Puntland's Position on Somali Peace Process in Arta (Djibouti)

Response to Security Council's Press Release (SC/6883) of June 29^th 2000

July 4, 2000 - Garowe

Ref: MW/DPS/SCD2/2000

To: The Members of the Security Council, New York

Cc: The Secretary General of the UN, New York

The Heads of the States of Somalia' Neighboring Countries

IGAD Heads of States

Organization of Africa Union

League of Arab Nations

Organization of Islamic Conference

Your Excellencies

With reference to the Security Council's Press Release (SC/6883) on June 29^th 2000, on the current Djibouti-sponsored Somali Peace Talks, Puntland government and people would like to keep you abreast of its position and what prompted Her to pull out of these talks.

Your Excellencies,

As you may recall, Puntland has been out of its way to express its support for President Omar Guelleh's statement at the General Assembly on 22^nd September last year. We in Puntland expected that his Excellency's plan, given the correct application, was going to bear fruit for Somalia. Unfortunately Djibouti has derailed what would have been a real attempt to reconcile the Somalis. Puntland tried to intervene and correct the situation with the following recommendations:

• That the representation of the delegates to the Meeting would be based on Somalia 18 regions and the districts of this these regions. This would have given the conference a broad-based democratic representation which it lacks now.
• That the reconciliation talks be held inside Somalia especially in the Peaceful areas. Puntland offered to host such a conference but it was not a precondition.
• That the deliberations would be left for the Somalis. Twelve Peace reconciliation initiatives sponsored by International organizations or by foreign governments had been held all ended in failure. It was our thinking that Somalis can reconcile among themselves given the time and the means.
• That international organization UN, EU, Arab League, OAU, IGAD, should participate in the talks as observers.
• That Djibouti assumes the Chairmanship of the Talks
• That talks would be given ample time frame enough to sort out differences among the Somali delegates.
• That a representative federal government based on these regions be created.

Unfortunately, these recommendations earned Puntland to be ostracized, its stability undermined, and unholy tirade unleashed against it. Worse than that, the Djibouti authorities have taken sides in Somalia's clan-based civil war.

In its desperate attempt to save the talks, Puntland sent a delegation led by its Vice President and the most prominent traditional community leaders (the main clan chieftains) to scrutinize Djibouti's plan and to try to convince Djibouti to make amendments in its plan. To their dismay, Djibouti chose to ignore them. This delegation returned to Puntland with disappointment and shunned the talks.

Puntland opposition groups were incited to put Puntland on par with the chaotic places elsewhere in Somalia and were invited to the talks in Djibouti in the place of a legitimate Puntland delegation. These opposition groups are the people who now claim to represent Puntland in the current Arta talks against the will of the people of Puntland.

The so-called Djibouti Reconciliation talks were diverted from its path, and it is on fast track to destabilize the only "stable areas" in Somalia, let alone establishing law and order in anarchy-ridden Somalia.

We appreciate that members of the Security Council voiced their concern on the Somalia situation. Some knowledgeable members of the Council stated that Djibouti conference lacks full representation of the Somalis. We acknowledge that full representation would be a must for the talks to succeed, since the lack of it would only prolong the clan-based strife and ensuing anarchy.

We also appreciate the statements by those representatives of the Security who showed concern on the plight of our people, the Somalis, who have been subjected to unnecessary hardships by warlords and the former dictatorial regime.

Somalia has a unique clan culture. Clan-wide unanimity on any pacification drive is a prerequisite for a viable reconciliation. The outcome of an ill-represented conference like the ongoing one in Arta, would try to legitimize the subjugation of the "building blocks by an unpopular, undemocratic central government imposed by the Djibouti authorities.

Giving recognition and support to the outcome of the Djibouti manipulated Somali Conference would only lead to further insecurity and strife, and it is our hope that the Security Council would not be tricked into becoming the Insecurity Council for the Somalis.

Djibouti has launched a media campaign to berate the Puntland state in particular in an attempt to discredit it in the eyes of the international community. We'd like to express our thanks and appreciation to representatives of USA, Her excellency Nancy Soderberg, the representative of the UK, His Excellency Sir Jeremy Greenstock, for understanding of the situation as shown by their statement at the Security Councils meeting.

Puntland honors the appeal by some members of the Security Council for our participation, and would like to bring their attention that Puntland would never shun any just reconciliation attempt to correct the Somali situation, but would play a vital role, provided it is just, democratic, unbiased, well-represented and broad-based. It is so unfortunate that this conference aims at destroying the building blocks of peace reconciliation and reunification of Somalia.

We request the Security Council to intervene and:

• Send a fact-finding mission to Puntland to enquire about allegation of human rights abuses in Puntland and the suppression of the Puntland people, that Djibouti had been propagating in its media and diplomatic campaign to malign and alienate Puntland in order to succeed in its lopsided plan.
• Not to give recognition and support the outcome of the so-called Djibouti reconciliation. This would only create instability and political chaos in the peaceful part of Somalia, the oases of peace in Somalia's black hole of anarchy.
• To help the Somalis reconcile among themselves without undue interference from any foreign entities, but with observers from the international. Puntland is ready to host such a conference and in fact having been making contacts to pursue that initiative.
• Not allow the top-down approach, a synonym of a centralized government; What Djibouti has in mind is to impose on us as an interim government, to become a substitute for the much acclaimed, cherished "bottom-up" approach which would serve solid foundation for a broad-based democracy in our country. If a centralized interim government is imposed on Somalis, it will only deteriorate the situation further and would be a recipe for grooming another dictatorial regime in Somalia.

Your Excellencies,

We pick up this opportunity to send our thanks and appreciation to those who have showed sympathy, felt concerned about our suffering and who came to our rescue. Our thanks also go to International Aid Organizations and NGOs that tried to alleviate the suffering of our people.

Thank you very much,

Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed

(The President of Puntland State Of Somalia)