Change in Foreign Policy May Ease Our Isolative Situation
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By Abdifatah Ismail, University of Cape Town
The African Union’s exclusion of Somaliland from the agenda is a clear indication of the present administration’s failure in foreign policy. Early this year, Hargeysa lodged an application for membership with the AU following a visit by the AU’s second in command.
In spite of strong recommendations by the secretariat, the African foreign ministers setting the agenda for the AU summit held in Banjul, the capital of Gambia, on Monday decided to put Somaliland’s case in the dustbin, denying disgracefully ministers Awil and Dhoolayare even an observer’s status.
North African political giants, Egypt and Libya, - with a bit of help from the troubled Sudan -, are believed to have lobbied for the exclusion of Somaliland from the agenda.
Gambia which was initially favorable to the case of Somaliland had to also change her mind owing to political pressures.
Regardless of who was responsible for the exclusion of Somaliland’s application from the agenda, the administration in Hargeysa suffered a serious blow. Notwithstanding the collective shame flying in our face, this political set back is got to be blamed for Rayale’s naivety in foreign affairs.
In the first place, not sending minister Edna to the summit was a mistake. Undoubtedly, she could have performed better than the duo sent, by at least making the mere presence of Somaliland visible and probably making few headlines in the media here and there.
Other cases in point include that the government is preoccupied with pleasing so called think tank organizations who are often in collision course with most African states due to criticism leveled against them rightly or wrongly. The International Crisis Group based in Belgium runs at the forefront of these organizations.
The ICG is a darling to the west but not to most African countries for obvious reasons. It is not secret that most members in the AU view the ICG as an instrument in which the west meddles in their domestic affairs. Pity as it is, the recognition of Somaliland is more to do with the African Union and the Arab League than the ICG and its likes.
Rayale and his close advisors, however, continue trying unwittingly to convince the likes of the ICG of the need for recognition. This approach is counter productive. The more these organizations approbate our achievements, the more African and Arab governments shift away from us, making it easy for Egypt and its allies gain political compromises from the rest of these powerful clubs.
Attempts by our government to buy its way through have also failed. Rumors are ripe that a lot has changed in hands to smoothen the stance of the AU’s secretariat on the case of Somaliland. Likewise, Rayale hired ‘political experts’ and acclaimed professors, with exorbitant consultation charges, to advance our case internationally.
Apart from late night interviews with a local TV or a newspaper article acclaiming Somaliland’s achievement, this has not helped our catch 22 situations much. There is a general feeling in the public that good written reports are far less than required for getting a political recognition.
In fact this is not for a moment what the hard earned tax payer’s money should be spent on. Proactive policies need to be taken by the government. These include but are not limited to negotiating with our southern brothers. Certainly it is not an easy route but it is better than spending large sums on so-called experts.
Even though this might sound belated when one imagines how different our situation would have been had the government of Somaliland participated in the peace talks held in Kenya backing a candidate soft enough for allowing Somaliland to part ways, it is however never too late to engage the southerners.
Equally important avenue that calls for an attention from the government is the furthering of initiatives started by our diasporas for the recognition of Somaliland. One of the most successful of these initiatives is that undertaken by Somalilanders in the UK which led to the formation of a parliamentary focus group advocating our cause in Europe.
If any is gained from past foreign affairs failures, it is the experience accumulated. Whether that experience would be put into good use remains to be seen. A change in foreign policy is inevitable in order to ease our isolative situation.
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