Jendayi Frazer Visits Somaliland

Jendayi Frazer on arrival at Hargeysa airport received by top Somaliland ministers

Hargeysa, Somaliland, 3 February 2008 (SL Times) - U.S. Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer flew in to Egal international Hargeysa airport with the Special Envoy for Somalia, John M. Yates, for a one day brief visit. This is the highest US ranking diplomat to visit the republic since its independence declaration in 1991.

The US delegation was met at the airport by Somaliland’s Foreign minister Abdillahi M. Duale, the Interior minister Abdillahi Ismail Ali, the minister of Aviation Ali M Waranade and other Somaliland top officials.

U.S. Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Miss Jendayi Frazer

Miss Jendayi Frazer briefly spoke to the media at VIP lounge and was asked the purpose of her visit to Hargeysa.

“Our visit to Somaliland is in connection and follow-up to President Dahir Rayale Kahin’s recent, visit, to Washington and on top of that to continue to work with the Somaliland authorities in the issues concerning peace, stability and security of the region. Our visit is also an acknowledgement of the democratic progress made by Somaliland,” said Jendayi Frazer

In addition, the U.S. Assistant Secretary said that "the US, assisted Somaliland in past elections and will continue to do so in the coming elections. We are here, today, to show our support for this and to mark the friendship and cooperation existing between the two countries.”

Speaking to the local media at Egal international airport VIP lounge, Jendayi Frazer commented on the issue of recognition: “we have said on many occasions that the US will continue to work with Somaliland, in particular, in the strong democratic values which Somaliland has succeeded in implementing and that we believe the issue of recognition should be left with the AU. We will work with the AU and will respect whatever decision it makes on Somaliland’s status.”

The US delegation left the airport for Ambassador Hotel and held talks with President Dahir Rayale Kahin and the opposition political parties.

Jendayi Frazer met with President Rayale and top government officials behind closed doors. She also met Kulmiye, Ucid and Udub political party heads in private.

The US delegation also talked to the leaders of the unregistered political party ‘Qaran’ at the Ambassador Hotel.

Jendayi Frazer’s discussions with the president, government officials and political parties concerned issues relating to strengthening US and Somaliland ties and strenghthening cooperation of the two countries and discussed in detail the republic's up and coming general elections, scheduled to take place in six months time.

After a brief 4hr visit to Somaliland, Jendayi Frazer and her delegation flew back to Addis Ababa from Egal international airport.

Source: Somaliland Times

http://www.somalilandtimes.net/sl/2008/315/71.shtml

Top US envoy for Africa meets Somaliland leader

Somaliland : US Divided Over Existing Policy

President Rayale and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer

Washington DC, January 19, 2008 (SL Times) – While a recent meeting confirms internal policy divisions within Washington, it highlights Somaliland’s notable democratic credentials.

Below is an article published by Agence France-Presse:

The top US diplomat for Africa has met with the president of Somaliland, but the talks do not mean Washington is ready to recognize the Republic of Somaliland, US officials said Thursday [18 January 2008].

US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer had lunch with Somaliland president Dahir Rayale Kahin at the State Department on Monday [14 January 2008], a US diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

But State Department spokesman Sean McCormack stressed that the meeting did not imply US recognition of the northwestern coast region, which split from Somalia in 1991.

"There's no change in our policy position vis-a-vis recognition of Somaliland. We are not on the verge of recognizing Somaliland," McCormack told reporters.

"There is a process under way that the AU (African Union) is engaged in and we are going to be watching very closely that situation, but there's no change in our policy," he said.

McCormack said the meeting is part of Washington's policy of speaking with key players in Somalia in order to build democracy in the east African country, which has been plagued by civil unrest since the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siyad Barre.

"We think it's important to have as many political contacts as we can with responsible individuals in Somalia who have an interest in building up the democratic structures and institutions of Somalia and trying to take it from where it is to a much more hopeful future," he said.

"Certainly, Jendayi's meetings ... fall solidly in that category and it's a policy that we are going to continue to pursue," he said.

"We have interest in fighting terrorism in Somalia, as well as in the Horn of Africa. ... Anybody who has an interest in a more peaceful and democratic Somalia has a role to play in this process."

A former British protectorate, Somaliland united with the Italian Somalia in 1960. But the region unilaterally broke away five months after Barre was ousted in 1991.

The Washington Post reported last month that US officials were debating whether to shift US support from the fragile Somali government to the less volatile region of Somaliland.

But State Department officials oppose such a move, putting them at odds with Defense Department officials who say that forging ties with Somaliland could help bring stability to the region, the Post said.

The Somaliland leader also had Washington meetings this week with officials from White House National Security Council, the Defense Department, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

His late predecessor as Somaliland president, Muhammad Ibrahim Egal, had a similar round of Washington meetings in 1999

The region of 3.5 million people, which adopted a provisional constitution in 1997 and ratified it four years later, boasts its own president, government, parliament, police force, penal code and currency.

Source: Agence France-Presse

http://www.somalilandtimes.net/sl/2008/313/027.shtml