The Somaliland Society in Europe (SSE), a network of organisations representing about 45 Somaliland Diaspora Community Organisations from 11 European countries, notes the forthcoming High Level Partnership meeting on Somalia scheduled for 19-20 November 2014 in Copenhagen (Denmark).
Somaliland has recently held on 3 – 4 November 2014 its High Level Aid Co-ordination Forum Meeting at Hargeisa, Somaliland, when all the relevant parties met to discuss the development needs and the on-going partnership between Somaliland and the international community under the Somali Compact. The progress achieved in Somaliland towards implementation of the New Deal Somali Compact, and specifically, the Somaliland Special Arrangement was discussed and the international partners noted that the enabling environment present in Somaliland, in particular with regard to safety, security and local engagement, provides a strong foundation for continued international co-operation.
As confirmed by the Somaliland Government, Somaliland will not be attending the Copenhagen Conference for Somalia because as his Excellency Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud (Silanyo) has lucidly put it “this is a forum for Somalia, not for Somaliland. Somaliland is a separate country and the federal agenda that is being discussed at the Copenhagen conference is of no concern to Somaliland”. We and the people of Somaliland fully support this view, which reflects the Somaliland peoples’ stance since May 1991.
SSE appreciates the support and contribution provided by the international community, through the Somaliland Special Arrangement and the Somaliland Development Fund which we hope will improve the lives of the people of Somaliland and realise Somaliland’s vision of building a peaceful and democratic country.
We appeal to the international community to raise its previously stated support (at 2010 London Conference) for the on-going dialogue between Somaliland and Somalia and to turn them into internationally sponsored talks that can finally lay to rest the previously dissolved union between Somaliland and Somalia. We look forward to a time when the two countries can live and work together in peace and as a good neighbours and partners facing co-operatively the challenges in the Horn of Africa.
SSE Executive Committee
