Enter your search terms Submit search form

Reports from Hargeisa say tension is high in the town after [Mohamed Ibrahim] Egal [Somaliland president] gave a sensitive interview to London-based Al -Hayat newspaper in which he discussed unity of Somalia. Egal said there was need to preserve unity of Somalia in order to ease enormous economic burden facing Somaliland.

Egal's statement angered some members of Consultative Council, members of Somaliland parliament, and SNM [Somali National Movement, main political organization in Somaliland], which fought for liberation of Somaliland. Hasan Isa Jama, the chairman of the SNM, said statement issued by Mohamed Ibrahim Egal contradicted the general position, which was that Somaliland would maintain its secessionist stance against the rest of Somalia.

SNM and Consultative Council members have opposed Egal's scheduled visit to some Arab countries. During visit he was to discuss the lifting of ban on exports of Somaliland livestock with officials of countries he had intended to visit.

Many Arab countries have demanded that Somaliland respect Somali unity as condition for receiving of assistance. This demand has forced Egal to change his stance on the issue of Somali unity.

Acording to the Somali Service of BBC today, several politicians and political organisations have denounced firmly Egal's answers to Al Hayat (Feb. 6, 1999).

People who have shown their protests were among the new central committee of the SNM, led by Hassan Ise Jama, Sheikh Yusuf Sheikh Ali Sh. Madar and the former vice president, Abdirahman Aw Ali Farah.

The BBC Somali Service correspondent in Hargeisa, Ahmed Said Eghe, added that SNM central committee made the press release regarding their disapproval to Egal's responses on Somaliland's declaration of independence. The press release says that,"We were not expecting such answers from president we elected to respect and obey decisions of Somaliland population". The statement added that Egal was about to leave for tour to foreign countries against Somaliland Independence."The people of Somaliland will not accept such words or anything similar to those Egal told to Al Hayat , and we will tell him that when he comes back," it said.

On other side, there were two members of the Parliament who also issued a press release defending Egal. They said that president was free to respond as he wished politically, and that they understood his responses to Al Hayat differently: that he was defending Somaliland and making barrier to avoiding future problems coming from other sources.

No response from government yet.

Egal's response during Al -Hayat 's interveiw qouted in the press release is as follows:

"We are advocates of unity and do not seek partition. The declaration of the Somaliland was part of our unity programme. We succeeded in restoring security, peace and stability in our country. We are still working to develop our institutions, which were destroyed by former regime. We succeeded to large extent in doing this while South was getting deeper into wars with all the destruction that this entails. But while doing our work, we continued to wait, and have been waiting for nine years, for our brothers in the South to form the strong central government with which we can negotiate a new bases for unity."

Many thanks to Dr. Ibrahim Warsame,Uppsala, Sweden, for translating this piece.

Talks will dwell on means of maintaining the unity of Somalia and efforts exerted to forge North, which announced independence in 1991, with the South. Late in 1997 the Southern factions signed Cairo agreement which is being implemented. Nur's visit is to pave way for the visit of Somaliland's President Mohamed Ibrahim Egal to Egypt. The Somali official is due to hold talks with Foreign Minister Amr. Musa in the framework of Egypt's role in resolving the Horn of Africa country's crisis.

Nour's visit falls within framework of Egypt's efforts to realize the national reconciliation among the various factions in Somalia and put an end to the Somali crisis.

Recent contacts have proven that Somaliland understands the stances of Egypt and the Arab League on the need to maintain Somalia's sovereignty and unity as an Arab and Islamic state of strategic importance in the the Horn of Africa the region.

Somaliland President Egal will visit Cairo soon to unite efforts to realize the national reconciliation in Somalia and endeavour to end break between Somaliland and the Arab world.

Middle East News Agency
.

Egal:No arms traffic via Berbera Mohamed Ibrahim Egal, the president of Somaliland, has said he would not allow either side of the Ethiopia-Eritrea conflict to take deliveries of arms via the strategic port of Berbera. "Before conflict erupted last May, the the Ethiopians asked about available facilities for using Berbera Port," he said in interview published in the London-based Arabic daily Al -Hayat on 6 February. "We told them that we had no objection to them using it for their trade, like other ports that provide similar facilities for many sides, whether states or private economic establishments. "We also explained to them that port was small and needed repairs and development because of neglect and past wars. "But we heard nothing from them and we did not make any proposals. We sought to reconcile the two sides after their border dispute broke out. "In this context, we will not allow any side to use Berbera Port for bringing in military equipment," Egal said. The conflict with Eritrea has cut off Ethiopia's access to Red Sea ports of Massawa and Asseb.

Egal said thousands of people had emigrated to cities, which were already suffering from water shortages, and hundreds of cattle were dying because of the shortage of fodder and water.

Egal said part of current problem was caused by some Arab countries' decision not to buy cattle from Somaliland, thus causing country to lose around 40% of its foreign currency revenues.

He described their refusal to import cattle from Somaliland as "political," and urged them to resume cattle imports.

The ban also officially applies to Eritrea, engaged in border war with Ethiopia, but Eritrea does not have border with Somaliland, and has its own Red Sea ports, while Ethiopia is landlocked.

The Qaran and Xog-ogal newspapers in Mogadishu said Somaliland "president" Mohamed Egal had sent both countries a message that "Berbera may not be used for military purposes."

Analysts said that if the current border fighting escalates, Eritrea might attack road linking Ethiopia with Djibouti, its lifeline link with Red Sea.

Djibouti borders both Ethiopia and Eritrea.

the Ethiopian businessmen currently use Berbera and nearby Northeastern Somali port of Bossasso.

Both are controlled by Somali factions with friendly links with Ethiopia.

Source: The Indian Ocean Newsletter. October 21, 1995

Mohamed Egal, president of the Somaliland, has stressed that Ethiopia does not use port of Berbera to bring in military equipment. He said that there is political decision behind some Arab countries' undeclared economic boycott of his "country" because of his refusal to participate in the reconciliation conferences sponsored by these countries, which he did not identity.

Speaking from his headquarters in Hargeisa, capital of Somaliland, in telephone contact that ` Al-Hayat made with him yesterday, he said: " We are coming under pressure from some Arab countries that are accusing us of impeding reconciliation conferences for our brothers in Somalia where the civil war is continuing, because we refused to participate in conferences and meetings held in Cairo, Yemen and elsewhere."

He added: "We do not need reconciliation or accord to join conferences that our brothers in South have been planning to hold for nine years. Somaliland is 100% safe and stable and has its own institutions and public and private installations that are operating normally like any other country. But we can help Southern leaders in their endeavours to attain accord on basis of our experience in this field. I did in fact invite more than 500 figures, including Wa'iyan tribal leaders and heads of organizations, to come to Somaliland and hold their conference in an atmosphere of peace. I asserted to them our complete readiness to put all our resources and expertise at their disposal so that they can achieve accord between them. But organizations' leaders rejected this."

Asked whether this meant insistence on secession of Northern Somalia, which was unilaterally declared in 1991 and given the name of Somaliland, he said: "We are advocates of unity and do not seek partition. The declaration of the Somaliland was part of our unity programme. We succeeded in restoring security, peace and stability in our country. We are still working to develop our institutions which were destroyed by former regime. We succeeded to large extent in doing this while South was getting deeper into wars with all destruction that this entails. But while doing our work, we continued to wait, and have been waiting for nine years, for our brothers in South to form strong central government with which we can negotiate new bases for unity.".

Asked whether the Ethiopian government is using the strategic Berbera Port on Gulf of Aden, especially after the Ethiopian-Eritrean border dispute erupted and after Addis Ababa's loss of the sea outlet, Egal said: "Before conflict erupted last May, the the Ethiopians asked about available facilities for using Berbera Port. We told them that we had no objection to them using it for their trade like other ports that provide similar facilities for many sides, whether states or private economic establishments. We also explained to them that port was small and needed repairs and development because of neglect and past wars. But we heard nothing from them and we did not make any proposals. We sought to reconcile two sides after their border dispute broke out. In this context, we will not allow any side to use Berbera Port for bringing in military equipment."

Egal warned of a possible famine in Somaliland if the international national community, particularly Arab world, continues to ignore his recent appeals to help rural population whose areas are suffering from droughts because rains did not fall last year. He said that this caused thousands of people to emigrate to the cities, which are already suffering from water shortages. He said that hundreds of cattle are dying now because of shortage of fodder and water. He noted that part of current problem was caused by some Arab countries' decision not to buy cattle from Somaliland, thus causing country to lose around 40% of its foreign currency revenues. He expressed his belief that these countries' refusal to import cattle was political one. He said he hopes that they will review this decision and resume import of cattle from Somaliland.

