On last Thursday, 11th May 2017, a conference on Somalia was held in London for a day timeframe. The conference was backed and hosted by UK government maintaining UK’s own interest in Somalia. Without hesitation, the UK prime minister Mrs. Teresa loudly and strongly expressed how her government wants and is committed reaching their long-term outstanding a goal at the regional sub-continent of the Horn of Africa particularly in Somalia.
Somaliland did not attend the conference telling it concerns for Somalia and wishes good for Somalis in Somalia. Since then, what would come from the conference how it would impact negatively to Somaliland? This question and others would need studying as well as understanding how UK government has been running their agenda for building a government for Somalia while undermining supporting to Somaliland.
A short time ago, a British counselor visited Somaliland told to media in Hargeisa that the UK left from Somaliland in 1961 and never appeared since then actively. The counselor told also when people dealing with bilateral agreements they should pay careful attention number of issues; “how it will affect their neighbor relations, their sovereignty, their stability as poor as well as reviving country and so on”. He was very negative and undermined that Somaliland has the relevant capacity for dealing such level deals. He showed rather possible failing which he eagerly expressed the irrelevance of Somaliland’s capacity as a nation!
Just following period of that time, an ambassador for the UK for Somalia visited here and told to media that London meeting would be for Somalia where Somaliland supports comes through SDF would be resumed its financing after the presidential election in November 2017 takes place. The ambassador mentioned this has been decided and informed to current leadership due to UK unsatisfactory of Somaliland government performances over democratization process which addresses to Somalia as well?
When studying the core agenda of the conference where the results of the meeting told the press, the first priority of the UK backed support for Somalia’s government “is building a strong military army that without having it things would not be achieved”. This is the reality since 1991 when the first meeting was held in Djibouti. It is clearly told now that interest based states for Somalia rebuilding could not hide anymore for backbone as well as its sole priority that would make possible administration in Somalia. This is the point that Somaliland government with its people should pay attention and have required strategy ahead time for the safeguarding of our statehood as well as our sovereignty.
Deeply to express, why UK and others are reluctant for supporting Somaliland case rather preferring to back up and support for unstable, insecure, and where the situation is deadly in complex that its people facing daily killings and atrocity to vulnerable groups?. Any Somaliland citizen that would expect the answer is one that does not understand how things are mixed up?
So, it is the time that Somaliland people should prepare to face the strongest and largest against since May 1991 when we reclaimed our independence. It is all for diplomatically war, battlefield wars, unrest missions inner our home, funding to selfish people particularly for those exercising at the most growing of the political platform. One of our veteran politicians told me recently that the UK is deliberately against us “due to maintaining its interest in Somalia rather than in Somaliland which is matching their interest much more from our side”.
The UK has historical relations in Somaliland but never reward to us. This has been raised many times since independence. UK government ignored with the minimum attention to our concerns. We need to study our historical background with UK and others. Results will show the same point as of today’s UK position.
Well done, how President A. M. M. (Silanyo) mentioned about the conference when speaking at the inauguration ceremony for partnership agreements of Berbera port with DP world and Ethiopia. However, we came the time that we need to reform our strategy just to secure our existence for safeguarding our state and better future of our people. We never expect hope as well as good saying from Somalia whether of its figure people, intellectuals, business people, and all of their social groups. They are against us though they share the benefits of our state. At the same way, most lead powers of the international level stand same position of Somalia just one reason which needs that we should study at maximum efforts and should come up the relative strategy ALWAYS!
May I conclude for this short article, we would never surrender to anyone with leaving our dignity behind? We shall defend our state as well as our people against anyone that may try to over-rule our willing!
Ma I call to my people for preparing to defend our sovereignty as well as our dignity as same as we did in the past at maximum participation as usual.
Thanks to Allah,
God Bless to Somaliland,
Mustafe Suleyman Elmi.
Hargeisa, Somaliland.
Email: mustafe72@gmail.com