Reveals MP Kijande as he asks opposition parties and politicians to stop gloating over ongoing mishaps encountered in foreign relations
By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – As foreign relations continue to grind towards a halt under the stewardship of Mohamed Behi Yonis as minister, legislators in the Somaliland parliament are raising concern.
According to the chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs select committee MP Ahmed Abdi Kijande his committee has summoned Minister Mohamed Behi to brief the house on prevalent status of Somaliland’s Foreign affairs and international cooperation which he termed as deteriorating during a press conference in His offices at parliament buildings in Hargeisa.
“We have summoned the minister for briefing to my committee but his response is he is very busy thus waiting for his free time” said MP Kijande while urging opposition politicians to desist from taking advantage over the difficulties encountered by the foreign minister in the recent past.
Said the legislator, “Instead of taking advantage of current difficulties the opposition political parties and politicians should cooperate with the administration in order to garner a positive reversal of deteriorating foreign relations”
Under the stewardship of Minister Mohamed Behi Yonis, the former senior UN operative the Somaliland foreign relations have seen a dramatic spiral downwards that has seen neighbouring countries like Djibouti and Ethiopia close their borders.
Under his watch was also the very shameful act that saw accredited Ethiopian intelligence officers arrested, tortured and their tools of trade confisticated by regional authorities in Gabile resulting in the Hargeisa government submitting an official apology to Addis Ababa after several missions of entreatment.
Another ugly phenomena under the Behi Yonis watch as foreign minister is the extradition of nationals to countries with whom Somaliland does not have treaties to that effect with thence a clear violation of citizen’s rights.
On the other hand and in contrast to his predecessor Dr Mohammed Abdilahi Omar the current Somaliland minister of foreign Affairs has never invited English language media houses to his many press conferences mostly held at Hargeisa’s Egal International airport either on departure or arrival from his many purportedly official missions abroad.
According to freelance journalist and Somaliland political analyst Yumoha Pasha the refusal of Behi Yonis to address English language media houses is his desire to exclude the international community from non factual information pertaining to relations and outcomes of negotiations.
Though Mohamed Behi Yonis comes with high testimonials and experience his connections with the international community have failed to advance relations from where he picked from last year when he assumed the mantle of chief foreign policy chief of the country that has gone 23 years without recognition.
To add salt to the injured tenure of Behi Yonis as foreign minister some foreign governments among them Britain that demarcated the boundary with Somalia has gone as far as terming some parts of Sool and Sanaag regions as disputed not to mention that he returned from Nairobi empty handed after meetings with the IC which was more accommodating to Somalia and Puntland delegations
After all is said and done his prolonged absence during the power struggle in ruling Kulmiye party
In which he is reported to have been ensconced at the Sheraton hotel in London is raising eyebrows as per his allegiance to his boss President Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo.
