Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Somaliland leaders still smell the British Rule

Somaliland leaders still smell the British Rule, therefore Mr Donal
Payne, they will not sit with other Somalis
By Mohamed A. Mirreh


In an attempt to alleviate the ongoing tragedy in Somalia, Mr. Donald
M. Payne of the United States Congress invited the TFG of Somalia,
Puntland administration and Somaliland administration to a meeting in
Washington on 25th June, 2009. Initially all the three entities
accepted the invitation but only the TFG and Puntland representatives
have attended the meeting, while the Somaliland´s "foreign minister"
being ill-advised by foreign whistle-blowers did not show up in the
meeting, claiming that "Somaliland is an independent country which has
nothing to do with other Somalis".

Following this and during the congressional hearings in Washington DC,
Hon Donald Payne, Chairman of Committee for African Affairs at US
Congress had, bearing in mind that the so-called Somaliland is not sui
generis and its people are not different from other Somalis, stated
the following: If they [Somaliland people] want to be isolated, they
can be assured that I will do all I can to isolate them.

This statement by the congressman, which certainly did not cut ice
with the secessionists, has apparently prompted an outcry among those
who are desperate for secession, to the extent that in an article: to
Awdalnews.com, Hon Donald Payne was likened to a warlord and a
terrorist of Somalia.

In another letter: which has appeared in WardheerNews and other Somali
websites, addressed to Hon Donald Payne, Mr Mohamed Baranbaro, the
author of the letter tried to convince the congressman and his
associates that "Somaliland" deserves an international recognition. If
anything this type of letter is a downright insult to the intelligence
of any learned congressman, like Hon Donald Payne. There is a paucity
of truthfulness in the said letter and its content is basically a
rehash of the secessionist's stereotype and ludicrous claims for a
much sought international recognition.

These types of acts clearly reflect how the "leaders" of one clan in
North-west Somalia want to mislead the international community and get
an international recognition for a pretend state called, Somaliland.
Institutions like the US congress and all other international forum
are privy to the fact that the concept of "Somaliland" is the
invention of some disgruntled "politicians" of one clan among the five
clans in northern Somalia (former British Somaliland), who acting upon
tribal dominance and taking the advantage of the collapse of the
Somali state, unilaterally declared in May 1991, a secession of the
area from Somalia and adopted a former colonial name of Somaliland.

For the last 18 years the secessionists and some hired foreign agents
have been relentlessly campaigning for Somaliland´s recognition and
these often present flimsy justifications as pre-requisite for
recognition. Among these justifications are that Somaliland is
democratic, peaceful and both presidential and parliamentarian
elections were conducted or that all the clans in the former British
Somaliland are identified with the secession. All these,
justifications which are similar to the hackneyed collection of claims
stated by Mohamed Baranbaro do not hold water and a point-by-point
rebuttal to these claims are given below:

Somaliland was an independent nation with internationally delineated
boundaries and was recognized by 34 nations including 5 permanent
members.
This is a lie and I challenge anyone who can produce a single country,
let alone 34 countries or the 5 permanent members of the UN, which
ever recognised Somaliland as an independent state. It is irrational
that any government would have recognised a transient administration
as an independent state, that was only to exist for 4 days (26 June -1
July 1960) and then to disappear for good after joining an
administration from the South to form the unity government of the
Somali Republic. Mr Baranbaro is day-dreaming if he thinks that his
claim is available in the archives of the UN or in the records of the
34 countries, mentioned in his letter.

Somaliland existed before Somalia was granted independence. Once
Somalia achieved independence, Somaliland then initiated a Union with
Somalia for a greater "Somali Republic". There had never been a state
called Somaliland unless one erroneously believes that the then
British Somaliland Protectorate was a separate state and was not an
occupied part of the Somali home by the British colonisers. Also, the
union was not initiated by the North, but it was an aspiration of all
Somalis.

This Union was never legally formed thus never bound Somaliland to perpetuity.
Contrary to this claim and unless Mr Baranbaro is speaking through his
hat, one clan has no solid legal basis to abrogate the act of union
(Atto di Unione) formed and signed by the governments of North and
South in 1960.

Somaliland never relinquished her right to restore her independence at
any point. Somaliland restored her independence in 1991 after 30 years
of the disastrous policies that saw the aerial bombardment of cities,
the massacre of over 50,000 innocent people and the systemic
humiliation of the people of Somaliland.

