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Somaliland: Government, opposition and Islamic leaders condemn Somalia attack, security tightened

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HARGEISA, 5 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) — Somaliland Islamic leaders have condemned the suicide bombing that killed 22 people in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. During Friday prayer in Hargeisa’s main mosque, prominent Somaliland religious leaders said the attack was un-Islamic and coward.

Somaliland’s religion leaders said the horrific attack is a complete violation of Islamic law and norms and the perpetrators were no way representative of the Muslim people or Islam.

In Somaliland cafes, streets, shopping malls and hotels the discussion this week has been the attack on Shamo Hotel and were shocked at the fact that the bombing targeted a ceremony for graduating medical students.
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The people of Somaliland said they offer their sincere condolences to the family and friends of the victims. The president of Somaliland, Dahir Rayale Kahin, also said he felt sorrow and offered his sympathy and condolences to the relatives of the victims. Somaliland’s opposition leader, Ahmed Silanyo of Kulmiye party also joined the condemnation of the deadly blast.

The bomber disguised himself as a woman and approached the podium midway the graduation ceremony for Banadir University, killing 22 people including three ministers and three journalists.

Suicide bombings were unheard of in the Horn of African nation before 2007, it is now the weapon of choice for Al qaeda linked Al Shabab group – who are battling weak UN-backed transitional government in Somalia’s south.

Meanwhile, Somaliland government has elevated threat levels and has deployed more police and military personnel on university campuses, hotels, government departments and other places. After 9 pm, Somaliland forces also started to petrol the streets, checking cars and monitoring the movement of people. This comes as Al Qaeda linked, Al Shabab group declared to carry out attacks in Somaliland.

The feeling in Somaliland is utter shock and disbelief, many feel now that most Somalis will turn against the terrorist group.

Source: Somalilandpress

CPJ: Explosion kills three Somali journalists in Mogadishu

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NEW YORK, 4 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) – Three journalists were among the victims of a suicide bombing at a Benadir University graduation ceremony in Mogadishu today. At least 22 people were killed at Hotel Shamo, including three government ministers, by suspected Islamic insurgents, according to The Associated Press.

Hassan Zubeyr, a cameraman for the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television network and Radio Shabelle reporter Mohamed Amin were killed instantly in the explosion, local journalists told CPJ. Yasir Mairo, who recently took up freelance photography part-time, died of injuries in the hospital, according to local journalists. CPJ was unable to determine immediately if Mairo was on assignment for a specific outlet.

Including Mairo, seven journalists were injured in the explosion, CPJ’s 2009 Press Freedom Award winner Mustafa Haji Abdinur said. Two of the journalists, Reuters photographer Omar Faruk and Abdulkadir Omar Abdulle, a reporter for Universal TV, a local TV station in Mogadishu, are in critical condition and receiving treatment at Medina Hospital in the capital, Abdinur said.

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The three deaths bring the total number of journalists killed in Somalia to nine this year.

“We send our deepest condolences to the families of Hassan Zubeyr, Mohamed Amin, and Yasir Mairo,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Tom Rhodes. “This heinous act underscores the great dangers journalists face in Somalia. The country’s position as the deadliest country in Africa for journalists has been cemented.”

Mohamed Olad, BBC correspondent and spokesman for the press freedom group Somali Journalists of Foreign Media Outlets, spoke to both journalists moments before the blast. “I am really still in shock,” Olad told CPJ. “I was just speaking to these two colleagues but had left them to interview some of the graduating students.” Hassan and Amin had gone closer to the front of the hotel’s assembly hall to listen to speeches by the government ministers when the bomb exploded, Olad said.

Zubeyr, 31, was a head technician at Radio Shabelle before he left to work as a cameraman at Al-Arabiya in 2006, exiled Radio Shabelle journalist Babuul Nur told CPJ. He is survived by his pregnant wife and four children.

According to Radio Shabelle producer Hassan Osman, his colleague Amin, 24, had lost both of his parents and supported his younger siblings as the sole breadwinner in the family. Amin is the fourth Radio Shabelle journalist killed this year; Radio Shabelle’s director, Mukhtar Hirabe, was gunned down by insurgents in Mogadishu in June. Only five journalists are still working at the Shabelle Radio and Television station in the volatile capital, Osman said.

