Somaliland Mediation requires a common will for peace and reconciliation

The recent Mediation Meeting At Presidential Somaliland Palace in Hargei sa, the political leaders(Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud-Siilaanyo, Faisal Ali Warabe) and the President of Somaliland has ended in mutual agreement after failing to reach a consensus on recent Presidential extensions for election time-table. The mediation does seem to be serving its purposes for all three political parties.

To be a mediator in the upcoming Presidential election crisis is, in effect, to validate one’s own diplomatic credentials, to raise the profile of oneself and one’s country, and to show oneself a champion of political correctness and of democracy. What is validated here is the function of the mediator, not the success of the mediation.

For a mediation to work- requires a common will for peace and reconciliation. The role of the mediator is to convince those involved that the conflict must be halted and to give up part of their claims so as to move towards each other. For the mediation to be effective, there must be political will on the part of both protagonists and mediators and the mediators must be given full power and authority to be free on their work and must complete their mediation process until they have put to end the conflict or the political crises with written agreement sign by all involved parties and validate through the legislation party.

During last preparations for the extension of Presidential elections, an initial mediator intervened without success. President Riyale who also the Chairman of Udub Party, (although remaining not discreet since then) had tried to persuade to stand and agreed upon the conditions of the Mediators and the president has agreed all the conditions first, even though he was rejected after-wards. For the Mediators, they were questioning themselves what our conscience tell us are good for their country. Their initial undertaking amounted to agreeing not to become a candidate. One of the key Mediators Mr. Hadrawi has told the Media that the President Riyale has accepted the first initial agreement of the Mediation and he later learned that The Mr. Riyale has completely rejected and that was saying to the respected Elders of the Mediation Team, thanks but not thanks. This is another tactics that Mr. Riyale has learned from his previous NSS school and he did again to the respected Mediator Team who truly spend their valuable energy and time to solve this long battle of Somaliland Political Crises.

The recent meeting , the mediators, the Ucid, Kulmiye leaders and the President had tried to ensure that no artificial exclusion would apply to any of the Mediation Outcomes. Before them, the President had expressed his concern about the extension of election term situation. The Mediators knew at that point that the president will not be signing this agreement without specifying that an extension will be included the agreement. But they took as a blank check that he will be accept the Agreement anyway-Not.

Once battle had commenced, mediators succeeded each other without interruption, each passing to the others the baton of seeking an improbable peace. Some intervened at several stages in relation to different issues.But finally came to their senses and committed to do what is best for the country. The mediator is at once envoy, commissioner and referee, but a referee who blows the whistle only when he has the consent of all parties. It is worth recalling that, in the role of envoy, the mediator is taking a risk, as he is frequently the bearer of bad news and often held responsible for the content of the message he brings. The continuation of the Somaliland Political crisis is due, not only to the fact that none of the protagonists has a vested interest in its resolution, but also because the various meditations have failed. It is not possible to bring together all three parties without their mutual consent.

It is interesting to note that the Somaliland president, Dahir Riyale Kahin has "lasted" longer at this game than others, but, like the others, he has been both rejected and recognized by the two parties in turn. he appeared to be adulated in turn by one side and vilified by the other in equal measure, but from his last Mediation Promises his "mediation" became "Unestablished" in favor of the ruling power and was thus totally discredited. Previously, the Mediator Group took advantage of their status as mediators to bring about, in the face of complete Local, a change to the Constitution, permitting him to extend his presidential term another one year, changed, thanks to the Somaliland crisis, his status as an unknown President to that of an internationally known President, appreciated for his efforts at mediation.

Dahir Riyale Kahin was able to draw a veil over his internal problems, whose administration was being heavily criticized for the lack of democratic communication to his people and the political parties and this will be recorded in Somaliland History Books. It is typical that those who withdrew very quickly from any involvement in mediation were those who had nothing personally to gain from it. With stability in their own country and having already gained plaudits for "good governance" to a degree.
The one million question is -since the Mediation Agreement has not finalized and the president is ignoring and completely unwillingly to sign the final draft, where we go from here and what will be the condition of Somaliland government Vs the political Parties acknowledgments and Somaliland Citizens and who will be taking full responsibility not to have another extensions for the up-coming presidential elections, if there will be ONE???
 

Dr. Shacabi, USA
email:shacabi@yahoo.com