CAWKE IYO MEHERKII XUSEEN BISAD

International Community is misleading Somaliland

Republic of Somaliland is not breaking away region of Somalia, as the international community see, instead Somaliland declared independence on 26/6/1960 from Britain and more than 30 countries recognizes as new an independent government.

Independent Republic of Somaliland united with Somalia (UN Trusteeship of Somalia) to form Somali Republic on 01/07/1960. A delusional ideology of uniting all Somali-speaking ethnic groups, in horn of Africa, led to such unity due to a political enthusiasm. Somaliland is withdrawing from the above union with Somalia.

On 18th May 1991, the people of Somaliland announce rebirth of Republic of Somaliland, as an independent nation, which is not new as similar separation of nations took place between Pakistan and Bangladesh or Syria and Egypt. Somaliland is withdrawing from failed state of Somalia, while Bangladesh retrieved from an active state Pakistan.

This is a political, not a legal problem. The original charter of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) contains no explicit reference to borders although it does underscore respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states. The second OAU summit in Cairo in 1964 passed a resolution that contained the following language in the preamble: “the borders of African States, on the date of their independence, constitute a tangible reality.” Even more significant for Somaliland, Article 4 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union signed on June 12, 2000, in Lome, Togo, states that the African Union shall function in accordance with the following principle: “respect of borders existing on achievement of independence.” On the basis of its brief independence from June 26 until July 1, 1960, Somaliland meets the definition contained in the resolution passed in Cairo in 1964 and the Constitutive Act of the African Union signed in 2000.

The Mogadishu administration, and its henchmen, claim possibility of people who believe unity with Somalia in Somaliland. In 2001, Somaliland authorities organized, under independent observers from EU and AU, referendum where 97% of the population voted for ‘YES’ for withdrawing from 1960 unity with Somalia. For example, Montenegro gained its independence with only 55.5% in favor of self-determination.

The people of Somaliland reconstructed their country, after Somalia military and air-force destroyed Somaliland’s major cities during 1988 public upraising against Siyad Barre government in Mogadishu, in which more than 50,000 people killed. Somaliland developed a unique and one of the best democracies at horn of Africa, in addition to creation of peaceful Somaliland.

Unfortunately, international community is not willing to listen the freedom voice of the people of Somaliland, although, regional countries and international community are directly dealing Somaliland government but still unwilling to grant diplomatic recognition. In many occasions the world is pressuring Somaliland into another union with the failed state of Somalia, and asked Somaliland to participate in the Reconciliation Conference of Somalia, which the government and people of Somaliland rejected.

In 2013, United Kingdom hosted a conference for Somalians to settle their difference, as a desperate attempt to stabilize Somalia and confront the growing terrorist groups. One of the agreed points was Somalia to open direct dialogue with Somaliland. The current Kulmiye-led government in Somaliland acquired the majority support of Somaliland Parliament, as direct talk with Somalia was forbidden by the constitution of Somaliland except high majority of parliament support.

Somaliland government engaged into direct talks with Somalia, despite public anger, to show to the international community the unreliability of the Somalia government in Mogadishu. The officials in Somalia do not represent the public view, as it is not elected by the people. Always Somalia government makes statements which violate the agreed articles with Somaliland, in order to misinform the public in Mogadishu and avoid the anger of the people.

After Somalia London Conference, the EU led an international campaign to stabilize and install government in Somalia, which finally brought the current regime in Mogadishu to the power.

The international community is sponsoring the entire budget of such shaky government including the salaries of the president and cabinet ministers. The African Union Forces (AMISOM) is protecting the government premises and embassies.

Mogadishu is ghost city and people live in green-zone areas and sound of bullet and explosions are common during night.

International community is forcing Somaliland to discuss its future political stance with Mogadishu administration, which don’t even control the capital and surviving on the payroll of the aid donors and EU. The political fate of Somaliland must not be allied to a government that does not exist practically. The international community has no right to holding diplomatic future of the people of Somaliland back until a failed states stabilizes.

The Somalia government does not meet the criteria of an independent government, as it doesn’t control its territories and cannot decide on its own future without conferring with the foreign stakeholders in Mogadishu.

The international community tried to help Somalia in 1993 through ‘Operations Restore Hope’ which intended to deliver food aid to the drought hit areas in Baay and Bakool regions. Regrettably the warlords in Mogadishu confronted the operation and forced the international forces to retrieve out of Somalia, leaving thousands of people die for starvation.

Somalia is an example of ‘failed state’ due to civil war and lack of central government. The Somalians don’t get the basic services like clean drinking water, public schooling and health services.

Terrorists and pirates are using Somalia as safe-haven to organize their attacks and destabilize the regional countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Somaliland and Djibouti. It is also transit hub for drug smugglers across Africa and to Asia.

Somalia’s geographical location is strategic to international maritime; however, the pirates off the Puntland coast formed threat to the commercial vessels in the international water.

Today Mogadishu is ‘Robin Hood’ City, where the killing and organized crime is very common. Al-Shabab and armed militia control the city during the night, as the capital of Somalia is ‘Ghost City’ and not fit for decent human life.

After 23 years of lawlessness, the international community led by the African Union forces (AMISOM) is trying to restore the law & order in Mogadishu. AMISOM is training former militia and battling Al-Shabab.

Thousands of Somalians are facing devastation in refugee camps in Kenya and Ethiopia. There three generations without proper schooling in Mogadishu, who know how to shoot than using pen.

Instead of challenging all the above difficulties, the Federal Government of Somalia in Mogadishu is giving all its energy on blocking Somaliland from gaining an international diplomatic recognition.

