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Somaliland: EU Commissioner Andris Piebalgs Announces
More Support For Stability And Regional Cooperation |
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The EU Commissioner for Development, Andris
Piebalgs |
Hargeysa, Somaliland, July 9, 2011 (SL Times) -
During a visit to Somaliland, the EU Commissioner
for Development, Andris Piebalgs, announced on
Wednesday that the European Union is considering to
provide around additional €175 million in EU support
to Somalia, including to Somaliland.
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Somalis left in desperation as they are
forced to confront devastating drought. |
The head of the UN in Somalia exclusively tells
Channel 4 News he is "not sure the population can
survive until the end of the year" unless urgent
action is taken, amid the worst drought in 20 years.
Nairobi, Kenya, July 9, 2011 – Mark Bowden, the most
senior UN
figure in Somalia,
has told Channel
4 News that
he is "extremely worried" at the "desperate" plight
of an estimated 12 million people affected by
drought in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya.
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Press Release: Oxfam
London, UK, July 9, 2011 – The drought in the Horn
of Africa, which has pushed over 12 million people
into a fight for survival, is a preventable disaster
and solutions are possible – but large numbers of
lives could soon be lost if nothing is done. It is
currently the worst food crisis on the planet.
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* Prices listing at 250 pence per share, vs 250-280
pence range
* Raises $375 million to fund exploration drilling
(Adds detail)
LONDON, UK, July 9, 2011 – Africa-focused oil and gas firm Ophir Energy said it will raise
around $375 million from its IPO in London, as it
priced its shares at 250 pence.
The exploration firm, which has made a significant
gas discovery off the coast of Tanzania with partner
BG Group , said on Friday the listing valued it at
798.7 million pounds ($1.28 billion).
The 250 pence pricing of the initial public offering
compared with a 250-280 pence per share indicative
price range sources in June said the company had set
for its London debut.
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Hargeysa, Somaliland, July 9, 2011 – SOS have just
officially opened a new SOS Children's Village and
facilities for families in the community in Hargeysa
in the west of Somaliland. Although the first
families moved into the Village in 2008,
construction is now complete and a ceremony marked
its grand opening.
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Congress needs to limit terrorist access to U.S.
legal system
By The
Washington Times
President Obama is extending full constitutional
due-process rights to a Somali terrorist. This sets
a troubling precedent. Ahmed
Abdulkadir Warsame was
captured sometime in April on a boat traveling
between
Yemen and Somalia.
He was detained on board a U.S. warship for two
months and interrogated by intelligence officials.
He reportedly revealed a great deal of valuable
information regarding his connections to the
Somalia-based al-Shabaab militant group and the Yemen-based al
Qaeda in
the Arabian Peninsula. So far, so good.
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Barack Obama has come under fire over the
decision to prosecute terrorism suspects
such as Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame in criminal
rather than military courts. Photograph:
Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images |
Somali man who was
questioned 'for intelligence purposes' before being
read his rights pleads not guilty to terrorist
activity
New York, USA, July 9, 2011 – A Somali man suspected
of assisting al-Qaida was
held on a US navy ship for questioning for more than
two months without being advised of any legal
rights, an administration official has said.
The man, identified as Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame, was
taken to New York on Monday to face charges in a US
criminal court.
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Piracy off the coast of Somalia is said to
cost companies billions |
By Victoria King
London, UK, July 9, 2011 –
The UK is preparing to give formal legal backing to
the use of private armed guards on British merchant
vessels to protect against piracy.
At present, the government "strongly discourages"
the practice and anyone doing it could be in breach
of the law.
But Foreign Office Minister Henry Bellingham said
companies should be free to decide on their own
security.
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Al-Shabaab fighters march with their guns
during military exercises on the outskirts
of Mogadishu, Somalia, February 17, 2011 |
By Michael Onyiego
Nairobi, Kenya, July 9, 2011 – One of the leaders of
the al-Qaida-linked Somali insurgent group
al-Shabaab has acknowledged the group is losing
ground in its fight against the Somali government.
