Somaliland
SOMALILAND: President Silanyo set to visit China
August 6, 2011 · 42 Comments
HARGEISA — Somaliland President Ahmed M. Silanyo, leading a high-level ministerial delegation, is to fly to Beijing on Saturday at the start of his first China visit.
Presidential spokesman, Mr Abdullahi M. Dahir, told local sources on Friday that the President received an official invitation from the Chinese government and talks are expected to strengthen economic ties.
He added the week-long visit will focus on foreign investment, trade and development. “The aim of our trip is to seek foreign direct investment (FDI) projects from China in the fields of energy, mineral exploration and Agriculture. We are also going to seek assistance from China to implement water projects and other key infrastructures including transportation requirements (airports and roads),” Mr Dahir said.
Somaliland pushes for ties with China
He said the visit will highlight President Silanyo’s commitment to address and seek a solution for the water shortages, high unemployment and other key issues.
President Silanyo will stop over in Addis Ababa for key talks with Ethiopian officials over a number of topics including the so called Berbera corridor, security and trade.
Somalilandpress | 6 August 2011
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Tags: China, Ethiopia, Finance, Somaliland, Trade
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it is about time he visited china ,since china is going to be the richest country in the world.i am so sick of them visiting london and other western ,islam hating people. we should visit countreis in east asia like china,japan and south korea.
What makes you think China "loves" you?
If you look to the countries where China is involved with in Africa you will notice that they do not care much about human rights and such things. As you say "…china is going to be the richest country…", that is exactly what they care about, money.
Rumors has it that China has been buying land in Ethiopia to produce food for China, if that is true then you see what their intentions are.
At least most western countries including Japan have some ethical standard.
I definitely agree with Hamza on this one. The fact is, China offers a new and valuable investment opportunities in infrastructure and economic development. It is up to us to use this opportunity in a way that is advantageous for both our nations. Our primary focus should be, to know for sure what the chinese are willing to do for us in exchange for what, at what cost and to know how this compares to the alternative or other options out there. At this stage we need to ensure that we only engage and sign a short-term investments agreements that help us transition from this period of economic stagnation we find ourselves in, in the last 2 decades of the Western and Arab worlds' inaction. At the same time it would also articulate to the Chinese that if they are really serious about developing sincere and mutually beneficial relationship and strong economic ties, we need to be satisfied with the short-term accomplishments. I say Short term, because what we have learned from the Chinese so far and their dealings with other African nations tend to indicate that they love to lock young developing nations into long-term contractual agreements, which when negotiated by weak and corrupt African governments can be unfavourable and highly detrimental to the nation's long-term economic and developmental goals/ vision.
It is one positive thing that China doesn't interfere with internal affairs of countries, but remember we are still dealing with greedy and capitalist investors backed by a more powerful nation with greater leverage over us in terms of funding and investment capital, however we should also know that we have leverage over them as well by offering China the resources they desperately seek for their own economic development, in addition to the huge potential for an awesome return for their investments and capital.
Somaliland government needs competent and skilled negotiators at the table, and for now it would appear that this new administration has worked hard to accomplish this. Our government ministers are all well-educated and therefore fit for their ministerial portfolios. They are no doubt more honest, reliable, and more accountable for their actions than the previous, corrupt administration. For example the minister in charge of mining, energy and natural resources had trained and worked in the USA for decades in US Energy sector and has an extensive knowledge and experience in this sector. I am confident they will have the proper committee in charge of the negotiations perhaps consisting of appropriate advisory groups including economists, negotiators, environmentalists and etc.
The government seems to have the right priorities as well, as is stated in this article, which indicates that they have vision and goals for Somaliland's future in areas that need immediate attention and would bring the country much-needed revenue and wealth essential for ongoing nation building endeavours. These mentioned priorities including investment in the much-needed energy sector, mineral exploration, Agriculture and transportation offer great start for sustained development. Remember, at the end of the day the parliament has to approve the final deal unlike many African nations, which means it must be satisfied with this agreement in order for the deal to go through, after vigorous debate of course. This is a good check and balance in our constitution.
In addition, one of the areas that the Chinese firms often fail, is in the area of employment opportunities for locals. Government negotiators must ensure that the bulk of skilled and none skilled labours must come from our nation. In areas where skills and technical expertise are required the chinese can provide their own human capital, but in the short run and must be supplemented by concurrent training and education to ultimately provide the skilled people who could work in those industries, which means there must be clause of guarantee in place in those contracts and development of viable education system and institutions that can respond and meet those demands.
