NORTHERN SOMALIS FOR PEACE UNITY (NSPU)

[ANWAR]

We, the Unionists of Northern Somalia (UNS) and the Northern Somalis for Peace and Unity (NSPU), wish to convey and share with the US Government, with the foreign participants in this week’s “Somaliland†convention in Virginia, and with the international community at large that the existence of the self-styled secessionists’ enclave of “Somaliland†is based on a number of fallacies and fabrications, including:

 

That: the people of northern Somalia—“Somaliland†in their terms—are united on seceding from the rest of Somalia. On the contrary, many communities in the region are, indeed, opposed to the sentiment of secession. In fact, the region is adequately represented in the TFG under the 4.5-formula for power sharing in those Federal Institutions, now based in Baidoa.

That: the decision to secede was taken in a meeting held in Burao, one of the major towns in the region, in May, 1991. Indeed, the meeting was haphazardly held and the decision was taken on the spur of the moment when the SNM militia all of a sudden started saber rattling in a mob like atmosphere, forcefully calling for the separation of the region.

That: elections were subsequently held for the local governments, parliament and the president in a democratic way. On the contrary, those elections were held in the triangle between Hargeisa, Burao and Berbera, if at all. Especially, communities in the east—those in Sool and Sanaag - had declined to participate in any such elections. There may be a few individuals from those communities, who do not necessarily represent the people they claim to represent and who serve in the secessionist administration of Hargeisa. Some such individuals are now participating in this Conference, as a ploy to show the world a false unanimity of the people of the North on the secession.

That: “Somalilandâ€, as a State, pre-existed the Act of Union of July 1, 1960 of the Somali Republic and that, on such baseless grounds, “Somaliland†ought to be recognized by the international community. No “Somaliland’ State existed before the Act of Union. It is ironic that the secessionists are holding their Conference in the backyard of the Federal Institutions of the United States of America to lobby the American Government. What a big, fat fabrication!

We, the Unionists of the North of Somalia wish to inform the world that, for sixteen years—since the collapse of Barre’s government—we have tolerated the existence of this misleading notion in the hope that such a mythology as the secession would in the end crumble under its weight, since our people are not united under its banner. On the contrary, the secessionists have also waited in the hope that the rest of Somalia would disintegrate so that the world would recognize their so-called sovereignty. The unionists of the North have now come out to begin to organize themselves and to rally around the cause of unity with their brethren elsewhere in Somalia.

 

The unionists further call upon the secessionist leadership in the North to start considering meaningful reconciliation, and dialogue between the communities in the North and with their Somali brethren elsewhere.

 

The unionists of the North also call on the International community to continue to uphold the national unity and territorial integrity of the Somali Republic.

 

 

 

For further info contact:

 

Gamal Hassan

 

Director, Communication & Public Relations

 

 

 

Northern Somalis for Peace and Unity (NSPU)

E-mail: info@somaliunity.org website: www.somaliunity.org

 

NORTHERN SOMALIS FOR PEACE & UNITY (NSPU) is a grass-roots Somali advocacy organization with Branches in Somalia, United Arab Emirates, Canada, USA, UK, and South Africa. We are dedicated to the promotion of peace and unity among the long suffering people of Somalia. We believe the ‘Somalia problem’ can only be dealt with within the framework of a holistic strategic approach aimed at the empowerment of a central government to rebuild national democratic governance institutions and restore law and order throughout the country. NSPU believes the balkanization of Somalia is a recipe for future conflicts and a bleak future for the Somali people, who are bonded by ethnicity, language, religion, and shared centuries-old culture and traditions.

[Xargaga]

Geoff Hill

September 10, 2006

 

There's an old saying: "A squeaky hinge gets the oil," meaning those who howl the loudest gain attention, while the meek soldier on.

 

 

But when we don't hear much about a country, it can be a sign of success: What do you write about in the absence of war, famine or bad government? When did you last see a lengthy piece on Switzerland? It's neutral, wealthy and democratic, and you don't get many headlines out of chocolate and well-run banks.

Sadly, this rarely applies in Africa. Corruption in Nigeria or Angola, tyrants like Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and the genocide of Darfur in Sudan are big stories. But there is a democracy near the Red Sea that has been developing faster than many of its neighbors.

 

We all know Somalia, with its war-torn capital, Mogadishu, which appears now to be in the hands of an African Taliban, determined to impose a Muslim equivalent of the Spanish Inquisition, with public floggings, torture and execution for those who resist their radical take on religion.

 

The country was formed in 1960 when the former British and Italian Somaliland -- two states that had both been granted full independence by that time -- merged into one with its capital in southern city of Mogadishu.

