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Somaliland: a beacon of hope – Ethiopian Foreign Affairs

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Press Release from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia.

Addis Ababa, 2 November 2009 (Somalilandpress) — There was more positive news coming out of Somaliland this week. It is to be recalled that a short while ago, the political situation in Somaliland was a source of great concern. There was a real possibility for Somaliland to loose the stability and peace that it has managed to maintain for the last decade and a half. These would have been tragic and unfortunate and out of character for Somaliland political elites. It is to be recalled also that previously Somaliland politicians had demonstrated great wisdom and skill to avoid political crisis. For instance, the last Presidential election which was won by President Riyale could easily have led to serious conflict between the major political parities because the margin of victory by the ruling party was only 80 votes. Nonetheless this did not lead to violence or political instability in Somaliland.

This time in the run-up to the next presidential contest, sharp disagreements emerged between the ruling party and the two opposition parties, in particular over matters surrounding the system of voter registration and the extension of the presidential term until election is held. After protracted negotiations, and with the support of Ethiopia and the United Kingdom both of which sent delegations to Hargeisa, the three parties finally signed an agreement resolving most of the outstanding issue.

Now they have also managed to nominate new members to the electoral commission and this have been approved by the parliament. This paves the way for the holding of successful elections shortly. This latest development can be seen as a demonstration of the common sense of Somaliland’s political class, showing their willingness to put the interests of Somaliland first.

It also underlines the value of addressing any problem that may arise through dialogue and discussion. The point was emphasized by the fact that yesterday (October 29, 2009) was the anniversary of the three Al-Shabaab suicide car bombs which exploded in Hargeisa a year ago, leaving 24 dead and over 30 injured at the UNDP office, the Ethiopian Trade Office and the Presidential Palace.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia.

Bahrain MPs press for Israel ban

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Manama, 2 November 2009 (Somalilandpress) — Bahrain’s parliament has approved a bill banning its citizens from having relations with Israel.

The elected lower house passed the bill but it needs to be ratified before becoming law by the upper house, whose members are chosen by the king.

There has been popular criticism of the Bahraini government’s recent moves to establish ties with Israel, which are strongly backed by the US.
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Analysts say the bill is likely to stall at the secondary approval stage.

Jalal Fairooz from the al-Wefaq bloc said the bill laid out a fine or up to five years in jail for Bahrainis found guilty of holding talks with Israelis.

Conservative lawmaker Nasser al-Fadhallah said it would be “embarrassing for the government” if the bill was postponed or blocked because it would be obstructing the will of the Bahraini people.

Bahrain does not have diplomatic relations with Israel but Bahraini officials visited Israel in July.

The country’s foreign minister caused a stir in 2008 when he suggested the creation of a regional organisation including Israel and Iran where the two could discuss their differences.

US President Obama’s administration has been encouraging Arab governments to make steps towards normalising ties with Israel to encourage it to agree to a peace deal with the Palestinians.

In 2005 the Bahrain government closed its office that oversaw compliance with an Arab League boycott of Israeli goods as part of a free trade agreement with the United States.

Bahrain is a majority Shia Muslim country, ruled by a Sunni Muslim executive government and has a very small Jewish population.

Source: BBC

Money Transfer Business in The Horn of Africa, Has Launched An "ecash" Service

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Hargeisa, 1 November 2009 (Somalilandpress) — Dahabshiil, the largest international money transfer business in the Horn of Africa, has launched an “eCash” service that will enable Somalis to pay for goods and services at participating vendors, gas stations, hotels and restaurants.

Analysts say providing Somalis with the ability to make and receive electronic payments has the potential to revolutionize the way money is transferred.

“It’s a miracle, really just a major development,” Bashir Goth, a Somali analyst, blogger and the editor of Awdal News, told The Media Line. “Remember this is a country that for the time being doesn’t even have a banking system. Now suddenly people can have debit cards and within minutes Somalis overseas can send money home. It’s amazing and will facilitate a lot of business.”
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Ahmed Egal, a Somali businessman, agreed that the Dahabshiil move was a major event in Somali banking history.

“For someone in Somalia who gets a monthly transfer from someone abroad, this new debit card system can serve as an excellent way for the recipients to access the money,” Egal told The Media Line. “At the moment there are basically lots of female money exchangers who sit in the markets with huge stacks of cash. The benefit with this system will simply be not having to stand in long lines, and on the other end not having to wait to see if the funds have been received.”

