It is good to travel through the country coast to coast, but for what? President of Somaliland, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud (Siranyo), started a long voyage through Somaliland by land, meeting with locals and promising development in a campaign style this week and is still travelling.

Some residents in Bulohar near Bebera city were so appreciative to receive shipment of rice from the President’s delegation and praised him to the highest level.

I was so touched by the innocence of this community and surprised how they perceived this aids arrival. They saw it as if it was the gift of the President rather than their god given rights. It is clearly shown how the Somalilander to this day and age are not informed about their rights as a citizen of this country. Sadly, they do not see the President as their public employee whom they could replace in any time.

Public requires to be educated about this and should know that it was the responsibility of the president to know their condition and hard hit areas before he took office not three years later.

Nonetheless, the President placed a stone in every town he stops and continue promising additional projects from Borome, Saylac, Lughaya, Bulahar , all the way to Lasgoreh, again it is all good, but for what purpose does this have? What is the point of promising additional projects if you couldn’t deliver or complete outstanding ones?

Ever since, this three years old administration came to power in Somaliland, there was no shortage of promises and placing stones. So many different projects were commenced in different parts of the country, but none of them had been completed as yet. Isn’t it logical and realistic to complete one task before you start the next one? Yes, but it seems in this administration, quantity of the projects started is far more important than the quantity of the finished ones.

Just to name a few incomplete projects, the road of Odweyne to Hargeysa, Hargeysa to Ina-guha, Hargeysa to Baligubadle, Hargeysa to Lughaya, and the number of road projects in Gabiley Area , Berbera to Hiis, Hargeysa to Bebera and Buro to Erigavo are somewhat under construction for the past two years.

However, the government of Somaliland sees these projects as clan driven, and does not think of themselves as having any chief responsibility except the one from Buro to Eregavo. In addition to these incomplete roads, 70% Hargeysa residence does not have any running water.

Precedential palace Minister Mr. Hirsi H. Hassan, reiterated known information about Hargeysa’s water shortage last month, but did not provide any concrete solution to Hargeysa’s water predicament. This is the most pressing issue in Somaliland today as far as the average Hargeysa resident is concerned.

Nevertheless, though there is no plan, no priority and no accountability in this government, but energy and ambition to achieve something. In order to harness this energy and focus into the right direction for whatever is left in this President’s term, President Siraanyo needs to sit down, analyze and revaluate his government’s performances.

To achieve this, he has to sit down with an independent group of economists alone with his Minister of Planning to set the priority of the nation straight and decide which project has to be first. He also needs to avoid any traces and resemblances of the past regimes, such as surrounding himself with victory pioneers, Red Pat securities personals and praises of those well wishers around him. This can cause unintended consequences if it does not come to an end as well as destroy the legacy of the presidency.

By Ali Jama

ahmedfayr@hotmail.com

By Goth Mohamed Goth

The Minister of Environment and Rural Development Hon Shukri Haji Ismael Bandare today opened one day meeting to discuss and drafting of the environmental protection legislations amid the current rapid industrialization pace in the country.

Madam Shukri Bandare speaking at the one day event said, “We should put in places policies which are in a way act as effective guidelines in deterring industrial pollution resulting from rapid urbanization and industrialization and which are synchronize with environmental protection social development could reach a co-ordinated benefit.

“We are currently working with the few industries established in the country so that both of us can adopt very forward-looking strategies and which are emphasizing a more balanced and co-ordinated approach to development and conservation, and which will be put in practice in an early stage of the country industrialization,” Madam Shukri Bandare said.

Lastly the Minister of Environment and Rural Development said, “Currently we only have light industries established in the country but that may change soon that’s why we should act fast in order to  avoid some of the worst pollution scenario experienced in more developed and heavily industrialized countries in the world.

The event which was co- organized by Somaliland Ministry of Industries attracted various international and local environmental protection groups and the representatives of various governmental agencies.

