PRESS BULLETIN
Somalilandsun – Following an amendment in the SDC constitution to increase its number of Community Representatives from five to 15, please find attached a press release outlining the candidates for SDC’s Community Representatives. This change has been affected in order to allow for future greater representation of regional Somali interests.
The following candidates have presented themselves for election as the founding group of Somali
Community Representatives:
SDC Community Leader Representative Candidates
Ms Quman Abdilahi Alaale
Salal Region / Zeila
Quman Abdlahi Alaale is a resident of the town of Zeila and presents herself as Community Representative of the Salal Region. Alaale has built up a self-made logistics business with ownership of a fleet of trucks working the Djibouti, Boroma, Hargeisa routes. She is also active in the construction sector, building private homes and schools. Alaale is Deputy Regional Executive for the Somaliland National Election Commission and a Member of the Regional Health Committee. Her community investment interests through the SDC include the leasing and development of the offshore Island of Saladin, recognised as a potentially unique high-end boutique resort with good connections to Djibouti, and commercial development of a fishing fleet based in the old port of Zeila.
Mr Abdikadir Mohamed Hassan
Sool Region / Las Anod
Abdikadir Mohamed Hassan is a resident of Hargeisa and Las Anod. He presents himself as Community Representative of the Sool Region, which includes the town of Las Anod and the Nogal Valley. Hassan is a member of the Upper House of the Guurti, Chairman of the Human Rights Committee and former Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. Hassan’s inward investment interests for his community include the rebuilding of relationships with the former Oil and Gas companies who were active in the region prior to their declarations of “Force Majeure”, integrated local power generation and water supply to support commercial harvesting and livestock business as well as local community well-being.
Mr Abdihakim Ali Haid
UK based Diaspora / London
Abdihakim Ali Haid is a resident of London and presents himself as Community Representative for the UK-based Somali
Diaspora but also including relationships in the neighbouring Ethiopian Somali region, close to the administrative Ethiopian town of Jig Jiga and the communities most active in the livestock export market near the towns of Burao and Berbera. Haid is a former lecturer at the Livestock College in the hill town of Sheikh and graduated in Business Studies. Haid’s inward investment interests include co- operation with the Ethiopian import – export facilities between Ethiopia, Jig Jiga and the Red Sea port of Berbera.
Mr Yusuf Mohamed Ali
Togdheer Region / Burao
Yusuf Mohamed Ali is a resident of Burao, with an estimated population of 300,000. This city has the highest 
concentration of light industries and the largest livestock market. Jointly with Ismail Mohamoud Abdi, he presents himself
as Community Representative of the Togdheer Region. Ali operates as a specialist consultant within the livestock, agriculture and water supply sectors. He has previously been the Director of the hydro geological and drilling department of Somalia and Chief Engineer of water production and distribution for the city of Al Ain UAE. He has been President of the Somalia National Farmers organisation. Ali’s inward investment interests for his community include the sale of livestock and the related business of raw hide supply to the leather industry, poultry based business development and commercial harvesting developments.
Mr Ismail Mohamoud Abdi
Togdheer Region / Burao
Ismail Mohamoud Abdi is a resident of the second city of Somaliland, Burao, with an estimated population of 300,000. This city has the highest concentration of light industries and the largest livestock market. Jointly with Yusuf Mohamed Ali, he presents himself as Community Representative of the Togdheer Region. Abdi is a water supply specialist. He is a former Civil Engineer, having been Civil Supervisor for the water supply systems in Mogadishu and parts of Abu Dhabi. Abdi’s inward investment interests for his community are related to commercial power generation (Solar with Diesel back-up) and commercial water supplies as well as supporting Mr Yusuf Mohamed Ali.
Mr Boss Mire
Sanaag Region / Erigabo
Boss Mire is a resident of Hargeisa and Erigabo, and presents himself as Community Representative of the Sanag
Region. The hill town of Erigabo and its surrounding country side is very highly fertile with ample water resource but it is relatively isolated due to poor road links and the dilapidated port of Mait. Mire is a Civil Engineer and Chairman of the Consulting Engineers Group of Somaliland. Mire’s inward investment interests for his community include the commercial redevelopment of the port of Mait, commercial power generation through solar with diesel backup systems, toll based development of road infrastructure from the port of Mait to Erigabo, and development of Mait port facilities.
Mr Ziad Omer Ali
Awdal Region / Boroma
Ziad Omer Ali is resident in the town of Boroma and presents himself as Community Representative of the Awdal Region. He is the Executive Director of the Ayoda Organization for supporting youth employment. Ali holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Addis Ababa and is an assistant lecturer at Amoud University. Ali’s inward investment interests for his community are related to support for the development of the Berbera Corridor from Jig Jiga in Ethiopia to the port of Berbera, commercial water export to Djibouti and the redevelopment of Zeila port based fishing industry.
Mr Essa Mohamed Husein
Sahel Region / Berbera
Essa Mohamed Husein is a resident of the port town of Berbera and presents himself as
the Community Representative of the Sahel Region. He holds a Masters in Industrial Engineering and was formerly Lt Colonel in the Somali National Army. Berbera is potentially a strategic gateway for land-linked Africa, however hot and humid conditions for 7 months of the year demand improvements in electricity supplies to retain a viable working population to support development. Husein’s interests focus upon immediate needs for electrical power supplies, (solar with back-up using heavy fuel oil to drive slow speed ship type generators) followed by cold storage facilities for fish and meat products and the re-development of the local cement plant destroyed in the civil war.
Mr Hassan Hussein Ahmed
Hargeisa
Hassan Husein is a resident of the capital city of Hargeisa and presents himself as Community Representative of 
Hargeisa. Mr Hassan shares this portfolio with Mr Ahmed Aden. He holds US citizenship and is an owner of several businesses in Hargeisa including restaurants and power generation plant. He is a member of the Board of Trustees for Hargeisa University and the Edna Adan Hospital. Hassan’s inward investment interests focus upon commercial power generation and new education and media related business resulting from accessibility to the Somcable optical fibre extension from Djibouti.
Mr Yusuf H Abdalla
Hargeisa
Mr Yusuf Abdalla is a resident of Hargeisa and shares this portfolio with Mr Hassan Hussein Ahmed. Abdalla has a successful record managing the extension of an optical fibre network from Djibouti to most regions of Somaliland. Within Somcable, a project of USD100 Million, he is also Business Development Manager and Head of Corporate Relations, reporting to the Chairman and CEO. A graduate of London University, Abdalla has worked in diverse business domains including retail, energy and telecommunications. Abdalla’s interests focus upon extending commercial business with international players within the WiFi driven back-haul, media sectors related to fibre linkage to the submarine system offshore East Africa and developing commercial communications opportunities through to Ethiopia and trade links from Jig Jiga through to the Berbera Corridor.
Mr Guled Shire
Sool Sanag Region
Guled Shire is a resident of Hargeisa and presents himself as Community Representative of the Sool Region. Shire
has worked with Adam Smith International to deliver training in security screening at the Country’s airports. His inward investment interest is attracting inward investment into WI FI based hotspots within the Sool region to better support commerce and local security.
Representatives will be selected in September 2013 at the SDC’s next board meeting.
The SDC was founded in 2011 and is part of a process that seeks to better integrate the former protectorate Horn region of Africa into the international community. The organisation aims to increase outside investment in Somaliland – and the surrounding regions of the Horn of Africa – by providing a secure, professional and mutually beneficial environment for investors and local communities to interact.
After a trip to Addis Ababa, where a series of meetings with Somaliland community representatives took place from 19–24 April 2013, the SDC has amended its constitution to increase its number of Community Representatives from five to 15, allowing for future greater representation of regional Somali interests.
The Founding Board Members of the SDC comprise Jeremy Carver CBE, President of the British branch of the International Law Association; Professor Myles Wickstead CBE, former UK Ambassador to Ethiopia and Independent Vice-Chair of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy; Leoned (Len) Tiahlo, Resources Sector Executive and Investment Specialist and Dr Rashid Hassan, ex-Somaliland Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. In addition to the four founders, the SDC is supported by its Director Edna Adan Ismail, a UN diplomat, French Legion of Honour recipient and former Foreign Minister of Somaliland. The SDC benefits from their combined knowledge of the economic potential and political climate of Eastern Africa and international law.
The SDC assists in developing and negotiating mutually beneficial contracts between communities and investors, thus supporting the long term sustainability of relationships, transparency of business practices and full accountability for both parties. In so doing, local host communities will be better able to improve their international business capacity and increase their choice and access to quality international investors.
Community Representatives will be selected/chosen during the next SDC board meeting in September 2013.
For further information contact www.sdc-africa.com and or
Anna Wallace-Thompson l Curzon PR l Media Relations
t: +44 (0)20 7399 2438
e: anna@curzonpr.com
