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Somaliland Forum's Statement On The Current Nairobi Talks For Somalia
PRESS RELEASE, 20.09.03
Recently some of the warring factions of Somalia have concluded agreements on a transitional constitution for Somalia, under the auspices of Kenya, the host country, and IGAD, a regional organization. At the beginning of that conference, the 15th to date in the 13 years that Somalia was without a government, we stated that we, from Somaliland, Somalia’s neighbor, would very much like to see peace established in Somalia. We also reminded the conferees from Somalia, and the host country, Kenya, as well as IGAD, not to confound once more the issues of Somalia, a former Italian colony which is a stateless country today, with the issues of Somaliland, a former British protectorate, which stepped back from a disastrous union with Somalia in 1991, and has since proved itself, without outside help, one of the most peaceful, and democratic countries in all of Africa.
Unfortunately, once more, it looks that the
warring factions of Somalia with the acquiescence of the organizers have,
instead of concentrating on the burning issues of Somalia, made a statement
to the effect that they want to annex Somaliland into Somalia. That is what
the so-called provisional constitution for Somalia says by stating that its
post-colonial borders include an enlarged area that includes Somaliland.
That clause is not only a direct frontal attack against the sovereignty of
Somaliland but it is in violation of the OAU and AU principles on the
sanctity of colonial borders.
Moreover, when it is known that the people of Somaliland had waged a war of
liberation from 1981 to 1991 to regain their sovereignty, and that they
collectively decided to put an end to the never-ratified association that
they had with Somalia in a referendum (March 2001), it is a wonder how a
would-be government of Somalia intends to wage war against the people of
Somaliland in order to annex and appropriate for itself the territory of the
independent state of Somaliland.
We, the Somaliland Forum, an independent organization that represents the
Somaliland Diaspora, believe that this is a dangerous clause, one that is
going to bring war to the Horn of Africa, since it is unlikely that the
so-called leaders of Somalia and the warlords have learnt anything from
Somaliland’s liberation war nor from how wisely Ethiopia agreed to the
sovereignty of Eritrea. Moreover, we believe that this clause, which the
conferees from Somalia put down in the provisional constitution for Somalia,
will not only add to the problems of Somalia, but that it will destabilize
the entire region of Horn of Africa, since Somalilanders will
not voluntarily return to the disastrous union with Somalia.
It must be clear to all that there is no way the clock can be turned back to
1991, and that there is no way Somaliland can be forced back into a union
with Somalia. Hence, we urge the leaders from Somalia, if they can be called
as such, not to delude themselves about recuperating Somaliland and to
concentrate on solving the problems that their own people want them to
solve; such as bringing peace, stability and progress to their country:
Somalia. More importantly, we urge the host country of the Somali
Conference, Kenya, the diplomat leading the conference, Ambassador Kiplagat,
as well as IGAD, the regional organization, to assume their role of
guidance, and spell-out the hard truth to these Warlords. We ask them not
to start a new round of hostilities in an already volatile part of the
world, and to respect the unalienable right of the Somaliland people to
determine their destiny. Only then can anything positive come out of the
Somalia talks in Nairobi.
Somaliland Forum
Contacts:
Europe and rest of the world
Ali A. Awale Email : chair@Somalilandforum.com
Kayser Abdillahi Email: vice@somalilandforum.com
North America -
Adam Hersi Email: adamhirsi@yahoo.com
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