The meeting between the President of the Republic of Somaliland, Musa Bihi Abdi, and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, on Wednesday took many by surprise.
With Somalia, it was more of an alarming threat than anything else.
Used to having the field to itself, Somalia started a propaganda campaign whose objective was to jinx the resuscitated relations between the two neighbors, using, to begin with, word Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed used on Facebook and Twitter: ”Administration’.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received at his office today the President of the Somaliland Administration H.E. Muse Bihi Abdi and his delegation. The two parties discussed on a number of key issues of mutual interest.
More: https://t.co/ccdeIdJ7jb#PMOEthiopia pic.twitter.com/HuT3NAU2dy
— Office of the Prime Minister – Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) February 20, 2019
Villa Somalia immediately bounced on the word making it appear that its use was no different than that it and and the outside world used on Somalia’s federal states – among whom Somaliland did not figure. The disdain was not to be missed, specifically, in the Somali language version of its Tweets. The English text repeated what came out on the Ethiopian Prime Minister’s page – no more, no less.
The FGS lauds the move by President Musa Bihi of Somaliland Administration to engage in close cooperation with the Federal Government. The FGS considers this move a progressive step in the right direction and applauds President Bihi ‘s commitment in this regard.
— Villa Somalia (@TheVillaSomalia) February 20, 2019
Sidoo kale, Dowladda Federaalka Soomaaliya waxay dhiirrigelinaysaa dadaalka uu wado R/ Wasaaraha Itoobiya Mudane Abiy Axmed oo muujiyay sida ay uga go'antahay dardargelinta isdhexgalka dhaqaale ee Geeska Afrika oo ay Dowladaha Soomaaliya, Itoobiya & Eritreeya hormuudka ka yihiin.
— Villa Somalia (@TheVillaSomalia) February 20, 2019
The repeated use of the word ‘administration’ by the Prime Minister’s office in relation to Somaliland was, to many, a calculated put-down that was meant to directly message its established rapport with President Farmajo and Villa Somalia, saying Ethiopia’s position with Somalia did not change.
Taking their hue from above, Somaliland detractors started a hue and cry on social media, contending that President Musa Bihi has agreed to relegate the republic of Somaliland to a ‘state’ level under Farmajo’s Somalia.
Their argument, chiefly rested on the fact that the Ethiopian PM used the word ‘administration’ on Somaliland where he accorded Somalia its full title ‘the Federal Government of Somalia’.
Although Somaliland is not yet recognized by the international community, it is the first time Ethiopia has used ‘administration’ on Somaliland in close proximity with the name Villa Somalia goes by with nowadays – a country that has duped the world to believe that Somaliland was and is still a part of Somalia.
