sell to support their parents.

 

Most of the widows I have met on my 10 days work trip were in their early & late 30s. Their husbands were 20, 30 and sometimes 40 years their senior. Some of these women remarried when their husbands died. Unfortunately for some of them the new husbands did not accept the children they had from the previous husbands and their orphans ended up in orphanages or with other family members. I asked young girls in Bakau why they marry husbands up to 30 years older than them and not look for men close to their age. They said young men our age and those slightly older than us have no means to marry us and it’s usually those older men who have the resources – so we have no choice. This was the second time I have visited Gambia and I’m already missing this great African country and its friendly smiling people.

on the way to Kunta Kinteh island

My visit to Kunta  Kinteh  island 

(part 2)

 

I paid emotional visit to Kunta Kinteh Island where our fellow African brothers and sisters from Gambia used to be taken before they were shipped to America to be sold as slaves. I’m probably the first Somalilander who visited the island. The island was known as St Andrews Island during the Portuguese era and was named St James Island afterwards by the British. In 2011, Yahya  Jammeh –   the President of Gambia renamed the Island ‘ the Kunta  Kinteh Island’. It is only 3 miles from the village of Juffureh but according to my guide, 900 Gambians who couldn’t swim died there when their captors set them free. He said at those times the Gambia River was full of crocodiles and even if they knew how to swim they wouldn’t have survived the dangerous crocodiles that lurked in the river. This is how cruel & brutal the slave traders were.

 

During the transatlantic slave trade, young strong Gambian men and women were captured, chained and imprisoned in the Island and shipped to America were they were sold like merchandise. Many Gambian women were raped in the island as pregnant Gambian slaves were more valuable because of the baby they carried. The journey to America lasted 6 – 9 months and many slaves died on those ships due to the exceptionally poor conditions they were kept in. Many died of Malaria and hygiene problems. They were staked together like Sardines while chained and you can imagine the disease that can develop from people who had to release their basic needs without a toilet. As shown in the film roots adopted from Alex Haley’s book about slavery, Kunta Kinteh was a very strong Gambian young man who was proud of his African traditions and roots.  It was painful experience for me seeing the island where this brave young man was locked amongst his other innocent native Gambians by greedy, inhuman, savage, despicable white slave traders.

 

About 30 million African shaves were shipped to America, around 6 million of those died while being shipped. This is Africa’s Holocaust and Arab, Portuguese, British and other countries involved in the slave trade have to be brought to justice. Those who were involved in the Holocaust are hunted up to this present day and brought to justice to face the crimes they have committed against innocent Jewish people and humanity. I’m not saying the slave traders bones should be exhumed from their graves to face justice, but the countries they belonged which benefited from this slave trade should be brought to justice and Gambia and other African countries who suffered as result of this barbaric practice should be compensated. I don’t know how it occurred to those subhuman slave traders to do what they did.

 

9 year old Gambian seling cashew

Sorry the road is closed for wedding!

( Part 3)

 

Gambia was not as hot as the last time I visited the country last May but my coconut oil that hardly moves in London melted. At the hotel I’m staying one of the ladies who serves breakfast is Assisatou. She makes very delicious waffles. For some reason most women in Gambia have got “tou” as part of their name. If you are called Fatima you will be called Fatimatou, Aisha – Aishatou and so on. I asked the lady who is in charge of the beach towels in my hotel, called Khadijatou why Gambians use tou at the end of their names. She said its tradition. Just like the Indians add Khan at the end of their name we add tou. I said this is fair and told her she can call me Mohamedtou. She said the tou is only for female names. She got me there.

