Somaliland, UN Exploring Equitable Special Aid Arrangement

[Suldaanka]

(MENAFN - SomTribune)

Modeled after the successful ‘special aid arrangement' on which international organizations deal with Somaliland to ensure that aid flow directly reaches Somaliland without falling into intermediary hands such as that of Somalia is being explored by UN agencies working with and in Somaliland.

President Musa Bihi Abdi, addressing the Somaliland joint parliament, today, revealed that the two sides were investigating ways to put such an arrangement in place for better delivery and accountability.

"The UN and Somaliland are planning to put into effect what could be tentatively called the ‘UN Somaliland Special Arrangement' to make sure that what had been allocated for Somaliland support equitably reaches Somaliland intact," the President said.

President Bihi said Somaliland government focused on creating an enabling environment for development partnership that international partners could be comfortable with.

Due to this, he said, partners have either pledged or already delivered some 150 million US Dollars to the Somaliland Development Fund to go into infrastructure or other development programmes.

The President reiterated that his government will continue to safeguard that environment. 

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[Suldaanka]

Since Cheeseman's blunder of PNGing a UN SRSG earlier in the year, the UN has been more keen to restart relations with Somaliland. 

The recent UN announcement of appointing an envoy to Horn of Africa is also a testament to Somaliland's call that it won't allow a new SRSG for Mogadishu to come to Somaliland. Hence, the UN Secretary General appoint a regional envoy which is a departure from how the Security Council used to engage Somalia/Somaliland issue.