World
Somaliland: An Open Letter To The British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
June 19, 2012 · 28 Comments
Rt Hon William Hague MP
Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
King Charles St
London
SW1A 2AH
Dear Foreign Secretary,
I would like to take the opportunity of my imminent arrival in the United Kingdom to set out the views of the Government of Somaliland on the end of the transitional period in Somalia on 20 August, and to foreshadow my Government’s approach to the upcoming talks between Somaliland and the TFG.
Somaliland has a strong interest in seeing stability re-established in our neighbour, Somalia. We therefore welcome the positive developments which have taken place there in recent months, including progress towards bringing the transition period to an end. At the same time, we pay tribute to the sacrifices made by AMISOM troops and to the important support of the international community, which have helped to bring this about.
Three decades after the voluntary union between the former British Protectorate of Somaliland and Italian Somalia in July 1960, Somaliland was driven to reclaim its independence from Somalia in 1991. This decision was not taken lightly. It followed the systematic discrimination and grave human rights abuses committed against our people by the Siyad Barre regime, and the ensuing war which saw the deaths over 50,000 of our citizens, the displacement of hundreds of thousands of others, and the destruction of our capital, Hargeisa.
Since then, Somaliland has been successful in building peace, establishing a democratic form of government and delivering services to its people. We have done this by means of an indigenous, bottom-up process. In 2001, following a referendum which received the overwhelming support of the people of Somaliland, our country adopted a new constitution, which reaffirmed that the national territory of the independent Republic of Somaliland is identical to that of the Somaliland Protectorate, to which Britain granted independence in June 1960. Subsequent elections, which were deemed free and fair by international monitors, have elected governments firmly committed to Somaliland’s independence. We believe that our experience of peace-building may be of interest to others, including our Somali brothers. Given this history, it is unacceptable to Somaliland that the new draft Somalia constitution might purport to lay claim to our country. Somaliland emphatically rejects any such claim on our national territory.
However, Somaliland is more than willing to have constructive discussions with the TFG or its successor about clarifying our future relations, and about matters of mutual interest, including the fight against terrorism, piracy and jihadism. Somaliland is grateful to the United Kingdom, Norway and the European Union for agreeing to co-host the exploratory talks on 21 June. We will approach those discussions in good faith and in a spirit of cooperation with a view to reinforcing and building peace and stability in the Horn.
We ask that the international community now accept the reality that Somaliland is independent, and that promoting a dialogue between two sovereign entities in Hargeisa and Mogadishu will only aid our shared objective of securing a peaceful, stable Horn of Africa.
I would be most grateful to you if you would bring this letter to the attention of His Excellency the Secretary General of the United Nations, as well as to the other Members of the UN Security Council.
Please accept, Foreign Secretary, the assurances of my highest consideration.
Dr Mohamed A. Omar
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Republic of Somaliland
cc Baroness Ashton of Upholland PC,
High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy
& Vice President of the European Commission
Jonas Gahr Støre, Foreign Minister of Norway
Follow @somalilandpressBy goth Mohamed
Tags: Britain, EU, Norway, Somalia, Somaliland news
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somaliland is gone just get over it
independence or death
This Straight forward open letter characterizes the Somaliland serious position on the first face to face
talks between the two de jure entities being hosted in London on June 21 2012.
Hopefully there should be a further breakthrough in the preliminary talks between the two sides
with the help of the co-host countries. The British UK and the commonwealth HMG Govts should be
able to play a major positive role to bring about further progress between the two delegations.
Cheers.
@mohamed cheers
I often wondered what HMG's true position is. I have a feeling so long as they are optimistic about the Somalia peace process they will not want to jeopardise that, but importantly I do not think they will stand behind anything they think will damage Somaliland's security.
If you allow me as a unionist to say my word, this appeal to foreign minister Hague will get no where. The British like the rest of the international community know that Somaliland is nothing more than a once clan show, that it has no support from the other clans in former British Somaliland let alone the rest of Somalia, that recognising one clan will destabilise the rest of Africa which no one in the west wants. It may be bitter, but there is no other course other than to come back to the Somali fold. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. This phony independence which has gone to your heads is an illusion and nothing more. Brothers, wake up!