SomalilandPress.com

By Goth Mohamed Goth

The Mayor of Hargeisa Mr. Abdirahman Mahmoud Aided has today issued a stern warning to all unlicensed hawkers who have been blocking spaces used by pedestrian.

The Mayor who was speaking to the press in his offices announced that the city council will begin a massive cleaning campaign which aims to clear all passages which are part of the city drainage system before the raining season begins.

The Council man warned that the council won’t hesitate remove all those hawkers and unlicensed street vendors who have currently occupied spaces reserved for pedestrian and those who have erected structures used to do business without even paying one cent in form of taxes in newly refurbished pavements in the city center.

At the same the Mayor of Hargeisa urged city residents to depose off their trash in designated pickup locations so that the city garbage collection can easily pick up their trash in a bid to avoid blocking of city drainage system by resident garbage and to hazard caused to the environment and public health.

“The council campaign will kick off on Wednesday morning clear the city drainage system and we shall also spare no street in the city center”, he said.

SomalilandPress.com

By Goth Mohamed Goth

Senior staff and junior employees garner essential skills which are in compliance with the international laws and regulations governing money transfer during a one day training season held at Mansoor Hotel.

The one day training session was undertaken by all departmental heads, supervisors, cahiers and tellers measures into place that counter international money laundering. It does this in several ways: it makes financial institutions undertake several new special measures against money laundering, Groups linked to terror, Drug traffickers, illegal Arms dealers and by restricting or prohibiting the use of certain types of bank accounts.

The head of money transfer section at Dahabshil Mr. Abdurrahman Ali Abdi urged the company highly trained staff to utilize the newly acquired skills while offering company’s service to the customers in accordance with the international conventional standards set for money transfer.

“Today’s training is part of a continuation of similar trainings the company staffs have undertaken in the past in regard with international money transfer rules and regulation, although this one is unique considering the fact it’s the first incompliance American requirements and also reiterates the money transfer company commitment to provide protections, including disclosure requirements, and error resolution and cancellation rights, to consumers who send remittance transfers to their families ,relatives  or businesses in a foreign country,” he stated.   

Mr. Abdurrahman Ali Abdi on behalf of Dahabshil International thanked Mr. Ali Mohamed Goodir and Mr. Mohamed Ali Nuur AKA Siddiq who is in charge of Dahabshil branch in Minnesota, USA for organizing and facilitating todays training.

Also present at the one day training event were the Governor of Somaliland Mr. Abdi Dirir Abdi who lauded the company’s management for their efforts in making sure staff at every level in the financial institution undertook the crucial training which not only serves the company’s interests but those of the national well.

The Governor of Somaliland Central Bank also reminded the trainees to be vigilante while executing the daily duties when it comes to the monitoring and the identification in detecting would be in breach of international regulations such money launders, drug money and human traffickers and that they’re dealt with thus making sure genuine customers are safeguarded.

Also addressing the training event was the Director General Mr. Abdullah Hassan Somaliland Central Bank who reminded trainees on the importance with keeping compliance with international norms when it comes to international money transfer , the DG also extended his appreciation towards the the company’s management for including controllers from the Central Bank’s Fraud Detection Department in the one day training.

Mr. Albert E. Brady of AEB consultancy services acted as a moderator and whose firm  offers legal advices to the international money transfer company awarded the trainees certificates of participation.

The Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs in collaboration with Mercy corps organize a two day event to be funded by the USAID aimed at bringing together the various stakeholders to discuss the Somaliland Youth Development Fund which will for the first time to be used in implementing National Youth Policy which was launched by President Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud Silanyo recently.

The two day event which held in Hotel Mansoor attracted cabinet ministers, intellectuals, civil societies, University students and the various stakeholders and to be facilitated by Mercy Corps staff is to be focused on the implementation of Somaliland National Youth Policy bill that was recently approved by the cabinet and which will be for the second time expected to be approved by cabinet to be followed by Presidential approval which hence pave the way for the bill to be adopted as a law.