 

As I was walking by the beach just before my work day started, I met two Gambian gentlemen – Abu-Bakr and Ismail. Abu-Bakr is young man who is self-employed and in his 20s, while Ismail is an old gentleman who works as a security guard at the hotel. Abu-Bakr told me “sir let me sell you some cigarettes & tobacco”. I told him “aren’t you going to ask me first if I smoke, besides why do you want to kill a brother from Somaliland who is a guest in your country”. He smiled and said “OK, buy for your family & friends”. “I don’t want to kill them either” I said. The old gentleman joined the discussion and said “I’m from the same tribe as President Yahya Jammeh; I’m from the Jola tribe and used to be a soldier when I was a young man”. I said “Good to hear that Ismail, I hope the president treats you well. I then asked Abu-Bakr his views about politics and the President. He told me he doesn’t care about politics as it doesn’t change anything in his life. I compared this to how many people are obsessed with politics. When I was about to leave them I told the young man “may Allah bless your business”. He responded “how is my business going to be blessed when my pocket is empty and I don’t have fish money for my wife”. I asked him what he meant about fish money and he told me this is the money he  gives to his wife for daily shopping such as shopping for food ‘ biilka  reerka ‘. He was a clever young man. He added “the old man you see in front of you works 5 days a week and makes only 2000 Dalasi. This is roughly about £30 a month. I went back to my hotel and gave Ismail & Abu-Bakr 200 Dalasi each – Enough fish money for a day.

 

20150418_154357_resized (1)What amazed me most about my 10 days stay in Gambia was a closed road we came across as we were heading for dinner after work one night. Local people who had a wedding ceremony basically closed the road and built a wedding tent in the middle of it with all sorts of wedding decorations. I told my Gambian colleagues how this is possible and they told me everything is possible, you just need a permit. Sometimes you can get away with this without a permit too they said.

 

Gambia has become my second favourite African country after Somaliland where I was born. I love this country and its people and I hope President Yahiya Jammeh will give me the Gambian citizenship one day.

 

Mohamed Maigag

Somaliland activist & writer

Somaliland:The postponement of the presidential election: An opportunity for opposition parties to get into an electable standard

By
Goth Mohamed
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0

The presidential election scheduled to take place on the 26th June 2015 appears to be delayed until 21st June 2016 by the Electoral commission but it may be overridden by the House of Elders who is wielding their power to further postpone by at least six months if not a year. If this does happen, it may antagonise the opposition parties who have threatened to bring the country into chaos and lawlessness by fomenting violence. This seems to be myopia of the opposition parties emasculated to unseat the incumbent president. An Overwhelming majority of the Somaliland people support the hypotheses that if the election was held on the 26th June 2015, the Incumbent president would win by convincing victory (based on circumstantial evidence). To this end, this article argues the postponement of the presidential election presents the opposition parties an opportunity to get into the race of the election. Having seemingly ran out time fast without even nominating their prospective presidential candidates let alone disseminates to the public their election manifestation whilst the giant incumbent embedded in record of achievements.

 

In Somaliland, the presidential election is held every five years. The current president tenure runs out on 26th June 2015.   He is the second Somaliland president to have been elected democratically since the inception of Somaliland. That democratisation process tenaciously   promulgated has been a key component to pressuring the international community for securing recognition. More often, it is a country in which the importance of democratisation is conceptually deciphered a three pronged way, including to maintain and strengthen the peace and stability; and conveys a strong message to international community to accept its quest for international recognition, as it has waited for 24 years long, and it will also contribute to the peace and prosperity in today’s globalised world.

 

Failing not to hold the presidential election impinges upon democratisation that has made Somaliland into one of the best democracy that has ever been defused in Africa. The opposition has accused the government for delaying the election to get its tenure extended by the upper House of the Parliament known as a GURTI. On the same token, the government argued that being over reliant to Somaliland supporters of democratisation who foots 75% of the election cost has failed to deliver their commitment timely. Notwithstanding the failure to hold the presidential election timely denigrates our democratisation system, it is evidently an opportunity for the opposition parties to get into electable form that may be eloped potential voters.

 

The government demonstrated that it has been honest to hold the election timely but it claimed it will not have foreseen the difficulties with Somaliland international partners for not delivering their commitment timely. It stated the supporters of the Somaliland democracy had promised to meet 75% of the election cost and the government to contribute 25% in which it secured well in advance. To this end, it claimed the opposition parties seem to be inept at understanding that international community got us into this political mayhem of not holding the presidential election. One had to question, why did they get us into this mess?

