Today, the ever-helpful Somaliland247 blog has provided to different glimpses of Somaliland, one filled with hope and the other filled with concern.  Let us examine the odd phenomenon of a dairy farm in dry, arid Somailland [1] as well as the recent ordering of the evacuation of all Somaliland citizens from the troubled nation of Libya [2].

A Semi-Desert Dairy Farm

Dairy farms are something that is near and dear to me, given the fact that both sides of my family have a recent and lengthy history as dairy farmers.  A BBC Africa correspondent, despite considerable skepticism that a dairy farm could survive in the arid climate of Somaliland (beef cattle, one of the area’s main exports, are far more common), despite the recognized need for milk in Somaliland as a result of the common problem of calcium deficiency in that part of the world.

The contrast between Somaliland and Somalia was noted by the correspondent, as she saw that around Hargesia, once flattened by air strikes from the crazy dictator Siad Barre (who did to Somaliland what Gaddafi is doing to Libya, trying to destroy by military force what he cannot rule), a booming city rebuilt with a great deal of private assistance from Somaliland citizens, including some who wish to make the desert blossom like a rose and serve as dairy farms to provide the nation of Somaliland with much needed milk.

Meanwhile, Mogadishu is full of armed soldiers and fighters, often wracked by conflict, with a weak government that cannot even control its capital, much less the rest of the territory it claims.  The difference between a legitimate government making the best of limited resources and a completely ineffectual one whose control is limited to a few acres is stark and obvious.

Evaculation From Libya

Nonetheless, Somaliland’s Foreign Minister announced today that it was evacuating around 200 Somaliland citizens who have been stranded in Libya since the outbreak of civil war in that troubled nation [3] [4], which has led to a risk of prolonged conflict as well as the threat of foreign intervention.  In light of this risk, it is simply prudent for nations to remove their citizens from harm’s way if at all possible.

What makes the situation of foreigners like Somalilanders in Libya so dangerous is the fact that they are at risk of being attacked and bombed by Gaddafi, and with the prior experience of having been bombed by lunatic dictators, they are understandably unwilling to repeat the experience if they can possibly avoid it.  However, Somaliland citizens are also at risk of being thought of as Gaddafi mercenaries by the rebels, and so they are at risk of attack by both sides.  In an environment like that, it is only prudent to avoid being attacked by either side by simply leaving altogether and finding a safer place to work and live.  Hopefully the 200 or so citizens of Somaliland that are caught in the crossfire can find their way to safer ground.

[1] http://somaliland247.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/somaliland%E2%80%99s-miracle-dairy-farm/

[2] http://somaliland247.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/somaliland-to-get-citizens-out-of-libya-%E2%80%93-ministry-of-foreign-affairs-statement/

[3] https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2011/02/21/mixed-nuts-a-musing-on-uprising-in-libya/

[4] https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2011/03/01/ive-seen-this-movie-before/