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Letters
Somaliland attempting to silence human rights network
Michael Walls (2007-10-25)
http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/43990
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Somaliland Focus (UK), an organisation set up by returned election observers and members of the diaspora, is concerned about reports that the government in Hargeisa is attempting to silence or subvert the independent human rights network SHURO Net. Reports are that the Somaliland government, particularly the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, and the Human Rights Commission, organised an extraordinary AGM inviting some Shuro-Net members from the regions.
The meeting was held on 24th October and a new Board of Directors were elected by the participants. We are not yet sure how many member organisations participated but according to Zamzam Abdi, the SHURO Net chairperson, the government is trying to get rid of the current BOD and administration and put in their place one selected by the government. The chairperson also informed us that the SHURO Net members in the regions were threatened by the Mayors of their regions that if they did not participate in the extraordinary meeting in Hargeisa, they would not be allowed to work in their regions. Those who refused made their way to Hargeisa and reported the case to SHURO Net office.
The chairperson elected by yesterday's meeting is the head of the programmes at the government-controlled Radio Hargeisa, a civil servant, who is not a member of SHURO Net. The Somaliland Journalist Association (SOLJA) declared that he did not represent them.
It is believed that SHURO Net was targeted by the government because of their calls to abolish the Emeregency Law, and for appealing for the release of prisoners including political prisoners and journalists. The heads of the 30 member organisations of SHURO Net have signed a letter declaring yesterday's meeting illegal.
Somaliland Focus (UK) is concerned that these reports mirror other recent occasions where the government has shown authoritarian tendencies contrary to its push for democratisation which we and others have been so keen to highlight. It does not make the work of organisations such as ourselves who pride ourselves on being international friends of Somaliland an easy one.
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The outcomes of Extra-Ordinary General Assembly Meeting for member organization of Somaliland Human rights Organizations network (SHURO-NET). Held on 24th October 2007 at Ambassador Hotel, Hargeisa Somaliland
The Extra ordinary General Assembly meeting for 37-member organization of Somaliland Human rights Organizations network (SHURO-NET) whose names are attached herewith conducted on 24th October 2007 at the Ambassador Hotel Hargeisa.
The Extra-Ordinary General Assembly meeting was officially opened by the Deputy Minister of Justice Mr.Yussuf Isse Talabo, after the participants self introduction and chairing committee and ground rules set up the participants discussed about the wrongly use of the value and name of SHURO-NET.
The founding members of the Somaliland Human Rights Organisations Network (SHURO-NETwork), stated:
When we realised that the current Board of Directors of SHURO-NET have failed to implement strategic objectives and aims as per the constitution;
Having acknowledged that SHURO-NET turned into political affairs – which was prohibited the organisation’s day to day activities instead to being non political institution and impartial;
Having same vision, that the current SHURO-NET is working to implement the political interest of one political part, while the character of SHURO-NET is a private, voluntary, non-governmental, non-partisan and non-profit making organization, which strives to empower the public, promote, reinforce and safeguard human rights and fundamental freedoms in Somaliland, and be neutral at among political parts;
When we realized that the current BODs of SHURO-NET are deliberately violate against network’s internal rules and regulations (constitution), while they automatically abused the General Assembly power authority of firing (withdrawal) and the approval of the new membership, so far, we learned 13 new members illegally approved by the current BODs SHURO-NET while they debarred other two founding members of network (please see the details of fired and recruited members in the attachment 1)
After having witnessed that the current BODs of SHURO-NET failed to organise the annual membership meeting in due its schedule period (which was dated in December 2006) at the same time, we noted they failed to conduct the regional membership coordination meetings during the last two years, in accordance the SHURO-NET’S mission, which is to strengthen and ensure coordinated efforts, share resources, information and collective action among human rights defenders and organizations to fully fulfil its role in protecting and defending victims of all human rights violations and promotion of fundamental freedoms without prejudice based on clans, race, language, religion and opinions through human rights awareness and education, advocacy, lobbying, victim support mechanisms and systematic monitoring and documentation of human rights violations.
Furthermore, we realized that the current BODs of SHURO-NET is unlawfully mismanaged the overseas trainings and seminars donated to the SHURO-NET, because they secretly send to Sudan one member which they select on the basis of hidden political agenda;
For that reason, till known, the current BODs and the management team of SHURO-NET weren’t distributed the copies of constitution of network, which was amended and approved during the 3rd GA meeting of network held on 28-29 December 2005, according to this, without the amended and approved and singed constitution by the lawful member organisation of SHURO-NET presented at 3rd GA meeting then the legitimacy of both the BODs and the SHURO-NET is under question mark;
Furthermore, the participants contracted on the recently human right violation cases raised by our network are inequitable and unjust by the current leadership and agreed that they are unhappy about the current situation of the network , participants from the regions as well as other member organizations in Hargeisa affirmed that they have never receive any communication messages from the SHURO-NET leadership since when elected them in December 2005 General Assembly, so they have shown that they are not in high spirits with and the way the current leadership members perform in accordance with international and regional human right standard, therefore the participated 37 member organization of Somaliland Human Rights Organizations Network (SHURO-NET) in our Extra-Ordinary GA Meeting are jointly settled the importance of reaction and intervention for the promotion of human rights and organizational mandate of human rights protection and promotion for all Somaliland citizens without discrimination and just manner.
The representatives from the 37 founding member organizations of Somaliland Human Rights Organizations Network (SHURO-NET) who have participated this extraordinary General Assembly meeting have discussed, reviewed and approved all the articles of the new constitution for SHURO-NET
The outcome from the meeting can be summarized as follows
• Approved all the articles of the new constitution for SHURO-NET
• Approved the new applicant NGOs for the membership of SHURO-NET
• Nominated new leadership of SHURO-NET (Board of Directors) voted and democratically elected by the members for the coming two years 2008/09
Board of directors composed of 16 persons
12 persons where 2 persons from each region for the 6 regions of Somaliland
2 persons representing minority people
2 persons representing the people with disabilities
1. The chairperson – Mr. Abdilahi Aden Omer ‘Wayab’ from Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA) – National;
2. The Vice Chairperson – Hoodo Mohamed Hassan from Moonlight girls’ NGO – Awdal region
3. The Secretary-General – Mr. Sulaiman Ismail Bulaleh - HORNWATCH – Hargeisa region
Thanks
Suleiman Ismail Bolaleh
Secretary-General
SHURO-NETWORK
Abdillahi Adan Omar the newly elected chairman of SHURO-NET