As an independent Analyst who closely follows Somalia’s current affairs I was taken aback somewhat to read in WardheerNews.com, an article written by a Abdirahman Mohamed Haji, in which he accuses Northern Somalis for Peace & Unity (NSPU), a respectable renowned pro-Unity Civic Society advocacy organization, of ‘faking documents’.

But further reflecting on Mr. Haji’s article, I was dumbfounded to hear a ‘Somaliland’ Proponent coming forward in the open and accusing others of Fakery when it is a well-documented fact that the champions of his secessionist project is the Mother of all Fakers. 

Not far detached from the insidious practice of some Shopkeepers in today’s Somalia, who knowingly sell ‘expired medicine’ to unwitting patients; Somaliland-ers has been peddling, not only to Somalis but to the World, an expired long-dead Colonial construct known at the time as ‘Somaliland British Protectorate’.  Fortunately the Somalis, other than pockets of die-hard clanists in the Northwest, and the International Community at large did not fall for this scheme. They rejected this potentially dangerous prescription. They knew ‘Somaliland British Protectorate’ has ceased to exist and ‘expired’ in June 26, 1960.
 
In spite of this initial doubt, I read and carefully examined the Document Mr. Haji raised some questions about its authenticity. I found it to be a well documented and professionally presented Memorial in which the People’s Republic of China, citing Articles 65 and 66 of Chapter IV of the Statute of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), seeks, an Advisory from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on “the issue of the status of Somaliland”. 
 
The Memorial cites dozens of references, including UN Articles pertaining to the issue at hand as well as a number of Security Council Resolutions, re-confirming the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Somalia and declaring ‘Somaliland’ as part and parcel of its territory.

Mr.Haji insinuation that the document could not be found in the ICJ archives, he should or his handlers should have known that if ‘Google Search’ does not return a hit on a document, it does not mean the document does not exist in the archives of some organization somewhere or it could be in a draft stage and has not made it to cyber space.

Also in a desperate attempt to shrug off and down play the ICJ Advisory, Mr Haji  naively ask himself: “what in the world would be at stake for the Chinese State to go to a world court..” to seek an Advisory on his beloved ‘Somaliland? Mr. Haji should have known better. It is a common knowledge that China has a vested strategic interest in combating balkanization of a UN member State.  After all, it has been dealing with the issue of Taiwan for decades: a wound inflicted by Western colonial powers when they embarked on a project to divide China into powerless proxy fiefdoms.
 
In conclusion, I would personally advise Mr. Haji that, in future critique of an article or a scholarly piece, he focuses on the accuracy, relevance, and supporting references of its contents rather than shooting the Messenger. By following the latter path, Mr. Haji would inadvertently expose the very cause he was trying to defend, in this case ‘Somaliland’, to an in-depth scrutiny by the average reader of his Gotcha type of critique.

To my country men and women of the Northwest: the sooner you rein in the zealots among you the better we all Somalis have a chance to save our country and our people from a certain demise.  We are all in one neighbourhood.  Our destiny is intertwined.  Trying to sell an expired Colonial Construct is not the prescription for our survival as a nation and as people but rather a deadly prescription that will be the beginning of the end for the Somali people, as a distinctive Horn of Africa nation with shared cultural identity; language, religion and above all as proud people recognized and respected by their neighbours.

Said A. Saryan
Email: ssaryan@hotmail.com

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