In an interview with the Voice of America, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Dr. Issa Kayd stated that the Somaliland government is suspending talks with Somalia. Minister Keyd stated the lack of seriousness on the part of Somalia as the reason for abandoning what he called the 10 year long fruitless talks with Somalia.
The decade-long Somaliland and Somalia talks have been ongoing since 2012 and a series of high-level talks between the two countries have been held in Ankara, London, and Djibouti with various state and international bodies as mediators and observers.
In addition to direct multiple hostile acts to undermine Somaliland’s peace and security, Somalia does not recognize Somaliland and regards it as part of its territory and has vigorously fought Somaliland’s development and bilateral engagements and since Farmajo took the helm has aggressively sought to isolate Somaliland.
Somalia hosts a cadre of pro-union politicians originally from Somaliland and despite having no control over Somaliland’s territory claims to hold elections on behalf of the people of Somaliland. The international community has openly supported these sham elections held in Somaliland that are purported to Represent Somaliland.
The talks with Somalia have been a major drag on Somaliland’s search for international acknowledgment of its independence and recognition and have severely damaged its case as the talks were framed by Somalia and its allies such as Turkey and Qatar as a reconciliation.
It’s unclear if Dr. Kayd, whose short tenure at the helm of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation coincides with a time when Somaliland’s International profile is on the rise, has the backing of President Muse Bihi who has attended the last round of talks with Somalia in Djibouti.
It is unclear if the halt to talks with Somalia represents a new and more assertive posture by Somaliland and if that would affect its long-standing policy of accepting ambassadors sent to Somalia. None of these foreign ambassadors present credentials of any sort to the government of Somaliland.
Efforts to reach officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for clarification and what the next steps are were unsuccessful.