By: Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun – Plans are afoot to hold a Khatumo secessionist meeting in Taleeh town of Sool region in Somaliland beginning on the 21st October 2013.
The purported meeting that has been in the planning for a number of days has already seen the presence of some Dulbahante clan traditional leaders in Taleeh as official representatives of Dr Ali Khalif Galayd a Somali Member of parliament who is covert leader of the secessionist state of Khatumo that is to be hived off from areas under the Somaliland.
While reports indicate that Dr Galayd will not be in participation as he is abroad where he has been collecting funds to arm Khatumo militias sources say the meeting in Taleeh is a strategic planning one thence only a few top leaders shall be in attendance.
Chairing the meeting is Ahmed Karshe who has been acting as nominal head of the secessionist Khatumoists who are nothing more than a nuisance to the Somaliland government for political mileage as pertains to just to resume negotiations with Somalia.
Kharassh as if in ensuring his status as the overt face of the secession leadership issued a scathing statement in which he urged for westagate mall terrorist attacks on somaliland.
As is the custom with the Dr Galayd the current meeting which shall surely end in skirmishes with Somaliland forces is a ploy geared towards tarnishing the image and bargaining position of Somaliland during its internationally sanctioned talks with Somalia that are slated for resumption in Ankara Turkey on the 8th November 2013.
On the hand the Khatumo paymasters from the Puntland administrative region of Somalia are reported to be cooking mayhem of their own following reports that the President Farole has amassed a huge cache of arms from his recent month long visit abroad.
During Farole’s return to Garowe from the visit that saw him and a delegation including his interior minister ,Ilkajiir, a Somalilander who owes his allegiance to the unionist in Mogadishu, visit Kenya, Ethiopia, Brussels, Sana’a and UAE,, President Farole disembarked two planeloads full of assorted weaponry that are reported to have been acquired in Yemen.
The weaponry that was immediately distributed to his Dervishes forces stationed in Garowe and Galkayo are reportedly to be for the sole use of attempts to reclaim territories in Somaliland like Las anod, Hudun and Badan which were for sometimes in control of Puntland but retaken under force of arms by Somaliland.
Upon arrival at Garowe airport where he was received by Vice President Gen. Abdisamad Ali Shire, Parliament Speaker Abdirashid Mohamed Hirsi, cabinet ministers and parliamentarians, civil society and the public Farole had this to say
“Upon official invitation President my delegation flew from Garowe on 26 August and visited Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Dubai, Brussels and Sana’a where we held cordial meetings with discussions mainly covering Somalia’s stabilization process, free movement of people and cross-border trade”
“In Yemeni I met the President and the Prime Minister, as you all know, Yemen is our closest neighbor, Gulf of Adan serves as an important linkage between Bossaso port and Yemen”
In a clear reference to his territorial incursion into Somaliland Farole said Farole warned of the consequences of oil exploration activities by DNO, a Norwegian Oil and Gas Company which is scheduled to embark on exploration operations in onshore blocks in Puntland regions. DNO is contracted by the government of Somaliland to explore for oil in Sool region which Puntland continues to lay claim to.
On the Puntland incursions into Eastern areas of Sanaag region and in apparent pursuit of further encroachment this time funded by the government of Kuwait as pertains to a $5m grant towards Makhiri University in Badan district of Sanaag region in Somaliland Farole had this to say:
“I would like to extend my profound appreciation to Kuwait over the $10m grant towards upgrade of Garowe airport and Makhiri University in Badan district”
it is apparent the new phase of the mayhem brewing in Somaliland’s eastern regions started a month ago Before Farole’s departure abroad when he dispatched his deputy General Abdisamad Ali Shire to Taleeh district where he, Shire, incidentally hails from thus organize the now imminent Khatumo meeting and distribute arms to the Khatumo aligned militias that were in disarray following crushing defeats by Somaliland national army.
While the minister of interior Mohamed Waran’ade was quick to warn Gen Shire against the warlike antics he was sent to perpetrate no serious follow up was made by the authorities in Hargeisa.
While the issue of Khatumo secessionism couple with Puntland warlike activities have been retold and retold it appears that the only remedy for the never ending malady is for the Somaliland government to set aside its peace loving policy aside and do gthe needful by militarily removing the never ending threat in Sool region of course through sending the Khatumoists and their Puntland based paymasters all the way to Garowe or Mogadishu.