By: Yusuf M Hasan
LOWYADO (Somalilandsun) – For one week effective on 23rd July 2014 all movement between Djibouti and Somaliland shall cease.
According to Djiboutian immigration authorities the border closure is a temporary arrangement put in place for security purposes during the forthcoming Eid ul-Fitr festivities that bring the holy month of Ramadan to a close.
“Immediately after Eid regular movements at the Lowy ado border town shall resume with Somaliland’ said a Djiboutian immigration official who requested anonymity while refusing to conform whether the closure is only for those travelling by road or includes aircrafts as well.
Normal movements resumed recently after a border closure by Djibouti following the Al-
Shabaab attack on La Chaumer restaurant in which the suicide bombers were allegedly facilitated entry via Somaliland thence the subsequent extradition of a number of suspects to Djibouti were they are currently undergoing interrogation.
Despite having reconciled their post La Chaumer bombing differences that strained relations between the two neighboring countries recent reports alluding to Al-Shabaab threats of more attacks in Djibouti is directly related to the weeks of heightened border security by Somaliland and the new one week ban on cross-border movement by the Djiboutian
It is not yet clear whether the Speaker of Somaliland Parliament Abdurrahman Irro was acquiesced with the ban that came a day after meeting privately with Djiboutian president Ismail Omar Geele
By the time of going to press nether of the two governments had issued an official statement.