Mairo, in his early 20s, was an active soccer player and had started working part-time as a freelance photographer recently, local journalists told CPJ. Mairo was the only photographer to cover a suicide car bomb attack against African Union peacekeepers in September that killed 21 people, Olad said.

Somali Information Minister Dahir Mohamud Gelle told the BBC that the suicide bomber was disguised as a woman and used a concealed belt bomb in the packed hall. Gelle confirmed that three ministers including Health Minister Qamar Aden, Education Minister Ahmed Abdullahi, and Higher Education Minister Ibrahim Hassan were killed in the attack. The minister of sports and tourism, Suleiman Olad Roble, a former journalist, was also injured in the explosion, according to local journalists.

The graduating students were receiving their diplomas at the Hotel Shamo, which is based in one of the few areas ostensibly controlled by the government in Mogadishu. Benadir University was set up in 2002 to train doctors to replace those who had fled overseas or been killed in the civil war.

Islamic insurgent groups have been battling the government for control of Mogadishu since December 2006. Rebel groups control must of southern and central Somalia, as well as significant portions of the capital.

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CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.

Ethiopian, Somaliland Foreign Ministers Hold Talks on Somaliland Elections

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Ethiopian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Tekeda Alemu held talks here Thursday with the visiting Foreign Minister of Somaliland, Abdulahi Mohamed Duale, on elections to be held in that autonomous region of Somalia.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement issued after the meeting quoted Dr. Tekeda as saying that Ethiopia had given prime attention to maintaining peace and stability in the surrounding Horn of Africa region.

He said in particular the effort to maintain peace and stability in Somaliland should further be strengthened as it was significant to bring about peace and development in the Horn of Africa.

Duale said all parties in Somaliland had agreed to make the upcoming elections free, fair and peaceful. He said preparations were underway to hold the elections.

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Meanwhile, commissioners of the newly established Electoral Board of Somaliland have shared experiences with officials of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia, according to the ministry.

Somaliland is an autonomous region regarded by all countries as being part of the Somali republic while those which call the area the “Republic of Somaliland” consider it to be the successor state of the former British Somaliland protectorate. Despite establishing its own local government within Somalia in 1991, the region’s self-declared independence remains unrecognized by any country or international organization.

Source: NNN-ENA

Somali ministers killed by hotel suicide bomb

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MOGADISHU, 4 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) — At least 19 people have been killed including three government ministers after an explosion ripped through the Shamo Hotel in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, during a graduation ceremony.

A suicide bomber disguised as a woman carried out Thursday’s attack at the hotel during a crowded graduation ceremony for medical students from a local university, Dahir Mohamud Gelle, the Somali information minister, said.

Witnesses said the attack appeared to have targeted government officials.
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It is the deadliest attack to hit Mogadishu for several months. No-one has yet claimed responsibility.

Of the three ministers killed in the blast, one was a woman – Qamar Aden Ali, the health minister. Ibrahim Hassan Adow, the minister for higher education, and Ahmed Abdullahi Wayel, the minister for education, also died.

Also among the dead were two journalists and two professors. At least 50 students were reportedly injured.

Saleban Olad Roble, the Somali sports minister, was also injured in the explosion.

Thursday’s attack is the second time this year members of government have been killed in a suicide bombing.

In June, the national security minister died in a suicide bombing that killed at least 24 people. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for that attack.

Al Jazeera’s Nicole Johnston’s reports.

This package contains images that may disturb or offend some viewers.

Source: Al Jazeera (English)

Events: Attaining Somaliland’s Dream Through Education

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LONDON, 3 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) – The West London Somaliland Community in partnership with SSUK (Somaliland Society UK) and SSE (Somaliland Societies in Europe) is pleased to present the “Attaining Somaliland’s Dream Through Education” event.

