Press Release: Lughaya Port Development Project ... - WardheerNews

These goals, if and when achieved, will eliminate the drastic effect and negative impact of the cyclical
draught, famines, crop failures, trade barriers, poor health system, and community isolation and
dependence.
Adal communities traded with the rest of the world since pre-Islamic era. Zeila was one of the few major
commercial routes and business centres of the whole of the Horn of Africa since time immemorial.
ARDAA is inspired by this history, by the opportunity, by the need for economic independence of the
Adal communities, by the geopolitical realities in the region, and by the location of Lughaya as it relates
to its distance from major markets in the Horn. Lughaya is currently a government recognized official
port with a central government Customs Office to levy taxes on imports and exports.
In consultation with its major stakeholders, ARDAA wants to have this project delivered in two (2)
phases: Phase I (short-term of 2 – 3 years), and Phase II (long-term – 3 years and beyond). ARDAA’s
short-term strategy for the Lughaya Port Development Project (LPDP) is to raise funds, buy/build, and
start-up operations of the port by providing (1) 100 -120 meter Jetty, and (2) medium size floating barge
with a crane. This plan has been recommended by the ARDAA Board of Directors and endorsed by the
elders, authorities and intellectuals of the Adal regions unanimously. Furthermore, the elders, authorities
and community leaders in Somaliland, while endorsing and encouraging this project, took upon
themselves to tackle the other necessary infrastructures, particularly the roads network, locally.
In early spring of 2008, about 54,000 square kilometers of Awdal and Salal regions were devastated by
unusually freezing acid rains and torrential storms. 22 people were killed, 29 villages were destroyed and
141 families lost all of their livestock, which were estimated to exceed 400,000 sheep, goats and camel.
ARDAA, then AACNA, was really tested at its very early stages of formation with the devastation caused
by freezing acid rains. However, the membership and community responded positively and raised close to
US $100,000 in a period of less than a week.
ARDAA Board of Directors coordinated the emergency relief and Diaspora contributions. Over
126 tons of food was distributed to 122,351 people and 1,410 livestock animals were bought and
distributed to the 141 families who lost everything in the 9 villages that were hit hardest by the
natural disaster.
In the aftermath of the freezing acid rains in 2008, and at the conclusion of the highly successful Ottawa
Convention in July 2009, the organization has transitioned itself into a new phase of a comprehensive restructuring
and capacity building process. The goal was to establish strong, transparent, and sustainable
organization with all the generic systems of governance as well as operations in place. This has been
achieved by the empowerment of the grassroots community. Local chapters were formed throughout
North America. These chapters have created a sense of ownership and a general feeling of belonging and
sharing common interest, which energized the base. ARDAA has now become an icon of the community
in the diaspora. It has gone international. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) chapter led the way for the
non-North American participation.
Since the failure of the Somali Nation, Adalites have committed themselves to taking the destiny of
development in their own hands. They have a proven record of accomplishments. They have built high
schools, universities, hospitals, water catch basins and much more. ARDAA would like to congratulate
the efforts and important developmental milestones as well as success stories achieved by our
organizations: Amoud University (first of its kind in the region), IQRA (Gab boarding school), Amoud
Foundation (Al-Hayatt Health Centre), and more recently ASARDA (roads network), and many other
grass-roots agencies. We look forward to working with all our organizations in the very near future and to
celebrating, together, yet another but critically important life changer, the Lughaya Seaport.