Supportive letter from Lord Avebury insisiting on full democracy in Somaliland

(qaransomaliland.com)-London-UK

From Lord Avebury P0726124

020-7274 4617
December 26, 2007

To Lord Malloch Brown

Minister Foreign & Commonwealth Office,
London SW1A 2AH

Dear Lord Malloch-Brown,

Further to my letter of November 2 about the situation in Somaliland, ref P0721112, copy attached, (to which I don’t appear to have had a reply), you will have been advised of the conditional release of the three leaders. I attach an article by Mahdi A. Abdi of the East Africa Policy Institute on the questions that arise from this decree by the President, and an article from the Somaliland Times of December 22 on this subject.

I understand that the Somaliland Minister of Finance is in Nairobi, where he was expecting to finalise details of the EU’s funding of the elections, as well as other aid projects. Whilst any humanitarian aid should continue, it would be wrong for the EU to subsidise elections which can’t be free and fair, since important players are still to be excluded from participation. I do hope we shall use our influence in Brussels to ensure that aid for the elections is suspended until the right to campaign and put up candidates, who may include the three leaders who were imprisoned for 144 days, is extended to the Qaran Political Assocation.

Yours sincerely,

Eric Avebury

Lord Malloch-Brown,
Foreign & Commonwealth Office,
London SW1A 2AH

.......................................................................................

One step forward, two steps backward.

Written by Mahdi A. Abdi We find the news of the release of Dr. Mohamed Abdi Gabose and his vice chairs from jail (Mohamed Hashi Elmi and Jamal Aydeed Ibrahim of the Qaran political association) as a very good step toward Somaliland’s steady progress toward democracy and the rule of law. It is gratifying to see the president choose reason and good judgment and bring to an end the campaign of suppressing the aspiration of nescient political associations by detentions and threats.

The recent statements coming out of the president which declared that the recently released politicians will not be allowed to run for political offices for the next five years seem to negate the initial positive action taken by him when he released them from jail. It also raises more questions than it answers:
For instance, without getting into the legality of the matter, does this mean that this presidential decree applies only to the three leaders or is it a blanket ruling affecting the whole Qaran political association?

The reason why no-one seems to know exactly what is going on in this president’s administration is that most everything is done through statements made by the president or his ministers, the courts and the judicial system are completely missing in action, and as a matter of fact the recently released Qaran leaders have yet to see any documentation from any governmental institution informing them of the terms of their release or even as to the reason of their release.

The difficulty for the president is that it is never an easy matter to rule by decrees and not clash with existing laws in a democracy. Having failed at getting the Qaran leaders to “ask” for a pardon and accept the ruling of the kangaroo court that illegally (in the eyes of the international and Somaliland communities) sentence them to a lengthy jail term, he unilaterally took the action of releasing them and now demands that they stop fighting for what they have been imprisoned for the last 123 days in Mandhera, or else…

There is very little chance that the leadership of Qaran and its supporters are going to cease and desist from what they see as their fundamental right to participate in the political process and veil threats from the president of future punitive actions to those who do not heed his warnings are not going to dissuade them from backing away from insisting on having access to all the rights and guarantees enshrined in the country’s Constitution.

Democracy can be a messy affair and it is by no means a perfect system, but the most important aspect of it is that it allows equal access to the process to those who adopt it as a system of governance. And Constitutional laws safeguard the rights of citizens so that no one is above the law (including the president) and equity and fairness are guaranteed to all the stakeholders in the country.

The question is not whether the country can have more than three parties, and Qaran is not making that argument, the question is whether political associations are allowed in the Constitution, and whether it guarantees the rights of the citizens to be elected into an office and to vote.

If the president insists that citizens are not allowed to form political associations and participate in the political affairs of the country, then how can he explain away article 22 of the Somaliland Constitution, which clearly states the following:


“Article 22: Political, Economic, Social and Electoral Rights

1. Every citizen shall have the right to participate in the political, economic, social and cultural affairs in accordance with the laws and the Constitution.

2. Every citizen who fulfils the requirements of the law shall have the right to be elected (to an office) and to vote.

The only legal manner in which Qaran can be denied the right to participate in the coming election is to amend this article (22) in the Somaliland Constitution and remove these fundamental rights it grants its citizens of Somaliland.

The president used the term "pardon" with deliberate care because it came with all the needed strings attached to make it possible for him to disqualify the "Qaran" politicians from running for any office while he is a candidate.

This is a direct translation of the release letter from the president:

“The president of the republic of Somaliland, having seen article 90/5 of the Somaliland Constitution, after seeing article 149 of the Penal code, having seen the judgment of the Hargeysa Regional Court MGH/DDL/424/2007, after listening to the advice of elders and Sultans, and taking into consideration the blessings of Eid Al Adxa has determined:

1. To extend a “special pardon” to erase the remainder of their jail term adjudicated by the Hargeysa Regional Court of said prisoners:

Mohamed Abdi Gaboose
Mohamed Hashi Elmi
Jamal Aydeed Ibrahim

2. I order their release before the celebration of Eid Day.”

According to a news report from the “Horn of Africa”, knowledgeable sources state that in order to diffuse the tense political situation in the country the elders who were involved in the mediation requested from the president an amnesty (Article 144 of the Penal code which grants no strings attached and all previous judgments to be vacated) for the jailed politicians instead of the partial pardon used by the president.

Furthermore Article 101/2 of the Penal code which was used by the Hargeysa Court which bans the Qaran politicians from voting or being voted for is inherited from Italy’s 1930 Mussolini’s Penal code and is in complete disagreement with Article 130/5 the current Somaliland Constitution which indicates that no law can violate Islamic law and the fundamental rights of the citizen. The Constitution being the supreme law of the land, it is clear that much of what the president has done so far goes against the letter as well as the spirit of the Constitution of the country.

The question remains whether the EU and other donor nations which have been instrumental in nudging the current administration to respect its own laws will continue to do so and insist on a full and a fair democracy to bloom in Somaliland and demand that the Qaran politicians be allowed to participate in the coming elections cycle by having the president vacate the odious Hargeysa Court judgment which is used to keep them from exercising their guaranteed Constitutional fundamental rights.

We urge all concerned communities, whether local or international to impress upon the president that the rule of law must prevail and checks and balances must be evident, the Media, all legal associations and Human Rights organizations must be free to practice their trade before democracy can be felt at the grass root level and Somaliland can rightfully claim to be truly a democratic nation.

