The rumoured location of the base is in the strategically important Horn of Africa and would offer the ability to project power across the Middle East and shipping lanes heading to and from the Suez canal.

RUSSIA is plotting a game-changing naval base in a breakaway east African state in bid to dramatically expand his military might in the Middle East, according to reports.

Talks are reportedly underway between Moscow and leaders in Somaliland for a 1,500 man base to support its warships and hunter-killer submarines to operate in the volatile region and busy shipping lanes carrying most of Europe’s goods.

If realised, this would be Russia’s first base in Africa since the Cold War and be a major step forward for Vladimir Putin’s ambitious modernisation programme to revive his country’s once proud navy.

The rumoured location of the base is outside of Zeila city, in the self-declared republic of Somaliland.

It is also on the border with Djibouti – nearby the location of China’s first overseas base in modern times which opened last year.

The United Arab Emirates is also building a military base in Berbera in what is – and always has been – a key position to project power in the unstable region.

Dr Andrew Foxall, director of the Russia and Eurasia Studies Centre, told Sun Online: “The Horn of Africa is strategically important for a number of reasons, not least because it allows both power projection into the Middle East and influence over the Suez Canal through the Gulf of Aden.

“The US and China both have military facilities in Djibouti, and it should come as no surprise that Russia would want facilities there too.

“Russia recently extended the lease it has on its naval facility at Tartus in Syria and the development of a facility in Somaliland could be seen as an attempt to build a blue-water navy.

“Over the last decade, Russian naval activity has been increasing in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Indian Oceans, and elsewhere.”

Dr Foxall said Russia’s Naval Doctrine, adopted in 2017, promotes a vision of the Russian Navy as a global force that will remain the world’s second-most powerful navy, after the United States, over the next decade.

According to Somali media, Qarannews, Russia is proposing a deal where it will recognise the breakaway republic of Somaliland in return for being allowed to establish the base.

It is reported the naval base would be staffed by 1,500 people and service destroyers, frigates and submarines.

Over the past 10 years Russia has been expanding the reach of its Black Sea fleet.

As part of this it secured its base in Crimea by annexing the region from Ukraine in 2014 and reestablished a base in the Syrian port of Tartus – thanks to Putin’s support of dictator Bashar al-Assad.

It all comes amid growing tensions with Western powers.

Putin’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today compared the current political climate to the Cold War.

The chilling comments came after the US, France and the UK launched strikes on sites in Syria believed to have been connected to the deadly chemical warfare attacks on Douma.

During the attack last Saturday morning Russian forces based in Syria held back from shooting down cruise missiles with its feared S-400 air defence units which are located at its base.

In December last year Putin signed off a law ratifying an agreement enabling Russia to expand operations at its Tartus Port  facility which is Moscow’s only naval foothold in the Mediterranean.

Dredging work and new piers will make space for up to 11 warships, as well as Russia’s largest battlecruiser, the Pyotr Velikiy.

By Patrick Knox

The Sun

If anyone needs to know how to build an empire from little other than a good brain, an incorruptible value system, and a vision, Ahmed is just the man.

From one of Africa’s most unlikely countries hails an unlikely hero whose story is equally inspiring. Ismail Ahmed, now known for founding WorldRemit, a global money transfer service, could have been killed in a civil war in his birth-country of Somaliland. Fortunately, he was able to make the then dangerous trek through Djibouti and eventually to London before his town was decimated during the war.

As if drawing from his experience escaping explosives in his hometown, the man was to become an explosive in the world of finance. He studied Economics at the University of London on a World Bank scholarship and after earning his Ph.D., he became an advisor to the United Nations. It is here that the journey took an interesting turn.

Ahmed uncovered widespread corruption within the United Nations remittance project and was to become a whistleblower despite threats from his superiors. It is the compensation money he got for his efforts and the succeeding victimization that became the bedrock for AfricaRemit which later became WorldRemit.

The company is now a leading digital money transfer service that has made sending money as easy as sending an instant message. Known for its mobile-first approach, the majority of WorldRemit’s customers are migrant workers from the developing world living in developed countries who send money back home to support their friends and family; users can even pay for school fees, utility bills and groceries via their mobile phones

Currently supporting money transfers from more than 50 countries to no less than 145 receiving destinations, WorldRemit has sent shockwaves throughout the financial sector. For African countries like Kenya and Zimbabwe, WorldRemit’s ability to identify the mobile money service niche has been its biggest strength. In fact, so serious is its mobile money drive that the company handles 74% of all international money transfers to mobile money accounts from Money Transfer Operators.

From the $200,000 that Ismail Ahmed got for his whistleblowing at the United Nations, the man has managed to create a company that has raised $220 million in funding in a period of seven years. If anyone needs to know how to build an empire from little other than a good brain, an incorruptible value system, and a vision, Ahmed is just the man.

Source: africanexponent.com

There have been 54 reported cases of rape in Somaliland since January, according to figures released by the Somaliland police department this month.

The cases include sexual assaults of young boys and girls as young as six and eight years.

These figures compare with a total of 80 reported rapes during the whole year in 2017.

The police report, released on 12 April, said 30 men had been convicted in connection with some of the recent offences and had received jail sentences of between seven and 15 years. Five suspects are being pursued by the police. A further 19 offenders had been charged and were awaiting trial.

According to the report, 25 of the rapes occurred in Hargeisa and 16 in Burao. The other cases were reported from other towns in Somaliland.

One man was sentenced to nine years imprisonment on 12 January by the North Western court in Hargeisa for raping a six-year-old girl.

Hibaq Abdirahman, a women’s rights activist in Hargeisa, said the high prevalence of rape cases in Somaliland was extremely concerning. She called for the speedy enforcement of the new bill recently passed by Somaliland’s parliament criminalizing rape, as a strong deterrent against future sexual offences.

