By: Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun – The sovereignty of Somaliland is a major stumbling block to the actualization of the Somalia Federalization Program.
This was revealed by the Somalia Federal Government’s –SFG deputy premier cum minister of religious affairs Ridwan Hirsi Mohamed at après briefing in Mogadishu.
Ridwan who is originally from Somaliland said that the SFG planned elections of 2016 are untenable unless the authorities in Hargeisa agree to rejoin the fold of union left in 1991.
On the issue of ongoing internationally sanctioned talks between Somalia and Somaliland the SFG deputy premier said that the diversity in agenda by the two governments in Hargeisa and Mogadishu make the successful conclusion untenable.
Somaliland and Somalia are set to enter the fifth phase of talks that ensued in London in 2012 at Chevening house and later proceeded to Dubai and then Istanbul and Ankara in Turkey.
This is the first public Acknowledgement by the SFG that the oft repeated stance by Somalilanders on the irrevocability or non negotiation of their sovereignty is a major headache in Mogadishu.
While Mogadishu terms the withdrawal of Somaliland from union as the main detrimental factor to negotiations Hargeisa insists the issue of its country’s sovereignty is a foregone conclusion thence not for discussion.
With Mogadishu on the talks warpath mostly as a result of Somaliland insisting on having other governments as observers to deter SFG from never fulfilling agreements it remains to be seen what directions the Turkey hosted talks set to resume this month will take.
