At UN,
ICP Asks UK
Ambassador
About
Somaliland
Independence
Petition
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, August
23 --
After in
Somaliland a
petition was
announced,
with a million
signatures,
seeking
recognition of
independence,
Inner City
Press put the
question on
August 23 to
the UN
Security
Council's
penholder the
UK, Ambassador
Matthew
Rycroft, Beyond
The Vine here,
UK transcript
here:
Inner
City Press:
Ambassador, is
the Council
working on
anything on
Somalia and
the terrorist
attack in
Puntland? And
are you aware
of this
Somaliland
petition that
supposedly
asks for
recognition of
Somaliland as
independent
with a million
signatures?
Amb Rycroft: I
will get back
to you on both
of those
things. We did
have a
presidential
statement on
Somalia, which
set out the
Security
Council’s
disappointment
with the delay
with the
elections.
That was the
last action on
Somalia that
we had here.
But as pen
holder, we
will pursue
both those
points.
As noted, the
Security
Council
Presidential
Statement doesn't
mention
Somaliland.
And while the
US on August
21 condemned
the attack in
Puntland, the
UN and its
Security
Council have
yet to. Watch
this site.
Earlier
this year when
UN
Relief Chief
Stephen
O'Brien
came to answer
questions on
February 9
about the UN's
report for the
upcoming World
Humanitarian
Summit, Inner
City Press
asked him why
his Central
Emergency
Relief Fund
gave funds to
Ethiopia but
not
Somaliland,
given FAO's
finding of
drought. Video
here.
O'Brien
answered that
aid access in
Yemen is key,
and said there
is no legal
impediment to
CERF funds for
Somaliland.
Now in April
2016, after
the UN of Ban
Ki-moon and
USG Cristina
Gallach ousted
then evicted
Inner City
Press from the
UN on April 16
(video
here and here; more
info here)
and tore the
Free UN
Coalition for
Access sign
off the office
door, FUNCA
member
Mohamoud
Walaaleye has
raised the
issued, and
interviewed
Dick
Trenchard,
Head FAO
Somalia and
Somaliland.
According
to
Mohamoud
Walaaleye's
reporting,
FOA's
Trenchard said
“We
are
re-programming,
and bringing
resources
another parts
of our
program, like
Somalia, and
three million
arrived
yesterday. We
will done a
lot cash for
work, that put
cash people’s
pockets. They
can buy seeds,
and we are
looking
working now
Government’s
ministry of
Agriculture,
how we can
help them
provide
vouchers to
farmers, and
it’s our
priority. This
was discussed
during meeting
Mr. de Clerk
had with
President
Silanyo... I
am proud of
the handover
to the Vice
President of
six thousand
and one
hundred, local
initiative FAO
Somaliland
office staff
contributed
drought
assistance,
and I am
really proud
of it. I think
it expresses
and captures
the passion of
FAO team here
in Hargeisa,
we are all
people who
really care
food security
of Somaliland,
the
contribution
is small
amount, when
looked needs,
but, on the
other hand it
shows our
serious and
massive
commitment
working as
hard as we can
and people are
passionate
contributing
as well.”
We'll
have more on
this.
The new Free
UN Coalition
for Access
seeks to open
the UN and
these
processes -
watch this
site.
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