Human Rights Centre (HRC) today held press conference in Hargeisa. The Centre strongly condemned the closure of Hubaal, Haatuf and Somaliland Times, three independent newspapers based in Hargeisa Somaliland. It also denounced the detention of five journalists arrested in Las’anood the administrative capital of Sool region, east of Somaliland. The five journalists were detained yesterday, 20th April 2014 and released today, 21st April 2014.
Ms Mulaho Mohamed Ali, the spokesperson of HRC said “the manner which the Police followed to suspend the papers is against the law. The independent media is important pillar and shall not be oppressed. The freedom of press is guaranteed by the constitution of Somaliland and the international human rights.” The newspapers were not given the opportunity to defend themselves before the courts as required by the law, she added.
Mawlid Farah Mouse, a lawyer and member of HRC, stressed the illegality of the closure of the papers. Mawlid said that Hubaal was closed at 13th December 2013 while Haatuf and Somaliland Times were shut down at 7th April. The manner in which the three papers were suspended was the same. Police raided and closed without any court hearing. He raised serious concern on the actions of the government against the media.
The constitution upholds independent media that exercises freedoms without fear and subjugation, says Mawlid.
Ahmed Hussein Abdi, member of HRC, called upon the government of Somaliland to, immediately lift the suspension of Hubaal, Haatuf and Somaliland Times. He further demanded the judiciary to exercise the impartiality and the independence provided by the constitution.
It is not very surprising that a dreg of refuse should think itself a drop of misread cream. A Jackass brays loudest. The tyrant foams and frets until he catches your attention. The liar repeats lines until one gets used to me and accepts them on face value. The meek, the oppressed and the dazed victim is always bested – at first.
All of the above perfectly fit the Blackmailer crying ‘wolf’ and the shameless shenanigans of certain sick elements whose only uniting factor with the subject is the desire to pull down Somaliland and paint it out of its achievements and history to satisfy their dark designs and warped egos.
A gentleman that everybody knows as the ‘Only & Only’ said in a published press conference he participated on Saturday that he was afraid their actions might be construed as ‘anti-recognition’ moves. True. He knew that his poor, nepotistic defense of the Blackmailer was just that. The only other motive he had was a desire to be re-appointed to a high post in government as is so littered in a pitiful trail he leaves behind. If anybody starkly practiced nepotism, it was him. Ask around.
Another character in this so-called press conference was a failed ‘journalist’ whose only claim to the profession was his burning desire to see tribal rivalries surface once more in a mature Somaliland. His words included that they were ready to ‘fight with the pen and the gun’. That alone lays his sinister motives bare. What is more distressing is that he claimed representation of a once-great Journalism Association in Somaliland – SOLJA.
A third character was an NGO founder-cum-party official. This fact alone shows how respectful of law and order she is. One cannot be two opposing personalities that the law of your land prohibits at the same time. The Somaliland NGO ACT, Article 11, paragraph 1, specifically underlines that ‘Participation in political activities and campaigns; payment to and fundraising for specific political parties and/or candidates’ was prohibited. When you are living a lie yourself, you cannot point fingers at your leaders.
The list of speakers and their better-known disturbing qualities cannot be all recounted without descending to their level.
The question, however, arises: who are they fooling?
In defending one’s rights, you should be blind to other cares and considerations. Any one citizen has no superseding rights over the rest.
It is not a laughing matter that the unholy coalition announced during that press conference wishes to defend a blackmailer against his victims. That bespeaks volumes by itself.
On the other hand, undermining the potency of the law and calling it names is a cowardly act. When one is called to defend his/her claims in a court of law, it is the greatest honor a citizen can be accorded. The actions that precede it to restrain citizens’ excesses from reaching irreversible boiling points is another.
Intentionally misleading the public and exhorting them to disobey the law only serves miscreants, the underworld, the lawless, the tyrant and the oppressor. Publicly advocating disobedience to law and order places one outside the law.
Listed below are sample articles in which law-abiding citizens have expressed their opinions of the Blackmailer now wearing the sheep’s skin. Look for yourself. They have a right to be heard out, too.
Last week, in a bizarre display of faux outrage and indignation, the regime in Ethiopia unleashed its big “experts” to go after International Rivers, an organization that has been leading the global struggle to protect rivers and the rights of indigenous communities that depend on them for nearly three decades. International Rivers, headquartered in Berkeley, CA., is committed to promoting sustainable use of water and rivers throughout the world. The organization has done extraordinary work in Africa, Asia and Latin America to “prevent destructive dam development, promote effective flood management practices, reform the policies and practices of international financial institutions, and advocate water and energy solutions that are sensitive to human rights and environmental sustainability.”
The regime’s nameless, faceless and conscienceless “experts”, hiding behind the anonymity of “professional Ethiopians well versed with and advising on GERD Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam related issues”, unloaded a torrent vituperative diatribe against International Rivers in the vintage style of their late hate master of name-calling, cheap shots and put-downs, Meles Zenawi. In a hatchet job polemic entitled, “A Proxy Campaign against Ethiopia?”, the “GERD national panel of experts” (“GERD experts”) jumped on International Rivers like a pack of hungry junkyard dogs on a squirrel.
The “GERD experts” took no prisoners in demonizing and hyperbolizing International Rivers. They moaned that International Rivers is “ this self- appointed ‘guardian’ of all rivers of the world, [and] has been leaving no stone unturned in its effort to subvert Ethiopia’s efforts to develop its water resources and lift its vast and growing population out of poverty.” Whoa! IRN, the Poseidon (the mythical Greek god of seas and waters)!
The GERD experts came out swinging. No more kid gloves. It’s going to be all bare knuckles. “Apart from being amused, the NPOE [National Panel of Experts] so far had chosen to ignore IRN’s anti- Ethiopia lobbying which is driven by an ideological, if not fanatical-messianic mission to ‘protect [the world’s] rivers and … to stop destructive dams’. IRN is accuser, police, judge and jury all rolled into one. IRN determines for countries, particularly for developing and poor countries like Ethiopia, how to do water resources development projects the ‘right’ way.” Dam! Can “IRN” do all that? Who could have suspected “IRN” was the world’s “riverine policeman”?
