In his annual constitutional speech before a joint session of the two houses of Somaliland parliament, President Muse Bihi Abdi gave a lengthy account of his recent official visit to Addis Abba where has met the Ethiopian PM Abiye Ahmed, who has also arranged for a previously undisclosed encounter between him and the President of Somalia, Mohamed Abdillahi Farmaajo.

The president has completely rejected, as rumours, the story that the Ethiopians have brokered a visit of Mr Farmaajo to the Somaliland capital of Hargeisa. This rumour has recreated havoc and confusion in Somaliland territories. Somaliland has declared its independence from the Somali Republic in 1991 in response to world-denounced atrocities committed by the Late Siyad Barre regime.

Mr Bihi who is a veteran ex-commander of Somaliland liberation Movement has also disclosed that the only topic the PM of Ethiopia has raised with him and the President of Somalia was an offer to mediate in the upcoming negotiations between Somaliland and Somalia aimed at resolving the issue of the independence of Somaliland.

It is worth noting that after returning to Mogadishu, Mr Farmajo has made a public apology to the people of Somaliland for the atrocities committed during the 1980s. This was the first such admission by a sitting leader of Somalia since the two territories severed relations in 1991.

President Muse has accepted the apology offered by Farmaajo as a step in the right direction, albeit grossly insufficient. Mr Farmaajo happens to hail from the same Somali sub-tribe of Siyad Barre, the brutal dictator that has orchestrated and also executed the massacre of the people of Somaliland between the years 1988 and 1990.

President Muse closed his long speech with an emotional note touching on the atrocities committed by Farmaajo’s Uncle, the ex-president of the now-defunct Somali Democratic Republic.

Finally, the President of Somaliland has explicitly rejected any rapprochement or relationship with Somalia unless they acknowledge the right of the people of Somaliland to self-determination as enshrined in UN Charter and unless they recognize Somaliland as an independent and sovereign nation

In his annual constitutional speech before a joint session of the two houses
of Somaliland parliament, President Muse Bihi Abdi gave a lengthy account of
his recent official visit to Addis Abba where has met the Ethiopian PM Abiye
Ahmed, who has also arranged for a previously undeclared encounter between him
and the President of Somalia, Mohamed Abdillahi Farmaajo.

The president has completely rejected, as rumours, the story that the
Ethiopian have brokered a visit of Mr Farmaajo to the Somaliland capital of Hargeisa,
which has recreated havoc and confusion in Somaliland territories. Somaliland
has declared into independence from the Somali Republic in 1991 in response to
world-denounced atrocities committed by Siyad Barre regime.

Mr Bihi who is a veteran ex-commander of Somaliland liberation Movement has  also disclosed that the only topic the PM of
Ethiopia has raised with him and the President of Somalia was an offer to
mediate between in the upcoming negotiations between Somaliland and Somalia
aimed at resolving issue of the independence of Somaliland.

It is worth noting that after
returning to Mogadishu, Mr Farmajo has made a public apology to the people of Somaliland
for the atrocities committed during the 1980s. This was the first such
admission by sitting leader of Somalia since the two territories severed
relations in 1991.

Present Muse has accepted the apology offered by Farmaajo as a step in the
right direction albeit grossly insufficient .
Mr Farmaajo happens to hail from the same subtribe of Siyad Barre, the brutal
dictator that has orchestrated and also executed the massacre of the people of
Somaliland between the years 1988 and 1990.

President Muse closed his long his speech with an emotional note touching on
the atrocities committed by Farmaajo Uncle, the ex-president of the now defunct
Somali Democratic Republic.

Finally, the President of Somaliland has explicitly rejected any rapprochement
or relationship with Somalia unless they acknowledge the right of the people of
Somaliland to self-determination as enshrined in UN Charter and unless they recognize
Somaliland as an independent and sovereign nation.

Written by: Hassan Abdi Yousuf