Somaliland oo Usoo Magacawdey Guddoomiye Cusub Degmada Xingalool (Sawirro) Xaflad si weyn loosoo agaasimey oo maanta ka dhacdey hoolka Xarunta cilmi baadhista ee Degmada Xingalool ayaa waxaa xilka Gudoomiyaha Degmada Xingalool ee Maamulka Somaliland kula kala wareegey Xaaji Iimaan Warsame Cirroowe gudoomiyihii hore ee Degmada iyo Yuusuf Warsame Cali Shire gudoomiyaha cusub. Guddoomiyaha hore ee Degmada ayaa caddeeyey in xilkii uu hayey uu ku wareejiyey Mudane Yuusuf Warsame Cali Shire kadib markii ay soo gaadhey wareegto kasoo baxdey xafiiska wasiirka arrimaha gudaha ee Somaliland Dr. Maxamed Cabdi Gabboose taas oo lambarkeedu ahaa 48/01/2011 kuna taariikheysneyd 16 bishan January waxaana ku qeexnaa in gudoomiyihii hore uu xilka wareejiyo isla markaana uu gudoomiyaha cusub xilkiisa u guto si hufnaan iyo hawl karnimo ay ku jirto Madasha ay ka dhacasey lakala wareegidda xilalka ayaa waxaa goob joog ka ahaa Guddoomiyaha Gobolka Badhan ee Somaliland Mudane C/xakiin Wahaabe, Taliyaha Guutada Shanaad ee Ciidamada Somaliland Maxamuud Boqolle, Isimo, Saraakiil iyo waliba waxgarad kale oo ka tirsan bulshaweynta ku dhaqan Degmada Xingalool waxaana si weyn loogu hambalyeeyey gudoomiyihii hore Iimaan Warsame sida hufnaanta ah ee uu xilka ku wareejiyey. Isla goobtaa ayaa maamulkii hore ee Degmadu waxa uu kusoo wareejiyey maamulka cusub Gaadhi, Guri iyo waliba dhamaan hantidii uu u hayey maamulka Somaliland iyadoo arrintaas si weyn ay ugu mahad celiyeen madaxdii ka hadashey goobta iyo waliba dadweynihii kasoo qeyb galay xafladda. Iimaan Warsame oo xilka gudoomiyaha loosoo magacaabey sannadii 2007 ayaa ahaa gudoomiyihii ugu horreeyey ee ay yeelato Degmada Xingalool isagoo tan iyo xilligaa qabtey waxyaabo la taaban karo oo aaney hore ugu hirgalin Jamhuuriyadda Somaliland waxaana lagu tilmaamey sida wanaagsan ee uu xilka u wareejiyey Gudoomiyihu mid xil-kasnimo ay ku jirto oo bogaadin mudan. Dhanka kale waxaa socdaal hawleed ku maraya Degmada Xingalool Guddoomiyaha Gobolka Badhan ee Somaliland C/xakiin Wahaabi kaas oo uu ugu kuur galayo xaaladaha abaarta ee ka jirta deegaanka isaga oo sheegey in warbixinta deegaanka uu u gudbin doono xukuumadda Somaliland iyo hay’adaha deeqaha bixiye ee ku sugan jamhuuriyadda Somaliland.

Ethiopia says it foiled terrorist attack during AU summit Sunday, February 06, 2011 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (APA) - The Ethiopian government revealed on Saturday that it has foiled a terrorist attack attempt last week during the 16th African Union (AU) summit and seized 45kg of explosives, APA learns here. “Explosive called C-4 and accessories transported to Addis Ababa via Djibouti were put under control. Alleged Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) instruments and their collaborators were also arrested following court orders while undertaking activities to commit the crime,” said Ethiopian police on Saturday. However, it is not yet clear how many suspects were arrested in connection with this incident. The National Intelligence and Security Service managed to foil the attempt as it was aware of the plot earlier. “The police have been investigating the cause of the alleged criminals put under control in an area locally called Semien Mazegaja in the capital,” said police. The explosive is similar to the one that exploded in Kampala, Uganda, according to police. “Recently explosive was seized in Afar and Amhara States while being transported to Ethiopia from Eritrea following tips from the public,” said police. Ethiopia has been accusing its neighbor Eritrea of similar kind of incidents while Eritrea repeatedly denied it. Several African heads of state and government attended the summit from 24 to 31 January. Ethiopia hosts the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa the capital. Source: APA

Ismahan Somali youth league played a role in the Somalias road to independence from 1950s till the 1960s. This should not be confused with Somalilands road to independence we had our resistance parties Somaliland national league and Xisbullah wich later merged with SNL.