The bill has yet to receive presidential assent. However, it has been hailed as a landmark bill after several years of pressure from rights groups. If passed into law, it will for jail terms of up to 30 years for rape and life imprisonment if the victim is infected with HIV. It will also ban the use of customary law to settle rape cases. Women are often forced to marry their rapists as a traditional way of resolving such cases.

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The Somaliland Diaspora Agency at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation of the Republic of Somaliland conducted one day consultative Workshop on with Ministries and other Public Institutions on Thursday, April 19, 2018, at Crown Hotel in Hargeisa.

Overall purpose of this meeting for SLDA was to consult with the relevant ministries and the other institutions on reviewing, correcting, improving, finalizing and validating draft of the Diaspora Service Guide which we wrote in order to facilitate services to the Diaspora, support friendly business environment, and to create one-stop-shop; and at the same time on another  objective was to establish close working relations and mutual communication with Ministries on all the Diaspora-oriented issues. The Agency recommends establishing Diaspora Service Coordination Mechanism (DIASCOM) for enhancing communication and cooperation with Ministries towards Diaspora affairs.

Mostly directors of the Planning  & Research/Statistics Departments from the Ministries of Education & Science, Trade, Industry & Tourism, Telecommunication & Technology, Public Works, Land & Housing, Justice & Judicial Affairs, Transport & Roads Development, Interior Affairs, Agriculture Development, Environment & Rural Development, Minerals & Energy, Parliament & Constitutional Affairs, Finance Development particularly its Departments of Customs & Accountant General’s Office, Good Governance & Anti-corruption, Immigration Department, and the Authorney General’s Office, Representatives of INGOs and UN Agencies including IOM, UNDP, and ARC, Representatives from Diaspora-invested businesses/entrepreneurs including Nuriye Napkins Factory, Asma Style, Adams INN Hotel, Somaliland Vegetables Oil Factory, Deegaan Trading, RoseMary, Masalla Specialist Hospital, and other distinguished guests from public and private stakeholders based in Somaliland participated in the meeting.

Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, Mr. Abdinasir Ahmed Hersi delivered a key note speech and emphasized momentous role of the Somaliland Diaspora in the economic, and social development of the country, and the need to improve services to them and better engage them in the investment, and national development of Somaliland.

Executive Director of Somaliland Diaspora Agency, Hassan Ahmed Yusuf thanked the departmental directors and the officials from the Somaliland Government Ministries, Autonomous Bodies, and Agencies, Institutions as well as from the other Institutions, the entrepreneurs, and the guests attended. He underlined that other key ministries, and Hargeisa Municipality who were invited to the meeting had not participated.  “We are committed to advance services and information to Somaliland Diaspora, in order to achieve the outcome we have in the National Development Plan II (2018-2021) of increasing Diaspora role 10% in both the domestic market investment and their contribution to the public investment. But we cannot achieve this without the close cooperation, collaboration, and communication of all ministries, and other public institutions. We have invited to this meeting in order to help us review, and improve the Diaspora Service Guide Draft we have distributed to you, and so that we can help our Diaspora in access to required and accommodating information in the areas of the public service procedures, business investments, land property issues etc. There are more bureaucratic and red-tapism challenges in our Government Services, and we can address by strengthening our cooperation, and communication. Our role is more specific to coordination, information management and the sector regulatory policy development, and the services we have to facilitate is within your Ministries.”

The Somaliland Diaspora Service Guide which will be soon available in the SLDA Website upon validation with the help of the Ministries is covering basic information for the Diaspora in the following areas of Requirements for multi-business registrations and licensing procedures, Taxes and tariffs in Somaliland, Land property registrations and making files, Driving in Somaliland and traffic related regulations in Somaliland, Authentication of documents, other consular services and immigration related information, Somaliland Tourism Related Information, Somaliland Citizenship, related regulations and procedures for obtaining the National IDs, Judicial service related information (I.e. procedures for civil cases) and Sharia Law Services in Somaliland, and also Directory of Public Institutions, and other service providers.

In the Meeting, participants provided quick feedback, comments, positive critiques, suggestions, and recommendations in relation to the Diaspora Service Guide finalization.  Diaspora Investors complained of the current taxation system, the lack of Government subsidies to businesses, and also expensiveness of media for business advertisements.

Participants from the Somaliland Government Ministries, Independent Institutions, Agencies, INGOs, and Diaspora Investors and of the other Guests not limited to included:-

