Letter to the Times – Opening British Embassy in Somalia

to : — The Editor , The Times

Sir , Britain sending troops to Somalia and possibly opening our Embassy there ( instead of it being located in Nairobi ) is reported today 7 February by your Defence Correspondent , Mr Tom Coghlan . Your readers connect the country of Somalia with piracy and insurgency for the past decades . What is not reported is the secure and peaceful Republic of Somaliland of four million inhabitants whose ancestors were loyal seamen and soldiers for our country from before 1880 . Somaliland is one of the African countries of the best governance .

Somaliland had a “” trial union “” with Somalia ( the former colony of Italy ) from independence on 1 July1960 until 1991 , when Somaliland reverted to her sovereignty of 26 June 1960 on the ending of The British Somaliland Protectorate . During the period of de-colonisation various trial unions were tested , most of which failed , such as the trial union of Egypt and Syria ( called The United Arab Republic ) which lasted for only two years . Jamaica , Malawi and Singapore also ended trial union with their neighbours . Somaliland ‘s success needs our re-recognition with Sovereignty again

Toby Kenyon

Toby Kenyon’s letter in response to The Times article 06/02/2013

Sir .The Times report by Mr Martin Fletcher of 6 February 2013 about the visit to Britain by the Somalia ( not The Republic of Somaliland ) President , Mr Mohamud , , gives your readers a misconception concerning the two separate countries of The Republic of Somaliland and the Federation of Somalia .

Somaliland has been a successful democracy since 18 May 1991 ; consequently she has not attracted the media in the past 22 years .

Somalia has had pirates , chaotic misrule , and famine due to neglect of any government ,ever since independence in 1960 . The public are badly misinformed when these two countries are mistakenly considered as one country .

The Horn of Africa and The YEMEN will become a more stable region once de jure Sovereignty is re-recognized for The Republic of Somaliland. At independence from Britain on 26 June 1960 The Republic of Somaliland had her own seat at The United Nations Organisation General Assembly , with the full approval of all five permanent Member Countries of The Security Council .

Mr Matthew Parris made this point of the two separate countries ( Somaliland and Somalia ) plain in your columns on 16 August 2012

Toby Kenyon