Jacaylbaro;693203 wrote: Konfurians ?? Could be wa iyagi

Che -Guevara;693194 wrote: MD xaal qaado, If axmaqino is defined, Mr Dirir is it. What hell is Somalia people or Somalians? Somalians people from Somalia

a khadar iska daa ina xaji cumar camay waanu iska heshineyna wu yara cadhooday uun arinta kalshaale tana wala iskala heshiinaya ha sugi wayin. we respect the xaaji, Suldaan sicid manaad dhegyesan 5 weeg ka hor ba siilaanyo noogu danbeyse inanu wada hadalnay;)

Shongole:AMISOM iyo DKMG cidii la shaqaysa dhiigoodu wa banaanyahay Muqdisho:(Sh. M. Network) Xarakada Al Shabaab ayaa waxaa ay shaaca ka qaaday in uu dhiigooda banaanyahay cidii la shaqaysaa dowladda KMG Soomaaliya iyo ciidamada AMSIOM ku waasi oo ay tilmaameen inay ku bartilmaameedsan doonaan meelkasta. Sheekh Fu’aad Max’ed Qalaf oo ka mid ah saraakiisha Xaradaka Al Shabaab oo qudbad ka jeedinayay Masjidka Nasrudiin ee magaalada Muqdisho ayaa waxaa uu ka hadlay qodobo ku aadan dilalka loo gaysanayo dadka la shaqeeya AMSIOM iyo dowladda KMG Soomaaliya. Sheekh Fu’aad Max’ed Qalaf ayaa ugu horeyn tilmaamay in uu banaanbayahay dhiigooda iyo Maalkooda dadka la shaqeeya AMISOM iyo dowladda KMG islamarkaana ay ka furan tahay sida uu tilmaamay xaasaskooda, isagoo intaasi raaciyay in meel kasta oo lagu arka dadkaasi ay yihiin in la dilo. Sheekh Fu’aad Max’ed Qalaf ayaa waxaa uu sidoo kale sheegay in iyana dhiigooda ay banaanyihiin dadka ku doodaya in AMISOM ay si sharci ah kusoo gashay dalka Soomaaliya, wuxuuna carabka ku dhiftay in meel waliba oo lagu arka dadkaasi ay ku bar tilmaameedsanayaan, isagoo intaasi ku daray in Shabab ay sii wadayso dagaalada ay kula jirto AMISOM iyo dowladda kuwaasi oo uu sheegay inaysan jirin cid ay ka aqbalayaan joojinta dagaalada ay kula jiraan. Xarakada Mujaahidiinta Al Shabaab ayaa bartilmaameedsado dadka u shaqeeya AMISOM iyo dowladda KMG kuwaasi oo inta badan dil u gaystaan gudaha magaalada Muqdisho iyo gobolada dalka Soomaaliya. Aqriso oo la soco Shabelle.net Saacad Walba si aad u hesho wararkii ugu dambeeyay ee Soomaaliya.

