MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s government announced it is cutting diplomatic ties with Guinea, accusing the West African country of violating its sovereignty.
The decision came after the president of the Republic of Somaliland received a red carpet welcome in Guinea’s capital, Conakry, earlier this week.
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Somalia’s foreign minister Ahmed Awad announced the action against Guinea on Thursday in a press conference but declined to give further details. Awad said he sent warnings to other countries that were similarly violating Somalia’s sovereignty.
In his statement quoted by our colleagues, Minister Awad warns any other country that would develop close relations with the leaders of Somaliland. Also, the Somali government has summoned Kenya‘s ambassador to protest a tweet from the Kenyan Foreign Ministry describing the self-proclaimed Somaliland Republic as a “country”, said Monday in Mogadishu.
At the same time, a warm welcome was given to President Somaliland Muse Bihi Abdi, who has been visiting Conakry since Wednesday, at the invitation of Prof. Alpha Condé. On his landing in Conakry, the distinguished guest was received by Guinean Foreign Minister Touré Mamadi.
Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia in 1991 and has maintained a measure of peace and stability. But the Republic of Somaliland is not recognized by any foreign government. Somalia insists that Somaliland is not independent.
Somalia is also locked in a legal tussle with neighboring Kenya at the International Court of Justice over their territorial waters in the Indian Ocean.
Kenya accused Somalia of auctioning off oil and gas blocks in Kenya’s maritime territorial area that borders Somalia, an allegation dismissed by the Somali government, which accused Kenya of carrying out a land grab.
Former British Somaliland, Somaliland merged with former Italian Somaliland at the country’s independence in 1960. Then it seceded and declared itself independent in 1991. Somaliland has its own government, its own army and prints its own currency. It is also considered much more stable than the rest of Somalia.
