High-level military officials from Somaliland and Ethiopia met and discuss works being implemented to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 in the border city of Tog Wajaale, according to state daily ENA.
Participants included Major General Nuh Ismail Tani, the Chief of Staff of Somaliland Armed Forces and Major General Zewdu Belay, Commander of Eastern Division of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) as well as members of Ethiopian federal police and other civilian officials.
Major General Nuh Ismail Tani, (pictured right) the Chief of Staff of Somaliland Armed Forces, on his part, said that the COVID-19 has already brought severe damage to developed nations worldwide. To this end, he commended the works being done by the government of Ethiopia to prevent the spread of the virus and minimize its damages. He said he agreed with measures being taken to stop the movement of people in the border areas. On its part, Somaliland was already implementing its own measures to stop its people from making movements in areas bordering Djibouti and Ethiopia and will further strengthen those measures.
Major General Zewdu Belay, Commander of ENDF Eastern Division, said during the discussion that the peoples of Ethiopia and Somaliland are people who have lived in unity for many years, ENA quoted Maj. Gen Zewdu. He added that currently joint efforts to stop the movement of people in order to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus were being undertaken.
Maj. Gen. Zewdu also cautioned that although measures are being taken to stop the people on both sides from crossing borders, “sometimes there are incidents whereby people on both sides are seen crossing borders,” he said. This, according to Maj. Gene Zewdu, was negatively influencing the works being done to control people’s movements. He cautioned immigration officials, security forces, district administrators, and customs officials on both sides to coordinate their efforts closely in order to solve the problem.
Awareness-raising efforts should also be done to brainstorm the people on both sides that the border between Ethiopia and Somalia was closed for the purpose of controlling the virus and that the brotherhood between the two people will remain for good.
Military Officials
