HARGEISA (Halbeeg News) – Somaliland authorities in northern Somalia have expressed their willingness to hold talks with Somalia.
Speaking to Nairobi based paper, Busiweek, the region’s foreign Affairs minister Prof. Yasin Haji Mohamud Hiir Faraton Somaliiland remains committed in finding a lasting solution in the stalled talks with Somalia.
He urged Somali leaders show its commitment to the talks which restarted early in the year in Djibouti but have since stalled.
“Everyone knew Somaliland’s participation in the dialogue, and was ready to resolve the dispute between the two sides, Somalia ruined it, if they show any new interest to discuss, Somaliland is ready,” he said. “We want a lasting solution to this because we want to move on as a country. We have so many internal matters to handle including providing better livelihood to our people, building our infrastructure and our economy. But it is also important that we live in peace with our neighbours, Somalia being one of them.”
In 1991, Somaliland announced to have broken with Somalia which formerly consist of former British Somaliland Protectorate and former Italian Somaliland but did not gain international recognition.
The United Nations and global organizations had forced Somalis including stakeholders from Somaliland and Somalia to hold talks to iron out their differences.
In 2011, Somalia and Somaliland had started talks to decide their fate barely 21 years after Somaliland declared to have seceded from the rest of Somalia.
This year, the sides met in Djibouti to proceed talks by forming committees to facilitates talks.
The former Italian colony attained its independence on July 1, 1960 and on the same day it merged with the former British Somaliland Protectorate, which had obtained independence five days earlier on June 26.
In 1980 alleged massacres by former autocratic regime of Siad Barre in northern regions had culminated in proposed secession by Somaliland stakeholders.
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