A reply to an open letter sent to PM David Cameroon and Mark Bowden(UNDP) on Somaliland aid accountability
I was surprised to read a letter published on Widhwidh Online and Allgedo Online on 23rd January 2012 and sent to David Cameron, British Prime Minister and Mark Bowden, UNDP Resident Representative for Somalia by a Gentleman who called himself only Farah-Kolley (najmaf@live.com.) Re: Somaliland Aid Accountability.Mr Farah-Kolley started the opening two paragraphs of his letter with courteous words of gratitude to donor nations for assisting the Somali people and he appealed for the continuation of that assistance to the Somali people, which I, in humanitarian sense, totally agree with him. The writer also criticized the donor nations for not supervising over the recipients for the utilisation of aid which he meant ‘Somaliland’, before addressing to his Excellencies David Cameron in his letter.
The good intentions of those opening paragraphs is annulled by an unrealistic and envious tribal feeling that engulfed the main contents of the letter in which he depicted that the UK and other Humanitarian assistance to Somaliland is only benefited by the Isaaq (Isaac) people and hence used it into building military mighty to bully the other tribes in Somaliland – Somaroon, Dhulbahante, Warsangali of Awdal, Sool and Sanaag regions Respectively which he labelled them as minority.
In reality, the UK and other Humanitarian assistance to Somaliland is delivered to all over the regions of Somaliland; where security permits and the communities are receptive to receive the allocated projects without hindrance unlike some districts in Dhulbahante area where people are politically divided into groups and hostility is rife. This hostility is due to Diaspora’s negative contribution on local stability as well as that of traditional heads playing as politicians for their personal advantages by shadowing the local political elites, who mostly in favour of Somaliland, over the political steering of the region which affects in turn the livelihood of the ordinary people in Sool and Buuhoodle who usually shift sides with Somaliland and Puntland confusingly and thus invited turbulence in area.
As a matter of fact, Mr Farah- Kolley denies also the reality on ground as the SSC insurgents of mainly Buuhoodle militia and formed by some Diaspora power hunger political starters has denied the access of humanitarian efforts from Hargeisa to the region. Also the G6 group, led by Prof. Ali Kh. Galaydh, who hijacked the agenda of recent reconciliation and consultation meeting at Taleh of Dhulbahante by Announcing a theoretical Khaatumo State that triggered the new conflict in Buuhoodle with the sole intention of building a rapport for a seat in the future government in Somalia as well as coining a participating title in UK government hosted meeting on 23rdFebruary 2012 that to be held in London for Somali People.
Mr Farah-Kolley is beating a dead horse for blaming the donors as well as Isaaqs for diverting away funds from areas like some parts of Sool and Buuhoodle of Somaliland, where the communities’ attitude towards the reconstruction and the development of the region is different than the rest of the country – although some individual made some efforts – due to the fact that the society in Sool and particularly in Buuhoodle are not seasoned enough to think positively as they are sort of politically disoriented and divided ideologically into three conflicting settings (Somaliland, Puntland and Somalia) although they are with in the territory of Somaliland and they belong to it. In effect, thus has denied the tangible development of the Dhulbahante settlements with funds from the donor nations and other humanitarian organizations – as well as contributions from the local people similar to their counterparts in the other regions of Somaliland or the neighbouring Puntland – which is literally obstructed by their leaders’ political dithering.
To enlighten Mr Farah-Kolley’s tainted view over the other regions in Somaliland which he envied and portrayed as Isaaq majority, it is suffice to say that the communities in those areas are approachable by the UN organization and other donors including the UK government. One can easily see the progresses made in Awdal (Borama), Maroodijeex (Hargeisa), Sahil (Berbera), Togdheer (Buroa) and Sanaag (Erigavo) in areas of public and private sectors. It is worth to mention that since the Somaliland government has regained the control of Las’anod some substantial developments has been achieved in the areas of public services and security; a lot of meaningless monthly reprisal killings based on tribal revenges were at least prevented.
However, that local communalities in Borama, Hargeisa, Berbera, Buroa and Erigavo are not only depending on the help they receive from the donor nations, but together with the Diaspora, they pulled themselves up and achieved a lot on voluntary contributions to build their crucial infrastructures such as bridges ( Burao and Hargeisa), schools, wells and roads (Borama, Hargeisa). Those roads currently in progress are: Erigavo to Buroa; Buroa to Odweyne; Odweyne to Hargeisa; Salahley to Hargeisa; Balligubadle to Hargeisa and Dawga – Cad to Zeila and none of these projects are politically motivated but are all community based and invested projects. It is apparent that those communities initiated projects cost millions of dollars and without the unity of the respective local/regional communities and their Diaspora positive patriotic thinking would not possibly been launched. Therefore, it is apparent that Mr Farah-Kolley wants something for nothing in his case.
In regard to the UK Funds to Somaliland, I believe the British Government is well informed on how appropriately those funds are being exploited to the last penny by the allocated departments and areas of Somaliland and need not someone to fabricated lies for the attention of UK Government. In addition, The Somaliland authority is taking seriously about the security of the country as a whole and no tribe or individual is preferable over the rest and any one who is committed crimes against the people or the nation of Somaliland will be brought to justice as in the case of Seemaal incident which suspects or criminals are awaiting justice as this a normal police matter rather than the way that Mr Farah-Kolley distortedly decorated it in his writing as a tribal massacre.
I would rather advice Mr Farah-Kolly and his group of the same school of thinking to work peacefully towards the improvement of lives of the people of Sool and Buuhoodle by uniting their efforts positively to the realization of peace and prosperity in the area and let the community of Sool and Buuhoodle have their common sense work as they are and will remain as a part and parcel of Somaliland and its territory will remain as it was in the Somaliland British Protectorate before 26 June 1960.
Thank you
Mohamoud Arrale
Cc: David Cameron, British Prime Minister
“ Mark Bowden, UNDP Resident Representative for Somalia