Somaliland accuses Somalia, Italy of frustrating her recognition bid

Somaliland President Musa Bihi waves to the crowds in Hargeisa upon from an official visit to Guinea on July 7, 2019. PHOTO | COURTESY

By  NATION CORRESPONDENT

What you need to know:

  • Last week, Somalia announced that it had cut diplomatic ties with Guinea.
  • President Conde said that Somaliland had a right to chart her destiny.

Somaliland has accused Somalia and Italy of working to frustrate her quest for recognition as an independent state.

Somaliland President Musa Bihi is, however, confident that the international community will recognise the Horn of Africa nation.

President Bihi claimed that Italy had piled pressure on Guinea’s Head of State Alpha Conde not to welcome him and his delegation to Conakry.

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President Bihi was on an official visit to the West African nation on the invitation of President Conde.

PRESSURE

“Italy was among nations that piled pressure on Guinea heeding the hysteric calls of the Mogadishu administration. In fact, Italy exerted the greatest pressure but to no avail,” said President Bihi in Hargeisa on Sunday.

“Somalia is working with some European countries to bully our friends and frustrate our quest for recognition,” added the Somaliland leader.

“But we are happy that a number of nations that have shown sympathy to our course,” President Bihi stated.

Last week, Somalia announced that it had cut diplomatic ties with Guinea.

DESTINIY

In a statement, Somalia’s foreign ministry said their government had cut all diplomatic ties after Guinea “accorded the protocol of head of state... to the leader of a separatist movement"

President Conde however said that Somaliland had a right to chart her destiny.

Somaliland has intensified its campaign for recognition after separating from Somalia in 1990.

Somalia and Somaliland merged soon after independence in 1960. Somaliland was a British protectorate while Somali was colonised by Italy.

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