Mujaheed ibrahim meygaag samatar fure may allah bless your soul

Ciidamada Somaliland oo ku sii qulqulaya degaanka Kalshaale kuna wejahan Buhoodle Burco Feb 05-11-Magaalada Burco ayaa shalay ilaa doraad laga dareemayay dhaqdhaqaaq ciidan oo aad u balaaran oo ku sii jeeda degaanka Kalshaale oo shalayna dagaal ku dhexmaray ciidamada Somaliland iyo jabhada SSC. Ciidanka Somaliland oo qaarkood laga soo ururiyay xeryaha gobolo kala gedisan ayaa loo daadgureynayay labadii maalmood ee ina dhaafay dhanka degmada Buhoodle oo Kalshaalena ka tirsan tahay. Waxa soo baxaya warar sheegaya in odeydhaqameedka degaanka Buhoodle iyo xukuumada madaxweyne Axmed Siilaanyo uu dhex maray wadahadal la iskula qaatay in ciidamada Somaliland ay hawgal amaanka lagu sugayo degaankaa ka fuliyaan. Sidoo kale waxa iyaguna degaanada Bariga Somaliland ee Togdheer iyo Sool in dhawaalaba ku sugnaa madaxda dawlada Somaliland uga jira degaanadaa oo iyagu dhankooda ka wadey olole loogu gogol xaarayo hawgalada ciidamada. Hawgalka u qorsheysan ciidanka Somaliland ayaa ah mid ay ku gaarayaan degaanka Buhoodle oo ah goob iminka xarun u ah jabhada SSC. Hawlgaladan oo colaad xumi ka dhalan karto hadaan dadka degaanku dhan uga soo wada jeesan ayaad moodaa in xukuumada Somaliland ay wada tashiyo badan kala yeelatay dadka degaanka.

Xaalada Kalshaale oo Cakiran iyo Madaafiic laysku garaacay. Friday, 04 February 2011 Burco(Togdhnews)-Xaalada degaanka Kalshaale ayaa Cakiran,ka dib markii maanta maleeshiyo beeleedka ka soo jeeda degaanka Buhoodle, ay madaafiic ku soo garaaceen goobaha ay degan yihiin ciidamada qaranka Somaliland ee jiidaasi. Sida ay u sheegeen saraakiil ka tirdsan Ciidanka Qaranka oo ku sugan jiidaasi,Shabakada TogdheerNews, Ma jiraan waxa khasaare ah oo ay garaacistan madaafiicdu gaysteen Balse Madaafiicda iyo Kaarayaasha Ciidanka qaranka somaliland ayaa gelinkii dambe ee maanta u dhaqaaqay jiidaasi,kuwaaso la sheegay i nay galabta gaadheen,lana filayo inay ku biiraan cutubyadii hore ee Qaranka ee halkaasi ku suganaa. Xiisada ka taagan degaanka Kalshaale ayaa u muuqata mid ay ka soo hurayso colaad xumi, madaama dhinacyada is horfadhiyaa uu midkastaaba ku jiro diyaar garow adag. Wixii Warar ee ka soo kordha degaankaasi kala soco Togdheer News.

naw ambu faroole xidha sawki faroole laha TFG ciid kama iman karto jeelka budhcadbadeedkan dhigaya hadaan arko;)

