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Somaliland: $2 Million spent on lavish Receptions for Government Minister each Year

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By Hassan Ali Mahad

The Justice and Welfare Party UCID Presidential candidate Hon Jamal Ali Hussein has criticized the current government of President Silanyo spends $2 Million dollars yearly on lavish welcoming of government  ministers money which would otherwise be spend on other mean full purposes.

The banker cum politician said those words in a press statement which stated as follows-

Nearly $2 Million Dollars are spent yearly in lavish welcoming of government minister equal to that extended to head of states each time they return to the country after a trip abroad in a country which lacks even the basic infrastructure let alone the ability to feed its own people this kind of extravagant spending should cease because the country can’t afford it.

It’s a known fact that nearly $5000 is spend in welcoming each time a minister arrives in this country and considering that every minister travels out the country a least 4-5 times a year, calculated the amount spend and you will see its $ 1Million plus the allowance allocated to them when embarking on regional tours and it’s another additional $1 Million which total to $2 Million.

The Presidential aspirant urged the current leadership to be accountable to the people of Somaliland who most live below the poverty line and have strived worked hard over the years without any assistance from the government or international community.  

Somaliland:Local Businessmen Raise their Concerns after a Second Livestock Ship is sent Back in Just Three Weeks

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By Goth Mohamed Goth

A ship carrying more than 1283 herds of camel has docked yesterday at Berbera port after being sent back by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the livestock heard is said to belong to the Saudi tycoon Suleyman Al Jaabiri and local businessmen this been the second such ship  to be send back in the last few weeks.

The ship known as MV Amin is said to have departed from the country’s main port of Berbera on the 26th of March last month destined for the kingdom of Saudi Arabia this after another ship carrying livestock docked in the port of Berbera last Saturday.

550 herd of camel on board the ship belonged to Saudi born livestock magnate Sulymain Al AJaabiri while the rest belonged to Somaliland businessmen; the reason which prompted the Saudi authorities to turn away the ship came about after they found some animals were infected by _ disease.

The business community in Somaliland has shown concern regarding the decision by Saudi Arabia to send back two ships in such a short time on the pretext that Saudi regulations prevents the clearance of contaminated livestock is viewed with suspicion and also crippling not to mention the growing stiff competition from other stakeholders in the region vying for the Saudi market.

Efforts to reach the Minister of livestock Hon Dr. Abdi Aw Dahir was unavailable to answerour question on what  caused a second ship to be sent back in just three weeks in the proved futile . It’s a high time that the government of Somaliland realized the ramifications of such actions by the Saudis and must act quickly to resolve any technical or procedural obstacles related to health or any other related problems to avoid such incidence in the  future.

Abdi Aw Dahir

Livestock, the largest value chain in Somaliland, is one of the program’s main focuses. Livestock production accounts for 60-65% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Among pastoralists, especially those classified as poor, 50-80% of income is derived from sale of livestock and 25-30% of food comes from livestock products.

Moreover, livestock trading is a lucrative business which generates significant profits for not only the pastoralists and for the traders, while the government obtains the most tax revenues out of this trade.

 

Somalia:Insecurity on the rise in the Semi-autonomous region of Puntland

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15 Convicted Pirates Escape from a Maximum Jail in Bosaso two days Ago

By Goth Mohamed Goth

Ever since the current head of state of the semi-autonomous region of Puntland came to power the security situation there seems to be to be getting out of hand.

The region has recently seen a rise in the number of unsolved murders taking place with the latest in being the military commander of Puntland forces fighting Al Shabaab militants in Galgala region who was killed when an IED device exploded destroying the vehicle he was travelling in the coastal town of Bosaso.

In another development 15 convicted pirates are said to have escaped from a maximum prison in Bosaso on Friday the 4th of April after being assisted by some senior prison officers assigned to the correctional facility.

The inmates, most who were convicted pirates managed to escape in the early morning hours; although authorities in the  semi-autonomous region claim that they have caught most them there is no way of independently verifying their claims.

One custodial official said, “We have already launched investigations into how those convicts managed to escape from the prison which is heavily guarded. The official confirmed that a total of 15 convicts had the escaped and that only a few of them remain at large.

Puntland citizens are starting to have second thoughts on the leadership of the Harvard educated leader ability to rule and who since assuming power security situation in the region seems to be deteriorating by the day.

Somaliland:NEC Announces the National ID/Voters Registration process will commence in September 2014

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By Goth Mohamed Goth

Hargeisa-The spokesperson of the Somaliland National Electoral Commission Mr. Mohamed Hirsi Gelle has today in a press conference announced that the national identity card /voters registration process will begin in earnest this coming September this year and at  the same time the commission shall begin recruiting staff in  April ,2014 and shall acquire the necessary materials needed for the process .