Dahabshiil’s eCash service, initially launched in the breakaway Somaliland region, will provide Somalis with a card they can use to withdraw cash or electronically purchase various goods and services. While the initial launch focuses on larger consumer vendors with electricity and Internet access, Dahabshiil has plans to allow Somalis to use the service to pay Somali tuition fees. The system, which is encrypted and requires both PIN and signature authorizations, will be fully integrated with Dahabshiil’s already dominant global remittance system.

In a region with limited penetration of traditional banking, simple electronic money systems have grown recently in a number of east African markets, with a number of countries offering mobile services in which money can be sent, received and stored using cell phones.

No such services have reached Somalia, however, despite an estimated $1 billion sent to Somalis each year from family and friends in the U.S., UK, E.U. and the Gulf. The vast majority of that money is sent using Dahabshiil.

By Benjamin Joffe-Walt,The Media Line news agency

Somaliland: Roadside Bomb Kills Official in Lasanod

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LASANOD, 1 November 2009 (Somalilandpress) – A roadside bomb killed one military official and wounded four early Sunday morning in the Eastern town of Las Anod. Mr. Osman Yusuf, the commander of Somaliland’s 12th infantry division was the intended target, he was instantly killed.

The four injured, two military personnel and two  bystanders were also rushed to local hospitals and are said to be in an stable condition. 

An eye witness from the city told Somalilandpress, two remotely controlled bombs were used in the attack, first one missing its intended target – second blast causing all the damages.

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Somaliland police have been put on high alert and reinforcements are said to be on their way to the city to take part in the investigation.

There is no official statement from the government and there is no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast but Somalia’s Al Qaeda linked hardline group, Al shabaab is believed to be behind the attack while many suspect militias loyal to the Puntland state could also be behind. Puntland and Somaliland have fought over the control of Las Anod in many occasions and in the past radical militia loyal to Puntland have carried out similar attacks.

The attack comes two days after Al shabaab threatened to attack Somaliland and other countries in the Horn of Africa including Djibouti, Uganda and Kenya.

On Thursday, Somaliland marked one year since deadly blasts rocked the capital, Hargeisa, that left 24 people killed and more than 30 others wounded.

 

Source: Somalilandpress

Government rules out ransom deal

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London, November 1 2009 (Somalilandpress) — The government has insisted it will not make a ransom payment to Somali pirates who have kidnapped a British couple.

Paul and Rachel Chandler, aged 59 and 55 and from Kent, were taken hostage by gunmen as they sailed their yacht in the Indian Ocean early on 23 October.

A ransom demand of $7m (£4.3m) was made in a phone call to the BBC on Friday.

The Foreign Office said the couple were “blameless tourists” but said no payment would be made nor advice given to relatives on how to make a payment.
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A spokesman for the Foreign Office added: “We are aware of reports that a ransom demand of $7m has been made. [Her Majesty’s Government] HMG’s policy remains clear: We will not make substantive concessions to hostage takers, including the payment of ransoms.”

‘Entirely unjustified’

The Chandlers, of Tunbridge Wells, had been travelling to Tanzania from the Seychelles. Their yacht was later found in international waters.

In the phone call to the BBC one of the pirates said: “If they do not harm us, we will not harm them – we only need a little amount of seven million dollars.”

 

Rob Macaire, British High Commissioner, Kenya, told the BBC: “We are not in direct contact with whoever is holding the Chandlers.

“Our main concern is to make them understand that what they are doing is entirely unjustified and that they should release the Chandlers immediately and unconditionally.”

Armed pirates boarded the Chandler’s yacht, the Lynn Rival, in the Indian Ocean while they slept.

Mr Chandler’s brother-in-law Stephen Collett has previously insisted that the couple are “not rich people” and that most of their money is tied up in their yacht.

‘Divisions’ reported

In an interview with the BBC, a local Somali official said through a translator that he believed a number of groups were involved in handling the couple.

He said the pirates had “many cars” and had hired extra people to help them.

He added that divisions had emerged among the groups and while all wanted a ransom paid, others wanted the release of pirates recently detained by European Union warships.

Earlier, the BBC’s East Africa Correspondent Will Ross said in previous cases pirates had begun negotiating with an extremely high figure, and then settled for far less.

In a phone call on Thursday, the Chandlers said they were first moved from their yacht to a container ship, the Kota Wajar, which had also been seized by the pirates.