'First-aid' needed for 5,000-year-old Somali cave paintings By Laura Allsop for CNNFebruary 5, 2011 -- Updated 1148 GMT (1948 HKT) STORY HIGHLIGHTS Prehistoric cave art in Somaliland under threat Somaliland's status a problem for getting on UNESCO world heritage list Other problems: looting, development, lack of education Positive steps being taken to protect sites (CNN) -- Prehistoric paintings of antelope, snakes and giraffes that have survived for around 5,000 years are now under threat from looting and a lack of protection. The rock paintings, which include renderings of dogs and sheep as well as human figures, were discovered at Dhambalin, in a unique sandstone shelter close to the Red Sea in Somaliland, a breakaway state from war-torn Somalia. They were found by Dr. Sada Mire in 2007, in what she says was first ever survey initiated and led by a Somali archaeologist in the region. Since then, Mire has discovered 100 cave and rock art sites across Somaliland, but they need desperately to be preserved. Mire said the sites are not only vital to the understanding of pre-history across the Horn of Africa, but also important in bolstering cultural pride in the people of Somaliland. "That gives them a sense of dignity and that they are not totally desperate, they have something that the world thinks is very valuable," she said. You have a whole base of very, very poor people digging sites and getting peanuts for it. --Dr. Sada Mire, archaeologist But Somaliland is in need of help and infrastructure to safeguard its ancient heritage. Although it declared independence from Somalia in 1991, Somaliland is not internationally recognized as a separate state. This means that its sites cannot be granted World Heritage status by UNESCO. According to Francesco Bandarin, UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Culture, Somalia is one of the few member states not to have ratified its 1972 World Heritage Convention, meaning that its sites are not eligible for World Heritage status. Heritage workers in Somaliland therefore face a dilemma, said Dr. Dacia Viejo-Rose, a Researcher at the Cultural Heritage and the Reconstruction of Identities after Conflict project at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, part of the University of Cambridge in the UK. "They can choose to protect their heritage as Somalian and lobby the government and the ministry of culture in Somalia to present (their case) to UNESCO," she said. Or, they can "stick to the fact that it's not Somalia's heritage but Somaliland's," in which case they can't then follow that path. "The question is, which is the priority? To protect the distinctiveness of Somaliland or to protect the heritage no matter what and who is claiming it?" she continued. Another problem faced by Mire is the lack of museums in which to store objects. Mire writes on her website Somali Heritage and Archaeology, that museums in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, and second largest city Hargeisa, have suffered severe looting during the ongoing civil war. Somaliland still lacks a museum. "At the moment we do not do any excavations because we are not able to host objects," said Mire. She believes that there are many sites in Somaliland awaiting discovery. "The best way to protect (objects) is to take them straight to a laboratory (in a museum) and give them first aid," she continued. The best way to protect (objects) is to take them