Garowe (PP News Desk) — In what is being billed as a major departure from the established policy on the Somalia Union, the Prime Minister of Somalia Hamza Abdi Barre had defended the unilateral secession of Somaliland.
“The secession [of Somaliland] is not whimsical; there are reasons; there were problems. We must address those problems and discuss them in a fraternal manner” Hamza told the the BBC Somali Service.
The standard government policy directs federal leaders not to justify secession directly or indirectly. Somaliland MPs and Senators constitute roughly 11% of the bicameral federal legislature.
“We need clarity on the issue of Somaliland unilateral secession from the Federal Government of Somalia. Somaliland government forcibly displaced more 1600 Somali citizens from Laascaanood ten months ago. Laascaanood is under the federal jurisdiction of Puntland State of Somalia. Hamza is unwittingly legitimazing secession” said Ali Dahir Yusuf, a member of Mideeye, a political association in Puntland.
The remarks of the new Prime Minister portend the pitfalls of resuming talks with Hargeisa.
During his first term of office ambiguity in the representation of disputed territories helped President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to treat talks with Somaliland as a South-North issue. In 2016 Puntland State regained federal representation rights of disputed territories in line with 1998 Puntland Charter. The change of federal electoral policy will necessitate review of guidelines for talks with Hargeisa.
© Puntland Post, 2022
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