Somaliland: UAE Enhances Multi-sectored Cooperation "The Emiratis are considering our request for direct bi-lateral Economic and Political cooperation" Dr Omar HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – Anticipations are high that The United Arab Emirates-UAE Government will start direct support to the central authorities in Hargeisa soon. A Government delegation on an official visit to the UAE has requested the UAE authorities to enhance cooperation by initiating funding to Somaliland as similarly accorded other independent countries supported by the oil rich Gulf state. The Somaliland delegation currently in Dubai and led by the foreign minister Dr Mohamed Abdilahi Omar includes minister of the presidency Hon Hirsi Haji Ali and the Managing director of Berbera port Eng. Ali Omar Mohamed. Energy Minister Eng Husein Abdi Duale who had joined the delegation briefly following conclusion of the 4th Gulf Intelligence UAE Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi where he delivered a key note speech has returned to the country. In the course of the diplomatic visit meant to deepen Somaliland's long-standing economic and security partnership with the United Arab Emirates and subsequent meetings with Dubai based authorities a number of agreements have already been concurred upon. A parley with the state minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Mohamed Gargash and Deputy foreign minister Hon Faris Al Mazrouei the two sides deliberated on opportunities for Emirati investment in Somaliland, development cooperation and the talks between Somalia and Somaliland. The Emirati's who concurred to requests for facilitating assistance to Somaliland government to government as done to other countries receiving similar aid also acquiesced to smooth the progress of talks between the Hargeisa and Mogadishu based governments. In the past The UAE and Somaliland have devFrom left to right Eng Huseein Hon Hirsi Dr Abdilahi and Dr Gargasheloped close cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, the fight against piracy and regional affairs. In June 2012, the UAE government showed its commitment to peace and stability in the Horn of Africa by bringing together the presidents of Somaliland and Somalia to ratify a framework for bilateral dialogue meant to clarify future relations between the two countries. The Somaliland foreign minister who informed that subsequent talks with a number of Emirati investors have ensued with consensus for further exploration of opportunities in various sectors in Somaliland also revealed that arrangements with the Dubai Ports World-DPW for development of Berbera port are almost complete. If the Berbera port development deal which has been on the table for some months finally comes to harvest, The DPW will assume operational management of the Berbera port in return for infrastructural and Human resource development and 35% of profits.

This weekend saw the full scale escalation of a Twitter war between Omar Hammami (or at least the Twitter account associated with him) and most of the Muslim world. Here’s a quick recap of events. http://selectedwisdom.com/?p=917

UAE(Somaliland.Org)- Wasiirka Macdanta iyo Biyaha Somaliland Md. Xuseen Cabdi Ducaale, ayaa ka qeyb galay shir lagaga hadlayay tamarta shiidaalka oo lagu qabtay dalka Imaaraadka carabta oo Somaliland si ramsi ah loogu soo casuumay. Shirkan oo ay ka qeyb galeen Wasiirro ka socday qaar ka mid ah dalalka Bariga Afrika iyo Geeska Afrika, waxa Wasiirka Macdanta iyo Biyaha Somaliland Md. Xuseen Cabdi Ducaale ka jeediyay khudbad dheer oo uu kaga waramayo himilada Somaliland ee la xidhiidha in la soo saaro khayraadka dalka ee ay macdanta iyo baasiinku ka mid yihiin. Wasiirku waxa uu Wasiirka Tamarta ee dalka Imaaraadka carabta uga mahad celiyay marti-qaadka uu Somaliland ku soo casuumay shirkan oo uu xusay inuu ahmiyad u leeyahay horumarinta waddammada afrika iyo adduunkaba. Wasiirku waxa uu sheegay in sidii Somaliland ula soo bixi lahayd shiidaalka iyo macdantu ay u baahan tahay malaayiin dollar in lagu kharash gareeyo.

By: Yusuf M Hasan HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The 2013 national budget is now pending approval from the Guurti before implementation. The house of representatives has approved the 2013 annual national budget in its entirety as presented by the minister of Finance Mr. Abdiaziz Samale mid this week. In a sitting chaired by the speaker of parliament's second chamber Hon Abdirahman Mohamed Abdilahi 'Irro' the members present unanimously approved the $185,714,033.budget without effecting any changes. During the vote for the budget and out of a quorum of 44 members the 2013 annual budget received approval from 35 members and disapproval from 6 while 2 abstained and the chair did not vote. The budget which had to pass muster at the council of ministers before it was forwarded to the House of Representatives is now to be presented to Guurti, the upper chamber of parliament for final approval or rejection. The 2013 budget which is the heftiest since the country reclaimed sovereignty 21 years ago has allocations for novel items included like the cost of security services ranks, health sector, roads and pepping up of the foreign policy. On presenting the 2013 budget to the House of Representatives the finance minister justified the figures and allocations as: • The $125,000,000 allocated central government is targeted towards development of various sectors i.e. Livestock, Fisheries, Agriculture, Roads, Airports, Coast guards and fire fighting equipment, Army Rankings, registration of citizens and issuance of identity cards as well as the production of an E-passport. • Central Government $125,000,000 • The budget has an emphasis on strengthening national security at all levels of administration as well as creation of employment opportunities with a targeted recruitment of 1,500 civil servants. • Doubling of funds allocated to the three national parties as a means of enhancing the country's democratization process. • The 2013 budget has an increase of 17% over the previous budget of 2012 and 150% more than that of the previous governments

Somaliland: Ministers approve 2013 annual budget HARGEISA - Central coffers are set to see an increase of 15% in allocated expenditure following the 2013 budget approval by the council of ministers. The council approved budget stands at 839,369,240,470 Somaliland shillings equivalent to about $125,000,000. This will be the second budget for the Silanyo administration and it is hoped that parliament will act expeditiously as it did last year when it approved the first Silanyo Budget on delivery. The budget is said to have already been submitted to parliament for necessary action while the 15% increase is attributed to enhanced tax collection and anti-graft policy of the Silanyo administration. The Silanyo war on corruption is exemplified by the establishment of the one year's old anti-corruption and good governance commission which has been actively involved in ensuring that things are done as they should. Other measures include the arrest and subsequent prosecution of a number of senior operatives, recruitment of young graduates from local universities, 100% salary increase for civil servants and the retraining of ministry of finance personel after examination by the civil service commission.

