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Somaliland Government
Takes Control Of Airspace As It Bans UN Flights |
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By: Yusuf M Hasan
"As from 15th May at 6 am UN Flights are banned from
entering Somaliland and any of its Aircraft already
on the ground shall not be allowed to take-off until
further notice"
This order was issued by the minister of Aviation Mr
Mahmud Hashi Abdi at a press conference held at Egal
Airport in Hargeysa where he also informed that UNDP
is acting in a manner likely to impinge negatively
on dialogue with Somalia.
The banning order which shall affect the UN's
operated carrier UN Humanitarian Air Support-UNHAS
comes after the UN through its UNDP agency handed
over Somaliland's airspace control to the Mogadishu
government yesterday.
Read full text.
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Nation Begins To Pick
Itself Up And Looks At Bringing International Bandwidth
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It may be two steps forward
and one step back but Somalia is beginning to pick
itself up off the ground after years of civil war.
In the absence of regulation, a telecoms sector has
developed. Now the new Government must put in place
regulation and start to focus on connecting the
disparate parts of the country. Russell Southwood
spoke to Tim Kelly, World Bank about what's been
happening there.
In political terms, there are three parts of Somalia
in which it's possible for the telecoms sector to
develop: the area controlled by the new Government
around Mogadishu; Somaliland (which has declared
independence); and Puntland (which has not declared
independence).
Read full text.
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Diane Lane, Actress
When I first arrived in Somaliland in April 2011, I
became immediately aware of the societal norms and
cultural value system that was distinctly based on
gender. I saw how the male perspective was the only
one that mattered regarding human sexuality, while
women's reproductive rights were non-existent. Women
in Somaliland have no voice -- their bodies are
culturally controlled long before puberty and their
very worth is male-dictated. Their maternal health
is a matter of chance and luck yet an abundance of
children is inherently expected and valued above
their well-being and often their survival.
Read full text.
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By
Jean Shaoul
Last week, British Prime Minister David Cameron
hosted an international conference on Somalia,
ostensibly about providing aid for security and
economic development for a country ravaged by
decades of war and famine and in a state of economic
and political collapse.
Read full text....
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If the NGOs are in Africa for
anything other than transitional services, they
should not be allowed to operate in this continent
any longer. The NGO culture must come to an end in
Africa and throughout the developing world.
Where NGOs have become a substitute for
governments for so long, it's almost impossible to
lay the foundations of a functioning state. The
overwhelming majority of non-governmental
organizations do more harm than good to livelihoods
and sustainable developments in Africa writes ABDULL
GHELLEH
The World Bank's working definition of
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is 'Private
organizations that pursue activities to relieve
suffering, promote the interests of the poor,
protect the environment, provide basic social
services or undertake community development.' But
many people now ask whether the NGOs that work in
Africa are progressively engaged in activities that
are developmentally sustainable.
Read full
text.....
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Your most inspiring trip?
Somaliland. The people are building a democratic
country in a chaotic region. Inspiring.
Where do you holiday? My wife is addicted to the
Greek island of Symi, off Rhodes. It's beautiful and
doesn't have an airport, so there are fewer hordes.
It has one of the finest harbours in Greece.
Best things to do there? Explore remote beaches,
caves and coves in a little boat with a hairdryer
engine. Where do you stay? In cheap places, as I'm
quite tight, or with friends who put us up.
Read full
text....
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The new
government in Mogadishu has yet to prove its mettle
AT THE end of the colonial era Somalia was arguably
in ethnic terms the most homogeneous country in
sub-Saharan Africa. The nearest to it was probably
Botswana, which is four-fifths Tswana—and turned out
to be peaceful and prosperous, suggesting to some
that countries populated and run by a single big
tribe have a better chance of stability than those
with a hotch-potch of smaller ones.
Somalia, however, became a byword for conflict,
poverty and ungovernability. Yet its ethnic
homogeneity is misleading. Despite also sharing a
single language and religion, it is divided into
more than 500 clans and sub-clans, who are
notoriously fractious and competitive. This, as well
as their largely nomadic way of life, has made many
Somalis fiercely loth to accept the edicts of a
central government.
Read full
text....
