Somaliland: 28 Human Rights Organizations Support Stance on UNSOM

Say the Nile dam is beneficial to Horn Africa Citizens

By: Yusuf M Hasan

Somalilandsun - The recent government rejection of hosting UNSOM office in Somaliland has received the support of 28 local human rights organizations in the country.

The organizations which also touched on the issues of unethical practices by media houses in the country and support for the Ethiopian Nile dam contested by Egypt addressed their concerns to various stakeholders of the Horn Region like IGAD, EU, UN and AU.

The Horn Watch statement read:

We hereby register our objections to the 22 years political machinations of the UN which are detrimental to the sovereignty of Somaliland. Even though the UN is established to protect rights similar to those of the 4 million Somalilanders, the world body has continuously been a stumbling block to the realization of their dreams and passion for independence.

The UN has persistently turned a blind eye to the security, demobilization, democratization, constitutional making and development the country has garnered without bi-lateral support from the international community.

In lieu of this the Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch Committee hereby informs that a time has come for the people of Somaliland to say NO! NO! To the political machinations of the UN which are geared towards returning Somaliland to the Union with Somalia.

Therefore, we the 28 members of the Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch Committee hereby declare our full support and backing of the decision by the government of Somaliland to reject UNSOM.

The relationship between Somaliland & Ethiopia is sacred

According to the statement by the Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch Committee, the relationship between Somaliland and Ethiopia is sacred and the 28 member organizations fully support the construction of the Great Millennium Dam (aka the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) which is one of the biggest achievements in the entire Horn of Africa Region.

The Private Media Saga

The Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch Committee has taken note with a grave concern the continuous saga between the state and private media that has led to a large number of Journalists detentions and banning of some media houses.

While not supporting the detention of Journalists and banning of media houses, it has come to our notices that the government is justified in undertaking these actions due to the unethical practices of most members of the fourth estate.

According to a recent study by the Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch Committee it has come to light that most of these Journalists are forced to act unethically after receiving bribery for publishing articles, this is as a result of low payment thus search for other avenues for income generations that can cause a breach of the peace which is the preserve of the administration to protect.

A brief example of this, which the Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch Committee chronicled is the continued giving of the title chairman of Hagsoor (Xaqsoor) political party of Hassan Essa Jama, who despite this is no longer holder of the title because Xaqsoor was a political group that failed in the last local council elections of November 2012 thus nonexistent as per the constitution of Somaliland.

In the last few months, private media houses that include TV Stations, Newspapers and Websites have used chairman of Xaqsoor Political Party 150 times which is not only unethical but unconstitutional.

At the same time, the Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch Committee is of the opinion that the local media has not only displayed poor investigative journalism skills but failed in the most important duty which is also the most resourceful, that of interviewing the common man and woman especially on issues pertaining to health, education, culture, Tahrib (illegal immigration) etc.

To this effect, the Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch Committee believed that the despite the various difficulties encountered by journalist they are unethical and the government is justified in a clamp-down.

The Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch Committee believes that to correct this saga is for the implementation of the media law and most specifically the disciplinary aspect of it.

Recommendations

To: Somaliland Government

We ask the government to prosecute the two police officers who attacked the HUBAAL Newspaper and injured an editor.

We suggest that the Ministry of Information put in place legal parameters that govern information disbursement in the country.

We urge senior officials in the Ministry of Information to deter from acting in a nepotistic manner especially as pertains to staff recruitments owing to the fact that this is a very important institution in the country.

We ask the Ministry of Justice to with immediate effect return to work Kayse Ahmed Farah whose employment was curtailed by chairman of the court of appeal.

We ask Minister of Interior to with immediate effect release Mr. Mawliid Adan Omer who is in detention without trial for exposing corrupt practices at the central bank.

TO MEDIA HOUSES AND THEIR WELFARE ASSOCIATIONS

They should avoid acting and Advocacy like NGO)

They should concentrate on developing their Journalist skills, thus avoid confrontations with administration.

To: The International Aid Community and Sponsors of Independent Media

We the Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch Committee have noticed that the International Community and defenders of Independent Media indulgent in to the media saga in the country and complicating it, due to their failure of understanding and grasping the freedom accorded the fourth estate in Somaliland, as opposed to Africa and the developing world.

These defenders should stop condemning the state for the sake of it and concentrate on developing media skills and improving their capacities.

Suleiman Ismail Bolaleh

Chairman of the Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch Committee (HORNWATCH)

Statement condensed by somalilandsun