The President’s visit to the U.A.E this week is an important one which, given the good intentions with the people’s interests in its core, ought to be supported to the hilt.
This time round, we saw a press release from the Presidency which deviated from its norm, for the second time, hence gave details that more than shed light on the intended trip.
The first time was a release that described emotions in a cabinet meeting at the Presidency.
Now, we get informed beforehand, the reasons of an impending trip and what the entourape constitutes.
This is a mark of transparency, accountability and sincerety.
Given the name Berbera, any historian will reflect upon a glorious habour that had seen the best of times for centuries.
Today we have the Bossasso habour to our east, the Djibouti one to the west and that of Mogadishu to the south as our competitors.
When we have the Saudis, the Chinese and the Turks expanding, modernizing and uplifting the faces of the above mentioned ports respectively where does that leave Somaliland’s own Berbera?
How are we going to regain our lost glorious image? How are we to bolster our major state coffer?
The answer is only by way of investiture injected into it by those who have our interests at heart.
Such interests, we may argue, has been expressed by the U.A.E. which has in recent times stepped up its bilateral ties with SL. It has supported us in our great momments of need e.g. in water supplies and during the tough famine periods whereby it immedietely heeded our calls of appeals for aid.
Since the SL consular office was opened in the UAE under the stewardship of Bashe Awil, many changes of attitudes towards this country has been on the positive side as far as the bilateral relations are concerned.
Despite the fact that our Head of State had made several high profile journeys to the UAE, this time round the trip is one to be mainly, officially and expectedly one that would chiefly be concerned with investiture.
Seriously speaking, we welcome whole heartedly any positive investment made to fledge the Berbera Port to a world class model which has all the modernity and moderlities of International standards system exhibited in its daily routines.
In other words we expect, hope and, more than wishfully believe, that the investiture will be made with a planned proposal that will put us squarely on a path that would surpass our competitors because of our strategic location.
Of course we know that such a project will be entailed with the parallel boosting of Berbera city’s infrastructure and most certainly the demand of qualified and skilled work force in every quarter and sector of the corresponding departments.
These and more are what we are hopeful that our President will have in store for us as a country and as a people through the stepping up of bilateral relationships with the UAE.
Somalilanders, as good patriots, should always know what is important for them, for their country and for their people.
This column supports, not only convictionally, but with unparalleled zeal anything that is progressive and has the interests of our nationhood and development as a people at heart.
At the same times, we hope that UAE opens an embassy in this country sooner rather than later hence cements the bilateral relationship to a newer, higher and greater level.
This country never forgets her friends in when need, for they are fiends in deed.
The bilateral relations are naturally for the good of the peoples of both nations.
