Somaliland: Bihi in Surprise Visit to Ethiopia

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Bihi in Ethiopia

By: Yusuf M Hasan

ADDIS ABABA (Somalilandsun) – The Somaliland foreign Minister is in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian Capital.

The impromptu trip by Foreign Minister Mohamed Bihi saw him depart Egal international Airport in company of the British Envoy to the neigbouring country Ambassador Greg Dorey who was on official duties in Hargeisa.

While it is not yet clear what the Bihi visit entails sources indicate that further dialogue as pertains to the dying Somaliland-Somali talks shall ensue with both Ethiopian government officials and Western diplomats.

The postponement of the fourth phase of the internationally sanctioned talks between the two neigbouring countries which were supposed to have been held in the Turkish capital Istanbul on the 8th of this month have continued to elicit much interest from the international community that is desirous to see the two reconciled either for reunion or honourable separation.

Somaliland withdrew from its 1960 voluntary union with Somalia in 1991 after a brutal civil war that came about after the regime of Dictator Siad Barre massacred over 60,000 landers.

The current visit by foreign minister Bihi to Ethiopia comes a few days after he, Bihi, stopped a visit to Djibouti by a number of ministerial colleagues, a move that is in apparent fulfillment of his ban on authorized tours by members of the cabinet.

Meanwhile FM Bihi Yonis is reportedly expected to link up with a ruling Kulmiye party team led by Chairman Muse Bihi that is in Addis Ababa on official invitation of Ethiopia’s ruling party.

This is not the first visit for Behi Yonis a former UN staffer to visit Ethiopia Since assuming the Foreign Affairs mantle a few months back purportedly to strengthen the always apt relations with that country which is the only one to maintain full diplomatic relations with the internationally unrecognized Somaliland.