A_Khadar Posted January 18, 2011 Bloomberg Tuesday, January 18, 2011 Somaliland plans to step up efforts for international recognition on expectations that a referendum on independence in Southern Sudan will aid its campaign for statehood, Foreign Minister Mohamed A Omar said. The referendum will have a “positive knock-on effect,” Omar said by phone today from the capital, Hargeisa. “We will be using the South Sudan case to take a more aggressive policy to the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development.” Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 when a coup sparked civil war. It has never been recognized abroad because the Organization of African Unity ruled in 1964 that post-colonial borders in Africa were inviolable. The break-up of Sudan, Africa’s largest country by area, would be a rare exception to that rule. Somaliland enhanced its democratic credentials with elections leading to a peaceful transition of power to President Ahmed Mahmoud Silanyo in June. The vote met international standards, according to observers Progressio, a London-based development agency. Moreover, Somaliland was recognized as an independent state for five days in 1960 before uniting with Somalia, while South Sudan has never been a separate country, Omar said. “Our case is not a secession, it’s a withdrawal from a union,” he said. Cool Response Neighboring Ethiopia said events in South Sudan wouldn’t lead it to recognize Somaliland. The situation is different to Sudan, as the north agreed to the south’s referendum, Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said in an interview in the capital, Addis Ababa, on Jan. 15. Independence is “up to the people of Somalia to decide,” Hailemariam said. “The decision cannot come from outside, it can only come from within.” That is unlikely to happen in Somalia because there is no “representative legitimate government in Mogadishu,” Omar said. “This does not give us an opportunity to sit down in a similar situation to the Sudanese Comprehensive Peace Agreement,” he said. To contact the reporter on this story: William Davison in Addis Ababa via Johannesburg at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net. To contact the editor responsible for this story: Antony Sguazzin at asguazzin@bloomberg.net Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thankful Posted January 18, 2011 Neighboring Ethiopia said events in South Sudan wouldn’t lead it to recognize Somaliland. The situation is different to Sudan, as the north agreed to the south’s referendum, Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said in an interview in the capital, Addis Ababa, on Jan. 15. Independence is “up to the people of Somalia to decide,” Hailemariam said. “The decision cannot come from outside, it can only come from within.” I thought the secessionists were all excited because Siilaanyo received a red carpet at Addis airport? Or that Meles actually came to the front entrance of the presidential palace to welcome him in??? What the secessionists need to know is that all the smoke and mirror shows that they get excited about when their leader visits Djibouti and Ethiopia means nothing when those governments openly state comments against your independence delusions. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MoonLight1 Posted January 18, 2011 independence is “up to the people of Somalia to decide,” Hailemariam said. “The decision cannot come from outside, it can only come from within.” Told you so. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jiiroow Bakaal Posted January 18, 2011 Ethiopia na aqoosaneysa Ethiopia safiir noo soo dirto Ethiopia bla bla bla bla bla bla Arreey nin guri muraayada degan dhagax ma tuuro Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