straight to a laboratory (in a museum) and give them first aid. --Dr. Sada Mire Africa Archaeology Painting Educating Somalis about their heritage is another important task for Mire, who heads Somaliland's Department of Antiquities, a branch of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which she helped establish. While human sweat is enough to damage the delicate rock paintings, burial sites nearby are often looted for artifacts that are sold on to illicit antiquities traders. Looting tends to be done by locals, who are unaware of the archaeological significance of their sites, Mire said. "You have a whole base of very, very poor people digging sites and getting peanuts for it," Mire said. Despite these issues, though, progress is being made. Mire is creating an inventory of sites across Somaliland and drafting antiquities laws to protect them. "We just drive away for weeks and disappear into the desert," she said. "Usually we take albums and show locals pictures of the sites we are looking for," she added. She has elected local Somalis to be custodians of the sites and hopes that they can benefit in future from tourism. In her eyes, it is important for the people to feel that their heritage belongs to them. Source CNN

zack i know u like the map for the first time your native land and the country you wish to unite with have no borders,aint that some unity:D

maxaad la calacaleysiin:D

No i am the xaaji from SOL.

war jacaylbaro muxu leeyahay adiga talyaniga yaqane eh

Wasiirka Arrimaha Dibada Somaliland Oo Maanta Kulan Kula Yeeshay Xafiiskiisa Xildhibaan Ka Tirsan Baarlamaanka Dalka Talyaaniga. Hargeysa(Ramaas) Feb.04, 2011 - Wasiirka arrimaha dibbada Somaliland Dr Maxamed Cabdilaahi Cumar, ayaa maanta xarunta wasaarada arrimaha dibada ee Magaalada Hargeysa ku qaabilay mudane Pallazo Di Montecitanio oo ka tirsan guddida siyaasada arrimaha dibada u qaabilsan baarlamaanka Talyaaniga, iyaga oo labada dhinac ay kulankaas kaga wadahadleen cilaaqaadka labada dal ka dhexeeya. Safarka uu xildhibaankan ku yimid Somaliland ayaa ahaa kii ugu horeeyay ee uu ku yimaada wadanka, waxaana la sheegay in masuuliyiinta xukumada ay ka wadahadleen sidii loo suura galin lahaa xidhiidh dhaqaale oo dawlada Talyaaniga la yeelato Somaliland mustaqbalka. Wasiirka arrimaha dibada Somaliland oo ka hadlay kulankaas, ayaa sheegay in dawlada Somaliland ay aad u soo dhawaynayso booqashada mudane Montecitanio uu ku yimi dalka, iyada oo ninkan uu wasiirka hore uga ahaa dawlada Talyaaniga mar, waxa uu sheegay wasiirku inuu gacan ka gaysan karo xidhiidh wanaagsan oo dhexmara labada dawladood. Waxa uu uu sheegay wasiirku xildibaanka in shacabka Somaliland ay dalkooda ka hirgaliyeen nidaam dimuqraadiya, iyada oo ay taas cadayn u tahay doorshooyinkii ka dhacay wadanka badhtamihii sannadkii aynu soo afdhaafnay oo beesha caalamku ku hambalyaysay dadka reer Somaliland waxqabadka ay mujiyeen. Mudane Di Montecitanio oo isna ka hadlay kulankaas, ayaa sheegay in dalwada Talyaaniga ay si dhaw ula socoto xaalada Somaliland sida nabada, xasiloonida iyo nidaamka axsaabta badan ee ka jira dhulkan, waxaana uu sheegay in Talyaaniga si weyn u danaynayo xidhiidh ganacsi oo uu la yeesha Jamhuuriyada Somaliland, waxa intaas ku daray Somaliland in aanay wax saamayn ah ku yeelan rabshadaha ka taagan dalka Soomaaliya mudada ka badan laabatan sanno, waxa uu ballanqaaday xidhiidh dhex mara baarlamaanka Talyaaniga ka Somaliland mustaqbalka.

