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British
Parliamentarians To Begin A Short Visit To Somaliland Today
Hargeisa, Jan 24, 2004 (SL Times) – A
group of British
Parliamentarians are expected to arrive in Hargeisa today on a one-day
and a half visit to Somaliland.
The British delegation consist of MPs from both the ruling labor party
as well as other political parties currently in the opposition.
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Djiboutian
President Defends His Country’s Ties With Somaliland
Djibouti, Jan 24, 2004 (SL Times) – President Ismail Omer Ghelle of
neighboring Djibouti defended his country’s policy of improving
relations with Somaliland.
In an interview with the BBC Somali service on Thursday, Mr. Ghelle
stressed that Djibouti was keen to improve relations between the two
countries because “Somaliland is our immediate neighbor and
Somalilanders are our brothers.”
The Djiboutian president who was full of praise for Somaliland said it
was imperative for his country to respond positively to Somaliland’s
successes.
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NOVIB Accused Of
Meddling In Samo-Talis's Affairs
Hargeisa, Jan 24, 2004 (SL Times) – Ahmed A. Kahin who is a board
member of the human rights group Samo-Talis has accused the Dutch NGO
NOVIB of meddling in the internal affairs of his organization.
In a letter dated Oct 22, 2003 and sent to Samo-Talis by NOVIB, the
Dutch NGO refers to discussions it had held with Samo-Talis about an
un-named board member.
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Annan Expresses
Concern Over Tension in Sool
New York, January 21, 2004 (SL Times) – United Nations
Secretary-General Kofi Annan has expressed deep concern over rising
tension between the republic of Somaliland and Somali’s autonomous
region of Puntland over Las-Anood.
The situation deteriorated following last month’s invasion of Las Anod,
capital of the Somaliland Sool region by Puntland’s warlord Abdillahi
Yusuf and there have been reports of troop build-ups and preparations
for conflict.
A statement read by the Secretary-General's spokesman, Fred Eckhard,
said: "The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the increased
tension between the administrations of 'Puntland' and 'Somaliland'
over Las Anod in Sool Region, which threatens the outbreak of
hostilities at a critical time in the Somali peace process."
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Kenya Urges End
To Somaliland, Puntland Tension
NAIROBI, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Kenya said on Monday growing tension
between two rival regions of neighboring Somalia could destabilize
talks in Nairobi aimed at bringing peace to the whole of the ruined
Horn of Africa country.
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Interview With
Prof. Iqbal D. Jhazbhay
The following are excerpts from an interview conducted by the Addis
Ababa-based the Sub-Saharan Informer with the South African Scholar
Prof. Iqbal D. Jhazbhay as published in the newspaper’s issue of Jan
16, 2004
SSI: What are the major implications of recent development in the
political contours of Somaliland?
Prof. Jhazbhay: In analyzing many of the international developments
and notably on the continent of Africa, we can see that within the
Horn of Africa, the future of the African continent is being played
out. It is here in the Horn of Africa that many of the key scenarios
would determine the future of the continent. Let me give you specific
examples; there is now a consensus amongst intellectuals and amongst
policy makers, that the key requisite for development is peace and
stability and what we are looking at is reasonable peace and
stability. So, in the case of Somaliland, we see reasonable peace and
stability has emerged. The question then becomes for the international
community, for intellectuals and policy makers, is that when you have
an area of the world, which is reasonably peaceful and stable that,
then requires that the international community, the intellectuals and
policy makers rise up to that challenge.
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Hargeisa Urban
Household Economy Assessment,
Part VII
SOURCES OF INCOME
Within each wealth group, there is a wide range of income sources.
Some information from the household economy assessment will be
summarised in this section, and more detail will be provided in the
following section on the sectoral inventory.
Members of active very poor and poor households are generally involved
in the following income-generating activities:
-- Women are usually engaged in small-scale petty trade (vegetable,
milk, prepared food sales). Profit rates per day depend on the capital
with which the woman works, or the amount that she is loaned per day
by her supplier. The overall range of profits for this wealth group is
generally SlSh 5-10,000 per day, with `very poor' women at the lower
end of the range and `poor' women at the upper end. Women engaged in
petty trade generally work every day of the week.
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International
News |
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Heads of Sectoral
Bureaus in Somali State Assigned on Basis of Merit
Jijiga, January 22,2004 (WIC)- The Somali Regional State Capacity
Building Coordination Bureau in Ethiopia
disclosed that as part of its effort to implement the Civil Service Reform
Program, it has undertaken the assignment of heads at various levels.
