By: Yusuf M Hasan
LONDON (Somalilandsun) – The for 21years inevitable talks between Somaliland and Somalia kicked off in London today.
The talks that become possible following the final communique of the February London conference on Somalia ensued with 5 member technical committees from the two countries establishing ground rules and agenda for the final talks.
The Somaliland team in London is made up of Dr Mohamed Abdilahi Omar- Minister of foreign affairs, 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.
The Transitional Federal Government-TFG 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.
While information is yet to be availed of ongoing discussions the two sides have already declared their preferred agendas whose similarity is equivalent to colour white and black.
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 locked horns as pertains to the divergent wishes of the two sides, the over 21 years delayed talks are in progress and only time and time alone is witness to final outcome.
