Pretoria, South African ministers, Ambassadors, Academics including Professor Louise Molamu, Registrar of the University of South Africa, Professor Rosemary Moeketsi, Executive Dean of Human Sciences, Professor Iqbal Jhazbhay, Author of the Book , and his wife Naseema Docrat , Distinguished ambassadors and high commissioners in South Africa, Professor Chris Landsberg of the University of Johannesburg, Dr Nomfundo Ngwenya of the South African Institute of International Relations, members from the South African civil society, journalists, members from the Somaliland community in S.Africa, Somalilanders from UK & Canada, and lots of students and other invited guests, have gathered to witness prof Iqbal’s book launch which was held in a well organised event at UNISA, Pretoria on the 11th March 2010.
Co-published with the Institute for Global Dialogue, the book titled as ‘Somaliland: An African Struggle for Nationhood and International Recognition’ purports an inspiring story of resilience and reconstruction and a truly African Renaissance, that has many lessons to teach the rest of Africa and the international community. This study seeks to identify some of those lessons, particularly those pertaining to Somaliland’s sustained efforts to create internal unity and gain regional and international recognition.
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South African minister in the presidency Mr. Collin Chabane, couldn’t attend the launch. Ambassador Welile Nhlapo, Presidential National Security Advisor have read the inspiring speech on behalf of the minister. The full speech can be viewed at http://www.info.gov.za/speeches/2010/10031210551001.htm
The book is based on extensive research in Somaliland’s reconciliation, reconstruction, religion and recognition, as well as a wealth of experience in the wider region.
More analysis, feedback and follow ups on this book, stay with Saeed furaa’s insights from this corner of Africa.
Written by:
Saeed Furaa
Freelance Journalist
Pretoria
South Africa
E-mail: somalilandjournalist@gmail.com
Djibouti, 12 March 2010 (Somalilandpress) – Dr. Jubarah Bin Eid Alsuraisry, Minister of Transport of Saudi Arabia (pictured left), today signed the Code of Conduct on the Suppression of Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden (Djibouti Code of Conduct). The agreement, signed during an official visit to IMO Headquarters in London, makes the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia the 13th country to do
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, following the instructions of King Abdullah, exerts every effort to build bridges of co-operation with countries all over the world, especially by taking initiatives and participating in an effective way in order to achieve stability and world security, whether through the United Nations and its specialised agencies, or through continuous co-operation with all countries in this field,” Alsuraisry said.
IMO Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos (pictured right) welcomed the signing by Saudi Arabia as a boost to the effective implementation of the Djibouti Code of Conduct in the region. He said, “The unabated acts of piracy, not only in waters off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden but also in the wider expanse of the western Indian Ocean, continue to be in the public spotlight.”
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“Our concern should, above all, be for the safety of life at sea and the well-being of the seafarers and other victims involved and their respective families. We should, therefore, not rest unless and until all the necessary measures to suppress and eradicate piracy have been taken,” Mitropoulos added. “The support of Saudi Arabia for the effective implementation of the Djibouti Code of Conduct and for the efforts to protect international shipping by the naval forces deployed in the region are, therefore, important contributions.”
Bosaso, 12 March 2010 (Somalilandpress) – In an attempt to deal with a growing influx of migrants, authorities in Somalia’s autonomous region of Puntland are adopting new measures to stop people from undertaking the hazardous journey to Yemen, officials said.
“The problem of migrants is not going away and the Puntland authorities, particularly in the Bari region [Bosasso area], had to come up with a new strategy to deal with this problem,” said Mohamud Jama Muse, director of the Migration Response Centre (MRC) in the regional capital, Bosasso.
MRC was created in April 2009, under the office of the Bari governor, to “register and provide counselling and assist” the migrants. Between April and December 2009, it registered 7,223 persons.
“This number is smaller than the actual number,” Muse told IRIN on 1 March. “You have to understand, a lot of these people are not very trusting of authorities, so they never bother registering.”
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 78,487 Ethiopians and Somalis crossed into Yemen from Somalia and Djibouti in 2009, of whom 685 died.
So far in 2010, 5,032 have crossed and four have died, said Roberta Russo, spokeswoman for UNHCR Somalia.
Learning to fish
Muse said the government had adopted a two-track approach. Apart from the MRC, security forces had cracked down on smugglers and closed the ports from which they operate.
“With the help of IOM [International Organization for Migration] we started a pilot project with a local NGO, Red Sea Fishing Organization [RESFO], in skills training and income generation, for 100 migrants and locals to teach them skills to make a living,” he explained.
The group is taught how to fish, process the catch, repair nets and keep books.
“We are even teaching some of them to swim,” said Mohamed Said of RESFO. “The aim is to provide an alternative to boarding those boats [to Yemen].”
The project aims to integrate the migrants into the community, said Ahmed Muse Mohamed, IOM officer-in-charge in Bosasso. “We want to create opportunities here for them so they don’t have to go on these dangerous journeys,” he added.
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Too weak to walk
“By the time they reach us they have walked over 1,000km and are dehydrated and almost starving,” said Muse, and reports indicated some died on the way to Bosasso.
Abdi, not his real name, came from Ethiopia four months ago. He walked 760km to reach Bosasso, with the aim of going to Yemen.
