Somaliland multiparty system and tribalism. The rebirth of tribalism

Tribalism is on the horizon yet again in Somaliland, big time, we thought we have long buried it.

Looks like we are going back or heading back to the dark ages.

When multiparty was introduced or  announced last year, we were all happy and delighted with that news, at least majority of us were happy with. Only minority of people were against it saying that Somaliland were not ready yet. I agree with them now and understand why they were against it in the first place. I think we all are? Don´t we?

When the news of the multiparty came we all thought that we took a milestone step forward but in reality I see that we are going or went back the opposite direction now, backward.

Why I am saying that,  I am saying this cause if you look what is happening back home and in fact even abroad, where even sub clans(let alone tribe) are now selecting their members in to the local government. What will that do, that person who was elected by his or her clan will put his clan interest before the country interest and that is bad indication, indeed it´s a disaster waiting to happen.

Recently in London , I have attended a couple of parties opening ceremonies in London and I was appalled,shocked and disgusted with the level of tribalism going on there in Somaliland parties, it´s in fact beyond belief.

We need to choose a party or a president for their ability and for what he or they can do for our country, not because he or they are from this tribe or that clan.

Do you guys see what I see that is going on in our country or is it just me?  Hope you all do?

With a  tribe and tribalism, other tribes become the enemy. It´s natural that hate, rivalry and hostility begins or starts with tribalism. Just we see in the world around us, in terms of the relationships between countries, it is seen that when a group associate with each other, they will see other groups as an ´outsider´ and will act to defend their interests more easily that cohesively work together. Same goes for the tribes when two tribes have some sort of relationship then the other tribes see themselves as an outsider. If if you look back Kenya and its last election, look what happened, the bloodshed, the killing and the damage that was done to their economy. We are all aware that the problem started with tribes not happy with the results of the elections.

Fortunately, the only hope for Somaliland´s battle against tribalism is the younger generation.

The younger generations are more educated and less inclined to think along tribal lines. I would therefore, like to request for the young generation to engage and educate their ignorant elders and community , cause the only way forward is the unity of people of Somaliland. Tribalism is the destruction for the people and it corrupts their mind and soul physically and mentally. United we stand, divided we fall…

Come on young Somaliland people, be the agent or the leader of change you want in Somaliland." let us get rid of the tribalism for good. The fundamental change that we need will not happen over night and might take a decade or even a century, but we have to start now and fast, cause the sooner we take steps, the better. It is never too late.  one thing I know is the fact that the majority of Somaliland people, young and old believe that parties and officials should be elected with their knowledge and ability they acquire, not the tribe or clan they come from.

What do we need now? And fast and sharp.

First thing first. We need to create or set up a group of the younger educated generation under one umbrella, this group of young people will promote unity.

and highlight the damages that tribalism can do to the country and to the people.

This group can be set up all cities and villages and the countryside. This group can be funded by one of the NGOs and the government

Regards, Ahmed Yasin Mohamed Jama

London, UK

Madaxweyne Siilaanyo oo furay shir Lagu qiimaynayo waxqabadka Golaha Wasiirrada

Madaxweyne Siilaanyo oo furay shir Lagu qiimaynayo waxqabadka Golaha Wasiirrada

HARGEYSA (Somaliland.Org)- Madaxweynaha Somaliland Md. Axmed Maxamed Maxamuud (Siilaanyo) ayaa maanta xarunta madaxtooyada ka furay shir Golaha Wasiirradu yeelanayaan oo lagu gorfaynayo waxqabadkii xukuumadda ee labadii sanadood ee la soo dhaafay iyo sidii loo darsi lahaa caqabadaha ka hor yimid.

Shirkan oo socon doona muddo sadex maalmood ah waxa Wasiirradu ku soo bandhigeen qodobadii u hirgalay iyo wixii u qabsoomi waayay duruufaha sababay.

Shirkan Golaha Wasiirrada ayaa lagu wadaa in la dejiyo qorsheyaal lagu waajahayo caqabadaha ka horyimid Wasaaradaha kala duwan ee dalka.

Shirkani waa kii u horeeyay ee noociisa ah ee Golaha Wasiirradda ku soo bandhigaan waxqabadkoodii, waxaana laga soo saari doonaa qorsheyaal ay kaga gudbayaan wixii carqaladaas lagaga baxayo.

Cumar Maxamed Faarax
Somaliland.Org/Hargeysa
cumarmfaarax@hotmail.com

TACSI KA TIMID LA-TALIYAHA DHAQAALAHA MADAXWEYNAHA EE DHAQAALAHA

TACSI GEERIDA PROF. MOXAMED XAASHI DHAMAC (GAARIYE)



Waxaan tacsi u dirayaa ehelka, ubadka, tafiirta kale, gacalka, qaraabada, xigaalka, xito iyo asxaabta uu marxuum
PROF. MOXAMED XAASHI DHAMAC (GAARIYE) ka tegay meel kasta oo ay joogaanba . Sidoo kale waxaan tacsi u dirayaa shacbi weynaha Somaliland iyo Soomali oo dhan, gaar ahaan gobalka Maroodijeex ee uu ka soo jeeday.

PROF.GAARIYE, waxuu ahaa taariikh socota.
Waxuu ahaa macalinka dhaqanka iyo afka Soomaaliyeed, abwaan ummadeed oo bari, galbeed , koonfur iyo waqooyi carada Soomaalieed ee shanta ah iyo qurbahba ka ah bidhaan si cad u ifrtiimeysa. Geesi aan hadalka la gaban, garyaqaan xaqqa ku addima, nin weedhiisu tuf leedahay oo carabkiisu damqo daalin kasta oo dadkiisa duudsiye, nin ereyga uu yidhaahdaa ka nixiyo inta aan dadkooda u damqan, nin aamin san xorriyada afkaarta qoraal iyo hadalba. Nin tilmaama oo toosiya madaxda kuna soo rida tubta toosan iyo dariiqa wanaagsan. Waxuu ahaa fariin yuururta oo il dheer, nin u damqada danyarta iyo qofka dulman. Waa nin galay taariikha Soomaaliyeed oo qalin dahab ah lagu qoray, gabaayaa iyo maansoyahan, ku caan baxay cilmiyeenta afka Soomaliga, miisaan iyo higaad, xarakeyn iyo cabiraadba. Waxuu ka mid yahay tirada yar ee Soomali isku raacdya abwaanimadiisa, ayna xusi doonaan jiilasha soosocda fac ilaa fac.
 
Waxaan Illaahay uga baryayaa inuu u naxariisto oo uu janatal fardows ku abaal mariyo, innagana dhammaan inaga siiyo samir iyo Iimaan.

Ahmed Hassan Arwo
La-taliyaha Madaxweynaha ee
Dhaqaalaha, Ganacsiga iyo Maalgashiga
Hargeysa,
Eci.advisor@ymail.com

Caynaba News Fatahada Wabi Shabeele iyo Beledweyne

SOMALIA: Dangers for journalists grow as new government takes hold

SOMALIA:  Dangers for journalists grow as new government takes hold

MOGADISHU, 28 September 2012 (IRIN) - The situation of journalists in Somalia is becoming increasingly precarious as the country struggles to put behind it years of lawlessness following the recent successful election of a new president. [ http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96291/SOMALIA-Mammoth-task-ahead-for-new-president ]

"So far, 13 journalists have been killed and 19 others wounded this year, and the killings may continue if something is not done promptly," Abdirashid Del, a senior member of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), told IRIN, noting that political transitions often heighten security risks for journalists in Somalia [ http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96120/SOMALIA-Political-transition-could-be-deadly-for-journalists ].

Two more journalists were on 27 and 28 September killed by armed men in Mogadishu, according to reports, which were confirmed by NUSOJ. The dead included a sports journalist with the web-based ciyaarahamaanta.com and a correspondent attached to the Saba News Agency.

The deaths of journalists in Somalia, in targeted assassinations and explosions, have largely been blamed on Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabab militants.

"Al-Shabab may be part of the problem, but I cannot categorically say that they are responsible because we are not a court that can decide what happened. There is a need for more investigations to ascertain who is involved and why this is happening [at] such an alarming rate," Del said.

"Although we think that [the] government has not been involved, [the] security responsibility lies on them because protecting the lives of the people is one of the primary functions of the government," he added.

Most dangerous place

On 20 September, three journalists were killed and five others wounded after two suicide bombers targeted a popular restaurant in Mogadishu's Hamer Wayne District.

The following day, radio journalist Hassan Yusuf Absuge was shot dead near the station's offices in Mogadishu's Yaqshiid District.

"I thought about abandoning my job or leaving the country to a safer place like Nairobi or Hargeisa [capital of the self-declared republic of Somaliland], but I changed my mind after colleagues advised me to stay. Imagine losing four journalists in two days!" Hussein Abdulle Mohamed, a radio journalist, told IRIN.

"When your colleague is killed, the biggest question is: who is next?"

Abdulllahi Mohamed Ali, also known as Suldan, told IRIN that he would continue working as a journalist in Mogadishu despite getting injured and losing close friends. "Death is inevitable and everyone has a pre-destined time [to die], whether you are in Washington or in Mogadishu."

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) ranks Somalia as the most dangerous place for journalists to work in Africa.

 "We do not know our enemy. We are just like cornered sheep in a pen. Somebody comes at the time of their convenience and slaughters one after the other," said Suldan, adding that the future of the media in Somalia cannot be viewed separately from that of the country. "There can never be a green branch on a tree when the tree has no stem."

Government-run media houses have not been spared. "We experienced [a] much more dangerous period when we could hardly move because Al-Shabab was ruling most parts of the capital. I was fully aware of the dangers I was facing when I joined Radio Mogadishu. I came here because I wanted a platform where I could help the country," journalist Abdifitah Dahir Jeyte told IRIN.

Defying intimidation

Abdulkadir Mohamed Abdulle, a journalist with the newly launched Radio Goobjoog, urged journalists in Somalia to remain impartial while operating in a hostile environment where big stories mean big dangers.

"There is a big question mark on the future of the media in Somalia because the line between impartiality and bias is being increasing blurred," he said. "The government tells us that we cannot remain impartial when it comes to issues of national interest while Al-Shabab tells us that we can never be impartial between the right and the wrong. The time when a journalist could report all sides of the story is gradually disappearing."

During Al-Shabab's occupation of Mogadishu, broadcasters were even banned from airing music, an edict they responded to with some irony [ http://www.irinnews.org/Report/88805/SOMALIA-Broadcasters-mock-music-ban-with-gunfire-frogs-and-cocks ].

Despite the 2011 announcement of the withdrawal of Al-Shabab from Mogadishu, the Somalia capital has remained dangerous [ http://www.irinnews.org/report/94988/SOMALIA-Mogadishu-terror-continues-despite-Al-Shabab-withdrawal ]. But this has not affected the vibrant print and broadcast sector there, with at least 20 radio stations operating in Mogadishu alone.

Impunity

Reacting to the latest killings, Human Rights Watch (HRW), in a 24 September statement [ http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/09/24/somalia-investigate-killings-journalists ] urged the new government to adopt measures to provide better protection for journalists.

"Somalia's journalists have long topped the lists of targets by all sides during the country's brutal civil war," said Leslie Lefkow, deputy director of HRW's Africa division. "The new Somali president can act to end this horrific pattern by ordering prompt and serious investigations into these killings."

According to HRW, Al-Shabab told the media that their supporters had carried out the 20 September attacks but claimed they did not order it.

Warsame Mohamed Hassan, a Banadir Region deputy mayor for security affairs said, "Journalists are among the invaluable people we are losing to Al-Shabab, and we will do all we can to protect not only them but all Somali citizens as well."

No perpetrator has ever been prosecuted for killing a journalist in Somalia; CPJ's 2012 Impunity Index [ https://www.cpj.org/reports/2012/04/impunity-index-2012.php ] lists Somalia among countries "where journalists are slain and killers go free."

amd/aw/rz

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Somaliland Business Fund to Launch in London

Somaliland Business Fund to Launch in London

SBF better futureSomalilandsun- The Government of Somaliland and the World Bank are jointly hosting the launch of the Somaliland Business Fund at the Radisson Blu Portman Hotel in London on October 2, 2012, at10:00am - 2:00pm.

The Somaliland Business Fund aims to mobilize the creative energy and resources of the private sector to strengthen private enterprises, increase incomes and create new sustainable employment opportunities and thereby improve the lives of Somalilanders.

This event is targeting prospective entrepreneurs that would like to learn about the support provided by the Government of Somaliland and the Somaliland Business Fund to new investors.

