Dear Madam,
A group of unknown Somalis, speaking in the
name of Somali Association in South Africa and representing the different
armed factions in Somalia, with other African individuals, who have no
knowledge of the history of Somalis, have recently sent you a petition
named: A Call to the Government of South Africa to Abandon the Creation of
Apartheid Style Bantustans for Somalia. {The petition is posted at:
www.petitiononline.com/SASA/petition.html.} The content of the petition, which
was intended to undermine international recognition for Somaliland Republic
and throw it into the on-going chaos, gun-culture, and violence in Somalia,
has no merit at all, and it is both unfounded and misleading for two reasons:
First, it is unfounded for drawing, unfortunately, false comparison between
the painful history of the Apartheid Bantustans in South Africa and the
current situation in the Horn of Africa.
The Bantustans were 4 small nations (Transkei,
Bophuthatswana, Venda, and Ciskei) covering 14% of the country`s land
and created within South Africa for Black South Africans by the white
segregationist government of South Africa between 1962-1981 in order to
confiscate the rest of of the country (86%) for the white people.
The white South African Government tried
hard to seek international recognition for these Bantustans formed on the
barren native reserves of South Africa to legitimize the illegal
internal partition of the country, but the international community rejected
the idea for being based on Apartheid policy. The Bantustans were
abolished and the territories were absorbed into the nation of South Africa in
1994.
That situation never existed in the Horn of
Africa and does not exist now. Secondly, it is misleading for equating
the independence of Somaliland Republic with the creation of Bantustans in
South Africa. Historically, Somaliland was not a part of Somalia, and
was not created from a partition within Somalia - as Bantustans were in South
Africa.
Somaliland was a British Protectorate from
1884-1960. It achieved its independence on June 26, 1960, and has its own
people, history, culture, and well defined internationally-recognized borders
while Somalia was an Italian colony between 1889-1960, attaining independence
on July 1st 1960, and has its own people, history, culture, and borders too.
Puntland is the Northeastern province of Somalia, it is an integral part of it
for sharing history, people, culture, and border with it. Equating
Puntland province with Somaliland Republic is a grave mistake too because it
would justify the breakup of Somalia. The group depicts Somaliland Republic as
a breakaway region from Somalia, without acknowledging that Somaliland
achieved independence before Somalia and initiated the creation of the union
between the countries on July 1s,t 1960, and without admitting that
Somaliland`s withdrawal from the 30 year long union (1960-1990) in May 1991
was triggered by a two-decade long dereliction, injustice, and repression
(1960-1980) followed by a decade-long (1981-1991) ruthless military campaign
against Somaliland and its people by Somalia , inflicting unforeseen death
upon Somaliland people, and destruction upon cities, towns, and
infrastructure.
The only reason that encouraged Somaliland
people to share union with Somalia in 1960,was the prevailing wind at that
time which was based on a hopeful dream of creating Greater Somalia from the
five Somali colonies. That dream failed for two reasons: First,
Djabuti proclaimed its own independent state on June 27, 1977, rejecting any
union with the then Republic of Somalia after seeing how Somalia abused the
infantile union by denying Somaliland of its legitimate share of the
government and committing all kinds of injustices against its people.
The objection of Djabuti was justified because it would meet the same horrible
fate that Somaliland met.
Secondly, Somalia was solely
responsible for the demise of the union by trashing all agreements between the
two newly born Somali states, and rewarding Somaliland with unprecedented
injustice and atrocities mentioned above. Hence, if there is no Greater
Somalia today, Somaliland has undisputable legitimacy to reclaim its
independence and exercise its own affairs.
There is no question that unity is both
important and great for enhancing power and progress if both sides respect its
constitutional bases and conditions. But if one side, as Somalia did to
Somaliland, wants to subjugate the other side through injustices and
atrocities,that is not constructive union but destructive one; and that was
the kind of union Somaliland withdrew from in May 1991. Federalism is great
too, but no one can guarantee its success in Africa as the continent is in
constant political turmoil that is associated with frequent military takeovers
which end democratically-elected governments, generating totalitarian regimes
and military dictatorships that are responsible for socio-economic setbacks,
injustices, and atrocities.
