Breakaway Somaliland entity targets investors

Feb 24 (Reuters) – The breakaway enclave of Somaliland, which boasts oil and gas potential, has set up a UK-linked corporation to act as an entry point for investors concerned the Somali territory’s lack of international recognition would stop contracts being enforced.

On a visit to London to attend a conference on Somalia, President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo told Reuters that the purpose of the Somaliland Development Corporation was to “to attract companies and institutions which want to invest in our country.”

“Since we are not a recognised country, insurance is always a difficult problem in Somaliland so if this can help with that, it would be useful.”

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has enjoyed relative stability compared to the rest of Somalia, including the holding of a series of peaceful general elections, but remains unrecognised internationally.

Silanyo did not indicate what economic sectors he wished investors to target. But energy and mining minister Hussein Abdi Dualeh said in November the northern enclave had hydrocarbon potential with a geology similar to basins containing 9 billion barrels across the Gulf of Aden.

A number of big oil companies with permits to operate there left what is now Somaliland in the late 1980s and declared force majeure during Somalia’s escalating civil conflict.

Several foreign banks have expressed interest in operating in Somaliland where they are keen to capitalise on its untapped market potential. Somaliland has no formal banking sector and its people rely heavily on remittances from diaspora communities in Europe, North America and the United Arab Emirates, as there are no ATMs or loan facilities.

A briefing paper distributed to journalists on the sidelines of the London conference said that despite Somaliland’s “achievements in stability and democracy, international donors cannot deal directly with its government, and foreign investors face uncertainty about whether contracts – the basis of secure business – can be enforced”.

The SDC circumvented the problem of non-recognition by providing “a transparent, accountable and enforceable means by which investors can participate in Somaliland ventures”.

A not-for-profit company had been set up in Britain to act as the founding vehicle, with Somaliland’s Minister of State Mohamed-Rashid Hassan and Britons Myles Wickstead, a former diplomat, and Jeremy Carver, a retired international lawyer, as founding directors.

The SDC is owned by an incorporated trust, the Somaliland Development Corporation Trust, the paper said.

Oil discoveries would be a cash boon to Somaliland though hydrocarbons have often proven to be a curse to African nations as the opaque nature of the industry can breed corruption.

Colonised by Britain while the rest of Somalia was under Italian administration, Somaliland declared independence in 1991 as the rest of the country disintegrated into anarchy.

(Reuters)

London Conference on Somalia and Somaliland: Communique

London Conference on Somalia: Communique

23 February 2012

Full text of the Communique from the London Conference on Somalia at Lancaster House on 23 February.

1. The London Conference on Somalia took place at Lancaster House on 23rd February 2012, attended by fifty-five delegations from Somalia and the international community.

2. We met at a key moment in Somalia’s history. Somalia is emerging from the worst   humanitarian crisis in the world.  African and Somali troops have pushed Al Shabaab out of Mogadishu and other areas. The transitional institutions come to an end in August 2012, and the people of Somalia want clarity on what will follow.  The situation remains precarious, and in urgent need of support from the international community.

3. Decisions on Somalia’s future rest with the Somali people. The Somali political leadership must be accountable to the people. The international community’s role is to facilitate Somalia’s progress and development: our strength is in unity and coordinated support to Somalia.  We noted the importance of listening to and working with Somalis inside and outside Somalia, and welcomed their engagement in the run-up to this Conference.

4. The Conference focussed on the underlying causes of instability, as well as the symptoms (famine, refugees, piracy, and terrorism). We, the international community, agreed: to inject new momentum into the political process; to strengthen AMISOM and help Somalia develop its own security forces; to help build stability at local level; and to step up action to tackle pirates and terrorists.

Political

5. We agreed that the Transitional Federal Institutions’ mandate ends in August 2012. There must be no further extensions. We welcomed the agreements that chart the way towards more representative government: the Transitional Federal Charter, the Djibouti Agreement, the Kampala Accord, and the Roadmap. We welcomed the progress represented by the Garowe Principles, endorsed the priority of convening a Constituent Assembly, and emphasised that the Assembly must be representative of the views of the Somali people of all regions and constituencies, and that women must be part of the political process.  In line with Garowe II, we agreed to incentivise progress and act against spoilers to the peace process, and that we would consider proposals in this regard before the Istanbul Conference in June.

