Somalia, Unrecognized Somaliland to Resume Talks Over Somaliland's Independence
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MOSCOW, December 29 (Sputnik) - Several other regions in Somalia are controlled by unrecognized state entities or self-governing territories. Specifically, the Republic of Somaliland, which is not internationally recognized, controls the northern part of the country, while in the eastern part, the Puntland region declared autonomy in 1998.
Leaders of Somalia and Somaliland, a sovereign state and recognized internationally as de jure part of Somalia, have met in Djibouti to resume talks to resolve a dispute over Somaliland’s 1991 declaration of independence, Somali National News Agency (SONNA) reported on Thursday.
The delegation of Somalia is led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and includes Internal Affairs Minister Ahmed Ma’alin Fiqi, Commerce Minister Jibril Abdirashid and Abdikarim Hussein Guled, the special envoy for the talks, the report said. Somaliland's delegation is led by President Muse Bihi Abdi.
26 September 2023, 18:45
The talks, hosted by the Djiboutian government, will focus on security and economic issues and the political status of Somaliland, which has been a source of tension in their relations, the media cited the Somali presidency as saying in a statement, adding that the new round of talks aims to "restore trust and confidence" and "promote brotherly relations" between Somalia and Somaliland.
Somalia collapsed as a unified nation in 1991 with the downfall of the country's former President Siad Barre. The international community recognized the Mogadishu-based federal government as the only legitimate authority in Somalia, while the northern and the eastern parts of the country remain under the control of self-proclaimed and unrecognized Somaliland and Puntland.