Mogadishu administration is arming and financing terrorist groups inside Somaliland like KHAATUMO to destabilize Somaliland’s far-east regions. KHAATUMO militia leaders plan their attacks against Somaliland in Mogadishu.
Both International community and Mogadishu Administration must know that Somaliland independence is public demand, and neither Somali politicians nor international community can change such decision.

In contrary, Somaliland self-determination will help the international community in destabilizing Mogadishu, using the unique disarmament experience of Somaliland. Somaliland Scouts, British Somaliland military of 1960, was used to restore order in Mogadishu by first Somali President Adan Adde.

The current illegal diplomatic and military activities of Mogadishu administration against Somaliland is like an old Russian joke which says the story of a peasant who requests a genie a wish, the genie offers a wish but says that whatever the peasant gets his neighbor will get doubled. The peasant thinks for a bit and then says “Make me blind in one eye”.

By Abdulaziz Al-Mutairi

Email: az.almutairi@yahoo.com

Transfer Denied: The Hidden Costs of Washington’s War Against al-Shabab

Somali-Americans worry that U.S. efforts to cut the money stream to the African terrorist group could lead to mass starvation back home.

ColUMBUS, Ohio — As a child, Noor Dubow fled war in his homeland of Somalia. Growing up, he fought constantly against hunger while living in a refugee camp in neighboring Kenya. Today, he wears a tie to work, goes to school at night, and lives in a tightknit Somali community in America’s heartland. But Dubow, 29, still struggles with fear — not for himself, but for relatives left behind who are about to be cut off from his financial lifeline.

Since moving to Columbus five years ago, Dubow regularly has sent money to his family through an ever-dwindling number of banks willing to wire funds to private financial firms in Somalia. The last major bank in the United States to do so abruptly stopped this month, worried about prosecution or other liabilities should the money be seized by militants who are ravaging the East African country.

That means Dubow and the thousands of other refugees in Columbus — home to the second-largest Somali population in the United States — have no way to support relatives who wrestle with starvation, illiteracy, and violence.

Some may turn to al-Shabab, the Somali-based militant group, which feeds on desperation as a recruiting tool. That could directly threaten U.S. national security by helping to breed a new generation of terrorists eager to attack American allies across Africa and, potentially, targets within the United States as well.

Others, like Dubow’s 90-year-old grandmother, simply may not survive without the funds he and other Somali immigrants dutifully send back each month.

“If they don’t get this money, some people will die for sure. For sure,” Dubow said.

He says this matter-of-factly, with little emotion. It’s just the latest life-or-death situation he has had to face.

It is a quandary that Washington also is grappling with as U.S. officials weigh the risks of allowing financial streams to remain vulnerable to terrorist groups against policies that, ultimately, could further destabilize Somalia and empower al-Shabab.

Since the 9/11 attacks, U.S. law enforcement has cracked down on the use of bank transfers to fund terrorism abroad. In turn, banks have grown increasingly wary of small and usually local firms that transfer money overseas.

To be clear, the U.S. government has not explicitly prohibited money transfers to Somalia. But banks are spooked at the prospect of violating sanctions — and incurring multibillion-dollar fines — should the funds fall into militants’ hands.

Somalia has been plagued by chaos and lawlessness since the 1991 overthrow of President Mohammed Siad Barre. The country was ranked by the Fund for Peace as the world’s most insecure state for six straight years until last summer, when it was edged out by South Sudan. The United Nations reported in 2014 that nearly82 percent of people in Somalia live in poverty, and life expectancy is 55 years.

Meanwhile, the violence continues: On Thursday, Feb. 26, mortars hit the presidential compound in Mogadishu. And last week, at least 10 people were killed in suicide bombings at a hotel in the capital.

Worryingly, the Islamic State — a relative newcomer to Somalia — claimed responsibility for that attack.

Worryingly, the Islamic State — a relative newcomer to Somalia — claimed responsibility for that attack.

The current Somali president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, is backed by the United States in his effort to restore even a shaky stability to Somalia. But improving the rule of law and banking oversight remain distant aspirations for Mohamud as he tries to pull together a functioning government in Mogadishu while waging a drawn-out war against al-Shabab.

The lack of regulation, combined with corruption, has made Somalia a too risky destination for international bank transfers. Western Union and other big money transmitters refuse to operate in Somalia.

So the diaspora of Somali immigrants — in Ethiopia, Kenya, Britain, Australia, and the United States — relies on smaller money senders to help support their families back home. They include firms like Dahabshil, Kaah Express, and Tawakal, which specialize in getting money to the Horn of Africa.

Across the world, banks’ unwillingness to work with money transmitters has increased costs and caused delays from Pakistan to El Salvador. The specter of unwittingly funding the Islamic State has added to the caution.

This month, Bosnian refugee Ramiz Hodzic was charged in St. Louis with sending almost $9,000 to terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq through Western Union and PayPal. Cases like that often don’t involve a lot of money. But they have increased regulatory scrutiny on money transmitters.

Not since 2008 has there been a bank in Columbus willing to wire money to Somalia. One by one, banks in Seattle, Minneapolis, North Dakota, and elsewhere around the United States stopped the cash transfers until Merchants Bank, based in Carson, California, was the only big bank left. That gave Merchants an 80 percent share of wire transfers to Somalia.

But in a Jan. 27 letter, Merchants Bank informed Somali money-transfer companies that their accounts would be closed because their business was too complex to meet its regulatory burden to “detect potential violations of the law.”

Merchants Bank declined to comment on its decision or on the letter, which was viewed by Foreign Policy.

