President Silanyo Rebukes UN/AU Representative on Usage of Improper Language
“Mr Mahiga Your insinuations that I am the president of an administrative region of Somalia are not only disgusting & detestable but undignified because my motherland of Somaliland is an independent country” Dr Silanyo tells Amb Mahiga.
By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The government is reviewing relationships with the UN Political Office Somalia-UNPOS
This is per a letter written to the UN/AU Special representative to Somali Ambassador Augustine Mahiga, by the president of Somaliland H.E Dr. Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo on 20th November 2012.
The head of state was replying to a letter from Amb Mahiga dated 7th November in which the UN diplomatic addressed Dr Ahmed M Silanyo as the president of an administrative region of Somalia.
According to Geeska Afrika newspaper whose editor is confident to the contents of the two letters, a presumably fuming Dr Silanyo mince no words with the UN diplomat’s tone of language which he termed as geared towards undermining the sovereignty of Somaliland thus disgusting and unworthy of an officer with responsibilities as currently under Mahiga.
In his letter The Head informed the UN diplomat of Tanzanian origin that “In view of your uncouth language directed towards citizens of this country (Somaliland) my administration is reviewing prevalent relationships with your agency, UNPOS, with an aim of termination.
Due to the un-ambassadorial language of the August Mahiga who lives and works in Mogadishu under tight 24/7 guard mounted by AMISOM, the purpose of the letter which pertaining to the arrival of a high level UN delegation was never addressed.
The apparently angered president who told the August Mahiga that his choice of words were not only abhorrent but disgusting as they were discerned to insinuate that Somaliland was an administrative region of Somalia, while it was an independent country as he (Mahiga) was acutely aware further gave the Tanzanian diplomat a lecture on Somaliland’s history.
“on behalf of citizens of this country I hereby like to correct a number of erroneous insinuations made in your letter as pertains to the being of Somaliland, as discerned by your address to my office terming the office of the president of the northern administrative region of Somalia”
“My government duly elected by the people views your address to me as an affront to this country while also informing that the continued benefits of cooperation with your UNPOS agency is now suspect thus under review with a view to terminating ongoing cooperation “
I further wish to inform you that your inference to my country as a region of Somalia is tantamount to igniting fires that might infringe negatively on prevalent peace in the horn of Africa”
” To put you back in the proper frame of the picture, Amb Mahiga be reminded that Somaliland, though yet to be recognized, is an independent country, as per the wishes of 97% of the population who voted for separation following it had won reclamation of independence from Somalia that ensued through loss of life, property and livelihoods” wrote Dr Silanyo
Since receiving the Dr Silanyo letter The August Mahiga must be spending sleepless nights in his Mogadishu fortress having not expected such blunt words as he is used to roughshod over the leadership in Mogadishu past and current, where he Mahiga is the real president clothed in ambassadorial garbs.
The shock is further exacerbated by the fact that the Somaliland head of state is known to have defended the August Tanzanian Mahiga on several occasions upon attack by local politicians who have accused him and his office of orchestrating the demise of Somaliland.
As the president so succinctly told the Ambassador, “Not a single world leader has ever addressed the country in the terms he, the ambassador used, which if they were to remain unchecked might also intrude on the proper conduct of talks between the two neighbouring countries as per the dictates of the London and Istanbul II conferences on Somalia.
