(Waridaad) - There is no doubt that Somaliland is a fact, as everybody who visits Somaliland can see with plain eyes. Somaliland integrity and sovereignty does not need blessings of anybody including that of the writer Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis and another anonymous writer who accused Somaliland for corruption.About the alleged corruption in Hargiesa by the anonymous writer, I don´t disagree with him on this point because Somaliland is part of third world where the corruption exists. For example, I visited Johannesburg, South Africa and Nairobi, Kenya in 2001. The case was more serious than the alleged corruption in Hargiesa, Somaliland. In Nairobi, I witnessed bank robbery at the day light, which is not possible in Hargiesa. In Johannesburg the gang fighting and bribing is common.
So, what Somaliland achieved in last 18 years utilizing its own resources and without international support, is an excellent achievement. The international communities including EU, AU, UN and recently USA appreciated Somaliland success in different occasions.
The writer is criticizing Somaliland on bases of an article with unreliable sources. I am sure that the writer neither visited Somaliland nor Somalia. He always writes based on erroneous and tribe-minded sources, which always inks against Somaliland because Somaliland cause is against their tribal dream of liberating Ogaden and NFD.
Somaliland can be defined as peace paradise in violent horn of Africa. It is a nation of its own, that does not need crisis defusers like Somalia. In Somaliland, neither peace keeping forces restored peace nor did an election analyzers supported Somaliland to hold last elections. Somaliland democracy is 100% homemade product.
Somaliland established best social services for their children, as the Somaliland student start schooling and complete until university level in their hometowns. This is excellent landmark in 18 years, which many Africans do not have.
Today, you can see thousands of citizens of Somalia studying abroad because of only one reason; they don´t have the education facilities similar to that of Somaliland. In Somaliland students can achieve their academic dreams in their own country except some rich students who can afford tuition fees of Hartford University or Oxford University.
Somaliland patients don´t run around the world for better medical services, instead they get cured in Somaliland´s local hospitals that provides very good medical services.
The job opportunities are getting better as the unemployment rate falls day after day in Somaliland. Today, major Somaliland privates companies like Dahab Shiil recruit from the campus of Somaliland institutes like Hargiesa, Amoud and Burao Universities.
Recently, Vice President of Somaliland Ahmed Yasin laid the foundation stone of university in Sool. This will enable students from Sool to lead job market in Somaliland. In 2006, during my visit the port city of Bosasso, Puntland, I realized that Somalis in Puntland traveling about 500 kilometers to Hargiesa to meet ophthalmologist clinics.
After my translator asked one of the travelers, why he should travel to Hargiesa? The answer was as expected, "the hospitals in Hargiesa have better ophthalmology facilities". Mohamed Ali, another citizen of Mogadishu, Somalia, whom I met in Hargiesa after the long journey from Bosasso to Hargiesa by land via Lasanod and mountainous town of Sheikh, He told me similar story, that he came to Hargiesa for eye problems. He added. "I lost my property to bandits between Bosasso and Garoowe in Puntland on my way to Hargiesa." He continued saying they killed a passenger and cried with hatred sentences that showed kind of revenge based on the ongoing fighting in Mogadishu.
Ali said the bandits robbed us because we were members of Hawiyo tribe, indicating that crossing the border into Somaliland was like entering save heaven. Such kind of tribe killing does not imply in Somaliland.
Adna Maternity Hospital is another remarkable progress in the gynecology and obstetrics sector of Somaliland. This hospital has some of the best doctors across Africa including Dr. Hadi and Dr. Hussein, both PhD holders in Gynecology and Obstetrics. They – the doctors – expressed willingness to transfer the hospital into Research Center that will enable Somaliland students to complete PhD researches in Hargiesa.
This is Somaliland, which is a fact and the world narrates. Articles from anonymous and other writers cannot change the world view towards Somaliland.
"We receive the patients from across Somaliland and Somalia." Adna Adam, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somaliland and Founder of Adna Maternity Hospital told Reuters. We helped many mothers from Mogadishu and Bosasso with childbirth difficulties.
Dr. Megalommatis recently accused me for forging articles. It is unfortunate for a man calling him self a doctor, not to be familiar with fundamentals of journalism. I will advice him to study the difference between "Compiled by", "Written by", and "Organized by" in addition to many other basics, which you are missing.
About my last article, "The Somaliland President trip to Washington: The most successful one" http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/58737.
The writer described it as unrealistic article, trying to downgrade the trip and its importance to USA-Somaliland relations. I don´t want to comment on this allegation of such a writer, Dr. Megalommatis, because the outcome and the gains of the visit are clear as crystal. Where, everybody can see the recent developments in Somaliland-USA relations.
Assistant Undersecretary of African Affairs Dr. Frazer visited Hargiesa in attempt to express USA good-wish to Somaliland democracy. EU promised to sponsor the expenses of Somaliland elections. This shows that EU revealed the freeness and fairness of last elections, and the union discovered the deep rooted democracy in Somaliland and they want to help now.
The visit of Dr. Frazier was to boost the relation between the two nations. She came on the invitation of Somaliland President Dahir Riyale Kahin to let her observe the reality on the ground in Somaliland.
Dr. Frazier and her delegate stayed Ambassador Hotel with five star facilities that does not exist neither in Puntland nor Makhirland (Markhirland is new terminology in the Somali history by erroneous sources of Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis.).
During her stay, she talked to civil societies, leaders of Somaliland opposition parties and UN agencies operating in Somaliland. They all agreed on one thing, "Somaliland is Africa´s best kept secret". She was delighted to know at least some part of Africa is working democratically and without international support. Dr. Frazier expressed Washington administration´s willingness to support the Somaliland cause between African states.
Recently, two U.S. Warships docked to the strategic port of Berbera as part of their relocation from Djibouti. This comes after President Riyale invited AFRICOM to establish military base in Somaliland.
Also, Dr. Megalommatis rejected that Washington received Somaliland delegate with full Head of State protocol, but he failed to notice the photos taken by the free media. These photos showed very clearly the US State Department bullet-proof cars and diplomatic security that accompanied the president and his delegate during the visit.
All these developments were well placed in my article http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/58737
This shows that writing an article is not inking empty text with no proving and evidences like most articles of Dr. Megalommatis.
I understand that Dr. Megalommatis does not possess experience in the complicated politics of Somalia, due to his non-Muslim origin. His Pen Name may look Muslim but fact is that, he has no clue in basics of Somali Muslim culture. As matter of fact, he needs to double check his articles and don´t depend on his Somali editors as they are tribal-minded and give side to their tribes against others using his Pen Name.
I would finally say to the writer Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis "look before you leap"……..
By: Abdulazez Al-Motairi
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