By lauding the formation of a bicameral parliament, modelled after the Republic of Somaliland Houses of Elders and the Representatives, based on an untenable, undemocratic, silly formula called the ‘4.5’, the international community and its international bodies such as the UN, the AU and IGAD, has once again shown how unlettered and ignorant it is on Somalia-Somaliland politics.
On the premises, there was once something called a ‘Somalia’ that united the two separate states of Somalia and Somaliland in 1960, the world has once more set the stage for fresh strife served on injustice on an unjust platform that most certainly augur ill for a peaceful coexistence between Somalia and Somaliland, stifling out an optimism related to the sputtering bilateral talks which began between the two sides in 2012.
The Somalia so-called consultative process concluded in Mogadishu last week envisages a 275-member lower house of parliament and a 54-member House of Guurti that uncannily model itself after a structure that existed for years and years in a country that Somalia nd the international community constantly and blatantly collude to conspire against its very existence.
Michael Keating, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia, speaks upon his arrival in Mogadishu, Somalia on January 18, 2016. UN PHOTO/Omar Abdisalm
The newly-appointed UN Special Representative, Michael Keating, was quick to mislead the international community by misinterpreting the reality on ground – a reality that still counts Somaliland as part of the weak, AMISOM-guarded, teetering administration which only exists on a streatch of road from Villa Somalia to the Airport via Makka Mukarrama Avenue.
Mr Keating was noted telling the UN Security Council on January 28 that ‘ the country’s government had agreed on a model for the electoral process to establish a new, bicameral federal parliament in 2016’ which he unreservedly endorsed despite the structural flaw in its membership as it counted members that were outlaws to their country of origin – Somaliland.
Taking the cue from this misinformation, Ban Ki-Moon, the Secretary General, who was supposed to be an impartial political figurehead for the whole world, made a blunder by siding with Somalia against the Republic of Somaliland.
According to a report by the Guardian, UN Spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said on Friday in New York that the model was to establish a new, bicameral federal parliament in 2016.
He said that Ban particularly applauded the commitment to representation of women and minority groups, including that women would comprise 30 percent of the next parliament.
“The Secretary-General notes that today’s announcement follows broad-based consultations with Somali regional administrations, parliamentarians, traditional elders and civil society. This is in itself a signal of Somalia’s progress in peacebuilding and State-building. He urges all parties to support timely implementation of the 2016 process, in a spirit of national unity and compromise”, said according to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s press conference, held in New York
“The Secretary-General welcomes today’s decision by the Federal Government of Somalia on a model for the electoral process to establish a new, bicameral Federal Parliament in 2016, based on inclusivity and representation,” a statement from the United Nations read.
“This is a signal of Somalia’s progress in peacebuilding and state building,” the UN said.
Somalia and its ‘federal leaders’ were, understandably, thrilled that their hodge-podge ‘deal was swallowed koond-and-line by a blind-folded international community, thus ‘legitimizing their deeply entrenched hostility and opposition against the legitimate sovereignty of a Somaliland that their ‘Somalia’ would, clearly, never rule or massacre again.
“The Federal Government of Somalia wishes to express its gratitude to the Regional leaders, the Somalia public and our international partners for their efforts in moving the country forward. We assert that this electoral arrangement will be a measure for 2016 and look forward to the day our people will exercise the right to vote,” an excerpt from a communiqueon the electoral model for 2016 read.The Republic of Somaliland, on its part, was quick to condemn what it called ‘Somalia’s blind alley politics’.
The Ministers for Interior, H.E. Ali Waran Addeh, the Minister and Vice Minister of Information, Abdullahi Ukusse and Ms Shukri Harir, respectively, each lambasted the Mogadishu accord in strong terms, pointing out the fallacy of a ‘Somalia’ republic that never existed in history – a ‘Somalia’ whose provenance that the international community did never question, embarassing itself on every turn.
Summing up the Republic of Somaliland’s position of the Mogadishu farce, a press release from the Presidency called the resolution reached at what Mogadishu euphemistically called the ‘national consultative council’ hallucinatory as it completely failed to take stock of facts on the ground.
The statement called attention to the fact that in Somaliland, there was a fully-fledged government put to power on a ‘one-man, one vote’ election, and that the Republic of Somaliland was not a figment of someone’s imagination but a reality based on the strong will and desire of its constituency.
“The Republic of Somaliland urges the European Commission, the Arab League, the African Union, the United States and the Organization of Islamic Council to intervene and take measures to curtail the unmitigated and blatant interference of Somalia into the affairs of the Republic of Somaliland,” the statement, released by the Presideny’s Spokesman, Hussein Deyr, said.
On light of these most recent developments and the marked obduracy of the international community in the face of a reality that none can hide any more, one may wonder why not even a lowly diplomat of the United Nations, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the European Union (EU), Ethiopia, France, Italy, Qatar, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America – who have all expressed their delight on the Mogadishu ‘accord’ one way or the other – has not called the de facto republic of Somaliland to any one’s attention.
Or have we all failed to bring the integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Somaliland – or defend it against ruthless marauders and politically illiterate leaders that would rather accept the indefensible than side with legitimacy and humankind’s inalienable right to self-determination?
Long live Somaliland!
