BY: Hashi Hassan

Contributing Writer for Somaliland Times.

Somalilanders attention has been captivated by the tense situation involving Harbi Trading Company. On October 26 2006, Harbi co: along with a foreign company (Total) and Red Sea brought fuel to Somaliland. All respective companies had their license to allot fuel to Somaliland. Upon arriving at the port of Berbera, Total and Red Sea co: excluding Harbi Company unloaded their fuel, a decision made by Total (foreign company) who apparently seems to have more power than the authority. Dismayed as to why their fuel is halted by equally competitive Company (Total); the chief executives of Harbi Company (Abdirahman Farah Harbi & Ahmed Farah Harbi) decided to meet the Minister of commerce who initially authorized the three companies to bring fuel, hoping that he (minister) may enforce given ministerial directives rejected by Total Company. With no satisfactory explanation from the Minister, the executives went further, and tried to meet with the president of Somaliland along with his advisors, so that maybe they could provide rational explanation why Harbi Company’s fuel was being held at bay? Unfortunately, the president defied to see anyone from Harbi Company. Astounded by the president’s reply; the executives of Harbi made a decision and shipped their fuel to Yemen, where they sold their fuel below cost. Many Somalilanders were surprised and angry of the fact that a highly respected company and native Somalilander like the one Harbi Company was rejected by a foreign company (Total) who was assigned to operate the Berbera depot. The loss and damages inflicted to the private company (Harbi co :) whose rights has been denied, was unfathomable, to the extend that the Berbera port authority acting under direct presidential instructions ordered the ship to depart the port immediately. Many Somalilanders would undoubtedly remember the misdeeds and avaricious act applied to Harbi Company for a very long time; many more will ask themselves if they indeed live in a free, democratic country or live under the umbrella of a corrupt government run by a private foreign company?

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