Meet Mayor Gulaid – a man of science and medicine
August 9, 2019
In May, Councillor Dr Abdullah Gulaid was formally elected as the new mayor of Ealing and has been enjoying the ‘very rewarding and challenging’ role.
As mayor, Councillor Gulaid undertakes all civic ceremonial duties within the borough. This will include attendance at key Remembrance Day services and greeting any members of the royal family visiting Ealing. He was a key figure at the Armed Forces Day event in Ealing in June (you can see some photos from this event in our gallery).
He is being assisted in his duties by Councillor Munir Ahmed, who was appointed deputy mayor.
From early skills to medical research
Councillor Gulaid came to the UK in 1969, when his early science skills were recognised by the government, which granted him a scholarship to complete A-levels and a degree course.
Having completed his A-levels at Bristol Polytechnic, he followed them up with a degree in chemistry at Queen Mary College, London University before completing his Masters degree at Kings College, London University in analytical chemistry. He went on to complete a PhD in biochemical pharmacology at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School.
Unsurprisingly, Councillor Gulaid’s professional career has centred on medical advances and he has worked across the world – Europe, USA and Japan – on clinical trials. He was the co-founder of the Sickle Cell Anaemia Research Foundation and a trustee for the Black African and Caribbean Mental Health Consortium and Richard Darlington Foundation. So, no surprise that he was nominated and awarded to be a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Chartered Chemist in 2001.
‘So many opportunities to make a positive impact’
He has been a Labour councillor for Acton Central ward since 2010 and a member of several committees including planning, health and adult social services and corporate parent and has been the Ealing mental health champion since 2017. He was also a governor at local schools Southfield Primary, West Acton Primary, Derwentwater Primary and Acton High.
Councillor Gulaid said: “Being the mayor means having a duty to do everything you can for local communities in Ealing. I am originally from Somalia and came to the UK in 1969 and even in that time I was interested in politics so it’s obviously an honour to be mayor. There are so many opportunities to make a positive impact.
“It is very rewarding and challenging to be mayor. It is an important link between the council and the community hopefully I can strengthen that wherever possible. You listen local people and hope you can work to help them wherever you can.”
Descendants – the mayoral charity
Councillor Gulaid has chosen Acton-based Descendants as his charity for the year. Since it was set up in 1993 it has worked to create an environment to help young people (primarily but not exclusively) of African and Caribbean descent to learn together, build their confidence and thrive.
With the aid of 20 volunteers, Descendants provides weekly educational and inspirational classes, holiday projects and annual achievement awards to showcase good work. It also provides advice and support sessions for parents and encourages volunteers’ participation in training schemes.
Descendants celebrated its 25th year last year – and this milestone was followed this year by the honour of receiving a 2019 Queens Award for Voluntary Service – which is the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK to recognise exceptional service within their communities.
Find out more at www.descendants.org.uk
Councillor Gulaid said: “Part of my work over the year involves helping to promote the work of my chosen charity Descendants, which helps support young people in west London. I think it’s vital we ensure that young people have the care and support they need in what can be a challenging age for anyone.”
Source :Ealing extra
MUU WAARIN BALSE TAARIIKH IYO DHAXAL MA GUURAAN BUU KA TEGEY
Sida laga wada dheregsan yahay halgankii ay reer Somaliland madaxbannaanidoodii dib ugu la soo noqdeen dad badan, oo rag iyo dumar ba leh, baa u dhintay. Qaar baa u dhaawacmay, qaarna way u naafoobeen. Carruur baa u agoomowdey, hooyooyin baa u goblamay. Marwooyin baa wiil iyo walaalba ku waayey, hengelna u qaaday. Qaar baan Eebbe waxba kala kulmin oo aanu il saxar kaga dhicin.
Intii aan la bixin, dad badan, oo rag iyo dumarba lahaa, baa arrintaa darteed loo diley, hooyooyin baa jeelalka ku dhex ummulay, qaarna waa loo xidhxidhay oo xabsi daayin baa lagu xukumay.
Qurbajoogtu, runtii, halgankii umay yaraysan. Qaarkood jeebadda ayey ka dagaalameen. Qaar kalana, gudo iyo debedba, guubaabada, hayaay ka kacaayda iyo xadhka xidhka ayey ku hawlanaayeen.
