"There was an opportunity for a new government to come to the conference if the elections had been held in March, as promised, "Deputy British Ambassador Andrew Allen told journalists in Hargeisa.
"But the elections have been postponed again and again and will not take place until November. So, we cannot invite the current government. We wanted to work with a new government because the conference will pledge aid for the next four years.”
The polls were to have been held in March this year but were postponed. The government said that a critical drought had displaced so many people that proper elections were not feasible as many voters had fled their homes.
Allen said he understood the problems the drought caused the organisation of polls but pointed out this was just the latest in a series of postponements, including elections to the National Assembly, which has been in place for more than a decade and will not face re-election now until November 2019.
Allen said he had voiced Britain’s concern in his talks about the continued arrest and detention of journalists and erosion of the freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.
The Human Rights Centre, an independent body, says arrests of 26 journalists in 2016 was slightly down on the previous year’s figure but the profession still felt vulnerable to arbitrary arrest and detention.
He said Britain was also concerned about the government’s transparency about major decisions it has been taking, including an agreement this week between Somaliland and the United Arab Emirates to establish a military base near the coastal city of Berbera. The Somaliland government has released few details about the agreement.
"The same small number of people responsible for the delay in elections are the same small number of people responsible for the agreement with the UAE. The people of Somaliland need more information on this base. What are the benefits? What are the risks?”
Allen said one risk was that Somaliland would become a target for extremists in the region, as well as "a whole set of regional relationships inlcuding those with Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia itself.
"It’s difficult for the people of Somaliland to make their assessment of these risks because the information is just not available,” he said.
Allen acknowledge that many of top Somaliland officials had British passports and said that they were liable to prosecution under the UK bribery laws if found to have received money illegally.
He was speaking in response to fears among many Somalilanders that people in power are abusing their office to enrich themselves and transferring money overseas.
Allen said the UK government had pledged 110 million sterling to combat drought in the Horn of Africa and that assistance of this sort went directly to people in need, not through governments and that no political criteria were attached to humanitarian assistance.
Waagacusub.net– An American unmanned drone launched a missile attack on one of Alshabab's most cold-blooded leaders on Sunday, 30 July 2017 in southern Somalia. The drove attack killed a man, who is dubbed the cruelest terror mastermind in the Mogadishu's history. Full Article
A high-level Bilateral Meeting of the Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU) and the Confederation of Turkish Real Trade Unions (HAK-İŞ) took place in Ankara, Turkey, on 14-15 August 2-17. HAKIS President, Mahmut Arslan and FESTU General Secretary, Omar Faruk Osman, led the respective delegations. This was the first such comprehensive bilateral meeting. Full Article
Daawo Video CCTV Fadeexadii doorashadii Gudoonka Wakiiladda Somaliland oo la helay Full Article
Waagacusub.net - Hip Hop Artiste IlKacase Song "Igu Sawir" Goes Viral As Somalia Govt is Mocked Over Photo PR Stunts. Full Article
The African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX) has called on the President of Somalia, Mr Mohamed Abdullahi Mohammed Farmaajo, to ensure that new repressive media bill, which seeks to muzzle freedom of expression rights, both offline and online in the country is not passed by Parliament. Full Article
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) welcomes the release of Journalist Omar Hassan Ali Known as Omar Serbia who has been arrested in Hargeisa, Somaliland since on Saturday 7, July 2017. Full Article
April 11, 2017: The African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX) joins its member, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) to strongly condemn the sentencing of independent journalist, Abdimalik Muse Oldon to two years in prison by the Marodi Jeeh Regional Court in Somaliland's capital Hargeisa. Full Article
Waagacusub.net - The Somali president made huge promises based on emotional patriotism that could not be fulfilled by clannish element like him. Full Article
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) has strongly condemned a court verdict against independent journalist Abdimalik Muse Oldon in Somaliland's capital Hargeisa who was today sentenced to two (2) years of prison. Full Article
Nusoj.org - Journalist Abdilmalik Musse Oldon was today arrested upon arrival at Hargeisa Airport by Somaliland authorities, and he is being detained Crimes Investigations Department. Full Article
Waagacusub.net - It has been known that Al-Shabab receives 52 Million dollars annually from Mogadishu. It gets from commercial companies, and public as taxes (zakawat)
Waagacusub.net - A Chinese oil company was involved in the smuggling of a former Somali rebel officer, Colonel Abdikariim Sheikh Muse, to Ethiopia because his organization of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) was against oil and mineral exploration in Ogaden of the southeastern Ethiopia by China.
