By: Ahmed Kheyre
LONDON – Every time I hear the phrase ” a federal formula for Somalia”, I just reply, Somaliland is a sovereign state, federalism is for Somalia. Federalism is between Somalia, Puntland, Gal-Mudug and any other entity that is part of the old Italian Somalia. Somaliland is a de-facto state, soon to be a de-jure state. Simple as that.
Yet, there are those who argue that the international community will not accept a divided Somalia. To that I reply, first of all, Somaliland and Somalia were two independent nation that embarked on hasty, ill-fated, ill-thought out, non-ratified and eventually doomed union which as failed. Secondly, for the past twenty years Somaliland has been steering its own course, democratically, stable, progressive and will continue to do so.
The reason that the international community has suddenly opened its eyes to the mayhem in Somalia is because Somalia has become a threat to their interests. From piracy to terrorism, Somalia has become a sore spot that can no longer be ignored. Our good friends in the United Kingdom are worried about home grown terrorism from Somalia. Lloyd’s of London has taken a beating on the piracy issue, and countless rejected asylum seekers from Somalia are clogging up the system in the UK. Can anyone blame the current Conservative government?
Somaliland is fighting piracy and terrorism, and more to the point Somalilanders’ links with Somaliland are closer than ever. No has to tell us to go back to Somaliland. We are on the flights everyday of the week. If and when the international community gets what it wants from Somalia, (although it is debatable how long that will last, given the fact that the presidential seat for the provisional government in Mogadishu is currently valued at $50,000 US Dollars per single vote!), it will accept whatever the reality is in the Horn of Africa, and that reality is that Somaliland is an independent and sovereign state. Period.