Jacaylbaro 2011 budget is 88 Million USD it's indeed great

awoow pirateska iyo argagixsada maad jeceshahay adigu;)

What aggression an armed rebel group attacked the national army of the country opening fire on a Military vehicle what did you expect the Somaliland army would do ? Any how the rebels learned their lesson not to attack the national army when they are patrolling the buhooodle region

Pirates to the left of me... terrorists to the right ‎ The Sun - Andrew Mitchell This article has been Published at: 03-02-2011 and has been viewed 5 times Back to home Print this Page Send to a Friend Bottom of the Page POLICE chief Elmi Furreh removes his sunglasses to mop his brow as he describes crime fighting on one of the world's toughest beats. First he motions towards the 1,000-mile Somali coastline where 28 hijacked ships - the multi-million-pound bounty of ruthless pirates - are anchored. The boats have been seized by the modern-day Blackbeards' "motherships" which, armed with grappling hooks, AK47s and rocket-propelled grenades, now strike far into the Indian Ocean. The captured vessels and their crew members - totalling 654 - are being held to ransom by the pirates. Commissioner Furreh then points south towards the war-ravaged city of Mogadishu. Here terrorists al-Shabaab - The Youth, in Arabic - have created their own Taliban-style fiefdom where women are flogged, limbs are chopped off as punishment and music is banned. "We take on the terrorists and the pirates wherever we find them," the Commissioner assures me. "It's a fight we have to win for your country and mine." Less than five months ago Somalia was described as a "seedbed for terrorism" by MI5 Director-General Jonathan Evans. In a rare public speech, the spy chief revealed: "I am concerned that it is only a matter of time before we see terrorism on our streets inspired by those who are today fighting alongside al-Shabaab." Somalia, a Mad Max land in the Horn of Africa, has had no real government for two bloody decades. It is a lawless "failed state" where festering extremism and bitter civil war has seen millions killed or forced to flee the violence and anarchy - with as many as 250,000 estimated to have reached Britain. Now drought stalks this land and some 2.4 million are hungry and need emergency help. The tyranny of youth ... fighters from the Taliban-style extremists al-Shabaab ('The Youth') Commissioner Furreh is chief of police of Somaliland, a breakaway enclave in the north that was a British colony until 1960. His 6,000-strong force bristles with AK47 rifles. It includes a crack unit of women - with blue berets keeping their headscarves in place - patrolling in a battered pick-up. I asked police officer and mum-of-four Firdoos Abdillahi, 29, what the major law and order issue was in the region. "Murder," was her one-word reply. Fighting back ... female police officers in Hargeisa Foreign Office travel advice for Somaliland is to the point - don't. Officially it doesn't even exist. Although Somaliland has its own president and elections, it is not recognised as a nation state by any other country. Landing at the would-be nation's capital, Hergeisa, bombed out Russian-made MiG fighters - relics of a civil war - lie abandoned at the runway's edge. A printed sign at the tiny concrete terminal warns: "No chewing jadd". Jadd or kat is the narcotic leaf used by many in the region which, if chewed in large enough quantities, gives a high. We pass the UN compound where a terrorist car bomb caused devastation and death in 2008. The villa of then president Dahir Riyale Kahin was also targeted. In Hargeisa's ramshackle camel market barefoot youngsters in Manchester United or Arsenal strips welcome me with smiles and handshakes. On a visit to Baidoa in southern Somalia several years ago I was greeted by cut-throat gestures. One man hissed: "Signor, you have come here to die." 'Very grateful' for UK's aid ... Sun man Oliver meets Somaliland President Ahmed Silanyo Home Secretary Theresa May warned last year that British jihadis had already travelled to train and fight with al-Qaeda associated al-Shabaab in Somalia. According to the UN, Somalian piracy is becoming an "organised industry", which is estimated to cost the world economy more than �4billion a year. Centred in another breakaway Somali region called Puntland, piracy rose ten per cent last year, with some 445 attacks, 49 ship hijackings and 1,000 sailors taken hostage. The latter-day buccaneers now use freighters and factory fishing vessels as motherships loaded with smaller skiffs to strike near Pakistani and Indian waters. It was in the Indian Ocean in October 2009 that Somali pirates captured Kent couple Paul and Rachel Chandler, only releasing them a year later following a payment of more than �450,000. Commissioner Furreh reveals: "We arrested ten terrorists and 20 pirates in the past six months. Some of them will be in jail for life." Somaliland's Interior Minister Dr Mohamed Gabose, 61, said: "Many people flee the fighting around Mogadishu and bring the young Shabaabs with them. Fighting anarchy ... Commissioner Furreh meets Andrew Mitchell MP, Secretary of State for International Development "These terrorists then blend in with the local community. We fight them night and day but we need more resources." Britain's Coalition Government has realigned our aid budget so Somalia and other nations plagued by war and terrorism, such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen, get a greater slice. This week International Development Minister Andrew Mitchell travelled to Somaliland to announce �10.5million in emergency aid to help the hungry. Advertisement He also revealed Britain is increasing Somalia's aid package from �26million this year to �80million by 2014 to build peace and stability. "It's about our national interest," Mr Mitchell, 54, told The Sun. "Spending this money makes Britain safer as well as being morally right." Somaliland President Ahmed Silanyo, a genial 73-year-old said he was "very grateful" for Britain's aid. He said: "We need jobs and education to stop young people joining extremist groups like al-Shabaab and the pirates." At Hargeisa Group Hospital the human cost of Somalia's drought is all too clear. On the children's ward is Catherine Novi, 33, who gave up life as a London investment banker to work for the UK-based Tropical Health and Education Trust in Somaliland. Malnourished babies such as six-month-old Zuwid Abdi are given fortified milk through feeding tubes. Currently 80 per cent of Somalis are without healthcare and one in five children dies before their fifth birthday. Single Catherine said: "Life for people here is a struggle. Water shortage is a huge problem, leading to malnutrition." The rule of law ... posters around the airport in Hargeisa, Somaliland's would-be capital She said vital UK cash channelled through the Department for International Development is helping rebuild Somaliland's health service, with NHS volunteers training new doctors. In Al Najah Koranic school - also funded with UK cash - the lesson today for a gaggle of schoolgirls is English. One of the teachers is speaking Somali with a distinct Brummie twang. In black headscarf and flowing robes Asiya Yussef, 21, tells how her parents and five siblings fled this war-ravaged land to the safety of Britain in 2000, settling in inner-city Aston in Birmingham. "We were terrified for our lives, we had to escape the fighting," she said. "But this is my homeland. If there was security here, jobs and healthcare, I would come back for good."

