Hargeisa (The horn) Recent acrimonies between the government of Somaliland and the United Nations are only dissipating as a result of tack diplomacy. The acrimonies said to have been in the works for a long time became over in mid October this year when the government suspended working relations with all UN agencies in the country indefinitely. This first shirt which was fired through a circular by the ministry of planning and national Coordination was followed a few days later by President Muse Bihi who accused the Mogadishu based UN special Representative of turning UN agencies into political agents thus the global body based its next five-year plan on the Somali government’s plan and tried to implement it in Somaliland. “The UN should either respect our sovereignty or leave us alone” President Bihi as he delivered the keynote speech during the 4th Kulmiye party central committee summit in Hargeisa. A few days later the UN Secretary-general special Representative for Somaliland and Somalia Ambassador James Swan initiated talks by telephone with president Bihi in which both sides agreed to pursue avenues of resolving the dispute, reportedly that of establishing mechanisms for the treatment of Somaliland separate from Somalia by agencies of the global body. This was hailed by citizens as a major success for Somaliland having come out fearlessly in its stance of never giving in to any entity that doesn’t respect its Sovereignty despite being unrecognized International. Now a second discussion again by telephone between President Bihi and SRSG James Swan have come up with three points leading to full restoration of working relations between the UN and Somaliland. Somaliland government and the United Nations have recently been embroiled in a bitter feud, after the government said the United Nations based its next five-year plan on the Somali government’s plan and tried to implement it in Somaliland. As a result, Somaliland suspended all UN activities in Somaliland. Though no official word has been forthcoming from either party our sources which are close to the negotiations indicate that mid last week a discussion initiated from Mogadishu by SRSG with President Bihi concurred on the imperatives of resolving the dispute amicably thus resume working relations without delay According to the source the two agreed that to achieve the state objectives and more so de-escalate tensions s both sides should handle the matter diplomatic ally, cease use of rhetoric in the media and itemize grievances for resolution. While we awaiting final conclusion of this matter of which President Bihi has received public support it is hoped that the UN shall finally capitulate to the decades old demand that Somaliland be treated separately from Somalia as the issue of sovereignty recognition is pursued.