 

It has been a conspicuous lapse of judgement to have been reliant economically on a third party to buoy the election but should have secured within. Succumbing to unnecessary and impracticable conditionality attached to funding drafted by officials with paucity of knowledge relevant to the way the Somaliland mange its disputes unwittingly causing more harm than good. It echoed the bad policies of the World Bank and the IMF who were accused for setting up unnecessary conditionality for the developing world to get loans for their developmental projects. Once a former Finance minister was quoted to have said to get assistance you need to submit countless reports and get involved with endless meetings, which paralysed his day to day of departmental work. In Somaliland it seems this trend being reverberated, compounding our democratic process, and in future the country must not rely on its dependency on the support of the international community to hold future elections.

 

As the opposition parties voiced their concern at the postponement of the election, they appear to be submissive for the delayed date set by the electoral commission on the 1st June 2016 but empathically against if the upper house of Parliament extends beyond that date. As none of the two opposition parties pose serious challenge to unseat the incumbent president, the delay for a year may not be enough for them to get into formidable opposition serious enough to win votes. Diversification of their supporters, lack of nomination of their prospective presidential candidates, obscure manifestation embroil the people to understand what the opposition parties have to offer them.

 

With less than two months left of the election the political parties complacent yet to nominate their presidential candidates. This means, the Somaliland people do not know who their opposition party presidential candidates are let alone to have been inundated   what it takes to sway voters. Ostracising people to have explicit and detailed policies, including eliciting ample time to get to know their opposition leaders predispose the challenge emanating from opposition parties empathetically.

 

On the other hand, the current president was seen to have run the country effectively, by:

1 Introducing economic growth by fostering prevailing environment for the private sector to grow resulting in huge improvements in living standards;

  1. Undertaking huge developmental projects that have been gone into infrastructure, particularly road networks;
  2. Public services seen huge improvements in which most government departments moved into new buildings and its workforce aggrandised by two fold if not three folds;
  3. He was also hailed his anti-corruption policies, which have seen the annual budget to increase from as little as £45 million when he came to power to £250 million.
  4. Furthermore, he took his anti-corruption policies to the heart of the international NGOs operating in the country and coerced them into succumbing to account how aid money is dispensed;
  5. He was vindicated to be a state’s man when he accepted losing by 82 votes in the last presidential election held in 2003 and refused the propensity to his supporters to hold demonstrations to bring mayhem and chaos across the country.

 

In conclusion the opposition parties are not into this presidential election and are bound to lose. The opposition simply failed to nominate their presidential candidates to divulge people in ample time to get to know them. Furthermore, it seems to have been impetus to inseminate their election manifestation by disseminating them to the people to decide why they should think to be better than the current administration. Their argument was seen to have been around the ailment of the president in which the people of Somaliland think that is not good enough. Counterintuitively, the incumbent president has huge evidence to support why his party should be re-elected, as delineated few examples the myriad of achievements that have taken place in Somaliland since he became president. Therefore, the opposition parties threat not to accept the postponement of the election if it’s further extended. In any case it is an election beyond their reach.

 

Ahmed Abdi Isse

An academic

Isseahmed@hotmai

Somaliland:The Pre-Modern Style of Tribalism against the Modern Style of Democracy

By
Goth Mohamed
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0

mapThe political history of the flora and fauna exposes that around 95.13% of the 248 dependent territories and independent states have been colonised by the Western countries, mostly in Britain, which invaded more than 90% of the world countries, although not fully colonised. Britain conquered 223 territories, but officially colonised more than 80 countries in the biosphere.

France was the second largest Colonial Empire in the world behind the British Empire. The rest was under the other European Colonial Empires and the colonial Empire of Japan, which I can refer its colonial footprints from the countries of Taiwan and Korea. The decolonisation of the current independent sovereign states emerged from the resolution of 1514 adopted by the General Assembly in 1960.

