An Open Letter to the Organizers of the Somali Reconciliation Meeting in Kenya
Ibrahim Maygag Samater -
Mr Samater - Has been absent for a long time from the somaliland's political platform
Sirs:
I am a Somalilander now living in Japan. I was one of the leaders of the Somali National Movement whose struggle resulted in the liberation of the Northern part of the country—now Somaliland—from the dictatorial regime of Siad Barre. I was also the last chairman of the Central Committee of that movement. I chaired the historical meeting in Burao in May 1991, when the people of Somaliland decided to restore their sovereignty won in 1960 from British colonialism. This sovereignty was won but dissipated and abused since then by the ill-fated union with the Trusteeship of Somalia. I am writing this letter as an individual.
The case of Somaliland—and its right for recognition—has since then been put before the international community by its successive governments and its representative bodies. It has also been expressed forcefully by the whole people of Somaliland who saved their country from destruction and built the institutions of self-government through peaceful and democratic means by their own efforts. They did this without much help from the international community, and are now building the rudiments of a viable economy through proper systems of governance. They have made their wishes known, not only through the proclamations of their leaders, but also through the elections and constitutional referendum, to which the whole world was witness.
In the meantime our brothers in Somalia—the South of the former united republic—have not been that lucky. The fratricidal internal struggle that ensued since the fall of Siad Barre is something we all know. Since then, despite much effort from outsiders, they have been unable to arrive at a re-conciliated solution similar to that in Somaliland. The meeting now going on in Kenya, which may be drawing to a close, is the 14th of its kind. One wonders whether the input from the outsiders was a help or a hindrance especially when you contrast it to the situation in Somaliland where foreign involvement in the reconciliation process was totally negligible. We in Somaliland began to reconstruct the destroyed house from the bottom. There the process, always guided by outsiders, is to try to begin the reconstruction from the roof that is to say to restore so-called national unity sovereignty.
However, that is not the main point of this present letter. The present meeting, guided by IGAD, supervised by the UN, and supported by many other organizations and governments, has been going on for almost two years. We in Somaliland wish our brothers in Somalia would finally arrive at a viable solution. We also applaud the patience and persistence of non-Somalis who have spent diplomatic, emotional as well as financial effort to make the meeting a success.
Having said that, it is very important to underline one of the pitfalls that led to the failure of the previous conferences. That pitfall, which I am emphasizing in this letter, is the unrealistic illusion of attempting to include Somaliland, whose position is crystal clear, in that process both by Southern Somalis, as well as outsiders. This attempt led to the farce of some individuals trying to represent Somaliland.
We have heard some recent statements from the organizers and supervisors of the conference that Somaliland is not included at this stage—whatever that means. We have a right to take this at its face value, that is to say that Somaliland and the future constitutionally elected government of Somalia will then engage to talk about their relations.
Let us leave that to its day. In the meantime the farcical situation of some individuals from Somaliland participating in the conference continues. If the present conference concerns the people of the former South and if its members as well as the organizers agreed that representation should be along clan lines whom do these individuals represent? Somaliland is not there and has its own state institutions. It has no interest to be part of that process. Therefore they cannot claim to represent it. In fact they are persona-non-grata if they try to go back. On the other hand, they cannot in all logic occupy the seats of southern clans—unless these clans offer them. In particular there is nothing called Northern Dir. It is a figment of the imagination. The people in Somaliland know themselves as Isaaq, Darood, Isse and Gadabursi among others. There is nothing called Dir in Somaliland.
Finally, let the organizers of the conference be warned. If you want your efforts to succeed and not end up like the ones before it, weed these individuals out. They don’t belong there and are only spoiling your great efforts.
Sincerely,Ibrahim Maygag Samater
