Author: SL Reporter

The Kulmiye party has today dismissed from it’s council members who have shifted alliance to other parties. The ruling party which is facing stiff challenge from opposition party Waddani has seen it’s influence in key strongholds wane as the opposition gain popularity ahead of the November 13 presidential elections. In a statement, Kulmiye said that all the members who proved that they left the Kulmiye party should be removed from the councils they were in, the central council and the whole party of Kulmiye. The party further stated that there is no supporter of Kulmiye party who can claim the…

By Samir Bhattacharya India should develop closer relations with Somaliland, especially by using its port. This could provide India a valuable tool for countering China’s influence along the eastern coast of Africa. In looking for access to the Red Sea, India should avoid overcrowded Djibouti and opt for Somaliland’s port of Berbera. Berbera handles 1/10 as much traffic as Djibouti’s port, but it is growing, thanks to investment by Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which are new members of the BRICS grouping and key partners for India. India has frequently deployed anti-piracy patrol boats and warships to the Gulf of Aden, north…

Tensions are running high in the Horn of Africa as Somalia continues to demand Ethiopia annuls a controversial port deal with the breakaway republic of Somaliland, or else withdraw its troops from Somali territory. The biggest signal of Somalia’s displeasure with the Ethiopia-Somaliland deal was the signing on 14 August of a military pact with Egypt, Ethiopia’s biggest rival. Since then, Egypt has delivered two consignments of arms to Somalia including howitzers and armoured vehicles. There is also vague talk of Egypt deploying up to 10,000 troops to Somalia to help fight al-Shabab jihadists. Increasingly isolated, Ethiopia has reacted to the deepening…

Somaliland cabinet held it’s  133rd meeting on Thursday to discuss issues of the country’s security and the upcoming presidential elections. The meeting chaired by president Muse Bihi received a report with regards to the state of security in the country from the minister of internal affairs Mohamed Kaahin Ahmed. The council also discussed about the preparation for the elections set for  13th November, this year and how the Kulmiye party would conduct it’s campaigns. The ministers called on the citizens  to prepare for the elections and campaigns as a united country. They further called on the citizens to be wary…

Veteran politician Abdiqadir Jirde has accused the Kulmiye of neglecting the country. Jirde said for this reason, Somaliland nationals should elect a new president to take over leadership of the country. He accused President Muse Bihi of failing to listen to advise from elders on matters pertaining to the country. “Today, we know that the current presidential candidate has neglected the country,” he said. “At the time of the wars, we shared with Muse the advice of the elders, he did not listen to us. So we should not wait for any change from this government,” he added. He said:…

Taiwan’s donation of iris biometric devices to Somaliland in 2021 will once again play a crucial role in the upcoming elections scheduled for November 13, 2024. This was confirmed by Taiwan’s Ambassador to Somaliland, Allen Lou, who also announced fresh support of $2 million from Taiwan to assist Somaliland’s preparation for the presidential and national party elections. The ambassador noted that the biometric equipment, originally provided to assist with parliamentary and local government elections in 2021, will now be deployed in six major cities across Somaliland for the general elections. The devices, part of a $2 million donation from Taiwan…

By Maxwell Webb Today, the Horn of Africa is still reeling from the impacts of Ethiopia’s January memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Somaliland (the unrecognized breakaway republic in northern Somalia), which granted Ethiopian naval forces access to twenty kilometers of Somaliland’s coastline. In return, according to claims by the government in Hargeisa, Ethiopia agreed to begin a process considering the recognition of Somaliland’s independence. Nine months later, the situation has been exacerbated by decisions made by countries outside of the Horn, such as Egypt’s signing of a security agreement with Somalia. The agreement includes the delivery of weapons, troops, and military hardware, the first tranche of which…

Since mid-June, Abdirahman Ibrahim Mohamed’s family of 10 has struggled to eat a meal once a day after he lost his construction job in Berbera, in Somaliland’s Sahil region, where he had been working for several years. He is one of hundreds of construction workers who have become unemployed as construction companies started hiring foreign workers to replace them. Abdirahman explained that the loss of his job has affected his family in all aspects of life, leading them into uncertainty. Currently, they rely on occasional $50 remittances from relatives abroad, which is a far cry from the amount he used…

Waddani party has welcomed yet another top politician who has shifted support from the ruling Kulmiye. Politician Khalif Mohamed Warsame (Xiinwal), a long-time member of the Kulmiye party, announced on Wednesday that he has resigned from the party and joined the Waddani party. In a text message on his social media platform, Warsame said:  “Today, which is Wednesday, October 2, 2024, I hereby declare that I have resigned from the membership and the Central Council of the Kulmiye Party, which I have been a member of for a long time. “Instead, I have decided to contribute my energy and experience…

Waddani presidential candidate Abdirahman Irro received a rousing welcome as he took his campaigns to Burco. Thousands of residents lined up in the streets of the city as Irro’s convoy snaked into the main town. They excitedly chanted victory songs in support of the opposition party candidate. The convoy made several stops to address the resident who were clad in orange colours of the party. In his address, Irro said the party will liberate the country from the poor leadership it has experienced under the ruling Kulmiye. “We will rescue you from this leadership,” Irro said. “Our government will bring…