A United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation, was created in 1961 by the General Assembly. The perseverance was to monitor in order to put into practice the applications of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, which was the process of the decolonisation of the political resolution voted by 89 out of 99 member states. In this article, I will illustrate how the international states of the world were formed, whilst demonstrating the nature of the colonial system and how the imported democracy assimilated the indigenous cultures and norms of those countries. But mainly I will focus, the only 12 countries that partly or never colonised by the European Empires in 18th and 19th centuries. And finally, whether Somaliland will survive from the repercussions of undigested instrumental democracy.

The Winners or Colony Free States

The State of Japan was formed in 660 BC, and it has never been colonised by any other state, in its history, Japan was considered as a colonial empire itself. The main reason that Japan was free from any colonial system was because of its power and resistance. Iran was colony free as its first official empire established in 550 BC, it was also a powerful empire and the country was able to maintain its independence to the present day so as Thailand.  The other never colonised countries were Bhutan and Liberia. The latter, was ruled by the free black and former slaves from the US to Liberia in 1820, where Bhutan fought wars against the British, even though it lost some territory and its political influence, it succeeded to keep its autonomy.

The Rather Doubtful Winners

The countries of Nepal, China, Tonga and Ethiopia were believed to be disputed or doubtful winners. For instance, although Nepal was never became under British colony as their empire fought against any invasion. However, Nepal ceded and compromised a third of its territory and that is why I considered the dubious category. The fact that part of mainland China was a colony (such as Hong Kong and Macao) and the reality that politically, economically and socially interference by various Western Powers and Japan made China a disputed winner, which means not officially colonised but rather politically and militarily screwed by other different ways. Tonga was itself as a territorial integrity under British Protectorate for years like Somaliland once was, but the country’s indigenous monarchy was fully independent politically up to the present. While, Ethiopia was once invaded by Italy in 1936, when Mussolini was expanding his New Roman Empire. But fortunately, with the help of the British ejection in 1941 Ethiopia regained its independence in 1944, which is why Ethiopia moved back 8 years from its national calendar.

The Ineligibles

Finally, by referring the global political science, the other three was called the ineligible countries; they are Mongolia, North Korea and South Korea. Although the latter countries once were not two different countries, they both resisted the West as a one nation. What made them to fall under the category of ineligible countries was Japan’s 35 year rule. Meanwhile, Mongolia was ruled by China, the reality was they both escaped the Western Colonial System. Therefore, the nature and the political formation of these countries were collective bottom up political approach, which is more productive and wealthier than the imposed political philosophy of economic liberty and partisan democracy that ends up violent and political uncertainty.

It is obvious that the economy and the living standard of China and South Korea are nearly similar to the first world economy, whereas, Japan is similar to Germany and the UK. On the other hand, the economic growth of Iran, Thailand, Mongolia, Ethiopia, Nepal, Bhutan, and Liberia are ‘’between 3.6% to 10.5% of the real GDP growth’’, apart from Tonga, which is a little bit behind its fellow above mentioned countries. According to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. As these nations are all having one thing in common ‘’colony free’’ their internal structure of conflict is hard to transpire, even if it occurs when politics fail. External intervention is unlikely as their leaders and political culture is an indigenous bottom up approach, and that is one of the main causes of economic growth and political maturity. Where every other decolonised state failed to cope their political strategy as their leaders and political culture is imported and external made approach, and that is one of the main causes of economic uncertainty and political failure of all other colonised nations of the world, which Somaliland is part and among, in terms of the colonial period itself and the currently imported democracy, without omitting its political culture of tribal ideology.

Democracy and Somaliland

Although, Somaliland was not a member of the above 12 countries, the main question lies, whether Somaliland, which is a former British protectorate will survive from a foreign intervention if it fails to practice the imported instrumental democracy? The people of Somaliland had never adopted the Western Culture, and this is one of the reasons that their culture, which based on tribal influential system determines their political life. The political confusion of democracy in Somaliland is the mismatch of the background culture of its indigenous citizens and politics. Because the very basic instrumental democracy, which is to form political parties, national electoral commission, election laws and free and fair elections ruled by majority vote, and the tribal influence is controverting.

