REF: SLF/Media Release/ 10/16/ 2004
In the beginning of the 14th Somalia peace conference, organized at Kenya, we, Somaliland Forum, an independent organization whose members hail from the independent Republic of Somaliland, wished the Somalia conference well. At the same time we reiterated that in order to be successful, any outcome about Somalia should:
a) address the following questions which are pertinent to Somalia alone, and not Somaliland:
- the war crimes and crimes against humanity, some of which were committed by prominent conference participants,
- the wholesale confiscation of land by the different Somalia militias,
- the return of properties to their rightful owners, and
- genuine popular representation at the talks;
b) recognize the Republic of Somaliland, which ended its association with Somalia in 1991, and reasserted its pre-association sovereign status within the international borders it had as British Somaliland and, briefly, the independent State of Somaliland in 1960.It looks that none of these points were taken into account at any time during the conference. Instead, the conference following the pattern of the last one at Djibouti in 2000, involved a collection of warlords, war criminals, and un-mandated persons who got themselves appointed as members of another ‘transitional parliament’ and then promptly selected another “transitional president” who was sworn in, yet again, in another foreign capital.
The last time this was done was in Djibouti in 2000, and history has already taught us that it led to more violence and the continuation of the lack of the rule of law and government in Somalia. There is nothing to indicate that the Nairobi process will fare any better. Indeed the selection of Colonel Abdilahi Yusuf, a self confessed warmonger and a notorious human rights abuser is more likely to fan the flames in Somalia. Moreover, Colonel Abdillahi Yusuf has often expressed claims over parts of the Republic of Somaliland and his militia attacked and occupied a Somaliland town. His new found crown will garner him a few million dollars from the usual sources, like his predecessor, Abdiqasim Salad, and that will enable him to arm more his militia and spread more violence and upset the peace and stability of the whole area. In short, the Nairobi outcome and the selection of Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf, as yet another pretender president for Somalia, spells disaster for the Horn of Africa. The previous pretender had wasted four years, and this one will waste five more years - time that will see more violence inside Somalia.
Furthermore, as far as the future relations between Somalia and Somaliland are concerned, this process has already proved to be a formula for disaster and will jeopardize the peace and the democracy that the Somaliland people, without any help, have established. In order to avoid more bloodshed in the Horn of Africa, we ask all the responsible world leaders that no recognition or assistance be offered to this ruthless man in his avowed efforts to dismantle Somaliland.
Finally, the Somaliland Forum would like to remind the world community that sovereignty is vested in the people, and the people of Somaliland have already spoken by approving their constitution, with a majority of 97% vote in a referendum held in the Republic of Somaliland on May 31st 2001. Somaliland has built a peaceful democratic state since 1991 and it is in the best interests of the world community, in general, and the Horn of Africa, in particular, that the will of the people of Somaliland be heard and respected. To do otherwise will threaten the budding democracy in Somaliland and endanger the peace of the whole region.