As the Foreign minister refutes reports by the Indian Ocean Newsletter purporting press to reinstate Hirsi and his team by UK diplomats in Ethiopia
By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The recent visit by Ethiopia based UK diplomats and subsequent discussions never dwelt on the issue of resigned government officials.
This was informed by the Somaliland Foreign minister Dr Saad Ali Shire during an interview with Himilo newspaper and Somalilandsun in Hargeisa where he categorically refuted claims by the Indian Ocean newsletter-ION purporting that the UK diplomats pressured President Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo to reinstate the Hirsi team of resigned ministers.
According to Dr Saad Ali Shire the UK diplomatic team visit of 11th November was in the country as usual to discuss bi-lateral relations and related issues.
“In the latest visit UK diplomats based in Addis Ababa met and held discussions with President Silanyo on issues pertaining to preparations for 2017 elections slated in Somaliland” said Dr Saad in response to alleged information by the ION
See below excerpts of the ION extracted from Africaintelligence report
Stressing on the fact that talks revolved around preparations for forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections more so status of awareness campaign and voter registration the foreign minister completely negated issue of resigned ministers and their reinstatement ever cropping up.
The resigned ministers led by former president minister resigned in huff following internal ruling Kulmiye party wrangles that had seen the party break into factions supportive of either Muse Behi or alliance of individuals contesting nomination as presidential candidates.
Alleged by the ION to have been a coup those resigning on 26th October were
1. Hirsi Haji Ali minister of the presidency
2. Mohamed Behi Yonis- Minister of Foreign Affairs
3. Hussein Aided- Minister of Justice
4. Dr Abdi Aw Dahir- minister of Labour and Social Affairs
5. Abdirizaq Khalif Ahmed – Minister of Public Works and Housing
6. Nimo Qawdan –Deputy Minister Resettlement and Rehabilitation
7. Abdiwahid Abdirahman – deputy minister of Labour and Social Affairs
8. Ahmed Suleiman Duhul- Presidential Spokesperson and
9. Mawlid Waris Abdilahi – Director General ministry of Industry
A few days later former education minister Prof Farah Elmi Mahmud Gedoole followed suit and resigned purportedly to contest nomination as Kulmiye nominee for Vice president Candidacy in Somaliland elections
Though intend on collapsing the administration of president Silanyo operatives at the presidency and other insiders embarked on quick damage control measures that saw the resigned immediately replaced thus closing the lid on desired effect.
Similarly, the UK diplomatic mission in Addis Ababa has denied authenticity of the information published ION following a query by Mohamoud Walaleye, Somalilandsun and Himilo newspaper reporter
Responding to Walaleye on the pressure to have Hirsi and his team reinstated an Embassy official in Addis Ababa Miss Lizzie Lovett said
“This is absolutely NOT true. We did meet with Hirsi and Younis, just as we meet with all political parties, and people active in the political sphere. We urged them to sort this out amicably and encourage stability. We would never tell the Somaliland Government had to run their cabinet.
We urged for peace and calm to all of Somaliland, regardless of political party, government etc. We want to see a peaceful country, and a fair and free election held on time”
In the meantime the saga of the resignations the first en-mass in Somaliland continues and whether a coup was actually intended or not the reason behind the move, nomination of Kulmiye nominee for Somaliland presidential candidate in 2017 is a foregone conclusion the party having selected Muse Behi.
Copyright © 2015 Somalilandsun, All rights reserved.
Read below excerpts of the ION extracted from Africaintelligence report
Somaliland government and UK embassy in Ethiopia rebuffed authenticity of information published ION 20 Nov, 2015
Following the attempted constitutional coup on 26 October by the Minister to the Presidency Hersi Ali Haji Hassan (ION 1414), two diplomats at the British embassy in Addis Ababa, Cat Evans and Lizzie Lovett went to meet the Somaliland authorities on 11 November. According to our sources, they asked for the reinstatement of the 13 ministers and deputy ministers who had supported Hersi Ali Haji by resigning. The latter are members or close to the London-based Islamist group ed-Dam al Jadid (new blood), an offshoot of the al-Ittihad al-Islami movement. This faction, which has good relations with the Conservative Party of UK Prime Minister David Cameron, already helped President Hassan Sheikh Mahamoud take power in Somalia.
To counter UK’s support to the troublemakers, the US dispatched its Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, to Djibouti on 13 November. The Americans are concerned because they suspect Hersi Ali Haji’s brother, also 
a member of ed-Dam al Jadid, of being linked to the Al-Shabaab radical Islamists. The latter works for the Somalian funds transfer company Dahabshiil, which is already in the US crosshairs. It suspects it of funding Al-Shabaab and the perpetrators of Somaliland’s attempted coup to overthrow President Ahmed Mohamed Mahamoud, aka Silanyo. Hersi Ali Haji Hassan is also a cousin of Dhabshiil’s founder, Mohamed Said Duale. In mid-November, the latter met with the presidential for Somaliland’s ruling party Kulmiye, Musa Bihi Abdi, to assure him of his commitment to help maintain political stability in Somaliland.
Source: africaintelligence.com
