To: Honorable Donald M. Payne, Chairman. 06/29/2009

Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health

CC: Noelle LuSane - Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health
CC: Heather Flynn - Professional Staff for the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health
CC: Antonina King - Staff Associate for the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health

Dear Mr. Chairman;

The United States and in particular your subcommittee has the unprecedented opportunity to transform the political landscape of the Horn. Mr. Chairman, you have always shown great interest in the stability of that region and the impetus to that stability are true democracies.

Publicly engaging Somaliland's embrace of democracy would illustrate to fragile countries your government's commitment to new democracies as President Obama recently reiterated; 'We stand on the side of democracy, sovereignty and self determination' .

Your subcommittee must take the bold steps necessary to show when a legitimate State takes upon itself to embrace true democracy that the American people would support it. If Somaliland is forced to linger in limbo it would signal to potential democracies that embracing democracy has no benefit. In the 21st Century, African nations must be stable, democratic and transparent.

Mr. Chairman, Somaliland feels great kinship with your great country. We overthrew a disastrous dictator and promulgated a working Constitution to which the country has adhered. We have even modeled our system of government to closely resemble that of the United States. We accomplished all of this without the prompting of other democratic countries and sadly without much assistance from the international community.

It is Somaliland's greatest hope that your subcommittee would keep an open mind to the aspirations of the people of Somaliland. We hope to communicate with you and your office in the days and months ahead while you kindly consider these important facts about the Republic of Somaliland Mr. Chairman;

1. Somaliland was an independent nation with internationally delineated boundaries and was recognized by 34 nations including 5 permanent members.

2. Somaliland existed before Somalia was granted independence. Once Somalia achieved independence, Somaliland then initiated a Union with Somalia for a greater “Somali Republic”.

3. This Union was never legally formed thus never bound Somaliland to perpetuity.

4. Somaliland never relinquished her right to restore her independence at any point. Somaliland restored her independence in 1991 after 30 years of the disastrous policies that saw the aerial bombardment of cities, the massacre of over 50,000 innocent people and the systemic humiliation of the people of Somaliland.

5. The Somaliland public voted overwhelmingly - on more than one occasion - to rescind the union. This decision is neither reversible nor open to negotiation.

6. Somaliland's case is unique in that the recognition of Somaliland will not set precedent or infringe upon African Union protocol or convention. There are no other formerly independent and recognized nations seeking to exit a union or reclaim independence.

7. Somaliland fulfills all requirements for statehood; a) the nation has a permanent population, b) had been independent once before, c) has a clearly defined territory and d) Somaliland - without formal recognition - continues to enter formal and informal relations with other nations and organizations.

Mr. Chairman its our hope that your subcommittee would keep an open mind and keep open the line of communication with not only the elected leaders of Somaliland but with organizations like ours and the thousands of Somaliland Americans. We would also urge this subcommittee to undertake a fact finding mission to Somaliland as the African Union and others had done.

Thank you greatly for your time,

Mohammed A. Ali Baranbaro

Somaliland American Guild

branbaro@hotmail.com

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