The African Star

Second semester

New era for the democratic process 

The upcoming parliamentary elections will be a milestone on the road to finalizing the democratic process in Somaliland.

The test of political maturity is about to take place in the much awaited and repeatedly postponed parliamentary elections that will be held early next year.

               With the help of several women organizations in the country, Somaliland women have expressed their readiness and have made the preparations to take part in the country’s legislative council.

The organizations encouraged and urged women to be more as candidates than voters and vie for seats in the National Assembly.

                     In these enlightened days women organizations in Somaliland formed projects to promote women's political awareness in the past five years. As a result more women than ever are participating  by  women joining  political parties and voting  for candidates of their choice. A  majority of the women were  voting for the first time in the municipal and presidential elections held on Dec 2002 and April 2003 respectively.

           A recent survey on the participation of women in politics and particularly the upcoming parliamentary elections showed the majority support women to take part in politics but were skeptical of women bringing or attracting international recognition.

         Many women pointed at the national  responsibility of the lady   Foreign Minister Edna Adaan Ismail and they said she proved  that women can be better. Othr women, however,  opposed women's participation  in politics saying it is  against religious, against culture and that women are not good enough. 

Cismaan Aw Maxamud Mohammed a well known traditional leader said that tradition does not only allow women in politics but it also allows them to be leaders. He said he supports women's participation  in politics  because  they have proven to be good. He added that he sees no problem with women being involved in politics.

         Fozia Yussuf Hajji Adaan the founder and the councilor of Hargeisa University is one of Somaliland women who stood  as a candidate in the presidential elections.

In an interview she said her intention was to radiate confidence to women. She said that women are ready to take a vital role in politics and that will soon happen.

                 Asked if women are economically able she said, "Somaliland women are breadwinners in most homes and that shows they can go for it".

" Many may think we are not good enough but we are now in the leading in Somaliland's development", Fozia said, adding,  "We can be first class mothers and at the same time Heads of states".

"I can lead the country if elected ",  

                Umulkhayr Maxamed Cali a sixteen year old girl at a school in the capital Hargeisa said she wants to be like Edna the Foreign Minister. She also said she read  in history books and learned about  Indira Gandhi and Margaret Thatcher in her history classes.

President of Somaliland attends graduation ceremony

African Star Reporters

Somaliland president, Dahir Rayale Kahin ,was among  dignitaries at the graduation ceremony of 60 students. . Thirty six students received certificates on completion of the first semester of their Certificate in Journalism. The ceremony was officiated by the  Hargeisa University Chancellor Fozia Youssouf H. Aden, pictured.

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Calls for immediate release of editor

Editor of independent daily in Somaliland arrested for 15th time

    MONTREAL, Sept. 3 /CNW Telbec/ - Reporters Without Borders called today
for the immediate release of the editor of the independent daily paper
Jamhuuriya, Hassan Said Yusuf, who was arrested on 1 September for the 15th
time in the past decade in Hargeisa, capital of the self-styled state of
Somaliland.
    It called on the government to explain his detention by a dozen police
who burst into the paper's offices late at night with an arrest warrant as he
and his staff were preparing the next day's edition of the paper and took him
to the city's main police station.
    "This arrest, the latest in a long campaign of legal harassment against
Yusuf, shows that vigilance is required even though no major infringement of
press freedom has occurred recently in Somaliland," the worldwide press
freedom organisation said.
    The city's police chief said he was arrested because he had several times
refused to obey a summons for questioning by the prosecutor-general. He said
the arrest was legal and that he would be brought before a court. The paper's
staff were prevented from visiting him and could not contact the prosecutor-
general, who was not in his office.
    It was the 15th police action against Yusuf since he became editor more
than a decade ago. He was arrested in the street in Hargeisa for similar
reasons in November 2003 and released on bail a few hours later.
    Independent sources in the Somali capital of Mogadishu said he has been
picked up because the paper reported on 30 August that Somalia and the
regional Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) were annoyed at
Somaliland's refusal to take part in a regional reconciliation conference.
    Somaliland, which is in northwestern Somalia, declared itself independent
in 1991 but has never won international recognition.

For further information: Emily Jacquard, Communication, Reporters 
Without Borders Canada, rsfcanada@rsf.org, (514) 521-4111, Cell: (514) 
258-4208, Fax: (514) 521-7771

Journalist recovering after  attack

A well known journalists has been beaten and shot in the leg after his assailants mistook him for a thief.

Ahmed Ali Garas (Ma Qalocshe)  (Pictured) suffered serious injuries after  three men  beat him on August 20 while he was going home  at night.

 He said he was shot  in the leg  and sustained head injuries  after the assailants beat him severely.

The men who beat Ahmed said later they thought he was a thief.

After he fell on the ground they beat him with  iron bars.

The three men have been arrested  by the police and are in the central jail.

Ahmed is well known Journalist, who writes an interesting entertainment article on Haatuf Media Network, which is called (Ma Qaloocshe).

Ahmed is in good condition and  recovering at Edna Hospital in Hargeisa

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Hassan Said Yusuf the chief editor of Jamhuriya daily newspaper of Hargeisa has been arrested last night.

He was in his office at the  Jamhuriya  headquarters  in Hargeisa when police, led by  the assistant commander of  Criminal Investigation Department, picked him.

Hassan's arrest came  after  his newspaper published an article alleging that  the opposition leaders are more  effective  in negotiations for Somaliland's  statehood should  talks between Somaliland and Somalia happen.

Police accused Hassan and  the Jamhuriya newspaper for publishing anti-Somaliland news that they said had no reliable sources.

This  is not the first time Hassan has been arrested. He has been detained several times  since 1997.

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More education on dangers of female genital mutilation is needed

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a painful and dangerous practice whereby part or all of the female child’s external genital are cut away. FGM is also known female circumcision, clitoridectomy, infibulation or female genital cutting. FGM is a set of procedures used to remove or cause injury to part or all of the external female genitals.  Full Story

Somaliland has lowest HIV/AIDS in Africa

IInterview with Dr. Abdirashid Hashi Abdi, Development Worker, working on HIV / AIDS control program in Somaliland. Full Story