We the elders and representatives of Makhir (Sanaag region) & Khatumo (Sool region & Bohodle) in UK wish to bring to the attention of the International community our views on the dialogue between Somalia and & the self-declared Somaliland (Isaaq clans), which are as follows:

     The Basis of the Dialogue 

1. The dialogue between Somalia and the self-declared Somaliland should be conducted within the framework of the territorial integrity, sovereignty, political independence and unity of Somalia.
   
2. The Traditional Elders of Isaaq clans were part of the 135 Elders representing all the Somali clans and who nominated their representatives to the Constituent Assembly that adopted the provisional Constitution as well as their members of the new parliament. The Deputy Prime Minister &Foreign Minister of the Federal Government is from Isaaq clan. Thus, the Isaaq clans are represented in the Federal Institutions of Somalia.
3. The dialogue, therefore, should be on the basis that the self-declared Somaliland is a regional state of Somalia like Puntland and Gulmudug and Not as an independent state.
4. Self-declared Somaliland represents the Isaaq clans and cannot represent Makhir, Khatumo, Awdal and other clans even though its delegation may include members of these clans. These are employees of self-declared Somaliland authorities.
5. It should be noted that all levers of power in the self-declared Somaliland are in the hands of Isaaq clans. All political, economic, financial, educational, security and government positions are concentrated in the hands of the Isaaq clans.
6. The recent local government elections in the self-declared Somaliland and its aftermath lifted the veil off the Isaaq clan nature of the self-declared Somaliland.
7. The successive authorities established new regions and districts in the areas inhabited by the Isaaq clans and passed flawed electoral laws. The seven political organisations that contested the elections were all associated with one or more of the Isaaq clans.
8. At the election of the mayors of the districts, the councillors discarded their party labels and voted for their clansman. The party was a vehicle for advancing clan interest.
9. The three political parties that are certified to nominate the presidential and parliamentary candidates for the coming ten years are all associated with all the Isaaq clans except the Arab clan whose political organisation, Xaqsoor, did not qualify to be certified.
10. In this context, the Isaaq clans with the support of the self-declared Somaliland are involved in grabbing the traditional territories of Makhir, Khatumo & Awdal clans. The fighting in Sool and Bohodle areas is a continuation of the civil war initiated by the SNM ((Isaaq Movement). The human right abuses, including the prevention of nomads and their livestock from accessing water points, committed by the security forces in Sool, Bohodle and Awdal are designed to compel the inhabitants to flee their territories so they may be occupied by Isaaq clans. Some political and traditional leaders of the self-declared Somaliland advocated the cleansing of other clans from their traditional territories to facilitate the occupation of all the northern regions of Somalia by the Isaaq clans.
     
11.  We should recall that the local government of British Somaliland that negotiated the independence and union with the then UN Trusteeship of Somalia in 1960 consisted of four ministers; two ministers representing the Isaaq clans and two ministers representing the other four clans that was not fair even then.
12.  At the federal parliament the Isaaq clans are represented by 28 MPs while the other four clans are represented by 30 MPs. At the federal government, the Isaaq clans are represented by a cabinet minister and two vice ministers while the other four clans of the northern regions of Somalia are represented by two ministers of State and two vice ministers. So, there is parity between the clans of the former British Somaliland at the federal level while in the self-declared Somaliland these four clans are marginalised.
13. These clans constitute almost half the population of the Northern Regions of Somalia/ former British Somaliland Protectorate and inhabit more than two thirds of the land area. They exclusively inhabit 11 of the twenty districts (Dhahar, Badhan, Las Qoray, Taleh, Hudon, Las Anod, Bohodle, Borama, Baki, Lughaye, Sayla) while two districts, Erigabo, Gabile, are mixed districts. The Isaaq clans exclusively inhabit the other seven districts (Burao, Sheikh, Odweyne, Berbera, Aynabo, Eil Afweyn and Hargeisa).
14. Therefore, we seek the support of the international community including Turkey so that  the Federal Republic of Somalia to include  in the dialogue, in a tripartite format, the representatives of Makhir , Khatumo & Awdal clans, who are independent of self-declared Somaliland for the aforementioned reasons, so as to safe guard their political, economic, security and social interests.
15. The dialogue should be confined to the integration of the self-declared Somaliland to the road map and to tackling illegal fishing, dumping of toxic waste in Somali waters, piracy and terrorism and coordinating the distribution of humanitarian aid.
16. If concessions, which should not be at the expense of other clans, are accorded to the self-declared Somaliland (Isaaq clans), then equal concessions should be extended to the other four clans to be equally distributed between them.

We hope that our views shall be given due consideration.

1. Hassan Mohamed Salah( Makhir)
2. Mohamed Haji Abdurrahman(Khatumo)
   Email:Hassan.salah@gmail.com