“GERD experts” proclaimed, “IRN is the high priest that communes with God the Almighty and determines what is the most environmentally appropriate, most efficient and economical, and most beneficial for local, national and regional not only flora and fauna but also human communities too. What paternalism!!… IRN, the all-knowing God of water resources development, is angry that Ethiopia did not observe its commandment of good water resources planning…” Hot diggity dog! IRN, the Divine! IRN the “Omni Potens”. IRN, the Godhead!
“GERD experts” declared a “water war” on International Rivers: “It would be unconscionable for us as professional Ethiopians well versed with and advising on GERD related issues to keep on looking at these people with bemusement and indifference when they peddle, clearly siding with Egypt, distorted, unsubstantiated and hostile mercenary propaganda against GERD and the Ethiopian people…. In all its ranting does IRN feel obliged, even if to feign decency, neutrality and disinterest, to mention Ethiopia’s need and desperation. By the way, is not Sudan a downstream country? Why does IRN shut up about Sudan’s identification with and support for GERD?!!!!!!!!! Why does IRN dwell and fight exclusively for Egyptian interests.” How deflating to learn that “IRN”, “the high priest that communes with God the Almighty”, is actually nothing more than an Egyptian stooge and puppet?
Who (what) is this divine, police, judge and jury all rolled into one, superpower and Egyptian stooge called “IRN”?
Why is “IRN, the all-knowing God of water and the high priest that communes with God the Almighty” angry at the regime in Ethiopia? How is the wrath of “IRN, the all-knowing God of water” being visited on the regime in Ethiopia?
The “GERD experts” claim that “IRN” is angry at them because they have rejected “IRN’s discouragement of the idea of dam building in Ethiopia”. The regime refuses to accept “IRN’s message that Ethiopia should stop being ‘provocative.” “IRN” is angry because “Ethiopia will not change the parameters of the project!” “IRN” is angry because it has failed as a “lobbyist for its Egyptian paymasters.” “IRN”, the “all knowing God of water and the high priest that communes with God the Almighty” is angry because its “concern is Egypt’s water security, not Ethiopia’s poverty, water, energy and food insecurity!”
The “GERD experts” claim to have exposed “IRN’s” diabolical strategy to destroy the regime’s plans to build dams in Ethiopia: “Stage 1: Dissuade them! True to its anti-dam creed, IRN did its best to discourage the idea of dam building in Ethiopia in the first place… IRN never loses opportunity to lobby for its Egyptian paymasters… Stage 2: Smear campaign. When its dissuasion tactic failed and GERD implementation proceeded on with earnest, IRN had to embark on … a smear campaign… IRN, the all-knowing God of water resources development, is angry that Ethiopia did not observe its commandment of good water resources planning… Stage 3: Create Alarm! IRN, noticing that its dissuasion and smear campaigns did not achieve its goals of stopping GERD at its inception or planning stages, embarked desperately to create alarm among the international community and downstream countries the fervor of which the Egyptians might envy. Stage 4: Conduct a Stop Them Campaign! IRN, realizing its preceding three maneuvers did not yield any meaningful result, had to come to the open, reveal itself and launch its outright and blatant campaign against the GERD…”
“Cry ‘Havoc!’, and let slip the dogs of water wars…”
In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare wrote, “Cry ‘Havoc!’, and let slip the dogs of war”. The regime in Ethiopia is crying “Havoc!” and letting slip its dogs of dam wars on “International Rivers Network”. I am very familiar with the work of International Rivers and the extraordinary accomplishments of that organization in protecting rivers and indigenous people throughout the world. I am not only awed but also humbled by the tenacity and unrelenting efforts of International Rivers to call international attention to the plight of the indigenous people of the Omo River Basin (ORB) in southwest Ethiopia. A few weeks ago, I expressed my deep gratitude (and confessed my own shame) to International Rivers and the other human rights organizations who have spoken up in defense of the defenseless people of the ORB. When I and millions of other Ethiopians kept silence in the face of the regime’s crimes against humanity inflicted on the people of the ORB, it was International Rivers, among others, which stood up and spoke for them and suffered the slings and arrows of that ruthless regime, as they are doing right now. I publicly confessed in my commentary, “The Race to Save Ethiopians Damned by the Dam”.
It is painful for me (frankly, I am ashamed) to admit that two years after I wrote that [a previous commentary], we [Ethiopians] are still on the sidelines watching while the international human rights and environmental organizations are still doing all of the heavy lifting for us and keeping up the race to save our people. I find myself asking the same questions over and over, without answers: Is it fair to have the international human rights and environmental organizations doing all of the heavy lifting for us in the ORB? When these organizations show so much care and concern for our people and our country, why are we so manifestly unconcerned? Why is that we do not join and support the organizations speaking up for our people? Why is it that we do not come to the aid of these organizations and defend them against the slings and arrows of a vicious regime that slanders them and scandalizes their good works? …How can we justify to future generations that they owe their legacy of environmental conservation and protection of the indigenous peoples of the ORB to the tireless efforts of international organizations [such as International Rivers]? I ask my readers to think about these questions.
Now the regime has loosed its cackle of hyenas on International Rivers, but International Rivers is not intimidated. They struck back at the “GERD experts”. “Ethiopia’s government turned its sights on International Rivers after we published a leaked report by the international panel of experts charged with reviewing project documents for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Our summary of their report describes a number of outstanding concerns raised by the non-binding panel, including the inadequacy of the hydrological-impacts study (a key document for understanding how the dam will affect people and ecosystems downstream).”