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The second London Conference
on Somalia took place on Tuesday (May 7th),
co-hosted by UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, and
Somalia President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The
British Foreign Office said the conference aimed to
capitalize on the significant progress made over the
past year and to agree on coordinated international
support for Somali government plans "to build
political stability by improving security, police,
justice and public financial management systems". It
also aimed to bolster political stability and
prevent Somalia from slipping back into a state of
lawlessness, with rebuilding the country's security
forces and tackling human rights abuses, notably
rape, being among the principal issues discussed.
Read full
text....
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The Somali and Kenyan youth have been cautioned against
being recruited to the al Shabbab terror group through the social media.
Speaking at a social media forum that brought together Kenya and Somali youth at
Laico Regency Hotel in Nairobi yesterday, Somali Ambasador to Senegal Mohamed
Hussein Owliyo and Somali's former director of National Security Intelligence
Ahmed Moalim said terror groups like al Shabaab have shifted to recruiting youth
through social media.
Read full
text....
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May 13, 2013: The AU (African Union) revealed that in the
last six years some 3,000 AU peacekeepers have died in Somalia. The peacekeeping
effort began small and it took a year to get the force up to 3,000 troops.
Currently there are nearly 18,000 peacekeepers in Somalia. It’s been a dangerous
area for peacekeepers, with about 15 percent of them killed or wounded since
2007. For a long time the AU played down their losses but did not hide them. The
casualties were reported in the countries the peacekeepers came from. Somalia
has been one of the bloodiest peacekeeping missions ever. As the only
professional soldiers in Somalia during this period, it was the peacekeepers
that did the most damage to al Shabaab and were decisive in breaking the power
of the Islamic terrorist militia.
Read
full text.....
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INTERVIEW: Two
Somaliland Government Officials Address The Current
State Of Security In The Country |
By Phillip
van Gaalen-Prentice
Since
emerging in
1991 out of
the violence
and
instability
that had
devastated
its region
in the years
preceding (a
fact often
forgotten)
and
following
the collapse
of the Siyad
Barre
regime,
Somaliland
has made
considerable
political,
social and
economic
progress
under its
own unique
political
system that
combines
both
traditional
and Western
elements.
These
achievements
however
would not
have been
possible
without the
demobilization
and
disarmament
of clan
militias and
the building
of effective
security
forces
including an
army,
police,
intelligence
services and
even a
nascent
coastguard.
Read full
text....
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“We Look Forward To
Continuing Our Dialogue With Somalia On a Political
Settlement for Somaliland” President Ahmed Sillanyo |
In response
to the
International
Somalia
Conference
final
communiqué
President
Ahmed
Mohamed
Mohamoud
Sillanyo
said:
“We
are pleased
that the
Somalia
Conference
agreed
continued
partnership
between the
international
community
and the
Government
of Somalia
to build
peace,
stability
and
prosperity
in our
region.
However the
Somalia
Conference
was right to
note that
political
progress
remains the
key to
ensuring
long-term
stability
for Somalia.
We reiterate
the
importance
of
addressing
the
political
independence
of
Somaliland,
which will
be an
important
part of
making this
pledge of
political
progress a
reality.
Read full
text....
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Why
Elections Matter In Somaliland |
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By Edward Paice
As news and analysis emerges from the second
UK-Somalia conference in London, the absence of the
government of Somaliland is noticeable. Somalia and
Somaliland are bound by many longstanding ties, but
over the past two decades their political
trajectories have diverged. As institutions in
Somalia have crumbled under the weight of protracted
sectarian violence, Somalilanders have made
considerable headway in building a functioning
democratic system of government. While political
developments in Somaliland should not be
romanticized, they are worth examining and
reflecting upon.
Read full text....
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Somaliland President Ahmed Sillanyo Comments On
Visit To UK, US And Ethiopia |
Hargeysa, Somaliland, May 11,
2013 (SL Times) – President Ahmed Sillanyo returned
from a long visit abroad. He was welcomed at the
airport by Vice President Abdirahman Abdillahi
Ismail (Zayla’i), the leaders of parliament and the
Upper House.
Read full text....
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Rapes On
Rise In Somaliland, Activists Say |
An upsurge of gang rapes has
hit Somaliland – a normally peaceful enclave
considered by many to be a sanctuary from Somalia's
decades of violence.
