The President of the Republic of Somaliland H.E. Musa Bihi Abdi, received on Monday at the Presidential Palace the third President of Somaliland, H.E. Dahir Rayale Kaahin.
In the courteous meeting, the two leaders took time to parley on the general affairs and exchanged suggestions and ideas on how to work together for the development and unity of the nation of the Republic of Somaliland.
The President was at the meeting flanked by his deputy H.E. Abdirahman Abdilahi Ismail (Saili’i), Minister of Interior Hon. Mohamed Kahin Ahmed, Minister of Water Management, Hon. Suleiman Yusuf Ali Koore, Hon. Mohamud Hassan Saad Saajin of Trade and Tourism. , Livestock and rural development minister Hon. Syed Sulub Mohamed, Assemlies coordination and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Abdinasir Muhammad Hassan Buuni, Employment, Social and Family Affairs, Hon. Eng Ali Omar Mohamed (Ali Hoor-Hoor), Mining and Energy, Hon. Abdilahi Farah Abdi, Education and Science, Hon. Dr Ahmed Aden Buhane and the Ambassador of the Republic of Somaliland to the United States and Canada (Canada) Amb. Bashir Sheikh Omar Good.
Upon his arrival when he returned to the country over the week the former President was received by the ministers of Interior, livestock, trade and deputy minister of Information at Egal International Airport.
He jetted in from France where he has been residing for the last ten years, at the Hargeisa airport.
President Dahir Rayale Kaahin had then thanked the ministers who welcomed him and indicated that they would hold discussions during his stay in the country.
He was accompanied by his wife Hudda Barkhad Aden.
He said then, “As a former president of the country, I appreciate and thank you for the reception you have accorded me. Once we rest we shall parley in discussions”.
The Minister of the Ministry of Information, Culture and National Guidance who is also the Spokesman of the Government Hon. Ali Hassan Mohamed (Ali Mareehaan), reiterated the fact that there have always been good relations between Somaliland and Ethiopia, which both countries are committed to continue and strengthen.
He gave the sentiments in an interview he gave to the Somali language branch of BBC Radio whereby refuted a statement made by the President of Somalia who alleged that there are currently top Ethiopian officers in the city of Berbera.
“Somaliland and Ethiopia have a long-standing trade, security and relationship partnership, and they are discussing how to strengthen it,” he said.
Minister Ali Hassan mentioned that there is currently a delegation from the Government of Somaliland in Addis Ababa led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ise Keyd.
He said, “Somaliland delegations are scattered around the world, and it is normal for Somaliland delegations to go to Kenya, Djibouti, the United States and Ethiopia and anywhere else in the world as the case may be; but the delegation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs is in Addis Ababa currently hence continue bolstering the bilateral relations in the interests of both nations”.
The Minister of Information added that President Musa Bihi Abdi has already named an 8-man team that consists of intellectuals and scholars charged with the task of charting forward the MoU agreement entered with the neighbouring country of Ethiopia.
He said that all the members of the said team are currently in the country.
Minister Ali Hassan, who was asked when Somaliland expects the agreement to be completed, said, “It is going well, it will be finalized soon, and it will be presented to the Parliament of the two chambers of Somaliland, and it will soon come into effect.”
He wondered why the Somalia government which knows that Somaliland has entered several agreements with its neighbor should cry faul now for something that is not its concern.
He said that the cities of Wajale and Jigjiga are close to each other, and “we have business relations with Ethiopia, we have on cooperation on border security and other bilateral relations perpetually”.
The memorandum of understanding signed by the Republic of Somaliland and Ethiopia on January 1, 2024, states that Somaliland would lease 20 km of sea-shore to Ethiopia for a naval base in reciprocal for the land-locked country to be the first country to officially recognize the justified sovereignty of the nation Somaliland.
The two official national parties of KULMIYE and UCID, held an important meeting at the Ambassador Hotel in Hargeisa, where issues such as the general situation of the country and the national security were discussed.