Bureau Head, Dawed Mohammed told WIC that the 25 heads of bureaux,
departments, sections and teams are assigned on the basis of their
professional level and competence.
The assignment of the heads was made after a careful and thorough
examination of their educational and professional credentials, including
work experience, efficiency, ethical standards and commitment, he said.
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Biometrics To Be
Used In UK To Tackle Asylum Abuse
London, Jan 22, 2004 (Public Tech) – Visitors to the UK from five east
African countries and those traveling on refugee documents issued by
other countries will have to provide fingerprint data before they
enter the UK, the Home Office has announced.
A Statutory Instrument allowing for the collection of fingerprints
from these visa applicants and holders of 1951 Convention Travel
Documents was laid before the House of Commons yesterday.
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Somali Youth
Center May Be Forced To Close
OTTAWA JAN 20, 2004 (CBC Ottawa) – A resource centre for Somali youth
in Ottawa will shut its doors unless it gets a huge increase in
funding from the city. This comes just weeks before a mayor's task
force is expected to report on youth crime, focusing especially on
Somali youth.
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Committee To Vet
Passport Applications
East African Standard, January 19, 2004
A committee has been formed to vet Kenyans of Arab origin applying for
passports and national identity cards in Mombasa.
The move, ordered by the Government, is meant to resolve a
long-standing dispute over what has been viewed as rigid a
verification process for members of the community and Muslims in
general.
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Blast injures six on
Djibouti train
Djibouti, January 18, 2004 (AFP) – Six passengers were injured on Sunday by
a "criminal" explosion on a train travelling between Djibouti and Ethiopia,
Djibouti 's interior ministry announced, adding the rail service had been
suspended.
The explosion took place around 0600 GMT while the train was in Djibouti, a
small country in the Horn of Africa, the ministry said in a statement.
The blast occurred close to the junction at Daasbyo, some 75 km south of
Djibouti city, it added.
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Soldiers Gather
In Memory
Some who served with Aaron Weaver in Somalia are coming to Citrus
County to honor his bravery and sacrifice.
By AMY WIMMER SCHWARB, Times Staff Writer
St. Petersburg Times, January 17, 2004
His Army Rangers were low on ammunition, their Humvees filled with
Somali prisoners and bullet holes.
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US Issues Travel
Warning To US Americans Visiting Djibouti
VOA News, 17 Jan 2004
The United States has renewed a travel warning to Americans who plan to
visit Djibouti, the tiny country at the corner of the Horn of Africa.
The State Department issued the warning Friday saying the U.S. government
has received indications of terrorist threats in the region, aimed at U.S.
and Western interests.
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Vatican Names New
Envoy To Ethiopia, Djibouti And Somalia
VATICAN CITY, 17 Jan.2004 (AP)--Pope John Paul II appointed Archbishop
Ramiro Moliner Ingles as a diplomatic envoy to Ethiopia, Djibouti and
Somalia, the Vatican said Saturday.
The Spanish-born Moliner Ingles, 62, had been papal nuncio in
Guatemala.
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Roots of 1977
Somali-Ethiopian War
Transcript of Meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Alexander M.
Haig, Jr., and Cuban Vice Premier Carlos Rafael Rodriguez, Mexico
City, 23 November 1981
Embassy of USSR TOP SECRET to Republic of Cuba Copy No.__ Ser. No. 544
8 December 1981 CC CPSU
Attached please find a stenographic record received by the Soviet
Ambassador from C. R. Rodriguez of his conference with U.S. Secretary
of State Alexander A. Haig which took place in Mexico City on 23
November of this year.
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How Kenya Averted
War With Somalia
By John Kamau
Sunday, January 18, 2004
East African Standard
Intelligence notes and recently declassified "Top Secret" files show
that Kenya almost went into full-scale war with Somalia in 1967 over
banditry in the North Eastern Province.
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| Editorial
& Opinions |
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British
Parliamentarians' visit to Somaliland
The scheduled arrival in Hargeisa today by a group of British
Parliamentarians on a one-day and half visit to Somaliland, is
expected to arouse unusual interest amongst the Somaliland public.
Ever since declaring their independence in 1991, Somalilanders could
never fathom the indifference that at best characterized the British
government’s position toward Somaliland’s quest for international
recognition. Given the historical ties between Somalilad and the
United Kingdom, and the fact that Somalilanders had fought and died
for Great Britain in several wars in the last century, many people in
Somaliland thought the British government would help Somaliland in its
hour of need.
