The President of the Federal State of Somalia, Puntland, Dr Abdiweli Mohamed Ali ‘Gass’, dealt the greatest political and military blow to Somaliland, Wednesday, by paying the first ever visit to parts of Somaliland by a head of Somalia’s many states or its central seat in Mogadishu for over 30 years.
Badhan, about 90 kilometres east of Erigavo, the capital of the largest region of Somaliland, Sanaag, is within a stone’s throw of the base of one of Somaliland’s largest military divisions, the 3rd.
Dr Abdiweli, whose term in office at Garowe, is about to end, had more than recouped the defeat he had suffered in the hands of Somaliland at the Tukkaraq front of Sool region, and the flak that he had to bear because of it, by openly and so exaggeratedly playing his popularity in the Somaliland region of Badhan.
President Abdiweli, at first, wished to secure the votes of the 9 Warsangeli members in the Puntland parliament in order to win the upcoming presidential election in the federal state which will be decided by the 66-member parliament.
Seeing that there was no opposition from the Somaliland part to leave the area in haste, he extended his visit to an overnight stay, and then went on to invite his whole cabinet of ministers to convene their Thursday meeting in the city to show the world that Badhan, indeed, was the seat of his government for the duration of his visit.
Somaliland political parties sent a feeble message to Abdiweli through the media, stating tamely that his visit was a ‘blatant aggression against the sovereignty’ of Somaliland.
“Abdiweli,” political observers believe ” is sending a message to Farmajo and Mogadishu telling wishing to impress on them that his popularity and territorial jurisdiction earns him a place above the rest of the federal states of Somalia and that his power is not any less than that of Villa Somalia”.
Indeed, they say, Abdiweli has proven that he can even bring President Farmajo to Badhan and to the outskirts of Erigavo, even, anytime he so wished.
“That Somaliland keeps fighting in Sool to defend the ‘sovereignty and territorial integrity’ and let go of the largest part of Somaliland so shamefully defeats logic,” critics pointed out.
Indeed, Somaliland is entering a new phase that nobody can prophesy impact of, is evident.
Musa Bihi Abdi, President of the Republic of Somaliland, had neither defended his territory from so blatant an aggression but has, also, chosen to say nothing of it a state which caused many to wonder if, in fact, the president was even aware of the far-reaching damage Mr Gass’s move deals on Somaliland’s quest for recognition from the international community based on the geographical boundaries inherited from Britain in 1960.