East Africa Policy Institute.
Mahdi A. Abdi.
http://eastafricapi.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=136&Itemid=1


QARAN Leaders Will Continue To Be Banned From Politics

QARAN chairman Dr. Mohamed Abdi Gabose (center) and his two deputies Mohamed Hashi Elmi (L) and Jamal Aideed Ibrahim (R), soon after their release in Hargeysa

Hargeysa, Somaliland, December 22, 2007 (SL Times) – “The three top leaders of the QARAN political association will continue to be banned from politics despite their release from prison on Tuesday,” said Yusuf Tallabo, Somaliland's Deputy Minister of Justice.

QARAN chairman Dr. Mohamed Abdi Gabose and his two deputies Mohamed Hashi Elmi and Jamal Aideed Ibrahim were arrested on July 28 and sentenced on August 8, 2007 by a regional court to 3 years and nine months in prison. The court also banned the 3 leaders from politics for 5 years for founding an illegal organization and endangering public order through staging of political rallies.

The QARAN political association was proclaimed on April 2007. But the government has since been denying it registration as a political organization on the basis of a constitutional clause that limits the number of political parties in Somaliland to three QARAN's argument has been that whilst it true that only 3 political parties should exist in the country at any given time, it doesn't mean that those political parties should be UDUB, KULMIYE and UCID forever.

According to QARAN, the country's 3 national parties should emerge from the municipal elections which are contested once every 5 years and are constitutionally designed to produce the 3 national parties until the next local council elections.

Fearing that the formation of new political associations might endanger the existence of his weak UDUB party, Mr. Rayale responded by ordering the arrest and prosecution of Dr. Gabose, Mohamed Hashi and Jamal Aideed. Faced with countrywide protests against the imprisonment not to mention continuous international pressure, Mr. Rayale finally agreed to release the three QARAN leaders from the Mandera maximum security prison where they had been held for 144 days.

Mr. Rayale had repeatedly demanded that the prisoners petition him for clemency, but the QARAN leaders refused to do so saying that they had committed no crime and they were unjustly imprisoned for their political views. Presidnet Rayale’s release of QARAN leaders was in response to a request for amnesty by clan elders.

Around midnight Monday, the 3 men were informed by the prison guards that they were pardoned and were being taken to Hargeysa.

However on Thursday Mr. Yusuf Tallabo told a VOA reporter that the 3 QARAN leaders will not be allowed to exercise their political rights.

Until now, QARAN leaders have not been shown the text of the presidential pardon that ordered their release.

According to Dr. Gabose the government doesn't want to make the decree public so as to be able to write it down in the future as a conditional release that doesn't cover our ban from politics.

"Their plan is to invoke the order banning us from politics if we don't disband QARAN. In any case it's blackmail, and it's typical of the Rayale regime," said Gabose.

The QARAN leaders are expected to visit the Attorney General's office this morning to ask for a copy of the presidential pardon.

Under the Somaliland constitution, the president can pardon or grant amnesty to convicted individuals or a group of prisoners. But there are no bylaws or procedures for the implementation of the constitution’s article 90 regarding "pardon" and "amnesty".

In the QARAN case, the government’s prosecutor had utilized the Somalia penal code and criminal procedures code. According to that law, the Somaliland House of Representatives is to assume the power of granting an amnesty in the same way as Somalia's National Assembly was vested with such power.

Meanwhile QARAN leaders vowed to continue to exercise their political rights.

According to the Somaliland constitution (article 22), every citizen has the right to participate in the political, economic, social and cultural affairs; and every citizen has the right to elect and to be elected. Article 23 gives citizens the right for political association.

These two articles in addition to article 32 which guarantees freedom of the press, are among the articles in the constitution (bill of rights) that cannot be amended or changed by any branch of the government (see article 127 on amendments or corrections to the constitution).

Then there is law No: 14/2000 for the registration of political parties and associations. This law has not been annulled and therefore remains valid and applicable.

However the government had disbanded the registration committee in 2003 so as to avoid submission of applications for the formation of political associations in 2007.

Source: Somaliland Times
http://www.somalilandtimes.net/sl/2007/309/1.shtml

Shuro-Net Press Release

Monday, 10 December 2007

(qaransomaliland.com) Hargeysa--10/12/2007--On the occasion of the anniversary of the Human Rights Day, 10 December 2007, the Preparatory Committee of the up-coming General Meeting (GM) on 23 December 2007 and all members of the Original Shuro-net, likes to congratulate and support the Congress of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR). In a letter dated 27/11/07 to the President of Somaliland, H. E. Dahir Rayale Kahin, the President of ELDR, Mrs. Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck MEP told that her party "adopted a resolution that calls upon the European Union and all of its Member States to give diplomatic recognition to the Republic of Somaliland and actively encourages the African Union to accept that Somaliland is not a secessionist state but rather a democratic entity that has abrogated a union with a failed State. However, our call is conditioned by the existence of a government that respects human rights, a free market, and democracy, with a free press and the possibility of democratic changes of government".

The reason for this is, the letter continues, "in a region of the world where these qualities are in short supply, your country is a beacon of democracy". But ELDR was alarmed by the arrest on 28/7/07 of Dr. Mohamed Abdi Gabose, Engineer Mohamed Hashi Elmi and Mr. Jama Aideed Warsame, the leaders of Qaran Political Association, which she sees can have a serious consequence for Somaliland's recognition.

In a letter to Mr. Javier Solana, Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union, the ELDR President is blunter as she says "Somaliland's current political system and its leadership are failing to meet the minimum standards expected of a free and democratic State. Neither does the Somaliland government respect international human rights laws such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights". These are serious accusations.

The courageous support by one of the three main parties of the European Union is so far the best thing that happened to Somaliland's quest for international recognition. But Somaliland does not realise what it is missing. The ELDR, other supporters and friends seem to be getting wary and their goodwill is being eroded by careless Government violations against human rights and the standard pillars of democratic behaviour in Somaliland. Glaring examples are the arrest of the three top leaders of Qaran Political Association, the increasing suppression of the freedom of the press and the usurpation of the office of Shuro-net, the umbrella organization of the civil society human rights network.

The friends of Somaliland including Lord Avebury, senior member of the British House of Lords; SIRAJ; Professor I. M. Lewis; Somaliland Focus and Somaliland Forum believe that the Government's uncanny behaviour is not helping them to continue airing their support for Somaliland's international recognition. The ELDR President said, "These unlawful processes have already set the cause of Somaliland's recognition back, and if continued, must inevitably halt progress for the time being". This is a dire warning.

