Somaliladns utrikesminister Abdillahi

Fd försvar ministern i Somaliland, Abdillahi

Somaliland Appeals for Recognition

Somaliland Appeals for Recognition

The Foreign Minister of the Republic of Somaliland, Hon Abdillahi Mohammed Duale, has appealed to the Chairman of the African Union Commission (AU), President John Agyekum Kufuor, of Ghana, to consider the country’s legitimate case to get international recognition and membership to the Commission. Hon Abdillahi said for sixteen years now, his country Somaliland, which broke away from Somalia after almost a decade of civil war, has been seeking international recognition, but all to no avail.

The Minister made this appeal at a round-table discussion on how to help Somaliland gain international recognition to boost their economic and international relations worldwide. The discussion was under the theme, “Somaliland-Africa’s best-kept secret.” Hon Duale added that though an AU fact-finding mission was dispatched to the country in 2005 by the immediate past chairman of the commission, Alphar Oumar Konare, to assess the state of the nation, in her request to joining the AU, nothing has been done to the numerous recommendations of the mission which was headed by the then Deputy Chairman of the Commission, Hon Patrick Mazimhaka.

He said the non-recognition of the country causes harm to the nation and the continent at large, lamenting that they are not able to trade with other countries left alone offer support to the efforts of maintaining peace and stability in the “Horn of Africa”- the poorest part of the continent of Africa.

He queried the fairness of the Commission in granting Somalia a sovereign status and neglecting Somaliland, though they meet all the requirements of a democratic, sovereign and independent state. “Somalilanders consider it only fair, that with the collapse of the Union, all parties need to be accorded recognition of their status as sovereign independent states prior to the Union, and this should apply to Somalia as well as the Republic of Somaliland” he said. It will be recalled that Somaliland was a British Protectorate from1884 to June 26, 1960, when it had independence from Britain. Just four days after, it joined the former Italian Somalia to form the Somali Republic.

The Union did not work out as envisaged and did not meet the aspirations of Somalilanders. Indeed, this led to a civil war in the late 1980s to the early 1990s. The Somali Republic, which was created out of the Union of Somaliland Republic and Somalia, collapsed. After the collapse of the Somali Republic, the people of Somaliland held a congress in which it was decided that they withdrew from the Union with Somalia and to reinstate Somaliland’s sovereignty. This led to parliamentary elections in 2003. At the moment, the nation boasts of all characteristics of a sovereign state.

Source:ISD (Fiifi Andoh)
Posted:06/03/07

Early Day Motion - SOMALILAND

Early Day Motion - SOMALILAND
21.02.2007
Michael, Alun
That this House congratulates Somaliland on 16 years of democratic development which has included local government elections, parliamentary elections and presidential elections, including a close-fought election in which the narrowly-defeated presidential candidate accepted the result `because we are a democracy'; considers this to be a model example of successful democracy in one small corner of Africa; calls on the international community not to overlook the thriving democracy of Somaliland in its understandable enthusiasm to see peace and an effective administration in the South; believes that it is for Somalis to decide their own future and that the international community must not ride roughshod over Somaliland in search of a tidy solution; welcomes the demonstration on 22nd February 2007 as a way of celebrating democratic success; further welcomes the solidarity and loyalty of the Somaliland community in the UK to their homeland; further welcomes the interest and engagement of successive UK Ministers in the emerging democracy of Somaliland; considers this to be right and fair given the contribution of Somalilanders to the UK's economy and defence in three centuries, two world wars and numerous other conflicts; and applauds the patience with which Somaliland, while working hard at its own capacity for self determination and democratic development, has awaited peace in the South so that Somalis can sit down and work out their future together.

