A foreign consulting firm is facing heat for live streaming a TEDX Mogadishu event from their offices in Hargeisa, Somaliland.
Forcier, a US research & consulting firm, publicly live streamed TedX Mogadishu on Thursday for youth living in Hargeisa.
Many Somalilanders are said to be upset with the incident and are questioning the firm’s decision to promote the event after they refused to support TedX Hargeisa.
@TEDxMogadishu live from the Forcier office in Hargeisa #Somalia #Somaliland pic.twitter.com/WQcjJPzKBV
— Sif Heide (@sifheide) April 20, 2017
So Forcier did not want to support Tedx Hargeisa last time and very proud to livestream Mogadishu not respecting the #Somaliland people ?
— Rooble Mohamed (@Rooble2009) April 20, 2017
Sources are also stating that Forcier’s refusal to help the organizers resulted in the expiration of TedX Hargeisa’s license last year.
The first TedX Hargeisa event was held in the capital in late 2015, and was welcomed by many Somalilanders across the globe.
It is not known how long Forcier has been operating in Somaliland, and whether the consulting firm has any direct ties to the Government of Somalia.
Forcier Consulting also apparently doesn’t recognize the independence of the Republic of Somaliland, according to this map displayed on their homepage.
The Ministry of Commerce has yet to comment on Forcier’s public showing of TedX Mogadishu and their current operations in Somaliland.
