Somaliland Forum Press Release

London, UK, October 6, 2006 – Kenya’s Foreign minister Raphael Tuju on September 5th, 2006 stated that the Inter Governmental Authority on Development plans to deploy peacekeeping troops to Somalia will include Somaliland. According to Mr. Tuju, the IGAD forces are supposed to protect Somalia ¢s Transitional Federal Government and Institutions. Mr. Tuju adds that they are to help train a civilian protection force and establish a united civilian protection force for the whole of Somalia, including the independent nation of Somaliland.

Mr. Tuju, who is also the head of IGAD’s Council of Ministers, will be ill-advised to   entertain the idea of placing foreign troops in the delineated boundaries of the Republic of Somaliland.

If the idea is to help Somalia transition into a peaceful nation after sixteen years of anarchy, violating the sovereignty of Somaliland by placing troops in her sovereign territories is not the most ingenious way to reach that end. It is without equivocation that Somaliland will not allow this to occur. Somaliland will not be averse to helping her sister nation in her transitioning period but this could only occur with the consultation and authorization of the government of Somaliland.

Somaliland chose to handle warlord Abdillahi Yusuf’s militias breach in the Somaliland territory of Las Anod in a diplomatic way in order to avoid the bloodshed of innocent people. Finding a peaceful resolution to an existing problem is what Somaliland chose to do but that should, in-no-way, be misconstrued as weakness nor should it be seen as an   opportunity to further breach her territory. The continent has been devastated by needless wars for decades therefore Somaliland should be commended for showing restraint.

The Somaliland government had, on more than few occasions, asked the world community to help resolve this situation in a peaceful manner. Those calls had fallen on deaf ears. Therefore, if IGAD’s Council of Ministers deduced from the inaction of the world community as an opportunity to infringe upon Somaliland territory, Somaliland will not allow that to occur. Somaliland will be in control of her Eastern borders one way or the other.

Somalia ’s warlords should not be allowed to deceive the UN and IGAD to acquire weapons and reasons why an arms embargo was placed on Somalia ¢s warlords in the first place must not be forgotten. Firstly, the international community was to admonish Somalia ¢s warlord-ism by not rewarding them with more weapons. Secondly, the influx of weapons to militia and tribal leaders were to be eliminated so that one couldn’t impose bloodshed on others. Thirdly, the international community was to remain impartial until political dialogue brought stability to Somalia. And lastly, if weapons are allowed to flow in, arms dealers will have no shortage of willing buyers.

Somaliland Forum sternly advises the IGAD member nations to rethink this course. No member nation of IGAD will allow its territory to be violated and Somaliland is no exception. Any course that further enflames an already volatile East Africa must be renounced and ceased immediately.

Somaliland Forum   is an independent Diaspora   think-tank that advocates for the Sovereignty,   Democracy and socioeconomic development of   the Republic of Somaliland .   We work with Somaliland communities, supporters, governments and NGO's. For more information, please contact:  chair@somalilandforum.org or somalilandforum.org