somaliland28july2007: Mass Rallies in Somaliland Call for Granting International Recognition To Somaliland

Friday 14 March 2008

Mass Rallies in Somaliland Call for Granting International Recognition To Somaliland

Thursday's nationwide mass rally at independence park, Hargeysa (image: above & below)

Hargeysa, Somaliland, January 19, 2008 (SL Times) – The biggest nationwide mass public rally for the independence and world recognition of Somaliland took place Thursday. It was jointly organized by the government and opposition parties and occurred simultaneously throughout Somaliland’s towns and regions.

Tens of thousands of Somalilanders, young and old, took to the streets in major towns and cities in order to show their support for Somaliland’s independence and call on the world to recognise their country as a sovereign state.

The biggest single rally took place in Hargeysa’s Independence Park. The vice–president, Ahmed Yusuf Yassin, opposition leaders, government officials, traditional leaders and civil society addressed the large crowds who turned out to endorse their full support of Somaliland’s independence. The large crowds carried an array of placards and banners, some stating “Full Recognition For Somaliland” and “How Much Longer Will We Be Denied To Exist?”

For the first time in many years, government and regional authorities in Las Anod, the capital of Sool region, organised and participated in a pro-Somaliland public rally in the town’s centre where prominent government officials and traditional elders addressed the enthusiastic crowds. Unfortunately, soon after the rally ended and the participants left, a small group opposed to Somaliland took to the streets and began to display Somalia’s flag. The local police tried to disperse the group. According to Las Anod authorities, one man was seriously injured and a woman sustained a minor injury in the ensuing confrontation.

The rallies in the rest of the country went peacefully and without any incidents.

Last week, the government had designated 17 January 2008 (Thursday) a public holiday and a day for nationwide public rallies to remind the world of Somaliland’s urgent need of international recognition.