Although the polling stations become more rural, farther and farther apart, we notice the same patterns repeatedly. One of the first things we realize is that the supposedly ‘indelible’ ink, the primary bulwark against multiple voting, is hardly indelible at all. In some cases, the ink is simply insufficiently applied. In the afternoon, it is clear that many people, particularly men, are reluctant to have their fingers inked. Some men attempt to wriggle away from a ‘full dip,’ in which case the scrutineer must be extra-assertive in grabbing the voter’s wrist and jamming the finger into the ink container. But when the scrutineer is a woman, which was often the case, this task is more difficult. It was common to watch voters pull a rag from their pocket immediately after having their fingers inked in order to quickly wipe the ink away before it set. Outside the stations, another phenomenon is observed: typically on the side or behind the polling station, an informal ‘de-inking’ station is set up where voters can use bleach or other substances to try and remove the ink, or otherwise apply some kind of oil prior to voting in order to prevent the ink from sticking. Unfortunately, the voting stations we visited had no way to deal with this ambitious behavior, and therefore a great deal of responsibility fell on the scrutineers to both wipe fingers before applying ink, and to be vigorous in its application. Where scrutineers were typically the least trained members of the polling station staff, this process was not always effective. From my impression of the November 2012 elections, multiple voting did not necessarily violate the integrity of the process in a way that would call into question the democratic nature of the outcome. Although the tenet of one-person one-vote seems a basic principle of the electoral process, the most important observation we made is that the phenomenon of multiple voting appeared to have a completely different meaning and significance in the Somaliland context. This is apparent in two ways: first, from the perspective of voters, who seemed not to be fully aware that voting more than once was in any way a bad thing. At one point in the days following the election, I was engaged in a brief conversation with a Somali man who, after learning my nationality, asked me if I voted for Barack Obama (who is naturally quite popular across Africa). After I answered in the affirmative, the man asked with total seriousness, “how many times?” When I told him “just once,” he enthusiastically proclaimed that he had been able to vote five times for his candidate of choice! In fact, I had similar exchanges with a number of voters after asking them if they had voted, and all proudly and unabashedly indicated the number of times they had voted – usually more than once. In this sense, multiple voting can be viewed practically as an outgrowth of enthusiasm for the democratic process: this is indeed a positive takeaway from a phenomenon that might otherwise be viewed as fundamentally undemocratic. The second important consideration is that multiple voting, widespread as it was, did not appear – at least in any obvious way – to be dominated by one or a few parties. Rather, it seemed to be widely distributed, ‘cheating’ indeed but, as one other international observer put it, ‘equal opportunity cheating.’ So although in these elections there were no doubt more votes cast than individuals who voted, it still seems highly likely that the outcome of the election represents the general will of the people, which is ultimately the most important goal of any democratic process. (Although it should be noted that the results are currently disputed by representatives of several parties that did not meet the threshold for becoming official parties; these groups claim that multiple voting was in fact orchestrated by the party currently in power [Kulmiye]. No international observers that I spoke to made this assertion, nor did any make note of one-party dominated multiple voting.) Moreover, we did not witness more blatant forms of cheating such as ballot stuffing (although one IEO did report a ballot box being seized by the police). In this sense, the primary testament to Somaliland’s democracy is that the population remains enthusiastic about the process. Although the process did break down in several ways – the not so indelible ink being the most important – the break down happened within the confines of a democratic system and, significantly, did not challenge this system in any fundamental way. While the process was imperfect, the outcome nevertheless represents further consolidation of a democratic norm. DUSTIN R. TURIN