6. The Conference recognised the need for the international community to support any dialogue that Somaliland and the TFG or its replacement may agree to establish in order to clarify their future relations.

7. We condemned terrorism and violent extremism, whether perpetrated by Somalis or foreigners. We called on all those willing to reject violence to join the Djibouti peace process.  We agreed to develop a defectors’ programme to support those who leave armed groups.

8. We emphasised the urgency of Somalia funding its own public services, and using its assets for the benefit of the people, as well as tackling corruption.  We welcomed the progress that has been made in establishing a Joint Financial Management Board to increase transparency and accountability in the collection and efficient use of public revenues, as well as international development aid, and which will help strengthen Somali public financial management institutions.  A declaration by the initial members of the JFMB is at Annex A.

9. Respect for human rights must be at the heart of the peace process. We called for action to address in particular the grave human rights violations and abuses that women and children face.  We emphasised that journalists must be able to operate freely and without fear.  Civilians must be protected. We called on the Somali authorities to take measures to uphold human rights and end the culture of impunity.  We agreed to step up international efforts including through the UN human rights architecture.

Security and Justice

10. We agreed that security and justice were essential both to a successful political process and to development.  Better security could only be achieved sustainably in parallel with better justice and the rule of law.

11. We expressed gratitude to those countries whose troops had served as peacekeepers and paid tribute to the achievements and sacrifices of AMISOM and other forces. We welcomed joint planning by the UN and African Union and reiterated the importance of effective command and control. We welcomed the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2036, which expands AMISOM’s mandate and raises the troop ceiling.  We encouraged AMISOM to ensure the protection of civilians.  We encouraged partners, especially new donors, to contribute to funding for AMISOM, including through the EU.

12. We agreed that, over time, Somalis should take over responsibility for providing their own security and develop their own justice systems to deal with the threats to their security and improve access to justice.  We noted that Somalis themselves must decide what security and justice arrangements they need.

13. We acknowledged the good work underway in supporting the Somali security and justice sectors. We agreed that we would build an international framework of partners in order to bring much needed coordination and focus to those efforts, underpinned by a set of principles at annex B, and working closely with the UN’s Joint Security Committee.

Piracy

14. We reiterated our determination to eradicate piracy, noting that the problem requires a comprehensive approach on land as well as at sea. We expressed our concern that hostages in Somalia are being held longer and with more use of violence.  We welcomed the work of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.  We also welcomed the success of international military efforts, and remain committed to such efforts with robust rules of engagement and sufficient force generation.  We agreed that piracy cannot be solved by military means alone, and reiterated the importance of supporting communities to tackle the underlying causes of piracy, and improving the effective use of Somali coastal waters through regional maritime capacity-building measures.  We welcomed those initiatives underway and agreed to coordinate and support such initiatives better.  We called for full implementation of the Djibouti Code of Conduct and the adoption of an Exclusive Economic Zone.  We look forward to reviewing progress including at the Piracy Conference in the UAE in June.

15. We welcomed the efforts of partners in industry against piracy, and called for greater take-up of Best Management Practice on ships.  We welcomed current work on international guidance on the use of private armed security companies.

16. There will be no impunity for piracy.  We called for greater development of judicial capacity to prosecute and detain those behind piracy both in Somalia and in the wider region and recognised the need to strengthen capacity in regional states. We welcomed new arrangements, which enable some states and naval operations to transfer suspected pirates captured at sea for trial by partners across the Indian Ocean region, and if convicted, to transfer them to prisons in Puntland and Somaliland which meet international standards.  We noted the intention to consider further the possibility of creating courts in Somalia specialised in dealing with piracy.

17. We reiterated our determination to prosecute the kingpins of piracy.  Recognising work already undertaken, we agreed to enhance coordination on illegal financial flows and to coordinate intelligence gathering and investigations.  We noted the establishment of a Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecutions Intelligence Coordination Centre in the Seychelles.

