Somaliland foreign minister briefs gathering

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, March 21, 2008 – A workshop organized by the Brenthurst Foundation, the Center for Policy Research and Dialogue, and the Commission of the African Union, which looked towards the prospects of building peace and the application of the Tswalu protocol in Africa, was conducted last week. The meeting brought together a cross-section of speakers from the military, academia, think tanks, policy makers and government officials in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Tswalu Protocol articulates a consensus derived from the experience of a select group of civilian and military professionals, academics, individual organizations, concerned government departments and heads of state who have been at the epicenter of peacekeeping and peace-building missions. Recognizing the ad hoc nature of international responses to armed conflict and state failure, the Protocol proposes a pragmatic and realistic approach to improving co-ordination of the international community in such missions. Instead of simply calling for more co-ordination, it offers a set of principles and practical guidelines for future peace-builders.

Among the heads of state that have endorsed the Tswalu Protocol, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Colombian Vice-President Francisco Santos Calderon, Danish State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ib Petersen, and Somaliland President Dahir Rayale Kahin are included.

On the occasion, Somaliland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Abdillahi Duale, made a briefing during a half-day session, in which he elaborated on his country’s current affairs. H.E. Mr. Abdillahi said that the forum could become a cornerstone for African partnerships for peace and development. He affirmed that his country fully endorses this initiative, and specially welcomed the Oppenheimer’s engagement in African affairs with regard to peace and development.

The Minister said that he not only attended the workshop as an observer, but also grasped quite a number of issues. He appreciated the efforts of all the contributors who came from all over Africa. Minister Abdullahi Duale extended his invitation to host the next session in Somaliland.

The Foreign Minister told SSI that his country has concretized the long overdue solidification of relations with the rest of the world, making particular mention of President Dahir Rayale Kahin’s recent trip to the USA, and Dr. Jendayi Frazer’s visit to Somaliland.

In regards to relations with Ethiopia, the Foreign Minster stated that relations between the two nations have gathered momentum over the past years, and that Ethiopia’s use of the Berbera port and other bilateral trade relations have grown over the years.

The Tswalu Dialogue was established in 2002 as a premier African forum to discuss issues of concern to continental development and security. The event is held according to ‘RUSI Rules’ – the content of the formal papers and the event itself may be cited, but the discussions remain strictly off the record.

The 2007 Dialogue focused on the likely roles, shape and structure of the African military of the twenty-first century. According to the foundation, there are a number of reasons why this topic is important. First, security and stability is an essential prerequisite to development. Second, there remain security threats to a large number of African countries and many African militaries face short- or medium-term threats. Third, the African Union (AU) has undertaken a range of security-related tasks on the continent, including diplomacy, peace support operations and humanitarian assistance.

The African Standby Force (ASF) introduces, in this regard, another important aspect of cooperation in organizational and doctrinal matters. These responsibilities will undoubtedly increase in the future as Western militaries are unlikely to provide even a small percentage of the peacekeepers that the continent will need. Fourth, the number of democracies in Africa has increased substantially over the past quarter-century, raising new challenges for the practice of civil-military relations. And fifth, there are related concerns about the ability of African militaries like their counterparts elsewhere to deal with 21st century security issues: notably, terrorism, rebuilding failed states, and employing appropriate technology.

Source: The Sub-Saharan Informer