Somaliland: Government Denies the Alleged Visit of Somalia’s Interior Minister to the Country

Hargeisa, Aug 6, 2013 (SDN) —Somaliland government has strongly denied the alleged visit of Somalia’s interior and security minister Abdikarim Hussein Guleid in the country. Somaliland news websites have reported on last Sunday that Somalia’s interior minister arrived in the country through Berbera airport.

“No Somali Federal government official has disembarked in any of our Airports” read a Ministry of Aviation and Air Transport statement released by its Chief of Protocol officer Mr Abdilahi Ahmed Arshe

The minister of Aviation’s statement was in negation of media reports that alleged that Somalia’s interior minister Abdikarim Hussein Guleid was a guest of the Somaliland government which was hosting him at a purported plush residence behind the presidency in Hargeisa. According to the protocol officer the information was false and of malicious intent because the aviation ministry has no record or has its personnel processed the SFG minister at Berbera Airport where the media reports indicate that he disembarked at from his Juba airways flight said to have originated from Mogadishu. “Press freedom is a precious commodity that should be utilized properly especially as related to ascertaining the authenticity of any information, it, the media disburses for public consumption” said the protocol officer.

SDN Hargeisa