Hargeisa, Somaliland (Somtribune) — His Excellency the President of the Republic of Somaliland, Musa Bihi Abdi, returned home, Wednesday, after a brief, four-day visit to Ethiopia.
Professor Yassin Mohamoud Hiir ‘Faratoon’, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, gave a clipped brief of what was achieved during the visit.
“The delegation His Excellency the President headed optimally exploited all opportunities laid before us at the Summit. The President met with the greatest possible number of state delegates attending the Summit as participants or observers with whom we have discussed the Somaliland case in great depth,” he said.
The Minister added that he was confident that the discussions more than struck responsive chords during the meeting.
Revealing the impromptu arrangement of the visit and how Somaliland took advantage of a window of opportunity, Minister Hiir explained.
“Realizing the monumental potential inherent in such a great number of African leaders meeting at the AU Summit, we have called the President to our side in Addis Ababa on short notice. I called at around 11:30 in the morning and he was with us at around 6:00 p.m.,” Professor Hiir said.
Specifically, Minister Faratoon mentioned that among the luminaries President Bihi met with were the new President of the Union, President Ramaphosa of South Africa and the Ethiopian Prime Minister.
Minister Hiir confirmed that there, indeed, was a meeting between President Bigi and President Farmajo of Mogadishu’s FGS. He, however, downplayed the significance of such a meeting perfunctorily brushing it aside as a coincidental encounter.
“Presidents Bihi and Farmajo met at the Ethiopian Prime Minister’s office where all the delegates were making a stop at to pay farewell to their host,” he said.
It is not clear whether the government would at a later point give further details of the meeting or just pull the brakes up there.
