Jun 20, 2008

Somaliland: UK Delegation Meets President


Active ImageA British delegation led by Mr. Kim Howells MP has met with the President of Somaliland, Mudane Dahir Rayale Kahin to discuss issues of common interest.

Below is an article published by Qaran News:

The Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth for African Affairs, Mr. Kim Howells MP and his delegation arrived this morning [19 Jun 08] at Egal International airport.  The delegation met with the President of Somaliland, Mudane Dahir Rayale Kahin at the Presidency in Hargeisa.

At the meeting with President Rayale, the British delegation led by Mr. Kim Howells discussed issues of interest to both nations and the relationship between Somaliland and the United Kingdom.

The delegation was met at the airport by the Somaliland Foreign minister, Mudane Abdillahi Mohamed Duale, Home Affairs minister, Mudane Abdillahi Ismail Ali, Civil Aviation minister, Mudane Mohamed Ali Warran'adde, the Mayor of Hargeisa, Mudane Hussein Mohamud Ji'ir, and senior protocol and security officials from the Somaliland government.

The British delegation led by Mr. Kim Howells met with members of the Somaliland government, opposition parties, parliament, the national elections commission and members of the civil society during their short visit to Somaliland.

This is not the first visit by a senior British minister to Somaliland, Lord Mullins visited the country in 2004 whilst African Affairs minister at FCO. There was also a visit by cross-party British parliamentarians led by Mr. Tony Baldry MP in 2003.

The visit by Mr. Kim Howells and his delegation follows recent visits by senior British diplomats, including Ambassador Norman Ling, to Somaliland during last few weeks [19 Jun 08].

Attending the meeting with the United Kingdom delegation were the Somaliland Vice-President Mudane Ahmed Yusuf Yasin, Finance minister, Mudane Hussien Ali Duale and the Planning minister, Mudane Ali Ibrahim.

The United Kingdom delegation included, Ms. Tiu Morris from the Foreign and Commonwealth, Mr. John Marshall, deputy ambassador at the British Embassy in Addis Ababa and several senior diplomats.