“The president has not received any communication from the US government as pertains to the local council elections” Foreign minister
“The US government has not released a press statement nor written to the Somaliland president as pertains to the local council elections” US press attaché in Nairobi
By: Yusuf M Hasan
Hargeisa (THT) – Reports that the European Union and the USA government have raised concerns over disputed local council elections are false.
The ministry of foreign affairs is not aware of any communication between the USA government and the Somaliland presidency as pertains to the outcome of local council elections held in the country on November 28th 2012.
The minister of Foreign affairs Dr Mohamed Abdilahi Omar informed the Somalilandsun that the alleged communication which was reported by the Indian Ocean newsletter on the 5th of this month when it informed that the US government has castigated the Somaliland president for the disturbances that erupted in Hargeisa following the release of the council elections.
The Indian ocean report that is of 179 words and only accessible on payment of €1,6 was posted on the 5th January 2013 is titled the SOMALILAND Heads of security and police weakened by Somaliland elections
The report which has been termed as fallacious by both the governments of Somaliland and the united states informs that The European Union (EU) and the United States Embassy in Ethiopia both wrote separately to President Ahmed Mohamed Mahmud aka Silanyo to ask him to explain the violent repression of demonstrations during the recent local elections in Somaliland.
While speaking on phone to Somalilandsun Dr Mohamed Abdilahi who is currently in Djibouti to attend the burial of that country’s deceased central bank governor informed that it is not a secret that minor disturbances actually occurred after announcement of local council elections with subsequent death of three persons and injuries to nine others after violent confrontations between supporters of a losing political group and the police.
“Despite not receiving any communication from the EU and USA the head of state and other stakeholders have resolved the election results dispute amicably and the situation is back to normal’ Said the foreign minister
The foreign policy chief also asked some local media houses to act professional and ethically thus desist from publishing information with malicious content before ascertaining facts.
Two local newspapers published in Hargeisa had as their Saturday 11th Jan top story the Somali language translation version of the fallacious Indian Ocean newsletter article.
On the other hand the press attach (Somali/Somaliland affairs) at the American Embassy in Nairobi Mr Omar Hanshi has denied awareness of any communication between his government and the Somaliland presidency pertaining to the post-election disturbances that took place in Hargeisa.
The American press attaché made the denial during an interview with the Geeska Afrika newspaper which had sought confirmation of the report posted by the Indian Ocean Newsletter.
While thanking Reporter Walaleye of Geeska for his relentless pursuit of facts the American press attaché in Nairobi termed the Indian ocean newsletter report as not only baseless but false, since his office which is responsible for any communication between the US government and the two Horn Countries is unaware of the purported letter castigating the Somaliland head of state and neither is the US embassy in Addis Ababa.
