Can Southern Somalis’ Wordlisms With The Support Of Italians Re-Invent Somaliland?‎

1. Over the past weeks I have spent looking into the materials about JOINT NEEDS ASSESSMENT Program which was launched by UNDP/WORLD BANK for Somalia (i.e. including Somaliland). I have found out that the program is strongly based on the principles of the Federal Charter adopted in Nairobi, Kenya by Southern Somalis clan-based Parliament. I have also raised some genuine QUESTIONS to the Mission leader of the program, as I wanted to clarify whether their Institutions are planning to formulate semi-legal status that recognizes Somaliland as a different State than the so called Federal Government for Somalia, which is Former Italian Somalia. Some of the questions pertained to the fact that economic development stage of the two states was absolutely different and thus required different approaches of appraising programs of this nature. Although the Mission Leader promised to re-act to my questions, yet no response has been received so far from the UNDP/ WORLD BANK Mission. I have no clue why they declined to respond.

2. We all know that Somaliland is not the only country struggling to get political recognition from World Community and we know quite well that these Breton-Woods Organizations have financed J N A Programs for Palestine, Kosovo, East-Timor and many other Eastern European Countries that broke/seceded from different Federal/union SUPER SOCIALIST STATES for different reasons under a legal mechanism acceptable to these Institutions. Why Somaliland Government did not negotiate with these organizations in the same way others governments of similar status did. It is apparent therefore, that this program was not initiated by Somaliland Government. It also appears that the process have been initiated by a political entity that believes and forcefully want Somaliland to remain part of Former Somalia. This is a formula that Somaliland refused to entertain over the past 15 years and that political stand is well known to the world community today and the loss of economic opportunities can be estimated to billion of $ during that period. For example a Ban on livestock export, lack of banking & insurance services, lack of sea & air worthiness transport and lack of International & Bi-lateral development aid is actually 500 times more than the total pledges that can be made in Rome in June 2006.

2. Somaliland citizens deliberately approved that decision of forfeiting such golden economic opportunities merely for the sake of the INTEGRITY OF THE INDEPENDENT STATE they have established in 18/05/1991, through a bitter armed struggle that costed hell of a lot of lives and loss of properties. As a result of these facts, any political Institution who dares to re-invent Somaliland without waging DIRTY-WARS is not realistic. It is a must therefore that Somaliland refuses to swallow the pitter-bill to be donated by these agencies in the near future under the umbrella of the so called Federal Government headed by WAR-LORD President Col. Abdillahi Yusuf. We know that this program and other programs funded by European Economic Commission, OECD Countries are mostly initiated by or through Italian Government who happen to be the most powerful and influential Government that opposes the RECOGNITION of Somaliland on the false assumption that Southern Somalia can not be united without the presence of Somaliland. Italy fought hard during 2 nd World-War, so as to rule Ex-British Somaliland with former Italian Somalia.

3. Given the prevailing political conditions, Somaliland needs to come to a stand that is conducive to its political aims. We all know that this matter was brought to the attention of the Parliament at a time that major negotiations have been finalized and the Jawhar faction became the sole signatory to the conditionality of the GRANT agreement to be signed when the pledges materialize and implementation of the program becomes effective. Of course the government of Somaliland was negligent in not involving the house of parliament beginning of 2005 when the legal issues on which this program was based was being discussed. I believe that ratification of such an agreement is a mandate for the parliament. The sooner parliament and government come up with legally acceptable model of cooperation with JNA proposal, the whole exercise should be abandoned altogether.

4. I have taken up a legal opinion from a Constitutional Lawyer which confirms that the whole operation is against article 1 of the Somaliland constitution, which no political party policy can subjugate it or cause amendments. I hope Somaliland will agree on

Common stand in this issue, hopefully much before the JNA conference to be held in ITALY sometime June 2006 is convened. I am disappointed to see Somaliland representatives becoming Administrators required in managing proceeds of the GRANT for Somaliland on the merits of the Federal Government Charter of Somalia. I hope Somaliland will prevail and World Community will soon understand that Somaliland have achieved all the conditions legitimate State is required to achieve before Diplomatic Recognition.

Written by:

Mr. .Ahmed M.Gedi (sanjab),

Secretary General,

SLD Justice & Welfare Party.

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