Harun,
You are full of it!
Cool story bro.
Somaliland we doing fine, we willing to wait a million years for independence than rejoin Somalia in a union. You mention the Somali fold that killed tens of thousands of innocent Somalis, the Somali fold that gives warlords safe haven.
One clan show?? I am not Ishaaq and I love Somaliland more than anyone else. Also, the longest serving President of Somaliland was a non-Isaaq too, so what is this one clan show you speak of?
I just don't get it instead of crying over Somaliland why don't you help rebuild Somalia, do not worry about Somaliland we doing fine my brother, worry about yourselves.
Somaliland we do not need anything from nobody, not the IC not Somalia and not our politicians, we need our people. That means more to us than anything else and we can decide our future path.
@ali Harun
What one clan show that has no support from the other clans in former British Somaliland
are you talking about dude. The IC that you think you and many others of your kind could dissuade
with such benign rhetorics is not going to work, because they already know the real facts of
both Somaliland and Somalia. Bro Harun this phony comments has no place in Somaliland
where real democracy Govt is in the making fully functioning properly. Therefore your wrong
rhetoric has no taste and doesn't take off the ground.
Cheers.
Mr. Harun: Don't envy the progress of Somaliland. The international community admire what Somaliland has achieved for the last 21 years. The other clans you are talking about are better off now than the 30years that Somaliland was with Southern Somalia. Those clans have members in the Somaliland legslative branch, have members in the Executive branch and in the judicial branch of Somaliland Government. So, my friend you are preaching hate and you will not succeed to divide Somaliland into groups and clans because every clan in Somaliland is included in the decision making.
The Garadag junta is begging the British for more arms to oppress Hargeisa, Berbera, Burao, Las Annod, Buhoodle..forget TFG, we, the residents of Hargeisa are saying NO. North Somalia will soon need AMISOM because no one wants Garadag Junta. We dont know what mr Omar is talking about, Somaliland was peaceful pre-Silaanyo.
Chief of Souther DIR nation and their Ugases and Suldans.
We proclaim to the world, we recognize and support the independences of our relative people who are
Republic of Somaliland.
We are DIR people who are related with majority of population of Somaliland of Sh. Isaxaq and Samaroon tribe. But, we reconize and respect their idintity as a nationals of sovereign country.
We are asking goverment in Mogadishu: Why they did not recognize and respect Somaliland?
if they recognize and respect the same Dir people in Republic of D'Jabuti. Also, if they claim to
recognize and respect Somalis in Ethiopia as part of Ethiopia. then why not Somaliland which
used to be British colony before 1969.
We asK. UN and OAU, if you recongnize choices of Eritreans and South Sudans. why not our
brother and sister in Somaliland?
well Dar@@d mom was also Dir, same as harti mom, HY mom was Dar@@d …there is no such thing Dir and Dar@@d matter of fact there are 3 major tribes in somalia Iss@@q, Dar@@d and Hawiya.. all somalis related to one another especially those who share lands, imagine seperating people in sanaag, nugal or togdheer.. i personally do not believe in Qabilism but people's wishes should be respected
I always get baffled and lost with dir business. But I know southern Dir tried and protected or sheltered the isaaqs in the south when they were being killed so yeah God bless the brotherly Dir. But Somalis are all mixed and related. Even some sub division are nicknamed after the clan of their mother look at ba-dulbahante and ba-warsangeli both are HY and look at reer isaaq (Og@@den) lol
When will Somalis grow out of outdated tribalism, it's getting tiresome wallah. The people of s s c are the most related ones, traditionally it was to marry your inabtiga (the opposite clan) which is how they became so mixed.
Dir South
We are praying to see many DiR republics as D'Jabuti. We want to see Somaliland also.
And we say this to Somalilanders.
If you not change your determination to your independence. at last you will get at last no matter how long. the world is testing you. never give up. You can remember brothers: old saying we have.
MAR LA DEG, WAA ALA DEG. MAR LABAAD LA DEGNA , ISAGAA IS DEGAY.