The Chairman of SONYO Mr. Mubarik Ismael Thani speaking at the opening of the two day said, “The Somaliland National Youth fund will play an important role in alleviating the status of the youth in the country through the economic enablement of Somaliland youth and that Somaliland National Youth Organization (SONYO Umbrella) will plays its role in mobilizing and empowering young people in Somaliland, the youth fund expects to draw 2% from allocation the national budget and which will administered by a national committee which will be appointed by President drawn from governmental agencies, International agencies will  be tasked with implementing the national youth policy and representatives from the ministry of Sports and Youth.

The Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Hon Ali said Regal speaking at the opening ceremony of the two day event said, “Today is an important day for the youth in this country in addressing the needs and priorities of the youth in form of the support the current government offers and which are vital in mobilizing young people in Somaliland in order to engage with development issues and the Government is now taking a deliberate step to address the challenge of youth unemployment and I would like to  announce that soon the national youth policy bill will for the second time brought before the cabinet for approval as you’re aware H.E President Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud Silanyo has already  donated $ 100,000 towards the  youth development fund.

The Youth Affairs Minister refuted allegations leveled against SONYO in social media outlets recently terming them baseless and unfounded.

The State Minister of Education and Higher learning Hon Ahmed Nuur Faahiye and the Deputy Minister of interior in charge Hon Abdullah Abokor and Mercy Corps representative Mohamed Ali Jama were among the few dignitaries who spoke at the event.

March 16, 2014

I was saddened to learn on March 11, 2014 about the death of Somalia’s greatest vocalist, Mohamed Sulayman Tubeec.  Mohamed Sulayman’s demise reportedly came after a short illness with unspecified cause that confined him to a German hospital for the last few months.

About a month ago, we shockingly learned through the Somali online media that the deceased had appealed in vain to the Federal Government of Somalia to pay for a vital surgery.  He received no answer and his appeal to a nation that he had entertained so long fell on deaf and dumb ears.  The posthumous condolence message from the Federal Government of Somalia to his family is akin to “water under the bridge.”  But Somaliland’s offer to give him a national burial is at least a solace

Tubeec For over fifty years, Mohamed Sulayman “Tubeec” regularly entertained this “nation of bards,” in the words of Sir Richard Burton. His wailing as well as wise words, all conveyed to us in his unique and sweet voice that often resonated well with all Somali speaking, are too many to recount them here. Suffice here to say all Somali-speakers can sing with ease one or more songs of this icon.

The circumstance under which he was born and then died is historic. Mohamed Sulayman was born in the small town of Laalays, near the port ciy of Berbera in 1946, or as some say 1941, and died as an impoverished refugee in Germany in 2014, just like hundreds of Somalis have passed away as members of the ever-growing Diaspora Somali community.

As a nation who pays less homage to the Christian version of birth dates, his vital dates would probably be remembered as simply as the great singer who was born and died when Somalia was under two different mandates a la UN trusteeship and UN-AMISOM (Waqtiyadii trashiibka iyo Waqtigii Argagixiso la dirirka).  Both dates mark the absence of Somalia’s sovereignty.

In a way, he was born in a period when most of the Somali speaking nation was under UN-European mandate – up from the 1940s.  He died when a similar but sinister mandate is re-imposed on the only part of the Somali nation that tasted independence.  This isn’t good time for conscience Somalis to engage in the nuance of history lest that invokes the pain that comes with self-infliction.

The sadness in our hearts makes one sing the Somali blues of Salaan Carrabay:

“Haddaad dhimato geeridu marbay nolosha dhaantaaye

Dhaqashiyo mar bay kaa yihiin dhereggu xaaraane….”

In his case, he was spared from watching the unabated ugliness that defines what I called the 21st Century “nigger” i.e Somalis, in contemporary African.