It is thought they were then moved to another ship anchored off the eastern coast of Somalia on Friday.

The BBC’s security correspondent Frank Gardner has been told by Whitehall officials that the government has appointed a hostage negotiator who is on standby to deal with the case.

 

map shows somalia and seychelles with key locations

Source: BBC

Open Letter to H.E President Obama‏

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HARGEISA, 31 October 2009 (Somalilandpress) – Dear Mr. President,
I firstly take this opportunity to extent my congratulatory remarks for your recent and outstanding Nobel Price and also to extent greetings from South Africa and Somaliland respectively. I am well aware of the responsibilities faced by your office and the US. I am further aware of the duties that lie squarely on the shoulders of the US government abroad and in the US.

Mr. President I am a Somaliland citizen who currently residing and studying in South Africa. I am writing this letter requesting yourself and the goverment of the United States, to start extending your message of hope to the Somali people and Africa in general. We are prepared as people to heal the divisions which held us back for a long period of time. We appreciate the efforts the US is making in helping us to make changes in Africa.

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I however draw your attention respectively to the Somali-Somaliland question. It is no doubt that Somaliland has taken serious steps in organizing itself and have thus created and maintained its own system of government that combines both tribal and Western influences. The government of Somaliland consists of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, similar to the United States government; it also includes a council of Somaliland Upper House (Guurti) who are responsible helping to control internal conflicts within Somaliland. Somaliland also has a government constitution, military and police forces, a flag, its own currency, and its own passport, stability, trade, socio-economic system and so forth in an attempt to rebuild from the fossils of decades of wars and misunderstandings.

Your message of hope has no only made understand the duties which face Africa and Somaliland, but rather gave me a sense of purpose…to do well for the benefit of majority and not just corporate sector.

Mr. President, as a young Somalilander, I would suggest your government to establish a portfolio straight from the white house to look at the horn of Africa attentively as part of its international relations key factors from Africa, especially in Somaliland. This will immensely assist our international participation in politics, commerce and social cohesion.

I am trusting the above will be found in order.

Kind Regards

Saeed Furaa
Freelance Journalist, University Student
Johannesburg, South Africa
E-Mail: somalilandjournalist@gmail.com

Somalia: 12 Die as Fighting Erupts in Galkayo

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GAROWE, 30 October 2009 (Somalilandpress) – Atleast 12 people were killed and many others wounded after deadly fighting erupted in the central town of Galkayo (Galkaio) on Thursday. The fighting which lasted for hours started after two militias from Puntland and Galmudug administrations clashed in the middle of the city.

Puntland authority said they carried out operations in the main market, an area Galmudug admin claims as it’s territory. According to an eye witness, the fighting erupted after angry residents began firing at Puntland police forces and spilled into many parts of the city – turning into a heavy fighting between the two militias.

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Officials from Galdumug administration claim to have killed many Puntland militias and burning at least two vehicles during the battle. Puntland authorities also said they had withdrawn their militia from the disputed area.

Tensions are said to be high in the city and the two sides are regrouping and rearming. There is no mediation efforts in the city as both sides are claiming the control of the city’s main market.

The town of Galkayo is divided between Puntland and Galmudug administrations, where each side is backed by warring tribes.

Galmudug, like the state of Puntland considers itself to be a federal division within the larger federal state of Somalia.  The administration was formed in 2006 after many years of social unrests and instability in many parts of Somalia.

Somalilandpress

Ethiopia Appoints New Representative to Somaliland Upgrades Its Office

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HARGEISA, 30 October 2009 (Somalilandpress) – The Ethiopian government appointed a new representative to Somaliland on Thursday to replace its former one who has been changed last week.

In a press conference, the Somaliland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs in his office said the office of the Ethiopian government in Somaliland which was known as a trade office has been upgraded to be counselor. The Minister welcomed the new representative in his office and said Somaliland is ready to collaborate with the new representative.

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“We welcome the new representative and the fact that the government of Ethiopia upgraded its office, this is a step forward of the two countries bilateral relationship” Said the Minister.

Mr. Berhe Tesfey, the new representative thanked the Somaliland government and its people. He said he is happy to take the new office and work closely with the Somaliland government.

This comes when Somaliland marks the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks in Somaliland where 24 people died and more than 30 wounded. One of the targets was the Ethiopian Trade Office in Hargeisa.

