Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Cirro has argued that if Somalis are to be unified, Djibouti, the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia, and the Northeastern Region of Kenya need to join Somalia first, and then Somaliland can be discussed.
“If Somali unity is desired, Djibouti should join Somalia, it used to be part of it; the Somali Region of Ethiopia should not join Somalia; the NFD should not join. If the world wants Somali unity, they should unite. What made the unity of Somalia and Somaliland special?” Cirro told Sky News Arabia.
He said many governments in the world do not fully understand Somali history, noting that the Somali region in the Horn of Africa was divided into five parts in 1884 after the Berlin Conference, and that Somaliland became the first part to gain independence from colonialism in 1960, recognizing 35 countries including Israel.
Therefore, he said that the responsibility entrusted to him is to convey the message of Somaliland to the world, noting that the Somaliland people rejected the union shortly after, and were subjected to abuses, which caused them to stand apart. He said that another union is never possible.
The conflict between Somaliland and the Federal Government of Somalia flared up again late last year after the Israeli government recognized Somaliland, which angered the Somali leaders.
Somaliland, for its part, is conducting a diplomatic campaign to seek international recognition, defending the issue of its recognition in international forums.
