His Excellency: Ahmed Ould Abdallah, the UN Special Envoy to Somalia.

The SRSG for Somalia Mr. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah

Your excellence, we the HANOOLAATO Somali National Party would like to congratulate your office for its restless efforts to achieve peace settlement in Somalia and are encouraged by the attempts made so far.

Ever-since Somali conflict started, with exception of brief period with Ambassador Sahnoun in early 1990s, Somalia was lacking honest broker, therefore, like many millions of Somalis inside and outside the country, we appreciate your endeavour and welcome the agreement between the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) and The Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) on June 9^th 2008, in Djibouti.

While we acknowledge these efforts, Hanoolaato Somali National Party (HSNP) also would like to express it concern for the emergence of the division within the opposition groups and lack of inclusiveness in the process amongst resistance, to whom without its inclusion the lasting peace in Somalia that we all want to see  cannot be achieve. Therefore, everything must be done to reach out all those opposition groups, particularly ones who are involve in armed struggle against present of Ethiopian army in their country.

Your excellence, since December 2006, the invasion of Ethiopia and its subsequent occupation are the main causes for the pandemonium and violence in Somalia, we therefore, believe immediate withdrawal of the Ethiopian troops from the cities and populated areas before its actual withdrawal from the rest the of country, so as to build a trust of Somali people in the peace process. Our people have been brutalized by wars and according to human rights organizations, the Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and others, war crimes have been committed by the occupation forces, in Somalia, what is more, thousands of Somalis are incarcerated in prisons inside the country and in Ethiopia, without due process, hence, HSNP is requesting from the UN representative for Somalia to work on their immediate releases from the detention centres. We also ask your offices to do all it can to lobby for the appointment of special UN commissioner to investigate these alleged war crimes.

The history of post “Operation Restore Hope” UN in Somalia is not very encourage, however, the HANOOLAATO welcomes the deployment of an international stabilization forces from countries that are “friends of Somalia” With clear set mandates.

Our party stand for order and positive constructive progress of peace, brotherhood and democracy in Somalia, as against the chaos of civil wars, poverty, fragmentation and do-as-they-please anarchy.  We also stand strengthening peace and unity of the Somali people as well as strengthening our relations with our neighbouring countries.

HSNP welcomes and recognizes the valuable efforts made available by the UN and UN Representative for Somalia Mr. Ahmedou Ould Abdallah under these difficult times and we encourage the UN Representative for Somalia to carry-on his efforts of getting ultimate solution for Somalia and to achieve that the peace process must be inclusive. What do we mean by inclusive is that, all influential actors within ARS must included, the absent of which would only exacerbate the situation. We fear the present approach looks like putting more efforts on dividing the opposition groups, “modern v hardliners”. This would not be helpful to facilitated peace and reconciliations.

Recommendation

It is 18 years since the disintegration Somali state, year and half since inception of Ethiopian invasion, and the situation in Somalia, went from bad to worst. Moreover, it seems things are going back like that of 1991, the worst periods of Somali civil war – under the watchful of international community – while many meetings were held in different capitals of the world, so far, that has done nothing to stop or improve the lives of the Somalis.

Therefore, in order to make the efforts of UN and UN Special Envoy for Somalia more effective and workable, HSNP is recommending number of suggestions that to achieve peace in Somalia:

1.      In order to address Somali concerns and to make the peace process more effective and inclusive HSNP urges;

a.       That UN Representative for Somalia to help lift ‘terror labels’ imposed on the groups and individuals, who can play a crucial role in the peace making in Somalia

b.      To speed-up replacement of Ethiopian troops, with multinational, peacekeeping forces, led by United Nations troops that culturally acceptable to Somalis, preferably from Arab, Islamic and African states.

c.       That United Nations must be seen as an impartial mediator, for it to play a trusted role between the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the opposition.

d.      UN member states must stop counter productive activities such as; wastes dumped in Somali territory, illegal fishing off Somalia seashores, and failed simplistic U.S.A. policies towards “war on terror”.        

2.      When Ethiopian troops vacate Somalia;

a.       People of Somalia have, in any way, suffered a lot for the past 18 years and the UN should facilitate that and help Somali civil societies to have a say any future political settlement, for that reason, opposing groups, must settle their differences through a dialogue.

b.      The United Nations must set up a war crime investigating panel, to look into   allegations of war crimes committed by warring parties in the conflict.

Conclusion

In conclusion, all the evidence suggests the situation in Somalia is out of control, and international community, particularly those who have participated directly or indirectly to the present day conflict in Somalia should share the responsibility for this tragic state-of-affairs, namely the United States, who has not only given political and economical support to Ethiopian government but has bombed as recently as March 2008; the southern Somalia town Dobley and Dhuusamareeb, where many innocent Somalis lost their lives.

According to the UN, ‘Somalia has more refugees that any country in the world since 1992’. For this reason, the world must also take into account, wishes of Somali people, if peace is to be achieved. Things that they are finding very difficult to understand for them is that, how the world ignored them, for 16 years in the hands of merciless warlords and when only the peace they knew for 17 years arrived, the world “stood” against them.

Recent development by the UN under Secretary in Somalia Mr. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, to meet the oppositions fighting against the government and Ethiopia, which have resulted, the signing of the Djibouti Accord. The International community, must do all possible to restore the faith of Somalia people, in the world, and help to establish a government of national unity, based on the principles of democracy and rule of law.