(M e d e s h i)
October 05, 2009
HARGEISA, Somaliland--
(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Somaliland Ministry of Water and Mineral Resources (Ministry) announced today that it will add 6,221 square kilometers of onshore acreage in block SL3 to their petroleum licensing round, closing in December 2009.
The bid round now includes nine concession blocks comprised of more than 95,845 square kilometers of onshore and offshore areas. The deadline for final submission of bids is December 15, 2009 and concessions will be awarded on March 15, 2010.
Seismic, aeromagnetic data and interpretive datasets over the region are available from TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company (TGS). The information on bid round application is also available through TGS.
Contacts
Minister of Water and Mineral Resources
Republic of Somaliland
Mr. Qasim Sh. Yusuf Ibrahim,
+ 252 2528766
MWNR.info@gmail.com
http://www.somalilandgov.com/
Posted by Medeshi on Monday, October 05, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
ETHIOPIA SAYS BRITISH AND SAUDI FIRMS FIND LARGE GOLD DEPOSITS
(Medeshi News)
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters)
Two mining companies have discovered gold deposits in Ethiopia that could yield up to 41 tonnes, a top government mining official said on Friday.
Gebre Egziabher Mekonen, head of the Mineral Operation Department in the Ministry of Mines and Energy, told Reuters the Golden Prospecting Mining Co., a British firm, had found a deposit of about 23 tonnes in western Ethiopia.
"Discoveries by the British firm indicated that there is a viable prospect for gold mine development in the area. But it takes up to $200 million further investment to exploit the resources roughly within the next five to 10 years," he said.
Sakaro, a mining company operating under Midroc Gold Co., owned by Saudi business tycoon Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi, has also discovered a new deposit estimated at 18 tonnes in the Lege-Dembi gold belt, Gebre Egziabher said.
The Golden Prospecting Mining discovery is at Tulu-Kapi, about 450 km (279.6 miles) west of the capital Addis Ababa and near the border with Sudan.
The company is also exploring another site near Tulu-Kapi, which has indications of a separate reserve of 30 tonnes, Gebre Egziabher said.
Once the two proven gold deposits were developed into mines, Ethiopia's annual income from the sector could reach up to $1.7 billion a year at current prices, from the present $105 million a year, he said.
Ethiopia has earned $450.5 million from nearly 48 tonnes of gold exports in the last 10 years, according to statistics by the National Bank of Ethiopia.
The country says it has indentified possible reserves of up to 500 tonnes in different parts of the country.
Gebre Egziabher said 44 international and local companies were engaged in mineral exploration throughout the country.
The government issued mining regulations in 1993 giving foreign investors incentives such as duty-free imports of equipment and repatriation of profits.
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Posted by Medeshi on Friday, October 23, 2009
Saturday, June 7, 2008
The African Development Bank at DAVOS Africa: Financing for Development Initiative
Somalilandpage.blogspot.com
4-6-2008
Leveraging Resources for Private Sector Financing
Cape Town, 6 June 2008 – The Private Sector Department of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group organized an exclusive two-day Financing for Development round table from 3-4 June 2008 at the World Economic Forum on Africa held in Cape Town, South Africa.
The meeting brought together world-class private sector financial institutions that had a fruitful interaction with senior management of the AfDB Group and the World Economic Forum on Financing for Development Initiative.
The meeting discussed ways and means of leveraging Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) capital to catalyze greater private sector investment. The gathering also enabled participants to discuss the African Financing Partnership, the optimal mix of concessional and non concessional lending and private sector views on the effective use of development finance institutions’ resources to catalyze private sector investment in Africa.
The Financing for Development initiative is aimed at developing a public-private financing partnership between multilateral development banks, bilateral development finance institutions, global investment entities, and commercial financial institutions.
The first day of the meeting highlighted the AfDB’s role in catalyzing further Public-Private Partnerships. Interactive discussions focused on engaging the private sector in increasing non-sovereign financing and funding at sub-sovereign levels, establishing investment climate capacity building as a central priority, “learning by doing transaction” programmes, using transactions as critical vehicles, strengthening investment project pipelines through project development support and providing advisory services to governments on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) structuring.
Issues related to financing infrastructure projects in Africa were examined and two AfDB Group projects were showcased, namely, the Mmamabula Energy Project in Botswana, presented by CIC Energy Ltd, and the Lekki Toll Road in Nigeria presented by Lekki Concession Company. At the end of his presentation, Mr. Opuiyo Oforiokuman, CEO/Managing Director, Lekki Concession Company Limited, said "Closing the huge gap that exists in the provision of essential basic infrastructure in Africa requires access to long term finance on affordable terms. Raising such finance, however, has proven quite a challenge over the years. It is important, nevertheless, that we don't give up hope, lest we allow poverty to be institutionalized here. The World Economic Forum brings together many of the people, both from Africa and beyond, who can truly make the difference. We therefore look forward to a positive outcome from this key event."
