By: Yusuf M Hasan
BURAO (Somalilandsun) – Plans are afoot to issue all residents of Somaliland with Identity Cards.
The interior minister Hon Mohamed Nuur Arale ‘Duur’ revealed this at the Burao airport from where he flew to South Africa for a meeting for ministers responsible for civil registration and vital statistics in Africa.
The interior minister informed that the essence of the registration is to establish clear distinction between citizens and foreigners thus expose persons entering and living in the country illegally.
Said he, “Apart from exposing illegals the identification process will enhance security and health in the country”
According to Hon Duur Arale, the Somaliland government is going to solicit funds for the nationwide registration exercise at the South African that incidentally will discuss standardized Registration of Persons by African countries.
While launching the meeting’s proceedings in Durban the president of South Africa Jacob Zuma said The conference is very much part of that exercise of conducting our own affairs and to undo the legacy of colonialism which deprived Africans of identity and citizenship.
“As you know, Africa cannot fulfill its development agenda unless we know, who we are, where we live, work and play and what we need to better our living conditions on the continent”.
While informing that Births, marriages, divorces or deaths are all vital events that must be recorded in any country, the SA president revealed that there are still people on the African continent, Today, who are born and die without ever leaving a trace in any legal record of their existence.
Said he, “This is a phenomenon that has come to be known as the ‘scandal of invisibility’
According to president Zuma, this means that the most vulnerable people in Africa remain unseen and not counted. They practically do not exist thus an imperative need for all the citizens of all of Africa’s 54 countries to be registered through efficient civil and registration systems.
