Burao City: Will Welcome Ahmed Silanyo International Airport !

In this world, every society or region or country has their own local or national hero whom they greatly honour them whether in living or in death and shower them with praise and respect, build monuments for them, name after them important national holidays or key national institutions or landmarks, and immensely feel proud of them thereafter and to the eternity.

Therefore, in Hargeisa City, the capital of Somaliland, you have, Egal International Airport and in the anarchic city of Mogadishu, Somalia, you have, Adan Adde International Airport, while in the small and dusty Kismayo Town, Somalia, you now have, Ahmed Gurey Airport—a name stolen from the rightful owners of the people of Harar and Zeila cities. And in Nairobi, Kenya, you have Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, which was named after the founding father or the first president of Kenya, while he was still alive and in power. In addition, there are many other such examples in North America, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, Asia, and Africa regions. Most importantly, in all these cities or regions or countries, where a multi-ethnic and multi-religious ethnic groups inhabit, no one single group opposed or complained of why they have not been consulted in relation to when, where, and how these local and national heroes were to be honoured or which of the important or key national institutions or landmarks were to be named after them. And that fact alone undercuts, the possible petty argument in which some will indulge in for the reason that Burao city is a multi-ethnic city and that they should have been consulted. And if I may ask such known groups this simple question—who was consulted when Hargeisa Airport was named after Hon. M.I. Egal, the late president of the Republic of Somaliland (may his soul rest in peace)?

So what is holding back the great Burao City? Doesn’t Hon. Muj. Haji Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud (Silanyo), our local and national hero deserve to be honoured, respected and be named after one or several key national institution or landmark in a city or region in Somaliland, which he liberated?

As a result of these, in Burao City, the ever vigilant and revolutionary city, where most of our freedom fighters hails from and the mother of Somaliland as well as the second capital of the Republic of Somaliland, we ought to have the long over due, Ahmed Silanyo International Airport without any questions asked and at any cost. Period.

And for those who would simply oppose this noble idea on the basis of petty tribalism, utter envy, and sheer hate to honour Hon. Haji Ahmed Silanyo, our regional and national hero, veteran freedom fighter, seasoned politician and the only remaining Somali Statesman in all the Somali territories and in the Horn of Africa region, and the next president of JSL, I remind you the saying that, “one man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist” therefore we know who you are and we simply do not care what you may say or think of our gallant hero who deserves our wholehearted love, honour and respect.

Nevertheless, I would like to clearly state here that, in the past, we did not oppose or disrespect your heroes when you named them after important national institutions in the capital of Somaliland and elsewhere in the country therefore we expect from civility and to follow the norm and do not even dare opposing or disrespecting our hero and the manner in which we would like to honour him. And if you are smart enough, you will acknowledge that Hon. Haji Ahmed Silanyo is not only my hero, but your hero too.

Overall, I urge the nationalist and politically, economically and socially conscious, development minded, hard working, and the intrepid people of Burao City and Togdheer region to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in shuttering the existing callous, unjust, and illegal economic sanctions in place and the attempted isolation imposed on them and on Burao city, the second capital of Somaliland by this inept and corrupt administration and for expelling the previous experienced airport management and workers and for replacing them with unknown, inexperience, and corrupt officials who begun to indirectly sabotage the crucial services of this airport in collaboration with Dalo Airlines who refuses to, this day, to operate in this great city and for almost one year for no reason, and to begin working vigorously towards the realization of this important developmental, economic, and social objective and goal. And I know you can do it with style and pride. So do it.

Therefore I strongly urge the local business community such as Dahab Shiil Co, Deero Co, Harbi Co., friends of Burao city and Togdheer region, and others as well as the citizenry in the Diasporas to contribute generously to this noble and important developmental project in the public and national interest. And there is no doubt that this invaluable airport construction project will create commerce, increase tax revenues, create employment, and will certainly raise the image of Burao City, the second capital of JSL and put it back in the national and international map to our pride.

Recommendation:

1. Boycott DALO AIRLINES for refusing to operate in Burao City, the second capital of Somaliland and instead use the services of JUBA AIRWAYS that also flies from Hargeisa and other destinations.
2. Construct a modern International Airport between Burao City and Yirowe Town and name this airport: Ahmed Silanyo International Airport.
3. Use the land of the old Burao Airport to construct a) A Public Garden or b) A Sports Complex Facility or c) A Modern Conference Facility.
4. Introduce a service airliner that would directly link Burao City with national and international destinations i.e. fly from Burao to Mogadishu via Laas Anood, Erigavo and Bosaso (route No. 1) and fly from Burao to Dubai via Berbera and Hargeisa (route No. 2).
5. Name the proposed new airliner should be, MANDEEQ AIRLINES.
6. The Trademark or Logo of Mandeeq Airlines should be the image of an eagle standing majestically with its wings spread wide, where Mandeeq Airlines is scripted underneath it.
 

Victory and Liberty,

Farah Ali Jama
Ottawa, Canada
farah.jama@alumni.uottawa.ca