NAIROBI, Aug 01(SomalilandPress) — The UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) said on Friday it was convening a workshop for former Somali senior military officials under the auspices of the Somali Ministry of Defense next week in Washington.
A statement from UNPOS issued in Nairobi said the Aug. 1 to 5 workshop, which follows a preparatory forum held in June, will bring together former high ranking officers from the military, police, custodial and intelligence services for in-depth discussions on both the historical background of the Somali security forces, and on the re-establishment and the strengthening of the capacity of the security sector institutions in Somalia.
“In keeping with the spirit of the Djibouti process, this is an opportunity for the former Somali military leaders to contribute to the rebuilding of their nation,” the UN Special Representative for Somalia Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah said.
Engaging the former leadership of the Somali Forces is expected to enable them to share their institutional memory and know-how with the current leadership.
Hargeisa,Aug 01 (SomalilandPress)-Marriage is one of the precious assets that Allah has bestowed on human. It is a joint venture between two people (man & woman) who live as one; it is not two distinct corporations doing business under the same roof. The importance of marriage is clear to everyone, its building blocks are further and more important than just fulfilling biological needs but it is beyond that. Its horizons lie in peaceful and stable existence of relations and behaviors.
Therefore we want the home to be a haven of love where husband, wife and children live with a sense of security and a feeling of acceptance. With all the school shootings and societal violence outside the home, everyone needs a place in life where they are surrounded by peace and love, hence the home is the best place of emotional safety.
Every one who marries wants that kind of home, but a happy home doesn’t just happen. It is the result of two things:
1. Proper adjustment to each other
2. Incorporating into daily life the principles of marriage outlined by Allah in the Holy Qoran.
Most couples are so head over heels in love that they see only the good parts of their fiancé or fiancée. It doesn’t take much time after the honeymoon -a few days, a few weeks- before the novelty of being married wears off and each partner’s flaws become known. Every human being comes fully equipped with bucketful of weaknesses, though this news may come as a shock to naïve newly weds.
That is why it is so important for married couples to be gentle, patient; kind and self-controlled while adjusting to this new calculus. They must show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Personality conflicts may occur which are weaknesses in one partner that irritate the weakness in the other. Differences between partners also need not to be fatal! No disagreement is a threat to a marriage; it is what a couple does about those disagreements that determine the success or failure of a marriage.
Children are the beauty of the home, therefore both parents must show them kindness and support. It is their responsibility as a couple to raise the child with good manners and behavior. Young couples with children will tell you that children are such a source of enrichment and blessing to them that they couldn’t imagine life without those little ones.
The wife’s attitude toward possession is very important; she can unconsciously drive her husband to overextend himself in an effort to please her. She should avoid comparisons between the home her friend lives or the home her father could provide and the little apartment and frugal conditions under which she starts her marriage. The wife’s patience and joyous acceptance of her husband’s financial capabilities are among the ways she can invest in a long-lasting and happy marriage.
On the other hand your relationship to your spouse’s family is important. You can afford to be considerate and thoughtful of your partner’s parents. After all, they invested many years and thousands of dollars in raising your mate, which means they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Avoid speaking negatively to your partner’s parents, if you feel they are interfering too much in your marriage, let your spouse do the talking, although you should accompany him or her if clarification is needed.
A loving wife should not put her husband into the difficult position of having to choose his loyalties- his wife or his mother. With thoughtfulness and love, the wife can help her husband maintain a relaxed feeling toward his parents and particularly his mother.
Last but not the least, Being willing to do for your partner what you would hope your mate would willingly do for you is the foundation of a great marriage. Young boys and girls who are willing to marry now or the near future must think before they act. Marriage is more than they think; it is something that needs patience and responsibility. The success of every society is presented by the bond between their blocks which is the marriage. A successful marriage leads to successful households which in turn lead to successful community and government.
Ahmed M.Elmi (Shawqi)
Shawqi06@hotmail.com
Hargeisa, Somaliland
BRUSSELS, 1 August 2009 (Somalilandpress) — Northern Cyprus, Western Sahara and Somaliland may not have much in common, but they share the same predicament: all are unrecognized states striving to capture international attention.
Enter Independent Diplomat — freelance diplomats who offer their assistance to such nations-in-waiting. They have scored a notable success helping Kosovo win independence from Serbia — but critics say they can only accomplish so much without involving governments and should not pretend to have more influence than they do.
The nonprofit group, comprised of former diplomats from a variety of nations, stands ready to help would-be governments navigate the complex system of national bureaucracies and international organizations designed to accommodate established nations.