On one of the few recent nights he is neither working nor studying, Dubow heads to a brightly lit Somali cafe in Columbus. He and his friends play dominoes as they drink gingery sweet Somali tea and eat samosas, a triangular meat-stuffed pastry. But lately, they mostly talk about what they are going to do as the end of the month approaches, helplessly knowing their relatives anxiously expect financial help.

Deeq Farah, a long-haul truck driver who has been in the United States for eight years, wanders up to join the discussion.

“My mom called me a few weeks ago, and she said, ‘I heard the government stopped money transfers — is that true?’ And I said, ‘Yes, it is,’ and she cried,” Farah said, shaking his head.

It is impossible for a bank to guarantee that al-Shabab will never obtain any part of funds sent into Somalia from private wire transfers. The militant group is known to steal from local citizens, impose taxes on humanitarian aid, kidnap victims for ransoms, and otherwise terrorize those who live in the territory the group controls across the country.

“What it really comes down to is, how do you differentiate legitimate small dollar transfers from evil money?”

“What it really comes down to is, how do you differentiate legitimate small dollar transfers from evil money?” said Bert Ely, who runs his own banking consultancy in Washington, D.C. “And the reality is, it’s very hard to do.”

Washington could intervene. Regulators could set up a system of checking on the wire transfers that, if followed, could exempt banks from prosecution or liability.

“They could look at requiring a couple of money remitters to meet a very high standard of due diligence, on both this side and the Somali side, and then give the middleman bank some sort of safe harbor,” said Peter Harrell, who left the State Department as deputy assistant secretary for sanctions in December and is now a fellow at the Center for a New American Security in Washington.

The U.S. government could also create its own link to Somalia by using the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as a middleman to make the wire transfers. But Juan Zarate, a former senior Treasury Department official and counterterrorism expert who oversaw sanctions programs during President George W. Bush’s administration, said using the Fed would make for a difficult and, at best, short-term solution. For one, it would task the Fed with sorting out the good guys from the bad — a risk the U.S. central bank is likely unwilling to take.

Still, Zarate said, “the question of how you mitigate the risk of this is not going to go away.”

“So what is that long-term solution?” Zarate said. “The government has to help figure that out.”

That’s how Somalis in the restaurants, tearooms, and barbershops of Columbus see the problem too.

“We believe the banks didn’t stop the money; the government stopped the money,” said Hassan Omar, the president of the Somali Community Association of Ohio. 

“People believe U.S. foreign policy stopped this money.”

“People believe U.S. foreign policy stopped this money.”

Many refugees here feel they are bound to send money back home to relatives not only out of an emotional duty, but also as part of their purpose for being in the United States in the first place.

Shukri Qalib, 47, and her husband sort mail in a U.S. Postal Service warehouse in Columbus. They have been supporting her parents and five children, who all live in refugee camps in Somalia and Ethiopia, and the couple calls the money-transfer system “life support” for them all. Similarly, retiree Ahmed Ali, 72, sends part of his pension home to Somalia; he says it would be “worthless to be in America while my children are starving.”

The system was at risk even before Merchants Bank stopped the wire transfers this month. With money senders from Virginia to Washington state now closed, agents are driving hundreds of miles, with as much as $100,000 in the trunks of their cars, to deposit the money in the few small banks still willing to wire funds to Somalia.

For the first few weeks of February, some money transmitters tried to find stopgap measures. Ali Farah, a Columbus-based agent with Amal USA, said he was able to operate at 20 percent capacity for a few weeks, sending certified checks to First American Bank, a small bank in Chicago. But First American plans to close his accounts at the end of March.

A few small banks are still willing to transfer limited amounts of money — including one in Minneapolis and one in Atlanta. But agents refuse to identify them, afraid that doing so will lead to their shuttering as well.

On Thursday, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) met with banking regulators and State Department representatives to try to find a way to allow Somalis in America to continue sending money back home without breaking any laws or jeopardizing security, but no solution was reached. More than 25,000 people with Somali ancestry live in Minnesota, which al-Shabab has targeted as a potential breeding ground for new recruits. The militant group also last week launched a new threat against the Mall of America, which is located outside Minneapolis.

In a statement, the Treasury Department said it is aware of “difficulties finding ways to send money to Somalia through the U.S. financial system” and called the lack of regulation in Somalia “a key factor.”

For now, the closed sign is still on the window of the Columbus branch office of Tawakal, which until this month had worked with Merchants to send money to Somalia. Tawakal is one of five closed money transmitters in the Banadir shopping center, an indoor maze of Somali clothing stands, cafes, and a private space in a back corner that is reserved for the five daily calls to prayer.

At a barbershop near the back of the sprawling mall, the lively conversation among the men inside is about how they can no longer send money to Somalia.

“Everybody has a mother, father, brother, sister who depends on this money,” said Sade Guleid as he cut a customer’s hair. He said some Somalis in Columbus are holding out hope that the money transmitters might reopen in a few weeks.

“They can’t think about this stopping for good,” Guleid said. “They can’t even comprehend it.”

