The WB, UN EU Finalise $550 Million Development Reconstruction Package For SL

[AfricaOwn]

Hargeysa, Somaliland, December 1, 2007 (SL Times) – A ceremony held at Mansoor Hotel, in Hargeysa, marked on Thursday, the last day of the government’s discussions with the regional heads of UN, EU and the World Bank preparations for long term Reconstruction and Development Programme earmarked for Somaliland for the next five years at a cost of $550 million.

 

As part of the ‘Joint Needs Assessment’ (JNA) program, which was initially designed for the “Reconstruction and Development Programme for the whole of Somalia” by the UN and the World Bank in 2005, at first, Somaliland government refused to be part of the JNA enterprise under the TFG and insisted on being treated as an independent entity.

 

Somaliland government succeeded in getting all its concerns addressed by the JNA enterprise and since its inception [JNA] in 2005, Thursday was the last and final meeting which set and sealed Somaliland’s five year reconstruction and development plan and budget for the JNA program which after many years has been specifically tailored for Somaliland.

 

The JNA program will put emphasis in Somaliland’s reconstruction and development program for the next coming five years on areas of public services, education, health, access to clean water and substantial construction of new and paved roads leading to regions isolated from major centres and cities. The meeting which had brought together members of the Somaliland government, legislature, social activists, regional head officers from the United Nations, the World Bank, and the European Union and donor nations has been taking place since Tuesday and concluded Thursday in Hargeysa.

 

Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Somaliland minister of Planning, Ali Ibrahim Mohammed, thanked all the participants for their hard work and dedication in making this meeting a reality.

 

The minister said: “Its been agreed that the five year plan that we have prepared together with all stakeholders will be presented to the EU and the government of Norway, who will in turn seek to attract other funding partners for more wider projects and proposals.”

 

In his brief remarks, the minister, Ali Ibrahim stated "that the meeting has concluded with mutual understanding on all sides of the issues, and the result is an agreement between Somaliland and donor organisation and nations for the ‘Joint Needs Assessment’ program to inaugurate the Somaliland Reconstruction and Development Programme for the coming next five years which has been allocated 550 Million dollars".

 

Ali Ibrahim also encouraged the International organisations and the donor nations to ensure that the Reconstruction and Development Programme in Somaliland commences as planned at the beginning of 2008.

 

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Somaliland government and the heads of the UN, World Bank and the European Union delegations signed an agreement which in principle will lead to the commencement of the Somaliland Reconstruction and Development Programme intended for the next five years at a cost of $550 million.

 

The three leading members of the delegation, Mr. Erich Laroche from the United Nations, Dr.Chris Lovelace of the World Bank and Mr. Richard Hands of the European Union, also thanked all participants of the meeting and expressed their satisfaction with its outcome.

[N.O.R.F]

I was just reading this. JB is not in the country then this happens! Waar Fransiiska iska joog saxib

 

One hopes the money is used well and isnt a lengthy loan.

 

Let me send an email or two bal :cool:

[AfricaOwn]

How are the roads to and from Hargeysa to Boroma like?

[Peacenow]

They're a small province, small 'countries' tend to do very well. But I can't see that happening in SL. I mean are they interested in embracing globalisation? There is so much they can do, for example, like creating a basic law, making the system efficent and nimble. Creating websites that gives this information to stakeholders. What's the fiscal managment like in the economy? For example. If small places like Georgia or Estonia can do 9% growth a year on average, no reason for SL by now not too.

 

Though one would think they would be investing in the building blocks of growth, like the roads, infrastructure, upgrading the main airport, etc, Any updates.

[Chimera]

good news let's hope it's spend the right way and not for petty senseless wars.

[Abu-Salman]

dp

[Fabregas]

I don't like this, investment they say.....

[Abu-Salman]

What we forget all too easily is that any sustainable progress depend on ourselves and that Foreign Aid only exacerbates the already widespread corruption and warmongering.

 

Did you know the whole Somaliland Health ministry has only 4 vehicles whereas the Army, Police and other officials needlessly monopolize even those donated ?

 

Little wonder there was little to deal with the recent cholera outbreak, especially in the light of the Sool issue as well as the expected counter-attack by Puntland.

 

Western countries are already diverting their support to locals, confirmed NGOs and have recently started to allocate more funds towards Somaliland (preventing "extremism").

 

A relative of mine in Hargeysa informed me today that Djibouti based French Diplomacy may channel some funds towards a "French-Somalilanders" NGO and a "community pharmacies" system, through their Djiboutian experience, and with added private shareholding as to mitigate rampant corruption, is high on the priority list alongside an upgrade in terms of quality of the healthacare delivered by local hospitals (child and maternal mortality rates are extremely high and the majority could hardly access private healthcare).

 

Having said that, nothing sustainable could be achieved as long as more than 70% of the national budget is allocated to defence & security expenses while primary healthcare and Basic & vocational Education are woefully ignored alongside Water & Sanitation (both clean water and basic sanitation have dramatically reduced mortality rates worldwide for modest investments)!

 

It just seems that the overwhelming, silently suffering majority is invisible for local authorities while corrupt officials and businessmen are thriving in a regulations free environment (interestingly, Riyaale has been termed as the highest paid "President" in exercise while the Somaliland 2003 Budget , here an analysis posted on Somaliland.org, is an eye opener in itself).

 

Sadly, the enduring incarceration of the able, respected Dr Gaboose and fellow Qaran party chairman Eng Hashi, under alleged Ethiopian pressure through their local office, will do little to alleviate the plight of the average citizen.