As forces of Somalia’s Transitional Federal
Government continue to make advances throughout the
country - often with the help of African Union
troops - the country's main insurgent group,
al-Shabaab, appears to be weakening.
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Southern Sudan Foreign Minister Welcomes Somaliland
Delegation At Airport |
Southern
Sudan's
Foreign
Affairs
receives the
Somaliland
president at
the
airport in
Juba, the
capital of
the new
Sudan
Juba, South
Sudan, July
9, 2011 (SL
Times) –
Somaliland’s
delegation
arrived in
Southern
Sudan’s
capital,
Juba. The
Somaliland
delegation
was met at
the airport
by Sudan’s
foreign
minister.
A team of
journalists,
including
the
editor-in-chief
of the
Somaliland
Times, Yusuf
Gabobe, was
part of the
Somaliland
delegation.
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Somaliland President Meets British Foreign Minister |
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Somaliland President Ahmed Sillanyo and
British Foreign Secretary William Hague
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 8th July 2011 |
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, July 9, 2011 (SL Times) –
Somaliland President Ahmed Sillanyo met with the
United Kingdom’s foreign minister William Hague on
Friday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
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EU’s Commissioner For Development Visits Somaliland |
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Andris Piebalgs European Commissioner for
Development and the Somaliland President
Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud (Sillanyo)
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Hargeysa, Somaliland, July 9, 2011 (SL Times) –
A delegation led by the European Union’s
Commissioner for Development, Mr Andris Piebalgs,
paid a short visit to Somaliland. Mr Andris
Piebalgs met with Somaliland President Ahmed
Sillanyo.
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President Ahmed Sillanyo And Former President Rayale
Leave For South Sudan |
Berbera, Somaliland, July 9, 2011 (SL Times) –
Southern Sudan is scheduled to become the newest
country in Africa when it get its independence
from Sudan on July 9th.
Somaliland President, Ahmed Sillanyo, flew from
Berbera’s international airport with a
delegation, to take part in Southern Sudan’s
independence ceremony. The president’s
delegation included his wife, ministers, and
members of parliament.
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British Warship Docks In Berbera |
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British RFA Cardigan Bay (L3009) docks in
Berbera port on Wednesday July 6, 2011
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Berbera, Somaliland, July 9, 2011 (SL Times) – A
British war ship docked in Somaliland’s Berbera port
this week. British military personnel disembarked
and were seen at the Berbera port. Somaliland’s
President Ahmed Sillanyo met with British officials
on board the ship before he flew to Sudan.
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Saudi Businessman Abu Yasir arrives in
Hargeysa, Somaliland, on July 8, 2011
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Hargeysa, Somaliland, July 9, 2011 (SL Times) –
Saudi businessman Abu Yasir arrived in Somaliland
this week. He was welcomed at the airport by
Somaliland Minister of Agriculture, Prof. Farah Ilmi
Geedoole, the Chairman of Inda Deero company Mustafa
Abdi Awad, as well as other officials from that
company.
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Hargeysa, Somaliland, July 9, 2011 (SL Times) –
Somaliland Minister of Commerce, Mr Abdirizaq Khalif,
reassured the public that the fuel shortage will end
soon and they are expecting 3500 metric tons of oil
on July 7th and July 11th. Mr Abdirizaq Khalif
blamed the shortage on fluctuations in the market.
He also said that the troubles in the two oil
producing countries, Libya and Yemen, has something
to do with it. The minister said this in an
interview with the VOA Somali service.
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Hargeysa, Somaliland, July 9, 2011 (SL Times) – The
Somaliland Custodial Corps’s soccer team beat the
Noradin Schools team this week. The game took place
in Hargeysa and was well attended. No goals were
scored until about 15 minutes into the end of the
game when Mustafe Ali Haybe of the Custodial Corps
landed the lone goal of the game. The Custodial
Corps team now has 5 points and is the leading team
in Group A of the Telesom soccer competition.
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Hargeysa, Somaliland, July 9, 2011 (SL Times) – The
new chief Judge of Somaliland, Mr Yusuf Ismail Ali,
took over his duties from the previous judge
Muhammad Hirsi Ismail (Omane). The new chief judge
assumed his post in a ceremony at the High Court’s
building. The event was attended by lawyers, judges,
lawyer associations, parliamentarians, and other
distinguished guests.
