His Excellency the president of the Republic of Somaliland Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud ‘Siilaanyo’, returns, Thursday, to the capital, Hargeisa, from a week-long official visit to neighboring Ethiopia during which he held pivotal meetings with the Premiere of the host country, Hailemariam Desalegn, and the leader of a Somalilander splinter group, Professor Ali Khalif Galaydh.
The President, accompanied by a number of high-profile Ministers and government officials during his visit besides the ruling Party leader, Musa Behi Abdin and the First Lady, spoke to the press upon arrival, saying that their stay in Ethiopia was of great import to the people of Somaliland as it concluded agreements with the vast neighboring nation that aided the RoS to attain its economical and political aspirations in due time.
“Our visit was highly successful as we have reached agreements on critical issues with the Prime Minister and the government he led,” the president said.
The two sides, the President revealed, struck accord on a number of areas that included security, bilateral relations on economy, cross-border travels, containment of illegal immigration, boost of bilateral trade agreement, and Ethiopia’s contribution to the Berbera Corridor road which linked the two countries.
The two sides, also agreed, for Ethiopia to increase the number of tertiary level fellowships to Somalilanders and the development and provision of cheap electrical power supply to Somaliland.
The official statement, however, did not disclose specific details or exact schedules of activities and considerations raised during the talks and which were agreed upon.
Towards the last two, three days of the Somaliland delegation’s stay in Addis Ababa, a series of meetings with the Leader of Buuhoodle’s Khatumo, Ali Khalif and a delegation he led, took place.
As it was the first time that the two sides officially met face to face, the primary aim was to stamp official seal on the talks and to set a date for decisions kernel to lasting, far-reaching conclusions before a larger, all-encompassing conference among the country’s tradition and political leaders was called to take place in Burao – a conference that has been already postponed once to give room to these initial meetings.
A follow-up meeting was scheduled for 17 November in Addis Ababa.
