A high level delegation led by the Eritrean Foreign Minister Mr. Osman Saleh arrived in Hargeisa, the capital of the Republic of Somaliland on an official state visit.
According to Mr. Saleh, the delegation was sent by the Eritrean President
Isaias Afwerki on a fact finding mission to have a first hand account of what is going on in Somaliland.
The Minister holding a joint press briefing with his Somaliland counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mr. Yasin Hagi Mohamoud Hiir (Faratoon) on the purpose of their visit stated “The Eritrean delegation was sent and we are sent by our President, Isaias Afwerki, at least to know the situation what is going on in Somaliland. We have been away from the situation in the Horn of Africa for the last 20 years because we had a very bad situation. A war was waged against Eritrea by the TPLF Regime and later it was followed by a sanction on Eritrea and we were struggling from all these, what you call subjugation. Now at this moment peace has prevailed in the Horn of Africa, especially between Eritrea and Ethiopia and now we started our cooperation so we said, now we have been away and now it is time for us to go Somaliland and look into the Situation.”.
Mr Salah added that his delegation have met the President of Somaliland, HE Muse Bihi Abdi and were briefed by the political and socio-economic situation of Somaliland. The Minister said “And now, we will go back and convey the situations prevailing in Somaliland to my President”.
This is the highest level Eritrean delegation to visit Somaliland since both countries gained independence in 1991 from Somali and Ethiopia respectively.