The House of Lords debates Somalia and Somaliland

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Wednesday, 14 June 2006
Somalia

Lord Anderson of Swansea (Labour)

Asked Her Majesty's Government:

My Lords, is it the view of the Government that the Somaliland Government, based in Hargeysa, can play a positive role in this tragic conflict? What contacts, if any, are there between Her Majesty's Government, the international community and the Government of Somaliland?

Lord Triesman (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office)

My Lords, there are continuing contacts with the Government of Somaliland. I pay tribute to that Government; although they are not internationally recognized, in the sense of there being a fully fledged state, the stability of Somaliland stands in sharp contrast to the position across most of the rest of Somalia, with the possible exception of Puntland, directly to the east of Somaliland. Anything that can preserve that stability is very important. I believe that that will be the subject of some discussion at the African Union conference in the Gambia in the first few days of July.