Deals are only as good as the people negotiating it. The most important advice is to avoid being locked into a long-term contractual agreements with immediate short-term gains, but with very little opportunities and benefits in the long run, because if there are disagreements with investors and companies the future procurement of new companies and investors will be much easier and faster with short-term contractual agreements. Second most important advice is that strong legislations and regulations must be in place or in development to safeguard worker's civil rights & protections, wages, and the environment. And thirdly the national goverment must put forward long term plans aimed at development and economic growth and also must ensure the sharing of revenue equitably and proportionally between the different provences. And Finally we need to see the development of a diversed economy, so our regions' economies are interwoven and interdependent.
mamul keenani waxa aw sameen karilaa yahay biyo.. amama haro, balayo, ceelal
carabaha ayuu silaanyo waydiistay caawiyo ah xaga biyaha
iyada oo maanta somaliland awoodi karta intaa iyo inkabadanba…lakiin ay karti la aani ay meesha talo
20 sano somaliland nabadi taal lakiin maamulkan iyo kuwii horaba wax hore u marin dowladeed maysameen
….
lAKIIN MAYANEY CEEB AHAYN IN AAN BIYO XIDHEEN DOWLADAHA ADUUN WEYDISANO.. HALKII WAX KALE… TUSALE WADOYIN MAGALOYINKA OO DHAN IS GAADHSIYA…
Saaxiib Biya xidheenku ciyaar ciyaar maaha wuxuuna u baahan yahay 'heavy machinery' that could cost millions so if you can't afford to buy it what is the alternative do nothing?
I praise our government to leave no stone unturned to find way out of the current unemployment of unimagined proportion in our country. It's good they seek investors to create more jobs for our unemployed youth, but they have to be very, very careful of dealing with China and any other country who is energy hungry, because if we did not negotiate properly, we could end up with environmental and health catastrophy, because we do not want to see the explowding water-melon in our country, due to the chemicals and unchecked manures that these countries will bring to our country. To negotiate properly will make our counry safe, and we can benefit of our resource, otherwise we will be like other African who achieved nothing but polution and health problems.
Addisabba is now currently the Cape of Good Hope Corridor for every Somaliland delegation, that means Ethiopia is still mentally our master. I really hate Ethiopia's bullying and its directives to our internal affairs.
China visit to President Silanyo is a good news, but Ethiopia has also a big connection as well.
Musa
The delegation is flying from Addis Ababa and its only logical they use this opportunity to meet the Ethiopian government for talks.
I agree with Boqoljireh on this one. We need to expand our foreign relations i.e options. If China is involved with Ethiopia amongst many other African countries then it only stand to reason that we look into possible relations. Besides I can't see Why Somalilanders would have a problem with this? Our country may have high unemployment but it also lacks in the necessary technology and machinery to utilise our resources. More importantly the global shift points to countries opening up more then the past to others.
Ali asad Ethiopia is not our enemy its our ally ,, Ethiopia is our partner in trade development its our neighbour i dont see them as an obstacle to our peace and stability and our existence we welcome the Ethiopian involvment a Gas pipeline will be build from Ethiopia to Berbera we will make 100s of Millions of dollars trough that.
China? Some of you see this country as angel from other planet. They are not, they will arrive @ your shores and grab you resources without any benefit to the local communities. They will even bring there own labourer (prisoner) to unearth our wealth and ship the money back to china without any taxation. If you don't believe me just go google for Angola. What they offer you in order to gain your God given resource is a tiny return and kick back to some official. As we all know their is limitation to the resource we have. We have to get greater return for our limited resources. Mr Prez pls don't import cheap Chines labourer / Prisoner.
A adan have u not seen how they build angole the infrastructure the chinese are more welcome to africa than the FAKE west EU and America.
When did we ever receive any sort of aid or help form China when we needed them? China is the World's biggest opportunist and cares about nothing but money while the Western countries you hate have been there for us whenever we needed them, be it in the refugee camps in Ethiopia during the eighties, in their countries, and now in Somaliland. All I can say is, may Almighty Allah bless the West and guide them to the right path.
It is okay, for Somaliland government to seek economic and diplomatic ties with any country it sees fit. But, please do not compare China with any western countries especially, US and UK. How many Somali or any other political refugees has China allowed to move and work in its country? NONE.
Do you hear anywhere where chines stand for Human right? Do you know how miserable they treat their own Moslem community in China?
Chines government care nothing for human kind but their pockets money.
Do you know Angola capital city is the most expensive in the whole world.and 80% of its population live under poverty line?
If Chines government are understanding they should have help the people of Angola not the few privileges who are sucking the blood of its masses.