 At the beginning of this year, former Prime Minister AbdiRazak Haji Hussein, one of the last survivors of the Somali Youth League leadership, died in Minneapolis, Minnesota on a day the winter was cruel and unforgiving at minus 25 degrees.  Few days before that, AbdiAziz Nuur Xirsi, who is considered to be one of Somalia’s early leftists and pan-Somali ideology framers, also died in Boston.  Death in the Diaspora or watching your own nation going through a slow death is part of our larger experience in displacement due to statelessness.

As is to each according to his ultimate day, we mourn once again the unceremonious passing of our best Somali vocalist in modern music.  Only this time, we mourn in shame because the ultimate visited him at our ugliest time – a time when we are even disagreeing on our existence, our collective history, our poetry, our national mythology, above all our religion.  Before I eulogize the nation, I rather eulogize one of its symbols, Mohamed Sulayman, wishing that I never live to eulogize the Somali nation state.

There is no better way to eulogize Mohamed Sulayman than dipping into our rich repository, and that of Abdulahi Qarshi’s (the late guru and another Reer Waqooyi and an icon of Somali balwo and hees) weepy and wailing words in “Waa ayaanba ayaan” comes handy.

With the following meditative and brooding gem lines of farewell contained in these stanzas, we shall all accept the passing of Mohamed Sulayman and his final journey to join Faisal Cumar, Macallin Dhoodaan,   Mohamoud Tukaale,Yam Yam, Mohamed Ali Kaariye, Gaarriye, Mohamed Ahmed Dhabarloo, Abdi Khadar Hassan, the lady whose first name needs no second name, Uma Mogool, as in Uma Kalthum, and many others.

Waa ayaan ba ayaan, Duni Aakhiro sabaanoo

Nina aanu lahaan, dhab dur looga idlaan

Waa arooryo samaan, iyo maalmo adkaan

Dad aroosanayaan, darna aas tagayaan

Waa ayaan ba ayaan, Duni Aakhiro sabaan

Ilamaan la’laan, ubad baan la’lahaan

Abid baan la mudnaan, oogadaa la tugnaan

Hadii aan la ogaan, war Soomaali ahaan

Ifka waydin xumaan, akhiraa ka daraan

waa ayaan ba ayaan, Duni Aakhiro sabaan

Nina aanu lahaan, dhab dur looga idlaan (1950s)

Mohamed Sulayman was a man to whose New Year’s song, “Sannad waliba Hoodo iyo waxuu Hadimo leeyahay…” we tuned every year at the passage of time. For a nation that does not observe its own equinox or doesn’t follow clearly defined four seasons, his song about the changing hands of the passing year to the New Year was our own version of Nawruus.”

“Waan heesayaaye, Sannad waliba hoodiyo

Hawl iyo dhibaatiyo, Wuxuu hadimo leeyahay

Waa laga helaayoo, hadhow lagu xasuustaa.

Kii noo hagaagee, noqo loo han weyn yahay.”

Yes, we all die, and as such the year 2014 took him away from us, along with AbdiRazak Haji Hussein and AbdiAziz Nuur Xirsi – Yes, I can’t resist but to mark 2014 the year we all experienced a huge national loss in the art and political culture as well.

Mohamed Sulayman was a rare artist who was credited to have reminded us the changing seasons, with all the tribulations and jubilations that un-ceaselessly come with the change of the last digit of the calendar each year.

In the song “Sannad waliba hoodiyo Hawl iyo Dhibaatiyo, waxuu Hadmo leeyahau…,” packaged in his penetrating and delicious voice, he gives each and every one of us a chance to take a stock of what goes right or wrong at year’s end.  It indeed gives some of us a priceless second chance to right our past wrong doings that we inadvertently committed against friends, family members and colleagues. It also reminds us that there is always tomorrow for a better day.

Mohamed Sulayman died poor in pocket but rich in heart only because we gave him a rare commodity that we refused to give to our bad and bogus leaders. We collectively considered him and his songs our sole connection and conduit to the celestial divinely powers to whom once a year we atoned to cleanse our follies.