 

“Iska Daa Doorashooyinka inagu soo fooda lehe,Xadhiga Qaran Wuxuu carqalad ku noqday Socdaalkayagii [uganda], Garanmaayo Waxa loo Cafinwaayey” precised, after finally altering his initially hostile position vis-a-vis Qaran party's legalization, UCID Eng.Faysal Cali (who also, initially, opportunistically supported their imprisonment).

 

Particularly noteworthy, the ELDR EU party seems to link his appeal for the consideration of Somaliland recognition to their release and Qaran legalization, as they quite convincingly argue that the three legal parties should be decided by Somalilanders themselves instead of the ruling UDUB.

 

As unique response to this date, a quasi-dictatorial "Media Law" has been drafted to pave the way for 2008 elections as the current authorities feel more emboldened by their alliance with Addis-Abeba than any other form of legitimacy...

 

 

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Here is the ELDR letter to the local executive:

 

HE. Dahir Rayaal Kahin

 

The President of the Republic of Somaliland

Hargeisa, Somaliland

 

Brussels, 27 November

 

 

Dear Mr. President,

 

 

The Congress of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) adopted a resolution that calls upon the European Union and all of its Member States to give diplomatic recognition to the Republic of Somaliland and actively encourages the African Union to accept that Somaliland is not a secessionist state but rather a democratic entity that has abrogated a union with a failed State.

 

However, our call is conditioned by the existence of a government that respects human rights, a free market, and democracy, with a free press and the possibility of democratic changes of government.In a region of the world where these qualities are in short supply, your country is a beacon of democracy.

 

Therefore ELDR was alarmed to read of the arrests of Dr Mohamed Abdi Gaboose, Engineer Mohamed Hashi and Mr Jamal Aideed on July 28. These three gentlemen were architects of Somaliland’s freedom, and are surely entitled to exercise their constitutional rights to freedom of expression and of association, and the right to take part in the government of their country, which are found in Articles 19-21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

 

Whilst the constitution of Somaliland provides that there shall be only three political parties, there is no law that I am aware of which says that the current three parties will always be the three accepted under the constitution. The constitution like all others also guarantees the right of association and the persons who have been arrested are arguing that they are simply exercising their rights to form a political association and to be given a chance to compete freely to become one of the three political parties allowed under the constitution.

 

May I respectfully urge you to release the three gentlemen, and to convene a representative assembly to determine how to secure maximum popular participation at the forthcoming elections, by a process that would determine which three parties have the greatest support and whose candidates’ names should therefore appear on the ballot papers? I need hardly emphasise the damage to the cause of Somaliland’s recognition that will result from failure toresolve this problem by discussion and agreement, rather than arbitrary detentions.

 

In the longer term, Somaliland may wish to consider whether it is necessary to place any constitutional limit on the number of parties. In many democratic countries the citizens tend to elect just a few parties, though others may put up candidates without harming the democratic process.

 

 

Yours sincerely,

Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck MEP,

President of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party

[NASSIR]

UNDP's programs are misguided and will indeed fuel the crisis in Somalia and particularly in the peaceful North.

 

In my response to Dr. Diriye's article calling for a paradigm shift for Somalia, "RRARA is the Real Way to Go for The Reconstruction of Somalia: A System Based on Responsibility and Accountability for ALL the Stakeholders[posted on Hiiraan , I harshly criticized the UNDP's misguided programs in aiding and abetting Somalia's deep crisis through the facilitation and implementation of these programs when Somalia is still under chaos but more so allowing (perhaps for their own interest) Sool and Sanaag regions being bulldozed with the Hargeisa's clannish administration. This is what I proposed:

 

I think in many ways Dr. Diriye’s propositions are what Somalia needs. A new approach that looks into the political, social, and historical characteristics of the hotspots is very indispensable. First, UNITED NATIONS' administrative zoning arrangement must be reformed altogether to the extent that it reflects the prevailing circumstances in SOMALIA. For instance, (and speaking of one of the emerging Hotspots mentioned in the above article) according to the Joint Needs Assessment, 'Somaliland' still has jurisdiction over the regions of

Sool and Sanaag,

which indeed inflame the conflict and hostility. If majority of the people of these regions oppose the clannish-driven secession, is it a viable program that these communities’ interest be placed in line with those whom they perceive as regional rivals. This is the root cause of the conflict in in the North and the reason why these two regions still remain volatile and in conflict.

 

Taking advantage of the unfair system the U.N placed in Somalia after the collapse of Somali regime, any tribe that has the monopoly over the illegal acquisition of the country's Economic Infrastructure has been imposing its will on others, thereby exploding the situation.

The State of Makhir was created as an alternative to these grievances and in response to the needs concerning economic and social development, the gap of which created by none other than the United Nations’ office in Nairobi.

 

In addition to that, I believe the external influence of Somalia's conflict and their overlapping hidden interest in keeping the country under chaos and endless conflict need to be looked with another angle. Our conflict is nothing but tribal and disagreements over the equitable sharing of scarce resources.

Imposing one tribe on another based on misguided political and geographic information hasn't worked so far and it will never work.

The best conflict resolution mechanism in resolving the outstanding issues is to address the HOTSPOTS as the Dr. Diriye highlighted separate from the influence of another entity. For instance, Sanaag region and its stakeholders should be dealt with alone; Sool also should be dealt with its stakeholders, so on & so on. The U.N or any other international actors must not approach these regions or any other hotspots while violating the inalienable rights of their indigenous people.

It has never worked in 17 years and it will never work.

[Somaliwayn1]

AficanOwn you know what is gonna happen between that 5years (money missing from the bank of Hargaysa ) beleive to be worth 450 Mil.

 

Someone bought a house in Dubie Wonderful things happen when our learders spend the money that was suppose to be use to help the needy :rolleyes: