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| Africa Horn | |
| Puntland leader warns of ‘consequences’ in Somaliland oil pursuit | |
| 2013-08-04 | |
President Farole said that dialogue process in Istanbul between Somali Federal Government and Somaliland can succeed through consultation among “all of Somalia”. “We welcome Somaliland to rejoin Somalia, to negotiate, to agree who is wrong and who is right. But who has the authority? Somaliland is seeking international recognition, firstly from Somalis. Who can give it? We don’t understand this rainbow alliance between Mogadishu and Hargeisa that skips Garowe,” said President Farole, adding: “Mogadishu should not look for power it does not have and Hargeisa should not waste its time seeking recognition from Mogadishu.” President Farole said Somaliland’s separatist administration should “stay within its area” until a federal and united Somalia is restored. “Somaliland is creating conflict in the region. Somaliland cannot give land to foreign companies to explore oil when the land does not belong to Somaliland,” said President Farole. The president said that Puntland “needs peace and good neighborliness” but warned of “consequences” in Somaliland’s pursuit of oil exploration in Sool and Sanaag region. The UN Monitoring Group report released July 2013 noted concern about regional stability over oil exploration programs in northern Somalia managed by Puntland and Somaliland. Somaliland administration gave exploration rights in parts of Sool and Sanaag to Norwegian oil company DNO and Turkish oil company Genel. Local communities in Sool and Sanaag share kinship and political ties with Puntland, while Somaliland claims the regions based on defunct colonial-era boundaries. Puntland and Somaliland have fought sporadic battles since 2002 over control of territory with the epicenter of the conflict at Las Anod, capital of Sool region. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |