In a region where insecurity is the biggest threat to livelihoods, state institutions, economic
development, and attraction of foreign direct investment, it is a valid question one to ask
himself, who is suitable to lead Somaliland which is peaceful, but locates in volatile Horn of
Africa and is also a close neighbor of the Arabian peninsula, where conflict in Yemen and others
are increasingly threatening the region.
The right answer is, leadership in such environment requires someone who is well acquainted
with the regional security matters. Among the three candidates, Kulmiye presidential
candidate, Muse Biihi Abdi is the only candidate who is well conversant with the security,
geopolitics and historical undertakings of the Horn of Africa region. He had extensive security
studies in the United States of America in addition to his local and regional security experience.
He was Somaliland Minister of interior in one of the difficulty periods in Somaliland history. He
participated all Somaliland peace building, militia demobilization and state building conferences
held in Baligubadle, Burao, Borama, Sheikh and Hargeisa as conference leader, contributor and
participant. He was the chairman of the Baligubadle landmark conference where SNM handed
over power to Somaliland house of elders. He was founder and cofounder in various political
associations before joining in the establishment of Kulmiye party, where he became the right
hand man and his first deputy of the incumbent president Honorable Ahmed Mohammed
Mohammed Siillanyo during the tough eight years Kulmiye was in opposition. Later he was
elected the chairman of the ruling party and later he was elected the party candidate for the
upcoming 2017 elections.
On the other hand, Wadani candidate Abdurrahman irro is not fully knowledgeable about
Somaliland internal security matters, let alone the security threats in the Horn of Africa and
Arabian Peninsula. Abdurrahman Irro is not a man you can count on during difficult times; he is
a weak and fragile and cannot take appropriate decisions in rough waters, because he failed to
table in at the house of representative any act modernizing our security apparatus but he was a
silent partner with the ministries who resigned from the government, whom has an agenda
beyond Somaliland politics. His Wadani party is currently in negotiation with the same
ministries who resigned from the Kulmiye government when they have failed to fulfill their
devil, sinister and hidden agenda.