RSVP is required by September 30, 2012.

The Somaliland Business Fund website [www.somalilandbusinessfund.com] provides information about the objective and selection criteria in the application process.

Below is the invitation and the agenda of the event :

The Government of Somaliland and the World Bank Invite You to the

Launch of the Somaliland Business Fund

Tuesday - 2 October 2012

Radisson Blu Portman Hotel

22 Portman Square

London W1H7BG

10:00-10:05 Welcoming Remarks

Najeeb Hashi, Project Coordinator, The World Bank

10:05-10:15 Introduction of the Somalia Private Sector Development Re-engagement Programme

Michael Engman, Senior Economist, The World Bank

10:15-10:45 Trading and Investing in Somaliland

Saad Ali Shire, Minister of Planning and Development, Government of Somaliland

10:45-11:15 Business Registration and Licensing Reforms – Introducing One Stop Business Centres

Abib Ahmed Ali, Director General, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Government of Somaliland

11:15-11:45 Introduction to the Somaliland Business Fund: Accessing Finance for Investment

Denis Dunn, Fund Manager, Somaliland Business Fund.

11:45-13:00 Open floor: Q&A

13:00-13:10 Closing Remarks

Tom Croft, Somalia Desk, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

13:10-14:00 Halal Light Food and Mingling

AFRICA: Religious leaders rally for environmental conservation

AFRICA: Religious leaders rally for environmental conservation

NAIROBI, 25 September 2012 (IRIN) - Faced with environmental degradation that threatens the livelihoods of many people in Africa, a group of 50 religious leaders met in Nairobi earlier this month and pledged to take concrete steps to mitigate the effects of climate change.

In Kenya, the Anglican Church, with an estimated five million followers, committed to increase the country's forest cover by 10 percent over the next four years, and to promote soil conservation in 100,000 households.

The Hindu Council of Africa, with an estimated 1.7 million followers, pledged an environmental audit ofits buildings. Other pledges included the development of tree nurseries and adoption of green principles to save energy, made by the Qadiriyyah, Nigeria's largest Islamic sect and the Anglican Province of South Africa, respectively.

The leaders, drawn from Muslim, Christian and Hindu faiths, launched an action plan to be implemented over the next seven years, which includes, among other things, developing workshops on environmental conservation, ending the use of plastic bags, conducting trainings on sustainable land management and rainwater harvesting, and promoting the conservation of forests.

The leaders came from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Together, the three faiths have an estimated 184 million followers living in some of the world's poorest regions, where people are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

One Earth

The three-day meeting, themed 'Many Heavens, One Earth, Our Continent' was organized by the Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group and funded by the World Bank, the US Agency for International Development and the Norwegian government.

Mounkaila Goumandakoye, director and regional representative of the UN Environment Programme, said, "We could be more successful, we could be more relevant to the needs and aspirations of the continent, we could have more impact in all African countries, if we can work with you [the faiths] hand-in-hand. Working with religions will go to the top of United Nations Environment Program agenda in Africa."

Religious groups have often played a role in environmental conservation. In the US, for instance, acoalition of Christian and Jewish groups are promoting an end to the cutting of old-growth forests and to commercial logging in public lands [ http://www.ecostewards.org/rcfc.htm ] while the Oxford Biodiversity Institute has partnered with the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) and the World Database on Sacred Natural Sites to map religious forest sites globally for conservation [ http://www.biodiversity.ox.ac.uk/customary-conservation/rfs ]. Religious groups own an estimated 5 to 10 percent of forests globally.

The close attachment of some religions to water and forests, experts say, make it easy to engage them in environmental conservation.

"People use forests as shrines, and rivers and lakes and, particularly, trees have been used as symbols of power by many religions around the world. They have a genuine interest in their conservation," Bethwel Murunga, who teaches African religion at Maseno University, told IRIN.

Martin Palmer, the secretary general of the UK-based ARC, which works with religious groups in environmental conservation based on their core teachings, beliefs and practices, said religious groups are a critical force in conserving the environment.

"We are realistic, but also optimistic. This cannot be done by the faiths themselves, but I can [say they can do] two-thirds of it. We have asked our partners, the World Bank, World Wide Fund for Nature, the Norwegian government and [others], to come here and see where we now need help," he said.

fn/ko/am/rz

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