Garowe, June 17, 2000

To:

EXCELLENCIES,

The Government of PUNTLAND STATE OF SOMALIA informs Your Excellencies and the entire international community of its irrevocable decision today to pull out of the Djibouti sponsored Somali Conference.

This decision follows extensive consultations with the members of the House of Representatives, Council of Ministers and traditional community elders, who have returned from Arta Conference in Djibouti for a fact-Finding Mission.

The Government of PUNTLAND STATE OF SOMALIA,

CONVINCED that the entire Arta Conference is a Djibouti show for a narrow political and economic objectives,

AWARE that the Government of Djibouti is dictating both the agenda and the outcome of Arta Conference;

AWARE that the Djibouti Government has been compiling and selecting delegates’ lists inside Djibouti from among its own friends and enticed tourists,

AWARE that the Arta Conference intentionally failed to address the real issues of a national reconciliation in a hasty fashion to produce a predetermined outcome,

AWARE that Somalis had not been given the chance to conduct national issues in a free environment to sort out their differences without any outside interference or pressure,

AWARE that the Government Djibouti has neither the resource nor the technical know-how including the Mainland Somali culture and political, social and economic realities in our country;

KNOWING that the Djibouti Government has grossly violated the world consensus on Building Blocks in resolving Somali crisis and addressing the relief and humanitarian needs of the country;

KNOWING that the Government of Djibouti has been conducting the ill-fated Arta Conference in secrecy and suspicious fashion, closing the door on the international community;

Has resolved:

1. To pull out of the Djibouti sponsored Arta Conference;
2. To ignore and not recognize any outcome of Arta Conference
3. To inform the international community that PUNTLAND STATE OF SOMALIA has no any official delegates sent to Arta to represent Puntland State communities and that any attempt by Djibouti authorities to hand-pick persons to represent us will be considered an illegal act and hostile provocation against Puntland State.
4. To appeal to international community not to recognize the would-be result of Arta Conference as this will be definitely inconsistent with today’s Somali reality.