Somalilandsun: The governments of Djibouti and Somaliland have formalized a security cooperation memorandum of understanding.
The MOU was jointly signed by the Somaliland police commissioner Brigadier General Mohamed Aden Sagadhi ‘Dabagale’ and director general of the Djibouti National Police Colonel Abdilahi Abdi Farah at the neighbouring country’s interior ministry headquarters.
While the memorandum of understanding encompasses strengthening partnership relations in several priority areas between the two countries its main focus is security cooperation that will see sharing of intelligence, inter-agency operations.
“This MOU will go a long way in the enhancement of bilateral trade, people’s movement but more specifically it shall deter cross border crimes and terrorism” said Djibouti’s interior minister Mumiin Ahmed Sheikh who was host to the signing function.
The interior minister also took the opportunity to welcome the visiting Somaliland delegation led by Gen Dabagale and including attorney General Hassan Ahmed Aden among other judiciary and security officers.
Terming the MOU as fruits of the recent agreements reached between the Somaliland president Musa Bihi Abdi and President Ismail Omar Gelle of Djibouti, the interior minister said successful implementation shall entail diligence among the principal signatories and the commands.
After putting pen to paper the signatories sifted to the Djibouti national police headquarters for further deliberations and subsequent agreement of the MOUs specifics which include each party’s obligations in ensuring that joint efforts are effective in deterring cross border crimes.
Following the closed door meeting, Djibouti‘s Colonel Abdilahi A Farah and Somaliland’s Gen Mohamed Dabagale jointly briefed the media at the Hqs of the Djibouti national police
“Today was the official formalization of the security cooperation segment of the agreement reached between the presidents of Somaliland and Djibouti” said Colonel Abdilahi Abdi Farah adding that their meeting was to establish guidelines that shall be utilized in the two countries security cooperation.
Stressing that cross border crimes have been of major concern especially around the Lugahaya border town and its environs the Djiboutian police boss said that in the new arrangement the two countries have acquired a streamlined operational mechanism thus ability to address the problems of cross border crimes while helping maintain peace and security in the two countries/
According to the Somaliland police boss , Gen Mohamed Sagadhi Dabagale the MOU was just a formality establishing a working parameter since “Our two countries are not only neighbours sharing a long border but we also share familial relations, religion, trade and centuries old relations” adding that
“We met here today to join hands in strengthening our countries fight against cross-border crimes in which the Somaliland and Djibouti police services shall work jointly in the enhancement of legal movement of people and goods between the two countries.
Stressing on the fact that henceforth the security cooperation is operational, General Dabagale told smugglers and others operating illegally around the Somaliland-Djibouti border that “Your days are numbered”