1. Ahmed Omer, Deputy Director of Policy & Planning, Ministry of Education & Science,
2. Yasin Mohamed, Director of Planning, Ministry of Justice,
3. Sahra Dahir, Program Officer, Care International,
4. Nimo Abdillahi Mohamed, Admin/finance, Adams INN Hotel,
5. Aden Hersi, Manager, Adams INN Hotel,
6. Mukhtar Nour Muhumed, Director of Planning Dept. Ministry of Communication & Technology,
7. Abdifatah Omar, Director of Planning Dept. Ministry of Energy & Minerals
8. Mohamoud Ahmed Hussein,
9. Abdikarim Abdi Aden, Senior Adviser, Ministry of Parliament & Constitutional Affairs,
10. Abdillahi Samadoon Omer, Director of Planning, Ministry of Transport & Roads Development,
11. Mohamed Abdirahman Omer, M&E, Ministry of Transport & Roads Development,
12. Mohamed Ali, Advisor, Ministry of Interior Affairs,
13. Barkhad Omer Ali, Legal Services, Athorney General’s Office,
14. Fathia Abdillahi, Program Assistant, IOM,
15. Mohamed Daud, Director of Planning Department, Ministry of Interior,
16. Fatima Mohamoud, HR, RoseMary Business,
17. Maryan Mohamed, HR, RoseMary Business,
18. Ubah Mohamed Ali, Planning & Research, Ministry of Education & Science,
19. Roda Salah, Manager, Deegaan Trading Ent,
20. Dr. Dayib Mohamed, Ex-Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture,
21. Dr. Mohamoud Dahir Afqarshe, MD, Masalla Specialist Hospital
22. Khadar Mohamed Yusuf, Education Officer, Ministry of Education & Science,
23. Dayib Mohamed Got, Officer, Ministry of Education,
24. Asma Ahmed, Owner of Asma Style Business,
25. Samira Hassan, Program Specialist, UNDP,
26. Mohamed Ahmed Ali, Communication Manager, Ministry of Energy & Minerals,
27. Abdirahman Saeed, M&E Manager, ARC,
28. Mustafe Ali Esse, Manager, Farmer
29. Abdirashid Ahmed, Farmer
30. Abdi Abdillahi Diaspora Member,
31. Ibrahim Abdi, CEO, Dhamac Investment & Consultancy,
32. Abdirashid Omer, Director of Planning, Ministry of Agriculture Development,
33. Abdinasir Hussein Omer, Director of Planning, GGCACC,
34. Aidarous Muse Ismail, Director of Planning, Ministry of Environment & Rural Development,
35. Qaali Ismail Yusuf, Tayo Construction & Furniture, Diaspora Investor
36. Saad Mohamed Abdi, CEO, Somsite,

Source:  Somaliland Diaspora Agency

Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation

Thursday, April 19, 2019

An Information Day organised by the Somaliland Coast Guard on request of the House of Representatives was facilitated by EUCAP in Hargeisa on April 18th

The aim of the event was to promote and support the adoption and implementation of a Coast Guard Law in Somaliland.

The occasion bolstered dialogue among Somaliland institutions and the international community regarding maritime legislation.

The Information Day also stressed the importance of a legal framework that sets up Coast Guard bodies following international standards in terms of Coast Guard powers, functions and responsibilities.

They also addressed the equally important conversation on police powers on crimes within the maritime jurisdiction and functions related to safety and security in the maritime domain.

EUCAP Deputy Head of Mission, Keith Murray addressed participants as well as the Vice Minister of Interior, Chief Coast Guard Admiral Cabdi Hirsi Duaale.

Some local participants suggested Coast Guard Information Day could be considered a public hearing ahead of the debate in Parliament.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin looks at a model of the Tupolev TU-160 bomber, or Blackjack, that was presented to him on his arrival in Olenegorsk, Russia, August 16, 2005. Putin flew in the Tupolev TU-160 bomber on Tuesday and took part in the launch of cruise missiles in the Arctic north, dusting off the military image he cultivated when he first came to power. Picture taken August 16, 2005. (CREDIT : REUTERS/ITAR-TASS/PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE) – RTXNPML

Russia is in talks with breakaway Somali region, Somaliland, to set up a naval base of at least 1500 men outside Zeila, a city near the border with Djibouti to offer support to warships and submarines patrolling the strategic stretch of coastline.

Reported by Somaliland and other international news outlets, the base is expected to be home to two destroyer sized ships, four frigate class ships, two large submarine pens, two airstrips that can host up to six heavy aircraft and fifteen fighter jets, and other facilities.

However, local media Qaran News said on April 2 that in return, Russia will assist Somaliland in gaining international recognition as a sovereign state through a resolution. It also reported that Russia will ensure security in the breakaway country by training the Somaliland military.

If this happens, then Russia will join the list of powerful countries with bases in the Horn of Africa region which is strategic for so many reasons including proximity to the Middle East and influence over the Gulf of Aden.

The United States, France, Japan and China have military facilities in neighbouring Djibouti while Turkey recently established a facility in Somalia which has strained relations with Somaliland.

Russia has bases in only nine countries including Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Syria, Tajikistan and Vietnam.

Somaliland’s president Muse Bihi Abdi said in March that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will train Somaliland security forces as part of a deal to establish a military base in the Somaliland port city of Berbera.

Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia on May 18, 1991. The territory had been under pressure to hold talks with Somalia which have so far been futile.

27 years of diplomatic isolation has made it difficult for Somaliland to have access to loans from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

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In a large, empty-looking house on a hill in Hargeisa, Somaliland, Nejuu is preparing dinner for her “babies.” The veterinary student cuts up a kilo of red meat and places chunks of it on a plate.

“Careful! They’re going to go crazy when they see it,” Nejuu says as she opens the kitchen door and walks out into the large yard. A second later, two young cheetahs emerge from the shadows and shoot towards her at breakneck speed, halting and skidding when they reach her, then quickly regaining their balance and jumping up on her, their front paws reaching for the meat.

“Down, VP, down! Dobbie, down!” she shouts, laughing as she tries not to let the two animals knock her over.

Large cats like cheetahs and lions are sometimes kept as pets in some parts of the world — but that’s actually what Nejuu and a small bunch of committed individuals are trying to stop. Both of Nejuu’s “babies,” as she affectionately calls them, are young male cheetahs that were rescued from people who kept them in their homes.

“They don’t know how to keep these animals. They don’t give them the right food or enough water,” Nejuu says as she strokes VP’s crooked front legs. “His legs are like this because malnutrition caused metabolic bone disease, which deformed his legs.”

When Nejuu’s team rescued him, he could barely walk. Now he’s able to leap and bound around the yard, chasing Dobbie.