First step toward better safety for freelancers

News agencies, press freedom organizations, and advocacy groups came together this month to address mounting concerns over the hiring and safety of freelance journalists.  While dangers to freelancers have always been present, last yearinternational journalists made up nearly a quarter of journalists killed, about double the proportion CPJ has documented in recent years.  The murders of freelancers James Foley, Steven Sotloff, and Kenji Goto by the militant group Islamic State prompted an unprecedented collaboration between stakeholders. CPJ is proud to have helped draft guidelines for a global standard that will protect freelancers whom outlets are increasingly dependent on for stories, especially from hostile environments. "We see this as a first step in a long-term campaign to convince news organizations and journalists to adopt these standards globally. In a time of journalistic peril, news organizations and journalists must work together to protect themselves, their profession, and their vital role in global society," an introduction to the guidelines states. The guidelines have attracted widespread support from international news media and journalist advocacy organizations. More than 30 organizations, including CPJ, have signed on. Prominent signatories include  The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, BBC, GlobalPost, the Frontline Freelance Register, Reuters, Reporters Without Borders, the Rory Peck Trust, and RISC (Reporters Instructed in Saving Colleagues). The guidelines were released at a press conference with CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney at Columbia University on February 12. James Foley's mother, Diane, also attended. "I am so encouraged by this gathering," she said. "It's a huge step."

CPJ mission to Egypt finds bleak press freedom environment "I've been observing the press freedom situation in Egypt for nearly a decade and I have never seen such dismal conditions and such grave threats to independent journalists, said Courtney Radsch, CPJ Advocacy Director, after returning from a mission to Cairo this month. Both she and Middle East and North Africa Program Research Associate Jason Stern found a climate of fear and censorship when they traveled to Egypt to meet with local journalists and government officials. Although the trial of three Al-Jazeera journalists thrust Egypt's press freedom record into the international spotlight, at least nine other journalists remain in jail in the country. In 2014, Egypt was one of the leading jailers of journalists in the world, according to CPJ's prison census. Journalists and press freedom groups told Radsch and Stern that protests have become too dangerous to cover. Those not registered with the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate are particularly at risk because they lack accreditation that can prove they are press and not a participant, they told CPJ. The mission included meetings with several government officials, including Minister of Transitional Justice Ibrahim al-Henaidi. "We want the media to show the world what Egypt is going through," al-Henaidi told CPJ through a translator. "We want thousands of journalists to come cover Egypt."  We do too. So we plan to follow up on the visit with a letter to President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi outlining the few but important commitments officials made to us, including an offer to visit a prison to see the situation for jailed journalists ourselves.

Two journalists freed in Mozambique When Bartholomaeus Grill and Tobjoern Selander were arrested in a Mozambique village on February 16 while reporting a story for German weekly Der Spiegel about poaching, CPJ's Africa team sprang into action. "We worked with one of the journalists, as well as the head of their legal team, and a senior editor at Der Spiegel to try to get the charges dropped," Kerry Paterson, CPJ's Africa program research associate, said. "We brought the incident to the attention of the officials at the Mozambique Embassy in Washington, D.C. and published an alert on the Friday afternoon. We were notified by one of the two journalists on Monday morning that all charges had been dropped, and that aside from some paperwork to complete, they were free to leave." World's cartoonists team up to release I am Charlie Following the January 7 attack on the Paris offices of French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo that left 12 dead, including eight journalists, some of the world's top cartoonists joined forces to produce I am Charlie, a book featuring cartoons in response to the attack. Publications and cartoonists around the world have faced tremendous pressure over decisions to publish Charlie Hebdo covers and cartoons in solidarity with the satirical magazine. All proceeds from the book will go to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The book is available for purchase here.

A letter of thanks for an exiled journalist This month, CPJ received a thank you note from an African journalist who was aided by our Journalist Assistance Programafter being persecuted for their work.  This was one of countless letters of thanks CPJ receives each year from local journalists supported by the Gene Roberts emergency fund, which dispenses grants to journalists in distress worldwide. [The following letter has been edited for clarity and the journalist's name removed for security reasons.] CPJ Members. First of all, I would like to extend my cordial greetings to you and to your workmates. I believe you have made a remarkable contribution to save my life & my family's. I cannot express my feeling based on your support. I would like to mention some points about my problems. My children stopped school. Also they were living without someone to support them. I was living in a bad situation. But our life has changed with your holy gift, our God blesses you more & more. My professional friends, I kindly request you to share my joy. I got big satisfaction with CPJ has done around my life. My dear sister Nicole [Nicole Schilit, CPJ Journalist Assistance Associate] when I was in bad condition, I have seen you beside me, I am very thanking to you & God bless. Thanks to all the people who have helped me. I wish [the best] for all my professional friends. Shalom.

MADAXWAYNE SIILAANYO OO NOQDAY MADAXWAYNIHII UGU HOREEYAY TAARIIKHDA EE HAWEENAY U MAGACAABA WASIIRKA WASAARADA MAALIYADA

wASIIR ZAMZAM CABDI AADAN 

OO NOQOTAY HAWEENAYDI UGU HORAYSAY EE WASIIR KA NOQOTA WASAARADDA MAALIYADDA SOMALILAND

Hargeysa - Isku shaandhayn Golaha Xukuumada Somaliland oo mudo laga sugayay in uu sameeyo Madaxwaynaha Somaliland Mudane Axmed Maxamed Maxamuud 'Siilaanyo' ayaa uu soo saaray habeen hore saqbadhkii, isku shaandhaynata ayaa Madaxwayne Siilaanyo noqday Madaxwaynihii ugu horeeyay ee taariikhda Somaliland haweenay u magacaabay xilka Wasiirka Wasaarada Maaliyada Somaliland, taasi oo ah talaabo ay soo dhaweeyeen haween waynaha Somaliland iyo ururada iyo dadka u dhaqdhaqaaq xuquuqda haweenka iyo dimuquraadiyada Somaliland, kadib markii uu Madaxwayne Siilaanyo u magacaabay Wasiirkii hore ee Wasaaradda Waxbarashada iyo Tacliinta Sare ee Somaliland Marwo Samsam Cabdi Aada in ay noqoto haweenaydii ugu horaysay ee taariikhda Somaliland Wasiir ka noqota Wasaaradda Maaliyadda Somaliland.

