By M.A. Egge
The opposition Wadani Party leader Hirsi Ali Haji Hassan has expressed his strong dissent about the military base that the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E) wants to establish at the airport in the port city of Berbera, the Sahil regional headquarters.
“Truly, it seems that to enter into an agreement or to say that military (foreign) is being brought into the country is endangering our nation”, said the Wadani party leader.
He continued, “In the world you don’t call for armed foreign personnel whose power you know of not nor can you challenge nor defend yourself against it whence you are not internationally recognized and do not have its associated legal safety nets put in place”.
Similarly Mr. Hirsi suggested that it was not appropriate to invite enmity at this time that would cause chaos that this country cannot afford.
“Presently this region is in turmoil given the flames going up in Yemen as battles rage on hence call for war that we are not part of is quite inappropriate, going by words of some people who say that we (Somaliland) are a part of this fiasco”.
He added, “I do not know when our country declared such a war especially when we are not involved.
“I find it inapt to call for and entangle in a war which we not part of since we are not a people or a country to indulge in such”.
The party leader advised that the issue of the foreign military base in question should be carefully thought of and should not be rushed for what good in it is there for the nation should be fathomed well.
“I say that great care is needed and without haste as concerns this issue because there is no emergency reason that forces us to take this direction today”, he said, and continued, “If it were the big super power countries that we invited since they are the ones we have been leaning on and had great expectations from as concerns recognition it would have been better, but not a small Arabic country whose stance (against) our recognition or essence of being is known quite well”.
The party leader continued, “You only have to look around the situations of where military (foreign) bases are located such as Mogadishu, Puntland where the U.A.E themselves are, Darfur in the Sudan or Eritrea”.
He said that you don’t call for armed personnel, who are not from your own, in this world.
Mr. Hirsi said that base’s aim was not to guard the same entity who are the tenants at the port itself in the absence of legal international strings, something which is a major impediment (of the country’s rights) hence needs careful consideration which should be quite thoughtful.
“What international law will guard you against leasing a port to a people and (again) giving them a military base to secure themselves”, said Mr. Hirsi.
He said as to such “we should not throw our lives away due to petty needs”.
He said that policies of concrete issues should be availed to the populace.
The party leader said that the people had the rights of expression hence the eminent personalities and the elders who are prominent should have their words heard and considered.
He said that the tradition that this country has which is better off than the rest in the region is that of the culture of dialogue and conciliatory characteristics thence as to such “we should respect the elders and the politicians should sacrifice for the country”.