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‘Visa ban for Somalis is likely to be lifted’

DUBAI — With the establishment of a new government in Somalia, the ban on the issuance of UAE visas to the Somalis as well as the export of Somali livestock to many countries, including the UAE, is expected to be lifted, said the Prime Minister of Somalia, Ali Mohammed Gaiddi, in an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times yesterday.

by

Afkar Ali Ahmed

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Published: Sat 13 Nov 2004, 12:31 PM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 2:31 PM

It is to be mentioned here that a couple of months ago, the UAE authorities had banned entry visas to the Somalis because the country was not functioning under a government.

Since the situations has now changed, the ban imposed on the Somali people as well as livestock will be lifted, said Gaiddi, who was appointed some 30 hours before the death of Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Somalia's first civilian prime minister since the overthrow of the central government nearly 14 years ago.

Gaiddi was recently on a visit to the UAE to offer condolences on behalf of the government and people of Somalia over the passing of Shaikh Zayed.

He said his government understood that the ban on the Somali people and the livestock had adversely affected the Somali community that had been expanding constantly over the last five years due to their growing business interest in the UAE and the region. However, he added that the governments of various countries, including the UAE, have a right to ban the import of Somali livestock into their country as there were no inspections and valid certifications. “After the structuring of the cabinet, we will work on solving such problems,” he stressed.

“The day I was appointed as prime minister, I decided to devise a political programme to structure the cabinet, which will work on maintaining the security and stability in the country to start reconstruction. However, the reconstruction process cannot be initiated without the peace on ground," he said, adding: "We are talking of a country which has completely self-destructed. The infrastructure has been destroyed almost entirely.. So it's going to be an enormous task.”

To a question about the fighting in Magadeshu last month, he said the Somali government officials are not seeking recognition from the various factions in the country. The disputes among these factions will not affect structuring of the government as well as the unity of the country, he added.

The new prime minister stressed that his government will be prepared to negotiate with these faction leaders — especially those in Magadeshu who enjoy some support. The government will also work for disarming the militants in all the regions and persuade the faction leaders to give up their power in order to maintain security, he added.

“We are planning to accommodate militants into the national army and provide them with advanced military training so that they form a part of the country's defence force. To achieve these plans, the government will ask the peace-keeping troops of the African Union to assist it in collecting arms from the militants. Members of the militant factions have not taken up arms in defence of an issue, but as a tool of survival,” he added.

About the possibility of running the country while being on ground, he said: "We have no plans to be an exiled government, our first plan is to secure Magadeshu, which is still fully armed. It is being controlled by opposing factions. We are planning to send people belonging to various original clans to the country so that they start making the members of the clans aware of the importance of unity in country's peace and freedom. My plan is to appoint a committee consisting of various members of the clans to work on paving the way for the government to enter the country by assuring the militants that they will be working in the national army, police and other armed forces. Once all these plans are achieved, the government will definitely establish its base in Magadeshu."

About the recent approval by the federal parliament about the appointment government officials from the parliament, Gaiddi said that two contradictory Articles cannot be included in the constitution, with the first one saying that the president and the prime minister can appoint cabinet members both from inside and outside of the parliament and the other one saying that the cabinet can only comprise members belonging to the parliament.

“We are consulting international lawyers in this regard. The two articles are still part of the constitution and we many make use of both,” he added.

Gaiddi paid rich tributes to the late president, Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and hailed his wisdom and excellent political stability "that would serve as an example for Somalia to emulate."

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