Somaliland: It Is Time to View the Horn of Africa Afresh

HABA Press Release

Hargeisa - As many international companies start to reassess their view of possible business opportunities throughout Africa the Horn of Africa Business Association (HABA) is pleased to report increased commercial activity in the Horn of Africa.

A rash of regional developments from the extension of fibre optic connectivity and broadband thanks to the likes of Somcable (www.somcable.com) to the generating of renewable energy by Reykavik Geothermal (www.rg.is) in Ethiopia are helping Africa's terra incognito to be viewed anew.

Recent developments such as the opening of a make-shift British Embassy in Mogadishu, with the Netherlands and EU set to follow suit is indicative of a return to a degree of normality that will help foster further commercial activity.

"Perception and misconception play a very large part in business confidence and it is encouraging that international and Diaspora businesses are eager to learn more about the region and its opportunities. HABA is delighted to see the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) in conjunction with the Department for International (DFID) organising a Somali Business & Investment event in London (8/5/2013). This is a positive initiative that we whole heartedly support and are happy to be part of. Anything that allows foreign investors and the Diaspora to have a better understanding of the real situation on ground has to be a good thing." – Mohamed Ali, Operations Director.

HABA (www.ha-ba.com) as a non-political organisation is committed to helping others realise the enormous economic potential of the region and works assiduously to address the current knowledge deficit.

"Reliable economic data is often in short supply, so as in all business activity there is always a degree of risk. We urge Reykavik Geothermal Reykavik Geothermal companies large and small to endeavour to do their due diligence and constantly work to be culturally sensitive and pragmatic in approach. The Horn is a fascinating region, ripe with potential, with a near unrivalled strategic location. From Berbera to Omdurman there is a wealth of commercial activity that belies the myth that this part of Africa is poor. If you take the HABA region is a whole it is a massive market with approximately 300 million people and rising. Yes there are difficulties, but with our own regional market and sector intelligence HABA's view of things is one of grounded optimism." - Mark T Jones, Executive Director, HABA.

HABA is proud to have been at the forefront of highlighting opportunities in the field of hydro-carbons, but also believes that there is even greater potential in the area of renewable energy, particularly solar. In the coming years it sees a number of sectors proving particularly attractive to both local and foreign investors:

• Agriculture and agro-processing
• Construction and Real Estate
• Fisheries
• Livestock
• Transport & Logistics

All of these sectors should go some way to alleviating the greatest of the region's challenges, that of youth unemployment. HABA believes that with a continued spirit of pragmatism, co-operation and mutual respect attitudes towards the region will continue to change for the better.

HABA works in the following countries: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Somaliland (The Horn of Africa), Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda (The Greater Horn) as well as forging further business links being forged with Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania.

The Story

Our five key areas HABA wants the world to give the Horn Region a look afresh HABA wants the world to give the Horn Region a look afresh of activity are:

• Offering a bespoke specialist business consultancy.
• Garnering and disseminating information about particular markets and sectors in the Horn, the Greater Horn and adjacent regions.
• Raising greater public awareness of the business opportunities in Africa.
• Leveraging on commercial/ trading relations; key relationships with embassies and high commissions internationally as well as with governmental entities throughout the Horn, the Greater Horn and East Africa.
• Providing a dynamic means by which people with a common interest can interact with a view to establishing and developing purposeful business relationships.

For further details visit the HABA website HABA or contact:

Mohamed Ali – Operations Director
E-mail: mohamed@ha-ba.com
Mark T Jones – Executive Director
E-mail: marktjones@ha-ba.com
PRESS RELEASE
Issued 28th April 2013

Somaliland: Government Hosts Two Days Ethio-Somaliland Bilateral Talks

A broad based delegation from Ethiopia is in the country for bilateral talks in Hargeisa starting on Monday 29th April.

The two days talks to be held at Ambassador Hotel in Hargeisa are geared towards not only cementing but enhancing various agreements existing between the two neighbouring countries.
The 14 members of the Ethiopian delegation which arrived in the country both by air and on land consists of representatives from the departments of Foreign affairs, Finance, Transport, Public works, Energy-Electricity, Aviation and commerce.

Also in the delegation are officials from the Jig-jiga town based Somalia Zone five regional administration which is the main conduit between Ethiopia and Somaliland.

The Hargeisa talks are a follow up of earlier ones in the Ethiopian town of Dire-Dawa which was at ministerial level and ensued with the creation of specialized technical committees from the two countries that were mandated with coming up with clear guidelines to guide the relationship between their two countries as per particular areas and or sectors of expertise.

The two countries have maintained a long standing relationship especially in the areas of security, diplomacy and commerce with the landlocked Ethiopia utilizing the port of Berbera for 90% of its imports and exports not to mention that it is one of the few countries to maintain a full diplomatic mission in Hargeisa.

