A tribute to a true patriot

Abdishakur passed away on May 13, 2012 in a car accident at Tulli village, between Dilla and Borama in Western Somaliland. Alla how naxariisto. Amina Abdi Jama, his wife, was with him in the car but her injury is not serious. Alla ha u sahlo. Aamiin.

A year ago Abdishakur wrote: “Somalilanders are in a reflective mood as they prepare for the 20th Anniversary of the birth of their nation. These days there is a sense of contemplation, thoughtfulness and revaluation in Somaliland circles.” He could have been describing his own style of mature reflection and incisive analysis of contemporary issues in Somaliland and Somalia. He was a true patriot, a man of great human quality, a statesman and deep connoisseur of his own people, whom he believed in and wanted to contribute to their well-being. In his selfless way he wanted to see his own people as winners in every aspect of their social and political life. True to his convictions, he wrote on the occasion of the last presidential election:“The people of Somaliland won: for they proved themselves to be masters of their own destiny, for they won the dignity of the citizen and shed the ugly stigma of tribal hatred.”

Dr. Abdishakur Sheikh Ali Jowhar (in Somali Cabdishakuur Sheekh Cali-Jawhar) was born in Borama, Somaliland; son of the late Sheikh Ali Jowhar, one of the most respected and loved Somali religious scholars. Dr Abdishakur was a remarkable man in his own right, he was a well-respected psychiatrist based at Grey Bruce Health Services in Ontario, Canada, and recently established a private clinic to treat his fellow citizens in Somaliland. He divided his time between Canada and Somaliland to treat his patients in both countries.

We lost a friend on May 13.

Incidentally on the same day, seven years ago (May 13, 2005), Abdishakur submitted a manuscript to me for publication by Redsea-online. The first part of his essays was titled A Study Of The Psychology Of A Nomadic Society And Its Implications For Somaliland. In it Abdishakur wrote “May 13, 2005 is such a day in the history of all Somalis in general and in that of Somaliland in particular” in reference to the demonstration of Somalilanders in Hargeysa against the death of Khadar Adan Osman, who was shot and killed by a police officer. He added “in Hargeisa, Somaliland, on May 13, 2005, the Gabooye and the Midgaan spoke their name aloud and shattered the silence and ignorance of a vicious cultural tyranny. The demonstrators forced Somaliland society to look into the mirror and behold the ugly face of injustice. And to their credit Somaliland society is listening and is intent on ushering the era of the emancipation of all citizens of Somaliland from the old archaic and moribund belief system and a decaying way of life.”

May 13th shall, in my mind, now also be associated with the death of a man, my friend, whose integrity and intellectual maturity was very rare indeed.

I was lucky to have worked with Abdishakur in many sub-committees of the Somaliland Forum and had long phone and email sessions with him about Somaliland issues. I had the privilege to serve as his deputy at Article 32: Somaliland Freedom of Expression Fund, of which he was a founding member, like me, and the first Chairperson. Abdishakur was a firm believer of freedom of expression. In one of our weekly meetings when we were looking to define the main purpose of Article 32 Fund, he stated that “our purpose could only be met if we are able to influence the people of Somaliland and the institutions of Somaliland to place the highest priority on the freedom of expression. This could only be done if the people are able to hear the message again and again. Article 32 must have not only events but an effective mechanism for relaying information about these events to the Somaliland public and its institutions.” He used to say that, at Article 32 fund, we see our struggle as cultural, not political. Our purpose is to win over the masses of our nation to a culture of freedom. In Article 32, we wanted to foster a nation of prosperous free citizens, equal under the law and free to point out the errors of their leaders without fear of sanction, now and in the future. He used to say that we want a nation where the government is eager to please the citizens not a nation where the citizens fear their government and flee their land. In Article 32, we wanted a nation of free people who are masters of their destiny not a nation of serfs who are slaves to whomever gains power over them. He used to say that we want a nation whose citizens walk tall, straight and dignified; we do not want a nation of stooped people who crawl around in servitude. He used to say: we stand here for the prevention of the rebirth of a culture of dictatorship, corruption, fear and imprisonment.

If we are successful in saving the freedom of speech in Somaliland, he used to say, we can rest assured that the nation will be safe. For it is all too clear the nation could only be killed after it is silenced, only after freedom of speech is dead and cold.

He also had clear views on issues such as tribalism. He wrote, “I am not a tribalist. I will not accept to be forced into that pigeonhole. Long time ago I decided to take an active part in formulating my own identity. And I decided to exclude the tribe from any definition of myself. It helped that I lived most of my adult life in Diaspora where I gained new identities that were unimaginable to me when I was growing up. I am a black man. I am an African in North America. I am colored. I am Moslem. I am a Canadian. I am a healer. I am a Somali of Somaliland.”

He was deeply aware of the tentacles of tribalism. In a personal communication to me he wrote, “Somaliland is as deeply tribal as any other Somali society. The single most potent enemy that could tear it apart into civil strife and extinction is the tribe. Success or failure will depend upon who takes the upper hand, the Somaliland tribes or the Somaliland state. If anything defeats Somaliland it will be this internal tribal enemy. The tribal structure of Somaliland demands to be taken into consideration and for its energy to be directed to productive ways (like competition for building universities or at least naming them). But that is not enough. Somalilanders have to find a way to direct the tribal sentiment into useful pursuits. Maybe they should go build themselves tribal universities in place of spilling tribal blood.”

As a true patriotic, Abdishakur knew what he wanted for his own country. In a Message to Kulmiye 2nd Convention in Hargeisa, Somaliland he stated, “I am not a member of your party, but like all Somalilanders I am praying for your success. And I pray for our nation to be blessed with strong leaders and stronger political parties that can keep us free from the darkness of one party state and ugliness and primitiveness of a Personality Cult.”

Dr. Jowhar, for me, was not just a colleague but was indeed a friend. I owe him so much. He set an inspiring role model, a colleague to consult when it came to national issues. Someone I could count on, every time, when I needed his assistance. I once asked him to read, and eventually write an introduction to my book “Gobannimo bilaash maaha” in 2007, and his eloquent note began with, “The nation of Somaliland stands at the cross roads of history and we have no other choice but to succeed in building this democratic and free nation-state. The alternative to citizenship is the tribe. It is the default status for the Somali people. And we don’t have to look far to know what that default status entails- see Mogadishu when the tribe became supreme in 1991 and again in 2007. We will have to end up victorious in this honorable endeavor of nation building because the alternative is the unimaginable horror of perishing in a savage tribal bloodletting that will see to our extermination. So when I say this nation has no choice but to succeed, I mean it literally. We, the citizens of this new nation, have to remember we live in a Darwinian world; vultures are not far and hungry wolves follow us just biding their time and waiting. They will wait in vain. And we will be victorious no matter what.”