Arrinta haddaba yaabka lihi waa kolkii la guushi dhalatay waa la wada yeeshay. Mujaahidkii dhabta ahaa ee ay naftu ku qasabtay inuu kaadidiisa cabbaa isma sheego, dadkuna ma sheegaan. Hayeeshee, fuleygii, waxma tarahii iyo dabin ka boodkii baa cid walba guushii ka sheeganaya oo ayagu isku tilmaama inay yihiin kuwa kaadidooda u soo cabbay guushaa iyada ah.
Intii haddaba sida dhabtaha dagaalka ugu jirtay, rag iyo dumarba, innaga oo mahad aan la koobi Karin ugu hayna, ayaa wixii ay qabteen qaarna la sheegaa, badhna la sheelaa. Sidaasi awgeed waxaan jecleystay inaan idin la wadaago qoraallo koobkooban oo taxane noqon doona oo aan wax kaga sheegi doono waxqabadkii iyo taariikh nololeedkii mujaahidiin dhawr ah oo aan u arko in waxqabadkoodii la sheelay, haddase la gaadhay xilligii ay dadweynuhu ogaan lahaayeen wixii ay qabteen ama qofkastaa wixii uu qabtay. Waxaanan qoraalkan ku bilaabi:
Mujaahidka 1aad
Aan ku bilaabee, sida aan kor ku xusay, waxaan qoraalkan wax kaga sheegi taariikh nololeedkii mujaahid ka mid ahaa mujaahidiinta dalka u soo halgamay iyo waxqabadkiisii dhaxalgalka ahaa ee uu dadkiisa iyo dalkiisa u qabtay intii uu noolaa.
Mujaahidka aad isweydiineysaan ama sugeysaan waa Mujaahid, Maxamed Cabdillaahi Faarax ‘Fani’. Marxuunku wuxuu ka mid ahaa saraakiishii ururkii SNM ee dalka ka xoreeyey maammulkii macangagga ahaa ee Siyaad Barre.
AHUN Marxuunku muu ahayn dadka is sheegsheega ee hawl qabadkiisa magaca ku doono. Intii qof kastaa dantiisa iska watey. Marxuunku, Alle Naxariistiisa Jano ha geeyee, G/le Sare Maxamed Cabdillaahi Faarax “Fani”, wuxuu ahaa nin qaranka Somaaliland hawlweyn u hayey, qarankana abaal weyn ku leh, balse aan weli abaalkiisa looga mahad celin, lana xusin taariikhdiisii qaranimo iyo dadaalkii wadaniyadeed ee uu ku lahaa mudadii iyo waayihii kala duwanaa ee uu ku jirey halgannadii kala duwanaa ee taariikhda Somaliland soo martey.
Madaxweynihii labaad ee JSL Marxuun Maxamed Ibraahin Cigaal baa Eng. G/le Sare Maxamed Cabdillaahi Faarax ‘Fani’ u magacaabay Agaasimaha Guud ee Wasaaradda Gaashaandhigga. Waxaanu jagadaasi hayey ilaa intii uu Xaqu ka helay oo ahayd dabayaaqadii maammulkii Madaxweyn Daahir Riyaale Kaahin.
Intii uu haddaba xilka hayey Marxuunku wuxu qabtay oo uu hirgashay hawl uu qaranka Somaliland ku tanaaday, maraggeedana qof kasta oo reer Somaliland ahi xilli kasta uu indhihiisa ku arko hayeeshee aanu dhaadin isna weydiin cidda aragtidaa iyo hawlqabadkaasi soo kordhisay.
Darajooyinka ciidammadeennu, kuwa qaran, badda, bileyska, iyo asluubtu, ku lebbistaan ee garbahooda ka lushaa waa waxqabadkii Eng. G/le Sare Maxamed Cabdillaahi Faarax ‘Fani’. Faahfaahinta taariikh nololeedkii iyo waxqabadkiisii Mujaahidka ka akhriso Warsidaha HERER ee halkan ku lifaaqan.
Run ahaantii, isaga oo keliya ma aha haldoorka la illoobey kaalintoodii balse waxaa jira kuwo badan oo la mid ah oo nool ama geeriyadoodey oo aan helin abaalkii qarankooda ay ku lahaayeen, taariikhdoodana aan la qorin dibna loo eegin. Arrimahaasi waxay ka mid yihiin dhaliilaha qaran, bulsho iyo shaqsiyadeed ee aynu leenahay ee Jira.
