In response to the Somali Federal Government’s condemnation of the bilateral ties between Somaliland and Taiwan, Somaliland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said “The government of the Republic of Somaliland sees Somalia’s reaction toward Taiwan’s Representative Office in Somaliland as “astonishing and mystifying”.
In an interview with the BBC Somali Service, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Yasin Hagi Mohamoud Hiir (Faratoon) politely called Somalia’s territorial claim over Somaliland as delusional.
As Taiwan officially known as the Republic of China opened its Representative Office in Somaliland, The People’s Republic of China and the Federal Government of Somalia have once again condemned the diplomatic ties between the two unrecognized republics!
The latest round of condemnation of the bilateral ties between Somaliland and Taiwan comes a day after Taiwan officially opened its Representative office in Somaliland.
The high profile ceremony was attended by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the two countries. President of Taiwan Ms. Tsai Ing-wen has thanked the government and the people of Somaliland for their warm welcome.
Somaliland government has so far rebuffed efforts by China to prevent it from establishing ties with Taiwan in exchange for a liaison office of its own in Hargeisa and development package.
This is the second time that China and Somalia have condemned the bilateral ties between Taiwan and Somaliland on grounds of territorial integrity of Somalia and violation of the One-China policy.
Although Somalia in the past has been very focal about Somaliland’s dealings with foreign nations, it has been powerless to stop Somaliland from clinching direct foreign investment such as the DP World’s Berbera port expansion project and maintaining ties with many countries.
Somalia is experiencing a tense political and security spasms following the auster of the Prime Minister, the potential extension of the current government’s mandate and a sharp spike in Al-Shabaab terror attacks around the country. The deadline to appoint a new prime minister has expired.
Although the United States of America has spent billions on Somalia in development and security, Somalia’s alignment with the People’s Republic of China goes against the Taipei Act. The Taipei Act was passed by the United States as a direct response to China’s effort to isolate Taiwan diplomatically.
It is unclear if China will try to exert pressure on Somaliland from neighboring countries such as Djibouti, Ethiopia, or Kenya.
The most likely candidate might be Djibouti according to regional analysts due to the high Debt-to-GDP Ratio and the overwhelming reliance of Somaliland’s telecommunication sector on Djibouti.