Marwo Samsam Cabdi Aadan waa haweenay Aqoonyahanad ah oo Nolosheeda intii badnayd ku qaadatay horumarka iyo dib u dhiska, waxa ay aqoon durugsan u leedahay Maamulka Duwaliga ah oo heerar kala duduwan aya ka soo qabatay 30kii sanadood ee ugu dambeeyay, ilaa ay afartii sanadeed ee ugu dambeeyay soo haystay xilka Wasaaradda Waxbarashada iyo Tacliinta Sare ee Somaliland.

Guud ahaan Dadwaynaha reer Somaliland ayaa ku xasuusan doona dadaalkeedii joogtada ahaa Shaqo badnaanteedii iyo hogaaminteedii maamul ee ay ku hogaaminaysay Wasaarada Waxbarashada iyo Tacliinta Sare oo 4.5 sano ee u dambeeyay iyadoo shaqaalaha waynaha Wasaarada ka dhigtay qaar si wayn isugu xidhan fulinta hawsha ay qaranka ugu xilsaaran tahay wasaaradani. Sidoo kale markii uu madaxwayne Siilaanyo u magacabay Wasiirka Wasaarada Waxbarashada iyo Tacliinta Sare August 2010 waxay ay u hawlgashay isla markaasina geed dheer iyo mid gaabanba u fuushay sidii ay Waxbarashada Aaasaasiga ah ee dalka uga dhigi lahayd lacagla'aan oo waafaqsan waajibaadka dunida xorta ah isla qaadatay.

Shacabka Somaliland oo u badan danyar faqiir ah ayaa soo dhaweeyay talaabada Wasiir Zamzam lacag la'aanta uga dhigtay waxbarashada hoose dhexe ee dalka Waxana shan jeer laabmay tirada ardayda ku biirta waxbarashada hoose ee Somaliand iyo tirada hablaha hela waxbarasho, kadib waxa ay u hawlgasahay iyado ka jawaabaysa korodhka ardayda yar yar ee ku fursad waxbarasho ka heshay nidaamka cusub ee ay waxbarashada aasaasiga ah ee dalka lacag la'aanta uga dhigtay waxa ay Wasiir Zamzam iyadoo kaashanaysa khibradeeda iyo aragnimadeada shaqada ayaa u suurto galiysay in ay dalka miyi iyo magaaloba ka dhisto dugsiyo hoose dhexe iyo sare oo ku soo laban laabay intii dalka ka dhisnayd markii ay qabatay xilka Wasaarada Wasaarada Waxbarashada iyo Tacliinta Sare badhtamihii sanadkii 2010.

Magacaabida Madaxwayne Siilaanyo ee Marwo ZamZam ee xilka Wasiirka Maaliyada ayaa dad badani rumaysan yihiin in ay sababi doonto in Marwo Zamzam horumar muuqda gaadhsiindoonto dhismaha qaab maaliyadeed dalku yeesho oo bulshada Caalamkuna aamini karto, isla markaasina shacabka Somaliland fursad u siin doonto ay kula socdaan sida xukuumadu ugu tagrifasho cashuurta ay dalka ka soo ururiso. 

WASIIRKA DIINTA IYO AWQAAFTA SOMALILAND OO XAARAANTIMEEYAY CUNISTA QAADKA, KANA HADLAY WAXA DIINTU KA QABTO

Sheekh Khaliil Wasiirka Diinta iyo Awqaafta Somaliland 

Hargeysa - Waxaa habeenki xalay lagu qabtay Caasimadda Magaalada Hargaysa kulan lagaga dhawaaqayey Ururka la dagaalanka Mukhaadaaradka oo uu ku jiro Qaadku ( Jaadku ) kaas oo khatar weyn ku haya bulshada dalka.

Kulankan  Oo Ahaa Mid Aad Loo Soo Agaasimay Isla Markaana Ka Qabsoomay Hotel Ambasadoor Ee Maagalada Hargaysa Ayaa Waxaa Ka Soo Qeyb Galay Culimada Kala Duwan Ee Ku Dhaqan Somaliland Dr.Mahamed Cabdi Gaboose ,Saladiin , Aqoon Yahano ,Dhalinyaro ,Siyaasiyiin, Wasiiro, Iyo Haween .

Waxaana Ugu Horen Madasha  Lagu Shaaciyey In Caaawa Lagu Dhawaaqi Doono Urur Ka Shaqeen Doono Sidii Loo Dabar Jari Lahaa Khatarta

Uu Jaadku Ku Hayo Bulshadeena Oo Ah Mid Aan La Soo Koobi Karereen Waxaana  La Shaaciyey Gudoomiyaha Gudidan Isla Markaana Waxaa AY Bulshada Rer Somaliland Ugu Baqeen In Ay La Shaqeeyaan  Si Ay U Gaadhan Hadaf kooda Ah In Dabar  Gooyan Khataraha Kala Duwan Ee Ay Leeyahiin Mukhaadiraaku Kana Midka Yahay Qaaadku .

Ugu Horen Ayaa Waxaa Madasha Ka Hadlay Isla Markaana Si Aad U Faah Faahsan Ugu Hadlay Khatarka Qaadka Iyo Mowqifka Adag Ee Diintena Suuban Ee Islamku Isku Taagtay  Sh.Maxamed Sh.Cumar Diriri Waxaana Uu Sheegay In Diinteena  Suuban Ee Islaamku Ay Meel Adag Iska Taagtay Mukhaadiraadka Isla Markaana Mukhaadiraadka Uu Ka Mid Yahay Qaadku .