Participants also had the opportunity on the second day of the meeting to focus on the Bank’s initiative on the ‘African Financing Partnership’, a facility developed in partnership with institutions such as the entrepreneurial development bank of the Netherlands (FMO), Proparco, a subsidiary of the French Development Agency (AFD) and the German Private Sector funding agency (DEG). Other DFIs have shown interest in participating in this Partnership, whose main purpose is to harmonize procedures and help member institutions to increase their operations without increasing the processing costs, while maintaining the highest quality standards. The most important issue discussed during the breakfast session was how to seek ways in which the public sector division of labor could better complement and leverage private sector financing.”
Source: AfDB, June 06, 2008
4-6-2008
Leveraging Resources for Private Sector Financing
Cape Town, 6 June 2008 – The Private Sector Department of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group organized an exclusive two-day Financing for Development round table from 3-4 June 2008 at the World Economic Forum on Africa held in Cape Town, South Africa.
The meeting brought together world-class private sector financial institutions that had a fruitful interaction with senior management of the AfDB Group and the World Economic Forum on Financing for Development Initiative.
The meeting discussed ways and means of leveraging Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) capital to catalyze greater private sector investment. The gathering also enabled participants to discuss the African Financing Partnership, the optimal mix of concessional and non concessional lending and private sector views on the effective use of development finance institutions’ resources to catalyze private sector investment in Africa.
The Financing for Development initiative is aimed at developing a public-private financing partnership between multilateral development banks, bilateral development finance institutions, global investment entities, and commercial financial institutions.
The first day of the meeting highlighted the AfDB’s role in catalyzing further Public-Private Partnerships. Interactive discussions focused on engaging the private sector in increasing non-sovereign financing and funding at sub-sovereign levels, establishing investment climate capacity building as a central priority, “learning by doing transaction” programmes, using transactions as critical vehicles, strengthening investment project pipelines through project development support and providing advisory services to governments on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) structuring.
Issues related to financing infrastructure projects in Africa were examined and two AfDB Group projects were showcased, namely, the Mmamabula Energy Project in Botswana, presented by CIC Energy Ltd, and the Lekki Toll Road in Nigeria presented by Lekki Concession Company. At the end of his presentation, Mr. Opuiyo Oforiokuman, CEO/Managing Director, Lekki Concession Company Limited, said "Closing the huge gap that exists in the provision of essential basic infrastructure in Africa requires access to long term finance on affordable terms. Raising such finance, however, has proven quite a challenge over the years. It is important, nevertheless, that we don't give up hope, lest we allow poverty to be institutionalized here. The World Economic Forum brings together many of the people, both from Africa and beyond, who can truly make the difference. We therefore look forward to a positive outcome from this key event."
Participants also had the opportunity on the second day of the meeting to focus on the Bank’s initiative on the ‘African Financing Partnership’, a facility developed in partnership with institutions such as the entrepreneurial development bank of the Netherlands (FMO), Proparco, a subsidiary of the French Development Agency (AFD) and the German Private Sector funding agency (DEG). Other DFIs have shown interest in participating in this Partnership, whose main purpose is to harmonize procedures and help member institutions to increase their operations without increasing the processing costs, while maintaining the highest quality standards. The most important issue discussed during the breakfast session was how to seek ways in which the public sector division of labor could better complement and leverage private sector financing.”
Source: AfDB, June 06, 2008
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Somalia/ Somaliland Petroleum Potentials Fact!.
Somalilandpage.blogspot.com
The Somali Republic gained independence on July 1, 1960. Somalia was formed by the union of British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland. Rebel forces ousted the Barre’s regime in 1991, but turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy ensued. The Somali National Movement (SNM) gained control of the north, while in the capital of Mogadishu and most of southern Somalia the United Somali Congress achieved control.
In 1992, responding to the political chaos and humanitarian disaster in Somalia, the United States and other nations launched peacekeeping operations to create an environment in which assistance could be delivered to the Somali people. By March 1993, the potential for mass starvation in Somalia had been overcome, but the security situation remained fragile. On October 3, 1993 U.S. troops received significant causalities (19 dead over 80 others wounded) in a battle with Somali gunmen. When the United States (in 1994) and the UN withdrew (in 1995) their forces from Somalia, after suffering significant casualties, order still had not been restored.
A Transitional National Government (TNG) was created in October 2000 with the three-year mandate of creating a permanent national Somali government. Although they declared their independence, the TNG does not recognize Somaliland as independent republic but has been unable to reunite the country. Peace talks began in late-2002 and are ongoing. Somaliland has refused to participate in these talks saying that while it would welcome peace in former Italian Somalia, Somaliland is an independent country awaiting international recognition.
