African Union Shuts the Door of Recognition to Somaliland

[NASSIR]

I as Caamir would ADVISE that this PRESS RELEASE should be a crash course for those who blindly give their loyalty to what demogagoes claim as REASONABLE case of seeking recognition.

 

Thanks NSPU.

----------------

 

 

(NSPU)

 

P R E S S R E L E A S E

African Union Shuts the Door of Recognition

to “Somaliland”

February 19, 2007

 

For Immediate Release

 

After sixteen years of repeated failures our breakaway northwestern region which calls itself “Somaliland” made a desperate and, we hope, final move to force the African Union to recognize it.

 

Last year (June, 20-21) a delegation of the secessionist region arrived at the AU meetings in Banjul uninvited but was, understandably, denied admission. They tried, nonetheless, to lobby for recognition in the hotels where delegates stayed but had no one to listen to them.1

 

This year (January 31, 2007) they attempted to gate crash the meetings of the AU in Addis Ababa only to be evicted unceremoniously from the meeting halls.2

 

All of this was uncalled for since there is a way of becoming a member of the AU that is clearly laid out in its Charter. The AU is not sovereign: it does not and cannot, therefore, grant diplomatic recognition. It is a club for 53 African sovereign states, and a new country can be admitted as a member, not only if it is African, but also if recognized as sovereign by half the membership of the Organization.

 

The self-styled Somaliland is not recognized even by one single member state or any state in the world for that matter. Hence its desperate attempts to gate crash the AU Ministerial meetings with the vain attempt of forcing a collective recognition unheard of in the annals of international organizations.

 

With security and stability returning to Somalia and with the existence of an internationally recognized national government operating from Mogadishu the prospects of diplomatic recognition for our breakaway region is dimmed beyond redemption, and this certainly explains its apparent acts of desperation.

 

The flimsy arguments of the secessionists in favor of their ill-advised and divisive project have never made any sense to anyone. The name itself “Somaliland” has no equivalent in the Somali language, and is also ludicrous in the sense that the entire Somali Republic is a Somali land. The name made sense when the region was called “British Somaliland” because it meant then “that part of Somali land which is under British rule”. Worse still, secessionist die-hards call themselves “Somalilanders” which even the colonial administration never used and which, again, has no equivalent in the Somali language; it is in fact so grotesque that it invokes laughter when translated literally into Somali.

 

Northern Somalis for Peace and Unity (NSPU) take this opportunity, once again, to call upon our fellow northerners, whose obsession is secession, to take cognizance of the fact that they have reached a cul de sac and hence join the process of national reconciliation by entering into dialogue with the internationally recognized national Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in order to ensure genuine home rule for their region in parity with the other regions. Only by working together towards that end can we bring about a shifting of power from the federal government to the regional governments.

 

We also request the international community to facilitate this dialogue so that the long suffering people of the Somali Republic can attain their goal of genuine national reconciliation.

 

1 NSPU Publication: “Whither ‘Somaliland’ After the Fiasco in Banjul?”

http://www.somaliunity.org/press_release_07_31_2006.htm

2 Interview with Somalia’s Permanent Representative to the African Union (AU)

http://audio.hiiraan.com/wareysio/2007/feb/Laqanyo.ram

 

For further information, please contact:

Gamal Hassan, Communication and Public Relations Unit

info@somaliunity.org

 

(NSPU)

5470 Merivale Rd. Ottawa, Ontario. K2C 3M1 Canada

 

 

E-mail: info@somaliunity.org website: www.somaliunity.org

 

NORTHERN SOMALIS FOR PEACE & UNITY (NSPU) is a grass-roots Somali advocacy organization with Branches in Somalia, United Arab Emirates, Canada, USA, UK, Sweden, and South Africa. We are dedicated to the promotion of peace and unity among the long suffering people of Somalia. We believe the ‘Somalia problem’ can only be dealt with within the framework of a holistic strategic approach aimed at the empowerment of a central government to rebuild national democratic governance institutions and restore law and order throughout the country. NSPU believes the balkanization of Somalia is a recipe for future conflicts and a bleak future for the Somali people, who are bonded by ethnicity, language, religion, and shared centuries-old culture and traditions.

 

(NSPU)

5470 Merivale Rd. Ottawa, Ontario. K2C 3M1 Canada

[General Duke]

The AU is not sovereign: it does not and cannot, therefore, grant diplomatic recognition. It is a club for 53 African sovereign states, and a new country can be admitted as a member, not only if it is African, but also if recognized as sovereign by half the membership of the Organization.

 

So what will they do now, since no one is going to recognise them?