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Puntland’s
Suicidal Miscalculations
By Ibrahim Hassan Gagale
Since the proclamation of what came to be known as Puntland in 1998,
Abdillahi Yusuf’s claim of sovereignty over Sool and Sanag regions
remained just a lip service before December 2003. The timing of Las
Anod’s invasion at the end of December was a suicidal political
miscalculation based on misinformation fed to Col. Abdullahi Yusuf by
his secret informants following Somaliland’s April 2003 presidential
election. These secret informants have been falsely telling Col.
Abdullahi Yusuf that the results of the presidential elections have
bitterly divided Somaliland's people between west and east, and as a
result of that, the government has become weak and the armed forces
have disintegrated. Basing his decision on this unfounded information,
and taking advantage of current Somali Peace Talks in Kenya for
convenience, the hawkish dictator, Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf, saw no
better time than now to invade Las Anod. The tyrant of Garowe made a
devastating mistake by failing to understand that the national unity
and territorial integrity of any nation is far above democratic
political differences and views, and Somaliland’s government and
people are entirely united and committed to defend their country.
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The Rule of
Law and The Return of Osman Kaluun
By Ahmed M.I. Egal
The return of Osman Kaluun (the erstwhile Deputy PM of the TNG) to
Somaliland raises an important and interesting issue that needs to be
clearly addressed and not simply ducked or avoided in the deference to
mistaken and misplaced notions of generosity and magnanimity. Firstly,
I must confess that I do not know why Osman Kaluun has returned to
Somaliland even though he has in the past made crystal clear his
determined opposition to its very existence as an independent nation,
neither am I aware of any arrangement reached by him with the
government of JSL regarding his return. The issue that his return
raises and which must be addressed is how to deal with political
figures such as him, who have publicly voiced their opposition to
Somaliland’s independence and which have therefore, according to the
resolutions passed by the Somaliland Parliament, committed treason
against their country of birth.
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Drop The Press
Bill
By: Awdalnews.com
Call it what you may, responsible or not so responsible, objective or
not so objective, accurate or not so accurate, sensational or hardcore
truth, the undeniable fact in Somaliland today is that there is a
vibrant and vigorous journalism, one of the positive windfalls of the
collapse of the former Somali dictatorial regime.
Somaliland has won its freedom through a long, painful and torturous
road and freedom of expression is one of the most valued and most
cherished fruits of such hard labor. From the first conference of
reconciliation held in Buroa in 1991 through the turbulent years that
followed and up to our present rough road to democracy, the press has
always been there to witness, record, evaluate, interpret, censure,
expose, inspire, entertain, agitate and articulate our issues.
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Why Students
Fail In The Final Examination: An in-depth analysis
Introduction
SOMALILAND STUDENTS ASSEMBLY (SOLSA), a newly founded organization
which represents Somali land students is going to take the lid off a
menacing problem: the failure of students in the final exam of
secondary schools.
Since the downfall of the despot and the subsequent inception of
Somaliland in 1991, the education system has been developing and
reached up to the level of competing with countries in the region.
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Kenyan Foreign
Minister’s Reference To Somaliland As A Faction Criticized
Nairobi – The following a press release by the Kenyan-Somaliland
Friendship Forum:
It is with great displeasure that we, members of Kenya Somaliland
Forum, take this decision to comment on the un-diplomatic statement
attributed to our Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kalonzo Mosyoka,
regarding the increasing tension between Somaliland and Puntland as
reported in sections of the media.
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Peace Talk |
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Aid Somalia Peace
Bid, Ethiopia Told
Nairobi, January 22, 2004 (The East African Standard) – Kenya
yesterday urged Ethiopia to help in negotiating peace for Somalia.
Foreign Affairs PS Peter Nkuraiya said it
was in the best interest of Kenya and Ethiopia to have a stable
Somalia.
The PS was speaking in Nairobi during the opening of the
Kenya-Ethiopia joint committee talks.
"We are both engaged in the Somali peace process. We need to work
together to achieve peace in that country," he said.
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Somalia Faction
Accuses Kiplagat
James Anyanzwa
Nairobi, January 18, 2004 (The East African Standard) – Members of
Somalia's Absame community have accused the chairman of the Somali
peace talks, Bethuel Kiplagat, of bias.
Ugas Mohamoud, the clan's King of Juba-land, said yesterday that
Kiplagat was acting under instructions and orders from warlord
Abdullai Yussuf who had fuelled infighting in the community.
"Mr Kiplagat is now behaving as if he missed the great responsibility
entrusted on him by the government of Kenya and has taken sides," said
Mohamoud.
He said the warlord enjoyed excessive political powers and wondered
where he got them from.
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