With the expected anticipation that the on-going bilateral talks shall enhance and cement existing bilateral relations various analysts point out that Ethiopia which is the main beneficiary of this relationships needs to act further as concerns Somaliland's quest for recognition.

Gudoonka Baarlamanka Oo Laalay Mooshin Ka Dhan Ahaa Heshiiskii Soomaaliya Iyo Somaliland

Muqdisho - Gudoonka baarlamaanka Soomaaliya ayaa maanta laalay mooshin todobaadkii hore ay soo jeediyeen qaar ka mid ah xildhibaanada Soomaaliya, kuna saabsanaa heshiiskii dowladda Soomaaliya iyo maamulka Somaliland ku gaareen magaalada Ankata ee dalka Turkiga.

Gudoomiye ku-xigeenka labaad ee baarlamaanka Soomaaliya Mahad Cabdalle Cawad ayaa maanta baarlamanka u sheegay in mooshinkaas aan la horkeeni doonin mudnayaasha, howshaasna loo dhaafayo xukuumadda oo weli ku guda jirta.

 

“Mudanayaal nagama sugeysaan in mowshinkii laga keenay heshiiskii dowalda Soomaaliya iyo maamulka Somaliland halkaan looga doodo, shaqadaas waxaa u xilsaaran hay’ada fulinta dowlada ee xukuumada” ayuu yiri Mahada Cabdalle Cawad.

 

Gudoomiye ku-xigeenka labaad ee baarlamaanka Soomaaliya Mahad Cabdalle Cawad ayaa ka doodista arrintaas ku tilmaamay ku xadgudub awoodii baarlamaanka, wuxuuna sheegay inaan gudoonku u arkin mid sharci ah.

 

Mahad Cabadalle Cawad ayaa sheegay in baarlamaanku xaq u leeyahay inuu dalbado in qaar ka mid xubnihii heshiiskaas wax ka saxiixay ay horyimaadaan si ay su’aalo u weydiiyaan.

 

Mudanayaal ka tirsan baarlamaanka Soomaaliya ayaa olole ugu jirey iney gudoonka usoo gudbiyaan mooshin ay ku dalbanayeen in mudanayaasha baarlamaanku ay kaga doodaan heshiiska kasoo baxay shirkii ay magaalada Ankara ku yeesheen madaxda dowlada Soomaaliya iyo Maamulka Soomaaliland.

Somaliland Poet Receives Prestigious Dutch Award

  Somaliland poet and playwright Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame - better known as Hadrawi - with the Prince Claus award.

Abwaan Maxamed Ibraahim Warsame 'Hadraawi'

The Dutch ambassador to Somalia, Mr Joost Reintjes, on Wednesday presented 69 years old renowned

The prize is one of the highest offered by the Netherlands monarchy.

The occasion that took place at the Ambassador Hotel in Hargeysa, the capital of Somaliland, attracted politicians, expatriates, artistic personalities and members of the public.

Mr Reintjes explained that a five-member panel of independent experts from different countries representing a broad range of disciplines select the recipients.

The Prince Claus carries a $25,000 prize.

Ambassador Joost Reintjes who upon congratulating Poet Hadraawi informed of his pleasure to be in the country he first visited when he was twelve years old.

“The committee selected Mr Hadrawi for his contribution to arts,” said the Dutch ambassador before an enthusiastic crowd.

"While the 2012 Principal Award to Argentinian Eloísa Cartonera shall be presented in Holland, I am very happy to be here presenting poet Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame, alias Hadraawi with his Prince Claus 2012 award on behalf of my king" said Amb Reintjes

The government of Somaliland thanked King Claus, the people and government of the Netherlands for the recognition and subsequent award to one of the country's top artist whose poetic acumen is reckoned with by all Somali speakers.

"On behalf of the government and people of Somaliland, I thank and extend our appreciations to the government and people of the Netherlands for the recognition of the works of poet Hadraawi and subsequent Prince Claus award" said education minister Hon Zamzam Abdi Aden

Congratulating poet Hadraawi for his recognition by the Prince Claus fund were many friends and colleagues among them Mr Boobe Yusuf Duale and Poet Hasan Haji Abdilahi "Hasan Ganey", who said the nomination is clear testimony of the impact that the poems of Hadraawi attract.

The awardee Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame Hadraawi who thanked the prince Claus fund for recognizing him and Ambassador Joost Reintjes for conveying the award all the way from Holland said that he shares the recognition with all Somalis.

“In a span of nearly half a century, poet Hadrawi composed more than 200 poems and artworks plus tens of popular plays,” noted one of the participants.

