By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – Police in the capital Hargeisa are investigating the purpose of an attempted clandestine visit to Somaliland by three senior officials of the Mogadishu based Somalia Federal Government-SFG.
According to the minister of interior Ali Mohamed Waran’ade the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters is currently home to three SFG officials who were arrested at the city’s Egal International Airport and shall be arraigned in court once investigations are completed.
The detainees all senior SFG functionaries are Jama Mohamed Jama who is an Aide to President Hasan, Ms Fahima Nuur Nageeye an aide to the SFG prime minister and Diplomat Abdiaziz Aden of the SFG ministry of Foreign affairs.
While sources indicate that the three whose flight emanated in Mogadishu were only transiting via Egal international their arrest proves otherwise since Somaliland police never board planes that are dislodging and or picking passengers in any airports nationwide thence the clandestine motive is more apt.
Justifying the arrests and subsequent ongoing investigations by CID and other intelligence organs minister Waran’ade said that it is not only illegally for Somalia passport holders to enter Somaliland without visas but likewise illegal for any diplomats or government officials not only from the SFG but any other country to sneak into Somaliland.
While the arrests come at a time when Somalia and Somaliland are engaged in talks which though internationally sanctioned and in their fifth phase continued ramblings from the SFG and more specifically its selected President Hasan as pertains ultimate mission of reuniting the two countries is raising heckles in many quarters within Somaliland where the mention of joining with Somalia is TABOO.
Somaliland which in 1991 revoked its voluntary later turned fateful 1960 union with Somalia after a brutal war between ragtag SNM militias and the then Dictator Siad Barre Commanded Somalia national army purportedly 2nd Strongest in Africa resulting in the massacre of over 50,000 civilians and subsequent divorce of Mogadishu and Hargeisa.
The strain between the two neigbouring countries and despite the good intentions of Somaliland is being exacerbated by SFG president Hasan whose though now gotten used to insinuations to his untenable goal of reuniting the two is now engaging in actual intent to fragment the sacristy of Somaliland through proclaimed support to a purported Khatumo state to be presumably hived off parts of the eastern regions of Sool and Sanaag.
At the same time Abdiweli Gaas president of the Somalia Administrative region of Puntland and an acolyte of President Hasan has also been trumpeting the mission if his presidency as being the partition of Eastern parts of both Sanaag and Sool regions.
After all is said and done coupled with Hasan and his underling Gaas appointing Somaliland to senior positions in their governments the clandestine motive of the three now in custody at CID headquarters Hargeisa Senior SFG operatives is cause for caution by both Somaliland authorities and citizens.
