As the service commander reveals that, 4 others were fired for misconduct while the suspended 86 shall only return to work after they prove ownership of personally acquired rifles for use on official duties
By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – Any prison guard serving without a personally supplied weapon is trembling in fear all over Somaliland.
This follows the suspension of 86 guards by the prison service commander Brigadier Mohamed Osman Hudun in what is justified as their continued service without self-supplied weapons while four others were fired for creating disturbances.
According to Brig Hudun there is no appeal for the fired four whose fate of dismissal came after they mobilized their without self-supplied weapon colleagues in a protest demonstration to parliament buildings in Hargeisa.
“The four fired acted in a manner contrary to service protocols thence their fate is a foregone conclusion “said the prisons service commander while revealing that the resumption of duties and remunerations for the suspended 86 is dependent on them producing evidence of self-owned weapons for use in official duties.
Of the 86 coming from affluent families or have relatives in the diaspora returning to work thus regain the ability to feed, clothe and shelter dependent entails gut wrenching requests for funds and subsequent visit to the unlicensed gun sellers within the Hargeisa Central Business district.
As for those who cannot afford the price of an AK47 currently fluctuating between $600-$900 the ultimate result is loss of dignity due to the subsequent inability to feed, clothe or shelter their families.
When Somaliland was establishing its armed forces in the early 90’s to mid-2000’s through demobilization of then armed militias or soldiers selected on clan basis it was conditional for those recruited or supplying clans to provide the necessary weapons mostly the Russian AK47 and American M16 rifles.
With development of proper government the norm of self-supplied weapons known to have gradually gone moribund over the years as a condition for recruitment into any branch of the Somaliland armed forces seems to be a myth if the suspensions and sackings within the prisons service is not reversed immediately for it is a breach of administration and conduct of the armed forces.
By the way how does the prison service spend the huge amounts provided by organizations and governments funding the pirate prison scheme the UNDP funded Rule of Law- ROL project channelled through the ministry of Justice in which the prison service falls under not to mention central coffers budgetary allocations if it, the service, cannot equip its officers.
If by perchance the government is being short changed in funding by the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which implements the $1.5m pirate prison project in Hargeisa as reported by Geoffrey York of the Globe and Mail how then does the authorities justify continued incarnation of pirates convicted in foreign courts if it Government or UNDOC cannot afford to arm the guards.
