As Genel Energy Confirms January 2014 Resumption of Operations
By: Yusuf M Hasan
LONDON (Somalilandsun) – The United Kingdom and Somaliland Governments has concurred on the imperative need of not only sustaining prevailing security cooperation but further enhancement as well.
The two governments made the agreement during a meeting in London between the Somaliland Interior minister Ali Mohamed Waran’ade and foreign and security officials from the British government.
“Following our meeting with Senior UK government officials various issues pertaining to security and other bi-lateral partnerships not only be enhanced but developed to more sustainable levels” Said minister Waran’ade at a post meeting press conference.
Optimistic on the continued partnership between the two governments minister Waran’ade further informed that the UK authorities are very determined to continue boosting Somaliland’s development agenda at all fronts.
The Somaliland interior minister Ali Mohamed Waran’ade who has been in England for the past couple of days has so far met with British Somalilanders and other nationals residing or working in the country where briefings were exchanged as pertains to status within the two countries.
While this is the first trip to Europe for Waran’ade since assuming his ministerial portfolio mid this year it is symbolic coming a short while after he, Waran’ade, announced that the country is in advanced plans to avail its police force air power more specifically helicopters.
Briefing on his other mission to the UK the interior minister said that he and other ministerial colleagues held very impactful meetings with Genel Energy, the Anglo-Turkish firm that is under Somaliland government contract to explore and extract oil in eastern regions of the country.
The Ex BP Chief Tony Hayward fronted Genel Energy which has invested over $70 million in its operation that has resulted in factual evidence of billions of barrels in oil reserves in Somaliland ceased exploration mid this year and pulled out all its expatriate staff after raising security fears.
Following negotiations with the administration and subsequent assurances of apt security Genel Energy announced that it shall resume activities early 2014.
“Genel Energy will resume its oil exploration and extraction activities as earlier on agreed” informed Waran’ade during a telephone interview with the state owned Somali language newspaper Wargeyska Dawan.
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