“Very often government or international officials will refuse to talk to our clients, or if they talk to them they’re reluctant to give them the information they need,” said Nicholas Whyte, who heads the Brussels office of the nonprofit group.
“And from our clients’ side, they are often inexperienced in dealing with international bureaucracies precisely because nobody talks to them,” said Whyte, an Irish international affairs expert.
With offices in New York, Washington, London, Brussels and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the organization provides its clients with guidance on how to approach foreign governments or international organizations such as the United Nations or the European Union.
The group played a role in helping Kosovo gain independence from Serbia. The province had been under international rule since the war ended in 1999 until declaring independence last year, and has been recognized by about 60 nations so far.
“We received great assistance from them at a time when we needed it most,” said Ilir Dugolli, Kosovo’s representative to the EU.
Independent Diplomat’s $1.8 million annual budget comes from foundation and government donations, as well as client fees. Clients are charged according to their ability to pay, with the poorest paying only nominal amounts.
The group also counsels established nations on issues where they lack expertise, including advising the Republic of the Marshall Islands on the U.N. climate change process and working with East European countries applying for EU membership.
“We advise would-be countries, but also regular states where we can add our own expertise to theirs, as long as they are democratic countries that respect international law,” said Carne Ross, the group’s founder and director.
He said Independent Diplomat adheres to a strict policy of rejecting clients engaged in armed struggle, such as Hamas in the Gaza Strip or Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers.
“If Robert Mugabe came to us for advice, we wouldn’t help him,” said Ross, a former senior British diplomat.
The organization says it has had significant impact as an intermediary, including arranging a recent meeting between EU officials and the president of Western Sahara’s government-in-exile. The territory was taken over by Morocco 35 years ago, and although a U.N.-negotiated truce in 1991 called for a referendum on its future, this has never been held.
Independent Diplomat “are our true friends,” said Mohamed Abdelaziz, who leads the government-in-exile based in a refugee camp in the Algerian desert.
The self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus requested the group’s assistance in negotiations to reunify the Turkish and Greek parts of the island. Cyprus was split along ethnic lines after the Turkish invasion in 1974, and thousands of Greek as well as Turkish Cypriots fled to the southern part of the island.
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“Turkish Cypriots are institutionally disadvantaged by the policies of the international community, and yet are expected to carry on with the peace process,” Whyte said.
However, Cypriot officials dismissed the group as outsiders with no influence over island policy.
“The Republic of Cyprus was accepted into the European Union in 2004 with full legal sovereignty over the entire territory” of Cyprus, said an official who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with government policy. “That’s certainly not going to change whatever anyone from the outside says or does.”
Robert Cooper, secretary-general of the European Council in Brussels, also questioned the group’s influence.
“Achieving anything in foreign affairs is very difficult for non-governmental groups,” he said. “Some NGOs perform extremely valuable work and are well respected … but in the end nothing is achieved without governments (and) they should not pretend that they have influence when they don’t.”
Still, Richard Dalton, the former British ambassador to Iran, said those involved in the endeavor were “individually capable people” who could make a difference.
“Their philosophy and their code — and the approach that they take — does fill a gap for countries and for movements who don’t have access to the international system,” he said.
International recognition has eluded Somaliland, the self-declared republic in the north of Somalia which has had an effective government for almost two decades, including its own currency and a viable economy.
“International policy has been predicated on shoring up Somalia’s weak and embattled central government rather than supporting the one part of the country that has demonstrated its ability to avoid conflict,” Whyte said.
The organization believes the world’s diplomatic institutions need to be more accessible to such non-state groups, or the price will be more bloodshed.
“Our work helps countries and other political actors avoid conflict by using existing diplomatic channels … as long as they are allowed to,” he said.
Somalilandpress- It is not only the Somaliland where troubles star when there is disagreement among the political factions. We observed dilemmas almost activated around the world when political arguments and disputes became visible. But the most dangerous and uncertain one is if the law enforcement and military are involved the heated political clashes.
Somaliland police and military did a respectable duty when they met the political parties specially the oppositions. This golden and historic opportunity was proved the people of Somaliland who were worried about the situation that the military and police committed and insured for the people who are good citizens, build their country without penny from the world development agency, that they were not a portion of this political drams.
When political parties can not find a solution and solve their dilemma, Military and police have right to keep law and order. Military and Police officers must use their power to keep the peace and security even if that leads to them a military coup. But this takeover must not be used as excuse to become a second dictatorship; it should use only to cure the political disputes, leading the political parties to a free and fair election.
