By Osman Hassan

Dear Ambassador Kay

As you know, President Abdirahman Faroole has launched an all-out attack on the town of Taleex, the provisional capital of Khaatumo State, on 28 November, deploying, according to some reliable reports, around 60 gun-mounted “technicals”, a clutch of armoured vehicles and a large infantry forces. Judging from interviews given by the local population to both Somali and international media, President Faroole has thrown almost all his military arsenal into this military adventure which amounts to an invasion. Clearly, his war aim was to deny the people of KhaatumoState to hold their conference at Taleex in order to decide peacefully on the formation of their government that is to replace the current transitional one- all in line with their democratic and God-given human rights.

The result of Farooles’ military incursion into Taleex entails the killing of innocent, unarmed civilians in their homes, indiscriminate wholesale destruction of the town and the displacement of almost the whole population. These reprehensible actions clearly amount to war crimes against the civilian population. Sooner or later, the perpetrators of these war crimes would be brought to justice before a court in Somalia, or, failing that, before the ICC.

In the eyes of President Faroole, the crime of his victims at Taleex was to exercise their inalienable rights to assemble and hold their conference. Under the circumstances, the people of Taleex, Khaatumo and the wider Somalia, were looking to you, as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, to do more than expressing mere sympathy “for the victims” on both sides, equating the invader and the invaded. They expected you to demand President Faroole to cease his aggression in Taleex, withdraw his militia immediately and unconditionally, and henceforth refrain from interfering in their internal affairs . This, sadly, you have not done.

In gauging the sentiments of the people of Khaatumo from the media and also from their teleconferences, what pains them most is what they consider as your blasé and partisan reaction to the war crimes committed by Puntland against them at Taleex. In response to this grave matter, you have merely expressed, in your statement of 30 November, your “deep concern about the “recent outbreak of violence in the northern region of Sool” and flagged the danger that this “violence” holds for “Puntland’s peace and stability”, an environment you rightly deem “critical to their forthcoming election process”.

But what is conspicuously glaring about your statement is your denial of Khaatmo State, which you failed to mention by name as if it is a renegade or pariah entity; or the right of its people to have “peace” from their predatory neighbours; or to support their right to hold their conference and elections; or censure Puntland for its naked invasion of Khaatumo State. What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander and if Puntland has a right to peaceful elections and overall stability, so does Khaatumo. Both have equal status in the Somali constitution and hence equal rights. That is the principle which your Office is expected to uphold and not undermine.

As a former UN staff, still actively engaged in activities related to human rights, conflict resolution and the quest for a peaceful, stable and united Somalia, I fear that the stance you have taken towards Puntland’s predatory designs on the SSC regions, and, worse, your indecisive bland reaction to its current indefensible crimes at Taleex can only send a negative message about you and UNSOM to many Somalis – and not only those in the Khaatmo State: that you are partisan, a perception detrimental to the success of your mission to which all peace-loving Somalis attach so much importance.

Injustice tolerated or indulged in one part of Somalia by your Office, as Puntland has been, would serve as a Pandora box that other strong regions/clans could use against their weaker neighbours. That could unravel the “peace and stability” we all yearn for and take us back to the bad old days of the survival of the fittest after the collapse of the State.

As a Somali and as a former UN staff member, I have as much interest in the success of your mission. And from both perspectives, I feel duty-bound to ring the alarm bells when I see deviation from the mandate of your Office. This is meant as a constructive contribution to your mission and trust that you will see it that way.

Sincerely Yours
Osman Hassan
Geneva
Email: ohassanomar@yahoo.co.uk