Somaliland Foreign Minister Calls For a Two-tracked Intervention for Somaliland and Somalia

ADDIS ABABA (Somalilandpress) — Abdillahi Duale, Somaliland’s minister of foreign affairs has called on the international community to looks towards a two-tracked solution while dealing with Somaliland and Somalia.

“The international community needs and ought to come up with a two track approach for Somaliland and Somalia – these are absolutely two different equations, two different sets of situations, two different sets of circumstances the realities on the ground are absolutely different and differ immensely in magnitude and in reality so what we said to them is that they come up with a two tracked approach and that it is morale thing to do, the pragmatic thing to do. One track for Somalia and that is stabilizing Somalia and that is what the international community was trying to do since 1991 but to no avail from Djibouti conference I in 1991 to the last Djibouti conference Djibouti III. This is what the international community has been doing we appreciate and encourage the engagement but on the other hand what we want is for the international community to come up with is another track for a sustained development of Somaliland – sustained infrastructure development of Somaliland, sustained development of the institutions of Somaliland we have not been a burden to the international community…we did this through our resources, investments and energy.
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“We are very happy that we have a bottom up approach that we have built in this country which is enormous we have the institutions in place, the constitutions in place this is what the international community wants to see a nations that s functioning that is exactly what we have done. The international community is committed in Afghanistan and Iraq all of these places now in Yemen it is another serious scenario which we have discussed what we are saying that there needs to be a track that sustains the development of Somaliland and the enhancement of Somaliland. This is not much to ask really as far as we are concerned. There has to be a comprehensive two tracked approach even today in Yemen we believe what is happening and the engagement in Yemen is okay it is fine but what happens in Yemen will have a serious impart in the region including homeland, we are saying the international community has to put into the consideration the impacts in Yemen they have to come up with another approach while looking into the situation in homeland and the rest of the neighboring countries”, said Minister Duale.

Minister Duale in his brief visit also spoke with donors and fellow
African countries.

“I came her this time is for the AU summit as you are well aware of we
have been pushing the case of Somaliland and how Somaliland can be
assisted. I met among others some European colleagues and also the
Americans particular importance is the meeting I have had ambassador
Johnnie Carson, US Assistant Secretary of African Affairs and UK Minister for Africa, Baroness Kinnock these were the most important meeting that I have had with major donors both meetings went very well we discussed bilateral issues both leaders are not new to the issue of Somaliland. Ambassador Johnnie Carson has been a student of Africa for a long time he has worked in various African countries we have known him for quiet some time this is not the first time that I met him so we have discussed particularly with him bilateral issues as a follow up to my last meeting last year in Washington D.C. where he received me cordially along with his entire team we discussed the progress Somaliland has made for the upcoming elections, the security situation in Somaliland and the wider region and we have discussed in depth including Yemen the issue of terrorism, security the issues concerning Somaliland. So we have had friendly fruitful discussions I must say and we say eye to eye on the regional geopolitical situation,” explained minister Duale.

The minister also note that the he had also met with his Ugandan and
Swaziland counterparts and had been invited to visit the two nations in a bid to bolster ties.

On Vuk Jeremié, Serbia’s foreign minister’s call on African nations to
learn lessons form the Serbian experience regarding Kosovo minister Duale stated that he was astonished at the comments.

“I was really flabbergasted and surprised when the Serbian foreign
minister was given a platform to lecture to the African leadership. I tell
you we were in that conference as you know but it was a very disturbing message and I think it is a very bad legacy a young foreign minister from Serbia coming to Africa at this august conference and lecturing them and telling them to take the experience of Serbia with regards to Kosovo I thought that was in poor taste. I don’t really know as an African who let this young foreign minister come and lecture to the African heads of state? Was it the responsibility of the Commission? Was it the responsibility of the chairman of the Commission? Was it the responsibility of the president of the AU at the time? Whose responsibility was it? This is something that I really was flabbergasted. What lessons ought to be learnt form Serbia for God’s sake? I think Africans have their own experience the experience of Somaliland is of paramount importance I wish they have invited us and explained the success story of homeland.. Africa has values, great leaders, great ideas and a lot of good ideas do come form Africa,” stressed Minister Duale.

By Samson Haileyesus

The Sub Saharan Informer, 13 February 2010

PHOTO: Foreign minister, Mr Duale meets US Assistant Secretary of African Affairs, Johnnie Carson, in Addis Ababa, 2nd February 2010 (Somalilandnation)