He announces major projects to be initiated in the area
By M.A. Egge
The President of the Republic of Somaliland, His Excellency Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro has highly lauded and hailed the realization of peace in El Afweyn, in the district of the Sanaag region, and at the same time announced that two major projects will soon be initiated and implemented in order to cement the foundation for peace.
He pointed out that the first one would be the immediate construction of a fully fledged technical institute.
He underscored the fact that the churning out of skilled personnel for the nation’s labour market was a top priority of his administration.
According to the second project to be implemented in the district would soon be revealed by his deputy, H.E. Mohamed Abdi aw Ali.
The announcement by the Head of State was contained in an address to the nation following the completion of the main task the government embarked on as its top priority; thus the pacification mission of the brotherly clans of El-Afweyn who has had skirmishes pitting them against each other for the past decade resulting in civil strife and leaving fatal casualties in its wake.
The passionate speech of the President beamed live over the week reflected his joy as the nation sighed in relief following the historical peaceful accord that the VP and his delegation brokered in a concerted task that took almost three months.
Similarly in juxtaposition was the intricate and crucial task of disarmaments that successfully culminated in having thousands of local community militia being absorbed and interrogated in the national armed forces.
President Abdirahman Irro underscored the fact that the state would tangibly strengthen and bolster the security arms of the government such that they would be able to handle superbly any security breaches that may occur anywhere, anytime.
He noted that the nation of Somaliland had always their aspirations as their hope as concerns their convictional desires in charting their own future.
He congratulated the Vice President and his delegation on the success they achieved in bringing peace to the El Afweyn district, adding that the first plan of the government was to unite the people and end the long-running conflict in El Afweyn, adding that he instructed the delegation not to come until peace is achieved.
His address generally went as follows: –
“My joy for the peace to prevail in El-Afweyn is not only because as President I feel the constitutional obligation on me to seek to strengthen the security of my people.
“I am a citizen who is happy with the peace and brotherhood that has come about and ended the bloodshed that has been spilling for many years in the area.
“I applaud the understanding, compassion and kinship that the elders and the community have shown in the Ceel Afweyn area”.
He continued, “The Prophet (PBUH) stated that pacification and reconciliation are better than prayer, fasting and charity.
“Achieving peace in El Afweyn was one of the top priorities of the ‘Togetherness and Action’ government, which is why, despite the many tasks and expectations of numerous issues at hand to be addressed, we started the first day with the efforts for establishing peace in El Afweyn and the nationalization of the civilian forces.
“Due to the gravity of the task, we entrusted the Vice President, Ambassador Mohamed Ali Aw Abdi, to lead a delegation consisting of government officials and traditional leaders, with the aim that they had to see to it that the efforts were fruitfully completed before they returned.
“We are thankful to God that they lived up to the expectations and have thankfully completed the tasks”.
The President decried the clannish and tribal tendencies that he attributed to them as the main cause of strife and retrogression in any society hence urged the populaces to shun.
He made it clear that once there was peaceful stability in any setting in the country, the state would easily fledge public services and development.
He thus announced the building of a technical institute in El Afweyn and said the VP would have the pleasure of revealing the second major project in the area that the government has earmarked.
He expressed his elation at the triumph of the VP’s pacification mission.
He said, “I would like to express my gratitude to the traditional leaders and elders who have been working for a long time in the peacemaking process. I would like to thank the brothers and sisters who made peace in El Afweyn possible at last, the youth, the women fraternity and intellectuals of the area. I congratulate them for starting a new page in the history of the Republic of Somaliland today.
“The entire nation has learned a lesson that brotherhood and the traditional lineage of Somaliland are great”.
He further continued, “Brothers and sisters, let us move forward, let us join hands, we are not a clan but a nation, we have only one hope, we have only one will, we have only one future, may God strengthen the peace and unity of Somaliland, may God make it a nation of justice and lasting prosperity.
“I commend them for showing that they are fighting an enemy and not the people of Somaliland. They have shown that the people of Sool are their own people”.
Finally, the President called on the people of Las Anod to resolve issues through dialogue as the world resolves its internal issues.
“We call for peace, dialogue and brotherhood to resolve the issue of Las Anod, and one thing is for sure; the true fact is that people of Somaliland are one country, with one interest, one people, and that they cannot do without each other, and as such aspire to resolve issues with civility as the world resolves intricate issues, hence, as a government, we are ready for peace through dialogue with patience, listening, or arbitration.