First July 2018 is the 58th anniversary when Somalia gained their independence from Italy after nearly one century of colonial rule, gaining independence on 1 July 1960.
Somaliland was a British Protectorate for 86 years and obtained its independence on 26th June 1960. It was an internationally recognised sovereign state until 1st July 1960. Shortly after receiving independence from Britain, it united with South Somalia, known as Italian Somaliland and colonised by Italy until its merger with Somaliland to form the Somali Democratic Republic. The drive behind the Republic was based on the vision of creating greater Somalia.
Despite the fact that there are many questions asked the unification, which still remained ambiguous as there are no official approval documents available, defining the unification of the two countries, there is no official agreement between the two parties that have been signed. The name of the Union of Somaliland and Somalia which was inaugurated the Somali Democratic Republic.
In a united Somalia, the people of Somaliland have been looking forward to the dream that the Somali pan in the Horn of Africa to have one single administration that meets their needs at that time.
But these dreams came to an end, it is clear that their brothers in Somalia have cheated the Somalilanders. Somaliland civil rights had been denied and they were seen as second rang class citizen. The Southerners treated Somalilanders atrociously giving them the nickname called ‘Khaldaamiin‘ ( Crazy people) meaning that they do not know how to govern themselves. The southerners regarded Somaliland as a nation that surrendered itself to Somalia. Many thought Somaliland disengaged itself from the colonial protector only to voluntarily put itself under a new African colonizer.
In the summer of 1961, Somaliland was voted against the constitution of the unity of the two countries and overwhelmingly rejected the Act of Union which defined unity of the two countries, but unfortunately, the voices of Somalilanders were not listened to and their civil rights were denied. By the end of 1961 Somaliland senior police officers attempted a coupe in order to regain and restore the lost independence, however, that dream became untrue and coupe was ended failure and since that time Somaliland people were occupied and colonized by Somalia.
It is true that both Somaliland and Somalia’s countries have never been united as a legal entity.
When its second president Abdulrashid Ali Sharmarke (1967-1969) was assassinated by his own bodyguards in Las Anod City, the vision of unity started to fall apart. A bloodless coup-de-tat on 21st of October 1969 ensued resulting in army General Mohamed Siad Barre becoming president. Barre wasted no time in establishing an authoritarian regime, starting off his first year by giving unlimited powers to the military junta.
The population of Northern Somalia (Somaliland) were denied the same provisions in welfare and Siad Barre Barre, who described himself as a Socialist, created an uneven distribution of resources across Somalia, leading to vast inequalities apparent between North-South with regards to education, health and development.
This, together with a number of other factors resulted in the birth of the Somali National Movement (SNM) a political-military liberation movement (April 1981). In 1988 Bare awarded the Hawd region to Ethiopia in-exchange for the Ethiopian government to expel the Somali National Movement (SNM) from the Hawd and reserve the area. In 1988 there occurred a clash between the government forces and SNM soldiers. The SNM fighters captured most of the northern regions of Somalia (now known as Somaliland).
The government took revenge by indiscriminately killing civilians. They killed thousands of innocent people. They destroyed homes, livelihoods and took claim of the properties. More than half a million people fled Somalia, and crossed the border to neighbouring countries, with those unable to flee displaced and helpless, becoming refugees in their now completely destroyed regions.
The Somaliland people continued to suffer as victims of brutality, as crimes against humanity were being perpetrated by Somalia’s military regime under the authority of the Somali Government. Internationally condemned, many Human Rights’ organizations, and western states documented the war crimes and genocide acts committed against the people of Somaliland.
There are internationally documented mass graves across Somaliland, particularly in the big cities, such as Hargeisa, Berbera, Erigavo and other Somaliland towns and villages. Unfortunately, the International community failed so far to bring those war criminals to justice. Mona Rishmawi, a Palestinian lawyer who also worked for the Independent International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), was speaking to reporters after returning from a visit to the Horn of Africa.
“The story of the massacres has to be told because it is a horrible story”, she said. Adding “People have to understand that systematic killing of civilians, even in a situation of chaos and civil war, when hundreds of people are rounded up and massacred, is just not acceptable”. Rishmawi recommended an effort to set-up an international criminal court in Somalia stating: “It is very important for the integrity of the U.N. human rights system that we deal with such events”.Still, in efforts to establish an enquiry, Rishmawi commented on progress, noting that discussions would start soon on setting up an international criminal court.
Somali war criminals must be brought before courts of law to charge them with the crimes against humanity they committed preventing repeating it.
It appeared that Somaliland has been worst memories and not ready to reunite again with Somalia. Somaliland will stay as independent sovereign state forever. Somaliland ha as solemn and unyielding case and the idiotic theory of so-called greater Somalia would be not revived.
Somalilanders are jubilant and keen on to linger sovereign state even if they don’t succeeded to gain international diplomatic recognition.
Finally, Somaliland is expecting dazzling future and not prepared to acquire perilous unification with Somalia.
I am stressing here Somalia to govern themselves and Somaliland to be left alone.
Thanks for your attention,
Abdi Abdillahi Hassan,
Berbera, Somaliland