Also, his indomitable song of “Hooyoy La’aanta” (composed by Hadrawi) is special to many of us. In a patriarchal society where women is oppressed, maligned and physically mutilated, Mohamed Sulayman broke ranks with the nation’s archaic tradition.  In defiance to some of our antiquated cultural traits, he reminded us in the best voice possible that our mothers are indispensable to our wellbeing and our sanity, thus deserving the utmost words of praise.

He reminded us without our mothers, nothing would go right! This indeed is a damning judgment against our own culture that misses no opportunity to put down our women.

Whether it is by coincidence or not, his death only two days after we commemorated women’s day (March 8, 2014) speaks to the deeper connection between the deceased and our sisters and mothers.

Whereas Nuradin Farah has championed the cause of women and explicitly “bemoaned their plight” in our society in the written word for over forty years, beginning with the publication of “From Crooked rib,” (1968), forcefully conveying the complex yet controlled pain always experienced by Somali women, Mohamed Sulaymaan departed on us the virtues and centrality of our mothers in song lyrics.

If Nuradin’s work gave us the intellectual understanding of the women question and the associated class and cultural constraints, Mohamed Sulaymaa’s song gave us solace and comfort in remembrance of the good deeds delivered by our mothers. He also reminded us how much we owe to each mother regardless of clan, class and culture.

In particular, his song gave me unparalleled company and comfort when my own mother passed away in Dec, 2010 in the midst of unforgiving Minnesota winter. Sulaymaan’s soothing song was there to give me a room to grief while paying homage to all the complex things about growing that she had broken into easily understandable blocks.

Since then, any time a faint of my mother’s image sneaks into my reminiscences, I confidently turn to Mohamed Sylaymaan “Hooyoy la’aantaa (Oh! Mother without you….) and deal with my grief through this gem song.  May the king of vocal (boqorkii codka Soomaaliyeed) Rest in Peace (RIP), and may Allah reward him with Janah.

Faisal A. Roble

Email: faisalroble19@gmail.com

Funeral Prayers for the late Musician Mohamed Suleiman Tubec

By Goth Mohamed Goth

The late Musician Mohamed Suleiman Tubec who passed away while undergoing medical treatment in Germany last week was buried today Mogadishu, capital of  Somalia.

Late Mohamed Suleiman Tubec died in a hospital in Germany where he was admitted two months undergone two surgeries and  following a long battle with a life threating lung disease. He died at the age of 73.

Somalia’s Parliament Speaker, Prof, and Mohamed Osman Jawari who is also the acting president of the country presided over the state burial ceremony said Tubec was a national level artist and he will be buried in Mogadishu, the country’s capital city.

Many Somalilanders are in still asking questions about the controversial decision taken by the family of the Late Tubec’s to bury his remains in Mogadishu  instead of  Berbera of Somaliland, where the deceased Artist Tubec hails from originally.

Federal Government of Somalia made clear that the deceased musician will be given a state funeral with full national honors.

The funeral service for the late Musician was held on Sunday in Mogadishu, according to the Information Minister of Somalia Mustafe Dhuhulow who headed the SFG ministerial committee tasked with organizing the late musician funeral.

The decision by the Family of the late musician comes as a shock for Somaliland government had named previously named a national committee tasked with organizing a state burial.

SomalilandPress.Com

By Goth Mohamed Goth

In recent Security Council briefing the secretary general of the United Nations Ban Ki Moon on Somaliland and Somalia had this to say on the current political situation on Somaliland.

“In “Somaliland”, relations between the Government and the opposition deteriorated. The Justice and Welfare Party claimed it had been denied freedom of movement and permission to hold peaceful demonstrations against the Government.

Meanwhile, Mr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi “Irro”, Speaker of the “Somaliland” House of Representatives and Chair of Wadani (opposition party), announced his support for the holding of a national dialogue conference as called for by the opposition parties. On 18 December, talks held between “Somaliland” President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo and Speaker Irro resulted in an agreement on the holding of a conference, provided that a neutral party would chair it.

