Somaliland – SL got the highest diplomatic boost of propelling it into sovereignty following Ethiopian PM’s statement of support to our nation.
As we basked in pride given worldwide unprecedented Diaspora celebrations on the 18th of May, the Ethiopian sentiments show of brethrenship is the strongest signal yet from a foreign power.
The explicit words of “support to the hilt stand” by Ethiopian CEO for SL, politically speaking, has a wide ranging and far reaching implications for both within and without the region.
What was important about the news of military support to SL?
• It is an ‘veiled’ diplomatic acknowledgement of SL as an entity in itself
• It was made upon a week-day after a weekend that saw the eve of SL celebrations
• The statement came after Somalia president likened the SL aspirations to mere illusions calling upon Somalilanders to forget about it!
• It comes after Kenyan government revealed at a Nairobi Diaspora SL day celebrations over a couple of yours ago that they were at the forefront of advancing SL aspirations at the AU and international stage together with “others” they never mentioned.
• It comes after several UK repeated supportive words -which Somali associated media tend to by-pass!
• It is most important since “from the latest horse’s mouth”, the Somali-associated press CAN NOT by-pass, neglect or give the slightest black out.
What was, and is, incumbent upon us is to rise up to the occasion and hail the Ethiopians for their brave show of brethenship support which is indeed an enormous moral, material and, if anything, life support to SL.
Thanks your Excellency Desalegn, and thanks too, to your compatriots.
The truth of the matter is that our case is not a Somali case but a Somaliland issue. Our bone of contention lies with the legal basic human rights encompassed within the realism of self determination and sovereignty.
As for the Mogadishu government, it has been true to our prediction a fortnight ago in this column- read in The Horn Tribune Editorial dated 11th May 2013″Mixed Signals on Future SL/Somalia Talks“, that there was a bleakness augured.
It would be hard to be morally bound to continue the talks given the latest open onslaught on our integrity.
After our editorial, there came in quick successions, the aviation rights issue, Hassan’s offensive language, the blatant shameful act of storming a Berbera bound plane and confiscating and destroying the passports of Somalilanders, and last but not least, the continued speeches of “re-uniting at all costs” by top Mogadishu officials.
Even after the FM Dr. Omar’s assurance to the Guurti yesterday on SL’s determination to continuing the talks, our moral integrity would not be bounding, given that already articles agreed upon as tenets for further talks have been ir-redeemably infringed upon.
Perhaps the southerners have already agreed to disagree on fruitful conclusions of the Talks, since all pointers shows they are trying to abort them.
They may as well know that it is not incumbent upon SL in disagreeing to agreeing with them on SL’s future!
Ours is surely irreversible, and if anything, already well specified in our constitutional statutory books.
This is why the Head of State reminded the world on 18th May that successive powers in Mogadishu tended to exude arrogance as concerns the wishes of Somalilanders way back since June “60.
The writer of the editorial Mr M.A.Egge is the editor of the Horn Tribune a weekly English newspaper published in Hargeisa by the state owned Dawan Media Group-DMG
He can be contacted via eggebodle@gmail.com or tht_editor@hotmail.com
