Somaliland needs International assistance to be recognised, writes Ali mohammed
Posted by africanpress on February 11, 2007
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Somaliland Societies in Europe and Somaliland Community in Belgium (NGO’) jointly initiated this conference press in order to expose the current situation of the Republic of Somaliland.
The Republic of Somaliland has successfully managed to overcome the destruction carried out by the military dictatorship. Since 1991 Somaliland has been a country of peace, freedom, stability but failed to be recognised. As the article of August 2006 The Times points out, “both British and US officials, while acknowledging Somaliland’s record in achieving stability and setting up democratic institutions, said they regarded the issue of recognition as being a matter for the AU.
Somaliland applied for membership of the body in December”(2006).
How long await the dividend for peace, reconciliation,
stability and home grown democratic governance?
Ex-British Protectorate, Somaliland gained its independence on June 26, 1960 and soon united with the Italian colony, Somalia, to form the Greater Somalia. The Republic of Somaliland became independent de facto on May 18, 1991 after the civil war (1988-1991) which opposed the clans of the South and those of the North.
The Republic of Somaliland democratic endeavours with the adoption of a constitution, a currency and democratic elections has yet not been recognised by the international community.
The constitution established a multi-part electoral system, on 31st May 2001. Local Government elections followed in December 2002 and a presidential election was held in April 2003. Finally a peaceful parliamentary election successfully took place on 29th September 2005 which was the last leg of Somaliland’s multi-party democratisation process.
The President of the Republic of Somaliland is presently the only Head of State in Africa to cohabitate with the oppositional party; As opposed to Somalia who does not benefit from a functioning State since the collapse of the regime of Siad Barre. The Government of Transition exiled in Nairobi has currently asked the support of external military forces to stabilize the southern regions to fight against the Union of Islamic Courts.
According to the report of the Brussels based Crisis Group, Somaliland: Time for African leadership, “the issue of recognition is not merely political or legal – it is existential. Most southern Somalis are viscerally attached to the notion of a united Somali Republic, while many Somalilanders – scarred by the experience of civil war, flight and exile – refer to unity only in the past tense.
For a generation of Somaliland’s youth, which has no memories of the united Somalia to which young Southerners attach such importance, Somaliland’s sovereignty is a matter of identity”.
The right to self-determination, enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations (UN) and International Covenants of Human Rights, states that “all people have the right of self-determination” is a question of identity. The UN World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in June 1993 affirmed the right to self-determination, as part of international law of human rights.
Intrinsically, it has been recognized that respect for the right to self-determination is a fundamental condition for the enjoyment of other human rights and fundamental freedoms, be they civil, political, economic, social or cultural.
The danger that Somaliland could resort to violence lies in the current uncertainty and non-recognitions of its right. The country feels left to its own devices when its borders and its independence are threatened
As the Republic of Somaliland has been de facto independent, it is a stable country with a democratically elected president, parliament and local government councils.
The Republic of Somaliland deserves to be assisted by the International Community to be recognised as an independent State. Their achievements are to be regarded as a good example of democracy and civil responsibility for many countries in the world.
In this context the Somaliland Society Europe, created since 2001, urges the participation of the International Community to prevent the risk of destabilization of Somaliland in this crisis of Somalia. The Republic of Somaliland, independent since 1991, must preserve its peace and security to avoid another civil war and a humanitarian crisis
This conference aims at raising the issues of the Republic of Somaliland sovereignty by implying the international institutions to give assistance; therefore it will like to address some concerns to:
European Union, African Union, Arab League, the United Nations, the Democratic governments and NGO’s;
- To respect and honour the achievements of the Republic of Somaliland in terms of peace, security and stability.
- To prevent future crisis in Somaliland
- To protect under international laws the civil rights of Somalilanders
- To engage group discussions on the sovereignty of the Republic of Somaliland
Interviews with Executive Committees of Somaliland Societies in European and Somaliland Community in Belgium will be arranged.
