Al Khair Foundation was founded in 2003 in order to provide an educational platform for the muslim community in an Islamic environment. The Al-Khair Foundation has since grown and now servers in Haiti, Chile, Gaza, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and many other countries. In Hargeisa Imam Qasiim met with Somaliland president Mr. Ahmed Siillaanyo and Vice President Mr. Abdirahman Abdlilahi Ismail at the presidential palace.

The delegation visited regions where they are carrying out development projects such as water, health and education. Al-Khair Foundation’s chairman Imam Qasiim assured that they will continue to provide more aid projects in the areas of water reservoir and bore hold digging. Al Khair officials commended the government of Somaliland for their collaboration in executing their projects transparency in Somaliland cities.

Iman Qasiim noted that he came to Somaliland to gain firsthand knowledge of the progress Al Khair Foundation has made in Somaliland. Imam Qasim thanked the Allah, the President of Somaliland and his Vice president for facilitating to materialize the development projects intended to accomplish in Somaliland. He further said that he cannot wait for his return and hoped that he will come back once the ongoing projects are completed. Mr. Imam Qasiim told that the previous administration was very slow in coordination when it comes to their projects that they were doing in Somaliland. Director of Al Khair Foundation to the region of Horn of Africa Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Ismail said that current projects consist of bore hole digging and dams construction that reiterated rain waters.

Somalilandpress
Biggest English-Somali news portal
Thursday, February 2, 2012

His arrival in the capital, Mogadishu signals the start of a major diplomatic push to restore stability in Somalia.

The British government is holding a conference in London on 23 February to try to find a political solution, and tackle piracy and extremism.

The first UK envoy for two decades has also been appointed.

Tight security

Mr Hague said a British embassy would be established in Mogadishu once the security situation allowed, and until then ambassador Matt Baugh would be based in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

Suicide bombings and other attacks by Islamist militants make the city one of the most dangerous in the world.

Security was tight for the visit of foreign secretary, who travelled in a fleet of armoured vehicles to meet Somalia’s President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed.

After the meeting at the presidential palace in Mogadishu, Mr Hague described Somalia as “the world’s most failed state”.

He praised African Union troops for forcing al-Shabab militants out of the city.

But he warned that much of the south remained in the hands of the militants, saying: “We need to step this up.”

The country has been torn apart by two decades of war, beset by drought and famine, and is home to a piracy industry that threatens shipping across the Indian Ocean.

But analysts say the military fortunes of al-Shabab have dramatically worsened in the last year.

Neighbouring Ethiopia and Kenya also have forces in Somalia – and have made advances on al-Shabab in the south and the west.

Tackling root causes

Mr Hague’s visit follows another sign of growing international confidence in the improving security situation, at least in Mogadishu – the UN special envoy to Somalia has moved his office back from neighbouring Kenya to the city after an absence of 17 years.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited in August, and UN chief Ban Ki-Moon in December, the first visit by a UN secretary general in 18 years.

UK International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell visited Puntland, northern Somalia, over the weekend – after an August visit to Mogadishu.

Correspondents say Britain now appears to driving a new international push to tackle the roots causes of Somalia’s insecurity and conflict.

Representatives from more than 40 nations have been invited to the London conference on Somalia later this month.

“The conference will seek to generate a more effective and concerted international approach outside Somalia that addresses the root causes of the conflict; and a new political process inside Somalia that meets the needs of all Somalis,” Mr Hague said in a statement.

In 2010, MI5 director-general Jonathan Evans warned that it was “only a matter of time” before militants trained in Somali camps inspired acts of violence on the streets of the UK.

The first problem Somaliland confronts on the world stage is that people confuse it with lawless Somalia. It is an immediate neighbour and shares Somali culture but is largely peaceful and enjoys a recent record of solid democratic progress. So are its achievements in the troubled Horn of Africa lauded? Not a bit of it, because neither Britain nor the European Union, nor the international community in general recognise its existence.

Yet in 2010 Somaliland, which was born out of British Somaliland (whereas Somalia owes its boundaries to the former Italian colony) passed one of the key tests of a democratic state. In a tightly contested election for the presidency, the incumbent but losing candidate handed over power without conflict or bloodshed. International observers testified to the fairness of the election process.

One of these observers was Gillian Gloyer, a committee member of LI in Scotland. She told the LI AGM that voter registration had been a problem, not least because Somalis are vague about their exact date of birth. So it was decided that all potential voters would have their birthday marked as January 1.

The largely rural economy needs the stimulus of foreign investment. But an unrecognised country is not an attractive prospect. So, given the contrast between Somaliland and anarchic Somalia (not to mention a tiny third territory, Puntland, which is home to many of the region’s pirates). why does the international community leave the only bright light in diplomatic darkness? Britain’s official interests fall to our embassy far away in Addis Ababa.

Boundaries in Africa are often a reminder of arbitrary colonial map-drawing. Yet the Africa Union does not want to add to its members’ problems by recognising breakaway territories. Or that at least was the plausible position until South Sudan was allowed to spring into being as a way of resolving long-term conflict in Sudan. Surely peaceful Somaliland, after half a century of self-determination, qualifies for its place in the sun.

The country is not perfect. It is poor and socially conservative. It has had recent experience of tribal violence. Last month 22 journalists who protested against the closing down of a television station were briefly imprisoned. But its considerable achievements deserve recognition, not isolation. The British Government has heard the Somaliland case, but has not listened. It probably won’t act unless the European Union as a whole does so.

Liberal Democrats instinctively sympathise with the Somaliland case. Pressure from within our Government coalition and especially though the Foreign Office would help make Europe pay heed. I hope Liberal International will promote the Somaliland’s case.