He and six others had to avoid being stopped by security forces or attacked by bandits. “It is not a trip I would want to make again,” he said. “It was too difficult and dangerous. By the time I arrived I was so weak I could barely walk.”
He has registered with MRC but has not started the training yet.
Addis Tolosa, 30, an Ethiopian migrant who has been in Bosasso for a couple of years, went to Yemen but was intercepted by the Yemeni coastguard and returned to Bosasso.
He is now being trained by RESFO. “I don’t have the means to go back [to Yemen] so I am now in this training to learn how to earn a living,” said. “As soon we finish the training I will get fishing gear and go to work.”
Some locals, however, insisted they would still like to go to Yemen.
Mohamed Hassan Shire, 23, from the coastal town of Kismayo, 2,000km south, arrived in Bosasso six months ago. He said he left out of fear he would be forcibly recruited into a militia.
“I came here because I was not safe in Kismayo,” he said. “People I knew died trying to get there [Yemen]. I know also that what I am doing is like flipping a coin, but I will try it. I have no other option.”
More help needed
The former Puntland Bari Governor Muse Ghelle (replaced on 6 March) told IRIN he was determined to help the potential migrants. “With the very little resources we have we are trying but we need help,” he added.
He called on the international community to increase its support to Puntland to help it deal with the growing influx of migrants.
Puntland would not be able to cope on its own. “We need more meaningful help from the donor community,” he said.
Muse of MRC said the migrants needed emergency food upon arrival, temporary shelter, a health centre and a reception centre to receive them.
“Most of these people are economic migrants and when they come here they have exhausted what little they had, so it is important to at least have somewhere where they can get some help immediately.”
Pritoria, 12 March 2010 (Somalilandpress) – Speech by Minister Collins Chabane on the occasion of the book launch on Somaliland by Professor Iqbal Jhazbhay; UNISA: “There are now three states out of Somalia, namely Somalia of Mogadishu, Somalia of Djibouti and Somaliland of Hargeisa.”
Professor Louise Molamu, Registrar of the University of South Africa
Professor Rosemary Moeketsi, Executive Dean of Human Sciences
Professor Iqbal Jhazbhay, Author of the Book we are launching today, and his wife Naseema Docrat
Distinguished Ambassadors and High Commissioners
Professor Chris Landsberg of the University of Johannesburg
Dr. Nomfundo Ngwenya of the South African Institute of International Relations
Invited Guests
Unisa Community
Ladies and Gentlemen
We are today at the University of South Africa (UNISA), a leading long distance learning institution with footprints across the continent, to launch an academic study of one of the countries in the Horn of Africa, Somalia with particular emphasis on Somaliland. This study by one of the sons of Africa, Professor Iqbal Jhazbhay has been titled “Somaliland: An African Struggle for Nationhood and International Recognition”.
UNISA as it is known, has been at the forefront and a pioneer of African studies for many years and is the only African university with a learning centre in Addis Ababa and many learning centers across South Africa.
In November last year, we had gathered again in this very same university, on the occasion of the International Sudan Studies Conference under the theme “The future of Sudan to 2011 and beyond: African dimensions of peace, stability, justice and reconciliation”. The conference was convened to examine what had happened with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and where it is taking Sudan, which is currently preparing for democratic elections, marking the progress of the African people towards peace and stability.
Both these gatherings about countries of the Horn of Africa, demonstrates the commitment of the South African government, the country and its people in building a better Africa and a better world. The prosperity of Africa will translate into a better Africa and a better world and South Africa remains committed to this objective.
President Jacob Zuma, since he came into office, has consistently emphasised the importance of a government that is responsive and caring to its people and implementation orientated. This was demonstrated with the establishment of the planning and monitoring and evaluation ministries in the Presidency. The aim is to ensure that the state is firmly focused on its mandate and deliver to its citizens, but most importantly that we build a developmental state which responds to people needs.
This government has placed central to its priorities, improvement of healthcare, job creation, rural development, the fight against crime and most importantly education. We need to ensure that our education system produces learners who can fill the skills gap in the country and help us build a prosperous developmental state. The education system should provide technical skills to the economy but equally important academics like Professor Iqbal Jhazbhay, who can also assist the continent in properly documenting and preserving our history including that of the continent.
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As the ministry, we have a responsibility to ensure that we monitor and evaluate the work of government and make sure that government meets its developmental objectives. Our work, we believe, will ensure that government remains firm on its priorities and build a governance system which is driven by people’s needs.
Somaliland as we know it today has emerged from breaking away from the union government following independence from its colonial past. There are now three states out of Somalia, namely Somalia of Mogadishu, Somalia of Djibouti and Somaliland of Hargeisa. Today we celebrate a detailed and highly informative study of the Somaliland since independence, its history and its quest for international recognition.
The study traces the history and successes of state formation and state building and looks at the emerging success story in Africa of state formation. We as South Africans know the challenges pertaining to state building, from need to undo apartheid laws and replacing them with more progressive laws, more recently the challenges of focused and coordinated governance, strategic planning and monitoring and evaluation. The study takes us through a historical journey of the internal struggles in what was viewed as the most successful attempt at re-drawing of colonial demarcation at independence. The study is a classical way of how African people can create and construct its own state, through a people-centered approach to prosperity.
