According reports from Hargeisa both Muuse Biixi and Farmaajo had signed in Addis the Berbera deal and agreed upon the development of Zaylac port.

[galbeedi]

These days When it comes to ports, business and politics in the north and horn of africa, all roads lead to the gulf in general and UAE in particular. 

 

Last week Hargeisa was  buzzing  about the so called incoming visit of Farmaajo to Hargeisa. It was unexpected shock for many to start the Somali unity negotiations from a visit without even agreeing to meet in the first place. For most people it was presented as Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia forcing the issue on both Somali leaders. 

 

For those of us who know a lot about the Hargeisa ruling class and their liying schemes it was easy to read and understand. We were wondering how those who were lying to people for 30 years suddenly agree to allow Farmaajo to Hargeisa and risk the exposure of the their myth to be exposed by a Somali leader. Yet, looking back these unpredictable and shocking moves by Muuse And Farmaajo was nothing but a  well calculated distraction to throw everyone of from the real issue or what agreed upon in Addis Ababa.

Both these leaders act unilaterally without the knowledge of their government. Most of these decisions are made behind closed doors and without the presence of their foreign ministers or members of the delegation. Furthermore, when they come home from a foreign visit they do not brief the media or issue statements regarding agreements they signed or any memorandum of understanding. Usually these documents surface when the other party uses them official channels as it happened in Kenya. This could be another under the table agreement between a weak and recovering nation and predatory neighbor taking advantage. It could be the maritime dispute with kenya duplicated here in Ethiopia,

Those who were in Addis said that after the meeting of the delegations and brief exchanges of the parties, prime minister Abiy Ahmed demanded that all personal aides and ministers to vacate the office for the three principles to talk among themselves. A Waddani party member who has internal knowledge of the meetings both in Hargeisa and Addis told me that While the visit of the finance minister of Ethiopia Ahmed Shide was flow up of the Addis meeting, he swore that both Muuse and Farmaajo had signed an official documents regarding Berbera port and Abiy Ahmed took that decomument to Dubai few days later.

Since UAE is worried about losing Bebera deal , it has pressured Abiy Ahmed to ask Farmaajo to sign and accept the original deal which gave UAE 51% of the lease and 19% to Ethiopia for the lease of the port. Since they own 3/4 shares of the  Berbera port activity is useless without their support. He said Farmaajo accepted that deal and in exchange demanded to meet Biixi in Hargeisa to falsely project as someone starting the negotiations and rushing the process. While it shocked some people for the audacity and the bold move of Farmaajo to land in Hargeisa,  it created hot debate and even some sleepless nights in Hargeisa. 

It was a perfect move by Farmaajo and his advisers. It created a buzz in the social media and Somali debate circles. Farmaajo, a man who could not secure the city of Mogadishu and facing the insurgency of Al-shabaab in the outscrit of Jawhar and Afgooye, decided to conquer not only Jubbaland and Puntland, but set his eyes in Hargeisa ( Intii ay ku murmayeen Muqdishi iyo Kismaayo, ayuu kawada dul booday oo yidhi Hargeysaan u socdaa, ma maqashay walee shaagle laga baqay). It was a perfectly calculated distraction to confuse the opposition.

 

Having said that everyone in Hargeisa and Mogadishu is debating what transpired these sudden changes. Biixi who has zero diplomacy and doesn't even have decent speech writer, and last Tuesday, he  went to the parliament and almost cried as usual by narrating old history and proclaiming the usual victimhood of the last Somali government. Farmaajo has nothing to do of what happened 30 years ago , yet somehow he might be smelling him of Siyaad Barre )AHN).

The question was what Farmaajo gave to Abiy and Biixi to exchange for the Hargeisa visit. Certainly a president who never talked to Somaliland for three years, suddenly did not have a change of heart. As the Waddani man in Hargeisa says Farmaajo gave away Berbera lease to Abiy on behalf of the UAE. The Zaylac port issue was also thrown by Abiy although we did not have any agreements so far. 

