Senator Norm Coleman,
320 Senate Hart Office Building,
Washington, DC 20510

May 18, 2006

Dear Senator Coleman,

Your Position on The Republic of Somaliland

I have read your proposed resolution to the Senate seeking United States support for Somalia and was dismayed with the item concerning Somaliland. While I welcome your efforts to pursue the support of the United States Government for Somalia to enable it to find solution to its problems, I find it gross injustice for you to deprive the people of Somaliland of their hopes and aspirations to attain recognition from the world community. While your resolution amounts to holding Somaliland hostage anarchic Somalia, it also undermines the hard won achievement of that country in particular the democratization of the political system. Therefore, because of the unwarranted hardship your proposal may bring on the people of Somaliland, I am writing this to entreat you to reconsider your position for the following reasons.

The item in your resolution critical of Somaliland and asking the senate in your words to “delay the consideration of the delicate issue regarding the Republic of Somaliland until an appropriate level of stability has been achieved in Somalia, while understanding the critical importance of that issue for establishing a peaceful Somalia”; does not only deny the people of Somaliland the inherent right to freedom and liberty but it also implicates Somaliland of being an impediment to achieving peace in Somalia. This part of the resolution is very worrisome but what is even critically more interesting is what you stopped short of saying - the reasons why you want “considerations for Somaliland to be delayed.”

Here in the State of Minnesota and elsewhere among the Somali Diaspora, your position on Somaliland is causing further unnecessary fracture and disharmony in a community that is by nature suspicious and distrustful of each other This move creates confusion and makes it hard for one to understand your rational of favoring some of your constituents over others by supporting the political agenda of special groups while alienating others. I am not so sure if this is the result of unintended and honest oversight, which I hope it is, or whether it is a conscious decision based on the values that guide you. However, if this is politically motivated; I believe it is undesirable move that would fail short of helping you with the forthcoming election. I trust that you are doing this in an effort to help those involved to seek a solution to their tragedy, However instead of taking sides, you could make a huge difference in the lives of these people by helping both countries to realize their dreams namely freedom from the devastation of warlords and clan rivalry for Somalia and freedom from oppression and tyranny for Somaliland.

Senator Colman, with all due respects, it appears that the Somali group you associate with and on whose advice and recommendations you base your response to the current situation in Somaliland/ Somalia, had ill-advised you about the reality in Somaliland. It is therefore only fitting that in order for you to do justice first and foremost to your own conscience and to all your Somali constituents in particular and to the Somali people in general, that you take a little more time to enlighten yourself on both the past and the current realities in Somaliland paying more attention to the long and arduous journey it took to establish a secular and a modern democratic state based on the tenets of law and order in an unlikely environment while mayhem, rape, torture and bloodletting have been the order of the day in neighboring Somalia since the military regime government was toppled in 1991.

The following quick synopsis may be relevant to offer a glimpse of what Somaliland is about.

A. As an entity, separate from Italian Somalia, Somaliland existed as a British Colony from 1884 to June 26, 1960. It had internationally recognized boarders.

B. It became independent of British rule on June 26, 1960 prior to Somalia becoming independent of Italian rule and was recognized as a sovereign state before it merged with Mogadishu.

C. On its own choice and without conditions, on July1st. 1960 i.e. five days after it gained independence, Somaliland voluntarily united with Somalia to form the Somali Republic.

D. After a long period of tyranny and oppression, on May 18, 1991, Somaliland officially withdrew from the union with Somalia. Contrary to what those groups preoccupied with futile idea of keeping Somaliland in the ghost of Somalia and who are against the right of self- determination to the people of Somaliland would like you to believe, Somaliland is not trying to secede from Somalia. It is simply withdrawing from a union that miserably failed to function in a similar manner jus as those countries that went through the same experience. Examples of such countries include Singapore and Malaysia, Egypt and Syria, Mali and Senegal to name only a few.

E. As part of its internal reconciliation process, without any outside help, in the early 1990s, Somaliland disarmed its militias and formed a parliament comprised of a senate and a house of representatives of 82 members respectively.

1. In 2000, a constitutional referendum was held with 97% approval.

2. In 2002, first municipal elections were held throughout the country.

3 In 2003, first democratic presidential election was held. International observers monitored the voting. The incumbent president won with less than 100 votes between him and his rival

4.First democratic election of the members of the House of Representatives took place in September, 2005.

