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In early June 1977 or two weeks before the former French colony of Djibouti got its independence, the then French mayor of Djibouti city, D. Ornano approached Hassan Gulaid Abtidoon, the man destined to become the country's first president, asking him to employ a Romani as the President advisor for financial affairs. Romani who happened to be the brother of D. Ornano's Corsican wife lived in a self-imposed exile in the pacific island of Tahiti, after allegations that he was connected to both the Corsican and Italian Mafia surfaced in France, compelling him to flee the country.

Immediately after Djibouti became independent, President Gulaid complyingly appointed Romani as his financial affairs counsellor. With that appointment, the Corsican and subsequently the Italian Mafia gained a strong foothold in the Red Sea port state of Djibouti.

In the years that followed, the two Mafia branches were able, under Romani's direction, to establish a variety of businesses mainly in the sectors of tourism (Bars, night clubs, hotels) liquor and tobacco trade, narcotics, prostitution, marine transportation and construction. Smuggling and trade of arms, international drug money laundering, nuclear waste dumping and other activities were added later (in the 80s and 90s) to the list of already well-established illicit businesses.

Some of the ventures run by the Mafia include well-known spots in Djibouti such as Stortit nightclub, Scottish Bar, Club Las Vegas and the Sheraton Hotel Casino (managed until recently by two Mafiosi named Luhetti and Pierr-Paul).

Before his death in 1997, Romani had managed to expand the Mafia activities in Djibouti, establishing ties with underworld groups in Tahiti, the Indian ocean islands of Reunion, Seychelles and Madagascar in addition to Corsica, Italy and Lebanon.

All along, Djibouti provided the Mafia not only an obscure sanctuary but full protection as well. But it was Ismail Omer Ghelle, (the powerful boss of the notorious secret police under president Gulaid and currently the sitting president of Djibouti) who towards the end of the seventies developed such close links with the Mafia that he became a business partner in most of its syndicates in and outside Djibouti.

Beginning from the eighties and with Ghelle's encouragement and patronage, the Mafia moved easily into new business areas:
International drug money laundering

Initially most of money laundering operations were executed through Djibouti Bank of the Middle East (DBME) which was actually established for handling this kind of business. Partners in the DBME included some Arab businessmen in addition to the Mafia. Ghelle called Roble Olhaye, a close friend of his from childhood days in Dire-Dawa, Ethiopia, to become the General Manager of the Bank in 1985. Like Ismail Omer Ghelle, Olhaye was born in Ethiopia from an Essa-Mamaasan tribe. After working in some shady business schemes he fled Ethiopia shortly before Mengistu Haile Mariam's revolution in 1974 to Nairobi, Kenya.

During his stay in Kenya, Olhaye became involved in illegal export of the African elephant tusks through Djibouti. In Nairobi, he also did some business with an international narcotics trafficking dealer. In 1986, the Djibouti Bank of the Middle East was mysteriously declared bankrupt and in 1987 Olhaye was appointed as Djibouti's ambassador to the UN, a job he still holds.

Another Bank especially established for handling international drug money laundering operations is "Djibouti Development Bank", founded as a joint venture by the Djibouti Mafia and some Russian emigrants living in the US. The Russians were believed to be members of the powerful Russian Mafia.

Olhaye who owns one apartment in Manhattan, New York city, and another in Washington DC regularly meets the Russians at either one of his two homes. Through this Russian connection, Djibouti President Ghelle had arranged a higher professional training at a private security accadamy in the US for members of a Djiboutian special crack force that comes under his direct supervision.

Recently money laundering operations have been reorganized so as to be spread across banks operating in Djibouti. But a significant part of the business is carried out by a remittances firm run by a Djiboutian business tycoon called Abdulla Taha Saeed. The money laundering techniques used by Djibouti Mafia connection, were not necessarily highly sophisticated to erase the origin of the funds. Djibouti's geographical position, as an unknown nation snugly lying in the Horn Africa region, where according to much of the world only wars and famine persist, has played to the advantage of drug barons in concealing their money laundering operations from international efforts to expose them.
Drugs, Guns and Liquor Smuggling

In the last decade, Djibouti has become a focal point for smuggling heavy drugs such as cocaine and liquor across the red sea to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. A firm registered as a marine transportation company owned by the Monfreid family, has been contracted by the Mafia to carryout these operations out of Djibouti port. Djibouti airport has occasionally been used as a transit point for Europe-bound narcotics and arms for the Hutu of Rwanda and lately for the "Transitory government of Somalia".
Toxic waste Dumping

Since the early nineties, the Italian Mafia which controls toxic waste dumping in Italy and parts of Europe has shifted its dumping operations at western coasts of Africa to the Red Sea coastal areas of Djibouti and Somalia. On one account, highly toxic and radio-active waste has been dumped at "Gubat-alkharab" and "Muluho" in the Afar-inhabited coastal territory of Djibouti in 1992, 1993 and 1994. The toxic waste disposal venture was jointly managed by Idrisis Omer Ghelle (brother of President Ismail Omer Ghelle) who represented the Djibouti Mafia and the Italians man in Djibouti, Mario Angelo. Both men died later under mysterious circumstances.

After reportedly contracting severe skin diseases and other unusual health problems, the Afar coastal community (subsistent livestock herders and fishermen) at Gubatal-kharab and Muluhu had to flee the area moving in-land, apparently after exposure to effects of the waste dumped in their localities. Following strong protests by Afar leaders, the dumping operations were since moved to the high seas facing the western coast of Somaliland (opposite the area between Zaila and Lughaya). The Italian Parliament has recently began debating this issue.

Assassinations allegedly carried out by the Mafia on behalf of the Djibouti government 1. Mohammed Idriss (Qaraf)-- Killed in 1991 while investigating the assassination of three Essa men in Dire-Dawa during 1990. Among the 3 victims was Hamud Langadhe, a long-time leader of an anti-Ethiopian insurgency movement whose members were drawn from Issa clansmen living within border areas that fall across the demarcation lines between Somaliland, Ethiopia and Djibouti. Hamud and the other two men came to Dire-Dawa to declare allegiance to the SNM whose guerrilla compaign against the government forces of dictator Siyad Barre had entered its 9th year in early 1990. The Djibouti government, which supported Siyad Barre, became angered by Hamud Langadhe's move and has been widely held as being behind the elimination.

Before his death, Mohammed Idriss held the position of assistant director of Djibouti's secret security police. He personally directed the investigation of the killing of Hamud Langadhe and his colleagues. During the investigation, Idriss found sufficient evidence incriminating Ismail Omer Ghelle for masterminding the assassination operation. Idriss started to talk.

Dr. Mohammed Yassin --- A pharmacologist who headed the state - owned medical Drugs Agency. Was killed in 1994 after refusing to obey instructions by Ismail Omer Ghelle, asking him to pay from Agency funds an amount of money needed for hiring an assassination team to eliminate a prominent Essa figure. The targeted man who was hitherto considered a Ghelle confidant had been accused of disclosing highly damaging secrets to political adversaries.

Mario Angelo --- An Italian who arrived in Djibouti in 1978. Mario Angelo was connected to the Italian Mafia and during 1992-1994, he worked with Idriss Omer Ghelle on a project for dumping highly toxic waste along the Red Sea coastal areas inhabited by the Afar people of Djibouti.

A mutual suspicion of each other developed between Agnelo and his Djiboutian counter-parts while the third and last phase of the project was being implemented.

Then at one night in 1994, Mario Angelo was killed infront of Ali Sabieh Hotel in uptown Djibouti known by locals as "Guudka".

Angelo's death came shortly after all the waste dumping operations had been successfully carried out. It was widely believed that the timing was not coincidental but preplanned by the Djiboutian/Corsican Mafia connection.
Mafia dominated businesses in Djibouti

Borre Group Ltd. -- Holding company of Abdirahman Borre's business establishments. A close tribal relative and childhood friend of President Gelle (Essa, clan), Borre is said to be involved in almost half of all the businesses that count in Djibouti that it has been difficult to assess his activities which range from wholesale of imported food material and construction engineering services to general brokering and smuggling of gemstones and counterfeit cigarettes. From an obscure small trader in the early nineties, Borre had become a very wealthy and powerful man at high speed and with little effort.

President Ghelle is said to be a silent partner in most of his commercial and trade activities. His regional business ties witnessed an incredibly tremendous expansion during the last 5 years that they account now for over 60% of his earnings. Borre controls through smuggling, most of the tobacco cigarettes trade in eastern Ethiopia, Somaliland and Somalia.

His ties with Mogadishu businessmen have substantially grown during the last 3 years. With two of his business partners elected in August 2000 as president (Qassim Salad) and prime minister (Ali Galaydh) of the newly formed transitional government of Somalia, Borre has since taken big preparations to take a lion's share of expected reconstruction works in war devastated Somalia.

Qassim Salad has already awarded Borre two lucrative contracts: printing of a new Somalia Passport and a new Somalia bank notes. To finance these awards and his future operations in Somalia, he recently paid up $8 million to become a major stake holder in Djibouti Sheraton Hotel only to sell his shares soon after to a wealthy Saudi businessman of Yemeni origin, called Amoudi (same owner of Adis-Abab Sheraton). Borre also received a commission of one million dollar for pretensely brokering in Sept. 2000 a deal between the Djibouti Port Authority and the managers of Dubai Port International who have been contracted to run the free trade zone at Djibouti port.

Borre met some setbacks though specially after it had been established that he was an accomplice in the corruption scandal that brought down former Ethiopian prime minister Tamarat Leyn 4 years ago. As a consequence, he was no more welcome in Ethiopia, though his cigarette brands continued to be smuggled into eastern Ethiopia.

In mid 2000 Puntland was prompted to outlaw Borre's business activities in the territories under its control following reports that the business tycoon had been destabilizing the regional state in eastern Somalia.

Borre also overseas Ghelle's secret bank accounts held with banks in French Bolonesia, Seychelles, Lebanon and the UAE.

Marine Transportation: Owned by a French family well known for its involvement in arms trade. Originally founded by Henry de Monfreid in mid 19th century. Now run by two grandsons of Monfreid, the company is involved in the smuggling of Hashish, Cocaine, liquor and Gemstones.

Abdulla Taha Money Exchange & Remittances: Owned by A. Taha, a Djiboutian of Yemeni origin. Handles money laundering for the Mafia. In this connection, President Ghelle deals with Taha through a Mamaasan woman with the name of Maryan Ma'aan who works as an executive secretary at Djibouti's Presidency. Legal counselling on money laundering is provided by a French man called Martinet who holds two official titles: Legal Advisor to the President and Chairman of Djibouti Bar Association.

