At UN,
ICP Asks Keating
About
Somaliland
Independence
Petition,
Mogadishu
Caretaker
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, September
28 --
After in
Somaliland a
petition was
announced,
with a million
signatures,
seeking
recognition of
independence,
Inner City
Press put the
question on
September 27
to UN
envoy Michael
Keating, video
here. He
said he's been
asked to get
more involved
- but what
does that
mean?
He told
Inner City
Press he is
unaware of the
tariff /
recognition
issue with
Kenya, and
that he has
not met with
the UN's new
Resident
Coordinator
for Kenya, Ban
Ki-moon's son
in law, during
the ten days
the latter has
been in New
York.
Keating
gave a useful
explanation of
the Somali
president
being in
caretaker
mode; it was
the foreign
minister who
spoke in the
General
Assembly
debate and
meets Ban
Ki-moon on
September 28.
Keating
impk
Earlier
on September
27 Inner City
Press asked UK
Deputy
Permanent
Representative
to the
UN of the UK,
Peter Wilson,
video
here.
Wilson
said
Somaliland is
"complex," but
that he
expected it to
be turned to
in the
Security
Council
consultations
later that
morning.
From
the UN
transcript:
Inner
City Press:
This is a
Somaliland
question –
I’ve asked
Ambassador
Rycroft before
– there is
this petition
of a million
people in
Somaliland who
try to say
that they
should be
recognized. It
any or may not
be realistic.
But what does
the UK
government
think of the
place of
Somaliland in
the greater
Somalia in the
process that
you’re dealing
with here?
Wilson: Well,
I think for
the process of
the elections
what we’re
most keen to
ensure is that
there’s as
much
participation
as possible.
The issue of
Somaliland is
a very complex
one, but it’s
one that I’m
expecting that
we will turn
to in
consultations.
Back on
August
23, Inner
City Press
first asked UK
Permanent
Representative
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.”
, 