Somalia's economy, one of the world's least developed, has been further hampered by the country's ongoing internal strife. Reliable economic data is scarce, and the TNG cannot manage the national economy while it struggles to gain control over the country. Livestock production (cattle, goats & sheep) is the mainstay and largest foreign exchange earner of the Somali economy. An outbreak of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) in southern Saudi Arabia and Yemen (the first reported outside Africa) in 2000 led six Gulf States - Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates - to ban livestock imports from the Horn of Africa. Middle Eastern countries are considering lifting the ban on livestock in early 2004. Another significant portion of the Somali economy, foreign remittances, have fallen significantly following the US government's closure of the Al-Barakat transfer company, which has been accused of transferring funds on behalf of Osama bin Laden and the Al-Qaida terrorist network. Remittances from abroad are estimated to be $200-$500 million annually.
While the TNG is in the process of reestablishing Somalia's Central Bank. Somalia is unable to receive IMF, and other multilateral aid due to the lack of institutions/financial infrastructure in place.
OIL AND NATURAL GAS
Somalia has no proven oil reserves, and only 200 billion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves. Somalia currently has no hydrocarbon production. Oil seeps were first identified by Italian and British geologists during the colonial era. Exploration activities were
focused in northern Somalia, and several foreign firms, including Agip, Amoco, Chevron, Conoco and Phillips, held concessions in the area. The firms all declared force majeure following the collapse of the central government.
Exploration activity remains hindered by the internal security situation, and the multiple sovereignty issues. In February 2001 Total signed an exploration agreement with the TNG. The twelve-month agreement grants Total the rights to explore in the Indian Ocean off southern Somalia. Hassan Farah, TNG's Minister for Water and Mineral Resources, stated that the government would provide security during the exploration activities. Several factional leaders have denounced the agreement, and stated that the TNG did not have the authority to sanction the agreement, nor the power to guarantee the safety and security of the exploration operations.
In May 2001, Somaliland signed an agreement with U.K.-registered Rovagold and two Chinese firms, CPEC and CPC, for the right to explore for oil. Dubai-based Zarara Energy also signed an exploration agreement with Somaliland. The Somaliland government has said it will honor, until they expire, the existing contracts foreign companies signed with the Barre regime that are in their territory. None of the firms have resumed operations in Somaliland.
Somalia's petroleum consumption was an estimated 4,000 bbl/d in 2001. The organization officially responsible for all petroleum product distribution and retailing is the cooperative Iskash. The state-owned Iraqsoma Refinery Corporation operated a 10,000-bbl/d refinery outside of Mogadishu, but it has been inoperative since 1991. Total is involved in the downstream sector in Somaliland. It rehabilitated and manages the operations of the oil terminal in Berbera, Somaliland's primary port. Total also supplies fuel to airports located in Berbera and Somaliland's capital of Hargeisa.
Somaliland Government Signs Agreement with UK Oil Company
Somalilandpage.blogspot.com
Jun 01, 2008 at 02:27 AM
Hargeisa.
The Somaliland Ministry of Water and Natural Resources has confirmed that the government of Somaliland has signed an oil exploration agreement with Asante Oil (UK) Limited.
According to the Director-General of the Ministry of Water and Natural Resources, Eng. Ahmed Ibrahim Suldan, Asante Oil (UK) Limited recently purchased the report from the seismic survey conducted in Somaliland by TGS of Norway, and has subsequently agreed to begin drilling towards the end of 2008.
Speaking to reports from the Republican at his office in Hargeisa, Eng. Ahmed Ibrahim also refuted recent rumours that Range Resources and African Oil which are currently conducting similar exploration in the Puntland region of Somalia may encroach into Somaliland territory.
Eng. Ahmed Ibrahim, Director-General of the Somaliland ministry of Water and Natural Resources described these rumours as baseless and stated that the government of Somaliland will protect the natural resources of the country, and described the current exploration in Puntland as merely an attempt by Range Resources and African Oil to sell shares in their companies in order to generate money.
Eng. Ahmed Ibrahim described the recent survey by TGS in Somaliland as extensive one which drawn lots of interest at the recent petroleum convention in San Antonio, Texas.
Source The Republican
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Canadian Oil Exploration Company Attacked by Disgruntled Militia In Puntland.
(Garowe)
25 May 2008
Posted to the web 26 May 2008
Exploration equipment reportedly contracted by a Canada-based oil company undocked at the port of Bossaso Sunday, but emerging reports tell Garowe Online that disgruntled militia have already launched their first strike.
The equipment included construction trucks of the old variety, along with trucks transporting water and petroleum to a location east of Bossaso where Africa Oil Corp. has set up an operations camp in the self-governing Puntland province of northeastern Somalia.
A Bossaso port source privately told Garowe Online that some of the trucks were "old and looked to be in bad condition," but that the contractor had "repainted" the trucks to give them a newer look.
Photographs of the equipment were splashed across Puntland government-affiliated Web sites, showing older trucks being unloaded as heavily-armed soldiers kept watch.
