“The meeting is focused on Somalia and Somaliland has nothing to do with it nor anything to contribute towards internal affairs of its neighbour” President Silanyo
By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The country’s non-participation at the Somalia conference to be held in London this coming May is a foregone conclusion.
This follows the second public announcement of the conference boycott by president Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo who informed a Kulmiye party Central committee meeting that Somaliland shall not take part in the conference since it is geared towards deliberations on issues solely Somalia.
The two hours meeting of the ruling party’s central committee slated the much awaited national delegates meeting for 25th December 2013 when the party shall hold internal elections.
While addressing party delegates who had converged at a city hotel to brainstorm the forthcoming ruling party of Kulmiye assembly The head of state informed that Somaliland has nothing to gain nor offer at the meeting thus the decision to boycott.,
Said he “The meeting is focused on Somalia and Somaliland has nothing to do with it nor anything to contribute towards internal affairs of its neighbour”
On the issue of international facilitated talks between the two countries president Silanyo said that Somaliland is ready and prepared for the parley on condition that they are held similarly as those of phase one and two held last year in London and Dubai respectively.
According to the head of state talks between the two countries and the forthcoming London conference on Somalia should not be misconstrued as one and the same since the latter is pertained to internal issues of the Mogadishu based authorities while the other is a nation to nation internationally sanctioned meeting.
“Talks between us and Somalia are as a result of the final communique of the London international conference of 12th February 2012 where the international community deemed it necessary thus supported the talks which were and are still geared towards establishing the future political and bi-lateral relations of our neighbouring countries.
Somaliland and Somalia met face to face for the first in London after a two decades hiatus when technical teams met at Chevening house in London where an eight point agreement was reached under the stewardship of the governments of the United Kingdom and Norway.
A follow-up high level meeting between president Silanyo and the then Somalia president Sheikh Hasan Sh Sharif was held in Dubai where a four point agreement for future talks were reached before Somaliland suspended further contact after the mandate of the Sheikh Sharif led Transitional Federal Government-TFG expired thus paving the way for selection of current replacement Hasan Sheikh Mahmud.
While president Silanyo’s boycott has received massive internal support, it appears that the international community is determined to cajole Somaliland into participating at the conference to be held on 7th May in London and co-chaired by British Prime minister David Cameron and President Hasan Mahmud of Somalia thus relegating Somaliland and its president to the audience benches.