The GM Preparatory Committee and all members of the Original Shuro-net find it strange the Somaliland Government's attitude to ignore the many concerns of the international community as well as the frequent appeals within the country about the deteriorating situation of human rights in Somaliland. We honestly urge the Government, in particular the President H. E. Dahir Rayale Kahin, to heed the cries for caution and reverse Somaliland's sinking image in the eyes of the world. Instead of meddling in human rights issues like the freedom of the press, the arbitrary arrests of citizens and the gagging of human rights organizations, it is better to bask in the victory of Lasanod which lifts the people's spirit of patriotism and unity.

The country is passing a promising time when the population need not be pushed to desperation and mistrust, but instead given hope that at last the dark clouds of doom are lifting. Confidence building measures to break the ice that goes down well inside and outside Somaliland are: 1) the immediate and unconditional release of the leaders of Qaran Political Association, 2) the release of all detainees under the Public Order Law and 3) the abolition of the illegal Security Committees and lastly the respect of fundamental rights of Somaliland citizens.

Somaliland Human Rights Organisations Network (SHURO-Net)
Legitimate SHURO-Net Group

Happy Eid, Qaran Politicians Released Finaly, Victory for Somaliland.

News in Somali:

Ciid Mubaarak! Qaran Madaxdeedii oo Hargeysa maanta ku ciidaya!!!

Maxamed Cabdi Gabboose iyo ku xigeenadiisa Maxamed Xaashi Cilmi iyo Jamaal Caydiid Ibraahim

(qaransomaliland.com) - Hargeysa 18/12/2007

Saaka markay saacaddu ahayd 4tii subaxnimo Hargeysa ayaa siyaasiyiintii Qaran xaafadahoodii la kala geeyey.

Wareysi gaaban ee guddomiyaha Ururka Qaran Dr. Maxamed Cabdi Gaboose la yeelanay wuxuu noo sheegay iney filayeen in subaxnimada la sii daynayo laakiin ay si kedis ah shandadohoodii askari u boobtay habeenimo oo gawaari si deg-deg ah lagula soo baxsaday. Wax waraaqa ah oo ay saxiixeena ayan jidhin oo sifada lagu soo daayay ay filayaan iney tahay middey iyagu doonayeen oo u oggolaaneysa iney Ururkooda loo oggolado iney diwaan gelin karan si ay dorashooyinka soo socda uga qeyb qaataan.

Wixii kaloo war ah halka kala soco.

Mahdi A. Abdi

qaransomaliland.com

Somaliland’s Recognition is in Emergency State

Somaliland Recognition Action Group (S.I.R.A.G)
Somaliland Overseas
London, UK

Press Release

16th December 2007

SIRAG UK and SOMALILAND OVERSEAS have been campaigning for Recognition of Somaliland for so long and facilitated creating a Coalition of Friends for Recognition for our country in many parts of the world. We would like to remind the Elders, Intellectuals, Government, Parliament, Opposition Parties, Human rights organisations, Civil Societies, Media and the citizens of Somaliland that Somaliland’s recognition is in Emergency State.

As part of the Diaspora and the citizens of Somaliland we would like to extend our gratitude to the International Community and Somaliland’s Coalition of Friends for Recognition and Democracy for their support for Somaliland’s democratization, rule of law and human rights. We must admit that year 2007 has been a testing year for Somaliland’s democracy where the principles of upholding human rights have been compromised by the government of Somaliland. Somalilanders both in Somaliland and the Diaspora have campaigned vigorously against these setbacks and created some immediate solutions to resolve these issues. As a result, the citizens of Somaliland have gained sympathy and support from the International Community including the Coalition of Friends for Somaliland’s Recognition and Democracy.

However in saying the above we would like to set the record straight. The Coalition of Friends for Somaliland’s Recognition and Democracy have set strict conditions on the recognition of Somaliland and if these conditions are not implemented fully we believe that Somaliland’s Recognition God forbid will be delayed for some time.

The International Community and the Coalition of Friends for Somaliland’s Recognition and Democracy have turned their attention towards the Government of Somaliland and are monitoring the situation very carefully at present. In addition, Somaliland’s Coalition of Friends for Recognition and Democracy have also forwarded strict conditions to the government of Somaliland which they must fulfil if they are to gain full recognition from the International Community.

We have listed some of these conditions as below:

i) Qaran Political Prisoners must be released immediately without any conditions.

ii) The government of Somaliland must not interfere with the Independence of the legitimate board of SHURO-NET human rights organisation as highlighted by Front Line Human rights Defenders (see attached report for references). The Legitimate board members of SHURO-NET must be allowed to continue with their AGM on 23 December 2007 as planned without any delay and interference from the government whatsoever. We can not highlight enough how this case and that of Qaran Political prisoners can cause serious complications on the recognition of Somaliland. We will repeat again, these two conditions are the top two criteria for Somaliland gaining her recognition fully. The sooner it is fulfilled the quicker Somaliland’s recognition will come Insha’Allah.

iii) The Government of Somaliland must not intervene with the Freedom of Press in Somaliland

iv) Democratization of Somaliland to be strengthened and promising changes should take place to reflect this

v) Elections must commence on time

If the above conditions are not fulfilled Somaliland’s Recognition will be delayed for some time and the finger will be pointing at one direction only and that is at the leadership of the government of Somaliland. The consequences of not listening to the Voice of the Coalition of Somaliland’s Friends for Recognition and Democracy whom some of them also represent the International Community means that Somaliland’s quest for recognition over the last 16 years will be postponed for some time, God forbid.

We believe in the Spirit of the leadership of the citizens of Somaliland who will face up to the above challenges to overcome these obstacles once again. These challenges must be dealt with as an emergency case and the citizens of Somaliland must fulfill these conditions without any further delay.

We would also like to remind the Government of Somaliland that they must listen to the voice of the Citizens of Somaliland and their supporters. The success that Somalilanders have been building for the last 16 years have been damaged within a year.

We are aware of the fact that the above conditions have been communicated to the concerned parties and offices. The Coalition of Somaliland’s Friends for Recognition and Democracy are awaiting for some immediate and positive changes from the Government of Somaliland in order to save Somaliland’s quest for recognition and democratization over the last 16 years.

In God we trust, Somaliland’s hard work will prevail at the end.

