Envoy Edna Briefs Local, International Media on President Behi Visit to Guinea, Somaliland history, status in Addis Ababa
Dr Edna Adan Ismail, a Somaliland former foreign minister, the founder of Edna Adan University and Hospital, who is, presently, the Special Presidential Envoy on the Somaliland-Somalia talks, briefed local and international media on President Behi’s visit to Guinea and other salient issues relating to the visit.
Dr Edna convened the press conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the President’s delegation stopped over on their way back from Guinea.
Edna, touching on President Behi’s visit to Guinea on an official invitation extended to the delegation by President Alpha Conde’, established that this was not the first official invitation her country received from another country nor would it be the last.
Somaliland leaders have visited over 90 countries in the past. In all of these countries, our presidents have been highly received, red carpets laid, and honoured with presidential salutes (guard of honour),” she said.
“I wonder,” the envoy said, “if Somalia planned the cut diplomatic ties with all 90 countries. With Ethiopia? With Djibouti?”, she rhetorically posed, to highlight how ridiculous it was that Somalia specifically targets or singles out Guinea alone.
“We think this is a great disrespect to a president very much loved by his people and respected by the rest of African governments; disrespect to a president who cannot be given a dictation about who he can welcome to his country or not,” Dr Edna Adan said.
“President Alpha Conde’ does not need the permission of Al-Shabaab, terrorists or leaders of a failed government,” she added.
Since Somalia, she continued to state, “was a past master terrorism, if the step Somalia has taken against Guinea on account of the Somaliland visit wasn’t a new form of ‘diplomatic terrorism’ or ‘ethical terrorism’.
“Heads of states,” she strongly stated, ‘are sovereign and have to be respected as such”.
The former Italian Somalia was now fragmented and broken into small pieces, and not the same as the one we united with.
“Who speaks for Somalia now,” she asked. “Who in his right mind would reunite with a failed state like Somalia?”
“For the record”, she added, “Somaliland respected the territorial integrity of other nations. Somaliland did not believe in fragmentation. We don’t believe in splintering nations”.
Edna added that Somaliland believed in the constitution of the African Union.
“Borders must remain as in the Constitution of the African Union, as they were at the time the colonials left and independence dawned like Somaliland”.
Edna stated that there was no government in Somalia when Somaliland has been for the past 28 years.
“That is a long track record. There is no going back. There is no reunion with Somalia,” she emphatically stated.
Envoy Edna pointed out that Somaliland was ready for dialogue from a position of strength in order to establish future relations and help foster a peaceful region.
“Somaliland,” she added, ‘was ready to talk to Somalia anytime to safeguard good neighbourliness and as two separate, independent nations. Somaliland will not be dictated to. Somaliland is not part of Somalia and not part of the so-called federal government of Somalia”.
Edna produced her Majesty’s Proclamation of independence to the former British Protectorate of Somaliland signed by Queen Elizabeth II who was still on the throne, alive, which also the to-be-independent state all the best as a sovereign, fully independent country come 26 June 1960.
“This a part of history I cannot change it. You cannot change it. Somalia cannot change it ” she said.
Edna also produced congratulatory messages and notes from the world including that of the United States.
“When somebody says Somaliland wanted its independence, they did not know what they were talking about. Somaliland has always been independent,” she concluded.
Edna, however, did not share with her audience that she was there as the First Lady of Somaliland at time of independence married to the leader who took Somaliland to Mogadishu in the belief that five Somalias will be coming together to form the Somali Republic.
Incidentally, the leader of one of those Somalias, the Ethiopian Somali State, Mustafa Omar ‘Cagjar’, upon hearing that Villa Somalia so vehemently opposed Somaliland as an independent country wondered what was wrong with getting another, independent Somali nation.
“I am delighted that Somaliland relates with the outside world and get recognized,” he said on his Facebook page.
Following up on this note, President Mustafa Omar, and the Finance Minister of Federal Ethiopia, personally received President Musa Behi and his delegation at Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa, Friday.
Furthermore, Somalia”s unbridled show of animosity towards the people of Somaliland has had a galvanizing effect on the nation, uniting it. All major cities erected giant billboards thanking Guinea and its president. Others ecpressed solidairity with President Behi and his delegation.
The Somaliland bicameral parliament, regional leadsrs and the population at large voiced full support for President Behi, as they manifested lasting friendship with Guinea and its people.
Both of Somaliland’s national opposition parties fully supported the President’s visit to Guinea, condemning Somalia’s irrational decision and protestations against a Somaliland over which it had no jurisdiction whatsoever.
The parties called for an immediate cessation of talks with Somalia altogether.
Find Full Text of Press ‘SOMALILAND IS HERE TO STAY‘ Brief Below:
Press Conference_ Somaliland Is Here To Stay. Addis Ababa, 06_07_19
International Delegations in Somaliland: A Sample
Somaliland Republic