Somaliland: Position Paper on Somalia Talks Presented During
Preparatory Meeting in Istanbul
Istanbul (TNN) – Guidelines for the 13th April 2013
resumed Somaliland-Somalia talks in Turkey are under preparation.
Five member Technical committees assisted by Turkish officials were
presented with Somaliland-Somalia Dialogue – position paper thus
clearly informing on the issues that the talk’s delegation from
Hargeisa expects on the agenda of the talks.
According to the position paper “The engagement of Somaliland in the
dialogue serves several proposes since the country requires friendly
and cooperative relations with all its neighbours, including Somalia
especially as pertains to security and prosperity.
“After more than twenty years of severed relations, the Dialogue
will allow Somaliland and Somalia to negotiate on a range of
practical measures which can potentially benefit both sides” says
foreign minister Dr Mohamed Abdilahi Omar
The Somaliland talk’s preparatory committee of five is led by
foreign minister Dr Mohamed Interior minister Abdikarim Guleid leads
Somalia teamAbdilahi Omar and includes Hirsi Ali Hassan Minister of
Presidential affairs, Mohamud Bare Garad Minister of labour, Bashe
Mohamed Farah, Deputy Speaker of parliament and Feisal Ali Warabe
Chairman of UCID party.
The Somalia committee chaired by Interior minister Abdikarim Gulled
includes Farah Sh Abdiqadir Minister of Presidential Affairs, and
three legislators namely MP Abdilahi Sheikh Ismail, MP Mohamud
Haayir and MP Khalid Omar Ali.
The talks proper hosted by the government of Turkey shall commence
on the 13th in Istanbul where Turkish foreign minister Ahmet
Davutoglu or his boss Prime Minister Erdogan shall moderator between
the two delegations led by President Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo of
Somaliland and President Hasan Sheikh Mahmud of Somalia
respectively.
Below are verbatim excerpts of the Somaliland-Somalia Dialogue “A
position paper” as availed by the ministry of foreign affairs.
Somaliland-Somalia Dialogue
” A position letter” 8 April, 2013
Summary
Somaliland has accepted an invitation from the Turkish government to
participate in talks with Somalia in Istanbul on 13 April within the
framework agreed in June 2012 at Chevening (UK), and subsequently
signed in Dubai on 28 June 2012 at Heads of State level. The
Dialogue is of potential benefit to Somaliland. In the short term,
it could enable the parties to reach bilateral agreements in areas
of cooperation such as security and trade, which will benefit the
people in both countries. And in the long term, it would provide an
international diplomatic process through which Somaliland could
obtain its status as a recognised state. Meanwhile, the process will
give Somaliland a means of injecting its views into regional and
international discussions on issues which directly affect
Somaliland. The government is convinced that participating in the
Dialogue is necessary to promote Somaliland’s national interests.
Details
On 13 April, the Turkish government will convene a meeting in
Istanbul between delegations from Somaliland and Somalia led by
President Ahmed Silanyo and President Hassan Sheikh, respectively.
The event will represent a resumption of the Dialogue initiated by
Somaliland and the TFG at Chevening House in the UK on 21 June 2012.
The Dialogue is supported by the wider international community and
originated from a decision taken by the London Conference on Somalia
in February 2012, which “recognized the need for the international
community to support any dialogue that Somaliland and the TFG or its
replacement may agree to establish in order to clarify their future
relations.” The inclusion of this paragraph in the final communiqué
was at Somaliland’s suggestion.
Engaging in the Somaliland-Somalia Dialogue serves several
functions. First, Somaliland’s security and prosperity require
friendly and cooperative relations with all its neighbours,
including Somalia. Despite their differences, Somaliland and Somalia
have many shared interests.
After more than twenty years of severed relations, the Dialogue will
allow Somaliland and Somalia to negotiate on a range of practical
measures which can potentially benefit both sides.
These could include matters such as cooperating in the fight against
terrorism, piracy, serious crime, illegal fishing and the dumping of
toxic waste at sea; and encouraging international aid, trade and
investment.
Reaching agreements on these practical issues will also help rebuild
trust between Hargeisa and Mogadishu, which could make it easier to
clarify Somaliland’s relationship with Somalia by negotiation.
Furthermore, the Dialogue could provide a much-needed,
internationally accepted diplomatic process through which Somaliland
could secure Mogadishu’s endorsement of Somaliland’s independent
status. Such endorsement would make it easier for the international
community to recognize Somaliland. And there is an international
consensus supporting this process. At a minimum, engaging in the
Dialogue will show the international community that Somaliland is
willing to talk to Somalia about its position. But Somaliland will
continue to pursue its search for recognition. It is ultimately up
to the people of Somaliland to decide their future.
While recognition remains on the table, the Dialogue would provide
Somaliland with a mechanism to influence regional and international
discussion which could potentially impact Somaliland’s development,
security, stability, and territorial integrity. The lifting of the
UN arms embargo, AMISOM’s displacement of al-Shabaab northwards, the
claim in the Somali draft constitution to Somaliland, the possible
declaration of an exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and the
distribution of UN assistance represent only some of the issues in
which Somaliland and Somalia’s interests are intertwined. The
Dialogue will provide a peaceful means for Somaliland and Somalia to
address these issues directly and on equal footing.
In sum, the Somaliland-Somalia Dialogue has the potential to usher
in a period of trust- building and cooperation that could lay the
foundations for an agreement over future relations between the two
countries. While caution and vigilance are necessary to ensure that
the Dialogue serves the best interests of the people of Somaliland,
our country enjoys a strong record of governance and democracy and
must not shy away from asserting its influence. Somaliland must have
the courage to go out into the world and express its views and needs
using the diplomatic tools available to it. The Dialogue process
represents an historic opportunity for Somaliland to do that.
The government is therefore convinced that participating in the
Dialogue is necessary to prom ote Somaliland’s national interests and
to keep Somaliland on course for recognition as an inde pendent state
Mohamed A Omar
Minister of Foreign Affairs Republic of Somaliland.
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