Somalia in Talks Once Again with Breakaway Region Somaliland

Meeting between Somalia and Somaliland adminstration. [Image Source: Twitter/Ismail Omar Guelleh.]

Somalia is resuming talks with the unrecognized government of breakaway region Somaliland, according to Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh.

A delegation including Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi and Somaliland leader Muse Bihi Abdi, as well as Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, arrived in the east African country Djibouti. Talks will follow up on earlier mediation efforts, according to the Djibouti president’s verified twitter account.

Somaliland broke away from Somalia in the early 1990s after the eruption of a civil war and has since been pushing for international recognition that would allow it to source funding and aid from financial bodies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Several rounds of talks between the two sides failed in the past.

Somalia has said it will push ahead with plans to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in early 2021, removing doubt that it will delay the vote because of the spread of Covid-19.

Source: Bloomberg