The Prince Claus Fund

The Prince Claus Fund was inaugurated in 1996, named in honor of Prince Claus of The Netherlands. It receives an annual subsidy from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Fund has presented the international Prince Claus Awards annually since 1997 to honor individuals and organizations reflecting a progressive and contemporary approach to the themes of culture and development. Recipients are mainly located in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

The Prince Claus Awards

Nominations

Honorees are determined by a jury of honorary chairmen who are experts from fields relevant to its mission of culture and development.

Criteria

The most important consideration of the jury is the positive effect of a laureate's work on a wider cultural or social field. The Prince Claus Fund interprets culture in a broad sense to encompass all kinds of artistic and intellectual disciplines, science, media and education. Outstanding quality is an essential condition for an award.

Awards presentation

The Principal Award of € 100,000 is presented during a ceremony at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam in December every year. The additional awards of € 25,000 each are presented in the Dutch embassies in the countries where the recipients live in December and January

The Prince Claus Fund's 2012 Principal Award has been granted to Eloísa Cartonera. This Argentinian non-profit publishing house creates handmade books of outstanding aesthetic and literary quality from waste material.

The other 2012 Honorees’ are:

1. Sami Ben Gharbia, Tunisia (1967, Tunis) is an innovative cyber-activist who works mainly through social media.

2. M/s Habiba Djahnine, Algeria is a respected writer and filmmaker whose main focus is documentary cinema directed to an accurate portrayal of Algerian realities.

3. Yasin al Haj Saleh, Syria (1961, Raqqa) is a writer, public intellectual and voice of reasoned analysis in the midst of the current Syrian crisis.

4. M/s Widad Kawar, Jordan

The passion and commitment of collector Widad Kawar (1931, Tulkarem) rescued and preserved important cultural heritage that otherwise would have been lost forever. Her superb collection consists of more than 2,000 examples of the textile artistry of Palestinian, Jordanian, Syrian, Bedouin and other Arab cultures.

5. Teresa Margolles, Mexico

Teresa Margolles (1963, Culiacán, Sinaloa) is a radical and challenging visual artist who examines the social causes and consequences of death through powerful artworks.

6. Boniface Mwangi, Kenya

Boniface Mwangi (1983, Taveta) is a self-taught photojournalist and exemplary photo-activist, determined to reduce violence and build peace through culture.

7. Phare Ponleu Selpak, Cambodia

The active Phare Ponleu Selpak (1994, Battambang) is a far-reaching cultural organization that empowers youth and successfully integrates local traditions with new ideas to uplift, support and enrich post-conflict Cambodia and the Khmer culture.

8. Ian Randle, Jamaica

The pioneering Ian Randle (1940, Hanover) transformed the knowledge production and circulation in the Caribbean through his first local independent publishing house.

9. Maung Thura, alias Zarganar, Burma

The charismatic performer, comedian and social activist Maung Thura (Yangon, 1961), stage name Zarganar ('tweezers'), uses humour as a potent weapon in the struggle against tyranny and injustice.

10. Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame, alias Hadraawi, Somaliland

The profound and beautiful poems of Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame (1943, Togdeer) enrich the centuries-old Somali poetry tradition, build bridges and promote peace.

Source: Agencies Bottom of Form

Somaliland: Foreign Minister Submits letter to the UN Security Council

NEW YORK – As the visiting head of Somaliland President Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo prepares to meet with citizens of his country living in the USA at Chantilly, Virginia, his foreign minister has submitted a letter to the UN Security Council.

In his  letter, the Somaliland foreign minister Dr Mohamed Abdilahi Omar says his country disputes the right of Somalia to establish any "exclusive economic zone" off its coastline; it urges the UN system not to put its Hargeisa offices under a structure based in Mogadishu.

In the Security Council on April 25, UN Department of Political Affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman said the UN welcomes Somalia and Somaliland talking.

Below are the full excerpts of the letter

H.E. Mr. Eugène Richard Gasana President of the UN Security Council
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Rwanda to the UN

1 April 2013

Your Excellency,
 

On 22 March 2013, the Government of the Republic of Somaliland had the honour to welcome to Hargeisa the UN's Technical Assessment Mission (TAM), which was mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 2093 (2013) to consider the implementation of a new UN Mission in the region. I wish to summarize for the benefit of the members of the Security Council the points that my government raised with the UN team.

The past year has been a critical one for the transition in Somalia. My government hopes that under the new leadership that has taken shape in Somalia, our neighbours will see a return to effective governance, and the re-¬‐establishment of peace and stability. At the same time, we urge the international community to continue to support my country, Somaliland, which remains a bulwark of peace and stability in the Horn of Africa. As a flourishing democracy that has engaged in an extensive process of national reconciliation, we also believe that our experience can be of value to our neighbors as they embark on critical state building and peacebuilding tasks.