International Rivers expressed dismay over “Ethiopia’s wild allegations.” It declared that “International Rivers does not take funding from any government institution, including Egypt. We are not ‘taking sides’ – we are impartial when it comes to critiquing destructive river projects and poor river management around the globe…”
International Rivers almost fell for the regime’s old tricks of putting their opponents on the defensive with bogus and outrageous accusations. The regime leaders perfected their art of war by demonization, labelling and slander when they practiced their infantile Marxism in the bush. Their style is to pump out a bunch of cockamamie, baseless and preposterous allegations and watch their opponents scamper to defend against them. They would label, tar and feather and tattoo their opponents and critics in their organization with outrageous accusations and lies to shut them up. Predictably, International Rivers did not take the regime’s bait to engage in pissing and mudslinging contests. International Rivers did not lower itself to the gutter. They are well aware of the old adage about “never wrestling with a pig in the mud. You get dirty and the pig loves it.”
Who are the “GERD experts”? What makes them “experts”?
If “A Proxy Campaign against Ethiopia?” is the proof of the expertise of the “GERD experts”, they have proven beyond a shadow of doubt that they are experts at insults, cheap shots, insolence, fear and smear, sneering and jeering and calumny. They have certainly not proven that they are experts in a field of knowledge or subject matter. Not only are the self-proclaimed “GERD experts” not experts, they do not even know what an expert is! An expert is someone who is “widely recognized as a reliable source of technique or skill whose faculty for judging or deciding rightly, justly, or wisely is accorded authority and status by their peers or the public in a specific well-distinguished domain.” Who are these nameless and faceless “professional Ethiopians well versed with and advising on GERD related issues”? Why do they not identify themselves by name, subject matter of expertise and institutional affiliation? What are their academic and professional credentials? What is their training, education, publication or work experience to buttress their claim of expertise?
Experts do not wear a veil on their faces, sit in the shadows sniping and broadcast to the world that they are “experts” and “professional Ethiopians”. Real experts do not challenge their opponents to pissing contests. Real experts step out into the open and debate the issues with other experts in public forums. Real expert have no problems presenting their credentials for scrutiny and challenge. Real experts deal with facts, evidence and logic, not emotions, fantasy and defamation campaigns. Real experts overwhelm their opponents with carefully conducted research and analysis, not insults and mud laden innuendos.
What self-respecting “panel of experts” would issue a public statement and say the following about an organization that is widely and internationally recognized for its riverine experts:
IRN is the high priest that communes with God the Almighty and determines what is the most environmentally appropriate…
IRN, the all-knowing God of water resources development, is angry that Ethiopia did not observe its commandment of good water resources planning…
IRN’s concern is Egypt’s water security, not Ethiopia’s poverty, water, energy and food insecurity!… Oh, international financiers beware! Do not put your money there. What shameless partisanship of IRN. Should we be accused if we suspect payment under the table?
It is obvious that in its desperation the IRN has been forced to come out and show its true color: a proxy for Egypt masquerading as an international environmental group fighting for the health of rivers!!
In all its ranting does IRN feel obliged, even if to feign decency, neutrality and disinterest, to mention Ethiopia’s need and desperation. By the way, is not Sudan a downstream country? Why does IRN shut up about Sudan’s identification with and support for GERD?!!!!!!!!!
Why does IRN dwell and fight exclusively for Egyptian interests, harps on their real or imagined and fabricated fears, while not uttering a single word about the waste incurred via the High Aswan Dam…
IRN never feels obliged to mention a single merit of GERD. It is a taboo!
IRN has no boundaries of shame. It accuses the IPOE members of ‘keeping silent”! Should every sensible human being on the face of the earth turn into a corrupt IRN partisan activist?
The foregoing statements sound like the “thugspeak” we have heard for nearly a quarter of a century, not expert testimony. Those statements originated in the minds of whack bush cadres, not self-respecting experts.
Temper tantrums and name calling are a poor substitute for a rigorous fact-based refutation of another expert’s opinions. Experts do not prove their cases by moaning and groaning, bellyaching, griping, grousing and whining. Experts do not engage in teeth gnashing, mudslinging and finger wagging. Could it be that the “GERD experts” are really “no experts” but mindless apparatchiks and cadres who will say and do anything to earn their daily bread from their paymasters?
Whenever the regime is confronted with the truth, its natural and predictable response is to squirm, fidget, squiggle and “Cry Havoc!” That is what the regime is doing now. The “GERD experts” said, “the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak, happened on March 31, 2014 when IRN posted on its website a piece entitled “ GERD panel of Experts Report: Big Questions Remain”. Manifestly, the regime must have been stung by International Rivers’ analysis of the so-called “leaked Experts Report”. That is why they are squealing like a stuck pig. They are shadowboxing and swinging (in the shadows), but no one can fight the truth. Correction. Only Meles could do that. When the European Union Election Observer Group in May 2010 caught Meles Zenawi with his hands in the ballot cookie jar, he attacked the Group with a torrent of insults straight from the gutter describing the months-long work of that Group as “trash report that deserves to be thrown in the garbage.” In August 2005, Meles, following the electoral drubbing of his party by a coalition of opposition parties in May, unleashed his wrath on European Union parliamentarian Ana Gomes and her election observer group. “We shall, in the coming days and weeks, see what we can do to expose the pack of lies and innuendoes that characterise the garbage in this report.”
The “GERD experts” are taking a page out of the Meles Zenawi “Book of Fear and Smear” to smear and create fear about International Rivers. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Not so for the regime in Ethiopia. “When the going gets tough, the regime gets in gear to jeer, sneer and smear.”
The “GERD experts” are “experts” just like their spiritual master Meles Zenawi. Everybody knows Meles was an expert on everything. He was an expert on the economy, politics, society, federalism, military strategy, international relations, whatever. Meles, the “expert”, was a “graduate” of a distance learning program called “Open University (OU)” in England. OU has an “open entry policy” where traditional admissions requirements are suspended for students to take undergraduate and graduate courses. What are the credentials of the “GERD experts”? Will they ever step out of the shadows and step into the public forums so we can see them and “learn” from their expertise? So here is the challenge to the “GERD experts”: Step up, show your faces, put your credentials on the table and openly join the debate, or shut the hell up!
