Somaliland
Somaliland: President returns from China after signing trilateral agreement
August 18, 2011 · 35 Comments
HARGEISA (Somaliland Press) —President of Somaliland Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud (Silaanyo) and the delegation that accompanied him to China has returned to Somaliland earlier today at Egal International Airport. President left for China two weeks ago after receiving an official invitation from the government of China and their business community. The delegations were warmly welcomed by Somaliland Vice President Mr. Abidrahman Abdillahi Saylici, members from the cabinet and the parliament.
President Silanyo spoke shortly with the press at the airport’s VIP room by first saying “as you all know the delegation and I left for China two weeks for economic and trade cooperation. Our trip was a success; after a long negotiation we were able to sign a pre-agreement with Chinese firm in the expansion of Berbera Port and the building of Gas and Oil processing facilities in Berbera. These agreements will have a big effect in the country’s economy thus creating jobs for our unemployed youths. President Ahmed Silanyo did not take any questions from the press, however he promised to speak with the press in the coming days.
SomalilandPress was first to report last week the trilateral agreement between Somaliland, Ethiopia and China that involves Hong Kong based Petro Trans Company Ltd. Petro Trans Company Ltd purchased gas and oil rights from the Ethiopian government over 25 year period worth billions of dollars. Experts believe that Berbera Port will become an important trading hub for Chinese traders in the horn of Africa. Sources have told SomalilandPress that several western countries are not happy about the new agreement between China and Somaliland. These countries are worry about China’s new expansion in Africa and specially in the horn of Africa. This source has also said that this new development might set back the cause of recognition for Somaliland.
Somalilandpress | 18 August 2011
Email this story
By Mo Guled
Tags: China Somaliland agreement, Ethiopia, Gas Oil China, Somaliland, Somaliland oil, Somalilandpress
Readers Comments (35)
Somaliland
Somaliland: Grand Opening for a New State of The Art Coca Cola Bottling Plant In Hargeisa
Hargeisa-President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud (silanyo) today cut the ribbon to a new modern beverage production plant which is owned by Coca Cola Company ...
Somaliland-Ethiopia Relationship
Overpowering Gratitude Vs Vexing Misgivings By Ahmed I. Hassan Author’s Note: This is the chapter on Somaliland-Ethiopia Relationship in a book titled “Somaliland: The Legacies of Non-Recognition” which ...
SOMALIA: Turkish Airlines diverts to Nairobi after security scare in Mogadishu
MOGADISHU — A carrier operated by Turkish Airlines left its Somali passengers stranded in the wrong airport after landing in Kenya rather than their intended ...
UN envoy in Somalia concerned over violent clashes in Hargeisa
Photo: Special Representative Augustine Mahiga (UN Photo/Stuart Price) NAIROBI — The United Nations envoy in Somalia, Augustine P. Mahiga, today expressed concern over recent violent clashes ...
SOMALILAND: President urges citizens to uphold peace and stability
HARGEISA — The Somaliland National Independence day celebrations that was widely marked within and outside the country, had an added flavor when the State House grounds witnessed ...
Your Say
IN MEMORY OF DR. ABDISHAKUR JOWHAR – FRANZ FANON OF THE SOMALI PEOPLE*
BY BASHIR GOTH “He lit up a room. If you can imagine the sun, his face was like the sun, that smile, the arm around ...
- Somaliland media: Spreading the word
- SOMALILAND: Where is the Justice in our Justice System?
- Unionist are Dead — Long Live SOMALILAND
- Apprehending Ratco Mladic: a reminder of a war criminal working as jury
- Dr Jowhar: We lost a friend, a Hero
- GEESI LOO HANWEYNAA – A tribute to my hero Dr. Jowhar
- 10 Years after Timor’s Independence, Where Is the Justice?
