The Restoration of Somaliland under President Muse Biixi.
Musa Bihi Abdi was born in 1948 in Hargeisa, Somaliland, and is the current President, a politician, and former military officer. He served as a pilot in the Somali Air Force under the Siad Barre administration during the 1970s. Since his election in 2017, he has taken the rebuilding of Somaliland into his hands.
Different policies and programs were introduced by President Muse Biixi to ensure growth and stability in Somaliland. Some of these key initiatives he has implemented include economic reforms through the liberalization of the economy, attracting foreign investment. He has also invested in infrastructure development, especially transport, energy, and telecommunications. He has implemented major projects involving the construction of highways, railways, and airports. He has equally upgraded the military by modernizing the military forces of the country. Moreover, President Biixi has indeed followed aggressive foreign policy aimed at reinstating Somaliland to its earlier status as an independent country while ramping up its international relations.
One of the social development policies that Muse Biixi has focused on indeed includes the living standards of his people in Somaliland, especially in healthcare, education, social welfare, and housing.
In fact, many efforts have been made in upgrading healthcare infrastructure by building new hospitals and clinics around the country. Furthermore, expansion of access to healthcare in rural and remote areas has also been encouraged by deploying mobile medical units to enable outreach programs.
In education, Muse Biixi increased investment in research and development, emphasizing science and technology. It involved the construction of new schools, increasing the number of teachers, and expanding access to higher education.
Social welfare programs initiated by Muse Biixi were meant to alleviate poverty and raise the living standards of poor families. These include transferring cash to families with children, social security programs for the elderly, and other conditions that would improve working conditions and raise minimum wages.
In addition to that, the government is also focusing on Affordable Housing to make sure that low-income families have access to decent housing. During the administration of Muse Biixi, construction of new housing units was started, and policies were put in place to facilitate Somalilanders' access to loans for housing.
At the same time, however, President Biixi's consolidation of power at home through the strengthening of the presidency against political opposition and dissidence has been criticized by some as being at the cost of democratic freedoms and human rights. Similarly, his foreign policy has also come under criticism for being overly aggressive, thereby serving to destabilize the region. It remains to be seen how this approach by President Biixi will contour Somaliland's future in the next coming years.
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