Terrorism

18. Terrorism poses a serious threat to security in Somalia itself, to the region, and internationally.  It has inflicted great suffering on the Somali population.  We agreed to work together with greater determination, and with full respect for the rule of law, human rights, and international humanitarian law, to build capacity to disrupt terrorism in the region, and to address the root causes of terrorism.  We agreed on the importance of disrupting terrorists’ travel to and from Somalia, and on the importance of disrupting terrorist finances, and called on countries in the region to implement the Financial Action Task Force’s recommendations on combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism.  We noted that effective intelligence gathering and investigation, and support to the Somali criminal justice system, were critical to the fight against terrorism. We agreed to work with the Global Counter Terrorism Forum and other international and regional bodies to deliver this important work.

Stability and Recovery

19. We welcomed the success in some areas of Somalia in establishing local areas of stability, and agreed to increase support to build legitimate and peaceful authorities, and improve services to people living in these areas.  We acknowledged the importance of creating the conditions inside Somalia for durable solutions for the displaced, that respect international laws. We agreed that such efforts should promote local and regional cohesion, and converge with the national political process.

20. We considered the implementation of the Mogadishu Recovery and Stabilisation Plan important. We agreed to expand programmes to newly-recovered areas. We would focus support on enabling the delivery of immediate and sustainable benefits to ordinary Somali people: safety and security, economic opportunities and basic services.  We would promote effective and accountable local administrations, and support the resolution of disputes.

21. We agreed that all support to local areas of stability should be in accordance with the New Deal for engagement in fragile states recently adopted in Busan, and build on the stabilisation strategies prepared by both IGAD and the Transitional Federal Government. We endorsed a set of principles to guide international support to local areas of stability in Somalia (Annex C). We agreed to continue funding local stability through existing programmes, and noted the establishment of a new Stability Fund to which a number of us will contribute .

22. We agreed that Somalia’s long-term reconstruction and economic development depended on a vibrant private sector, and that both aid and diaspora finance could develop Somalia’s considerable potential in livestock, fisheries and other sectors.  We noted that stability was a prerequisite for most sustainable investments in infrastructure such as electricity, roads and water systems.  We looked forward to further discussion on all these issues at the Istanbul Conference.

Humanitarian

23. The Conference was preceded by a separate meeting on humanitarian issues co-chaired by the United Nations and the United Arab Emirates.  Notwithstanding the end of the famine, participants expressed concern at the ongoing humanitarian crisis, and committed to providing humanitarian aid based solely on need.  They agreed a set of conclusions on humanitarian issues and linking relief with longer-term recovery.

International coordination

24. We agreed to carry forward work agreed at London through the International Contact Group on Somalia (ICG), and welcomed the ICG’s decision in Djibouti to look at restructuring to become more effective. We recommended that the ICG establish working groups on the political process, security and justice, and stability and development. We noted that, within the ICG, a core group of engaged countries would drive progress in support of UN, AU and IGAD efforts.

25. We welcomed the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) in facilitating progress in Somalia. We also welcomed the role of IGAD and the African Union, and the support of the League of Arab States, the European Union, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.  We encouraged effective coordination between UN entities working on Somalia.  While recognising the still challenging security situation in Somalia, we welcomed UNPOS’       relocation to Mogadishu and agreed that we would aim to spend more time on the ground in Somalia in order to work more closely with Somalis on the challenging tasks ahead.

Conclusion

26. We expressed the hope that a new era of Somali politics, supported by the international community, will bring peace to Somalia. We are determined to place the interests of the Somali people at the heart of all our actions. We looked forward to the day when the situation in Somalia would have made sufficient progress for an international conference to be held there.  In the meantime, we will redouble our efforts to support the people of Somalia in their search for a better future for their country.

Source: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=PressS&id=727627582

Why the international community does not recognise Somaliland?

 

 

On May 18, the self-declared Republic of Somaliland marked its 20th anniversary of independence from the rest of Somalia. The occasion must have passed almost unnoticed by many around the world since this breakaway nation is not recognised internationally and hardly catches the attention of the world media.

Somaliland, with a population of about 4 million, is an ex-British colony that willingly merged with the former Italian Somalia at independence in 1960 to form the republic of Somalia. But under the military dictatorship of Mohamed Siad Barre, Somaliland was neglected, although it remained an integral part of the Somali state.

Following the overthrow of the Barre regime in May 1991, which left behind a country engulfed by anarchy and bloody inter-clan fighting, Somaliland seceded from the rest of Somalia and declared independence on the same day. Since then, efforts at reconciliation between the different Somali clans, drafting a new Constitution and democratisation have helped Somaliland metamorphose into one of a few peaceful, stable and progressive states on our continent.

In the last two decades the country has made gigantic strides on the socio-economic and political front, though it does not get any assistance from Western creditors to build its economy due to lack of international recognition. It relies for its development, on livestock exports, tourism and remittances from Somalis in the Diaspora, which are estimated at $ 650 million a year.

Even with its sparse resources, Somaliland has registered striking accomplishments, especially in the health and education sectors. For example, it has registered considerable reduction in maternal and child mortality.

According to the deputy minister of Health, Nimo Hussein Qawthan, maternal mortality rate has declined from 1,600 deaths per 100,000 women in 1991 to 1,044 per 100,000 in 2006; child mortality rate which was 275 in 1990, has dropped to 166 in 2006. And because of the vigorous fight against malaria, the country is almost malaria-free!

With regard to education, Somaliland has three world-class universities and several colleges as well as polytechnic schools – all built without foreign assistance. In 1991, according to Prof Ahmed Hussein Essa of the University of Hargeisa, there were a total of 219 primary, intermediate and secondary schools. Today the number of primary schools alone has increased to 506. Literacy rates have gone up from 20 per cent in 1991 to 45 per cent in 2010.

And, politically, the country’s multi-party democracy experimentation has been impressive; respect for human rights and the exercise of the freedom of expression and assembly are some of the salient features of the democratisation process. The country has successfully held three parliamentary and municipal elections, two presidential elections as well as smooth transfer of power since the death of President Mohamed Ibrahim Egal in May 2002.

But despite all these successes, Somaliland is still not recognised internationally as an independent and sovereign state. This surprises many an analyst (and infuriates the Somalilanders) because the country, which will never rejoin stateless Somalia, meets all the standard criteria of an independent state.

Interestingly, Somaliland is remarkably different from Croatia and Kosovo – nations that never had a separate history from Serbia. Yet, the two break-away nations became independent with the support of the Western powers, followed by the rest of the world.

On the other hand, the republic of Somaliland is not different from Eritrea which had a separate history from Ethiopia, but was allowed its independence. And Southern Sudan, which is historically part of the Sudan, recently decided to secede through a referendum and got international support. Now, why, one might ask, should Somaliland be treated differently? Is it because it has no oil?

Soon, the Western countries will be falling over each other to open embassies in Juba, as they scramble for Southern Sudan’s oil, while Somaliland, which is well managed compared to most African countries that are endowed with natural resources, remains totally ignored; but for how long? This unique country needs to be recognised so that it can become a member of the international community, do business with the rest of the world and be able to sign international treaties.

By Mr Kagaruki: is a political analyst based in Dar es Salaam

Source: TheCitizen.co.tz

Somaliland needs recognition, says leader

Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo said problems in Somalia should not be allowed to hinder Somaliland's development

By Simon Allison|AFP

The leader of Somaliland has called on the international community to give the breakaway state the recognition it “deserves” as it marks 20 years since a unilateral declaration of independence.

“It’s high time the international community gave consideration to the efforts of the people of Somaliland, and gives the recognition that the people of Somaliland need and deserve,” Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo, the self-styled president of Somaliland, told AFP in an interview.

Somaliland broke away from Somalia proper in 1991, the year in which the Horn of Africa nation started its long descent into violence and chaos with the overthrow of strongman president Mohamed Siad Barre.

Somaliland, which has had two decades of relative stability, last week celebrated the 20th anniversary of its “independence” declaration although it remains part of Somalia in the eyes of the international community.

Silanyo argued the impending recognition of South Sudan would strengthen Somaliland’s case for recognition.

“One problem with the African Union has been the idea that African borders should not be changed … But that argument does not hold true anymore,” said Silanyo, pointing out that in contrast to Sudan, which was a single country in colonial times, Somaliland was already separate from the rest of Somalia.