Being called “alarmist”, “in the pay of Egyptian paymasters, “smear”-mongers, “anti-Ethiopian lobbyists”, “mercenary propagandists against GERD and the Ethiopian people”, “shameless partisans”, etc. by the regime’s “GERD experts” is like being called ugly by a frog
The regime called International Rivers all the names in the book. It is obvious that International Rivers’ analysis of the leaked report has made the regime madder than a nest of hornets. They accused International Rivers of being called “alarmists”, “in the pay of Egyptian paymasters”, “smear”-mongers, “anti-Ethiopian lobbyists”, “mercenary propagandists] against GERD and the Ethiopian people, shameless partisans, “a proxy for Egypt masquerading as an international environmental group fighting for the health of rivers”, etc. Being called these names by the faceless, nameless and conscienceless “GERD experts” is like being called ugly by a frog. International Rivers should not be surprised by all of the name-calling and mudslinging. The paymasters of the “GERD experts” are supreme experts in mudslinging and name-calling. They call Diaspora Ethiopians who disagree with them “extremist Diaspora”. “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice!”, proclaimed Barry Goldwater.
Shameless partisanship? The “GERD experts” bemoan International Rivers. “What shameless partisanship of IRN. Should we be accused if we suspect payment under the table?” I was thinking the same thing about Clare Short, Chairwoman of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative a few weeks ago. A few weeks ago, Short fell on the sword for the regime in Ethiopia trying to get it admitted into her “Club”. Her lobbying on behalf of the regime was so outrageous and offensive that she caused severe internal strife and a major rift in that organization. Truth be told, I had similar doubts. Had “there been payment under the table” for Clare Short for her to fall on the sword for the regime? I am just askin’.
Smear campaigns? The “GERD experts” accuse International Rivers of smear-mongering. Who put out those two fear and smear docutrash dramas called “Akeldama” and “Jihadawi Harekat” scandalizing Ethiopian Muslims? “Akeldama” began with a somber proclamation on the arrival of a bloodbath doomsday in Ethiopia: “Terrorism is destroying the world. Terrorism is wrecking our daily lives, obstructing it. What I am telling you now is not about international terrorism. It is about a scheme that has been hatched against our country Ethiopia to turn her into Akeldama or land of blood. For us Ethiopians, terrorism has become a bitter problem….”
Demonization and vilification campaigns? “The “GERD experts” accuse International Rivers for undertaking a “fanatical-messianic mission” to vilify the regime in the name of protecting the world’s rivers. How about the regime’s fanatical and diabolical orchestration of a full-court press demonization and vilification campaign against Atse Menelik II, the Nineteenth Century Ethiopian emperor whose centennial is being celebrated this year (Ethiopian calendar). By demonizing Menelik and smearing his name, the regime tried to re-write, miswrite, overwrite and un-write Ethiopian history and replace it with the hagiography (tale of sainthood) of Meles Zenawi.
Mercenary propaganda? The “GERD experts” accuse International Rivers of fabricating “unsubstantiated and hostile mercenary propaganda against GERD and the Ethiopian people.” Which mercenary propagandist made the following statement in 1990 when asked about Ethiopian unity: “We look at this from the viewpoints of the interests of Tigray first, and then Ethiopia as a whole. We would like to see Eritrea continuing to have a relationship with Ethiopia. We know that Tigray needs access to the sea, and the only way is through Eritrea. Whether Eritrea is part of Ethiopia or independent, we need this access and, therefore, must have close ties. There are many Tigrayans in Eritrea. They are concerned. They don’t want to be treated as foreigners there…” Which mercenary gave away (and steadfastly refused to accept) Ethiopia’s outlet to the sea? Without an outlet to the sea, the much vaunted “Growth and Transformation Plan”, the brain child of Meles Zenawi, is today stuck in first gear and spinning its wheels in a quagmire of corruption and mismanagement.
Egyptian proxy? The “GERD experts” accuse International Rivers of being “A proxy for Egypt masquerading as an international environmental group fighting for the health of rivers!!” Who unleashed the proxy war in Somalia in 2006 causing the deaths of tens of thousands of Somalis and displacement of hundreds of thousands? In May, 2007, Meles told Al Jazeera, “We did not fight a proxy war on behalf of the United States. Indeed, the United States was very ambivalent about our intervention, once we intervened of course the United States and much of the international community was supportive….”However, a Wikileaks cable from June 2006 contradicts these statements.
White elephants in Ethiopia!
The problem in the dam debate is not the drivel and jabber of faceless, nameless and conscienceless “experts”. It is not even the machinations of “leaders” who have the ethics of hyenas and leadership qualities of snakes (in suits). The problem in Ethiopia is what to do about white elephants. A “white elephant” is an idiom for wasteful vanity projects that are “valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost (particularly cost of upkeep) is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth.”
Dam ventures in Africa have largely proven themselves to be “white elephants”. Africa’s “Big Men” love big projects. Kwame Nkrumah built the Akosombo Dam on the Volta River, at the time dubbed the “largest single investment in the economic development plans of Ghana”. The adverse environmental consequences over the past several decades have been documented. Mobutu sought to outdo Nkrumah by building the largest dam in Africa on the Inga Dams in western Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire) on Inga Falls, the largest waterfalls in the world. In 2011, the entire board of DRC’s national electricity company was fired over frequent and recurrent power disruptions! Last month, the World Bank approved a $73 million grant to help the DRC develop an expansion of the Inga hydroelectric dam.
In the Ivory Coast, Félix Houphouët-Boigny built the largest church in the world, The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro, at a cost of USD$300 million. It stands empty today. Self-appointed Emperor Jean-Bedel Bokassa of the Central African Republic (CAR) built a 500-room Hotel Intercontinental at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars while millions of his people starved. Today, exactly 20 years after the Rwandan Genocide, CAR is in the throes of communal and sectarian warfare described as mass “ethno-religious cleaning.” Moamar Gadhafi launched the Great Man-Made River in Libya, dubbed the world’s largest irrigation project, and proclaimed it the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Ugandan dictator Yuweri Museveni built the Bujagali dam which was completed in 2012. The backflow from that dam has submerged a huge area of cultivable and settled land forcing migration and resettlement of large numbers of people.