Hassan "Allore" Osman, Puntland's oil minister, told the media that Africa Oil will begin exploration activities in the region soon - marking the first such endeavor to be undertaken in the lawless Horn of Africa country since the late 1980s when American and European companies collected exploration data.
The bold exploration effort - engineered under the leadership of Puntland President Adde Muse - has faced numerous political and security obstacles since its inception in mid-2005.
Violence
On Sunday night, three of the trucks that were unloaded from a container ship docked at the port of Bossaso underwent mechanical problems and became stuck inside Bossaso, witnesses reported.
The trucks reportedly stopped working somewhere between Hotel Panorama and the Golis telecommunications company headquarters.
At around 11:30pm local time, unidentified militiamen attacked the location where there were reports of an exchange of gunfire.
Emerging reports have indicated that the attackers successfully hit one of the trucks with a rocket launcher, setting the truck on fire.
Reports of any casualties were difficult to obtain, since it was late during the night and there is limited movement of citizenry.
It was also immediately unclear who the attacking militiamen were, but the strike comes on the heels of widespread reports that unhappy clans have organized militias to counter the Puntland-Africa Oil drive to dig for Somalia's unproven oil reserves.
In unrelated development, an armored vehicle traveling between Bossaso and the Africa Oil operations camp 90km east exploded yesterday, wounding five militiamen on board.
Medical sources confirmed that the wounded militiamen were transported to Bossaso under a shroud of secrecy and are being treated for their injuries.
The cause of the explosion could not be independently ascertained, but some reports indicated that the vehicle hit a landmine secretly planted along the vital road.
Other reports said one of the militiamen accidentally dropped a grenade inside the vehicle.
As reported by Garowe Online last week, Africa Oil and its partners in the government of Puntland have established a private militia force to safeguard the Canadian company's operations in Somalia. [ READ: Oil firms recruit private militia for Puntland exploration]
The wounded men are part of that private militia, which remains untrained and ill-prepared to deal with the daunting security challenges ahead.
Challenges ahead
Exploration in Puntland is a nationally-sensitive topic across Somalia, as discord lingers within government halls in Mogadishu and Garowe, the capital of Puntland.
Most recently, Somali lawmaker Asha Abdalla openly criticized interim President Abdullahi Yusuf for endorsing the Puntland-Africa Oil deal.
MP Abdalla hails from Sanaag, a northern region etched between Puntland and the self-declared Republic of Somaliland.
In early 2006, Sanaag was the scene of fierce fighting between clan militia opposed to exploration and Puntland security forces. The violence forced Africa Oil's joint venture partner, Australian mining firm Range Resources, to suspend operations in Puntland.
But even with President Yusuf's endorsement, serious challenges lay ahead for any meaningful exploration effort in Puntland.
25 May 2008
Posted to the web 26 May 2008
Exploration equipment reportedly contracted by a Canada-based oil company undocked at the port of Bossaso Sunday, but emerging reports tell Garowe Online that disgruntled militia have already launched their first strike.
The equipment included construction trucks of the old variety, along with trucks transporting water and petroleum to a location east of Bossaso where Africa Oil Corp. has set up an operations camp in the self-governing Puntland province of northeastern Somalia.
A Bossaso port source privately told Garowe Online that some of the trucks were "old and looked to be in bad condition," but that the contractor had "repainted" the trucks to give them a newer look.
Photographs of the equipment were splashed across Puntland government-affiliated Web sites, showing older trucks being unloaded as heavily-armed soldiers kept watch.
Hassan "Allore" Osman, Puntland's oil minister, told the media that Africa Oil will begin exploration activities in the region soon - marking the first such endeavor to be undertaken in the lawless Horn of Africa country since the late 1980s when American and European companies collected exploration data.
The bold exploration effort - engineered under the leadership of Puntland President Adde Muse - has faced numerous political and security obstacles since its inception in mid-2005.
Violence
On Sunday night, three of the trucks that were unloaded from a container ship docked at the port of Bossaso underwent mechanical problems and became stuck inside Bossaso, witnesses reported.
The trucks reportedly stopped working somewhere between Hotel Panorama and the Golis telecommunications company headquarters.
At around 11:30pm local time, unidentified militiamen attacked the location where there were reports of an exchange of gunfire.
Emerging reports have indicated that the attackers successfully hit one of the trucks with a rocket launcher, setting the truck on fire.
Reports of any casualties were difficult to obtain, since it was late during the night and there is limited movement of citizenry.
It was also immediately unclear who the attacking militiamen were, but the strike comes on the heels of widespread reports that unhappy clans have organized militias to counter the Puntland-Africa Oil drive to dig for Somalia's unproven oil reserves.
In unrelated development, an armored vehicle traveling between Bossaso and the Africa Oil operations camp 90km east exploded yesterday, wounding five militiamen on board.
Medical sources confirmed that the wounded militiamen were transported to Bossaso under a shroud of secrecy and are being treated for their injuries.
