Riyaale’s Visit Is Hype

[miles-militis]

President’s Visit Is Hype - Ali Gulaid — CA,USA

 

The visit, President Rayaale is paying to the United Kingdom (U.K.) is more of a hype than substance; and Rayaale is the wrong guy for the right spotlight. The visit is neither historic nor is it a reward for skillful diplomacy nor for democracy and rule of law, nor would it lead to recognition, much to Somaliland’s dismay. Bluntly, it is no more important than the one Rayaale paid to Senegal and worse yet it may prove to be as one sided, less beneficial, as the Djibouti visits. It might as well be a dream comes true, but the realized dream wouldn’t be Somaliland’s recognition; rather it would be detention centers for the British.

 

Before anyone touts the prospects of this visit as historic and elevates it to government-government Presidential visit, it is important to know the facts, the agenda and how it came about. The SL government created the impression that, as a gesture of good will, the parliamentarians who visited SL have invited the President to reciprocate the friendly reception they have received in SL but others claim that it was the SL government who initiated the request. Now that is irrelevant but the question is what is his agenda? When asked about his agenda, true to his nature and background, the President refused to divulge the items on his agenda but without his help, here it is: a) Short speech in front of a select committee for international development b) Meeting with low level Foreign Office officials c) Meeting with low level Home Office officials –immigration officers d) Meeting with the International Development Minister, not yet confirmed e) Meeting with Somaliland Forum (SLF) representatives f) Meeting requested by Amnesty International g) Dinner hosted for the delegation and the parliamentarians by the London Community h) Brief session of questions & answers with the diaspora. j) Meeting with UDUB Party members k) Meeting with the Mayor of Henley City, the twin-sister City of Borama

 

With that agenda, it shouldn’t’ be difficult to foretell and assess what the outcome could be. In my assessment, it wouldn’t live up to the hype. To start with, two things are crystally clear: that the government of United Kingdom hasn’t invited Rayaale and his entourage; that Rayaale isn’t addressing the British Parliament contrary to what Rayale claimed in his interview with Awdal News Network (ANN), website run by the talented poet, and journalist, Mr. Good. Rather, Rayaale is speaking in front of a group of Parliamentarians, most of whom he met before when they visited Hargeysa. This is the highpoint of his visit and it is truly important but unfortunately Rayaale is the wrong guy at the right spotlight. This type of setting, where style matters over subsistence, Rayaale would be at a disadvantage. With due respect Rayale isn’t known for style nor clarity. He is uninspiring, inarticulate and unpolished. But more importantly he is less comfortable in the limelight and more comfortable with dark glasses, leather jackets and amid his ilk - security agents. With these traits, Rayaale would gasp for breath and the chance of him impressing his audience is very slim. This setting would have been an opportunity that Late Egal would have cherished, dazzled and shined with style. Egal was charismatic, affable, articulate, and sophisticated and would have performed under the spotlight. But Egal is no longer with us, May Allah rest his soul, so we are stuck on the mud.

 

 

This visit means different things for the two countries. To Somaliland, the President’s short speech and his audience are dubbed as the “event” but to the British, the “event” is the Home Office meeting and here is why? As a background, the reader should know that the British government was for sometime trying hard to recruit countries that would set up detention centers for the rejected SOMALIS as well as the hopeful asylum seekers. To the delight of the British, Somaliland has already accepted and signed to set up such detention center. As you recall, the Foreign Minister, Edna has already signed an agreement with the British in this regard and this meeting is a follow-up to formalize and zeal the deal and to further lay out the details of the program. If this is UDUB’s dream, it isn’t mine.

 

The question is what is in for Somaliland? Recognition, some might say, others might say few bucks. The latter might be closer to the truth. The idea of hosting a detention center would lead to recognition is a non-starter. This isn’t a negotiating situation; rather Britain has enough leverage and bait to win-over Somaliland. It is misleading to indicate that the British would trade recognition for the detention center. That wouldn’t’ happen, mark my word. At any rate, by judging the outcry from the Somaliland diaspora, this agreement is misguided and ill advised and would have deleterious effect on the country economically and culturally. Those who qualify for the detention center are mostly mentally disabled and hard-core criminals that no one wants to take back. This policy of accepting the British rejects sets bad precedent for the asylum hopefuls. In fact, this agreement has given the British bona-vide license to reject dully-qualified asylum seekers and that portends ill for Somaliland, a country whose economy is based on the remittance from the refugee. As a result of this policy, SL would become a poorer place if one can fathom such a place. Additionally, there is a risk that the addition of people of criminal background and people of no skills would infiltrate the moral fiber of the community and might resort to undesirable activities. One might call this a raw and unpalatable deal but wait. Djibouti has received similar treatment to repatriate all SOMALI refugees to Somaliland without any appreciable compensation. One would think the high-profile killings, which the government blamed on the refugees if memory serves me right, should have been a lesson for Somaliland. When do this administration learn?

 

The Amnesty International item on the agenda is a reflection of Somaliland’s deteriorating human rights record. According to reliable sources, Amnesty International has requested an appointment and Rayaale has reluctantly accepted after Amnesty Pressured him. Amnesty International is a human rights organization and the reason for the meeting is to highlight the human rights violations, the lack of due process, the documented torture and the inhumane treatment and the condition of the inmates. A grueling and grilling session; No wonder this item hasn’t been publicized. I can only hope that Rayaale realizes that human rights abuse doesn’t pay.

 

Equally, the Somaliland Forum has been granted an audience, after request. As I understand it, the purpose of this meeting is to advise if and where applicable, to get to know the President and his clique in person but more importantly to raise the concerns that the members have about the direction the country is heading to. Nothing to publicize either!

 

As to the Foreign Office appointment, it would, I assume, be brief and diplomatic but it might itself be equally embarrassing for the President. The issues of Parliament election, corruption, Sool and Sanag dispute and human rights would come up. And if the question of recognition is raised, the Foreign Office would repeat the answer it has given before, which is Britain wouldn’t be the first country to recognize Somaliland like Ethiopia, like Djibouti and many others have said (vicious circle) but that doesn’t preclude Britain’s willingness to dole economic development to Somaliland. First on the list, parliamentary elections, Mr. President, when would you hold? Embarrassing, isn’t it?

 

The Priorities of the delegation are out of focus. With that bleak assessment on the political front, one would think, the economic front should have been focused but that isn’t the case and the meeting with the International Development Agency, if at all it takes place, has been relegated to the back burner. Such negligence, incompetence and lack of vision and priorities are costing Somaliland the opportunity to harness fully the available aid to her advantage. Somehow, Somaliland is either unable or unwilling to identify where it hurts most and that increases the chance of misdiagnosis. By accepting the hosting of the detention center, SL have slightly scratched their back and this should be an opportunity for Somaliland to demand the British to scratch Somaliland’s back fully and forcefully till SL stops itching, economically speaking. SL could demand the British to increase considerably the financial aid it gets via the British NGOS, to select the type of projects, to demand some supervision and above all to pressure the NGOS to reduce the soaring overhead charges to an acceptable level and more disclosure.

 

About your questions? For those of you who are itching to ask the President and his delegation as many questions as possible don’t bet on it. You are right, like a reasonable person, to assume that the President would use this opportunity to level with diaspora and entertain your concerns with pleasure but the clique that advises the President aren’t reasonable. This clique, so they say, guards the President against exposing himself to an avalanche of uncensored questions and according to their mindset, the President performs better under a much more controlled environment and they have taken all precautions. Here are some of the tactics they normally apply: limiting the venue, the questioning and the timing, prolonging and belaboring on the answer to frustrate the audience and circumvent oncoming questions.

 

All in all, for the reasons outlined above, this visit would hardly advance the quest for recognition. Worse yet, like the Djibouti visits, Somaliland would end up with the short end of the stick. More rejected refugees and asylum seekers. A pattern is emerging and the more one comes to think of the policies of this administration, the more one realizes that Somaliland is being promoted, not as a country worthy of recognition, but as a safe heaven for rejects and detention centers. Give me your tired, give me your refugees, and give me your poor appear to be the dominant motto and if anything this visit confirms that. No one should be surprised, after all, the British has a practice of sending their rejects to far away places like Australia but this time it is Somaliland. Welcome to the detention center of the World, Somaliland. What a disgrace!

