Majertenia Media Got It Wrong, US Amb. Andrea Affirmed Somaliland Sovereignty
President Joe Biden announced his intent to appoint Larry Edward André, Jr. as US ambassador to Somalia on April 15, 2021 but actually took over the position after arriving Mogadishu on January 22, 2022.
The comment made by Ambassador Andrea on the Twitter page of the US Embassy in Somalia demonstrates his stance regarding the sovereignty of Somaliland and his attitude toward Somaliland, given the reality on the ground.
At the exit ramp, the American ambassador to Somalia’s comment wasn’t appropriate at this time and it’s possible he meant to hurt Somaliland. However, it ended up being a blessing in disguise. He may have believed that his comments would put pressure on the president of Somaliland, but instead it served to underline both Somalia’s weakness and the sovereignty of Somaliland.
In this tweet, the ambassador makes it abundantly obvious that Somalia and Somaliland are two separate and distinct countries, and that is the main reason he has reached out to the president of Somaliland.
He stated in that remark that he had a telephone conversation with Hon. Muse Bihi, the president of Somaliland, in which they discussed the upcoming elections in Somaliland and the fighting in and around Las Anod City.
#Somaliland President Bihi has the power to create distance between forces in Lascanood & announce a roadmap for future elections. During a frank conversation with him this afternoon, I encouraged him to do both. – Ambassador André
— U.S. Embassy Mogadishu, Somalia (@US2SOMALIA) March 29, 2023
What the ambassador asked the President of Somaliland is a reasonable request that any ambassador who knows the current atmosphere in the Horn region would recommend in order to put an end to the current tension there. This is one implication of the post.
The implied respect and admiration for Somaliland’s sovereignty that these words convey by disclosing the Somali government’s lack of jurisdiction over Somaliland is more significant than anything else, though.
As for the two topics discussed by the US ambassador in Somalia and the Somaliland president, namely stability and elections, the federal government of Somalia has utterly failed in both of these areas. When Somaliland forces, while still maintaining its own ceasefire and in a defensive position, have crushed the forces of Al-Shabaab and those who support them, whereas since 2007 the federal government of Somalia has not been able to stabilize the security and the treat of Al-Shabaab with military assistance from African countries that make up AMOSOM which is now transitioned to ATMIS.
The Majertenia Media generally adheres to the tenet that the grass is always greener on the Somaliland turf and that their only goal should be to harm and ruin it. This is especially true of the digital platforms.
When the topic of Somaliland is raised in American politics, unionists – specifically the Majerteniya Media – instantly bring up that the US has adopted the “One Somalia” policy – a policy that is symbolic and only exists in the books.
Written policies may not always necessarily reflect and safeguard nation’s interests and are merely drafted to follow the crowd and pretend to be politically correct. Further, misalignments between the policies and engagements within an administration show the difference of opinions inside the system. It is no brainer that state department and Biden’s White House are hostile to Somaliland, but the defense department and intelligence community aligns with and admire Somaliland.
In the world of diplomacy, ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL. A nation’s actual interactions and engagements with other nations are more significant and weightier than its written policies regarding its foreign policy.
For example, the US government has diplomatic relationship with China and on a basic level sticks openly the “One China Policy” that denies Taiwan freedom as a sovereign country.
On the other hand, the government of the United States of America maintains close and extensive ties with Taiwan. These ties include pacts for defense, trade, and technological cooperation.