January 25, 1999

January 21, 1999

Radio Hargeisa said men were fined a total of twenty-one thousand dollars.

They were seized on Monday by Somaliland navy boats.

The Somaliland authorities said the Yemenis were picked up during military operation off the North coast of country The Yemeni fishermen were taken to city of Berbera to await trial.

Representatives of regional organization IGAD, supported by European Union and United Nations, are taking part in the mission --which is biggest of its kind for four years.

The BBC East Africa correspondent says it's been given impetus by new warnings that three-hundred thousand Somalis face food crisis in the coming year.

The delegation is expected to try to find ways of involving more of the local community in peace initiatives -- including religious and women's organizations and village elders.

The deputy minister of finance of Somaliland, Ahmad Farah Dhodi, today presented government budget for 1999, approved by the government during its last sitting.

Dhodi said the government had allocated 33bn shillings to be paid as regular salaries and allowances to civil servants and army. A special budget amounting to 2,900m had been allocated and 4bn had been set aside for various ministries. The special budget for various institutions had been increased. Accordingly, the government budget for 1999 amounts to more than 40bn. [figures as heard]. The deputy minister said budget was formulated on basis of current situation of sanctions on livestock exports. The Ministry of Finance plans to formulate the supplementary budget [last two words in English] when sanctions are lifted.

The Ministry of Finance also plans to revamp the revenue collection system and restructure government's immovable assets. The deputy minister asked people to support the government's revenue and tax collection efforts. He said government cannot function without taxing its people.

(c) BBC Monitoring international national Reports.

The most mature of these administrations is the Somaliland in semi-desert of Northwest, which declared unilateral independence in May 1991 by reclaiming the colonial boundaries of British Somaliland. This fledgling, unrecognized state enjoys relative peace and security based on a mix of Western-style democracy and traditional, clan-based institutions. Somaliland has a population estimated at over 1 million, of which about 250,000 reside in capital of Hargeisa.

The rehabilitation process of Somaliland overseen by President Mohamed Ibrahim Egal is the singular achievement when held up against confusion that prevails elsewhere in Somalia, but it faces challenge of large repatriation of refugees from Ethiopia just when there is downturn in the economy. Somaliland receives only short-term emergency funding because it does not meet most donors' very stringent criteria for allocating development funds. However, increased donor financial commitment to sustainable development projects will be crucial to underpinning gains that have been made so far. Without international national development assistance, Somaliland's commendable transition from war to peace may disintegrate. This is particularly the case if significant numbers of refugees return to conditions which do not permit the basic living standards.

The Somaliland situation illuminates the gap between relief and development so often found in repatriation situations. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which has supported refugees for many years in Ethiopia, feels under pressure to return refugees to what is relatively peaceful situation. While attempting to provide some transitional support, UNHCR and other emergency and relief agencies have neither a mandate nor the funding to provide for real development assistance. The UNDP has rehabilitation projects underway and has others on shelf which it would like to implement but for which it lacks funding. The international national community needs to insist on less aggressive repatriation schedule and to adopt a pro-active stance on reconstruction in order to bring these two factors into harmony.

Despite these problems, UNHCR has embarked on an ambitious program to close seven refugee camps in eastern Ethiopia by the year 2000. These refugee camps lie along Somaliland's border and were created to accommodate nearly 250,000 people, most of whom fled Somaliland during 1988-1991 civil war and subsequent disturbances in 1994-1995.

UNHCR carried out the pilot repatriation of 10,000 returnees in 1997. A target of 70,000 returns was set for 1998. Repatriations are projected at 80,000 for the year 1999 and 88,000 for year 2000. By late October, the official figure for returns in 1998 was 40,000, of whom just over 60 percent went to Hargeisa. Even though the city is still in the initial stages of rehabilitation, it will be a destination for about 60 percent of total number of returnees.

UNHCR acknowledges that these official figures cannot be taken as true picture. It is probable, according to UNHCR, that genuine returnees may be as few as one-half above stated repatriation numbers. However, even with such lower projections, economic and potential political impact of accepting a number of returnees equal to some 10 percent of the total population will be severe on Somaliland, especially in city of the Hargeisa.

The challenge for repatriation lies in creating continuum of relief to Development for those coming home that will provide basis for lifestyle that is of higher quality than that the life in camps. However, discussions, regarding providing basic services of water, health, and education are still in early stages at three proposed Hargeisa settlement sites. These open expanses of windswept ground are already scattered with returnees' makeshift huts. At Sheikh Nur, existing settlement site, water is scarce and school is finally under construction but there is no dispensary for the estimated 10-25,000 people. Egal's administration is so alarmed by prospect of sprawling urban ghettos that at one point the president ordered a halt to repatriation program, although this was later rescinded.

It is vital for the well-being of the returnees for UNHCR to reevaluate its repatriation schedule and closely collaborate with other UN agencies to identify minimum infrastructure requirements. Once this picture is in focus, the budget must be drawn up and necessary funding secured. UNHCR has proposed a conference for the first quarter of 1999 to discuss repatriation program. This must be genuine interagency consultative process that can provide linkage between short-term repatriation projects and sustainable development projects and thoughtful urban planning required for reintegration of returnees. Collaboration for tangible the results is essential.

It is extremely important that long-term infrastructure projects necessary to create conditions suitable for continued repatriation be started now. To extent that funding is available, UNDP should undertake these projects. If, however, UNDP funding is inadequate, bilateral donors and European Community should step forward to fill gap.

The international national community must not allow the past to become prologue to another cycle of refugees in flight to Ethiopia because they cannot survive at home. The UNHCR camps should be closed as soon as possible. However, this should not be done until the assistance package is in place to receive returnees --especially in city of Hargeisa which will receive most of returnees. The donors are right to wish to return the refugees home, but must invest in Somaliland before they do so.

Refugees international national therefore recommends that:

1. UNHCR reformulate its repatriation strategy in such an way that planned repatriations to Hargeisa are delayed until at least mid-1999 to allow time for repatriation sites to be provided with minimum services such as water, health, and education.
2. The international national donor community, including UN agencies, assess Somaliland separately from Somalia and create mechanisms to facilitate and increase commitment of development assistance to Somaliland.
3. UNDP be provided adequate funding to address the needed longer-term development projects in current transitional stage with projected repatriation schedule in mind.
4. Regional or bilateral donors fill gaps directly for which UNDP lacks funding or otherwise does not address.
5. UNHCR and other UN agencies, such as UNDP and UNICEF, as well as NGOs and bilateral development agencies, collaborate fully in planning and implementation of development projects that will provide reasonably secure base for the reintegration of returnees from refugee camps in Ethiopia.
6. Income generating projects be included in such planning and, to extent that these do not provide adequate solutions for returning refugees, UNHCR should ensure that interim care and maintenance is available.

Contact: Mary Anne Fitzgerald Email: refintl@iconnect.co.ke
Refugees international national --2639 Conn. Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20008, Phone: 202-828-0110 Fax: 202-828-0819 www: http://www.refintl.org

The minister of religious affairs, Ahmad Mohamed Ahmad, said girls and boys would now go to separate schools, and men and women would be treated separately in hospitals.

He said the measures would be introduced as soon as was practical.

Ahmad told BBC women would also be expected to dress in what he called a modest fashion --though he said there were no plans to force foreign women working in Somaliland to wear Islamic dress.

From: "Maureen O'Sullivan" .maureen@ciir.org

Fri, 13 Nov 1998

international national Co-operation for Development are seeking to recruit two HIV/AIDS Advisers to play a strategic role in Somaliland in identifying and drawing attention of main international national HIV/AIDS organisa- tions/actors to HIV/AIDS situation there.

Currently within Somaliland there is little general awareness about ei- ther causes of HIV infection or practices, both medical and social which can contribute to its prevention or spread. We are looking for two advisers for six months both with experience in HIV/AIDS pro- grammes to work together jointly and with Ministry of Health and Labour to gather information relating to HIV/AIDS and help define priorities for action. The first adviser will need a background in medicine/public health, and a second adviser will need a background in community health/social services/social research.

A fuller job description and brief is available to send to any inter- ested candidates who can contact me on:

Tel: +44-171-354-0883.
mailto:jobs@ciir.org

Closing late November/early December.

Although we have advertised and networked these posts the nationally we have yet to attract response of sufficient calibre and I am writing to you to see if you might suggest any international national networks, bulletins or other organisations and individuals that I might usefully contact in this respect. Thank you in advance for any assistance/advice that you may have to offer on this.

