Somalilandpress-

This article is dedicated to Ali guled marshal.

mr marshal You’ve left us precious memories, your love will be our guide, You live on through your children, you’re always by our side.
Birth is a beginning
and death a destination
And life is a journey:
we will uphold your values and beliefs and soon your dream  will come true insha allah. my allah rest him his soul in peace and accompany him with the chosen ones in the paradise amiin..dream for a democratic, recognized, developed somaliland run by a transparent government from the people working for the people……..

 

Somaliland: is in the decline stage.

 

In businesses products progresses through sequence of stages from introduction to growth, maturity and decline, these sequences is known as product life cycle and is associated with changes in the market situation.

Similarly Somaliland republic has been undergoing through these stages since it declared its restoration of independence from Somalia in 18 may 1991.

 

          The Introduction stage

In 1991 when Somaliland territory was liberated by SNM after a decade of struggle, the senior elders of Somaliland and the leadership of SNM converged at the town of Bur’o for a grand conference for the northern people and a meeting of a SNM central committee, they were joined by intellectuals, artists, militia commanders, religious leaders, delegates from the Diaspora and business people, who financed the event.

The purpose of the meeting was to consolidate the cessation of hostilities and to discuss the future of the north. After several months of discussion and dialogue, Somaliland elders proclaimed the creation of the independent republic of Somaliland and raised its flag for the first time. SNM was mandated to run the country for a 2 year interim period and Cabdirahman Ahmed Ali, the chairman of SNM was named the first president of Somaliland and Hasan Isse Jama as his vice president.

 

 The SNM interim government inherited a territory devastated by a decade of insurgency and war, it had no revenue, no financial institutions, no social services and no direct international support, the infrastructure was shattered, the country and the towns were littered with land mines and half of the population was displaced living in a refugee camps.

 

Post war reconstruction and state building was to bring many challenges, internal conflict, and disruption of life stock trade after Gulf States placed embargoes on Somali life stock, lack of diplomatic recognition, meager levels of foreign assistance, limited human resources in the government, a fragile infrastructure and thousands of returning refugees. Finally the two year interim period was over and civilian administration was elected in Borame. The first one and half years of the new administration the country was in chaos and civil war broke out in the big cities of Hargaisa and Burco.

            

The growth stage

 After civilian administration was elected, Somaliland started to grow, the gangs and militias were demobilized, basic infrastructure was established, peace and stability was restored through out Somaliland, schools, hospitals, industries and business were launched, national army, police and custodian guards were recruited and shaped, all government institutions became functioning, regional and local administration were named and became functional and the authority was decentralized, people started investing, remittances increased, private businesses become flourishing, new Somaliland currency was printed, a national flag of three colors red, white, and green was adopted, red for the fallen heroes, white for peace, green for prosperity, black star for the dead dream of great Somalia and the shahada for Islam.

 A national constitution was drafted, referendum was made in the majority of Somaliland territory, 97% of Somali Landers voted yes and thus voted for Somaliland’s independence, a reversal of that policy could only be effected by another referendum,  The power was peacefully transferred from the deceased president Igal to his vice Dahir Rayale Kahin. Multi party system was implemented, six organizations have completed the requirements for taking part municipal elections in Somaliland and the first three had the honor to become national parties.

 Local government, presidential and parliamentary elections was held, Somaliland army has reached beyond lascanod, almost all territory of Somaliland is in the control of the government with the exception of Buhodle, Taleex and eastern Sanaag. Unfortunately Somaliland has failed to get international recognition.

 

The Decline stage

Before reaching maturity Somaliland started to decline, since 2005 Somaliland’s reputation graph was leaning down.

Somalilanders are struggling for the basic needs such as food and water, even in the capital, residents has an access for water only few hours in every two days. Government schools has been abandoned, quality teachers has migrated to the private schools, only unprovoked and immoral teachers are available in the government schools, the few fortunate children from the rich families can have access for quality education from private schools.

 

The students, those who are providential enough to have university education, after graduation they don’t have sources for employment, they spent every day looking for employment but they go back homes empty handed, not knowing what to say for their parents, they have been invested so many years and they want to pay it back but how?

 

Our graduates, the future elites are dying in the seas in search for the alleged prosperous life in the west. President Riyale has once said that there is no reason for youth migration.  one time I red a poet by Cabdi Idan from Deelay in which he says:

 

            Islaantii docdeediyo       

Degalkay ku noolayd

          Daruuruhu ku hooreen

          Dadba wada hel moodoo

Daad wararac bay tidhi

 

Corruption is in the highest level; even ministers can publicly say that they are ticks who imbibed enough blood. In early 2007 the editor of hatuf news paper and some other journalists were detained over allegations made against president and his family. The leaders of political organization of Qaran has been arrested, Shura net was intentionally smashed, Hargaisa general hospital has been raided by military, using excessive force such as tanks, the term of Guurti was illegally prolonged by the president and the Guurti it self, later they fully rewarded the president by extending his term for a nother year, despite it was illegal neither of them (the president and the Guurti) has respected the law,

Eastern regions of Somaliland are neglected, there are no development projects, people in sool, sanag and some parts of burco are undergoing serious circumstances.

The president has failed to fulfill his promises to wards those people such as changing burco’s old Somali shilling and supplying pure water for lascanod residents, despite of creation of a special fund for the rehabilitation and development of the abandoned region of sool, by placing an additional 2% on taxes, no one knows where about that money.

In the parliament, the minister of finance was asked where about that money, he replied it is in a secret account which only he knows. Sool is in the hand of Somaliland, but it is clear that no one can occupy a place by force, sool people are loosing faith from Somaliland government,

 

President’s term was again prolonged because voter registration was not completed.

In remarkable days, Somaliland people went to the registration offices to register for voting, brave young men and women mainly from universities led the unprecedented event. Somaliland has succeeded to have a citizenship card for the first time of the history, finally some thing we can be proud of it. Unfortunately the government and the national electoral commission had smashed the only humor that Somali Landers had; the president dropped the registration results, deported Inter piece representative in Somaliland and declared that the country will go elections with out registration. The president has violated the electoral law, the registration law and ignoring the high courts decision which was no elections will be held with out registrations

The opposition parties, the representatives, civil societies, the UN, US and EU have all requested the president to rethink, but as usual he has deaf ears to hear.

The dreadful situation of Ceel bardaale, the arrests of Radio Horyaal journalists, the ban of Hargaisa Cable TV, which is the only Somaliland television that can be watched in Kampla, Uganda, the capture of Mahamed Cabdi SHeekh of HCTV, and the interrogations of cabdiqani xusen baynax of Somaliland press, in addition the latest human rights watch report about Somaliland, all these indicate that Somaliland has derailed the Wright path, and headed to wards decline.   

 

The exit strategy

In businesses when the product is in the decline stage, the options that the company has include: discontinuing the product by liquidating the remaining inventory or selling it to another firm.

My fellow citizens we need to discontinue the life of this shady, corrupt, fraudulent and weedy government. After years of greed and individualism, we need to return to values and behaviors that are respectful of each other and return to valuing the democratic virtues that contribute to the common good of all SomaliLanders.

 

                        Ahmed A Dualeh

                   BBA in Accounting

                   MA candidate in development studies from KIU

                   Kampala, Uganda

                   Samaale33@hotmail.com