The cause of the explosion could not be independently ascertained, but some reports indicated that the vehicle hit a landmine secretly planted along the vital road.
Other reports said one of the militiamen accidentally dropped a grenade inside the vehicle.
As reported by Garowe Online last week, Africa Oil and its partners in the government of Puntland have established a private militia force to safeguard the Canadian company's operations in Somalia. [ READ: Oil firms recruit private militia for Puntland exploration]
The wounded men are part of that private militia, which remains untrained and ill-prepared to deal with the daunting security challenges ahead.
Challenges ahead
Exploration in Puntland is a nationally-sensitive topic across Somalia, as discord lingers within government halls in Mogadishu and Garowe, the capital of Puntland.
Most recently, Somali lawmaker Asha Abdalla openly criticized interim President Abdullahi Yusuf for endorsing the Puntland-Africa Oil deal.
MP Abdalla hails from Sanaag, a northern region etched between Puntland and the self-declared Republic of Somaliland.
In early 2006, Sanaag was the scene of fierce fighting between clan militia opposed to exploration and Puntland security forces. The violence forced Africa Oil's joint venture partner, Australian mining firm Range Resources, to suspend operations in Puntland.
But even with President Yusuf's endorsement, serious challenges lay ahead for any meaningful exploration effort in Puntland.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Somaliland Appeals Justice to the Regional and International
IM. Abdi Halim M. Musa
Organizations Somaliland (Ex-British Somaliland Protectorate) is situated on the eastern horn of Africa and lies between the 08°00' - 11°30' parallel north of the equator and between 42°30' - 49°00' meridian east of the Greenwich. It shares borders with Republic of Djibouti to the west, Federal Republic of Ethiopia to the south and Somalia to the east. Somaliland has a coastal line to the north of the country which extends 460 miles along the Red Sea. Somaliland lies on an area of 137,600km² (68,000 sq. miles).
The bulk of Somaliland's exports are of livestock. In 1996, 3 million heads of livestock were exported to the Middle East alone but Saudi Arabia which was the main market has banned imports of livestock from Somaliland and this has badly affected the economy as a whole. Other exports include hides, skins, myrrh and frankincense.
Somaliland has confirmed deposits of petroleum, natural gas, world's largest gypsum, lime, mica, quartz, lignite coal, lead, gold and sulphur and many different of precious and semi precious stones The Population of Somaliland is 3.5 million. There is a low inflation, growing economy and a balanced budget.
Somaliland achieved independence from Great Britain on 26th June 1960 and became first independent Somali UN recognized state as a full member of the United Nations but very hastily entered union with Somalia (Ex-Italian colony) which Somaliland suffered 30 years of anarchy, long humiliation, dereliction, injustice, repression, atrocities and destruction through indiscriminate heavy bombardment on civilians, cities (Hargeisa and Burao) towns, and rural areas by warplanes, tanks and artillery. It was motivated by both tribal hatred and desire for land expansion and devised to ethnic cleanse an entire people, either by massacring or expelling in order to resettle refugees from Ethiopian-ruled Western Somali Province and others in their motherland.
The valiant armed struggle of SNM (1981-1991), supported by its courageous people, rescued Somaliland and its people from the well plotted statelessness in January 1991. This liberation facilitated the victorious national reconciliation, the immediate withdrawal from the disastrous union with Somalia, and the reclamation of Somaliland sovereignty in the Pan-Somaliland Conference held in Burao, capital of Togdheer region, in May 1991. Subsequently, law and order were restored, clan militias were disarmed, and democratic institutions were established.
Somaliland has fulfilled the fundamental condition for diplomatic recognition: An existing independent nation with its own colonial-drawn borders- a legal basis for diplomatic recognition. Somaliland fulfils the criteria of statehood according to Article 1 of the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of State: Somaliland has a permanent population; a defined territory (the former British Somaliland) with clear international boundaries of which it has an effective control; a democratic government, and a capacity to enter into relations with other states. Somaliland fulfils the criteria for recognizing new states, according to the guidelines set out by the European Union (EU) in 1992, even though they only apply to European nations. Article 4 of African Union charter asserts that the organization respects and recognizes independence of African countries based on colonial borders. The diplomatic recognition of all the 53 current African states is based on these colonial borders.