Democracy Up Close In Somaliland: Reflections Of An International Election Observer In May 1991, Somaliland emerged as a self-declared independent state in the aftermath of the failure and subsequent collapse of Siyad Barre’s Somalia. Although ethnically and linguistically Somalilanders are undifferentiated from their counterparts in southern Somalia, the northwestern region of Somalia has achieved an important distinction: while Somalia remains fundamentally anarchic, with no substantial national government to speak of, Somaliland is conversely peaceful, democratic, and remarkably safe by comparison. The de facto state held successful national elections in 2003 (presidential), 2005 (parliamentary), and again in 2010 (presidential). International Election Observers (IEOs), along with Domestic Observers (DOs), participated in monitoring each of these processes, concluding that elections were substantially free and fair. Nevertheless, Somaliland remains internationally unrecognized and is considered under international law to be a province of non-functioning Somalia. On November 28, 2012, Somalilanders once again went to the polls to participate in district level elections. Representing seven political parties, nearly 2,400 candidates – including 140 women – contested 379 positions across the country. In addition to selecting district-level policymakers, the elections carried national significance: of the seven competing parties, the three that received the most votes became the only three political parties legally capable of contesting elections in Somaliland for the next decade. I participated as a member of the 50-person IEO team deployed in Somaliland to observe the polling process across the country. Observers from 17 countries were assembled in 25 two-person teams and, on election day, visited roughly 20% of Somaliland’s 1,700 polling places. The following is a personal account of my experience on election day, 28 November 2012, deployed around Salaxley, Somaliland. Salaxley looks, inevitably, like a thousand other small Somali towns. The wide dirt strip running through the center of town is merely a continuation of the wide dirt landscape in which the town is situated. There is no vegetation anywhere in sight, save for the low scrub bushes and the occasional Acacia tree. To me, the location of the town seems utterly random: why here? It may as well be situated at any other location in a twenty-mile radius as far as I can tell. But, surely some reason exists. I know little of life here, and to me simple survival in this harsh landscape overwhelms comprehension. The town is comprised of a collection of makeshift buildings and shelters, stretching for perhaps 300 or 400 meters alongside the road. There are several small shops, perhaps just three or four shelves selling a few items, dotted into faded mud-brick buildings. At least one dirt-floored ‘restaurant’ is constructed of sticks, metal sheeting, plastic, and other found materials. ‘Baasto’ is on the menu. But, we are not here to eat (though we will return for that purpose hours later). The first polling station of the day, No. 419, is located on the edge of town. Situated in a tiny crumbling building, two lines – one for men, one for women – are already forming outside. It’s 6:30am, and polls open in 30 minutes. My partner Nada and I loop our NEC credentials around our necks and don the bright red ‘international observer’ hats; hers goes over a headscarf gracefully encircling her face. As we step out of our vehicle, eyes are on us. But, the faces we see are excited and predominantly friendly. Our presence means that the world is watching Somaliland, even in the tiny town of Salaxley, seemingly a place removed from the hum of our increasingly connected world. Glancing around at the building, I notice a party flag flying next to the door. Xaqsoor’s (pronounced similarly to ‘hack-saw’) colors are yellow and white, but they should not be raised here. The campaign period is over; Somaliland election laws dictate that polling stations must be free of campaign materials on election day. But, perhaps nobody got the memo. The crowd outside the door parts for us, and the policeman at the door – military fatigues, black boots, blue beret, and a well-used automatic rifle over one shoulder – glances quickly at our cards before allowing us to enter. Inside, there is barely enough room to move. The polling station staff includes four people: a chairman, secretary, and two ‘scrutineers’ responsible for inspecting and applying the all-important ‘indelible’ ink, which will in theory serve as a sufficient replacement for a national voter registry. Ideally, the first scrutineer greets voters by inspecting the little finger of their left hand for ink. If no ink is found the voter steps in to the polling station chair and secretary, where one records by hand the voter’s name and approximate age in a record book containing a hand-written log of every ballot number. If the voter is under 16 years of age, judged according to appearance because few people have any kind of official identity document, a ballot is issued. If the voter appears too young, the chair and secretary can question the person to determine their age. In a dispute, someone from the community – perhaps an elder, or just a neighbor – can be consulted. Once the ballot is issued, a makeshift voting booth is located in the corner behind a white sheet, strung up with string to a nearby bench. The ballot box, a clear plastic bin sealed with plastic ties on the corners, is on the floor in the middle of the room, within sight of all. In theory, the process is sound, democratic, and transparent. In practice, the challenges of making this system work well in Somaliland – or, probably, any place facing the particular constellation of issues that Somaliland faces – are significant. Our experiences over the day will reveal as much. In addition to the polling station staff, agents for each party – Kulmiye, UCID, Rays, Waddani, Dalsan, Umadda, and Xaqsoor – are seated along the walls of the room, the goal of increased transparency clearly in mind. No one without official credentials, with the exception of voters, should be inside the polling station at any time. In particular, men with guns should remain outdoors. But that rule, too, we found lacking in practice. The drive from Salaxley to the next station is long, and it is now hot. The driver has asked around and identified what is supposed to be the next closest station. As we leave the town behind and head off into the bush, I am perplexed at how the driver can possibly know where we are going. Every direction appears as more of the same, and as the drive bumps along and the sun rises higher in the sky, all I can think is that my half empty water bottle will not last very long if the vehicle breaks down. My well-watered self would not last one afternoon in this bone-dry environment. I share this sentiment with Nada, which she finds quite funny: we agree that she would hands down out-survive me because of her Somali blood. Panoramic views fly by our windows, but the drive seems never-ending. It is only 8:30am, but we’ve been up since 3:30 and on the road since 4am. This will be a long day. Fortunately, Nada and I find much to talk and laugh about. We are, at the outset, very different people, raised in utterly different places, accustomed to divergent cultural practices, and holding dear wildly different ideas about faith. But what we quickly discover is that none of these impede our ability to connect, and indeed, we do. Talking passes the time and makes light of the fact that we’re completely disconnected from the rest of the world, hours from anything familiar.

