Somaliland: Government Dismisses UK Travel Warning

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By ABDULKADIR KHALIF

Somalilandsun:The government of Somaliland, sought to dismiss a travel warning issue by Britain to its citizens saying it had no information on the specific threat referred to by London.

“We [have] received information from Britain concerning insecurity in Somaliland,” Somaliland Foreign Affairs minister Dr Mohamed Abdullahi Omar told the media following a cabinet meeting in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, some 1,500 km northwest of Mogadishu.

“[But] there is no imminent threat and danger from terrorists,” he said.

Dr Omar said that his government wanted to get out the message to the international community that its territory was safe.

“The security of this country is under the control of assigned agencies,” said Minister Omar, but added that his government would investigate the validity of the travel warning.

“We share danger from terrorism with the rest of the Horn of Africa region,” he said.

The Somaliland government went into emergency session in reaction to Britain urging its nationals on Sunday to leave Somaliland immediately warning of a threat to foreigners.

Britain said there was threat of “kidnapping for financial or political gain, motivated by criminality or terrorism”.

Ireland has also issued a similar travel alert to its citizens.

Somaliland remains relatively peaceful compared to its neighbour Somalia.

Source: africareview.com