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Category Archives: Somaliland
Somaliland Election Update
Progressio’s press conference will be at 11:00am local time tomorrow (in the wee hours in the U.S.).
Here is the links page from Somaliland Focus for news sites and background. And their Election Observers’ Blog.
Somaliland Election status
Progressio will issue a preliminary statement as the international observation coordinator tomorrow on how things are going so far at that time.
Somaliland Elections and Oil in Mississippi Sound
Best wishes to all in Somaliland on Saturday’s long awaited presidential election.
Oil from the BP blowout is now finally entering the Mississippi Sound for the first time, so we can now expect to be seeing here more of what has been happening in Louisiana, and to a lesser extent Alabama and Florida.
There are those who anxiously await an opportunity to drill off Somaliland. Oil has been the basis for the economy in Louisiana but it has threatened the physical future of a large chunk of the state, as well as the social and cultural heritage, and the wildlife and environment. Definitely a situation that demands good governance. Perhaps in the age of globalization, people can learn from our mistakes.
US Supreme Court rules unanimously in Samantar case, allows Somalis to sue ex-minister
BBC: US to allow Somalis to sue ex-PM
The US Supreme Court rules that a former Somali prime minister can be sued over claims of torture and extrajudicial killings. The Court found that the U.S. Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act does not protect individual defendants as opposed to foreign governments.
For background of case, see: Today-Supreme Court hears oral argument in Samantar v. Yousef–Somalia and Somaliland Torture Case
Burundi vote; Coke(TM) in Somaliland
Meanwhile, with the presidential election in Somaliland now just less than a month away, plans for a local Coca-Cola bottling plant between Hargeisa and Berbera hit the media this week:
Coke will be supplied in Somaliland by SBI (Somaliland Beverages Industries) and after the launch of the factory, bottles of Coke products will be priced to compete with locally bottled no-name brands and all Somalilanders will be able to take advantage of the great Coke taste at a great price.
There is no word yet as to whether or not SBI has considered recycling options for their output, however, perhaps somewhere in the future we can read about another group of Somaliland Entrepreneurs opening the country’s first recycling plant.
Somaliland Election Set for June 26
Somaliland’s long delayed election has been set by the National Election Commission for June 26, the 50th anniversary of Somaliland’s independence from Great Britain.
GAO says U.S. Dept. of Defense needs to determine future of Horn of Africa Task Force; report highlights challenges regarding coordination and effectiveness of civil affairs/development work
Government Accountability Office release.
The full 45 page report is here.
When we met with CJTF-HOA officials in October 2009, they estimated that, in addition to other tasks, about 60 percent of the task force’s activities focus on civil affairs projects. To conduct these quick, short-term projects, CJTF-HOA has established small civil affairs teams (for example, five or six personnel) who deploy to remote areas to engage the local communities and perform activities such as medical and veterinary care for local communities. While deployed, the teams generally nominate project proposals based on assessments they conduct as to what the communities need. The proposals are reviewed for approval by USAID, the embassy, CJTF-HOA, and AFRICOM prior to execution. During our October 2009 visit to the U.S. embassy in Ethiopia, we learned of several project proposals from civil affairs teams deployed in the country, ranging from under $10,000 to about $200,000—including the construction of a teaching farm, school renovations, training for local mechanics,
construction of an orphanage, and renovation of a bridge. None of the project proposals in Ethiopia had been approved at the time of our visit. CJTF-HOA officials told us that the project approval process can be lengthy, potentially lasting an entire year. This is generally longer than the tour rotations of some CJTF-HOA civil affairs team personnel.
. . . .
Furthermore, CJTF-HOA is coordinating with the Navy and coalition partners in CENTCOM’s Coalition Task Force 151, which conducts maritime security operations to protect shipping routes in the Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean. AFRICOM has also established a socio-cultural research and advisory team on a semipermanent basis at Camp Lemonnier. The team consists of one to five social scientists who conduct research and provide cultural advice to the command.
. . . .
Other CJTF-HOA proposed activities may not consider the full range of possible effects or may not be clearly aligned with AFRICOM’s mission. For example, Department of State and USAID officials we contacted at one U.S. embassy expressed concern that some of the activities that CJTF-HOA had previously proposed, such as building schools for the partner nation, did not appear to fit into a larger strategic framework, and said that they did not believe CJTF-HOA was monitoring its activities as needed to enable it to demonstrate a link between activities and mission. These officials told us that instead of leveraging long-term data to guide future activity planning, CJTF-HOA may be proposing activities without considering the full range of potential consequences. The embassy officials cited a past example where CJTF-HOA had proposed drilling a well without considering how its placement could cause conflict in clan relationships or affect pastoral routes. Officials at other embassies described similar problems with CJTF-HOA proposals. To mitigate such issues, U.S. embassies have steered CJTF-HOA toward contributing to projects identified by USAID, which are better aligned with embassy and U.S. foreign policy goals. Moreover, some CJTF-HOA activities appear to be sporadic, short-term events that may not promote sustained or long-term security engagement. Continue reading
Standard commentary calls for Kenyan support for Somaliland recognition
News from Hargeisa: Somaliland Presidential Election expected for sometime in June
Hargeysa, Somaliland, April 17, 2010 (SL Times) – The Chairman of Somaliland’s Election Commission Eng. Isse Yusuf Haji Muhammad revealed that they expect Somaliland’s presidential election to take place in June 2010. The Chairman gave this information in the context of elaborating on the election code of conduct that was recently signed by Somaliland’s political parties. He made these three points:
1- The electoral commission has done a lot in preparing for the election including opening offices throughout the country and selecting staff.
2- The voting cards will be distributed in the first two weeks of May.
3- The election is expected to be held in June, but the exact date has not been finalized yet.
See “Somaliland Finally Prepares for Presidential Polls” also from the Somaliland Times with additional background.
Somaliland Times editorial on delegation’s visit to White House
Former deputy chairman of parliament raises concern that NGO’s operating in Somaliland might participate in drafting constitution for Somalia in Nairobi and that this would in some way prejudice Somaliland which is not involved.