By Guled A Maher

The Minister of Youth and Sports of Somaliland, Mr. Abdirisaq Musa Farah, on Wednesday, bade farewell to a delegation from Somaliland that received an invitation from the Sports Association of Angola.

The athletes will participate in an international event to be held in that country.

The Minister of Youth and Sports of Somaliland Hon. Abdirisaaq Musa Farah said that it is a pleasure for Somaliland to participate in international competitions.

“I congratulate everyone who worked for it and I’m happy that the goal of the government led by President Musa Bihi Abdi and the program of the Kulmiye Party is to have international relations with the world.”

The director general of the Ministry of Youth said, “In 2023, Somaliland organized athletic competitions. We participated in several international competitions too. We also intend to promote sports in the country.”

The Director General of the Ministry of Information, Culture and National Guidance Mr. Mustafa Abdi Issa Shine, suggested that the Ministry of Sports should increase even more its sporting relations with the world.

By Guleed Maher

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Somaliland held a meeting over the week in Hargeisa to launch the National Policy on Climate Change of Somaliland.

According to the Decree of President Muse Bihi Abdi, which came out on November 7, 2023 aimed at the dissemination of the National Policy on Climate Change.

It was previously approved by the Cabinet of Ministers and the legislative councils, and signed by the president.

The reason behind Somaliland’s national climate change policy is that it is based on the national constitution, especially Article 58, and other regulations related to environmental issues approved by Somaliland’s legislative councils; they guide the protection and management of the environment.

In addition, it is in order to ensure the government’s responsibility for the development of the community in terms of environment, and economy, in accordance with our national vision of 2030, in the third national development plan.

It is one of the most important policies that can be seen, as the Somaliland government is committed to protecting the environment, economic development, and society, as the Director General of the Ministry of Environment of Somaliland, Mohamed Abdillahi Duale, said at the launch.

The forum for the dissemination of the National Policy on climate change was attended by the Ministers Agriculture, Water, Council Relations, and Constitutional Affairs, the presidential adviser on economic affairs, the director general of the Ministry of National Planning amongst others.

Leaders from international and local agencies working on environmental issues, the Peace Academy, and Somaliland Development Fund, Dahabshiil company officials, officials from the Taiwan embassy in Hargeisa, and the UK government office in Hargeisa, students from universities in the country, and young people who are active in environmental issues.

The Director General of the Ministry of Environment, and Climate Change in Somaliland, Mohamed Abdillahi Duale, who spoke at the opening of the conference, explains;

He said, “The overall goal of the national policy on climate change is to ensure that the citizens of Somaliland have strong resilience, the effects of climate change, and resist the effects of climate change on our social and economic conditions.

“Among the specific objectives of this policy is to reduce the vulnerability of the problem caused by the effects of climate change, and to strengthen the methods of protection of the vulnerable sectors of society, the natural environment, and to increase carrying out the law of preparedness for natural disasters, and their management”.

He continued, “To propose reasonable adaptation measures to deal with the effects of climate change, by raising the level of resilience, while reducing the level of vulnerability, strengthening the capacity of the community. To develop the activities of government agencies, to unite the response to climate change that comes from all aspects that are important for Somaliland’s economy and the environment, and society”.

On the other hand, the Director said that the report focuses on two areas, namely adaptation to the effects of climate change, and to reduce the problems caused by climate change.

Because climate change is affecting all the basic things, he said, “This policy focuses on two areas, which are adaptation to the effects of climate change, and to reduce the problems caused by climate change. “Climate change is affecting all the basics.”

Mohamed Abdullahi Duale lauded President Bihi, and pointed out that his actions are marked by the dissemination of the national policy on climate change. “I am here to thank the president of the Republic of Somaliland, Musa Bihi Abdi, whose council of ministers had a long discussion and analysis on the national policy on climate change, when it was presented, they endorsed it”.

The opening of Somaliland’s national policy on climate change was addressed by some members of the ministers who participated, and other government officials, who all welcomed the dissemination of the national policy on climate change, and how the Ministry of Environment has taken responsibility to make our society understand the effects of climate change

By Guleed Maher

The House of Representatives of the Republic of Somaliland has at last approved the National Armed Forces Act Bill, whose comprehensive formulation and amending was in the pipeline for quite a while.