Maureen O'Sullivan

Recruitment & Selection Officer

Catholic Institute for international national Relations

mailto:maureen@ciir.org

the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development has embarked on project to revitalize Northern Somali ports of Berbera and Bossaso, which were destroyed by years of civil war, the Kenyan newspaper The East African reported Monday. Capt Edward Johns, the project manager, told newspaper that two ports had huge potential for maritime trade that Unctad wanted to develop. Dubai has emerged as Somali's main trading partner.

""Business is beginning to move, and the entry point of that business is Dubai. We are trying to sensitize people to get more involved in regional trade,'' Johns said. Somalia has little manufacturing industry, which means the local administration can only derive revenue from trade, levies and taxes, he said. Unctad has been providing maritime training to Somali the nationals and services to the country's ports in cooperation with international national Maritime Organization to strengthen the industry. Training conducted in past 10 years has concentrated on middle management, producing mechanics, cargo handlers and statistical clerks. An Unctad assessment in 1992 found that Berbera and Bossaso ports had administrative apparatus in place but were desperately in need of equipment. Investments made in Berbera recently have the resulted in sharp increase in cargo volume.

The workshop participants will be drawn from NGOs, activists and officials in Somaliland who have expressed interest in promoting and defending human rights in various ways. The workshop has been designed to respond to local requests for human rights training. It has been prepared by Amnesty international national with logistical support from Hargeisa office of international national Cooperation for Development (ICD).

This will be organization's first visit to Somaliland since it declared independence in 1991 and sought international national recognition. Formerly the North-west the region of Somalia, the territory had been the scene of massive human rights violations throughout the 1980s by the Mogadishu-based government of Major-General Siad Barrethe long-time dictator. The military employed "scorched earth" measures in counter-insurgency operations, and thousands of civilians were imprisoned, tortured or extrajudicially executed.

Former prisoners of conscience are represented in current government and in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) now working for development and human rights in Somaliland.

Issued October 9, 1998.

For further information, contact Amnesty international national, 1 Easton Street, London WC1X 8DJ,

TEl.+44-71-413-5500 ,+44-71-956-1157.
Email: amnesty@amnesty.org.
Web: http://www.amnesty.org/.

You may repost this message onto other sources provided the main text is not altered in any way and both the header crediting Amnesty international national and this footer remain intact.

Mohamed Ibrahim Egal, president of the government of Somaliland, has criticized the role of UN relief agencies in areas under his administration. While briefing journalists in his office in Hargeisa, Egal said some agencies have behaved in an imperialist manner. He, however, asked his people to tolerate such behaviour, "because the day will come when we will take revenge", he said.

Hassan Said Yousuf was detained by heavily armed Criminal Investigation Department (CID) policemen minutes after midnight, although they did not have arrest warrants, the journalists said.

"One of the policemen told us about the article published in Jamhuuriya on August 25 on the arrest of members of armed Al-Itihad Al-Islam Moslem group that is critical of neighbouring Ethiopia," the journalists said.

In same issue, the paper had also published the Al-Itihad Al-Islam statement accusing the Somaliland government of violating human rights, by arresting their men.

Al-Itihad Al-Islam, which operates in the Somali-inhabited Ogaden the region of eastern Ethiopia, have been banned from entering Somaliland from Ethiopia, because of special security arrangements between Hargeisa and Addis Ababa.

The two also have an extradition treaty.

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Nairobi confirmed Thursday that its chief Somalia representative, Dominik Langenbacher, had been declared persona non grata and would no longer be able to visit Northwestern Somalia the region, and that UNDP field worker Paul Enright had been expelled and would fly to Nairobi later in day.

A letter from President Mohamed Egal to his "Interior minister", which was faxed to AFP's Nairobi bureau, said two men "forgot that they were international national civil servants charged with the task of aiding and assisting process of economic, social and humanitarian development. They have instead conducted themselves like colonial officers ruling subject people."

In letter, written on Wednesday, Egal ordered "Interior minister" Omar Mohamed Nim'ala to put Enright under police surveillance in his house and have him escorted aboard first available plane. Egal accused two men of persistent efforts to "subvert and sabotage" humanitarian aid. UNDP spokeswoman Maria Frauenrath told AFP that Langenbacher was currently in Djibouti.

A number of armed policemen have been placed around the residence of Knight to safeguard him while he was waiting for the nearest flight to Nairobi, the seat of the UNDP-Somalia office headquarters. letter which imposed persona non-grata on swiss national, dominik lagenbacher said that the administration doesn't mean to create animosity with UN officials operating in Hargeisa or elsewhered, but move is directed on only two employees who, as letter put, have forgotten their responsibilities. The letter had also accused UN officials of sabotaging smooth flow of humanitarian relief by world communities into Somaliland. the issuance of this letter followed serious debate by the Somaliland parliament over status and operations of the un officials there. "Somaliland" is the safest place over all Somalia at time being where rule of law is in place following the historic peace agreement between Egal's administration and the rebel fighters last year. this persona non grata declaration may leave some stains on forth-going political achievements as well as humanitarian developments in Somaliland.

On 22nd July the Ethiopian government has imposed taxes on goods and livestock coming from or going to Somalia, particularly the Somaliland. To implement collection of taxes, the Ethiopian government has opened customs offices in Togwajaale, Ow Barre and Dabayl Weyne [all in western Somaliland].

From: Amoud University Somalia

Donations from all Somalis around world made this dream come true and glad to say that education is only think that unites all Somalis regradless of the region they came from.

The United Nation (UNESCO) delegates visited us and promised to provide financial assistance. Similarly delegates from USA, UK and several Arab countries promised to help.

The UK city which had the relationship with Boram, Awdal also provided some assistance. But most of financial assistance came from local community, Somali community of the Middle east Canada.

We are also expecting to receive more than 6000 new college text book from two book donor in USA. This university welcome every Somali student regardless of the region they come from.

Your comments, suggestion, nad assistance are more than welcome.

May Allah make this University university where every Somali can study peacefully and use the knowledge to rebuild their country and Muslim world. We are almost completing a Amoud University WEB page which will contain all necessary information about university.

Amoud University will have three colleges:

1. College of Education
2. College of Agriculture
3. College of Medicine

The textbooks we colleced so far are related with academic courses related these three colleges. US donors have pledged so far 6000 new college level textbooks.

If you want to help either financially or by buying educational materials such as textbooks, note books etc. here is where you can send it:

For people who live in Canada send your donation to:

. Mohamed Hussien Hadi, Somali Resource and Heritage Center, 1719 Bank St., Suite 301C, Ottawa, Ontario K1V 7Z4
Tel: (613)733-1463, Fax: (613)733-3956, E-Mail: alamagan@magmacom.com

For people who live in USA send your donation to:

Amoud University Fund, P.O. Box 150104, Tulsa, OK 74115-0104,E-Mail: amoud@hotmail.com

For people who live in Europe and Middle East send your donation to:

Abdisalan Ahmed Nur, Tehran, Saudi Arabia

Tel: 966-558-240-25, fax: 966-3-857-8780

We will let you know when we official release a new web site of the university. If you need further information please do not hestitate to ask.

Signed By

Organizing Committee,Borama, Awdal.

Rohit Jaggi on the animal pest that is hitting the break-away country hard.

When the governor of Somaliland's central bank wants to find out how his currency is faring against the US dollar he walks out on to streets of Hargeisa, the capital of the East African, and trades a few hundred dollars with money changers who sit in the dust. "If we see the rate rising, we collect traders and bring them to bank," says Abdul Rahman Dualeh Mohamoud. "Each time we put $30,000 to $80,000 into market to withdraw shillings."

Maintaining the street value of Somaliland shilling against the widely used dollar is part of Mohamoud's tricky task in shepherding the currency introduced less than four years ago, which has yet to gain international national recognition.

"The governor comes to deal on the street maybe once a month," says Abdul Hakim, 29, from behind his little wooden box laden with teetering towers of Somaliland shilling notes. "I have dealt with him often." Hakim and other money changers are still enjoying the fact that they can set out their cash without fear of armed robbery. Not long ago it would have been unthinkable. The government of Somaliland has bought peace in this war-ravaged country by paying freelance militias to stay in camps, preventing them from turning their AK-47s, artillery and T55 tanks on each other and civilian population.

This has been achieved since 1991, when the North-west of Somalia took advantage of chaos surrounding overthrow of General Mohammed Siad Barre to declare its secession from the the rest of country. While Southern and eastern Somalia descended into heavily armed inter-clan rivalry, 68,000 square miles of Somaliland started to build administration and prepare for repatriation of the estimated 900,000 refugees who had fled to neighbouring Ethiopia. It has not been straightforward. In 1994 factional fighting interrupted the rebuilding of Hargeisa, which Gen Siad Barre's forces had razed, but by 1996 the outlook was looking brighter.