After they’re snatched from the wild in Ethiopia and Kenya, many cheetahs end up in Somaliland — and eventually in the hands of smugglers. During the journey, many cubs die; a few end up in the hands of rich businessmen and politicians in Somaliland. But countless others are smuggled to the coast, where they are loaded onto small wooden boats and taken to Yemen. Eventually, the ones that survive end up in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where they are sold for thousands of dollars and kept as pets.

“Somaliland, to our knowledge, is one of the worst places for cheetah trafficking,” says Patricia Tricorache, who has been investigating the trade in the Horn of Africa for the Namibia-based Cheetah Conservation Fund.

“We are trying to discuss a strategy to curb the trade, but it will be an uphill battle,” says Patricia. “We want a rescue centre, but before that happens we need to increase awareness among government and law enforcement people, the police, and the environmental people.”

Additional species of animals — gazelles, birds of prey, and caracals, for example — are also trafficked through the country, and sometimes end up in Nejuu’s care. Somaliland’s ineffective institutions and law enforcement mean that Nejuu and her team usually have to operate on very small budgets and with little assistance.

But things are looking up: The current Minister of Environment, Shukri Haji Ismail, has taken the matter to heart and has vowed to stop the wildlife trade. In the first months of 2018, she contacted leaders from the police, the judiciary, and the border patrol to announce that her Ministry was leading an anti-wildlife-trafficking campaign, and to ask for their collaboration.

In February, several traffickers were arrested after being found with a car full of live tortoises headed to Mogadishu. The traffickers were handed lengthy sentences, a first in the country’s history. Minister Shukri hopes that cheetah smugglers will be next.

“When you see with your own eyes that a small baby has been taken from its mother and it’s not treated well, and that so many die for no reason, just for money… that really hurts,” she says.

With the Ministry on board, Nejuu’s team is hopeful. More awareness of the problem, coupled with more frequent confiscations and longer sentences for smugglers can help deter people from trading and buying cheetahs.

In the meantime, the government has given them a piece of land a few hours away from Hargeisa, where they are building large enclosures for rescued animals. One is already home to dozens of gazelles, and the other will soon be Dobbie and VP’s expansive, natural new home.

Source: one.org

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude “Thomas Jefferson

“Honest and earnest criticism from those whose interests are most nearly touched,- criticism of writers by readers, of government by those governed, of leaders by those led, – this is the soul of democracy and the safeguard of modern society” W.E.B. Du Bois

Three main points to cover here

1.      We could no longer leave some visionless leaders to lead our country

2.      Taking drastic action against the self-styled, unelected charlatans pretending that they  speak for Somaliland

3.      Never trust Arab states, and you just need to closely look what they have done to each other, and their standing in this broken world

Introduction

I hereby urge the president Musa Bihi to fire the so-called foreign minister who is totally an unsuitable person for the job. In the recent crisis this gentle man was completely absent from the scene. Kudos to Mr. Faisal Ali Warabe who emerged as the unofficial foreign minister, and spokesman for the Republic of Somaliland. Faisal was in TV, Twitter, Face book, radio, and in every forum vigorously defending the Republic of Somaliland. We are a country with good, resilient, honest, and gregarious people, but most of the leaders we have in the recent past are not the right leaders who could take us to the mountain top. Somaliland needs visionary leaders who could be able to sell their good story to a broken world still led by declining powers, a toothless so-called United Nations which are corrupt failed leaders, and sometimes criminals and genocidal elements. The latter has failed to fulfill the tenants of its 1945 charter, which was to prevent wars and keep world peace.

Background Information

Today I would like to take the opportunity to talk about two world leaders who have led India to independence in 1947; they were Mahatma Gandhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru. Though both were Indians their background was as a little different, Gandhi obtained his law degree in Britain, and then as lawyer he left Britain to help the struggle of the colored people in apartheid South Africa, so he started his agitation for freedom and equal rights in South Africa. His noble work in South Africa has inspired multiple Indians including Jawaharlal Nehru in the Indian subcontinent. Following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by a Hindu fanatic; Jawaharlal Nehru became the first prime minister of India in 1947. Great India has been split into India and Pakistan, the later was led by another preeminent Indian Muslim leader called Mohamed Ali Jinnah.  We would like to have in our country selfless leaders like the previous two who put so much stock on the common good for the country. Ghandi was totally against the splitting of Pakistan from India, but Mohamed Ali Jinnah another charismatic and shrewd politician insisted the need for a Muslim Homeland that became modern Pakistan.

1.       We no longer afford to leave mediocre, lackluster, corrupt, and visionless leaders for the governance of our country. We need to come out of the woodwork, help them and support them when they are right and positively criticize them and tell them their mistakes when they are wrong. We need to be ready and give them educated advice when they need advice, and when they fell short of their official duties. The first thing I would like to do here is call for the immediate resignation of the foreign minister, and no personal offense, but this man has no clue as to what his responsibilities are. He is inarticulate, incompetent, and did not understand his responsibilities. In conclusion the gentleman is non-existent and missing in action when the country needs him.  He is not assertive, knowledgeable, and aggressive enough to fulfill his duties as a foreign minister of a country that needs to sell its good story to the world.

2.      The likes of Buur Madaw, and other self-styled unelected leaders should remain traditional leaders who have to stay clear of politics, secondly they should know the fact that no one elected them and they did not speak for anyone. You can go to any meeting you want, but can’t speak for Somaliland, you need to speak for yourself, you may talk about traditional and cultural issues, but you did not have the authority to speak for the Republic of Somaliland. Somaliland and its people have elected leaders who represent them.  It is illegal, unethical and wrong to speak for the people of a country that did not elect you. You need to keep quiet and confine your energy to cultural, traditional and social matters, If you want to transition into a politician, go and try to seek an elected office, otherwise you are out of control and you should be in jail, because you have broken the laws of this country. We are a nation of laws. The government has the right to put this out of control loud mouth and his likes in jail. The people trying to defend this unpatriotic charlatan are wrong and need to be quiet.