Silanyo said the problems in the rest of Somalia should not be allowed to hinder the development of Somaliland.

“The international community can see that the possibility of change in Somalia does not even appear on the horizon and that there is no reason why we should be held hostage for solutions to be found for Somalia,” he said.

“We hope that the international community will find solutions for Somalia, and we support the efforts of the international community in this regard, but certainly that should not be at our cost.”

Silanyo said that not having international recognition deprives Somaliland of its “rightful seat in the UN and AU” and means it receives no development aid.

On the various secessionist movements operating from within Somaliland — specifically those in the Sool and Sanaag regions — Silanyo said: “There are protests all over the world … We are no exception.”

He argued Somaliland is the most peaceful part of the region and that it has gone a long way towards establishing a democratic and participatory government. “If there are complaints here and there, so what?” said Silanyo, who is Somaliland’s fourth president since the territory uproclaimed its independence.

Silanyo, who has a degree from the London School of Economics and runs the Kulmiye party, took over from Dahir Riyale Kahin after winning the June 2010 polls. The vote was held without violence and the outgoing president gracefully conceded defeat.

Many voters and politicians voiced the hope that such a smooth transfer of power would once again prove their democratic credentials and strengthen their territory’s case for international recognition.

Some Western countries argue Somaliland deserves to become a fully-fledged country and thus gain access to more aid but the African Union is wary of setting a precedent they fear could spur secessions across the continent.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/somali-breakaway-state-needs-recognition-says-leader-085338990.html

Healthcare and education gains as Somaliland marks 20th anniversary

WE'LL NEVER GIVE UP: President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Siilanyo

Republic of Somaliland has made key improvements in sectors such as health, education and infrastructure in the past two decades, its leaders say, despite its lack of international recognition.

“One of the main obstacles for Somaliland is lack of recognition, but my government will never give up trying to gain it,” President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Siilanyo said on May 18, when the region marked 20 years since declaring unilateral independence from the rest of Somalia.

Efforts in reconciliation, nation-building and drafting a new constitution have helped promote peace in the region, Siilanyo said.

“We have put in place a new currency and passport, encouraged democratisation and multi-party elections; improved access to healthcare and education, respect for human rights, freedom of expression, and facilitated a free market,” he said.

“[The rest of] Somalia has been in lawlessness during the last 20 years, and I am calling on the Somali politicians to look after their citizens and consider the problems they are living under, and resolve their differences so as to give peace a chance.”

Nimo Hussein Qawdhan, deputy health minister, said increased provision of healthcare services – by the government and private sector – was one of the developments made since 1991.

Qawdhan said Somaliland had also made gains in the fight against malaria. The past two years have seen the region become almost malaria-free, Qawdhan said.

The region has also de-mined large tracts of land mined between 1981 and 1991 during the war between the Somali National Army and the Liberation Movement for Somaliland, as well as during the war between Somalia and Ethiopia over the Ogaden region (now known as Somali region in Ethiopia).

“Literacy rates increased from 20 percent [in 1991] to 45 percent [in 2010],” an official from Somaliland’s Ministry of Education said.

“We had only a total of 219 primary, intermediate and secondary schools in 1991, but now we have about 506 primary schools throughout the country.”

A 2010 Millennium Developments Goals report for Somaliland put the region’s literacy rate of the population aged 15 years and above at 26.9 percent in 1999.

Besides education gains, Somalilanders also believe they have matured politically.

“The people of Somaliland have mastered how to overthrow their leaders through the ballot, not through the bullet,” Ahmed Yasin Sheikh Ali Ayanle, an opposition member of parliament, told IRIN.

Ayanle added that Somaliland’s first president, Abdi-Rahman Ahmed Ali (1991-1993), and his successors, Mohamed Ibrahim Egal (1993-2002) and Dahir Rayale Kahin (2002-2010), had helped establish peace and a respected constitution. “We hope [current] President Siilanyo will keep these efforts going.”

Some of those who fought in Somaliland’s 1981-1991 war said they were pleased with the progress the region had made.

“During the war, our mission was to overthrow [Somalia’s President Siad] Barre and give the people a chance to decide their future. It is the people who decided to dissolve Somalia’s unity, hence the creation of Somaliland,” Yusuf Abdi Gabobe, a war veteran, said.

IRIN

VIDEO| France24TV: Report on ‘Somaliland’s 20th Anniversary of Independence’ 18 May

Kenya ready to recognize Somaliland

Kenyan Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Richard Onyonka

The Kenyan government has expressed support for the recognition of Somaliland, which is an autonomous region of Somalia.

Kenyan Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Richard Onyonka said that Nairobi supports the recognition of Somaliland as an independent state and Kenya will encourage the countries of the African Union to officially recognize Somaliland, a Press TV correspondent in Nairobi reported late on Friday.

Onyonka made the remarks in an address to a group of Somalilanders living in Nairobi.

Somalilander Mohamed Saleh, who attended the gathering, said Somaliland deserves recognition since it has been relatively peaceful for years.

“We have managed to remain stable in a very volatile region and this should push the global community to recognize our sovereignty from the bigger Somalia,” he stated.

Somaliland, situated in northwestern Somalia, unilaterally declared independence from the rest of the African country in 1991.

Presstv:http://www.presstv.com/detail/180921.html

Somaliland ‘yearns for international recognition’

Lord Anderson of Swansea calls on the international community to recognise the autonomy of the Somaliland region of northern Somalia.

The wind of change is howling around the Arab world. Longstanding autocratic presidents are blown away; monarchs seek to make peace with their people by devising constitutions to limit their powers. In this turbulence there is one outstanding and depressing exception Somalia.

There has been anarchy in the country for some 20 years. The internationally recognised Transitional Federal Government controls but a small part of the territory; various warring clans exercise a form of authority elsewhere. An Islamist movement with links to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has rumoured links to the pirates who successfully create havoc among international shipping across an ever-wider swathe of sea.

Somaliland is the exception, the former British Protectorate with its capital Hargeisa, where the pirates are imprisoned a haven of stability which has recently held democratic elections. The country yearns for international recognition, having been de facto autonomous for many years.

The traditional argument against such recognition has been that of creating a precedent for other disaffected regions in Africa but now Eritrea has broken away from Ethiopia; South Sudan will shortly be independent and there is a spirit of radical constitutional change throughout the Arab world.

Somaliland wishes to join the Commonwealth; already its parliamentarians informally attend meetings of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

Surely, now is the time for the British government to revisit the issue and to encourage African members of the Commonwealth to press the African Union to work for international recognition of this remarkable democratic enclave within the classic failed state of Somalia.

Donald Anderson was Labour MP for Monmouth from 1966 until 1970 and for Swansea East from 1974 until 2005, when he was rasied to the peerage.

Source: Yahoo News

As Southern Sudan, Somaliland deserves AU’s recognition

The African Union (AU) chief told AP the organization intends to be the first to recognize Southern Sudan as a new state should the result of its referendum be secession.

Malawi’s President Bingu wa Mutharika made the statement on 26th Jan 2011 after meeting Southern Sudan’s Leader Salva Kiir. Mutharika currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the 53-member African Union. “Sudan will be on the agenda when the AU holds a regular AU meeting later this month” He concluded (AP).

After 21-years of civil war against Arab compatriots, the early results show strong support for secession. The final and official result will be announced on early February 2011. The referendum was part of peace deal signed 2005 between the late leader of Southern Sudan Dr. John Garn and Sudan’s Arab led government in Khartoum.

This statement is showcasing the AU’s support to secession even before the official result announced. It seems the AU recognized South Sudan without agreed constitution, and no official name for the new government. No defined territory and population.

What is puzzling is why the AU and other international organizations like UN are giving a blind eye to the question of independence by Somaliland?! The world recognized southern Sudan government and Khartoum had no option but to accept. It is very normal that independence and secession could come from outside like East Timor, Yugoslavia, Bangladesh. All these countries won independence with outside intervention and local authorities were forced to accept.

This invalidates AU’s argument asking Somaliland to negotiate with the shaky and powerless government in Mogadishu over its independence. Somaliland has elected government and parliament and controls every inch of its colonial border (British Somaliland), unlike transitional government in Mogadishu that controls less than two percent of the capital.

