- Somaliland President Dahir Riyale Kahin called upon the fighting factions in Mogadishu to stop the bloodshed and resolve their differences in a peaceful manner. He also urged African leaders to be fair judges on the issue of Somaliland, which he described as an African victory achieved by an African people.
In an exclusive telephone interview with Bashir Goth of 'Awdalnews Network', President Kahin said: "I see the clashes in Mogadishu as senseless fighting in which the blood of innocent and brotherly people is being shed. I call upon them again to stop the fighting, as the people are not divided into Muslims and non-Muslims and the fighting makes no sense at all. The people are all Muslims, therefore, I urge them to resolve their differences in a peaceful way, know what is good for them, refrain from inflicting more suffering on their people and causing them to flee their homes."
A message to Africa on the Africa Day
In a message to the African leaders on the occasion of celebrations on the Africa Day, President Kahin underlined that it was incumbent on African leaders to be fair judges of the Somaliland case.
"I urge them to judge fairly the case of Somaliland which is an African victory achieved by an African people. Africa has often been blamed for failing to resolve their differences by their own but Somaliland is the only country that has recovered from destruction and achieved a victory of their own making.
"I believe that Africa should not shy away from giving the appreciation that Somaliland deserves from them. I say that what Somaliland has achieved is a pride for Africa as a whole. No one can hide it and I call Africa to stop hiding the issue of Somaliland."
President Kahin denied that Somaliland had applied for membership in the Commission of the African Union during his recent visit to Addis Ababa or before it, saying that is it not the commission but the member states that recognize nations. He affirmed, however, that his meeting with Alpha Omar Konare, the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, was to follow up the report that the AU fact-finding mission to Somaliland had submitted to the African leaders. He said that he had discussed a number of issues and that the AU Commission had shown readiness to play its role in the Somaliland issue, adding that it was the duty of Somaliland now to launch a campaign to take their case to the member states one by one.
Yemen, Ethiopia and Somaliland
Answering a question on the outcome of his recent visits to Yemen and Ethiopia, President Kahin said that his visit to Yemen was in response to an invitation he received from President Ali Abdullah Saleh. He also said that the visit was a reflection of the historical and trade ties between Yemen and Somaliland.
Kahin said that although the main topic of the agenda was to resolve an issue of illegal fishing by Yemeni boats in the Somaliland waters, the talks between the two sides had covered a number of other issues.
"We have asked them to extend educational assistance to us and to appoint a representative in Hargeisa," he said, affirming that Yemen had promised to give postgraduate scholarships to Somaliland students. He added that he expected the Yemeni representative and accompanying delegation to arrive soon in Hargeisa.
On his visit to Addis Ababa, President Kahin said that it was not the first time for him to visit Addis Ababa and meet Ethiopian officials to discuss with them the two countries bilateral ties in the political, commercial and cultural fields.
"We have flourishing trade relations with Ethiopia," he said "they use Berbera corridor and I believe that every time we meet we give more momentum to our relations. Although we don't see eye-eye on the political side but I believe we have good friendship with Ethiopia and we have made enormous progress in our relations, particularly in the security, commercial and political arenas."
On recognition
Turning to Somaliland's recognition after 15 years of international isolation, President Kahin said that recognition was not given as a gift but had to be achieved through struggle and overcoming challenges.
"Somaliland had been thrown into a deep ditch a long time ago," he said, adding that Somaliland had lost its existence when joining the union with the South. He urged the Somaliland people to endure the struggle and challenges that lay ahead.
"They [people of Somaliland] should not be discouraged if they don't get recognition in one day or in 15 years or even more. Look at Taiwan, how many years have they been in the wilderness. Every country achieves victory by the struggle they experience both inside and outside the country and even through the efforts of its individual citizens. One cannot just find it (recognition) along the way. It is a challenge and it needs struggle. We have been busy in putting our house in order in the past but we intend to knock the final doors in search of our recognition the coming few years," he said, pointing out that the government has won the attention of the AU and has succeeded to establish Somaliland friends in many places.
Extension of the Upper House term
Answering a question on the logic behind the extension of the term of the upper house, President Kahin said that the country had carried several elections from 2001 to 2005 and was heading to new elections in 2007 and 2008.
"You can imagine the burden that such elections had on the economy of a small country which receives no assistance from anywhere. Therefore, we have no funds for it and secondly the election laws for the Upper House is not yet ready," he said, noting that his proposal for the extension of the term emanated from his sense of responsibility and his assessment of the damage that such recurrent elections would have on the economy of the country.
He added that the decision of the Upper House to extend their term of office for another four years was not only constitutional but also a necessary one. The house's original term was due in October 2006. President Kahin dismissed the opposition's protest of the extension, saying that the decision was final and constitutional.
Cabinet Change
On the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle or change, President Kahin said that he was not obliged to make any change in his cabinet.
"There is nothing that compels me to make a cabinet reshuffle or change," he said, describing the opposition parties' call for a new cabinet as propaganda aimed at creating instability in the country. He, however, mentioned that he would change some of the ministers in the near future.
On development
Asked about any tangible development achieved during his reign other than the democratization process, President Kahin said that there was not a single ministry that did not achieve a certain level of development.
"You, as Awdalnews, can call any ministry and ask them about their achievements. For example the budget of the country stood at Sl.Sh. 98 billion when I came to power. Today it tops Sl. Sh. 164 billion. This is due to robust revenue generation efforts," he said.
He also cited the rebuilding and quality improvement of the national army as well as developments in the educational, health and other sectors. He noted that the government had made great efforts to attract foreign investment and that German investors would soon arrive to invest in the cement industry.
President Kahin said that Somaliland had signed a petroleum survey agreement with a Norwegian company, expressing the hope that work on the project would start soon.
"The most important thing in oil exploration it to have data information. The old data information has been lost," he said, noting that the recent visit of the Minister of Water and Minerals to Britain and Europe was to approach relevant companies in this regard.
Praise for Somalianders in Europe
On the possibility of creating a ministry in charge of the affairs of Somalilanders in the diaspora, President Kahin noted that the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs was in charge of the affairs of Somailanders overseas.
He said that he noticed that Somalianders in the diaspora were divided into groupings and had different views on issues.
" I call them to united their efforts and their vision," he said. He praised the Somalilanders living in Europe saying that they are the only community that has organized themselves and formed a single organization that unites them. He urged other communities to follows suite and organize themselves.
"It will not be a problem to appoint a Minister in charge of their affairs but they have to organize themselves first and work for the common interest of their country," he added.
Call for national cohesion
In conclusion, President Kahin urged Somalilanders to end their internal differences and internecine bickering over issues and focus on the larger cause of building Somaliland.
"I say to my people we are on a journey in which we want to achieve a victory. We have to overcome our differences and grow up from engaging in meaningless debates. We should be people with one cause and work towards achieving it. I tell the Somaliland people that we have to all work together to make Somaliland our home," he said, underlining the importance of consolidating the country's security, attracting foreign investment and achieving recognition.
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