Radio Somalia news editorial. 

26 September 2010.

Making the Puntland Government accountable to the people of Puntland.

The USA Government and other Governments can help to make their Puntland Government aid more accountable to the people of Puntland by helping the Puntland Government in the development of:

1. The election system, by introducing one vote for each citizen in Puntland.

The Puntland Government should be encouraged to follow the example of the Somaliland Government and give every citizen of Puntland the vote in general elections.

The people’s ability to vote for their own Government can help make sure that there is no development towards a small number of people holding political power through corrupt practices that can arise when large amounts of money suddenly appears and only a small number of people are allowed to vote in elections that decide the government.

The current Puntland political system where a small number of people vote to decide who shall become the Government of Puntland has worked very well to this time however with the large amounts of funds expected it is important to move to a more normal democratic system of elections for the future where every citizen of Puntland has one vote in elections.

One vote for every citizen in elections is successful in Somaliland which has the same security, political and economic conditions as Puntland.

If voting is put in the hand of every citizen of Puntland then this shall prevent a rise in corruption that can result from the development aid that is now urgently needed in Puntland, by effecting the small number who currently have the right to vote at elections that decide who shall form the next Government in Puntland.

This would also be an important development towards the time of a future election for a national Somalia Government (currently the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia) which also is currently not elected by the process of one vote by every citizen of Somalia.

2. Human rights training and proper conduct training to the members of the Puntland security service, Puntland police service, Puntland prison service, Puntland military service and all other government department personnel and government service staff. This is part of the training given to all Government employees overseas and should now be included across all parts of the Puntland Government so as to better respect and serve the people.

3. A return to the freedom of the press that existed from 1993 to 2009 in North Somalia Puntland so as to stop the ability and desire of the Puntland Government to arrest professional Puntland journalists.

Some of these journalist have worked in Puntland since 1993 (known as North East Somalia at that time) but it is only from 2009 - 2010 that several of them fled from Puntland because of Puntland Government repeated arrests and detention without trial and threats to their life because they reported on issues such as the harsh treatment given to internally displaced refugees when the Government could not find those responsible for terrorism.

Some of these Puntland journalists are now overseas and have been recognized as refugees by the United Nations UNHCR because of the well documented situation faced by journalists in Puntland in the year 2009 - 2010.

Since 1993 Journalists have been free to report the truth of what happened in North Somalia Puntland so that from 1993 – 2009 no North Somalia or Puntland journalist is known to have fled for his life because of any government threat as a result of his journalism work until 2009 - 2010.

No Government should be allowed to feel it has any right to silence the voice of its own people such as its journalists who are the bravest people in Somalia and where many have died because they refused to remain silent under threats that have taken many of their lives.

Every government must see itself as serving the people and not threatening its own people.

The professional journalist uncovers problems which are faced by the weakest of the people such as the refugee whom no one else has time for.

Now in Somalia there is a “rain of terror” similar to what existed in NAZI Germany in the 1940’s in Europe when any person who said something against what was happening to innocent refugees and innocent citizens suddenly and quickly “disappeared”.

Government attacks on journalists must not be allowed in Puntland (or Somaliland) because the overseas donors have the power to educate the Governments that they shall now be directly helping.

Governments work for the people and that is the same as the job of the journalists.

The only ones who attack journalists are the people that don’t care about other people.

The ones who attack journalists only care about themselves and power for themselves.

The journalist is not in politics and so he or she is happy to listen to everyone and that is why every democratic society has freedom for journalists.

The President of a democracy and a policeman in a democracy do not touch professional journalists because in a democratic society every person is equal (unless the law is broken) because every person has one vote in elections and every person is free to meet a professional journalist and tell his or her story.

That is the freedom of the press and the life in a democracy. 

The freedom of the press is more precious than gold when a citizen has a problem and no one else is interested to listen.

The professional journalist listens to you for free and investigates what you say at no expense to you and reports and he makes corrections if he or she found a mistake in their report. That is their job. No one else in society does such a job or performs such a community service.

