SNN - Hargeisa:  In a statement made by the Chairman of the Africa Subcommittee of the House International Relations Committee, the US congress acknowledged the passing of the late president Mohamed Ibrahim Egal.

The statement was made in a hearing on Development in Africa. The hearing, held on September 18, 02, was dedicated for the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD). It was attended by the President of Sao Tome and Principe, Aziz Bahat, South Africas Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the African diplomatic corps. Dr. Saad Noor, Somalilands Representative in the US, who had lobbied for the issuance of the statement, was also present.

 Statement on Death of Mohammad Ibrahim Egal

It is appropriate that the Africa Subcommittee acknowledges the death of Mohammad Ibrahim Egal, the President of Somaliland, at a hearing on the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). President Egal, a strong supporter of NEPAD, died on May 3, 2002.

This was the end of a political career spanning five decades during which he made notable contributions to the Somali people and Africa. Mohammad Egal knew both the corridors of power and the perils of dictatorship. He paid a state visit to the United States in 1968 as the Prime Minister of the Somali Republic. The following year he was overthrown by a military coup that ended constitutional democracy in Somalia and resulted in his imprisonment for 12 years.

The Mohammad Siad Barre military dictatorship imploded in 1991, with dire consequences for the Somali people and Africa. Warlords filled the void created by the collapsed state. They continue to wage internecine conflicts that cause famine and send refugees flowing into neighboring countries. Chaos still prevails, by and large, more than a decade later --the antithesis of the ideals of good governance, respect for human rights and economic growth embodied in NEPAD.

Mohammad Ibrahim Egal did not stand idly by as Somalia spiraled into anarchy. He successfully led efforts to promote peace and stability in Somaliland. This territory was administered by Britain prior to independence in 1960, and then joined with the former Italian colony of Somalia to form the Somali Republic. He was elected the second president of Somaliland by a constituent assembly and clan elders in 1993, and reelected in 1997. Under his leadership, the economy developed and stability reigned.

The Africa Subcommittee acknowledges the contribution of Mohammad Ibrahim Egal to his country and Africa .