Somaliland sun: While the government of the United Kingdom has been the main pillar of Somaliland within international circles even without recognizing it officially as a sovereign nation Britons are the biggest development and humanitarian donors
Having been encumbered by the European Union position of refusal to recognize the sovereignty of Somaliland thus lumping it with the dysfunctional Somalia, a former Italian colony it is hoped that the now certain Brexit which officially divorces the UK from its membership of the EU later this month will turn a new leaf at the Westminster.
Back in Hargeisa where the UK has maintained a diplomatic office for a number of years things have usually been lackluster with those heading the office mostly ensconced over 3000 miles away at the British embassy in Addis Ababa.
This resulted in the availability of UK functions information on the very rare occasions when a senior figure from either the Embassy in Addis Ababa or Mogadishu as well as from the FCO in London visiting Hargeisa, thus a flurry of statements that fritter away with the visit.
And then alas a year this month here comes in Stuart Brown as Head of the British Office in Hargeisa and things took a change completely.
Formerly @LondonCyber ,,@UKinSudan and @UKinChina Stuart Brown has brought his governments interventions in Somaliland to a limelight accessible to all interested courtesy the official UK in Somalia twitter account @UKinSomalia as well as his Hargeisa office personal one @StuartBrownFCO
Those two twitter accounts have for the one year that Stuart ‘Brown has been posted in Hargeisa became a pond of information on various UK and partners development and humanitarian interventions in Somaliland.
Apart from the official activities under his mandate Stuart Brown is regularly observed at meets where local citizens discuss diverse issues like FGM etc
Thanks Stuart Brown keep up the good work and hopefully you will became the first fully fledged British Ambassador to Somaliland once your country is done with BREXIT.
Below are samples of tweets in January 2020 by the Hargeisa based British diplomat
The #UK through Somaliland Development Fund supported #Somaliland’s Ministry of Education to rehabilitate & reconstruct two boarding schools in Sool & Sanaag. The project has also contributed to an increase in the teaching workforce by recruiting 24 teachers #UKsupportsSomalis
Fascinating evening discussion at @HargeysaCC. Great to see such a diverse crowd – men and women of all ages – engaged in lively debate on this important issue.
#UKaid through #Somaliland Development Fund is supporting girls like Zainab, Sarah & Anisa to complete secondary school. The project is aimed at reducing poverty levels in #Sool & #Sanaag through the delivery of quality education targeting children from pastoralist communities
Great work! @Horizon_SL is helping deliver access to justice in every corner of #Somaliland. Delighted #UKAid has been able to support their efforts.
Great evening supporting the British Office Hargeisa, @UKinEthiopia consular team with the quarterly consular salon which brings together British Somalilanders to discuss, debate and engage on key issues.
#UKAid and @KingsSomaliland have been working with @AmoudUniversity and #Borama Hospital since 2003 to help train the next generation of doctors and ensuring communities across #Somaliland have access to high quality medical professionals. #AidWorks
UK supported ambulance services and call centres in #Awdal are ensuring communities in hard to reach locations have access to emergency healthcare. Over 870 referrals in 2019 alone. #AidWorks
For more UK in Somaliland updates visit twitter accounts @StuartBrownFCO @UKinSomalia #UKAid @KingsSomaliland @guulgroup @somalilandsun
