These days, the media of the world is very concerned about organizing war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The leaders of the two governments used the media to attack and verbally attack each other.
This reminded me of two letters that the former president of Somaliland, the late Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Igaal AHN, sent to Addis Ababa and Asmara during the war between the two countries in 1998.
He communicated the messages to the former Prime Minister of Ethiopia Meles Zenawi and the President of Eritrea Issias Afawerki. He asked both of them to stop the war and sit down at the negotiating table, and Somaliland, with the help of the world and the region, is ready to work on an agreement.
Meles, the late Igaal gave the letter to the late Abdillahi Askar, who was the representative of Somaliland in Ethiopia at the time, and Addis Ababa received the message of the late Igaal with a welcoming feeling.
Afawerki, he gave the letter to the late Igal to his Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamud Salah Nur Fagadhe and Abdillahi Mohamed Duale who was the Minister of the Presidency at that time. Eritrea did not like Igal’s message, and Asmara received Igal’s message with suspicion. And the ministers who carried the message were taken from Asmara airport.
Summary: A lesson can be learned from this far-sighted leader and how the late Igaal, although Somaliland did not have a strong political, military or economic power at that time, he wanted to play his role in the affairs of the region and be a leader whose voice reaches the decision-making tables.
The fact that Somaliland does not limit itself to talking only about the issues that concern it personally, has made it a vocal force that can contribute advice and direction to the situation in the region it lives in and not be a guest.
This information was told to me by the late Igal’s secretary during those difficult times, Nasir Abdi Hirsi.
It was written by: MP Mohamed Hussein Jama (Raambo) of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Somaliland.