[BN]

Interview with British Envoy for Somalia David Bel (14-03-04)

 

"The President of Somaliland is in London on a private visit. The British parliament has not invited him."

 

"The Parliamentarians he will meet is the International Development Committee, who in fact, visited the region about a month ago. And indeed, some of them met a group of Somalis in Nairobi in the Interncontinental hotel."

 

"He will meet some parliamentarians, he will also meet some officials and ministers. But that is something that would be done with anybody visiting London if they request a meeting."

 

"So, there is no question of this being an invitation from the British government."

 

 

http://www.hornafrik.com/Audio/bel.ram

 

 

BN

[BN]

Samurai,

 

Seems like this guy is right on again. I remember he exposed Riyaale's half million yearly 'official' salary. Not to mention the rampant corruption, nepotism, etc. Keep up the good work Cali Gulaid.

 

BN

 

 

Finland deports first Somali to Somaliland

 

Action taken following numerous crimes

 

 

Finland has deported a citizen of Somalia for the first time. Finnish police escorted the man to Hargeisa in Somaliland.

 

He had been deported after a number of criminal convictions in Finland. Most recently he got a prison sentence of slightly over one year. Under Finnish law, foreign residents are subject to deportation if they are sentenced to at least one year in prison for a criminal act.

 

Hargeisa is the capital of Somaliland, an area in Northern Somalia, which declared independence in 1991. Although the independence of Somaliland has not been recognised by the international community, it has functioned as a de facto independent country for many years.

 

The man himself did not want to go to Somaliland, saying that he was from Mogadishu in Southern Somalia. He also said that he has a wife and a child in Finland.

 

The man came to Finland in 1991 among the first group of Somali refugees to enter the country. He lived in Finland for 13 years on temporary residence permits.

 

The Directorate of Immigration ordered his deportation in August 2001. The deportation was implemented after the Helsinki Administrative Court and the Supreme Administrative Court rejected his appeals.

 

Another Somali also faces deportation procedures, but the appeal process is still going on.

 

Somalia has not had a functioning central government since civil war broke out in the country in 1991. Fighting has flared up again in recent weeks, in spite of a cease-fire which took effect in January.

 

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees does not consider Southern Somalia to be a safe place for the return of refugees. However, Somaliland is already planning Parliamentary elections for this year.

 

http://www.helsinki-hs.net/news.asp?id=20040312IE6

[Xudeedi]

I can't believe even the BBC somali section disseminates this hype. And what is the reason behind the BBC somali section changing its known status quo. "the self-declared government" is now aired as "Dowladda somaliland" ama "Madaxweynaha dalka Somaliland"

[BN]

Britain May Consider Sending Asylum Seekers From Somalia To Somaliland

 

UK Home Office plan calls for establishment of UN "Protection Areas" in Somaliland for refugees from Southern Somalia; Turkey, Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan for Iraqi refugees; and Morocco for Algerians

 

London (The Guardian): A confidential government plan to slash the number of asylum seekers coming to Britain by deporting most of them to UN "protection areas" in their regions of origin has been drawn up by Whitehall and is to be presented to the prime minister this week.

 

 

Among locations mentioned for the regional protection areas, as part of a "new global asylum system", are Turkey, Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan for Iraqi refugees; northern Somalia for refugees from southern Somalia; and Morocco for Algerians. It also suggests Ukraine or Russia to stem the flow of economic migrants from the east of the new enlarged EU border.

 

Officials stress that care needs to be taken that the scheme is not seen as "dumping asylum seekers on the poorer nations" nor as "using money to enable us to wash our hands of the refugee problem".

 

http://www.somalilandtimes.net/2003/55/5501.htm

[BN]

ASYLUM NUMBERS DOWN, NEW DRIVE ON REMOVALS – HOME SECRETARY

 

Reference: 070/2004 - Date: 24 Feb 2004 10:07

 

"action to tackle fraudulent claims from Somalia, including agreement to begin to return people to Somaliland and arrangements for identifying Somalis with permission to live elsewhere in the EU (laid in Parliament yesterday)."

 

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/n_story.asp?item_id=827

[General Duke]

Good info Bari