The writer of this claim, like all the proponents of secession
believes that his clan had solely inherited from the British, all the
territories of the former British Somaliland Protectorate and by
virtue of this, his clan alone decides in an on-and-off mode, when and
how the north-west of Somalia  can be part of Somalia. Again, Mr
Mohamed Baranbaro as usual heaps all the blames to the unity itself or
the South but conveniently ignores that the politicians, both from
North and South were to be blamed. The secessionist´s claim that 50
000 of their people were killed by the former Somali president, Siyad
Bare who was from the South, is exceedingly over the top and even if
this and other fabricated stories were true, these would not justify
for an international recognition to Somaliland, as the said regime
which had army officers both from North and South of Somalia, also
carried out killings in the South and central parts of Somalia. One
must also recall that the people of Sool, Sanag and Cayn of North
Somalia were massacred by their thousands during the Darwish
movements' in1900 – 1921. These massacres were committed by the
British colonisers with the collaboration of Somalis and Ethiopia.
This historical fact is not an invented one, but it is documented and
can be found in the world libraries. From these library records, Mr
Baranbaro can find out who were these Somalis who collaborated with
the British colonisers.

The Somaliland public voted overwhelmingly- on more than one occasion
- to rescind the union. This decision is neither reversible nor open
to negotiation.
This is again a wishful thinking to contemplate that all clans in the
north-west regions of Somalia are behind the secession. The fact that
Somaliland militia occupies in the unionist Sool region and its
capital Lasanod which they invaded in October, 2007 speaks for itself.

Somaliland's case is unique in that the recognition of Somaliland will
not set precedent or infringe upon African Union protocol or
convention. There are no other formerly independent and recognized
nations seeking to exit union or reclaim independence.
There is nothing uniqueness in the secessionist´s cause and simply
put, if Somalia is divisible so is the so-called Somaliland. World
bodies like the UN, AU and all other international organisations know
that if this clan-entity is recognised this will let the genie out of
the bottle, therefore the unity of Somalia is sacred and untouchable.

Somaliland fulfils all requirements for statehood; a) the nation has a
permanent population, b) had been independent once before, c) has a
clearly defined territory.
The secessionists always highlight their fond for the legacy of
British rule and its attributes, like a defined territory, based on
arbitrary boundary and drawn by the British. One has to know that such
boundary was illegal in the first place, and became obsolete once the
internationally recognised boundary of Somalia was in place and, if an
arbitrary boundary was to be counted one has to remember that the
Turks, Egyptians and even the Omanis ruled some parts of the Somali
home and as a result had drawn their respective arbitrary boundaries.
One wonders why unlike other regions of Somalia and of all those
powers who occupied Somalia, the British legacy in Hargeisa is
olfactory and aural – Was there very special bond between the British
colonisers and those who still evocatively remember the British rule?

Mohamed A. Mirreh
Email: mmirreh@hotmail.com

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Somaliland Government Uses WFP Food Aid as a Political Tool

Somaliland Government Uses WFP Food Aid as a Political Tool

26 June 2009 | News
 Hargeisa, Somaliland (Somaliland Globe)The Somaliland government is
using food aid provided by WFP to shape the outcome of the upcoming
presidential election planned for 27 September, sources close to the
presidential palace told The Somaliland Globe.

The government is distributing the food aid in selected urban and
rural areas, in which the ruling party, United Peoples' Democratic
Party known by its Somali acronym UDUB, was losing the strong support
it used to enjoy, in order to woo back the electorate to vote for
UDUB.

The failed rainy season led to a drought situation in the inland
pastoral zones of Somaliland, affecting particularly those who do not
receive remittances from abroad and are dependent solely for their
livelihoods either on livestock or rain-fed agriculture.

The opposition parties are crying foul that the government should not
be distributing food but should "let independent aid agencies feed
people" and the government, in turn, is demonising the opposition as a
bunch of troublemakers, hurling as many accusations as possible, in
hopes that some or all of them will stick, even if they're patently
contradictory.

In a propoganda war like this, the government has always the upper
hand because the opposition parties are deprived of free access to
state TV and radio.

Kulmiye party officials are expected to issue a press statement of
some sort tomorrow.


 Newsdesk

Somaliland Globe

Somaliland: If the Bardaale hostility not distinguished within th...

It's absolutely an orchestrated political flaw, that the Government
couldn't honour the Gurti Jurisdiction ruling on the Disputed Bardaale
land issue between the fighting two clans of Gabiley and Borama. With
president Riyale refusing to sign the International Donors proposed
Elections code of conduct to free and fare elections, his failure also
to use his executive order to enforce the judgement issued by the
Gurti sub-committee on National security over this issue, which has
been ruled for the Gabileh Clan, plus the issue of Ga'an Libax
District, Hargeisa, where, a land dispute is about to detonate between
a member of parliament and some residents of that District, where some
two-hundred of the Police is said to have been dispatched to guard it,
while foreced construction is being erected. All those events, pour
into one issue of security distabilation by the highest authority of
the state, the end product of which is to rule out election and to set
a
 false endangered National Security , to justify an imaginative
extension of Mandate for President, which is not impossible but highly
dangerous to by-pass the degree of fatalities at Mogadishio, because
of anger and Dismay if it's attmpted!!

Mr. Riyale though, aware of the repercussions, seem to be opting for
unbelievably, a game he shall never win. Becuse of his Eight years of
Distructive Polices and nothing done for the People of Somaliland or
the re-construction of the county as Prsident, it's impossible for him
to be given another apportunity to further Distructions. When it comes
to leadership and delegation of Authority, he proved to be incompetant
on the witness of his Vice President at an interview, recently aired
at Hargeisa Cable T/V station, where his excilleny, Sheikh Ahmed
yussuf Yassin, confessed to a corruption that marred every Gov't
Institution at it's highest ranks,which he discribed irreversible and
uncontrollable. This alone is a proof of his failure as head of an
state to be denied  a second term for National Interests.

In the last couple of Months , people at home have been watching a
mass exodus of UDUB  Party ex-supporters, joining other opposition
Parties, Kulmiye in Particular. The president's last visit to the
Eastern Regions , Particularly Burao and it's Districts and Sahel
Region had darkened his hopes for another hat-trick Play to stick to
power!! It's as bright as a sun, in the Middle of the day, this
Administration has done alot of damage at every level of governance,
be it Education, Developement, Finance, Public Service, Information ,
Culture, Health and National pride and deserve not only to be booted
to be subjected to law and made accountable to  several crimes
committed in the name of the law!!

In conclusion, Somaliland is two steps away from anarchy, if the fumes
generating from Bardaale not distinguished within 24 hrs, expect a
hell fire that may engulf the Region, where other external forces will
be lured to join!! It's solely in the Gov't hands to avert this gloomy
 picture
simply by exercising the rule of law and executing, the 5th ruling on
the same President Clan and in-laws. World elites should follow this
issue very closely and should witness this aggression there after.

Dr. Ali A. Mohamed


--
Posted By Samotalis to SAMOTALIS at 7/11/2009 03:25:00 PM

A different Letter to Donald Payne

by Ali H Abdulla
Monday, July 13, 2009

To: Congressman Donald Payne, Chairman

Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health

2310 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, District of Columbia 20515

Dear Mr. Chairman,

Congressman Donald Payne, Chairman  Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health

________________________________

The Somali people everywhere in this world would like to thank you for
your efforts to bring the Somali people together so that they can
extricate themselves from the prolonged sufferings they have endured
for nearly two decades.

The Somali people would also like to congratulate your country on the
recent election of Barack Obama to the white house. Somalis are
delighted that their African American brothers, with the help of their
other fellow Americans, have finally managed to overcome centuries of
injustice and marginalization. Let us hope that the election of
President Obama serves to bring the American people closer than ever
and contribute to a truly integrated society that is well equipped to
tackle the numerous challenges that our world faces today, such as
global warming, the economic meltdown and the numerous conflicts
raging on in many parts of the world.

The United States is a country that brings together people from all
around the globe. African Americans, Asian Americans, Mexican
Americans and White Americans live in harmony, and have managed to
overcome their differences to create the most powerful nation on
earth. Your people have managed to overcome their fears and
prejudices, and they have succeeded in sending a black man to the
white house for the first time in their history, an achievement that
would have been unthinkable in the recent past. This is the result of
patience, perseverance and hope. The dream of Martin Luther King has
finally been realized. Your glorious achievements show that dreams do
come true. As Somalis, we hope that our dream of uniting the Somali
people peacefully will also come true.

The Somali people are one people. They are the most homogeneous people
in Africa and perhaps in the world. They speak the same language,
adhere to the same religion, are endowed with same color, and enjoy
the same physical features. They live in a country that is not bigger
than Texas. Yet, they suffer from disunity and internal conflict.

The nomadic nature of the Somalis have imposed on them over the
centuries a clan structure that has been exploited by the European
colonialists in the 19thcentury to divide them into five areas of
influence against their will. Most Somalis have fought against that
and lost thousands in the process.

After two of the five parts got rid of the colonialists in 1960 and
established a democratic government known as the Republic of Somalia,
the Somali people started the process of nation building.
Unfortunately,Somalia was not immune to the numerous coup d'etats that
afflicted the African continent, and fell prey to the cold war
influences of the time. A military junta took over in 1969 that was
initially welcomed by most Somalis who were tired of the corruptions
of the then democratically elected civilian government.  As hindsight,
it seems that Somalis were hasty in their judgment to support the
junta at the time, just as some fellow Somalis are hasty in their
desire to complete the work started by the colonialists in the19th
century; i.e. to divide Somalia into clan fiefdoms once again.

The division of the Somalis into several countries had contributed a
lot to the current mess in Somalia. When the military junta tried to
re-unite some of the Somali people by force in 1977, the defeated
national army became weakened and started to lose its grip on the
country. Years of latent dissent surfaced, and the ugly clan influence
reared its head again to further weaken the central government that
eventually resorted to heavy-handed tactics in order to suppress
legitimate grievances in many parts of the country.

After losing the national army that held the country together, Somalia
started to disintegrate into clan fiefdoms. Some clans have been more
successful than others in creating good governance in their areas of
influence. Others have fallen prey to warlords, criminal gangs and
religious fundamentalists, and were not given the chance to establish
successful local administrations.

Somaliland is one of the clan fiefdoms that have been successful in
overcoming their sub-clan differences, although all is not well there
also. Religious fundamentalists have sleeper cells in many parts of
Somaliland, and clan rivalry can erupt any time, if disgruntled
politicians choose to play that ugly card when it suits their
self-interests. As I write this letter to you, two clans are at
loggerheads over disputed land not far from the capital of Somaliland,
Hargeisa. Farther East, Somaliland forces illegally occupy a city
whose inhabitants are vehemently opposed to the desire of some groups
in Somaliland to break away from the SomaliRepublic. Opposing forces
are assembling around the city to evict these forces, a process that
can only contribute to the current mess in Somalia.

As a country that unites many ethnic groups, I believe that your
country can play a major role in resolving the intractable problems in
Somalia. Instead of supplying weapons to those fighting each other,
the US can start engaging the different groups in Somalia as an honest
broker. The Somali problem has been left to regional countries for
many years.  Many of these countries have no desire to see a stable
Somalia that they perceive as a threat to their national interests.
Ethiopia and Kenya occupy Somali territories given to them by colonial
powers. They should not be allowed to exploit the current situation in
Somalia to advance their strategic interests at the expense of the
Somali people.

Drought, Poverty, rampant un-employment and scarce resources also
contribute to the instability ofSomalia. Food aid delivered by NGOs
cannot solve these difficult problems. The World Community needs to
pursue innovative strategies to help Somalia overcome these difficult
challenges. Regions that are committed to peace, democracy and the
Federal system in Somalia need to be rewarded for their efforts.

Finally, I would like to convey to you the gratitude of the Somali
people for your gallant efforts to help them overcome their seemingly
endless misery. We all hope that you will follow the example of your
people who dreamt, hoped, persevered and finally overcame difficult
challenges. Please do not give up onSomalia and continue your efforts
to help them overcome their differences. Instead of isolating any
group, we hope that you will engage all groups and bring them around
to the common goal of uniting their country and people in a Federal
system that is characterized by justice, democracy and respect for
human rights.

Sincerely yours,

________________________________
Ali H Abdulla

A concerned Somali

aliegeh@gmail.com

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Pakistan PM Awards a Gold Medal to

Pakistan PM Awards a Gold Medal to Somali Student  


Hiiraan Online
Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Sayid Usuf Raza Gailani awarded a gold medal to a Somali student. The student, named Mr. Yoonis Hasan Hussein (Alifow), was awarded the medal for graduating with highest GPA (4 out of 4) and becoming the first in a class of 90 students graduating with Master of Science in Economics (MSc Economics) at the Collage of Economic Studies at the International Islamic University of Islamabad (IIUI).

The awarding ceremony was well organized and took place at the convention hall of the university.

It is not the first time Mr. Yoonis is awarded a gold medal for academic achievement. In 2008, he received a gold medal from Sahrad University of Science and Information Technology Peshwar (SUIT) by graduating the first in his class for Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA).

At today's ceremony, 2267 students received degrees. Six of those receiving the degrees received PhDs. Prime Minister Raza Gailani awarded gold medals to the 34 students who graduated at the top of their classes.

IIUI University is the third largest university in Pakistan according to the President of the university Dr. Anwar Sidiqi. The university was established in 1985. Students from several countries including Somalia, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Jordan, Kenya, Nigeria, Bosnia and Ghana study at the university.


Monday, July 13, 2009

A Call to Jihad, Answered in America

 
 

Sent to you by Ahmed via Google Reader:

 
 

via NYT > Somalia by By ANDREA ELLIOTT on 11/07/09

The F.B.I. is looking into a group of Somali-Americans who are the focus of what may be the most significant domestic terrorism investigation since Sept. 11.

 
 

Things you can do from here: