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| Somaliland Vice President H. E. Abdirahman Abdilahi Sayli |
Honourable MPs, Friends of Somaliland, Ladies and
gentlemen, we are delighted to be received in this landmark of democracy, the
mother of all parliaments, this House of Commons.
These days my country celebrates
22th Anniversary of its second republic, established after a hard and costly
struggle in which thousands lost their lives, whole towns destroyed by the
tyranny of military dictatorship.
My Somaliland received its
independence after nearly a century under British protectorate, on 26th June
1960. With the spirit of freedom and solidarity, we united with the other part
of Somali territory that gained its independence after 4 days, The Somali
Italia, anticipating the union of all five Somali territories.
The unfair treatment of our people
in Ex British Protectorate destroyed the hope and ambition of all Somalis to be
under one country the so called Greater Somalia.
After a decade of veracious war
against the people of Somaliland by then the third strongest military in
Africa, we succeeded to free our land from one of the cruellest of
dictatorships and establish Somaliland a democratic and peace loving nation.
Without external help, we succeeded
to rebuild our destroyed nation physically, institutionally and spiritually. We
established a multi-party democracy where rule of the law is the norm. WE
undertook five free and democratic elections: two Presidential elections, one
parliamentary and two local government elections.
All these elections where concluded
fairly and in peace as witnessed by international independent election
monitoring teams, including team from UK and European Union. In the last
presidential election held in 2010, we witnessed the first peaceful change of
leadership in the entire Horn of Africa. We, my party KULMIYE then an
opposition won the election, giving me and our President the chance to rule our
beloved nation for five years.
Our government appreciates British
role in reconciliation effort to make Somalia a functioning and peaceful
country. However, it must be clear to all that Somaliland is not Somalia; it is
entirely a different state. That is why we have to negotiate as two independent
states seeking a mutual relationship of brotherhood and friendship. In that
spirit we attended February 2012 All Somali conference here in London under the
sponsorship of British Government. We were not part of reconciliation for
Somalia, but as stated in point six of the conference agreement, we attended in
equal footing with Somalia. Two governments negotiating for better
relationship. We thank Britain for that.
We are thankful to U.K for its
direct help in security and economic development. We look forward for more and
perpetual relationship to the benefit of our citizens. We share hundreds of
thousands of citizens that have both nationalities. They play a major role in
rebuilding Somaliland. They are the bridge that links our two countries.
Honourable MPs and fellow friends of
Somaliland, despite our entire successful endeavour to establish a functioning
peaceful democracy in a region where both peace and democracy is rarely heard,
we are not recognized by the international community.
With our historic link between our
nations, we ask United Kingdom to help us achieve the inalienable right this
nation deserves: to join international community as sovereign and independent
nation. We satisfied all conditions necessary for a functioning and democratic
country. Our nation is instituted with the free will of its people, without any
external influence. That will is the ultimate that shapes our future as an
independent and sovereign state.
I ask your honourable MPs to
spearhead for a mutual and strong relationship between our countries. We ask UK
to be at the front of all nations in supporting us to gain the long waited
recognition of the international community.
Thank you for giving me this
opportunity to share with you the aspiration of our people.
The Vice President of Somaliland
HE. Abdirahman Abdilahi Sayli
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