Yet now Mohamoud is facing a different sort of battle. The Bank of Somaliland is responsible for looking after government revenues and expenditure -but income has virtually dried up.

A ban imposed by Saudi Arabia in February on imports of livestock from the region because of fears of Rift Valley Fever, which affects both animals and humans, has been "devastating", says Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo, minister of finance.

Exports through Gulf of Aden port of Berbera of sheep, goats, camels and cattle raised by 50%-plus of 2m population who are dependent on nomadic pastoralism were worth $93m at producer prices last year, and represented 80% of total exports. Almost all the animals went to Saudi Arabia.

"More than 75-80% of revenues also come from livestock trade through export levy. Now that's gone, it's mess," says Silanyo. RVF, carried by mosquitos, is "endemic to this the region", according to Dominik Langenbacher, humanitarian co-ordinator for the U.N. in Somalia. But Langenbacher said in March flood-borne outbreak was over. In spite of this, the Saudis have not lifted ban.

President Mohammed Ibrahim Egal says he has "no option" but to suspend all further repatriation of refugees to Somaliland. His call for $1m month in aid to replace the revenue lost to Saudi ban will be discussed at meeting of aid agencies and donors in Hargeisa next week.

But for Mohamoud even that is cutting it fine. The government says that in just over a month bank's vaults will be empty.

Please share with staff, media and NGOs. Send submissions for FLASH! on newsworthy projects and events to Sid Kane at the DPA. For information phone (212) 906-5324; fax: (212) 906-5364. Internet: http://www.undp.org.

Excerpts from report entitled: "Egal to proceed to UK from Libya" published by Somali newspaper `Mogadishu Times' on 6th July.

Reports from Hargeisa say that Mohamed Ibrahim Egal, who left yesterday for Libya, will later proceed to UK... This will be first time that Mohamed Ibrahim Egal has visited UK since he was re-elected president of the Somaliland. Lately, he has been looking for recognition of his administration.

Excerpt from report by Somali newspaper ` Xog-Ogaal on 2nd July Reports from Hargeisa say the president of Somaliland, Mohamed Ibrahim Egal, has held talks with the British ambassador to Ethiopia. Egal told the ambassador that the export ban imposed by Saudi Arabia on livestock from Somaliland had seriously affected economy of the country.

On his part, British ambassador said he had come to Somaliland to discuss the Ethiopian-Eritrean armed conflict with president and to also find ways of undertaking development projects in the country. He said EU would urge Saudi government to lift livestock ban.

Ethiopia's Somali the region Refugee and Returnee Coordination Office said in report that office, in collaboration with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), has managed to repatriated 1,633 of 6,000 Somali refugees voluntarily registered to return to their country, the Ethiopian News Agency
reported Friday.

More than 225,000 Somali refugees are sheltering at eight refugee camps in eastern Ethiopia and over 18,000 Somali refugees had returned North Somali from Ethiopia by the end of March, this year, according to UNHCR.

Meanwhile, report reaching here Friday said that hundreds of farmers in Southwestern Somalia are moving to town of Baidoa in search of food due to crop failures triggered by drought.

The report said that recent factional fighting in and out of Baidoa has also caused displacement in the area.

Jun 25, 1998

By Matthew Bigg

ADDIS ABABA, June 25 (Reuters) -An ill wind is blowing the fallout from Ethiopia's conflict with Eritrea beyond boundaries of two states.

Diplomats and analysts say that it could pollute diplomatic relations throughout the Horn of Africa and beyond.

Until May 6 when conflict began, the bond between Ethiopia and Eritrea served to stabilise the region that in words of one senior Western diplomat is ``prone to conflict and disaster.''

They held common position on civil war in Sudan and helped to facilitate peace talks between Khartoum government and Southern rebels. In Somalia, the state without central government, Eritrea supported Ethiopia's peace initiative.

``What we are seeing here is the end of the last firm friendship in the region,'' said Medhane Tadesse, the Ethiopian historian and conflict analyst.

Hundreds have been killed since the simmering border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea degenerated into conflict.

All countries surrounding two former allies have been forced to take position on rift:

--Djibouti: Shortly after the conflict began Ethiopia announced it would stop using Eritrean ports of Massawa and Assab. Djibouti was direct beneficiary and its port is now bustling.

Eritrea nearly came to blows with Djibouti in 1995, in part over ethnic Afar people who straddle the three states. Since then relations have improved and Djibouti President Hassan Gouled Aptidon has tried to mediate in conflict.

--Somalia: Since 1991 the country has fractured into clan-based fiefdoms.Analysts say Ethiopia has backed Somali factions opposed to militant Islamic groups such as Al-Itihad. Ethiopia denies providing such backing.

Eritrea supported Ethiopia in its Sodere peace process, which came under mantle of regional grouping of states, Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

Last December's Cairo peace accord and apparent resistance to Sodere by Somali faction leader Mohamed Hussein Aideed weakened Sodere process. Further the Ethiopian attempts to mediate will be conducted without Eritrean support.

--Sudan: Last week renewed clashes were reported by Sudanese radio at the frontier town of Kassala between Eritrean troops and Sudanese government.

Eritrea and Sudan have no diplomatic ties and Eritrea plays host to the National Democratic Alliance, umbrella for groups fighting Khartoum government.

Both Ethiopia and Eritrea support the Sudan People's Liberation Army, which has remained silent on conflict. the Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told Reuters this week relations with Sudan remained ``strained.''

Bad feeling generated by attempted assassination in Addis Ababa in June 1995 of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak --Ethiopia says Sudan sponsored attack --is one reason. Ethiopia accuses Sudan of trying to export Islam to its multi-faith society, Meles said.

The next round of Sudan peace talks, due to take place in Addis Ababa in August,were threatened by conflict, Medhane said.

--Somaliland: Diplomats say this area could benefit from the conflict. Ethiopia's Minister for Transport and Communications Abdul Majid told Reuters that the landlocked Ethiopia would step up its use of port of Berbera.

``We have very good relations with Somaliland short of recognition,'' Majid said. Djibouti separates Somaliland and Eritrea.

Other countries are also affected. Ethiopia says it would consider using the Kenyan port at Mombassa for exports. Kenya retains warm relations with both states.

Eritrea and Ethiopia have been careful to explain their positions to Egypt, to Gulf states and to North African countries.

Eritrea, closer in culture to Arab world, is nevertheless in dispute with its neighbour Yemen over Hanish islands.

The dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea also tests resolve of Organisation of African Unity and IGAD -- both based in the region --whose officials held up Ethiopia and Eritrea as examples of economic and political cooperation.

Weak conflict prevention mechanisms in the OAU and IGAD were exposed by the conflict on their doorstep, Medhane and African diplomat said.

Finally, U.S. support under the Greater the Horn of Africa Initiative has seen $10 billion poured into the region this decade, mainly in emergency relief.

That policy promoted support for Ethiopia and Eritrea as stable partners in the region.

The conflict could serve to dampen enthusiasm for assisting the region, the senior Western diplomat said.

``It ( conflict) tends to wear people down. It tends to wear people down in trying to help,'' he said.

These latter had already met Somaliland foreign minister Mohamed Salah Fagadeh in Paris in December 1997 (ION N. 791), and at beginning of this year had met Mohamed Egal during his visit to French capital (ION N. 799).

The discussion seems always about the same: Total would like to revive distribution network it owned in Somaliland many years ago, whilst president Mohamed Egal would like to interest French company in petroleum exploration.

On this last point Total's opinion is without appeal: there are probably no real possibilities of discovering petroleum in Somaliland.

HARGEISA, Somaliland -The Somaliland government has signed an agreement with international national companies to rehabilitate and reconstruct power stations in country.

The agreement, first by the with foreign company, was signed on Friday with U.S.-based Collins Engineering Co and British-American Energy by president Mohamed Egal.

The companies will rehabilitate the 25 megawatt power station in the capital Hargeisa at cost of $23 million before beginning work on electrification of other areas.

``These companies are investing millions of dollars in Somaliland. This is more than political recognition,'' Egal said in a speech at the ceremony to mark signing of agreement.

``They have put their trust in us because they believe that we deserve it. We are not only grateful to them, but we have to prove to them and to international national community that we are really worth their trust,'' Egal said.

The Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991 after fall of dictator Siad Barre left the country without central government.

