By: President Ahmed Mahmoud Silanyo
To: David Cameron
British Prime Minister
Honorouble Prime Minister,
On behalf of my government and the people of the Republic of Somaliland, I would like to congratulate you and your country on successfully conducting the 2012 Olympic Games in a spirit of sportsmanship and peace. We were delighted to see that it was the demonstrations of athleticism and friendly competition that took centre stage, and that fears over potential instances of terrorist attacks dissipated in the face of the celebratory atmosphere of the occasion.
I am pleased to mention that, in the run up to the Olympic Games, my government has contributed to reducing security concerns that existed around the event in cooperation with British security agencies.
The inspiring victories of Mo Farah, a man of Somaliland descent who chose the United Kingdom as his adopted home, in both the 5,000 and 10,000 metre races, have been celebrated throughout Somaliland. The feelings of pride that his victories produced among the populations of both our countries are testaments to our intertwined historical relationship and shared aspirations. The gold medals won by Mr. Farah have made him a hero to both our nations, and for that we both have reasons to be proud.
We thank the United Kingdom for providing one of our sons with the platform not only for attaining personal accolades, but also for elevating the status of Somaliland a notch higher in the international limelight. We hope that the world’s captivation with Mr. Farah’s athletic greatness can pave the way for a deeper awareness of the achievements in peace-building and democratisation that have taken place in the country from which he came: Somaliland.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo
President, The Republic of Somaliland