This event is to welcome the Vice-chancellors of Somaliland universities who are coming to visit the UK and to learn about the progress as well as the needs and challenges of Somaliland’s higher education. It is also an occasion to discuss and have a lively debate about the role of education in developing and building the Somaliland nation.

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This event is one of series of events and meetings the Somaliland Vice-chancellors will attend to engage British Universities and Higher Education Sector to develop and build working partners with them and Somaliland Diaspora. Somaliland Societies in Europe is co-ordinating the visit and for further details please contact Eid Ali Ahmed: eid_consultancy@yahoo.co.uk

Among the guests are: Professor Suleiman Ahmed Gulaid, Dr Abdisalan Yassin Mohamed, Dr Hussein Bulhan, Dr Saeed Ahmed Hassan, Professor Yusuf Kireh and many more.

Date: Sunday the 13th December 2009

Venue: Dominion Arts & Cultural Centre, 112 The Green, Southall,

UB2 4BQ

Time: Starts at 2pm and finishes at 6pm

For more information please contact West London Somaliland Community office on 0208 848 1180 or 07957758340 / 07984676106

We look forward to welcoming you all on this thought provocative event.

The organizing team

Somali Piracy and Counterfeiting Funding Al Qaeda

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3 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) – Somali marauders operating in the increasingly dangerous waters off East Africa seized a crude oil tanker making a delivery from Saudi Arabia to the United States

The Maran Centaurus was hijacked several hundreds miles off the coast of Somalia on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009. The ship originated in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, destined for an oil delivery in the United States.

The ship’s 28-member crew were taken captive by the Somali pirates, according to the US Defense Department.

The shipping company’s contracted intelligence firm — Lloyd’s List — noted in a statement that the Maran Centaurus is a “very large crude carrier, with a capacity of over 300,000 tons.”

Pirates have increased attacks on vessels off East Africa for the millions of dollars in ransom money. While pirates have successfully hijacked dozens of vessels over the last several years, this attack is believed to be only the second ever on an oil tanker.

Several security experts believe the pirates are helping to fund Al-Qaeda operations in that war-torn region. Meanwhile, on Friday, agents with Somalia’s customs bureau seized more than $1-million worth of fake US notes in Mogadishu’s Adan Adde International airport, authorities told local reporters on Saturday, Nov. 28.

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During a press conference held at the airport, Somalia’s Treasury Minister, Abdulrahman Omar Osman said the fake money was to be smuggled into Somaliland’s capital, Hargeisa, where it was to be used to carry out terrorism attacks.

Somalia’s police spokesman, Dhexe Abdullahi Hassan is quoted as saying that Al Qaeda was the prime suspect and decided to smuggle counterfeit notes after international financial institutions starved the terrorist group of all money supplies.

According to a report obtained by the National Association of Chiefs of Police’s Terrorism Committee, Somali authorities plan to destroy the contraband money.

By Jim Kouri
Source: Huntingtonnews

Meeting between Somaliland Universities and Addis Abeba Cardiac Hospital

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STOCKHOLM, 3 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) — A meeting between Somaliland Universities and Addis Cardiac Hospital has taken place at Grand Hotel, Stockholm Sweden.

Addis Cardiac Hospital was represented by Dr Fikru Maru, the initiator and head of the Hospital. From Somaliland Universities was represented by Dr Hussein A Bulhan, President of Hargeisa University, Dr Saeed Ahmed Hassan, President of Golis University.

At the meeting was also present Mr Eidarus Sh Adan , Somaliland Representative Sweden, who took the initiative for the meeting. Addis Cardiac Hospital is East Africa’s first hospital for cardiovascular diseases and was opened june 2007.

The hospital is a private Company and the result of a co-financed investment by Fikmar Medical, Swedfund, Sweden’s risk capital company specialised in investments in developing countries, Octupus Medical and Patrik Hjalmarsson AB.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) cardiovascular diseases have reached almost epidemic proportions in Africa in recent years and they are now almost as common a cause of death as HIV and AIDS. In Ethiopia and countries in Horn of Africa, many people have died owing to the lack of the necessary facilities for medical treatment.
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The inability to pay to go abroad for treatment is another contributory factor. Dr Hussein A Bulhan informed Dr Maru about the medical education in Somaliland. Mr Bulhan briefed about the Hargeisa University and the need for cooperation with regard to medical education and training.