People might not understand but the coastal Awdal is full of minerals, oil and precious stones. Due to bad roads and inaccessibility, Somaliland had neglected the coastal regions. Imagine no direct paved roads with Djibouti, the commercial hub and port of the region and Borama, Hargeisa and Jigjiga. As mentioned few weeks ago the bidding for the construction of Zaylac--Borama--Jigjiga road had started in earnest . Six companies became the finalists to build that road. If Jigjiga--Berbera is also connected, the Somaliland region will able to attract more business from Ethiopia.

THe mystery here is how Djibouti will be reacting ?. The UAE projects of the region is in high gear. The UAE had agreed to modernize the Assab port of Eritrea for renewed Ethiopian trade, and those same guys of the gulf are taking over Bebera , Boosaaso and maybe Zaylac in the future. Maybe these deals are a prelude to destroy the Chinese presence in Djibouti and take away port business to ASsab and Berbera. 

At the moment Farmaajo is playing on both sides of the gulf. In one hand he is member of the UAE led " THree Amigos" of the horn while also getting money from Qatar. Hasha Labada Geel Jecel Waraabhu Dhexduu ku Gawraca.

If these reports are true , Farmaajo had been duped by Abiy and in return he got nothing. He publicly apologise, promised to give 35% of all the loans and grants Somalia will be receiving from donors, and in return he got nothing. Yet, this Biixi guy can not keep lying of the things he gave to Farmaajo. One thing Biixi has learned since he came back from addis is mislead people and plan for the destruction of the opposition party.

In his sermon this week he said he was going to open new political parties in Somaliland. According to rules , new parties could only be opened after ten years and if the demand comes from public and politicians. Rather than hold the 15 years related parliamentary election, Muuse want to buy more time and confuse the public by pushing brand new parties which might take another two years or more. AS I said rather lose the parliamentary election Muuse is on the offensive to destroy the opposition parties and create new ones.

THe opposition is furious. Here Chairman Cirro and Faysal demanding new presidential election in 2020. That will be a wishful thinking to demand new presidential election while Muuse has more than two and half years. They should demand the parliamentary elections as soon as possible.It seems both Muuse and Farmaajo are playing games that could destroy them if they keep lying and hiding the truth.

 

 

 

 

[Dhaqaale]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Wadaani party engineered Farmaajo's visit to Hargeisa so they could rile up the populace against Bixi's rule. Irro is play games again.

[Dhaqaale]

You sound like a broken record, take a medication tablet, because you need it.

[Old_Observer]

This is all trial balloon to keep the citizens of SOL republic talking and learning nothing. Waste of time issues.

Let me remind you some trial balloons that the owners and initiators of the news knew has no chance of success or even start up.

Oil Pipeline from Eritrea to Ethiopia. UAE/Abiy/Afwerki. Everybody should have known Ethiopia has no refinery.
Ethiopia to use Assab port as its main port. UAE/Afwerki/Abiy. Simple question who is going to cough up the 10-15 billion needed to bring Assab to modern ships and containers capacity? Who is goignt to fix road Assab to Addis?
Farmaajo will go to UN Arab League, AU, IGAD, Islamic countries....and annul Berbera agreeent. Afwerki/Farmmajo..

There will be war between Kenya and Somalia...

Farmaajo will evict AMISOM

Ceylac that at least 1000 year old port is same trail balloon fake news.

[Old_Observer]

Oodweyne,

 

I can see this face book trial Balloon from Kililka and Harer.

Around the world there is one fact. Only rich countries, peoples care about places that have archeological and historical value, that is what Ceylac is.

All Ceylac needs now is repair and build a small post facility, but mosdern for tourists boats, fishing boats and attract land tourists from Dgibuti, Ethiopia and the rest of Somaliland when development and economy grows.

Any body who thinks anything remotely investment can come in a sandwitch between Djibouti and Berbera must out of their mind, if they had one. Only far away ports have remote chance of getting investment. Djibouti and Berbera have dried up any port investment for next decade. That is Bassaso size problem right now.

People should wait and see what the Ethiopian and Somali businessmen will do about a port they want to build privately in Puntland.