God Bless Somaliland and the Family of Humanity

Marwo Lulu Farah

Chair of SIRAG
www.sirag.org.uk

Mr Ahmed Ibrahim Kadleye
Director of Somaliland Overseas

kadleye024@hotmail.com

Attached: Reports, Press Releases and Communiqués from Somaliland Diaspora, Media and Somaliland’s Coalition of Friends for Recognition and Democracy.

Reports, Press Releases and Communiqués by Somaliland Diaspora and Somaliland’s Coalition of Friends for Recognition and Democracy in relation to the illegal arrests of Qaran Politicians, Freedom of Speech and Targeting legitimate SHURO-NET Human Rights Defenders:

The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party-ELDR communiqué (ref: ELDR’s Conditional Recognition Call for Somaliland

Brussels , 27 November 2007)

http://www.somaliland.org/2007/11/30/eldrs-conditional-recognition-call-for-somaliland

http://www.eldr.org/index.php

Amnesty International (Ref: SOMALILAND: Leaders of new opposition party arrested)

http://www.amnesty.org/en/alfresco_asset/ff2f4dc1-a2b6-11dc-8d74-6f45f39984e5/afr520132007en.pdf

Frontline Humanrights Defenders (Headquarter office in Brussels).

Somaliland : Targeting of Human Rights Organisations Network and threats against its Director Mubarik Ibrahim Aar

http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/1280

Lord Avebury, Patron for Somaliland’s Recognition, Democracy and Humanrights:

http://somaliland28july2007.blogspot.com/

Letter from Lord Avebury to Lord Malloch Brown, November 2, 2007

http://www.qaransomaliland.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=202&Itemid=1

Lord Avebury supporting Somaliland’s Free Press

http://somalilandpresslaw.blogspot.com/

Dr. Ioan Lewis, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at the London School of Economics, (Prof Lewis Oo Cambaareyey Talaabadda Xukuumaddu Ka Qaaday ShuroNet

http://www.somaliland.org/2007/12/10/prof-lewis-oo-cambaareyey-talaabadda-xukuumaddu-ka-qaaday-shuro-net

Peter Tatchell: In praise of Somaliland, A beacon of hope in the Horn of Africa

http://www.theliberal.co.uk/issue_11/columns/tatchell_11.html

Somaliland Lawyers ( Somaliland Law)

http://www.somalilandlaw.com

Somaliland Law: The Delayed Release of Imprisoned QARAN Leaders: Procedural

Hurdles? By Ibrahim Hashi Jama

http://www.somalilandlaw.com/Delayed_Release_of_QARAN_leaders_230907.pdf

Press Release, Michael Walls, Chair, Somaliland Focus ( UK), Secretariat of UK All Party Parliamentary Group for Somaliland)

http://somalilandtimes.net/sl/2007/301/050.shtml

Somaliland Forum : PRESS RELEASE – IMMEDIATE Ref: SF/CLC/11/07

Date: 3/11/2007

SOMALILAND FORUM CONDEMNS GOVERNMENT’S TAKE-OVER OF

INDEPENDENT HUMAN RIGHTS NETWORK (SHURO-Net)

http://www.somalilandlaw.com/SHURO_Net/SF_PRelease_SHURO-Net_Final_031107.pdf

A Joint-Press Statement issued by Somaliland’s leading independent newspapers http://somalilandpresslaw.blogspot.com/2007/11/somaliland-government-proposes-new.html

Washington DC Somaliland Community Press Release http://somaliland28july2007.blogspot.com/2007/08/press-release-washington-dc-area.html

Somaliland European Society (Warsaxaafadeed:Ururka Xidhiidhka Jaaliyaddaha Somaliland ee Yurub (SSE))

http://www.somalilandnet.com/news/wnews/headline/13372750.shtml

Somaliland Overseas (Baaq Guud By: Axmed Ibrahim Kadleye

http://somalilandpatriots.com/news-3563.html

SIRAG : Appeal To The International Community To Support Somaliland’s Human Rights Defenders

http://www.somalilandtimes.net/sl/2007/303/4.shtml

Note: We appreciate and are grateful for the support and solidarity of Somaliland’s Friends whose names will not appear here for confidential reasons.

Also we apologise for not listing all the names of Somaliland’s Diaspora Organisations and Intellectuals who are too many to list here but who are tirelessly working hard to defend Somaliland’s recognition and status.

End of Press Release.

Somaliland Recognition Action Group(S.I.R.A.G)
Somaliland Overseas
London, UK

Conditional Recognition Sought For Somaliland By EU Party

Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck MEP, President of ELDR

London, December 1, 2007 (SL Times) – One of the main three parties in the European Union Parliament (ELDR) introduces a conditional resolution which calls upon the EU and all its member states to give diplomatic recognition to the Republic of Somaliland. Prominent among the conditions raised was the release of the Qaran leadership from jail.

Whether the president will heed this additional call to do the right thing and work toward bringing about the long sought recognition a step closer remains to be seen.

Here are two letters from the president of the European Liberal Democratic Reform Party Annemie Neyts-Uttebroeck addressed respectively to President Rayale and Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union Javier Solana.

______________________________________________

HE. Dahir Rayale Kahin
The President of the Republic of Somaliland
Hargeysa, Somaliland

Brussels, 27 November 2007

Dear Mr. President,

The Congress of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) adopted a resolution that calls upon the European Union and all of its Member States to give diplomatic recognition to the Republic of Somaliland and actively encourages the African Union to accept that Somaliland is not a secessionist state but rather a democratic entity that has abrogated a union with a failed State.

However, our call is conditioned by the existence of a government that respects human rights, a free market, and democracy, with a free press and the possibility of democratic changes of government.

In a region of the world where these qualities are in short supply, your country is a beacon of democracy. Therefore ELDR was alarmed to read of the arrests of Dr Mohamed Abdi Gabose, Engineer Mohamed Hashi and Mr. Jamal Aideed on July 28. These three gentlemen were architects of Somaliland’s freedom, and are surely entitled to exercise their constitutional rights to freedom of expression and of association, and the right to take part in the government of their country, which are found in Articles 19-21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Whilst the constitution of Somaliland provides that there shall be only three political parties, there is no law that I am aware of which says that the current three parties will always be the three accepted under the constitution. The constitution like all others also guarantees the right of association and the persons who have been arrested are arguing that they are simply exercising their rights to form a political association and to be given a chance to compete freely to become one of the three political parties allowed under the constitution.