Dr Maru explained the work of the Cardiac Hospital in Addis and offered to help Somaliland medical student to visit the Cardiac Hospital in Addis for training and practice. Dr Maru is planning to Visit Somaliland in the beginning of next year and he will see what he can do to help Somaliland healthcare with respect to heart diseases and heart operations.

Mr Eidarus Sh Adan told Dr Maru that we are very glad to hear the willingness to help Somaliland with advanced healthcare and it is a very good opportunity for Somaliland medical students to visit Addis and train on Addis Cardiac Hospital which is the only Hospital of its kind in East Africa.

This is an excellent opportunity for knowledge transfer to Africa and Dr. Maru is a good example and role model for Africans in Sweden in terms of knowledge transfer in order to combat poverty and disease in Africa, says Eidarus Sh Adan. The meeting ended in a good spirit.

Dr. Maru and Dr. Bulhan have already set plans for initiating the collaboration between their institutions and to meet in the near future either in Addis Ababa or Hargeisa.

Source: Qarannews

Somalia: Suicide Attack Kills Gov Officials

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MOGADISHU, 3 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) – A powerfull hotel blast has killed atleast  20 people including three top officials from the transitional government of Somalia today in Mogadishu.

The Minister of Culture & Higher Education, Prof. Ibrahim Adow, Minister of Education, Mr. Ahmed Wayel and Minister of Health, Ms. Qamar Aden were among those killed in the deadly hotel bombing. The Minister of Sports, Mr. Suleiman Olad, is part of scores of others wounded in the attack.

The suicide occured in Hotel Shamo during Banadir University graduation ceremony. The suicider wearing explosive strap blew him self after security forces failed to apprehend him.

Most of the dead are believed to be students. Two journalists, a reporter for Radio Shabelle and a cameraman with al-Arabia TV, were also among the dead. The death toll is expected to rise as many of the wounded are in critical situation.

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No group has claimed responsibility for the attack and there is no official statement from the government.

[photo: Local journalist Abdulkadir Ali is assisted after the explosion in Mogadishu, Somalia, 03 Dec 2009/AP]

Somalilandpress

Improving Education in Somaliland – The Case of University of Hargeisa

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HARGEISA, 3 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) – Education generally refers to the knowledge which is provided in Schools, Colleges and Universities, with structured hierarchy of classes, syllabus and grades. Education is not only recognized as fundamental human need, but recognized as basic human right. We need to gain knowledge. We need education to invent and discover, we need education in order to master and surmount the world around us to remove the anonymities of life. We need education to understand not only what is happening around us, but also how it affects us now and in the future. Starving ones mind is worse than starving ones body.

For many years Somaliland people endeavored to realize the implementation of an effective educational system in their home land. That time Somaliland’s education system was in a state of despair and all social infrastructures were ceased during Somaliland’s war for independence. That conflict smashed many schools and learning facilities, and disturbed the education of thousands of children in every region in Somaliland. Avery little proportion of children went to school, sheltering under the shadow of trees and collapsed nude houses.

The young are squatting on plain areas and had no books and used to sit on old tin cans. Today, More than 50 percent of Somaliland’s primary school age children go to school every day, while the majority of Somaliland’s secondary and professional technical schools works in good manner. The citizens of this peaceful country either inside or outside the country contributed more funds that proved to be necessary for the establishment of higher learning institutions such as Hargeisa University, Burao University, Amoud University and Berbera Marine Collage which is now replaced Berbera University. These institutions produced people who led the way forward and greatly contributed the development of their country.

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Though the access to university education has been increasing, the quality of education in many Somaliland universities appears to be on the shrink. Lack of well-trained and motivated lecturers and poor & inappropriate curriculum is among the main reasons explaining this diminishes. It is also clear that it does not provide needed skills for young Somali Landers to compete in an increasingly competitive labor market. Consequently, the likelihood of poorer young people proceeding to secondary and tertiary education is hindered due to the massive challenges and uncertainty they live.

