Mogadishu (Editorial) — Djibouti, a troop-contributing country whose forces are a part of ATMIS in Somalia, is indirectly involved in the Laascaanood conflict on the side of the secessionist administration, Somaliland. Djibouti, both under its founding President Hassan Gouled Aptidon and under the current septuagenarian President Ismail Omar Guelleh organised several reconciliation conferences for Somalia (in 1991, 1993, 2000 and 2008). This benevolent record is at risk of being tarnished by President Guelleh, who supports Somaliland Administration stealthily due to marital ties and a political alliance. Last year, President Muse Bihi Abdi of Somaliland administration gave Guelleh’s daughter’s hand in marriage to Brigadier General Sadaq Omar Hassan of the Somali Police Force in the presence of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Guelleh cannot look the other way when the Defence Minister of Somaliland Abdiqani Mohamud Ateye, who happens to belong to the same clan as Guelleh – Issa – regularly tweets about the Laascaanood conflict to mislead the world opinion. In the power-sharing system in place Somalia Issa, along with Isaq clan, belong to the Dir, and make up one of the four major clans under the 4.5 system.
Djibouti is partial to Somaliland Administration in the Laascaanood conflict. It is a destabilising factor that subtly fuels a secession war in Somalia. A country whose troops are peace-keeping forces in Somalia and that boasts about sharing with Somalia a culture and language should have been alive to the risks of diplomatic indifference due to an unjust war being waged against the sovereignty of Somalia. Both Djibouti and IGAD have an obligation to play a role in preventing a civil war, one based on inter-clan hostilities or misguided claim of sovereignty as in the case of Somaliland administration.
Puntland State of Somalia federally represents Laascaanood, but chose not to escalate the conflict. Last week, it issued a statement to the effect that “Puntland State is not involved in the Laascaanood conflict”. Puntland supports the 6/2/2023 Laascaanood Declaration and commits itself to a policy that supports autonomy in territories now known as disputed territories in Northern Somalia.
In 2008 Puntland State sent livestock to the Djibouti Army, then at loggerheads with the Eritrean Army over border dispute. Puntland was the only Somalia autonomous administration that showed solidarity with Djibouti whose leader now supports Somaliland secession war against Laascaanood. Guelleh is oblivious to the existential threats his Issa clansmen and clanswomen face in Ethiopia where organised, non-Somali militias regularly attack Issa-inhabited districts and villages. President Ismail Omar Guelleh’s silence over the Laascaanood conflict damages Djibouti’s role in ATMIS. In this case, silence is not golden.
© Puntland Post, 2023
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