The NEC spokesperson also revealed that the electoral body shall deploy state of the art equipment such as eye scan machines for registering eligible voters and the issuance of national identity cards.

Mr. Hirsi went on to say, “We have meet with international donors recently and I am glad to announce that they have assured us that they’re willing to work and assist us in the preparation for ID/Voters Registration process and they have assigned us an expert who shall help us in the tender and contract awarding and procurement of electoral material and equipment and we expect the process to begin in early September but we shall begin the recruiting of staff and procurement of material later this month.

SomalilandPress,com

Recognition of Somaliland -e-petition

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Please sign this historic petition

Your signature will help very much

Responsible department: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

*We believe in the right of self-determination for all nations who wish it.

*We believe that the international community should recognise nations who decide to assert this right.

Therefore:

***WE DEMAND THAT THE UNITED KINGDOM FORMALLY RECOGNISE SOMALILAND***

-Somaliland is a thriving democracy, a success story in hard circumstances. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991. Yet the United Kingdom will not recognise its former colony’s right to independence (note: Somaliland was a British colony, the rest of Somalia was not). Somalilanders do not deserve to have their democratic project threatened due to lack of recognition by foreign governments.

-We demand that the British Government recognise Somaliland as an independent state.

Created by:

Bryan Parry

Closing:

17/02/2015 12:31

 

Sign this petition


http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/61018

Follow Sheffield – Support Somaliland

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A Big Thank You to the Sheffield City Council for Recognising the Republic of Somaliland as an Independent State

With much appreciation and gratitude we, the Somaliland Society in Europe (SSE), are delighted that Sheffield City Council voted on 2nd of April 2014 to pass a motion to support Somaliland’s bid for an international recognition and for calling the UK Government to play a major role in this effort. It is a historic motion.

 

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Council, its leaders and Councillor Moroof and all Somaliland community in Sheffield for their hard work and excellent campaign for the Sheffield City Councillors to pass this motion.

 

The motion is a significant symbolic ice-breaking motion that will certainly send a clear message to the UK government to shift its policy towards the Horn of African nations of Somaliland and Somalia which are at logger heads over the question of two-nation state solution to the political conundrum in the region. We expect other city councils and government will follow suit.

 

SSE appeals to the rest of the government of the United Kingdom and the International Community to heed the call of Sheffield City Council and re-consider its stance on the Republic of Somaliland. The re-recognition of Somaliland does not violate international law pertaining to state borders. Somaliland has become an independent nation in 1960. 

 

Yours sincerely,

The executive committee

Somaliland:The SL Executive, Parliament welcomes Sheffield’s Gesture

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By Goth Mohamed Goth

The government of Somaliland has wholeheartedly welcomed the noble gesture made by the people and council. The Foreign Minister who was the first to welcome has since been followed by Guurti speaker Hon Saleiban Mohamud Aden and Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Hon Ali Yusuf.

Government ministers from Somaliland have thanked the people of Sheffield for recognizing their nation’s right to be an independent state.

Several dignitaries from Somaliland attended a Sheffield Council meeting on Wednesday, where members passed a motion acknowledging Somaliland’s right to self-determination. Sheffield is the first city in the world to recognize this.

Hon Mohamed Behi Yonis, Somaliland’s FM, said in the council chamber: “Somaliland is a peaceful, democratic nation, which has been striving to be recognized by the international community since declaring independence in 1991.

“Sheffield’s decision will help strengthen our campaign for recognition.”

The Chairman of the Guurti, Somaliland house of elders, today in press briefing expressed his profound gratitude to the city of Sheffield in which he said, “I would like take this opportunity to thank members of the Sheffield City Council for under taking a very bold and unprecedented motion to recognition Somaliland’s independence and achievements.

“Somaliland Diaspora living in Sheffield have worked in relentless manner lobbied for our national aspiration and not forgetting those noble members of Sheffield  city council have worked so tirelessly and passionately to show the rest of the world that Somaliland deserves  international ”recognition” so that our nation can assume its rightful place among the league of nations,” he said.

Hon Suleyman finally said , “ The  vote of confidence by Sheffield city Council to recognize the independent statehood of Somaliland was a clear and resounding message to UK foreign policy makers that have made a serious diplomatic blunder by not putting Somaliland case for recognition before UK parliament and at the UN”.

Somaliland and Somalia: Now or Never?