Is GERD (a/k/a Meles Zenawi Memorial Dam) a white elephant?
Is GERD an Ethiopian white elephant? Dam right, it is! In my commentary, “Ethiopia: Rumors of Water War on the Nile?”, I argued that GERD/MZMD is the white elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about openly and earnestly. Meles, like all of his predecessor African dictators suffered from delusions of grandeur. Like his brethren African dictators, Meles wanted to have a big project that could immortalize him as the little “Big Man” of Africa. By undertaking white elephant projects, Meles sought to attain greatness and amass great fortunes in life and immortality in death. He only managed to amass mass contempt in life and in death. To be sure, he had a “dry run” on immortality when he commissioned the construction of Gilgel Gibe III Dam on the Omo River in southern Ethiopia which has been dubbed the “largest hydroelectric plant in Africa with a power output of about 1870 Megawatt.”
Like all of the African white elephants, the so-called GERD is a vanity make-believe project principally intended to glorify Meles posthumously, and magnify his international prestige while he was alive diverting attention from the endemic corruption that had consumed his regime as documented in the a 448-page World Bank report, “Diagnosing Corruption in Ethiopia”. Meles sought to cover his bloody hands and clothe his naked dictatorship with megaprojects and veneers of progress and development. Meles was the little “Big Man” of Africa with a Napolenoic complex. He sought to overcome his complex by making outrageously bogus claims of 11-15 percent annual economic growth and launching big dam and infrastructure projects.
Amused by the mudslinging of the “GERD experts”
It is amusing and fun to see the regime’s brain trust swinging wildly from the shadows. In all sincerity, I appreciate the fact that the “GERD experts” came out to defend their paymasters. They have every right to that. A dog must never bite the hand that feeds. Those who disagree with the regime also have every right to criticize it. It would be great to have open, civil and structured debates about a whole range of issues with the regime and its representatives. But the regime does not want earnest debates. It wants to engage its opponents and critics in pissing contests and mud wrestling matches. We will not lower ourselves into the gutter and they refuse to rise up to the surface and face public scrutiny. Such is the current stalemate!
No reasonable Ethiopian would disagree on the fact that Ethiopia’s hydrological resources should be put to proper use to serve the needs of the people. However, the regime must realize that it is not the only and exclusive stakeholder in determining the fate of Ethiopia or use of its natural resources. In as much as the regime accuses International Rivers of being the “high priest that communes with God the Almighty and determines what is the most environmentally appropriate”, it is doing exactly the same thing. They regime presents itself as the clergy of “high priests who commune with God Almighty”on the economic, social, political and cultural development of Ethiopia. To slightly modify what I have always said, “Preaching the need for pluralism in determining the economic, social, political and cultural development of Ethiopia to the regime’s “high priests who commune with God Almighty” is like preaching Scripture to a gathering of blind and deaf-mute Heathen.
George Bernard Shaw said, “Never wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty and the pig likes it.” Though I am rather amused by the regime’s efforts to drag International Rivers into a mud wrestling match, I am glad to see International Rivers declining the invitation for a mud fest in the regime’s quagmire. International Rivers should be proud for its global achievements over the past three decades. They should keep doing what they have been doing – fighting for the rights of indigenous peoples, protecting international rivers and winning the hearts and minds of ordinary people and policy makers alike the world over. International Rivers is no “high priest that communes with God the Almighty and determines what is the most environmentally appropriate” for the world; but thank God there is an International Rivers that will speak up and stand up for environmental justice in the eyes of man and God. There is no doubt the regime and its dogs of dam water wars will continue their efforts to drag International Rivers into their quagmire for another round of mud wrestling, a re-match, in the foreseeable future. My only advice to International Rivers is: “Stick to the rivers; leave the gutter to the experts!”
Thank you International Rivers for speaking up and standing up for Ethiopians in the Omo River Basin!
To be continued…
Professor Alemayehu G. Mariam teaches political science at California State University, San Bernardino and is a practicing defense lawyer.
Previous commentaries by the author are available at:
In collaboration withSomalilandSeurary(SL),anumbrellaorganisationofSomalilandcommunityorganisationsinFinland,SSEisorganisingitsAnnualGeneralMeetingandConferenceon:
By Abdullah Yusuf Warsame
For almost two decades now, Successive governments in Somaliland had failed to attract much needed international investment and political recognition but all this might soon change if oil exploration in the country which are due to earnestly begin this year becomes successful, the presence of oil reserves will enable the country to leverage her new found resources towards international political recognition down the road thanks to the current Energy and Minerals Hon Hussein Abdi Dualeh efforts.
HE President Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud Silanyo appointment Hon Hussein Abdi Dualeh as the country’s Minister of Energy , Mining and Water Resources on the 28th of July, 2010 tasked with developing Somaliland’s energy and mineral resources in an environmentally responsible and sustainable way for the benefit of its people. These include the development of hydrocarbons, hard minerals, renewable energy and power generation.
At the time of Hon Hussein Abdi Dualeh was working for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) was living comfortably in Los Angeles, California, managing twice the budget of Somaliland for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).
Hon Hussein Abdi Dualeh, 56, is married and is the father of three sons who resided in the northern Los Angeles, California. Eng. Hussein has since re-established residency in Somaliland.
Prior to his appointment to the current cabinet portfolio senior petroleum engineer who’s been working in the American Oil Industry for over 40 years. Born in 1957 in the Somaliland Republic and studying at Amoud in Borama and then prestigious Shiekh Boarding school, Hussein Abdi Duale graduated with a degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1983, followed by five years in operations with Chevron. He joined Metro in July 1989 and managed 100 million dollars’ worth of maintenance contracts, including the CNG fuelling systems used by Metro’s bus fleet.
