In Kenya
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By Ibrahim Maygag Samater, Japan
Sirs
I am a Somalilander now living in Japan. I was one of the leaders of
the Somali National Movement whose struggle resulted in the
liberation of the Northern part of the country—now Somaliland—from
the dictatorial regime of Siad Barre. I was also the last chairman of
the Central Committee of that movement. I chaired the historical
meeting in Burao in May 1991, when the people of Somaliland decided
to restore their sovereignty won in 1960 from British colonialism.
This sovereignty was won but dissipated and abused since then by the
ill-fated union with the Trusteeship of Somalia. I am writing this
letter as an individual.
The case of Somaliland—and its right for recognition—has since then
been put before the international community by its successive
governments and its representative bodies. It has also been expressed
forcefully by the whole people of Somaliland who saved their country
from destruction and built the institutions of self-government
through peaceful and democratic means by their own efforts. They did
this without much help from the international community, and are now
building the rudiments of a viable economy through proper systems of
governance. They have made their wishes known, not only through the
proclamations of their leaders, but also through the elections and
constitutional referendum, to which the whole world was witness.
In the meantime our brothers in Somalia—the South of the former
united republic—have not been that lucky. The fratricidal internal
struggle that ensued since the fall of Siad Barre is something we all
know. Since then, despite much effort from outsiders, they have been
unable to arrive at a re-conciliated solution similar to that in
Somaliland. The meeting now going on in Kenya, which may be drawing
to a close, is the 14th of its kind. One wonders whether the input
from the outsiders was a help or a hindrance especially when you
contrast it to the situation in Somaliland where foreign involvement
in the reconciliation process was totally negligible. We in
Somaliland began to reconstruct the destroyed house from the bottom.
There the process, always guided by outsiders, is to try to begin the
reconstruction from the roof that is to say to restore so-called
national unity sovereignty.
However, that is not the main point of this present letter. The
present meeting, guided by IGAD, supervised by the UN, and supported
by many other organizations and governments, has been going on for
almost two years. We in Somaliland wish our brothers in Somalia would
finally arrive at a viable solution. We also applaud the patience and
persistence of non-Somalis who have spent diplomatic, emotional as
well as financial effort to make the meeting a success.
Having said that, it is very important to underline one of the
pitfalls that led to the failure of the previous conferences. That
pitfall, which I am emphasizing in this letter, is the unrealistic
illusion of attempting to include Somaliland, whose position is
crystal clear, in that process both by Southern Somalis, as well as
outsiders. This attempt led to the farce of some individuals trying
to represent Somaliland.
We have heard some recent statements from the organizers and
supervisors of the conference that Somaliland is not included at this
stage—whatever that means. We have a right to take this at its face
value, that is to say that Somaliland and the future constitutionally
elected government of Somalia will then engage to talk about their
relations.
Let us leave that to its day. In the meantime the farcical situation
of some individuals from Somaliland participating in the conference
continues. If the present conference concerns the people of the
former South and if its members as well as the organizers agreed that
representation should be along clan lines whom do these individuals
represent? Somaliland is not there and has its own state
institutions. It has no interest to be part of that process.
Therefore they cannot claim to represent it. In fact they are
persona-non-grata if they try to go back. On the other hand, they
cannot in all logic occupy the seats of southern clans—unless these
clans offer them. In particular there is nothing called Northern Dir.
It is a figment of the imagination. The people in Somaliland know
themselves as Isaaq, Darood, Isse and Gadabursi among others. There
is nothing called Dir in Somaliland.
Finally, let the organizers of the conference be warned. If you want
your efforts to succeed and not end up like the ones before it, weed
these individuals out. They don’t belong there and are only spoiling
your great efforts.
Sincerely,
July 21, 2004
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