By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – Only the elected President of Somaliland H.E Ahmed Mohamed Mahmud Silanyo has the official mandate to represent the people at international Negotiations.
This is the subject of a letter submitted to the British foreign and commonwealth secretary by a consortium of civil society and Human rights groups in which they want the international community and more specifically to stop entertaining the president of Somalia Hasan Sheikh on issues pertaining to Somaliland.
Below are the full excerpts of the letter Dated 09/02/2013
Petition Letter
To: His Excellent the RT Hon William Hague
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH
Telephone: 020 7008 1500
Generic Email format: firstname.surname@fco.gsi.gov.uk
Twitter: @WilliamJHague
SUBJECT: Only the elected President of Somaliland H.E Ahmed Mohamed Mahmud Silanyo has the official mandate to represent the people at international Negotiations
Dear Minister
We, the undersigned, the pro-democratic movement in Somaliland, comprising human rights and civil society organizations, operating under several non-governmental national level umbrellas and networks wish to express our gratitude to the people and government of the United Kingdom for their lions share in support towards developing our country’s education, health, security, livelihoods and democratization process for the last 20 years.
Your excellency, as you are aware the democratization process that has ensued in Somaliland over the years has not only facilitated the availability of a government led by an elected head of state but has become a good example of democratic principles within Africa and the Islamic world.
The elected presidents have further enable the country to secure its boarders, ensure the safety of its citizens but has also enable the active participation of somaliland in international efforts to eliminate terrorism and piracy in the Horn region. This has been accomplished with the assistance and partnership with neighbouring governments of Djibouti, Ethiopia and Yemen as well as with various international governments and organizations.
The enactment by parliament of various bills that has legalized the government’s involvement in stabilizing the Horn of Africa region is testimony to the commitment of the 4.5 million Somalilanders towards sustaining peace, security as well as the democratic principles.
To this effect, Honourable Minister, the Somaliland Civil Society groups wish to 
inform that only the elected President of Somaliland H.E Ahmed Mohamed Mahmud Silanyo has the official mandate to represent the people at international Negotiations.
In view of this fact we wish to inform that the people of Somaliland are against the on-going trend where an unelected president of the neighbouring Somalia is undertaking negotiations and speaking on their behalf.
Minister, Somaliland though unrecognized internationally is a sovereign nation that pulled out of its fateful union with Somalia, a union it entered after your government granted independence on 26th June 1960.
On the other hand the Somaliland Civil Society groups is saddened by the recent travel ban and poor security alert for Somaliland issued by your ministry which we believe is not factual considering the evidence on the ground.
Despite its negative impact internationally, the alert is an extra vigilance wake up call for our government as related to its protection of expatriates, citizens and deterrence against terrorists.
.
Your Excellency, we urge the international community and more specifically the United Kingdom to continue their support to our country and accord it the respect and dignity it deserves.
Finally, we wish to inform the world that the people of Somaliland have full confidence in their elected president H.E Ahmed Mohamed Mahmud Silanyo and his administration.
Sincerely yours,
Mr Suleiman Ismail Bulale
Spokesperson
Horn Africa Human Rights Watch Committee
CC: Hon Ban Ki Moon,
UN General Secretary,
New York
CC: Mr John Kerry
Secretary of state, US State Department,
Washington DC
