Somaliland warns UNSC in expanding ATMIS operations to its territories

Hargeysa October 31, 2023 (QJ) -The government of Somaliland has expressed its objection to a United Nations Security Council statement suggesting that it is among the areas where the operations of the African Union Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) should be carried out to promote peace in Somalia.

According to a statement from the Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government of Somaliland has consistently voiced objections to being categorized as part of the ATMIS mission. This comes after the UN Security Council has been issuing reports that include Somaliland in the areas covered by ATMIS.

The statement noted that Somaliland has communicated its position on multiple occasions regarding the ATMIS mission, and they are disappointed with the continued inclusion of their territory in the reports. The Somaliland government believes that it is not appropriate to include them in areas of operation for a mission to which they are not a party.

AMISOM and later ATMIS are both peacekeeping operations established to assist the Somali government in countering the threat posed by Al-Shabaab and other extremist groups.

The statement also emphasized that Somaliland has maintained its sovereignty since its independence from Somalia in 1991 and should not be included in the ATMIS mission reports.

Somaliland has called on the UN Security Council to ensure that any documents or reports accurately reflect and respect its sovereignty.