The fine people at Somaliland247 provided a couple of very interesting and notable reports about the improving international situation of Somaliland, something I am always happy to hear.  Today there are two tidbits of information to report on about Somaliland’s international relations.

Somaliland’s Student Ambassadors

The first bit of information from Somaliland247 [1] concerns a generous gift from Ethiopia of scholarships for the top 100 secondary students (four of whom are handicapped) in the nation of Somaliland to study at Ethiopian colleges and universities.  The vice minister of education, Ali Hamud Jibril, urged Somaliland’s students to be ambassadors for their nation, advice this blog wholeheartedly seconds.  As someone who cares deeply about education, it is happy to see the students of Somaliland be able to enjoy education in their neighbors, so that they may show the character and intelligence of the people of Somaliland.  The gift of education is an excellent one to give, and I am sure that the students of Somaliland will make the most of their opportunity to study.

Interestingly enough, Somaliland itself has become a place for other Somalis to study in primary and secondary school because of its stability, as reports have shown that while only about 40% of Somaliland citizens have access to trained teachers, some 10% of Somaliland’s students are from other parts of Somalia with even less access to education [2].  Clearly, Somaliland needs help with its education system, and no doubt many of the students of Somaliland who seek higher education will seek to learn how to teach others.

Somaliland’s Pirate Prison

Denmark, in support of a UN report touting Somaliland as a stable part of Somalia, is providing about $1.7 million in aid to Somaliland to build a pirate prison to house Somalis convicted of piracy, Somaliland247 reports [3].  Despite the unrecognized status of Somaliland, its stable democracy and rule of law makes it an attractive place to house convicts, who are to be housed in a renovated old jail.  Given Somaliland’s firm stand against piracy, it makes a perfect place to house convicted Somali pirates, many of whom come from less-stable areas like Puntland.

Currently, captured Somali pirates are being tried in Kenya and the Seychelles, but the limited prison space in these two nations has led both nations to seek to expatriate prisoners elsewhere, and Somaliland is currently the only part of Somalia stable enough to house the prisoners on its own soil.  It would appear as if this is but one of the fruits of the recent visit of Denmark’s Minister For International Cooperation for bettering Somaliland’s international profile, giving Somaliland to show its rule of law and stability as it seeks international recognition [4].

[1] http://somaliland247.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/somalilandethiopia-donates-100-scholarships-to-somaliland-students/

[2] http://somaliland247.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/irin-stability-in-somaliland-boosts-education-prospects/

[3] http://somaliland247.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/danish-money-for-somaliland-pirate-prison/

[4] https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2010/11/29/somalilands-quid-pro-quo/