Source:libdemvoice.org

OPINION | February 1, 2012
By: Abdirahman Dirie
Regrettably, Somaliland president is going to take part in the UK conference about Somalia without consulting his electorates. We are back to square one. Somaliland public is expecting from their president to import Somalia’s woes to their doorstep. The UK government is not only urging the President to sit with the failed clan-based entities of Hubin Iyo Heb, Pukhlayn, Shiekh Waji Adde, and etc, but already issued a Fatwa of its own calling the participation of Somaliland into the conference. But what Somaliland can gain out of this? Some people in favor of the conference say that Somaliland will have the chance to express its stand in full view of the world; however, that may not be the case. The UK seems to be eager to expand the market for Jihadist all the way to more stable areas. Somaliland has been a victim for the international cruel politics rather than for failed Somalia. They were kept in dark and isolation for the past two decade!
Somalilanders have nothing but one thing: the peace they built with their bare hands, but now the peace is fading away. Any external pressure will add fuel to the fire; Somaliland already is internally incoherent mood.
Since the new administration led by Ahmed Silanyo, Somaliland, basing on its haphazard diplomacy and blind foreign policy, seems a bit of out control. Senescence or senile dementia or both contributed to simmering rebellion by some regions inside Somaliland. More specifically, the country’s new leadership comprising of Islamists, and die-hard unionists, pseudo-Mujahidins, and go-betweens made us clear we bet the wrong horse; puts foreign countries in difficult position to deal with. But we have habit to bet the wrong horse, in the sixties, we chose unionist party over the one which fought independence. Nominating guys whose “political loyal” to Somaliland is utterly deficient and made us look undecided to go independent.
To revisit Somaliland’s election that brought the new hodgepodge team to power and describing it as “ free and fair” by the international election monitors was half the story, and that is good as far it goes, but Kulmiye’s, the ruling party, landslide victory has been allegedly attributed to foreign funding. The campaign expenditures by Kulmiye were nearly triple fold than the outgoing governmental party which was rather illogical. Where did the funding come from? Probably from Allah as idiots always reply, but neither the Election Commission nor the international donors questioned, the next election is likely to wreck havoc with the country pillars.
There are hostile countries acting to fall in love with Somaliland and recently opened some sort of watchdog office but called it semi-consulate to influence domestic opinion and push it towards their sinister political ends. And that, of course, is quite worrying.
For the last 20 years, Somaliland has escaped the war that devastated much of its second-half, Somalia, not only of its wise leadership from Egal to Riyaale but also had been cooperating with region of overriding issues of security concern for both sides. Perhaps there is security lapse .however, the first security failure of its kind ever in Somaliland’s 20 year history happened immediately after Kulmiye won the election. ONLF fighters who came from Eritrea have marched through Somaliland territory in broad daylight unchecked! That infiltration definitely occurred with local coordination of ulterior motive.
By the way, Somaliland’s current regime seems to be working with international communities on unacceptable terms much like Pakistani government “arsonist and firefighter” role, the senile president, nevertheless, probably unaware of where the country is heading because he is supposedly in retirement, the presidential office is not highest decision body anymore but “meeting place” for theocrats and clerics ; however, the rest of his cabinet which consists of Sheikh-turned ministers are obviously do not live the same Somaliland as we do. They wish well Palestinian Imams well paid by the State of Israel while some of their next door households went hungry to bed; wish to see Somaliland next to Cairo or Jeddah probably to visit ancient tombs of Arabian poets or otherwise. In fact, they glued to the legendary past of their hallucination than the “gloomy” present or the future which requires collective solution. Nonetheless, there is enough evidence these backward-looking zealots bought their positions in return of their funding for the Kulmiye’s campaign with mysterious finance. Who gave them the money? Only time will tell.
Kulmiye word which literally means bringing things or people together in Somali .the party practically brought men of contradicting views from pan-Somalism by Saylic, the VP, and minister of finance of Islamist of background together to destroy Somaliland through keep-on-hold mechanism, but theoretically the party created an image of working only for the interest of Somaliland (secession camp) during the electoral adverts which were not true.
Now Khatuma Two Conference, clannish Tol meeting following Khatuma One in London begun to determine the future of one sub-clan, is held in place not too far from Hargaysa to portray Somaliland as uncooperative clans that decided to live together in a peaceful way ,but can go its separate way anytime. In addition, Sameel crisis and Kulmiye’s ignorant politics had infuriated many Sameroons and drove them insane. Kulmiye,’s handling of politics domestic level is very disappointing never mind the foreign diplomacy, and as a result, the former cadres of Udub Party were reinstated for their positions unconditionally.
Sameel crisis, however, is still outstanding for over 40 days now. The government is not doing enough for the injured party, so they may take the law into their own hands as they have few options. Both Khatuma and Sameel Murder depict Somaliland as “unilaterally clan” mission not accepted by all gets closer to reality. Shrinking from the margins can spread to the epicenter.
On the other hand, despite the fact that Hirsi Ali’s recent visit to Cairo alienated our friendly countries; it drew ridiculous response from Egypt.Foreign funding for a national party is illegal in any election in the democratic world, but ours has no rules whatsoever! We define democracy on the street man’s terms “a change of one man for another!” with only one benefit, that is to say, to post to somewhat-like newspaper of free posting without editorial regulations.
As soon as the last election was over, Kulmiye’s government of Somaliland made its first trip outside the country to UAE, a tiny country which has no interest in Africa’s politics and widely notorious for its hatred against Somaliland. UAE had also banned to wave Somaliland flag inscribed with the most sacred creed of Islamic faith never mind recognizing it as state by legal residents as well as UAE naturalized citizens of Somaliland origin.
Mandela of South Africa paid one of its first visits to Libya under international air embargo after his release from notorious prison to appreciate for long outstanding role in the struggle against apartheid despite ferocious criticism from powerful countries like the USA but turned deaf ears to them to be appreciative of what Libyans as state had done to them during critical days. In contrast, Somaliland apparently turned its back to countries that took part in its foundation. Surely, without their vital support, Somaliland could not be how it is today.
Somaliland is where zealotry and religious bigotry blinded the human conscience; it is where faith works only one-way and demands us both to stand by those who supplied nearly a two-third of the land-mines which murdered many of our innocent people, and kiss away our tears; it is where people still struggling to reconcile their “ local” values with continuously Arabic books that dictate otherwise, and it is where religion entirely turned into a culture of symbols— rather than been a matter of privacy and personality— such as displaying of beards—naturally-beardless youth may undergo plastic surgery out of shame if they afford, to let its beards grow as a sign of ones’ “strong” faith instead of been “diluted”; over-veiling of Hijab for teenagers to attract the attention passers-by, it is like much like the g*y culture in the broadways in the Western cities—It is where Mosques construction (unnecessary in the true version of Islam which is allowed to pray in Churches and Synagogues)seemingly takes precedence over feeding a dying child and became alive obsession so hard to get rid of! These People were hijacked by means of faith-cum-politics! Ignorance is bliss for those who do not know anything about these circumstances they live in. Again, Somaliland is where a couple of mullahs walking together can tell you of the contradictory Fatwas about ongoing religious war in Somalia; one claims that what is going on in Somalia is not jihad but a Fitna while the other believes in it is Jihad obliged by Allah. Total confusion.
The current administration is not only directionless but also leaderless to some degree and thus has no unified goal to attain. The political, and diplomatic gaffes made by the new regime is far from over. The concerning countries ought to watch Somaliland with outlook of a newcomer to global cruel diplomacy, learning to creep unassisted. Are the foreign countries ready to deal with externally pretty good but internally rotten government?

Abdirahman Mohamed Dirye
Abdirahman Dirye is an activist from Somaliland currently based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He can be reached at: mrdirye@gmail.com

There are other reports that indicate an accusatory culpability to Somali administration province in Ethiopia that they have aided and abetted the warlords that held a tribal meeting in Taleeh by providing security guards that escorted them to Taleh.

