Swedish Gov’t Decides To Allocate Development Aid to Somaliland Proportionally With Somalia

By Eidarus Sheikh Adam

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, March 16, 2007 (SL. Times) – The Swedish government issued a statement on March 15, 2007 stating that it would treat Somaliland as a self-governing area.

The most significant issue in the government's decision is how the Swedish government sees the situation in Somaliland.

The Swedish government stated that "Somaliland which takes politically a unique position shall be treated for the first time as a self-governing area”.

The statement comes following the Swedish government deciding on 15 February 2007 the guidelines for Swedish development co-operation to Somalia (ref.no UD 2007/5267/AF). In which it would allocate 20 million USD for the year 2007. The amount will be increased if the conditions regarding development of building regional and local administrations.

The guidelines also stipulated that aid to Somalia shall include the whole of Somalia with consideration being given to the regional variations which exists when it comes to need, security and the possibility of implementation of the programmes.

Moreover, about the situation in Puntland the governments said ' Puntland should be treated as part of the Transitional Federal Charter and Transitional Federal Institutions'.

This is a new policy of the Swedish government and has for the first time clearly taken a new position towards Somalia and Somaliland.

Sweden and Italy are together responsible to arrange an international donor conference for Somalia.

The timetable for the conference, which takes place in Rome, depends on the developments in Somalia.

In other related news item, Dahir Rayaale Kahin, president of Somaliland returned to Hargeisa from Ghana last Monday after taking part in Ghana’s 50th anniversary celebrations in Accra. During the visit the president along with the ministers of foreign affairs and Minister of planning pressed the issue of Somaliland among African heads of state and other officials.

Notable, among them included South African president Thabo Mbeki, Ugandan president Yuweri Kaguta Museveni, Botswana’s president Festus Gontebanye Mogae and Tanzanian Vice president Dr. Ali Mohammed Shein.

Source: Somaliland Times