May I respectfully urge you to release the three gentlemen, and to convene a representative assembly to determine how to secure maximum popular participation at the forthcoming elections, by a process that would determine which three parties have the greatest support and whose candidates’ names should therefore appear on the ballot papers? I need hardly emphasize the damage to the cause of Somaliland’s recognition that will result from failure to resolve this problem by discussion and agreement, rather than arbitrary detentions.

In the longer term, Somaliland may wish to consider whether it is necessary to place any constitutional limit on the number of parties. In many democratic countries the citizens tend to elect just a few parties, though others may put up candidates without harming the democratic process.

Yours sincerely,

Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck MEP,
President of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party

___________________________________________________

Letter to Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union Javier Solana.

Brussels , 27 November 2007

Javier Solana
High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy,
Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union
Rue de Ia Loi, 175

Dear High Representative,

The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) is very concerned about the situation in Somaliland. Our Party Congress adopted a resolution on this issue which calls upon the European Union and all of its Member States to give diplomatic recognition to the Republic of Somaliland and actively encourages the African Union to accept that Somaliland is not a secessionist state but rather a democratic entity that has abrogated a union with a failed State.

However, our call is conditioned by the existence of a government that respects human rights, a free market, and democracy, with a free press and the possibility of democratic changes of government.

Somaliland ’s current political system and its leadership are failing to meet the minimum standards expected of a free and democratic State. Neither does the Somaliland government respect international and human rights laws such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Last summer the Somaliland government arrested Mohamed Abdi “Gabose”, Mohamed Hashi Elmi and Jamal Aide 3d, three leaders of an emergent opposition party, in the Somaliland capital of Hargeysa on 28 July. They are respectively the chairperson, the vice-chairperson and the second vice- chairperson of the Qaran party (‘The Nation”), which is currently not legally registered but has begun informal political activities in advance of the local elections expected to be held in December 2007. Amnesty International has called for the immediate and unconditional release of these three men.

Ever since Somaliland broke away, following the downfall of Siyad Barre, friends of the new proto-state have pointed to the contrast between Somaliland’s maintenance of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and the anarchy which has prevailed in Somalia. They have tried to help Somaliland towards recognition as an independent state, and I believe this should still be the goal. The obstruction of citizens who want to present a new political agenda by the use of doubtful law is bound to undermine the project, and I request you to express concern on behalf of the European Union at the use of detention without charge, denial of access to legal advice, and the proposal to try the detainees in camera in a special court inside the prison.

These unlawful processes have already set the cause of Somaliland’s recognition back, and if continued, must inevitably halt progress for the time being. It would be helpful if you were able to underline these points in a message to the authorities in Hargeisa.

Yours sincerely,

Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck MEP
President of the ELDR Party

Source: http://www.qaransomaliland.com/

The Incarceration of Qaran Leadership

To: RH Abdurrahman Mohamed Abdillahi, Chairman/Speaker

Somaliland Parliament.

cc: RH Abdul Aziz Mohamed Samale, 1st Deputy-Chairman,

Somaliland Parliament.

: RH Bashe Mohamed Farah, 2nd Deputy-Chairman,

Somaliland Parliament.

cc: RH Suleiman Mohamoud Adam, Chairman/Speaker

Somaliland House of Elders.

cc: Mr. Abdillahi Mohamed Dualeh, Minister of Foreign Affairs,

Republic of Somaliland.

cc: Mr. Oomane , Chief Justices, Supreme Court; Republic of Somaliland.

cc: Mr. Ahmed Hassan Ali, Somaliland Minister of Justice;

Republic of Somaliland.

November 12, 2007.

Your Excellencies,

On Freedom and Democracy, perhaps the words of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt will make some sense to our parliamentarians:

"It is my right to be uncommon. For I do not choose to be a common man, if I can, I seek opportunity. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the government look after me. I choose to take the calculated risk, to dream, to build, to fail or succeed. I choose not to barter incentive for a dole; I prefer the challenges of life to a guaranteed existence, the thrill of fulfillment to the state calm of Utopia. I will not trade my freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout.

True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made."

Franklin Delano Roosevelt [1882-1945]; thirty-second of the USA.

Subject: Detention of

1. Eng. Mohamed Hashi Elmi}

2. Dr. Mohamed Abdi Gabose} QARAN LEADERSHIP.

3. Jamal Ibrahim Aideed}

Prior to the agreement on the postponement of the municipal and Presidential elections, the three political parties secretly agreed to stonewall any possibility of forming new parties during the upcoming municipal elections. At the same time, the government has negotiated a second agreement with the RH. Mr. Suleiman Mohamoud Adam and the Chamber of the Wise men [Guurti] to draft legislation effecting the extension of the term of Office of the President by three years. Both moves are intended to deny the illegally incarcerated Qaran leadership and any another citizen to exercise the Fundamental Rights and Freedoms enshrined in our national Constitution.

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LEGISLATURE:

Acting on the Universally accepted principle that states: "Government authority is a derivative of the will of the ruled masses manifested through periodically held free and fair elections where each every citizen is accorded universal suffrage; where national constitutions are in conformity with the norms of international law; and where the articles of such constitutions are subject to amendments and/or changes to eliminate or reconcile contradictory sections; and whereas such powers are vested in the duly elected representatives [national parliament]." In other words, it is the primary duty and the sole responsibility of the 82 members of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Somaliland and they have the following two options at their disposal:

1. Draft the appropriate legislation amending of Article 9[3] of our Constitution to reflect some semblance of compatibility with Articles 21, 22, 23, and 32. Regardless of the existing procedures for the formation of new parties, the House of Representatives is the sole arbiter in this issue and they should size up to the occasion by doing the right thing; or else

2. Rewrite the wording of article 9 section 3 by inserting the following: “The three political parties with the highest votes in the first municipal elections in Somaliland shall forever remain the only three national political parties allowed in Somaliland." This simple amendment takes care of our Rights and Freedoms under articles 21-36; eliminates some of the ambiguities in the constitution; and eases the insecurity of the present three parties- the door is shut forever on all future competition.

Do our parliamentarians have the political will and the courage to make these changes in time for the coming elections? Failure to do so now and they incur wrath of an angry electorate three years from now.

THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT AND FREEDOMS OF THE CITIZEN:

The quintessence's of the incarceration of the leadership of QARAN POLITICAL ASSOCIATION is a classic case of a completely broken down Justice System and a conflated interpretation of our Constitution.

This case falls within the grey and the shady areas of our Constitution: where to draw a fine demarcation line between the Rights and the Obligations of the State and the Rights and the Freedoms of the individual. The application of the 1962 Penal code of the defunct Somali state is rather questionable when the issue is the Rights and the Freedoms of the individual. At the time of the drafting of the Somali Penal Code, the Commissioned Officers of the Somaliland Scout were under Court-martial in Mogadiscio for 'High Treason'.

