The Silence of UNSOM Over Forced Displacement in Northern Somalia

[Deeq A.]

The unfortunate forced displacement ordered by Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi had affected 7,000 people, according to OCHA. Several district administrations under Somaliland administration have instructed locals not to allow Somali citizens from the South to remain in Erigavo and Berbera following the infamous speech of President Bihi, who said: “We have made our country peaceful. Somali leaders in the South must make their country peaceful so that people do not get displaced.”

The United Nations is the sole authority that can determine if forced displacement constitutes breach of conventions that protect the rights of the internally displaced persons. There is no a way that leaders of Somaliland administration can evade their responsibility to protect IDPs against forced displacement either by arguing that it is not an internationally recognized entity, or that it is no longer a part of Somalia.

President Bihi: “We have made our country peaceful. Somali leaders in the South must make their country peaceful so that people do not get displaced.”

Forced displacement is yet another sad chapter of Somalia’s post-colonial history. Somalis forcibly displaced from Las Anod have properties and jobs in the administrative capital of Sool. They have lost wealth they had created over the years. They came to the North as displaced persons, but they never needed assurance from aid agencies. Their work ethic provided a strong foundations for starting new businesses and becoming an important part of their compatriots’ community.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia has issued press releases on Guriel conflict and local elections in Puntland. OCHA statement on forced displacement is not enough: Bihi singled out OCHA for criticism for reporting on the forced displacement. A coordinated work to assess the financial and psychological impact of the forced displacement is long overdue.

The role of the African Union is equally missing. Bihi surmises that continued forced displacement will cement his claim that the breakaway administration has the characteristics of a nation state through monopoly of coercive force. That Somaliland administration used deportation to justify its abhorrent actions highlights the risk that forced displacement might become a norm in other parts of Somalia. It is time the United Nations addressed the forced displacement in Northern Somalia districts under Somaliland administration.

By Da’ud Adan, Kampala

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