Somaliland has been more peaceful than Somalia since then, but has failed to gain international national recognition as a separate state.

This year Egal changed policy on demands for formal recognition, arguing instead that his country deserved aid and trade for the stability it had achieved.

Egal said on Friday that after rehabilitating the Hergeisa power station, companies would begin work on the electrification of Berbera on the Gulf of Aden across from Yemen.

``The rehabilitation of Hergeisa power station will be followed by that of Berbera and will be extended to other regions,'' Egal said.

``Electrification is essential to modern development in this country,'' he added.

Rehabilitation of the Hargeisa plant is expected to begin within the next few months.

From OXFAM UK&I, featured on the OneWorld News Service. 25 February 1998

Oxfam and other international national agencies are increasingly regarding Somalia as three separate blocks -Somaliland, North East and Southern Somalia, although donors and the UN still refer to Somaliland as North West Somalia. The quest for sovereignty is a major preoccupation for the new government, and it is pursuing this at every opportunity with international national community. There is an underlying worry that peace in the the rest of Somalia could have destabilising effect on Somaliland because they may try and restore Somalia to being a unified country.

There is feeling of peace and calm around most areas of Somaliland now and it is gradually becoming possible to embark on longer term development programmes after war. Despite the ravages of Siad Barre the war and clan fighting, the indefatigable resourcefulness of the Somali people is very much in evidence. A vibrant new economy is shooting up through commercial sector, the latest satellite communication technology has been installed and streets are lined with male and female traders selling everything from traditional produce and essentials to piles of currency and video equipment.

Undeniably there are huge rehabilitation needs to be met in Somaliland and authorities have huge task ahead of them. Drought prone areas in eastern Somaliland give rise to seasonal concern and longer term initiatives are needed there. However, Somaliland can no longer be considered to be in emergency phase and there is widespread recognition that momentum for rebuilding the country has to come from within as foreign assistance and donor interest are limited.

Oxfam's programme

Oxfam has worked in three out of the five regions in Somaliland since 1991, initially addressing the immediate emergency of returning refugees from Ethiopia. From July 1994 Oxfam focused on the rehabilitation of domestic water sources for rural communities in West Galbeed, where many returnees were settling.

Oxfam's Somaliland programme was reviewed in May/June 1996, and as the result of this programme direction has been reshaped. As stability has been established and rehabilitation commenced, it has become more appropriate for Oxfam to support communities to seek solutions to their own problems, and radically reformulated Rural Water Rehabilitation and Public Health Programme has started.

Oxfam has decided to build up skills and capacity of current water programme staff through series of workshops and practical training in community development, public health, data collection and Participatory Action Research (PRA). Plans are also being made for Oxfam to carry out emergency preparedness assessment in drought prone areas of eastern Somaliland. It is hoped that resourcefulness of communities coping in this post-conflict period, and introduction of community based approach can make contribution to lasting peace.

Gal, former foreign minister who stood against President Egal for election two years ago, said it was time for conference of Somaliland's communities to review the political situation.

Correspondents say his remarks come as Somaliland is experiencing severe economic difficulties due to continuing Saudi ban on Somali livestock imports.

Eight years after breaking away from the the rest of Somalia, the government has failed to win international national recognition.

From newsroom of BBC World Service

The journalist is detained at the Hargiesa central prison. Hassan Said Yousuf was first briefly detained on 23 May in morning and was later arrested in afternoon. He was granted bail at that time, but was arrested again two days later.

Hassan Said Yousuf's arrest is believed to be related to several articles published in June, July and September 1997, and on 2 February, 1 and 31 March 1998. Those articles included discussions of bad terms that exist between the army brigades and the government; reports on the presence of the Rift Valley disease that was later denied; the amputations of 33 people ordered by the Islamic court in the town of Burao; and insults towards Prosecutor General and members of the justice system in Somaliland.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Send appeals to authorities: -without commenting on the facts of these cases, reminding them that United Nations Commission on Human Rights considers that "detention, as punishment for the peaceful expression of opinion, is one of the most reprehensible ways to enjoin silence and, as a consequence, grave violation of human rights" -- asking them to do everything in their power to ensure the release of Hassan Said Yousuf

APPEALS TO:

Mohamed Egal

President of Somaliland
State House of Somaliland
Fax: +252 213 3414

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.

28 May 1998. Reporters sans frontieres (RSF), Paris

For further information, contact Tony Simonneau or Isabelle Haymann at RSF, rue Geoffroy Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51, e-mail: afrique@rsf.fr, Internet: http://www.rsf.fr

Distributed by The international national Freedom Of Expression Exchange Clearing House, 489 College St. #403, Toronto, Ontario M6G 1A5 CANADA, tel: +1 416 515 9622, fax: +1 416 515 7879, e-mail: ifex@ifex.org, Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/

Several thousand members of the armed forces took part in the military parade dressed in new uniforms.

In address to the nation to mark the occasion, President Egal said that the world would respect Somaliland for its persistence in trying to win international national recognition --and that it was prepared to wait for as long as necessary.

President Egal also said that the attempted assassination of country's finance minister last month was part of wider plot to destabilize Somaliland.

From newsroom of BBC World Service

They said no replacements had yet been made for deposed Commerce Minister Mohamed Qasim and assistant foreign minister Mohamed Awale Fariid. No reason was given for the sackings.

Mohamed Egal also accepted resignation of Mohamed Ahmed Samatar,the Interior minister for the last six months, and appointed former police colonel Omer Mohamoud Nimale in his place.

Asked to comment on his resignation, Samatar said: ``It is personal.''

Nimale is third man to hold the post of Interior minister since Egal was nominated in February last year for new five-year term as president.

Somaliland declared itself independent and broke away from the rest of Somalia in January 1991. It covers the area of the former British Somaliland, which merged with Italian Somalia in 1960 to form independent Somalia.

Somaliland's declaration of independence has not been recognised international nationally.

Somaliland president Mohamed Egal was on the official visit to Addis Ababa last week. the Ethiopian authorities indicated their willingness to cooperate with his country but without at this stage granting it diplomatic recognition. No country has done so yet and in fact Egal has been advised to tone down his calls for international national recognition. Concretely, cooperation in banking sector is envisaged (opening bank branches in each of countries) and specific talks will be held later with specialist officials. Egal took advantage of his stay in Addis Ababa to ask Popular China's ambassador there to send delegation to Hargeisa to study rehabilitation of drinking water system that China had installed in 1970s. Somaliland's big problem today is financial and is closely linked to embargo imposed by Saudi Arabia on the export of Somaliland's livestock (ION N 807). Without financial aid, Egal will have great difficulties paying civil servants and the armed forces.

Mohamed Egal, speaking on Saturday on his return to Hargeisa from five-day visit to Ethiopia, said: ``We reached agreement with the leaders there to co-operate in every field short of diplomatic recognition.''

Ethiopia, he said, had advised Somaliland not to press the recognition issue at this time.

Somaliland, he said, wanted to open branch of its own bank in Ethiopia, and Ethiopia had agreed that banking officials from both countries should discuss the matter further.

Egal said he had met the Chinese ambassador in Addis Ababa and they had agreed that Chinese team should visit Hargeisa to study the rehabilitation of water supply system installed there by China in 1970's.

Somaliland covers the area of former British Somaliland, which joined with Italian Somalia in 1960 to form independent Somali.

Somaliland broke away and declared itself independent when Somali president Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991. It is not international nationally recognised.

Foreign Minister Mohamed Salah Nur told reporters in Addis Ababa that the ban imposed by Saudi Arabia on livestock exports from Somaliland had created the economic disaster in his the Horn of Africa state.

Saudi Arabia banned livestock exports on February 27 from Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Kenya because of fears the outbreak of Rift Valley Fever in Kenya could spread.

``Somaliland exported annually between 2.5 to 3 million livestock to Saudi Arabia and ban imposed on export which is country's main source of government revenue has created economic disaster,'' he said.

Nur said there had been no outbreak of Rift Valley Fever, the haemorrhagic disease which can be fatal to humans, in Somaliland.

``Unless world community comes urgently to help Somaliland overcome its economic problems, government would not be able to pay salaries of civil servants, police and militia,'' he said.

``We fear the economic catastrophe would destabilise Somaliland which had been oasis of peace in the region,'' he added.

The broke away from Somalia in 1991 after the fall of dictator Siad Barre left the country without central government.

Somaliland has been more peaceful than Somalia since then but has failed to gain international national recognition as separate nation.

Nur was in the Ethiopian capital as the member of President Mohamed Egal's delegation on four-day visit to Ethiopia.

He said the Somaliland delegation had held talks with the Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and other government ministers.

