Losing Somalia, US Eyes Somaliland

[Jacaylbaro]

CAIRO — With its allies failing to destabilize war-racked Somalia, the US is turning its attention to the breakaway Somaliland as the new card to play in the strategic Horn of Africa region.

"Somaliland should be independent," one defense official told the Washington Post on Tuesday, December 4.

 

Somaliland is an autonomous region in the north-western portion of Somalia that advocates independence from Mogadishu.

 

The breakaway territory of some 3.5 million people declared independence in 1991, but is not internationally recognized.

 

American officials are now examining whether the US should give support to the region's independence.

 

They argue that Somaliland could offer greater potential for US military assistance inside Somalia.

 

"We should build up the parts that are functional and box in" unstable regions, particularly around Mogadishu, said the defense official.

 

Somaliland's leaders have long distanced themselves from Somalia's central transitional government.

 

The region has escaped much of the chaos and violence that plagued Somalia since neighboring Ethiopia sent in troops to oust the Islamic Courts in favor of the interim government.

 

Since then, Somalia has plunged into abyss with daily shooting and fighting.

 

 

Difficult Option

 

The Pentagon's plan is facing opposition from the State Department, which believes Washington should not recognize Somaliland until the African Union does.

 

"We do not want to get ahead of the continental organization on an issue of such importance," Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi E. Frazer told the Post.

 

The issue is diplomatically sensitive because recognizing Somaliland could set a precedent for other secession movements seeking to change colonial-era borders, opening a Pandora's box in the region.

 

"We're caught between a rock and a hard place because they're not a recognized state," recognizes a senior official in the US Department of Defense.

 

Other Pentagon officials fault the State's view altogether.

 

"The State Department wants to fix the broken part first," said the defense official. "That's been a failed policy."

 

In Djibouti, US military officials are eager to engage Somaliland.

 

"We'd love to, we're just waiting for State to give us the okay," said Navy Capt. Bob Wright, head of strategic communication for the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.

 

The force is composed of about 1,800 US troops who conduct military training and reconstruction projects in the region.

 

Washington says Somalia as the greatest source of instability in the Horn of Africa.

 

 

Pro-Ethiopia

 

But as US officials mull their options, they stand stubborn in supporting their Ethiopian ally in the war-torn nation.

 

"Any government that provides Somalis with assistance we support, including Ethiopia," a senior defense official affirmed.

 

In recent months, several human rights groups have spoken out against Ethiopian violations in Somalia.

 

They accuse Ethiopian forces of abuses such as raping, indiscriminate killing of civilians and bombing and burning of entire villages.

 

"I am unaware of specific allegations regarding the conduct of the Ethiopian troops," said the Pentagon official.

 

Ethiopia has long been a strong ally of Washington in the strategic Horn of Africa.

 

For years the US has been pouring weapons, military advisers and millions of dollars in military aid into Ethiopia, and the American military has trained Ethiopian troops at bases in the eastern region.

 

 

Islam Online

[Jacaylbaro]

Carabta weligoodba goor la kala tegey bay toosaan ,,,

 

The only time they wake up is when they hear Somaliland's name ,,, losers

 

 

The could simply do that before the US says it ... now i'm glad to see them cry a river.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

"We should build up the

parts

that are functional and box in" unstable regions, particularly around Mogadishu, said the defense official.

----------

 

"The State Department wants to fix the

broken part first

," said the defense official. "That's been a failed policy."

You've a comprehension problem, my friend.

 

They are just changing and shifting the gears. From constantly trying to fix up the broken parts first, they want to change the strategy to first running the functioning part [i.e. Waqooyi] of Soomaaliya and then "boxing in" with the rest after that.

 

So nothing changed.

[AYOUB]

^^ Maybe that's wishful thinking on your part. The article JB posted is Islamonline's summarised version of what washingtonpost published on the same day. It is not about comprehension at all, is it?

 

U.S. Debating Shift of Support in Somali Conflict

By Ann Scott TysonWashington Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, December 4, 2007; Page A17

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti, Dec. 3 -- The escalating conflict in Somalia is generating debate inside the Bush administration over whether the United States should continue to back the shaky transitional government in Mogadishu or shift support to the less volatile region of Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991, U.S. defense and military officials said.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates discussed regional issues during a visit to Djibouti on Monday, including Somalia and the presence there of about 8,000 Ethiopian troops, the officials said. Ethiopian forces intervened a year ago to install the fledgling government in Mogadishu and they continue to fight Islamic radicals in Somalia.

 

 

"My biggest concern about Somalia is the potential for al-Qaeda to be active there," Gates said on his first visit to the Horn of Africa as defense secretary. Asked about allegations of human rights abuses by Ethiopian troops in Somalia, Gates said: "We're obviously very interested in helping the African Union and Ugandans to try and exercise some constructive influence on the Ethiopians."

U.S. military officials say Somalia is the greatest source of instability in the Horn of Africa, leading them to seek new ways to contain the violence there.

One approach, Pentagon officials argue, would be to forge ties with Somaliland, as the U.S. military has with Kenya and other countries bordering Somalia. A breakaway region along Somalia's northwestern coast, Somaliland has about 2 million people and an elected president, and offers greater potential for U.S. military assistance to bolster security, even though it lacks international recognition, they say.

"Somaliland is an entity that works," a senior defense official said. "We're caught between a rock and a hard place because they're not a recognized state," the official said.

The Pentagon's view is that "Somaliland should be independent," another defense official said. "We should build up the parts that are functional and box in" Somalia's unstable regions, particularly around Mogadishu.

In contrast, "the State Department wants to fix the broken part first -- that's been a failed policy," the official said.

The official U.S. government position is that the United States should withhold recognition from Somaliland because the African Union has yet to recognize it. "We do not want to get ahead of the continental organization on an issue of such importance," said Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi E. Frazer in an e-mailed response to questions.

The issue is diplomatically sensitive because recognizing Somaliland could set a precedent for other secession movements seeking to change colonial-era borders, opening a Pandora's box in the region.

In Djibouti, U.S. military officials say they are eager to engage Somaliland. "We'd love to, we're just waiting for State to give us the okay," said Navy Capt. Bob Wright, head of strategic communication for the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. The task force is composed of about 1,800 U.S. troops who conduct military training and reconstruction projects such as digging wells and building schools in 11 countries in the region.

Meanwhile, the United States continues to back Somalia's weak Transitional Federal Government, set up in late 2004 with support from international organizations and the African Union...

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Oodweyne, waa lagu salaamay adigaba.

[Paragon]

Dear Mr.Oodweyne,

 

I wish to ask you, if I may, in Somaliland's endeavour towards the achievement of international recognition: how significantly does a comment such as the one above, resonating from top brass American personnel, raise the value of Somaliland's stocks? If I may impose on you further, how often have such comments been made by the Americans? Or is this one the first of its kind?

 

PS: Just wanted to know the weight the comments carry in the minds of die-hard Somalilanders. Maybe you can enlighten me, dear Oodweyne.

[Jacaylbaro]

There is no question that the US has its own interest in the region and there is no question that Somaliland has its own interest too.

 

Whatever America is thinking if it is the someliland's good then we will use it. They know if they put the Somaliland's case on the front they will have the resolution key in Somalia.

 

There is a lot of such moves in Europe and AU these days ....

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

"Nin daad qaaday xunbo cuskey"

17 years and i would be hang up on what some fools in the Pentagon said too.

[Jacaylbaro]

We're not that desparate like you sxb.

 

 

You better wait for more like this soon. If you can't then you better hang yourself

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

whoa, hang yourself? i would hate to have you on a suicide prevention hotline.