Knife-wielding young men follow women along the
dusty streets of Hargeysa, the capital of the
region, dragging them inside buildings to rape and
rob them. Children are among the victims.
Read full text....
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Somaliland Vice
President Departs For London |
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Hargeysa, Somaliland, May 11, 2013 (SL Times) – Somaliland
Vice president, Abdirahman Abdillahi Ismail flew from Berbera on his way to the
UK. The purpose of the vice president’s visit to the UK is to participate in the
celebrations of the 22nd anniversary of Somaliland’s independence.
Read full text....
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Hargeysa, Somaliland, May 11,
2013 (SL Times) – The eleventh Anniversary of
President Egal’s death was commemorated at Hargeysa
University. The event was attended by ministers,
intellectuals, the president’s family members, and
the general public.
Read full
text....
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Hargeysa, Somaliland, May 11,
2013 (SL Times) – Somaliland Minister of Education,
Zamzam Abdi Adan, inaugurated an expansion of
Hargeysa University. The expansion consisted of four
classes and an office. The new additions to the
university were financed by Dahabshil Group.
Read full
text....
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Yan Digilov, Chief Strategist
for Firestarter, talks about his discovery of a
place called Somaliland which has never been
recognized by any government and was thoroughly
neglected by the major NGO’s. See below for full
video. Here are excerpts.
“As a hypothetical exercise, picture in your head a
country in Africa limping into the end of the 20th
Century facing widespread disease, poverty and war.
Now let’s take this country and split it in half.”
Read full
text......
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Man Sentenced To 20
Years In Case Of Somalis Recruited To Fight With Al-Shabaab
In Somalia |
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FILE - This combination of undated photos
show Somali nationals, from left, Mahamud
Said Omar, Abdifatah Yusuf Isse, Salah Osman
Ahmed, and Omer Abdi Mohamed. Nine people
convicted in a government investigation of
terror recruitment and financing for an
al-Qaida-linked group in Somalia are to be
sentenced in U.S. District Court in
Minneapolis. Authorities say more than 20
young men have left Minnesota to join al-Shabaab
since 2007(AP Photo/file) |
MINNEAPOLIS - A man who
authorities say played a key role in funneling young
men from Minnesota to a terrorist group in Somalia
was sentenced Monday to 20 years in prison, while
another man who was a foot soldier for al-Shabaab
received a 10-year sentence
Read full
text....
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Al-Shabaab Strikes
Back |
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By Exclusive Analysis
Al-Shabaab is targeting government officials, AMISOM
peacekeepers, Turkish and now Qatari nationals in
suicide attacks.
On 5 May 2013, at KM4 junction near Mogadishu's
airport, a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device
(IED) targeted a government convoy escorting Qatari
delegates, eight civilians were killed and 20 were
injured.
Read full text.....
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By Edward Paice
In his 2009 book, Somaliland: An African struggle
for nationhood and international recognition Iqbal
Jhazbhay’s asserts that “Somalia no longer exists”.
Read full text...
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This speech was presented by
Mohamed Omar at Africa Research Institute on 1st May
2013 to mark the launch of "After Borama: consensus,
representation and parliament in Somaliland".
Read full text...
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Written By Samira
Sawlani
On May the 7, 2013 the UK held its second ‘UK-
Somalia Conference.’
Attendees included British Prime Minister David
Cameron, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud,
President Museveni and recently- elected Kenyan
President Uhuru Kenyatta, along with representatives
from numerous international organizations and
foreign governments.
Read full text...
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Somaliland Was Right Not To Attend The London Conference |
Now the second
London Somalia conference is over, it is a bit easier to
evaluate whether the government of Somaliland’s decision not
to participate was right or wrong. But before assessing that
decision let us remember that it was not a decision that was
made lightly by Somaliland’s government but rather a
judgment that was reached after careful and lengthy weighing
of the pros and cons involved. Furthermore, the decision was
in synch with the strong wishes of the vast majority of
Somaliland’s public opinion, and as a democracy that is
accountable to its own people, Somaliland’s government had
to take this into consideration as it pondered the issue. It
is also important to remember that there were those who
thought Somaliland should attend the conference.