Somaliland is not a breakaway or a separatist country. The UN, the African Union, and the Arab League know undisputedly that Somaliland achieved independence before Somalia on June 26, 1960 within its colonial borders, and was one of the 17 African countries that obtained independence in 1960 from Europe. However, it had un-ratified merger with Somalia for 30 years (July 1960- January 1991) but withdrew from that union due to the above mentioned atrocities and destruction. The day after independence and before the merger, 35 countries recognized Somaliland diplomatically including Egypt, Israel and the five Permanent Members of the Security Council. Why not now? What is the difference between then and now? Somaliland is not the first country that withdrew from a union. Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia withdrew from the Soviet Union collapse in 1989, Bosnia and Macedonia withdrew from the Federation of disintegrated Yugoslavia in 1990s and East Timor from Indonesia 20 Feb 2002. All these new countries were automatically recognized by the United Nations. Somaliland is not exception as it fulfilled the same criteria. We are by no means the first African State to have entered into a voluntary union with another state and subsequently withdrawn from that union intact. Egypt and Syria, Senegal and Gambia, and Senegal and Mali, Rwanda and Burundi have all done likewise. Nor is Somaliland the first African colonial entity to have asserted its separation and independence from another; Eritrea and the Sahrawi Republic are today both full members of the African Union.
The Somalilanders, almost unanimously, ask what more they can do when the AU and the international community continues to recognize some anarchic, violent places in the west and central Africa as sovereign units. It is time to give them an answer.
Besides the withdrawal decision of May 1991, the landmark referendum held in Somaliland on May 31, 2001, overwhelmingly approved Somaliland constitution and reaffirmed, in the presence of international election monitors, the will of the Somaliland people to have independent, sovereign state of their own. Neither the UN nor the regional organizations (African Union and Arab League) have the right to nullify the decision of Somaliland people in that referendum.
Since more than 97% of the total voters of Somaliland have voted 'yes' in that referendum and since Somaliland was historically an independent and separate country from Somalia Proper with the overwhelming majority of the Somalilanders rejecting the 1961 constitution which was supposed to be the bedrock for the so-called reunion of Somalia and Somaliland and since Somalilanders have witnessed what amounts to genocide in the hands of their fellow southerners, it is time that the international community stopped its hypocrisy and began respecting the basic human rights of the people of Somaliland and therefore recognized Somaliland as an independent country which it deserves. Anything less than that, will plunge the whole region into further civil strife and more bloodshed, as any attempt towards re-unification with Somalia proper will sow the seeds of hatred and will ignite a long protracted civil war.
Is it fair to hold back a nation who made their choice yes for Somaliland? If we don't respect basic human rights for freedom of choice as in the case of the Somaliland referendum outcome, then the alternative will be long civil war without end. It's very hard to ignore that Somaliland saved itself from the anarchy of Somalia, and without help from the international community made peace, government, and a better system of conflict resolution based on their own culture.
In December 2002, we held our First Local Government elections. Five months later in April 2003 we followed it by our very first Presidential elections where three political parties, peacefully contested the seat of the President of Somaliland and the simple majority won by our President H.E Dahir Rayale kahin.
Somaliland's system of government is multiparty electoral democracy featuring a bicameral parliament. The president, MP's of the house of representatives and local councils have all been chosen through peaceful, fair and transparent elections witnessed and confirmed by international observers.
Somaliland is a nation that believes in democracy, peace and human rights. Because of these they want to separate from their own brothers who do not recognize these moral values. People who love peace and democracy should have given Somaliland a chance to show the world that they are a nation in their own right. The world has neglected and has turned a blind eye on the people of Somaliland. It's about time the world gives these people who want to be recognized for many reasons a recognition so that they can shut off their past and move on with life.
The lack of recognition has been depriving the people of Somaliland during the last 16 years of the opportunity to exercise their universally recognized human rights in terms of trade, traveling, learning and socio-economic development. The United Nations however are mistaken to believe that Somaliland will eventually be a part of "Somalia". The freedom being currently enjoyed in Somaliland cost its people the loss of tens of thousands of their sons and daughters and the total destruction of their towns and villages.
Why on earth would anyone in the international community deny Somaliland this, and plunge it into the bloody chaos of Somalia proper?
Somaliland people have paid a huge price to reinstate their independence and sovereignty. Rivers of blood have flowed and heaps of dead bodies have been witnessed in the streets of Somaliland. Therefore, it is about time that the international community recognized Somaliland and made operational the expression of the people to control their destiny and not to be arrested for the warlords who lost their sense of humanity and direction. Moreover, Africans, in general, have being criticized that they do not manage their affairs; however, Somaliland has refuted that biased notion by creating an oasis of peace, prosperity, and good governance. Somaliland's deed is shining in Horn of Africa and the peace-loving people of world should open their eyes and support.
Those who oppose the recognition of an independent Somaliland state should be very careful of the alternative that they are advocating which is the denial of the right to exist as a nation. Suppression is not the solution in here, the peaceful separation of the two states (Somaliland and Somalia) is, and its time the world should face the reality and recognize Somaliland as an independent state.
