Delegates Of JNA Team Arrive ‎In Hargeysa With TFG Blessing

Joint Needs Assessments team delegaton Mr David Bassiouni for the UN (right) and Mr Jack W. van Holst Pellekaan for the World Bank

Hargeysa, January 21, 2006 (SL Times) – A joint team from the UN and the World Bank arrived in Hargeysa on 15/01/06 to present the Concept Note of the Joint Needs Assessment (JNA) initiative to the Somaliland authorities, local NGO’s, civil society groups, political parties and private sector representatives.

The JNA delegation, led by David Bassiouni for the UN and Jack W. van Holst Pellekaan for the World Bank held a 3-day consultative workshop at Mansoor hotel, Hargeysa. The JNA initiative was formally signed by the TFG faction of Prime Minister Ali. M. Gedi and the Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Ambassador Winston Tubman in February 2005, it was agreed by Gedi and Tubman that the immediate preparations for a long term Reconstruction and Development Programme would commence. Subsequent to this the TFG and the International Community requested the UN Development Group (UNDG) and the World Bank to co-lead a Somali Joint Needs Assessment (JNA), which would lead to a Reconstruction and Development Programme for the whole of Somalia in preparation for a donor’s conference to be held in Rome (July 2006).

Mr David Bassiouni of the JNA  delegation

The JNA delegation faced an uphill struggle in persuading the various Somaliland government heads, NGO’s, civil societies and political parties who took part in the 3-day consultative workshop in Hargeysa, to agree and conform to the JNA initiative as the foundation for assessing Somaliland’s needs.

The JNA delegation also met Somaliland ’s parliamentary members of the National Assembly and the House of Elders in parliament buildings. The meeting was joint chaired by the deputy house speakers of the two houses, Mr. Samale and Mr Noah. The JNA delegation, led by Mr. Bassiouni and Mr. Jack introduced to the house members an outline of the JNA initiative and its proposition in a long speech and tried to reassure the house members that this joint UN and World Bank initiative will in no way comprise the status qua of Somaliland.

JNA delegation at parliament house with Mr Ahmed Noah, deputy speaker house of Elders (right) and Mr Samale, deputy speaker of parliament Assembly and Mr Mohamed Rashid who was JNA's interpreter (standing upright)

After their speech, the JNA delegation faced an onslaught of questions from house members. The honorable MP Mohamed Mohamud Omar-Hashi asked the JNA delegation “whether the JNA have made alterations to where Somaliland is referred to as Northwest Somalia in JNA’s current documentation? Mr. Bassiouni replied to this by saying that “The Somaliland deputy President and the Minister of Planning have already made it clear to us (JNA) that in no way will Somaliland accept to be labeled Northwest Somalia, if the JNA wants Somaliland’s co-operation and agreement in this initiative; and that we, the JNA understand your concern in regard to this label and have to make it clear to you and the public in Somaliland that these documents are merely initial temporary drafts and not the final official version of our (JNA) propositions. Another question was put to Mr. Bassiouni by the honorable member of house of Elders, Mr Abdillahi SH. Ahmed who asked, “Since Somaliland is at an advance stage in its political and developmental recovery when compared with Somalia, what will guarantee that Somaliland will have seniority in the discussions to be held in Rome? Mr. Bassiouni answered the honorable member of the house of Elders by reasserting that “he has made it clear to the government of Somaliland and its public that Somaliland’s statehood achievements and economic development cannot be put on par with Somalia and that Somaliland is a country politically, economically advanced and needs to be helped because it has reached the stage it well deserves to be assisted and that we, in JNA will assist Somaliland separately from Somalia on its own”.

Somaliland parliamentary members

The final day of the JNA consultative workshop in Hargeysa, ended in a sour note when JNA delegates produced documents which were agreed upon by TFG and UN and World Bank (JNA) on 18 August 2005 at a Joint Planning Committee meeting held in Jowhar. These documents also outlined the composition of the various operational committees and allocations of stakeholders delegated to JNA’s committees. One documented proposes: quote “The Coordination Support Group (CSG) has operational oversight of the JNA and includes the World Bank, UN and the Somalia Transitional Federal Government and that other Observers can attend the meeting if approved in advance by the Chair (EU & TFG) of the CSG. Joint Planning Committee has strategic oversight of the JNA and includes UN Resident Coordinator, other UN agencies, World Bank, EU, IGAD, Arab league, etc, etc,…..and 12 committee members from the Somali Transitional Federal Government in Jowhar. The Resident Coordination of the UN, the country director of the World Bank and the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation of the TFG will co-chair the Joint Planning Committee.” end of quote.