Somaliland critical of UN Secretary-General's comments to the Security Council

[Jacaylbaro]

The Somaliland government has described the recent comments made to the United Nations Security Council by Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon regarding the situation in Somaliland as "unfortunate, disappointing and ill-informed", according the Sub-Saharan Informer.

 

The Somaliland Foreign Ministry recently issued a communiqué describing Secretary Ban Ki Moon’s comments on the security situation in Somaliland as being inaccurate and misrepresenting the situation in the country.

 

Secretary General Ban Ki Moon described the security situation in Somaliland as “fragile. But in comparison to central and southern Somalia, much better”. The Secretary-General also stated that “the United Nations personal had attempted to reach Hargeisa, but were unable to do so due to some adverse security situations”

According the sources close to the Somaliland government, the failure of the Secretary-General to mention that his own personal envoy to Somaliland and Somalia was recently in Hargeisa for consultations with the Somaliland government is unfortunate.

 

These sources also stated that the issue of Las Anod has been resolved, and the town and its environs are currently under Somaliland administration.

 

"According to the Sub-Saharan Informer, the Somaliland Foreign Ministry have described as “unfortunate the report given to the UN Security Council as it pertains the security situation in Somaliland which has no connections with the reality on the ground. The reality is that the security situation in Somaliland is not fragile and is not comparable to the situation in Somalia. Since 1991 the people of Somaliland have enjoyed peace and security, whilst at the same time building the foundations for a democratic and just society.”

 

The Somaliland Foreign ministry communiqué, according the Sub-Saharan Informer, is critical of the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy to Somaliland and Somalia, Mr. Ahme Ould Abdallah for neglecting to inform the Secretary-General of the recent visit to Somaliland and the discussions that took place regarding the Somaliland issue.”

 

 

Source Geeska Afrika.

[Jacaylbaro]

ADDIS ABABA (SN)- Ethiopia- the Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs this week issued a statement criticizing the report made by UN Somalia and environs stating that the report made substantial distortions on the situation in Somaliland suppressing the progress made in Somaliland

 

In the statement issued this week the Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs charges that the report misrepresents the security situation in Somaliland. The report the Secretary General made to the Security Council inadvertently stated that “Security in the north of Somalia remains fragile, but the situation there is relatively better than in southern and central Somalia. The fact-finding mission attempted to visit Hargeysa in “Somaliland” but was prevented from doing so by security concerns caused by a political rally. “Somaliland” and “Puntland” continue to dispute their border in the Sool and Sanag regions, centred on the city of Laasaanood.”

 

It is to the dismay of our government that the report of the SG’s special envoy to Somalia and Somaliland deliberately used words such as ‘Fragile’ to denote that peace has never prevailed in Somaliland. In fact “The security situation in Somaliland is not ‘fragile’ and apparently the situation in Somaliland is incomparable with the one in southern and central Somalia. Somaliland has enjoyed peace and stability since the 1990s, and is a functioning democracy, in complete contrast to south-central Somalia. The only ‘fragility’ in the security situation of Somaliland has been in the East of Somaliland in Sool and Sanaag provinces where the authorities of neighboring Puntland have contested militarily Somaliland’s sovereignty over its colonial borders. Here too, the situation is now stable now that Somaliland controls all of its territory”, said the statement.

 

The press statement also expressed its dismay that the SG’s special envoy to Somalia and Somaliland did not mention anything on his visit to Somaliland and subsequent meetings he had with the President and Minister of Foreign Affairs in which adequate discussions had taken place on the issues pertaining to the quest of the people and government of Somaliland.

The response by the Somaliland Ministry of foreign affairs comes after a report made by Ban Ki Moon UN Security General’s report to the UN Security Council assessing the situation in the Horn based on the report presented to him by Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia and Somaliland. The report had made mention on Somaliland in regards to the security situation as being fragile. The statement also according to the ministry of foreign affairs fails to mention the true reality in regards to the progress made by Somaliland in bring about peace and security and building democracy.

 

“Despite the visit made by H.E. Ahmedou Ould Abdallah to Somaliland where he had had extensive discussions with H.E. Dahir Rayale Kahin, President of Somaliland H.e. Abdulahi Duale, foreign minister of Somaliland no mention was made in regards to the consensus reached in regards to Somaliland’s aspirations and current political situation in Somaliland”, reads the statement•