The neglect of Somaliland by the international community exposes its shocking double standard that on one hand advocates for peace, stability, and democratic institutions, and, on the other hand, ignores peaceful, stable, democratic Somaliland by denying it of diplomatic recognition. This denial has no legal basis in the court of international law. The delay is just a mere hope by the UN and regional organizations that Somaliland may return to the union with Somalia one day. This political gambling at the expense of Somaliland people for 16 years is irresponsible. It is also perpetuation of lawlessness, despair, famine, violent, terrorism spread and factional fighting in Somalia. There is no doubt that Somalia would be peaceful and stable country today led by its own government if Somaliland were recognized long time ago. Now, neither Somaliland is recognized nor Somalia has peace, both peoples are punished equally in the hands of UN and AU. The policy of keeping both countries at bay is not working any more. The sooner Somaliland is recognized the better chance to restore peace, law, and order in Somalia.
In conclusion, After more than 30yrs of abuse, torture, mass killing and humiliation, it is unfair to the Somaliland people that the international community goes against the will of the Somaliland people after they have done everything a state could do, and therefore recognition
Organizations Somaliland (Ex-British Somaliland Protectorate) is situated on the eastern horn of Africa and lies between the 08°00' - 11°30' parallel north of the equator and between 42°30' - 49°00' meridian east of the Greenwich. It shares borders with Republic of Djibouti to the west, Federal Republic of Ethiopia to the south and Somalia to the east. Somaliland has a coastal line to the north of the country which extends 460 miles along the Red Sea. Somaliland lies on an area of 137,600km² (68,000 sq. miles).
The bulk of Somaliland's exports are of livestock. In 1996, 3 million heads of livestock were exported to the Middle East alone but Saudi Arabia which was the main market has banned imports of livestock from Somaliland and this has badly affected the economy as a whole. Other exports include hides, skins, myrrh and frankincense.
Somaliland has confirmed deposits of petroleum, natural gas, world's largest gypsum, lime, mica, quartz, lignite coal, lead, gold and sulphur and many different of precious and semi precious stones The Population of Somaliland is 3.5 million. There is a low inflation, growing economy and a balanced budget.
Somaliland achieved independence from Great Britain on 26th June 1960 and became first independent Somali UN recognized state as a full member of the United Nations but very hastily entered union with Somalia (Ex-Italian colony) which Somaliland suffered 30 years of anarchy, long humiliation, dereliction, injustice, repression, atrocities and destruction through indiscriminate heavy bombardment on civilians, cities (Hargeisa and Burao) towns, and rural areas by warplanes, tanks and artillery. It was motivated by both tribal hatred and desire for land expansion and devised to ethnic cleanse an entire people, either by massacring or expelling in order to resettle refugees from Ethiopian-ruled Western Somali Province and others in their motherland.
The valiant armed struggle of SNM (1981-1991), supported by its courageous people, rescued Somaliland and its people from the well plotted statelessness in January 1991. This liberation facilitated the victorious national reconciliation, the immediate withdrawal from the disastrous union with Somalia, and the reclamation of Somaliland sovereignty in the Pan-Somaliland Conference held in Burao, capital of Togdheer region, in May 1991. Subsequently, law and order were restored, clan militias were disarmed, and democratic institutions were established.
Somaliland has fulfilled the fundamental condition for diplomatic recognition: An existing independent nation with its own colonial-drawn borders- a legal basis for diplomatic recognition. Somaliland fulfils the criteria of statehood according to Article 1 of the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of State: Somaliland has a permanent population; a defined territory (the former British Somaliland) with clear international boundaries of which it has an effective control; a democratic government, and a capacity to enter into relations with other states. Somaliland fulfils the criteria for recognizing new states, according to the guidelines set out by the European Union (EU) in 1992, even though they only apply to European nations. Article 4 of African Union charter asserts that the organization respects and recognizes independence of African countries based on colonial borders. The diplomatic recognition of all the 53 current African states is based on these colonial borders.
Somaliland is not a breakaway or a separatist country. The UN, the African Union, and the Arab League know undisputedly that Somaliland achieved independence before Somalia on June 26, 1960 within its colonial borders, and was one of the 17 African countries that obtained independence in 1960 from Europe. However, it had un-ratified merger with Somalia for 30 years (July 1960- January 1991) but withdrew from that union due to the above mentioned atrocities and destruction. The day after independence and before the merger, 35 countries recognized Somaliland diplomatically including Egypt, Israel and the five Permanent Members of the Security Council. Why not now? What is the difference between then and now? Somaliland is not the first country that withdrew from a union. Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia withdrew from the Soviet Union collapse in 1989, Bosnia and Macedonia withdrew from the Federation of disintegrated Yugoslavia in 1990s and East Timor from Indonesia 20 Feb 2002. All these new countries were automatically recognized by the United Nations. Somaliland is not exception as it fulfilled the same criteria. We are by no means the first African State to have entered into a voluntary union with another state and subsequently withdrawn from that union intact. Egypt and Syria, Senegal and Gambia, and Senegal and Mali, Rwanda and Burundi have all done likewise. Nor is Somaliland the first African colonial entity to have asserted its separation and independence from another; Eritrea and the Sahrawi Republic are today both full members of the African Union.