Somaliland government has forwarded memo of concern on that matter to Ethiopian representative to Hargeisa which has denied that his government was assisting the terrorist group that met in Taleh. Last week’s conflict in Buhoodle town has seen the result of 40 people killed between Somaliland forces and the local militia headed by US Professor Ali Khalif.

Somalilandpress
Biggest English-Somali news portal
Saturday, January 31, 2012

These options are not acceptable to the people of Somaliland and they are going to be a waste of time and resources. These options will simply not give fruitful solutions to the Somalia problems. The Somalia-Somaliland union was tried voluntarily more than 50 years ago and without the influences of the international community. As matter of fact, the British Government that granted independence to Somaliland in 1960 was rightfully against that union with Somalia. Time proved that British government was right, the union failed badly and did not simply work for either Somalia or Somaliland and it is the root cause of the past five decade’s political catastrophe in the Horn of Africa region.

Repeating the Union mistake will benefit no one, not Somaliland, Somalia, the neighbouring states or the international community. It is not going to bring about a real panacea to the problem as described by Andrew Mitchell, the British Development secretary: “If we ignore Somalia then it will continue on its spiral, destabilizing the region and exporting terrorism, piracy, drugs, people and disease.” I completely agree with him, but I think the right approach is not being perused.

On the other hand, looking at the points enumerated in London Conference on Somalia: Building Momentum, it is obvious that the London conference is misguided to the best, because anyone with the least experience in this region will tell you that this international intervention will make a bad situation even much worst. The conference host country and the rest of the international community do not make a sharp distinction between Somaliland on one hand and Somalia and its warlord fiefdoms on the other hand. I think this is a terrible bad mistake and that ought to be corrected.

Somaliland is independent from Somalia. It is a stable country in peace with itself and its neighbors. It has a democratically elected government and internationally defined borders, the Somaliland citizens have democratically opted to reclaim their independence in 1991 in a national referendum. Since 1991 Somaliland was busy fighting terrorism, piracy and is fully cooperating with the international community in those areas. Thanks to the Somaliland efforts and sacrifices, the problems of piracy, human trafficking, famine and terrorism are now curbed in Somalia and that is where the international community is supposed to focus its attention.

I caution the international community not to entertain the idea of creating a forced Somaliland-Somalia union or an international trusteeship on these two countries, this will only serve the interest of terrorists and international parasites also known as AMISOM countries and the UN representative Mr. Mahiga and his team, who are aggressively trying to prolong their tenure and hefty pay on the backs of the starving and terrorized Somalis. Mr. Mahiga and the international community are integral part of the Somalia predicament. They have created mini states within Somalia. These mini states or Regional states of Somalia are the cause of new conflicts in previously stable regions. Not only that but they also contributed immensely to the discord witin the TFG and its parliament.

Somaliland will not accept to be part of the Somalia ruin, but will be ready to contribute to the international efforts in bringing stability and peace to Somalia – that is if Somaliland is recognized as a sovereign state. The international community can contribute to further develop and assist Somaliland to stay the course, but dismantling and undoing Somaliland’s success is objectionable. Somaliland will not settle for anything that will compromise its independence and will not allow the replication of the déjà vu Iraqi and Afghani international community’s letdown. I think this is what a fair-minded and tax-paying citizen everywhere in the world would ask for.

There is no need to spend time and international resources on spreading anarchy and terrorism to Somaliland. The people of Somaliland, Somalia and the rest of the Muslim world will perceive this as a part of a wider western conspiracy to reestablishing a new form of neo-colonialism by using the UN/AU and some Arab countries in the process. This will be a new pretext for international terrorists everywhere to cause further pandemonium.

UN/AU trusteeship and Somaliland-Somalia union will not solve or contain the Somalia crisis, but will have dire consequences for the whole region and the rest of the world. The international community must learn to mend what is broken down and not to shatter what remains intact.

President Siilaanyo welcomed the Danish delegation headed by Christian Bach the Development Cooperation Minister and said Somaliland’s strong bilateral relationship with Denmark has made Denmark one of the top donor countries that provide support to Somaliland on the areas of social progress and development. Speaking at the meeting, Danish Development Cooperation Minister lauded Somaliland’s progress in key areas of tranquility, human rights, development and stability the key role that it can play in the region.
He reiterated that his government remains committed to increase the assistance that it provides to Somaliland in a bid to improve the human life in the areas of social progress. Mr. Christian further commented that Somaliland achieved the advance of democracy and security in a hostile and challenging region and called on Somaliland government to strengthen the system of governance in the country. The Minister publicized his government’s plan to soon open offices in Somaliland and further discussed how to sustain good governance and improve the life of Somaliland people. After meeting with the president, Mr. Christian Bach and his delegation also met with Speakers of Somaliland National Assembly.

Somalilandpress
Biggest English-Somali news portal
Saturday, January 31, 2012

This is not a new approach, but rather an attempt to maneuver and redirect previous efforts that failed to yield workable progress after decades of ill advised and poorly conceived international interventions. Despite early multilateral and international approaches to the “Somalia Problem”, involving both energy and huge sum of international aid, solutions remain illusive and Somalia has only managed to further digress politically, socially, and economically into oblivion with no clear direction of where it is heading aside from remaining a failed state.

It is in here that the conference organizers, namely Britain and the West hope that important issues will be addressed and international effort be used as catalyst to find a new path that will lead to a real and practical solutions for the a range of “Somalia problems”. The conference will receive participants from many stakeholders in Somalia, as well as scores of senior representatives representing as many as 40 governments and other multilateral organizations from around the globe.

What can be discerned from the scope of this international summon and the serious attempt made by the British Foreign and Commonwealth office to persuade Somaliland to attend this conference in London, is Britain’s genuine interest in resolving the “Somalia Problems”. Given Somaliland’s reputation, as “Africa’s Best Kept Secret” coupled with its recently surging international engagement and improved diplomacy, there is no doubt that the West appreciates Somaliland’s bottom-up approach and self-reliance in managing many such similar calamities so successfully without much international help for the last 21 years.

The strong insistence that Somaliland participates in this conference by Britain and the West must absolutely reflect their feeling that Somaliland could make positive contribution by sharing its experiences in peace making, security, good governance, and the establishment of rare and unique pastoral democracy. It would seem the West understands that Somaliland’s contribution could be highly crucial to this process to help

set a new direction, and infuse new energy to otherwise failed earlier approaches by the international community.

Although Somaliland’s mammoth achievements can not be ignored, it is highly questionable whether or not their contribution could make tangible difference to the “Somalia Problem” in many areas, despite Somalis on both sides of the border having common ethnicity, language, culture and a religion. The reality on the ground is, starting from the late 19th century, Somalia experienced an Italian colonialism which led to fractured and diluted cultural and religious values, and developed cultural trait, political practices and social behaviors that are so distinct from those practiced by the people of Somaliland.

Somalia has lost much of their essential cultural and religious tools to resolve any of the fore mentioned crisis, including promoting justice and reconciliation, or encouraging democracy, tribal harmony and good governance. Hence, it is exceedingly difficult for Somalia to emerge from this crisis a healthy, responsible nation that lives in peace within itself and its neighbors for long period of time. Somalia’s political, social, and cultural environment today is not conducive to encouraging similar achievements such as that witnessed in Somaliland in the short time it restored its independence. Somaliland’s accomplishments are rare in the Somali context, because of the different colonial histories and experiences and will no doubt remain important milestone achievements by any standard.

Even so, Somaliland’s participation is still crucial, if not necessary for a country in search of recognition and a podium to present its case to the international community. Many of the international community aren’t properly acquainted with Somaliland, its history or even its recent milestone achievements of the last two decades.

This conference would offer Somaliland a unique platform to present its case to the international community and an opportunity to stress to the world that ignoring Somaliland far too long would be exceedingly detrimental to the peace, security and the stability of the entire region. This is also an opportunity to embarrass the Somali representatives from Somalia in failing to uphold the interest of their own suffering people a head of their own selfish and personal interests, as well as to underline their failure to address the root causes of their protracted conflict, which no doubt includes addressing :

* Their Lost cultural and religious traits

* Rampant nepotism and corruption

* Selfish interests and enduring authoritarianism

* Tribalism

In addition, it would be an opportunity for Somaliland to demonstrate its milestone achievements in peacemaking, security, and democracy as an attractive allure

for economic engagement with those countries attending the conference. Furthermore, it would undoubtedly enhance Somaliland’s global image and profile as its achievements set this country as a sharp contrast to its trouble neighbor in the South. It is clear that this conference presents a rare opportunity for Somaliland and its international image, and in no way, shape or form presents any danger to its independence, repute or quest for international recognition. Somalilanders have nothing to fear from attending this conference, in fact they have a lot to gain.

Abdirahim Ali Harbi
Toronto, Canada
Abdi_adam@hotmail.com

According to Engineer Mustafe Jama who is the engineer in charge of the preparation and digging of the trenches in the capital of Hargeisa, their firm will also began trench digging in the cities of Burco,Borama and Berbera in the coming weeks as the arrival of the cable will be soon. Somaliland’s business community is also very enthusiastic of Fiber Optic connection that the country will be receiving in the coming weeks as it is expected to be major boost for the business community.

Somalilandpress
Biggest English-Somali news portal

Monday, January 30, 2012

By Farid Adenese

The Somaliland media is meant to be the central pillar around which the sovereignty of the nation rested. Responsible media is this and more. It must be looked up to for guidance, for corrections, for entertainment, for unbiased news coverage, etc.

In olden days, Somaliland media perfectly fitted that garb and proudly qualified for such qualities. All editorials, news coverage, exchanged opinion. Everything had an objective – an objective that never opposed, denigrated or slighted in any way the chosen principles of Somaliland.

There were times that prevailing circumstances tested such a resolve: the proxy, inter-clan hostilities of the early nineties, the political confrontation between a number of sultans and the then president, the late Mohamed Haj Ibrahim Egal, the militia disarmament initiative, etc. Every time, the media sided with the unimpeachable principle of self-determination and, thus, Somaliland emerged the victor – no matter what.

The media prevailed upon the more daunting, seemingly insurmountable odds in a number of ways: it preached a language of responsible reconciliation when conflict brewed; it mediated in among the principle actors in emerging differences behind the scenes; it stressed the importance and indispensability of peace and stability; it swept away dirty linen under the rug when necessary – in effect, it always upheld what was dear and valued in Somaliland for Somaliland without second thoughts, without undue pretenses, without fail.

In those days, the Somaliland media was described as one of the most vibrant, most responsible in the world. Somaliland was unanimously hailed as a nation whose people had reached one decision, decided on one goal, and were determined to achieve their goal without treading one one’s toes. This good image of the country was – of course – projected by the then existing

I feel it is time that we sat back and took stock of how and what the media is doing about upholding national principles, foremost among which is the determination to restore Somaliland sovereignty. Whichever way the scales tip, there is ground for improvement. Discussion engenders healthy growth.

Above the law?

No one is above the law. One cannot do whatever he/she wants to and escape the consequences. What you sow is what you reap – good or bad. In journalism terms, you have two options to choose from: one that sees inward, looks inward, reports from inward, and another that reports what the eyes and the mind note in events that surround them to sieve the truth from figments of imagination and report it as such. The first is for the inadequately educated, materially driven, sensationalist ‘scribbler’. It is the latter that good journalists identify with. It is the latter that audiences look for.

Tread carefully; tread on no toes with the express intention to hurt the owner. A Lie lasts as long as it is being told. Words are much more damaging than fists. Media must remember that at all times.

On the other hand, it is contended, a great number of scantily trained Somaliland journalists – unlike their counterparts in Somalia – are becoming unintentionally blurting out state secrets mistaking them for sensational news coverage. Some outside observers argue that Somaliland foes need not send in any spies to espy on national security, economic and political secrets. One only has to read the papers and surf through the Internet, they point out, to find out minute details such as which side of his bed the President slept on during the previous night. Troop movements, upcoming cabinet reshuffles, diplomatic meetings, and other state secrets – punishable by law – have become, for some of the outlets, part of their daily beats, observers argue.

One cannot completely disagree with the observers.

A responsible journalist

Somaliland journalists need to be more aware of the myriad of foes the country has to ward off. Today, a great number of practicing journalists appear to have joined the enemy camp unconsciously. Burying one’s homeland aspirations and skinning one’s leaders’ alive in order to sell more copies make one a loser in the eyes of a discerning society as well as in the hereafter (assuming this Lander is a Muslim). Spreading panic among the public and belittling your leadership only brings one’s own demise that much nearer because one is of that society: it thrives, you do; it goes down; it pulls you down with it.

A responsible journalist is a conscientious public servant. There are a number of ‘commandments’ and edicts that journalists should follow to the letter. Any journalist who consciously repudiates their wisdom strips himself/herself of the honor of the title. Among these are:

1. Be impartial (meaning: do not side with any party in any of your stories. The more balance you maintain in a story, the more reliable a presentation is.)
2. Be objective (meaning: you have no ulterior motives in your coverage. Your only goal is to pass on news/info to your audience. Let them reach their own conclusions and make up their minds on what you have passed on to them.)
3. Be accurate (meaning: opinion is an antonym to fact. In other words, opinions are yours; facts are not and must be accurately reported as they happen. One goes beyond the obvious only when more investigation into the bare facts is called for.)
4. Be responsible (meaning: your coverage can have a most unfavorable effect/impact on audiences. Look out for what is good and useful to them. You are accountable to your audience in every way.)

On the opposite side of the spectrum are areas and concepts that a journalist has to avoid like the plague. Among them are:

1. Defamation: One does not lie about people or twist the truth about them to hurt them.
2. Plagiarism/Derivation: We do not repeat or copy-and-paste stories that belong to others. You may be further spreading false and/or damaging stories.
3. Malice: News reports can ruin people’s reputations. It can put others in danger or may cause public riots or armed clashes that would be hard harder to quell than starting them.
4. Corruption: A good journalist does not take bribes. An amount as small as $5 can put a journalist in dire trouble and ruin his/her reputation for good same as that of his/her innocent victim/subject.

Criticism must aim to construct, to instruct. Intentional malign has no place in responsible journalism.

Observing moderation

These past few years, the bulk of the Somaliland media has been criticized for veering away from moderation to extremism in almost all counts. For one, it is noted, coverage of events became synonymous with coverage of political skirmishes and verbal battles. This undue attention to politics, naturally, sidelines all other socially significant coverage such as the economy, social affairs, development projects, responsible entertainment, exchange of healthy opinion, educational programs, etc. Instead, it is said, more jarringly manifest in many Somaliland present day news coverage is bias against one politician, against the leadership, against the state, and against this or that which invariably shows in either or all of the news headlines, selection of photos, story placement, omission of pertinent facts and the invention of others, the use of names and titles, use of statistics, use of tone and word choice and in a number of other equally ‘targeting’ methods and modes. This is especially more true with some than with others – the latter so much less than the former.

Somaliland needs friends not foes. Somaliland needs to earn the respect of its citizens, its neighbors and that of the international community. The most certain vehicle to cultivate such friendship is through the pages, the tones and words its media uses for it – or against it. Somaliland is only worth as its media depicts it, markets it to the outside world as well as to its own.

Farid Adenese

farid.cadami@gmail.com

Drive along any road between Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia and you are likely to see pick-up trucks, piled high with bundles of fresh green leaves, hurtling past you at terrific speed, horns blaring, lights flashing.

A bit like ambulances. Or fire engines.

Land at any airport and you will see planes stuffed with the same green leaves, being unloaded at a frenzied pace.

Whether there is war, drought or famine, the leaves get through. The khat industry booms.

I used to wonder where all this khat was coming from. Now I know.

The small town of Awaday is in between Ethiopia’s most holy Muslim town of Harar and its big eastern city of Dire Dawa.

I first arrived in Awaday late at night. Unlike the other towns I had passed through, it was not quiet, dark and asleep. It was wide awake and madly, crazily busy.

Every scrap of pavement, every building, room and shack was devoted to the sorting, the weighing, the bundling and the selling of khat. There was a fresh, slightly bitter smell of vegetation.

I stood on floors which were soft, smooth and silky with glossy discarded leaves. Man, woman and child sat on these floors, rapidly chopping stems, picking through the leaves to choose the most succulent and tender.

There was something medieval about the process. Nothing was mechanised. Everything was done by hand.

Delicate weighing of the highest quality leaves – which fetch tens of dollars a bunch – was done with tiny brass weights on metal scales.

In each and every room, a man sat with a giant ledger, carefully noting down weights, prices and other figures.

“This is the khat capital of the world,” one man told me. “This whole town is a khat factory.

“We harvest the leaves from the fields nearby, then we rush them to Awaday for sorting and pricing. This is our khat stock exchange.

“We all work from late afternoon until three of four in the morning. Only then do we rest.”

In the middle of Awaday is a large five-storey building, the biggest I could see in the town.

It is devoted entirely to khat and is divided into small rooms, where people prepare the leaves for transporting all over the world.

The vehicles waiting on the road with their engines running reminded me of racehorses straining at the bit, before the starting bell. As soon as they are filled with khat, they race off into the night.

“This one’s for Djibouti, this for Somaliland, Dire Dawa, Addis Ababa, London, China.”

The reason for the speed is that khat has to be fresh.

Wherever possible, it must be on the market before noon the next day. Otherwise, as one devoted chewer told me, “it loses its deadliness”.

Soaring spirits

I spent time with some chewers the day after I visited Awaday.

They were known by their Somali nicknames of “Black Hair’, “Big Nose” and “Round Mouth”.

There is quite a ritual to chewing khat, which is usually done sprawled on the floor, preferably on a carpet or blanket, with cushions to lean on.

Soft drinks, water and tea are placed before each chewer, together with a large bundle of khat, a bin for the stems and a cloth for wiping sweat from the brow.

The session starts quite slowly.

There is not much conversation as packing the leaves and stems into the mouth and chewing them are the priorities.

After an hour or so, spirits lift, tongues fly and arms wave about. There is a lot of talking, planning, analysing, arguing and joking.

Business deals are made. Political problems are solved or created.

As the hours spin by, and the chewing subsides, the mood shifts downwards.

Eyes take on a glazed expression. Irritability sets in, and sleep refuses to come.

It is here that I see shades of what psychiatrists and others describe as the destructive side of khat, which they say can lead to serious mental health and other problems.

The next time I visited Awaday, it was daytime.

In this upside-down town, where people work through the night, there was hardly anyone on the streets.

All the doors were closed. Everybody was asleep.

There were a few goats trotting about, and a few dried khat leaves in the dust, the only reminder of the frenzied night-time activity.

I could not help thinking that khat is being grown in an area affected by drought and shortages of food.

It is being delivered fresh, with tremendous efficiency, to parts of Somalia affected by famine.

I suppose it is a matter of priorities, or, should I say, of money.

At the very least, perhaps the local authorities and the international aid agencies could learn something from the people of Awaday about how to deliver fresh supplies, perhaps of food and other essential items, to difficult and dangerous areas.

By Mary Harper

BBC

Sunday, Jan 29, 2012

Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud

The President of Somaliland

29 January 2012

Dear Mr. President,

We fully appreciate and applaud your wise decision to give your people the opportunity to have a say on formulating a sound reaction to the invitation of the UK Government to take part the upcoming London Conference on Somalia. Your Excellency, your move obviously underscores the significance of such response – and highlights the serious of repercussion it is likely to have on our fate as country and people.

We, the Somaliland Diaspora in India welcome every effort that the International Community is trying to find ways and means to put an end of the pandemonium and chaos prevailing in the neighbouring Somalia for two decades.

It is a noble act and goodwill gesture on the part of the UK Government to help Somalia to emerge from the abyss of diametrical failure and stand on its own feet like Somaliland, which is a beacon of peace and stability.

