THE INSTITUTE FOR PRACTICAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING
THE INSTITUTE FOR PRACTICAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING
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Analysis of State-Building in Somaliland During the Final Decade of British Colonial Rule (1947-1960) The Institute of Practical Research and Training (IPRT) organized a lessons learned seminar for the 20-member Standing Committee of the House of Representatives of Somaliland. The two-day seminar was held September 28 and 29, 2004 at the Seminar Hall of Ming Singh. Abdirazak Aqli Ahmed facilitated the seminar along with Dr. Ahmed H. Esa of IPRT and Mohamed Hussein, the Secretary-General of the House of Representatives. The Second Deputy Speaker of the House presided over the opening session. Abdirazak Aqli presented the results of an extensive document search at the British Colonial Office and British libraries concerning how the British Colonial office planned the handover to local rule. Parliamentarians, some of whom bore first hand witness, discussed the steps taken at that time and why at the time of independence in 1960 Somaliland was ill-prepared for complete takeover of government functions from the British. Most of the participants indicated that were the process completed before independence Somaliland would have avoided many of the post independence problems, including the hasty unification with Southern Italian Somalia. Among the steps proposed by the British Colonial Office but not implemented was a full registration of citizens of Somaliland. The participants lamented how lack of registration is now hampering Somaliland’s march to full democracy and especially how it hampers voting in Somaliland. With near unanimity, the participants proposed the establishment of an independent census office as soon as possible. The facilitators indicated that the House of Representatives should call for the establishment of this office, which is also constitutionally mandated and that government should provide the necessary means to this office without further delay. |
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