British Parliament Debate about Somaliland on 26th February 2007

Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how often (a) she and (b) her officials are in contact with the Somaliland authorities. [120799]26 Feb 2007 : Column 1140W
Margaret Beckett (Secretary of State): I have not met any representatives of the Somaliland authorities. However, my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, has met Mr. Dahir Rayale, the ‘President' of the Somaliland authorities on several occasions, most recently in August 2006. Officials, including our ambassador in Addis Ababa, are also in regular contact with representatives of the Somaliland authorities.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when (a) she and (b) her officials last met her counterpart in Somaliland. [120800]
Margaret Beckett: I have not met any representatives of the Somaliland authorities. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, last met Mr. Abdillahi Duale, the ‘Foreign Minister' of the Somaliland authorities, on 26 January in the margins of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa. Our ambassador in Addis Ababa and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Africa Director also met with Mr. Abdillahi Duale in Addis Ababa on 9 February.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the discussions on Somaliland at the recent African Union summit in Addis Ababa. [120801]
Margaret Beckett: The UK attended the recent African Union summit as an observer and did not have any formal status or participate in the discussions. We understand that the question of Somaliland was raised at Foreign Minister level but that there was little detailed discussion.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which (a) Minister and (b) official represented the UK at the recent African Union summit in Addis Ababa which discussed Somaliland; in what discussions on Somalia the Minister or official took part; and what the outcome was of these discussions. [120802]
Margaret Beckett: My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, and our ambassador in Addis Ababa, who is our Permanent Representative to the African Union (AU), attended the recent AU summit in Addis Ababa as observers. Lord Triesman had meetings in the margins of the summit with President Yusuf of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and Prime Minister Meles of Ethiopia, during which Somalia was discussed. They agreed there was currently a window of opportunity for Somalia which should be maximised through pursuing an inclusive political dialogue, the early deployment of the AU Mission to Somalia and increased assistance for reconstruction. Lord Triesman also met Mr. Abdillahi Duale, ‘Foreign Minister' of the Somaliland authorities, to discuss the situation in Somalia and areas of co-operation with the UK.26 Feb 2007 : Column 1141W
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the state of democracy in Somaliland; and if she will make a statement. [120803]
Margaret Beckett: We welcome the progress that has been made in Somaliland towards stability and democracy. The elections last year were another positive step forward in the democratisation process. We continue to support the development of democratic institutions in Somaliland

source: British Parliament website.

Somaliland– Afrikas glömda demokrati

Fokus Silc

Somaliland– Afrikas glömda demokrati

Situationen på Afrikas horn är mer turbulent än någonsin. Etiopiska trupper anföll Somalia i slutet av 2006 och striderna med islamisterna fortsätter. Politiska lösningar lyser med sin frånvaro. Mitt i detta kaos ligger den självutnämnda republiken Somaliland som skapat grunden för ett demokratiskt land och genomfört tre fria val under 2000-talet finansiellt stödda av den europeiska unionen och enskilda länder. Men omvärlden tiger annars om Somaliland. SILC (Svenskt Internationellt Liberalt Center) har sedan 2003 arbetat med att stödja bland annat kvinnors organisering. Hur går vi vidare för att stödja demokratin och öka respekten för de mänskliga rättigheterna.

När?
Måndagen den 5 mars 17.00-18.30
Var?
Sveriges riksdag, Mittpoolen, ingång Riksgatan 2
Anmälan
Senast fredagen den 1 mars till amanda.lovkvist@liberal.se, 073-502 23 37

17.00-17.10
Välkomna!
Birgitta Ohlsson, riksdagsledamot och utrikespolitisk talesman (fp) och Gunilla Davidsson, generalsekreterare SILC

17.10-17.30
Gunnar Kraft, biståndsarbetare för Dansk Flyktinghjälp i Somaliland, ger oss landets historia och den senaste tidens uveckling.

17.30-17.45
Mathias Krüger, Country Programme Coordinator Department for Africa
Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) berättar om svenskt bistånd till regionen.

17.45-18.00
Marika Fahlen, ambassadör på Utrikesdepartementet som besökte Somaliland i somras berättar om sina intryck och vad Sverige kan göra.

18.00-18.30Frågestund och disku

HÄR FIRARAR SOMALILANDS MILLITÄR SIN ÅRSDAGEN AV

Här kan ni se de fina bilder. Millitären firar sin 13:e året av bildandet av nationens arme. Somaliland har enligt Egal fd president i Somaliland sa år 2000 att Somaliland har en arme på 23 000 inklusiv 5000 poliskår. Enligt vissa rapporter har Somaliland ökat sin millitär styrka de senaste åren och regeringen har tre dubblat försvarets budget de senaste åren. Somaliland har bildat en speciell styrka som ska sättas in mot terrorangrepp mot landet.