If we revisit and retrace our steps, the formation of Somaliland State shows that the political culture of its existence at the very first stage was the indigenous philosophical tradition on the tribal political accommodation. This was the fundamental basis of the armistice of Somaliland. But at this instant, the case is very different, the country’s political culture is multi-party system and the instrumental democracy variegated with the foundations of tribal linkage of metaphysical approach. These two pre-modern (tribal ideology) and modern (democracy) political cultures and behaviours cannot able to work together any longer, because their basic principles never match each other, one should exterminate the other as tribalism opposes democracy far beyond its existence. Inappropriately, the subsequent governments and political elites of Somaliland never tried to do so. In this article I would like to glimpse these scenario, but it will be a scientific research question for me, in which I proposed to conduct inside Somaliland in the near future.

In conclusion, timely elections are the most appropriate factor of peace, development and the social stability of the nation state. The 12 colony free nation states showed how their internal politics and cultural life opposed Western Colonial Empires. If Somaliland accomplishes a permanent solution against the irregularities of democracy and the tribalism argumentativeness, which is the only two problematic cases that the country adopted, it can be assured a lengthy solid peace as well as a viable economic development to the people of the country.

 

Mohamed Hagi Mohamoud. Department of Politics and International Studies. The University of Warwick. Email:m.hagi-mohamoud@warwick.ac.uk, mohamedomar1@hotmail.com.

Somaliland ranked 91 Among the Happiest Nations in the World

By
Goth Mohamed
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0

somaliland flagBy Goth Mohamed Goth

Somaliland has being ranked the 91st happiest nation in the world in a report reviews the state of happiness in the world today and show how the new science of happiness explains personal and national variations in happiness. They reflect a new worldwide demand for more attention to happiness as criteria for government policy.

Somaliland is a thriving democracy, a success story in hard circumstances. Despite its dedication to democracy and the rule of law, Somaliland’s independence is not internationally recognized yet.

The costs of non-recognition are now becoming acute. Somaliland remains a deeply undeveloped society and, although it receives some official aid, it has almost entirely missed out on the dramatic developments taking place in much of the rest of Africa. The private sector investment the country badly needs is inhibited in part by its problem of recognition: external investors cannot gain the legal status needed to protect their investment so long as they are operating within a global legal void.

World Happiness Report 2015

Overview

The World Happiness Report is a landmark survey of the state of global happiness. The first report was published in 2012, the second in 2013, and the third on April 23, 2015. Leading experts across fields – economics, psychology, survey analysis, national statistics, health, public policy and more – describe how measurements of well-being can be used effectively to assess the progress of nations. The reports review the state of happiness in the world today and show how the new science of happiness explains personal and national variations in happiness. They reflect a new worldwide demand for more attention to happiness as a criteria for government policy.

The report is published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).  It is edited by Professor John F. Helliwell, of the University of British Columbia and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research; Lord Richard Layard, Director of the Well-Being Programme at LSE’s Centre for Economic Performance; and Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, Director of the SDSN, and Special Advisor to UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon.

Click the link below to read the full report below

World Happiness Report 2015    7.52 MB

Download

Somaliland:National Planning, SDF on Enhancing Citizens–State Relations

By
Goth Mohamed
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0

DSC03255QQBy Goth Mohamed Goth

The Ministry of National Planning and Development held a one day briefing conference under the theme of enhancing citizens awareness and state –citizens relation at the Mansoor hotel, Hargeisa.

The briefing conference aimed to raise citizens awareness on the workings and achievements of both the Somaliland Development Fund (SDF) since it was first launched to date and the current government is commitment to achieve rapid economic development and growth.

State-Citizen communication is one of the cross cutting issues in the Somaliland Special arrangement (SSA), to integrate into the planning and implementation across all state and peace building activities. Communications activities meant to create interactions between citizens and state about government priorities, activities and expenditure and through such awareness medium which is meant to promote transparency and accountability.