- Why Hiil Qaran Party Will Not Have a Significant Impact on the Politics of Somalia
- Sunday 20 May: Join in Commemorating late Dr Jowhar
- Qurbomeer State should stop smearing the reputation of Lula A Osman
Somalia: Federalism, Division and The Dual Track Policy
OPINION | MAY 20, 2012 Photo: Alternative to federalism and Somaliland/Somalia ideology – the three branch Somalia (three branches of government in three different parts of ...
Somaliland National day – for the sake of a decent life and principle of the future
OPINION | May 18, 2012 By Abdirahman Maeeg In a wonderful day like this day, our talk should have significance from a different angle; it is an ...
Somaliland has made the right choice.
China produce all products for Western to consume and require oil,gaz, and naturel resources.Dubai is an Hub for the chinese products to middle east and Africa.
Africa country need products that offer china to the world and china need african naturelle resources.
Africa ruined by their relation with Western country see china as a bester choice.
China have been looking for a hub for their product to Africa. Tanzania and South Africa was candidates.
The strategic Port of Berbera is about to become the 1st step to become china r "promesse land" which allow them to get South Sudan oil and export their product to Africa.
That will profit all horn african people.
.
Hong Kong-Berbera Connection
Berbera Port is going to expand in infrastructure and will serve as an international port for the whole region it will be used for processes such as refuelling and many other key things, there will also be the construction of a factory which purifies oil and gas before it's bought from other countries, the major thing is the construction of a railway which will connect Berbera and Wajaale (correct me if I'm wrong). China will also assist in the contruction of a 8,200km gas pipeline which will connect Addis Ababa and Berbera and that will provide clean gas, finallly they'll help us with the basic things such as roads and other major elements. This I hope will be the greatest development for Somaliland and the region as a whole
Wa Billahi Tawfiiq & Ramadan Kareem to every muslim :-)
"Sources have told SomalilandPress that several western countries are not happy about the new agreement between China and Somaliland" … we have been waiting for the west too long, west is nothing but a user and two faced.
China is money hungry too and a bloody communist. But InshAllah lets hope this deal will be fruitful. I guess we can't just sit down whilst our people remain poor and our country lack basic developments. We have to make moves and take risks to achieve something. God helps those who help themselves. Time to work tirelessly for our country. May Allah be with us in every move we make and bless us ameen :)
I agree 100% Ameen!
I agree boqal iyo boqal.
i am seriously in doubt they have visited china. i mean there is no evidence what so ever to indicate they met Chinese officials not even their foreign minister. we were told president is visiting there on official trip. yet we see no one welcoming them at the airport. However i dont care whether they visited or not just do they have something really so true to this country and it's people. i support that.
@ Mustafe
I guess we just have to wait and see to be honest. We wait for real actions and results. InshAllah it'll be khair
Any deal is better than no deal and we cannot wait forever to make use of resources. Don’t you worry the west will follow suit but have they got much to offer to us these days? No, they can’t even fix their own economies and in too much debt. Guess who they owe? China, the new economic super power of the 21st century.
The vist and the siging of the trilateral deal is the first step of many to come, the president understands that he needs to empower the nation and has shown his commitment by siging this deal which inshallah will lead to job creation and build the foundations for other industries. So well done to the president and the nation of somaliland for building a successful state without foreign aid, somaliland leads is a powerful and ground breaking symbol of of inspiration to all other African countries , yes we can because we are an afriCAn, not a afriCAN'T. God bless
The West like all nations are only after their interest and Somaliland would like to tell them, you do business with China, why can't Somaliland? See how hypocrites they are?
China runs 7 of the world's top 10 biggest ports in the world. That is a combination of their manufacturing power, people power and their services in this industry. If Somaliland is to satisfy the port hungry Ethiopia, whose economy will be the largest in East Africa—it has to learn from the Chinese.
The president made the right decision, Western democracy claim is only to expand their military campaign and remove leaders who refuse to do business with them.
If Somaliland has China, we have nothing to worry about. West will only put Somaliland in debt, deliver expired food as aid and request some elections whenever they like without allowing local politics to take solid foundations.
