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SomaliNet Forum (Archive): RA'YIGA DADWEYNAHA - Your Opinion: Somalia: Archive (Before October 29, 2000 #2): Who is our enemy
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ismaaciil

Thursday, October 12, 2000 - 09:25 pm
Is this man (Bernhard Helander) telling the truth.Is this our enemy. Aren't we blaming
for our problems to someone who did nothing else but put his house inorder?


The northern 'enemies'

There are few issues in the south that have created an equal amount of
concerted opinion as the animosity expressed against the secession of
Somaliland. Nearly every one of the twenty or so 'peace agreements' that
southern factions have signed throughout the war starts off with the phrase
"The unity of Somalia is sacred." The implicit reference to Somaliland (that
never took part in any of these conferences) couldn't be made clearer. The
fact that Somaliland's economy has gradually improved and the political
stability is admirable has not impressed many southerners. With the former
capital in ruins and in a political climate characterised by increasing
fission of even originally tiny fragments there is at least the common enemy
Somaliland to bemoan. It is as if the declared secession was to blame for
all the disasters that the south has suffered and while Puntland does not
officially claim anything else than it's willingness to be part of a future
federal Somalia, it too is seen as a threat to the re-emergence of a united
Somali Republic.

It is in this context that we should view the Djibouti conference, the
parliament and the president it selected. It is in the possibility of
confrontation between Puntland/Somaliland and the south that the real
threats lie. And to be fair we must allow the thought that Djibouti has not
invested in this huge conference out of unselfish interests in bringing
about peace in the very distant southern Somalia. Djibouti is a barren
desert that survives on generous French aid and the Ethiopian transit trade.
Recently France has substantially reduced its support and a small but
increasing share of the Ethiopian trade now goes through Somaliland instead.
To make the point very clear one should also be aware that the part of
Somaliland that borders on Djibouti comprises some excellent farming land.