The chairpersons of both KULMIYE and UCID parties, Hon. Mohamed Kahin Ahmed, who is the Minister of Internal Affairs and Eng. Faisal Ali Warabe of UCID, together with members of the leadership and senior officials of the two parties, discussed the situation in the country and preparations for the upcoming elections in their meeting which was a lunch.
The two party chiefs were accompanied by; the 1st Deputy Chairman of the KULMIYE party Mr. Abdiziz Mohamed Samale, the 3rd Deputy Chairman of the KULMIYE Party, Hon. Suleiman Yusuf Ali Koore, who is the Minister of Water Resources Development, the 4th Deputy Chairman of the KULMIYE Party Hon. Mohamud Hassan Saad (Sergeant), who is the Minister of Trade and Tourism, Secretary General of the KULMIYE Party, Faisal Abdirahman Madar, Chairman of the National Refugee and Displaced Persons Agency, Abdikarim Ahmed Mohamed (Hinif) and other politicians.
The UCID party officials were the 1st Deputy Chairman of the UCID Party, MP Omar Jama Farah, Deputy Chairman of the party Ahmed Ali Ainaba, General Secretary of the party Mohamed Hussein Isse, Party Spokesman Mohamed Ali Bilal and other officials from the leadership and the Executive Committee of the UCID party.
The government of Somaliland has sent a warning to all the aid agencies operating in the country hence insisted that all the international non-governmental organizations to operate within the stipulated regulations and in tandem with the general national planning programmes hence diligently undertake projected duties and services.
It also instructed that all organizations implementing development projects or humanitarian emergency aid services must be registered with the mandated registration office of the Ministry of Planning and National Development.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Planning has instructed the employers that when it comes to employing staff priorities must first be given to the citizenry who are ably qualified for the jobs and not non-nationals.
This was stated in a circular, issued by the Minister of Planning and National Development Hon. Ahmed Mohamed Diriye Toorno, a copy of which reached our news desk.
It read as follows:
The programs of International Non-Governmental Charitable Organizations must be in line with the overall development plan of the country, they must encourage, show practical and effective projects, and at the same time work in collaborations with local non-governmental Charitable Organizations in the areas where they operate and strengthen their knowledge and performance in order to ensure that these programs continue to be sustainable and self-sufficient, according to clause 2 of article 35 of Law no. 43/2010.
All organizations implementing a development project or humanitarian emergency aid must be registered with the Registration Office of the Ministry of Planning and National Development, according to the Non-Governmental Charitable Organizations Act No. 43/2010, articles 13 and 28, and article 28 of the Regulations on the Construction of Ministries and Government Agencies, Regulation No. 01/2018.
All private companies implementing development projects or emergency humanitarian aid must obtain a project implementation certificate from the Ministry of Planning and National Development as stated in the Non-Governmental Charitable Organizations Act No. 43/2010.
International non-governmental organizations should encourage the funding of national non-governmental organizations and avoid competing with the activities that can be done by these organizations in order to strengthen the knowledge and performance of these national organizations, such as specified in the penalty clause of Article 35 of (Law No. 43/2010).
USDAC, should not be a project implementer for other International Charity Organizations and United Nations Organizations, according to clause 3 of article 35 of (Law No. 43/2010).
All employers are instructed that the vacancies of jobs that can be filled by citizens can not taken by foreigners, as stated in Article 34, 35 and 36 of the Law on Civil Servants (Law No. 31/2020).
Somaliland Foreign Minister, Essa Kayd Mohamed, reaffirmed Somaliland’s commitment to implement the MoU it signed with Ethiopia in January this year.
In an exclusive interview with EBC World, the Foreign Minister underlined that the monumental pact is in accordance with all international laws and Principles.
On January 1, 2024 Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland President, Moses Bihi, signed a historic deal in Addis Ababa that seeks to expedite regional integration by fostering mutual development.
Somaliland, Foreign Minister Kayd disclosed, has organized a steering committee to implement all principles of the historical agreement, which is expected to fulfill the interest of the two countries.
The Foreign Minister expounded that the MoU signed with Ethiopia is not to harm anyone but to develop together within the scope of a win-win approach.