Arrinku siduu doonaba ha ahaadee, maanta markaad Somaliland dhexjoogto waxaa kuu muuqanaya markhaati marag ma doon ah oo ku saabsan Waxqabadkii Marxuun G/le Sare Maxamed Cabdillaahi Faarax ‘Fani. Sidaasi awgeed, Saraakiil, Saraakiil xigeen, iyo Alufleyda Ciidammada Somaliland ee kala duwan darajooyinka garbahooda ka muuqdaa waa hal abuurkii, naqshadeyntii (design) wanaagsanayd u sameeyey Marxuunku.
Guntii iyo gunaanadkii, qoraalkan kooban ee aan u bixiyey: Muu Waarin Balse Taariikh iyo Dhaxal Ma Guuraan Buu ka Tegey, waxaan kaga hadlay oo aan rabay inaan dadweynaha ku baraarujiyo inay jiraan muwaaddiniin dadkeenna iyo dalkeennaba wax u qabtay oo innaga mudan xus iyo xasuus hayeehee aan laga hadal waxqabaadkooda iyo taariikhnololeedkooda toona. Qoraalkanna waxaan ku xusay oo tusaale u soo qaatay (AHUN) Eng. G/le Sare Maxamed Cabdillaahi Faarax ‘Fani’, ahaana Agaasimhihii Guud ee hore ee Waaaradda Gaashaandhiga sida aan hawlqabadkiisa dawladaheennu u xusin iska daa in la xushumeeyo oo loogu magacdaro, tusaale ahaan, xarumaha ciidammada dalka, dugsiyada ciidammada lagu tababaro, iwm. Waxaana ayaanadarro ah in, sida ilo lagu kalsoonyihiin noo sheegeen, dad kale lagu naasnuujiyo oo qandaraas lagu siiyey soo iibinta darajooyinkii uu Marxuunku ku hadh iyo habeen u soo jeedi jirey.
Hadal waa gune, waxaan runtii soo dhoweynayaa cid alla ciddii haysa cid nool ama xaquba helay oo ummadda wax u qabatay oo jecel inay hawlqabadkooda annaga iyo daweynahaba la wadaagaan.
Tariikh noleedka AUN G/le Maxamed Cabdillaahi Farah “Fani” kaga bogo: http://www.halgeri.com
Mahadsanidin dhamaantiin
Just How Bad Is Vaping For Your Health?
Cory Stieg
© Getty
The year is 2019, and it’s suddenly cool to carry around a device that looks like a USB flash drive and heats up a cocktail of nicotine and chemicals for you to inhale. Celebs vape, vape trick videos abound on TikTok, and you can order decorative skins to help customize your own personal JUUL.
As vaping culture grows, experts worry that people aren’t taking the health effects of e-cigarette use seriously. “There’s a great deal of misinformation about the whole vaping phenomenon,” says Enid Neptune, MD, associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and co-chair of the ATS Tobacco Action Committee. One of the main issues being that many people compare vaping to smoking conventional cigarettes, when really they are two separate practices that have uniquely different consequences, she adds. So, here Dr. Neptune answers a few questions you might have about how vaping affects your health:
© GettyWhat is vaping?
“Vaping” is the slang phrase that’s used to describe using an electronic cigarette or a battery-powered heated device to inhale an aerosolized solution, Dr. Neptune says. This liquid solution typically contains nicotine, flavoring, chemical additives, and propylene glycol. “So, when person says that vaping is like inhaling water vapor, that’s distinctly untrue,” she says.
© GettyHow does vaping affect your health?
E-cigarettes are considered newish devices, so researchers still don’t know the full scope of what the long-term health effects of vaping will be. That said, they’re definitely not harmless, and research has shown that the chemicals in e-cigarette fluid can be incredibly damaging to your health beyond just the nicotine, Dr. Neptune says.
Does vaping affect your lungs?
Studies suggest that there’s a much higher incidence of cough and worsening of asthma symptoms in people who vape versus people who don’t, Dr. Neptune says. Chemicals in vaping fluid also can cause acute lung injuries and contribute to lung and cardiovascular disease down the line, according to the American Lung Association.
© GettyCan you get cancer from vaping?
