“It is neither Islamic nor any other culture to harm guests and innocent civilians in our midst and it is definitely not Somaliland’s culture. We view any Somali national in Somaliland as someone in their second homeland. The statements coming out of the Garowe Administration are completely nonsensical and akin to a grasping at straws.” Mohamed Kahin – Minister of Interior of the Republic of Somaliland.
The Ministry of Interior issued above statement to address a recent appeal by the Puntland Administration to all Somali national, particularly students studying in Somaliland universities to immediately leave Somaliland and return to their homeland in Garowe because they feared for safety in Somaliland.
Puntland regional administration issued this appeal following a spate of statements made by politicians, parliament members and ministers from Puntland that have called for violence against Somaliland and in particular the assassination of UCID Chairman, an opposition party in Somaliland, Faisal Ali Warabe.
In response to some of the statement including the one that called for his assassination, Mr Warabe has pointed out that the people of Somalia particularly Puntland has a long standing ties to Somaliland and to make his point pointed out the thousands of Somali business people working in Somaliland and students currently studying in Somaliland universities. There was no mention of violence or acts of reprisals against Somali national in Somaliland by Mr Warabe.
Mr Warabe has been very outspoken about the border conflict between Somaliland and Somalia in Tukeraq and has accused that Somali Government in Mogadishu of stoking hostilities.
While Mr Warabe has not shown any concrete evidence of Somalia’s involvement he has pointed out that both Mr Farmajo and Khayre, the President and Prime Minister of Somalia has vowed to take strong measures after Somaliland has signed a 30 year deal with Dubai Word Ports and the Ethiopian government.
The war of words from Puntland has intensified since the failed offensive on Somaliland army posts in in the border town Tukeraq on May 15th this year.
Somaliland President HE Muse Bihi has expressed Somaliland’s desire for peaceful coexistence to Puntland regional authorities, to Somalia and to the world.
