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Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo has selected a committee to lead mediation talks with the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG), following agreements reached by the two parties in February, Somaliland's government announced on Sunday (April 8th).

The five-member committee comprises Foreign Affairs Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Omar, Interior Minister Mohamed Nor Arraleh, Public Works Minister Ahmed Abdi Habsade, Justice Minister Hussein Ahmed Aideed, and the Agriculture Minister Farah Elmi Mohamoud.

The selection fulfils agreements reached at the international London conference on Somalia in February. Committee members will attend talks with Somalia's representatives in London, said Abdullahi Mohamed Dahir, the Somaliland government spokesman, in a statement.

Article 6 of the official communiqué from the conference stated that delegates "recognised the need for the international community to support any dialogue that Somaliland and the Transitional Federal Government or its replacement may agree to establish in order to clarify their future relations".

Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed praised Somaliland's decision to enter into negotiations with the TFG.

"The willingness of peace and brotherhood talks between the transitional government and Somaliland administration is a positive step and I hope it can help resolve the crisis in Somalia and can bring a long-lasting peace," Ahmed was quoted as saying by Somalia's RBC Radio on Wednesday, adding that his government will set up a committee to handle the negotiations.

In March, Ahmed reiterated his commitment to dialogue with leaders from the northern regions. "Our northern brothers in Somaliland have accomplished many feats which we welcome and the TFG will set up a committee as soon as possible to hold talks with the Somaliland government," Ahmed said at an International Women's Day event in Mogadishu last month.

At stake is the future relationship between Somalia and the autonomous territory of Somaliland, composed of the Awdal, Waqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sanaag and Sool regions.

Somaliland has been an internationally unrecognised state since 1991, when it declared its independence from Somalia following the civil war and the collapse of Mohamed Siad Barre's central government in Mogadishu.

Earlier this year, Somaliland chose not to participate in the Garowe agreements with other regions of Somalia to outline a new government after the TFG's mandate ends in August.

Step in the right direction

Political observers in Somaliland welcome the nomination of committee members as a step in the right direction, but say it does not encompass a wide enough swath to effectively resolve the political issue that has been lingering for over 20 years.

The group should have been bigger and more representative, said Parliamentarian Abdirahman Osman Alin, chairman of the subcommittee on law, justice, constitution and human rights. "To undertake such a task, some of the stakeholders the public expected [representatives from] both chambers of the parliament, the executive branch, civil society, professionals and the media," he told Sabahi.

Alin said the executive branch of the government is overrepresented in the committee and did not give consideration to other arms of the government, such as the legislature.

"I would like to urge the government to reconsider their decision, so as not to lock the public out of such important decision making process," Alin told Sabahi.

Bihi Iman Egeh, a professor of international relations at Hargeisa University, said that the appointment of the committee indicates Somaliland is committed to fulfil the agreement reached at the London conference on Somalia.

Egeh told Sabahi the leadership involved the public and various branches of the government before attending the London conference. However, that inclusiveness did not transfer into the committee, he said.

"If it is a national decision, it would have been good to give consideration to the public and other stakeholders that will be affected by the outcome of the decision," Egeh told Sabahi.

Nonetheless, Egeh welcomed the priority the Silanyo administration has given to dialogue with Somalia. "The people of Somaliland are tired of having a government that has not been recognised [by the international community] for 20 years," he said. "I can therefore say this is the best time to take advantage of the chances and the opportunities available," he said.