45 MPs attended the Wednesday session to approve the National Army Act.

Parliamentary Speaker Hon. Yasin Haji Mohamud Faratoon chaired that approved the Act which in essence was very much anticipated and has been long over-due.

At the opening of the session, MP Ahmed Nour Guruje, who is the chairman of the internal affairs committee which was in charge of this Act, informed the members about the National Army Act and the proposals entailed in the Bill.

41 MPs who approved the National Army Act, while there were no MPs who opposed this it, while 3 MPs abstained from voting.

The speaker did not vote.

The senior management of the Somaliland port authority and the shipand vessels representatives met at the office of the general manager of the port of Somaliland and discussed the impact of the maritime crisis on Somaliland.

During the meeting, the security situation in the Red Sea and Bab-el -Mandab was discussed.

Reports point to the fact that the grave situation has increased since large container shipping companies have suspended their work, especially those that use the Suez Corridor.

They were in consensus that the latest insecurity in the marine traffic will compound the costs of imports by escalating them since insurances ill by hiked by the maritime operators.

By M.A. Egge

Hon. Mohamud Hareed Roble, who is the chairman of the Senate select committee that was charged with the task of perusing the elections laws, which was recently passed by the lower house of the parliament has appealed to the people of the nation to keep calm and await the due process to be finalized by the upper house of the parliament, the Senate which is known as the GUURTI.

He revealed that the committee has just finished their tasks, save for minor technicalities in final touches, and are about ready to avail the law to the Senate soonest.

The electioneering processes which had had hiccups for the past year or so has led to a review of comprehensive election laws that was formulated, amended and synchronized expressly by the parliament hence was passed and forwarded to the Senate.

This development followed conciliatory efforts by traditional leaders that detonated an impasse in the country’s political divide.

It is in this background that Hon. Hareed has appealed for calm hence dispel rumours that their committee is shortchanging the process.

He noted that they have not changed anything about the provisions proposed hence called on the Somaliland community to rest assured that the committee will be just and diligent in fulfilling their duties.

“I am saying that the people of Somaliland should calm down and should not be jittery with mistrust on our part”, he told media on Wednesday.

He reassured the members of the public, “We are not partisan, nor are we serving the whims and interests of a section by either leaning sideways or favouring any group. We have now finished the major tasks given to us, save for some minor technicalities”.

By M.A. Egge

The Head of State H.E. Musa Bihi Abdi led multitudes of mourners in paying respects and attending the burial of the late prominent businessman eminent philanthropist Ahmed Dahir Omar Bahsane who was laid to rest in the city of Hargeisa on Wednesday 27^th Dec 2023.

The late Bahsane was one of the famous businessmen of Somaliland.  Apart from the president, members of the cabinet, politicians, top nation’s, businessmen, scholars, ad multitude of mourners joined the family members and relatives of the deceased in sending him off and condoling with them.

The death of the late businessman Ahmed Dahir Omar (Bahsane), was condoled by various national leaders of Somaliland, including the President of Somaliland, Musa Bihi Abdi, and the chairman of the UCID party, Eng. Faisal Ali Warabe, various politicians, traditional leaders, and eminent personalities.

The president of Somaliland described the deceased as a philanthropist businessman who left a big gap which will be missed by the country and the people.

He also played an important role in the reconstruction and pacification of the country and was one of the people who believed in their country and invested heavily within it.

The late Bahsane contributed a lot to charity causes, building mosques and madrasas and helping the poor magnanimously.

The President prays to God to shower mercy on the deceased, and prayed for his next of kin to have stronger faith in the trying moment.

On the other hand, the chairman of the UCID party, Eng. Faisal Ali Warabe, who also sent his condolences to the late Bahsane businessman, described him as a businessman who brought a lot of hardship to the country and the people, and he was a pious person and a philanthropist.

Also, the presidential candidate of WADANI party, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi (Irro), sent a condolence message to the deceased businessman, Bahsane, and described the deceased as a great pillar of in the country, especially in the business community.

All mourners stated their admiration to the deceased a philanthropist without a peer in the country.