Any federalism in Somalia would be at the
mercy of such dictatorships for lacking commitment to it. Hence, when the UN,
African Union, and the Arab League push Somaliland to reunify with Somalia,
can they guarantee for Somaliland people that a ruthless Southern military or
civilian dictator will not re- emerge in Federal Somalia again, dissolving any
federal constitution, parliament, and government immediately as Siad Barre did
in 1969, and inflicting the same atrocities and destruction upon
Somaliland people again? The answer is simply NO. Then, if the recent
history shows that Somalis failed to share union and government peacefully and
democratically, is not the interest of both peoples to live separately to
avoid another destructive, bloody union? The answer is absolutely yes.
Somaliland has fulfilled the fundamental condition for diplomatic recognition:
An existing independent nation with its own colonial-drawn borders- a legal
basis for diplomatic recognition for all the current states in Africa, Asia,
and South America .
Article 4 of African Union charter asserts
that the organization respects and recognizes independence of African
countries based on colonial borders. Provisions on sovereignty in the charters
of the UN and Arab League also support and recognize independence based on
colonial borders. The delay of Somaliland`s international
recognition is just an unfounded hope by the UN and regional
organizations that Somaliland may return to the union with Somalia one day.
This political gambling at the expense of
Somaliland people for 12 years is irresponsible. The UN, the African
Union, and the Arab League know undisputably that Somaliland achieved
independence before Somalia on June 26, 1960 within its colonial borders, and
was one of the 17 African countries that attained independence in 1960 from
Europe, and, before the merger with Somalia, 35 countries recognized
Somaliland diplomatically including Egypt. Why not now? what is the
difference between then and Now? Somaliland is not the first country that
withdrew from a failed union. Georgia, Ukaraine, Estonia, Lithuania, and
Latvia and others withdrew from the Soviet Union collapse in 1989, Bosnia and
Macedonia withdrew from the disintegrated Federation of Yugoslavia in 1990s.
All these new countries were automatically recognized by the United Nations.
Somaliland is not an exception as it fulfilled the same criteria.
Besides its re-proclamation of independence in May 1991, the landmark
referendum held in Somaliland on May 31, 2001, overwhelmingly approved
Somaliland constitution and reaffirmed, in the presence of international
election monitors, the will of the Somaliland people to have independent,
sovereign state of their own.
Neither the UN nor the regional
organizations (African Union and Arab League) have the right to nullify the
decision of the majority of Somaliland people in that referendum. The neglect
of Somaliland by the international community exposes its shocking double
standard that, on one hand, advocates for peace, stability, and democratic
institutions, and, on the other hand, ignores peaceful, stable, democratic
Somaliland by denying it of legitimate diplomatic recognition. This
denial has no legal basis in the court of international law. The
Somaliland people will remain committed to their self-determination and will
consolidate their unchanging stance to have independent, sovereign state from
the injustice and killing machine of Somalia. Somaliland government will
not attend any peace talks held for Somalia because that would undermine its
sovereignty and damage its legitimacy for international recognition. One of
the reasons that made fail all peace talks for Somalia, is the lack of
Somaliland recognition on the part of the international community.
If Somaliland were recognized long time ago,
Somalia would have peaceful, stable, and democratic government today too for
two reasons. First, the people of Somalia would not waste any more
time to wait for Somaliland. Secondly, they would emulate jealously with
Somaliland people, holding peace talks that are focused only on Somalia`s
problems instead of chaotic conferences where half of the delegates, besides
the legitimate delegates from Somalia, are false representatives from
Somaliland Republic, Northeastern Somali province in Kenya, and Western Somali
province in Ethiopia that doom all peace talks to failure and perpetuate
endless factional fighting, anarchy, terror, fear, and famine in Somalia for
the last 13 years. As South Africa is the leading country of African
renaissance as well as an important player of international affairs
today, The Somaliland government expects the government of South Africa to
reject the so called petition by individuals who have already failed to help
their crying nation in Somalia. Somaliland people plead with the government of
South Africa to consider the recent report of LAW ADVISORS from SOUTH AFRICA
which writes: “It is undeniable that Somaliland does indeed qualify for
statehood, and it is incumbent upon the international community to recognize
it.”
[The Author has emailed this letter to the
President of South Africa, Mr Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki, and to his Minister for
Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. He recommends
Somaliland people to write counter-petition to the leaders of the Republic of
South Africa, and to Petition Online.]
Your`s Sincerely,
Ibrahim Hassan Gagale, Author of letter
Warqadii ay qoreen Group uu
horkacyo ninka u banbaxay la dagaalanka Somailand Prof. Samater oo qoraal u
diray dalka South Africa
M