Concore Co: A building contractors company. Major shareholders are Ismail Omer Ghelle and Saeed Barkhad, Minister of Public works (Samaron-reer Nur)

Comad: A shipping line agency owned by Saeed Sheik Osman, brother of Mahdi Sheik Osman, commander of both the para-military police force, the Gendermere, and the Presidential Guards.

Liban Ismail Omer: The 25 years old son of President Ghelle. Sole distributor of Isuzu Vehicles. Since his father was elected president in April 1999, all government departments were instructed to replace their motor transport with Isuzu cars. As a result, Liban sold several hundred Isuzu vehicles to government agencies. Liban also owns 35 large trucks used in transportation of goods to Ethiopia. Among Liban's business associates is Patrick, the son of Romani. Patrick runs a chain of night club including a one in Port Elizabeth, Seychelles

Buh Idriss Omer: President Gelle's nephew. Agent for a Sudanese land transportation Co. Manages 150 trailer trucks for forwarding Ethiopia-bound transit goods. Originally, the firm was co-founded by Muse Shihem, an Afar and former Djibouti foreign minister. Shihem had to relinquish his stake in the company in favor of Bush Idriss as a result of intimidation. He is now Djibouti's ambassador to Brussels. As a kind of compensation, Shihem was given a plot of land that the company agreed to use as its encampment site against a monthly rental of DJFr 500,000.

Most of the trucks used by the company had been reported to be in bad shape. No attention was given to constant complaints by the Ethiopians about the inefficiency of the forwarding services.
Other big business names on the Mafia connection:

- Al-Ghamil women wear- owned by Abdulkarim Al-Ghamil, a Djiboutian of Yemeni origin.

- Saif Group - owned by Dahir Saeed Saif, a Djiboutian of Yemeni origin. A wheeler-dealer with exclusive ownership of business services

- Rubah contractors - owned by Ali Rubah, a Djiboutian of Yemeni origin who has monopoly over French army contracts.
- Salim Al-Mudhi - Djiboutian of Yemeni origin who runs "pleasure business".
Who is who in Djibouti's Top Power Circle

Besides exclusive ownership of so many shady business enterprises, the ruling clique in Djibouti also enjoys a complete monopoly over political power in the whole country. President Ismail Omer Ghelle, an Essa- Mamaasan- of course sits on the top of the power structure.

Long before assuming the top position of Djibouti president in May 1999 (elected in April), Ghelle was declared by the-then Djibouti president Hassan Gulaid Abtidoon as the undisputed heir apparent to the highest government post in the country.

Although Ghelle remains the most-and-all powerful figure in Djibouti, the following regime insiders (most of them close relatives) rank politically among the most influential personalities in the port-state.

2. Hassan Saeed: Nicknamed Hassan Madoobe. Mamaasan. Director general of the Security Directorate, a state security apparatus consisting of three departments independent of each other. SDS -- Specialized in domestic spying, RM --- Military information service and counter intelligence, RG --- General information services. Hassan Madoobe is one of the two persons most trusted by president Ghelle.

3. General Zakaria: Army of Staff, a Mamaasan. Was a lieutenant in the early nineties. Promoted to General because of his close tribal connection to president Ghelle. Together with Hassan Madoobe, Zakaria is among Ghelle's two most trusted aides.

4. Col. Mahdi Sh Osman: Commander of both the Presidential guards and the Gendarmarie para-military police force. Belongs to the Mamaasan.

5. Abdirahman Borre: Business tycoon, childhood friend and frontman in business circles for Ghelle. Over-all representative for Ghelle interests in the Mafia connection. From the Essa clan.

6. Col. Abdi Kahin: Commander of the Nagad maximum security prison - site for torturing political prisoners. Mamaasan.

7. Sherdoon Abbas: Chairman of the High Court, the only member of the inner circle who is not Mamaasan. He belongs to the Odohgob Essa sub-clan but his mother is the aunt of Ismail Omer Ghelle.

8. Col. Hassan Jama: A Mamaasan Reer Abgal. Formerly commander of Djibouti Air Force. Currently in the Armed Forces combined command. Married to a sister of Ismail O. Ghelle.

9. Col. Omer Buh: Operation officer in the Armed Forces combined command. From the Urweine Essa sub-clan. Married to a sister of Ghelle

10. Jama Haid: Governor of Djibouti Central Bank, an Isaak, Habr Awal. Brother of Djibouti's first lady, Khadra Haid.

11. Jama Ali Ghelle: Director general of Djibouti Electricity power supply Agency. Mamaasan Reer Egal.

12. National Treasurer: Mohammed Qumane, from the Essa Furlabe subclan. Married to the niece of former president Hassan Gulaid.

13. Abdulla Domaine: Director general of Customs & Tariff Department, Reer Egal.

14. Ahmed Dualle: General Manager Djibouti Port Authority, Reer Egal.

15. Dr. Saeed Sheik: Director general of the Medical Drugs Agency. From the Mamaasan subclan.

16. Director General of the Telecommunication corporation.

Sana/Mogadishu -- Yemeni president Ali Abdulla Salah has urged Arab countries to seriously consider sending an Arab military force to Somalia to bolster the position of Abdiqassim Salad's Arta faction, against what he has called, growing Ethiopian intervention in internal Somali affairs.

In a message sent by Salah to all Arab heads of state last month, the Yemeni leader has called upon Arab governments to adopt a new common policy towards Somalia. He pressed that Arab countries to shoulder what he termed as the greater responsibilities thrust on them by an actively interventionist role being played by Ethiopia. The call by the Yemeni president for an Arab military intervention in Somalia has already gained the strong support of Libyan leader Mu'amar Qadafi, high diplomatic sources said. Egypt was also reported last week to have responded positively to a joint Yemeni/Libyan proposal to ready several thousand men strong Arab military contingent, for deployment in Mogadishu and its surroundings.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar were expected to finance the Arab military expedition force for Somalia, the sources said.

In the meanwhile, The Republican has learned from a reliable source close to the Transitional government of Somalia that the purpose of Salad government's Dec. 19th attack on Sudi Yalahow's militiamen at Balad (40km north of Mogadishu) was to "create a situation that would substantiate previously announced accusations by Salad officials that Ethiopia has been sending arms to some of the factions."

In a comment on the attack, Salad's government alleged that the military operation was carried out to intercept a convoy of arms and ammunition sent by the Ethiopians for Mussa Sudi Yalahow, currently the most powerful faction leader in Mogadishu. The attack, in which about 500 of Qassim's militia men were reportedly used, was however crushed by the Sudi Yalahow forces which comparatively government sources said "showed a clear tactical and combat superiority". About 30 militia men belonging to the Arta faction were taken prisoners during the operation while several were killed.

Abdi Qassim's deputy prime minister Osman Jama Kalun also complained last week that Ethiopian was violating UN arms embargo.

The attack was planned to coincide with fresh Arab calls for intervention in Somalia.

There has been no official reaction from the Ethiopian government yet with regard to emerging reports that Yemen, Libya and Egypt are seriously considering sending troops to Somalia. Diplomatic sources however have predicted a stern response from the Ethiopians.

On Tuesday, Salad's minister of Defence said his government will no longer abide by an agreement of understanding reached with Ethiopia in last November citing allegedly continued hostile actions taken by the Ethiopian authorities against Somalia's new government (Arta faction).

Abstract: In view of the above facts, the Somaliland Forum, an independent organization that represents the Somaliland diaspora, believes that the made-in-Djibouti government of Mogadishu will try to destabilize the Republic of Somaliland, as is evident from its current rhetoric of denial of the existence of Somaliland, a country whose people decided through their own free will to step back from the disastrous 1960 union with Somalia.

3) The independent Republic of Somaliland, whose people simply reinstated their sovereignty within the borders of the State of Somaliland of 1960, as inherited from the British Protectorate of Somaliland in 1960. It is evident that [Salat]'s strategy will create unnecessary wars and upheavals, first within Somalia proper itself, and this has actually started, as Salat's militia is battling now the older faction militias of Mogadishu. In light of the unfolding events in Mogadishu, the Somaliland Forum believes that the renewed Somali political conflict, if Salat and his group have their way, will inevitably spillover into the other neighbouring countries in the region, including Djibouti itself, and would tend to destabilize the entire Horn of Africa.

We also would like to remind the world that the people of Somaliland have determined their destiny and are asking for an acceptance of their right to self-determination, which, in this particular case, does not contravene the OAU (Organisation of African Unity) principle of the inviolability of colonial frontiers--- Somaliland gained independence from Britain in June 1960 while Somalia proper gained independence from Italy in July 1960. We stress, again, and in particular to our African brethren, that because of the above-mentioned specific reasons, the existence of the Republic of Somaliland will not set any precedent for the breakup of states. On the contrary, it will enhance peace in the Horn of Africa region, as it will forestall future fighting between Somaliland and whatever entity comes to govern Somalia proper.

The minister of health, Dr Abdi Aw Dahir, has said a government delegation visiting Burco, Togdheer Region, and the area traditional leaders, elders and wise men have reached an important agreement on maintenance of peace in the region.

The minister said the delegation and the regional leaders reached a five-point agreement, in which they agreed to safeguard the sovereignty of Somaliland, which is sacred. Burco people were signatory to the independence declaration. They agreed to counter Somaliland nationals serving in the so-called government of Abdiqasim Salad Hasan, promote Somaliland currency and reject Puntland and Mogadishu currencies. The traditional leaders pledged that they would resolve the current land dispute in the Togdheer Region peacefully. They further agreed to help maintain peace and stability in the region.

Credit: Radio Hargeysa, Voice of the Republic of Somaliland, in Somali 1700 22 Dec 00

Hargeisa -- The Arta faction headed by Abdul Qassim Salad is planning to send a destabilization mission to both Buroa and Las-Anod during the Eid (ten days from now). Highly reliable sources told The Republican that the mission, to be led by Ali Khalif Galaydh and Osman Jama "Kalun", will depart Mogadishu on the first day of the Eid holidays if not one or two days before. A similar mission is also expected to be sent by the Salad Arta faction to Puntland. Galaydh, a Las-Anod native has been appointed as Abdulqassim's prime minister. Osman Jama Kalun is a disgruntled political figure form Buroa. Both had held ministerial portfolios under dictator Mohammed Siyad Barre.

