非洲—索马里兰奋力争取国际认可

Somaliland Pushes for International Recognition

索马里兰奋力争取国际认可

 

As foreign minister Edna Adan Ismail sees it, Somaliland meets all the criteria¹ of being an independent nation.

 

She refers to the self-declared republic as an "island of peace and stability in the Horn of Africa," a model for other African countries to follow.

 

On the line from her office in the capital Hargeisa, Ms. Ismail tells VOA there are so many historical, cultural, political, and other differences between Somaliland and Somalia as to make the two separate entities².

 

The big clincher, she says, is that the people of Somaliland themselves have agreed to be peaceful and to support a functioning, democratic government that maintains stability in the area.

 

Ms. Ismail: We are gaining from law and stability. Our economy is thriving, our people are coming back from refugee camps, we have more children going to school in Somaliland today than have ever done in our past. We have better health facilities today, we have better infrastructure³ today.

 

Home to 3.5 million people, the area in northwestern Somalia, about the size of England and Wales, unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991, the year military dictator Siad Barre was overthrown⁴.

 

While Barre's ouster plunged⁵ Somalia into anarchy⁶ that exists until today, Somaliland took a different route.

 

Initially⁷, fighting gripped the area. But in 1993, a council of elders elected a president. Throughout the years, warring factions⁹ reconciled, tens of thousands of militiamen were disarmed¹⁰, and the private sector¹¹ developed.

 

The area, once a British protectorate, actually achieved independence for a few days in 1960 before merging¹² with the former Italian colony to form Somalia.

 

An analyst¹³ at the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies, Richard Cornwell, tells VOA the differences in colonial administration and education is one reason why Somaliland is stable, whereas Somalia is still wracked by fighting among clans¹⁶ and warlords.

 

Another reason, he says, is that people living in Somaliland are predominantly from the Issaq clan¹⁵. In Somalia, four major clans clash for control over territory.

 

A third reason, says Mr. Cornwell, is that when the United Nations provided drought and famine relief to Somalia in the early 1990s, it by-passed traditional elders and instead hired warlords to protect humanitarian¹⁷ aid convoys¹⁸, something that did not happen in Somaliland. Mr. Cornwell quotes from a paper from American political scientist William Reno.

 

Mr. Cornwell: Because the elders and the traditional authorities managed to retain control over the inflow of external wealth and over commerce in Somaliland, they were able to prevent the emergence¹⁹ of a vast class of warlords who would take over and create an economy based on the political economy of disorder²⁰.

 

While Somaliland now has its own government, constitution, democratic multi-party elections, and currency, it still lacks something it desperately²¹ wants and has been asking for - international recognition.

 

The current transitional Somali government, formed last year in Kenya following peace talks, itself refuses to recognize Somaliland as an independent nation.

 

Government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari explains that his government recognizes that Somaliland is peaceful and provides a good model for the rest of the country.

 

But, he says, Somaliland is part of Somalia.

 

Abdirahman Dinari: We are same culture, we are same religion, we have same heritage - there is only [the difference that] Somaliland is north of Somalia. So there is no difference between those two people.

 

A diplomatic source, who does not wish to be named, tells VOA the issue of Somaliland independence needs to be discussed and resolved by Somalis themselves within the framework of the transitional government.

 

If this discussion does not take place, or if Somalia's transitional government falls apart, he says, the international community might come out in favor of supporting Somaliland independence.

 

Somaliland's self-styled foreign minister Edna Adan Ismail tells VOA she fears that if Somaliland is denied international recognition, it could, in her words, "cause the disintegration²² of that one small island of peace and stability."

 

Cathy Majtenyi for VOA News, Nairobi.

 

注释：

criteria [krai5tiEriE] n. 标准

Horn of Africa 非洲之角

Hargeisa [hB:r5^eisE] n. 哈尔格萨，索马里西北部城市

clincher [klintFE(r)] n. 决定性的看法，定论

functioning [5fQNkFEniN] adj. 行使职责的

Wales [weilz] n. 威尔士

unilaterally [ju:ni5lAtEr(E)li] adj. 单方面地

ouster [5austE(r)] n. 驱逐，夺取

anarchy [5AnEki] n. 无政府状态，政治混乱

faction⁸ [5fAkFEn] n. 派别，小集团

reconcile [5rekEnsail] vt. 使和解，使和谐

protectorate [prE5tektErit] n. 保护国

wrack¹⁴ [rAk] vt. 毁坏，毁灭

clan [klAn] n. 宗族，党派

warlord [5wC:lC:d] n. 军阀

drought [draut] n. 干旱

famine [5fAmin] n. 饥荒

inflow [5inflEu] n. 流入

recognition [7rekE^5niFEn] n. 赞誉，认可

heritage [5heritidV] n. 遗产，传统

framework [5freimwE:k] n. 构架，框架

disintegration [dis7inti5^reiFEn] n. 瓦解

1 criteria   

n.标准

参考例句：

• The main criterion is value for money.主要的标准是钱要用得划算。
• There are strict criteria for inclusion in the competition.参赛的标准很严格。

2 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

3 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

4 overthrown   

adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词

参考例句：

• The president was overthrown in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被赶下台。
• He has overthrown the basic standards of morality. 他已摒弃了基本的道德标准。

5 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

6 anarchy   

n.无政府状态；社会秩序混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• There would be anarchy if we had no police.要是没有警察，社会就会无法无天。
• The country was thrown into a state of anarchy.这国家那时一下子陷入无政府状态。

7 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

8 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

9 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

10 disarmed   

v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 )；使息怒

参考例句：

• Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛乱分子被俘获并解除了武装。
• The swordsman disarmed his opponent and ran him through. 剑客缴了对手的械，并对其乱刺一气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

12 merging   

合并（分类）

参考例句：

• Many companies continued to grow by merging with or buying competing firms. 许多公司通过合并或收买竞争对手的公司而不断扩大。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• To sequence by repeated splitting and merging. 用反复分开和合并的方法进行的排序。

13 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

14 wrack   

v.折磨；n.海草

参考例句：

• Periodic crises wrack the capitalist system,and they grow in size and duration.周期性的危机破坏着资本主义制度，这种危机的规模在扩大，时间在延长。
• The wrack had begun to stink as it rotted in the sun.海草残骸在阳光下腐烂，开始变臭了。

15 clan   

n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派

参考例句：

• She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。
• The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。

16 clans   

宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派

参考例句：

• There are many clans in European countries. 欧洲国家有很多党派。
• The women were the great power among the clans [gentes], as everywhere else. 妇女在克兰〈氏族〉里，乃至一般在任何地方，都有很大的势力。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源

17 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

18 convoys   

n.（有护航的）船队( convoy的名词复数 )；车队；护航（队）；护送队

参考例句：

• Truck convoys often stop over for lunch here. 车队经常在这里停下来吃午饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A UN official said aid programs will be suspended until there's adequate protection for relief convoys. 一名联合国官员说将会暂停援助项目，直到援助车队能够得到充分的保护为止。 来自辞典例句

19 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

20 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

21 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

22 disintegration   

n.分散，解体

参考例句：

• This defeat led to the disintegration of the empire.这次战败道致了帝国的瓦解。
• The incident has hastened the disintegration of the club.这一事件加速了该俱乐部的解体。