Like Yugoslavia, Senegambia (the short-lived union of Senegal and Gambia) and Libya's attempt to merge with Egypt in the 1960s, the marriage existed in name only, while the people retained a mental independence. So it wasn't surprising that, in 1991, when the Mogadishu government collapsed and dictator Said Barre fled to Nigeria, the English-speaking north declared itself independent.

 

A decade and a half later, no country recognizes Somaliland, but that hasn't stopped the government at Hargeisa from making progress, as I saw on a recent visit. Tar roads cover much of its 137,000 square-kilometers, children are in school, hospitals have been set up, towns bombed by the late Said Barre have been rebuilt and, last year, Somaliland held the kind of general elections one would hope will come one day to Zimbabwe, Swaziland and even Somalia. Parties campaigned without hindrance, most of the media are in private hands and there was no intimidation of voters. So why is the country not recognized?

The European Union, America and most African countries accept Somaliland passports, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Dubai have direct flights to Hargeisa, and, on trips abroad, the democratically elected president, Dahir Riyale Kahin, is welcomed as a visiting head of state.

 

But the African Union has real fears. In 1993, it recognized the split of Ethiopia and Eritrea, but the two states are still at war. In theory, this could also happen with Somalia, which is determined to retake Somaliland, though Mogadishu has no army or even a public service.

 

More worrying is the precedent that could see other enclaves in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon and Nigeria claiming the right to secede. But this is a nonsense because, like Senegal and Gambia which joined together in 1982 and split again in 1989, the two Somali entities were sovereign states when they merged in 1960. No other territory can claim this in postcolonial history.

 

The African Union recognized this in a statement following a fact-finding mission to Hargeisa last year and called on members to "find a special method of dealing with this outstanding case." The mission report commends the new nation for its progress, but this document has yet to be tabled and discussed.

But Somaliland must make an effort to gain attention. To date, its media push has not been fierce enough, its demands too polite.

 

This month, Mr. Kahin and colleagues have been on a tour of Europe and Washington, but you would hardly have guessed: Only a small public-relations team to crank up things; no spin to feed the press.

 

For as long as the issue fails to make news, calls for recognition will be ignored and, like other successful states, Somaliland will stay out of the headlines. Maybe that's not a bad thing. but it doesn't change the fact that 3.5 million Somalilanders, having worked so hard to build a free, stable and economically viable nation, should be rewarded for their efforts.

 

The United States and former colonial power, Britain, could take the first step, but believe, correctly, that Africa should take the lead. However, it is time Washington and London opened debate about Somaliland in the United Nations.

 

If America wants to see the growth of freedom and democracy around the world, what better way than to stand up for a country that has shown how both can be achieved, not in Europe, but in one of the world's toughest neighborhoods.

 

Geoff Hill is eastern and southern Africa correspondent for The Washington Times.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Like Yugoslavia, Senegambia (the short-lived union of Senegal and Gambia) and Libya's attempt to merge with Egypt in the 1960s, the marriage existed in name only, while the people retained a mental independence. So it wasn't surprising that, in 1991, when the Mogadishu government collapsed and dictator Said Barre fled to Nigeria, the English-speaking north declared itself independent.

What a historical distortion, not to mention his failed attempt comparing canbo to malab, such as the union attempt of Senegal and Gaambiya or the federation of Yuguslaafiya to Soomaali's political circumstances.

 

For the author's information, neither did the people of Senegaal and Gaambiya shared historical culture, tradition, language, and ethnicities, nor did the forceful federation of Yuguslaafiya's multifaith adhering people.

 

"The English-speaking" ayaaba i dishay. Meeqo $$ ayaa la siiye this Hill guy taloow, which isn't either and particularly helped by the publication of the piece on Washington Times, a neocon, extremely right-wing, Islamophobic, tabloid-behaving paper.

[Jaylaani]

I attended the conference over the weekend in VA and it was huge success.

[Castro]

Originally posted by Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar:

"The English-speaking" ayaaba i dishay.

Why?

[Jaylaani]

Originally posted by Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar:

Would it make you happier if he said the “SOMALI†children in Somaliland are struggling and dying for starvation?

[me]

NSPU keep up the good work. NSPU Somali hero's

[Gediid]

Originally posted by Jaylaani:

quote:Originally posted by Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar:

Would it make you happier if he said the “SOMALI†children in Somaliland are struggling and dying for starvation?

If I was an honest Somali nationalist any good news of a Somali region would make my day..

[Sharif_seylaci]

ma quraanka bey ku qorrantahay iley somaliay miid tahay

[Taleexi]

Saaxiib mudane Sharif_seylaci, adiga ma quraankay ku qoran tahay in dadka reer waqooyiga ah oo dhan sidaadoo kale u fekeraan?.