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 By Jonas Jelinek

In January this year, Somaliland and Somalia signed the Istanbul Communiqué committing themselves to mutual cooperation and peaceful resolution of their relationship, which has been on rocks ever since Somaliland proclaimed independence more than 22 years ago. As much as the international community wants to be optimistic about the recent development in the horn of Africa, the completely opposite reaction of Somalia’s and Somaliland’s governments to the peace memorandum suggests the rift between the two has only got bigger during the last two decades. If Somalia wants Somaliland back, it is a now or never situation.

According to the Somalilanders, whom mass grave discoveries every now and then remind of Siad Barre’s regime atrocities, the use of ‘Government of Somaliland’ in the memorandum marks its official recognition by Somalia. The Somalis, keen to extend their relatively stable federal arrangement, think it is high time their prodigal son returned – after all, Somaliland has in more than 20 years of intensive effort yet to achieve any international recognition. It is not all about recognition however.

Since its secession, Somaliland has proved it can stand on its own feet. It has avoided security breakdowns and unstable leadership, and has made a remarkable progress in both economic and political spheres. Just like Botswana, famous ‘African tiger’, Somaliland incorporates elements of traditional clan based society into its governmental institutions. While the beel system helped to maintain traditional kinship relations during transformation, the guurti laid basis for the upper chamber in a bicameral democratic parliament. Inasmuch as lack of international recognition did Somaliland out of development aid, the country was forced to rely on domestic sources of income. A resulting unique collaboration between the government and local business environment, and mutual assistance thereof, has enabled the state to provide basic public services including education and health.

Yet, this is not to suggest that Somaliland is a thriving prosperous country, quite the contrary. A recent World Bank study[i] ranks Somaliland as the fourth poorest country in the world based on GDP per capita. Heavily dependent on its diaspora, Somaliland struggles to generate decent levels of domestic revenue, and is in dire need of reforms of its private and financial sectors.

Thanks to an eventful year, the economic future of Somaliland might not look all too gloomy after all. Sitting on the geologic framework of the Arabian Gulf, Somaliland has been in the spotlight of a number of energy companies that believe the country possesses lucrative oilfields. In fact, five companies, examples being Genel Energy or DNO International ASA, have already been granted oil exploration licenses. Genel operating in eastern parts of the country is expected to start drilling by the end of this year. Moreover, Somaliland is finalising a multi-million dollar deal to develop a port at Berbera which will operate as a trade hub between Africa and the Arab world, serving mainly landlocked Ethiopia. Both the port building French Bollore Africa Logistics and international oil companies are about to invest heavily in the country’s much needed infrastructure.

In light of the promising economic development in Somaliland, Somalia’s willingness to peacefully resolve issues with its northern counterpart is more an acknowledgement and indication of Somaliland’s potential than an honest conciliatory gesture. Somalia knows it is now or never – once Somaliland starts benefitting from oil revenues there will be no coming back. Somaliland’s oil fields are simply too attractive to lose.

Somaliland will face enormous pressure in the near future, especially since Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, newly elected president of neighbouring Puntland, is likely to push for federalization. Unlike Somaliland, Puntland has very little interest in independence. Ali, a prominent figure of an influential Majeerteen clan, will find it difficult to forget his time as the Prime Minister of Somalia, and will try to finish off his federalization agenda. Bringing Somaliland in also gives Puntland a chance to acquire the Sool and Sanaag, regions disputed between the two.

It is clear that Somali jets zigzagging across Somaliland’s sky will not leave anytime soon. Regardless of the Istanbul Communiqué, the dissension between Somalia and Somaliland is gaining momentum. As the international community, including the African Union, advocates one-or-the-other strategy, Somaliland is once again thrown back on itself – a position from which it has developed a remarkably inclusive system of governance which many parts of Somalia can only dream about. It deserves to be given a chance to prove its case. So if the question for Somalia is still ‘now or never’, the answer is a resounding never.

Sources: St Andrews  Foreign Affairs Review

 

Somaliland:The Hargeisa Electricity Agency

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Is there more than meets the eyes?

Four and a half years ago or so the then Hargeisa Water Agency shouted publicly that ‘come 50 years and with all techniques, Hargeisa will never get any more drop of water’ than what was available!

As shocking and as irresponsible as the words may be that emanated from a public figure supposed to be otherwise, the latest form Hargeisa Electricity Agency echoes similar bells.

The kilowatt-man who is supposedly expected to be a responsible person sadly quipped to the media that “technical break-downs and management were NOT inter-connected” or related for that matter in his institution.

 Just as what bogged down the water-man and this time the kilowatt-man, it should be clear that consumers are not concerned in the very least about the politics behind or within their institutions.

