Somaliland Pulls Out of Talks with Somalia Blames TFG President
Hargeisa (SDN) -Somaliland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mahamed Abdillahi Omar announced today that the government of Somaliland is pulling out of talks with the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia. He cites missteps by the TFG as the reason for the turn of events
The Foreign Affairs Minister of Somaliland who was part of a five member ministerial committee named by the government to take part in the conference said that his government has officially pulled out of talks scheduled with the TFG due to the addition of two new members on the TFG’s committee who represent the disputed regions of Sol and Sanaag in Somaliland.
The Minister told VOA News that plans to fulfil an agreement reached at the London Somalia Conference in February for the two countries to meet were underway when the President of the TFG Sheikh Sharif added two new members to TFG’s committee.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is confident that talks can resume if the two contentious members of the committee are removed. He added that if Somalia’s President does not address the situation Somaliland cannot take part in talks in good faith.
Somaliland feels that the inclusion of the two committee members is an attempt to derail the talks, according to the Foreign Affairs Minister both have expressed an open animosity towards Somaliland and he believes they would contribute negatively to the meetings. The Minister also added “the talks can only take place between the two sides that unified in 1960”.
Sol and Sanaag are part of a disputed territory which has been under the control of Somaliland since its independence in the early 90s. Members of the secession movement have aligned themselves with the Puntland regional administration and the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia. Somaliland unified with Somalia in 1960 but later declared its independence after a long civil war with the Siyad Barre government. Since then Somalia has been embroiled in civil conflict. The recent London conference was designed in part to address issues of security and development in the war torn nation.
SDN, Hargeisa
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