Arabs Finally Talking about Somaliland ,,, Something they Ignored for Such Long Time

[Jacaylbaro]

Last week the top U.S. diplomat for Africa met with the president of Somaliland, but U.S. officials said the talks did not mean Washington was ready to recognize Somalia's breakaway region.

 

 

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer had lunch with Somaliland president Dahir Riyale Kahin at the State Department Jan. 14. But State Department spokesman Sean McCormack stressed that the meeting did not imply U.S. recognition of the northwestern coast region, which split from Somalia in 1991.

 

 

"There's no change in our policy position vis-a-vis recognition of Somaliland. We are not on the verge of recognizing Somaliland," McCormack told reporters. "There is a process under way that the AU is engaged in and we are going to be watching very closely that situation, but there's no change in our policy," he said.

 

 

McCormack said the meeting is part of Washington's policy of speaking with key players in Somalia in order to build democracy in the east African country, which has been plagued by civil unrest since the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

 

 

"We think it's important to have as many political contacts as we can with responsible individuals in Somalia who have an interest in building up the democratic structures and institutions of Somalia and trying to take it from where it is to a much more hopeful future," he said.

 

 

"Certainly, Jendayi's meetings ... fall solidly in that category and it's a policy that we are going to continue to pursue," he said. "We have interest in fighting terrorism in Somalia, as well as in the Horn of Africa.... Anybody who has an interest in a more peaceful and democratic Somalia has a role to play in this process."

 

 

A former British protectorate, Somaliland united with the Italian Somalia in 1960. But the region unilaterally broke away five months after Barre was ousted in 1991.

 

 

The Washington Post reported last month that US officials were debating whether to shift U.S. support from the fragile Somali government to the less volatile region of Somaliland.

 

 

But State Department officials oppose such a move, putting them at odds with Defense Department officials who say that forging ties with Somaliland could help bring stability to the region, the Post said.

 

 

The region of 3.5 million people, which adopted a provisional constitution in 1997 and ratified it four years later, boasts its own president, government, parliament, police force, penal code and currency.

 

 

Finally ,,,,, It is an Issue

[LANDER]

JB,

The state department and the pentagon is actually engaging Somaliland, I think some folks (mostly opponents of Somaliland) lose sight of the fact that most State dep. officials and Pentagon folk had never even heard of Somaliland a mere 5 yrs ago.

[Jacaylbaro]

looooool ,,,

 

The issue here is that the Arabs have been denying our existance and now you can see the developent that we are an issue.

 

I'm glad that they finally face the reality ,,,,

[Gordon Gekko]

Yea they started talking about Somaliland lately. The story goes that some junior sheikh is considering starting up a chicken farm over there making the countries BNP go cuckelikuu.

[Allamagan]

^ Wlc back Gordon Gekko, waa lagu wayey waayahan

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

"We have interest in fighting terrorism in Somalia, as well as in the Horn of Africa.... Anybody who has an interest in a more peaceful and democratic

Somalia

has a role to play in this process."

Weyneyso maa u baahantahay wax ku aqrisid? Don't you see it, read it? In a plain language, they are saying they will talk to anybody who is fighting their so-called terrorism war IN Soomaaliya. They are also saying they will welcome anybody who wants to advocate democracy in Soomaaliya. Be it Riyaale or Jinoole.

 

Washington will recognize wax faa'ido iyo interest u keenaayo, not wax dalalka kale allies la tahay ka xanaajinaayo, sida Masar, Sacuudiya, Talyaaniga, pretty heavyweights, I tell you.

 

Safka sida kalena waa dheeryahay, dad hore idinka wada horeeyo, marka Washington soo aqoonsato Kosovo, Taiwan, de facto states where many nations already recognize officially and unofficially, markaas ka dib xoogahoo in separatists in Soomaaliya lasoo fiiriyo laga yaabaaba. Markaasna waaba adduunyo gadoonkii markii la gaaray. Meanwhile, shimbiryaaloow heesa iyo madadaalada iskaga jira.

 

And what does Carabta has to do with this thread? Mareykanka maa dal Carab noqday now?

[Jacaylbaro]

mabaad fahminba ,,,,, may be you were reading it before you had your morning coffee ,,

 

 

We're not discussing the US stance here ,,, it is clear when they said they will engage AU to do it first ,,,,,, let's see the upcoming AU summit next week IA.

 

 

I'm talking about how Arabs report about Somaliland, the country they denied to exist is making their headlines these days.