Only a couple of weeks in his new job as the Minister of Mining, Energy and Water Resources Hon Hussein Abdi Dualeh began by bringing on board a new and effective robust team into the Ministry of Mining Energy & Water Resources followed by put all his resources in formulating a comprehensive national energy policy intended on laying the foundation for developing the country’s energy sector and is a prelude to developing a regulatory framework for Somaliland and which will facilitate Somaliland Government’s vision for increased and enhanced modern energy supply for sustainable economic development as well as improving the quality of life of the Somaliland population.
As soon as he took office in August 2010, Minister Dualeh his first priority to come up with viable plan to put in place a suitable water delivery system in order to find a solution to deal with the water scarcity in our main city and to make sure every household in the country has access to safe and clean drinking water.
The Energy Minister saw the need to rehabilitate old or degraded boreholes, and drill new production and exploratory boreholes so as to further develop the nations principal well fields , and expand the availability of sustainable water sources but the country lacked the necessary funds to be used for this collateral task at the time .
This been the case Hon Dauleh managed to secure a $10 Million Development grant from UAE to be used for the upgrading of the existing Hargeisa & Burao Urban Water supply system through installation of new pipelines, and rehabilitate and improve pumping and booster capabilities and was to be followed by yet another $27 Million Euro from the European Community for Hargeisa Water Agency & Burao Water Agency, MMEWR .
In the hope of seeing a test well within the current administrations period in government Hon Hussein Abdi Dualeh spared no time in kick starting the nations stalled oil sector. He singlehandedly succeed in putting Somaliland on the international Oil Map while attending the 2011 Oil Industry conference which was held in Cape Town, South Africa leading to the visit of the Vice President of Tullow Oil PLC to Somaliland.
This lead to the imminent arrival in the country of several international oil exploration and production companies that have a good track record of finding oil and producing it and have sizable operations in Africa and the Middle East.
Somaliland and several Oil Companies have already signed production sharing Agreement (PSA) and four of those companies expected to start extraction and production activities any time this year.
Since then Somaliland has being attending similar oil and energy conferences being held across the world showcase such as Africa Down Under Conference as the one held last year in Australia whereby Somaliland had the opportunity to showcase its vast unexplored deposit of oil, natural gas and gem stones with the aim of attracting potential investors as a stable and favorable investment destination and several African Mines Ministers, business leaders and executives from the mining services industries. Last year, the conference attracted more than 2000 delegates, 166 exhibitors and a full three day program.
The Energy and Mineral resource Minister termed the recently concluded 20th African Mining Indaba conference as a success for Somaliland, being the first time the country attended a major energy forum with more than 9000 delegates in attendance drawn mainly from African mining industry executives, as well as professionals and representatives from resource-rich countries, to network and secure deals to develop African mining at the forum.
Hon Dualeh presentation at Indaba was directed at attracting investors, financiers and international mining exploration companies in Africa and worldwide and the ministerial provide industry stakeholders with insight about the great opportunities that exist in Somaliland hence being a vital opportunity to present Somaliland mining potential and attract prospective investors to come and invest in the country.
The Ministers recent visit to the people’s republic of china is of great significance to the people and the nation as a whole with our new Chinese partners who have pledged their commitment to undertake a compressive survey of the country’s minerals potential to be conducted through modern Chinese owned satellites also known as remote sensing which will be used to map the various types of minerals present and their precise geographical location in the country this will be the first phase and will be followed by deploying engineers and geologist on the ground to conduct geological assessment of the presence of minerals in the ground for the first time ever.
Thanks the Minister vision in consolidating our friendship with our new Chinese friends and through such partnership we expect doors to open which will offer us immense opportunities in terms of political and economically gains through the opening an office in the industrial city of Guangzhou soon aimed at promoting our shared interests and which will also be a commercial office which will in the future issue visas for Somalilanders and most importantly to enhance fruitful future diplomatic relations between the two nations and the launching of a Chinese language website which will be used for exposing what Somaliland as a country has to offers to the Chinese people and to the world in particular.
Somaliland held several free and fair elections which many nations have failed to hold successfully. All in all Somaliland built good governance and showed the world that it is ready to fulfill any condition which can be a barrier in order to become an independent state recognized by international community and that why I strongly urge fellow countrymen to think twice before doing something which will detract our hard-earned progress although a small clique of people who their own hidden agendas think by focusing criticism on people in leadership positions despite the absence of evidence, they will be able to drive a wage but little do they the bond between the government and the Somaliland citizenry is unbreakable and is based on transparency and accountability .
Egypt is threatening Sudan’s safety by blocking international loans for Ethiopia’s hydro-dam, said Sudan’s top official of Eastern Blue Nile State Hussein Ahmad. According to the Sudanese mp, cash-strapped Ethiopia will end up shortcutting the hydrodam construction to avoid rising costs which could lead to long-term structural issues for the dam and flooding.
The Blue Nile State is located at the Sudanese border directly by the western Ethiopian region where the GERD hydrodam is currently under construction. In a scenario where the dam collapses, analysts say Sudan’s Blue Nile State could be devastated with flooding.
The Sudanese official said “Egyptian racism toward Africa” played huge part in Egypt’s blocking of international financial aid to Ethiopia. He said Cairo cares more about control than safety since Egypt originally wanted to finance the Ethiopian dam itself. According to the SIS, Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy “offered to finance the construction of the Ethiopian Renaissance dam.”
The Sudanese official added that Khartoum will “hold Egypt fully responsible if structural failure of the dam results in Sudan’s flooding.”
He said Egypt should diversify its economy instead of total dependence on the Nile river shared by ten countries. “No country opposed the construction of Egypt’s Aswan Dam even though that dam hurt the livelihood of indigeneous Nubian people and destroyed ancient artifacts,” he claimed.
In February this year, Sudanese foreign Minister Ali Karti has also criticised Egypt for opposing the Ethiopian Dam. The Minister accused Egyptian media of fabricating information about the hydrodam and he said the dam’s benefits outweigh any potential issues. The Europe-based Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) also recommended Cairo to pay Ethiopia as the dam is expected to save Egypt millions in expenses for sediment control and water loss due to evaporation.