3.      Huge controversy has unleashed following the DP world agreement between the Republic of Somaliland, Ethiopia, and the UAE. That was a great and successful accomplishment for Somaliland, but listening to the contradictory, offensive and provocative statement from some of their leaders, the slogan “Never trust Arabs will come to be true for me.” Moreover, regarding the weak and on paper shadow government in Mogadishu, their level of incompetence, lies, empty slogans and their false claim on Somaliland is mindboggling. These are unelected selected leaders who represent no one. Note these selected leaders control one Mogadishu Street with the help of more 22,000 soldiers from Africa. They need to focus on their disintegrated country.  Somaliland needs to look at this agreement, deliberate, and weigh if we are getting back rewards that commensurate with accepting to hire DP world to run our most vital port. I believe we have nothing to lose here, despite illegal sanctions against us by the broken world system we survived. With DP world or without DP world the Republic of Somaliland survived and will survive. The reaction from the non-existent and on paper government in Mogadishu is unbelievable. These people should mind their own business, and work hard to bring peace to their vanquished country.

Prof. Suleiman Egeh a freelance writer and a senior science instructor

Boswellia carterii trees are in trouble. The frankincense they produce is a vital source of income in Somaliland, and over-harvesting is putting the trees’ survival at risk.

Dr Anjanette DeCarlo, an environmental sustainability expert, has immersed herself in the subject to find a solution that will safeguard their future. He is working with buyers on the ground to develop ways to make frankincense harvesting more sustainable.

Dr DeCarlo recommends sustainable harvesting practices and is currently undertaking research to discover whether or not the quality of frankincense is affected by the way in which it is harvested. Mountainous terrain

She believes that trees in a state of distress – due to over-harvesting – could have a signature chemical compound. Cutting the trees does create some small level of stress even with more traditional harvesting practices. Over-harvesting, however, heightens that stress.

If the chemical profile does exist, it could be used to test whether the resin has been collected sustainably. Dr DeCarlo said: “Too much stress – that’s where we want to start verifying if that has a chemical profile.”

The rocky terrain in Somaliland makes testing resin in the field difficult, so lab testing is being considered as a practical solution. All the science involved is open source, encouraging others to adopt the same practice. If her theory proves correct, and well-managed Boswellia carterii produces higher quality frankincense, sustainability could become a very attractive quality to buyers.

Tree nurseries have also proven a rich source of information. By examining orchards in other countries, information has been collected and applied to reforesting trees in the wild.

Boswellia carterii grow amid a rocky, mountainous terrain in Somaliland. Using traditional practices, the trees are harvested with care and well-looked after. Tapped once a year for two years and then rested for a year, they are given the time to recover and continue a healthy life.

Over-harvesting

Yet economic pressures mean that some farmers are now changing the way they harvest frankincense. Multiple wounds are being made in the trees, and they are not given a resting period.

The trees cannot repair themselves, and so their immune defences are weakened and they become susceptible to pests. Ultimately, they dehydrate and become unable to produce the resin needed for frankincense. The mortality rate is high.

An even greater concern is the fertility of the trees, which decreases when they are under stress. Harvesting immature trees also prevents them from growing to a full, productive size. The impact on the tree population could be huge.

Somaliland – which is not officially recognised as a country – is restricted in what international mechanisms it can use. With little economic diversity in the region, frankincense is a vital source of income. Higher demand coupled with a rise in the price per kilo has led to more pressure to harvest. Over-harvesting is a short-term solution, but could be devastating in the long run.

Dr DeCarlo recently visited some extremely remote areas in Somaliland, home to some of the last Boswellia carterii forests. While she described some areas as “gorgeous, well-managed, forested zones,” many forests were suffering.

No enforcement

After carrying out ground analysis at ten different locations across the growing region, she reported an alarming trend of over-harvesting. She said: “If people in the region are over-relying on carterii trees, that of course leads to over-harvesting.”

As human-driven climate change sends the planet’s weather patterns spiraling in new directions, the region has also seen a change in rainfall. If the rainy seasons do not arrive, Dr DeCarlo says that harvesting may happen all year round.

In the past, the country’s government has had limited resources for promoting sustainable harvesting, with problems such as land degradation, deforestation and other environmental issues taking the main focus.

Dr DeCarlo said: “There’s no government regulation or enforcement of harvesting practices. The situation where there’s no enforcement, coupled with a higher price, can really cause over-harvesting.”

However, she said the Somaliland government is now taking a keen interest in the issue, and the Minister of Environment has even visited the area.

Rotational management

Influencing the government plays an important role in driving change, but so too does raising awareness within those communities who are harvesting Boswellia carterii, and who are directly impacted by its survival.

Dr DeCarlo said: “Right now, there is an incentive to overharvest, because the more you bring in, the more money you make. Over time, people will start to see the impact of that.”

She is now developing incentives for farmers to harvest sustainably. An important part of this is looking at the price per kilo that farmers are paid. Something at the root of the problem however, is the lack of economic diversity in the region. Eco-tourism, other biological resources and cultivation are all possible avenues that could be explored to diversify income.

The communities have been receptive to her work, and have welcomed her help in maintaining their economic and cultural sustainability. The younger harvesters in particular are willing to ask for help, and she was met at first with questions of: “Doc, what do we do?”

Major step

Dr DeCarlo is adamant that “the harvesters and the landowners are not the enemy.”