Again, it’s too soon to say, but many of the common vaping solutions contain measurable levels of well-known carcinogens, such as formaldehyde and acrolein, Dr. Neptune says. “Given that, there is at least a theoretical risk of developing malignancy with chronic and frequent exposure,” she says. What’s of “terrific concern” among researchers, though, is the fact that young people who start off vaping have a much greater chance of transitioning to conventional cigarettes, which we know cause cancer, she adds.
© GettyIs vaping worse than smoking?
Right off the bat, smoking is far more toxic than vaping, Dr. Neptune says. “Smoking generates thousands of chemicals that can have adverse effects on the lung and the body,” she says. But the answer to this question is far more nuanced than that, because we know more about smoking conventional cigarettes, Dr. Neptune says. “We know that it’s more toxic, but that’s not really the issue,” she says. What is an issue? “Vaping has developed a far more appealing habit and practice among children and young adults, so it represents its own public health menace,” she adds.
If you are struggling with substance abuse, please call theSAMHSA National Helplineat 1-800-662-4357 for free and confidential information.
Source : Microsoft news
Typical picnic basket contains ‘dangerous’ levels of salt, health campaigners warn
Sarah Young
© Provided by Independent Digital News & Media Limited A typical picnic basket of savoury snacks contains harmful amounts of salt and saturated fat, health campaigners state.
Action on Salt (AOS) – a group of specialists that campaign to raise awareness of the effects of salt on health – is warning that one in four picnic foods are “dangerously high” in salt and almost one in three have no colour-coded front-of-pack labelling, making it difficult for consumers to make healthy choices.
© Getty
As a result, AOS is calling for immediate, compulsory nutritional labelling on all savoury snacks.
The warning follows the findings of a survey conducted by researchers at Queen Mary University of London, which analysed 555 savoury picnic finger foods available from retailers.
Among the worst offenders in the foods analysed by the group were Aldi’s specially selected hand-stuffed Halkidiki Olives, with 5g of salt per 100g – double the salt concentration of seawater – and Ginsters Cornish pasties, with 2.99g a portion, which is the equivalent to seven portions of salted peanuts.
Gallery: 7 Clear Signs You’re Eating Too Much Salt (Best Health)
Similarly, Aldi’s Eat & Go Sausages & Ketchup were found to contain 2.2g per portion, as much salt as four and a half bags of ready salted crisps, while Fry’s Spicy Three Bean Pasty contained 1.8g per portion, the same amount as a McDonald’s hamburger and fries.
The study also showed that the saltiest sausage roll was Fry’s Sausage Roll, a vegan brand with 1.8g salt per 100g.
Scotch eggs, which has an average salt content of 0.76g per 100g, and quiche, which has an average salt content of 0.54g per 100g, were the lowest salt categories.
© Getty
The researchers warned that almost half of the products surveyed were also “worryingly high” in saturated fat.
Morrisons Cheese & Onion Slices (330g) were found to contain 17.7g of saturated fat per portion, almost meeting a woman’s recommended daily limit of 20g.
Similarly, Asda’s Extra Special Maple Cured Smoked Bacon Quiche Lorraine with Butter Enriched Shortcrust Pastry (410g) contained 11g of saturated fat per 100g or 14g per portion, which is almost as much as in five McDonald’s hamburgers.
Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University of London and chairman of AOS, said that the Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health England are responsible for Britons continuing to eat more salt than recommended.
“Reducing salt is one of the most cost-effective measures to protect health,” MacGregor said.
© Getty
“The time has come for the Secretary of State for Health to resuscitate the UK’s salt reduction programme, helping us to, once again, be world leading rather than trailing behind the rest of the world. The public’s health has suffered long enough.”
According to the NHS, adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day – the equivalent to one teaspoon.
It adds that eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure which, if left untreatd, can increase a person’s risk of developing a number of serious long-term health conditions, such as coronary heart disease and kidney disease.
AOS states that a reduction in salt intake could reduce blood pressure and prevent approximately 2.6m. stroke and heart attack deaths each year worldwide.
Gallery: 26 So-Called ‘Healthy’ Foods You Should Avoid (The Daily Meal)
A group of Muslims cycled from England to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj It took them 6,500 km to reach Medina.
The arrival of a group of British Muslims to perform Hajj (Islamic pilgrimage) in Saudi Arabia’s Medina turned heads this week … because they cycled all the way from England to Saudi Arabia.
The men went on a “Tour de Hajj” – a play on the annual bicycle race “Tour de France” – to convey a better picture of Islam “as a religion of peace and tolerance among the countries they passed through.” The cyclers also hoped to use their journey to raise money for charity.