On 13 April 2014, the Somaliland Non State Actors Forum (SONSAF) convened a one day briefing and consultation meeting bringing together Civil Society and the Ministry of National Planning and Development (MoNPD) to discuss Somaliland’s progress in implementing the New Deal following its endorsement in September 2013.The occasion provided the opportunity for the MoNPD to reinforce the underlying principles of the country’s unique development partnership under the New Deal framework (the Somaliland Special Arrangement [SSA]); provide an update on progress made by the government and donors against the milestones and commitments enshrined in the SSA; and outline a way forward for accelerating the implementation of the SSA in both the short and long terms.
Civil society used the opportunity to explore possible avenues for their greater and more meaningful inclusion and participation in project implementation, strategic guidance and overall policy-making under this new development trajectory. Such dialogue marked a continuation of the work SONSAF has been undertaking since January, 2014, through its Aid Effectiveness Thematic Working Group to entrench and institutionalize the role of civil society in promoting Somaliland’s development through bottom-up and inclusive cooperation with the Somaliland government and international community.
In recognition of this popular mandate, the Minister of National Planning and Development, H.E. Dr.Sa’ad Ali Shire, commended the part played by SONSAF and other civil society organizations’ participation in laying the foundations and providing crucial input and legitimization for what has become the main guiding document for Somaliland’s development partnership with the international community, founded on an overarching commitment to the popularly-owned Somaliland National Development Plan (NDP). He went on to note that, without the support of civil society in championing the cause of Somaliland’s important role in the region, and without their advocacy in highlighting Somaliland unique and impressive development context, the SSA would not be the powerful, useful and forward-thinking document that it eventually became.
The meeting marked another key milestone in SONSAF’s organizational mandate to mobilize civil society for deliberations toward the ‘promotion of policy coherence on aid for development to be aligned to the standards and principles agreed among stakeholders.’1The approach followed at the meeting also reflected the sentiment voiced previously by SONSAF in its advocacy to the international community on the value of building a development partnership on Somaliland’s own priorities, coordination schemes and financing mechanisms, as expressed in the following: ‘Since 2010 Somaliland has managed, through its national development plan (NDP), to define explicitly what external assistance it requires from the international community and other key stakeholders both domestic and international. This plan reflects the realties in Somaliland and aligns its objective with those of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).’2 Chief among the challenges highlighted by civil society during the presentations and discussion sessions were the inadequate, unequal support and engagement provided by the international community to Somaliland in comparison to Somalia when it comes to the implementation of the New Deal. For civil society, this was seen as not only a disappointing under-appreciation and undervaluation of Somaliland’s achievements in democratization and good governance, but a wasted opportunity to use the funds committed to New Deal implementation to create lasting and transformative change in a social context where the return on aid investments is high due to the secure and functional environment in which development takes place. Somaliland’s vibrant and well-established civil society acknowledged that it had a major role to play in advocating and holding the international community and Somaliland government accountable to their commitments under the SSA. In this regard, civil society commended Somaliland’s international development partners for endorsing the pragmatic approach to Somaliland’s development that the SSA provides, and pledged its cooperation to working with all agencies and donors committed to support this innovative development framework. However, Somaliland’s civil society expressed the wish that more could be done to recognize and utilize the comprehensive foreign aid assistance modalities and coherent country systems that Somaliland has already put in place—most preferred of which is the Somaliland Development Fund. It also expressed concern that delays in SSA implementation and the effect this has on public expectations for job creation and institutional reform could weaken faith in the New Deal as an overarching model for development in post-conflict settings.
1SONSAF Aid Effectiveness and Service Delivery Thematic Working Group position paper (2014) 2Voicing Somaliland’s Priorities Official Position of Somaliland’s Civil Society Regarding UNSOM’s Approach to Somaliland (2013
Lastly, the meeting provided an opportunity to explore ways to operationalize and integrate the SSA’s cross-cutting themes of human rights, gender mainstreaming, youth empowerment and citizen-state relations. The discussions and recommendations put forward by civil society at this platform will feed into the action plans and partnership implementation arrangements presented
by the Government and civil society at the next Somaliland High Level Aid Coordination Forum, which will bring together Somaliland stakeholders and key members of the international community to make good on their commitments to direct development partnership under the SSA.
Recommendations
Financing of the implementation of priorities for Somaliland’s development identified by the SSA is crucial, and, in the spirit of ‘do no harm’ and the New Deal TRUST commitment to ‘timely and predictable aid’, must be undertaken without any constraints.
There is a need for the international community to be more innovative and practical in dealing with Somaliland as a special case on development matters, as was the spirit behind the creation of the SSA.
Somaliland must receive a fair portion of the international community’s New Deal aid allocations, both in recognition and solidarity with its achievements and out of a desire to preserve these achievements as part of the creation of a more stable and secure Horn of Africa.
Somaliland Civil Society representation should be maximized at international meetings related to the New Deal, in a manner that takes into account the democratic wishes of the population it represents, as a necessary means for promoting inclusive, participatory and bottom-up development in the region.
The Civil Society of Somaliland, in the spirit of a more equal, engaged and democratic development partnership with its international partners, invites governments, multilateral organizations and international NGOs to a meeting with civil society in Somaliland in advance of the High Level Aid Coordination Forum in early June 2014.
The Somaliland government should take greater initiative to enhance the grassroots participation of all civil society stakeholders to support New Deal implementation, so as to maximize the benefits and outcome of this new development approach for the people of Somaliland.
Donor governments, which have earned the deep gratitude of the Somaliland government and civil society for their long-standing support to Somaliland and the fulfilment of its NDP and SSA goals, should enhance or initiate their utilization of Somaliland’s preferred financing mechanism under the SSA, the Somaliland Development Fund (SDF).
The cross-cutting issues of human rights, youth empowerment, gender mainstreaming and citizen-state relations must be integrated into SSA implementation in a concrete and robust manner, based on sectoral policies and action plans, and with the guidance and input of civil society.
