U.S. recognition of Somalia govt creates political storm in Somaliland
Jan 23, 2013 - 9:15:20 AM
HARGEISA, Somalia Jan. 21, 2013 (Garowe Online) - The U.S. government 's
decision to formally recognize the first Somali national government since
1991 has created a political storm in Somaliland, with government officials,
parliamentarians, opposition figures and traditional elders publicly voicing
their dissatisfaction with the U.S. announcement, Garowe Online reports.
Somaliland Interior Minister Mohamed Nur Arale Duur told reporters in
Hargeisa that U.S. recognition of the Somali Federal Government, led by
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, is a "slap in the face" for Somaliland's
pursuit of independence from the rest of Somalia.
"This U.S. recognition of the Somali Federal Government will not bring
anything positive for Somaliland," said Minister Duur.
President Hassan visited Washington, D.C., last week where U.S. Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton announced that Washington officially recognizes the
Somali Federal Government as the national government of Somalia.
'Silanyo failure'
Mr. Faisal Ali Warabe, chairman of UCID opposition party in Somaliland, told
the BBC Somali Service this week that U.S. recognition of the Somali Federal
Government hurts Somaliland's ambitions for international recognition.
"U.S. recognition of the federal government in Somalia, as a national
government for all of Somalia, damages our [Somaliland] prospects for
international recognition as an independent country," Mr. Warabe said.
Continuing, the Somaliland opposition leader suggested that U.S. recognition
"will impact the proposed dialogue between the Somali Federal Government and
Somaliland".
Mr. Faisal blamed the policies of Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed
Silanyo, whom he accused of "failure" in lobbying the international
community towards Somaliland's independence cause.
'Withdraw from dialogue'
Mr. Awil Osman Mohamud Dawil, a member of Somaliland's House of
Representatives and chairman of the House's social affairs subcommittee,
told Somaliland independent newspaper Haatuf that the Somaliland
administration should "withdraw" from engaging in dialogue with the Somali
Federal Government.
"I call on the Somaliland government to withdraw from dialogue with the
Somali Federal Government.Moreover, I call on the Somaliland government to
return to Parliament the motion permitting Somaliland participation at
conferences for Somalia," said MP Dawil.
In early 2012, Somaliland Parliament passed a motion introduced by the
Silanyo administration overruling a decades-old law that banned Somaliland
politicians from attending conferences for Somalia. President Silanyo
attended the February 2012 London Conference for Somalia, marking the first
time Somaliland has attended a conference for Somalia.
U.S. decision 'does not concern Somaliland'
Similarly, the chief of Somaliland's traditional elders, Sultan Mohamed
Sultan Abdulkadir told the same newspaper Haatuf that the U.S. decision
"does not effect Somaliland", saying: "The Somaliland people's decision is
not controlled by the U.S. government, and neither the U.S. nor Somaliland
government can change the people's decision."
Sultan Mohamed defended the public comments by Somaliland Foreign Minister
Mohamed Abdullahi Omar, who stated that U.S. recognition of the Somali
Federal Government "does not concern Somaliland".
In Puntland, another autonomous region in Somalia, a government press
statement welcomed U.S. recognition of the Somali Federal Government. On
Monday in Mogadishu, Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon attended a
demonstration held in support of the U.S. decision.
Somaliland, located in northwestern Somalia, unil aterally declared
independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991 but has not been recogni zed
internationally.
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Received on Wed Jan 23 2013 - 19:56:56 EST