Waxaana Uu Sheekhu Cadeeyey In Qaadku Bulshadeena Dhibaatooyin Xoogan Oo Baladhan Uu Ku Yeeshay Hadii Ay Noqoto Xaga Diinta Iyo Dhincada Kale Ee Nolashiisa Waxaana  U  Xusay In Gudidan Ay Aheyd Mid Loo Bahana Buslshada Rer Somaliland Ay La Shaqeeyaaan.

Sidoo Kale Waxaa Isna Madasha Ka Hadlay Dr.Maxamed Cabdi Gaboose Oo Ka Mid Ah  Dhakhaatiirta Somaliland  Ka Hawl  Gala Waxaana Uu Dhakhtarku Si Cilmiyeysan Uga Hadlay Wax Yeelada Uu Qaadku Ku Leeyahay Caafimaadkeena

Waxaana Uu Cod Dheer Ku Sheegay Dr.Maxamed Cabdi Gaboose In Qaadku Uu Ka Mid Yahay Ama Uu Qeyb Laxaad Leh Ka Qaado Cudurada Dadkeena Ku Soo Badanaya Ee Ay Ka Midka Yahiin Faaliga Iyo Waaliadu

Dr.Gaboose Ayaa Waxaa Uu Sidoo Kale Ugu Baaqay Xukuumada Somaliland In AY Moqif Cad Ka Yeelato Sidii Loo  Joojin Laha Khatar Qaadka OO Uu Xusay In AY Tahay Mid Dadka Ku Soo Badaneysa Waxyeeladiisuna Maalinba Maalinta Ka Sii Daynbaysa Ayaa Sii Badaneyso.Culimada Diinta ee Somaliland, Xukuumadda iyo Dhakhaatiirta ayaa si isku mid ah bulshada ugu sawiray dhibaatada Caafimaad, dhaqaale iyo axlaaqeed ee uu ku hayo Cunista Qaadku, waxayna ku taliyeen in meel looga soo wada jeedsado sidii ummada reer Somaliland uga waantoobi lahayd isticmaalkiisa.

Sheekh Maxamed Sheekh Cumar Dirir oo ka mid ah hal-doorka culimada Somaliland iyo Dr. Maxamed Cabdi Gaboose oo ah dhakhtar ku takhasusay cudurrada neerfaha ku dhaca ayaa khudbado ay ka jeediyeen Munaasibad habeen hore lagu daah-furay urur ka shaqeyn doono la dagaalanka Mukhaadaraadka, ayaa iftiimiyey dhibaatada Qaadka, halka Wasiirka Wasaaradda Diinta iyo Awqaafta Somaliland-na uu sanadkii hore sheegay in cunista Qaadku tahay Xaaraan marka la eego sharciga iyo danaha bulshooyinka caalamka.

Sheekh Maxamed Sheekh Cumar Dirir, oo halkaasi ka jeediyay Muxaadaro dheer oo ku taxaluqda dhibaatada uu Qaadku ku hayo bulshada, ayaa xusay in waxyaabaha layaabka leh ee ay ka mid tahay in maalin walba dhaqaale gaadhaya 700.000 doollar lagu cuno qaad isla-markaana loo diro dalka Itoobiya, taasi oo uu sheegay inay ka dhigan tahay in sanadkii Qaad lagu cuno adduun dhan $ 252 Milyan oo dollar.

Sheekha oo arrimahaa ka hadlayaana waxa uu yidhi “Waxaan isku dayey inaan ogaado lacagta maalintii inagaga baxda Qaadka, waxayna maalintii ku dhawaatey ilaa $ 700.000 dollar, sanakiina waa $ 252 Milyan oo dollar, haddii meel kale loola baydho waa lacag samayn karta waddo 1400KM ah”

Sheekh Maxamed Cumar Dirir oo Muxaadaradiisu dheerayd ayaa ku taliyey in shacabku ka waantoobo cunista Qaadka.

Dr. Maxamed Cabdi Gaboose, oo isaguna halkaasi ku faahfaahiyey dhibaatada uu Qaadku u leeyahay caafimaadka ayaa tilmaamay in dhibaatooyinka uu dadka u keenay ay ka mid tahay xannuunada dhanka Dhimirka.

Dr. Gaboose waxa kale oo uu wax ka taataabtey dhibaatada uu Qaadku u geysto jidh dadka cuna, gaar ahaan afka iyo ilaha, sidaa daraadeedna loo baahan yahay in bulshada Somaliland fahamto dhibkiisa isla-markaana ka fogaato

“Qofka Qaadka cuna ee uu maalin walba kordhinayey garaaca wadnihiisa, aakhirka wuxuu yeeshaa Wadne Xanuun. Xididdada ayaa xumaanaya, dhiigga ayaa Xinjaro ku samaysmayaan oo xidhmaya” ayuu yidhi, waxaanu intaa ku daray “Qaadku wuxuu door weyn ku leeyahay xanuunka Faaligga ee dadkeenna aad iyo aadka ugu soo badanaya”

