By Osman Jama

The independence, freedom and democracy is sacrosanct and will march on no matter what. No army or force can defeat the will of people destined and determined to be independent. The gathering anti-democratic forces of repression, the remnants of the old discredited and doomed genocidal regime can not shake the will of these steadfast and courageous people of Somaliland. The rays of freedom emanating from this land will eventually illuminate all the troubled lands of the Horn of Africa. Freedom in this blessed land will grow, flourish and there is no turning back.

The people of this country are ready to preserve their hard won freedom and Independence by any means necessary (borrowing a phrase from Malcom X.). The era of oppression, despotism, nations subjugated against their will, colonized and forced into flawed and dysfunctional unions against their will is long gone. Dreamers of this kind of impractical and mythical relationship will have a long winter of despair and frustration. The time of unelected outsiders and unscrupulous personalities claiming your land without your consent is long gone.

The ultimate struggle for all the nations of the world converges on one simple word-self-determination, the right of all people of the world, to freedom and Liberty. We have witnessed multitudes of both violent and peaceful resistance movements over the years. These people have paid a heavy prize to achieve their independence.

History has witnessed freedom fighters who courageously fought and defeated colonialists and other aggressors. From the bushes of the former beautiful Rhodesia, modern Zimbabwe to the jungles of Indochina and the rain forests of South America, indigenous freedom fighters waged wars of independence and all of them have won and achieved their inalienable rights for freedom and liberty.

In South Africa the ANC struggled over 60 years in order to end the rule of the white minority regime ruling that country with an iron fist, repression, and murder. Nelson Mandela the international symbol of freedom, Resistance and common sense spent 27 years in jail for the sake of the total liberation of his beloved south Africa.

Somaliland is no different. It has a waged a long and bitter struggle for its independence and worked hard in the aftermath of that struggle, to become a peaceful and contributing member of the independent nations of the world. No one can deny the achievement and the personal sacrifice of this nation. Somaliland is a glimmer hope in a troubled neighborhood of despots, warlords, outdated clan supremacists, terrorists disguised as Muslim preachers.

The world has already have seen the achievements of this unique country and its people. I envision a time hopefully in the near future where people from all over the world will be flocking down to Somaliland, and yearning to understand what this people have done right to attain such heights of civil political discourse, conflict resolution, peace making and peace keeping without outside help.

The achievement of this country has realized in a relatively very short period of 15 years is unprecedented. These tangible efforts and accomplishments ranging from a comprehensive process of democratization, two parliamentary elections, an elected bicameral peoples' congress, one presidential election, municipal elections, one smooth transition of power when the former president honorable Mohamed Hajji Ibrahim Egal was passed three years ago and the successful Peaceful Reconciliation between the different Somaliland communities, can not be overlooked. The AU, the United Nations, The EU, the United States and other international players must and should commend and reward the huge accomplishment of the people of Somaliland.

Not to mention the building of Universities and other institutions of higher learning. Currently Somaliland has three world class and functioning Universities and a number of colleges and vocational institutions. As usual all these institutions have been built without outside help. Can the world no longer affords to ignore such uplifting stories coming from the Republic of Somaliland and its people?This is nothing but an example for all the nations of the world and especially the developing ones.

All these achievements have been done with minimum foreign help and intervention. Isn't it time to acknowledge this unprecedented achievements realized by this well-intentioned and resilient people? It is rather ludicrous and immoral, why? these nice people have to be the captives of the old paradigms which no longer make sense. It is rather inconceivable and mind boggling, How come? such a miraculous success story be missed and overlooked in the power corridors of United Nations, EU, the United States and others. It is time to reward this success story in a region with very few success stories.

It will be a win win situation for every body if the world affirms this miracle in a region that produced notorious figures such as Mengistu, Siyad Barre, Omar Al Bashir, Idi Amin, Melton Obotte and other terrible footnotes to history in a span of 40 years. If a rational intervention and pragmatism was exercised at the right time, in this region, the devastating 30 year war between Eritrea and Ethiopia have been averted, Former Somalia would have been a success story, Southern Sudan and Darfur would have not happened, the Rwandan genocide may have been averted, and the pre-Museveni carnage in Uganda may have not happened.

Therefore, I don't understand why? the world is so reluctant to come forward and embrace the exemplary experiment in Somaliland, happening in the light of the above-mentioned backdrop. The common wealth states of South Africa, Nigeria, Britain, Canada and Australia must have to take the lead and start recognizing Somaliland. Germany has started the recognition of Croatia, a nation that never had a separate history from Serbia, and the rest of the world has followed.

The people of these great nation will prefer going to war, had the re-emerging reactionary tribal forces will attempt to interfere the internal affairs of this country. We are warning these forces to refrain from violating Somaliland's international borders.

(Note: A revised copy of this letter will be sent to all the major common wealth states)

Osman Jama

osmonja@yahoo.com