Upon their arrival in the kingdom after 6,500 km, Saudi authorities gave them a warm welcome as they were greeted by the chairman of the Society of Culture and Arts in Medina, Mishaal Al-Touhami.
The “Tour de Hajj” group were also well-received by locals and cycling enthusiasts who threw them a traditional welcome. Of course, as Arab hospitality could never be complete without something to eat and drink, the pilgrims were served Arabian coffee, dates, and Zamzam water.
In an interview with Al Arabiya, the group’s captain, Taher Hasan Akhtar – a seasoned cyclist who has previously led trips to Mecca for Hajj – shared details of the epic journey.
“The trip was amazing, we came through 17 countries. It’s spiritual, beautiful journey,” he said.
The British pilgrims were impressed by the warm welcome and lauded the facilities that made it easier for them to arrive for Hajj this year.
According to Saudi Gazette, the men began their journey by visiting Medina to pay homage to Prophet Muhammad, then proceeded to Mecca to visit its holy sites and complete their pilgrimage rites.
Xusuus aan Dugoobin, Bal Inay Dalfooftahay Caqliga Dooni Laga Saarey…….!
Aniga uun baa damqanayee dhegahu uma daloolaane, waxaynu ku mashquulanayaa sawiro run iyo been kay yihiin aan la garaney, oo dacaayad uun iska ah balse dadkiina waxaa dhiigoodii ku daadanayaan Ceel Afweyn oo cid ka naxaysaa aaney jirin kala maan , ileyn doqoni fiiro gaabi bay dad kaga hadhay kor aynu wax u eegno inta taswiir ku mushquuleyno!!!!!
BAAQ IYO TALO REER CEEL AFWEYN!
Reer Ceel Afweyn mala waxay doonayaan in reer Somaliland Habaarto oo Alle(swt) laga ashkateeyo kol hadii loo maaro waayey, oo dhaartii Alle lagu dhaariyey,taladii,dhexdhaxaadiintii walaalnimadii wada dhalshadii wada noolaashihii ducaadii intaba qaadan waayeen,waxaa hadhay waa in aanu nidhaahno Allow u taagweyne kuwa gardaran adigu u tali adiga ayaa oge,cida nabada diidan iyo cida hoos ka hurinaya ee is qarinaysa Adiga ayaaney waxba kaa qarsooneyne naga qabo,oo Junuudaada u der ha edbiyaane.
Mar labaad waxaa u arkaa in wali wakhti ay haystaan dadka colaadan sii holcinaya ee daaha dabadiisa ka wada ay Alle uga toobadkeenan oo xumo iyo fililada sheedaanimada ka baxaan,wanaagna ku bedelaan,xumaanta jidka toosana qaadaan inta ay wakhtiga haystaan.
Wax garadka reer ceel Afweyn waxaa la gudboon intooda caqliga ilihi iney dadka aan wax garadka ahayd ee jid ay u socdaan iyo mid ayka socdaan ee shaydanka insaga ah iyo ka jinka ahiba ku adeegsanayaan iney caqli u noqdaan oo hubka ka dhigaan,walaaleeyaan dhaqan Celina u sameeyaan.
Xisbiya Qaranka ee Somaliland waa ay ku guul dareysteen iney kaalintii kaga adaneyd ka qaataan colaada ceel afweyn gaar ahaan xisbiga wadani oo ay ahayd gudoomiye Cabdiraxmaan ciro in uu tago ceel afeweyn oo kala dhexdhigo labada beelood ee reer togkii ah calanka cad ee nabada taas oo uu ku helilahaa sumcad weyn oo uu taranka dambe shacabku ugu codeyn lahaayeen hadii uu talabadaasi qaadi lahaa,sidoo kale Fasal isaguna waa ku guuldareystey kaalintiisii odeynimo. Sidaa waxaa u lee yahay labada xisbi ee UCID iyo Wadani waa xisbiyo Mucaarid ah oo kaalin dhexdhexaadnimo uga furan tahay kaalinta nabadeenta halka xisbiga Kulmiye loo foodsaarayo dawlada waayo waa xisbiga talada haya oo ay tahay in uu kaalintiisa isaguna qaato,balse xisbiyada mucaaridka labada beelood ee dagaalamayaa kama dhadhaminayaan dawlada oo fursad weyn ayey ka qaadan karaan nabadeeda labadan beelood,wixii talooyina iyo gacan ahna waxay weydiisan karaan dawlada iyo bulshada Somaliland. Balse malaha wax kalaa u muuqda.
