To: The leaders of the Somali Federal Government;
Representatives of Foreign Governments to Somalia;
Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the UN,
Representative of the European Union.
Subject: Participation of the Inauguration of the new President of Khaatumo State
We, the under-mentioned, representing a wide cross section of Somali society, comprising traditional leaders, members of parliament and other dignitaries, and hailing from different regions of Somalia, would like to express from the outset our to thanks to the people and government of Khaatumo for inviting us to the inauguration of their new president, His Excellency Professor Ali Khalif Galaidh. We would like to express also our deep appreciation for their warm hospitality for which they are renowned under difficult hostile situation imposed on them by their neighbours.
Having now returned to Mogadishu, we would like to convey the following statements to the Somali government and people and the wider international community:
– First and foremost, we have witnessed throughout our travels and stay in the Khaatumo territory from Somaliland’s occupation, and taking cognizance of the demonstration in favour of Khaatumo and Somalia’s unity elsewhere in the occupied Khaatumo regions, that the overwhelming desire of the Khaatumo people is to be part of Somalia and their rejection and opposition, in words and deeds, to be part of Somaliland’s secession, a stance which brought upon them Somaliland’s forceful invasion and continued occupation of Khaatumo regions;
– We have seen from firsthand the desire of the Khaatumo people to exercise their fundamental inalienable human right to free peaceful assembly, to elect their members of parliament and their leaders at the conference in Saaxdheer in the Sool region of Khaatumo;
– We have witnessed to our great shock the naked unprovoked attack on the town of Saaxdheer, and in particular the venue of the conference, by Somaliland’s occupying militia, causing immense damage to property, loss of innocent civilian lives and causing displacement of civilian population from their homes, actions that amount to war crimes.
– And all this because the people of Khaatumo chose to exercise their right to peaceful assembly, their right to elect their own leaders, and form their own administration in order to manage their own affairs for the benefit of their people – rights other regions and clans of Somalia had come to take for granted;
– Needless to say, the aim of Somaliland’s attack on Saaxdheer, as is its overall occupation of the Khaatumo regions, is clearly to break the determination of the people Khaatumo and deny them the right to exercise their fundamental human rights to free assembly, to choose their government, and force them to succumb to Somaliland’s secession;
– Unless the international community acts promptly and resolutely to prevail over Somaliland (and other neighbours of Khaatumo that make similar spurious claims on these Somalia regions), we fear that its occupation of parts of the Khaatumo regions, and its use of force to deny the people of Khaatumo their fundamental inalienable human rights to remain part and parcel of Somalia, would lead, and indeed is already leading, to an armed resistance that could threaten the peace and stability of the whole region – conditions that are auspicious for al Shabaab’s intervention;
– Under the circumstances, we welcome the call of the representatives of the United Nations, the European Union, and the United States to Somalia on Somaliland to withdraw its militia from Saaxdheer, but are dismayed that Somaliland has once again elected to ignore this call just as it has ignored a similar request when it earlier invaded Taleex, the provisional capital of Khaatumo, an act which necessitated the venue of the conference to be moved to Saaxdheer;
– In view of Somaliland’s continued disregard of the call of the international community, and for the sake of peace and stability in the region, we urge the international community to pressure Somaliland to the extent possible to respect international human rights law and the constitution of Somalia and withdraw its militia from Khaatumo regions.
– Last but not least, we are deeply dismayed that the Somali Federal Government has largely failed to defend the rights of its people in the Khaatumo regions in words and actions in contrast to the stand taken by the international Community. Such a passive stance only encourages Somaliland’s secession and occupation of the Khaatumo regions to the detriment of Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Respectfully
- Traditional leader, Ugaas Abdi Dahir
- Traditional leader Ugaas Mohamed Bashir
- Traditional leader Aden Deria Ibrahim
- Traditional leader Aways Sheikh Hussein Honero
- leader, Abdullah
- Traditional leader Mohamed Hashi
- Paramount Chief Omar
- Sheikh Ibrahim Yusuf
- Dignitary Khalif Warsama Wasuge
- Traditional leader Maalin Mohamoud Ali Mohamed