From 16 to 19 January, a third round of talks between the Federal Governmentof Somalia and “Somaliland” was hosted by Turkey in Istanbul. The two delegations adopted a communiqué, establishing a joint secretariat in Turkey to institutionalize the process and agreeing that talks should take place every 90 days. Furthermore, the communiqué provided for the establishment of a joint air traffic control board. Italso condemned the “atrocities committed” by the former Siad Barre regime,“particularly” in “Somaliland”.

SG Report March 2014

SomalilandPress.com

If you dig a hole for your fellow brother, remember to dig one for yourself.

We, the people of Balligubadle, do hereby condemn in the strongest terms possible the decree number: JSL/M/XERM/249-2296/032014, issued by President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Silanyo, on 3^rd March 2014, regarding the Ministerial-Level Steering Committee and The Task Force (hereinafter referred to as entities) responsible for the registration of Somaliland Citizens for the purpose of issuing them with National Identity Cards/Voter Identification Cards, in which Arab clan was calculatingly, deliberately and deceitfully excluded from these entities as though members of Arab clan are non-citizens, and therefore treating them differently is legitimate.

Let it be known that these two entities do not concern the people of Balligubadle  and its activities and/or services will be robustly resisted by all means necessary in all areas populated by the people of Balligubadle from east to west of the country.

We equally condemn the exclusion of other clans from both these important state entities responsible for the registration of Somaliland Citizens for the purpose of issuing them with National Identity Cards/Voter Identification Cards.

We particularly point out the following:

Knowing that these entities were secretly formed in a smoke-filled back room, outside the proper channels of the government, and that no consultations were carried out involving other Somaliland clans concerned,

Notingwith concern that the composition of both entities in question was knowingly, blatantly and calculatedly designed in such a way as to tip the scales in favour of certain clans while deliberately excluding others from the equation,

Stressingthe fact that the people of Balligubadle have no trust or confidence whatsoever in these entities because of the recent experience regarding the massive election fraud and irregularities that occurred in the last Local Elections held in the country on 28 November 2012 in which many Arab voters were disenfranchised by deliberately and criminally dumping and burning their voting papers in the dry-river bed of Hargeisa,

Cognizant of the fact that, in this day and age, clan allegiance is still unfortunately vitally important than the national interest of the country, coupled with the indisputable fact that the sole objective of those overrepresented in these entities is to vastly inflate the size of their respective clan-families in anyway they can, whether through multiple registrations or other fraudulent means, so that they could demonstrate their numerical strength and subsequently enhance their clan prestige,

Reaffirming our unwavering commitment for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of Somaliland,

Emphasizingthat peace and stability within Somaliland, the strengthening of State institutions, economic and social development and respect for human rights and the rule of law are necessary to create the conditions for a durable state and further emphasizing that this can only be achieved by treating all Somaliland citizens equally and fairly,

The people Balligubadle have decided to completely and utterly reject the legitimacy of the Ministerial-Level Steering Committee and Task Force which do not fairly represent members of all Somaliland clans.

We believe that honesty is the best policy. In this case, there is no scintilla of doubt that these entities were founded on deception and manipulation from the outset and are therefore devoid of the slightest moral legitimacy to conduct a vital task such as the registration of Somaliland citizens. The criminal elements that formed these entities do not have the interest of the Somaliland people at heart but rather their own clan interests.

If there is no secret evil plan involving scheming, deviousness and Machiavellian practices, then there is no reason why equal representation for all Somaliland clans should not be accepted without fear or favour. 

The registration process is fatally tainted by corruption before it has even gotten off the ground.

We call upon all western donors not to lend support to this undemocratic and non-transparent process as failure to do so will only lead to unnecessary disturbances in Somaliland.

For and on Behalf of

Balligubadle Peoples Council