'They Said We Will Treat Somaliland As A Separate Government Entity'

Hargeysa, Somaliland, May 02 2007 – The leader of the self-declared breakaway enclave of Somaliland ruled out reuniting with battle-scarred Somalia and said the interim government's claim of victory over insurgents in Mogadishu was premature.

President Dahir Rayale Kahin also expressed hopes of greater international recognition for Somaliland after Sweden said in February it would treat the enclave as a self-governing area with regard to development aid.

Kahin's comments to reporters late on Tuesday came days after the Somali government declared victory in Mogadishu after a war against militant gunmen, foreign jihadists and a group of disgruntled clansmen.

Mogadishu 's worst fighting in 16 years has killed at least 1 300 people in recent weeks and sparked a massive exodus from the city with some fleeing to Somaliland's capital Hargeisa.

"It is too quick to say the TFG (transitional federal government) has captured Mogadishu or they are governing Mogadishu," Kahin said.

"Time will tell. They will not get far if they try to... rule the people by force," he added.

Kahin also warned Somali President Abdillahi Yusuf against any belligerent moves towards the Gulf of Aden enclave.

"Abdillahi Yusuf cannot come here. It is a day dream that Abdillahi Yusuf is coming and that he will govern Hargeisa."

A former British protectorate, Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 when clan warlords toppled dictator Mohamed Siyad Barre, carving the Horn of Africa country into personal fiefdoms.

Somaliland officials say the territory has maintained relative peace and stability while Mogadishu has descended into violence and chaos.

"We cannot be one government anymore. We made our decision in 1991 not to be part of that failed union," Kahin said in his heavily fortified presidential compound.

No foreign governments have recognized Somaliland and there has long been a reluctance in Africa to support independence bids for fear of opening the floodgates to a host of secessionist claims.

But Kahin said hopes were boosted by Swedish moves.

"The Swedish have taken one step forward. They said we will treat Somaliland as a separate government entity," he said.

Katarina Zinn, a counselor at the Swedish Embassy in Nairobi, said Stockholm's guidelines on aid to Somalia recognized Somaliland as a self-governing area for development issues.

"What we have said is that we will work in Somaliland with development, but we have not recognized Somaliland as an independent state," Zinn told Reuters.

Kahin said Somaliland had secured a deal with Germany to build a cement factory in the coastal city of Berbera, 130km north-east of Hargeisa.

He said he hoped the creation of more jobs would boost the economy. Opposition figures have accused him of not doing enough to improve the livelihoods of people living in Somaliland.

Source: Reuters

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