Subject: Somalia News Update, No 16
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In this issue:
* THE SECRETARY-GENERAL'S REPORT, ABDIRAHMAN "TUUR", AND SOMALILAND
* SOMALILAND'S RECOGNITION OF SOUTH YEMEN: WHAT'S IN IT FOR THEM?
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S O M A L I A N E W S U P D A T E
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Vol 3, No 16 May 28, 1994. ISSN 1103-1999
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Somalia News Update is published irregularly via electronic mail and
fax. Questions can be directed to Bernhard.Helander@antro.uu.se or
to fax number +46-18-151160. All SNU marked material is free to
quote as long as the source is clearly stated.
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THE SECRETARY-GENERAL'S REPORT, ABDIRAHMAN "TUUR", AND SOMALILAND
(SNU, Uppsala, May 28) - On Tuesday the secretary-general of the UN
presented his latest report to the security council. As expected, he
requests the council to prolong the mandate of UNOSOM II, which
expires on May 31, with an additional 6 months. The total expected
cost for the period is set at nearly half a billion US dollars
(467,000,000).
The report contains relatively few surprises; the final date for
UNOSOM's engagement is still March 1995 and during the six-month
period to come, a cautious phasing out of the UN troops is to be
initiated. However, a novelty in the report is that before the
withdrawal begins, the secretary-general wants additional troops
to be sent to the north-east. This part of Somalia has throughout the
war been characterized by remarkable stability, with the exception of
turmoil during the promulgation of the UN-designed district councils.
Even more remarkable is the size of the contingent requested:
including troops directed towards the central regions, the secretary-
general writes that "at least two battalions" would be needed. In
terms of number of troops this would mean the deployment of 900-2000
UN soldiers in an area whose major problem is the dispute with the
neighbouring Somaliland, the independence of which is not recognized
by the UN.
On the Somaliland issue, the secretary-general reiterates the
phrasings of the last security council resolution on Somalia (No 897)
by emphasising that the March accord between SSA and SNA asserted the
territorial integrity of Somalia.
The paragraphs 14 and 15 of the report are the most remarkable.
They account for the recent attempts to reinstate the former
president of the Somaliland republic, Abdirahman "Tuur", as the
spokesperson for the people of the northern break-away republic.
Ridiculing the massive protests that occurred in Somaliland following
Tuur's denunciation of the independence, by putting both Somaliland
and President within inverted commas, the report goes on to
acknowledge the UN's awareness that Abdirahman "Tuur" no longer holds
neither the chairmanship of the SNM or the presidency of Somaliland.
The report carefully uses past tense to refer to "Tuur"; "...Mr.
Abdirahman Ahmed Ali, who had been Chairman of SNM before the Boroma
Conference which elected a new administration...".
Somalia News Update has been informed by UNOSOM's spokesman
George Bennett the legitimacy of leaders signing UN-brokered peace
agreements is of little concern for UNOSOM. Bennett writes that the
fact that Abdirahman "Tuur's" chairmanship in the SNM expired well
over a year ago is of little importance and points out that there are
other factional leaders whose terms of office are also long overdue.
Last week UNOSOM's Hargeysa office were asked by Mogadishu to
confirm a rumour that Abdirahman "Tuur" had been denied entry to
Somaliland at the Hargeysa office, but the rumour turned out to be
without foundation. Later on, however, Djibouti declined to issue a
visa for "Tuur" on the grounds that they could not guarantee his
safety. He has now returned to London where the exiled Somaliland
community, including many members of his own clan, are currently
seeking to persuade him to withdraw his denunciation of Somaliland.
In a parallel development, Osman Jama has now withdrawn his
support for Abdirahman "Tuur" and SNM's taking part in the southern
peace conference. Jama was one of the persons who appeared together
with Abdirahman "Tuur" at the press conference in Addis when the
announcement to join the southern movement's peace conference was
first made. He has recently appeared at conferences organized by the
international right-wing movement Moral Rearmament (MRA) and was
presented in Addis Ababa as a member of the newly founded "Executive
Committee" of Abdirahman "Tuur".
UNOSOM announced yesterday that the meeting between all the
factions, including SNM, is due to start in Nairobi next week.
Abdirahman "Tuur's" participation must be regarded as extremely
uncertain. Without support from the loyals that he has appointed,
with growing protests from within his own sub-clan and with even the
secretary-general acknowledging that Abdirahman "Tuur's" term of
office is expired, the it remains doubtful what he will be able to
achieve.
SOMALILAND'S RECOGNITION OF SOUTH YEMEN: WHAT'S IN IT FOR THEM?
(SNU, Uppsala, May 27) - A press release issued by the Presidency of
the Republic of Somaliland on 23 May expresses understanding for and
recognition of the independence of neighbouring South Yemen. Although
this decision may seem premature there are at least three possible
reasons behind it.
First of all, it may be seen as a high-risk gamble. In the case
South Yemen goes winning out of the conflict, Somaliland will have
found a very important friend. Currently there appears to be good
chances for such a development and, furthermore, South Yemen has
during the civil war been able to amass support for its cause from
all the major Arab states.
A second possible incentive is suggested in the press release
itself by its reference to "our own bitter experience". Like
Somaliland voluntarily entered into a union with the former Italian
colony in the south, South Yemen voluntarily gave up their
independence three years ago when North and South Yemen joined in a
union. So far the international community has remained unmoved by
Somaliland's decision to step out of the union with the conflict-
ridden south. However, the parallelism with South Yemen's case is
obvious and Hargeysa may hope this to serve as an example for those
countries in the region who have appeared hesitant to recognize
Somaliland.
The third reason behind Hargeysa's move is probably to be sought
in the old and well-established ties between Aden and Berbera. A
large amount of the export from Berbera has always been directed to
Aden. Aden has, besides the unfortunate Somali refugees,
traditionally held a substantial number inhabitants of northern
Somali origin.
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SNU is an entirely independent newsletter devoted to critical
analysis of the political and humanitarian developments in Somalia
and Somaliland. SNU is edited and published by Dr. Bernhard Helander,
Uppsala University, Sweden. SNU is produced with support from the
Scandinavian Institute of African Studies, Uppsala, Sweden.
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