A LAND OF CAMEL MILK AND HONEY

A Land of Camel Milk and Honey

OP-ED COLUMNISTBy NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF Published: February 27, 2007
Here’s the ethos of Somalia, as a former Mogadishu resident explained it to me: “If I use a dollar to buy food, then tomorrow I have nothing. If I use a dollar to buy a bullet, then I can eat every day.”That enterprising can-do spirit has turned most of Somalia into the poster child of a failed state, where you feel underdressed without an assault rifle. But wait! Here in the north of the carcass of Somalia is the breakaway would-be nation of Somaliland, and it is a remarkable success — for a country that doesn’t exist.The U.S. and other governments don’t recognize Somaliland, so the people here get next to zero foreign aid. And when the “country” was formed in 1991, it had been mostly obliterated in a civil war and was a collection of ruins and land mines.Yet the clans and elders here formed their own government, held free elections and even established an international airline. Relying on free markets and a general exhaustion with violence, the people of Somaliland embraced tranquillity and democracy and searched for ways to make a buck.
Streets of Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland
Walk down the streets of Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, and instead of gunmen you come across the thriving jewelry and financial market: scores of vendors, most of them women, are hawking millions of dollars worth of gold, precious stones and foreign currency out in the open air. (Don’t try that at home!) Continue down the street, and you see that Hargeisa has police cars, DHL service, cable television, orthodontists, a multitude of Internet cafes and traffic jams (including the horses and camels). There are public schools and hospitals — even a public library. This is a conservative Muslim country, yet it is generally pro-American and tolerant. In the last election, more women voted than men. Women’s groups are fighting the traditional practice of genital mutilation, administered to 97 percent of girls here.The lesson of Somaliland is simple: the most important single determinant of a poor country’s success is not how much aid it receives but how well it is run. If a country adheres to free markets and good political and economic governance, it will generate domestic and foreign investments that dwarf any amount of aid.As President Dahir Rayale Kahin told me: “There is a proverb in our country: ‘You can wash your body only with your own hand.’ Outsiders can help, but the indigenous people must find a solution themselves.”One lesson is that Western countries should not only increase their financial aid but also their pressure for better governance. It’s great to forgive debts, but not graft or antimarket policies. The U.S. Millennium Challenge aid program, which promotes good governance, is a useful step in that direction. So is Tony Blair’s program to battle corruption in Africa. One useful kind of Western aid is simply support for civil-society groups that battle corruption. Here in Somaliland, the press is generally free, but the president recently tossed three journalists in prison for reporting on corruption in his family. If Western countries speak out strongly in their defense, that effort may be worth a few million dollars in aid by reducing corruption in the future.More peer pressure from within Africa would also help. Other African countries should stand up to a racist like Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe with the same vigor they once used to stand up to white racist governments.Another essential kind of foreign aid is supporting market-friendly economic policies, especially those that would nurture manufacturing industries.In Mauritania, whose location in northwestern Africa would be ideal for exporting clothing to Europe and America, it takes 82 days to start a new business, which would then have to make 61 tax payments each year, requiring 696 hours to calculate and pay. And in the end, the tax would amount to 104.3 percent of the profit, according to the World Bank.All that explains why you don’t have any shirts in your closet labeled “Made in Mauritania.”So let’s be more generous with foreign aid, giving more than 22 cents per $100 of national income to development assistance (the average for rich countries is 47 cents). But those of us who call for aid and debt forgiveness also need to push just as hard for recipient nations to improve their governance, for ultimately the best way for poor countries to prosper is to adopt pro-growth policies.And in the meantime, it’s time to recognize Somaliland as a nation. When a place does this well, we should hail it as a model, not shun it.

NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF Nicholas D. Kristof, a columnist for The New York Times, writes Op-Ed columns that appear each Sunday and Tuesday.