According to details of the planned mission, Galaydh will arrive in Las-Anod possibly through Puntland's port town of Bosasso while Osman Jama plans to land at Odweyne and then proceed to Buroa by land. The mission objectives mainly seek the creation of a situation paving the way for the complete destabilization of Somaliland through instigation of anti-Somaliland demonstrations and rallies in support of the Qassim factional government, at any cost. The assumption is that that orchestrated violent protests would politically polarize the local population along two major antagonistic forces: pro-Qassim anti-Somaliland versus pro-independence pro-Somaliland. The plan says that the destabilization and eventual disintegration of Somaliland cannot be achieved unless the existing tranquillity is made to disappear. To fulfill their mission Galaydh and Osman Kalun will heavily rely on distribution of cash money to potential saboteurs. Both the oil rich Arab nations of Libya and Qatar have recently granted undisclosed though reportedly substantial financial aid to Qassim faction.

The United Nations which supports the Abdulqassim faction has a shabby record in dealing with the Somali crisis essentially institutional failure of governance and a struggle for self-determination. The UN, Arab States and Italy have been trying to bolster the Qassim faction. While the Arab governments have openly sided with Qassim, the UN and the Italian government prefer to help the Arta faction behind the curtains. "Our position with regard to Somaliland is business as usual" is a brief statement often repeated by UN leaders and Italian diplomats during meetings with President Egal. Diplomatic sources in the region have described this position as counterfeit. The whole objective is to keep Egal misled until Qassim gains full control over Mogadishu through Arab, UN and Italians assistance, the diplomatic sources added.

In the meanwhile The Republican has learned that a Swedish diplomat arrived last week in Hargeisa carrying a message from Ali Khalif Galaydh to the Somaliland leaders. The diplomat from the Swedish Embassy in Nairobi was requested by Galaydh to possibly broker talks between the Somaliland government and the Arta faction headed by Qassim Salad, reliable sources said.

Hargeisa -- The Somaliland government decided last week to expel 3 United Nations volunteers contracted by the UN agency responsible for urban planning and housing-Habitat. The decision to expel the 3 UNV expatriates, identified as Kibe Muigni (PhD holder), Samual Ochanda and Patric Mwale, was reportedly taken in connection with allegations that Habitat program activities in Somaliland were soaked in corruption. All the 3 are Kenyan nationals who had been recruited by Habitat Nairobi. They were declared persona-non-grata after they have been accused by Somaliland authorities of involvement in gross mismanagement and abuse of program resources. The Habitat program has until recently been headed by Uffe Leinum, a Danish civil Engineer. Leinum joined Habitat in mid this year after serving as manager of Danish Refugee Council's program in Somaliland.

Habitat has been managing a fund of $1.3 million most of which was provided by the Italian government for the implementation of multi-sectoral rehabilitation and institutional capacity development activities in the Sahil region of Somaliland. The interventions planned under this program were intended to focus such vital areas as urban planning, water, rehabilitation of municipal premises and capacity building for local government.

According to government sources however, the bulk of the $1.3 million has been misused. The Somaliland authorities were first alerted to the alleged plunder after information on a bitter feuding between Leinum and other expatriate staff, particularly the Kenyans, started to emerge on last month. The internal staff dispute had actually crippled Habitat operations in Somaliland. Field officers had put the blame on Leinum whom they had accused of embarking on a systematic violation of standard Habitat codes of conduct. In a written communication to their superiors in Habitat office in Nairobi, program officers in Somaliland also complained that Leinum lacked the necessary managerial skills that would have enabled him discharge his responsibilities and duties in a substantially more competent manner.

Leinum had however denied the allegations. He explained that because he charged the Kenyans with responsibility for large-scale corrupt practices within the program, they were trying to remove him out of their way. But Leinum eventually found himself sacked by his superiors in higher management. The action drew the suspicion of Somaliland officials that the dismissal of Leinum was a kind of a cover-up. The authorities also became seriously offended and upset by remarks mentioned in a report saying that Somalilanders harbour anti-White people feelings. In this report which was established to have been written by one of the Kenyans employed by Habitat Hargeisa, it was claimed that due to prevalent racial biases, Whites among international aid workers assigned to Somaliland fail to receive the necessary cooperation from their formal counterparts as well as from local communities.

The allegations implied that only Africans, notably Kenyans, would be welcome to do humanitarian work in Somaliland. The report even cited the killing in mid this year of GTZ German worker Dieter Krasemann in Buroa as had been racially motivated. Following these revelations, the Somaliland government was prompted to declare the 3 Kenyans persona-non-grata, a Somaliland official said. The administration also asked for a whole explanation on what has happened from the UN agency.

In the meanwhile the UN is going to send an investigation team to Hargeisa some time in next January to make a full report on Habitat's operations in Somaliland. In the meantime though Leinum was allowed to stay in Somaliland, to explain his side of the story when the investigation team arrives here from New York, he had however left Hargeisa for Denmark on last Thursday.

On Monday, President Egal warned that his government will not tolerate any further practices of corruption on the part of any UN organisation. Egal received Randolph Kent, UNDP representative and coordinator of Humanitarian Aid in Somalia, on last Monday evening. The President warned against what he called the dangerous consequences that the current UN policy of giving support to Abdiqassim's faction might bring not only to Somalia but also to the whole region as well.

The Habitat program in Somaliland has been among the most successful interventions carried out so far by any UN agency. Besides Berbera municipality, Habitat has been providing technical assistance to Hargeisa water agency. Rehabilitation of Buroa water system was about to start soon. For unknown reasons, President Egal has never been at ease with Habitat operations, often over-looking the agency's achievements. However The Republican has been informed that at one time during the presidential elections of 1996-1997, the former Mayor of Hargeisa, Ali Asad, had told Egal that Habitat was not in favour of his re-election. As a result, the agency was asked to evacuate a building belonging to Hargeisa local government that it rehabilitated and equipped.

In the meanwhile, it seems strange that the Somaliland authorities have so far failed to notice another element that could have had an influence on what went wrong with Habitat operations. There is a growing indication that a group of self-styled local hecklers with close ties to international agencies may have also been accomplices in the alleged corruption.

Hargeisa -- Both ministries of Planning and Foreign affairs have asked Somaliland's minister of Interior Ahmed Jambir Suldan to adhere to the terms of the protocol agreement regulating work relationship between government line ministries and international organisations operating in the country.

The ministry of Planning is responsible for coordinating external assistance provided by the UN agencies and international non-governmental organisations (INGOs).

Jambir has recently appointed a coordinator representing his ministry to international organisations in the country. However the arrangement didn't work as it became a source of nuisance to the agencies and subsequently other departments of the government. This has prompted the foreign ministry and that of Planning to tender protests against the embarrassing behavior of the Interior ministry. As a result Jambir's newly-created position of "coordinator" has been cancelled.

There is no doubt that relations between the Somaliland government and the international organizations working here have considerably improved during the last few years. In fact, there has been a minimum supervision by the Somaliland government of the work of UN agencies and international NGOs. By comparison, governments in neighbouring states exercise a total control over what international organisations do in their countries.

Collaboration and coordination with international organisations in Somaliland has witnessed a shift for the better through the ministry of planning both during the tenures of Gees and Sillanyo. The ministry of foreign affairs under Fagadhe also played a diplomatically useful complementary role in this respect. The government has therefore done well when it recently re-affirmed its commitment to see that this arrangement for coordinating international assistance works to the satisfaction of the authorities as well as its international partners. The re-assurance was of-course needed in the light of the ministry of Interior's straying from the line during the last few weeks. But there is a serious problem which merits our attention: a confrontation between the government and the UN system over some unfortunate developments within Habitat's office in Somaliland has reached an unnecessary climax.

We believe that the Somaliland authorities have the right to demand full accountability report from the UN system with regard to the messy situation left by Uffe Leinum and his colleagues in the Habitat office in Hargeisa. A joint evaluation and auditing of the financial and administrative performance is perhaps the best way for bringing the existing show-down to an amicable end.

The Somaliland government should however retract from insisting on the reinstation of Uffe Leinum, the Danish architect who has been fired earlier this month from his job as head of Habitat office in Somaliland. The government can always objectively express its preferences on such matters. But in this case, it's clearly up to the UN bureaucrats to reach a final decision in as much as the government is entitled to have the final say on who may or may not stay in this country.

However it's worth mentioning that international organisations, specially the UN agencies, refrain from trying to lay down the rules of their engagement here autonomously. The lack of restrictive government mechanisms to regulate the work of international organisations has been part and parcel of the general liberalization trend vividly noticeable in many aspects of life in today's Somaliland. Being a country born out of a bitter struggle against repression and genocide, Somaliland's determination not to go through the same painful experience again is understandable. But it would be a grave mistake to interpret this country's aversion against any rules that may seem inhibitive as a weakness deriving from the fact that Somaliland has not been internationally recognized yet.

We believe that international organizations are obliged to recognize this country's reconstruction and developmental priorities as set by the government and act in collaboration and coordination with line ministries to help realising them. Any gaps could be filled by those community- based Somaliland NGOs which have already demonstrated their indispensable role in tackling the rehabilitation and developmental challenges faced by this country.

We believe that it is in the best interests of both the government and international organisations to capitalize on Somaliland's tangible successes on the ground and endeavor to achieve much more substantial results in the future.

Abstract: Over the years, Italy has sought, come what may, to ensure that the center of power always stays in Mogadishu, i.e., in its former colony, and that Mogadishu dominates Somaliland; accordingly, Italian development aid was concentrated exclusively in the former Italian colony. But now the Somali Republic is no more; Somaliland, after a terrible liberation war fought from 1980 to 1991 and won, despite the huge aid the Mogadishu regime of Siad Barre received from Italy and its other allies of the time, has reverted back to its former status of a sovereign country and nation in 1991. We concede that it is up to the people of Somalia to accept or reject Salad's "government."

While the Italian government is entitled to develop whatever relationships it wishes, and the humanitarian aid of the people of Italy is welcome and much appreciated, the people of Somaliland want everyone, including the Italian government, to respect their wish to remain a separate and sovereign country. The endless Italian efforts at the European Union, and in the region through its emissaries, aimed at reversing the sovereignty of Somaliland, a country whose people took their fate in their own hands, and founded a parliament, a constitution and a functioning government, without much help from the outside, should cease. Italian behind the scene maneuvers aimed at sabotaging Somaliland's independence and legitimizing Abdulqassim Salad Hasan's claim of being president of both Somalia and Somaliland should also immediately stop.

4. Marches Tropicaux, "La Somalie en proie a l'anarchie," 3 March 1991, pp. 1136-37. 5. Le Monde, " Les rebelles sont resolus a chasser du pouvoir le president Syaad Barre," 6-7 January, 1991, p. 5. 6. Perlez, Jane. "Deadly Impasse Said to Go On in Somali City," New York Times, 10 January, 1991, p. 7. 7. Helene, Jean. "La Somalie: deux mois apres la chute du president Syad Barre," Le Monde, 4 April, 1991, p. 10. 8. Reuter, "EU mission leaves after talks with Somaliland leaders," 2 December, 2000. 9. The Republican [Hargeisa, Somaliland], "Italy Promoting Talks Between Egal and Salad," issue 134, 28 October, 200. 10. The Republican [Hargeisa, Somaliland], "Italian Policy," issue 133, 21 October, 2000. 11. Fitzgerald, Mary Anne, "Helping the other 'Somalia'," Christian Science Monitor, 27 December 1998.

President [Muhammad Ibrahim] Egal's term expires within a year's time.

The deadline for holding a mandatory national referendum on the country's interim constitution also expires several months from now. Free elections are supposed to be held in all over the country at least by [the] end of the year 2001 so that people could be able to choose, for the first time since over three decades, their representatives to the local and central government, including the election of a president and members of both Houses of parliament, through direct polling.

In practical terms, however, there is nothing in the horizon to suggest that deadlines set for the fulfilment of the above crucial tasks will be met.

This conclusion is actually drawn from the fact that Egal's administration has done little to ready the country for democratic elections. What the government accomplished, so far, is that it unilaterally formulated two laws regulating [rest of the sentence illegible]. In theory, Somaliland citizens will therefore be able to democratically elect their government come next year. Realistically, however, it is already a common knowledge that some essentially important elements deemed necessary for the successful conduction of free elections in the country are still missing.

First, there is a lot of popular mistrust whether the Egal government is seriously committed and honest towards holding clean elections. This deep mistrust is reasonably valid considering that the government itself has aroused public suspicion when it rejected all pleas for allowing popular participation in the formulation of election laws and procedures. Add this to the qualms people have about Egal's history of political corruption. Then public contempt gets magnified even in greater proportions. But even assuming that with some luck the government would turn out to be honest, it would still be close to impossible, from technical point of view, to effectively launch a fair electoral process within the remaining relatively short period of time.

The second most important issue is that the government intends to appoint an electoral commission that is not neutral or independent enough to oversee the electoral process. A third serious element which cannot be overlooked deals with the actual number of regions and districts that are legally recognizable. The Egal's administration has during the last three years announced the formation of additional regional and district administrative structures that the House of Representatives has rejected ratifying. With this political question still unresolved it will not be possible to avoid serious disputes over the allocation of seats to be contested in election. There are certainly many other technical constraints that need to be overcome (such as the question of how people eligible for voting are going to be identified) before we can seriously and confidently engage ourselves in free and fair elections.

To ensure that free elections, a right won by the people through a costly struggle, are held in an atmosphere of trust, the Egal administration has to, at least, agree to the overhauling of the proposed electoral system by an independent commission to be appointed jointly by the government (including parliament) and representatives of credible civil society groups plus the SNM [Somali National Movement, ruling party].

Relinquishing the whole electoral process to such an independent body will help persuade the currently highly sceptical public that the government is not conspiring in fact to steal the forthcoming elections.

Credit: `The Republican', Hargeysa, in English 10 Dec 00

Source: The Republican Newspaper, Hargeisa, in English 09 Dec 2000 /BBC Monitoring/ (c) BBC.

Hargeisa -- Somaliland President Mohammed Ibrahim Egal is going to seek a third term in the forthcoming elections scheduled to be held within the next 12 months, reliable sources have told The Republican. In the mean time, there is a widespread popular skepticism concerning the sincerity of the Egal government to hold free and fair public elections. According to independent observers, the administration has been deliberately playing delaying tactics in terms of preparing the country for local and national elections.

Citing that there are no reliable mechanisms in place yet for the smooth conduction of proper elections, one knowledgeable observer commented "A clear proof of peoples lack of confidence in the electoral system installed by the government is demonstrated by the reluctance shown so far by citizens in organizing themselves into political parties". There is in fact a widely held suspicion that the administration wants to maintain itself in power by stealing the next elections. Though the constitution limits the presidential terms that one person may serve to only two times (Egal's second term expires by Feb. 2002), the Somaliland President is expected to maneuver around this legality impediment by making people believe that he is still indispensable for the continuation of stability. "He will play to peoples sensitivities such as that he is the only symbolic figure that stands for peace" the observer added.

It is still not sure whether the Egal administration will go ahead with the general elections as stipulated and scheduled by the constitution. However according to a source close to the government, it will be more unlikely to witness people directly casting their votes to choose their next president and legislators in next elections. "Egal will try to blackmail the nation by saying that there was neither need nor time for general elections and that an all Somaliland Elders conference would do the job of electing a government".

President Egal and his close lieutenants in the administration are of course confident of winning the coming elections whether through the ballot box or through an electoral college consisting of members of the House of Elders (Guurti). After all, the administration will have all the financial and logistical resources of the government under its disposal.

Hargeisa -- The government of the Republic of Somaliland ratified last month the international convention on the rights of the child (CRC). The need to promote and observe children rights in Somaliland was also stressed in a general CRC meeting held during the last week of November in Hargeisa.

The two-day meeting, which was opened on Nov. 20, 2000 by Somaliland vice-president Riyale, dealt with various children issues. During the meeting, participants debated how Somaliland children rights for education, health care, protection and survival can be promoted and adequately met. Child rights within the Islamic context was also among the issues discussed. Child protection rights has been universally recognized as legitimate human rights issue. The UN general Assembly adopted the CRC on 20th Nov. 1998.

The purpose of the Hargeisa Conference was to 1) increase awareness and strengthen knowledge of children's right and advocate these rights among the key groups of the society 2) to review the key issues affecting the rights of children at-risk and to discuss the barriers to overcome if CRC objectives are to be achieved 3) to highlight trends which could be a basis for action and provide a frame-work to assist the delivery of obligations and responsibilities towards children. Somaliland ministers for Education, Religion and Justice also took part in the meeting.

The conference made some important recommendations including the need to formulate a national policy and plan of action on the promotion and implementation of child rights, establishment of a steering committee to follow up the CRC and promote children rights through public awareness programs and sensitisation of government, general public and concerned groups. Among the key-not speakers in the conference was Jay Zimmeruan from SCF/USA. The conference was also attended by Raqiya Haji Dualle who works as consultant for SCF/USA in Somaliland. The CRC meeting was sponsored by SCF/USA.

Hargeisa -- The International Volunteer Day was observed in Somaliland on last Tuesday (Dec. 5, 2000) with UNVs celebrating the occasion by planting trees in Mohammed Moge School in South Hargeisa. The ceremonies held for paying tribute to volunteers in Somaliland and word-wide culminated in cultural performances staged by local youth and women groups.

The UN general Assembly designated the UNV program as focal point for the International Year of Volunteer 2001. In a message for the occasion, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said "Volunteers are bold enough to stand for something. They put their hands and their minds, and most of all, their hearts at the service of others. And in doing so, they bring hope to those they help and can give them the strength to overcome their weaknesses. In turn, they are rewarded with the knowledge that they have truly made a difference. Their courage and dedication should be an inspiration for others-for all of us- to act,".

In another message, Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator of the UNDP had this to say "Every country depends on volunteers. They look after infants, the elderly and the sick. They help educate our children. Keep the environment clean, and make our communities safer places to live. They are the lifeblood of healthy societies everywhere."

UNVs work for various UN organisations operating in Somaliland and Somalia such as the ICAO UNDP, UNHCR, WFP, WHO and others.

Djibouti -- An armed rebellion led by Djiboutian police commander General Yassin Yabeh Galab was crushed Thursday afternoon by forces loyal to President Ismail Omer Ghelle. The fighting was apparently sparked by an early morning announcement on Djibouti national Radio on Thursday that Gen. Yabeh was relieved from his post asDjiboutian Police Commander by President Ghelleh. The dismissal of Gen. Yabeh drew immediate protests from most of police units in Djibouti city.

Later, what seemed initially to be an angry mutiny developed into full scale armed rebellion against the authority of President Ghelle. At around one o'clock Djibouti local time, armed policemen surrounded the Presidency Premises. Police forces also stormed the national TV and Radio station, the country's only telecommunication centre and international airport. Other police unites occupied key positions along the city's inner main roads. Telecommunications lines were cut off and by 4:30 p.m. Djibouti city seemed to be under the control of the rebellions police force led by Gen. Yassin Yabeh Galab. By 5 p.m. however the military forcefully intervened on behalf of President Ghelleh. They were assisted by the para-military forces (Gendarmes). In less than two hours, the forces loyal to the government retook all the main positions including the Presidency and the TV and Radio station.

According to a government statement the number of casualties were two soldiers from the government side dead and seven wounded. Unconfirmed reports have however cited that the death toll from the armed confrontation could be much higher. The Police command installations were also reportedly heavily damaged by artillery gunfire. Damage to properties as a result of the fighting has not yet been assessed. The Djiboutian authorities have imposed a news blackout on the incident. However The Republican has learned that the local population was shocked by the fighting as the confrontation left many city dwellers worried that the incident might lead to a prolonged power struggle in the country. In the meantime, Djibouti government sources were quoted yesterday as saying that Gen. Yabeh has surrendered himself to French troops stationed in Djibouti.

The Republican has learned that the dismissal of Gen. Yabeh came as a result of his refusal to use force in putting down frequent demonstrations by civil servants and students protesting delays in payment of salaries and social allowances by the government. Many months pass before government employees in Djibouti receive their wages. On last Wednesday, the students took to the streets to protest non-payment of small school allowances that they normally used to receive from the government treasury. Gen. Yabeh ordered the police not to crack down on the protesting students, a move which drew the anger of President Ghelleh who in turn sacked the police , accusing him of sabotaging the government.