Regarding claims by Somalia that the MoU is a violation of its sovereignty, the Minister said Somaliland declared independence since 1991, adding it has maintained its own government for three decades.
Mogadishu – This evening at around 06:30 PM, the Wadajir District Police Station in Banadir Region received information that the body of a citizen was found in his residence situated at the General Daud estate, of El Qalow district, Mogadishu.
The deceased was named Mr. Abdinasir Muse Abdurrahman, son of Mako Nur Dhimbil. He was 32 years old, born in Gebiley, Somaliland, a resident of Wadajir District, and until the time of his death worked for the Somali Civil Aviation Authority.
“The Mogadishu Police announced that they’re holding in their custody 6 suspects linked with the murder of the deceased and evidence left at the scene, the investigation of this case is still ongoing, and will share the outcome with the public,” said the police spokesperson.
The deceased Mr. Abdinasir Muse Abdurrahman, was part of 20 ICAO air controllers from Somaliland who were working for the Mogadishu Regional Airspace Control Center.
Mr. Omar-Sayed Abdullahi Adan, the Manager Director of Somaliland Aviation and Airports, expressed his deepest condolences to the relatives of the friends and the JSL nation of the late Mr. Abdinasir Muse Abdurrahman.
The Manager Director speaking on behalf of the Republic of Somaliland Civil Aviation and Airport Authority, and the nation of JSL, stated that the SL authorizes will quickly evaluate and review the status of all Somaliland-born workers working for the CACAS Project (ICAO) in Mogadishu.
The death of the deceased Mr. Abdinasir Muse Abdurrahman comes at a time when tensions are running high between the governments of the Republic of Somaliland and Somalia over the issue of airspace control.
Somalia has condemned what it calls “a provocative attempt by the Ethiopian government,” claiming that Ethiopian security forces tried to block Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud from accessing the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, a government statement said Saturday.
“The Federal Republic of Somalia strongly condemns the provocative attempt by the Ethiopian government to obstruct the delegation of the Somali President from attending the 2024 African Union Summit in Addis Ababa,” said the statement released by the Somali National News Agency SONNA.
“This action breaches all diplomatic and international protocols and, most critically, the established traditions of the African Union. This behavior adds to the growing list of erratic actions by the Ethiopian government in recent times,” said the statement.
Ethiopia hosts the African Union headquarters, and Mohamud — leading a delegation from the Somalia government — went there to attend the AU summit at a time when both countries already are at odds over a controversial maritime pact between Ethiopia and Somaliland.
“Given that Ethiopia hosts the African Union headquarters, its leadership and government have an obligation to treat all African leaders equally,” the Somali government statement said.
“Hosting the AU is both an honor and a privilege for Ethiopia; however, if its government fails to uphold this honor and responsibility with the necessary decorum, it may be necessary for the African Union to reevaluate the location of its headquarters,” the statement added.
Mogadishu described the incident as “outrageous conduct” and called for a full investigation by the pan-African body.
“While we denounce Ethiopia’s unwarranted action, we also call upon the AU to urgently conduct a credible and independent investigation to this outrageous conduct in line with the protocols of the union,” the statement said.
“This morning when I prepared myself to come and attend the closed session of the summit, the Ethiopian security blocked my way,” Mohamud told reporters, after later gaining entry to the venue for the meeting.
He said he had tried again with another head of state, Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh, but they were also blocked from the AU headquarters, a claim challenged by Ethiopia.
“A soldier with a gun stood in front of us and denied us access to this facility,” he said.
Agence France-Presse has reported that Ethiopia insisted Mohamud was warmly welcomed and said the Somali delegation was blocked when its security detail tried to enter a venue with weapons.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s spokeswoman, Billene Seyoum, told AFP that Ethiopia had “warmly welcomed” Mohamud and accorded him the full honors of visiting heads of state and governments to the summit.
She said the Somali delegation had declined the security offered by Ethiopia and tried to enter a venue with their weapons.
“As host country, the government of Ethiopia is responsible for the security of all heads of state and government while in the country,” Seyoum said.
“The Somali delegation security attempted to enter the AUC [African Union Commission] premises with weapons, which was blocked off by AUC security.”