To ensure that the UN's future engagement in the region is both effective and efficient, it must be guided by the reality that Somaliland is separate from Somalia and has followed a quite different course during the past 21 years since our people re-¬‐asserted the independence that we achieved from the United Kingdom in 1960 as part of the decolonization process. Any UN presence in Somaliland must therefore have specifically tailored priorities and strategies, and must make its decisions regarding our development partnership without prejudice to the politics or interests of the federated regions of Somalia. The UN must respect its stated guiding principle of "do no harm" and make sure that none of its interventions in Somaliland and Somalia undermine the capacity of the Somaliland government to function in the service of the citizens who have democratically endorsed its authority.

In this regard, while we welcome the TAM's assurances of a robust UN presence in Hargeisa headed by a senior official, we believe it would be wrong for the UN's presence in Somaliland to be subsumed under a management structure based in Mogadishu, as is apparently being proposed. The government in Mogadishu is not in a position to advise the UN on Somaliland's development needs and priorities—any UN activities should therefore be managed from Somaliland by the permanent team already envisioned for our country. Not only would this allow Somaliland to benefit directly from the UN's expertise, it would also enable more UN staff to experience at first-¬‐ hand Somaliland's effective approach to peace-¬‐building and democracy— knowledge that is also integral to building sustainable governance in neighbouring Somalia. I would add that my government's ability to protect the security and safety of our citizens and international visitors, including UN staff, is well established.

At the London Conference on Somalia in February 2012, the participants recognized the need for the international community to support a dialogue between Somaliland and the TFG or its successor in order to clarify their future relations. That decision was endorsed by the Istanbul II Conference on 1 June 2012. A first, historic round of talks took place at Chevening House in the UK later that month, and President Silanyo subsequently met President Sheikh Sharif in Dubai on 28 June to ratify what was agreed.

My government believes strongly that this dialogue should resume as soon as practicable and should retain its unique character as a process conducted between governments. The dialogue is very important for the future stability of the Horn of Africa and the wellbeing of its people. In the longer term, it offers the prospect of Somaliland and Somalia reaching agreement about Somaliland's status. But in the near term, the dialogue is an opportunity for us to talk to Somalia about issues of practical concern, such as cooperation on terrorism, piracy, extremism, serious crime, illegal fishing and the dumping of toxic waste at sea, as well as a wide range of economic issues, the resolution of which will benefit both our peoples. We call on the UN, and the wider international community to support the early resumption of the dialogue.

I wish to reiterate, however, that given our people's decision to re-¬‐assert our independence in 1991, it is unacceptable to Somaliland that the new draft Somalia constitution purports to lay claim to our territory. Somaliland emphatically rejects any such claim. For the same reason, we oppose, and will not recognize, any attempt by the Government of Somalia to declare an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which purports to include the waters adjacent to the coast of Somaliland. The Government of Somaliland reserves the right to declare and enforce its own 200-¬‐nautical mile EEZ, and to exercise jurisdiction and sovereign rights within the EEZ in accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Meanwhile, I can confirm that Somaliland will continue to play a significant role in the international community's efforts to maintain peace and security on the Horn of Africa. As an independent and integral force in the fight against piracy, Somaliland will continue to work with UNODC, the EU and the International Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia to develop institutions and policing capabilities for the prevention, prosecution and punishment of acts of piracy up to international standards of human rights. To this end, Somaliland has concluded a bilateral agreement with the Government of the Seychelles over the transfer of convicted pirate prisoners, and changed its own laws to allow it to receive such prisoners. In addition, Somaliland cooperates directly and works jointly with the Governments of the US, UK and Ethiopia, amongst others, in the fight against terrorism, and on the promotion of regional stability. The rapidly changing political dynamics of the region will only increase the burden faced by the Somaliland government in these areas in the near term, meaning that continued international support for safeguarding and strengthening government in Somaliland should remain the objective of the UN and the broader international community.

The Somaliland people are grateful for the contribution made by the UN and donor governments to humanitarian and development assistance in our country over the years. We will continue to contribute to international efforts to build a more peaceful Horn of Africa, including by cooperating with the new Government in Somalia in areas of mutual concern. Such positive engagement will only succeed if the UN and the wider international community acknowledge our unique status and help us to consolidate our achievements. The original Somali state failed because it ignored the interests and wishes of all of its peoples. It would not be in anyone's interests, including those of the government in Mogadishu, to repeat the errors of the past by repudiating the reality of Somaliland's unique status and the reality on the ground, which would only serve to lessen the chances of establishing peace and stability across our region.

Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Dr Mohamed A Omar
Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation
Republic of Somaliland