By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) - Allegations made by Dr Gaboose that the government is promoting poverty have been categorically refuted by the Interior minister.
Interior minister Duur Arale who was presiding a police graduation ceremony at Mandera police academy said that Dr Gaboose's allegation were baseless and misdirected as the eviction of hawkers who were operating illegally cannot be construed as official poverty promotion.
Minister Duur was reacting to allegations made Dr Mohamed Abdi Gaboose the leader of UMADA party during a press conference last Sunday where the Dr accused the government of promoting poverty after it forcefully evicted over 100 hawkers from Hargeisa streets.
Dr Gaboose who is the immediate former interior minister had also accused the government of muzzling local government operations after 11 councillors from Gabile were arrested and placed in custody overnight on charges of rioting and public disturbances.
Minister Duur to Dr Gaboose that the councillors were arrested after they contravened standing orders, banning the holding of special council meetings to discuss or elect a mayor. The interior minister said that the order banning such meetings which was the basis for arresting the councillors was effected by Dr Gaboose during his tenure at the interior ministry.
Minister Duur also advised the media to desist from publishing and or broadcasting information based on speculation and instead to dwell on facts as is ethics of their profession.
Said Duur "when you inform the public that tensions exist in such and such a town while facts are contrary, it means you are promoting the destruction of existing peace and security in the country"
Back to the UMADA party leader allegations minister Duur said that it was absurd for a national leader to compare hawker evictions to massarcres perpetrated against Somalilanders by the regime of former dictator Siyad barre.
Duur further informed that the eviction of Hawkers from Hargeisa streets was in pursuit of governmnebt policy geared towards ensuring that all citizens are treated equally
"The hawkers were evicted from areas that they occupied illegally not to mention that their makeshift operations were in front of commercial buildings owned and operated by tax paying Somalilanders" said Duur
The evictions which was effected through a joint operation mounted by the Hargeisa municipality and the interior ministry supported by a large contigent of police officers resulted in the death of a 46 years old hawker and fatal injuries to a score others after police used live bullets to disperse the hawkers. In addition a lot of property worth millions of dollars was destroyed.
Below is the excerpt from the Gaboose press conference titled Hawker Eviction is a national Calamity as reported by the Horn newspaper last Monday
Dr Mohamed Abdi Gaboose has accused president Silanyo of destroying the nation's welfare from within
Dr Gaboose made this accusation during a press conference held by his Umadda party to show solidarity with the Hargeisa Hawkers who were recently evicted from areas with the capital city where they conducted their small market enterprise.
The psychiatrist turned politician dwelt on the poor reasoning behind the joint operation conducted by the interior ministry and Hargeisa municipality to forcefully evict Small Market Enterprise-SME operators resulting in the death of a 46 years old hawker and grievous injury to several others
Said he, "the ostentatiously conducted eviction has led to families of the evicted hawkers going hungry and their children not attending school thus a national calamity unseen before"
The UMADDA party leader further wondered why president Silanyo remains silent to the plight of the hawkers whose entire means of livelihood were destroyed while he was in England attending the London conference on Somalia.
Dr Gaboose castigated the president for his silences which portray a lack of feeling for citizen's welfare while urging him, president to ensure that the council of ministers discuss the visible repercussions of the hawker evictions.
while acknowledging that the capital city is the mirror of Somaliland and the necessity for its beautification Dr Gaboose wondered at what cost to civilian lives was the government prepared to stretch that make Hargeisa the new London in the Horn.
On the saga at Gabile which saw 11 councillors arrested, Dr Gaboose who is the immediate former interior minister told the administration to stop interfering in local council affairs not only in Gabile but countrywide as council members had the mandate of the people.
He revealed that he never decreed that the Gabile council cannot hold a special meeting as alleged by current interior minister who is said to have cited such a decree while ordering the regional governor to stop Saturday s' meeting that led to violent riots
In conclusion Dr Mohamed Abdi Gaboose the Umadda party leader asked President Silanyo to address the plight of Somalilanders who are suffering under the Kulmiye imposed weight of inflation, lack of jobs, empty pockets and hungry stomachs
Said he, "Mr President the decent thing you should have done immediately on your return from England was to condemn the atomic like eviction of hawkers as well as visit the site and victims in order to console them if nothing else"
Dr Gaboose a former political buddy and close confidante of President Silanyo during the protracted campaign against the administration of former President Rayale and his UDUB party resigned his interior portfolio to fulfil his, quote "political ambitions for higher office' unquote, thus forming the UMADDA the party he plans to use as his vehicle to the presidency despite competition from 16 others.
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