By: Yusuf M Hasan SAYLA (Somalilandsun) – The administration is harmonizing its sources of revenue at the regional and district levels. The entire sources of public revenue in all the regions in the country is under scrutiny from the Anti-Corruption & Good Governance Commission-AC&GGC with a team from the body currently in Sayla, the capital of Salal region. According to our reporter Mohamed Awale Dahir an AC&GGC team led by its chair Commissioner Ahmed Muhumed Madar has for the last two days undertaken various activities in Sayla town pertinent to its mission of investigating good governance and anti-corruption mechanisms currently utilized by public institutions. Before embarking on activities in Sayla town the AC&GGC team held talks with the regional governor where the graft and governance watchdog briefed on the purpose of their inspection and target institutions. During the briefing meeting at the Salal governors office which was attended by mayors from various councils in the region, Regional Army, Police and Coast guard commanders as well as all government ministries coordinators in the region Commissioner Madar said "we are to examine how public institutors collect and manage public funds" The AC&GGC which is charged with ensuring good governance and Zero graft in public institutions conducts annual exercises of a similar nature though it has more teeth and muscle this year as opposed to the past following parliamentary approval and subsequent presidential signature of the law establishing and guiding the Commission. As per the director of Good Governance Mr. Mohamed Fozi Abdi revenue collection has increased by between 34 & 38% in the regions of Gabile, Awdal and Salal where the team has already finished examination. informing that the main focus of scrutiny is Revenue collection and its management within local governments, customs, and other public institutions in comparison to 12 months ago, Mr. Fozi said that there is a discernible improvement in the utilization of proper policies and procedures whose result is a reduction in embezzlement thus an increase in revenue accrued and forwarded central coffers at district, regional and national levels. "The huge progress in revenue collection is due to public institutions adapting good governance by pursuing proper policies and procedures and the next focus shall concentrate on closing all corrupt loopholes thence the overall goal of zero corruption with the public sector" Said Fozi The good governance director who also revealed that another AC&GGC team is currently undertaking similar activities in the Eastern regions said that the Western regions team led by Commissioner Madar has so far completed its mission in Arabsiyo, Gabile, Borame and now Sayla (Salal). http://somalilandsun.com/index.php/politics/government/1965-somaliland-state-consolidates-revenue-collection

By: Yusuf M Hasan HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) –The Election results dispute between the National Election Commission-NEC and Political parties is to be settled in Court. NEC has submit the local council election results for Hargeisa municipal to the High Court for arbitration after some parties remained adamant on the demand for a nationwide recount as opposed to the NEC proposal for a review of the 230,000 votes cast in the capital city Hargeisa. A NEC statement released late afternoon and signed by commissioner Isse Hamari revealed that the election body has gone on its decision to review the results for Hargeisa after failure to reach compromise with some parties. "The dispute is now solely the domain of the Hargeisa regional court since we have failed to reach agreement with some parties after two days of negotiations" Said Hamari. The meeting at NEC headquarters came a day after the election body announced its decision to recount the 230,000 votes cast in Hargeisa municipality elections in order to assuage the anger of supporters of some losing parties especially Haqsoor. During the meeting that was intent on establishing guidelines for the review, four political parties demanded a nationwide recount while the election body remained adamant on its decision to review the Hargeisa municipality tally only. According to Commissioner Hamari the election body was forced to repudiate its Hargeisa vote review decision and request the courts arbitration after a two days stalemate in discussions. The election results dispute reached its zenith last Thursday after NEC announced the vote tally for Hargeisa municipality thus violent demonstrations by supporters of Haqsoor which ensued with the death of three people and severe injuries to others among them police officers. The controversial decision to review the disputed Hargeisa election results was announced on Saturday Commissioner Isse Yusuf Mohamed 'Hamari' who informed that the review decision emanates from a desire to stop further bloodshed The NEC Statement read: Quote- the National Election Commission takes this opportunity to inform Somalilanders the local council elections of the 28th November 2012 we undertaken in compliance with the dictates of relevant laws. The legality of procedures of the one day exercise was witnessed by International election Observers from 17 countries and 800 local observers while each of the seven contesting parties had agents at each of the polling centres in corners of the country. Following disputes arising from preliminary election results released by NEC and subsequent failure to reach agreement with political parties on guidelines for and areas in which a vote recount shall be undertaken the national election commission has on this day 10/12/2012 decided to seek the courts arbitration. The Hargeisa municipality election results dispute and more specifically that of Faroweine district shall be resolved by the Marodi Jeeh regional court. To this effect NEC wishes to ask the seven political parties, their candidates and supporters as well as the general populace to seek redress through established legal channels thus deter from acts that might jeopardize the good image accrued by Somaliland international following positive reports by over 50 international election observers from 50 countries-Unquote At a function commemorating the world human rights day, earlier in the day the head of state H.E Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo had asked NEC to ensure that the it satisfied the citizenry through release of impartial election results.

