BBC MONITORING INTERNATIONAL REPORTS: SOMALILAND PROTESTERS
AGAINST UNIFICATION CONFERENCE 100% match; BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom ;
26-Feb-2000 12:00:00 am ; 139 words The inhabitants of two towns in the breakaway state of
Somaliland protested on Saturday against a conference aimed at reuniting their state with
the rest of Somalia, Somaliland's Hargeisa radio reported. It said the people of Gabiley
and Arabsiyo near the Somaliland capital of Hargeisa held rallies in support of the
government decision to prevent its citizens from attending the forthcoming Somali
reconciliation conference in the neighbouring country of Djibouti. Gabiley residents, led
by students, marched along the streets chanting slogans expressing their opposition to
plans to reunite Somaliland with the rest of Somalia. The demonstrators expressed their
readiness to defend Somaliland's sovereignty, the radio said. Gabiley's mayor, Hasan Haji
Yusuf Robleh, was quoted as telling demonstrators "no-one can force Somaliland to
unite with Somali factional groups", adding that Somaliland's sovereignty was sacred
and not negotiable. IN ARABSIYO, DEMONSTRATORS BURNED THE SOMALI FLAG AND HOISTED THE
SOMALILAND FLAG. Source: Radio Hargeisa in Somali 26 Feb 00