Article 11 [2] of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights deals with the application of Penal Codes:

" No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed."

Here, on the one hand, we have apprehensive state machinery unprepared to handle any real or perceived challenge to its totalitarian authority. Regrettably, the custodians of the Manual of Interpretation of the articles of the Constitution had been missing in action for the past six and a half years. The Justices of the Supreme Court simply turned an appendage of the Executive Branch. The checks and balances between the three branches of our government are lost in the process.

On the other hand, we have three citizens struggling to establish a political association according to the letter and the spirit of Part Three, articles 21-36 of Somaliland Constitution- "The Rights of the Individual, Fundamental Freedoms and the Duties of the Citizen." The rights and the freedoms included in these sixteen articles are more or less identical to those included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights of the African Union, and the European Convention on Human Rights. During the municipal elections of December, 2003, at least seven political organizations competed. Why should the rules be changed this time?

THE FORMATION POLITCAL PARTIES:

That being the case, it is noteworthy that Article 9 of our Constitution describes the political system of our nation as follows:

" Article 9: Political System

1. The political system of the Republic of Somaliland shall be based on peace, co-operation, democracy

and plurality of political parties.

2. The number of political parties in the Republic of Somaliland shall not exceed three (3).

3. A special law shall determine the procedures for the formation of a political party, but it is unlawful for any political party to be based on regionalism or clanism."

Section 1, article 9, taking the wording at face value, implies a democratic state with a multi-party political system that guarantees the citizen a range of choices at the national level. The fine print of section 2 is reasonable assuming that this measure is a safety precaution against the repetition of the experience of the March, 1969 parliamentary elections.

However, the problem is with section 3 and the law determing the establishment of political parties. If there is such a law that states that the three political parties with the highest votes in the first municipal elections in Somaliland shall remain the only three national political parties allowed in Somaliland, then the leadership of Qaran political association have violated the law of the land; otherwise, the state should reinstate the political freedom of the three incarcerated individuals.

The question is: Does the above article conform to the intent and the spirit of article 21, sections 1 and 2; article 22, sections 1 and 2; article 23, section 3 and section 4-which is subject to a wide range of interpretations; and article 32 sections 1,2, and 3, of Somaliland Constitution?"

THE CONSTITUTION OF SOMALILAND:

The drafters of our Constitution came up with the framework of a document modeled on the American system of government. Although the conspicuous absence of legal expertise has impacted the functionality of the final product, it never the less meets the basic requirements of a modern constitution. Subjected to the rigors of interpretation, the inadequacies of the blue print are now becoming more and more apparent. The interpretation of any disputed article or subtext of such an article, without an independent and impartial judicial system, is a catch-22 situation. Although this situation has paralyzed the day to day functioning of the state, that does not imply that the nation is facing serious constitutional crisis.

The choice of this model of governance, over other comparable systems, was to ascertain the establishment of state institutions whose jurisdictions are clearly defined- a system of checks and balances where no single institution oversteps the limits of its authorities. Some of the real problems with our current constitution are:

1. Nine or ten articles of our Constitution carry more clout than the rest of the other one hundred twenty or so articles;

2. The apparent inequity in the delegation of powers among the different branches of the government;

3. The absence of a transparent mechanism to reconcile contradictory or ambiguous articles;

4. Most of the byelaws defining some critical sections of the constitution are incomplete;

5. The Chamber of the Wise men [Guurti] is a natural impediment to all legislation drafted and enacted by the House of Representatives.

Sooner or later, these serious problems should be addressed. The above factors shifted the equilibrium in favour of the Executive Branch, or better still, our government is no better than a motor vehicle driving at night on the wrong side of the highway with the headlights turned off. A unidirectional system of governance [ONE WAY TRAAFFIC] is more than we bargained for.

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS ON PERSONAL FREEDOMS:

Pursuant to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution number 217[III] of December 10,1948 the following Human Rights and fundamental Freedoms are guaranteed:

1: UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Article 1: "Equality in the freedom of dignity and rights for all persons";

Article 2: " Entitlement to the rights and freedoms of the

Declaration regardless of Language, Race, Religion,

Gender, Colour, Political opinion, Social or National

Origin, Property or Social Status";

Article 3: “The right to life, liberty, and security of person";

Article 5: "Prohibition against all forms of degrading and

inhumane punishment";

Article 6: "The right to be recognized as a person before the courts

of law";

Article 7: "Equality before the law without discrimination"

Article 8: "The right to seek restitution before qualified or tribunals";

Article 9: "No arbitrary detentions or incarcerations";

Article 10: "The right to a fair and speedy trial by an impartial court of law";**

Article 11-1- " Presumption of innocence for all penal crimes";

Article 18: "Freedom of thought, conscience, and Religion"

Article 19: " Freedom of Opinion and Expression and the

residual right to disseminate information

through the media, etc."

Article 20: “Freedom of Assembly and Association";

Article 21-1- " The right to participate government directly

Or through elected representation"

21-2- " The right to access public services";

2: HUMAN AND PEOPLES' RIGHTS OF THE AFRICAN UNION

Furthermore, the Organization of African Unity Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights as adopted on June 27, 1981 also guarantees the following fundamental Human Rights:

Articles: 3,5, 19, 26: " Equality before the Law";

Articles: 3 and 7: " Right to a fair and speedy trial";**

Articles: 5,6, and 9: " Right to Liberty";

Articles: 8, 13, 20: " Civil and political Rights";

Articles: do,11, 13: " Freedom of Association and Assembly";

3: EUROPEAN UNION CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

And according to with the European Convention on Human Rights as adopted in 1950 "to Protect Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms" as enshrined in the following articles:

Article 2: " The Right to Life";

Article 3: " Prohibition of Torture";

Article 5: " Right to Liberty and Security of Person";

Article 6: " Right to a Fair Trial";**

Article 7: " Harsh and Cruel Punishment";

Article 9: " Right to Freedom of Thought, Conscience, and Religion";

Article10: " Right to Freedom of Expression";

Article11: " Right to Freedom of Assembly and Association";

Article13: " Right to Restitution- Effective Remedy";

Article14: " Prohibition of Discrimination"

The Rights and the Freedoms guaranteed under our Constitution are in conformity with those adopted by the United Nations Organization, the European Union, and the African Union. If some sections of Somaliland Constitution are deliberately in contravention of these universal laws, our legislatures should rectify immediately all shortcomings with due diligence.