Further information please contact:
1. Xusseen Maxamed Aadan - Belgium
Communication and Media Contact
Local Organising Committee
Tel. 0032 485 43 17 65 and 0032 2645 7936
Email:xusseen26@yahoo.fr
2. Maryan Ibrahim Abdi - France
Communication and Media Contact
International Organising Committee
Tel. 0033 6 50 97 93 02 and 0033 9 54 05 57 25
Email: maryan.ibrahim@googlemail.com
Notes for Editors:
1. Former British Somaliland became independent on 26th June 1960. However, it gave up its freedom after only four days as reported by the Daily Herald Newspaper of London on 29th June 1960:
“The Rejected Freedom - Three days ago, it gained its independence; on Friday, it gives it up again:
Somaliland, a British colony for nearly 80 years, became independent last Sunday. And on Friday, after four days of freedom, this British outpost will surrender its sovereignty and merge with its sister, Somalia. It has decided not to remain in the Commonwealth.
Somaliland, eastern gateway to Dark Africa, was hardly worth a sniff in the world’s press until three days ago. Now it has become an area of historical significance. And the reason is that its merger with Somalia is unique, as Somalia itself is not yet free. Somalia.”
After 31 years Somaliland people regained at heavy price the rejected freedom in a historic congress attended by the leaders and representatives of all Somaliland clans in Buroa in May 1991.
2. On 28th July 2003 the highly credible lobby group, International Crisis Group, based in Brussels issued a comprehensive report on Somaliland: Democratisation and its Discontents. The report says:
“Somaliland’s democratisation renders the prospects for reunification with the rest of Somalia increasingly improbable, not only because the aspiring state’s political institutions have little in common with the kinds of interim, factional arrangements likely to emerge in the south, but also because its leadership is becoming more accountable to its electorate – the majority of whom no longer desire any form of association with Somalia.”
This report is highly recommended to all interested parties to understand the history and present situation of Somaliland. For the full report please refer to the Group’s website: www.intl-crisis-group.org.
3. BBC News – World Edition (http://news.bbc.co.uk) on 21st October 2004 reports Dr Iqbal Jhaszbhay comments on the Commission for Africa:
“Tony Blair’s Africa Commission has a profound historic opportunity, to firstly, facilitate development in Africa and, secondly, to focus on promoting peace and stability …Tony Blair’s Africa Commission will be fondly remembered if it succeed in highlighting the key development concern of fair trade and market access and, moving towards resolving the situation of the two neglected peoples of Western Sahara and Somaliland… Our humanity remains compromised as long as the people of Africa, Western Sahara and Somaliland, remain shackled by redundant policies, which do not see the urgency for creative action.”
Dr Iqbal Jhazbahay is a senior lecturer at the University of South Africa & member of the ANC’s Commission for Religious Affairs.
4. The Washington Times (www.washingtontimes.com) reported on 6th January 2005 an article titled “Curious Case of Somaliland” by Richard Rahn who argues:
“The Somalilanders ask why they must remain part of a dysfunctional state. Before the colonial period, there was no Somalia state, and Somaliland was under British rule for 80 years.
They argue their situation is not really all that different from the Baltic States or the now independent countries that made up the former Yugoslavia…The danger for the U.S., Britain and the other Western countries is their failure to recognize Somaliland will gain influence and power for radical Muslim elements there. Somaliland might be pulled back into the morass of Somalia…American diplomats by nature tend to be cautious and are reluctant to appear to be rewarding breakaway states in Africa.
However, it is the judgment of some of the diplomatic “Africa hands,” who know the situation best, that the benefits of recognizing Somaliland far outweigh the potential costs of continued non-recognition.
The Bush and Blair administrations should come together and immediately recognize Somaliland to reward them for pursuing a constructive path toward free market democracy. If we do so, I would bet that, within a year, most other nations will have followed our lead.”
Richard W. Rahn is a senior fellow of the Discovery Institute and an adjunct scholar of the Cato Institute.
5. The Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) reported on 2nd January 2004 an article titled “In Africa, What Does it Take to Be A Country” written by Professor Jeffery Herbst of Princeton University who argues:
“The Somalilanders made their own peace without the benefit of international mediators and conflict resolution experts…recognizing Somaliland would be a strong signal to the rest of Africa that performance matters and that sovereignty granted in the 1960s will not be an excuse to fail forever.
Few regions of any African country actually want to secede; thus the world could recognize the achievements and legal idiosyncrasies of Somaliland without experiencing massive disruptions of Africa’s map. The Somalilanders, almost unanimously, ask what more they can do when the international community continues to recognize Liberia, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of the Congo and other anarchic, violent places as sovereign units. It is time to give them an answer.”