Military can enforce the country a temporary laws which will give the political factions a possibility of negotiation. On the other hand, it will be a lesson to any civilian political party who tries to hold the power forcefully after free and fair election.
It will differentiate between Somaliland and other African nations again and open the road of investment. International investment personal invests only where pillars of the peace are physically powered.
The military are the most fundamental portion of this occasion and they must understand this will be their first constitutional test.
Somaliland had shown the world that it could control its temper. This was not the first election argument happened Somaliland.
There were a difficult times Somaliland faced in the past , so the political parties need to make sure again to handle the situation understandable and more reasonable act as responsible civic political portion or else the law enforcement will take any possible steps to cooling down the temper which can lead military coup possible and necessary
ENG. caaynab
Hargeisa , 29 July 2009 (SomalilandPress)-As the proposed date for elections approaches, tensions here are rising. It is my deepest hope that whatever the outcome, the political situation only moves in a positive direction, though I myself am becoming increasingly uncertain. It’s impossible not to follow the political happenings here. Somaliland is a place that is easy to become attached to, perhaps because the country is so unique and the passion of the local people is perceptible and contagious, or perhaps because it is small and it seems like everyone knows each other. Spend a few months here and I bet you’ll start to call yourself a Somalilander, unless you’re one of the many (among the relatively small population of) foreigners here who do not bother to meet any native Somalis but rather isolate yourself in a compound, only seeing the light of day through an escorted car window. If that’s the case it’s like saying you’ve been to Paris when you never left the airport.
In typical tourist fashion, I finally had the opportunity to visit Laas Geel last week. Laas Geel roughly means “camel watering hold” and it is the site of ancient caves with paintings that date back to approximately 5000 B.C. The site was more impressive than I had imagined. Two carloads of us followed the road towards Berbera until we came to the Laas Geel checkpoint, uncertain if we would be admitted or not. After we picked up a local man who said he knew where to go and proceeded to eat all our biscuits then tried to extort money from us, we arrived near the mouth of the caves dressed in our best dirac and proceeded to walk up the rocky path to truly amazing caves. I was picturing a small handful of paintings scrawled out on a rock, but there were more paintings than one can count, and you could really get a sense of the history and awe of the place. The only people we saw there were nomads who were herding their animals and we were quite out of place in retrospect, with our cameras and bottled waters. Laas Geel and the largely unexplored areas around it have huge potential for historical findings and perhaps for tourism in the future. Just imagine flying into Berbera, scuba diving in the Gulf of Aden, then driving a short hour to Laas Geel, and eventually onward to Hargeisa. Not bad if you ask me.
Apart from that trip, I recently experienced my first concert since I’ve been here and it was a veritable party. We were a crowd of several hundred people, more women than men, and everyone was decked out in their most elegant clothes. It was a strange contrast to the daily life here and at first it was hard for me to get used to seeing the usually very modest, mysterious women I pass on the street with their hair exposed and their hips swaying. The performers were excellent and interacted directly with the crowd, inviting strangers to dance alongside them. My dancing moves were less than stellar; I was always a few beats ahead of the music if I had the courage to move at all. But that didn’t stop me from singing along with a huge grin on my face.
A few days ago I was running short on money so I made a phone call to the States and had my first personal Dahabshiil money transfer experience. I had been to Dahabshiil before to receive local payments, but never to retrieve money sent from abroad. And I thought the non-Somali readers might be interested in the financial system here, as it is quite fascinating to me. Simply put, there are no banks in Somaliland. This of course means that credit cards and checks are simply not recognized, it’s a cash only system. And there are no debit cards or ATMS, so cash only means cash only. Dahabshiil does have an arrangement where they keep your money for you and you can go there to withdrawal it, but there is of course no interest. Dahabshiil is technically a money transfer company, and the closest thing to a bank they have here, but there are no loans, mortgages or credit offered. When I received money from Dahabshiil, the sender went to the local Dahabshiil office in Boston and provided the clerk with his name, ID, and phone number, as well as my name and phone number.
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I immediately received a text message across the ocean in Hargeisa alerting me that there was money waiting for me at the Dahabshiil office. I went there, showed them my text message, told them the name of the sender, and magic! That was that. What’s amazing to me is that it is really a trust system, it is not backed by any sort of federal agency and if they don’t provide you with your money there are no official repercussions. Sure their reputation would suffer, but still I can’t imagine such a system working in other countries I’ve been to. If you want to test the system for yourself, I invite you to send me money any time.
Thank you for reading and best wishes!