Professor Jhazbhay in putting together this important work, he has conducted interviews with among others, former heads of state, ministers, diplomats, Somali studies experts and other academics such as heads of research institutions that are highly knowledgeable and well respected.
This study should be welcomed and encouraged by all of us, as we preserve the real story of Africa through African eyes, than the historical colonial approach. The progress made by Somaliland to lead its state to prosperity is commendable and, we owe it to African academics like Professor Iqbal Jhazbhay to further enhance the study of our own continent. We should all of us, South Africans included, draw from the lessons and experiences of the Somaliland to build a developmental state that is responsive to people’s needs.
The issue of independence and international recognition of Somaliland is, of course, a matter which the international community is ceased with. The African Union report following the fact finding mission to Somaliland conducted in 2005 is a case in point. It is a demonstration of the complexities and difficulties in addressing the Somali issue. The report makes the observation and recommendation that the issue should be discussed and addressed in an objective manner taking into consideration historical facts. Somaliland’’s destiny must be determined in the broader process of resolving the bigger Somali issue. A piecemeal approach would set us up for later conflicts. The Transitional Federal Government has firmly stated that Somaliland is part of Somalia and its destiny is to be determined by all Somalis.
The South African government is of the view that there should be peace and prosperity in the Horn of Africa as is continually ceased with the situation in Sudan and the Somali issue is of no exception.
Today let us all welcome this study, the work of Professor Jhazbhay and let it be our reference as we address the Somali issue. This book strengthens the case for all of us to educate ourselves and fellow Africans about our history, our experiences and our commitment for a better Africa and a better world. Because of our past, South Africans do not focus much on broader African challenges to the extent that they do, their focus is on Zimbabwe, SADC and the African Union of which tend to dominate our media headlines.
We need to educate our nation that it moves beyond usual suspects which includes Europe, America but start to focus on Africa in particular on areas such as the sub-regions of Southern Africa, Central Africa, West Africa, North Africa and the Horn and East Africa and also include Asia.
We need to take such studies into our classrooms and newsrooms to educate societies of Africa and showcase good success stories and similarly challenges we face in developing a better and prosperous Africa.
HARGEISA, 12 March 2010 (Somalilandpress) – Rotterdam district court has asked the US authorities to supply it additional information in their request for the extradition of a Somali man, arrested at an asylum seekers centre last November.
Mohamud Said Omar, 44, is alleged to have helped extremists travel to Somalia to train with the radical Islamic movement Al Shabaab.
He was arrested at a refugee centre in Dronten, Flevoland in November 2009.
The man has also lived in Minneapolis where he is said to have recruited college students – up to 20 according to some reports.
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Financing
Omar’s lawyers say he never intended to help terrorists. ‘He denies that he has ever been involved in any way whatsoever with the financing of terrorism,’ lawyer Bart Stapert said at the extradition hearing in February.
His lawyers also point out that the alleged offences relate to a time before Al Shabaab was considered a terrorist organisation and that charges against him are not criminal offences in the Netherlands.
According to news agency AP, the court has asked the US to provide more information on the country’s definition of a terror group, the maximum sentence Omar faces and whether the US viewed al Shabaab as a terrorist organisation before March 2008.
He is the first black chief executive of a FTSE 100 company – though he hates people dwelling on that.
He is only 47, but has already been a government minister in Ivory Coast as well as a top businessman.
Last week, Tidjane Thiam, chief executive of the Prudential, launched an audacious bid to buy AIA, the Asian arm of US-based insurer AIG.
To pay for it, he is asking shareholders to stump up for Britain’s biggest ever rights issue. If he succeeds, he will double the size of Prudential, making it the largest life insurer in the world outside China, with 80% to 90% of its business in Asia.
If he fails, according to one investor, he will be toast.
So who is Tidjane Thiam, and what makes him tick?
He has had an extraordinarily dramatic life, and he could not be more different from the traditional “man from the Pru”.
Competitive
As he puts it himself, he is “black African, francophone and six foot four”.
Mr Thiam was born the youngest of seven children in Ivory Coast. His mother was the niece of a former president but never went to school, and taught herself to read as an adult.
His father was a journalist, then a diplomat. Depending on who was in power, he was either a minister or a political prisoner.
Mr Thiam loved getting A grades – he was very competitive and always wanted to do better than his older brothers.
Robert Greenhill, now the managing director of the World Economic Forum in Davos, was Thiam’s room-mate at business school INSEAD.
He says that Mr Thiam “had a great combination of a first class mind, with a really passionate interest in people and in issues and, which is rare in MBA students, great courage in just doing what he believed was right”.
Back to Ivory Coast
Mr Thiam joined the management consultancy McKinsey in 1986, working in Paris and then London.
But in 1994 the then Ivorian President, Henri Konan Bedie, asked him to run the agency in charge of all Ivory Coast’s infrastructure projects.
At the time, Mr Thiam also had an offer to join Goldman Sachs, but turned it down to return to his home country.
He arrived in the middle of an economic crisis that triggered a 50% devaluation of the currency. As a result, he was not paid for six months, nor were his 4,000 staff. It taught him a lot, he has said, about leadership and people.
What made him spurn a highly lucrative job for penury in the Ivory Coast?