Ghelleh and Yabeh had been long childhood friends. They grew up together in Dire-Dawa, Ethiopia, where both went to the same school. Later, they joined the colonial French police in the fifties. After independence in 1977, the two sergeants assumed high positions within Hassan Guleed's first government. Ismail Omer Ghelleh became Guleed's Cabinet Secretary and head of the Country's State Security. Yabeh was given the post of Commander of Djibouti police forces. Gen. Yabeh's support of Ismail Omer Ghelleh has been instrumental in the rise of the latter to the top of power in Djibouti. Last year when a power struggle between Ghelleh and two strong former ministers surfaced, Yabeh sided decisively with the President. Yabeh who had shown ambition to become at least the minister of Interior was said to have felt being betrayed by Ghelleh. Both Ghelleh and Yabeh come from the Issa tribe which dominates the Djibouti government and politics.

President Egal's term expires within a year's time. The deadline for holding a mandatory national referendum on the country's interim constitution also expires several months from now. Free elections are supposed to be held in all over the country at least by end of the year 2001 so that people could be able to choose, for the first time since over 3 decades, their representatives to the local and central government including the election of a president and members of both Houses of Parliament, through direct polling. In practical terms however, there is nothing in the horizon to suggest that deadlines set for the fulfillment of the above crucial tasks will be met.

This conclusion is actually drawn from the fact that Egal's administration has done little to ready the country for democratic elections. What the government accomplished so far is that it unilaterally formulated two laws regulating elections and political parties and got them passed by Parliament earlier this year.

In theory, Somaliland citizens will therefore be able to democratically elect their government come next year. Realistically however it is already a common knowledge that some essentially important elements deemed necessary for the successful conduction of free elections in the country are still missing. First, there is a lot of popular mistrust whether the Egal government is seriously committed and honest towards holding clean elections. This deep mistrust is reasonably valid considering that the government itself has aroused public suspicion when it rejected all pleas for allowing popular participation in the formulation of election laws and procedures. Add this to the qualms people have about Egal's history of political corruption. Then public contempt gets magnified even in greater proportions.

But even assuming that with some luck the government would turn out to be honest, it would still be close to impossible, from technical point of view, to effectively launch a fair electoral process within the remaining relatively short period of time. The second most important issue is that the government intends to appoint an electoral commission that is not neutral or independent enough to oversee the electoral process. A third serious element which cannot be overlooked deals with the actual number of regions and districts that are legally recognizable. The Egal administration has during the last 3 years announced the formation of additional regional and district administrative structures that the House of Representatives has rejected ratifying. With this political question still unresolved it won't be possible to avoid serious disputes over the allocation of seats to be contested in election.

There are certainly many other technical constraints that need to be overcome (such as the question of how people eligible for voting are going to be identified) before we can seriously and confidently engage our selves in free and fair elections.

To ensure that free elections, a right won by the people through a costly struggle, are held in an atmosphere of trust, the Egal administration has to at least agree to the over-hauling of the proposed electoral system by an independent commission to be appointed jointly by the government (including Parliament) and representatives of credible civil society groups plus the SNM.

Relinquishing the whole electoral process to such an independent body will in fact help persuade the currently highly skeptical public that the government is not conspiring to steal the forthcoming elections.

The United Nations after producing a factional Somali government by cloning dictator Barre's regime is now set on the dangerous road of providing direct financial and logistical support to Qassim Salad's on-going military build-up in Mogadishu.

Faction leader Abdiqassim Salad Has since his appointment as president in August been shedding crocodile tears that he needs money with which to demobilize thousands of armed militia men in Mogadishu. UN secretary general Kofi Annan and his representative in Somalia, David Stephen, joined Salad in an effort to blackmail the international community for Demobilization and Reintegration Program (DRP) funds. Sympathetic governments in Italy and the Arab world came up with financial commitments while asking other donors to do the same. Qassim Salad has been so happy and encouraged with the feed-back that he ordered two months ago the remobilization of dictator Barre's defeated army. Brandishing their medals and uniforms, Barre's soldiers and officers kept pouring into hastily set-up camps in Mogadishu for their rehabilitation. "The nation can not be rebuilt and protected without you", Salad told soldiers in a battalion formation at one of the camps early last month.

Heavily armed militia men loyal to Qassim are also encamping at specially selected sites in southern Mogadishu. Both military groups were assembled to attract donor funds. With millions of dollars denominated as DRP funds already earmarked by Kofi Annan for Qassim's troops, Siyad Barre's former minister of Interior seems to have never been a happier man. The international community is succumbing and ready to meet all the financial costs needed for sheltering, feeding and paying the personnel of his military forces. Last week, the UN chose not to be an onlooker when Libyan arms and military logistics arrived at Bali-Doogle airport, about 100km to the south of Mogadishu. Arms financed by Qatar and Sudan are next to arrive soon.

The whole exercise actually reminds one of the UNOSOM and the DRP experience in Angola, both UN undertakings that drastically failed during the nineties.

One fundamental lesson drawn from disarmament, demobilization and reintegration experiences in Somaliland and a number of countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia say that the "total cessation of hostilities" is a prerequisite for the launching of a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programs involving armed personnel.

Politically, a genuine national reconciliation must have been achieved with a broad-based central authority in place to plan, implement and coordinate the disarmament and demobilization exercise. Of course, none of these terms and conditions are found applicable to the on-going assembling of forces at Mogadishu.

The intention of Qassim and his UN sponsors has never been the down-sizing of armed forces. On the contrary, the objective has been to raise an Army for Qassim's faction within the next few months so that when the adequate force is ready, Kofi Annan and David Stephen could legitimate and enhance their prot,g, without this time UN forces slogging through the Somali Quagmire.

Reports concerning last night's clashes in Djibouti say destruction was widespread and that lives and property was lost. Tension is also still high in the city.

A report received this evening from our reporter in Loyada [along Djibouti-Somaliland border] said the death toll which includes soldiers and civilians stands at 18. Eighty four people who included police officers and civilians who supported the activities of Gen Yabeh were arrested last night.

According to our reporter, Abubakar Hasan Abdi, it has been confirmed that the wife of Gen Yabeh and six policemen were arrested when they surrendered to the minister of labour of that country who handed them over to the interim prime minister... The reports say there were many deaths in Artida [phonetic] estate which houses Djibouti police barracks.
Credit: Radio Hargeysa, Voice of the Republic of Somaliland, in Somali 1700 8 Dec 00

Somaliland President Mohammed Ibrahim Egal is going to seek a third term in the forthcoming elections scheduled to be held within the next 12 months, reliable sources have told The Republican. In the mean time, there is a widespread popular skepticism concerning the sincerity of the Egal government to hold free and fair public elections. According to independent observers, the administration has been deliberately playing delaying tactics in terms of preparing the country for local and national elections.

Citing that there are no reliable mechanisms in place yet for the smooth conduction of proper elections, one knowledgeable observer commented "A clear proof of peoples lack of confidence in the electoral system installed by the government is demonstrated by the reluctance shown so far by citizens in organizing themselves into political parties". There is in fact a widely held suspicion that the administration wants to maintain itself in power by stealing the next elections. Though the constitution limits the presidential terms that one person may serve to only two times (Egal's second term expires by Feb. 2002),the Somaliland President is expected to maneuver around this legality impediment by making people believe that he is still indispensable for the continuation of stability. "He will play to peoples sensitivities such as that he is the only symbolic figure that stands for peace" the observer added.

It is still not sure whether the Egal administration will go ahead with the general elections as stipulated and scheduled by the constitution. However according to a source close to the government, it will be more unlikely to witness people directly casting their votes to choose their next president and legislators in next elections. "Egal will try to blackmail the nation by saying that there was neither need nor time for general elections and that an all Somaliland Elders conference would do the job of electing a government".

President Egal and his close lieutenants in the administration are of course confident of winning the coming elections whether through the ballot box or through an electoral college consisting of members of the House of Elders (Guurti). After all, the administration will have all the financial and logistical resources of the government under its disposal.

Sources close to the local authorities in the region indicated that the abducted Yemenis are fishermen who were attacked while fishing off His village coasts.

Their boat was also seized by the gunmen who took their abductors deep to the highlands of Maydh, about 130 kilometers south of Erigavo, capital of the region, the sources said.

Confirming the abduction, Ahmed Jabbir, Somaliland's interior minister, told reporters that efforts are now underway to secure the safe release of the hostages.

"But they have been taken far into the Golis mountains where there are no road accesses," the minister said.

Meanwhile, Anis Salah Hajji, deputy governor of Sanag region where the abduction took place, told the media that negotiations are now already under way. "We are fighting for an unconditional release, then we will see to what the gunmen are claiming for," he said.

The reason for the abduction is not known yet. However, sources close to the gunmen indicated that the young men had been annoyed by the killing of their fellow man who was allegedly killed by Yemeni fishermen two years ago.

The Yemenis threw that man off a boat when they promised to transport him to Yemen, the gunmen said.

So far, there have been no other sources confirming the allegation, but people from Erigavo town support the claim, saying that Ahmed Hussein Mohamed was killed by the Yemenis in 1998 when they threw him off their boat.

No one has yet seen the abducted men, but mediators keep coming and going between the two sides. The mediators did not speak of any wounds or injuries the fishermen sustained during the abduction.

There has been speculation that the gunmen were just double crossing, kidnapping the Yemenis in order to make money with the pretext of claiming compensation for the alleged killing of their fellow man two years ago.

There is no word as yet from the government of Yemen over the kidnapping. Yemen is just over the opposite side of the beach along the Red Sea.

Kidnapping for ransom has been very common in Somalia's northeastern region now known as Puntland where gunmen have speed boat to hunt foreign vessels and yacht across their coastal waters. The usual pretext for abducting foreigners is accusations for illegal fishing or dumping wastes in the sea.

The president of Somaliland, Hon Muhammad Ibrahim Egal, yesterday appointed a new minister of planning in charge of Somaliland's cooperation with international agencies.

A statement from the presidency said President Egal had appointed Hirsi H. Du'ale Elmi, the new planning minister. The minister replaces Hon Ahmad Muhammad Mahmud (Silanyo) who resigned from the post on 19th November...

The new minister, Hirsi H. Du'ale, is a newcomer to Somaliland's politics.

Hargeisa -- Sigurd Illing who used to head the European Commission's mission for Somaliland and Somalia until 1997, arrived in Hargeisa on last Thursday on what has been described as a fact-finding mission. According to Somaliland government sources, Illing, who is now the director for east of Africa region development affairs within the EC hierarchy, said the purpose of his visit was to become acquainted with the over-all situation in the area and Somaliland's stance on current issues, particularly in the aftermath of the Arta conference.