__________________________________________________________ Emily will be writing to Somalilandpress.com about her experience in Somaliland and will be offering tips to anyone who may want to visit the unrecognized republic along the way – discover Somaliland from a Non-Somali perspective. This is the second article – It is a great privilege to be here in Hargeisa.
Nairobi, 31 Jul 2009 (Somalilandpress) — The donors congratulate the Somaliland people on the production of a Voter List on 27 July 2009, which is now ready and available. This represents the culmination of enormous effort by the stakeholders and an important opportunity for the Somaliland people.
The donors recognise that the production of the Voter List, as positively evaluated by an independent U.S. company, provides a credible basis for the holding of free and fair elections. The production of the Voter List is mandated by the relevant Somaliland electoral laws and in line with the consensual agreements between the political parties.
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The donors regret the announcement by the chair of the National Electoral Commission on the BBC Somali Service on 28 July 2009 of an intention to hold the presidential elections without the Voter List, which, if carried forward, would represent a significant loss for the Somaliland people – as well as for Somaliland’s democratisation process.
The donors urge all Somaliland stakeholders to draw on the long-standing Somaliland tradition of consensual decision-making and capacity for leadership in order to reconcile any differences and prepare for the holding of credible, free and fair presidential elections.
South Africa (Somalilandpress)- Somaliland is an oasis of peace and democratic country in the troubled area of Horn of Africa, it’s scheduled to host its second presidential elections on 27th September 2009, its neigbours Ethiopia and Djibouti had troubles border relations with Eritrea, but Somaliland remains the success story in Africa
Jamal Ali Hussein recently on business trip in South Africa saw a need to further engage the world about issues relating to Somaliland in social, political and economic sense and in no order of importance, Jamal Ali Hussein former chairperson of Somaliland forum and the CEO of Citibank in Ivory Coast.
In his interview with SABC Africa, Jamal beautifully distinguishes the difference between peaceful Somaliland and war torn Somalia, he further explains to the audience about Somaliland and issues such as the question of recognition, how Somaliland has supported the Somalis who lives inside Somaliland and how Somaliland could be stablising factor in horn of Africa.
Indeed Jamaal’s views (in this interview and the invaluable time we had with him during his visit to South Africa), has certainly changed how I and many other colleagues think of the challenges which we face as a nation in self realization and a nation in transition from a bad history to being a prime example of peace and stability in the horn of Africa. His presence has reminded myself and many Somalilanders in Diaspora that we are indeed a nation in transition and we have so much to do while in overseas and while at home. That is so because we share the common humanity and history and it with such small battles that we are once again in position of strength and hope.
It’s with such interviews, debates, conferences held on Somaliland’s name that the reality of Somaliland is presented clearer to the international community.
Salaam All, To Somalilanders worldwide; The recent announcements made by Congressman Donald Payne regarding the issues involving Somaliland have concerned me so much so that I had to write. I have been further troubled by the current situation in our homeland. I am not a writer as per say but rather a young man with a lot of pride in his belly; pride for his country; pride for his people and proud of his history. Though my age may say that I am not wise enough to comment on these issues and ideas presented below I write this piece out of emotions and feelings I have for the betterment of my people.
Out of concern and frustration and knowing fully my people’s resilience in the toughest of times, I write this piece to outlay my absolute concern regarding the current situation that my countrymen face. Though I live in a far distant land and grown up in a society whose virtues and values highly differ from that which we all experienced back home, I still have so much love for my motherland. By paper I am citizen of Australia but in the deepest of my thoughts I am often confronted by the reality of my world, that I am a Somalilander through and through.
Before anyone misunderstands any of my concerns presented here, I am not a politician nor am I a supporter of any of the political parties in our country. I am a genuine supporter of my motherland, Somaliland. I put the virtues of nationhood before the squabbles of a few self serving characters. Believe me I have a lot of respect for our politicians, but I am often dismayed at their recklessness. I am writing this as a concerned Somalilander and a very concerned one at that. For the past years I have come to the conclusion that all chance of a better, independent Somaliland have evaporated somewhat due to the lack of love and concern for our country by our leaders and people alike. Please don’t misunderstand me and say that I am anti-Somaliland or even that I have no knowledge of our country. As a young educated somalilander it pains me to see my people go into a hole that’s hard to get out of. My analysis is not based on any foreign affairs experience but that of a young man whose entire future is tied with his homeland.