Interview with the Minister of Mining, Energy & Water Resources, Eng Husein Abdi Duale By Adan H Iman Somalilandsun- On November 6, 2012, a team led by President Silanyo chairs a Genel energy company meetingTony Hayward, former chairman and CEO of the giant British Petroleum corporation, arrived in Hargeisa for talks with Somaliland government officials. Tony now heads the Anglo-Turkish firm, Genel Energy. Genel Energy and Ophir Energy, another oil company who holds an oil license in Somaliland, are expected to start oil exploration in Somaliland early next year. These companies are expected to spend tens of millions of dollars to explore for oil in the country. For two decades, Somaliland has been trying hard to attract international investment and political recognition without success. The imminent arrival of those international corporations is a vote of confidence for the country from these companies. Should oil exploration becomes successful, the presence of oil reserves will enable the country to leverage her new found resources towards international political recognition down the road. This is a breakthrough for the Administration of President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Silanyo. The point man in leading the effort to explore and exploit Somaliland’s natural resources is the Minister of Mining, Energy & Water Resources, Hussein Abdi Dualeh. I recently contacted the Minister by phone in order to elicit more information about this important development. Q: Mr. Minister can you please tell us more about those oil companies? A: We have not signed new exploration contracts with new companies. In order bring in additional capacity into the exploration effort, we facilitated and approved the farming in of international oil companies into the existing licenses. This brings in more financial and technical resources into the effort to speed up the exploration activity. Q: Are these companies large and what is their track record? A: With these farm-ins the companies that are operating in Somaliland are viable international oil exploration and production companies that have a good track record of finding oil and producing it and have sizable operations in Africa and the Middle East. Q: You said exploration will start early next year and it is possible we may see drilling for oil by 2014. Tell more about this. A: Oil exploration is a complex capital intensive process that goes through several stages. The first stage involves geological and aerial surveys. This takes several months. This is followed by seismic survey that is done on the ground, which can also take several months. Information gathered is integrated and interpreted to find possible drilling prospects. This process also takes months to complete. If the company’s assessment concludes there are prospective drillable prospects, they then move to the drilling phase. The moment of truth arrives when exploratory wells are drilled. At this stage, it is where one either strikes oil or ends up drilling drying holes. There is a difference in finding small quantities of oil or oil shows and the discovery of oil. The former has no commercial use while the discovery of oil means there are enough oil reserves that are sustainable enough for commercial utilization. Even if there is an oil discovery, developing the oil field and building the necessary infrastructure such as tank farms and pipelines will take some time to ship the oil to market. It is important to note that Somaliland has long coastline and the hinterland is close to the sea such that building an infrastructure to ship the oil will not be very expensive. So even if small oil fields are discovered, it can be commercially viable to develop and it can be piped to shore and shipped to international markets in relatively shorter period of time. Q: If oil is found, it will not only be an economic boom for the country but it will have implications in Somaliland’s international relations. A. That might be true. If the oil companies take major financial stakes and investment in Somaliland, they will want to protect their interest and may advocate for the country’s international standing. It is possible that the international legitimacy we have been aspiring may come through leveraging our natural resources. Let us all pray that our exploration efforts are successful and we find oil and mineral resources in Somaliland. There is a lot riding on this for the country. By the way, we have also signed minerals explorations licenses to find commercial reserves of hard minerals such as iron, coal and manganese. We are also hopeful in this area to be able to begin mining some of these minerals in Somaliland in the not too distant future. Q: There are a lot of problem regarding property rights in Somaliland. Do you think this will be addressed by the Administration? A: First we have to appreciate the positive aspects of what our people have achieved. They built a democratic, stable and peaceful country. This is a major achievement. Additionally, we need to respect the rule of law. Property rights and land use is one area where we need to improve on. The Administration of President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Silanyo is very interested to institute a major land reform to manage and develop the land in a sustainable and responsible way. Q: Last year you stated that if oil is discovered, Somaliland will follow the example of countries like Norway, which put their resources to a responsible use for the benefit of their citizens. In some African states the exploitation of oil resources results in political dictatorship, economic stagnation and environmental degradation. Are you confident Somaliland will, in the event of the discovery of hydrocarbons resources, effectively put those resources for the good benefit of her people? A. What I said was, Somaliland will aspire to manage its resources in a sustainable and responsible way and would like to emulate countries such as Norway which have done an excellent job of managing their hydrocarbon resources for the benefit of its people. Countries in Africa which have done a decent job in managing their petroleum resources that we would like to copy from include Ghana. Our goal is to have legal and institutional frameworks in place before the exploitation of any hydrocarbon resources begins in Somaliland. This is to avoid gross mismanagement of these resources if God blessed us with it as has been the case in several African countries. I guess we’ll find out if we have any in the coming few years. Somaliland has now basic institutional infrastructure to build on to insure that any natural resources that are exploited are put to good use for the benefit of the country and its people. We have a constitutional democracy and inclusive political system. We have a President who is elected by the people. We have a vibrant multiparty political system, a legislature that represents the people, civil society groups, civil liberties for the people and free independent media. These structures form a good foundation to establish strong regulatory and institutional framework to manage our resources in a sane and responsible way. Q: Since you yourself made a fateful decision to move back home in order utilize the knowledge and skills you assimilated during your long stay in the United States, what message do you have for the diaspora Somaliland communities all over the world? A: Before I talk about the diaspora, let me say few words about the local people. As we travel around the country now and observe the political campaigns underway to elect municipal councils, one can’t help but be filled with pride about how mature our democracy is and how peaceful the electoral competition between the political parties is. It was the local people who, after the defeat of Siad Barre regime and the collapse of the old oppressive repressive order, established a new independent nation from the bottom up by creating peace and harmony among the people, and building institutions of government and a democratic political system. As for the diaspora, they have an important role to play in supplementing the efforts of the local people. The knowledge and skills they acquired, the financial resources they have and the relationship they formed with the outside world will benefit our people tremendously. For those that are gainfully employed and cannot return just yet, they can invest in their homeland. For those that can retire from their careers abroad, they can return and volunteer their skills and talents and set up a business here. In order to develop, the country will need engineers, doctors, teachers, etc. Wealth is created by people. We have highly educated and skilled Somaliland professionals all over the globe. There was a brain drain when all this talent left the country. We are very hopeful, as our country begins to develop, that some of these skilled professionals will return home and our country will have a brain gain as a result. If you have the opportunity to do, there is nothing more gratifying than making a difference. Q. Mr. Minister, thank you much for sharing this information with the people and best wishes for you and your colleagues in your tireless efforts to move the country forward. A: It is my duty, and a great pleasure, to share information with the citizens of Somaliland. Genel Energy Ophir Energy

