Eritrea opposes South Sudan, Kenya may recognize Somaliland

Addis Ababa, May 23, 2011 (WIC) - The Somaliland Press claims that Kenya is preparing to recognize Somaliland’s independence, which would create another new country in the horn of Africa.
 “Kenyan Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Richard Onyonka said during an event held in Nairobi to commemorate Somaliland’s 20th anniversary of Independence that his country will support Somaliland as an independent state” reported Somaliland Press and Iran's Press TV. Kenyans who have called for their government to recognize Hargeisa argue that Somaliland would help stabilize the region and stop Somalia’s expansionism dreams into Kenya and into Ethiopia’s eastern regions with Somali ethnic populations. Since Somaliland’s ally Ethiopia cannot become the first African country to recognize Somaliland, analysts have often maintained that Kenya and Uganda will be the first nations to officially acknowledge Somaliland as a sovereign country.
 
Meanwhile, sources in Ethiopia claim that Eritrea’s President Isaias Afewerki is gathering anti-SouthSudan forces together even before South Sudan officially becomes a country. The Juba government in South Sudan will form an independent state on July 9, 2011 which will create the youngest country in Africa. However, Eritrea wants to remain the youngest country in Africa. President Isaias often justifies not having elections in Asmara and the lack of economic progress in Eritrea with the pretext that Eritrea is still the youngest country.
 
According to the source, Eritrean President Isaias Afawerki has a unique foreign policy of collecting anti-government forces from countries in the horn of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, South Sudan, Somaliland and Sudan) in order to be relevant and have influence in the region. By creating instability inside its neighbors, the Eritrean government often uses its ability to mediate negotiations to restore stability among its neighbors as a leverage in its foreign relations with countries in the horn of Africa. Eritrea wants to have leverage against the new Juba government since South Sudan has a long border with Ethiopia that can be used to infiltrate opponents of the Addis Ababa government.
 
Since it became a country, Eritrea has been involved in conflicts with Djibouti, Ethiopia, Yemen, Sudan and in Somalia.
 
(waltainfo.com)