AFRICA/SOMALIA - Towards a divided Somalia?

Mogadishu (Agenzia Fides)- While the crisis in central southern Somalia becomes ever more acute, Somaliland (northern region self-proclaimed independent in 1991) receives signals of possible international acknowledgement. The President of the self proclaimed Republic Somaliland, Dahir Rayale Kahin, has just made series of visits in Great Britain and the United States, where he had meetings with high level diplomats of both countries.
In Great Britain, former coloniser of Somaliland (known as British Somalia then reunited with former Italian Somalia in 1960), Rayale met the British minister for Africa Lord Malloch-Brown. A Foreign Office statement said “the government (British) and the Somaliland Authorities confirmed their commitment to promoting peace, stability and democracy in the Horn of Africa, and to build on progress made in recent years in Somaliland ”.
In Washington, Rayale met under secretary for African Affairs, Jendayi Frazer. A spokesperson of the State Department said although the meeting did not mean that the United States intends to acknowledge Somaliland, it was part of diplomatic activity to restore peace in Somalia and that the meeting was part of Washington policies to speak with key players in the Somali crisis in order to build democracy in the Horn of Africa country.
The US media says the State Department and the Pentagon are discussing whether or not to acknowledge Somaliland: the former is not in favour, but for the army it as an opportunity to strengthen ties with Somaliland, seen as an island of stability in the ocean of Somali chaos.
Recently border clashes were reported between Somaliland and the autonomous region of Puntland, from where the President of Somalia Yusuf hails. The clashes were over land Fides learned from the Bishop Giorgio Bertin, Catholic Bishop of Djibouti and apostolic administrator of Mogadishu (see Fides 18/1/2008): “Somaliland returned to the old border lines set in the times of the British protectorate which lasted until 1960. Puntland followed clan divisions to trace its borders. Puntland says that the east of Somaliland is inhabited by two groups which are part of the Darod clan which has its centre in Puntland. So the area is disputed by these two political-territorial entities of Somalia”
Instability is spreading to other regions of Somalia, as yet unaffected by the violence, according to a recent African Union report. The report says in middle and upper Juba regions militia connected with the deposed Islamic Courts are training new recruits and planning attacks, taking advantage of the chaos caused by clashes between clans for control of taxes at the port of Kismayo. This fact and ever more intense trafficking of arms, would seem to point to fresh attacks on the national transition government. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 22/1/2008 righe 36 parole 485)