Waa in Alle ka baqanaa oo aan dadkeena ku mideynaa diinteena iyo wadankeena Jacaylkiisa.
YAA RUNTA U DHOW?
Saudi Arabia to Issue Visas to Somaliland Passport Holders
Qoraalkan gaaban Waxaa lagu qorey MENAFN (Middle east North Africa Financial network). Hadaba waa ayo MENAFN?
MENAFN is the leading provider of online and wirles financial content and finacial technology platforms to leading Insitutions and consumers around the Arab World. waa laga qurux badan yahay in aynu dalkeena iyo dawladeeda u sameyno dacaayado been u dhow oo aan waxba tareynin halkii aynu difaaci lahayn dalkeena una horseedi lahayn horumar iyo wanaag,waa in aynu kala baranaa shaqsi nacaybka iyo qaranimada, shaqsi kastaa waa uu iska tegi balse wadaniniadu waa mid ku dhidban nolosha qaranimadeena waana taaynu rabno in aynu ubadkeena ku beero wadankooda inay jeclaadan, Somaliland waa qaran u baahan in dadkiisu horumariyaan,oo wadanka dhigtaan jira balse ma garan karo sida aynu u noqon karo wadaniyiin inaga oo maalin walba caayeyna wadankeena siyaasadiisa,xisbi iyo shaqsi waxaa ka weyn wadaniyada iyo adiga oo ku faana wadankaga dadka wanaagsan ee daacada ahna fursad u siiya iney hogaamiyaan dalkooda halkii aad qabiil iyo wax matare ku qiimayn lahay hogaanka siyaasada iwm.Bal ila eeg labadan war bixinood teebaa runta u dhow jawaabtu adiga ayaa lagaa sugayaa akhristow.
(MENAFN – SomTribune) Saudi Arabia will soon start issuing visas on Somaliland passports.
This is a departure from the Kingdom’s previously long held position of issuing visas on Somali passports holders and not Somaliland passports.
The issuance of the visas to Somalilanders starts with those who will be heading for pilgrimage in Mecca this month.
Already, the president of Somaliland Muse Bihi is in Saudi Arabia on an official invitation from King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz. The two leaders are expected to hold talks on how the two countries can cement their trade relations.
Saudi Arabia will also recognize Somaliland diplomatic passports.
There are reports that the Saudi King sent the Somaliland delegation a private, royal jet to collect them from Hargeisa’s Egal International Airport direct to the Kingdom.
This is the first time a Somaliland president is receiving official invitation from Saudi leadership.
This comes just two months after the Somaliland president met Saudi envoy Amb Mohamed Khayat in Hargeisa where the two discussed how Saudi Arabia would assist Somaliland in the areas of the economy, investment, lifting the ban on Somaliland livestock export to KSA and ways to enhance the bilateral ties between two countries.
President Bihi has been courting Saudi for some time and expressing his country’s close ties with the kingdom.
‘Firstly we are neighbors of Saudi Arabia. Second, our exports go to Saudi Arabia, third in Saudi Arabia there are two holy mosques that we have to visit, so consider all these reasons for us to be aligned with Saudi Arabia,’Bihi said in a previous interview.
Somaliland exports livestock to the Middle East, notably Saudi Arabia with the highest exports going during the Hajj period.
By Odindo Ayieko
U.S. Africa Policy Cannot Afford to Ignore Somaliland
Here’s the problem: Somaliland’s ability to stand up to radicals and Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists may not be endless.by Michael Rubin
HARGEISSA, SOMALILAND—“Great nations do not fight endless wars,” President Donald Trump declared in his State of the Union address, even as he redoubled his commitment to “focus on counterterrorism.” While many commentators describe Afghanistan—the war against which Trump railed—as America’s longest war, the battle against terrorists and warlords in Somalia has now run even longer.
Alas, even as Trump talks about scaling back the U.S. military footprint abroad, his willingness to follow the State Department’s lead in Somalia threatens to embolden radicalism and revive piracy in the Horn of Africa. At issue is Somalia, where the State Department’s embrace of false unities and antipathy toward change has led it to double down on its support for Somalia’s symbolic government in Mogadishu.
