Somaliland Forum
Media Release
Monday February 19, 2001 Ref.SF/EC-021-2001
Somaliland - A Haven Of Stability In A Strife-Torn Region
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE NEW AMERICAN ADMINISTRATIONLike many around the world, you are probably disheartened by the constant bad news from the Horn of Africa. You have likely asked yourself how could it be remedied. While the disproportionately large amount of bad news from the Horn of Africa such as wars, drought, and famine is undeniable, the fact is there is an abundance of good news that is under reported or not reported at all. Even when reported, important policymakers who should encourage and nurture positive change in Africa are either unwilling or unable to do so. We would like to bring to your attention one such positive development in the Horn of Africa, a corner that is usually known for war and its misery. That place is the Republic of Somaliland. We request your administration pay special attention to the unique and positive developments taking place in this little known republic. As you outline your policy toward Africa, you will find that the Republic of Somaliland respects and practices many of the same basic principles as your administration: Small government, free trade, and human rights.
Like many around the world, you are probably disheartened by the constant bad news from the Horn of Africa. You have likely asked yourself how could it be remedied. While the disproportionately large amount of bad news from the Horn of Africa such as wars, drought, and famine is undeniable, the fact is there is an abundance of good news that is under reported or not reported at all. Even when reported, important policymakers who should encourage and nurture positive change in Africa are either unwilling or unable to do so. We would like to bring to your attention one such positive development in the Horn of Africa, a corner that is usually known for war and its misery. That place is the Republic of Somaliland. We request your administration pay special attention to the unique and positive developments taking place in this little known republic. As you outline your policy toward Africa, you will find that the Republic of Somaliland respects and practices many of the same basic principles as your administration: Small government, free trade, and human rights.Somaliland is also a place that can serve as a model not only for the Horn of Africa, but for the rest of Africa. This is not a mere partisan judgment but one shared by many neutral observers.
Somaliland is also setting a positive trend in Africa in its relations with its neighbors in the Horn of Africa, especially Ethiopia. The new trend mutually embarked upon by Ethiopia and Somaliland is based on peace, trade and neighborly cooperation ‑‑- a stunning reversal in the historical pattern of war and conflict, which characterized relations between Somalis and Ethiopians for centuries.
As you are aware, peace between Somaliland and Ethiopia, which share a large and strategic border, takes on heightened significance when viewed against the backdrop of the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the ongoing civil war in Sudan, and the anarchy and chaos in Somalia proper. From a U.S. policy perspective, peace and cooperation between Ethiopia and Somaliland are consistent with U.S. policy goals in the region, and should be encouraged.
DYNAMIC REPUBLIC FORGED BY SOMALILAND’S PEOPLE THREATENED
While Somaliland, through the efforts of its people has created a dynamic symbol of peace and stability in the Horn, Mr. Hassan ‑‑- installed by the President of Djibouti, Mr. Guelleh, and endorsed by the U.N. in one of its self-serving publicity garnering exercises as “president” of Somalia -‑‑ has shown a clear desire to foment conflicts in the region. Even before leaving Djibouti, where he was anointed “president,” he made threatening statements toward Somaliland and other peaceful regions of the former Somali Republic. This hostile behavior continued when he arrived in Mogadishu, despite the fact that his authority does not extend beyond small pockets of Mogadishu.
Unable to garner support in Mogadishu and with his “administration” confined to a few hotels in Mogadishu, Mr. Hassan has decided to shore up his fortunes by trying to exhume the ghost of Somali nationalism through conflict with Ethiopia. As if that was not bad enough for the region, Mr. Hassan has made an alliance with one of the most unpredictable forces in contemporary politics, the Libyan dictator Muammar al‑Qaddafi. The extent of this alliance can be seen from Mr. Hassan’s frequent visits to Libya, the coordination in policy positions and the congratulatory messages often exchanged between Mr. Hassan and Col. Qaddafi.
One such message reported by Libyan radio on February 3, 2001 read as follows: “The Somali president, Abdiqasim Salad Hassan, today telephoned the brother leader of the revolution and stressed Somalia’s solidarity with the Libyan people who are facing up to US quarrelsomeness and arrogance.” It is clear from this quotation that Mr. Hassan feels politically at home in the company of unpredictable dictators such as Muammar al-Qaddafi of Libya.
Besides allying himself with Qaddafi, trying to stir trouble in the Somaliland Republic and other peaceful parts of the former Somali Republic and fomenting conflict with Ethiopia, Mr. Hassan’s faction has reportedly also colluded with shady businessmen in the importation of fake money to Mogadishu; these businessmen are linked to radical groups who are posing danger to the stability of the region as a whole. When these considerations are taken together, the inescapable conclusion is that Mr. Hassan’s “Transitional Government” is a destabilizing force in the region and it will use any international assistance it gets to undermine peace in the Horn of Africa.
In conclusion, we hope that U.S. policy should be based on rewarding the forces of peace and stability such as Somaliland, and isolating rogue and destabilizing forces such as Mr. Hassan’s faction. The most effective way to further help consolidate peace and stability in the region is to respect the popular will of the people of Somaliland, as expressed through their decision to reclaim their sovereignty in 1991, within the frontiers of the British Somaliland, after a ruinous and unconstitutional union with Somalia, the former Italian Somalia, that lasted from 1960 to 1991. By granting Somaliland immediate diplomatic recognition, the United States will help cement the building blocks for democratic peace and stability in the Horn of Africa, and at the same time send a signal to the many factions in Somalia proper and in Mogadishu that peace and the rule of law is what the world expects of them, not war and roguish behavior.
We look forward to hearing from you.
The SOMALILAND FORUM
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SLF Background:
The Somaliland Forum (SLF) is an international organization that brings together Somalilanders from all parts of the world mainly, through the medium of the Internet. The primary objective of the Forum is to work with the Somaliland communities around the world in order to provide some lasting solutions to the needs of the Republic of Somaliland and its people. For more information, Please visit forum’s web site at:
http://www.somalilandforum.com
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