[Jacaylbaro]

Iska hadlow ina igarre ma maqasheen ??? ,,

 

Is just a desparate press release mean HEEY WE ARE HERE TOO ,,,, nothing more

 

 

Let's see them tomorrow begging the somaliland government for forgiveness ,,,,,, punch of losers with computers and internet connection

[NASSIR]

Duke, in the beginning, They were keenly unaware of irreversible flaws that seeped into their initial analysis, formulation, and then implementation of recreating the colonial protectorate as an Act of seceding from Somalia. That was the state NAME or etymology. It does not symbolically and linguistically capture the essence of the people’s culture, history and politics. Second, the administrative capital Hargeisa is not politically appealing to the stakeholders(read that as clans) in terms of strategic relationship of give and take platform that is why the people of Sool and Sanaag are so opposed to it in addition to preserving the integrity of Somalia's sovereignty. Third, its authority does not extend to the eastern part, a large portion of the territory it claims. The most important of all is their abortive attempt to supersede the Act of Union. The whole thing is flawed.

[NASSIR]

Jacayl, would it be the other way around. We are very forgiving nation. Somalia is a very forgiving nation.

[Jacaylbaro]

but not somaliland ,,,,,,,

 

 

I like them da way they intertain somalia ,,,,

[NASSIR]

I was indeed laughed at the ridicule of these delegates forcing own selves into the meeting uninvited and then asking a Club to recognize a portion of Somalia.

 

The press release is indeed educational.

[Jacaylbaro]

Yes they did ,,, how do u say they were not invited while they gave their speech believe it or not ,,, and they got support from some AU members ,,,,,,, isn't that a first draft winning ??

 

 

The press realease is really good specially when you are bored and became a looser in your own country ,,,,,,, it requires one PC and an internet connection and that is it ,,,,

 

They would come to their home villages if they have da balls ,,,,,,

[Suldaanka]

African Union Shuts the Door of Recognition to "Somaliland"

To shut a Door off... it must be open in the first place? no...

[Jacaylbaro]

looooooooooooooooooooooooool

[Lake]

This Obsessesion with Somaliland needs to stop lol...The people over there are living life. They don't want you....LET MY PEOPLE GO

[NGONGE]

Originally posted by General Duke:

quote: The AU is not sovereign: it does not and cannot, therefore, grant diplomatic recognition. It is a club for 53 African sovereign states, and a new country can be admitted as a member, not only if it is African, but also if recognized as sovereign by half the membership of the Organization.

 

So what will they do now, since no one is going to recognise them?

The whole press release is a load of claptrap that I’m surprised you’re taking it seriously there, Duke.

Though it claims that the actions of the Somaliland representatives were hopeless it fails to realise its very own desperation there (in fact, it has the feel of outright panic)!

 

Come, come and let us walk through this press release. First, the quote you had above. It’s claiming that the AU is just a simple, helpless club of fifty-three NATIONS and that it does not have the authority to recognise anyone! It goes on to imply that to seek any recognition from the Union is foolish! If that is the extent of the collective knowledge and common sense of the NSPU I really do feel sorry for the people of Sool, Sanag and whatever the third place was called.

 

Hey, don’t let go of my hand (Caamir can hold to the back of my shirt as he walks behind us) I’m not done yet. Now we’re going to play a game of riddle me this and riddle me that. Ready? Don’t panic boys, for the first round only, I’m going to ask and answer the questions myself, to show you the ropes as it were.

 

Riddle me this:

If Somaliland requires diplomatic recognition, where should it go?

 

Answer:

Any already recognised sovereign country would be a good start.

 

Riddle me that:

 

How many representatives of sovereign countries could have been found in Ethiopian conference centres and hotels during the recent AU meeting?

 

Answer:

 

At least a dozen for every country that is a member of the union!

 

Riddle me this:

 

Was it a reasonable step for Somaliland to individually approach those representatives?

 

Answer:

 

For a country seeking recognition, it was not only reasonable but a MUST.

 

 

Ok, now that I’ve shown you the way the game goes, take it away boys.

 

Ps

Caamir, I know and understand your opposition to Somaliland but your arguments (or at least those you usually endorsed) were much better than this rubbish, saaxib. Don’t let your standards drop now

[Xaruuri]

This shows how flawed is the thinking of the secessionists. They are putting the cart before the horse. Instead of first getting support for their project from the entire territory of the former British Somaliland they are running around certain capitals of the African nations trying to hoodwink the international opinion as if the people of the former Somaliland protectorate support this flawed project. If they are serious about this I think they would have tried to sell it first to their fellow compatriots.

 

Another thing also is why these secessionists are so single minded? Why are they not looking at other options? If they did I am sure they would have realized that secession is the worst scenario for both themselves and the rest of Somalia. That is why as a northerner myself secession never made sense to me. This project is now reduced to a program that spends over 80% of their energy denigrating other Somalis.

 

Xaruuri

[Jacaylbaro]

just wait and you will see ,,,i'm sure i'll see you in da que asking for a SL passport soon ,,,,

[Jaylaani]

You don’t miss what you don’t have.

 

Recognition would have been icing on the cake but it doesn’t validate our existence. That comes from within. The people of Somaliland recognized them selves as a sovereign nation and productive society in the global village.

 

Exhibit one, look at the last 16 years and how well that country developed without any international aid. When there is a will, there is a way.

 

If recognition doesn’t come legal, Somaliland will eventually get special status.