By Noah Arre

Sixteen and half years ago this fall, through a series of well coordinate conferences and meetings, Somaliland decided to become a separate nation. And through a series of belt-tightening, grass-roots supported conventions, Somaliland decided to travel and “take the road that is less traveled!”…. establish democracy and freedom of speech!

Today, many credible international institutions still consider and describe Somaliland as “The little Country That Could!” The Peaceful Island In The Burning Seas!” And “A True Model Of Home Grown Peace, Tranquility and Democracy!”

It is because of news like this that made people like me believe that there is at last some hope some place in the Horn of Africa! And that place happened to be our motherland! And as a result, it is in Somaliland our motherland that private enterprise is booming as peace and tranquility prevail.

However, the governing party of Somaliland seems to have failed in many of its responsibilities and it may well be time for the people of Somaliland to change course because we need to realize that our country needs to move forward. Or else poverty and hunger will prevail and our country may fall back into quagmire that may bring disaster and mayhem? God forbid!

The Governing Party for instance made the following broken promises:

• The governing party promised and loudly declared that it had secured to establish offices in Yemen, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti, thus breaking isolation. But today few or none have been realized!
• The government declared and said it loud and clear that “it has already decided to mend the notorious road that leads Dila to Borama”, but nothing materialized.
• The government said it loudly and clearly that it would pave the road that takes you from Berbera to Tog Wajale. But again it had failed to do so!
• The government had made it clear that it would respect freedom of press and that of the individual. On the contrary, many people went to jail!
• The government made it clear that it would pave the road between Burao and Erigavo but had failed.
• The government made it clear that cheap electricity was due to come to all major cities of the country and that an Ethiopian company was in fact due to start that soon! Again nothing materialized!
• And finally the government loudly declared the imminent coming of a German company that that would establish three factories in the country. According to a highly dramatized government press release, “the German company will invest some Three Hundred Million American Dollars” in the country and the work would start immediately!

However, to date nothing materialized and the whole story seems to be an empty slogan or a deceptive campaign rhetoric that was intentionally and cleverly orchestrated to fool the nation after all this is an election year!

I personally welcomed that news in writing and with enthusiasm, music and fanfare. But today, I may well have to eat my words! “Hubsiimo la’aantu inay halis keento mar baan hambalyeeyey cid anan war u heynin!”…..

By Noah Arre

noahark1382@yahoo.com