By: Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun – The governments of Djibouti and Somaliland are intent on sustaining existing bi-lateral relations.
This intent is as an outcome of a meeting between the president of Djibouti Ismail Omar Geele and the speaker of the Somaliland parliament Abdirahman Mohamed Abdilahi ‘Irro’ at the Djiboutian presidency.
According to sources the two leaders who concurred on the imperatives of enhancing bi-lateral relations dwelt on the sustainability of existing cooperation in security matters across the common borders of the two neighbouring countries. Other issues on the table pertained to commercial, cross border movement ties.
Abdirahman Irro who is also the chairperson of the opposition party of Wadani together with his ruling party of Kulmiye counterpart Musa Behi and a number of traditional leaders are in Djibouti upon invitation of the president of the host country’s invitation to attend the weeding of his daughter
Somaliland has in the recent past engaged in shuttle diplomacy to mend relations with Djibouti strained after the deadly attack of La Chaumer restaurant claimed by Al-Shabaab in which Djibouti alluded the suicide bombers originated from Hargeisa.
Despite Al-shabaab claiming the bombing Djibouti closed its borders with Somaliland later on opened after Hargeisa authorities ameliorated the former French colony with the extradition of a number of citizens suspected of abetting the attackers.
The irony of the Djibouti invitation to attend the wedding of Geele’s daughter is the exclusion of any figures from the Hargeisa based authorities who have always spearheaded all issues related to bi-lateral relations between the two neighbouring countries in addition to the Geele Irro parley.
Meanwhile and despite promises to return the three suspects originally extradited for prosecution in Hargeisa nothing has happened and to the contrary information indicate that another eight citizens were added to the three already in Djibouti where they are reportedly undergoing investigations through unimaginable torture.
Though the Somaliland government had in the beginning of the saga that strained relations with Djibouti vehemently denied any of its citizens having been involved in the attack at the La Chaumere Restaurant the continued extradition of its citizens to a country in which it does not have an existing extradition treaty is yet to be justified officially.
