- The Somaliland people are grateful to the UK government for organizing the triumphant London conference on Somalia. We appreciate and applaud wholeheartedly the great hard work and resources put into that conference. Prime Minister Mr. David Cameron, foreign minister Mr. William Hague and the minister for international Development Mr. Andrew Mitchell did not only bring the international leaders together, but have also shown their humanitarian and diplomatic conscientiousness to tackle Somalia’s chronic blight.
The Somaliland people are equally appreciative for the participation and contributions made by their Excellencies the UN secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary of State Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton. We also salute and extend our special thanks to His Excellency President Ismail Omer Gullah of Djibouti, the foreign Minister of Turkey Mr. Ahmet Davutoglu and the Prime minister of the State of Qatar His Excellency Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani and all the other heads of states and the representatives of the international organisations.
President Silaanyo has shown both incisive statesmanship and courage in making a bold decision to participate in the LCS. This decision was not made lightly, but was taken after long and wide-ranging consultations with the Somaliland citizenry and under the judicious advice and reassurances from the British government, in the end; Somalilanders are boisterously delighted and have achieved their London conference goals.
The London conference on Somalia was a historic landmark for Somaliland, because it has finally given an impetus to the Somaliland’s case and brought it to the front burner of the international community’s agenda. For the first time in more than two decades the legitimate Somaliland case has gained a priority status internationally and Somalilanders ultimately saw a politically constructive light at the end of the dark political tunnel.
The Conference recognized the need for the international community to support any dialogue that Somaliland and the TFG or its replacement may agree to establish in order to clarify their future relations. The London conference on Somalia has also acknowledged the establishment of distinct mechanisms for international development assistance for Somaliland and Somalia.
Taken as a whole, the organization and the outcome of the London conference were great, but there where several major pitfalls and blind spots that the international community failed to take note of and were not timely detected for instantaneous management.
On Somalia issues, the international community has in good faith bought into and put too much emphasis and credence to the exclusive and over embroidered Kampala and Garowe political principles. In these processes, an unmerited endorsement was given to only a small faction of Somalia politician, who are known to share a self-serving political agenda and interests.
The Garowe Principles were exclusively forged by the transitional President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, his Prime Minister Mr. Abdiwali Ali Gaas, the ousted speaker of the TFG parliament Sharif Sheikh Hassan and finally the leader of the quasi state of Puntland and the loosely allied and politically chaotic Ahlu-Sunna-Wa Jama’a. To his own admission in public Mr. Alin of Galmudug was only a simple spectator in the Garowe political game and was trying to save the existence of his quasi state from political and economic destruction emanating from the neighbouring Puntland and its allies.
This political faction has successfully misled the international community in a promptly arranged pre-emptive political coup. President Sharif and his group were not truthful to the international community and it seems that they have as cunningly as always pre-brokered a post August, 2012 political power sharing deals among themselves and for themselves in Garowe. The TFG parliament and all the other segments of the Somalia society were put in the dark and they played no part in the Garowe political process.
The Prime Minister of Somalia has bluntly misled the world, when he claimed that the Garowe conference was inclusive. Mr. Abdiwali made this statement, while standing next to Prime Minister David Cameron in a press conference right in front of the conference venue just minutes after that conference ended.
The Garowe Somalia political faction members are already politically posturing themselves in capturing the Somalia political bull by the horns. This faction is now on the move in making a favourable arrangement for their political future through misinformation campaigns and deceptive manoeuvres both locally and internationally.
On final note, it is morally binding on the international community to give immediate momentum to Somaliland and Somalia dialogue on their future relations and to keep a watchful eye on the current powerful and politically scheming Garowe faction of the TFG. Members of this faction must be prevented to become part of the up coming Somalia government after August, 2012.
God forbid, if the Garowe group get their own way to Somalia’s political power after August, 2012, then the Somalia people and the international community must prepare themselves and expect no change in Somalia’s disastrous status quo.
By Yusuf Dirir Ali
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