The findings of Illing are expected to be incorporated in a report to be raised by the EC to the next European Summit to be held 13th of this month. According to a Somaliland government source, President Egal has reaffirmed to the EU delegation that there has been no change in the position of Somaliland with regard to the issue of independence. "Somaliland's proclamation of the restoration of its sovereignty in 1991 remains valid" President was quoted as saying, according to a press release by the Presidency.

"We do not want to be dragged into the problem of Somalia. The objective of our 1960 Union was not confined to getting united with Mogadishu only. It was meant to be the first step towards the unification of greater Somalia, a dream which no longer lives". Egal also reiterated that his government would have no objection to sitting and talking with Somalia provided the latter comes up with a unified entity to negotiate with. The Somaliland President however added that even a prospect for such a possibility is slim because of the current situation in Somalia.

Egal went further to say during the talks with the EU delegation that whenever the possibility of holding talks with Somalia in the future is mentioned, it is sure to incite accusations that he was a unionist seeking reunification of Somaliland with Somalia "On the other side, the people of Mogadishu self-righteously claim that they are the only Somali nationalists around and that everybody else is bound to come under them".

The Somaliland President concluded by saying that as long as they [Mogadishu] hold such a believe it will be impossible to have talks. Illing, Walid Musa, political advisor for the EC, Ioaschim Knoth, EU Nairobi and Edward Jones Jr., head of UN focal point in Somaliland were guests of honour at a dinner reception held in the Presidential Palace last evening. Only the government owned media was allowed to cover the event.

Earlier in the evening the delegation returned to Hargeisa from a trip to Berbera. The EU funds the reconstruction of damaged bridges on the asphalted road connecting the main urban and rural centres in Somaliland. The bridges were destroyed during Somaliland's war of resistance against Siyad Barre's military government in the eighties. Implementation of the Dilla-Hargeisa-Berbera-portion of the road project started in earnest on last year. It is the most ambitious infrastructure reconstruction effort ever attempted in post-war Somaliland.

Hargeisa -- Tahliil H. Ahmed a Somali employee of the UNDP's civil society protection program left Hargeisa last Thursday to Bossasso, after the Somaliland authorities declared him a persona-non-grata on last Monday. In accordance with a deportation order issued by Somaliland minister of Interior, Jambir, Tahlil was accused of interfering in the political domestic affairs in the country. Jambir's deportation [order] said that Tahlil declined to desist from such interference in spite of repeated warnings issued to him to discontinue the behavior. The government failed to specify the kind of interference Tahlil has been accused of.

The SCPP employee, a lawyer by profession, however denied of any wrong doing. He said he came to know about the government's decision to send him out of the country after reading the government newspaper Mandeeq (Tuesday issue) which carried a news item on the deportation order that has been attributed to the minister of Interior. Tahlil also denied being given warnings before the decision to declare him a persona-non-grata was taken.

In an interview with Jamhuriya Tahlil said it was painful for him to be deported from Hargeisa where he lived for many years with his family Tahlil was forcibly evicted from Hargeisa in 1984 by General Mohamed Hashi Gani, the former military ruler of the northern regions at the time and who is also wanted for war crimes in Somaliland. Tahlil's deportation in 1984 came after he has been accused of sympathizing with the SNM which launched an all and out military offensive against government positions at that year in three main areas in Somaliland. "It is distressful to see this happening to me again" Tahlil said.

Tahlil is married to a Somalilander and has been with his children in Hargeisa. In the meantime, The Republican has learned that the Government has suspected Tahlil of giving legal counselling to three Somaliland young men who sued the French company Total Red Sea for health damages they had sustained during their painting of Berbera oil depots. President Egal contracted all Berbera Petroleum storage facilities to Total Red Sea in 1998. Upon signing the agreement, the President received a bonus of close to USD 200,000 (two hundred thousands) from Total. The Somaliland House of Representatives rejected the Total agreement in a majority vote this year. A Somaliland court awarded $500,000 (five hundred thousand) in damages to the three local employees. One of them happens to be Tahlil's half brother (through mother).

President Egal two weeks ago submitted a bill in the House calling for the establishment of a select committee from the House of Elders to review Somaliland courts decisions. The motion was defeated in the House of Representatives. Moreover, Tahlil was resented by Somaliland's minister of Justice Aafi who thought that the SCPP officer was unwarrantedly dealing directly with the Judiciary department at the expense of the ministry. The SCPP assists Somaliland's courts and custodial corpses.

Immediately after gaining their "independence" from Britain and Italy in 1960, people in Somaliland and Somalia found themselves in confrontation with the government system they inherited from their colonial rulers. The system of governance left by the departing colonialists simply continued, just the same as in the era of British and Italian rule continued to be in conflict with the Somalis egalitarian way of life. Even the post-independence unification failed to work, and since then life in Somaliland has been characterized by a condition of constant and dual rebellion; one essentially against the alien concept of governance imposed on them, the other fundamentally opposed to the unification and demanding restoration of Somaliland's sovereignty.

When the North was fighting dictator Barre's regime in the entire eighties, people in the South remained allied to Barre or at best stayed indifferent to the mass-killings that were taking place up here. However it can be said that by taking the brunt of the armed resistance against Barre's repression and eventually having brought down the unwanted Somali State in 1991, the people of Somaliland have done other Somalis as well as the international community a big favour, unless ridding a country of a brutal dictatorship is a crime. Unfortunately, neither our southern brethrens nor the world have so far shown any signs of gratitude or even acknowledgment with regard to the great sacrifices that Somalilanders alone had to pay so that all Somalis whether in the North or South can be able to exercise their universal right to self-determination.

To be fair, communities in the South have in fact been trying, at least during the last few years, to follow the example of Somaliland in finding their own solutions to their own problems including the questions of peacemaking, reconciliation and establishment of appropriate systems for running communal affairs (self-government). But a holy alliance between power-hungry southern politicians and foreign powers always saw that any genuine Somali effort for arriving at a durable settlement of all outstanding issues was certain to endanger their interests. Thus the endless series of foreign interventions made during the last 9 years in the name of saving Somalis from themselves.

Now it seems though as if both political mercenaries from Somalia, the United Nations and a number of countries have not yet learned lessons drawn from past experiences with regard to Somali affairs. For since August this year, we have been repeatedly hearing self-congratulatory statements by the UN secretariat and certain governments like those of Sudan, Djibouti and Italy that "Somalia has finally a central government in place".

Actually what arrogant UN autocrats in New York couldn't achieve through UNOSOM I & II, they want now to realise through the Arta faction, headed by Qassim and Galaydh, two ex-ministers who while working under dictator Barre had accumulated a lot of government money. Career-conscious senior UN officials are of course desperate to restore some respectability to the UN peace keeping and enforcing missions especially after their historic humiliation in the former Somalia, years back. For that to be done they have to succeed in Mogadishu by installing a nominal government, even if it were composed of thugs and suspected war criminals.

The international community will be wrong to believe that Qasim's factional and centeralist government is the kind of government that would appeal to the people of ex-Italian Somalia. Past history shows that you cannot reinvent a state that has collapsed along the same old patterns.

We believe that the structures of hierarchy and dominations that were rejected by the Somali Communities for long should not be imposed again on the peoples of Somalia and Somaliland. The Somalis should be allowed to experiment an evolution of their own system of governance. By nurturing their natural instincts and beliefs, the Somalis can find a real way out towards achieving their aspirations. In this respect, we believe that Somaliland provides a unique opportunity (example) for other Somalis to follow. Somaliland was not established by Egal or group of people but only through the sacrifices and dedication of the Somaliland people over a long period of time. The Somaliland experiment shouldn't arouse the suspicion of the UN and the Italian government.

Other Somalis should rather be encouraged to learn from it. Because it offers a range of choices that other Somalis can understand and select from for utilization in the settlement of their own problems outside the domain of the UN and foreign governments.

The findings of Illing are expected to be incorporated in a report to be raised by the EC to the next European Summit to be held 13th of this month. According to a Somaliland government source, President Egal has reaffirmed to the EU delegation that there has been no change in the position of Somaliland with regard to the issue of independence. "Somaliland's proclamation of the restoration of its sovereignty in 1991 remains valid" President was quoted as saying, according to a press release by the Presidency.

"We do not want to be dragged into the problem of Somalia. The objective of our 1960 Union was not confined to getting united with Mogadishu only. It was meant to be the first step towards the unification of greater Somalia, a dream which no longer lives". Egal also reiterated that his government would have no objection to sitting and talking with Somalia provided the latter comes up with a unified entity to negotiate with. The Somaliland President however added that even a prospect for such a possibility is slim because of the current situation in Somalia.

Egal went further to say during the talks with the EU delegation that whenever the possibility of holding talks with Somalia in the future is mentioned, it is sure to incite accusations that he was a unionist seeking reunification of Somaliland with Somalia "On the other side, the people of Mogadishu self-righteously claim that they are the only Somali nationalists around and that everybody else is bound to come under them".

The Somaliland President concluded by saying that as long as they [Mogadishu] hold such a believe it will be impossible to have talks. Illing, Walid Musa, political advisor for the EC, Ioaschim Knoth, EU Nairobi and Edward Jones jr., head of UN focal point in Somaliland were guests of honour at a dinner reception held in the Presidential Palace last evening. Only the government owned media was allowed to cover the event.

Earlier in the evening the delegation returned to Hargeisa from a trip to Berbera. The EU funds the reconstruction of damaged bridges on the asphalted road connecting the main urban and rural centres in Somaliland. The bridges were destroyed during Somaliland's war of resistance against Siyad Barre's military government in the eighties. Implementation of the Dilla-Hargeisa-Berbera-portion of the road project started in earnest on last year. It is the most ambitious infrastructure reconstruction effort ever attempted in post-war Somaliland.

The SCPP employee, a lawyer by profession, however denied of any wrong doing. He said he came to know about the government's decision to send him out of the country after reading the government newspaper Mandeeq (Tuesday issue) which carried a news item on the deportation order that has been attributed to the minister of Interior. Tahlil also denied being given warnings before the decision to declare him a persona-non-grata was taken.

In an interview with Jamhuriya Tahlil said it was painful for him to be deported from Hargeisa where he lived for many years with his family Tahlil was forcibly evicted from Hargeisa in 1984 by General Mohamed Hashi Gani, the former military ruler of the northern regions at the time and who is also wanted for war crimes in Somaliland. Tahlil's deportation in 1984 came after he has been accused of sympathizing with the SNM which launched an all and out military offensive against government positions at that year in three main areas in Somaliland. "It is distressful to see this happening to me again" Tahlil said.