When there are no journalist left or no press freedom then the weakest people in society are truly alone with their problems and no one knows when they might be that weakest person who might only be able to trust a professional journalist with what are often very serious problems that no one else wants to known about or are afraid to known.

4. A Puntland Government ombudsman with offices in each town where people can submit complaints for investigation against Government employees, security service, police, prison, military and all other government agencies. This is a public service to help individuals, families, businesses and the community to solve problems that are caused by the Government. There should be regularly radio announcements to let the general public know how the Puntland Government ombudsman can help them. This is a free service offered by Governments overseas and should now be available to the people of Puntland.

5.  A Puntland Community ombudsman with offices in each town where people with problems can agree between themselves to request a free and not compulsory arbitration (free suggested judgement or free suggested opinion) instead of using the justice system. This is a public service to help individuals, families, businesses and the community to solve little problems before they become big problems. There should be regularly radio announcements to let the general public know how the Puntland Community ombudsman can help them. This is a free service offered by Governments overseas and should now be available to the people of Puntland.

Those are some ideas for the Puntland State of Somalia Government and its overseas donors.

Peace be on Puntland 

26 September 2010.

Making the Somaliland Government accountable to the people of Somaliland.

The USA Government and other Governments can also help to make their Somaliland Government aid more accountable to the people of Somaliland by helping the Somaliland Government in the development of:

1. Private Radio broadcasting.

The Somaliland Government should be encouraged to follow the example of the Puntland Government and allow private radio broadcasting.

Any interested person has been able to establish Private Radio broadcasting in North Somalia Puntland since 1993 (known then as North East Somalia).

North Somalia Puntland has the same economic and security conditions as Somaliland so there is no reason to fear Private Radio broadcasting in Somaliland.

There are hundreds of unused radio frequencies that could provide economic livelihood and a great variety of listening pleasure for the people of Somaliland.

The freedom of the media promotes a diverse range of Private Radio broadcasters and it is time with massive overseas funding about to commence that the general public in Somaliland be able to enjoy and participate in Private broadcasting which has been enjoyed for a long time by Puntland listeners.

To be a caring Government needs a Government that is not afraid of what people say about it on the radio.

When people are critical the Government must welcome good ideas and explain why other ideas are not possible.

In democracies all Governments have information departments who are not interested in restricting what people can do and not interested to maintain a radio broadcast monopoly unless they are afraid of their own people.

In a democracy fear of radio is not needed because every citizen is equal with one vote in elections (unless they broke the law).

Puntland has Private Radio broadcasting, Community Radio broadcasting, Amateur hobby radio broadcasting, Foreign radio relays and Government Radio broadcasting.

Somaliland currently only has Foreign radio relays and Government Radio broadcasting.

The Somaliland Government has access to radio broadcasting in Somaliland and so do foreign relay broadcasters. It is now time to allow the private citizens of Somaliland permission to establish private radio broadcast stations to provide increased public access to the radio airwaves.  

Somaliland citizens should be allowed to operate a private broadcast station  for their livelihood (money making commercial radio) as well as Community Radio broadcasting stations (not for profit community radio service) and Amateur hobby radio broadcast stations (voluntary, not for money, technical training, for the pleasure of operating a radio station and learning broadcasting techniques).

2. Human rights training and proper conduct training to the members of the Somaliland security service, Somaliland police service, Somaliland prison service, Somaliland military service and all other government department personnel and government service staff. This is part of the training given to all Government employees overseas and should now be included across all parts of the Somaliland Government so as to better respect and serve the people.

3. Freedom of the press

No Government should be allowed to feel it has any right to silence the voice of its own people such as its journalists who are the bravest people. For example in Somalia many journalists have died because they refused to remain silent under threats that have taken many of their lives.

Every government must see itself as serving the people and not threatening its own people.

The professional journalist uncovers problems which are faced by the weakest of the people such as the refugee whom no one else has time for.

