Somaliland, Travelling Beyond the International Map

[Jacaylbaro]

The international community should accept Somaliland into the family of nations, writes Abdirahman Mohamed Dirye.

 

_________________________________________________

 

Twenty years after unilateral declaration, Somalia continues to eclipse Somaliland and globetrotters see a journey to Somaliland as a risky business. The assumption that Somaliland is like Somalia, where the gun rules, has not an iota of truth to it. By contrast, beyond a shadow of a doubt, Somaliland operates according to the rule of law, where the ballot paper changes the sitting president. A biased media too preoccupied with Somalia, a confluence of terrorism, starvation, and the woes of war, hardly covers the positive stories of Somaliland, such as durable peace and democratisation. World-wide news consumers are led to believe that Somaliland is a part and parcel of Somalia and thus making a trip there is like committing suicide. But it is a de facto country and has informal links with Ethiopia and South Africa, amongst others. So far no courageous country has stood by Somaliland by establishing full diplomatic ties.

 

Somalia's ongoing and complex troubles often make the headlines and overshadow the milestones of Somaliland, such as the restoration of law and order, a rich democracy, and the running of a system without any help from external sources. If Somalia followed suit, all of the death and destruction could be avoided.

 

Somaliland is an oasis of stability. Over the years, thousands of returnees from the Diaspora have heavily invested in the private sector. They have built four-star hotels such as the Ambassador Hotel in the capital (www.ambassadorhotelhargeisa.com), beverage factories, money transfer firms, and private airliners. Unlike other Africans who wait for their governments to do everything on their behalf, Somaliland nationals have also raised funds to build infrastructure, including bridges. Despite the fact that it is an internationally isolated nation, it is still economically viable and progressing.

 

Although Somaliland is 20 years old, very few foreigners know about it. Popular Arab media ignore Somaliland's breakthroughs. The media is a spitting image of the countries that they operate in - if it is a liberal democracy, the media too is free and closer to the truth, but if it is working in an old-fashioned, authoritarian regime, freedom is not in the dictionary.

 

Somalilanders have done everything to give their country the international limelight and present their case, but the media works against them, sometimes deliberately. Therefore, Somaliland rarely catches the headlines. This tiny nation is struggling with the negative perception that it is associated by name with Somalia and foreigners often confuse Somaliland with Somalia. Some people in Somaliland even suggest changing the name to avoid the stigma associated with it.

 

Somaliland is a controversial issue among African states. Africa's semi-failed countries like the Sudan threaten to walk out whenever some AU member states like Ethiopia and Uganda suggest a more serious look at the matter. Despite the country's strategic location, the Somaliland case for statehood remains outstanding. On the other hand, Somalia, which has topped the list of failed countries for ten years in a row, has gained unprecedented interest from heads of African states. Nonetheless, the concerted blockade of Somaliland by the international community might not be the answer. By accepting Somaliland as a member of 'a family of nations' Somaliland will certainly offset the creeping danger of the Jihadists in Somalia.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Yeah sudan and Egypt threaten to walk out of the african union if Former president rayaale was invited to the AU summit. And look at Sudan today cumar Xassan al bashir is forced to accept an independent south sudan losing all the oil resources.

[Somalina]

The author is a Somaliland volunteer and activist based in

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Wadankiisa maxuu u joogi waayey, hadalkiisa xooga dhadhan iyo miisaan ayuu lahaan lahaa...

it is like adigoo raba inaad qof ka gadid baabuur aadan weligaa wadin. Naga daay hee ...lol

[Jacaylbaro]

Adiga waddankaaga maxaad u joogi wayday ,,,,,,,, naga daa dee ,,,

[Somalina]

lol...You comparing me to this dude? markaad i aragtid anigoo baryootamaayo oo HOL ku post gareynaaya faan maalayacni qoraal ah oo cantarabarash ka buuxo sidaa igula tali. Ethiopian resident oo nacnacleynaayo ha noo buunbuunin hadalkiisa. Muu tago meeshuu faaninaayo, maxaa Zenawi agfadhiisiyey...?lol

 

p.s. aniga waanba joogaa meeshii layga rabey....

location : Mogadishu, Somalia

[Jacaylbaro]

Imisaad meeshan ka faanaysaa ,, ka baryootamaysaa ,,,, come on. He wrote an article and u troll on SOL for the same ,,,

[Somalina]

lol...

Aniga ma baryootamo, international community uma qoro cantarabarash.

 

 

Waxaan ku soo dhejiyo halkan qofkale ayaa soo qorey already. Wax aad is barbar dhigi karto ma yaalaan halkan yaa JB, ee naga yareey heesaha cusbada laheen.

 

p.s. I dont have 30K of troll cantarabarash about aqoonsi...get your story together fadlan..

[Jacaylbaro]

I said u troll not write dee ........... wax fahan

[Somalina]

Jacaylbaro;687574 wrote:

I said u troll not write dee ........... wax fahan

Adiga waxaad fahantaa marka ugu horeysa waxyaabaha la isbarbar dhigi karo. Markaas aan ka hadalno trolling iyo baryo aqoonsi. Aight!

 

Maybe the dude should've chose a different title...lets face it, the dude is in ETHIOPIA, and you purposely left that part of the info out when you posted the article. YOU GOT CAUGHT. Shame on you....

 

p.s. Xunjuf ayaad igu qaldeysaa malaha...adiga iyo isaga uunbaa faana oo baryootama halkani ee...

[Jacaylbaro]

ETHIOPIA miyaad ka xanaaqday markaa coz u everyday read articles from someone in the US, UK, SWEDEN, BLAH BLAH ,,,,,,,

 

U still troll about Sh. Sharif remember ?? ,,,

[Somalina]

Marka hore, I'm a member of this forum just like you. Opinionkeyga waan ka dhibanaayaa Sheik Sharif anytime I choose.

 

 

Number 2, maxaad u soo copy gareyn weydey the Ethiopian part? aniga miyaa mise Dhagaxbuur ayaa laga heesaayaa?

 

You are not fooling anyone yaa JB. You were ashamed to see the dude was in Ethiopia. You got caught and now waa ooyneysaa...

 

Have a great weekend. I'm bouncing...

[Jacaylbaro]

have a nice bouncing ...........

 

Millions of people live in Ethiopia dee including A&T's family .....

[The Zack]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL@Somalina... Dee Jaceylbaro knows better and understands that posting an article written by a "Somalilander" who is an asylee in Ethiopia aint that popular in this part of Somaliaonline. So he opted that part out intentionally. Good catch, gabadha, good catch!

[Qodax Qorax]

Millions of Somli's live peacefully in Ethiopia, I have never noticed any oppression. I like travelling to Ethiobia when I am on my way to Somaliland. I have met many Somali's who work there, do business there, etc. And if any of them wants to write an article, so be it.

 

But who cares about some refugee's in foreign lands who even can't visit their own country. Lol