Somaliland negotiators heads to Turkey for Somaliland, Somalia Talks (Video)
Berbera, 05 July 2013 (SDN) –A high-ranking Somaliland negotiations team left on Today for Turkey to hold talks with Somali federal government. The stalled talks between Somaliland and Somalia will begin on Tuesday 9th July 2013 to propel the agreements reached during the last presidential level meeting in Ankara.
Somaliland Minister of Commerce and international Investment Dr. Mohamed Abdilahi Omar was leading the delegation en route to the Turkish capital.
Other members of the Somaliland team of negotiators include Presidency minister Mr. Hirsi Ali Haji Hasan, Minister of Labour and social services Mahmud Garad and Members of parliament Bashe Mohamed Farah, Saeed Jama Elmi and Hildiban Hussein.
The Somaliland delegation which departed the country today via Berbera international airport shall transit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa from where it shall depart direct to Istanbul.
Negotiations to be held for three consecutive days in Istanbul from 9th July 2013 shall be the first for the two sides to be closeted alone with members from the host country or other stakeholders in attendance since the talks in their fourth phase begun in London last year.
For the first time, Somaliland opposition parties’ negotiators including the Justice and Welfare party (UCID) chairman Faisal Ali Warabe and WADDANI opposition party leader Abdirahman Irro were not included in negotiations team.
In April this year Turkey has hosted the latest round of facilitation talks between the Somali and Somaliland governments as part of efforts to negotiate Somaliland’s status. Somaliland is seeking international recognition as a separate country, while Somalia envisions a unified country including the territory.
The dialogue between the two formerly united in the now defunct republic of Somalia that collapsed in 1991 after Somaliland pulled out of the union and reclaim its sovereignty following a protracted civil war was sanctioned by the international community during the first conference held in London in February of 2012.
SDN Berbera