She wants to be clear that she does not want the harvesting of frankincense to be banned, but wants to encourage best practice of rotational management, where trees are rested for a year after two years of harvesting. She will soon be releasing guidelines to help put this into action.

According to the sustainability expert, the key to saving Boswellia carterii is to find international buyers that care about the problem. She wants companies to be accountable for their use of frankincense, and to work with communities to ensure sustainability.

She said: “We have to have an attitude change amongst everyone on the supply chain.”

This spring, the verification process will have its first trials. Two or three locations, some sustainably managed and some not, will take part in the pilot for what could be a major step in securing the future of the Frankincense forests.

By Katie Dancey-Downs – The ecologist

By Ahmed Abdi

Hargeisa— President Muse Abdi received UK Ambassador David Concar at his presidential palace in Hargeisa on Monday.

President Abdi thanked the United Kingdom for its developmental programs in Somaliland.

Mr. Abdi said that Somaliland is holding the parliamentary election and halted the talks between Somalia and Somaliland over the Berbera port tension.

Ambassador told Abdi that the United Kingdom will continue the financial aid to Somaliland and praised its efforts to make sure its democracy and free and fair elections that take place in Somaliland every five years.

Meanwhile, Somaliland’s Minister for information Abdirahman Guri Barwako said that his administration will never detain any journalist but will use other legal means if he/she commits any violations.

Decentralized renewable energy company ImpactPPA and Earth Day Network have announced an initiative to install clean energy systems at 50 facilities by 2020.

The “50 by 50” initiative will focus on providing hybrid wind and solar installations to schools, healthcare centers, and other facilities whose work could be greatly enhanced by access to reliable energy.

The first installation will be at Edna Adan Hospital in Hargeisa, Somaliland. Through this effort, ImpactPPA will install a hybrid wind and solar system to provide affordable and reliable energy, allowing money currently spent acquiring fuel to be channeled directly into patient care.

This project aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All initiative, which seeks to provide universal access to sustainable energy by 2030 with a focus on healthcare centers as first priority. This goal is especially important in regions like sub-Saharan Africa, where just 28 percent of healthcare facilities report having reliable access to electricity.

“We hope that the success of our first project with ImpactPPA will become a launchpad for continuing our work together and identifying other worthy projects and partners around the globe,” said Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network. “This initiative will not only showcase an emergent technology, but also have a real impact on people who need clean energy.”

“Improving the world’s access to clean energy is a goal that we share with Earth Day Network, and this partnership moves us closer to balancing inequality in our global energy systems,” said Dan Bates, CEO of ImpactPPA. “We look forward to identifying new opportunities to deploy ImpactPPA’s technology globally through the 50 by 50 initiative.”

ImpactPPA will be recognized at Earth Day Network’s Climate Leadership Gala for its work with the Edna Adan Hospital in Washington D.C. on May 8, 2018. The annual event gathers the world’s most distinguished green economy leaders and celebrates achievements leading the path to a post-carbon future.

www.earthday.org

www.impactppa.org

Following an undiplomatic outburst from the UAE’s often rash Minister of State, Anwar Gharghash, alleging that the Emirates’ ongoing construction of military base  and takeover of the Red Sea port of Berbera management through DP World came to be only after they had signed an MOU with Mogadishu, and the turmoil it threw on Somaliland politics, a 12-member, high profile delegation arrived to mend damaged ties.

The delegation met with His Excellency the President of the Republic of Somaliland with whom it commiserated the uncalled for remarks of the State Minister, promising that a more formal form of apology will be released as soon as possible.

The delegation, also, promised unconditional training and equipment to the varied Somaliland security forces.

On a similar token, the Emirati delegation broke the news that the UAE will immediately start construction of a kidney dialysis facility that will greatly benefit not only Somaliland but populations within reach in the whole region.

The visiting delegation was following up on issues agreed upon by President Bihi and his UAE counterparts on a recent visit he made to the Emirates and outstanding issues relating to the Port and Base deals previously slated for action embodied in the agreement the two sides inked in August 2017.

The Republic of Somaliland had never taken part in the affairs of the former Italian colony to the south – political or otherwise – since 1991 and the deposal of the former military dictator who has lorded over the two former partners of Somaliland and Italina Somalia since 1969 to end an uneasy partnership that started in in 1960 to prepare the ground for a  Greater Somalia that included Djibouti and large parts of Kenya and Ethiopia.

The UAE and Somalia fell apart after the latter forcibly seized funds the UAE meant to pay for training and security contingents it funded for over 20 years now to help the ailing Mogadishu administration combat a host of security issues it faced. Somalia made a scandalous fuss about the payload pointing accusatory fingers at the UAE’s feeding hand. The action resulted in a total pullout of the UAE from Somalia.

Gharghash’s scathing – and largely unfounded – claims that the UAE only started dealing with Somaliland after it secured permission from Mogadishu was challenged by the former Somalia President Hassan Sheikh, his Prime Minister Omar Abdrirashid, the incumbent FGS Foreign Minister, Ahmed Isse Awad, all of whom said nothing of the kind ever transpired and that the FGS was not party to the deal between the Republic of Somaliland and the United Arab Emirates.

Of the meeting between the President and the delegation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Somaliland Republic said:

Somaliland: president meets with UAE Delegation in Hargeisa

Press releases
22.4.2018

…See more

By M. A. Ali, University of Hargeisa, LLB and MA in International Relations and Diplomacy.