Now in Somalia there is a “rain of terror” similar to what existed in NAZI Germany in the 1940’s in Europe when any person who said something against what was happening to innocent refugees and innocent citizens suddenly and quickly “disappeared”.

Government attacks on journalists must not be allowed in Somaliland (or Puntland) because the overseas donors have the power to educate the Governments that they shall now be directly helping.

Governments work for the people and that is the same as the job of the journalists.

The only ones who attack journalists are the people that don’t care about other people.

The ones who attack journalists only care about themselves and power for themselves.

The journalist is not in politics and so he or she is happy to listen to everyone and that is why every democratic society has freedom for journalists.

The President of a democracy and a policeman in a democracy do not touch professional journalists because in a democratic society every person is equal (unless the law is broken) because every person has one vote and any person is free to meet a professional journalist and tell his or her story.

That is the freedom of the press and the life in a democracy. 

The freedom of the press is more precious than gold when a citizen has a problem and no one else is interested to listen.

The professional journalist listens to you for free and investigates what you say at no expense to you and reports and he makes corrections if he or she found a mistake in their report. That is their job. No one else in society does such a job or performs such a community service.

When there are no journalist left or no press freedom then the weakest people in society are truly alone with their problems and no one knows when they might be that weakest person who might only be able to trust a professional journalist with what are often very serious problems that no one else wants to known about or are afraid to known.

4. A Somaliland Government ombudsman with offices in each town where people can submit complaints for investigation against Government employees, security service, police, prison, military and all other government agencies. This is a public service to help individuals, families, businesses and the community to solve problems that are caused by the Government. There should be regularly radio announcements to let the general public know how the Somaliland Government ombudsman can help them. This is a free service offered by Governments overseas and should now be available to the people of Somaliland.

5.  A Somaliland Community ombudsman with offices in each town where people with problems can agree between themselves to request a free and not compulsory arbitration (free suggested judgement or free suggested opinion) instead of using the justice system. This is a public service to help individuals, families, businesses and the community to solve little problems before they become big problems. There should be regularly radio announcements to let the general public know how the Somaliland Community ombudsman can help them. This is a free service offered by Governments overseas and should now be available to the people of Somaliland.

Those are some ideas for the Somaliland Government and its overseas donors.

Peace be on Somaliland 

26 September 2010.

Sudan and Southern Sudan.

A referendum on 9 January 2011 will decide if South Sudan remains part of Sudan or if Southern Sudan becomes independent.

There will be a separate referendum in the disputed Abyei oil rich boarder region between South Sudan and Sudan allowing them to choose to join the south or Sudan in the north.

Something to consider is the fact that both regions want the revenue from this oil rich disputed region so would it not be better if both agreed to share the revenue half to South Sudan and half to Sudan?

If the revenue was managed through the IMF or the World Bank or the UN then an open disclosure of the amount of funds available from this oil could lead to their better use because both Governments would have to account to their peoples as to what happened to there known amount of funds.

Often Government income is unknown and this results in money “disappearing”. So another advantage of such an open system is to protect this money because all the people shall know how much is being given and can check how every dollar is spent.

 IMF or the World Bank or the UN can help both South Sudan and Sudan in such an arrangement.

Those are some ideas although South Sudan and Sudan have completed their negations.

Peace be to Sudan and peace be to Southern Sudan 

26 September 2010.

Palestine and Israel.

After 1 year of discussion that started in September 2010, the State of Palestine will become a reality if no problem occurs.

One possible problem being discussed is the Israel settlements that are on Palestinian land.

Two ideas.

1. Are there any Israel settlers in Palestinian lands who would like to live under the new State of Palestine?

If yes then would they be welcome to stay in their current homes in the new State of Palestine and receive Palestinian citizenship on the same basis as Palestinians who are Israeli citizens now live in Israel?

2. Would it be possible to exchange some land in Israel for some of the Israel settlements that are on Palestinian land so that some land that is in Israel is exchanged for some land that is in Palestine territory?

Those are two ideas for the Palestine and Israel negotiation team.

Peace be on Palestine and peace be on Israel