Tahlil is married to a Somalilander and has been with his children in Hargeisa. In the meantime, The Republican has learned that the Government has suspected Tahlil of giving legal counselling to three Somaliland young men who sued the French company Total Red Sea for health damages they had sustained during their painting of Berbera oil depots. President Egal contracted all Berbera Petroleum storage facilities to Total Red Sea in 1998. Upon signing the agreement, the President received a bonus of close to USD 200,000 (two hundred thousands) from Total. The Somaliland House of Representatives rejected the Total agreement in a majority vote this year. A Somaliland court awarded $500,000 (five hundred thousand) in damages to the three local employees. One of them happens to be Tahlil's half brother (through mother).

President Egal two weeks ago submitted a bill in the House calling for the establishment of a select committee from the House of Elders to review Somaliland courts decisions. The motion was defeated in the House of Representatives. Moreover, Tahlil was resented by Somaliland's minister of Justice Aafi who thought that the SCPP officer was unwarrantedly dealing directly with the Judiciary department at the expense of the ministry. The SCPP assists Somaliland's courts and custodial corpses.

When the North was fighting dictator Barre's regime in the entire eighties, people in the South remained allied to Barre or at best stayed indifferent to the mass-killings that were taking place up here. However it can be said that by taking the brunt of the armed resistance against Barre's repression and eventually having brought down the unwanted Somali State in 1991, the people of Somaliland have done other Somalis as well as the international community a big favour, unless ridding a country of a brutal dictatorship is a crime. Unfortunately, neither our southern brethrens nor the world have so far shown any signs of gratitude or even acknowledgment with regard to the great sacrifices that Somalilanders alone had to pay so that all Somalis whether in the North or South can be able to exercise their universal right to self-determination.

To be fair, communities in the South have in fact been trying, at least during the last few years, to follow the example of Somaliland in finding their own solutions to their own problems including the questions of peacemaking, reconciliation and establishment of appropriate systems for running communal affairs (self-government). But a holy alliance between power-hungry southern politicians and foreign powers always saw that any genuine Somali effort for arriving at a durable settlement of all outstanding issues was certain to endanger their interests. Thus the endless series of foreign interventions made during the last 9 years in the name of saving Somalis from themselves.

Now it seems though as if both political mercenaries from Somalia, the United Nations and a number of countries have not yet learned lessons drawn from past experiences with regard to Somali affairs. For since August this year, we have been repeatedly hearing self-congratulatory statements by the UN secretariat and certain governments like those of Sudan, Djibouti and Italy that "Somalia has finally a central government in place".

Actually what arrogant UN autocrats in New York couldn't achieve through UNOSOM I & II, they want now to realise through the Arta faction, headed by Qassim and Galaydh, two ex-ministers who while working under dictator Barre had accumulated a lot of government money. Career-conscious senior UN officials are of course desperate to restore some respectability to the UN peace keeping and enforcing missions especially after their historic humiliation in the former Somalia, years back. For that to be done they have to succeed in Mogadishu by installing a nominal government, even if it were composed of thugs and suspected war criminals.

The international community will be wrong to believe that Qasim's factional and centeralist government is the kind of government that would appeal to the people of ex-Italian Somalia. Past history shows that you cannot reinvent a state that has collapsed along the same old patterns.

We believe that the structures of hierarchy and dominations that were rejected by the Somali Communities for long should not be imposed again on the peoples of Somalia and Somaliland. The Somalis should be allowed to experiment an evolution of their own system of governance. By nurturing their natural instincts and beliefs, the Somalis can find a real way out towards achieving their aspirations. In this respect, we believe that Somaliland provides a unique opportunity (example) for other Somalis to follow. Somaliland was not established by Egal or group of people but only through the sacrifices and dedication of the Somaliland people over a long period of time. The Somaliland experiment shouldn't arouse the suspicion of the UN and the Italian government.

Other Somalis should rather be encouraged to learn from it. Because it offers a range of choices that other Somalis can understand and select from for utilization in the settlement of their own problems outside the domain of the UN and foreign governments.

The president of the Somaliland republic, Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal, this evening hosted a banquet for an EU delegation led by Sigurd Illing, the EU director of development for the eastern Africa region. The delegation arrived in the country yesterday afternoon.

Illing said the purpose of their visit to Somaliland was to assess political developments after the Arta [in Djibouti] conference. For his part the president told the EU delegation that the dream of the greater Somalia was dead and the independence of Somaliland was inviolable. He said the stand was in line with the wishes and aspirations of Somaliland people...

The delegation earlier today visited Berbera town to inspect EU- funded projects. It leaves the country tomorrow.

Credit: Radio Hargeysa, Voice of the Republic of Somaliland, in Somali 1845 1 Dec 00

The president of the self-declared state of Somaliland, Muhammad Ibrahim Egal, is expected to leave for Addis Ababa in the coming days after receiving another invitation to visit Ethiopia.

Egal was in Ethiopia recently and held talks with the Ethiopian prime minister, Meles Zenawi.

Egal is expected is to conclude various agreements with Ethiopia on trade and security issues.

The Ethiopian government is keen to use the port of Berbera and will soon send a team of road engineers to rehabilitate the roads linking Somaliland and Ethiopia.

Credit: Ayaamaha , Mogadishu, in Somali 29 Nov 00 p 2

Somaliland's minister of internal affairs, Ahmad Shambir Sultan, has issued a written statement regarding the expulsion of a Somali national, Tahlil Haji Ahmad, who was a legal consultant for the UNDP [United Nations Development Programme] on civil protection.

Honourable Shambir, who spoke to ` Mandeeq last night, said the expulsion of the Somali national was in accordance with circular number 33/B11/2000 dated 4th November in which the president of Somaliland had spelt out the rights and obligations of Somali nationals living in Somaliland.

The circular said Somali nationals in Somaliland could carry out their routine business activities but they had no rights to interfere in the internal affairs of the country.

The internal affairs minister said the expulsion was executed when it was confirmed that Tahlil was involved in issues that were against Somaliland politics. Tahlil had no right to interfere in such activities since he was not a citizen of Somaliland.

The minister further warned other Somali nationals in Somaliland against engaging themselves in the political activities of Somaliland and anyone found interfering in the internal affairs of Somaliland would be firmly dealt with.

When asked when the UN official would be officially kicked out of the country he said: The official was previously warned several times to stop interfering in the internal affairs of Somaliland and he refused to heed the warning so he will be repatriated to Somalia today.

Credit: ` Mandeeq , Hargeysa, in Somali 28 Nov 00 p 1

Hargeisa -- A three-day workshop on the physical, psychological and social effects of Pharonic circumcision on girls was opened Thursday at Nursing Training School. Over 40 people representing various non-governmental organizations in Somaliland were taking part in the workshop. Participants also included women who perform the rites of circumcision on females. The workshop has been organized by a women organization with the name of Dulmar that comes under the NAGAAD women umbrella organization.

Garowe -- The regional State of Puntland closed last week two local newspapers. The decision to ban the two publications -Riyaaq and Nugaal Times were reached by Puntland Minister of Religion Mohamed H. Adam. There was no further information as to the cause of the closure of the two newspapers. In the meantime the Puntland administration declared last week a state of emergency in the region.

Mogadishu -- Sudi Yalahow, the strongest faction leader in Mogadishu has been under pressure during the last few weeks to give up his enclave at Karan in northern Mogadishu. Sudi Yalahow who is an Abgal also controls the Medina section of Southern Mogadishu. Militiamen loyal to Abdi Qassim Salad were reported last week preparing themselves to take over positions under the control of Sudi Yalahow in north of the town. Yalahow vowed to fight off any attempts to bring Abdi Qassim's militia to areas under his control.

Hargeisa -- Somaliland House of Representatives Thursday turned down 26 against 4 with 16 abstaining a controversial bill submitted by President Egal. If passed, the bill would have empowered a committee consisting of selected members of the House of Elders to review decisions taken by the country's courts. President Egal complained last week that Somaliland courts reached a stage where they cannot be entrusted with properly fulfilling their Judiciary role. The President has apparently become furious with a Supreme Court decision granting compensation to three Somali workers who were employed by TOTAL Red Sea.

President Egal signed in 1998 an agreement with Total Red Sea where by the latter was granted sweeping oil storage and distribution concessions in Somaliland. A number of Somali workers were believed to have sustained physical injuries after coming into contact with hazardous chemicals while cleaning Berbera oil storage depots. The local workers sued Total Red Sea. President Egal has however decreed that a Supreme Court compensation ruling in favor of the workers was illegal.

He disqualified the court action. However under the Somaliland constitution, the President has no authority to compromise the independence of the Judiciary branch.

Hargeisa -- President Egal is expected to declare his political organization, reliable sources said last week. The sources added that Ahmed Sillanyo who recently resigned from Egal's cabinet where he held the post of planning, is also expected to proclaim his own political party in the coming few weeks. In a probably related move, the SNM also announced last Wednesday a reshuffle within its leadership apparatus.

Mogadishu -- According to a news broadcast by Radio Banadir, security in Mogadishu has recently witnessed a considerable deterioration. Acts of kidnapping, looting and killing have increased. On Monday a man was killed near Hussein Eideed headquarters. The man, a relative of Abdi Wali Jama, minister of commerce in the Qassim government, was trying to negotiate release of a car looted by the Eideed militiamen.

The car belonged to the Minister. Ten days ago the agent of Dallo Airlines in Mogadishu escaped an assassination attempt. Later in the week it was confirmed that Ayr militiamen in control of Balidoogle airport were behind the attempt. The Ayr militiamen support Abdi Qassim Salad.

Hargeisa -- An American organization named NCMI provided last week various types of assistance to Hargeisa Children's Home. The aid consisted of computers clothes and children games. The Americans also paid for the rehabilitation of some building structures in the compound of Hargeisa Children's Home. During their stay in Hargeisa, members of the NCMI team also provided training on irrigation to some of the local staff of HCH.

"There is no market at all now," said one of Warder's biggest livestock traders, Zeinab Sheikh Muhammad Khalif. "All the livestock we bought for export we are now holding, and we have nowhere to sell."

Zeinab sits in a desolate mood in a tea shop and talks prices. Like most livestock traders in the Ogaden, she buys and sells for export. Before the ban she was selling goats, sheep, camel and cattle up to two or three times a month through the Somali ports of Berbera and Bosasso.

