On the Agenda: De Facto States in Brussels

[Jacaylbaro]

 

 

Abkhazia and Somaliland have given an audience of diplomats and politicians in the European Parliament, Brussels, an update on the current security situation in the Caucasus and Horn of Africa regions.

 

The European Parliament has once again played host to representatives of the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of Somaliland. In a timely update to the new threats posed by piracy and continuing tensions in the Caucasus, representatives spoke of the need to assist de facto states in bringing security to the people living in their respective regions of the world.

 

Organised by UNPO and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) the conference represented a continuation of an initiative begun in May 2008 with the conference ‘Opening the World Order to de facto States’.

 

Opening the meeting, Senator Marco Perduca, alongside moderator Professor Kristin Bakke of Leiden University, spoke of the situation in which de facto states currently found themselves and of the need to ensure the international community engaged meaningfully with their authorities.

 

Continuing the opening remarks, Mr. Mohamoud Daar, Somaliland Representative to the European Union (EU), spoke of Somaliland’s importance as a regional beacon for democratic, economic, and social development. But the failure of the international community to extend recognition of Somaliland’s independence had left the country in “limbo” and “besieged…by hostile forces in the region”.

 

Taking up the point, Mr. Eidarus Adan, Somaliland Representative to Sweden, noted that “training with EU-military is important, patrolling together is also necessary in order to secure the Red Sea from piracy”. Mr. Adan stressed that Somaliland had prevented piracy from taking root in its territory but that cooperation with the EU had to be the next step in combating what was increasingly a regional threat.

 

Mr. Adan also dwelt on issue of Somaliland’s delayed elections, clarifying for the audience the background to the current situation. Highlighting the steps being taken to ensure adherence to the revised election timetable, Mr. Adan assured those present that ”Somaliland people have chosen their way and they will not go back to anarchy and civil war”.

 

With similar sentiment, Mr. Zeki Kap provided those assembled with an Abkhazian perspective to the events of August 2008, detailing what the consequences Georgian and Russian military engagement had spelt for the region, and highlighting the partial recognition Abkhazia had won as an independent state while Tbilisi slipped into an increasingly desperate political crisis. Meanwhile Senator Marco Cappato denounced the lack of responsibility of the international community regarding the current situation of de facto states.

 

The General Secretary of the UNPO, Marino Busdachin, concluded:

 

Questions undoubtedly remain about what the future will hold for the world’s de facto states, but participants clearly hope that this latest event has helped to raise the level of understanding and debate in Europe’s decision-making heart.

[Thankful]

I think you might have wanted to omit that picture, it's ridiculous. Where is everyone?

[Jacaylbaro]

Taking up the point, Mr. Eidarus Adan, Somaliland Representative to Sweden, noted that “training with EU-military is important, patrolling together is also necessary in order to secure the Red Sea from piracy”. Mr. Adan stressed that Somaliland had prevented piracy from taking root in its territory but that cooperation with the EU had to be the next step in combating what was increasingly a regional threat.