Distinguished
participants, colleagues and friends, allow me to welcome you in the name
of H.E The President of the Republic of Somaliland, Hon. Mohamed Haji
Ibrahim Egal, in whose name I am going to deliver this note.
It is almost a year
since the first conference in Reconstruction Strategies and the Challenges
Beyond was held here in Hargeysa.
The Somaliland
government took note of and addressed some of the issues raised in the
1998 conference and it is equally ready to render the same treatment to
any of the issues that you may raise today.
“Peace be upon you
is the daily greeting of Muslims around the globe, a blessing we
Somalilanders share with them. Some Arab linguists convincingly argue that
“Islam” and salam or “slim” peace, share the same root. No wonder
that the ‘celebration of peace’ is
the themes of this conference. The fact that this conference is
being held in Hargeysa, the capital of Somaliland, where the peace reigns
is a clear evidence that we are reaping the dividends of peace. This peace
did not come by itself. The people of Somaliland guided by their
determined leadership achieved it with tears and toil, Nurturing it and
looking after it is an on going process, which we will never abandon. A
Somali phraseology combines peace and abundance of milk (the basic diet of
the Somali nomad) and the lack of peace with draught: Nabad iyo
Caano iyo Col iyo Abaar”.
Somaliland’s
experience in bringing about a peaceful, cooperative coexistence, with a
balanced sharing of power, almost at all levels is an example worth
studying and implementing in conflict areas of our beloved continent,
Africa, the scene of many civil wars that tear the fabric of societies
apart.
The Ministry of
Education, here in Somaliland is on the verge of adopting a program of
‘culture of peace’ to be part and parcel of the lower and upper
primary curriculum. This was the result of a successful seven-day workshop
for 35 teachers under the guidance of Life and Peace Institute of
Somaliland.
Our brethren in
Somalia refer to the last decade of the last century as the years of death
and destruction. Nothing can be more beautiful, but as far as Somaliland
is concerned those same years were the years of recovery and Development.
The rebirth of Somaliland in mid 1991 coincided with the two failed
reconciliation initiatives held in Djibouti which opened the road to a
bloody fierce war in Somalia That war is not yet over. One should pause
here and wonder taking into account the present. Djibouti peace conference
on Somalia’s history repeating itself?.
Peace in Somalia
(South) can only be achieved on Somali soil between Somalis alone with
their local resources, keeping out foreign intervention and advice and
that is how peace was achieved in Somaliland. The announcement of the
referendum on the constitution by the government of Somaliland to be
followed by the introduction of multi party parliamentary system and
municipal election’s a steady healthy march towards a democratic society
that respects law and order. Somaliland is determined to resist and fight
all distractions from this noble goal.
I promise the study of
papers presented to the conference, but I must say that I can hardly wait
for Professor Richard Fordr’s “Grassroots mobilized and peace” and Mr.
Jama Omer's paper on “a community owned peace building in the Horn”. Peace is so
fundamental to the existence of any country and so close to the hearts of
our people and because of that I would very much appreciate if I get
copies of these two papers passed to me in advance.
In the field of human
rights, the government of Somaliland has one of the best records not only
in Africa but in the entire world. We Somalilanders are proud that there
is not a single political prisoner in our holding centers. This is a very
clear evidences of our healthy political life rare in many countries of
the continent.
Education is the key
to real development, be it economic or social. Women’s education is a
corner stone of our educational policy. Almost a quarter of our student
population in government schools is composed of girls. It is our policy to
increase that portion in the future. To increase the role of lady teachers
in the activities of of the ministry, two teachers supervised the biggest
examination centers in Hargeysa this year where they supervised 1200
students and 30 teachers who helped in the operation. Somaliland
government is convinced that the nation can only take off with men and
women equally sharing the responsibilities.
Female circumcision
the subject of one of the papers to be submitted to this conference is a
matter I have to address. My treatment of this subject will be confined to
the following dialogue that transpired between a friend and his daughter
and mine some eighteen years ago.
1.
Dad I want
to be circumcised.
2.
My daughter it is very painful and you may suffer in the
future.
3.
I don’t care dad. I want it done.
4.
Why my daughter?
5.
Because my grandmother teases so do school mates every day.
6.
How about your mother?
7.
She supports you but she can not openly oppose her mother, my
grandmother.
8.
Please my daughter think about it for some time.
9.
If you don’t arrange it today, I shall take the matters into my
own hands and have the operation done.
Poor dad, he
succumbed. Years passed and the young girl married and had a daughter. In
a conversation with her father about female circumcision she vowed her
daughter will not go through that experience. By simply educating mothers,
grandmothers and fathers we will be able to overcome this practice. To
thousands of Somalilanders in the Diaspora Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
as some westerners like to call it, is almost history.
When addressing health
activities in this country one cannot resist mentioning Edna Aadan
Ismaaciil Not-For-Profit-Hospital the first of its kind in Somaliland, an
example of what an individual, with the help of others can do for his/her
country. The project is not yet complete although a training session for
nurses has just been launched. We must help Edna or rather help the
citizens of this country to have this project completed and sustained.
Camuud and Hargeysa
Universities represent our hope to have our students complete their
University education at home for the first time
time in the history of
Somaliland. This humble but serious and steady start needs support. We
hope the International Community, which failed us in the field of
recognition would compensate for its sinful stand in this regard to helps
involve our Somaliland communities abroad in serving their motherland.
I suggest that the
International Community help us in the accommodation and transportation of
young women and men volunteer to teach in our schools for a term or a full
academic year, while others volunteer to work in our hospitals for a short
period.
If such a program
takes off it will be our version “Somaliland Peace Crops” which will
be a boost to our effort in developing Somaliland through self-help
schemes rendered by the Somalilanders of the Diaspora. I hope this
suggestion will be seriously considered by the International
Community.
I thank Dr. Ahmed
Hussein Esa, Executive Director of the Institute for Practical Research
and Training, for the efforts he made to have this conference happen, the
second of its kind to be held in Hargeisa. The same thanks go to those who
helped him, the participants and the staff of the University of Hargeisa,
the venue of the conference.
