Somaliland Holds Lessons For London Somalia Conference

[Jacaylbaro]

Somaliland Focus (UK) welcomes the attendance of a senior political delegation from Somaliland as a non-signatory participant at this week’s London Somalia Conference.

 

Bearing in mind the long history of tension over the issue of recognition of Somaliland, the interest of the British government in having Somaliland’s senior political representatives at the table is a positive step, as is the willingness of Somaliland’s representatives to participate in an event bringing together key political actors from across the Somali region as well as international leaders.

 

We hope the event can act as a springboard for a shift in international focus away from Somalia as a source of woe for the world and towards solutions that seek to offer lasting benefit and stability to Somalis themselves. Such solutions can only work in the long term by utilising local indigenous political and social institutions.

 

Somaliland offers many lessons in this regard. Since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991 it has, through grassroots negotiation, defused fraught local rivalries to build a genuine democracy through a series of elections. In 2010, its presidential vote saw a peaceful and orderly transition of power, a rarity in Africa, in an election declared free and fair by international observers.

 

We thus urge participants in the conference to take note of the examples offered by practices in Somaliland in crafting a path forward for Somalia. While Somaliland cannot provide a transferrable model for peace, experience there demonstrates the importance of external support for locally-led processes.

 

External military intervention has not served to promote Somali stability or development in the past, and cannot be expected to provide any more than interim stability in the future. There is, for example, a real danger right now that extremism which has plagued the south of Somalia could be displaced to Somaliland and neighbouring areas, and any decisions taken need to pay due attention to this risk.

 

We welcome the UK Prime Minister’s recognition that solutions to UK security concerns for the Somali areas must be built on local development. We urge his government and all those present at the conference to take this commitment seriously. Indigenously-based solutions require long-term engagement with localised groups, and demand willingness from international actors to engage with all groups who are able to demonstrate legitimacy at a community level, regardless of whether they claim religious or clan affiliation or both.

 

Cecilia Milesi, chair of Somaliland Focus (UK) said: “Somaliland’s quest for recognition is wellknown. Less well-known are its efforts to build a state and democracy from the bottom up, with the recent launching of a national development plan showing how far Somaliland has travelled. We urge all participants in this week’s conference to learn from Somaliland’s example. Creative ways must be found to give Somaliland assistance to keep following its path.”

[Jacaylbaro]

SOURCE

[Jacaylbaro]

We thus urge participants in the conference to take note of the examples offered by practices in Somaliland in crafting a path forward for Somalia. While Somaliland cannot provide a transferrable model for peace, experience there demonstrates the importance of external support for locally-led processes.

Hope they all have their notes and pens ready to write down the experience ...

[The Hermet]

I argue that there are just two many competeing interests in Somalia to ever create a stable country. in all seriousness thell be to busy in awe of the sorrounding to understand anything substantial :cool:

 

the conference is only 5 hours anyways so..:cool:

[Somalina]

Casharka waxa weeyaan: gooni ha isu taagina idinkoo hal qabiil ah, cidi idinma aqoonsaneyso.

 

Koombo hadii kor loo tuuro, keligeed lee soo noqoto.

[Carafaat]

Somalina, Indeed you are right. Guinne Bissau holds also lessons for Somalia. But those lessons are useless unless you are a stakeholder. And Somaliland is a stakeholder. Markaa so dhawoow nooh, ha is martiyeen.

[Kool_Kat]

Somalina;792143 wrote:

Koombo hadii kor loo tuuro, keligeed lee soo noqoto.

ROFLOL! Thanks Somalina for helping me start my work day with a laugh...

[Somalina]

have a great day at work sis.

[burahadeer]

good somaliland give some survival lessons,afraid students continue to be dumb.