ADDIS ABABA, (Somalilandpress) — Reporters from Somaliland have been invited to the African Union summit in the Ethiopian capital who have been discussing a range of issues from security and conflict to development.
A total of four reporters from both government and independent media houses joined the 14th ordinary session of the Assembly of the African Union which opened on Sunday built around the theme of ‘information and communication technologies’ in Addis Ababa.
Mohamed Hussein Jama of Geeska Afrika (independent), Abdiweli Farah Jambir, Ogaal news (independent), Abdullahi Ali Sudi, Somaliland National Television ‘TV Qaran’ (government) and Moha Farah Jirde from TV Qaran joined the the 53-member body’s annual meeting with another 528 journalists from around Africa and abroad.
Moha is also the president of Journalists for African Renaissance (JAR), an African Union agency founded by members from Somaliland, Kenya, Botswana, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, with the help of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, a non-profit German political foundation.
The often flamboyant reporter and regular presenter in the state-owned Qaran TV, Moha Farah, who played an important role in convincing African heads of state to invite journalists from Somaliland to the conference thanked the Ethiopian government for their hospitality on behave of all African journalists. Ms Moha also thanked the AU leaders for “allowing the media free access.” She praised Ethiopia’s positive attitude towards free press and urged the international press to refrain from misleading the public via falsely depicted information about Ethiopia’s press freedom.
She has over the years built up a considerable stable of contacts in Addis Ababa, which she says is home to thousands of diplomats, intellectuals and politicians. She emphasised the need for reporters from Somaliland in such gatherings by African leaders, who invited reporters from other continents.
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During the summit, Somaliland reporters met with various leaders from Africa including the leaders of Zambia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, Botswana, Namibia and Ethiopia as well as the current Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki-moon.
Ban Ki-moon joined the African summit at a time when the Senegalese head of state, Abdoulaye Wade was proposing relocating the people of Haiti to Africa based on their African roots and for carrying the “flame of liberation and freedom for the black people.”
Ban Ki-moon on his part thanked the AU leaders for their support for Haiti and briefly touched on their African links.
The earthquake which struck Haiti on 12 January has killed an estimated 170,000 and made over a million people homeless. The emergency relief has attracted an international response including a number of Christian charities in the United States, where at least ten of them have been accused of illegally smuggling out Haiti children out off the country.
This is the first time press from Somaliland have been invited to an African Union summit.
In a related development, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, the Libyan leader is said to have been angered by a number of African head of states who secretly discussed the issue of Somaliland recognition with him. According to Geeska Afrika, Col. Qaddafi told the African leaders he was opposed to dividing Somalia, who he said was a “small state and a member of the African Union and Arab League” and that “the world is changing into 7 or 10 countries”, and Africa is trending in the opposite direction. He argued if Somaliland is recognized, others in Africa will follow such as regions in Sudan (referring to South Sudan) and Congo.
According to an early interview by Geeska Afrika, AU leaders are awaiting a report on Somaliland to be brought in front of the Assembly according to the Namibian Foreign Minister, Mr. Marco Mukoso Hausiku.
Col. El-Qaddafi was both surprised and angered by his sudden replacement by President Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi and many political analysts believe El-Qaddafi never really believed in the so called “African United States” but was his way of denying the self-determination of people like Somaliland.
Somaliland journalists were invited as ‘Somaliland journalists’ and not as ‘Somalia’s’, they rubbed shoulders with the political elites of Africa and beyond bringing home another milestone in Somaliland’s self-determination as the journalists are the gateway to information.
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Somalilandpress, 2 February 2010
I do not think we should give any importance to what Mr. Gaddaafi's said and his remarks, after all he is out of touch for many international affairs. He is the crazy of "Laila" as Arabs say. He is obsessed of power and fame, and he does not know how.
He has been on the heads of Libian people who don't approve him, and we should not dream of him supporting Somaliland. After all, he does not carry any weight. 20 years ago the late Sheikh Yussuf Ali Gurey put him where he belongs, and he might still feeling those harsh words of our hero. Gaddafi told our SNM delegation headed by Sheikh Yussuf that SNM has to join SDF [Mr. Yey's majeerteen group], but he was not expecting our response and tried to put them in jail, but they were smart and left the country before he does it.
Sheikh Yussuf told him that the world believes that you are terroriest, and we are freedom fights who want to liberate their country. I don't give a dam to what he says this.
Somaliland will get what it deserve very soon and he will look down.
Boqoljireh
Somaliland is moving up the ladder, slowly and surely, steady and count your steps Somaliland.
Well done to all the Somaliland journalists, all five of them are real warriors, Ogaal is one of the most active source of information in Somaliland that's widely read, most Somaliland sites online take their information from Ogaal. However, I am surprised until now Ogaal is not online. If you are from Ogaal, know them or affiliated, I suggest you tell them to come online.