His old friend and colleague, Dr Aka Manouan thinks it was “because he loved his country – Ivory Coast first of all, but also Africa more generally”.
“He really wanted to offer all that he had learnt overseas to his country. As he liked to say, ‘the development of Africa will be done by Africans themselves’, international donors can help, but it’s us who will develop the country.”
The two men worked together, often negotiating through the night, on bringing in private sector and World Bank money to build an airport, an electricity plant, hospitals and schools.
Coup survivor
In this job, and afterwards, when he was made Minister of Planning and Development, Thiam was determined to fight corruption, which made him unpopular with the old guard, and put his life in danger.
In 1999, when Mr Thiam was abroad for Christmas, the Ivorian government was overthrown.
Robert Greenhill, his old room-mate, remembers that Mr Thiam went back “to ensure that his people were safe, and so he put himself personally at risk in order to meet the commitment he had to the people who worked for him. And that is absolutely Tidjane.”
He was put under house arrest, but not imprisoned.
Then the military government asked him to work for them instead. He refused, and left the country.
“I lost absolutely everything,” Mr Thiam has said. “For six months, I had no job, no career, nothing at all. It taught me a lot about myself. If you’ve been in a situation where you have nothing, there’s nothing much you’re afraid of.”
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Mr Thiam eventually rejoined McKinsey in Paris, before moving to the British insurance company Aviva (then Norwich Union) in 2002.
He warned the head-hunters that if Aviva did not want a black African francophone, there was no point him going to the interview. He felt he had suffered before because of his race.
But he is impressed by how accepting Britain has been.
To the Pru
Mr Thiam’s wife, Annette, is African-American. Also extremely bright, she is a lawyer who used to work for Joe Biden before he became Obama’s vice-president.
They have two teenage sons who, like their father, are ardent Arsenal fans.
Mr Thiam moved to Prudential as finance director in 2008 and made a splash when he was named as the first black chief executive of a FTSE 100 company just a year later.
Old hands have worried about the number of people he has brought in from McKinsey.
But he is a popular boss, admired for his intellect, straight-talking, approachability and strategic vision.
Stephen Whitehead of Prudential thinks Mr Thiam’s experience of being a politician has helped him in the business world.
“He is very good at building consensus and at persuasion,” said Mr Whitehead. He recognises that you have to carry people with you, and he is very good at that.”
His old friend Stephen Greenhill is sure that Mr Thiam wants to be able to say at the end of his life, that “‘I have made a positive difference.’ I am sure he passionately believes that.”
What is to come of the next Somaliland elections? If our good friend, the Somali version of Mr. Ten Percent Man, is to rig the next election and claim presidency through corrupted tactics (similar to Hamid Karzai’s illegitimate victory dance) – what will occur to Somaliland’s stability? As the North struggles to receive acknowledgment via hopeless attempts to render Western recognition, one can conclude countless failed attempts are repetitive expectations amidst Somaliland’s society. Understandably, the current government ascertains to thoughts of attracting Western diplomacy but bowing to Ethiopia’s enmity evokes a sense of national degradation. Ethiopian military officials purchase Ogaden Somali’s residing in Hargeisa through back-door channels; the Northern government is too mentally challenged to sell their souls to the rich devils (West) and instead, we’ve been bought and enslaved by Ethiopia. Thus, what is to occur to our ‘slow’ government if the people’s voice is unheard again?
Fast-forward to the deteriorating situation in Southern Somalia, although a strong sense of hope emerges from hopeless debris -Hope emerges without assistance from the Northern government. While Northern Somalia has become a pit stop for travelling Somali’s and society welcomes Southern brethren; after a few security breaches in the North- Mr. Dahir Riyale threatened to evict all Southern Somali’s from Somaliland. For him and his puppet government, these threats were merely another attempt at being loved by Mr. West. Oh Mr. Western Powers why don’t you love us? Is it because we don’t love ourselves? Could it be because we are currently a puppet of Ms. Ethiopia? Oh Mr. West!
Comical, but seriously true! Seemingly, nonsensical is Somaliland’s current Public Policy Strategy. Hence, let’s return to the electoral situation. In May 2004, we all remember the tragedy that took place in Somaliland. However, Mr. Silaanyo responded with an urgency to avoid all violence due to the example set by our Southern counterparts. So, Mr. Dahir continued with his mission of being without a mission! Therefore, if Mr. Dahir repeats the same strategy of ‘Karzai Politics’, shall we submit to another dictator? Isn’t that what the SNM fought against? Unfortunately, an African in power would rather lose sanity than peacefully lose power. Welcome to African Politics 101.
Mr. Silanyo was recently asked at a Washington D.C gathering the same question that lingers on everyone’s mind: whether or not a probable leader change will be peaceful or not. And he responded with a calm and subtle, ‘we will avoid violence and promote peace’. If the promotion of peace comes at the price of a warring ideology and an illegitimate ruling party, does that not validate the notion that the tenants of peace shall forfeit its priority of being upheld? I’m not promoting war, but merely provoking thought and indulging in an attempt to save our nation. And thus, I’d like to co-relate an aspect of public perspective in regards to the Southern Somalia and Northern Somalia relationship.
