A leader should be judged on the basis of his historical and political credentials, vision and moral conviction. President Ahmed Silaanyo is the man who acted and took an inevitable decision when the existence and honour of our people were at stake.
He was the leader of those martyrs of freedom fighters who began to act on the thought that something were worth to fight for. President Ahmed Silaanyo represents the hope and legitimate aspirations of Somaliland people for ever-lasting freedom, self-determination and independence within the free nations of the world. President Silaanyo’s life and legacy is the biggest lesson, motivation, inspiration and commitment that any Somaliland President can give to this great nation, the Republic of Somaliland.
However, the leader who tries to succeed must expect to be criticized. The leader who makes a success of an important venture never wails for the crowd. It takes nerve, it takes a great lot of grit; but the man that succeeds has both. Anyone can fail. The public admires the leader who has enough confidence in himself to take a chance. These chances are the main things after all. Nothing important was ever done but the greater number consulted previously doubted the possibility. Success is the accomplishment of that which most people think can’t be done.
An Assertive and Effective Foreign Policy
To keep pace with the transnational security, an economic and diplomatic challenge in the Horn of African region and beyond a broad-minded, flexible and well-structured foreign policy is of vital importance. Before President Ahmed Silaanyo came to power, Somaliland was a completely invisible and anonymous country that neither was a player nor spectator on regional and international policy playgrounds. The government of Somaliland has transformed our country from a completely introverted and isolated country into an internationally respected partner for peace, stability and democracy.
On the field of foreign affairs and international cooperation, the mission of President Ahmed Silaanyo’s government is to build up an effective and progressive foreign policy that breaks new ground and shed light on geo-political significance as well as the abundant natural resources of the Republic of Somaliland. The Foreign Policy approach of the Republic of Somaliland is an Assertive and Effective Foreign Policy. It is a policy with courage and confidence that breaks the barriers of self-imposed exclusion and limitation of the last two decades.
The government of President Ahmed Silaanyo represents and reflects the values, will of the people, sacrifice and history of our great nation; at the same time this government is doing its utmost to voice and realize the ideals and ambitions lived and believed by the people of Somaliland. This government is committed and contented itself with expressing the people’s legitimate demands. This is the only way to serve and safeguard the ever more shifting geo-political interests of our country and people. With the mind into the historical facts of our country and the mistakes and misjudgements made in the past by Somaliland’s political elites, the current Somaliland’s foreign policy focuses on the future and the way forward.
Territorial Integrity and Sovereignty of the Country:
With a well- balanced and sound judgment President Silaanyo’s government has made historical and crucial policy decisions based upon security and sovereignty priorities as well as strategic approaches that address the needs, challenges, obstacles as well as opportunities facing Somaliland’s people in the Horn of African Region and beyond. One good example thereof is the way in which the current government deals with and approaches to Taleex issue.
The verdict to re-enter Taleeh was an inevitable but the right decision. The President of Somaliland Republic as the commander-in-chief of Somaliland armed forces; he is fully mandated by the Constitution to undertake such crucial, coherent and correct decisions. The president has the authority and constitutional backing to ensure the safety and defend the existence of Somaliland irrespective of the incorrect pretext assumptions given by Somaliland’s antagonists. The Constitution has given the President the power not only to protect the land and people, but also to safeguard the country’s borders as well as ensuring the territorial integrity and Sovereignty of the state. After conquering of the historic town of Taleeh and subsequently appointing it as the capital city of Xaysimo Region, the Republic of Somaliland has no more ‘a disputed region’ or in other words, an area which can be considered as inaccessible for the state.
This decision sends a strong signal to the outside world and to all those who are constantly and unjustly interfering with our internal affairs.
This move provides a National Strategy Concept capable of nurturing of sense of belonging to and togetherness among the residents in this region as well as creating a popular base that conforms and cooperates with the state that they previously regarded as their enemies. After all, this decision was an act of courage and guts that permanently assures the territorial integrity of our country with respect to the colonial borders within which the Republic of Somaliland became independent.
CONCLUSION:
Somaliland citizens have both the motive and opportunity to look back into the significant performance and progress achieved by the government of President Silaanyo during the past 4 years. Somaliland citizens were well aware of the unfavourable circumstance in which the current government started when they took the office, where they have come from and where they are now. After four years, Somaliland citizens see and recognize the undeniable progress in different fields and the substantial achievement this government has made in a relatively short time.
However, in the upcoming presidential elections next time round, the vast majority of Somaliland voters will surely vote for the incumbent president. Simply because the results and social progress achieved by his government in 4 years time speak for themselves and are the grounds upon which the Somaliland electorate will base on their voting decision.
God Bless the Republic of Somaliland and its Noble people
By Eng. Hussein Adan Igeh |Hussein Deyr |Birmingham, UK|