The Somalilanders, almost unanimously, ask what more they can do when the AU and the international community continues to recognize some anarchic, violent places in the west and central Africa as sovereign units. It is time to give them an answer.
Besides the withdrawal decision of May 1991, the landmark referendum held in Somaliland on May 31, 2001, overwhelmingly approved Somaliland constitution and reaffirmed, in the presence of international election monitors, the will of the Somaliland people to have independent, sovereign state of their own. Neither the UN nor the regional organizations (African Union and Arab League) have the right to nullify the decision of Somaliland people in that referendum.
Since more than 97% of the total voters of Somaliland have voted 'yes' in that referendum and since Somaliland was historically an independent and separate country from Somalia Proper with the overwhelming majority of the Somalilanders rejecting the 1961 constitution which was supposed to be the bedrock for the so-called reunion of Somalia and Somaliland and since Somalilanders have witnessed what amounts to genocide in the hands of their fellow southerners, it is time that the international community stopped its hypocrisy and began respecting the basic human rights of the people of Somaliland and therefore recognized Somaliland as an independent country which it deserves. Anything less than that, will plunge the whole region into further civil strife and more bloodshed, as any attempt towards re-unification with Somalia proper will sow the seeds of hatred and will ignite a long protracted civil war.
Is it fair to hold back a nation who made their choice yes for Somaliland? If we don't respect basic human rights for freedom of choice as in the case of the Somaliland referendum outcome, then the alternative will be long civil war without end. It's very hard to ignore that Somaliland saved itself from the anarchy of Somalia, and without help from the international community made peace, government, and a better system of conflict resolution based on their own culture.
In December 2002, we held our First Local Government elections. Five months later in April 2003 we followed it by our very first Presidential elections where three political parties, peacefully contested the seat of the President of Somaliland and the simple majority won by our President H.E Dahir Rayale kahin.
Somaliland's system of government is multiparty electoral democracy featuring a bicameral parliament. The president, MP's of the house of representatives and local councils have all been chosen through peaceful, fair and transparent elections witnessed and confirmed by international observers.
Somaliland is a nation that believes in democracy, peace and human rights. Because of these they want to separate from their own brothers who do not recognize these moral values. People who love peace and democracy should have given Somaliland a chance to show the world that they are a nation in their own right. The world has neglected and has turned a blind eye on the people of Somaliland. It's about time the world gives these people who want to be recognized for many reasons a recognition so that they can shut off their past and move on with life.
The lack of recognition has been depriving the people of Somaliland during the last 16 years of the opportunity to exercise their universally recognized human rights in terms of trade, traveling, learning and socio-economic development. The United Nations however are mistaken to believe that Somaliland will eventually be a part of "Somalia". The freedom being currently enjoyed in Somaliland cost its people the loss of tens of thousands of their sons and daughters and the total destruction of their towns and villages.
Why on earth would anyone in the international community deny Somaliland this, and plunge it into the bloody chaos of Somalia proper?
Somaliland people have paid a huge price to reinstate their independence and sovereignty. Rivers of blood have flowed and heaps of dead bodies have been witnessed in the streets of Somaliland. Therefore, it is about time that the international community recognized Somaliland and made operational the expression of the people to control their destiny and not to be arrested for the warlords who lost their sense of humanity and direction. Moreover, Africans, in general, have being criticized that they do not manage their affairs; however, Somaliland has refuted that biased notion by creating an oasis of peace, prosperity, and good governance. Somaliland's deed is shining in Horn of Africa and the peace-loving people of world should open their eyes and support.
Those who oppose the recognition of an independent Somaliland state should be very careful of the alternative that they are advocating which is the denial of the right to exist as a nation. Suppression is not the solution in here, the peaceful separation of the two states (Somaliland and Somalia) is, and its time the world should face the reality and recognize Somaliland as an independent state.
The neglect of Somaliland by the international community exposes its shocking double standard that on one hand advocates for peace, stability, and democratic institutions, and, on the other hand, ignores peaceful, stable, democratic Somaliland by denying it of diplomatic recognition. This denial has no legal basis in the court of international law. The delay is just a mere hope by the UN and regional organizations that Somaliland may return to the union with Somalia one day. This political gambling at the expense of Somaliland people for 16 years is irresponsible. It is also perpetuation of lawlessness, despair, famine, violent, terrorism spread and factional fighting in Somalia. There is no doubt that Somalia would be peaceful and stable country today led by its own government if Somaliland were recognized long time ago. Now, neither Somaliland is recognized nor Somalia has peace, both peoples are punished equally in the hands of UN and AU. The policy of keeping both countries at bay is not working any more. The sooner Somaliland is recognized the better chance to restore peace, law, and order in Somalia.
In conclusion, After more than 30yrs of abuse, torture, mass killing and humiliation, it is unfair to the Somaliland people that the international community goes against the will of the Somaliland people after they have done everything a state could do, and therefore recognition
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