As we know your Excellency, the Conference which will discuss topics such as terrorism, piracy, peace and stability are not relevant to the Republic of Somaliland and the whole world is diametrically aware of that our country is known to its genuine peace and stability in its two decades of existence. Mr President what worries we, the Somaliland community most, is that that Republic of Somaliland has not been given any especial status at this conference that would completely separate it from the multitude of Somalia’s self-appointed mini-regional authorities the likes of Puntland and Galmudug.

Your Excellency, The Republic of Somaliland has not been promised or given assurance that the newly improvised so called Awdal State and Khaatumo destabilising groups will not be allowed to participate in the conference, and that this will tarnish the image of Somaliland as a separate state from the chaotic Somalia in the very eyes of the international community.

We fully acknowledge and trust you will agree that the Republic of Somaliland can play an instrument in restoring peace and stability to the Horn of Africa, in the fight against piracy and terrorism, and it can be a strategic partner in curbing the unpredictable political situation unfolding in the Gulf of Aden. It can play a constructive role in the wider region because it has established effective and working institutions despite being surrounded by extremely violence, terrorism and piracy. However, the republic of Somaliland will fulfill its role, and only if, its aspiration to join the list of free nations is fully endorsed.

Your Excellency, we staunchly urge you and your government not to participate the London Conference by sharing dais with the self – appointed leaders of the mini regions of Somalia. We fully support and welcome the decision that it will not be taking part in the Conference .Any change due to pressure from the International Community will be considered as a dangerous move and a historical mistake.

Sincerely yours,

Somaliland Students Association of India

Mukhtar Mohamed Abby
mukhtarabby@gmail.com

BIPE project was jointly sponsored by the above mentioned trio Ministries who have realized both the importance and the need to organize indigenous briefing and induction training for all expatriates coming to work in Somaliland, so that they become more aware about the people of Somaliland, their history, culture and what makes them different from Somalia. The BIPE seminars will be made mandatory for all expatriates working in the country (be them UN and INGO staffs or employees from other institutions and companies. This would mean that all expatriates who are coming to work in Somaliland ought to book the BIPE workshops and attend the training with a view to make their services responsive to the needs of the people of Somaliland and those issues that are pertinent to their development.

BENEFITS OF BIPE TRAINING

The BIPE training seeks to present both the context of Somaliland’s restoration of its independence from the rest of Somalia and the perspective of its government in terms of institution building, democratization and good governance as well as the priorities for economic growth, sustainable development and social justice. In other words expatriates who attend the BIPE workshops received somewhat desynthesized information in terms of the history, culture, security and political perspectives of Somaliland as opposed to the wider context of Somalia which is what expatriates are given in Nairobi prior to their arrival in Somaliland.

It is expected that after completing the BIPE workshop expatriates will have more understanding about the needs of the people of Somaliland and their services would become more responsive to those needs of the public that they are supposed to be serving in the country. The training is planned to be run once a month in Hargeisa and all expatriates are expected to attend one of the sessions by completing a booking form which can be obtained from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MOLSA) or collected with the work permit application form from the Ministry.

MAIN OBJECTIVES OF BIPE

The main objectives of the BIPE Seminars are to:

• Make expatriates become more aware of the history of Somaliland and the culture and traditions of its people as well as the country’s natural beauty and the hospitality of its pastoral communities;

• Provide expatriates with the historical perspective of Somaliland’s restoration of its sovereignty from the rest of Somalia in May 1991 while at the same time informing them about the achievements of Somaliland in terms of peace, reconciliation, stability and parliamentary democracy;

• Make them more aware of the country’s strive and efforts towards institutional building and good governance as well as reconstruction and development priorities;

• Provide expatriates with a list of dos and donts which will help them interact with the local population without offending anyone or causing embarrassment or even posing a security risk for themselves;

FUTURE EXPECTATIONS

It is expected that the historical, cultural and political perspectives provided by the BIPE training would give participants with the full context of Somaliland. In the meantime the security information, provided by the BIPE workshops will assist expatriates and visitors to avoid potential security risks during their stay in Somaliland. The combination of the briefing and induction information with the relevant security information will undoubtedly give this project an added value and prove its worthiness as well as how indispensable it could be for the expatriates and visitors coming to work in Somaliland. Finally it is hoped that the participants of the first BIPE workshop will spread the word about the importance of the training and everyone involved is looking forward to see expatriates benefiting from the training and serve the people of Somaliland responsively.

BIPE IMPLEMENTING AGENCY

The BIPE workshop has been delivered by Elite Consultancy and Training Agency (ECOTRA), a national consultancy firm which specializes in capacity development, research and training. ECOTRA has successfully prepared an information pack for the BIPE workshop attendants including a Booklet titled “Facts about Somaliland”. ECOTRA expects that its BIPE workshops will help expatriates to discharge their duties and responsibilities properly.

“The more expatriates know about the culture and history of this country the more they will provide better services.” A quotation from one of the most respected elders in Somaliland – Haji Abdi-waraabe

By Adam Ismail Hassan, PhD.

Somalilandpress
Biggest English-Somali news portal

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Broadcasted over 200 FM stations across the United States, East Africa and the Middle East, the programme focuses on business, technology and stories that are making news. In addition World Update presents in-depth information and analysis of international issues by speaking to experts and ordinary people to hear first hand accounts.

Dan and Mary were joined by their Somali colleagues, BBC Somali correspondent (Hargeisa), Mr. Ahmed Said Egeh and Mr. Abdulrisak Hajji Mohamed Sirad as well as students from UoH.

The programme was broadcasted live from Hargeisa’s FM radio waves on Thursday from 1 PM to 2 PM and drew large audience across the country as well as internationally which saw many Somali expatriates have their say. Here in Hargeisa, those who took part included the CEO of Dahabshiil Company, the largest remittance company in Africa, Mr. Abdulrashid Mohamed Said Duale and four students.

Muna Mohamed, a bio-chemistry student from UoH, told Mr. Damon that there was a hope for her to find a career in Somaliland in the medical industry once she graduates. Other students also expressed optimism while others indicated they would go abroad to further their education.

Mr. Damon and the BBC team explored and traveled around Hargeisa by foot without any armed escorts and later met with President Ahmed Silanyo for an interview. While in downtown, he took pictures and talked to money exchangers often stacking piles of cash in wheelbarrows. At one point he asked: “Are you not worried someone will steal it?” “Not here, we trust everyone,” the money exchanger replied.

You can listen to part of the programme below.

Photo: World Update are in Somaliland – and their presenter Dan Damon present World Have Your Say at a university in Hargeisa.

Somalilandpress
Biggest English-Somali news portal

Saturday, January 28, 2012

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The 29-year old journalist, who worked for the independent radio station for three years left behind a wife and three children. His lifeless body was taken to Madina hospital.

Attacks against journalists and the press are all too common in Somalia’s war-torn capital Mogdishu. In December, Abdulsalam Sheikh Hussein “Hiis” of Horn Cable TV was shot in the head in Hamar Jajab district by a man wearing Somali government uniform.