At first glance, Trump’s cynicism looks warranted. After years of civil war, Somalia has a provisional constitution and a government. Elders have appointed a parliament, which in turn has elected a president. But the federal government’s control is largely illusionary. Most diplomats and non-governmental organizations are sequestered inside the international airport, which makes Baghdad’s old Green Zone look permissive. The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), encompassing troops from five African countries and police from an additional three, provides basic security. The president holds little sway outside his palace and a few square blocks around his palace, while Al-Shabaab, a terrorist group affiliated with Al Qaeda, continues to strike in the city and across the country
Fictions are expensive. The United Nations and aid organizations are seeking upwards of $1 billion in aid this year just to provide immediate relief, and that figure is even greater when the price tag for AMISOM is factored in. Much of the aid, however, never reaches Somalis; Transparency International now ranks Somalia as the world’s most corrupt country. Rather than help Somalis, donations to Mogadishu often fuel factional fighting and drive Somalis into the arms of radicals and yet, despite his promise to turn Washington’s old ways on their head, the Trump administration policy in effect remains to throw good money after bad. In effect, Somalia has joined Pakistan and Egypt in an extortion racket whereby it demands endless aid to fight radicalism, but never defeats it for fear of losing an annual windfall which elites siphon for personal interests.
Not all of Somalia, however, embraces this cycle. As Somalia descended into civil war in 1991, Somaliland, ground zero for Somali dictator Siad Barre’s reign of terror, declared itself independent. Its claim was solid: during the colonial era, it was a British protectorate, distinct from the rest of Somalia, with internationally-recognized borders. All five UN Security Council members recognized its 1960 independence. To Somalilanders, its subsequent union with Somalia was voluntary, as was its exit against the backdrop of Somalia’s descent into chaos. Residents of the region also point out that the State Department’s traditional antipathy toward border changes rings hollow given Washington’s, the African Union’s and the broader international community’s recognition of South Sudan and Eritrea. True, neither of these countries is a success, but Somaliland already promises to be. Today, Somaliland includes twenty-eight percent of Somalia’s area and one-third of its population. Unlike Somalia proper, Somaliland has denied Al-Shabaab access to its territory. Hargeisa, its capital, is among the safest cities in Africa. Somaliland has contested elections, secured via biometric iris scans, and has had five peaceful transfers of power amongst rival parties. While Somaliland has its own currency, its economy is increasingly cashless: organic innovation and permeation of cell phones has allowed even its rural citizens simply to trade digital money by cell phone. Americans might still think “Black Hawk Down” when they think of Somalia, but Somaliland has become more like Sweden and Estonia in its e-practices.
In effect, Somaliland does everything right. So why does the United States ignore it? In the era of budget cutbacks, the State Department refuses to even put an office in Hargeisa akin to what it has in Iraqi Kurdistan or Taiwan. The Pentagon, for its part, has no regular liaison with their Somalilander counterparts, even though both counterterrorism missions and the war in Yemen enhance Somaliland’s strategic importance.
Here’s the problem: Somaliland’s ability to stand up to radicals and Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists may not be endless. Somaliland spends one-third its budget on security, but Somalia refuses to provide it with any international funds channeled through Mogadishu. The situation is now so dire that Somaliland’s army and coast guard recruits must purchase their own guns in order to conduct the patrols which stabilize its 460-mile coastline, prevent weapons smuggling from Yemen, and deny Al-Shabaab access to its vast rural areas. While the UN has eased its arms embargo on Somalia in order to allow AMISOM to operate and to supply Somali government forces (who more often than not sell their weapons to the radicals for some quick cash), it continues to enforce an arms embargo on Somaliland that is an artifact of the situation in Somalia three decades ago.
Trump and National Security Advisor John Bolton are right to question foreign aid. Sponsoring parades in Bulgaria or art workshops in Central America have limited utility. But, every million dollars invested in Somaliland’s security could offset defense needs with a price tag several orders of magnitude higher. Somaliland seeks not tanks and modern fighter jets, but simply small arms and more patrol boats. The region’s willingness to invest more than fifteen-times proportionately what America’s NATO allies do in defense shows it is serious and not simply seeking subsidy for what it could otherwise achieve on its own. Somalia’s government might complain, but Washington need not kneel to Mogadishu. If Trump truly wants to end endless wars and American engagements abroad, perhaps it is time to embrace rather than ignore allies, bolster democracies and recognize that even at the height of its greatness, America has never truly gone it alone.
