Somaliland:The Diplomatic Failure of Ambassador Michael Keating

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Somalilandsun:On Sunday 13 the UN special envoy to Somaliland and Somalia H.E Michael
Keating paid a visit to Hargeisa. Immediately after his arrival he was
ushered into the presidential palace where he met President Musa Bihi Abdi.
Ambassador Keating told the press that he came to Hargeisa to make sure
that the Tukaraq fighting between Somaliland and Puntland could be stopped.
He also informed journalists that he discussed with president Bihi how the
situation could be brought under control.

Before embarking to Hargeisa Mr.,Keating had passed Garowe where he held
talks with president Abdiweli Gaas. He stated that he discussed with him
about the Tukaraq fiasco, however; when Mr. Keating was in Garowe the
Tukaraq fighting had not taken place. The UN envoy overstated that the UN
is disturbed by the war between the armed forces of Somaliland and
Puntland.

Nevertheless two days after the British UN envoy visited Hargeisa and
Garowe on 15th May 2018 the fiercest fight took place in Tukaraq hamlet.
The fight pitted Somaliland and Puntland during this encounter many lives
were lost many others were maimed and others were internally displaced.

It is unequivocal that Mr. Michael Keating diplomacy has failed because he
was away for twelve hours when the heavy fighting started. No wonder when
the victims of Tukaraq war numbers of the dead and injured exceeded
expectations ambassador Keating released a terse statement from is safe
haven Nairobi calling for the two sides to stop the war.

Diplomatically ambassador Keating has failed because when the fighting was
heating up he was expected to jet into Somaliland and Puntland to quell the
skirmishes so that the fighting could stop and how future encounters could
be avoided.

Many people are dumbfounded how the special envoy for Somaliland and
Somalia Mr.Michael Keatings has failed his diplomatic duty to quell the
Tukaraq saga between Somaliland and Puntland.

The failure of Mr.Keating to use his diplomatic acumen to solve the Tukaraq
war leaves a bad taste to the mouth. According to political pundits views
confirm that ambassador Keating has not founded a strong political
foundation between Somaliland and Puntland and simply plays cosmetic
diplomacy.

Another problem is that the envoy does not hit the nail on the head; he
simply does not say the truth to both side of the political spectrum.

There is still an opportunity for the UN to quell the Tukaraq war .The
president of Puntland Mr.Abdiweli Gaas is beating the drums of war just the
other day he called a cabinet meeting informing his minister for a big war
with Somaliland.

Source : sHorn Newspaper

 

1 COMMENT

  1. Mr. Michael Keating is just an ambassador to his country and nothing more than that.Decorate the gentleman with many titles ‘envoy’ being one of them, and he still can not dictate his opportunistic personal agenda to the tiny apathetic puntland let alone Somaliland whose rights are heavenly sacred and whose self determination is irreversible and in the final analysis ,the only way to bring light at the end of the tunnel for the other Somalis struggling to realistically vision Somalia as a nation with out the forever gone Somaliland. At best,it seems to me that Keating did what he could: Lie to and fool Puntland and expect to come back as another envoy ambassador remarking boldly his political futility and the naivety of the current leaders of Somalia including Puntland and to some extent,Somaliland and Djibouti.Finally, how in the world can I think of Michael Keating figuring out what is Tukaraq all about? Is Mr. Keating sent by the U.N ?Well then,if not,why blame him when he only did perhaps what he was delegated!.I may have lived longer than necessary to sustain the beatings of the foolishness of those statehood and language are inseparable just to secure maximum body parts in their slaughter houses.