May Allah Bless the People and the Nation of Somaliland.

Ahmed Ali Ibrahim Sabeyse

Email:asabeyse@hotmail.com

Scarborough, ON. Canada.

_____________________________________________________________________

** The right to an impartial and independent tribunal is embodied in Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, G.A. Res. 217, and U.N. Doc. A/811 (1948). This right is also incorporated in Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, G.A. Res. 2200 (XXI), U.N. GAOR, 21st Sess., Supp. No. 16, at 52, U.N. Doc. A/6316 (1966). European countries included this right in Article 6 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted Nov. 4, 1950, art. 27, 213 U.N.T.S. 222, 228; and articles 3 and 7 of the Human and Peoples' Rights of African Union, adopted by the OAU on June 27, 1981.

Letter from Lord Avebury on Detention of Qaran leaders and intervention of Shuro-net

From Lord Avebury P0702112

Tel 020-7274 4617

Email ericavebury@gmail.com

Blog ericavebury.blogspot.com

November 2, 2007

Dear Lord Malloch Brown,

Further to our correspondence about the detention of the Qaran Political Association leaders in Somaliland (your ref 49311/2007), I enclose a copy of a letter from the Chair of ShuroNet, the umbrella organisation of human rights organisations in Somaliland, to President Riyale.

You have already remonstrated with the authorities in Somaliland on these detentions and pointed out that donors were relying on progress towards democracy being maintained. Unfortunately, the three Qaran leaders are still being detained, and are being pressurised to apply for a pardon, when they haven’t been convicted of any offence, and continue to assert that the formation of a political association is within the law. I would be grateful if you could let me know what response you had to that demarche.

The government have now escalated the crisis by rigging a meeting of ShuroNet with non-members who purported to hold an extraordinary AGM and to elect government officials who were not even members of the organisation, see attached article from the Somaliland Times and copy of a statement by Mr Michael Walls, Chair, Somaliland Focus (UK). This is presumably their response to the above-mentioned letter from the Chair.

These repressive acts are damaging the good reputation Somaliland was acquiring as a bastion of order, human rights, democracy and the rule of law, on which so much international good will has been accumulated. It will be a tragedy for the people of Somaliland if the government dissipates the fund of support, and of future benevolence, built up over the last 15 years. Would you consider, with our EU partners, appointing a Special Representative, to visit Hargeisa and convey this message to President Riyale?

Yours sincerely,

The Rt Hon the Lord Malloch-Brown,

Foreign & Commonwealth Office,

London SW1A 2AH.

Ref/SHURO-Net/ 0326 /07 Date: 17/10/07

To: H.E. Dahir Rayale Kahin

President of the Republic of Somaliland

Hargeisa

Somaliland

Og: All Human Rights Organizations in/outside Somaliland

Og: All Free Press in/outside Somaliland

Subject: Violations of Human Rights of the Government of Somaliland and the Detention of Qaran Political Association leaders

The umbrella organization Shuro-net is the umbrella of all the human rights organizations in Somaliland, which come from all the regions of the country. The main objective of Shuro-net is the development and protection of all the basic rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Somaliland Constitution and the Instruments of the Universal Human Rights.

Considering this lofty ideal, Shuro-net aims this press release to help stop and prevent the violations of the Somaliland Government against human rights and to avoid any thing that can affect the peacefulness of Somaliland.

Knowing the postponement of the Local Government elections, Shuro-net, carefully following the human rights situation and watching the progress of the democracy taking root in Somaliland, is worried when it examined deeply the increasing violations of human rights of the Somaliland Government. This can have a serious effect on the nations’ request for recognition and wide spread justice in Somaliland.

In that case, when the Security Committees lead any one they want to gaol without bringing one to court of justice which is a violation of the law of the land; when the national judiciary is not independent of the Executive Branch of the Government; when the citizen who talks against the Government is arrested without any crime committed; when the freedom of the press does not really exist in the country, at the same time the Somaliland Government uses one of the most draconian laws in the world to harass its citizens; when the Government refuses people the right to demonstrate peacefully under the pretext of keeping the peace; when the supporters of Qaran Political Association are arrested without any court warrant; when you add to this the illegal detention of Qaran Political Association leaders who are still languishing in Mandera Prison, how can Somaliland claim it is a democratic country that respects human rights.

Detention without trial

Generally, in all the prisons of Somaliland are kept many people who were not brought before a court of justice, but the National and Regional Security Committees applied for their detention the so-called Public Order Law which the previous Parliament abolished with a strong vote in the middle of 1999.

On 12/10/07 at around 7 A.M. the police in Burao arrested and took to the central prison Mr. Muhyadin Mursal Abdi Gabose and Mr. Ali Mohamoud Habi nicknamed “Ali-Babur”. No legal process what so ever was followed for the arrest of these two elders who are members of the Gabose family.

Shuro-net, referring to Article 9 (1) of the International Law of Civil and Political Rights, which says that no one can be unlawfully arrested or detained, no one can be deprived of one’s liberties without due process of law; also referring to Article 9 of the Universal Human Rights and Article 25 (2) of the Somaliland Constitution, strongly condemns these illegal arrests by Somaliland Government authorities.

Like wise, the detention of the two elder, Mursal Abdi Gabose and Ali-Babur caused armed violent youths to storm the Burao Central Police Station to free the detainees. This incident between the police and the youths in which fire arms were exchanged caused the following deaths and injuries to people:

1. Dama Abdi Jama – dead
2. Farah Ali Mohamed – dead (police man)
3. Suldan Mohamed Ajab – injured
4. Hassan Said Sarwel – injured
5. Mohamed Hassan Aideed – injured
6. Bidar Muse Weyd – injured (police man)
7. Faysal Ali Damal – injured

It is not the first time the Somaliland Government arrested the supporters of Qaran Political Association, but as is clear in the Human Rights Register, the Somaliland Government arrested on the night of 10 October 2007 Mr. Mahdi Jama Omer and Mr. Mohamed Abdi Jibril who did not do any crime while the police were not carrying any warrant of arrest. Shuro-net is against the unlawful arrest of civilians without due process of law. We also don’t support the people to take the law into their own hands, which can endanger the existence of Somaliland.

The detention of the leaders of Qaran Political Association

The leaders of Qaran Political Association were taken to Mandera Prison on 28 July 2007, when the Government accused them of having formed an illegal political party that violates the Constitution. Shuro-net, the human rights umbrella that closely and carefully followed this case, has confirmed the arrest of these leaders was against the justice and human rights guaranteed by the Somaliland Constitution. The President of Somaliland, H. E. Dahir Rayale Kahin has made it conditional for the release of the three leaders Dr. Mohamed Abdi Gabose, Engineer Mohamed Hashi Elmi and Mr. Jamal Aideed Ibrahim, who are detained for their believe, to ask for his pardon. Shuro-net sees this demand for a pardon to be an obstacle being put in front of the political rights of the leaders of Qaran Political Association as well as the execution of the agreement between the President and National Councils that resulted from the mediation of the Voluntary Committee that settled the nagging differences between the National Government Councils. For this reason, Shuro-net is calling the Government of Somaliland to restore to the leaders of Qaran Political Association their freedom earliest possible, and to settle the differences with them through dialogue and understanding.

Advice

Shuro-net is calling the Government of Somaliland to:

1. Release as soon as possible with out condition all detainees in Somaliland prisons that kept there with out the order of a court of law.
2. Restore to the leaders of Qaran Political Association their freedom as soon as possible.
3. Stop the unlawful arrest of citizens and instead to follow the due process of law to detain people.
4. Must bring before the law all government officers and functionaries of law enforcement agencies in Somaliland who commit violations against human rights and stop them, as happens now, to use the national uniforms as the shields to cover their bad deeds.

Zamzam Abdi Adan Mubarik Ibrahim Aar

Chairperson Shuro-net Director Shuro-net

Somaliland Times

---

Government Led “Coup D'état” against Shuro Net

Issue 301

Thursday's Shuro-Net press conference

Hargeysa, Somaliland, October 27, 2007 (SL Times) – An extraordinary annual general meeting (AGM) held in Ambassador hotel by the local human rights umbrella group “Human Rights Organizations Network” (SHURO-net) was said to have elected a new chairman, vice-chairwoman and secretary general as the group’s board of directors.

The meeting was opened by the government minister of Family Affairs, Fatuma Sudi Hassan and was addressed and attended by government ministers and various departmental ministry heads and officials from the State National Human Rights Commission. The main government and independent media organizations were also present to cover the meeting.

Shuro-net is the biggest human rights organization in the country, an umbrella group made up of 70 local NGOs working/involved in human rights issues in all parts of Somaliland’s six regions. An organization of this size and magnitude holding an extraordinary AGM is bound to attract the attention and interest of the government, civil society and the local media. What was unusual in this meeting was that the group’s board of directors and executive committee were not present. Moreover, the group’s 70 member-organizations were not present in Wednesday’s extraordinary AGM in Ambassador Hotel.

The meeting was even made more bizarre by the fact that it was chaired by the vice-chair of the national state-government Human Rights Commission, Mrs. Lul Hassan who is not a member of the umbrella group of members. Furthermore, the so-called newly elected chair of the new board of directors is Mr. Abdillahi A Omar (Wayab), a current employee of the ministry of information and heads the Somaliland National News Agency which falls under the ministry of information’s authority. Mr. Omar Wayab is not a member of Shuro-net. He took part in the meeting as representing ‘Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA)’, an organization belonging to one of the group’s lists of member organizations. Despite the fact that SOLJA has refuted Mr. Omar’s claim in the media and said that he ‘did not represent the organization’, nonetheless, he was elected to the board chairmanship in the name of SOLJA.

The heavy presence of local police contingents in and around the Ambassador Hotel’s grounds during Wednesday’s extraordinary AGM added to the unreal and puzzling aspects of the meeting.

The government’s involvement in organizing Wednesday’s meeting was obvious and it shows the extent to which the government will go in silencing organizations critical of its policies and conduct.

The government, particularly the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Family Affairs and the national Human Rights Commission all played a part in organizing Wednesday’s (Shuro-net) extraordinary AGM and orchestrated the entire event in order to get rid of the present Shuro-net board of directors and its executives.

On Thursday, Shuro-net board of directors and its executive committee members held a press conference in the organization’s headquarters in Hargeysa to prove the fake nature of Wednesday’s Ambassador Hotel meeting. Shuro-net board of directors and executive officers that were present at the press conference were: Mrs. SamSam Abdi (Shuro-net’s chair of the board of directors), Mr. Mubarik Ibrahim Aar (Executive Director), Mr. Muhamad Abdalla (Executive Committee Member), and Mr. Ibrahim H. Muse (Executive Coordinator).

The board and executive members of Shuro-net said that at first they had their suspicions that the government was behind the recent fake documents that were circulated to the organization’s members during the past fortnight informing them of Wednesday’s extraordinary AGM.

“All our member-organizations called us to find out the cause and purpose behind the sudden scheduled extraordinary AGM and were perturbed when we informed them that we were not aware of this extraordinary AGM notices, and that emails and letters purporting to be from Shuro-net’s officers from the group’s headquarters in Hargeysa are forgeries,” said Muhamad Abdalla, a member of the executive committee.

Shuro-net officials in charge of the organization said that they received copies of the emails and letter documents distributed to their member organizations. They explained that they were shocked to find the group’s logos, letter-heading and official seal stamps used in the documents and emails sent to the groups’ members informing them of the extraordinary AGM.

“The unfortunate thing in all this is that the government has forged persons and stationary logos and official stamp seals belonging to the organization, so as to create a clone in the image of the umbrella group and destroy the authentic Shuro-net organization. What worries me the most, is not just the ruin of Shuro-net, but what this holds for the future of existing companies and civil societies that registered with the government in the belief that their companies and organizations names, symbols and logos are safe from abuse by fraudsters and impersonators,” stressed the coordinator of Shuro-net executive committee, Mr. Ibrahim H Muse in Thursday’s press conference held at Shuro-net headquarters. Mr Muse urged parliament to investigate this serious case involving the government.

Organizations belonging to the group who were present in the press conference held by Shuro-net executives on Thursday were: Nagaad, Havayoco, Sonyo, Samatalis and Solja. All issued statements in support of the current Shuro-net board of directors and executive committee members and declared Wednesday’s extraordinary AGM held in Ambassador Hotel as ‘not belonging to the Shuro-net umbrella group”.

Meanwhile, SL Times has received unconfirmed reports that the government has made preparations to break into the Shuro-net offices and headquarters in Hargeysa, on Saturday, to install the board of directors who were elected on Wednesday at Ambassador Hotel.

Source: Somaliland Times