Michael Rubin is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.
USAID/DJIBOUTI Workforce Development Project: Graduation Ceremonies for 475 Trained Djiboutian Youth
DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti, August 8, 2019/APO Group/ — July 24th was an important day for 155 youth in Gabode who successfully completed 18 days of Work Ready Now! training under the USAID Workforce Development Program (WFD), implemented by Education Development Center (EDC) in collaboration with the National Agency for Employment, Training and Job Placement (ANEFIP). A total of 475 youth completed WRN training across all of Djibouti’s regions in July. A total of 1,624 youth have completed the training to date. ANEFIP Director General, USAID representatives and EDC’s Chief of Party were pleased to present the graduates with their training certificates.
During the closing ceremony, the Director General of ANEFIP, Mr. Mahamoud Omar Guelleh, encouraged jobseekers to seize any opportunity to gain work experience, no matter how small. He also advised them to register in ANEFIP offices. The WFD Head of Project, Mrs. Laura Dillon-Binkley, encouraged them to continue moving forward and to take initiative on their own to search for a job. A representative of USAID, Mr. Moussa Abdillahi, congratulated them for having completed the training and wished them good luck.
A total of 1,624 youth have completed the training to date
Through Work Ready Now! Training, participants gain self-confidence and preparation for the world of work. One participant at the Gabode training center said that, “to go into the field, one needs to be armed. This training is my weapon.” A participant from Tadjourah shared that, “before the training, I blamed everyone else for my situation. Now I am convinced that I am the master of my own future.”
Work Ready Now! is a competency-based training program consisting of 7 modules delivered over 76 hours. The first four modules focus on foundational skills that allow participants to better know and manage themselves, as well as to improve their skills in critical analysis, leadership, team work, communication, taking initiative, and resolving problems. The three remaining modules help youth understand risks in the workplace, the rights and responsibilities of employees and employers, as well as how to plan and manage their personal finances.
In 2018, 72 participants out of 359 interviewed stated that they had found a job within the months following the training. In collaboration with ANEFIP, as well as the Chamber of Commerce of Djibouti and the National Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, WFD will ensure there is a better link between job opportunities and qualified jobseekers to better facilitate durable job opportunities for youth. To participate, unemployed youth can register at the nearest ANEFIP office.
The United States Mission to Djibouti, which includes USAID/Djibouti, also promotes youth employment through English language training and vocational skills training for both refugee and Djiboutian youth.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Djibouti.
Crowdfund London: coming to a street near you?
Imagine a space where you can grow food, watch films, eat well, learn carpentry, experience camping and make new friends. Just for starters. A place that inspires and welcomes. An urban oasis. And all down the road from where you live.
Step forward Tottenham Café Connect. Formerly an unloved bowling club, now a community hub serving a diverse community and – crucially – a safe space for young people to hang out, learn new skills and not get bored – thanks to £37,000 funding from Crowdfund London.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, recently visited the café in Haringey to launch his £1 million Crowdfund London 2019 Programme. He described the café as an inspirational example of how crowdfunding works in relation to civic projects and called on the capital’s businesses, foundations and philanthropists to rally behind the programme.
“We want to harness that entrepreneurial spirit and apply it to the challenges and opportunities faced by communities across the capital. So I urge anyone with a creative project to consider applying to this year’s crowdfunding programme.”
Get involved
For the uninitiated, Crowdfund London uses crowdfunding technology to raise funding for community-led projects across the city. Civic crowdfunding platform Spacehive is helping deliver the programme and entrants have until May 1 to apply for up to £50,000 in funding.
You don’t have to have done anything like this before to get involved.
If you have an idea – or the seed of an idea – about how to make your neighbourhood better, you’ll be pushing at an open door. The whole point of Crowdfund London is to trigger the creativity, harness the experience and build the confidence of local people.
It’s called people-powered regeneration and it’s supported by London Economic Action Partnership (LEAP).
In the words of Alexandra Depledge MBE, LEAP member: “Real magic happens when communities come together. Local people know best what’s best for their communities and Crowdfund London is all about getting these voices heard.”
Successful projects so far have included a self-build community space in Lewisham, a library of things in Crystal Palace, a light installation celebrating local culture in Southall and a market run by and for teenagers in Barnet.
