In this issue: * THE SECRETARY-GENERAL'S REPORT, ABDIRAHMAN "TUUR", AND SOMALILAND * SOMALILAND'S RECOGNITION OF SOUTH YEMEN: WHAT'S IN IT FOR THEM? ____________________________________________________________________ S O M A L I A N E W S U P D A T E ____________________________________________________________________ Vol 3, No 16 May 28, 1994. ISSN 1103-1999 ____________________________________________________________________ Somalia News Update is published irregularly via electronic mail and fax. Questions can be directed to Bernhard.Helander@antro.uu.se or to fax number +46-18-151160. All SNU marked material is free to quote as long as the source is clearly stated. ____________________________________________________________________ THE SECRETARY-GENERAL'S REPORT, ABDIRAHMAN "TUUR", AND SOMALILAND (SNU, Uppsala, May 28) - On Tuesday the secretary-general of the UN presented his latest report to the security council. As expected, he requests the council to prolong the mandate of UNOSOM II, which expires on May 31, with an additional 6 months. The total expected cost for the period is set at nearly half a billion US dollars (467,000,000). The report contains relatively few surprises; the final date for UNOSOM's engagement is still March 1995 and during the six-month period to come, a cautious phasing out of the UN troops is to be initiated. However, a novelty in the report is that before the withdrawal begins, the secretary-general wants additional troops to be sent to the north-east. This part of Somalia has throughout the war been characterized by remarkable stability, with the exception of turmoil during the promulgation of the UN-designed district councils. Even more remarkable is the size of the contingent requested: including troops directed towards the central regions, the secretary- general writes that "at least two battalions" would be needed. In terms of number of troops this would mean the deployment of 900-2000 UN soldiers in an area whose major problem is the dispute with the neighbouring Somaliland, the independence of which is not recognized by the UN. On the Somaliland issue, the secretary-general reiterates the phrasings of the last security council resolution on Somalia (No 897) by emphasising that the March accord between SSA and SNA asserted the territorial integrity of Somalia. The paragraphs 14 and 15 of the report are the most remarkable. They account for the recent attempts to reinstate the former president of the Somaliland republic, Abdirahman "Tuur", as the spokesperson for the people of the northern break-away republic. Ridiculing the massive protests that occurred in Somaliland following Tuur's denunciation of the independence, by putting both Somaliland and President within inverted commas, the report goes on to acknowledge the UN's awareness that Abdirahman "Tuur" no longer holds neither the chairmanship of the SNM or the presidency of Somaliland. The report carefully uses past tense to refer to "Tuur"; "...Mr. Abdirahman Ahmed Ali, who had been Chairman of SNM before the Boroma Conference which elected a new administration...". Somalia News Update has been informed by UNOSOM's spokesman George Bennett the legitimacy of leaders signing UN-brokered peace agreements is of little concern for UNOSOM. Bennett writes that the fact that Abdirahman "Tuur's" chairmanship in the SNM expired well over a year ago is of little importance and points out that there are other factional leaders whose terms of office are also long overdue. Last week UNOSOM's Hargeysa office were asked by Mogadishu to confirm a rumour that Abdirahman "Tuur" had been denied entry to Somaliland at the Hargeysa office, but the rumour turned out to be without foundation. Later on, however, Djibouti declined to issue a visa for "Tuur" on the grounds that they could not guarantee his safety. He has now returned to London where the exiled Somaliland community, including many members of his own clan, are currently seeking to persuade him to withdraw his denunciation of Somaliland. In a parallel development, Osman Jama has now withdrawn his support for Abdirahman "Tuur" and SNM's taking part in the southern peace conference. Jama was one of the persons who appeared together with Abdirahman "Tuur" at the press conference in Addis when the announcement to join the southern movement's peace conference was first made. He has recently appeared at conferences organized by the international right-wing movement Moral Rearmament (MRA) and was presented in Addis Ababa as a member of the newly founded "Executive Committee" of Abdirahman "Tuur". UNOSOM announced yesterday that the meeting between all the factions, including SNM, is due to start in Nairobi next week. Abdirahman "Tuur's" participation must be regarded as extremely uncertain. Without support from the loyals that he has appointed, with growing protests from within his own sub-clan and with even the secretary-general acknowledging that Abdirahman "Tuur's" term of office is expired, the it remains doubtful what he will be able to achieve. SOMALILAND'S RECOGNITION OF SOUTH YEMEN: WHAT'S IN IT FOR THEM? (SNU, Uppsala, May 27) - A press release issued by the Presidency of the Republic of Somaliland on 23 May expresses understanding for and recognition of the independence of neighbouring South Yemen. Although this decision may seem premature there are at least three possible reasons behind it. First of all, it may be seen as a high-risk gamble. In the case South Yemen goes winning out of the conflict, Somaliland will have found a very important friend. Currently there appears to be good chances for such a development and, furthermore, South Yemen has during the civil war been able to amass support for its cause from all the major Arab states. A second possible incentive is suggested in the press release itself by its reference to "our own bitter experience". Like Somaliland voluntarily entered into a union with the former Italian colony in the south, South Yemen voluntarily gave up their independence three years ago when North and South Yemen joined in a union. So far the international community has remained unmoved by Somaliland's decision to step out of the union with the conflict- ridden south. However, the parallelism with South Yemen's case is obvious and Hargeysa may hope this to serve as an example for those countries in the region who have appeared hesitant to recognize Somaliland. The third reason behind Hargeysa's move is probably to be sought in the old and well-established ties between Aden and Berbera. A large amount of the export from Berbera has always been directed to Aden. Aden has, besides the unfortunate Somali refugees, traditionally held a substantial number inhabitants of northern Somali origin. ____________________________________________________________________ SNU is an entirely independent newsletter devoted to critical analysis of the political and humanitarian developments in Somalia and Somaliland. SNU is edited and published by Dr. Bernhard Helander, Uppsala University, Sweden. SNU is produced with support from the Scandinavian Institute of African Studies, Uppsala, Sweden. ____________________________________________________________________