Judge assails prosecutors in Somali pirate case
WASHINGTON — The federal judge overseeing the case of a Somali man accused of negotiating a ransom payment during a 2008 pirate takeover of a Danish merchant ship told prosecutors they had engaged in “inexcusable behavior,” and suggested they will have a hard time winning a conviction.U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle was furious when prosecutors […]
A dialogue with a cat Kulmiye’s Rule; an assessment
By Dr. Omar Ibrahim Hussein I had a good conversation with a cat before the national elections. It was an exciting period where the fever of change was sweeping Hargeisa. A period of euphoria with high expectations, “Even if you rape me; I am Kulmiye” was the buzz word then. The deserving Mujahid at […]
Somaliland: Release prisoner of conscience, Amnesty International Public Statement
12 July 2012 AI Index: AFR 52/007/2012 Amnesty International is calling on the Somaliland authorities to immediately and unconditionally release elder Boqor Osman Mohamoud Buurmadow, a prisoner of conscience. Amnesty International is also urging the Somaliland authorities to quash the conviction against him, after he was sentenced on 8 July to one year’s imprisonment after conviction for “insulting […]
Is it a real option?
By Dr. Omar Ibrahim Hussein The two Presidents continue their dialogue in Dubai after the successful mediation by the UAE and we continue to dig their minds to see what might be in there. Sharif: We agreed to continue the dialogue, but remember, I am the big Sheikh and any agreement between me and […]
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly The Somalia-Somaliland Talks & the British Co-Opted Roadmap
By Ahmed Mohamed Egal When I was a teenager I saw a movie with the above title with which I fell in love. I later learned that it was from a genre that was disparagingly termed “Spaghetti Western” in Hollywood since they were made in Italy. In fact, it was one of a trilogy made […]
International Contact Group on Somalia
Final Communiqué The 22nd meeting of the International Contact Group (ICG) on Somalia was held from 2-3 July 2012 in Rome under the chairmanship of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Dr Augustine Mahiga, together with the ICG Co-chairs (Norway and the USA). The Italian Foreign Minister, Giulio Terzi, Speaker Sharif […]
The Miracle Journey: Mohamed Maktal travelled through eighteen countries with his Somaliland flag draped Mazda and Now in North America
By Suleiman Egeh: Freelance writer and senior science instructor My First Interview with Mohamad Musa Yususf also known as Mohamed “Ictiraf” word Recognition: Mr. Recognition’s First and Second Phase Recognition Quest Took Him through Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. I got the opportunity to meet Mohamed Musa Yusuf Maktal called Mohamed “Ictiraaff.” Or ‘recognition […]
The President meets the President: Who will blink first?
By Dr. Omer Ibrahim The President of Somalia meets the President of Somaliland in Dubai with a clear agenda prepared by the combined committee in London with the support of hosting countries. They initialed the agreed agenda prepared by the technical committee and postponed the thornier issues for future negotiations. Is it clear however what the […]
The cake first, then the slices
Bashir Goth It was a day like any other. A hot and bright summer day in the Washington D.C metropolitan area as we sat, a group of middle aged Somali men, in a good Afghani restaurant in Virginia at the invitation of a prominent Somalilander. We chatted like all Somalis do while we were waiting […]
THE DEATH OF THE LAST HOPE: How President Silanyo Failed Somaliland.
After a long fought election campaign starting in 2008, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud (Silanyo) was finally sworn as the new president of the Somaliland Republic in July 27, 2010. The defeated president, Mr. Dahir Riyale Kahin graciously handed over the presidency to Mr. Silanyo and wished him the best of luck. Mr. Kahin also promised that […]
Sustainable Peace: Why Somaliland Matters by Abukar Arman
By Abukar Arman Like in wars between states and other organized groups, civil wars and other protracted domestic conflicts are seldom caused by a single factor. Over time, even those that prove to be the exception to the rule eventually evolve into a much more complex conflict- hence the entity known as Somaliland. […]
Missing the mark
After reading Mr. Abucar Arman’s article on “Sustainable Peace: Why Somaliland Matters”, I can’t help but notice a number of rather large inaccuracy and a surprising lack of knowledge on some basic facts. It is particularly disappointing when a representative of the TFG government; someone as eloquent and supposedly well versed on “Somali […]
Somaliland justice falters on the case of Boqor Osman Buurmadow
By Bashir Goth Boqor Osman Aw Mahmoud, Buurmadow, is languishing in jail for the fourth month in a case that exposed the faltering and inept system of Somaliland justice. In four months, the government prosecutor could not build a plausible case against Boqor Osman and couldn’t bring credible people other than government officials […]
“Somalia, welcome back.”
“Somalia, welcome back.” By Bashir Goth* With the arrest of the notorious Hassan Dahir Aweys, the inevitable defeat and apprehending of Ahmed Abdi Godane, the Joseph Kony of Somalia and his Al Shabab gang of criminals, and the ongoing Turkish-led momentum to get things right this time, one can confidently say: Welcome back to the […]