Somali reporters fleeing prosecution often fled to Somaliland but that reputation was recently damaged with the government in Hargeisa launching massive crackdown against independent journalists. Just two weeks ago, the government of President Silanyo arrested over 25 reporters with four still believed to be in custody without being charged. The ruling Kulmiye Party also shut down and suspended a number of independent TV stations – a far cry from their post-election campaign promises in mid-2010.

A statement from the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) said his recent extensive reporting on government corruption might be a motive.

International media watchdogs have ranked Somalia the world’s most dangerous country for reporters.

Classified as a failed state, Somalia has not had a functioning central government for more than 20 years and has been wracked by fighting between various militias and the ever increasing list of mini-states.

Somalilandpress
Biggest English-Somali news portal

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Hussein Haji Ahmed, Somalia’s Deputy Ambassador to Yemen, said the bodies of eleven Somali immigrants were recovered near Yemen’s border with the oil rich kingdom. He insisted scores of others were reportedly missing. Mr. Ahmed also informed local media that hundreds of Somali immigrants caught slipping into Saudi Arabia were systematically abused with many either killed, tortured or kidnapped by Saudi and Yemeni forces and sometimes by rebel groups.

The ambassador added women fleeing the conflict in Somalia were often sexually abused as they tried to cross the border. He said he discussed the matter with both Saudi and Yemeni security personnel. He claimed that the two countries pointed fingers, each claiming the other was responsible for the abuse.

Mr Ahmed declared that Arab security forces were behind the killings of the Somali immigrants. The ambassador also criticized Somaliland and Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland accusing them of refusing to accept southern-Somali refugees returning from Yemen.

Finally he called on international right groups to investigate the abuses and bring those responsible to justice.

Thousands of Somalis fleeing drought, famine and violence flood into Yemen every month despite its own humanitarian crisis. In total, the United Nations estimates around 200,000 Somali refugees are now in Yemen with many using the historical migratory route to else where to seek a better life.

Classified as a failed state, Somalia has not had a functioning central government for more than 20 years and has been wracked by fighting between various militias and the ever increasing list of mini-states.

Somalilandpress
Biggest English-Somali news portal

Saturday, January 27, 2012

The entire $200m (£127m) project was funded by China as a gift to the AU, as Beijing continues to strengthen its influence in Africa.

The 100m high tower overlooks a vast conference centre where African heads of state are expected to meet for years to come.

Their first AU summit in the building will take place on the weekend.

China’s most senior political adviser, Jia Qinglin, will attend the opening of the new headquarters and will address African leaders at the start of their assembly on Sunday.

The new AU building dominates the skyline of Addis Ababa and is the city’s tallest building.

Most of the materials used were imported from China and even the furnishings were paid for by Beijing, AFP news agency reports.

Construction began in January 2009 and involved 1,200 Chinese and Ethiopian workers.

The project co-ordinator, Fantalum Michael, says the new building signifies China’s growing friendship with Africa.

“It’s a testimony that this relationship will continue in the future,” he told AFP.

Thriving relationship

Trade between China and Africa has increased more than six-fold during the past decade to $120bn (£76bn) in 2011.

China is interested in Africa’s natural resources and in return is investing huge sums in African infrastructure.

Roads are being built by Chinese firms at a staggering rate, says the BBC’s Will Ross in Addis Ababa.

While other rich nations impose conditions before aid is given, China’s relationship with African countries is strictly a business one, he says.

Human rights groups have criticised China for undermining efforts by western countries to link aid to improvements in governance.

However African leaders have welcomed the Chinese approach and have embraced investment from Beijing.

In Ethiopia, many jobs have been created through Chinese-funded projects.

Chinese cars are being made in Ethiopian factories and China is also building a light railway across Addis Ababa.

BBC

Saturday, Jan 28, 2012

• Reference: Ill-advised London Conference

On behalf of Somaliland community in Alberta, Canada, Mr. President, we are writing to congratulate you for your genuine efforts on progressing economy and education system since the inception of your governing. However, we see no visible improvements on security and social parameters as a number of communities had been in protest against your administration and management.

In particular, one issue that we would like to raise in our letter is regarding the ill-advised London conference that you had been invited to attend and your impending decision. Based upon our careful research product and receiving reliable resource about the conference and its masked agenda, we are hereby sturdily advising you not to attend and instead put your energy on solving internal issue such as Buuhoodle matter.

With Somali political anarchy in mind, the very discernible powerful political players in the region are Ethiopia and Kenya supported by western countries, namely USA, France and Britain. In this conference, they will deliver very guarded and planned speech to the Somali fragmented groups with no opportunity given to present their incoherent ideas, following guidelines on how to implements speech key points.

In addition, conference’s itinerary will be strictly managed by hosting country-Britain, and probably Somali attendants will be allocated limited time to present their case as conference activities are preplanned. Thus, Somaliland participants will not only waste their precious times by attending, but will devalue their patriotic principles and will not get sufficient time to present their factual case.

Mr. President, we would like to replay you our recollection as a reminder – you are the President of Somaliland, officially and democratically elected by his own people. We are extremely concerned about attending this meeting as your presidential value will be devalued and will be sitting with warlords who represent no one but themselves. We believe that the fundamentals of convening this conferencing is to prolong Somalia civil war and its misery and not aiming on how to find ever-lasting solution; they would like to see all Somalis in same boat including Somaliland. Their philosophy sounds like “put all your eggs in one basket”.

Long live Somaliland

Mohammed Abdi Awciise Bahdoon

M_bahdoon@yahoo.ca

Canada

Not only have a number of Turkish government agencies been actively working on the ground, but also a host of nongovernmental organizations in Somalia are working to bring about positive changes in what many have called a “failed state.”

It is not being widely discussed, but there is another underlying reason behind Turkish involvement in Somalia: to curb Iran’s meddling in the affairs of Somalia and its immediate neighborhood. All efforts expended by Turkey will undoubtedly bring good fortune in terms of political capital, which Ankara intends to spend on countering Iranian influence in the Horn of Africa — a place Iran feels is perfect to act as a fallback position when the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria falls to democratic opposition mostly consisting of Sunnis. For years, Iran has been cultivating relationships in Somalia and the surrounding area, hoping to gain a footing in the geostrategic location of the Horn of Africa.

Considering that one of the main Iranian shipping lines crosses through the Arabian Sea and by the Gulf of Aden, Iran certainly values its presence in Somalia from an economic standpoint. In July 2009, Iran had to send two warships to the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia to protect Iranian commercial and oil cargo ships from piracy. But there is another important rationale behind Iranian interest in this region that weighs in heavily against all other considerations.

From there, Iranians believe they can create or incite schisms within a number of African nations while also keeping Sunni Arab Gulf states occupied with mounting unrest and insurgency among Shiite populations in the southern Arabian Peninsula. For example, intelligence reports detail how the Mullah regime in Iran has been providing arms and munitions to the insurgent groups in Somalia, including al-Shabaab. Tehran has been funneling most of its aid to insurgents through the “Christian” dictator of Eritrea, Isaias Afewerki, who has been cozying up to Iranian regime for years. This is kind of ironic, yet a perfect case of the convergence of mutual interests.

The Eritrean opposition claimed that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards provided training to the radical Shiite Houthi rebels in Eritrea when they were fighting the Yemeni and Saudi governments. According to a Saudi official with whom I spoke last month, classified Saudi intelligence reports detail many similarities between the tactics employed by Houthi rebels and those used by pro-Iranian Shiite groups in Iraq. This footprint shows Iranian involvement in both cases. In 2006, then-Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Ghedi publicly accused Iran of providing weapons to Islamic militants who had seized control of much of this country’s south. In the same year, the supply of arms by Iran to radical groups in Somalia was also detailed in UN Security Council reports, which found Iran in breach of a 1992 UN arms embargo on the region.

In the last couple of years, Iran seems to have shifted its tactics away from aggressively supporting armed factions towards using soft-power methods to influence Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government. The retreat of al-Shabaab militia from Mogadishu and other places amid intense pressure from African Union troops deployed by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has undoubtedly accelerated this Iranian shift. Seeing that Somalia is desperate to get international aid, Iran has been using humanitarian assistance programs as vessels to deliver important cover for illicit Iranian government activities in Somalia. At the moment, the Somalia government does not mind this as long as aid is coming in, which is the first and foremost priority for Somali leaders.

Accompanied by two planes full of many Cabinet members, celebrities, journalists, NGO workers, and businessmen, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Aug. 19, 2011, making him the first head of a government to do so in 20 years. This certainly ruffled the feathers of the Mullah regime in Tehran. The visit came on the heels of an emergency meeting held by the member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Aug. 17 in Istanbul, which secured a pledge of $350 million in aid. On Aug. 23, 2011, just four days after the Turkish prime minister made a landmark visit to Mogadishu, Iranians hastily rushed their foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, to Somalia to hopefully lessen Turkey’s rising clout there. Salehi surveyed the camps set up by the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) and offered to build a hospital and an orphanage in the capital.

Turkey has since opened an embassy, started work on an international airport and on water supply and waste disposal projects, offered Somalis scholarships to study in Turkey, and made plans to build a new hospital and roads. A Turkish fundraising drive among private citizens that was launched during the holy month of Ramadan last year has so far raised $334 million. According to International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates last October, Turkey topped the list of countries that provided aid to Somalia when comparing the amount of aid given with the countries’ gross national income.

Furthermore, Ankara successfully mobilized the rich Gulf nations to extend financial aid to the fragile transitional government in order to build government agencies, including an army. Fearing the Iranian specter looming large over their heads, the Gulf nations have been forthcoming in delivering cash to the Somali government. Somalia is happy to receive financial assistance from Turkish and Arab Gulf donors because it comes with fewer strings attached than that supplied by the West. As a result, Turkey was able to translate international political support into concrete financial help to the cash-strapped Somali government — a key to consolidating the transitional government while curbing the appeal of terrorism.

Turkey’s interest in Somalia did not start with the huge famine that exposed some 3.7 million Somalis at risk of starvation last year. Ankara was also involved with the Djibouti Peace Process (DPP) that started in May 2008 under the auspices of the UN and ended with the election of Sharif Sheik Ahmed as the new president of Somalia in January 2009. It hosted a major UN conference on Somalia in İstanbul in May 2010. Now, it also supports a UN political map for the transition from AMISOM to a UN peacekeeping operation in Somalia, provided that a phased approach is adopted by the Security Council that will not be tied to a rigid timetable but rather set by conditions. Turkey has offered to help train and equip the Somali army as well.

In contrast with the Iranian engagement, Western powers seem comfortable with Turkey leading the charge in Somalia. Especially Americans who realized early on that Turkey is perfectly positioned to invalidate the Western imperialism argument the Iranians are using to agitate sensitivities among the Somali Muslim population and to recruit hardcore militants to insurgent groups appreciate the Turkish role very much. The US and its allies do not seem to mind the rhetoric Erdoğan uses to bash the West as long as it does not transform into a policy and helps curb Iranian influence. For example, just two days before the Mogadishu visit, Erdoğan harshly criticized Western arrogance and the failures of capitalism with respect to Somali famine during his address to the OIC. The US and its allies kept silent to the barrage of criticism leveled by Erdoğan. With Ankara in the lead, the involvement of other Muslim nations such as Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia can serve to curtail radical Iranian Shiite ideology from gaining firm ground in the Horn of Africa.

One senior Turkish Cabinet member told me that Turkey is also in contact with al-Shabaab and other insurgent groups in order to encourage reconciliation among disparate groups in Somalia. For example, Turkish recovery and reconstruction efforts are not limited just to areas controlled by the government but also extend to other areas in order to win over the hearts and minds of most Somalis. He said a smear campaign has been launched there by some powers against Turkish efforts but he affirmed the Turkish commitment, saying the negative campaigning will not deter them from actively pursuing engagement with Somalia. While he did not state so outright, he implied that Iran tops the list of those spreading black propaganda against Turkey in the Horn of Africa, an unexpected place where Turkey and Iran vie for influence.

ABDULLAH BOZKURT
a.bozkurt@todayszaman.com

Today’s Zaman

Friday, Jan 27, 2012

Five soldiers from the Somaliland army were among the victims of the Buhoodle incident, which lies near the Somaliland-Ethiopian border.

The violence there flared up after a tribal separatist militia held a meeting in the historical town of Taleeh, once the base of Sayid Abdullah Hassan, a religious fanatic and the late 19th century version of Osama bin Ladden, in which they declared the formation of a semi-autonomous state. President Ahmed Silanyo said his government would not tolerate the disintegration of Somaliland during an emergency meeting of both Houses of parliament. An army unit was dispatched to the nearby town of Buhoodle and the conference in Taleeh came to an end.

Reports from Buhoodle indicate the militia lost around 35 fighters and as many as 40 were wounded with half taken to neighboring Somalia’s central town of Galkayo for treatment. The reports add the injured people include a senior figure of the newly announced Khaatumo State but its leader Ali Khalif Galayr is no where to be found.

Somaliland forces said 25 soldiers were also injured in the incident and were transferred to Burao and Hargeisa for medical care. A spokesman for the army said they sustained most of the injuries when the militia loyal to Ali Khalif ambushed one of their cargo trucks.

Somalilandpress
Biggest English-Somali news portal

Friday, January 27, 2012