Somaliland has called on the international community to delink the country from the political and economic disarray in Somalia occasioned by the failure of the latter to hold its elections early this year.
In a statement, Somaliland reiterated it is not part of the government of Mogadishu and will continue to chart its political direction as an independent state.
“The Government of the Republic of Somaliland is gravely concerned about the undemocratic and destabilizing events unfolding in our neighboring country Somalia,” the statement from Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The statement added: “Since regaining its sovereignty, the Republic of Somaliland has been a shining democratic beacon in a region where free and fair elections and values have been preserved.
Somaliland has successfully held subsequent free and fair elections since 2002 and peaceful transfers of power.”
The Somaliland government said the international community should not link the country to the happenings in Somalia.
“The political stalemate is a testament to the oppressive, and tyrannical leadership of the Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo regime, which is an absolute threat to the security and stability of the region and could plunge Somalia into a fresh civil war that may conceivably compel the displacement of thousands of civilians into the neighboring countries including the Republic of Somaliland.”
“We urge the resilient people of Mogadishu who have been caught in the crossfire of unrelenting terror of Al-Shabaab and Farmajo’s authoritarianism and his willful disregard of human rights to uphold their peace and stability,” the Somaliland government advised.
The Somaliland government said it commends the United Nations Security Council’s decision to keep the arms embargo in place (on Somalia) and urged the international community to double its efforts to monitor and ensure no additional armaments are brought into Somalia in these uncertain times.
“On May 31st, the people of Somaliland are heading to the polls for local council and parliamentary elections.
Therefore, we urge the International Community to engage directly with the Republic of Somaliland and learn from our experience of keeping terrorism at bay, building our nation from the ground up and replicate our success of holding free and fair elections to Somalia and beyond.”
Somaliland has maintained it is not part of the current political stalemate in Somalia stating it is an independent state.
Somaliland walked out of the union with Somalia 30 years ago after the fall of the Siad Barre regime.
Efforts by the country to gain international recognition remain futile though the country (Somaliland) has over the period operated as an independent state with its elected government, military and have its own currency.
