By Samson Haileyesus

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia- Abdillahi Duale, Somaliland’s foreign minister challenged African states and the international community to recognize the independence of Somaliland yesterday May 17, 2007 on the eve of the 16th anniversary since the proclamation of the independence of the Horn of Africa nation.

Duale alluding to the analogy of a judge who continues to maintain that both feuding sides are right in regards to the question of Somaliland’s recognition that has pitched Somaliland and Somalia against each other has said that the international community cannot continue to say that both sides are right when their claims are contradictory.

“We are pushing our case we are doing this for our own sake we not here to appease anybody”, said the foreign minister.

Duale who arrived in Ethiopia this week following a comprehensive tour of Europe where he had stops in Belgium, Denmark and Germany held consultations with ministers, parliamentarians, human rights groups and officials from the EU pressing for the recognition of Somaliland. Duale also attended the South Africa Day celebrations where he had met with ministers from Africa as well.

In regards to the progress made in Somaliland’s quest for recognition the foreign minister said “We have been knocking at doors response and we have been seeing responses by African countries we are making some head way we hope that the AU will send a mission of its member states to Somaliland to follow up the last mission that was held in 2005. We want them to look into the situation and the progress made just like any other group does. The EU have done multiple times so have the British, the Kenyan parliamentarian group and we also hope that the Pan African parliament would send one as well because the Pan African Parliament is there to promote self determination and the will of the people”.

In regards to the recent ante in the tension between Somaliland and neighboring Puntland Duale said, “Puntland has been very provocative we [Somaliland] have always refrained from reacting to the violence they have it was the creation of Abdillahi Yusuf [president of Somalia] it is based on ethnic tribes that is a very dangerous scenario’. Duale accused Abdillahi Yusuf of attempting to Puntland on the basis of a single tribe, which could cause a spill over affect in the region leading to more violence.

“Since Abdillahi Yusuf is the president of Somalia and that Puntland is part of Somalia we hold him accountable for any crisis that comes from Puntland”, warned Duale.

Duale left yesterday to Hargeisa, Somaliland with a 15-member Ghanaian delegation lead by the speaker Ebenezer Sekyi-Hughes to join the independence day celebrations in Hargeisa.

Somaliland is a de facto independent republic located in the Horn of Africa within the internationally recognized borders of Somalia. On May 18, 1991, the people of Somaliland declared independence from Somalia. Over the years Somaliland has been seen as a beacon of hope in the volatile Horn of Africa region succeeding in state building, multi party elections, and economic reconstruction through trade and remittances as well as investment from its 400,000-450,00 Diaspora.

The Sub-Saharan Informer