A Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives in Hargeisa

[Deeq A.]

To: Mr. Abdirizak Khalif Ahmed. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hargeisa

Mr Speaker, . I take this opportunity to remind you of your obligation not remain silent over the forced displacement of Somali citizens in Las Anod. You know that many people whom Somaliland government had forcibly displaced were born and raised in Las Anod. As the Speaker of the break-away administration’s legislature and an MP from Las Anod your silence can mean indifference or support for what the United Nations has described as “forced displacement”. It is a crime under the international law.

Abdirizak Khalif Ahmed is an MP of Las Anod in the secessionist administration’s legislature.

Mr Speaker, you hold an important position and are one of the influential people in Somali politics: you have the obligation to speak up against forced displacement in your constituency. You should not be ignoring the plight of your fellow citizens whom Somaliland government has illegally designated as foreigners.

Mr. Speaker, no African country has ever stripped people of their citizenship. Legal experts in Hargeisa voiced their concerns about the consequences of forced displacement, a crime punishable under the international law. Responsibility for forced displacement will lie with individuals — politicians and traditional leaders — who supported the forced displacement of more than 1,600 persons in Las Anod directly or indirectly.

Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to remind you of your responsibility to protect people in your constituency against forced displacement. That is why your silence is puzzling. In a situation like this silence implies acquiesce or tacit support. I urge you to speak up before it is too late. Defend the rights of Somali citizens who were forcibly displaced in Las Anod.

Suhaib H. Sahardiid, Las Anod

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