Muuse Biixi “Somaliland xuduudkeeda way soo xidhanaysaa” Burco (Weedhsan) Nov 21,2012 – Guddoomiyaha xisbiga tallada Somaliland haya ee Kulmiye Muuse Biixi Cabdi, ayaa fariin adag u diray Madaxwaynaha Somaliya Xasan Sheekh Maxamuud oo uu sheegay inuu maamuli kari la’yahay dalka loo doortay. Muuse Biixi oo maanta la hadlayay taageerayaasha Kulmiye ee Magaaladda Burco ayaa waxa uu sheegay in Somaliland xuduudkeeda xidhanayso, isaga oo sidoo kalena tilmaamay in doorashadani tahay waxa Somaliland ay ku gorgirtamayso beesha caalamka. Muuse Biixi oo ugu horeyn ka hadlaya doorashadda deegaanka ayaa yidhi “Doorashadu waa guul qaranimada Somaliland lagu dhisayo, qaranimada Somaliland-baa ku garnaqsanaysa oo caalamka ayaynu tusaynaa qaabka aynu u shaqeynayno ee dawladnimo” Guddoomiye Biixi, waxa kale oo uu soo qaaday “Ninka Xamar lagu doortay ee Kismaayo ka dhisi kari la’ maamul ee Gaalkacayo u kala qayb-san tahay, ma laga yaabaa inay leeyihiin Somaliland-baanu dawlad u nahay oo aanu matalaynaa, caalamka waxaanu u sheegaynaa waa gef aanaan qaadan Karin iyo gardaro, waxaanu leenahay waxaad tihiin naftooda Hafar markaad leedihiin Somaliland-baanu Wasiirro iyo xildhibaano ka qaadanay, naftiina run umaydaan sheegin”ayuu yidhi waxaanu intaa ku daray “Somaliland waan qaran, xuduudkeedii isticmaarku kaga tagayna way soo xidhanaysaa” Muuse Biixi, waxa uu tilmaamay in Somaliland tahay qaran Madax-banaan oo mudadii ay jirtay qabsatay waxyaabo badan oo muhiim ah, taasina ay tahay in beesha caalamku ku tixgaliso oo ay siiso ictiraafka ay xaqqa u leeyihiin.

Genel Energy Plc (GENL), the Iraq-focused oil company run by former BP Plc (BP/) Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward, increased its interests in fields in Kurdistan and Somaliland. Genel will take an extra 49 percent of Miran, leaving it with 100 percent of the field that holds 10.5 trillion cubic feet of gas, as repayment for a $294 million loan to Heritage Oil Plc (HOIL) issued in August, the company said in a statement in London. Separately, it said it will buy a stake in a Somaliland block. Hayward is bolstering production in Kurdistan as the region can now sell its fuel for export following an agreement on revenue with the central government in Baghdad. He’s also expanding outside of Kurdistan with a cash pile of about $1 billion to spend on acquisitions. The Odewayne Block covers block SL6 and part of blocks SL7 and SL10, onshore Somaliland. It comprises an area of 22,000 square kilometres enclosing a Jurassic/Cretaceous rift basin. An active petroleum system has been demonstrated by numerous oil seeps on the block confirming that the area is underpinned by a working hydrocarbon system, which is believed to be analogous to the nearby producing basins in Yemen. A recently commenced airborne gravity and magnetic survey will be used to design an extensive 2D seismic acquisition programme to be initiated in Q1 2013. The Transaction is conditional on the receipt of approval from the Government of Somaliland. Commenting on the transaction, Dr. John Hurst Chief Operating Officer of Africa for Genel, said: “We are delighted to have farmed in to the Odewayne Block, substantially increasing our acreage position in Somaliland. This block, together with our SL10/13B acreage, means we have built a strong position in an exciting frontier exploration area. Such frontier exploration opportunities, with a very realistic possibility of finding large volumes of hydrocarbons, are increasingly rare. We look forward to commencing our exploration programme which will lead to spudding of our first well by mid-2014.”

Daallo Batalale beach sheikh Guban

Hargeysa (Somaliland.Org)- Madaxweynaha Somaliland Md. Axmed Maxamed Maxamuud (Siilaanyo) ayaa maanta ka qeyb galay xaflad balaadhan oo lagu xusayay sanad-guurada 19-aad ee ka soo wareegtay aasaaska ciidanka Booliska oo la aasaasay 03/11/2012. Xafladii dabaal degga sanad-guuradda 19-aad ee ciidanka Booliska waxa kale oo ka soo qeyb galay Wasiirro, Xildhibaano, masuuliyiin ka socday ha’yadaha wada shaqaynta la leh ciidanka Booliska iyo marti-sharaf kale. Taliyaha Ciidanka Booliska Somaliland Gen. Cabdilaahi Fadal Iimaan, oo ka hadlay sanad-guuradii 19-aad ee Booliska Somaliland, waxa uu yidhi “Mudane Madaxweyne, Iyadoo aynu maanta xusayno sanad guuradii 19-aad ee ka soo wareegtay aasaaska ciidanka Booliska tan iyo markii aynu la soo noqonay madax-banaanideena. Waxa ciidanka Boolisku soo maray marxalado kala duwan. Waxaan odhan karnaa maanta waxa uu marayaa meel aad u fiican.” “Ciidanka Booliska Somaliland waxa uu hadh iyo habeen heegan ugu jiraa gudashadda waajibaadkiisa qaran ee uu bulshadiisa ugu adeegayo si ay ugu naalooto nabad, deganaansho iyo xasilooni ku salaysan shuruucda iyo cadaalladda. Waxa Boolisku hadda ka hawl-galaa 75 saldhig iyo 91 rugood oo ku kala yaala dalka Jamhuuriyadda Somaliland oo dhan,”ayuu yidhi Taliyaha ciidanka Boolisku. Gen Cabdilaahi Fadal Iimaan waxa uu tilmaamay in sanadkan ay siminaaro kala duwan soo qaateen, waxaanu xusay in 57 sarkaal ay soo qaateen iyo 1206 askari, kuwaasi oo iskugu jiray RRU-da, SPU iyo STU.