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South Sudan Hoists World’s Newest Flag |
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IA Bari community member holds the flag of
southern Sudan during celebrations in
Juba, southern Sudan, on Friday. Photo: AP
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By Katrina Manson
Juba, South Sudan, July 9, 2011 – An ecstatic night
and day of celebration has greeted the birth of the
world’s newest country, South Sudan, which has
formally parted from the Arab-led Khartoum
government to the north.
In a day of firsts for South Sudan, the new country
hoisted its flag in front of a crowd of thousands of
cheering southern Sudanese chanting their delight at
new-found freedom.
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Shaking Up Africa's Mobile Markets |
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It’s almost tiring to list all the booming economic
sectors in Africa. The telecommunications sector is
no exception, with an estimated one million new
subscribers every week there is money to be made.
One entrepreneur has brought special telecomms
expertise to Africa, and is now invited to scores of
African boardrooms to sell his product. If this new
service is up and running, it has the potential to
shake up the markets all over the continent. But
mobile number portability can also be a threat to
companies that are used to a fight for market
share.
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Washington, July 9, 2011 – As countries across
Africa seek a path to greater prosperity after the
global financial crisis, a new World Bank
publication gives examples of proven, home-grown
solutions that could serve as an inspiration to
many.
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A Study Report by
the
Brenthurst Foundation
Executive Summary
This Discussion Paper
considers the case for Somaliland’s formal
recognition following the recent 20th anniversary of
its declaration of independence (18 may 1991) and in
light of the secession of Southern Sudan.
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Indian floods: Villagers run to get supplies
being dropped - but the country spends £1.5
billion a year on a space programme, yet
still one of the biggest recipients of
our aid |
Because Somaliland is not recognized, it depends on
local tax revenues rather than huge dollops of aid —
and, as a result, it has rapidly developed one of
the most inclusive, accountable governments in
Africa.
By IAN
BIRRELL
As he pledged to pour hundreds of millions more into
propping up Afghanistan, David Cameron this week
accused critics of his foreign aid policy of being
‘possibly hard-hearted’.
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Children rehearse for South Sudan
independence day ceremonies. |
By John
Campbell, CFR.org
It is too early to tell if south Sudan independence, which becomes
official July 9, will inspire a clamor for
sovereignty in other fractious sub-Saharan African
countries. It will, however, create space for
reconsidering Africa’s seemingly irrational colonial
borders and its opposition to territorial secession.
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Development aid from the European Commission
On-going, mostly multi-year EU-funded programmes in
Somaliland currently amount to approximately €62
million. There are 63 projects ongoing: 27 projects
in the governance sector amounting to €21.9 million;
13 projects in the education sector, amounting to
€11.2 million; 13 projects in support to economic
growth amounting to €15.1 million; and 9 projects
worth €8.5 million in other sectors (health, water
and sanitation) and EU Flight Operations worth €5.3
million.
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By Sidin Vadukut
The pirates of Somalia are reviled by international
security agencies, shipping companies and several
national governments. These fierce gangs, estimated
to comprise between 1,000 and 2,000 pirates in
total, terrorize one of the arterial shipping routes
in the world. Despite their small numbers, limited
firepower and—with some astonishing
exceptions—primitive organization, these pirate
gangs pose a serious threat to professional security
organizations and national navies.
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Time For Paradigm Shift In Somaliland-EU Relations |
Here we go
again. Another high level international figure talks big
about helping Somaliland but delivers little. The official
in question this time is the European Union’s Commissioner
for Development, Andris Piebalgs, who came to Somaliland
this week. Mr Piebalgs praised Somaliland’s democracy as a
model for IGAD countries, highlighted the European Union’s
aid to the country and promised more assistance in the
future. But despite the glowing language the reality is that
as IEWY News put it, “On-going, mostly multi-year EU-funded
programs in Somaliland currently amount to approximately €62
million.”