Northerners forget that Southern Somalia is still SOMALIA! Different dialects, food preferences and clan jokes but we are all SOMALIAS. However, the deteriorating situation in the South has somehow placed a subconscious mindset amongst Northerners that we are not like THOSE PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH. Similarly, African Americans were told that they couldn’t be like those SAVAGE Africans. In the story of Moses and Pharoah, Pharaoh made it his objective to separate and conquer the Israelites. Somalia is merely a country whose countrymen are too blind to view the ‘separate and conquer’ mechanism fueling separatist’s movements, governments and social ideology.
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Consequently, the disassociation between Northern and Southern Somalis has played-to-the-tune of neighboring state actors who wish nothing less than Somalia’s demise. As Ethiopian troops were entering Somalia via known Northern routes, Somaliland resumed economical ties and business relations with Ethiopia. The concept that we, in the North, can witness the struggle, conflict and ultimate torture of our Southern brethren and still have a devilish sense of non-obligatory duties satisfies ‘Iblis’ and his followers. Mr. Dahirs regime has given innocent Ogedenians, peaceful residents of Hargeisa, over to Ethiopian military troops in addition to threatening to expel Southern Somali’s for Northern security breaches. If this isn’t selling one’s soul to the devil, I don’t know what is.
Regrettably, Mr. Riyales devil has not given his country anything but conflict in returns. One mustn’t expect Somaliland to preserver whilst such a regime is in power. One mustn’t expect society to gradually change for the positive whilst we ignore our fundamental obligation to our brothers in the South. One mustn’t expect social progression through economical successes whilst we trade our own people for dividends. One mustn’t expect a change, unless we first understand in essence- what must be changed. These coming elections will not bring Somaliland anything better unless ideologies are changed, movement objectives are rethought and we realize, recognize, understand and acknowledge that we are in fact- ONE PEOPLE.
Written By: Isahak Ahmed
isahak@live.com
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Views expressed in the opinion articles are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the editorial.
MOGADISHU (Somalilandpress)-Somali government troops have made its initial advance into the rebel-held areas in the north of Mogadishu in a heavy fighting that left 37 more dead and injured 113, officials, witnesses said.
Witnesses said government troops with the help of the African union have crossed into the insurgency-racked district Karan. Soldiers appear to have encountered lighter than expected resistance from the Alshabaab who were reported to have entrenched in the nearby areas and mined the roadways.
‘’ I have seen 18 dead Alshabaab fighters lying on one street and 5 government soldiers’’ Resident Fadumo Osman told Somalilandpress by phone from Karan.
Soldiers seized Karan, Behani and the notorious Sana where Alshabaab have conducted public executions including beheading and have dumped the bodies of those who opposed their rule.
The state Minster for the defense Yusuf Mohamed Siad said his troops have powerfully kicked the politically fractured militants.
‘’ Our troops have made tangible developments in the latest fighting’’ Indha Adde, the TFG’s defense minister said.
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The military also launched an operation in Jardinka intersection and reportedly killed five militant fighters.
As the military moves into the north after almost hours of heavy fighting, the militants may have decided to conduct a tactical withdrawal of its forces estimated at between 5,000 to 7,000 fighters.
Hospital and ambulance sources said at least 37 people were killed and 113 more were injured, although the death toll may rise for the heavy shellings going on.
Alshabaab’s control over many key regions across the country has left Somali government isolated from much of the country, causing visible panic.
Residents have been queuing at streets and in markets as troops and military hardware stream towards the north.
Belligerent factions in Mogadishu have been locked in a tense stand-off for weeks, amid expectations of an imminent offensive by the government and its African Union backers to wrest Somalia back from the insurgency.
ROME, 11 March 2010 (Somalilandpress) – A U.N. food agency said Thursday it will cooperate with any independent probe into its food operations in Somalia, after a report found that up to half the food aid intended for the nation’s hungry people does not reach its destination.
The report said food aid in Somalia is being diverted to corrupt contractors, radical Islamic militants and local U.N. workers. It calls on U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to authorize an independent investigation of the operations of the World Food Program in the country.
“The integrity of our organization is paramount and we will be reviewing and investigating each and every issue raised by this report,” WFP executive director Josette Sheeran said in a statement.
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“WFP stands ready to offer full cooperation with any independent inquiry into its work in Somalia,” it said.
The Rome-based agency also promised not to engage with transport contractors that the report alleges were involved in arms trading.
The report was made by the panel of experts monitoring U.N. sanctions against the African nation. It is to be presented to the U.N. Security Council next week, WFP says. The findings were first reported by The New York Times this week.
Sheeran said her organization “would do everything it could to reach the hungry in Somalia” — a country where around 3.7 million people, or nearly half of the population, need aid.
Sheeran said that “vulnerabilities are always present in conflict areas.” Some of the issues raised in the report have already been addressed, she said, while in other cases the agency wanted to correct some factual information. She did not single out any issues.
The WFP suspended operations across southern Somalia in January. The agency said it was acting in response to intimidation of its staff and because armed groups have made “unreasonable demands … that contravened WFP’s rules.”
