Somaliland Forum

REF:        SLF/EC-03-02/03
DATE:     Tuesday, November 5th, 2002

SOMALILAND WISHES SOMALIA AND THE OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE HORN A LASTING PEACE

Somaliland Forum, as we have stated before, welcomes peace-building and the establishment of the rule of law in Somalia, which has been without a central government for over a decade now. The lack of government and the rule of law in Somalia has had negative implications in all countries that
are neighbors of Somalia, including Somaliland, which has seen an ever increasing numbers of refugees from Somalia. Thus, we welcome the truce agreement that Somalia’s various factions signed in Eldoret, Kenya, on October 27, 2002, under the auspices of IGAD countries, and in particular Kenya, the hosting country.

In concert with the international community, we hope that the various warring factions in Somalia would abide by their promises to establish peace and the rule of law in Somalia. We also hope that the one clause in the agreement stating “”to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political
independence and unity of Somalia” should be correctly seen and understood as referring to Somalia and not Somaliland.

Any misguided efforts on the part of some of the signatories and specially the Arta faction (the so-called transitional national government created in DJibouti) to drag the peaceful Republic of Somaliland into the issues of Somalia will only detract from the stated aim of the conference, which is to create peace in Somalia. The Arta faction and any other Somalia group that wants to deviate attention from that objective and, consequently, scupper this final chance that the international community has given them should be harshly condemned.

Moreover, We warn all concerned parties against the tendency to paper over the deep problems of Somalia by fostering a sentiment of blind animosity towards the non-negotiable independence of Somaliland. The Somaliland people are fully aware of the fact that the only single issue the Arta faction and some of the various warlords of Somalia seem to agree on is their opposition to the independence of Somaliland. We would like to advise these groups and the international community that Somaliland is busy consolidating its unique identity, economic viability, and democratic system and, hence is not party to their problems and/or solutions. Somaliland, as a sovereign state, has a bicameral parliament, a democratic constitution and peace for a decade now. In addition, the people of Somaliland are gearing for their-first-ever local and legislative elections early next year. And, as such the only thing that Somaliland wants out of the Eldoret conference for Somalia factions is the establishment of a government in Somalia which:

1. Respects the inviolability of colonial frontiers, as is enshrined in the OAU charter, as well as its successor, the African Union;
2. Respects human rights;
3. Practices a policy of good neighborliness in the Horn of Africa;
4. Prevents regional and international terrorists from operating out of Somalia.