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Somaliland Exports Important Minerals To Europe
First Time Over 20 Years. |
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It is two decades since Somaliland got its
independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991.
Somaliland has undergone a path of social, political
and economic home-grown reconstruction. Since
Somaliland regained its independence from the rest
of Somalia there has not being a meaningful export
of natural resources of Somaliland such as precious
stones or minerals. Somaliland is rich in minerals
and has one of world’s largest gypsum deposits, has
clean coastline of 850 km which are all important
investment opportunities.
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What Does The European Court Of Human Rights
Judgment Mean For The Somali People?
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By Liban Obsiye and Yusuf Salah
The ruling by the European Court of Human Rights
that allowed two prolific serious Somali criminals
to remain in the UK for fear of the breach of their
Article 3 rights if sent back to war torn Mogadishu
was predictable. This overturned the British Asylum
and Immigration Tribunals decision that although a
return to Mogadishu would and could expose deportees
to torture, inhuman and degrading treatment as well
as persecution, those with connections to the
powerful people in Mogadishu might be able to live
their safely. Despite the tough on foreign
criminal’s stance the British government has
adopted, the reality is that their policies are
always subject to a compatibility test with European
Union law of which the European Convention on Human
Rights 1998 is one of. It is so important that if
any member States policies do not comply they can be
expelled from the Union after a period of financial
penalization.
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Apprehending Ratco Mladic: A Reminder Of A War
Criminal Working As Jury |
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Mohamed
Hirsi Morgan
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By Abdirahman
Mohamed Dirye
Indiscriminate gunfire occurred and war jets took
off and landed at Hargeysa Airport International to
brutally drop bombs on residential, congested areas
of Hargeysa and Buroa; tanks trodden over corpses.
The dead remained unburied in dusty roads until
rainy season arrived; washed away, but the
man-in-charge, Mohamed Hirsi Morgan, of this brutal
military operation was relaxed and laughed at
children while their limbs are chipped off with
shrapnel.
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What Do We Mean By Xeego Conference? |
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By Abdirahman Ibrahim
Abdillahi
Hego conference is about peace and development. The
steering committee will determine the need for the
summit and achievements to be accomplished within
the period of the conference. There are many issues
that need to be addressed following are the details
of the some subjects expected to be included in to
the program.
Conflict can arise between tribes or groups within a
community
and the resolutions for the disputes do not end up
with fair judgment. In contrast, conflict
resolutions are different from the way conflicts
were resolved in the yesteryears. The way Conflict
resolutions are managed in these days are not fair.
They do it because they give justice to whom they
care. To bring the condition of justice back to
normal. We need to have selected and appropriate
committee during the convention to resolve the
conflicts in the community in a fair manner. The
selected committee will review whether justice is
delivered or not. If justice is not delivered in
this case then the conflict resolution committee
will re evaluate the matter. The members of the said
committee has to be selected on the basis of the
prestige and the trust these people hold within the
community in performing similar job in the past.
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The Battle For Hargeysa - 31 May 1988
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The war that SMN movement has waged inside the
borders of Somaliland, and particularly aimed at
Hargeysa and Burao was a direct and natural product
of the April 1988 Agreement concluded between Siyad
Barreh of Somalia and Mengisto of Ethiopia, which
was mediated by Hassan Guled of Djibouti. The
central theme of the agreement dictated that the two
governments should not support the opposition groups
of each side. The purpose of the dictator of Somali
at that time, Siyad Barreh, regarding this agreement
was to eliminate SNM Movement which was then the
only armed group that was active in the Somalia
Region following the disintegration of SSDF
movement. As part of the implementation of this
agreement, the Ethiopia government asked SNM high
command that their army should move about 15Km into
the Ethiopian territory and away from the borders of
Somalia. This Ethiopian decision meant that SNM
should stop its military operations against the
Siyad Barreh regime. The agreement that was
concluded by Siyad Barreh of Somalia and Mengesito
of Ethiopia has brought about total confusion and
frustration amongst the commanders, and the units of
SNM. The moral of the population supporting the
movement was also in total doldrums. The situation
was signified by gloom, despair and confusion.
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