The Voice Of Somaliland: SOPRI Convention In Full Swing

Sunday, September 10, 2006

SOPRI Convention In Full Swing

The 2006 Somaliland Convention opened at the Doubletree hotel, Washington DC, on Friday September 8th.

Over 900 participants from the Somaliland Diaspora – largely from North America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific and Somaliland – as well as many friends of Somaliland attended the opening session. The participants included all ages and came from a wide spectrum of professional backgrounds. Among the Somaliland dignitaries attending the Convention are Hon. Abdulaziz Samaleh, Deputy Chair of the House of Representatives, Mr. Faisal Ali Farah, Chairman of UCID Party, Dr. Ahmed Hussein Essa, Foreign Secretary of Kulmiye Party. The President of Somaliland, who was expected to deliver the keynote address at the Convention did not attend, which disappointed the participants.

The Order of the Day included the burning question of international recognition for Somaliland as a sovereign independent state, maintenance of peace and security in the Horn of Africa, institutionalizing democratic practices and strengthening of democratic institutions, achievements realized and challenges faced.

The Convention focused on the burning issue of Somaliland’s quest for a seat at the international table of nations. The Participants detailed the numerous difficulties and hurdles that the lack of recognition imposes on the people, the government and the business community. These hurdles hampered Somaliland’s potential for economic and social development. The Convention also highlighted the responsibility of the government and political leaders in Somaliland to maintain peace and security and to partner with the international community in this vital area. The Convention acknowledged that the international community has both an interest in and a responsibility to support and assist Somaliland’s efforts in that regard.

The participants also raised a concern about the current constitutional crisis related to the extension of the term of the Guurti.

The evening closed with a fund raising event in support of Somaliland universities and academic institutions. The Washington area Somalilanders joined the Convention participants in a lively and enjoyable get-together with cultural music and dance.

SOPRI media office Washington, DC

No comments:

Post a Comment

The New Somaliland Press & Publications Bill 2007

The Somaliland Government has recently sent to the House of Representatives a new Bill on press and publications. The provisions of this bill (based almost entirely on the Yemen Law No: 25 of 1990 on the Press & Publications) run contrary to international norms relating to freedom of expression and the independence of the press and are not in line with the Somaliland constitution.
The considerable powers given to the Minister of Information (and other ministers) include even deciding on appeals from anyone whose writings have been turned down for publication by a newspaper’s editor (Article 46). These ministerial powers over the press and publishers/printers/distributors etc, the compulsory registration of all press and publication activities, including the practice of the profession of journalism, and the extensive criminal sanctions which add to the existing array of criminal offences in the 1962 Somali Penal Code contrast sharply with the current Somaliland Press Law (2004), which contains no criminal sanctions and is based on codes of conduct. Unfortunately the Somaliland Government has repeatedly made clear its dissatisfaction with the current press Law and has used the Penal Code and extra-judicial powers to detain and imprison journalists. It is no surprise, therefore, that the Somaliland Government is not putting forward amendments of the current Press Law, but is now proposing its wholesale replacement by this new Bill which introduces considerable criminal sanctions, such as fines and imprisonment (Article 99) for the infringement of its numerous provisions, as well as prohibition of continued practice of journalism or publication or even circulation of printed materials; confiscation of property, including printing presses (Article 101) and seizure of printed materials (Article 102)..........Full Text

The Isaq Somali Diaspora And‎ Poll-Tax Agitation In Kenya, 1936-41‎

Poll-tax agitation has been a fairly common phenomenon in Africa. On most occasions it has involved little ‎more than vocalized protest. In a few instances, however, it has led to resistance that has been both serious ‎and violent; the earliest example of the latter is probably to be found in the widespread Fante uprisings that ‎occurred immediately after the introduction of the Gold Coast Poll Tax Ordinance of 1852; a later example is ‎the Natal uprising of 1906 which has been attributed in large measure to the introduction of poll tax at the ‎end of the previous year. Yet the agitation by the Isaq Somali in Kenya did not follow either of these two ‎patterns. In several respects it was a highly unusual movement: first, the Isaq were campaigning to pay higher ‎taxation; secondly, in order to secure their aims they attempted to mobilize the whole Isaq diaspora, so that ‎Somali in Uganda, Tanganyika, British Somaliland and Britain were all involved in this agitation, (see map )‎.....Read the rest

The "Letter-of-Death" by General "Morgan" January 23, 1987

(Waridaad) - Following is the famous "Letter-of-Death" as translated into English by Mohamoud Sheikh Ahmed Musa, former President of the Supreme Court, including his explanatory notes as footnotes:1
The report is addressed to the President of the SDR, the Minister of Defence, and the Minister of Interior. The latter, Major-General Ahmed Suleiman Abdalla, is also a son-in-law of the President, and Third Deputy Prime Minister. Since President Barre is also the Minister of Defence -- the previous holder of that portfolio, General Mohamed Ali Samatar, having been promoted Prime Minister on January 30, 1987 -- the report is seemingly confined to family members. This would explain its extreme frankness in specifying certain clans as targets for implemented and recommended punitive action.
The target is the Isaaq Clan Family. The term "clan family" was first coined by Professor I.M. Lewis, Professor Social Anthropology at the London School Economics, to describe the collective name for each of the several major divisions to which Somali clans traditionally divide themselves. The Isaaq clan family sub-divides into four main clans.
Top Secret.......Read the rest