Dr. Jowhar believed in the need for a transformation of our nation to a stable democratic humane nation-state which “was born in battles against a dictatorship that leveled our major cities to the ground and murdered our young and our old in their thousands; a dictatorship that has attempted to set us against one another to stimulate the final act of our collective demise.” The struggle united us, he always reminded us of that. “The struggle brought us together as a nation and delivered us from the clutches of dictatorship into the gentle and refreshing hands of freedom.” In a presentation of “Gobannimo bilaash maaha” in Hargeisa International Book Fair in 2008, Dr. Jowhar reminded the audience that “This freedom has become the essence of our existence and nationhood. Without this new identity of Free Citizens of Somaliland we are nothing but a collection of warring, self-destructing, primitive tribes verging on extinction.”

The centrality of the notion of freedom to Somaliland’s existence makes it, according to Dr. Abdishakur, “necessary for us to nourish it, protect it and nurture it.” He used to say that we have to learn about this entity- freedom- because it is so vital to our survival.

As I was writing this note, I watched a video of Dr Abdishakur in Hargeisa in 2008 telling us that “When we examine the freedom carefully it becomes very clear that there can be no freedom without freedom of expression; free radio stations not controlled by the government, free journals, free TV stations and free citizens who express their thoughts in these public media without fear of sanction. We learn that that freedom is indivisible; if any one of our citizens loses his freedom we will all lose it. It does not matter the tribe, it does not matter the region. And we learn that ugly dictatorships, genocide, mass murder, and slavery start with the state claiming monopoly on the word.” Dr. Jowhar believed that as we learn about freedom, we have to become pioneers in the methods of incorporating freedom of expression into our nomadic cultural norms, in a manner that is consistent and that in no way conflicts with the primary guide of our lives-our religion, Islam.

Sadly, we lose another eminent Somalilander to a frequent cause of death in Somaliland, our appalling roads. In a memory of one such fallen compatriot, Dr. Jowhar wrote, “On August 6, 2009 Ali (Marshall) Gulaid died in a car accident on his way to Berbera. Ali Marshall was an economist, journalist, and leading opposition politician, in short a renaissance man who moved from USA back to his country of origin (Somaliland) to help bring about democracy, freedom, peace and stability to his people.” He concluded by saying, “His [Ali Marshal] untimely death will teach the nation about sacrifice, decisiveness, discipline and commitment to the people’s cause of justice, transparency and honesty.”

Dr. Jowhar was a well-respected psychiatrist both in the diaspora and in Somaliland. He was an active member of the Somaliland Diaspora community, a contributor to Somaliland affairs in many ways. He and his wife, Amina Abdi Jama “Isteeg,” were activist members in many Somaliland Diaspora organizations. Above all, Dr. Jowhar was a visionary, a giant among the intellectuals. He was a man who contributed his sharp mind to provide us with guidance. He was a generous man who always gave from his heart. He left the comfort of the diaspora and a well-paid job in the West to give his soul, his mind, and eventually his life to his people. In the sweet memory of his sacrifices and for the sake of our young nation, we should all strive to be more like Dr. Abdishakur. We shall remember him. We shall honor him. We shall never forget him. But we will miss him deeply.

DHAXALREEB

This issue of Dhaxalreeb is dedicated to Dr. Abdishakur Jowhar, and it contains selected publications by him that appeared on redsea-online.com during the past 10 years. Today, we salute our friend, our hero with his own words. Indeed “His [Abdishakur] untimely death will teach the nation about sacrifice, decisiveness, discipline and commitment to the people’s cause of justice, transparency and honesty.”

______________________________________________

Jama Musse Jama
REDSEA-ONLINE Cultural Foundation

Via Pietro Giordani 4, 56123 Pisa, Italy
tel: 00 39 338 9679505 (Italy) | 00 44 (0)7403584135 (UK)

email: jama@redsea-online.com | jmgurey@gmail.com
website: www.jamamusse.com

Dr. Jowhar was a man blessed with the gift of gab and it was our mutual love for words and ideas that brought us together. It is therefore imperative that I remember him in the way he knew and respected me best, as a poet. In time, I will write an obituary about him to share his life as I knew him with his fans and the general public but now let me try to touch on his character, his intellectuality, his passion, his bravery, his kindness, his wisdom, his patriotism, his rebellious thought and his modesty as well as his humor, his sarcasm and his flare with language in the following poem:

Geesi Loo Hanweynaa (A Greatly Sought After Hero).

Geeriyeey gableeyaay

Gudcur iyo habaareey

***

Iyadoon laguu gogol

Oon gu’ba laguu tirin

Waxad soo guclaysood

Kolba guri mug weynaa

Goloftood ku heestaba

Miyaad goor xun socodeey

Maantana gab soo tidhi

***

Ood gabi hadhweyniyo

Geed lagu nagaa iyo

Gumbur lagu dahsoonaa

Geesi loo hanweynaa

Gab intaad ku soo tidhi

Gaar nooga qaaddoo

Goonyaha dhulkaygiyo

Gayigii u ooyoo

Shakuur lagu gunaanaday…

***

Maxaan gabay idhaahdaa

Miyuu ii guntamayaa

Godka uu baneeeyiyo

Gabalaaxsigiisii

Gololuhuu fadhiyi jirey

Gereerka erayadu

Qiimihiisi gaarkii

Miyuu gudi karaayaa…

***

Qalinkaygu gaydhada

Miyuu guulihiisii

Goohiyo dayaankii

Geesaaska sheekada

Siduu yahay gammaan faras

Qoraalkuu galbini jirey

Gibladiyo ciyaartiyo

Gurxanka iyo loolkiyo

Wilwilaha ku goyn jirey

Weedhuu gorfeeyaba

Guuxuu ka tegi jiray

Goolkuu ku dhalin jirey

Miyuu gaadhi karayaa…

***

Geesi baan abiidkii

Geeridu ka raagine

Goortii la joogaba

Guubaabadiisii

Gurmad caymadkiisii

Gaadh ilaaladiisii

Guryo oodistiisii

Gacal ururintiisii

Miyaa galalawgiisii

Durba loo go’doomoo

Gar allee la tebayaa

***

Goobtuu dhex joogsado

Gole oogistisii

Hadal godolintiisii

Gar wanaajintiisii

Talo loo gudboonyahay

Gorfo buuxintiisii

Garaad xoorintisii

Miyaa garashadiisii

Durba loo go’doomoo

Gar Allee la tebayaa

***

Jowharow waxaad guddo

Gogoshaad ahaydiyo

Beel gardaadintaadii

Dareen garashadaadii

Cilmigaagii gaankii

Waa loo goblamayoo

Goobtaad banaysaa

Jiilaal ka soo galay

***

Geeridu xaq weeyee

Somaliland gaar

Iyo guriga Soomaal

Gaban yar iyo waayeel

Geed kastoo la joogaba

Gacmahaa la hoorshoo

Gurayo hoyashadaadii

Guus iyo quraan iyo

Ducaa lagugu geebaray

***

Guudkeeda dunidani

Intaad joogtay gacallow

Waajibkaagii gudatee

Guryaheeda aakhiro

Galihii firdowsaad

Gama’ oo ku waar nabad.

By Bashir Goth, composed 13th May 2012.

Somalilandpress

May 16, 2012

John M. Miller

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) congratulated the people of Timor-Leste as they prepared to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the restoration of their country’s independence on May 20.

“This important milestone is the result of the persistent struggle and great suffering of the people of Timor-Leste,” said ETAN’s National Coordinator John M. Miller. “ETAN is proud to have played our part in supporting Timor’s self-determination and now independence.”

“The nation faces many challenges. With independence, its people are in a position to decide its future rather then have Indonesia impose its will on them,” he added.

Timor’s independence was prevented for nearly 25 years by the U.S. and other governments’ support for Indonesia’s illegal invasion and occupation. Yet, no senior officials of any country have been held accountable for the horrific human right violations and war crimes that took place.

“The U.S., other governments and the United Nations must commit themselves to achieve justice for the victims and their families.” said Miller. “ETAN will not rest until justice is done.”

“Human rights violators from elsewhere have been prosecuted, often long after their crimes were committed. But Indonesia and others continue to obstruct holding accountable those who facilitated and carried out crimes during the occupation,” he added.

“Ongoing impunity for the systematic Indonesian military and police crimes prevents the people of Timor-Leste and Indonesia from consolidating their democracies and moving on with their lives. While Timor-Leste is now independent, its people will not be able to overcome their tragic past without justice for what was done to them and their families,” said Miller.

Neither Congress nor the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama have responded to the recommendations of Timor-Leste’s Commission for Truth, Reception and Reconciliation, although many of them are directly addressed to the U.S. and other governments. These include the Commission’s call for an international tribunal to try perpetrators of crimes against humanity during the Indonesian occupation, reparations from Indonesia and other countries that supported the occupation, and restrictions on foreign assistance to the Indonesian military.

“The U.S. and others should press President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to immediately release all information that can help identify and locate those who were disappeared during the occupation,” said Miller.

The recent conviction of former Liberian President Charles Taylor for his support of rights violators in Sierra Leone should sound a note of caution for members of the Obama and former US administrations. This ruling provides a precedent for prosecuting those who arm, train and politically support those who commit the worst abuses, even if they do not directly organize or carry them out.

“The Obama administration should restrict U.S. military assistance to Indonesia until the Indonesian generals and political leaders who organized and directed numerous crimes against humanity during the 24-years of illegal occupation are credibly tried,” Miller added. Instead, the Obama administration is considering the sale of deadly Apache attack helicopters to the Indonesian military.

Background

As detailed in declassified documents released by the National Security Archive and elsewhere, on December 6, 1975, then-U.S. President Ford and Secretary of State Kissinger gave Indonesian dictator Suharto a green light to invade East Timor, which his military did the next day. The U.S. supplied 90 percent of the weapons used during the invasion. From Ford to President Clinton, successive U.S. administrations consistently backed Indonesia’s occupation, providing Jakarta diplomatic cover and billions of dollars in weaponry, military training, and economic assistance.

During more than two decades of occupation of Timor-Leste, Indonesian soldiers committed serious crimes with impunity, taking as many as 184,000 Timorese lives and torturing, raping and displacing countless others. Timor-Leste became independent in 2002.

Timor-Leste’s Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation researched and documented the nation’s experiences during the occupation. The Commission’s comprehensive 2,500-page report recommended establishment of an international criminal tribunal and also advocated that countries (including the U.S.) which backed the occupation and corporations which sold weapons to Indonesia during that period should pay reparations to victims. The Commission urged the international community not to support Indonesia’s military until it was thoroughly reformed and respectful of human rights.

Last year, ANTI (Timor-Leste National Alliance for an International Tribunal) demanded that the United Nations Security Council “cut the chain of impunity in Timor-Leste and other countries by establishing a credible International Tribunal in order to judge the principal perpetrators of serious crimes and crimes against humanity in Timor-Leste during the Indonesian occupation.”

The UN-supported serious crimes process filed a number of indictments of a number of Indonesian officials and East Timorese militia leaders for crimes against humanity committed during the referendum on independence in 1999.

ETAN was formed in reaction to the 1991 Santa Cruz massacre, when hundreds of peaceful demonstrators were gunned down by Indonesian troops carrying U.S.-supplied weapons. On May 20, ETAN members will be honored by the Timorese government with the Laran Luak medal for its contribution to the liberation of Timor-Leste. The U.S.-based organization, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last December 10, advocates for democracy, justice and human rights for Timor-Leste and Indonesia. For more information see ETAN’s web site: http://www.etan.org.

Congratulations to Timor on 10 years of independence

Read about ETAN’s 20 years of work for for human rights, justice and democracy: http://etan.org/etan/20anniv/default.htm ETAN needs you support in 2012.

John M. Miller, National Coordinator

East Timor & Indonesia Action Network (ETAN)
PO Box 21873, Brooklyn, NY 11202-1873 USA

Phone: +1-718-596-7668 Mobile phone: +1-917-690-4391
Email: etan@igc.org Skype: john.m.miller

It says fighting on the border between the two countries and the shutdown of oil production have had a devastating impact on the South’s economy.

It adds there are fears the situation in the South, which gained independence from Sudan last July, is worsening.

Previous estimates suggest 4.7 million people are at risk of food shortages.

In this latest report, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) says a complex combination of factors has “raised fears that the South Sudanese are sliding into destitution”.

Those factors include:

• clashes between north and south along the contested border regions
• inter-communal violence in Jonglei state
• the closure of oil production in a row over transit fees with Khartoum.

Citing research from the World Food Programme, the report says food shortfalls have continued to worsen in the first four months of 2012. It says at least one million people will be food insecure this year while a further 3.7 million people are borderline.

Refugee burden

It says the country is looking at a deficit of cereal crops of nearly half a million tons – the worst in peacetime and more than twice last year’s shortfall.

It also says that poor infrastructure makes the delivery of humanitarian aid extremely precarious.

The continued arrival of southern refugees who had been living in the north is also placing a further burden on this fragile new country, says the BBC’s Richard Hamilton.

Earlier this month rebels from the former rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (PSALM)-North described the plight of the civilian population in Blue Nile state – just north of the border – as catastrophic and said that more than 200,000 people were in dire need of food.

Adding to the cataclysmic predictions, our correspondent says, a leaked briefing from the World Bank talked of South Sudan’s economy as teetering on the brink of collapse – although it later retracted those remarks, saying they had been taken out of context.

About

Both Sudan and the South are reliant on their oil revenues, which account for 98% of South Sudan’s budget. But the two countries cannot agree how to divide the oil wealth of the former united state. Some 75% of the oil lies in the South but all the pipelines run north. It is feared that disputes over oil could lead the two neighbours to return to war.

BBC

May 16, 2012

Teachers from universities, secondary colleges and primary schools took part in the two-year programme working on a range of measures designed to lift teacher quality.

During a reception held in Mansoor Hotel, Mr. Ismail said teachers and educators were at the centre of the educational process and cultural generativity. He thanked everyone who took part in the programme.

“Teachers are needed to shoulder the heavy responsibilities of fostering students’ engagement in education and delivering quality education,” he said.

Pointing out that good teachers were at the centre of improving education quality, the Vice-President said they were making changes to the education sector. Mr. Ismail said his government is working to improve the welfare of teachers.

Titled “Strengthening Capacity Of Teacher Training (SCOTT) in Somaliland” the programme was funded by the European Commission (EC) and was implemented by Somaliland Teacher Education college with collaboration with Save the Children Foundation (SCF). Other United Nation agencies including United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) took part.

The programme aims to increase teacher training in the next three years by 13 percent (from 1,106 teachers in 2012 to 6,872 teachers in 2015) reducing the percentage of untrained teachers to 5 per cent by 2015.

The Vice-President went on to say in 2011 his administration added 2,000 teachers to the education sector while in this year they have recruited 560 teachers so far.

Finally Amoud University teachers and educators have won the top ten national awards for outstanding teaching and school leadership.

In 2011 the government made primary school free in an effort to increase school enrollment in the region. The government said only 50 to 55 percent of children were attending classrooms and added this year they plan to allocate 10 percent of its budget to education.

With school enrollment steadily mounting in the last three years to all time high, many schools say they facing a critical shortages in teachers, tables and chairs.

The special guests included minister for sports and youth, religious affair minister, minister for relocation and settlement, officials from Care, Save the Children Foundation, deputy minister for higher education and many others.

Somalilandpress

May 16, 2012

In the dusty local market in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, rows of currency traders set up stalls on the side of the road with money they value by weight. Some traders have hundreds of kilos of notes ready to swap for pound sterling, US dollars or euros, with barrow-boy helpers moving the money around on two wheels or in the back of a car. I gave them $100, and was handed a sack of Somaliland shillings that made me feel like a millionaire.

I was visiting Somaliland on a journey that took me from South Africa, up the east coast of the continent, around India and back down through Indonesia to finish in southwest Australia.

Rarely visited by Westerners, Somaliland is fundamentally different from the other countries in the region — and almost anywhere else on the planet. According to the rest of the world, Somaliland is, officially, just a part of Somalia, located in the northern area along the Gulf of Aden. Somalia has endured appalling suffering during recent decades and has become the classic example of a failed state.

At least one million Somalis have died in the conflict that has raged there for decades, and when I visited the Somali capital Mogadishu recently, the country was undergoing a famine that started during summer 2011 and by unofficial estimates has killed tens of thousands and affected millions more. For foreigners it is an anarchic, chaotic and a frighteningly dangerous place. I wore a flak jacket, helmet and “blast boxers” (armoured underwear) as I witnessed active frontline combat in the ongoing battle to control the country.

Somaliland, by contrast, is an unrecognised state larger than England and home to 3.5 million people, but it has an independent, democratically elected government and its own army, flag, media and border control, but must rely on an uneasy relationship with Somalia for matters like international diplomacy and large scale public works. Somaliland also fosters a small tourist industry offering a warm and welcoming alternative to Somalia for the occasional adventurous international traveller who makes it this far.

Landing here after visiting Somalia is a profound culture shock. In Mogadishu visitors are greeted by chaos and bundled into the back of an armoured personnel carrier for their own safety. In Somaliland I was greeted at the airport with a huge smile and warm hug by a local guide and taken by taxi to change money and then for a meaty feast in a local restaurant.

Britain was the former colonial power in Somaliland from 1888-1960.

Locals, overwhelmingly Muslim, fought and died for Britain during World War II, and Somalilanders still feel a strong attachment to the country and what consider its benevolent rule. They now struggle to understand why the UK has not done more to help their country secure legitimate international recognition — a complicated issue apparently caused by the British government’s desire for an African state to be the first to recognise Somaliland, and the fact that a Somaliland port competes for business with neighbouring Djibouti.

After separating from the shrinking British empire, Somaliland voluntarily joined with Somalia for economic and security reasons. But when a dictator came to power in Somalia the relationship soured in the 1980s. Somalilanders fought a bitter war to reclaim their independence which was ultimately successful, by default, as Somalia collapsed in internal turmoil.

Visiting the Somaliland today is a humbling lesson in survival and self-determination. In Hargeisa, where 50,000 died during the war of re-independence, a Somali MiG jet used to bomb the city sits atop a poignant memorial. But the city is being repaired and redeveloped. There is hustle and bustle, as new shops, internet cafes, hotels and other businesses open every week.

Outside Hargeisa modern facilities for visitors are scarce and basic, but there is plenty to see. At Laas Geel, an area just outside the capital, visitors can see the most significant Neolithic rock-painting site in Africa, a treasure of global significance where the strong, vibrant colours and stark outlines show ancient locals worshipping cattle and venerating a pregnant cow.

Farther afield a stunning drive through a dusty landscape takes you to the medieval port town of Berbera, site of a runway once secured by NASA as an emergency space shuttle landing strip. Tracks run along the coast west from Berbera, past mangroves, gorgeous islands and coral reef, to the towering cliffs and beaches around the historic city of Zeila, once part of the Ottoman Empire and a major centre for trade during the 19th Century.

History lovers are well catered for along the coast with ruined cities, thousands of years old, which had links with ancient Egypt and northern Ethiopia. Energetic visitors can hike up into the thick forests in the Cal Madow mountains, home to at least 200 endemic plants and rare and beautiful wildlife, including the golden-winged grosbeak and the beira antelope. But the main attraction of this unrecognized country, at least for me, are the locals.

Somalilanders are an inspirational people who have built a functioning state in a dangerous part of the world. The country, whether internationally recognized or not, is a stark and beautiful land and, thanks to both the landscape and the locals, one of my favourite places on the entire planet.

The adventurer and explorer Simon Reeve has visited more than 110 countries and been around the world three times for the BBC television series Equator, Tropic of Cancer, and Tropic of Capricorn. His latest televised journey, that included Somaliland, was titled Indian Ocean.

By Simon Reeve

BBC Travel

May 16, 2012

by Hussein Samatar

Hussein Samatar

After starting two hours late, the lineup of speakers was carefully balanced along clan lines, religion, and support. They all spoke quite well and each stressed the need for unity among Somalis, and the necessity of rebuilding Somalia.

I really did not know much about the Hiil Qaran party before attending this meeting, beyond what I had seen on the party’s website and charter. A great read, the charter defines quite clearly the proposed structure in the three main areas of: policy making, disciplinary, and executive organs. However, nowhere on the website could I find the people who would actually hold these positions. I felt this neglect to be little bit strange. In human interactions, especially policy and political circles, individuals follow other familiar and trusted individuals. Even in advanced democracies, like our United States, few people actually read the platform of the parties. I can only imagine this number is even lower in a country like Somalia, with a low literacy rate, and where a large portion of the Diaspora might struggle with the charter in written in Somali, and be completely unable to read it in English. This was very striking omission for me.

The only personality of the Hiil Qaran party that I am familiar with is Professor Ahmed Samatar, whom I have met with a couple of times. In April of 2009, we were both invited to appear on the Midday program of Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), in which we had a dialogue about the Somali-Minnesotan community and the disappearance of a handful young Somali-Minnesotans back to Mogadishu, Somalia. As you could hear from listening to the program, Professor Samatar essentially argued that Somalis everywhere, and especially those of us here in Minnesota, are “bad apples” and will not amount to anything. Further, the Somali-Minnesotan community is not interested in integration (whatever integration means) or the American culture.

So, this was my only window into Hill Qaran party. No other names on the website besides Professor Ahmed Samatar, who is the Chairman of the party and (although it was not made official during the meeting) is gearing up to run for Somalia’s presidency. Last time I met him it was clear to me on where he stands towards the Somali people, in particular Somali-Minnesotans. Still I came with an open mind to listen and learn.

When the meeting officially began, all but one of the speakers spoke too long. Additionally, despite a stressing from the podium for gender balance and gender inclusion into Somalia’s political affairs, there was only one woman speaker – whose only task was to energetically read the biography of Professor Ahmed Samatar.

Finally, when we get to hear from the main speaker, Professor Ahmed Samatar, it was after 9:00 p.m. The speech was average and long. Professor Samatar made quite obvious points about Somalia’s current political situation. There was not really any new material for the people who regularly read about Somalia, and are very familiar with the quagmire of the South and South-Central portions of the country.

The question and answer session was practically limited to just one question and one comment due to time constraints. By the time we were done it was 11:00 p.m. A long night indeed!

From what I observed Saturday night, here are my top 10 reasons why Hiil Qaran party may not be able to make any real political difference in Somalia.

1: Contrary to what was said from the podium, it was not obvious to me who wields power in this new party besides Professor Ahmed Samatar.

2: Party favors decentralized unitary power for all Somalia. And it seems to me Hiil Qaran party is ignoring the reality of Somaliland, Puntland, and to some extend Galmudug. Galmudug was not even mentioned.

3: Action speaks louder than words. The organizers did horrible job in not including more women speakers. And many people would like to know how women voices are embraced within party’s power structure.

4: Although almost all Somalis universally despise 4.5 clan power sharing, they are not interested in going back to a system of centralized power that only gives lip service to decentralization. I believe that federalism might be a much more hopeful system, if Somaliland is willing to stay within the union. However, Hiil Qaran seems to reject the federalism idea.

5: Hiil Qaran party is being created outside of Somalia. As articulated on Saturday night, the only office it has in the country is in Mogadishu. Yet, Mogadishu has been in trouble over 20 years. Without Al-Shabaab threatening the international community, the city would have been abandoned by now. Therefore, Hiil Qaran party does not seem to have legitimate region that it can operate from, because Mogadishu is not the natural habitat for the founders of the party.

6: Somalis truly let themselves down by killing and maiming each other. Without proper, true, and grassroots reconciliation, it will be difficult for the country to recreate a sense of “nation”. Hiil Qaran Party seems to believe this process can happen and start from South and South Central of Somalia, which is the area that I from, but these regions do not have any track record in the last twenty years in doing so. Miracles can happen but the prognosis is not good. The only reason the Transitional Federal Government is still around is because of the African ground force and international support. This is the only legitimacy that the TFG has to even be at the table with the likes of Somaliland and Puntland. I wish there will be another region called Jubbaland to be at the table too, instead of that area currently being dominated by Al-Shabaab.

7: Hiil Qaran party does not currently have identifiable personalities who are experienced in Somalia’s rough and tumble politics. Given that the only way to grab the power of Somalia’s presidency lately has been through the corrupt and demeaning clan system, Hiil Qaran does not seem to stand a chance to win the presidency anytime soon. If Somalia goes to a federal system, it will be even more problematic for the Hiil Qaran party.

8: Teaching political economy and international studies does not necessarily prepare someone to be the head of fragmented country like Somalia. President for whom? If lucky, it will be the continuation of the format which is limited and ineffective TFG in South and South Central Somalia. Outside of this trajectory it will take huge leadership, renewed civic engagement, and Somalis loving each other again, in order to form a strong state for Somalia. Hiil Qaran party understands this and articulates it, but it does not seem to know how to go about doing it.

9: There are already over 36 candidates who have declared their desire to be the next president of Somalia. Hiil Qaran party will join a very crowded field, of new political parties. Further, Hiil Qaran cannot be sustained from outside of the country. Sooner or later it will need to have real presence somewhere in Somalia. As it stands now, it cannot operate from Somaliland, Puntland or any other regional authorities territory except Mogadishu.

10: Somalia definitely needs Hiil Qaran but the Hiil Qaran party might not be it.

Hussein Samatar is the Executie Director of the African Development Center and was recently elected to the Minneapolis School District
hsamatar@adcminnesota.org | Hussein@husseinsamatar.com

The delegation was led by Mr. Frank MAIRE who is the head of international relations at the World Bank ,said his institution will assist Somaliland in commercial and industrial development including closer collaboration with the private sector.

The Vice President told the visiting delegation, Somaliland has already introduced new laws in order to improve business environment to encourage private investment,” We have been learning the efficient methods in use in the world today for good management of our economy.

We seek to establish full institutional capacities for planning, implementing and maintaining a viable infrastructure reconstruction and development program”, said the VP Saylici.

VP saylici has called for the international community to help unlock the potential of social entrepreneurship in the region, In addition to improving the general living conditions of the rural and urban population; infrastructure improvement projects will produce good paying jobs for the communities as a source of income for the people.

During their stay in Somaliland, the World Bank delegation is expected to meet with high level officials from the government, legislature and members of the business communities.

GOTH MOHAMED GOTH

Somalilandpress

NAIROBI, Kenya – European Union forces said on Tuesday that they had attacked a Somali pirate base for the first time, using a combat helicopter to strafe several of the signature fiberglass skiffs that the pirates use to hijack ships.

Villagers in Xarardheere, a notorious pirate base on the central Somali coast and home to several of the tougher, more experienced pirate gangs, reported hearing loud explosions from the attack. One question now is how will the pirates respond and if they will vent their anger and retaliate against any of the hostages they are holding.

Lt. Cmdr. Jacqueline Sherriff, a spokeswoman for the European Union’s anti-piracy force, said that the European forces destroyed at least five skiffs that were still on land with small arms fire and that the attack lasted a couple of minutes.

“This is a fantastic opportunity,’’ she said. “What we want to do is make life more difficult for these guys.’’
A European Union statement emphasized that this was an air attack and that “at no point did E.U. Naval Force ‘boots’ go ashore.’’ The statement also said that no one, including Somalis in Xarardheere, was injured. European Union patrol planes had been spying on the Xarardheere area for several weeks before the attack and more strikes against the pirates were planned, Cmdr. Sherriff said.

In March, the European Union, which has been vexed for years by the scourge of Somali piracy, toughened its anti-piracy mandate to allow forces patrolling the Indian Ocean to attack Somali bases on land. Before that, the forces were allowed to go after pirates only at sea. The mandate was explicit, though, that the European forces were not allowed to step ashore, essentially guaranteeing that any attacks on the pirate bases would be air raids.

Somali pirates have hijacked hundreds of ships in the past few years, everything from a sailboat skippered by a retired British couple and creaky old wooden Arab dhows to supertankers owned by the Saudi government. The pirates have netted hundreds of millions of dollars from the hijackings, which they often re-invest in weapons and men. Recently, they have attacked ships as far away as Sri Lanka, nearly 2,000 miles away from Somalia.

Their standard procedure is to swarm a vessel with a bevy of small skiffs, each packed with armed men; gain control of the ship; steer it back to a pirate base like Xaradheere; and then demand a ransom from the ship owner, the families of the crew or both. Often the money literally falls from the sky: the favored way of making payment these days is to drop a bundle of shrink-wrapped cash from a small plane and have it drift down to the pirates in a parachute.

Because so much of Somalia is lawless, the pirate gangs have dozens of hideouts where they can hold hostages with impunity.

But this year the piracy business seems to have taken a hit. Though Somali pirates are still holding about 17 vessels and 300 crewmen hostage, that figure is dramatically down from a few years ago when the pirates had dozens of captured ships under their control and nearly 1,000 seamen to ransom back.

The combination of beefed-up naval patrols, increased prosecutions and some progress on land toward a stable Somali government appears to be making it more difficult for the pirates. Somalia has languished without a functioning central government for more than 20 years, though in recent months, the transitional authority in the capital, Mogadishu, seems to be gaining momentum and doing a better job of at controlling at least the capital

The mainly northern Dir and Harti clan leaders say they will walk out on the meeting which brought together Somali figures to deliberate on the proposed constitution.

The northern leaders accused the government of marginalization, corruption and alienating them. They claim the proposed number of seats promised to them prier to the meeting was never delivered and this more than halved their representatives.

They accused the weak transitional government of Sheikh Sharif of favoring southern clans such as his own Hawiye and leaving the rest in the cold.

They said the government’s stance will undermine the reconciliation efforts and will help refuel conflict in the volatile nation.

Idiris Hadi Qalinle, one of the prominent figures, said unless the government stops its aggression against the northern clans the meeting will prove fruitless. He added the TFG government created a hostile and uncomfortable environment to operate for them and might all together pull out from the meeting.

Mohamed Sheikh Ibrahim also accused the government of great injustice saying Mogadishu was not keen to include them in decision making process or deliver on the promised representations. He said after two decades it seemed same injustice and greed are still practiced in Mogadishu. He warned unless system is changed they will not allow their names to be used just to get funds from the United Nation and donor nations.

Whatever the case, the elders are expected to leave Mogadishu in the coming days because of the hidden hostility and alienation taking in the war-torn city.

Somalilandpress

May 15, 2012

HARGEISA — In a gory fallout of a dispute over land, at least four civilians were shot by armed security forces in the capital’s New Hargeisa neighbourhood on Tuesday.

The clashes erupted when residents in the area said the local government tried to evict people from a plot of land that they claim they occupied from the former socialist government of Mohamed Siad Bare. They accused the state authority of illegal land grabbing and deliberately selling it to others to incite violence.

The skirmishes also left three policemen dead and is said to be the deadliest day in the city since 2008 when when al shabab carried out suicide attacks.

Security forces including the newly-formed, heavily armed and British trained Resistant Reaction Unit (RRU) were deployed to the site early hours. Minutes after arriving they clashed with angry protesters and residents which also left scores wounded including a mother. The wounded were taken to Hargeisa’s General Hospital and private practices around the city.

The resident say they will not be forcefully evicted from their land and that police were using brutal force including live ammunition and heavy machine guns.

Over 30 people have been arrested over the incident and security forces have been placed on high alert. Those who have been killed include a pregnant lady and a child.

Security officials displayed arms and ammunition that the police said they confiscated from groups that clashed with the forces.

Somalilandpress

May 15, 2012

A source told the Mercury News on Monday that Facebook will increase the range of possible prices for the Menlo Park company’s initial shares, raising the maximum price to $38. At that price, Facebook would be valued at more than $104 billion and bring in $12.8 billion. The largest U.S. IPO valuation on record is shipping company UPS at $60 billion, according to Dealogic records.

Facebook is expected to sell 337 million shares to investors Thursday night, after the final price — which could still be higher — is set. After initially saying in Securities and Exchange Commission documents that it expected to charge $28 to $35 per share, Facebook’s new range will be $34 to $38, a person with knowledge of the move said, verifying earlier reports.

The company will receive about 53 percent of the total, before expenses, and the rest will go to existing shareholders such as CEO and cofounder Mark Zuckerberg, who will sell 30.2 million shares to cover taxes on other Facebook stock rewards. After the sale, a total of 2.74 billion shares will be held in Facebook, according to Bloomberg News calculations that include restricted stock units and other shares Facebook does not yet include in its statements.

Both Facebook’s valuation and total take would smash all records for Internet companies. Google (GOOG) holds both records for a U.S. company: The Mountain View search giant took home $1.9 billion at a valuation of $23 billion in 2004. Bloomberg counts German Internet company T-Online’s 2000 take of $2.8 billion as the world record, but Facebook could take in more than four times that much.

Facebook would rank fifth all-time for total amount raised in a U.S. IPO, according to Renaissance Capital; San Francisco-based Visa holds that record at nearly $17.9 billion.

If all goes as expected, Facebook stock would hit the open market Friday morning on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol FB. Zuckerberg will reportedly ring the traditional opening bell from the company’s Peninsula headquarters.

MercuryNews

May 14, 2012

IOM office in Nairobi said Somalis were receiving random phone calls from unknown sources “falsely identifying themselves as IOM staff members in Nairobi.”

The impostor scam involves fraudsters asking Somalis to send money to claim their lottery for relocation. They claim that they can successfully relocate them in the UK,United States,Canada or as far as Australia. They insist the fees are used to process visa related documents and to verify the winner’s identity.

“Please be informed that these telephone calls are scams. IOM has not and does not engage in any form of lottery and wishes to distance itself from these claims,” it said in a letter.

The organization urged Somali communities in Somalia, Kenya and Somaliland to hang up and ignore the fraudsters.

“If you receive such phone calls please ignore them, do not reply to them, and please don’t follow any requests to give anybody your money. Just hang up!,” they said.

Countries like Australia also do not have the visa lottery program.

Finally the IOM statement said people with information about the migration scam or illegal operators are advised to email IOM at: piunairobi@iom.int

Somalilandpress

May 14, 2012

Please join us for a gathering to commemorate our friend, colleague and fellow countryman late Dr. Abdishakur Sheikh Ali Jowhar, this coming Sunday, 20th May 2012, at 17:30 at Oxford House, Derby shire, E2 6HG London.

It is with great sadness that we received news about the passing of our great scholar, comrade, patriot and fellow countryman Dr Abdishakur Sheikh Ali Jawhar, might God bless his soul.

Late Abdishakur Sheikh Ali Jowhar was an honest and committed independent thinker, healer and activist. As we are forced to contemplate a world without his direct counsel, assistance and kind words, we also take comfort knowing that he left us with many fond memories and gave a nation in search of guidance the kindest gift of all, his erudite writings.

No words can adequately describe the loss we feel, both individually and as a nation, but we invite you to remember with us his remarkable life, work and contribution to his nation.

Please join us for a gathering commemorating our friend, colleague and fellow countryman late Abdishakur Sheikh Ali Jawhar, Sunday, 20th May 2012, 17:30 at Oxford House, Derbyshire, E2 6HG London

For information call 07903712949 /07508160144 or email somaliland2011@gmail.com

Inaalilaahi wa inaa Ilayhi Raajicuun.

Mohamed Ahmed Abdi

Qurbomeer State are again at it and resorting to their old disgusting little tricks. Insults, smearing all around and all the time. Last winter, the renowned Borama teacher and Awdal intellectual, Haji Omar Abdi Cige was the subject of widespread internet insults by the Qurbomeer State websites (Awdalstate, saylac, and harowo). Soon after that, Musa Rabiley God (AUN), the legendary Somaliland politician, was on the receiving end of much innuendo when a grass root movement proposed to name Dilla-Borama road after him.

This week, Qurbomeer State leaders could not stomach the appointment of Lula Ahmed Osman (Julian) as the new Somaliland Ambassador to Canada and immediately started a smearing campaign against the new official. Contrary to all Somali traditions and Islamic tenets that forbid name calling and verbals attacks against women. Not need here to give allude to and therefore give traction to these despicable and unfounded insults. But Ottawa Somaliland community will by no mean stand idle and will vigorously pursue all available legal avenue to counter Qurbomeer State.

Meanwhile, the nomination of Lula Ahmed was enthusiastically endorsed by all segments of the Somaliland Ottawa community. The huge turnout to Lula’s Saturday welcoming party is a potent proof of this support. An accomplished professional within CBC (Canada Broadcasting Corporation) and speaking Canada both languages, Lula is a prime choice to advance Somaliland interests in Canada. And when it comes to professional qualifications, the contrast with Qurbomeer State leaders could not be sharper.

Their hapless ringleader, Rashid Aw-Nur Hirsi has no formal education qualification to speak of, no command of the English language but true to the boastful character of some former residents of Mogadishu, the man calls himself a “lawyer”. Nobody has found any clients of his. On the contrary Lula Ahmad has a high profile professional job unlike the Qurbomeer State leader who lives of welfare most of the time. And when he is not, he tends to menial jobs; car detailing and newspaper distribution being his last occupation. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones but Qurbomeer State leaders sadly do just that.

Mohamed Ahmed Abdi

Born to a religious and prominent family, Abdishakur was born in the town of Borama where he completed his high school in the prestigious Amoud Secondary school. He was admitted to the near by Amoud University where he excelled earning a medical scholarship from a medical college in Alexandria, Egypt. Up on completing his higher education in the north African country, Dr. Jowhar migrated to Canada where he opened his first medical clinic specializing in psychiatry. He continued to pursue his education enrolling in a graduate School in the medical field of psychiatry in Canada.

He was an active political figure advocating for Somaliland’s self-determination. His close friends describe him as an observer of the details of the world, and of Somaliland in particular; an intellectual and a defender. Dr. Jowhar addressed pressing social and political topics in his writings which covered international politics, the Horn of Africa and the Middle East in particular..

He recently returned with his family to Somaliland where he opened a private medical centre in Hargeisa.

“We are all sadden by the sudden death of him,” said Ali Hassan, a resident of Borama.

Suleiman Egeh, a senior science instructor, old friend and school peer of Dr. Jowhar said “his lost will open a gigantic void in Somaliland.”

President Ahmed Silanyo offered his deepest condolences to the family and friends of the doctor during their mourning. He also said he wishes Nimo Mohamed Mohamud, the wife the doctor left behind, a fast recovery as she was also injured in the car. Opposition groups at state and council level also expressed their condolences as well as academia, business, elders and other various communities in the country and abroad.

Somalilandpress

May 14, 2012
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INAA LILLAHI WA INAA ILLEYHI RAAJICUUN

The TOL Leadership Council (TLC) sends its heartfelt condolences to the family of Dr. Abdishakur Sh. Ali Jowhar. May Allah (SWT) bless his soul in his final abode. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.

Dr. Abdishakur was a giant among his peers; he was someone willing to walk the walk in helping his people. He left a successful medical practice and a comfortable life in North America and returned to his homeland to be with his people and give back. His untimely death is a great loss to his family and to the Somali nation at large.

TLC Governing Board.

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Somalilandpress.com sends its heartfelt condolences to the family of Dr. Abdishakur Sh. Ali Jowhar. May Allah (SWT) bless his soul, our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.

Mohamed Ibrahim Gulied, Editor in Chief.

Somalilandpress.com

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Salim, 40, married his wife in 1996 and the two had a healthy son whom their named Sufyan. They lived very happy life in a dormitory in the school premises where he works as a security guard according to Algerian newspaper Sunrise.

Their lives dramatically changed in 2007 when his wife went into a state of paralysis and shock upon learning the devastating news of death of her parents.

Unable to move, speak or eat, Salim became his wife’s principal carer the paper said. He gets up early every morning and attends to his wife and son, giving them breakfast then goes to work. An hour later he returns to clean the house, prepare lunch, gives his wife some food and medications by hand. He fixes her bed and from there he runs between work, his wife and son all day, calling and visiting.

During the night he wakes up more than four times to turn his wife in bed and goes to say he has no regrets in life and pain does not wake him up.

The paper said Salim has abandoned the world to care for his wife to the point that no world exists beyond the confined room that he shares with his wife and son. It added that he has been carrying his wife on his shoulder day and night for the past five years.

His son is also proud of his father and says his father has also became a mother to him. Sufyan says they are normal.

Somalilandpress

May 14, 2012

MELBOURNE — Six orphans from Somalia have been reunited with their only living relative. Bundoora resident Shamsa Hassan, who has four children of her own, knew she had to get the children to Australia.

She received news that her sister and then her father had died in the war-torn north African nation.

“When the children were orphaned, they were aged between four and 11. I knew I couldn’t abandon them,” she said.

“I embarked on a very difficult journey that took several years but now we are finally a family.”

The Preston-based Spectrum Immigration Services, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this month, was instrumental in the reunion.

Practice manager Mary Hanna said: “The people we meet have the most amazing stories, all very unique, but with something in common: the desire for a better life.

“A better life for our clients doesn’t mean anything extravagant, just something as basic as being able to reunite with one’s family … we try to make the journey easier.”

The Northern Weekly

May 14, 2012

The luxury hotel will be comprised of two main discs — one underwater, one above the surface, connected by three solid legs for support and a vertical shaft containing an elevator and stairway.

The movable underwater disc, surrounded by a coral reef and resting about 30 feet beneath the sea’s surface, will contain 21 hotel rooms, an underwater dive center and a bar.

The hotel is expected to cost between $350 million and $840 million to build.

Photos: Deep Ocean Technology

MercuryNews

May 13, 2012

After declaring independence in 1991, Somaliland formed its own hybrid system of governance consisting of a lower house of elected representatives, and an upper house which incorporated the elders of tribal clans.

Abderahman Ahmed Ali Tuur was the first president of the Republic of Somaliland and Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal was appointed as Tuur’s successor in 1993. During the time there is a good improvement in security and stability of the country. Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal was reappointed in 1997 and remained President until his death on May 3, 2002. The Vice President Dahir Riyale Kahin shortly in 2003 became the first President of Somaliland elected in a Free and Fair Election. Somaliland made its final transition to multi-party democracy with elections in 2003.

Thus with the start of the Government by Dahir Riyaale Kahin various improvement taken place, which includes relations with Foreign countries and have established a Somaliland Embassy in Sweden and appointed/opened representative (liaison)/Trade offices in several countries Djibouti, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia , Turin, Italy , London, United Kingdom, Paris, France . Washington D.C., United States of America. And progressing to establish more in other countries including Pakistan.

The Republic of Somaliland has its own flag, national anthem, vehicle number plates, currency and established all Ministries offices working with good governance .

The main export is livestock, with sheep and camels being shipped from Berbera, the country’s largest port. During our visit in November 2009 we personally visited the Berbera port where we witnessed the boarding of livestock for departure to other countries including Saudia Arabia .

I also met a British National who was staying in a hotel at Berbera Port since a long and exploring the sea and on asking that how he find Somaliland, and I remember he was very happy to receive a Pakistani and said it is indeed a very peaceful country. I further asked him that why the Britain’s not recognizing the Republic of Somaliland? and replied that UK will be the second country to recognized the Republic of Somaliland , after any country step forward to recognized Somaliland as a first country. This was promise between us. He seems very enthusiastic and happy.

The currency of Somaliland shilling regulated by the Bank of Somaliland which was established constitutionally in 1994.

The current foreign policy of Somaliland is to try to secure international recognition as a sovereign, stable country, so that international aid can be more readily secured.

A fact finding mission led by African Union which visited The Republic of Somaliland early 2005 published a report that strongly recommended favorable consideration for recognizing Somliland’s independence. And on the Independence day of the Republic of Somaliland I request the United Nations , African Union and the Pakistani Government to look at the example of Eritrea and the fact that Eritrea successfully broke away from Ethiopia and became a recognized country and why not The Republic of Somaliland? The Right of the will of the Somaliland people should be fulfilled. All international and Humanitarian organization should step forward in recognizing this peaceful and stable country.

The Recognition of the Republic of Somaliland should be considered on top priority basis and without further delay.

I also request the Ambassadors of the Foreign Diplomatic Missions in Islamabad Pakistan to look closely this unresolved issue and request their respective Government to act now.

Somaliland’s claims to sovereignty rests on this former status. In addition to this, the fact that the rest of Somalia is in a state of chaos while Somaliland is under stable government also lends credence to its claim. This credit goes to the former and present ruling Government in making Somaliland stable, peaceful and progressing country.

I also request the Government of Pakistan to support us in establishing a Somaliland Trade Office in Islamabad Pakistan (already in process ) so that our goals achieved by trading and improving commercial relations for both Islamic countries. I also hope that Pakistani Government considered the Rights of Recognizing the Republic of Somaliland.

I congratulate to His Excellency Honorable President Ahmed Mahamoud Silanyo, , His Excellency Foreign Minister Dr. Mohamed A. Omar, and other Honorable Ministers and on behalf of Honorable Mr. Sheikh Mansoor Ahmed, Deputy Secretary General of the Pakistan Ruling Government for celebrating their National Independence day on 18 May.

In the end I pray from the Almighty Allah for real success of the President H.E Ahmed Mahamoud Silanyo in achieving the targets of recognizing the Somaliland from the United Nations and the rest of the world during his tenure. I also pray for the shaheed Somalilanders and the Government officials who gave their life while struggling for their beloved country (Ameen) . I also salute to the Arm forces of the Republic of Somaliland who are defending their country from any type of threat or aggression using their own small resources. And of course they have the ability to meet all challenges. I can see that the day is not far away when Republic of Somaliland not only will be a Recognized country but also set example of peace and stability for other countries. I also look forward to visit the Republic of Somaliland again to meet the business community and other Government officials to start the trade between the two bortherly Islamic countries.

SOMALILAND ZINDABAD.

Sincerely yours,
Shafiq Ahmed Qureshi
e-mail: consular.saq@gmail.com

Director (Diplomatic Affairs and PR)
BBC Record
www.bbcrecord.com