Seawater Greenhouse reaps first Somaliland veg crop grown with just sea water

EXCLUSIVE: Pioneering project in Somaliland delivers first harvest of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers - all grown using only sea water 

- A ground-breaking project to grow vegetables with seawater has produced its first harvest in Somaliland, green tech start-up Seawater Greenhouse announced today.

The UK firm has reaped a successful crop of lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions from the 'greenhouse' - a shade net covered with cardboard pads. Seawater is trickled over the pads to keep the air damp and cool for the plants, cutting the need for irrigation by up to 90 per cent.

M/weyne Muuse Biixi: "War-saxaafadeedkii 1aad

Ethiopia, Somaliland Agree to Strengthen Cooperations

- The newly-elected president of Somaliland, Musa Bihi Abd, held an audience with Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn and a slew of Ethiopian government officials highlighting the importance of the relationship in areas of security, economic, trade engagement and educational cooperation.

“Ethiopia is working aggressively to dismantle Al-Shabaab from the surrounding regions since it’s our common enemy,” Prime Minister Hailemariam stated.

President Musa Bihi Abdi & Prime Minister Hailemariam Desaleg

- Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn held discusion with Somaliland President Musa Bihi Abdi here in Addis Ababa yesterday.

During the meeting, the Premier and the President discussed on ways to further strengthen peace and security, economic, trade and educational cooperation between Ethiopia and Somaliland.

Prime Minister Hailemarim said Ethiopia considers the development of its neighbors as its own development, adding “it would continue offering scholarship for Somaliland youth.”

Somaliland is a beacon of democracy in an unstable region: Ali Mohamed

- LEWIS CENTER, Ohio -- In November, the voters of the unrecognized Republic of Somaliland in the volatile Horn of Africa region went to the polls to elect a new leader. It would be the second time since 2010 that an elected leader of Somaliland handed over power peacefully to another one. 

It would be the first time an incumbent president, in this case Ahmed Silanyo, decided not to run, which is very rare in the Middle East or Africa.

The Somaliland National Election Commission, to combat fraud, deployed the world's first-ever iris recognition technology to all polling stations. During the election campaign, all political parties had free access to state and private media and campaigned freely to conduct get-out-the-vote efforts. 

Rapists in Somaliland will no longer be allowed to marry victims under new law

- The self-declared state of Somaliland has introduced a bill to outlaw rape and other violent sexual crimes for the first time in its history, which would see rapists imprisoned for up to 30 years. 

Under the new law, all forms of sexual offences would be criminalised, including rape, gang rape, sexual assault, child marriage and trafficking. 

And Africa News reports that rapists who infect their victims with HIV would be handed life sentences.

Under the Radar: An unrecognized democracy emerges in Somaliland

- On 13 November 2017, Somaliland, an unrecognized country, went to the polls to elect its fifth president since its founding 26 years ago. Somaliland’s role in the region is changing as key players in the Gulf are waking up to its strategic location. 

Somaliland was a former British protectorate that secured independence on 26 June 1960. Five days later, it united with the Italian protectorate of Somalia to form the Somali Republic. It was during the regime of ruthless dictator Mohamed Siad Barre that the North (modern-day Somaliland) decided it had enough, and launched the SNM, its rebel movement.