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| Norwegian Students Conclude Study Tour Of Somaliland Hargeisa (SL-Times) A group of Norwegian students are going back to their country today after concluding a study tour that took them to many places in Somaliland. The students (3 boys and 2 girls) arrived here early last month to gain knowledge about Somaliland’s society and to study how Somalilanders live. The study tour, sponsored by their school, the Oslo University College, Oslo, Norway, lasted about 35 days during which they visited Hargeisa, Borama, Gabilay, Allay-baday, Berbera, Sheikh, Buroa, Erigavo, and other localities. The Oslo University College students are in their 2nd year and are expected to major in Social Science. The students told the Somaliland Times, that while in Somaliland, they met with hundreds of people. The Norwegians were also overwhelmed by the way they had been welcomed by Somalilanders. “Wherever we went, people have been friendly, warm and helpful” said Raghild Bruun. During their stay in Somaliland, the students had affectionately taken some Somali names and had put on Somali attire. Raghild became Asha and another girl, Birgitte Dodgson, was dubbed Sahra. Henning Hertland Torma and Espen Wangensteen-Haugen were given the names of Mohamed and Gulaid respectively, while Anders Mathiesen was nicknamed Omar Dheere. There are about 8000 Somalis who are currently living in Norway. The Norwegian capital Oslo, is home to about 5000 of them. It is through this community that the students have become introduced for the first time to the background of Somalis. “The idea of coming to here was to enable us gain more practical knowledge and understanding of the real Somali society in action,” Anders or Omar Dheere explained. Asked whether Norwegians know the difference between Somaliland and Somalia, Birgitte or Sahra pointed out that people of Norway as elsewhere in Europe, usually associate Somalia with Somaliland. “Because they didn’t know the difference and that it was peaceful in Somaliland, people felt very worried when we told them about the trip we were planning to make up to here”. It took the Norwegian students one year before their tour finally materialized. “I would feel more safe walking the streets of Somaliland towns than in many big cities in America or Europe,” Birgitte added. The students said they were sad that they had to conclude their tour. “No matter how we try, we can’t fully express our deep gratitude to ordinary Somalilanders who treated us so nicely during our stay,” Espen Wangensteen-Haugen or Gulaid said in a voice cracking with emotions. While in Somaliland, the Norwegian students received many offers of help. “As we leave, it is deeply regrettable that we couldn’t possibly avail of all the support we have been offered,” Henning Hertland Torma concluded. The group also thanked the Somaliland Red Crescent, the Norwegian Red Cross and the Somaliland Ministry of Health for facilitating their trip to Somaliland as well for assistance rendered them while here. After their return to Oslo, the student group will write a report of 40 pages on their study of Somaliland society. But according to Asha Ragnhild, the group has learned so much about life in Somaliland, it will not be possible to include all the information gathered in a report of that size. KULMIYE Takes its Election Campaign to Borama Borama (SL-Times) It was only 2 weeks ago when the political organization, KULMIYE, wrapped up its election campaign in the major districts of Hargeisa region (North West). Last Thursday however, KULMIYE went farther west and took its compaign to Borama, the capital of Awdal region, which also happens to be President Rayale’s hometown. “I don’t intend to get less votes from Borama than Mr Rayale would get from Buroa,” joked Ahmed Sillanyo, the chairman of KULMIYE, as he addressed an audience that gathered in downtown Borama. The KULMIYE delegation is also expected to visit Zaila at the Somaliland Djiboutian border. Since last month, KULMIYE has been waging a vigorous campaign aimed at promoting its programme and winning supporters from the Somaliland electorate. So far, it has shown some considerable successes. KULMIYE leaders have recently adopted a policy that calls for the full active participation of the organization’s members and supporters in the forthcoming |
| The Options of Recognition May Be Boosted by the Forthcoming Elections Somaliland times-By next Feb 23rd, Somalilanders will have exercised their right to vote and express their will through the ballot box. After months of cynicism, most Somalilanders are now convinced of participating in the electoral process. Of course, there are those who view the whole process with deep skepticism and suspicion. But such negative attitudes are understandable considering that the majority of the Somalilanders who are eligible to take part in the forthcoming elections, have never actually experienced this kind of a process before. Yet after winning a decade-long struggle against dictatorship in the eighties, followed by another decade-long struggle for peace, national reconciliation and democracy, Somalilanders can not now dodge their right to vote and select their government representatives. This is by no means to underestimate the huge challenges posed to Somaliland by the forthcoming elections. Apparently there are many shortcomings in terms of the country’s preparedness for the elections. The tasks of voter registration, education and information are yet to be addressed. UDUB’s illicit access to government resources continues to be a serious problem that if not resolved now may overshadow later the legitimacy of the election results. Obviously there is little time left for overcoming the above difficulties. Neither does the incumbent government (both the executive and legislative branches) has much time left before its term in office expires by early next year. Apart from being a constitutional requirement, Somaliland’s current transition from the Shirbeeleed electoral system to a multi-party based democracy, is going to create a set of moral and legal options that the world cannot ignore any more. In the last 10 years while the international community has been busy in trying to reconcile the warring factions in the former Italian colony of Somalia, Somaliland has, by contrast, been involved in a successful peace-building and national reconciliation process without external help. Within this period, Somaliland has also proven wrong the skeptics amongst members of the international community that argued it is not a viable state. Somaliland has demonstrated despite the constraints posed by the lack of recognition its ability to do business with the rest of the world, that it is economically more viable than many countries in today’s Africa that depend on substantial foreign aid for survival. In fact, Somaliland stands as a model for democracy, human rights and self-reliance. There is no doubt that Somaliland’s electoral process, if conducted fairly and freely, will boost the probability of this country becoming recognized by the international community. It is therefore the common responsibility of all stakeholders, particularly President Rayale’s Administration, leaders of the opposition and the civil society at large, to ensure that the forthcoming elections are held peacefully, fairly and freely. |