6. On 4th February 2004 British Parliament debated on Somaliland (Ref. Column 273WH) and Tony Worthington MP who led the debate argued:
“Somalilanders are caught in a vicious Catch-22 position. They are being told, “Destroy your nation by joining the destroyers in the south, and we will recognise you.
Stay outside, with stability and democracy, and we will ignore you.”
There is an understandable paranoia about changing old colonial boundaries in Africa, because of the fear that the habit may spread to other countries. Somaliland is a rare example, however; it wants to return to its old colonial boundaries at the time of independence.
The rest of Somalia is hostile. That is the only thing that unites the warlords. However, the people of Somaliland are unequivocal in not wanting to join peace talks and being sucked in to the fratricidal squabble that is southern Somalia…The move to unite British and Italian Somalia was seen by people at the time as but the first stage in uniting all the lands where Somalis dwelt—not just British and Italian Somalia but also French Somalia, which is now known as Djibouti.
There are also extensive Somali links in the Ogaden, in Ethiopia and in Kenya. Periodically the Somalis are seen as fomenting trouble in those areas…Recognition may not be the risky step that it seems to be. I believe that if we were to give a lead, many other countries would quickly fall into line. There can be no doubt that we would have to give that lead.”
Participating in this debate Hilary Benn, Secretary of International Development, said:
“I concur completely with what we have heard today about governance and the progress that Somaliland has made. Indeed, it provides some important lessons, and in some respects acts as a beacon to other parts of Africa because of the relative stability that it has enjoyed for 10 years.
It has held democratic elections—municipal and presidential—and aims to hold parliamentary elections in, we all hope, the not too distant future. It has a traditional bicameral Parliament, and it was interesting to hear hon. Members talk about speaking in it, because hon. Members of this House do not often have the chance to address other Parliaments, especially both Houses.
It has a police force, a defence force, its own currency and a relatively free and lively press. Undoubtedly, in contrast to the rest of Somalia, it has achieved an enormous amount for its people…We have heard powerful testimony about the impact of the slaughter in Hargeysa, and the picture that I will take away with me from the Chamber is the description of the bodies literally returning from history as they rise from the sands.”
7. Sub-Sahara Informer reported on 29th July 2005 a revealing article titled “Faking a Government for Somalia – International diplomacy supports fictitious peace process” by Ulf Terlinden and Tobias Hagmann:
“For more than a decade the feasibility of successful reconciliation in Somalia has been proven in Somaliland. It accomplished peace and reconstruction largely by its own means and its government emerged from what observers have described as free elections.
Yet Somaliland Republic is denied recognition, due to the international Community’s insistence on the principle of a united Somalia. As an ironic consequence, donors and international organisations support what could be captured as a ‘letter-box government’, which upholds a fiction of sovereignty, even over Somaliland.
The case of Somaliland also points to an issue that reaches beyond the gap between appearance and reality of Somali peace process and interim governments. The internationally sponsored peace conferences were all based on the assumption that sustainable peace requires the existence of a central state authority for Somalia.
This stance overlooks the actual pacification and emergence of governance in Somaliland.”
Ulf Terlinden and Tobias Hagmann are peace researchers at the Centre for Development Research in Bonn, Germany and Swisspeace, Bern, Switzerland respectively. Both are political scientist and long time observers of the Somali inhibited Horn of Africa.
8. In an article reported in Family Security Foundation’s website (www.familysecuritymatters.org) on 17th January 2007 Professor Peter Pham says:
As I have repeatedly argued the northwestern Republic of Somaliland has not only avoided the maelstrom that has swept the rest of the territory, but it is democratic, economically and politically viable, and strategically important—and for all these reasons deserves international recognition.
As for the rest of the former Somali Democratic Republic, it would be far less a threat to outsiders and far more legitimate to its inhabitants if its component parts were allowed to each go their own separate ways rather than have the international community impose an utterly artificial “national authority” on it. (In the case of Somalia, as if further evidence was needed of the TFG’s rickety standing, last Friday “President” Abdullahi Yusuf’s guard engaged in an RPG battle with rivals which left five people dead…Our war against terrorism worldwide might be more effective if we did not consume precious resources defending grandiose alien constructs and instead concentrated the same aid in stabilizing viable, albeit more modest, polities which reflect historical and sociological realities.”
Professor Peter Pham is Director of the Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs at James Madison University, and an adjunct fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
By Ali Mohammed
Published by African Press in Norway, apn, africanpress@chello.no, tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525
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