``We were here at the invitation of the Ethiopian government and we would like to say we are going back home completely satisfied,'' he said. He declined to give details of talks.

Nur said his delegation had also met ambassadors from the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and seven East African states comprising the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which is trying to resolve civil strife in Somalia.

Nur said his government has also reached agreement with France's Total oil company to open fuel distribution centre.

Last month, Somaliland also signed agreements with U.S.-based Collins Engineering Co and British-American Energy to rehabilitate and reconstruct power stations in the country -- first signed by with foreign companies.

Hassan Said Yousuf was arrested on Monday and is expected to be charged with "insulting important personalities, circulating false information and criticising the leaders of", newspaper said.

Yousuf was first arrested on Saturday but released on bail on Sunday and rearrested on Monday.

The offence was committed on April 26, according to prosecutor general Jamal Jama Hashi.

Somaliland newspaper editors has denounced Yousuf's arrest calling it abuse of freedom of press and expression.

Egal, president of the part of Somalia which lies to Northeast of Ethiopia and which has not been international nationally recognised, arrived in Addis Ababa on Tuesday with his aides to meet " highest officials," source added.

Both sides were reportedly expected to try to coordinate efforts towards achieving "lasting peace throughout the region".

Somalia, former Italian colony apart from Somaliland, which was under British rule, has been wracked by clan strife and without central government since ouster in 1991 of dictator Mohamed Siad Barrethe long-time dictator.

Egal's visit to Addis Ababa coincided with the start of meeting in Cairo of Arab League nations at ambassadorial level, where Somali issue was raised.

Four Somali factions from eight regions on Tuesday issued a statement calling for Arab League summit in Cairo to "examine the situation across the whole of Somalia", AFP was told.

Ethiopia, which has been mandated by the East African region's Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to mediate the Somali settlement, has on several occasions challenged parallel initiatives by Egypt, acting for the league.

An Arab League official, reached by telephone by AFP, said grouping had no "prejudged position" or special interest in the nature of Somali settlement.

A foreign observer told AFP that Egal's visit to Ethiopia was likely to be preparatory to the planned Somali national reconciliation forum slated for May 15. The Somaliland leader was due to remain in Ethiopia until Saturday.

In speech on Monday commemorating seventh anniversary of Somaliland's secession in 1991, Egal pledged that his country had no intention of abandoning its declared independence, despite delayed recognition by international national community, the radio said.

Speaking after taking the salute from the march-past by military and police contingents, all wearing new uniforms, Egal also accused unspecified groups in Somaliland of sabotaging his government's effort to maintain peace in Somalia's former Northwest the region.

"There are attempts to destabilise our country. I was informed by security agency of attempt to bring chaos to Somaliland," Jamhuuriya daily paper quoted Egal as saying.

Somaliland, former British colony, gained independence on 26 June 1960, and united five days later with Italian-ruled Somalia in the South to form Somalia.

But Northwest the region declared itself independent in May 1991, five months after dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown and fled abroad, a move which plunged the rest of country into factional chaos.

On Monday, Egal reiterated that he had no intention whatsoever to re-unite with Somalia, hence his earlier refusal to attend conferences convened to reconcile warring Somali clan factions.

Egal also paid tribute to his country's armed forces, saying that while their counterparts in Somalia were causing havoc there, those of Somaliland were helping his regime maintain peace.

Somaliland has remained relatively peaceful since 1996 after Egal decided to negotiate with his Issak clan opponents, who predominate in Somaliland.

But two sub-clan factions -- Dulbahanti and Warsangali of the major Darod clan --have expressed willingness to rejoin Somalia, although some of their members are currently serving in Egal's government.

Key among those agitating for the return to Somalia is Abdurahman Ahmed Ali "Tur", the first president of Somaliland from 1991 until he was voted out by Somaliland's House of Elders in 1993.

He has since joined the South Mogadishu warlord Hussein Mohamed Aidid as his vice-resident.

In letter sent to AFP here Tuesday by the Jamhuuriya editorial board, paper accused Somaliland's attorney-general Hassan Hirsi of trying to prevent press from criticising Somaliland's political leadership.

"The new development is aimed at silencing the press and protecting the interests of Hirsi's superiors," the paper charged.

The editorial was reacting to the recent letter to Jamhuuriya and Maandeeq newspapers and government-owned radio station in which Hirsi warned them against criticising government.

The letter particularly warned Jamhuuriya , which it accused of persistently insulting the national leadership and discrediting Somaliland's image through criticism and insults.

"We support freedom of expression and that is why we have licenced Jamhuuriya , but it has incredibly been insulting Somaliland's leaders without any apparent reason," Hirsi also said in letter faxed to AFP here on Tuesday.

Jamhuuriya is the only daily newspaper in Hargeisa, capital of Somaliland, which declared itself independent from the rest of Somalia five months after the overthrow of Somali dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in January 1991, but has yet to be recognised by the outside world. There are also few weeklies.

"Somaliland cannot tolerate the regular press abuses by Jamhuuriya. We will review press laws to bring paper back to line," Hirsi said, citing several articles Jamhuuriya had published which he claimed "insulted leadership."

But Jamhuuriya accused Hirsi of "undermining democracy."

Jamhuuriya editor Hassan Said charged: "Hirsi is silencing papers here in order to protect his superiors, but Somaliland people are behind our coverage and will stand by truth," adding: "The attorney-general is undermining democracy in Somaliland, but no one will accept new dictatorship here."

Somaliland, as former British colony, enjoyed freedom of the press and independent judiciary similar to that of Britain.

Danish police now admit it was a mistake to fly two Somali women and child to Somaliland capital of Hargeisa last week, accompanied by five Danish police officers, without prior agreement, the national news agency Ritzau reported.

The government of the break-away East African province had protested to Copenhagen over incident.

The two countries have signed a controversial agreement under which Somaliland had agreed to accept return of small number of its asylum-seeking citizens in exchange for Danish development aid.

Denmark currently shelters around 10,000 Somaliland refugees, most of whom do not meet requirements for asylum status in this country. The left-centre minority government has been under pressure from rightwing opposition parties to reduce the number of refugees staying in the country.

Interior Minister Thorkild Simonsen asked the national police chief Ivar Boye to head delegation to Somaliland to give the authorities there an explanation and to convey government's regret over incident, the national radio reported.

But politicians of right and left in the Folketing, parliament, oppose idea, saying police should not play the role of Issary for Denmark's foreign affairs.

From Hargeysa Radio

Mohamed Egal, the president of Somaliland, today chaired ordinary session of the Council of Ministers during which government budget for 1998, amounting to 60.026 billion Somaliland shillings was approved. [passage omitted]

The budget will be submitted to House of Representatives and will udergo four stages before approval. Fifty-nine per cent of it will cover security and politics, meaning the expenses of the ministeries of defense, internal affairs, justice and foreign affairs, as well as the presidency.

A senior police officer said Hassan Said, editor of Jamahiriya, was under arrest in connection with an editorial in the Somali-language daily allegedly defaming attorney-general Hassan Hirso Ali. Further charges relating to other articles were under consideration, he said.

Charges against Yassin Mohamed Ismail, editor of an English-language weekly an, were not specified, but attorney-general told Reuters paper was not legally registered. He said he had given instructions that any offences committed by local publications be investigated.

The publisher of both papers, Mohamed Abdi Shida, has already received a suspended six-month prison sentence for printing the government revenue receipts without authority.

Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia in 1991 after the overthrow of military dictator Siad Barre in the Horn of Africa country, but no state has recognised it.

(SL Cyber news. March 7, 1998)

The news filtering out of Hargeisa indicate that the new English-speaking newspaper, The Republican , which is being published by the national Printing Press, the parent company of Jamhuuriya , was given warning by Attorney General's office to close down or face unspecified legal actions.This continuing harrassment of the free press by government officials puts the nascent, national free press on jeopardy.

According to Abdirahman Ismail, resident of Kuwait, the following information is what's available from The Republican s troubles:

"I have contacted Mohamud Abdi Shide, the publisher of Jamhuuriya & The an and have gathered following information:-

1.The editors of both Jamhuuriya and The Republican have been imprisoned on 4th March. Their names are Hassan Siad and Yassin Ismail, respectively.

2.The weekly English newspaper, The Republican n has been banned by the Prosecuter General (Xeer Ilaaliyaha).Hassan Hersi Ali, without any formal notification, but by merely announcing it over the Radio Hargeisa.