ADDIS ABABA (Somalilandpress) — Following disputes over the conducting of elections in Somaliland which were initially slated for September 2009, Sub-Saharan Informer’s Samson haileyesus caught up with Mr. Jama Mohamoud Omar, previous chairman of Somaliland’s National Electoral Commission (NEC) and discussed with him on the crisis leading up to the political stalemate, the challenges, roles played by donors and the way forward. Excerpts:
SSI: Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
Jama Mohamoud Omar: My name is Jama Mohamoud Omar the last position I served as the chairman of the national electoral Commission (NEC). I am a born Somalilander and have worked previously as a career diplomat serving first as a first secretary and later on as councilor in Sweden during the reign of Said Barre and had to leave my position because the problems I had with then government and became Chairman of the Somaliland National Movement (SNM) from 1988 to 1994. Later on I joined the civil society and was working with international organizations working on peace building and was in charge of Life and Peace an organization in Ubbasala funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). Following the debacle of the UNISOM mission on March 31st, 1993 I was part of a program that assessed the tradition peace building mechanism of the Burao conference we have also seen the top down conferences in Addis Ababa with the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) and we have compared the two and we have seen the real grassroots peace building in Burao worked then since then I have worked in various capacities working towards strengthening traditional peace elders’ empowerment in peace building and also for the revival the civil society organizations in good governance .
SSI: How would you asses the two mediation processes in Somaliland and that of the TFG?
Jama Mohamoud Omar: In line with my assessment, one when the UN and the international community made Mogadishu and Somalia the tip of the iceberg of the Somali problem and all UN and international resource was going to Somalia to reach stability and good governance and Somalia being the first failed state in the history of the world. The international community’s efforts left no mark on development there. Somaliland, however without a single support from the international community and was even often being discouraged with the belief that if Somaliland’s independence was encouraged the Somali peace process will be hampered so we have being going on our own and from the colonial days Somaliland’s has adopted the traditional elders [mediation] art of conflict management and as a result we have built a stable government. We have also made a transitional Charter; we have conducted a referendum and endorsed a constitution in 2001.
In addition we have conducted three elections that is something, which the international community needs to remember. It has to be recorded, it has to be praised; it has to be given recognition – that has not been happening instead many people were against.
I have to be very thankful to the Ethiopian people and government for many reasons one would be in Somaliland when we were fighting during the Somaliland National Movement (SNM) days we were in eastern Ethiopia our people were given good treatment, the psychological barrier between the Somalis and Ethiopians have went out and we have now very good relations and I think Ethiopia is the only country in the region who sees Somaliland as a sovereign state of course there are interests. Somaliland is covering the long border of Somaliland and Ethiopia, which is being fully, protected Somaliland because of the security that is in our hands the rest of Somalia is not secure. The Ethiopian people and government should understand that we are also supporting Ethiopian peace because of the border, because of the ongoing Islamists and in the area Somaliland is very important and Berbera port and now we are upgrading ourselves.
I have to assure that apart from the donors Ethiopian government we have met the Ethiopian state minister for foreign affairs [Dr. Tekeda Alemu] he stayed in Hargeysa and he facilitated the mediation between the parties which is really commendable was the only minister that was seeing Somaliland as a sovereign state and we have to be very thankful Somaliland is giving the support in the security of the region, we are also giving lessons on our democracy which is home grown and a democratization process which is not imported.
SSI: Could you tell us why your commission had to leave office?
Jama Mohamoud Omar: what went wrong is when it comes to the formation of the national election board (NEC) – within the second NEC, there was an eight month delay in the process of the Somaliland stakeholders to nominate their candidates to the Commission which resulted in the building of NEC to come across a delay and as outgoing chairman of NEC we have encountered something not deserved. Number one parliament said the previous commission whom their mandated had expired to stay and on then it told the political parties to choose their nominees. So we joined NEC when eight months of the timeline of the elections has already been spent the, timeline of the elections was hampered by the stakeholders themselves.
When we were given oath we have been invited by the donors in Nairobi under the host of the British embassy in Addis Ababa a course they call it an orientation course somebody from Nairobi representing the steering committee of the donors immediately said ‘the voter registration is something that we are going to pay but we are not giving you the money directly, we are going to invest the money to Inter Peace’. I challenged them on the decision, they said no it is our money, and we know how to handle our money and the program will be dealt by Inter Peace.
The international observers that had observed previous elections in Somaliland, presidential, local governments and parliament have said that these were well organized elections but lacked voter registrations. Previously NEC and inter peace have tailored the voter registration as they have also tailored the voter registration proposal, they have also built all the purchase lines we came and inherited a program, which we don’t know, and of course we have immediately seen conflicts in interest. Donors were very kind I have to stress that the donors that were supporting Somaliland’s democratization were Sweden, Denmark, Norway, UK, USA and the EU.
Theirs was a very generous support without them it would have been a dream to conduct a voter registration but they invested the money in the wrong hands Inter Peace were not the right organization due to capacity and executive implementation and they have not monitored the work there was no evaluation there was monitoring. We appealed a number of times saying that the work is not going as expected then they said we know things are going on the right track then they put preconditions.
Somaliland has been going on its own through these past 18 years and has built a thriving democracy, when our politicians, the three political leaders have handed Somaliland’s destiny of elections into foreign hands, which means up to now we have through the conditions they have bridged we the Commission have left office – not for legal reasons we but we have said since the people are now agreeing we should say no we have gone and still three months and a half on the donors and others are saying that the voter registration and elections matters were being refined I don’t see what has happened so everything rests with the international experts.
