A Letter Sent to the Foreign Affairs Minister of The United Arab Emirates
To: Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates.
Thru: Embassy of the United Arab Emirates
Tel: + 613 565 7272
Fax: + 613 565 8007
125 Boteler St, Ottawa,
ON K1N 0A4
Canada
Attn: Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates,
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Ref: military base in Berbera Port, Somaliland February 28, 2017
H. E. Mr. bin Zayed Al Nahyan
We, the Somaliland-Canadians, are in an uproar to see the rulers of your country posed to set up a military base in the port of Berbera, Somaliland. We believe both the UAE and the people of Somaliland are being allured into an illegal and dubious business that will tarnish the reputation of everybody involved. In addition, we believe that your country - the UAE, which is a part of the Saudi-led coalition which is waging war on Yemen, is involved in an unreasonable war. Tens of thousands of people have lost their entire livelihood; many more people died as a result of the atrocious bombardments of cities with a major civilian population in Yemen. It is our firm believe that, what is being perpetrated against Yemeni civilians, is disproportionate and an irrational act of war which must cease immediately. For that reason, any agreement between Somaliland and the United Arab Emirates would be misinterpreted as Somaliland’s declaration of war with Yemen. Such misunderstanding would damage the peacefulness and good neighborly relationship between Yemen the Republic of Somaliland.
Therefore, to engage in bribery in order to acquire a military base in Somaliland would certainly be seen by many good citizens around the world as a fraudulent act and a blatant aggression against our country which must be challenged through International Court of Justice. Such questionable dealings will also no doubt strain the good relationship between the two people of our nations - Somaliland and the United Arab Emirates, and would subsequently have a negative effect that will put them at odd with each other. It is quite obvious, that this transaction has the makeshift and the characteristics of a corruption scandal that will produce grave ramification for those involved. Though we do not have any enmity towards the Emirati people, we vehemently oppose to any attempt to deceive Somaliland and its people.
Furthermore, according to Somaliland constitution, any international agreement entered by our government must satisfy specific legal provisions and requirements in order to be ratified by the Somaliland Parliament. Therefore, this agreement did not go through the necessary process to properly be approved by the Parliament due to the perfidious interruption of the consultations in the parliament. As broadcasted on many international television stations around the world, the local authorities willfully violated provisions of the constitution by resorting to force to remove legislative members, who voiced concern against the undertaking of the government, out of the Parliament.
These legislators have parliamentary immunity and protection under the constitution of Somaliland. To disregard the rights of the members of the parliament and resorting to tactics such as arm-twisting, bribery and police intervention renders the above-mentioned treaty to none and void.
The action of these corrupt authoritarian officials, which was intended to quell dissent and to silence legislators in order to artificially inseminate an endorsement for this dubious treaty, will bear no fruits and justice will prevail. In addition, by allowing your country to be entangled with the deceitful officials in both countries, and by the secrecy surrounding the acquisition details of this treaty, the trustworthiness and the credibility of the Emirati authorities would be undermined.
Consequently, the UAE will, no doubt, be labeled as an accomplice and an accessory to crime and corruption, which would further taint the reputations of the United Arab Emirates in the World Community. The current Kulmiye Government of Somaliland has no responsibility to negotiate any such a treaty since the term of their mandate is running out in few months. A new presidential election is underway and should be held during the second quarter of this year – 2017. Therefore, the present runaway government of Somaliland is just looking for quick cash and care less for what will happen after their departure from the office, as long as they can grasp a sizable commission from the deal.
Hence, we, the Somaliland Diaspora Communities around the globe, consider this agreement between Emirati Government and the Somaliland authorities as an illicit act and an endeavor to plunder our natural resource. In fact, it aggregates to an unlawful land grab, and a willful transgression to breach the welfare and security of our country. For that reason, we implore you to be careful and not to purchase a problem that will haunt you in the future and will cost you millions of dollars to rectify or possibly to defend it before the International Tribunal. Therefore, we demand you to cease and desist from your effort to procure a military base in Berbera exploiting the current weak government of Somaliland which is led by a frail and an ailing President – Mr. Ahmed Siilaanyo. A president, whose awareness and brainpower seem to require resuscitation from their current dormant condition.
Finally, we would also like to appeal to the International and Regional authorities to intervene, impede, and to encounter this treaty in any possible way. Likewise, one has to question the actual intention of the United Arab Emirates by acquiring a second military facility in the Horn of Africa when they presently hold another military installation in As-Sab port in Eretria. It is our judgment that a new foreign military base in Somaliland would obstruct rapprochement in the region as well as further aggravate, polarize and threaten a region already predisposed to violence and instability.
With Regards
Mohamed-Bashe, A. Elmigeydh
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