China is purely business, they will stretch the road from Berbera to Juba in two months and by the end month pack and leave.
West is history, if they can rescue anyone they would rescue Greece, Spain, etc.
Africa is excited about China, we hope China doesnt behave like the West. West abused Africa, called us names, stole our people, created colonial borders and divisions, delivered diseases such as aids, starvation with their so called development assistance (DEBT).
I cant believe the West is trying to play the good cop here. They think we are stupid.
I am not anti-West but I hate their fake hypocrite claims.
Ali big up sxb—West is borrowing from China and asking for economic assistance. But they dont want us seeking assistance or development. They want to keep us in starvation and in famine and deliver 0.0002% of the money their BORROWED from China to us as "aid" and charge us 500% return fees.
As of May 2011 the largest single holder of U.S. government debt was China, with 36 percent of all foreign-held U.S. Treasury securities (16% of total US public debt).
You do the calculation the total U.S. Debt is almost $15 trillion.
The U.S. is spreading its own propaganda and buying "allies" around the world with money their borrowed from China but they don't want China going beyond the China Sea. How stupid are they?
A president makes an official visit to a country and no pictures of him with any Chinese officials, no red carpet well lets say the president made a personal visit and just stayed in a hotel at somewhere in Beijing, or may be he was just somewhere else. even you guys are starting to doubt this visit. It could be that Silanyo is trying to boost his ratings in order to be elected again.
What doing business with China has to do with setting back Somaliland recognition? Paranoid Westerns are starting to play the intimidation games and scare tactics. Somaliland will do business with anybody and everybody they want. Recognition or not, we are not going to be held hostage for double standard westerns.
Besides, China is a powerful nation economically and an emerging power, so Amerca must be scared. Ready or not, here I come Africa say China!
Congratulations and good job, Mr. President.
Wadani has election fever:)..Silanyo still has 4 years before another election. Whatever comes from this China deal will be a boon for Somaliland. Someone already said this, with China, it is business first politics second.
Somalilanders has been too lazy and do not understanding the fundamental of business. If you study our natural resources animals, Seafood and sea minerals. Arable land prime for industrial scale farming our nation is resource rich unfortunatly we build hotels, remittance, telephone companies selling water, kat, and other consumables. These types of businesses take money of the system, they do not create wealth. Ultimately over time Ethiopia will dominate the area because we not smart enough to unite and exploite Ethiopia whilst they are relatively still poor. Allah help us cus its obvious we can’t help ourselves!!
I agree with you brother, but farming is a lot more complicated than simply opening up a store or small business. For one, water in Somaliland is in short supply. So how can we farm on a massive scale when we can't even secure ample drinking water?
We need Desalination plants like the GCC states and this costs millions from what I have heard. IE. plant, pipes and management facilities etc.
Keyse,
Who said Ethiopia is hungry for port, actually not and the current situation of Ethiopia’s need is temporary till they reach agreement with their brothers in Eritria, just after Departure of war monger Isayas. Asab and Musaua which are well equipped and accessed by highways are enough to Ethiopia, if there is any extra Djibour is there.
I wonder why our leader misguide people by touring around the world instead spending migor resource to resolve living problems which most of our people are facing.
Don't get me wrong your assertion is partially not correct. First, south east Ethiopia is more close to hargessa than eritrea. second ethiopians never totally rely on eritrea for political and economic reasons. So port is just like a commodity and if the somalilanders delivers the most efficient and reliable service, i can't see why hargassa can't be the first choice by ethiopians.
Guys do you know that people of Ethiopia and Eritria are hungry to see and hug each other and have coffee together, do you thousands of Eritrian youth crossed the border to Ethiopia each day, do you know that Ethiopia is allowing Eritrian who were deported to claim their conficated properties and do you know what this will lead to?
We somalis destroyed the Habashi unity, we armed the eriterian nationalists and supported them in the 1960s 70s , 80s, we supported Tigray nationlism, we created hate among your people to unity aganist Amhara! Eriteria is gone forever! and Tigrayia will soon leave! Oromia will rise! Ogdenia will get indepedence! and I can promise you that the somalis will get their revenge over the Amharas!
the contract failed after they found out that ogaden is war zone,but silanyo is diplomat he said we made "Heshiis Hordhac ah " kkkkkkkkkkkkk
It is easy to set up a commercil farm, it costs similar to these fancy hotels spring up all over the place. But its hard work and god forbid we never want work to hard. I swear sometimes i wonder what is so called officals get up to? Just look at Eritrea a tiny nation politically isolated but no ngos, no to UN and are achieving a great deal by themselves. We are soo lazy we want others to do everything for us. Joke!!
I never knew the costs of starting a commercial farm were comparable to those required to open a hotel. If this is in fact the case, then you are correct in saying Somali people are lazy.
Abdi good,
Hello People, I agree with Abdulrahman, our president is following the path mr Riyale. They think we are children. If these promises don't come true god help them.
I have seen how Angola is booming after the chinese invested in that country. Today, launda looks like any modern city in the world. The chinese are very energetic, among their, down-side, is that they dont care about human rights, democracy, etc.
But one thing is for sure, they are after raw materails and access to african market. We are after investment and the experties to biuld our infrastructure. may be by exchanging this with china, could put us in a win-win situation.
As far as the west is concerned, if they mean business, we still have a long coast to be used and fast amounts of natural resources that are yet to exploited. Let us see….
chinese are dumb like always falling for habesha and SNM tricks. did they forgot already wuz happen to their fellow chineses wen the heroes ONLF caught them red-handed? ogaden remains a battle zone & until the ogaden people's right to self-determination is recognized, stay away from the Ogaden for your own good.
VIVA ONLF
VIVA SOMALIA
the person who wront this news iz way funner then i tho, he goes 'This source has also said that this new development might set back the cause of recognition for Somaliland'. loool no one goin to recognize the SNM state. technically, you cannot dream where ur dead.
it's just better of time before we chase our arch enemy SNM from sool, sanaag & cayn (SSC)
It looks like there is an agreement singed between Ethiopia and China in Ethiopia. Somali land, in this arrangement, is not recognized and is sponsored by Ethiopia. The economic advantage from the project for Somali land will be assessed in the future, but the Chinese are known not to give supporting contracts to the local people in their countries they are executing the projects. Therefore, since the people of Somali land are unskilled, and that their main business is trade with the outside world, if they don't procure some of the materials needed for such a project, and the Chinese run it, the usefulness of the project is minimal. I would like the government to forward the project to the parliament for ratification.
Mashallah, Somaliland keep up the good work!
in your dreams, u people will not see a drop of Ogaden Oil, or were coming to take over hargaysa and berbara
Realistically speaking somaliland's economy is largely overwhelmed by the services sector, and I for one agree that the fundamentals of business are being overlook, not encourage and simply non-existent. This can lead to a small minority of the population consolidating the economy and the government finding it self in their pockets. This would leave the government in predicament as it tries reassert it's authority on the markets let alone regulate it. A unchecked capitalist economy would be like a ticking time bomb ( short term gain long term loss) and I believe this what Somaliland is nurturing at it's present tritractory. The long term effects are usually hard to and in some cases irreversable. However if the primary sector and secondary sector such as farms, factories, fishing and calculated use of natural resources as said in above comments are utilised this would help to wards
food security ( a major cause of conflict), job creation, social development, technological gains, environmental awareness ( eco-friendly), etc. All this would not only strengthen the economy but somaliland as a whole wether it's nationally, a regional player and internationally. Now am not saying put a stop to the powerful businesses immediately because alot of people and businesses are dependent on such organisations but rather conunter balance this top end invest with some grass root investment. This can be done by government initiatives with NGOs or with the private sector. Ps thank you somalilandpress for giving us a platform to share our opinions.
Somaliland is dead. The new name is kilinka 6 aad.
somaliland is here for today for tommorow and forever