Dr. Sacad Ali Shire, the Somaliland Minister of National planning and Development speaking at the venue began by elaborating on the Ministry of National Planning and Development (MoNPD) in fulfilling its mandate through a five year (2012-2016) National Development Plan (NDP) for Somaliland, that focuses on sustainable development and poverty reduction.a

“Somaliland’s National Development Plan (NDP) provides a medium term framework for achieving the country’s long term development aspirations as embodied in Somaliland Vision 2030, and the Millennium Development Goals”, he added.

Dr. Sacad added, “The Somaliland Development Fund (SDF) is a 4 year fund designed to support the Government of Somaliland (GoSL) in filling critical gaps that are fully aligned to the National Development Plan (NDP).

The SDF is currently funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the Governments of Norway and the Netherlands.

The plan is made up of five main pillars:

  1. Economic
  2. Infra-structure
  3. Governance
  4. Social
  5. Environmental

The Minister of State for finance Hon Osman Saradid Adani gave an in-depth briefing on how the current government had initiated development projects funded by funds from the central coffers in which he stated, “The government of Somaliland has through state funds initiated numerous development projects among them the funding of the Burao –Erigavo road and the awarding of ranks in the various branches of the armed forces and that the 10% of the overall budget has being allocated to development projects.

DSC03260qqHon Adani further stated, “Among the proposed development projects we plan to initiate this year from funds availed from the central go towards the construction of the Burao -Erigavo road and other roads in the country, the construction of the Berbera library and for the construction of government buildings.

Mr. Mubarik Abdullah briefed citizens on the workings of the Somaliland special agreement in which he stated , “The international community’s endorsement of the SSA represents an acknowledgement by the international community that Somaliland’s impressive achievements in peace, security and democratization require developmental support that is specifically tailored to our priorities and governmental capacities, and which is owned by our people. To ensure ownership, the SSA puts in place mechanisms that guarantee that decisions over allocation of development assistance to Somaliland are alone made by the Somaliland government and its people, in partnership with the international community.

DSC03263mmFor that reason, the SSA promotes the Somaliland Development Fund (SDF) established by the Danish and UK governments in 2012 as a means to ensure mutual accountability while establishing mechanisms for the Somaliland government to better lead their development process. The SDF is now fully operational, and as the preferred funding mechanism, Somaliland encourages donors to join and scale up their funding of the SDF.

Through nearly twenty four years of state building, Somaliland has laid the foundation for future transformative economic growth. The country is stable and peaceful; our children receive free primary education; we are expanding medical services and water distribution in urban and rural areas; and our citizens participate in regular democratic elections. Thanks to more stringent public financial management, increased tax revenue and more safeguards against corruption, Somaliland’s 2014 budget is the largest and most balanced in its history. The Somaliland government has therefore fostered an environment where aid can make a great impact, and in which our government shares primary responsibility over development activities.

Mr. Najah Mahmoud Aden from the SDF secretariat elaborated on the current ongoing projects being implement by the Somaliland Dvelopment Fund, “The SDF Joint Steering Committee has approved of funding for the following project and is currently in the process implementing them:

Ministry/ Agency Project Focus Duration Total Budget Regions Location Beneficiaries
Ministry of Agriculture Soil and water conservation 2 years $     2,556,896 Maroodi Jeex Aburiin 22,000
Ministry of Livestock Livestock Holding Grounds 2 year $     4,613,555 Togdheer and Maroodijeex Qoolcaday and Aroori                    136,000
Ministry of Environment and Rural Development Regional offices, forestry and grazing reserves 2 years $     2,316,000 All Multiple 60,000
Ministry of Water Resources Rural and Urban Water Infrastructure 2 year Sahil, Sool Awdal and Sanaag, Berbera, Burco, Las Anod, Hadaaftimo and Gargooray, Elfwein, Kulal 448,600
Hargeisa Water Agency Urban Water Supply 1 year $    9,503,000 Maroodi Jeex Hargeisa 57,000
Roads Development Agency Roads rehabilitation – Hamaas – Berbera – Sheikh 1 year $     7,109,030 Sahil Hamas, Berbera and Sheikh 700,000
Various Development of Harmonized Land Policy 1 year $    1,000,000 All All 3,000,000
Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Support to fisheries sector in Somaliland 1.5 years $     1,843,600 All 3,000,000
Ministry of National Planning and Development Communication Hub 3 years $     1,858,850 All All 3,000,000
Roads Development Authority Road rehabilitation – Kalabaydh – Dila 1 year $     2,759,600 Maroodijeex and Awdal Kalabaydh and Dila 300,000
Ministry of Health Sool and Sanaag Health project 3 years $     4,985,863 Sool and Sanaag Las Anod and Erigavo Hospitals 200,000
Ministry of Education Sool and Sanaag Education Project 3 years $     2,608,894 Sool and Sanaag Las Anod and Dayaxa Secondary schools 200,000
Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs Youth Employment Creation 3 years $    2,500,000 All All 10,000
  Total allocated   $49,255,288      