Growing up in a foreign country and always feeling the sense that you are an outcast and not welcomed in the country that you have grown up in, has driven me to search my inner belonging and find that I have a homeland, a very rich and tranquil one at that. Every article I read about my homeland (Somaliland) said something like “Africa’s best kept secret….”. My hopes and aspiration were through the roof; I’ve often argued and debated with other Somalis and Africans telling them that I am from the best land in the entire continent. I love my country more than any other. Some Somali friends call me “reer waqooyi”, I often reply with this very simple gesture that often gets under their skin, “I Prefer Somalilander”. Every new picture of Somaliland on the web fulfils my daily intake of patriotism. My family often comment on my extreme believe and sense of patriotism about my homeland. I try to the best of my ability to protect the image of Somaliland from all its adversaries wherever and whoever they may be.
Somaliland was not born out of the richness of friends but a reality where our foes outnumber our friends. This is further compounded by the belief that the politics of the 60s and 70s will be the way to a brighter day for our small simple nation. Often those who lead our nation are a very self cantered group of leaders and lack the ability to put their personal satisfaction a side and put the needs of our country first and this statement applies to both the current administration and the opposition parties.
The perplexing issue here though is the fact that it often seems that they answer to no one, not even the people who have elected them. Looking at it today Somaliland is standing on delicate ground, as we all argue the little issues our opponents are looking at the big picture and often are a step ahead. While we point the figure at each other our opponents are also pointing the figure at us. I might not have lived in this world as long as some of the leaders of our country but I often confuse the line of which of us are the wiser. Ask yourself this question if today Somalia is a peaceful country how hard will it be for us to get recognised if we can’t work hard enough to get the recognition from the international community today when we have all the reason and the realities that exist in Somalia then how hard is it going to be when Somalia is a peaceful country.
Everywhere I look, at almost everywhere in the globe where Somalilanders reside I see Somalilanders disenfranchised and disorientated by qabilism. We tell the world that tribalism no longer rules the people of Somaliland but I believe that the opposite is true. Today I even notice that in the Diaspora communities we compete with each other so as to
benefit our inner tribal groups rather than thinking of the big picture which is Somaliland.
All the news that has come out of our country in the last year or two has been one of sadness and sorrow especially the last few days. I am often compelled not to read any news from back home for it may ruin my entire day. Lately I have noticed that I read every Somaliland news website, searching for that good news that never arrives. For every failure of our politicians there is an excuse and it seems that our politicians never run out of these excuses. I am often dismayed by our government’s utter disregard for the intellectual ability of our people, but I am not surprised for they do not answer to us the electorate.
Our people have put clan affiliation before the rule of law and good governance. Today we stand at a critical point of juncture where our country has been going backwards for a long, long time. What saddens me is that many of my countrymen base their support of the current regime on their clan affiliation rather than the result of the productivity of our government. To say that the current regime is a lame duck is an understatement, for it seems that we the people expect no results and never question as to why there have been no results.
Lately we must have all felt that any sense of democracy in our homeland has somewhat disappeared and the main culprit, our government; for they have shown such disregard for the rule of law and have often transgressed the tranquillity that our people created. In the past week or two they have shown their utter disrespect for the virtues that many of the fore fathers of our land fought for and shed so much blood. The pain of knowing that the great many that fought for this freedom that we all enjoy and their efforts might be in vain because the leaders of today have no respect for the values and the effort that has gone into giving us this hard earned freedom of ours. Abusing the freedom of the ordinary man has become the common trait of the current president and his ministers. The idea of arresting people whom have done no harm to anyone other than expressing their personal point of view or the fact that they don’t like to praise the president for everything when they clearly know that for eight years he has mismanaged and abused the trust of the people that elected him. He reminds me of a dictator that I have once known.
Many of our father died to give us the freedom that we all enjoy in our country today and that didn’t come easy. While many of the ministers in the current government have placed their families outside of Somaliland and they enjoy the luxuries of life in those foreign countries they call home, they the ministers are abusing the very few rights that many of our compatriots back home have. They have locked up media organisations that have employed great many young professionals who have been the sole bread winners of many Somaliland families. The abuse and misuse of the Somaliland public media organisation (Radio Hargeisa, SLNTV) is wide spread. They have become place where the government propagates its dictatorial messages. I hope that all those employees of these organisations and other Somaliland journalists react to the happenings of the past few weeks and as solidarity stop all media publication until the government steps back from the actions that it has taken in the past few days. We the general public should stand
shoulder to shoulder with those young professional who are being prosecuted for doing their job.