Somalia has accused Ethiopia of violating its sovereignty and territorial integrity over the January 1 memorandum of understanding with Somaliland that declared independence in 1991 in a move not recognized by the international community.
Under the maritime deal, Somaliland agreed to lease 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) of its coast for 50 years to Ethiopia, which wants to set up a naval base and a commercial port on the coast.
In return, Somaliland — a former British protectorate — has said Ethiopia would give it formal recognition, assertions not confirmed by Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia, the second most populous country in Africa and one of the largest landlocked nations in the world, was cut off from the coast after Eritrea seceded and declared independence in 1993 following a three-decade-long war.
Addis Ababa had maintained access to a port in Eritrea until the two countries went to war in 1998-2000, and since then, Ethiopia has sent most of its sea trade through Djibouti.
While Somaliland is largely stable, Somalia has witnessed decades of civil war and a bloody Islamist insurgency by the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab militant group.
The Vice President of the Republic of Somaliland, H.E Abdirahman Abdillahi Ismail Saylici, criticized the electoral law approved by the Senate house on Saturday, stating that it is detrimental to the unity of the breakaway region of Somaliland.
The Vice President expressed concern that the Senate approved a law serving personal interests rather than the public interest of Somaliland. He stated, “This approved law deprives a part of the community of their rights, and lawmakers were not allowed to review the law. I emphasize that the law should not divide the nation again.”
The VP and other officials from the Awdal region have rejected the provision requiring organizations to garner 20% of the votes in each region to become a full party. Instead, they advocate for organizations to win based on a 50+1 majority.
Both the government of Somaliland and the UCID party also support the requirement for political organizations to win based on a 50+1 majority. Conversely, the Wadani party and the Kaah organization are accused of advocating for the provision stating that organizations should obtain 20% of the total votes in each region.
Somaliland’s House of Representatives unanimously approved the disputed electoral law on Sunday despite objections from several politicians.
The third deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Ali Hamud Jibril, emphasized the law’s effectiveness, stating that if the president does not enact it into law, the House will enforce it.
“If the president does not sign it, we will sign and make an official release,” said Ali Hamud.
Lawmaker Mohamed Abiib praised the law’s approval by both the Somaliland House of Representatives and the Somaliland Senate, describing it as a historic victory.
“The provision in the law requiring political organizations to obtain 20% of the votes in each region to become a recognized party was not newly created. It has existed since 2000 and was included in the 2002 and 2012 elections. What is new?” questioned MP Mohamed Abib.
Somaliland’s vice president, Abdirahman Abdillahi Ismail Saylici, criticized the new law early, particularly rejecting the clause stating that organizations must obtain 20% of the total votes in each region. Instead, they advocate for organizations to win based on a 50+1 majority.
Urging Somaliland Diaspora Communities in the UK, Europe, North America and Australia to Exercise Their Rights to Vote
The year 2024 has been marked by remarkable diplomatic achievements for the Republic of Somaliland, culminating in the adoption of the slogan “The Year of Recognition” by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation of the Republic of Somaliland. At the same time, 2024 is also the world’s biggest election year as more nations will head to the polls than ever before globally. National elections at different levels are taking place in the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, and Australia, alongside the 10th European Parliament Election, scheduled for June 6-9, 2024, and occurring in the major settlements of Somaliland Diaspora Communities including Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, France, Ireland, and the Scandinavian states.
Consequently, the Somaliland Diaspora Office calls for Somaliland dual nationals residing in the aforementioned countries to embrace their rights to vote and take this opportunity to enhance the positive national image of their country of origin. We urge all those dedicated dual national diaspora organizations, associations, committees, activists, and the die-hard Somalilanders in the diaspora to industriously act as goodwill ambassadors by positively lobbying their candidates and political parties to support the cause of independence and Somaliland’s vision for security, prosperity, and wellbeing of its citizens as well as contributing to a better world.
Fellow citizens, let us come together, collectively work harder, and make your voices heard, as we continue to strive towards a brighter future for the people of the Republic of Somaliland.