SSI: What were the problems experienced with the voter registration?
Jama Mohamoud Omar: As NEC and as human beings we were having our own weaknesses we for the first year could not manage to build a team. I have to admit that there was no good team work some of the Commission members were speaking on their own to the press that has weakened our position but the whole responsibility of the voter registration was under the hands of inter peace they were the contracted authority there were issues, all these were done on their own and we did not believe that the companies were genuine. Competent companies were not contracted.
It is a program that would have been very viable and very good for the country but how the organization hired by the donors handled the matter was not really genuine. Numbers on the Somaliland people have with enthusiasm joined the work they were giving all logistic support to those work and they were also providing security. Even more when the terrorist attacks occurred people thought that there are elements that were working towards derailing Somaliland from the path of democratization and people with emotions registered for the elections. What went wrong was that the system brought and the equipment that was brought was not of the standard that has been promised. The companies contracted were not really genuine we have complained and that means the donors are collecting money from tax payers that money has went into improper companies.
The system itself was default, a biometric system should have a finger print capture feature there was the element of option given that you can ignore the capture so if you already set it on ignore it means that you are inviting people to multiply without putting in their finger prints. Then later we introduced facial recognition we have said that facial recognition system software must be added. Whenever we challenged the donors, when we say this is wrong, that is wrong, they say they have put pre-conditions and that the Commission’s leadership has to be changed, consensus has to be bridged. As allies the international community need to know that mistakes need to be looked into Somaliland’s destiny falls on more than a couple of diplomats to cover your diplomats’ wrong doing it would be counterproductive in Hargeisa.
We as a commission stressed that there is no list first of all we have driven Inter peace out of Somaliland for the reason they spoiled and said that elections have to continue on as planned on 27th September without voter list. The list should be enhanced for future elections. the political parties, the donors shouted hard the president also agreed and the donors could not easily come to Somaliland maybe through Ethiopia the state minister they said you have to come in and it was very good that our brothers have come around because as a neighbor and a good friend of Somaliland we have listened well and the Ethiopian government was really sympathetic and dealt with us as a sovereign state.
The terms we were dealing with were of mutual interest; Ethiopia without stable Somaliland will not be easy. And also now we are ambitious to have our landlocked neighbor to advance our services on the Berbera port to make the region stable where eastern Ethiopia can be serviced from Berbera also we are keen on that recognition and economic cooperation in this small world is very important.
As you are also aware Somaliland people were in eastern Ethiopia that is also another privilege when we were in the Somaliland National Movement (SNM) fighting we were based in eastern Ethiopia, we were well received by the people there. Towards ending the political stalemate the International community and the Ethiopian government has tailored a six point agreement for the first time that the Somaliland traditional system went out of hand but a six point agreement was made, the commission was party.
SSI: Three months on how do you assess the work being done by the new Commission?
Jama Mohamoud Omar: From my perspective the new commission is doing well. one I have to praise is that there are very silent they are very much looking like a team, challenges will come later but the initial start they are a cohesive body and they are not talking much that is something that has to be encouraged I have to commend and I am also encouraging Somaliland people wherever they are to support the commission. In regards to the affairs among the six points, the international experts have to look towards the voter list, they have to refine it, and they have to come up with recommendations on how to refine the timing. The timing will depend on the list production that will be determined by the election timetable and that will depend on how the experts would recommend, when the recommendations will be implemented and later on the timeline of the elections is made so nothing is in the hands of Somalilanders it is in the hands of international donors who are paying for the money who are contracting the experts so I am saying that the international interventions that is taking longer than expected already and there is in the Guurti the council of elders one important thing that needs to be underlined is that through the history of Somaliland the rational Guurti house that has been started in the SNM days who were fighting. When the SNM entered Hargeysa, all the people from Hargeysa went out and asked the military wing of SNM whether the SNM conquered them or has it liberated the population and the SNM said ‘we have not really conquered but really liberated’.
Then the people said if we are liberated we should be part of the governance, they have built that and in eastern Ethiopia a town called Madaweyn and that house contributed to the logistic and financial support to the traditional system of the elders, the same house in Borama meeting accommodated with tribes that were outside the SNM has formed Somaliland elder of council as a constitutional body and then that went on the only good thing was that he Guurti was nominated among clans through norms and criteria that seems to be going out of hand .
For the first time a politician chair has joined, somebody the parliament leader in the Guurti called Sheikh Ibrahim who was also in charge of the SNM died and somebody outside form the Guurti asked someone form his clan step down so he can join. From the traditional perspective a politicians who joined a traditional system could be something difficult that is what we are hearing these days. Various groups have tried various opportunities to take power.
The other mistake is that when the mandate of the government was expiring the Guurti chairman and the parliament chairman thought of having a dream of using a vacuum and enter power – it also created a mess. The only good thing is that the Somaliland people were tolerant they have not succumbed to the shouting’s of the oppositions nor the government but have behaved maturely and there was no demonstrations and I have to commend the people of Somaliland on their maturity in containing their hard won peace and stability. So foresee now basically that the government should take the responsibility into looking at the election budget in the future.
Nothing in foreign hands can help Somaliland, now things are in the hands of foreign hands, Ethiopian government as a neighbor whom could be easily affected if Somaliland peace goes down should also work hard to push the international community and international experts to speed the process on how elections could be conducted in the country- without elections it is going to be very difficult.
