“Any Somaliland government minister or senior official travelling abroad on official or personal business must acquire ministry of foreign affairs authorization-FM Behi
By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – Parliament has been informed that the ministry of foreign affairs has curtailed the exercise of impulsive travel abroad by members of the Somaliland council of ministers.
This was revealed by the foreign minister Mohamed Behi Yonis during a session of the House of Representatives in Hargeisa where, he Behi was briefing the honourable members of parliament on ministerial activities since assuming mantle mid this year.
“Any Somaliland government minister or senior official travelling abroad on official or personal business must acquire ministry of foreign affairs authorization- said the Foreign Minister during his maiden grilling by and briefing to the legislative assembly.
In Elaboration of the new ministerial travel abroad arrangements Minister Behi said that part of his foreign docket mandate is to keep abreast of all international activities undertaken by the administration thence the need to be not only fully informed but oversee coordination.
Since time immemorial senior government officials seem to have been utilizing some now revealed illegal carte blanche authority as pertains to international engagement which usually sees media reports of such or such a minister holding meetings abroad that are mostly without relation to their respective dockets.
Foreign minister Behi Yonis told the parliamentarians that from now henceforth ministers travelling abroad shall have to brief his ministry in advance for authorization and subsequent arrangements with the country’s representatives in the country of visit thence necessary protocols involved in hosting a government minister.
On other issues pertinent to the Somaliland’s international relations and quest for recognition as a sovereign state two decades after reclaiming its independence the foreign policy chief who is an acclaimed diplomat in his own rights from lengthily duties with the UN said that the entire international community is perfectly aware of the irrevocability of the country’s sovereignty thence an increasingly practice of a “Dual Track” that distinguishes and acknowledges the apartness of Somalia and Somaliland.
While stressing that the government of president Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo is committed to continued the internationally sanctioned dialogue with the Somalia Federal Government, Foreign minister Mohamed Behi Yonis said this commitment has boundaries as pertains to participation in international events whose agenda is solely Mogadishu based.
It is customary for senior officials of the Somaliland government to brief and be grilled by both chambers of the country’s two tier parliament, Guurti and house of representatives, at least twice a year or when summoned
