Hiiraan online turns 10 years on July 1, 2009, which means we have been publishing Somali news and opinion for 10 years. The Website started on July 1, 1999 on a shoe string but armed with hope and a little prayer. Yet over the years, our publisher, our editor, our editorial team, our reporters and stringers as well as our columnists and opinion writers have turned Hiiraan Online into a feisty website that is the favorite of the Somali public in all corners of the world. Of course, our viewers deserve the greatest credit because without their viewership, Hiiraan Online would not have existed, much less flourished over the years.
It is often said that Journalism is History in the making, and to that extent Hiiraan Online provided in depth coverage of the History of Somalia in the making from 1999 on. Here are but a few of the events we covered: The birth of the Arta process in 2000 and the election of president Abdulqasim Salad Hassan; the power of the Mogadishu warlords and how they frustrated president Hassan’s writ during 2000 to 2004; the long arduous process of Embgathi of 2004 and the subsequent election of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed; The formation of anti-terrorist alliance of the Mogadishu warlords in 2005 and how that process undermined the TFG; the violent clash between the warlords and the newly minted Islamic courts in early 2006; the military confrontation between the Islamic courts and the TFG in late 2006, and the intervention of Ethiopian forces into the fray; the routing of the Islamic courts and the arrival of the TFG and the Ethiopian forces into Mogadishu in early 2007; the insurgency throughout much of 2007 and 2008; the massive human displacement as a result of that war; the replacement of President Ahmed by President Shiekh Shariif Ahmed in February 2009 and the withdrawal of the Ethiopian forces out of Somalia. As of the writing of this editorial, Hiiraan Online is daily covering the military confrontation between the government and its opponents.
Moreover, Hiiraan Online has provided coverage of the prevailing peace and stability in both Somaliland and Puntland, and especially the slow but painful birth of democracy in Somaliland as evidenced by its extension of the democratic franchise to its citizens who choose its legislators and its executive through the ballot box, and its firm commitment to the notion of separation of powers. This latter part is exemplified by the relative independence of its High Court.
Hiiraan Online also provided extensive coverage of natural disasters such as floods, droughts and massive human displacements and human rights violations at the hands of all actors, state as well non state actors, not to mention the extraordinary efforts we spent on the devastating Tsunami incident of 2004. We will be remiss if we did not mention that we devote a whole section to community events happening around the world, be it may public rallies, town hall meetings, expositions, music festivals, political and academic conferences, book fairs, weddings and obituaries.
As we begin our second decade in business, we want to extend our gratitude to our viewers and readers. We will not be over estimating if we professed that Hiiraan Online owes its existence and growth to the millions of visitors that visit our website. Like all news media, our existence would never be justified if we did not have a loyal audience, and for that we thank you. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the numerous contributing editors and columnists who have over the years provided analysis and context to the unfolding events in the old country. These opinion pieces, some provocative, often with clashing views and perspectives generated debate and dialogue one hopes were conducive to the understanding of the underlying causes of the civil strife in Somalia.
HAPPY SOMALIA DAY and HAPPY CANADA DAY to our Canadian readers!