Somaliland rejects attempts to bring it into peace talks

The authorities in the self-declared republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia have reiterated their rejection of attempts to bring them into the ongoing Somali reconciliation talks in Kenya. According to a statement issued on Sunday by the office of the region's president, Dahir Riyale Kahin, Somaliland is not a party to the Somali peace talks. And the Somaliland information minister, Abdillahi Muhammad Du'ale, told IRIN on Monday that Somaliland would welcome any peace deal between the parties "in the former Italian Somalia", but noted that "this has nothing to do with Somaliland". The statement described as "a surprise" comments by Kenya's Ambassador Bethwel Kiplagat, who is chairing the peace conference, that the talks concern the whole of Somalia. The draft charter includes Somaliland within the boundaries of Somalia. However, the Somaliland regional government's statement said Somaliland's borders were those it inherited from the British, and "are recognised by the African Union and the UN". The information minister, who was reacting to media reports that a Kenyan government delegation was on its way to Somaliland to try and convince it to attend the Nairobi talks, told IRIN that any Kenyan delegation to Somaliland was welcome "so long as they are coming to discuss bilateral issues and ways of developing bilateral relations". He warned, however, that Somaliland "will not entertain any delegation whose objective is to bring us into these talks". "Such a mission will not be welcome, and they should not waste their time," he stressed. "We have made our position very clear on numerous occasions and it is well known to IGAD [Inter-Governmental Authority on Development] and the international community." The Somaliland statement also warned Col Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmad, president of the neighbouring self-declared autonomous region of Puntland to stop interfering in Somaliland affairs. "We will not tolerate his threats against parts of Sool and Sanaag regions," it said, adding that Abdullahi Yusuf "will bear full responsibility for the consequences" of his actions. Both Somaliland and Puntland claim the two regions, which geographically fall within the borders of the former British Somaliland, but where most of the resident clans are associated with Puntland.