By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The Republic of Somaliland is set for new policies and laws pertaining to land management nationwide.
This development follows the tabling of a draft land policy submitted by the Academy for Peace and development -APD during a stakeholders meeting facilitated by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization- FAO in Hargeisa.
The 150 Participants at the APD/FAO stakeholders meeting were pooled from several government ministries with cross-cutting mandates on land management, legislators from Guurti and House of Representatives, Regional governors, Mayors of major towns as well as intellectuals, traditional and religious leaders
To brief participants on the meeting objective was the APD Burao branch Director Omar Adan Yusuf who informed that the draft Somaliland land policy being unveiled was an enhancement of the one crafted during a similar meeting held in Burao the Toghdeer regional capital in 2015.
“During the 2015 Burao meeting it was observed that land based conflicts are rampant in Somaliland” Said Omar Adan adding that it was unanimously agreed on the imperatives of land reform thence the draft policy crafted.
Organized under APD’s Pillars of Peace Programme in partnership with Interpeace the 2015 meeting in Burao where over 300 participants representing all sectors of society, under banner of First ever national conference on land reform brainstormed Development of a draft roadmap on land reform conference, held over two days in the city of Burao. Among them were 11 ministers; all the governors of the regions of Somaliland; eminent traditional and religious leaders; mayors from various cities; representatives of youth and women’s organizations; local and international NGOs and other civil society groups; and representatives of international organizations.
The APD Burao director who also revealed about studies and subsequent data collected nationwide as pertains to diverse local land needs and difficulties that has been used in drafting the national draft land reform roadmap said the Academy for Peace and Development could not have achieved much without the support of various organizations.
“I extend APD thanks and Somalilanders appreciation to FAO, Rift Valley Institute, and Interpeace for their financial and expertise support towards developing the national land roadmap” said Omar Adan Yusuf
In conclusion APD stated its determination towards ensuring that a suitable land reform and management policy is achieved thus completely negate regular land related conflicts and at the same time establishing apt legal mechanisms to solve any disputes that occur.
“This endeavor is the target of an upcoming nation level meeting where we shall unveil the final draft of the Somaliland land Reform Roadmap and Policy” said Omar Adan
To bring the session at a close was the strong nine member team of government ministers that included ministers of Environment, Agriculture, Information, Energy, and Planning as well as the deputy ministers of Public works/housing, Water and Livestock development in addition to the state minister for interior in charge of security.
“On behalf of the administration of president Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo, I hereby extend thanks and congratulations to the Academy for Peace and Development as well as its partner organizations for their very valuable work on land reform policy” said environment minister Shukri Haji Bandare
Stating that her boss president Silanyo is determined towards the establishment and supportive of activities geared in developing a national land reform policy, minister Bandare stressed on the importance that the administration attaches to the APD work 
Said she, “ On the 20th August 2015 President Silanyo established a committee composed of 11 ministries towards availing recommendations pertaining to means of eliminating regular land conflicts in the country”
According to the environment minister this committee whose members were all ministers was not only a show of government determination to eliminate land disputes but also a show of support for all the APD fronted land reform roadmap.
In conclusion environment minister Shukri Haji Bandare speaking on behalf of her participating colleagues said that the APD land reform roadmap shall be shared with the entire council of ministers for perusal and any recommendations submitted at the next meeting
The draft Somaliland Land Reform Roadmap was compiled from data collected and collated With a prescribed aim to gain information in context of regional specific land use needs, information feedbacks and recommendations on the regional draft land policy forms held in all five regional capitals of Somaliland (Borame, Hargeisa, Las And, Erigavo and Burao).
The draft land policy document is jointly credited to APD and its other contributors namely rift valley institute, RVI , SDF and FAO
Academy for Peace and Development (APD) was established in 1998 as a research institute in collaboration with Interpeace.
