By: Yusuf M Hasan
LONDON (Somalilandsun) – The two days talks to prepare Somaliland Somalia talks in London ended with sanguinity.
The talks which were the first face to face between Somaliland and Somalia were witnessed by the European Union, Norway and the British government that also hosted them at Chavering Cross manor house in the outskirts of London.
The talks that were termed historic by H.E President Silanyo saw five member technical committees from Somaliland and Somalia sit on the same table as two independent nations for the first time since Somaliland broke away from its union with Somalia 21 years ago.
The deliberations at Chavering cross agreed on a number of issues chief being that the presidents of the two countries H.E Ahmed Mahmoud Silanyo and Sheikh Sharif will meet in either the United Arab Emirates, Qatar or Switzerland next week, for more talks.
According to a joint statement released by the two sides at the end of the meeting, further agreements reached include:
• Advance the talks to higher levels with a meeting of the two presidents
• Cooperation in regional security
• Joint anti-piracy, Terrorism and illegal fishing activities
• Cross border movement control and enhancement
• Separate international funding for the two countries
The Somaliland technical committee with the mandate to lay down the guidelines for the talks proper which was led by the foreign minister Dr Mohamed Abdilahi Omar, leader of opposition political party of UCID Hon Feisal Ali Warabe, MP Bashe Mohamed Farah- 1st Deputy speaker of parliament, Ministers of the presidency and that of Labour & Social Affairs Hon Hirsi Ali and Hon Mahmoud Ahmed Barre (Garaad) respectively
While the transitional federal Government team which is headed by interior minister Abdisalam Mo’alin Mohamed includes TFG ambassador to Djibouti, Abdi Hussein Gulwade, minister for education and culture, Ahmed Aideed Ibrahim, MP Hussein Hassan and MP Mohamed Hassan Adan.
At the same time the Somaliland foreign affairs minister Dr Mohamed Abdilahi informed that the issues of the country’s sovereignty was not raised at the two days meeting as it was not pertinent to discussions.
“Sovereignty issue was not discussed as the meeting had no authority to dwell on a subject that is the sole preserve of Somalilanders” Said Dr Mohamed.
The outcome of the meeting has been hailed by Somalilanders as a success for the country that has persevered 21 years of international blindness and deafness as pertains to its sovereignty.
Pre-Talks Talks
Somaliland says it is an independent nation with boundaries inherited from its former colonial master Britain, thus in in .London to discuss final separation of the ill-fated and illegal marriage between it and Somalia. The union ended after a decade long war that saw Somalia planes destroy half the public infrastructure of Somaliland plus over 50,000 killed.
The TFG claims it is in the talks to establish parameters for re-unification of the two formerly united British and Italian Somalilands. The TFG, Al-shabaab, AMISOM, Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti controlled Somalia is currently on top of the list of world’s failed states. It has been devoid of a fully functional government for over two decades with the result that continued killings have made life worth 30,000 Somali shillings equivalent $1.5.
In a recent statement the Somaliland minister of information and official government spokesperson Hon Abdirahman Boobe told the TFG that the difference between the two countries is like that between the sky and earth thus the untenable thought of unification.
In a letter submitted to the Rt Hon William Hague MP, the UK’s Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs , by Dr Mohamed Abdilahi Omar, Somaliland reasserted its position as an independent country thus to be treated as such
Quote- “Somaliland is more than willing to have constructive discussions with the TFG or its successor about clarifying our future relations, and about matters of mutual interest, including the fight against terrorism, piracy and jihadism,”
The letter further informed (Quote) “Three decades after the voluntary union between the former British Protectorate of Somaliland and Italian Somalia in July 1960, Somaliland was driven to reclaim its independence from Somalia in 1991. This decision was not taken lightly. It followed the systematic discrimination and grave human rights abuses committed against our people by the Siyad Barre regime, and the ensuing war which saw the deaths over 50,000 of our citizens, the displacement of hundreds of thousands of others, and the destruction of our capital, Hargeisa’.
The letter Dr Mohamed Abdilahi Omar minced no words as to the irrevocability of Somaliland’s nation hood, asserting that, (quote) “Given this history, it is unacceptable to Somaliland that the new draft Somalia constitution might purport to lay claim to our country. Somaliland emphatically rejects any such claim on our national territory. However, Somaliland is more than willing to have constructive discussions with the TFG or its successor about clarifying our future relations, and about matters of mutual interest, including the fight against terrorism, piracy and jihadism”.
In conclusion the Somaliland foreign minister urged the international community to respect the aspirations of Somalilanders, Saying, “We ask that the international community to finally accept the reality that Somaliland is independent, and that promoting a dialogue between two sovereign entities in Hargeisa and Mogadishu will only aid our shared objective of securing a peaceful, stable Horn of Africa’
Despite the pre- talks locked horns as pertains to the divergent wishes of the two sides, the over 21 years delayed talks have ended in a positive manner and it is only hope that forthcoming presidential talks will achieve more.