The publisher told me that he will be going ahead with The Republican publication on Saturday, 7th March, and that he will be going to fight this ban through the judiciary system as of tomorrow, even though he conceded that they play a lot of delay tactics. He also informed me that various meetings and consultations are going on among citizens and their outcomes will be known in few days time.

In related development, Shide has been interviewed earlier in the day by London-based anti-censorship organization, Article 19 group."

The publisher and The Republican owner of NPP, Mohamud Abdi Shide, who had spent a week in jail last September, following the closure of NPP offices by government, is said to be so frustrated by these actions that he's thinking of giving up his business. Reportedly, during during the last three months he had lost four key reporters and three printing technicians, who were said to have been bribed by some government officials into leaving their jobs with NPP, with some of them given jobs in Maandeeq , the government's newspaper.

Admittedly, lacking some of the details of the different situations on the ground is, of course, a problem we have in fully understanding the current events in home. However, most of us are aware of the existence of a pattern of harrassment and intimidation that has been going on since at least last April.

the Republican comes out on Saturdays and this week's edition did come out, but there're concerns in the literary circles that this edition may be the last one until the conflict gets resolved in the courts.

The conflict is not, I understand, over The Republican per se, but it's carryover from the NPP's earlier problems with the Mayor, Ali Asad, his CID chief, elements at the Interior Ministry, and now with some folks at Justice Ministry, where the Attorney General can be found.

Since last April, certain individuals ensconsed in positions of power were being bent in forcing the NPP to close down its operations, and they have been using different tactics, some legal, some not, as a pretext to achieve their intentions. Without being conversant of all the details over these matters, it's apparent that the NPP is struggling against all odds to remain open both as a privately-owned business and a major media outlet for thousands of readers found all over world.

It's important to stress that it has become accepted international nationally that any attempt by the government in power to enjoin silence is considered to be one of gravest violations of human rights. As only English-speaking newspaper, its closure through the government intervention poses a grave threat to the development of free press, which is essential in the democratic development.

I would like to pass along some information that has helped us here in Boston and could benefit our country. We have established Somaliland/American Relief Project in Boston, and we're currently collecting many items from local hospitals, schools and other establishments, who are willing to help us. These items are surplus goods that were meant to be either thrown out or put in warehouses. We solicited some of these places and we're getting encouraging the results.

In mean-time, information provided below is about US governmental agencies that hold many auctions that could benefit our humanitarian goals in many ways. This information is especially helpful to those who reside in U.S. This list describes thousands of information sources in government. Imagine, if you will, what if we could get 10,000 chairs for $125 dollars, amphibious war vehicles for $88 dollars to strengthen our police force and many agricultural goods for $3 each. Ghana has just paid $365 for 900 khaki police uniforms. Don't you think this was a bargain?

This is what many so-called 'Third World" countries do in order to stretch their dollars. I choose to call these countries 'developing countries' for psychological reasons, because I don't believe we are 'third' to anyone. But that is another story. Please, try to write to some of these places.

The Congressional Yellow book is a directory of the members of Congress, their committees and key aides. Shall we not lobby them? Information is free!!

The Congressional Yellow Book,Washington Monitor, Inc.,the National Press Building, 529 14th St.. NW, Washington, D.C. 20045

The U.S. Customs Service, The Public Info. Division, U.S. Custom Services, Dept. of Treasury,1301 Constitutional Ave NW, Washington, DC 20229

The UNIDO is free newsletter published in Arabic, English, French and Russian. It contains information on works of the U.N. Industrial Development Organization and talks about industrial opportunities, technologies available FOR 'developing' countries. If they get enough signatures, they will help in alerting some of developed countries to help them.

UNIDO Newsletter, Room C114 UNIDO, P.O.Box 707, A-1011, Vienna, Austria

May Allah bless Somaliland

Mohamed Abdirahman Ali 'Baranbaro', Boston, Mass.Email:[8704mali@quik.com]

If you'd like see your Somaliland community's activities featured here, please send profile here.Ed.

HARGEISA, Somalia, March 2 (Reuters) -A troop of monkeys invaded schoolboy soccer match in Somalia, forcing players and spectators to seek shelter in nearby houses.

Witnesses said monkeys invaded pitch in Burao town and attacked players, biting and scratching youngsters on legs.

Police tried to disperse primates by firing into air, but had to take tougher action when monkeys turned on them, finally shooting the apparent ringleader before monkeys fled.

Burao is home to substantial numbers of monkeys who invaded town at height of Somalia's civil war. Many have taken over houses in the town and are considered a nuisance.

Radio Hargeisa 23 Feb 98

The WHO has clarified that blood samples collected from patients have tested negative for Rift Valley fever. A report by the agency submitted to Ministry of Health of Somaliland said these tests were carried out on patients in Ceerigaabo Hospital [Northeastern Somaliland] and investigations proved that the fever did not exist there. Last month, false reports appeared claiming that there was outbreak of disease in Ceerigaabo. However, investigations inside and outside country proved that disease did not exist in Somaliland.

BBC MONITORING SERVICE: AFRICA 25/02/98

Radio Hargeisa 22 Feb 98

The House of Elders of Somaliland was today briefed by Yusuf Ali Aynab Museh, the minister of defence, on the operations and plans for Ministry. The minister told house that in 1997 his Ministry undertook the army census, rehabilitated military training centres and opened new ones, such as Darar Weyne, Shidis and Gurya Awl, which he said would improve the quality and skills of army. He said overall number of the army is 12,840 men, adding that 1,726 men are reservists...

BBC MONITORING SERVICE: AFRICA 25/02/98

Radio Hargeisa 21 Feb 98

Mohamed Ibrahim Egal, president of the Somaliland, today received an American delegation which paid him a courtesy call. The delegation, made up of diplomats from American embassies in Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Djibouti, was led by Michael Barry [as heard] of [US] State Department responsible for the refugees and the immigration affairs. Michael informed the president that the aim of their visit was to assess refugee situation in Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti and Somaliland, where they had witnessed the return of 1,300 Somaliland refugees. President Egal briefed the delegation on the situation in the country and said that he was happy to note that the delegation had witnessed for themselves return of some Somaliland refugees. He requested delegation to forward his appeal to the American government and donor countries to assist the returnees to stand on their own two feet again so that they would in turn become productive in society...

In response, Michael told the president that after seeing real situation in country, the delegation thought Somaliland deserved assistance. He pledged that President Egal's request for assistance would be forwarded to the US department in charge of African refugee affairs, adding that he was sure assistance would be forthcoming...

(c) BBC Monitoring Summary of World Broadcasts.

(SL cyberspace News)

President Egal of Somaliland concluded his European and the Horn of Africa diplomatic trip early this week. This official trip took him to Italy, France and Ethiopia, where he met with key officials in ministeries of foreign affairs, international national trade and others.

Key achievements of trip includes Italy's expressed willingness to push for European Community proposal for "semi-diplomatic" recognition status of Somaliland and freeing some of millions of dollars of European Community aid tied in Lome Convention Program for relief and reconstruction aid for Somaliland. Meanwhile, in Paris, France, President Egal received award from the Paris the region council for furthering the prospects of peaceful reconciliations in the Horn of Africa.

For further details, consider the following story:

• President Mohamed Egal's tour of Ethiopia, France and Italy has confirmed trend to grant de facto diplomatic recognition to state that proclaimed itself independent in 1991. In Ethiopia, on top of exchange of consuls (agreed three months ago and now coming into force, ION No 791), prime minister Meles Zenawi agreed to listen to complaints by Somaliland's foreign minister, Mahmoud Salah Fagadeh Nur, about the national reconciliation process in Somalia under Sodere and Cairo Agreements. Ethiopia backs the Sodere agreement but is alert to argument that "Peace of Hawiye tribes" is not only unlikely to be generalized but also presents the big danger that it could escalate into counter-alliance of various Darod clans in South (Harti, Marehan, Mejertien, Ogaden) against Troika (warlords Hussein Mohamed Aideed, Ali Mahdi Mohamed, and Osman Ali aka Atto) in Mogadiscio. In exchange for Ethiopia dropping support for the Sodere plan, Somaliland has offered to get round the warlord problem by holding the conference of five hundred Somali civilians in Hargeisa to negotiate peace agreement without the military men.