Dhanka kale, Wasiirka Wasaaradda Diinta iyo Awqaafta Somaliland, Sheekh Khaliil Cabdillaahi Axmed, ayaa isagu hore meel adag iska taagay qadiyadda cunista qaadka lagaga wacyi-galinayo bulshada, waxaanu kulan ay wasaaradda shaqadu soo qaban-qaabisay ka sheegay in cunista Qaadku tahay Xaaraan, loona baahan yahay in dadku ka fogaadaan “Balwadda ina ragaadisay ee QAADKA la yidhaahdo xaqiiqadu siday tahay iyo sharciyanba waa Xaaraan oo toban jeer bay Xaaraan tahay, isaga iyo lacagta ka soo baxdaaba waa xaaraan..” ayuu yidhi, waxaanu intaasi ku daray “Culimada Islaamku shirkii ugu dambeeyay ee ay ku qabteen Magaalada Madiina 1402-dii (Taariikhda Hijriga) oo ah ilaa 31 sano ka hor, waxay culimadu wakhtigaa ku dhameeyeen (Isku Raaceen) in QAADKU xaaraan yahay, oo aan loo baahnayn in dadka lagu dhex faadhiyo”

Wasiirku wuxuu sheegay “Go’aamadii shirkaa ka soo baxay waxa ka mid ahaa in dadka Qaadka cuna la xidho, taasina waata keentay in Sucuudigu qofka Qaadka iibiya iyo ka cunaya uu qaarkood dil ku xukumo…”ayuu yidhi.

Opinions: 2016 Elections and the Challenge of Reuniting Fragmented Somalia

By Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud Farole

It is ethically dubious and socially irresponsible to remain silent about the ongoing developments in Mogadishu, events that I believe will not lead us to our desired destination. As a long-standing public servant, prominent contributor to major peace conferences that produced interim governments (1991, 2000, and 2002-2004), and former Puntland President, I feel obliged to draw attention to our present predicament and the perilous direction that is being taken.  Further, I wish to remind the Somali public and the wider international community to the long and arduous process we have undergone to end the transition of the Federal Government of Somalia  (FGS).  

The current stage of nation-state building in Somalia is unnecessarily characterised by political infighting, rampant corruption, constitutional violations, and the controversial sacking of two Prime Ministers within two years. Responsibility for such political misconduct must be given to the political-religious minority dominating the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS). It was this group’s political manipulation that created the parliamentary opposition that compelled the appointed 3rd PM to change the composition of his nominated Ministers twice.

Before squandering more precious time and resources on our current political course, we must ask ourselves three important questions: 1) Is Somalia on the right track to 2016 elections? 2) Can Somalia complete the four-year milestones (2012-2016) set out after the conclusion of the Roadmap Process in 2012?  3) Or will the country end up with an undesirable term extension.

The Somali people are interested in and grateful to the international communities’ efforts, (IGAD and other international bodies), to solve the Somali crisis. A brief account of the outcomes of Somali peace processes since 1991 reveals that federalism was borne out of a consultative process and that it conforms to the Somali people’s decentralised cultural traditions. 

In the early months of the Somali conflict, the first Djibouti Peace Conference (15-21 July 1991) brought together leaders of warring factions, prominent citizens, and former civilian statesmen. It included former President Aden Abdulle Osman, former Speaker Sheikh Mukhtar Mohamed Hussein, former Prime Ministers Abdirizak Haji Hussein and Mohamed Ibrahim Egal, who chaired the conference -- aiming to sign a peace agreement and rebuild a viable state to end rampant bloodshed and form a national government. The 1991 agreement was signed by all rebel factions and former statesmen and witnessed by Presidents of Djibouti, Kenya and Uganda, and diplomats from Italy, U.S.A., China, France, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Germany, and Nigeria. Article 4(c) of the Agreement states: “The [1991 Djibouti] Conference agrees to implement Regional Autonomy system in the country and to write this in the Constitution”[1]. Henceforth, the later adopted federalism in 2012 has its origins in 1991.

The second peace conference was held in Djibouti in 2000, although its main focus was on civil society it had two main shortcomings: Somaliland and Puntland boycotted the conference and it bypassed the warlord factions altogether. In addition, former high-ranking Barre regime officials, who were ambitious to return to a centralised power, hijacked the conference and assumed leadership of the interim government. Consequently, they failed to reinstitute governance as Mogadishu warlords saw them as remnants of the ousted regime.

The third peace conference held in Kenya lasted two consecutive years (2002-2004) but was the most effective in terms of inclusiveness and content of the Transitional Federal Charter (TFC), recognising a decentralised system of government whose basis was laid down in Djibouti in 1991.The recognition of federalism in the charter was a milestone. It was able to bring Puntland state on board, as it could only be part of a federal form of national government according to its constitution. The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) restored the seat of power in Mogadishu (Villa Somalia) in 2007, but the Islamic Courts factions, and hard-line terrorist elements within them, engaged in military conflict against the TFG.

In 2008, TFG political engagement with an Islamic Courts faction led by Sharif Sheikh Ahmed produced the Djibouti Agreement, this led to his election with an extra two year mandate as a result of doubling Federal Parliament from 275 MPs (of 2004) to 550 MPs in January 2009; 275 of which were unilaterally nominated by Sharif in Djibouti with the assistance of then head of U.N Political Office for Somalia, Ahmedow Oul Abdullah.  

With Sharif’s election, Somalia entered a new era under the leadership of small ideological sects whose views were out of step with the general public. President Sharif, similar to his successor and current President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, resisted tenaciously against federalisation of Somalia. In June 2012, for example, he stunned Roadmap Signatories and international diplomats present at the historical signing ceremony of Provisional Federal Constitution (PFC) in Nairobi, by announcing that there was “another constitution”. Nonetheless, he signed PFC among other Roadmap stakeholders after he was scorned for his political intransigence.