Somaliland to drill oil by 2014 October 30 2012 at 03:47pm By Reuters The break-away territory of Somaliland sees drilling for oil as possible by 2014 as three companies start exploration activities, the country's mining and energy minister said on Tuesday. Hussein Abdi Dualeh told Reuters the three companies are Ophir Energy Plc, Australia-based Jacka Resources and Genel Energy, which is headed by former BP chief executive Tony Hayward. “Last year we were seen as a frontier because nothing was happening. But now the biggest exploration activities in 21 years are about to start,” Dualeh told Reuters on the sidelines of an African oil conference organised by Global Pacific & Partners. “We will be hosting Tony and his team on Nov. 6. Ophir will have boots on the ground by December and Genel in February or March,” he said. He added that he expected drilling to commence by 2014. The drilling and exploration at the moment will all be onshore. The initial investments will be small change for the oil business and amount to tens of millions of dollars. But Somaliland will welcome the inflow as it has not had an easy time attracting investment. Aside from the uncertainty that comes with its stateless status, the country is in a region known for piracy and lawlessness. But the region is rapidly emerging as an exciting oil and gas province after discoveries in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique. “In the oil business we don't care about politics, but about geology. Where ever the geology is good, we're here,” Dualeh said. He also said a Kenya-based private-equity firm backed by Chinese and Indian investors was developing iron ore and coal projects in its territory but he declined to name the company. “We are hoping to start mining iron ore and coal in about 12 months time,” he said. -Reuters

Somaliland: Puntland Charcoal Smugglers Arrested Friday, 26 October 2012 01:17 ERIGAVO (Somalilandsu) – Sanaag police are holding eight charcoal smuggling foreigners and their two trucks. Police in Erigavo have confiscated two trucks and arrested eight people who were caught on the trucks that they were using smuggle charcoal to Garowe town the administrative capital of Puntland, a Somali regional state. This revelation came during a joint press conference conducted in Erigavo town by the Sanaag regional police commander Ismail Yusuf 'Ga'amo-yare and the regional ministry of Environment coordinator Mr. Hussein Ismail Talahi. The press briefing informed that the eight smugglers and their two trucks, which were full of charcoal produced from wet trees, were confiscated at Siraadley hills after police discovered that the trucks bore Puntland number plates. According to the regional police commander, the two trucks are now the property of the government while the eight smugglers will be arraigned in court as soon as necessary paper work is completed. The Sanaag regional has in the recent past initiated stringent measures to curb charcoal burning and subsequent smuggling to the rogue Somalia administrative region of Somalia which is notorious for funding any activity geared towards debase Somaliland. At the same time the crackdown in Sanaag is because of the fast deteriorating environment fuel by rampant tree cutting for charcoal burning purposes

London-listed oil explorer Genel Energy announced deals that will help it to diversify into the Mediterranean and North Africa on Thursday, building on its strategy to expand outside its core region of Kurdistan. Genel said it would acquire 75 percent of Mediterranean Oil & Gas's interests in an offshore Malta contract for up to $30 million, with an additional agreement to assess and acquire further assets in Malta, Libya and Tunisia. It also said it would farm in to 60 percent and assume ownership of the Sidi Moussa block offshore Morocco for up to $50 million. Although the acquisitions are small, they mark the first foray for Genel into the region. The majority of its acreage is in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq, and it also has assets in Somaliland and Cote d'Ivoire.

Unearthing a Smile This experience has been so far the most wonderful, terrifying, and exciting thing I have ever done. To be able to change someone's fate by retrieving them from a pit of horror and return them to their family and loved ones for a future with a proper burial full of respect and love is the most honourable thing I have ever had the opportunity to partake in. I mean yes, you can say it is spooky or even that we are weird for traveling thousands of kilometres and crossing an ocean to spend time with dead people... But the people who say those things have only a partial view of what we do. We are reuniting families, giving explanations for what has happened to somebody's somebody, and interpreting the past. It is a rush that motivates you from your inner core and moves you to keep going, keep learning, keep pursuing the truth. The people who do this as part of their daily lives are anything but weird and are not scared off by the...spooky; they are heroic, and we are lucky to have been given the chance to work beside them. The first skull we recovered was at first a little unnerving. I wasn't sure if I would be able to sleep without seeing it in my dreams, but then I noticed his teeth were perfectly straight, and I thought to myself, he must have had a nice smile. His shirt has cuffs like mine, and it was the same colour as the one my boyfriend was wearing before I left for this amazing journey. Then I heard Franco say he looks young, like a teenager, and I thought that if that had been my fate I would hope someone would come find me and give me the respect I deserve by putting me in a proper resting place — one where my family could come visit and talk about my smile, and laugh about how clutzy I am. So I will be resting well tonight and the following nights to come, knowing that I am part of helping return the boy with the beautifully straight teeth to a place of respect and dignity, and hopefully one day his family will be able to find him again and learn where his resting place is so they can get together and speak of his smile and quirks. -Melissa Simmill CJA Somaliland Field School Blog With CJA's sponsorship, the Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team and the government of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland have opened an international forensic training program in Hargeisa, Somaliland. The project runs from September 24 through October 21, 2012. Participants in this historic effort will share their experience with the rest of the world throughout that time. Their posts will inform and reflect on the search for the missing and disappeared, giving readers a window into the process of fact-finding and forensic investigation of human rights violations in Somaliland that will allow access to truth and justice for the families of the victims.

