By: Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun – Plans by the Somalia Federal Government-SFG to post over 3000 soldiers along its common borders with Somaliland indicates a turn from negotiations to armed confrontation.
This was stated by the Somaliland interior minister Mohamed Ali Waran’ade during a press briefing at the Egal International Airport’s VIP lounge upon return from a working visit to the UAE and Ethiopia.
The minister who informed that the SFG is training a 3000 strong special force for confrontation with Somaliland revealed that he held extensively talks with UAE, Ethiopian, Britain and Kenyan government officials on the Security impact within the wider Horn of Africa Region if the SFG deploys at borders with Somaliland.
“I told them about the dangers of having a strong army in Somalia and the risk it poses to the stability of the East African region,” said Waran’ade
The force in question was mooted during a meeting between the SFG president Hasan Sheikh Mahmud and regional heads from Puntland, Jubaland, Southwest Administration – and Mudbug etc at a conference in Garowe that concluded with a seven point agreement major being Security and expansion of Federalism more so as pertains to Somaliland.
According to Waran’ade the special force training is currently ongoing in Puntland with funding from the SFG in Mogadishu adding that “Its deployment around Somaliland shall intimidate existing peace not only between Somaliland and Somalia but within the wider East African Region”
Somalilandsun indicate that the force upon completion of training shall have units dispatched inside Somaliland proper to foment trouble in the eastern regions of Sanaag and Sool which the Somalia regional administration of Puntland lays claim to, in lieu of shared Darood clan lineage.
On the other hand the SFG president Hasan Sheikh immediately upon conclusion of the Garowe conference did not hesitate in adding salt to injury by alleging that the internationally sanctioned dialogue between Somalia and Somaliland can never be on an equal footing.
“We as a Federal government can only negotiate with Somaliland either on clan or regional administration basis’ Said Hasan Sheikh during an interview with somalichaneltv in which he also alleged that he is in covert negotiations with authorities in Hargeisa.
The talks sanctioned by the international community to find a political and peaceful solution to differences between the two countries that were once united, under facilitation by the Turkish government have stalled in the fifth phase after never ending differences between negotiators from Hargeisa and Mogadishu.
Somaliland a former British protectorate withdrew in 1991 from its voluntary later turned fateful union with Italian Somalia following a brutal civil war that left hundreds of thousands dead, injured and displaced as well as a near annihilation of livelihoods in Somaliland the then North western region of Somalia.
Watch the SFG President on level of Engaging with Somaliland