1. The Establishment of Democracy

Somaliland had inherited societal structure which had survived through the colonial era and into the independence period[1], this culture remained intact during and after the war between Somali National Movement (SNM) and Siad Barre’s regime. Since 1991, when Somaliland declared independence from the rest of Somalia, the country went through different stages of transformation, starting from grassroot tribal reconciliation, disarmament of clan militia groups, peacebuilding and laying the foundation of systematic procedure of shifting from traditional Charter to hybrid system of democratic state, where citizens elect government officials with a ballot paper

In May 1993, President Egal was elected to replace President Abdirahman Tuur, the last SNM[2]chairman and the founding President of Somaliland during the Borama Grand Conference, President Egal brought a new momentum of state-building with a clear and precise blueprint. His priority was militia disarmament and seizing the control of the main government sources of revenue, including the major ports, airports and border customs which were at the time controlled by various clan militias.

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For nearly three decades, the holy grail of politics in Somaliland has been its quest for international recognition. Somaliland is not its own country
— not officially, any way — but it wants to be. It operates with complete independence from Somalia proper, under whose sovereignty the territory technically falls, and it boasts all the trappings of a modern state: a flag, a national anthem, a currency, an army, a Constitution.

But despite Somaliland’s stellar track record of stability and economic growth, the territory’s pleas for recognition have fallen on deaf ears. The international community, prioritising its own geostrategic considerations, has consistently preferred to reinforce a succession of unstable governments in Mogadishu, leaving Somaliland to fend for itself, for the most part.

Political theorists hypothesise that Somaliland’s success comes not despite this international isolation, but because of it; that the absence of aid money and one-size-fits-all development plans has allowed it to develop a home-grown democracy that actually works for the community. Nonetheless, Somaliland remains desperate to end this isolation — and it just might be on the brink of doing so.

Finally, global geopolitics is working in its favour. The bitter divisions in the Middle East have spilled over into the Horn of Africa, forcing governments to choose sides. Somalia’s federal government, propped up by African Union (AU) peacekeepers in Mogadishu, is aligning itself with Qatar and Turkey. This has forced Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to go searching for other Somali partners — and Somaliland can barely contain its enthusiasm.

Already, even as the UAE has withdrawn from a military training arrangement in Mogadishu, it has reached a deal to build a military base in Somaliland’s Berbera port; while Emirati behemoth DP World will operate the commercial facilities there. According to one report, the UAE is now accepting Somaliland passports.

It’s not just Somaliland, either: the president of neighbouring Puntland, a semi-autonomous region with much closer ties to Mogadishu, recently jetted off to Abu Dhabi for a meeting with senior Emirati officials, suggesting that it too has taken the side of the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

In Hargeisa, Somaliland’s booming capital city, the government is daring to dream: could the territory be on the brink of receiving their first official recognition as a sovereign entity? The worse relations get between Abu Dhabi and Mogadishu — and they are deteriorating further by the week — the more likely that seems. And where the UAE goes, other countries may follow, given the Emirates’ considerable influence in the region.

The international recognition that Somaliland craves is closer than ever before.

If only the poets would shut up.

Poets like Naeema Qorane, who was sentenced last week to three years in a Hargeisa prison. Her crime: “anti-national activity of a citizen and bringing the nation or state in contempt”.

In her verse, Qorane waxes lyrical about Somali unity; the fabled soomaalinimo, the essential Somaliness that binds all Somalis regardless of whose borders they live in. It is a concept embraced wholeheartedly by the federal government in Mogadishu, even finding expression on its flag: against a light blue background, the five points of the white star represent Somalia’s five historic regions, including territory in Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. One day, Mogadishu would like to have all that back.

Poets occupy an exalted position in Somali society, which until 1974 was an almost exclusively oral society. “Poets carry our heritage and our history. That’s how we send messages. Poetry is the centre of the identity of the Somali people,” said Guleid Ahmed Jama, the director of the Red Sea Centre, a Hargeisa-based cultural organisation.

In the battle of ideas, poets are always on the frontline. “Poetry is an important vehicle for different political positions: some may emphasise the value of soomaalinimo whilst others might praise the achievements and independence of the breakaway Republic of Somaliland. These poetic expressions and confrontations are taken up by younger generations and play out in many different locations — both offline and across dynamic and transnational Somali social media,” said Pete Chonka, a lecturer at King’s College London and a long-time student of Somali poetry.

So when Qorane, and others like her, preach soomaalinimo, Somaliland’s government interprets it as an attack on its own nation-building project — even when Qorane never mentions Somaliland explicitly. And this is deemed enough of a threat to to jail her, even if doing so means violating basic civil liberties.

“I think the Somaliland government is not respecting the Constitution,” said Jama. But it’s even worse than that, he adds: to convict Qorane, the courts relied on the old Somali penal code, a legal remnant of a unified Somalia. Apparently Somaliland is not so averse to abusing the notion of Somali unity when it suits them.

There is grave danger here for Somaliland. The territory is so close to achieving its ultimate goal of international recognition: is now really the time to trample on free speech, on human rights, on the rule of law — all the values which have for so long underpinned this rare success story in the Horn of Africa?

President Muse Bihi may be aware of the danger, at least. Following a huge public outcry that followed Qorane’s conviction, unconfirmed Twitter reports suggest that he has now pardoned the poet. Even if true, this will not be the last test of Somaliland’s principles

Somaliland is nearer to its holy grail than even before. But it doesn’t take a poet to know that sometimes holy grails turn out to be poisoned chalices.

Mail & the Guardian

Somalia’s foreign minister has said DP World should reconsider its contract with Somaliland and work with Somalia’s federal authorities so the country’s sovereignty is not violated.

Ahmed Isse Awad told Reuters that DP World’s agreement to develop an economic zone and port in Somaliland’s Berbera “bypassed the legitimate authority” of Somalia, triggering “misunderstanding and disagreement” that remained unresolved.

Mr Award said: “We are asking DP World to reconsider these agreements, particularly the one in Berbera port since Somaliland is claiming to be a state independent from Somalia,” reported Reuters.