War-Saxaafadeed: Fadhigii Ee Maanta Golaha Wasiiradda Oo Lagu Ansixiyey Miisaaniyadda Sanadka 2011. Fadhigii maanta ee Golaha Wasiirada oo ka Qabsoomay Qasriga Madaxtooyada JSL Gudoominaayeyna Madaxweyanha JSL Mudane Axmed Maxamed Maxamuud (Siilaanyo), waxa lagu ansixiyey Miisaaniyad Sannadeedka 2011 oo Dhan 527,720,451,857 taas oo 70% ka badan tii sannadkii Hore ee 2010. Miisaaniyadan Waxa ku jira Korordhsiimada Mushaharka Shaqaalaha iyo Ciidamada oo 100% Waxa kale oo ku jira Markii ugu Horaysay Mashaariic Horu-marineed, Sidaasana loogu Gudbinayaa Golaha Wakiilada oo ah Hay’ada Shirci ahaan Ansixinta Rasmiga ah leh. Allaa Mahad Leh Cabdillaahi Maxamed Daahir (Cukuse) Af-hayeenka Madaxtooyada JSL.

Africans Debate Wisdom of Expected Secession of Southern Sudan Decision by southern Sudanese voters to break away from the north has many on the continent asking if it could happen to them William Eagle | Washington,DC February 02, 2011 Share This Digg Facebook StumbleUpon Yahoo! Buzz del.icio.us Related Articles North and South Sudan: Challenge of Forming Cooperative Ties For some Africans, southern Sudan’s expected independence is a cautionary tale; others see it as a pathway for their regions to gain full sovereignty. According to Bloomberg News, Somaliland’s foreign minister, Mohamed Omar, says his government plans to take a “more aggressive policy toward the African Union in its efforts to gain international recognition from Somalia.” Somaliland declared its independence 20 years ago and since then the south has been engulfed in anarchy and civil war. Nigeria Some compare Sudan to Nigeria, with its tensions between Muslim and Christians and between ethnic groups. In 1967, Nigeria defeated Biafran separatists fighting for an independent state for the Ibo ethnic group in the east. Recently, the president of the Nigeria Civil Rights Congress, Shehu Sani, called Sudan “a reference point for division and secession.” "What's happening in Sudan is raising a lot of fears, especially in Nigeria, which is a colonial creation," said Sani in an article in the Guardian paper of Great Britain. "It was thought the defeat of Biafra had made division impossible, but Sudan is rekindling the thought.” An editorial in Nigeria’s Guardian newspaper warns, “[sudan] may provoke unwarranted secessionist tendencies across the continent” and serve as a wake-up call “to African leaders and authorities, including Nigeria, that the failure of governance has its price, including [national disintegration].” Other Nigerians disagree. Sully Abu is the director of media and publicity for the election campaign of President Goodluck Jonathan. Abu is also the publisher of the now-suspended New Age newspaper. He says Nigerians do not see themselves as divided by a largely Muslim north and Christian south, which he says is an assumption of many foreigners. "Here there is such complexity in tribes, regions and religion," he says, "that you don’t find such neat demarcations as talk of a Muslim north or Christian south. The country is much more divided into states. People are more concerned about their particular localities rather than any big regional divides." Abu says people may want more local or regional autonomy, but they prefer to keep the country together. Yemen and Iraq The call for separation is also echoed throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Algeria’s foreign minister predicted “fatal repercussions” for Africa. Chad’s president, Idriss Deby, warned of a domino effect – and “disaster” -- if countries with north-south tensions, like his own, follow Sudan’s lead. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi does not support the partition of Sudan Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi compares Sudan’s split to a “contagious disease” that could be “the beginning of the crack in Africa’s map.” Analyst J. Peter Pham sees irony in Libya’s concerns. Pham is the senior vice president of the New York-based think tank the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. "Historically, Gadhafi and Libya have been one of the biggest supporters of secessionist movements in Sudan," says Pham. "For many years, the [sudan People’s Liberation Army] and some Darfur rebel groups received support from Gadhafi. So [having helped them over the years], the colonel is relatively new to his anti-secessionism. "At same time Libya is [opposing secession], Libyan sovereign wealth funds are actually seeking investments in southern Sudan, so they are playing both sides against the center." Larbi Sadiki teaches in Britain at the University of Exeter’s Department of Politics. He says separatists are active in Yemen and in Iraq. "The south of Yemen," says Sadiki, "is a place that until 1990 was a different state altogether, with a separate ideology, the emblems of a state -- and was an international actor in its own right. Of late, we’ve seen renewed yearnings for recreating that state. So, it’s in the offing. The centralized [state] does not command a following in the south or from others [in other parts of the