Somaliland has world-standard, modern and democratic nation; it hosted free and fair elections; it has army that obeys international military regulations; police with excellent human rights record; currency that is circulated in many parts of East Africa; flag that flies in many countries; national anthem; finally it has elected parliament and government.

In 2010, the Somaliland opposition won presidential election and there was peaceful, civilized and democratic power transfer, unlike many African countries where dictators hang on the power like Ivory Coast and Kenya. Today’s Opposition Leader and Former President Dahir Riyale Kahn handed over the leadership to the Former Opposition Leader and today’s President Mohamed Ahmed Siilanyo – The power-transfer ceremony was rare seen in Africa.

UN’s charters that define nations say “A sovereign state is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, independence from other states and powers, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states”. Somaliland fulfills all these conditions and more like democracy, free-fair elections, good governance and excellent human Rights record, in addition to freedom of expression.

Again, Somaliland’s case does not underestimate the right of self-determination of the people of Southern Sudanese, instead the government of Somaliland was first to vow recognizing the new government out of Southern Sudan despite its unrecognized status.

Both people of Somaliland and Southern Sudan suffered under brutal and merciless regimes for decades; both people faced discrimination on different bases; thousands of both people were murdered in addition to genocide and ethnic-cleansing by the regimes in Mogadishu and Khartoum.

Somaliland and Southern Sudan emerged after years of freedom armed struggle, they forced the occupying regimes to leave or negotiate peacefully. In Somaliland, regime was overthrown by force and Southern Sudanese forced Al-Bashir regime to negotiate and accept their demands.

In brief, Somaliland was an independent nation for five days before the disastrous unity with Italian Somalia on 1st July 1960. Somaliland had designated Prime Minister and Cabinet before the unity. The crawling unity continued until 18th May 1991, at the rebirth of Somaliland.

After 50 years, AU is not considering the freedom voice from Somaliland while it is offering unconditionally support to the new state in Southern Sudan that has no colonial border and defined population, which conflicts with African Union´s charter on the territorial integrity.

Interestingly, the strong diplomacy of Southern Sudanese and western backing forced AU and its leaders to accept Southern Sudan without considering the AU’s regulations that preserves the integrity of the colonial borders African nations inherited from European colonizers.

In contradiction, AU is waving conditions in accepting Somaliland as independent nation, which has a defined territory with bounders and inherited from the former British Somaliland; Somaliland has permanent population of 3.5 million. It controls its territory; it has bilateral diplomatic and security relations with neighboring countries; Somaliland Passport is been used in Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti. Somaliland President uses local passport while traveling to Europe and USA.

It was USA Former President Bill Clinton administration who started campaigning for southern Sudan, which built up pressure on Khartoum regime and forced the AU leaders to accept the new nation. Until today, former foreign secretary Madeleine Albright is leading the campaign that freed Southern Sudan. There are other USA famous figures including Congressmen and VIPs.

Most probably there are different interest behind such USA support including the oil in the region. It is very sure, that southern Sudanese without USA and western support could have face difficulties and conditions in achieving their dream of self-determination.

In such situations of AU’s failure, all members including Somaliland are forced to seek outside support to convince AU leaders, who cannot decide for their own destiny. Somaliland unambiguously fulfills all the condition for statehood as per AU charter but without western backing.

Somaliland has more territory and a bigger population than at least a dozen other African states, we point out. Recognition will not “open Pandora’s box in Africa”. Neither will it set a precedent that has been done already in East Timor and Kosovo. “The international community is focused on Somalia, it is okay. We are saying, ‘Keep doing what you’re doing in Mogadishu, but for goodness sake help those who help themselves: Somaliland’.” Congratulations to the Southern Sudanese:

The African Union (AU) Observers have certified South Sudan’s secession vote “free, fair, credible and a true reflection of the democratically-expressed will of the South Sudanese voters.” In its preliminary statement on the conduct of the vote, which could lead to the creation of Africa’s newest country and pave the way for the independence for Somaliland, the AU said the referendum was conducted in a safe and peaceful environment.

By\Abdulaziz Al-Mutairi

Email: az.almutairi@yahoo.com