By Staff Writer
Dubai—15, October, 2018— Somaliland’s Ambassador to the UAE said that the UAE and his country’s ties are unbreakable as well as historical. In his first television interview with Al-Ayn News channel, Hirad Yasin emphasized that Somaliland’s and the UAE’s ties began generations back. The UAE was Somaliland’s major stepping stone to the outside world for business over the past three decades. The ambassador Hirad also noted that Qatar opposes any investment in Somaliland for it’s in the camp of Saudi led alliances.
He also explained that size of the possible investment by the UAE in Somaliland’s various sectors and industries. Ambassador Yasin stated the UAE implemented many projects without specifically referring to any of them besides investment contracts and token human projects.
“The UAE has helped our people during the coastal floods and the famine. I say thank you.” He said. Yasin flattered the UAE and Saudi’s reconciliatory role in the Horn of Africa for their vested interests at the expense of Somaliland’s pursuit of renting out ports to landlocked Ethiopia, one of the most populous country with population of almost 90 million people.
The Saudi Arabia and the UAE played significant role in bridging the gap between Addis Ababa and Asmara. The Ambassador Hirad didn’t call the Gulf countries to push buttons for recognition nor ask them mediation between his nation in global blockage and Somalia in ocean of political turmoil.
Qatar’s hostility against Somaliland isn’t personal but falls in the broader framework of hostility among the split GCC countries following diplomatic rifts resulting in withdrawals of ambassadors from Saudi Kingdom and the UAE by Qatar. Somaliland fell a victim when the tiny wealthy oilfields Qatar didn’t view its interest in Somaliland.
For record, Somaliland didn’t utilize Ethiopia’s loss of ports due to the birth of Eritrea. Will Somaliland do navigate the mines safely and take advantage of the Gulf countries’ political dispute or this opportunity will slip in its hands like before? A question being asked by intellectual Somalilanders.
The Horn of Africa’s sweeping changes had blowback on Somaliland’s search of the lost independence in the ill-fated union of Somaliland with Italian Somalia in early sixties during Africa’s momentum for unification to get rid of the imperialist countries. Last week, a grand conference on recognition held in Hargaysa remained inconclusive so far.