Volgens de rechter zou de minister hebben aangetoond dat afpersingspraktijken van Somalische journalisten een bekend probleem zijn en stelde de bewindsman daarmee een ernstige misstand aan de kaak. Dat is een kwestie van algemeen belang en de minister moet daarover in de openbaarheid kunnen treden, overwoog de rechter.
Waagacusub.net– An American unmanned drone launched a missile attack on one of Alshabab's most cold-blooded leaders on Sunday, 30 July 2017 in southern Somalia. The drove attack killed a man, who is dubbed the cruelest terror mastermind in the Mogadishu's history.
Waagacusub.net - The presidency of Somalia's Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo is only eight months old but already his administration faces its first crisis - and it is one of their own making.
Today, 21/04/2018, Ministers of Information of five (5) Regional States of Federal Republic of Somalia, namely Puntland, Jubbaland, SouthWest, Galmudug and Hirshabelle were invited to Multi-Stakeholders Safety of Journalists Forum in Mogadishu whereas Regional States of Somalia and Independent Journalist Organisations were given no meaningful task or function. Full Article
Waagacusub.net - Strangely, there are few topics more controversial than sex. Full Article
Waagacusub.net - Human Rights Watch interviewed eight migrants, including seven ethnic Oromo from Ethiopia who had recently been held at the center, as well as Yemeni government officials and members of migrant communities. Full Article
Some Somali lawmakers said on Wednesday they plan to impeach the president in a mounting political crisis that could put the fledgling government on a violent collision course with one of the country's most powerful clans. The political turmoil endangers fragile gains against the Islamist al Shabaab insurgency and could derail the government of President Mohamed Abdullahi. Universally known by his nickname "Farmajo", the dual U.S.-Somali citizen took power earlier this year in a U.N.-backed process. Full Article
Xildhibaan Cabdi weli Maxamed Qanyare ayaa wax laga xumaado ku tilmaamay Wadaadada ku fadwoonaya Xildhibaanada iyo Siyaasinta mucaaradka, isagoo oo tilmaamay in hadaan Siyaasada laga heshiin oo madaxda aqligooda soo noqon aay imaan karto Hurumar la,aan Amni xumo,laalush iyo is qabqabsi joogta taaso lagu maareyn karin siduu hadalka u dhigay wadaadada la soo kireestay ee beenta fadwooda. Full Article
Xildhibaan Cabdi weli Maxamed Qanyare ayaa wax laga xumaado ku tilmaamay Wadaadada ku fadwoonaya Xildhibaanada iyo Siyaasinta mucaaradka, isagoo oo tilmaamay in hadaan Siyaasada laga heshiin oo madaxda aqligooda soo noqon aay imaan karto Hurumar la,aan Amni xumo,laalush iyo is qabqabsi joogta taaso lagu maareyn karin siduu hadalka u dhigay wadaadada la soo kireestay ee beenta fadwooda. Full Article
Ethiopian foreign policy and the Ogaden War: the shift from "containment" to "destabilization," 1977–1991 Full Article
The most Ethiopian corrupt military officer who is called Haile Gabre known by Somalis as General Gabre becoming extremely wealthy from the huge sums of money that he is getting from opportunistic Somali politicians who want to buy the sympathy of Addis Ababa, one of his juniors told Waagacusub anonymously. Full Article
The so-called Islamic State received some modest good news recently from Somalia, in what has otherwise been a dismal stretch of losses for the jihadi group. In October Full Article
UNHCR Special Envoy Mohamed Abdi Affey (second, right) listens to a Somali refugee in Dadaab, Kenya, who has opted to return home under a voluntary repatriation programme. Photo: UNHCR/Modesta Ndubi Full Article
UK excludes Somaliland from donor meeting over postponed elections
A top British official said on Tuesday that Somaliland would not be invited to a donor conference on Somalia in May because it had repeatedly postponed Presidential elections.