Read full text...
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The Politics Of
Unification And Separation |
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Abdisalam Yassin Mohamed
A close examination of the history of unification
and partition shows that the two political realities
are usually interconnected. In the past, when empire
building was the norm, many countries with often
different nationalities were united under one
central government. The last central government of
that kind was the United Socialist Soviet Republics
(USSR), which was dismantled in the early nineties.
After the dismantling process was completed, many of
the republics of the USSR became independent and
sovereign countries.
Read full text...
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Somalilanders Deserve
To Celebrate And Be Proud |
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By Maxamad Cali Muuse
Somaliland has been
under the radar for almost 22 years and the International Communities have given
a high mark by keeping the peace and having a government with all essential
institutions. It has established a political system with some flows but working.
It proved to the World that a small country like Somaliland survives so long
with almost no resources and outside help.
From 1991 up to the present, Somaliland is getting better in governing, in
politics, in infrastructure, and mostly in business. Although the system and
power-sharing is not perfect, Somaliland has endured so many ups and downs, and
it is too late to abandon our achievements. If Somaliland has survived so many
years without recognition and support from the International Communities, it is
sure that Somaliland would endure more. Somaliland needs patience and
perseverance in order to achieve its dreams.
Read full text....
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The Road To Economic
Development; The Case For Somaliland |
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By
Mustafe Jama
This work tries to pave the way for the achievement of a sustainable economic
growth by taking into account the current position of the Somaliland economy and
then compiles a set of recommendations for those agents including policy makers
who are interested in improving the economy.
Currently, Somaliland is in the stage of what Rostow called “the preconditions
for take-off”. According to Rostow, the “preconditions for take-off”, the second
stage of a five-stage process, is characterized by the presence of entrepreneurs
in the society and investors who are ready to invest ideas.
Read full text......
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University Of
Hargeysa: The Old And The New Chapter! |
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“Keen to learn, motivated to help, and eager to be
recognized as important contributor to your society”
Young students of boys and girls chat along the
sparkling corridors of their compasses in the
University of Hargeysa with hope conversations; they
go in and out of the university, interesting to
attend their subjects. This inspiring new chapter
was brought by the new president of University of
Hargeysa Dr. Abdi H Gass. The president succeeded
the post after a public announcement made by the
council which is the highest policy making body of
the university. Dr. Abdi took over the reign of
University of Hargeysa in July 23, 2012 after well
over 30 years’ of experience in the education
sector. With a vision of educational expertise has
enriched his strategies towards innovation and
expansion in the University.
Read full
text......
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Somaliland Is At Cross
Roads: Flight From Defunct Union |
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By
Abdirahman Mohamed Dirye
The worst thing is that when your partner wants not
to divorce even though you technically divorced and
he or she pretends to look a couple living under one
roof, now that is the case of Somaliland and
Somalia.
A week ago, Somaliland president met his counterpart
Sheikh Hassan in Ankara and struck a deal with him
paving the way for eventual disunity and
redistribution of national assets.
The anti-Somaliland who seemed getting tired of
baseless allegations against peace-loving Somaliland
people and animosity seemingly died down have
recently reemerged from their hideouts from Chicago
to Toronto shivering of tribal sense of doom yelling
at Somalia’s president: where is my invincible tribe
in all this landmark agreements in London, Dubai,
and Ankara? Hell with you.
Read full text......
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Why Thousands Of
Somaliland Youth Are Risking Their Lives In
Sub-Sahara Desert |
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By: Ali A. Ismail Dheeg
The humanitarian disaster in 1992 made Somalia known
throughout the world, the first image that appeared
in the western part of world was the broad cast of
the famine in the civil war which hundreds of
thousands of innocent children, women and old people
die from starvation. This was followed by the
international intervention known as (Unisom) when
CNN covered the secret landing of the American
interventions forces, in December 1992, the next
image was the fatal confrontation between Unisom and
general Mohammed Farah Aideed arm resistant group,
which resulted in the withdrawal of Unisom in 1995.
during that turbulent period the west also came to
Somalis more intimately as thousands of them had
fled and spread to North America and north western
Europe.
Read full text......
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