Why Somaliland Administration Should Withdraw Its Troops in Las Anod

[Deeq A.]

Lasanod (Editorial) — The speech that Somaliland Administration President Muse Bihi Abdi delivered today had pushed northern Somalia into the abyss of a civil war thirty two  years after the full-blown civil war had broken out of Somalia. The Federal Government of Somalia has the main reasonability to prevent a relapse into hostilities in Northern Somalia.

Bihi expects US to fund Somaliland administration security forces already supported by Britain.

There is no reason for Somaliland administration leaders to assume that Somalia broke up into two countries. Because of that assumption people represented in both the Upper House and Lower House in Mogadishu get killed by Somalilad  troops in Las Anod for expressing their identity based on a united Somalia is defensible Hargeysa leaders need to be pulled from the brink by reminding them of the consequences of a civil war. President Bihi has the blood of Las Anod victims on his hands.

There is a difference between the aspirations of Somaliland administration leaders to break away from Somalia and their obligation to respect political and property rights of Somali citizens in Las Anod. If Somali citizens can be arrested or killed in Las Anod for waving the flag of Somalia, the sovereignty of Somalia is being called into question.

Puntland State of Somalia represents Las Anod at federal member state level, but the federal government and its institutions represent the people of Las Anod at the national level. This situation restrains Puntland from responding to atrocities in Las Anod militarily .Puntland State defers to the Federal Institutions.

The Federal Government of Somalia could engage the International Community to put pressure on Somaliland Administration not to force the idea of secession on citizens who are in favour of the union. In 2019 the Federal Government of Somalia allowed the Somaliland delegation to include “freedom of movement” in Djibouti Somalia-Somaliland talks. In 2021 Somaliland used that clause to forcibly displace more that 1500 citizens in Las Anod under the pretext that “they are foreigners”.

Somaliland Administration claims that it had been included in “the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)” , a development that reflects the extent to which the United States of America violates the sovereignty of Somalia by adopting policies that make peaceful resolution of political and territorial disputes impossible. If a superpower country signs agreements with a subnational entity that claims to have seceded from Somalia, it promotes secession wars.

Britain, a country that has taken a lead role in state-building initiative  in Somalia since 2012, has historic links with the North and  funds Somaliland security forces responsible for atrocities in Las Anod. Both the USA and UK recognise the political and territorial unity of Somalia, and yet aspects of their policies towards Somalia inadvertently preclude conflict resolution strategies for certain political problems.

The International Community can play a role in persuading Somaliland administration to withdraw its troops in Las Anod and confine its administration only to areas where the 2001 unilateral referendum for “Somaliland” took place. Withdrawal of troops in Las Anod will not diminish the stature of Somaliland Administration during talks with the Federal Government of Somalia about the Union.

© Puntland Post, 2022

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