Sharif and his successor President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud share the common view of governing the country without respecting its existing laws. A national President is expected to work in partnership with the existing administrations to promote federal unity. Alas, their core ideological views contradict devolution of power and principles of national reconciliation.

Case in point, at a meeting in Nairobi on 4 August 2012 between former U.S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Roadmap Signatories, Sharif publicly opposed the formation of Jubaland State. Likewise, his successor President Hassan did everything in his power to undermine formation of Jubaland and Southwest States. Later, during a visit to Puntland in April 2013, President Hassan speaking at an honorary ceremony told a large public audience: “I was against the Federal Constitution process in the past, but now I was elected with it”. They also manipulated Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamea (ASWJ) a moderate religious group fighting against terrorists in central Somalia.

Reuniting a fragmented Somalia requires adherence to the constitutional framework that its people adopted, but the last two presidents have disregarded this aspiration. It has been evidenced that over 30 articles of Provisional Federal Constitution were illegally tampered with, including important provisions relating to the Upper House of Federal Parliament (which was supposed to be established and voted in the 2012 presidential election) and defining the status of the federal capital. It is worth noting former Constitution Minister and current MP Abdirahman Hosh Jibril and speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari were respectively responsible for signing, stamping, and distributing the tampered version of the constitution to the MPs on the 7th of September, 2012.

It does not seem the remaining tasks can be completed within the coming 18 months. Firstly, we are not on the right track for 2016 goals as much valuable time was lost in the attempts to obstruct the formation of states. Secondly, it is not possible to hold one-man one-vote elections in 2016 in the absence of a conducive environment such as, adequate security, further progress in reconciliation, ability to conduct population census, and provision of adequate financial and logistical capabilities, etc.  Lastly, the problem will only be heightened if term extension would be granted to the political-religious minority dominating the Somali Federal Government. In this last scenario the country would remain entangled in the vicious cycle of political instability experienced for the last 25 years.  

As things stand, it is crucial that the Provisional Federal Constitution be reviewed by responsible, broadly minded federalist elements with wider knowledge of Somali traditional culture, strictly following the provisions of its Chapter 15.  As agreed upon in Garowe Principles, the divisive 4.5 clan formula is limited only to this term. Therefore, the next parliament must be at a constituency level and should be based on a broad community selection.

Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud (Farole), a prominent contributor to major peace conferences, a long-standing public servant and a former President of Puntland State of Somalia (2009-2013).

[1] “Shirku wuxuu go’aansaday in dalka looga dhaqmo ismaamul goboleed dastuurkana lagu qoro.” See Djibouti Agreement, July 21, 1991.

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Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud (Farole), a prominent contributor to major peace conferences, a long-standing public servant and a former President of Puntland State of Somalia (2009-2013).

Source: garoweonline.com

EU Border Chief: Record Flow of Migrants Likely in 2015 - Sierra Leone Times

WARSAW - A record number of migrants look set to flow into Europe this year, with human traffickers becoming increasingly aggressive as they take advantage of chaos in Africa and the Middle East, the EU borders chief said.



Many asylum seekers and illegal immigrants are reaching Europe via the Mediterranean Sea, with hundreds dying during the perilous crossing, said Fabrice Leggeri, executive director of Frontex, the European Union's border cooperation agency.



Libya's plunge into anarchy has created an ideal environment for traffickers, who pack people fleeing war and poverty in the Arab world and sub-Saharan African onto rickety boats that set sail for Europe - mainly aiming for nearby Italy.



In an interview at the Warsaw headquarters of Frontex, Leggeri said the numbers since Jan. 1 of what his agency terms "irregular crossings" into Europe at all border points was the highest ever recorded.

An official put the number at more than 5,600, despite winter storms and cold that normally deter the human smugglers.



Asked if that meant 2015 would be a record year, Leggeri said, "Yes, if the current trend is confirmed."



In 2014, there were approximately 300,000 irregular crossings into the European Union, with U.N. data showing at least 218,000 people entering via the Mediterranean. The other major route for migrants was overland from the Middle East into the western Balkans and into the EU, officials said.



"There are obvious reasons: because of the geo-political situation in Syria and the Middle East, because in Libya one can say there is a failed state and there is no government able to have effective control of the territory, which makes it easier for organized crime to flourish there."



Leggeri said traffickers were becoming more aggressive.



In one case this month, smugglers pulled out guns to threaten an Italian coastguard crew which was trying to tow a wooden vessel filled with migrants into port. The traffickers, he said, wanted the boat back so they could use it again.



Frontex is in charge of an EU coastguard mission patrolling the Mediterranean, dubbed Operation Triton, which started work last November just as Italy wound down a much larger program, Mare Nostrum, that rescued more than 100,000 migrants in 2014.



The Mediterranean crossing claimed an estimated 3,300 lives last year, and earlier this month more than 300 people are believed to have died after leaving Libya in inflatable rafts.



The United Nation's refugee agency, UNHCR, says Operation Triton is woefully inadequate, and urged Europe to take a new approach.



Leggeri said Operation Triton, which had been planned to run only until the end of January, would now carry on throughout the year, adding that it had already helped save up to 9,000 people.



The International Organization for Migration said on Tuesday that some 3,800 migrants had been rescued from the Mediterranean since last Friday alone.



Leggeri said he had put out a call to EU member states to provide the vessels and aircraft needed to keep the operation going. Frontex has no operational resources of its own.



Triton currently employs nine boats and two aircraft.



"We have to get ready and when I say 'we' it's Frontex but also the member states," he said. "We have to be prepared to face a very difficult year."



EU Border Chief: Record Flow of Migrants Likely in 2015 - Sierra Leone Times