I did see Sicid, what they have done. Yes china can build a shanty roads, Hospital, Railroad etc…do you think they do all this cheap staff for free? I don't think so. As I said they will get the lion share and leave you with peanuts brother and that isn't right -:)
It is true what you are saying the Chinese are hustlers…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft_2FhTgwlI
Listen to an Interview with our Foreign Minister Dr Mohamed Abdillahi on CBC RADIO "THE CURRENT". i am sure u will like it. #Somaliland FM Hon. MA/llahi gv an interview to THECURRENT on cbc. flwd livly debat by 2distinguished expert on Somalia cbc.ca/video/news/aud…
Mashallah it's good to see my country developing and recently the local authority or dawlada hoose in Hargeisa bought a truck from the UAE which will pave new roads in our capital mashallah.
I couldn't agree more Faisal, So we have to be carefully to whom we have to share our wealth with. I have no problem if china offer us a fare deal go for it. But i like the west to have a large role in development of our country.
The confusion in the Somaliland foreign relationship was caused by the disability of the minister of Somaliland Foreign Affairs. The minister has no ability to connect Somaliland to the rest of world. Somaliland and the Western countries relationship is deteriorating.
Here comes xin iyo xaasid! Don't you have anything positive to say. Ignore this good for nothing whom all he does is heckling.
I don't know what roll you are on but our president is not an SSC militia leader. If he wishes to go to the US or any other country he will just go here. As simple as that.
if you don't know the skiin guy u know the others i gather! u have to collaborate don't just say credible sources xD cami…we all have sources. And how does it make any sense when the local paper reported last night the Prez was going to China and now u saying this, that defies any logic cami? it's ok to be an opposition but we all have to use our head some times and clarify what our sources report to us. "Hubsimo Hall Ba La Siista" ;)
The dollar's instability has brought China and others to question its future stability. Since SL trades in dollar I suggest we review future use of the Dollar for our resources. Its probably wise.
"According to economist Michael Hudson China has said, "we don't want to make any more foreign exchange reserve of any paper currency, because all the paper currencies are government debt currencies." China, Russia, India, Turkey, Brazil, Venezuela and oil-producing countries have recently agreed "to transact all of their mutual trade and investment in their own currencies" effectively minimizing the need, at least in the short term, for a global reserve currency. (At the moment the US Dollar acts as such) And yet oil is still priced in dollars, which has brought complaints about OPEC's policies of managing oil quotas to maintain dollar price stability."
China, Malaysia, UAE etc; we are tired of travelling. It just shows how very low he trusts other officials, so he does all these engagements by himself.
Ppl need something more tangible than hopes of Chinese oil exploration companies. The resources of the country are nothing if people are not able to cannot afford to use them. So help them raise their standards of living by providing healthy waters instead of that fluoride invested waters that gives them yellow/red tooth.
Mohamed are u talking about the Prez :)
It is strange to see the current government just sitting back and watch Somaliland foreign minister's incapability of performing his duties of improving the Somaliland foreign relationship which is declining from it level where it was when Udub was leading the country. Realistically, Somaliland current government must re-shuffle the cabinet specially, president must terminate the minister of foreign affairs who is wasting the government resources for unnecessary trips.
Mahmoud did you listen the inteview he gave to the CBC radio Last week? if not pls go to my twitter and there is a link. + u can also fine the twitt i made last night on Prez visit to china here is the link http://twitter.com/#!/AbdillahiBakare
I do support this visit to China. All the negative images of China many of you hold is a result of Western propaganda—China never enslaved Africa, robbed us nor made the fake borders that continue to kill Africans.
I don't care about democracy and the little things the Western nations claim, those things can never make us forget what they have done to Africa and continue to do.
The Western propaganda against China is designed so that Africans stay within the boundries they (West) defined– we are in a mental, pysological prison. Its time to break with the old tradition and seek help and assistance else where. For me West is World Vision and WFP—IMF—-World Bank and UNICEF and all those things hold Africa back. Broke our backs.
Somaliland has to seek ties with Beijing—West is old world, they cant even fix Greece nor the U.S. economy crisis, what can they do for us?
China is now providing aid packages to Greece, Spain, United States and others.
I Jama raised an important issue—I think its important for Somaliland to abandon the U.S. dollar and adopt a new currency perhaps the Euro for now or something else.
The U.S. dollar is history and will only make things worse in Somaliland. We should trade in the Euro…
US will collapse in the next 100 years…and if China invades Muslim nations like the US they will collapse too.
Muslim oil producers need to start trading their oils with other partners in the region including China than the usual West…I don't get why Muslim oil economies fuel nations that bomb Muslim civilians.
Well said, looks like the world became slaves of America
The current time world is leading by US and no new nation can afford to ignored the reality, however, China economy is doing good nowadays but they can't provide the recognition which Somaliland is looking. The current government must work hard to earn the international trust, mainly, US recognition and support. But the current government has limited abilities to have meaningful relationship with international community except Ethiopia and South Sudan.
