President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Washington, DC 20500

An Open Letter to US President Barack Obama

Dear Mr. President:

We the people of Somaliland are very happy to hear that you will be heading to Horn of Africa by the end of this month and you have some target countries to visit. In the region there is a country which fulfills all the international criteria of being independent state and still lacks its international recognition.

Somaliland was a British Protectorate attained full independence from the United Kingdom on 26 June 1960, and after four days On 1 July, 1960, the state of Somaliland united with Italian Somaliland, a territory under a U.N-mandated Italian Trusteeship until that same day, thereby creating what was called the Somali Republic. The Republic of Somaliland restored its independence after the fall down of Somalia on 18 May 1991 as a result of the civil war of the late eighties and early nineties.

This country plays a major role in the security and international diplomacy in the region and has been serving as a centre of peace and democracy for the last 24years conducting several free and fair national elections (presidential, Parliamentarian and local governments), Built institutions, make laws and orders in place and exercised its own national forces.

Mr. President, this country has been denied by the international community to be recognized as independent state and now we would like to take this opportunity to share with you what we have done so far.

We as Somaliland people kindly request you to give attention for this country which is next to Ethiopia.

Have a safe sound trip.

Yours Sincerely,

Hamse Mohamoud H Muse

Student of MA in Public Policy

Centre for Public Policy Studies

Ethiopian Civil Service University

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia