Hiiraan Online
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
HARGEISA (HOL) - A petition calling for an international recognition for the breakaway northern Somalia republic of Somaliland as independent country has gathered more than 1, 021,000 signatures, in a new push which aims to draw global attention.
Sa’ad Ali Shire, Somaliland’s foreign minister said that the enclave would submit the outcome of the petition which started to collect signatures in April to the international community with the hope of a ‘positive’ response.
“This petition letter reflects the needs of the Somaliland people, thus it’s our hope that the international community will respect and consider their feeling.” He said at an event delivering the petition result which was attended by leaders including president Ahmed Silanyo.
It's unclear if the international community which had long resisted repeated appeals by Somaliland to be recognized as an independent state will respond to the new petition signed by people in Somaliland.
However, government officials described the current petition as 'significant' which may attract a 'positive' attention by the international community.
Meanwhile, the new petition runs alongside a similar petition that Somaliland filed at the UK parliament on early this year.
The six-month long petition which already attracted 2,117 signatures is yet to reach its 10,000 to have the UK government respond to or for it to be considered for debate by the parliament.
Somaliland, a breakaway region in northern Somalia has declared a unilateral independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991; however, no country has so far recognized it as an independent state.