Recently I witness government officials falling over themselves to welcome Marian Mursal to Hargeisa with such fanfare, all because of a song. I ask, are we that desperate? This in no uncertain terms should mean any disrespect towards Marian but it seemed that while we all shook our heads and hips with this great song we forgot many others who have done a lot more for Somaliland. When a fellow Somalilander travelled thousands of miles, across oceans and left his kids and wife for the pride in his homeland and to do something that no other Somalilander ever thought of doing for his beloved country only for us all to push him away. He travelled through many borders and boundaries so as to spread the name of Somaliland across many countries and places that our name has never reached and not even got a thank you for all his efforts, I for one apologize. I sincerely hope that my fellow Somalilanders pick up their sense of duty towards their country and follow your footsteps.
It is surprising to learn our government’s only answer as to why we have not been recognised as yet is to say that it’s coming and when you ask again they tell you it’s getting closer and closer when the reality says otherwise. The failures of our government to appoint people whose expertise is in the field of diplomacy and their understanding of international affairs is very much limited and further request of them to advocate on behalf of Somaliland is an act of treason by the highest of order for that has led to Somaliwayn supporters having bigger balance of influence on foreign diplomats then our own representatives, I ask how can war criminals, thugs, warlords, pirates and their affiliates be more influential than our own government?
Is it me or does it seem like that our foreign policy is almost nonexistent and that no other entity can regarded it worthy enough for it to be interested for the development of our country. It’s troubling to know that the voices of the many anti-Somaliland groups are growing and are often becoming more and more influential in the international community. They are influencing the UN, AU and the Arab world. They are presenting themselves at every opportunity that Somaliland is overed and are there to block it and lately they have achieved to push Somaliland into a corner. Djibouti has become the fore runner of these groups, but what amazes me is how our government puts on parties to celebrate the leader of Djibouti who is the number one financier of these anti-somaliland groups and not to mention an absolute dictator. The fact that he has said no to our day of celebration to take place on the 18th of May in Djibouti when great many other countries have had no problems with this taking place in their locality is a bitter pill to swallow, knowing that great many Somalilanders fought for and died in the effort to get a free independent country called Djibouti. The sad bit in all this is that our government is so naive as to believe that this dictator should be celebrated in our country and many UDUB leaders should be deemed unpatriotic for their support of this dictator who is the ultimate anti-somalilander. Where are all the Somalilanders in Djibouti, Do they have no pride in who they are? Why are our businessmen propping and doing trade in this country? Do we not have any sense of belonging to our motherland?
Yes I am a realist and I do understand that achieving peace in a place where peace is unknown is a great achievement but do we stop there and say that we’ve reached our desired goals and objectives and use peace as a weapon to answer when asked what have we achieved thus far as a government, only to respond peace and peace alone every time. If the current situation in Somaliland continues we will not even have the peace that we often post about. It’s clear to see that president Rayaale and his cohorts don’t understand how much we appreciate our hard earned freedom; for they have not been affected by the forgettable history of afweyne’s dictatorship. The current regime wants us to stay silent while they perpetrate the same misgivings that we experienced with afweyne. I ask what makes Rayaale so powerful as for him and his cronies to abuse the very basic right that we all had under Somaliland constitution; Why is it that we are all staying silent when our journalists are being abused “Miyaanay dad ladhalan” ; Where are all those so called Caaqils who usually jump up and down when someone mistreats their tribe; why are they ignoring the plea of our brothers; why are they so silent of this regime.; is history repeating?.
As the world focuses on other matters like Piracy, terrorism and Darfur Somaliland has been left in a precarious situation that requires urgent attention of our foreign minister. Though my expertise in the field of diplomacy is very much limited I can see the failures of our foreign policy. If we cared at all about our country getting the recognition it seeks we must take a different path to the current one which is doomed to failure. The policy of the current government in attempting to develop foreign relations with other countries has taken a very bad turn. I fear this may lead to permanent damage to the aspirations of our people. We have become the laughing stock of the Somaliwayn supporters. I fear there may be a sinister scheme to derail any hopes and aspiration that my countrymen had of seeing a free democratic Somaliland. It seems that the foreign policy of our country has no direction and requires someone with the ability to think outside the box. The current minister has no vision for the country and the path that we should take to gaining the independence that we seek. He is misguided in his attempts to make the search for independence a UDUB memorandum and not a national consensus, whereby every party and everyone are inclusive.
The only way I see the world listening to us is when we unite as one and lift the banner of Somaliland as one. I have often noticed the characters that are assigned to establish Somaliland’s presence in foreign countries are the supporters of UDUB and often speak as if they are the representatives of that party rather than the spokesmen for our cause, a cause we all believe in. This also applies to our opposition parties as they also practice these acts of stupidity where all our leaders put their political party affiliations before the general consensus that is Somaliland. In the past 7 years the only progress or update offered to the people of Somaliland by our government regarding the issue of recognition has been the simple statement that “Recognition is getting closer”, May I ask for how long will we not question this statement. As I mentioned before it really seems that we the people don’t demand results from our leaders and that may mainly be due to our clan affiliations.
