Hargeysa, Somaliland, November 5, 2005 (SL Times) – The Somaliland Times has learnt ‎that Somaliland's first family was behind the recent decision of the minister of Planning, ‎Ahmed Haji Dahir Elmi, to expel the EU's liaison officer in Hargeysa, Mr. Ahmed Mohamed ‎Mahmud (Ahmed Washington).‎

On October 28, 2005, the EU's office in Hargeysa received a letter by the Planning minister ‎stating that the liaison officer was no longer welcome in Somaliland and should leave the ‎country within 24 hours.‎

By the time the EU office had been notified of the expulsion, Mr. Mahmud was already in ‎Nairobi.‎ According to the Planning minister, Ahmed Haji Dahir Elmi, the EU's liaison officer, Ahmed ‎Mohamed Mahmud, was declared persona-non-grata on claims that he was meddling in the ‎country's internal politics and involved in acts against the sovereignty of the Somaliland ‎state.‎

However according to several highly reliable sources, Mr. Mahmud was a victim of personal ‎vendetta after he declined to succumb to demands for favors that were put to him by very ‎close friends of the first family.‎

The sources confirmed that the EU's liaison officer became the target of harassment ‎through the internet and mobile telephone calls following his refusal to give in to blackmail.‎

In one instance, he was threatened with expulsion from the country should he not do what ‎asked to do. A few days later Ahmed Washington was formally notified that he was ‎supposed to leave the country.‎

The government refrained from making the expulsion public. But our sister publication, the ‎Somali language daily "Haatuf", broke out the story on October 31, 2005. Developments ‎related to the story also appeared in the next issues of Haatuf.‎

By Tuesday a civil society group, Peace and Justice, demanded that the government ‎reverse its decision of expelling the EU's liaison officer. And by Wednesday the country's ‎two opposition parties, UCID (the Welfare and Justice party) and KULMIYE (Solidarity party) ‎issued a joint statement in which they have condemned the expulsion as an appalling ‎decision that should be rescinded.‎

The decision to expel the EU officer provoked a backlash against Rayale's leadership. With ‎the assistance given by the EU to Somaliland's electoral process still fresh in the minds of ‎Somalilanders, most people felt ashamed and shocked by the government's action.‎

The government's silence over the issue, has only intensified the public's suspension that ‎the accusations leveled against the EU officer were fabricated by the presidency.‎

Home | Contact us | Links | Archives