Somaliland : The “Dubai Charter” Agreement is… By: Ahmed Kheyre

 

 
 
The “Dubai Charter” agreement is not worth the paper it is written on. The so-called agreement is worthless, why? Because when the President of Somaliland , Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud “Silaanyo” met with the head of the interim transitional federal government in Somalia , Sheikh Sharif; it was a meeting of a directly and democratically elected leader and an appointed caretaker.
 
 
Whilst, President Silaanyo has the mandate to enter into any agreement from the people of Somaliland , Sheikh Sharif did not have such a mandate from Somalia .
 
 
According to a senior Somaliland political analyst “ The whole basis of the so-called “Dubai Charter” is for Somaliland to show the international community that it is willing to engage a democratically elected entity from Somalia, and to also find access to the vast amounts of money available to the political players in the region. But, this charter is still-born because the Sheikh represents no one but his own acolytes who are desperate not to lose their per-diem if they don’t talk to Somaliland ”
 
 
“Since the time of the late President Egal, successive Somaliland governments” continued the analysts “have declined to engage any entity from Somalia that did not have democratic credentials. I presume that the current government has decided to change this policy, but, I hope not for the sake of money. Because, frankly since the issue of Somaliland ’s sovereignty will not be discussed at all, the whole agreement is redundant”.
 
 
Meanwhile, the “Dubai Charter’s” worthlessness has been clearly demonstrated by the statements coming from the competing camps in the bid to replace the interim transitional federal government, who have all declared that it is null and void.
 
 
This should not surprise old Somali hands, because the defunct Somali Republic has never kept to an agreement or a treaty in its entire existence. From the union of Somaliland and Somalia in 1960 to the one with the old Soviet Union in 1970’s, to the present day.
 
 
For example, when the late dictator Said Barre took power in a coup d’etat, he declared all agreements by the civilian administrations from the Somali Republic since 1960 were null and void, in fact, the Somali Republic itself was nullified to be replaced by the now defunct Somali Democratic Republic.
 
 
So, it will not come as a surprise that any agreement entered into by Somaliland with the current interim transitional federal government will be nullified by whatever entity that replaces it in August 2012.
 
 
The much heralded “Dubai Charter” was just another conference hosted by a rich and benevolent host. A social gathering, not more, nothing less.
 
 
Until the issue of Somaliland ’s sovereignty as front and centre at any future conferences, then it’s all much to do about nothing.