In getting back to the issues that have led me to write this critical analysis of the situation in my motherland, I believe that as a young adult I strive to make a difference in Somaliland and as such I have the duty to protect and behold the cause that is Somaliland; for I am Somaliland and Somaliland is me and it’s the blood that runs through my veins and there is no way of removing it. I stand to defend my home from all its adversaries. Its seems to me while all our politicians and leaders are all cutting off each necks, our enemies are also onto us and are trying to eliminate our existence not only by name “Somaliland” but more importantly our people back home. Yes we can all dismiss this as a non issue like our current government has but that would be at our peril despite what our people have achieved thus far. We need to push back and push back hard.
I ask Allah to guide me and my people and to lift any burdens that may besiege them. Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire. Allah is Sufficient for me, none has the right to be worshipped except Him, upon Him I rely and He is Lord of the exalted throne. Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower.
To Mr. Payne him I would say these few words; We should all show our displeasure about the comments that this congressman made about our country and our people which showed that he is misinformed and misguided. I hope that we all write in to express our personal life stories and how we have been affected by the same people that are advising him today i.e. the ex generals of Somalia.
Where are the Somalilanders in his constituency; why are they silent and finally where are all the Somalilanders in the US. Action speaks lauder than words and in my opinion those Somalilanders who are located in the US should organise themselves and protest in front of his offices and that should show him that these issues and his comments have hurt our people and nation alike. He’ll respond once he sees how he has offended all of us Somalilanders.
We should also approach those other congressmen that are members of the foreign affairs committee and give them the “SOMALILAND101” Lesson.
It seems to me that your words Mr Payne about Somaliland are so misinformed and misguided that the Somali people at large are making a mockery of your comments. It seems that you think that the people that elected you deserve the right to live in a democracy and live in peace, but you cannot afford to give those same virtues to my people in Somaliland because you are misguided in overing those virtues to the terrorists, warlords, pirates and criminals in Somalia and denying it to the people of Somaliland. It amazes me that you, an elected representative of the United States cannot do a bit of googling to educate yourself about the reasons that Somaliland went it alone and decided they want peace, democracy and the rule of law instead of war, piracy, and terrorism. It saddens me to hear your support for terrorist groups in Somalia like the Islamic courts etc and the piracy of Puntland where its well documented that their leaders including the one’s you have met have directly benefited from Piracy. Somaliland said laud and clear in a referendum where 97% of our people decided to go it alone after the genocide of my people committed by the same characters that you advocate for. Our people have spoken.
Somaliwayne is a dead ideology that will never happen again for it has caused so much pain. I ask you to educate yourself about Somaliland and not rely on the words of the terrorists that America tells the world it’s fighting. It’s sad to know that you have no time to visit Hargeisa where peace, democracy and the rule of law is appreciated but you have all the time in the world to negotiate and appreciate the terrorists in Mogadishu and the pirates of Puntland but the saddest thing is the believe that your country America tells the world that its fighting terrorists when it’s clear that you and your advisors Mr. Payne are friends and advocates for these groups. The absolute disrespect that you have shown to the many Somalilanders in your constituent who have willingly voted for you have been left to wonder why the man they have voted for turned against them. Somalilanders have done no harm to anyone other than saying they want to decide their future and that they don’t want terrorists making the decisions for them. They have said no to piracy, they have been at peace for the past 18 years but you have dismissed all that with your comments and your support for some of the factions that are at war in Somalia.
You Mr. Payne have said yes to piracy and yes to terrorism. You as an African American should understand what it means to go through the hardships of being excluded by society and to presume in your comments that innocent Somalilanders should be punished for their believe in free and fair society that believes in democracy and the rule of law is reprehensible to say the least. I hope that you can someday know how hurtful your comments have been.
Hargeisa, 30 July 2009 (Somalilandpress) – AllAfrica Global Media is a multi-media company headquartered in the United States and Africa. Growing rapidly, AllAfrica’s web site logs over six million monthly page views and the company is the largest electronic distributor of African news and information worldwide. Clients include Comtex, Lexis-Nexis, CNN, Reuters Business Briefing, Financial Times Information, CompuServe, Bloomberg and iSyndicate, and for wireless devices, OmniSky and AvantGo. AllAfrica Global Media is highly reputed news company.
