HARGEISA (SomalilandPress)—Somaliland’s speaker Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi (Airo) reaffirmed that Somaliland’s sovereignty is non-negotiable while speaking to the VOA’s Somali service yesterday. Mr. Abdullahi made clear Somaliland’s stance on sovereignty as he spoke with the local press on his way back from Djibouti where he was leading a delegation from Somaliland taking part in celebrations to mark the 34th anniverasy of Djibouti’s independence anniversary from France.
Speaker Abdillahi was responding to a statement made by Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed in which he said southern Somalia was ready to apologise for the atrocities that were committed against the people of Somaliland by the previous Siad Barre government. Speaker Abdullahi is the second Somaliland government official that has thus far responded to President Sheikh Sharif by saying to him thanks but no thanks, making clear that Somaliland will stay sovereign from the rest of Somalia.
The Somaliland President has yet to formally respond to President Sheikh Sharif’s statement concerning the apology concerning the atrocities committed throughout the 1980’s.
