U.S. Wary of Its New Neighbor in Djibouti: A Chinese Naval Base

DJIBOUTI — The two countries keep dozens of intercontinental nuclear missiles pointed at each other’s cities. Their frigates and fighter jets occasionally face off in the contested waters of the South China Sea.

With no shared border, China and the United States mostly circle each other from afar, relying on satellites and cybersnooping to peek inside the workings of each other’s war machines.

But the two strategic rivals are about to become neighbors in this sun-scorched patch of East African desert. China is constructing its first overseas military base here — just a few miles from Camp Lemonnier, one of the Pentagon’s largest and most important foreign installations.

Somaliland Circus: Twisting, Tumbling, Teaching

HARGEISA, SOMALILAND
They perform feats that can be nerve-wracking simply to watch – building human pyramids high into the air, leap-frogging over one another, and tumbling down long mats at high speed.
But it’s all in a day’s work, or practice, for young Somaliland performers like 14-year-old Ahmed Yassin.

Djibouti President Sworn in for Fourth Term in Office

Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh was sworn in for a fourth term in office Sunday in a ceremony attended by several regional heads of states and dignitaries.

25 Law Interns Complete a Seven-Months Training in Hargeisa

The Ministry of Justice, the High Judicial Commission of Somaliland and the UNDP UN-Multi Partner Trust Fund (UNMPTF) Rule of Law Joint Program held a graduation ceremony for 25 law interns (of which 7 are women) at the Ministry of Justice that was attended by the Minister of Justice, the Chief Justice, Director General of Ministry of Justice, the General Prosecutor, State Minister of Presidency and the head of the UNDP area office.

May 2, 2016

Premier Bank International Introduced New Service Called Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in Hargeisa, Somaliland

(Hargeisa:3 May 2016 -AlmisJournal) The Premier Bank International announced the launch of new service known as Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in Hargeisa, the capital city of Somaliland Republic. The service would be a convenience for Somaliland Diaspora and foreign visitors who want to use their debit and/or credit cards while they are in Somaliland.

Premier Bank is an international bank that deals with other banks in many countries around the world. The bank has been registered with Somaliland Central Bank, and has been given a permit to transact business within the country which would help the local businesses and international organizations manage easily their finances 

Focus On Africa

Another Corruption Check & Good Governance by Minister, Zamzam Abdi Adan

The Somaliland Minister for Finance, Zamzam Abdi Adan, in a press conference in her office along with senior officials of the ministry, publicized today a new system of collecting the Vehicular Road Utilization tax, or what is known in the western countries as tag registration fee, levied on all cars and trucks on semiannual basis in Somaliland. In the old way, a paper certificate that can be easily tampered and copied was used which made the system unfair to all as hundreds of thousands were evading the tax payment. But rather, the new system taps into modern chip technologies and would be harder to be eluded. Chip-implanted cards would be issued once taxes are paid and the traffic police would be equipped with the chip detectors.

Adami's Harsh Words for House of Elders & Siilaanyo Gov. in an Interview with Star TV

Adami, a prominent Somaliland politician, frequent critic of Siilaanyo Adminstration, and former mayor of Hargeisa, Seat of Somaliland Republic, hails from defunct Udub Political Party and still holds on its emblem in all his suits. In an interview with the Star TV, he levels harsh criticism against the House of Elders and Somaliland Government in meddling the planning and preparations for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections by the Somaliland Electoral Commission, the sole constitutional authority entrusted in the management of such national interest.

Saving Somalia (Again)

In early May 2015, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made a historic but little noticed visit to Somalia, a country no other U.S. secretary of state had ever visited. His trip symbolized both how far Somalia has come—from the blackest days of civil war, clan infighting, and famine in the 1990s; to the brutal rule of the jihadi group al Shabab in the late 2000s; to something getting closer to normal now—and how very far it still has to go.

The fact that a high U.S. official could enter the country at all speaks of real security improvements. During his visit, moreover, Kerry announced the reopening of a U.S. embassy in Somalia, which had been closed since 1991 when the government of long-term dictator Siad Barre collapsed. But the fact that Kerry’s visit was a brief few hours—during which he did not even leave the heavily-guarded Mogadishu airport—also points to deep and persistent security challenges. Read More