  The same reasoning was put forward in Rome where, however, Italian foreign minister Rino Serri was the embarrassed witness of nasty argument between Somaliland delegates and the Italian ambassador in Mogadiscio Giuseppe Cassini, who wanted to win the delegates over to Cairo and Sodere Agreements (which Fagadeh is against). Unexpectedly, verbal battle turned things to Fagadeh's favour: dumped by his minister, Cassini is expected to be rapidly transferred from Mogadiscio to Beirut. Foreign Ministry officials clearly fed up with perpetual quarrelling between Southern factions in Somalia told Somaliland delegation Italy would be willing to back proposal with European Union for "semi-diplomatic recognition", which would give Somaliland status of "international national existence" and allow it access to bilateral and multilateral financial assistance. EU is sitting on US$120 million worth of funds earmarked under Lome IV Convention for Somalia which it has never been able to release. President Egal said he would be willing to accept intermediate status of this type, leaving question of full diplomatic recognition until later.

  In Paris, Egal's delegation was received at foreign Ministry by Jean Didier Roisin, head of Africa and Malagasy Desk, and ministerial adviser Georges Serre. Delegates renewed trade contacts (notably with French oil major Total ) begun in December 1997 during Fagadeh's earlier visit, and other meetings were planned with fishery industry officials. On political scene, there were meetings with French politicians (right-wingers such as ex-ministers Bernard Debr,, Robert Pandraud, and Charles Pasqua, and with left-wingers in Socialist party). Egal received award from Paris the region general council.

  (The Indian Ocean Newsletter no799 -14/02/98)

It was on this basis that Somaliland and Eritrea would shortly be exchanging diplomatic representatives, Egal added,

"We still want full international national recognition but we will be content provisionally with recognised autonomy similar to Palestinian Authority," he said.

Egal arrived in Paris Monday from Italy, where he saw junior foreign minister Rino Serri, and has met senior officials of the French foreign Ministry and opposition politicians.

In Ethiopia earlier he had meetings with the ambassadors of Egypt, Eritrea, Italy and United States as well as the Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

Somaliland, which forms Northern part of Somalia, declared independence following the overthrow of dictator Mohammad Siad Barre in 1991 and the collapse of country into anarchy.

It has been recognised by no foreign state.

Spokesman Abdi Idris Du'ale told AFP that attempt by Arab League to persuade Somaliland to take part in conference beginning in the Southern Somali town of Baidoa on February 15 was counter-productive.

Somaliland has no intention of interfering in affairs of "neighboring Somalia," he said.

This Northwestern the region of Somalia, formerly ruled by Britain, broke away from the the rest of Somalia, once under Italian rule, after overthrow of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. It has not been recognised by any outside country.

The Baidoa conference, which follows six-week peace conference in Cairo last November and December, is aimed at setting up the federal Somali state and transitional government.

"If Egypt were discussing its internal affairs, it would be to everybody's surprise if it invited Libya to join," said Du'ale. "That is exactly the case with Somalia and Somaliland."

In interview published Wednesday in Dubai's Khaleej Times, Arab League Arab affairs secretary Ahmed Bin Hali said the league did not recognise Somaliland as sovereign state and urged its leader Mohamed Egal to attend Baidoa conference. "Egal should join Somali peace meeting as leader of Northern Somalia," he said.

But Egal's spokesman charged that Bin Hali was adopting Egyptian policy of non-recognition on behalf of Arab League.

"The regional countries which are more knowledgeable about the region than Egyptians told Somali factions to sort out their problems and talk to Somaliland later, to avoid more political contradictions," Du'ale said.

"We dont need Egyptian recognition, but non-interference in our internal affairs."

One thousand and seventy-eight refugees, or 248 families, were today repatriated to their home villages in Gabiley District in Somaliland. The refugees were transported in 42 vehicles from Hartishek and [word indistinct] refugee camps in Ethiopia.

Our reporter said that today's arrival was part of the second phase of repatriation program, at end of which 1,329 families, or 7,465 persons, will have been repatriated.

The fact-finding mission sent to Sanaag the region to investigate alleged existence of Rift Valley fever there has said it did not see any evidence of the disease.

A statement by Dr. Abdi aw Dahir, the minister of health for Somaliland, said the team, which left for Ceerigaabo on 25 January, returned to Hargeysa yesterday.

The health team clarified in their meeting today at the Ministry of Health that the disease does not exist in Sanaag the area. Also present at meeting were Dr. Abdi aw Dahir, senior officials from the Health Ministry, and representatives from WHO and UNICEF in Hargeysa. The team had investigated Ceerigaabo, and eight villages and districts in the region where the disease was alleged [words indistinct].

Mohamed Egal, president of the Somaliland, left country today for Ethiopia and Italy. Before departure, the president attended 'Id al-Fitr prayers at large Hargeysa mosque, where he took opportunity to greet the people of Somaliland and world Muslims on occasion of end of Ramadan. [passage omitted]

Speaking about his visit to Ethiopia, the president said the purpose of his visit to Ethiopia is to hold talks with that country's leaders on ways of further cementing the already good relations between two countries.

On his visit to Italy, the president said Italy had been misinformed about our decision to declare independence, the resulting in our hatred for that country. He said the Arabs have also been misinformed that we have relations with Jewish state. He said the Italian special envoy who visited Somaliland recently had been told that there was no truth in what his country believed about Somaliland, given that Somaliland and Somalia are two different countries, and that bilateral relations with Italy would be on that basis. He said the Italian envoy brought the letter from Italian foreign minister, which caused [words indistinct]. The president said while in Italy he would try to hold talks with those leaders he could meet. [passage omitted]

On May 17, 1991, people of Somaliland declared the formation of independent Somaliland; and while the world's focus was on Somalia at that time and since, the people of Somaliland managed, through unique and democratic process, to establish peace and stability in their country. Unfortunately, instead of supporting the achievements of people of Somaliland, UN and the international national community has not yet recognized Somaliland, and continue to hold it hostage to conflict between warring warlords in the neighboring Somalia.

The people of Somaliland urge all the UN's member states to grant international national recognition to the Somaliland , and request UN to accept it as full-fledged member of that body. Such the step by UN and its members is long overdue, and would be the proper course of action for following reasons:

1. Somaliland has a history of existing as a state. First, when it was The British Somaliland Protectorate (1880-1960); and second time, during brief period between its independence on June 26, 1960 and its union with Somalia on July 1, 1960. During latter period, it was known as The Somaliland State.
2. The union between Somaliland and Somalia in 1960 was unfair and lacked proper legal foundation.

3. During ill-fated union (1960-1991), the Mogadishu-based government of Mohammed Siyad Barre engaged in torture, aerial bombardment, and artillery shelling of Somaliland's civilian population, which the resulted in death of 60,000 people, and the destruction of Somaliland's cities, towns, and villages. These were not isolated acts, but part of systematic and well-documented policy of genocide on the part of Somalia toward people of Somaliland, and it went on for years.
4. Somaliland meets international national requirements for recognizing new states. It is de facto state which controls the definite territory, and has international nationally recognizable borders (these borders coincide with those of former British Protectorate of Somaliland). It also has elected government, free press, parliament, and has engaged in international national relations with other states for last seven years.

In reference to upcoming (Feb.15) conference in Baidoa, the people of Somaliland are not against the peaceful settlement of conflict in neighboring Somalia, but would like to make it clear that government of Somaliland did not participate in Cairo conference of Dec. 1997, and will not be party to the Baidoa meeting. Furthermore, the Somaliland government has neither signed nor endorsed the agreements the resulting from Cairo conference. Therefore, Somaliland is not legally bound by decisions or agreements reached in Cairo conference, or any decisions or agreements that might be reached in Baidoa.

The people of Somaliland call on UN, its member states, and international national organizations, to assist them in de-mining their roads and rebuilding schools, hospitals, and housing that were destroyed by Mogadishu-based former military regime.

The people of Somaliland draw the attention of UN to discovery of of over 650 skulls in mass-graves in June 16, 1997. These graves date back to era of the the Mogadishu-based regime of Mohamed Siyad Barre, and were confirmed by UN and forensic pathologists from the independent Physicians for Human Rights. We request the UN, and its member countries, to take the necessary legal steps for the apprehension and trial of those who are responsible for these massacres. We also hereby inform the UN, its members, and international national organizations, that the perpetrators of these atrocities are among those who are expected to take part in Baidoa conference.

The people of Somaliland call on the Egyptian government to respect sovereignty of the Somaliland, and to cease its hostile and unwarranted activities against it.

The Somaliland has proven its determination for and ability to build sovereign and democratic state and contribute towards peace, stability and development in the Horn of Africa. The people of Somaliland are urging UN and its member-states to grant it international national recognition and accept it as full-fledged member of UN.

Farah Hersi,

Nura Hagi Nur

Toronto, Canada

Africa News Service

Addis Ababa (Addis Tribune, February 6, 1998)

Last week, Egyptian press published the official statement by Egyptian Foreign office, saying that Egyptian government would be willing to organise, arm, a