Saturday, October 4, 2003, Mr. Mohamed Hashi Elmi spoke at a luncheon ceremony for the 25th anniversary of the Black American Political Association of California (BLACK), the largest organization of its kind in the United States. He had this to say:  

We are grateful for the Black American Political Association of California for this invitation. We are also grateful for the Somaliland Policy and Reconstruction Institute for initiating our coming here to participate in this event. Somaliland had been a British Protectorate for almost a century and got its independence on June 26, 1960. It joined voluntarily with Somalia (An Italian UN Trustship) which got its independence four days later on July 1, 1960, as a prerequisite for greater Somalia, which included South East and Eastern Ethiopia, The Republic of Djibouti and the Northern Districts of Kenya. That hope has been shattered by the rejection of the International community as a whole. 

And now, since the marriage of Somaliland and Somalia has been unsuccessful, Somaliland had no other choice but to go its own way and regain its lost independence in May 18, 1991. Somaliland has untapped natural resources such as oil, coal, rich marine resources, livestock (sheep, cattle, and camels), precious stones (of which 23 known kinds has been identified), Iron ore and many others. All these resources are in commercial quantities. We are therefore, inviting you (businessmen and women and other investors) to participate in the exploration of these plentiful resources, for the benefit of both of us.

We want you to come and visit us in Somaliland to see for yourselves what we have achieved, how peaceful this country is, and witness the accomplishments of Somaliland people, with little or no assistance from the international community. Somaliland has risen from the ashes of destruction, mass killings of its innocent citizens (men, women and children alike) and total looting of its properties. In the city of Hargeisa alone, UN experts identified 116 mass graves. The perpetrators of these crimes were non other than the government of the regime of Siyad Barre.

Somaliland has rehabilitated 90% of the destroyed buildings, schools, hospitals, wells, farms and other infrastructures. Somaliland is a peaceful and progressive nation. It has completed the stage of rehabilitation and entered the developmental phase. In order to facilitate this new phase, we have established procedures to guide both international and local investors. There is a chamber of commerce. We provide an environment that supports free enterprise.

We have in Somaliland 72 register industries, and 15 small/medium size factories are working now. We are very hopeful that the remaining ones will start functioning within few years' time. It is our intention to establish a free zone area in the Port City of Berbera. We are working very hard to complete this project which will supply goods and services to Ethiopia, a landlocked nation. Once completed, it will generate employment and very badly needed revenue. It will benefit both countries in many ways.

Somaliland, is ready to enter into a partnership with you, for its development. Somaliland has rules and regulations that protect investors and their assets. Again, we would like to extend to you an invitation to come to Somaliland. The healthy business climate, the peace, and many other positive factors are there to help you decide to enter this partnership. I am sure it will benfit both of our people, the people of Somaliland and the African American business community.check it out for yourselves.


Hassan Hirsi

hassanh@pacbell.net

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