In today’s Somaliland Update we have news about an ongoing torture trial [1], an editorial that tells the international community to put its money (and recognition) where its mouth is about stability in Somalia, comments on a unique and quirky show of generosity between a hotel and Somaliland, as well as an editorial that expresses a belief in extensive oil reserves in Somaliland.  Without any further ado, let us discuss these matters.

Ohio Judge Refuses To Throw Out Torture Suit

According to the Associated Press, as reported by Somaliland247 [2], an Ohio judged has refused to toss out a war crimes lawsuit made against a former Somali colonel who lives in Ohio now.  This is not the first war crimes trial [1] that has been reported here.  A former Somali vice president is being tried in Virginia for his crimes against humanity as a part of Barre’s brutal regime.  Here, though, former Somali Col. Abdi Aden Magan has been sued by former human rights activist Abukar Hassan Ahmed for overseeing torture in 1988 in Somalia.

Since both of the men in question are now in America, and because Mr. Ahmed claims (not unreasonably) that he is still suffering as a result of the torture (one would suspect because of Post-Truamatic Stress Disorder, something that I am familiar with), U.S. District Court judge George Smith has ruled that the case can go on.  He relied, in part, on a motion by the United States State Department that stated that Magan should not be given immunity.  As a result, another case goes forward in United States courts as Somalilanders seek to find some sort of closure and some measure of long-delayed and long-denied justice through the legal systems of their new countries.  Let us hope as well that they can find some peace of mind after the horrors they have suffered.

It’s Time For The International Community To Put Up Or Shut Up

Ali Mohamed is a grass roots activist seeking democracy for his troubled region in the Horn of Africa, but he wrote a thoughtful opinion piece in Global Post that provides a well-researched and well-argued plea for the international community to recognize Somaliland [3].  This is a plea that this blog has made on numerous occasions, but Mr. Mohamed’s arguments are all the more cogent because of the depth of his knowledge of what is going on in the Horn of Africa and the depth of complicity the international community has with the continued anarchy and lack of legitimacy in that part of the world.

A summary of Mr. Mohamed’s article is useful.  He contrasts the numerous failed efforts of the international community to achieve stability in Somalia with the rather ignored and neglected democracy that Somaliland has set up for itself.  He also contrasts the anarchic terrorism of Al-Shabab and Puntland’s sponsorship of piracy with Somaliland’s commitment to the freedom of the seas and its willingness to abide by international laws.  Currently, embargoes placed on all of the former nation of Somalia, including Somaliland, prevent Somaliland from upgrading its military.  However, international recognition would allow Somaliland to become an even more powerful force for free trade through the Gulf of Aden by allowing it to develop its naval forces to be even more effective against the pirates of Puntland and the rest of former Somalia.

The question is whether the international community is more interested in dithering around and rewarding failure by pouring billions of aid into Somalia while ignoring a functioning independent republic, or whether the international community is serious about developing indigenous democracy in the region, starting with Somaliland.  If the international community wants to wring its hand and mourn about chaos, it should be reminded that those who do not reward order get the chaos and anarchy and consequences they deserve.  It’s time for the international community to put up or shut up–do they want to accept the desire of Somaliland to be free and recognized as a law-abiding nation or are they content to shackle Somaliland to the dying corpse of Somalia and refuse its freedom and self-determination, in the manner of the punishment of the Romans.  What’s the choice?

Jurys Inn Upgrades Somaliland Women’s Group

The Jurys Inn Heathrow, according to Somaliland247 [4] recently upgraded hundreds of televisions in its hotel, and then donated their old televisions to Almis Women’s Organization to be given to various not-for-profit groups in Somaliland.  Jurys Inn has supported the Almis Women’s Organization since 2009, giving clothing, furniture, and textiles to the group over the last couple of years.

Nor, it should be noted, has the organization only helped women.  The most recent donation by the company gave hotel sweatshirts and uniforms to a group of men this past August.  That is not only generous but also smart advertising, in that the Jurys Inn name (something I must admit is not familiar to me) will become better known among Somalilanders even as they are able to get better clothes (and now televisions) than are locally available.  Everyone wins with such intelligent generosity.

Unexplored Oil Potential In Somaliland

This blog has already reported on Somaliland and its oil on more than one occasion [5] [6], but Somaliland 247’s report of the speech of Hussein Abdi Dualeh, Somaliland’s mining and energy minister [7] gives us the opportunity to do so again.  So, let us take advantage of the opportunity and note on the catch-22 of Somaliland and its undiscovered oil.

According to Mr. Dualeh, there are only 21 oil wells drilled in Somaliland at present.  This presents Somaliland with a brutal catch-22 in terms of using oil to gain legitimacy.  Even with geology that shows that there should be as much oil in Somaliland as in the rest of the area of the Gulf of Aden, without exploratory wells that oil will not be tapped and Somaliland and its people will not profit from their reserves unless someone (else) drills the exploratory wells and builds the oil platforms.  After all, the Somalilanders don’t have the excess funds or engineering expertise to do the drilling themselves.

But, the lack of legitimacy of Somaliland as an independent nation means that its freedom and ability to profit from its (likely) reserves is limited, since few nations will drill in an area without some kind of recognition.  So far China appears willing and interested in exploring Somaliland’s oil potentials, largely because China’s appetite for natural resources is without limit.  If other nations (including the United States, one of whose oil companies had the legal title from Barre’s government, something that may not be recognized automatically by the Somaliland government) wish to profit from Somaliland oil, they need to act before China does.  Right now the Somaliland government is getting the word out that oil is to be found for those who are willing to recognize Somaliland and get busy digging.  Who is going to take them up on the offer?

[1] https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/somaliland-update-war-crimes-trial-uk-minister-visit-syana-political-contacts/

[2] http://somaliland247.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/ohio-judge-wont-dismiss-somali-torture-claim-suit/

[3] http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/opinion/111107/opinion-lesson-stability-somaliland

[4] http://somaliland247.wordpress.com/2011/11/05/somaliland-benefit-from-jurys-inn-upgrade/

[5] https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2010/12/21/somaliland-china-oil-and-legitimacy-a-potential-minefield-of-issues/

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

[7] http://somaliland247.wordpress.com/2011/11/01/somaliland-says-has-huge-unexplored-oil-potential/