“It is an undeniable fact that the reason our people voted for us, President Abdirahman and I, is to create a good life for our people, since life is based on peace” says VP
VP’s peace initiatives reap fruits after concerted intense efforts
By M.A. Egge
A grand new chapter of peace accord has dawned in Somaliland following the close of a peace initiative that has been cemented by the El afweyne residents’ fraternity bringing to a halt a decade-long rivalry that had costed a lot of civil strife through loss of human lives, maiming and retrogression.
The El Afweyn Peace Conference was officially closed by the VP H.E. Mohamed Abdi aw Ali on Saturday the 3rd of May in a grand ceremony held in the town which ended in an historic victory and amicable agreement.
In his own words, the VP made it clear that “when the government sees that the peace decisions have been implemented, the projects pledged such as water, education and health services will be prioritized and the government will devote its resources to their implementation. The decisions you have made will be implemented as they are, no one can sway or change them at all.”
It was graced by members of the members of the cabinet, the Sanaag regional administration, the crème of the nation’s scholars, the leaders of the National Political Parties, parliamentarians, intellectuals, scholars, clerics, traditional leaders and dozens of eminent personalities hence concluded with effective decisions that were intensely and thoroughly discussed upon.
The VP delivered a valuable and comprehensive speech at the conclusion of the conference, thanking the people of El-Afweyn and everyone who worked for the peace that was achieved in the area.
He said, “We want an El-Afweyn with the same interests, the same feelings and the same aspirations, but without differences of interest and arguments. I want an El-Afweyn that is free from war and killing, we want to see El-Afweyn that is free from conflicts and ethnic strife, tribalism and division.”
He underscored the fact that the reason he was elected was that he and the President lead the society to better livelihood and development based on peaceful co-existence.
“It is an undeniable fact that the reason our people voted for us, President Abdirahman and I, is to create a good life for our people, since life is based on peace, and what strengthens peace is good governance and the rule of law”, he said.
Talking of real commitment to the people of the area, he said, “My commitment is that we should never again see a situation where El-Afweyn’s residents kill each other, that the youth should not gather weapons, and that women should not wail and mourn again. You should join hands for peace and development”.
This peaceful initiative follows the priority focusses by the new administration government that had sought to have all conflicts in the country, whether political in nature or otherwise, be peacefully resolved hence cohesive, harmonious and united society take precedence.
The triumph of the peaceful mission is a culmination of three-month long concerted efforts led by the VP and the high-powered delegation whose sojourn in the Sanaag region throughout the period delved tirelessly into multi-prong pacification initiatives and addressed them to their conclusion.
It is worth noting that the cumbersome nationalization and integration of tens of hundreds of local community militias into the mainstream national armed forces processes went on in juxtaposition with the El Afweyn peace accord.
The VP’s three-month efforts, pragmatic leadership, perseverance and wisdom has since been highly held esteem, lauded, and widely praised making a household name in the nation.
It is the country’s wish, hope and prayers that this latest peaceful initiative in El-Afweyn will concretely hold and be everlasting, as the nation sighs in relief at last.
Past low-level initiatives had failed in the yester-years.