I wonder when Somaliland will start depending on herself and teach the citizens of Somaliland to develop their new nation until they become self sufficient. Hand outs from foreign nations are what destroyed Somalia and many other African countries.
Somaliland does not need recognition it needs economic development, education, work force and strong military force that keeps Somalia's terrorists including the so called TFG at bay. If we can achieve those things the world has no choice but to engage with us.
We have to bring in the Chinese to connect Berbera to Addis Ababa and Juba in South Sudan. We have to convice both the Chinese and the people of South Sudan to export their oil resources from Berbera rather than Port Sudan.
Berbera can also connect with Ethiopia's growing vast economy, also we should open the door for Chinese tankers to export their agricultural products across East Africa from Berbera, for example, grain grown in Ethiopian lands should be exported from Berbera to China.
Somaliland is so strategic and important and if China can gain access they can influence the whole region, this is a place where 60% of the world's oil trade passes through
If in the future it comes down to China vs Western allies, China can launch attacks from Sri Lanka and Berbera to dismantle oil trade lines from the Middle East and North Africa distanced for the West.
@ Mahmoud
Most of us are well informed about the character and ability of the Somaliland's foreign minister markaa waxaan ku odhan lahaa iska daa dacaayada daciifka ah.
Ethiopia is the key allay in the region for somaliland. much better than Kenya and Djibouti. Ethiopia for long has been supporting somaliland in every way it can. in fact i was born in Ethiopia when Somali army was demolishing northern towns back in 1988-1989. Ethiopia hosted largest refugee in the world at the time of the faqsh war. now china is stepping in to the field, but Ethiopia remained the catalyst that will link us to china. However are't we somalilanders able to carry out research in our universities and come up solutions to our problems instead of looking for outside help?
Barwaaqo,
Mahmoud is an angry individual who was a member of the vanished SSC girl's scout group. Dr Omar is putting pressure on all our enemies, he is closing the doors on them and opening it for Somaliland, listen to his last interview with CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).
Listen to Dr Omar kill the haters: http://www.cbc.ca/video/news/audioplayer.html?cli…
There is a say:
Never start a war if you aren't finishing.
Ethiopia is our enemy and they want to annexed Somalia. They don't have sea ports and their aim is to have several sea ports of Somalia such as Berbera and Boosaso. It is their old dream which is the priority of every Ethiopian leader and government. In past they annexed Somali cities such as Harar, Hawash, Jigjiga and today it in their agenda to claim many other Somali cities. We forgotten the Somali Ethiopian war of 1977 – 1978, we forgotten the Somali army invasion to Ethiopia and how we defeated the Ethiopian army but they will never forget that defeat. This history is true history and was 30 years ago. Do let your mess to destroy you and you existence. Do not love your enemy and hate you brothers and sisters. Remember brother your past enemy is your future enemy.
it is painfull shamefull for somaliland ,,,that you still asking others for help..and not help your self…china made it without help form others…i thnk we dnt need no men but allah…viva somaliland
China has been demonised by the Western countries that only fear the rapid growth of China’s economy. Political ideologies of the West and Far East are not the only conflicting thingsof the two, but China’s political strategy in Africa is contrary and in many cases undermines the dubious motives of the West.
The West like to think they are spreading democracy and good governance through foreign aid, but I firmly believe they are only strengthening the ‘dependency’ strategy that most political scholars suspect. The Chinese do not hide the fact that they deal trade with any country (government). They will offer you this much financial aid and other assistance for whatever they want from you, it is up to the other part to either close the deal to their advantage or refuse it all to gather. The West watch you die, and say we give you the means of survival (medicine, food, water, and in many stances weaponry) if you sign up to such deal. Often, such deal is a slow ride to corruption and civil wars.
I champion democracy and liberal values above communism and extreme Marxism, but the West DO NOT promote democracy in Africa, instead, they plant ‘dependency’ in the region.
Somaliland should be able to use both to bring them to depend on our cooperation in the region. It is realist and pragmatic.
China are the new bully boys, if you think they are help youm please stop dreaming, they will take all your resources they will not employ anyone, they will bring all the employees from their counrty including cleaners, they will not go out and eat food in the restuarant or coffee shops, forget about anything they will even bring their own prostitutes ( this is not a joke, it s the reality of the chinese globalisation). The only countries that can have good deal with the chinese business man is the develop countries who have rules and regulation, but not country like somaliland who don't have either the expertise nor the resources. I don't disagree that chinese have done more in africa then the west, but for what cost, somaliland cant get the same deal as gana or south africa. I can see the new goverment is trying hard to get investors but we have anough somali investors who have anough money to invest the country, they should be focusing this, rather than foriegn investors who thier agenda is grap as much as you can.