If somebody decieved once, OK, but , if you are decieved again , you are fool or idiot.
never again, should your slogan.
Fake Dir,
Please stop misusing our name. I am firm believer in Dir and I do not believe in the fake Arab ancestors that Isaak people claim. If we were two different people, then we should teach the Europeans and the Americans how to assimilate because no one can today tell Somalis apart.
So that must be the most successful assimilation in the history of mankind.
If the likes of Puntland and Dhulos base their entire argument around tribes; then southern Somalis will also base theirs on tribalism and the Issakis have more support within the Dir and the Hawiye than Daro0ds. So a Somalia without the three Issak dominated regions and perhaps Awdal, will not be a Somalia that Hawiye and southern Dir clans will entertain.
As for this topic, Ina Omar doesn't know anything about foreign policy nor is he fit for such portfolio. He long does he have to beg UK? They are gone and opening their embassy in Mogadishu—its time you moved on too.
Yes go sit down with the Dir and the Hawiye. Not some foreigner former colonial criminals.
Well written and to the point. I'd say Dr. Omer has cleared the air with authoritative word of commands for the world, particularly, the UK that Somaliland is a separate entity with or without the approval of the IC.
Osman Qaal
The somaliland people HER MAJESTY CONSTITUTES TO BE SOMALILAND AND THEIR MAJESTY WILL SUPPORT THEIR FREEDOM AND RIGHTS.
lol still begging are we? pathetic.
Pathetic is your sorry state of Somalia where you are killing each other like animals. Look at the mirror
pleeeeease recognise its been 21 years and still… hehehehehe what beggers
HATERS will be HATERS .. the more we have the better. I feel sorry for the inkaar riddled South Somalia. They could not agree on peace for the last 21 years Which ALHAMDULLILAH Somaliland has enjoyed. Peace and prosperity and economic independence will eventually bring the recognition whether you like it or NOT! We just hope and pray the South are smart enough to know that it's time they put the guns down. But then again, that is wishful thinking at it's best. U NEED ALLAH
Somaliland will keep its ground firm. Let the haters bark as much as they want.
IC does not support any complicated issue that will hinder bringing peace to Somalia and in this case unrecognized Somaliland does that especially when Somalia can't concentrate in establishing peace because all they see is Somaliland.
All the haters and fake so-called unionist are having mental disorder and are spewing their venom everywhere because this is the closest Somaliland ever got to recognition and it will not stop until the wishes and self-determination of Somaliland is reached.
WELL SAID SIS!
Oh I hate open letters. For goodness sake, just write a letter, put it in an envelop and send it to whomever its addressed.
I am not exactly sure what you mean i am a firm believer in Dir. And then what we will benefit from any alliance with so called dir and Hawiye?
this is like a repeat movie open letters for the last 20 yrs
if eve they wrote this letters to other somali stakeholders they may got somewhere.
even if there is a MIRACLE and i mean it a miracle and the IC recognized this somaliland Territory all hell will break loose in this area as there are sizable people people i heard between puntland and
somaliland who dont want separation as well as puntland. for this reason i suggest honest dialoge between somalis in this areas forget about UK and US and colonial borders.
A Miracle will be peace in Somalia. You Southerners watched for years Siad barre massacre and rape the Northerners without saying a word or lifting a finger. Whatever is going on in Somalia will go on for a very long time until ALLAH bestows his mercy on you. The South has inkaar. The MIRACLE you should be praying for is PEACE in your south region. Don't worry about SOMALILAND, we are very OK and INSHAALLAH we will get the recognition we deserve and become a democratic and prosperous GOD fearing NATION.
How long you keep begging other nations, international community made it clear we respect Somalia sovereignty and territorial bounders, walaaal forget the dream that will never happen you is the must union is the solution. Come to the table bring the concern you have about union the we will make agreement both side can be happy share the government half and half, Somalia will come together inshaallah.
You cannot force a triangle into a circle my friend. Somaliland and Somalia are culturally different hence can never be a UNION. What will NEVER happen is a lasting peace in Somalia. Get your act together before you open your mouth.