AllAfrica was established on 1999, and it earned remarkable trust between the African readers in very short period of time. AllAfrica led many of its readers to realize that good journalism is vital to the health of the democracies in Africa. It tells its readers most of what they know about the world beyond their own experience by going where its audience cannot or will not. It keeps watch on the government and other powerful institutions, exposes wrongdoing and injustice, and shares the endless fascinations of everyday life. AllAfrica reaches the voiceless communities across Africa including women and children.
However, AllAfrica´s sources in Somaliland and Somalia failed to implement the principles of journalism, and provide biased reports that bash countries or groups. AllAfrica Media use the reports by politically motivated Somali News Websites like www.garoweonilne.com (Garowe Online Media) and http://www.shabelle.net (Shabelle Media Network). The reports of such websites don´t respect the values of ethical journalism and are unreliable.
For example, AllAfrica Media republished report by Garowe Online about recent violence between two Somaliland tribes at the border between Somaliland and Ethiopia particularly Ceel-Bardaalle town, where four people were killed by armed bandits. The report can be reached by opening this link: http://allafrica.com/stories/200907150004.html
The report says that fighting took place at Hargiesa Suburbs. This is an attempt to show the world that the Capital of Somaliland is witnessing violence and fighting like Mogadishu, Somalia. The Ceel-Bardaalle town is located 100 Km west of Hargiesa, and is between Gabiley and Awdel Regions. This was politically motivated report by Garowe Online Media.
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Unfortunately, Garowe Online misled AllAfrica many similar issues to downgrade Somaliland’s stability and security. However, both Garowe Online and Shabelle Media are unreliable and biased to many Somali and international news agencies. The owners of aforesaid news websites are from Ex-Italian Somalia and politically motivates against independence of Somaliland. Such behavior undermines the values of journalism.
Garowe Online Media is promoting Puntland as third legitimate government in the former Somalia, and campaigning to determine Puntland as the third administration in future Somali Unity – if that happens again.
Somali Republic was established on 1st July 1960 after British Somaliland and Italian Somalia united. At that time, Puntland was under Italian Somalia, but Garowe Online is running to promote Puntland as third uniting party – if former Somalia unites again – at the expense of Somaliland. We can say Garowe Online Media is an official mouthpiece for Puntland administration led by Pirate President Cabdiraxman Faroole.
Puntland Administration and Garowe Online are campaigning to force AU and World community to accept Puntland as an existing power within former Somalia, and to have good share in next impossible Somali reconciliation process, which will give Puntland equal share to Italian Somalia and Somaliland.
Puntland Administration use piracy, human trafficking and drug smuggle to catch the world attention. However, Puntland’s crocodile tear over piracy catch the interest of US Congressman Mr. Payne. Pirate President was recently invited to US Congress by Mr. Payne, who failed to understand the true color of Faroole. The entire Somali Pirates operate from Puntland; Human Trafficking operates from Puntland; kidnapping foreigners in common in Puntland; Terrorist organizations, like Al-Itahad Al-Islamiya, are active in Puntland; Garowe Online Media don’t even highlight all these illegal activities in Puntland.
Garowe Online Media publishes articles bashing Somaliland and supplies to outside world; Allafrica Media need to reexamine the credibility of their sources inside Somalia including Puntland owned Garowe Online Media and Shabelle Media Network. Allafrica Media need to establish their own offices across peaceful parts of former Somalia.
Garoowe Online Media is highly corrupted, biased and tribal; it supports the policy of Puntland Administration led by father of the Editor of Garowe Online Media Cabdiraxman Faroole – Maxamed Cabdiraxman Faroole is son of Puntland President and one of the major editors in Garowe Online. Another word, Garowe Online Media is the official mouthpiece of Puntland.
Advice to AllAfrica Media
AllAfrica Media shall review the policies of their news sources in Somaliland and Somalia, in order maintain the image of the media in Somaliland and Somalia. What is reality is that news of Garowe Online Media is not reliable because the policies of Puntland Administration influence the news portal. Good journalism is about unbiased reporting and unveiling the realities to the world, and discovering the truth of the stories.
Hargeisa, 30 July 2009 (Somalilandpress) – Somaliland government expelled the representative of Interpeace from country. A group of Somaliland police arrived at Maansoor hotel where the representative was staying and guided him to the airport where he is flown out of the country.
Armed forces have been seen inside and around Maansoor hotel this morning during the operation. Witness says the representative was prevented to have any contact with the media as well as members of the electoral commission.
This comes after the government said opposed the list of the voters proposed by the organization.
