May 07, 2012

Somaliland: MFA Denies Tension With Djibouti


Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Mohamed Abdilahi Omar declared that relations between the two countries were very cordial, refuting media reports that they were strained by an earlier incident.

Below is an article published by the Somaliland Sun:

The government has termed Relations with Djibouti as very cordial at all levels.

The minister of foreign affairs Dr Mohamed Abdilahi Omar refuted media reports which alleged that the relations between the two countries are strained after two cabinet ministers from Djibouti were stopped from entering the country.

Immigrations officials at the Lugahya border point between the two countries refused entry to two ministers from Djibouti who were subsequently ordered back to their country purportedly on the orders of the interior minister Hon Duur Arale.

The foreign minister who concurred that the entry denial to the cabinet ministers was unfortunate and embarrassing blamed poor communication, Said he, "The Djiboutian authorities did not communicate with us as concerns the visit by the ministers"

Following the Wednesday incidence at the lugahaya border point the president H.E. Ahmed Mahmoud Silanyo dispatched his interior Minister Hon Mohamed Nuur Arale "Duur" Djibouti in a bid to mollify Djiboutian authorities are thought to be incensed by the treatment meted out on the two ministers.

The immediate dispatch of Hon Duur who left on Friday is a clear indication of the seriousness of the incidence which seems to have embarrassed the Djiboutian's thus the urgent relations fence mending mission by Silanyo's minister of interior, ironically the one responsible for the mishap

President Silanyo who inherited lackluster relations with Djibouti has in the span of two years in office managed to establish very conducive and cordial diplomatic relations which have created commercial opportunities for all.

At the same time, unregulated inter-border movement by citizens from the two countries is a normal activity for the many Somalilanders of Djiboutian origin and vice versa.

While the Djibouti authorities have so far not reacted overtly to the incidence, the Duur mission is an overt indication that covert communication has transpired within the duration following the border incident and the Duur departure.