As its presidential candidate Jamal Ali Hussein castigates a number of government departments for blunders that have resulted in unprecedented fiascoes with negative impacts to Somaliland
By: Yumoha Pasha
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – Failure to implement any agreements reached during talks with Somalia has been cited as reason for Somaliland to withdrawal from continued dialogue with the neighbouring country.
This was stated by the UCID opposition party presidential candidate Jamal Ali Hasan during a press briefing at his party’s headquarters in Hargeisa where he urged the government to withdrawal from the internationally sanctioned talks with Somalia.
“Continued dialogue with Somalia is an exercise in futility thence the imperative need for Somaliland to withdrawal” said Jamal Ali stressing that the Somalia Federal Government –SFG was neither sincere nor the proper avenue for Somaliland’s quest of recognition as a sovereign country.
The call by UCID to Withdraw from the talks with Somalia are an echo of a similar one made recently by Somaliland’s second opposition party Wadani as the government continues to absorb pressure to opt out of the Turkey hosted talks whose resumption is scheduled for August.
On the controversial issue of national airspace control and management the presidential Contender who termed the Ankara II arrangements for a joint body with Somalia to be headquartered in Hargeisa as a fallacy laid the blame on the door steps on the ministry of Aviation.
The 7th and 8th segment of the nine points agreements, see below, released as Ankara II Communique and whose signature was witnessed by Turkish heads upon mutual agreement by the two leaders of the negotiating teams namely Foreign minister Mohamed Behi Yoinis and security minister Abdijarim Husein Guleid for Somaliland and Somalia respectively in Ankara on 19th Jan 2014 remains to be fulfilled long after its designated 45 days
Pertaining to airspace control and management Both parties agree to the following principles reads #7 & 8 of the Ankara II Communiqué
7. Referring to the Communiqué of the two parties Dialogue in Istanbul, Turkey on 7-9/July 2013. The parties agreed to nominate Air Traffic Control Board to establish within 45 days.
8. The parties agreed to appoint an ad-hoc technical committee composed of 4 members, ( two from each party) to prepare the terms of reference of the Air Traffic Control Board. The Technical Committee work will be supervised by the respective two Ministers.
Said he “How come the minister of aviation continues to lie about the government having assumed total control over the airspace of Somaliland while everybody is aware that the UN has transferred the same to the SFG in Mogadishu”
According to Jamal Ali Hussein the aviation ministry is not the only government department with immense blunders as those at the helm of Foreign, Livestock, Interior and Public works have in the recent past overseen failures in their mandates ensuing in catastrophes of major magnitude.
on foreign policy the UCID honcho said not only has a number of formerly friendly governments lost confidence in the direction taken on international relations by Somaliland, but the haphazard implementation of bi-lateral relations as well that have resulted in border closure with both Ethiopia and Djibouti.
As he termed livestock exports as the backbone of the country’s economy and livelihoods Jamal Ali castigated the ministry of livestock for failure to stem the ongoing rejection of exported livestock by gulf countries.
“All the hard work undertaken by the government for former president Dahir Rayale Kahin resulting in resumption of livestock exports to Gulf countries has been thrown to the winds by the livestock ministry which has over a short period overseen the return on being medically unfit for human consumption of over 40,000 heads of livestock moistly camels” said the prospective president
Stressing on the importance of the government assuring citizens their rights to safety and fair trial for purported or actual crimes, Jamal Ali wondered how it was possible for the interior ministry to allow the extradition of any Somalilander to a foreign country.
“Extraditions are undertaken under internationally accepted norms that pertain to prior treaties between nations” said the UCID presidential Candidate in reference to the three Somaliland nationals handed over to Djibouti on suspicion of having abetted the Le Chaumere Restaurant suicide bombing claimed by al-Shabaab
on the covert proliferation of a large number vehicles crisscrossing the country without license plates the UCID party leader who took the ministry of public works to task for allowing the cowboy like drivers and vehicles carte blanche authority further urged the government to issue a citizen’s jittery nerves calming statement
While empirical knowledge at Somalilandsun can attest to border closure, extraditions to Djibouti and rejection of exported livestock by Saudi Arabia we are unable to do so for the calleged proliferation of unregistered vehicles with cowboy like drivers on the wheels.
Watch the full Jamal Ali Somali language press briefing
