While global attention is focused on Somalia, the republic of Somaliland has been independent for 20 years without recognition by the international community. This lack of recognition is an injustice to Somalilander.
By Abdirahman Mohamed Dirye,
Somalilandsun – Hanna, not her real name, born in 1992 in New Hargeisa the Somaliland capital celebrated her 20th birthday last 18 May, the Independence Day. Twenty years after independence, little has changed in her life.
Because her country, Somaliland, neither has real independence nor unity with Somalia, nor effective administration to deliver basic necessities let alone guaranteeing better life for her.
Fleeing from the abject poverty and President Silanyo’s government’s indifference towards the painful suffering of the people as well as the international blockade in the form of denial of recognition by the international community, Hanna perished in the Mediteranian Sea unnoticed trying to reach to Europe.
The exodus of youngsters aged 18-29 years, of both genders, in attempted escape from hellish conditions back home often turns their journey more or less into mass suicide. But due to inherent uncertainty, many of Hanna’s peers worry more about the future and the risky voyage to Europe is the pnly option that always comes to mind.
Somalilanders are law-abiding citizens who think the international laws are based on a concrete basis of conviction and justice. They prevented terror from ithe region and eliminated piracy from their seashore. According to an Aljazeera program , “pirates set up some sort of stock exchange for their companies that has drawn investment from Somali diaspora and other nations.
They started 15 maritime companies and now are hosting 75, not in the capital of Mogadishu but Harardhere Stock Exchange making piracy a community activities. One piracy investor contributed a rocket propeller grenade from her ex-husband’s alimony and has made $75,000 in only 38 days.
The growing demand and mounting risks pushed ransom from $2 million to $4 million to satisfy the rising number of shareholders.
In the process, the piracy stock exchange has transformed the once small fishing village into a bustling town that earns a percentage of every ransom to be used on infrastructure including hospitals and public schools”. Somalis are doing everything they can to survive or to make money. Why not we? But we uphold the national and international laws and yet there is no appreciation.