”This will enable the Company to roll out these services at minimal entry level cost and expand the network as the project permits” Globecomm Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: GCOM), a global provider of communications solutions and services, today announced that the Company has been awarded a contract for a new broadband wireless system technology from Somcable Limited (SCL) valued at $2.7 million. Under the terms set forth in the contract, Globecomm will provide the infrastructure that will allow Somcable to deliver voice, Internet, TV and video communication services to SCL subscribers with the goal of developing a framework of a carrier class communications service provider. This will enable SCL to roll out these services at minimal entry level cost and expand the network as the project permits. Globecomm will provide SCL with the design and infrastructure to allow SCL to maximize return on investment for this project. The project will ensure that high speed wireless technology is available at the site, which is capable of delivering sufficient scalable bandwidth to residents of Somaliland. Globecomm anticipates the completion of these contracts by the Company's fiscal year 2013 third quarter ending March 31, 2013. Paul Knudsen, Vice President of Eastern Atlantic Team for Globecomm, said: "This is an exciting project. The system Globecomm will design and deploy will allow Somcable to offer high speed wireless voice, Internet, TV and Video services to their subscribers. The network we are supplying utilizes wireless technologies that can deliver fiber speeds to the customers." Michael Cothill, Chief Executive of Somcable, said: “Our confidence in Globecomm to deliver a State-of-the-Art network such as this is unquestionable and the fact that Somaliland will uplift its profile and rise to become a participant in world class Multi-Media communications is extremely exciting in the development of the country’s communication infrastructure, which we are delighted to be part of.”

Haatufka Maanta Xasan Sheekh waxaabu is leeyahay Somaliland axsaan baabad u samaysay marka uu leeyahay anagu sasabo iyo suba-salaax mooyaane Somaliland wax khasab aanu ku dayaynaa ma jirto. Hada waa ninka ay gurigiisa saacadaa aynu joogno ay ku ilaalinayaan Yamyam iyo Qadaad weyn iskaga timid Uganda, Kenya, iyo Burundi ilaa Sier lion iyo Nigeria, ee talaabo uu qaado daayo aanu jirin go’aan uu la’aantood gaadhi karaa. Adeer hadii la idin yidhi Somaliland hadal macaan iyo beerlaxawsi uunbay idiinku soo joogsan kartaa ee sidaas ku daya dabeeto mar labaad baydun Xamar ka xukumi doontaan, alla maxaad riyoonaysaan.! Anagu waxa aanu nahay dad xor ah oo dalkooda aan ajnabi ku xukumin, dhulkoodana ku jooga nabad iyo caano iyo karaamo iyo sharaf, mana jirto wax kale oo aanu arimahaas ku doorsanaynaa.

HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The UDUB political party has appealed to the international community. The appeal which made by the party's presidential and vice presidential candidates during a press conference held in Hargeisa where they also accused the National Election Commission-NEC of being partisan. The UDUB presidential candidate Mr. Ali Mohamed Waran'ade, who reiterated his party's decision to withdraw from forthcoming local council elections, asked the international election donor community to intervene because of NEC's partisan activities. The former aviation minister in the Rayale government said his party's decision not to participate in the 28 November local council elections was because of covert partisan activities of the election body geared towards negating the party, which is the main opposition party as a political player in the country. Another twist to the saga ensued the same day when party leader and former president Dahir Rayale Kahin submitted a letter to president Silanyo and the election body appealing for a two weeks extension to the 14th September deadline for submitting lists of parties election candidates. NEC duly rejected the fortnight extension request by Rayale who unfortunately is away having left the country on the same (Of request) day for France where his family lives on 11 September. On the other, hand Mr. Ahmed Haji Dahir, UDUB's vice president nominee threatened that the local council elections will not be held in his home region of Awdal without the participation of his party. The threat that is a means to entice the Election body to rescind its refusal to extend the deadline for a fortnight is yet to be reacted upon by both the government and NEC. Meanwhile the other eight political groups contesting the elections are in earnest preparations and campaigns. The eight are Kulmiye, Dalsan, Haqsoor, Wadani, UMADDA, Rays, Nasiye and UCID

Wasiirka Arrimaha dibadda Somaliland Dr. Maxamed Cabdilaahi Cumar, oo caawa khadka Telefoonka ugu waramayay shabakadda wararka ee Somaliland.Org, ayaa sheegay in Weftigii Madaxweynaha ee uu xubinta ka ahaa saaka ka qeyb-galeen aaskii balaadhnaa ee Raysal wasaarihii hore ee dalka Itoobiya. “Weftigii Madaxweynaha Somaliland waxay maanta ka qeyb galeen aaskii Raysal wasaarihii hore ee dalka Itoobiya Males Zanawi oo lagu aasay barxad aad u weyn oo ku taalla faras-magaalaha magaalada Addis-ababa oo ay ka soo qeyb galeen madax aad u tiro badnaa oo ka kala socday caalamka oo dhan iyo tobanaan kun oo qof oo ka mid ah dadweynaha reer Itoobiya. Madaxweynaha iyo weftigiisu waxa lagu qaabilay Baratool heer sare ah oo la mid ah madaxdii adduunka ka kala socotay. Taasina waxay ka turjumaysaa qoto-dheerida xidhiidhka wanaagsan ee labada dal iyo labada shacbi ka dhaxeeya, ”ayuu yidhi Wasiirka Arrimaha dibaddu.