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(Photos from Hadhwanaag news)

Somalilandpress

Somaliland leader calls for war on Shebab

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HARGEISA, 30 October 2009 (Somalilandpress) – The leader of Somalia’s breakaway self-declared state of Somaliland called on Thursday for war against the hardline Shebab rebels as the region marked one year since deadly suicide attacks.

Twenty-four people were killed in the October 29, 2008 multiple blasts that ripped through the presidential palace, Ethiopia’s diplomatic compound and the offices of the UN Development Programme in the region’s capital Hargeisa.

Somaliland blamed the Al-Qaeda-inspired Shebab militia for the attacks.

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“The attacks that hit Somaliland were aimed at undermining the existence of our statehood and we must be united to fight against the perpetrators of such incidents,” President Dahir Riyale Kahin told a gathering commemorating the events.

“We must go against those elements otherwise they will make our region like Mogadishu.”

Shebab’s leader Ahmed Abdi Godane, aka Mukhtar Abu Zubair, hails from Somaliland.

The Shebab, who control southern Somalia, have waged relentless battles against Somalia’s transitional government in the capital Mogadishu.

Unlike the rest of Somalia, Somaliland — a former British protectorate which broke away from the rump Somalia in 1991 — has been relatively peaceful.

Source: AFP

Somaliland: A Year from the Terror Attack

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HARGEISA, 29 October 2009 (Somalilandpress) – Today marks the first anniversary of the suicide bombings in Hargeisa, which left twenty four people dead and more than thirty others wounded. It was the first of it’s kind in Somaliland since the declaration of it’s independence from the rest of Somalia in 1992.

On the 29th October 2008 at around 10am the first car bomb exploded at the UNDP office, after one minute another one exploded at the Ethiopian Trade office just behind the presidency and the third one exploded in about two minutes after that at the Presidential Palace.

The unimaginable has occurred in Somaliland and majority of the people were not aware of what was happening. The whole city was under panic as the smoke raised to the sky, human bodies flying over and the sound of the explosion filled the ears of the city residents. People started to move here and there, all curious and wanting to know what was taking place at their city and country.

In no time, it was clear that what has always been seen on the TVs has arrived home. Car bomb, suicide attack and the similar things that are happening in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries are not that far from Somaliland anymore. The same thing happened in Somaliland that day while people were witnessing.

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Hargeisa hospital was full of dead bodies and those wounded in the attacks. With it’s limited medical assistance and equipment it managed to give the first medications to the victims. Some were flown to Nairobi, Djibouti and other countries for medication. The rest were treated by Hargeisa hospital’s heroic physicians and nurses.

After all, it was clear that the Alshabaab group who is based in Southern Somalia was behind the attack. The suicide bombers were identified and some were arrested in connection with the incident while others managed to escape to Mogadishu.

Since that time, Somaliland security forces have been proactive in carrying out operations against suspected terrorists in order to prevent such incidents from taking place in the future. The whole population is know helping the authorities in order to prevent from another tragedy. Many were arrested in the last couple of months and some explosives were captured by the police due to police and citizens being proactive on the fight against terrorism.

The attacks carried a message for the world that can be summarized as:

• Anything that is happening elsewhere in the world can happen in Somaliland and in the Horn of Africa. The actions of Al-Qaeda in Asia can be transferred to other places in the world be it in Somaliland and other countries.
• Alshabab is specifically targeting Somaliland this time. They believe the country is a partner with Ethiopia and United States in the war against terror.
• Destabilizing Somaliland is a great opportunity for Alshabaab to expand their operations elsewhere in the Horn of Africa where they can establish new training camps and carry out attacks against other countries like Djibouti and Ethiopia.
• Alshabab is not different from Alqaeda when it comes to the objectives, operations and danger. In a recent video, the Alshabab leaders were praising Osama Bin Laden as being a hero and promised to take his path.

One year from that catastrophe day Somaliland has learned to improve it’s security and to take stronger measures against any possible attack in the future. Somaliland leaders need to focus on the external enemies that the country is facing rather than the internal affairs that is currently consuming most of the country’s resources. There is also a need to focus on the educational system in the country. The youth must be given enough awareness against such extreme ideologies.

Today marks a very sad day for the Somaliland people. Many families will remember their loved ones who died during the attacks and wounded will also remember the horrible situation they faced on that day.

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Suicide Bombers Strike in Somaliland(Video).

Soure:Somalilandpress Team