Other facts about the achievement of Somaliland include:

-          Free press and respect for human rights and human dignity.

-          Somaliland is the only country in Africa that has anti- terrorism laws and anti –terrorist squad as well. Recently a group of terrorists who were affiliated with other international organizations were convicted in a court of law They were found guilty for carrying out terrorist attacks against expatriates and nationals. The received sentences ranging from death to life imprisonment. Above all, Somaliland curbs religious fanaticism and fundamentalism.

Uniting with the Devil

Unlike the lukewarm interest shown by Somalia toward pan Somali Nationalism in the 1960s, it was Somaliland who genuinely pushed the unification of the two peoples forward as a prerequisite to the unification of all Somali speaking peoples in the Horn of Africa under one banner. Unfortunately as the amalgamation took effect, the people of Somaliland were met with ‘a master and servant relationship mentality’. From the beginning they were relegated to the status of second class citizens. They were discriminated against and excluded from all important positions both in the public and private sectors. When this was resisted, Somalilanders were subjected to all kinds of discrimination, persecution, oppression and tyranny and to indiscriminate genocide. Under these circumstances, Somaliland had no choice but to take steps to bring the marriage with to an end these hence the struggle to withdraw from the union started in earnest early on.

The road to freedom was long and costly. During the years leading to the liberation, more than one hundred thousand Somaliland citizens were killed by the National Army of Somalia in conjunction with selected clan militias. Although not yet investigated and documented for the same reasons you opted to ignore the reality in the region, the atrocities committed in those years against the people of Somaliland – clan- cleansing, share common elements with the ethnic cleansing campaigns that took place in Rwanda and Bosnia or that is taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan right now.

Having prepared themselves for the final onslaught for years, the killing army of the regime deliberately targeted the vulnerable and the weak. They also made sure to leave no building standing. The consequence of this was that whole cities were razed to the ground with the help of South African mercenary pilots hired specially to cause maximum damage. The irony is that these pilots and their Somali counter parts dropped their lethal bombs on the same towns and cities from where they took off and landed for reloading, As a result of these more than two million people fled to neighboring Ethiopia to escape the carnage.

We suffered silently before and no matter what comes, recognition or no recognition we will remain resilient and will eventually prevail in the end because this is our destiny and no one can decide for us what to do with our future. There was no outcry from the international community when these crimes were being committed, no TV pictures and no media coverage and unlike the interest shown and the attention paid to other hot spots, only the official line issued by Somalia was honored as the ultimate truth. This still continues and the part of your resolution dealing with Somaliland is testimony to it. It is sad that nearly after 20 years, the world has yet to come to terms with what Somaliland had been though and what is at stake now.

These are some of the reasons why the union with Somalia has failed .It is also precisely why Somalia has ceased to function as a state. Once their common prey was no longer available, the southern clans turned to each other and are unable to agree on a common government because they are haunted by the Somaliland experience. The only way to help Somalia to solve its problems is first of all to grant Somaliland the long overdue diplomatic recognition it deserves and then to enable it to assist Somalia to sort out its problems. I say this because Somaliland has gained world recognition as an authority in resolving conflicts of failed states.

As for those individuals lobbying politicians making noises in the name of the lost cause of United Somalia, it is common knowledge that they are non other than those remnants of the infamous regime who while in position of power and influence directly or indirectly carried out crimes against Somaliland. It is paradoxical that they are campaigning against recognition for Somaliland when their house has been burning for the last fifteen years and have no place to call home. One reason of why do these individuals make their business to attack Somaliland is that they are apprehensive of being prosecuted for the crimes they committed as soon as Somaliland has the influence to pursue that in courts.

Sir, here my concern is not to dismiss the need Somalia has to restore peace and once again reinvent itself as a society that is governed by the rule of law and that has respect for human dignity. But it is also equally important that they acknowledge and accept our wishes and leave us to our destiny. They should understand the fact that the longer they waste their time and effort to pursue us, the longer it would take them to come to their senses and discover what a futile exercise it has been.

Sincerely,

O Adam, Toronto Canada

osmanaadam@yahoo.com