Consumers were only concerned that they get what they pay for and constantly at that.

This is ever more important when the items, in this case, happens to be within the brackets of basic needs and necessities

Everyone knows that commercially based institutions are there to; at the very least again, make profits.

People in positions have every right to defend themselves just as any threatened persons would naturally do. This does not however call for the abuse of the intellect of the populace, in this case, those of the consumers. It is true that the past fortnight has not only seen shoddy services from the public power supply but indeed total disservice.

Simple transparency and sincere answers can easily change the hearts of many foes, or if vice-versa, even friends -as the cases may be.

Without letting out cats from bags hiding political skeletons in the closets, a simple word close to truth would have done at lot.

Almost half a week after the deputy head of the H.E.A talks of hope hence assures people that all technical and material support has been directed to address the issue, his boss speaks to the media exposing that his is sort of a “hands-off” style.

Ironically as per the hands-off style of management, the remaining generator gives way 24 hours later bringing the whole to a halt –and the institution to disrepute!

We know that the chief of H.E.A is relatively new to and on the job but he had all the ample time in the world to look for skeletons, if any were in the closets, and rogue them out for his work to run smoothly.

By now, his technical team should have briefed him on what were the expectations and what needed replacements or to be done.

So far, no body has talked of the commercial and private loss they have been subjected by the power surges, outages, fluctuations, blackouts and complete lack of it.

Nobody has seriously pointed a finger at the HEA in a scold. The question is, what is bogging it and why now? Why has the entire generators grind to a halt at one go?

Is there more than meets the eyes beyond technicalities?

Whatever the case the institution is a public one and we don’t want the state to be put into undeserving disrepute through flimsy and unmerited issues.

 

Djibouti: Regime Deploys Crude Methods to Suppress the Opposition

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Djibouti, April 5, 2014

 PRESS RELEASE

Article 20

1. Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
2. No one may be compelled to belong to an association. (Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Art. 21

The right of peaceful assembly shall be recognized. The exercise of this right may be subject only to restrictions imposed in accordance with law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security, public safety, public order or to protect public health or morals or the rights and freedoms of others. (1966 Covenant on Civil and Political Rights)

  • Repression Friday, March 28, 2014 in Balbala Sheikh Moussa

As usual, at the end of Friday prayers, the police charged the activists and leaders of the USN present on the site. Activists and ordinary citizens were arrested including the young Hussein Aden still owned and currently placed in term deposit Gabode.

In addition, the left window of the car of Dr. ABBATTE Ebo Adou, Vice-President of Model (party affiliated to the opposition coalition) and Delegate Evaluation and Optimization of USN, was broken.

Beyond arrests and violence against activists and political opposition leaders, it is sad to note that irrational mechanism set up by the power to reprimand any initiative to free expression and peaceful on the one hand and lack of respect vis-à-vis the major political party leaders on the other.

  • Arrest warrant placement of 2 young activists USN

Mawlid Iltireh and Omar Mohamoud Gedi said Moussa Walo were arrested Sunday, March 30, 2014. It’s Thursday, April 3, 2014 they were brought before a judge in violation of the Code of Criminal Procedure to be placed then warrant the central prison Gabode. Moussa Mohamed Gedi was the victim of gratuitous violence from a penitentiary when placed in custody. This demonstrates the recurrent violence are routinely subjected detainees in prison Gabode.

  • Ban opposition rally Monday, March 31, 2014

After recurrent refusal to receive correspondence from the opposition by the Minister of the Interior and the Minister 1, the President of the opposition coalition, USN (Union for National Hi) wrote information to the President of the Republic to inform him of the holding of a meeting of the opposition UDJ Headquarters (affiliated with the USN training). The answer to the newsletter of the outfit was on the ground by occupancy, a grid of the city by the forces of order, placement of filter dams, a summons to officials of the main homes policies, ….

As stated in the preamble of the Declaration of Human Rights, it is essential that human rights are protected by the rule of law for man is not compelled, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression

The ODDH called once again to the public:

 

  1. To comply with the constitutional provisions on the protection of citizens, respect for fundamental freedoms, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of rights.
  1. At the unconditional release of all political prisoners, cessation of prosecutions and harassment sympathizers, activists of the opposition but also associations and citizens wrongly or rightly as close to the opposition,
  1. At the culmination of a sincere and frank political dialogue,
  1. In the implementation of democratic reforms to pave the way for a genuine rule of law.

`

Act for democracy, dignity and justice.

The President of the ODDH

Farah Abdillahi Miguil