By Scott A Morgan
In what appears to be a effort to reward stablilty in a highly unstable part of the World ,The US is going to increase the amount of aid it sends to the “Breakaway Region” of Somaliland. On the surface that can be seen as the US growing increasingly frustrated with the Pace of “Nation Building” within Somalia.
In Recent Weeks there have been several Incidents of Piracy on the High Seas. In at least one instance there has been Western Intervention to Free some of those that were taken hostage. Several Nations will be deploying Warships to this volatile region in the near future to address this rapidly unfolding and deteriorating situation. The Situation on the Ground isn’t much better either with Islamist Militias targeting Peacekeepers.
Earlier this year US Undersecretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazier paid a visit to Hargeysa. Security Issues were forefront Naturally in her visit. The Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) already has some contacts with Somaliland Authorities as well as several US Funded Aid Agencies. Somaliland has been registering Political Parties for its Presidential Elections in 2009.
The Visit by Jessica Davis Ba who is the US Diplomat Responsible for Somali Political and Economic Interests in the US Embassy in Nairobi and a representative from the USAID (United States Agency for International Development) was a follow-up to the trip of Underseceretary Frazier. The US Feels that Somaliland has made great Economic and Political gains since it declared its unilateral Independence back in 1991.
There are concerns in Washington that the rise in both Global Food and Petroleum Prices could be a hinderance to the Emergance of an Independent Somaliland. Several Countries have sent Delegations to Hargeysa in recent weeks to determine if any Economic Investments are indeed feasable. There are concerns about the youth of the country leaving school early to take on other endeavors currently.
With the rest of Somalia continuing to suffer Famine and the effects of a very effective Insurgency it is not a bad idea to reach out to People and areas that are having a modicum of success. Although the US has no immediate plans to open up a direct contact with Hargeysa the current Administration will use the contacts it already has to further improve ties. In the past the United States has stated that it will wait until the African Union Recgonizes Somaliland as an Independent State before it does.
In Recent Weeks there have been reports that Ethiopia is considering pulling out of Somalia. If this occurs than once again the efforts of the United Nations to restore a functioning Government to Somalia will have failed once again. Efforts to have African Peacekeepers on the ground have been lacking. Famine is a growing concern as is the rise of Piracy in the region known as Puntland. So it appears that the US is once again hedging its bets in a volatile region.
(The Author publishes Confused Eagle on the Internet. It can be found at morganrights.tripod.com)
6 thoughts on “US policy shifts towards Somaliland”
It is also time for Ethiopia to recognize Somaliland and leave the lawless South Somalia. In fact, it is inline of Ethiopian people interest.
This encourages other clan entities in the Horn of Africa to call for indpendance. It’s an unwise move. Should Ogadenia be independant? What about Oromia, Tigray? Should Puntland and Jubbaland also be encouraged? It would create forty different “nations” in the Horn. We should discourage such acts as the case has been for so long.
I agree with Abdul. These people in Somaliland have kept their society peaceful and stable for almost 20 years now. Also, they are very hard-working breed of humanity. They are resourceful and lightening fast in learning new technology. I grew up with their children around the railway line. My Christian faith and their Islamic conviction was not an issue at all. We used to surf trains (Harfa) together. Radio Hargeysa was our most favorite foreign radio station next to Radio Oumdurman. It is always my desire to go and visit this gem in the Horn someday. I may cross path with some those childhood friends in Hargeysa or Berbera. May God (Allah) bless Abdul and all those in Somaliland!!!!
Some people are mis leading and mis understanding the difference between two nation united on their accord that again seperated and regions cessation from their own countries.
After independence in 1960 British Somailand united with their brothers Italian Somaliland and made what was called Somali Republic without any agreement. They were two seperate contries within 1884 colonial partion bounderies that was merged Somaliland & Somalia in two respectfull different countries.
The Union failed and Somaliland declared its break away from the union.
Mr. Mahad is playing joke when he’s comparing two seperate countries to internal cessation regions like Ogadenia, Oromia etc. What he called Puntland is just like a foklorish story and an obesticating method hindering Somaliland recognition.
Somaliland’s recognition is the best for all or otherwise will get into the most worest disaster around world and the horn.
May Allah Bless Somaliland
Thanks
Somaliland recognition is long overdue, you can’t say no to the people’s wishes and no matter what the international community say or do. At the end Somaliland will ultimately become what her people wants and to be quite fair it is the only solution. Furthermore I remind the critics of Somaliland’s independence that, it’s not anyone else’s business but the people of Somaliland who decide the destiny of this nation and it’s not your call to tell the children of Somaliland where their future and best interests might be.
I am from the northern region of Somalia- what the secessionists otherwise call “Somaliland”. Unlike the rest of African countries below the Sahara, Somalia is inhabited by one people sharing the same religion, culture, language and origin. The Somali people are not only in Somalia but also in Eastern Ethiopia (the Ogaden), Djibouti and Northern Frontier District of Kenya (NFD).
Before Europeans and Ethiopia carved up the Somali homeland in the Horn into five parts, there was no such a thing as British Somaliland, Italian Somaliland, French Somaliland, Ethiopian Somaliland and NFD. There were only free Somali clans in the Horn. Those clans in former British Somaliland also belonged to clans across the artificial colonial border. Hence they were not an entity having separate cultural, language religious or legal roots that separated them from the rest but only an artificial creation of the British.
When British colonial era ended in 1960, the two former European colonial entities- British and Italian Somaliland- immediately united to become the United Somali Republic or Somalia as it is mostly known, an indication of the desire for union among the peoples separated by colonial rule for nearly a hundred years.
For the information of the pro-Somaliland lobbyists, only one clan among the five clans in former British Somaliland supports secession. If every disgruntled clan or tribe were to be given self-determination, there will be no African state given their fragility. Those who are vying for Somalia’s break-up are only digging the grave for many other African countries. Our neighbours, Ethiopia and Kenya, are the ones to lose most. Don’t play with fire lest you burn yourself.