To reach our full potential and lay the foundations for future development of our country, University of Hargeisa was established in the year 2000 for the need of university due to growing number of students graduating from the high schools. The universities objective was to bring up intelligent, educated and far-sighted students who lead the country into global development.

Today, 3000 students at the University both in morning and afternoon shifts. The university has got six main faculties; Business Administration, Economics, Law, Science and Medicine and Islamic studies. The university is also implemented a distance learning program in the field of information Technology (ICT), journalism and other courses. The study goes on annual two semester basis with two vacations in the year. One month in the winter and two months in the summer.

The five batches of students were graduated at 18/8/09 of this year. By that time they have finished a four year period of pleasant studies and they were not fully equipped to hunt their higher education or their careers in the labor market due to the lack of eligible lecturers in the university. There are more than 50 lecturers currently registered at university who mostly lack the crisma and quality to teach knowledge to university students.

The university council which is the highest policy making body of the university nominated Dr: Bulhan and his allied senate to carry out day to day routine work of the university. Students are hoping that this management team will be better than the previous or waiting to hear once like this change as they are witness for many years of mismanagement and corruption. But, to my visit at the university in last week many students claimed that every year the university is getting worse day after day. One of the major problems faced university of Hargeisa is scarcity of professional lecturers.

With regards to my university days, I have to remember that there were lots of panel discussions resting on different area such as, Somaliland Natural Resource Allocation”. This forum was took part by ministries, politicians, educators and also the students of different faculties leaded by the economic section student in the university. It is a sign of improvements that enables us economic students to participate fully to make the university of Hargeisa a place where every one of us can display his/her hidden knowledge and give advise to turn one from the other. What I have down pat during my four years of education is unhappy stories. Going university of Hargeisa is some how learning of your tribe. Every student joins the university because of knowing his enemy.

The people behind this are members of senate, faculty deans and lecturers whom they share with same ethnicity. I write this article with tears in my eyes especially the question of – Where are university student. This question touches me genuinely. Somaliland students were assorted the issue of clannish and no one has the dream of working the unity of his society. . It takes me more time to mention this mournful matter, but the question is how can we save the Somaliland generation so as to have a better future? In my familiarity towards re-framing argument is so little, but those who has experience must look back the impact of our squabbles.

Finally, all stakeholders of these negative activities, particularly management team, dean of faculties and university council must seek ways of making brotherhood to all students in the university instead of putting hostilities between them.

Written by : Farhan Abdi Sulieman (oday)
Hargeisa, Somaliland
oday1999@yahoo.com

World Bank Delegation Arrives in Somaliland.

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Hargeisa, 2 December 2009 (Somalilandpress)- A delegation from the World Bank arrived in Somaliland yesterday on a visit to hold discussions with the Somaliland government on a range of subjects related to the current development projects taking place in the country.

The World Bank delegation was welcomed at Egal International Airport by the Somaliland minister of Agriculture, Mr. Aden Ahmed Elmi, officials from the department of protocol and local World Bank staff.

Speaking to the media at Egal International Airport, the Somaliland Agriculture minister, Mr. Ahmed Elmi, stated that the main focus of the World Bank delegation will be on the funding of several projects designed to develop the agriculture and livestock sector of the Somaliland economy.

The World Bank delegation are expected to hold a series of meetings with various Somaliland departments and agencies, as well as, visiting the cities of Borama, Buroa, Gabiley, Berbera and other parts of the country in the next few days.

In a related event, the Somaliland minister for Livestock, Dr. Idris Ibrahim Abdi was presented with a certificate of recognition by the World Bank delegation for the leadership role played by the department in resolving the Saudi Arabian ban on Somaliland livestock which had been lifted recently.

Dr. Ibrahim Abdi played a key role in the construction of a new animal processing centre in Berbera which has contributed greatly the lifting of the Saudi Arabian ban.

According to sources from the Arabian Peninsula, the recent arrival of Somaliland livestock in the Saudi Arabian markets has been met with a positive response and a steady demand.

Source Qarannews

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