A New Approach To The Horn

By John Drysdale

The UN Security Council’s abortive try out to resolve Somalia’s helpless internal disputes, a week ago in Djibouti, was typical of this unimaginative council of learned, unspecialised ambassadors. The venue – Djibouti- with its hybrid of Cushitic clans was absurd. Why not straight forward Somaliland to which thousand of Somalia’s war torn refugees have fled to safety in the last few years? I will tell you why. The UN clings to the old fashioned idea that Somaliland and Somalia must reunite again. It is somehow vulgar for them to be seen together. Both countries know it is a non-starter, so does the UN if it wishes to be honest about it.

There is another way of looking at it. The horn of Africa is a natural unit of countries which can trade with each other and talk to each other. The Oromo of Ethiopia, being of Cushitic stock, pick up Somali very easily.

Ethiopia , Eritrea, Somalia, Somaliland and Djibouti should form a confederation immediately. A simple procedure requiring no change in borders, only interlocking roads to develop trade particularly in edible produce, and political separation when and where desirable, each with its own flag, its own sovereignty, its own seat in the UN, its own head of state, government institutions, and security forces – No different in essence than the European Union which is a confederation.

A confederation, with the removal of Ethiopian forces from Somalia, would go a long way to restore peace. Try it out.

Major John Drysdale MBE, a British Somalilander, is the Chairman and Managing Director of ‘Cadastral Surveys Somaliland’. He can be reached on 00 252-2-4155328 or email: john_drysdale@yahoo.com

Source: Somaliland Times