"Sometimes we sell 500-1,000 heads a month, sometimes more... I sell them to Somalia and also exchange them for food stuffs, like sugar, rice and flour," she told IRIN. On top of the losses incurred in buying the livestock, Zeinab is also loosing money fast on paying people to look after the herds and buying water to keep the animals alive.

The internal market is insignificant compared to the export one. Even the type of livestock differs according to which market they are meant for. Smaller, cheaper goats and sheep known as "dubaax" are bought and slaughtered on a tiny scale.

"There is nothing else I can do for now... There is really not much trade and business going on in Warder. The ban has affected everyone, from the one with one bag of rice up to those with more than 50 goats and sheep," Zeinab laments.

The ban was imposed first by Saudi Arabia - the main export market for animals from the Ogaden - and was taken up by all the Gulf States. Its impact here has been significant in the Ogaden, which is struggling to recover from the effects of a three year drought. Livestock is the backbone of the pastoralist economy, in a region closely tied to Somalia. The livestock kept in the Ogaden constitutes one of the largest herds in Africa, Mark Bidder from the UN Ethiopia Emergency Unit told IRIN.

Deputy governor of the Ogaden town of Kebre Dehar, Muhaamad Hirsi Farah, told IRIN that with the ban following hard on the heels of a major food crisis this year "recovery looks impossible". During March and April "people died on the streets... and the livestock lay down and died on the land." Many moved to urban centres, particularly Gode, the capital of the Ogaden, and survived on aid. "Those who have a few animals left can put them out to pasture now, but many have lost everything... those who do have herds left can't sell them," said the deputy governor. Kebre Dehar livestock trader Muhammad Hasan Hargen told IRIN he had little to do these days, as he had lost most of his livestock earlier in the year: "Before the famine I had about 60 camels, 50 head of cattle and about 220 sheep and goats. Now I have only 20 camels, three cows and about 50 sheep and goats." He said he used to take the animals across the border and trade in neighbouring Hargeisa, capital of the self-declared state of Somaliland, northwest Somalia, and Burao. So intimately linked are the economies of the Ethiopian Somali Region and Somalia, that the traders use the Somali shilling in preference to the Ethiopian Birr. "Now I hear on the radio there is a ban on our livestock because of Rift Valley fever... the Arabs have stopped the entire trade," Muhammad Hasan Hargen lamented.

In Warder, Zeinab says it is the responsibility of the regional and central government in Ethiopia to get the ban lifted. A testing system is necessary to establish that the animals for export are not infected, she insists. The livestock ban is as big a crisis as the drought, she says. "The drought is an act of God, and you can only pray for God to bring rain....but the ban is an act of man, and that is worse because it destroys your livelihood but no help comes".

Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2000

The vice-chairman of the Somaliland Chamber of Commerce, Ali Shaykh Husayn Fure, has informed us that a Somaliland delegation, led by chairman of Somaliland Chamber of Commerce Abdirahman Farah Sugal, arrived in Dubai, UAE, on Friday [24th November]. The delegation had been in Iran for the last two weeks on an official working tour.

Fure further informed us that the purpose of the delegation's visit was to discuss with the Iranian officials how Iran could import livestock from Somaliland. Iran is one of the countries' which have shown an interest in importing Somaliland livestock and so invited members of Somaliland Chamber of Commerce for further discussions.

The Somaliland Chamber of Commerce has been making concerted efforts to find various markets that will import livestock.

Livestock is the backbone of Somaliland's economy and the government is exerting efforts to achieve a major breakthrough in the various livestock importing countries in the Gulf, as well as other world markets. The new livestock industry promotion efforts in Somaliland is aimed at adopting new strategies in the sector to ensure that when similar incidents like the recent Saudi embargo on Somaliland livestock are repeat the country will not suffer problems of similar magnitude.

In the past, Saudi Arabia was the only major Somaliland livestock importer and this caused serious economic crises on a number of occasions when the Saudi government slapped a ban on Somaliland livestock.

The vice-chairman also informed us that he had contacted the delegation by telephone after it arrived in Dubai and it was very optimistic about its visit to Iran, although it declined to give further details...P1 Credit: ` Mandeeq , Hargeysa, in Somali 27 Nov 00

Hargeisa -- Berbera water agency paid back $100,000 which was part of $130,000 loan the agency used for equipment and water installation services for the city of Berbera. The spokesman for the agency highlighted the agency's decreased revenues after the ban of exports of sheep to the gulf and how the agency overcame without cutting back on services.

Hargeisa -- Berbera port shipping activities increased the last few weeks due to a higher number of ships and dhows waiting to be unloaded. Spokesman for the port authority reported the increased activities and the need for the port staff to work over-time hours including Friday's which normally the port was closed.

Hargeisa -- The first phase of a water project for Xiis district funded jointly by the local community and UNICEF (Somaliland) has been inaugurated in the city of Xiis. The local community appointed a committee of five local elders to oversee and manage the project. A representative from UNICEF (Somaliland) participated in the inauguration ceremony and will stay over to help the local committee with the project.

President Egal signed in 1998 an agreement with Total Red Sea where by the latter was granted sweeping oil storage and distribution concessions in Somaliland. A number of Somali workers were believed to have sustained physical injuries after coming into contact with hazardous chemicals while cleaning Berbera oil storage depots. The local workers sued Total Red Sea. President Egal has however decreed that a Supreme Court compensation ruling in favor of the workers was illegal. He disqualified the court action. However under the Somaliland constitution, the President has no authority to compromise the independence of the Judiciary branch.

WHO continues to carry out cholera control coordination activities through the regional cholera task force. It has provided laboratory support and cholera supplies as well as chlorination activities. A national plan is being developed and WHO is assessing training needs for case management.

(c) WHO/OMS, 2000

Protests against the arrest of Sultan Mohamed Abdulkadir saw two people killed and more than 60 people arrested, according to media reports. Those arrested during the protests, including 29 women and 22 men, were also pardoned and released, the BBC reported. In September, the Egal administration arrested and sentenced Garaad Abshir Salah of the Dhulbante clan, from Sool region (contested by Somaliland and Puntland), to seven years in prison for his participation in the Djibouti conference. After protests and public pressure, Garad was released.

Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2000

Somaliland police yesterday arrested and detained nine Ethiopians and impounded 18 kg of hashish. Hargeysa police discovered the hashish during a check routinely conducted on all vehicles leaving Hargeysa for Berbera [eastern Somaliland port town] at a check point in Hargeysa.

During their interrogation, the nine drug traffickers confessed and disclosed they intended to export the hashish to a third country which they did not name.

A spokesman for the Somaliland presidency, Abdi Idris Du'ale, said the drug traffickers will soon be brought before a court.

Credit: `Qaran' web site, Mogadishu, in Somali 21 Nov 00

Somaliland President Muhammad Ibrahim Egal on Sunday granted amnesties for 51 prisoners and anyone from Somaliland who participated in the Somali reconciliation conference in Arta, Djibouti.

Egal ordered the immediate release of individuals detained for participating in the Arta conference.

"The decree also covers Somaliland nationals serving in the so- called Somali government and its parliament, provided that they renounce their positions," the radio said.

In a second decree, Egal amnestied 51 prisoners who were jailed for one year each last Monday. They had been found guilty of taking part in an anti-government demonstration.

Credit: Radio Hargeysa, Voice of the Republic of Somaliland, in Somali 19 Nov 00

The minister of national planning, Ahmad Muhammad Mahmud (Silanyo), has resigned.

The minister tendered his resignation to President [Muhammad Ibrahim] Egal on Wednesday [15th November]. He told this paper that he had resigned with effect from Wednesday but President Egal has remained mum over the matter. It is not yet clear whether the president has accepted the resignation.

Silanyo said he resigned for personal reasons and dispelled speculation he resigned because he had fallen out with the president.

Credit: ` Jamhuuriya , Hargeysa, in Somali 17 Nov 00 p 1

The Danish Demining Group, DDG, has began detonating bombs littering areas around Hargeysa airport, which had been the base of the airforce of the toppled Barre regime. The Danish agency has detonated 18 240mm aircraft rocket bombs since the exercise began on 13th November.

Credit: ` Jamhuuriya , Hargeysa, in Somali 17 Nov 00 p 1

Egal announced his country's willingness to discuss unity with southern Somalia.

In a statement to 'Al-Hayat' in Addis Ababa, from where he left yesterday for Hargeysa, "Somaliland's capital", Egal said: "Gelleh is trying to emerge as a champion of a solution to the Somali problem; whereas, in fact, he contributes to complicating it. On the other hand, we say the Somali question can only be solved by Somalis. Some members of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development [IGAD], which will hold its summit in Khartoum in two weeks, may try to impose Somali President Abdiqasim Salad Hasan on the Somali people and the world community by force," in reference to Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea.

Egal said he personally does not have any problem with Salad. However, he said he objected to the method of Somali elections held in Arta, "Djibouti", and led to the election of Salad as president.

He said: "We are ready to hold talks with our brothers in the south after they put their own house in order. We are even ready to discuss Somali unity with them. I am 70 years old and I do not dream of power. I want to rest. I would personally initiate unity when the situation in Somalia becomes stable. This is what we wish and would seek to fulfil as soon as possible."

Egal pointed out he was trying to find a unified formula that would help coordinate efforts to find a peaceful and final solution to the Somali crisis. He said it is important to coordinate a mutual vision with those concerned with the Somalia file to spare the Somali people disintegration and repeated civil wars, in clear reference to Ethiopia.

Egal said: "The world community thinks the Somali people are obliged to accept anyone appointed as a legitimate president of Somalia in order to stop the civil war among the feuding factions. This is illogical, however. The Somali people fully realize that a solution can only be achieved by an agreement among the Somalis themselves free from foreign ambitions, which were the reason behind the destruction of united Somalia."

Egal described his talks with Ethiopian officials as positive and better than any time in the past. He said Ethiopia-"Somaliland" relations are "distinguished and the two countries share mutual interests". Egal cited some of the agreements he reached with the Ethiopian side in the economic and trade fields with the aim of bolstering these relations.

Source: 'Al-Hayat', London, in Arabic 12 Nov 00 p 5

The third round polio immunization exercise was concluded in Somaliland this afternoon. During the three-day countrywide exercise, children under five years were immunized against the crippling disease.

Ministries of health, information, local government and UNICEF participated in the exercise, aimed at kicking polio out of Somaliland.

Credit: Radio Hargeysa, Voice of t