country.]" "For secession, the best candidate [in the Arab world] would be northern Iraq, Kurdistan. It approximates a quasi state, though without international recognition, and without demarcated and recognized borders. But, you have in place an entity working toward statehood. And, there are people with an aspiration to upgrade their autonomy into full-fledged [nationhood]." Analysts say there are plenty of areas in the Middle East and Africa that have had separatist movements, including the regions of Casamance in Senegal, Cabinda in Angola, Zanzibar in Tanzania and the disputed territory bordering Morocco, Western Sahara. But, it’s not clear that any of these regions have the potential to actually separate. International backing Jon Temin is a senior program officer at the Center for Mediation and Conflict Resolution at the U.S. Institute of Peace. He says Sudan and Eritrea have what many states with separatist movements lack -- a long history of fighting for independence. Eritrea separated from Ethiopia in 1993. It had fought for independence for about 30 years. Separatists in Sudan fought for 50 years. Analyst Jon Temin says both Eritrea and Southern Sudan had bloody and decades long wars for independence "Almost no country in Africa has the history of brutal civil war that Sudan does," says Temin. "They fought two civil wars that were among the longest in Africa that resulted in more than two million deaths. While other secessionist movements have certainly mounted significant armed resistance, nowhere else on the continent do we have this extremely bloody history that is important in recognizing the right to self- determination for the south." Temin says southern Sudan had something else most other liberation movements do not have -- extensive international support. A number of governments, including the United States, helped mediate the process of creating Sudan’s five-year-old blueprint for power sharing and potential separation, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. He says today the only other region in Africa to enjoy significant international support for its liberation struggle is Western Sahara, where the Polisario Front has been fighting for independence from Morocco. The United Nations granted the group official recognition 31 years ago. Regional security Analyst J. Peter Pham opposes recognition of Western Sahara. He says the international community should not recognize any secessionist movement that cannot stand on its own. He says Western Sahara has little more than 100,000 people and lacks natural and financial resources. Western Sahara separatists enjoy a degree of international support, but some question if it can stand alone, or contribute to regional security Pham says a country must also contribute to regional security, which he says Western Sahara does not do. For example, he says there’s a “lack of freedom” in the refugee camps in Algeria run by the separatist Polisario Front. He says some of the Polisario’s members are also involved in terrorist and criminal activities. In addition, he says the Polisario Front has played a role in keeping two regional powers, Morocco and Algeria, from cooperating on counterterrorism and other issues. Pham also says an independent Western Sahara would likely prove to be a “failed state,” where the lack of governance would result in a safe haven for Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and other radical groups. Somaliland One region that does meet Pham’s criteria is Somaliland, which declared its independence from Somalia in 1991. It has fully recognized offices in South Africa, Ethiopia and Ghana. Somaliland leaders say they're inspired by secession of Southern Sudan "[With] Somaliland," says Pham, "you have a state that is clearly viable. It’s proven it by its 20 years existence. And, it adds to regional stability and security, keeping piracy away from its shores and helping (neighboring, landlocked) Ethiopia have access to [somaliland’s port Berbera] for imports/exports…. It is actually a bulwark against extremism in the region." Ivory Coast He also says northern Ivory Coast shares trade and cultural patterns with countries to the north, giving it more in common with them than with the southern part of the country, which produces nearly all of Ivory Coast’s cocoa. In much the same way, he says southern Sudan is closely linked geographically and economically to Kenya and Uganda. And he says the eastern region of DRC has more in common with its neighbors in East Africa than with the capital, Kinshasa, in the west. Pham says European states have shown that power can be decentralized to smaller regions -- like Catalonia in Spain and Scotland in Britain. This, even as market forces push for greater integration. Dr. Larbi Sadiki of the University of Exeter says many Arab and other governments do not favor decentralization. Instead, they use force to impose unity. He says that would not be necessary if they adopted legal safeguards to protect minorities so they would not feel they had to secede in order to protect themselves.