In 2016, DP World won a 30-year concession with an automatic 10-year extension for the management and development of a multipurpose US$400m port project at Berbera, but in March, the Federal Government of Somalia declared the deal “non-existent, null and void”.

Ethiopia was due to take a 19% stake in the port, with the Somaliland Port Authority holding 30% and the remaining 51% held by DP World.

Last month Saad Ali Shire, Somaliland’s foreign affairs minister, claimed that the dispute risked destabilising the Horn of Africa region.

Somaliland’s declaration of autonomy from Somalia has not been formally recognised.

port Strategy

Nyambene Miraa Traders Association Chairman Kimathi Munjuri, who defended transporters, saying they do not flout rules. 

A fact-finding excursion by a miraa traders’ lobby has reported a huge untapped market for the stimulant in the semi-autonomous republic of Somaliland headquartered in Hergeisa. The Nyambene Miraa Traders Association (Nyamita) said the market in the region was so huge that the issue was not about the quality of Kenyan produce but whether local producers had sufficient quantities for a year-round supply at a steady price.
Nyamita Chairman Kimathi Munjuri said the association was pushing for an agreement between the two governments.

We have been told many stories about Hergeisa, the capital city of Somaliland, most of them not true,” said Mr Munjuri. Although highly in demand, miraa imports into the peaceful and stable Somaliland face a 100 per cent duty and flight charge that make it uncompetitive compared to Ethiopia’s hereri, a stimulant of the same family that is brought in from the nearby region by road. Tax obligation Avoid fake news! Subscribe to the Standard SMS service and receive factual, verified breaking news as it happens. Text the word ‘NEWS’ to 22840 Somaliland places large tax obligation on importers from nations such as Kenya that do not recognise it as a semi-autonomous region of Somalia. A bunch of hereri retails for Sh,1500 in Hergeisa compared to miraa, which sells at Sh2,500, according to Nyamita. According to the association, the market in Hergeisa at 150 tonnes daily remained the prime target that could give an expected boost to the sub-sector. Supply challenge
Kenya’s miraa imports to Somaliland currently stand at only 72 tonnes a month delivered direct into Lasanod and Badan towns – 700km from Hergeisa — some 18 days a month. Nyamita admits that one of the challenges will be a reliable supply throughout the year at a steady price, adding that the miraa-growing area can hardly guarantee 50 tonnes daily in dry weather. The association is urging the Government to diplomatically recognise the breakaway region to ease access to its markets.

Standard

By Ahmed Abdi

Hargeisa—Somaliland reopened a former school for street children in Sahel region and laid the foundation stone of a new well on Tuesday.

“We have learned the importance of reopening this school for the street kids and we requested from the ministry of water development to help us find a water well for the school,” Minister of Justice Eng. Abdiqhani Mohamoud Atieh said.

Minister of Water development Saleban Ali Koore said that the government is responsible for the well-being of the children that will contribute the development of the nation. Minister Koore called on the Business-people, diaspora and International NGOs to participate in executing this plan which he said will discourage young kids to turn gangs that can harm the nations well being.

Today, 26th April 2018, Hargeisa regional court has sentenced Boqor Osman aw Muhumed Mohamed to five years in prison. A judge at Hargeisa Regional Court heard a criminal case against Boqor Osman without the presence of his lawyer. The judge, Ahmed Dalmar Ismail, pronounced the judgment on the same day.

Boqor Osman aw Muhumud (known as Buur madow) is a prominent traditional elder.

Human Rights Centre representative was present at the court hearing today.

Boqor Osman repeatedly asked the presiding judge that he wants to have a lawyer and time to prepare a defence. Today was the first day the charges were brought against him. The prosecution was heard and then the verdict was made by the court.

Boqor Osman aw Muhumud was arrested on 19th April 2018, but he was released on 20th April on a bail.

The elder was accused of “bringing the State into Contempt (article 219(2) of the Penal Code), and “circulation of false news (article 328),” according to the presiding judge. The judge also said he found Boqor Osman of “insult to a judge during a hearing (article 270)” because the elder said “the judge already has the judgment in his pocket,” according to the judge who spoke to the media.

The charges are related to a traditional event held in Armo, a town located in Puntland region of Somalia, where the elder attended a crowing of another traditional leader. There he made a statement which “weakens the existence of the sovereignty of Somaliland and denouncing the national army who are performing their constitutional duties,” the judge said.

The traditional elder was denied the basic fair trial rights enshrined in the Constitution of Somaliland and the Criminal Procedure Code. He had a right to legal representation and defence according to articles 27 and 28 of the Constitution

Additionally, he was not given time to defend himself. The whole trial happened while the defendant did not have a role. He was silent watching while the prosecution was heard and the decision was made. He asked to exercise his right to legal representation.

According to article 28(2) of Somaliland Constitution, “every person shall have the right to defend himself in a court.”

The right to fair trial is guaranteed by the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights (“UDHR”) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (“ICCPR”).

Human Rights Centre is very concerned about this development.

On 15th April and 16th April 2018, the same court has sentenced two other persons over statements they made or posted on social media. Mohamed Kayse Mohamoud has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for “offending the honour of the President.”

Naema Ahmed Ibrahim, a poet, was also sentenced to three years in prison over charges related to statements she allegedly made in Mogadishu. According to the charge sheet, these statements are “insult and defamation against the state.” The court said it “found her of Bringing the State into Contempt.

Mubarik Abdi,

Who spoke on behalf of Human Rights Centre

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Human Rights Centre (HRC) is the only local human rights watchdog based in Somaliland. It is registered with the Somaliland government as a non-profit-making, non-governmental organization with its own legal personality.

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