We all know Geeska, they are one of the most reliable sources in Somaliland, fair and balanced, critical and powerful, to this day I hear Rayale is looking for a reason to arrest our "Rambo" aka Mohamed Hussein.
I am not a fan of QaranTV, its recycled propaganda from the Rayale camp and I am not fond of old men from the old school of politics, pricisely Siadism (the children of Siad Bare such as Isaias Afewerki of Eritrea, Omar Gelleh of Djibouti, Melez of Ethiopia and Rayale…at one point they all took lessons from Siad Bare.
But I love the energy and confidence of Ms Moha, you go girl!
He is a day dreamer.He thinks he can buy
everything.Even though he spent alot of
money to persuade the African leaders to
give him another term for the chairmanship,
he failed big time and we are relieved.
Somaliland will get their overdue recognition whether he like or not God
willing .
Col. Qaddafi is the biggest hypocrite, I heard in the meeting with the African heads of State regarding Somaliland, he was furious and he praised Maj. General Siad Bare – calling him a "true Somali nationalist who kept the country united".
But let's go back to 1981, Gaddafi was the one who was funding Somali rebels against Siad Bare, to be exact the SDDF (Majertein wing led by Col. Abdullahi Yusuf) and SNM (Sheikh Yusuf), he tried to unit the two by force so they could coordinate their attacks against Siad Bare.
Today he is saying he cares about Somalia, he is the very man who started the Somali civil war along with South Yemen (communist) and Ethiopia.
He is confused old man.
Gangs from the world want to divide my people, Somalia. Unite Somalia, no more divided Somalis.
Saad, it was gangs like you who caused Somalia to fail, you took everything and killed everyone, no go home and dream of the days when you and your ilk had Somalis by the throat and strangled them to death. What a sad person you are
What do you mean Gangs……….? Terrible.
Its a big shame and blatant betrayal of national duty that, at this day and age our press still continue to intoxicate our great Somali People with their false and destructive imagination to succession.
Time and again you have to know and tell the people that Somalia is one and will never be divided for the selfish interest of few barbaric elites who shamelessly feed on the notion of self-determination. More worse, we are bedelved to see our people being made to believe that Ethiopia, or Nambia or Sudan can spearhead their self-determination. THAT IS A BIG LIE DO NOT COMFORT YOURSELF WITH MYRAGES.
Brother we love you, you are ours, and we are yours, You should not welcome approaches by those elements campaighning for the division of Somalia. Inaga isleh, isla dhalanay ee aan tashaano daad kale talo kasugi meysaan.
Lets stand united. Many thanks.
Who is talking the Somali Islamist Al-Shabab, the Hisbul Islam, the Juhma whatever, the pirate, the moryaan, the TFG, the puntlander or the former criminals still daying dreaming about something we created that called Somali Unity that we had given up on 30 years ago?
Speak clear stop hiding behind unity.
Just remember mr Fox, we dont care whatever shirt you wear, you will always be that fox from the south.
You cant even unit two neighborhoods in Mogadishu for God sack what gives you the right to talk about unity? Get real and stop day dreaming.
Somaliland moves on no matter how much they cry.
Thanks for the your thoughtful reply Walaalkey Keyse. Its not suprising that you share the name with my blood brother.Indeed, we are always one and would remain one forever.
I wholeheartedly celebrate with you, while you mention that your homelanders were father's of Somali Unity. This is very true. Let us recall the SYL, Recall SNM mission though hypocratic diverted by clan crusaders, recall the statement of your prime ministers on the eve of independence of Birtish Protectorate of Somaliland, recall the leaders of Pan-Somali Movement. You were spear-heading Somali Unity up until early 1980's. Kindly tel me what went wrong? be subjective in your argument and avoid using vulgar language.
Continues below……….
I do not agree with you on the issue of failing to pacify two conflicting neighbour-hood, your statement tells me more than you intended to give. Are you not a brother of those killing each other, are you not concerned, why do you sound like a foriegner: "Southerners should solve their problem" You cant make peace among yourselves" this are not statement that we expect from our brothers, indeed its a shame that you are list concerned. We are not dreaming as you put it, its our brothers who are dreaming, when you dream of succession while you brother is sick: Its like saying you want you inheritance while you brother is sick.
Lastly, we are proud of Somaliland's achievement, we say move on but do not desert us. Braaaaaaavo Somaliland, You made us proud, remain an example to your brethren.
Thanks again
Mohamed
thanks a million!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING
Well done , Somaliland needs young talented people like the iron lady, Ms Moha, who can sell the cause and open new horizons when it comes to the mission of the recognition seeking of Somaliland.Let us unit the forces and show the world what Somaliland can offer to the international peace.