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Hon Hussein Ahmed Aideed in an interview with BBC Somali language services regarding a foiled prison break at the Hargeisa maximum security prison involving Terror and Pirates convicts today.
One prison guard was killed and another one seriously wounded after been shot by unspecified number of prisoners who tried to escape from the Hargeisa maximum security prison today in the evening but were later caught by security forces.
Somaliland Justice Minister in a press briefing today said , “Four convicts using smuggled in weapons killed one prison guard and seriously wounding other during an attempted prison break earlier today , two whom were charged with Terror related crimes while the other two were convicted pirates and we are currently holding a number of peoplewho are suspected of aiding and abetting the convicts.
Most of the inmates at the prison run by Somaliland custodial corps and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) are serving time made piracy and terror related charges with roughly 12 of the Hargeisa prison’s inmates being members of Al Shabab.
Ironically, pirate prisons may also be generating new security risks. Pirates in Hargeisa and Bosaso are held in the same facilities as members of Al Shabab, the Somali group with ties to Al Qaida, and juveniles are housed alongside adults. That means there’s a very real risk that impressionable, disillusioned young men could be radicalized.
“Just like Sheffield, this is a victory for every Somalilander, but this is an example that shows how small campaign, by small number ofpeople, can make a positive difference to our search for nationhood”.
As a member of the Labour party, I would like to share all Somalilanders that the Labour Party administration in Tower Hamlets is ready to follow suit of the positive Sheffield city council example and recognize Somaliland. This is a result numerous meetings between Somalialnder members of Labour Party in Tower Hamlets who lobbied for the recognition of Somaliland, and the Labour party’s mayoral candidate John Biggs who finallyconfirmed that any future Labour administration led by him, will take a leading role in recognizing Somaliland. Tower Hamlets Labour has the biggest share of elected councilors from the last local elections and they also have the two elected member of UK parliaments, moreover their mayoral candidate is expected to win the mayoral election set to take place by end of May 2014.
Labour party is therefore best placed to deliver this pledge on Somaliland recognition.
The issue of Somaliland recognition by the Labour Party in Tower hamlets is almost a realityafterwe repeatedly reminded local Labour politicians that recognition is the will and the aspiration to, not only somalilanders who live in Somaliland, but to the large Somaliland community that live in Tower Hamlets as well… a shining example of this is the recent press conference held in Tower Hamlets by the Labour’s mayoral candidate John Biggs, and on behalf of all the local Labour Party as well, to launch Labour party’s political manifesto for the next4 years.
This press release was attended by most of the local media, including 3 TV stations and I had the opportunity to directly ask John Biggs whether he was prepared to follow the good example of Sheffield City Council; John Biggs, clearly and without any hesitation, confirmed that he is a believer of Somaliland recognition and that he will lead the Somaliland is cause, if elected for mayor office for next 4 years.
Again, last night (17.04), John Biggs repeated his uncompromising position about how he believes Somaliland to be recognised. John Biggs remarks resulted in standing ovation and members of Somaliland audience present in this meeting were delightful and all vowed to support John Biggs on the election date.
You can watch the full meeting in which John Biggs announced his decision to be an instrumental figure in Somaliland recognition from most of Somaliland websites as well as SomSat TV.
As the driving force behind these positive actions, we would like to confirm that we are not members of any of the Somaliland political party and, once our principal goal of full Tower Hamlets council recognition is achieved, Just like Sheffield, this will be a victory for every Somalilander, nonetheless, our lobbying is an example that shows how asmall lobbyist campaign by small number of people, can make a positive difference to our search for nationhood; If you are member of the Somaliland diaspora, why not replicate this campaign?
We urge Somaliland government and the two national opposition parties to come and work together, in particular, we call the Somaliland government to come up with a framework to find a lasting socio-economic and tangible developmental solution for Somaliland, fore-front of this plan must be “how-to-find” International recognition without any more delay. We finally urge Somaliland government to revisit and reconsider how effective its foreign policies, not least recognition-seeking ones and put its meager resources to use more effectively.
Would you like to get involved in this campaign, please come to our next meeting to be held on Saturday 03.05.2014 in Trussler Hall, 78 Grundy St, Poplar, London E14 6DR from 10:am to 13:00pm. Or you might want to contact Tower Hamlets Labour Group to encourage them to recognize Somaliland without any delay. Then this is the email you need: chair@towerhamletslabour.org.uk
VIVA to all Somalilanders, VIVA particularly to Sheffield Somalilanders, who are the crowned champions of “Somaliland recognition” project.
The President H.E. Ahmed Mohammed Mohamud Silanyo last night received political heavy weights who defected from UCID at the end of the week.
They were among scores of supporters who deserted UCID in a high profile function held at Hotel Maansoor on Thursday.
In a press statement by Presidential spokesman Ahmed Suleiman Duhul which reached us as we were going to press, it said that the new KULMIYE party defectors noted the fact that the administration’s ability to implement its campaigns pledge was the main impetus that propelled them to decamp from UCID.
They said that the able leadership of the President had enabled the populace to achieve tangible and significant development and progress in quite a short time frame.
The statement said that what really touched their hearts most was the foreign policy which depicted hence at the same time reflected the sincere and really wonderful intention of the state as far as the country’s aspirations for sovereignty is concerned.
On the other hand the Head of State praised the politicians for their patriotism hence thanked them for their efforts in evaluating hence acknowledging the administration’s efforts and at last embracing KULMIYE’s policies.
The President noted that whatever steps or actions on developmental aspects are taken by the state, they only positively reflect on the country’s progress and socio-economical livelihood of the populace.
The President reiterated his ambition of both his personal and administrative efforts to raise both the people’s and national’s standards by serving them sincerely.
He lastly impressed upon the new KULMIYE supporters the need to have their positive indulgences in the party following their new found strong convictions such that the continuous developmental progress and unity may be achieved.
With the President were the VP H.E. A.A. Ismael, KULMIYE chairman Musa Bihi and Commerce Minister Hon. M.A. Omar.
Alemayehu G Mariam
By Staff
By M.A. Egge