Third the three political leaders including the president and the opposition partiers should take to heart the wishes of the people. They should be mature enough to discuss together, to discuss situations, to see if the donors are not working hard donors could have their own agendas the idea of greater Somalia, the dream of the international community is still there we do believe in Somaliland that the Union of Somaliland with Somalia was a wild dreamt is over.
Our Ethiopian-Somalis have to live in Ethiopia, our Kenyan-Somalis have to be live in Kenya, our brothers in Djibouti have already went on their own the idea of five start flag of greater Somalia is over, any international community who is advocating Somalia to be one, I am saying if you only want Somaliland to join Somalia if you wake the wild dream do Somalia the Ethiopia, stability, Kenyan stability will also affected, why don’t you leave every Somali brother to live where they are now they are 100 % Ethiopia, they are 100% Kenyan and they are 100% Djiboutian . Somaliland will not become a sandwich to bring Somalia and I say the international community should look into Somalia the price that can easily be given top Somaliland is stability and recognition.
SSI: How do you see the way forward?
Jama Mohamoud Omar: Elections need to be conducted and we have to be given the opportunity to utilizing international cooperation, bilateral development, we are not looking for recognition based on visits by ambassadors and diplomats and people coming in we need development, we want the Bretton Woods organizations involved. Somaliland is rich in oil, sea resource, livestock and stability continues. We have to be very wary of the new Islam because traditionally we are all Muslim, we know what to do, a new prophet has not appeared and we know Islam started in Ethiopia prophet Mohammed has sent a message the first Hijra to Negash. Islam has spread in this part of the world through Negash rather then through Mecca because the people who took the message to negash have spread it here so we have 1,400 years of Islamic history we don’t know the other elements that are coming up so what I am saying is that the international community when it comes to Somaliland should be very serious. Any loophole of peace and stability in Somaliland will attract other destructive forces and the region is very volatile you know of Eritrea and its actions in this region, Yemen has a growing Islamists problem and Mogadishu is the same.
Djibouti is a close friend of Somaliland we both enjoy cordial relations, of course there is a competition between the two ports but Ethiopia’s huge needs for ports can satisfy both ports. To be very frank, we are encouraging our Ethiopian brothers. For the international community we are saying that hey are doing good in terms of supporting democracy and putting money. Where your money has gone into, what went wrong which proper companies were contracted what went wrong has to be looked into our great emphasis has to be addressed. Because you say the commission left, we left because of not of legality but because of compromise so we are saying’ what went wrong? ’ Already there are signs that we have left already the donors have admitted that the voters lists needed to be revised if there is a new list o be revised why were they pushing us to go? . They are putting experts to look into the matter.
If there is something why don’t they say experts to join all these questions have to be asked to be very frank and I have to also say that Somaliland people to be cooperative a politicians should be very keen. For me I am very neutral, I am very independent I don’t belong to any political party, I have been running as a chairman of the electoral committee I have been running it as a neutral body many people maybe were not pleased but history will tell what went wrong, whether I was right but still I am encouraging that all stakeholders should work hard on Somaliland elections. Elections are the only way for Somaliland. [ad#Google Adsense (336×280)]
SSI: What role do you see Ethiopia could play?
Jama Mohamoud Omar: Donors and Ethiopia have intervened to solve the problem. Ethiopia is not a donor but it is a neighbor whose interventions have been a catalyst for progress. Ethiopia’s approach was based on fostering relations and security matters and donors did recognize that there was room where Ethiopia could play a role I am saying that they have been there, a mediation whereby six points were outlined. But that mediation will not last long unless other measures are not speeded and additional implementations are agreed upon.
Ethiopia and donors should push for the speedy implementations of the agreements, the voter registration list should be refined and refining means we should ask where are we are three months since the electoral commission was replaced. Have the international community highlighted the shortcomings; if the shortcomings have been reveled the public has to know that if something went wrong that it is going to be fixed. And in order to save the country one has to say donors and inter peace has to admit saying this and that has gone wrong. So people would know that it was not in our hands, it is in the hands if international organizations so blame has to go somewhere and then people have to say that this has gone wrong.
Still I believe that voter registration is an important part for the security of the country to have a national voter registration system biometrics is very good for our security, it is making Somaliland a modern country. But where should the blame lie, the commission has left, the new commission arrived still the problem is there why don’t the international community who have been congratulating in the earlier days not admit the mistakes and something went wrong, it is not the blame of Somaliland it is the blame of others so, Ethiopia could say speed the elections promised, speed the experts report that has be worked, it should not be hidden. Ethiopia is the only country in the region that could suffer if there is unstable Somaliland already Somalia has gone out of hand. This has to be the only hope for the region and the Red sea and also from our side we are very encouraging.
One thing you have to understand that Somaliland’s’ determination of sovereignty and regaining independence comes from the grassroots we fought in a way that started from the people in the grassroots it was not personalities, there was no country supporting and now stability is under the hands of the community so people are policing their affairs. So we are saying form the traditional indigenous homegrown good governance of Somaliland can only be preserved by Somalilanders. The international community in its part should support Somaliland’s stability, good governance through recognition and allowing Somaliland to join the global community.