 

 

 

 

 

 

Somaliland:EUNAVFOR Facilitates Mini Seminar on Maritime Security

By
Goth Mohamed
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0

 

HNLMS Johan de WittBy Goth Mohamed Goth

Mini Seminar on Maritime Security, was held on board HNLMS Johan de Witt, in Berbera on 25 April. HNLMS Johan de Witt is a Dutch Command and Amphibious platform that currently acts as the flagship for EUNAVFOR, and hosts the embarked Force Headquarters.

The several governmental key figures among them  the deputy ministers of Somaliland ministries and the Mayor of Berbera. Also present were the head of Somaliland coastal guards and the Director of communications of MFAIC.

Somaliland:First Lady at ‘SGT’ Awards

By
Goth Mohamed
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0

DSC_0215By M.A. Egge

THE First Lady Amina Sheikh Mohammed Jirde said that she was one of foremost fans of the live “Somaliland Got Talent” Television programs that has just come to its first seasonal close.

The First Lady revealed her enthusiasm for the local talent at a ceremony that saw the awarding of the best five top winners as first season series closed its curtains.Somaliland has got Talent

She at the same time hailed the information department for their production and airing of the talent show which brought local mega stars to judge the competitors.1509803_805101022920210_671518331919908989_n

The First Lady appealed to the officials to reschedule the time that the show is aired.

“I am a great fan of the program”, she said, and added, “I had to stay late into the night to view the programs”.

She then appealed, “I hope the timing will be re-scheduled when the next season resumes”.

Lady Amina-weris advised the producers of the programs to put in their itineraries a wide range of talents such that the raw ones may be able to be positively exploited. She said that it was a great chance for those with these talents to come to the limelight.

Somliland:We have services of great professionals for programmes development, says U’kuse

By
Goth Mohamed
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0

By M.A. Egge

The Minister of Information, National Guidance and Heritage Hon. Abdillahi Mohammed Dahir U’kuse has announced that the department of information has lined up great professionals with vast experiences and engaged their services to boost the production, developement and perfection of the publicly appealing programmes to international standards.

The minister revealed the fact at a ceremony to honour five top awardees of the “Somaliland Got Talent” Television program aired by the SLNTV.

The function was graced by the presence of the First Lady Amina Sheikh Mohammed Jirde (see story elsewhere in this issue).

Hon. U’kuse said “It is incumbent upon us at the ministry to disseminate such programs through the radio and Television”. He said that besides a lot efforts on developing programs having been made, “there is still a lot which remains to be done in this direction”.

He termed such program e.g. the ‘SGT’ as those which have much public appeal, especially amongst the youth bracket.

“We have now pooled great professionals with great talents to help in developing the programs such as Yonis Ali Noor, Hassan Ali Waji, Said Aden Egge, Abdillahi Wayab and Fadhfadhle”, said Hon. U’kuse.

Earlier in the day a handful of Imam’s notably Sheikh Mohammed of Ali Matan Mosque decried the airing of the “SGT’ show, according to reports.

Without giving evidence or being elaborate, they termed it as “un-Islamic”.

Members of the public were mostly taken aback by their claims. A Mr. Abdillahi of a locally based international NGO wads heard exclaiming, “What on earth do they mean or are they in reality saying!?”, while wondering aloud not really expecting an answer.

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