Somaliland Will Never surrender To Terrorist Groups

[Jacaylbaro]

There have been three almost simultaneous suicide attacks in Hargeisa this morning. One attack was directed at Somalilandʼs presidential palace, but was successfully rebuffed by the presidential guard and the police force. The second attack was on the office of the UNDP, which caused lot of damage.

 

But the most devastating one took place in the Ethiopian mission in Hargeisa, where we are still working on identifying bodies. Most of the victims where people who went there to get visas to enter Ethiopia. So far the death toll is over 19 and there are more casualties in Hargeisa General Hospital. Right now Hargeisa is going through what Nairobi went through in August1998.

 

Somaliland has never witnessed such attacks before. We have been very lucky at foiling them as well deterring any terrorist attack on our soil. However, this time it appears that the dark forces that has been destabilising many parts of this world have succeeded to commit terrorist attacks in Somaliland.

 

The government of Somaliland is now pursuing leads to those who instigated, aided and carried out this barbaric terrorist attacks. We do understand most of our neighboring countries are assisting us in this Endeavour, bar Somalia proper where there is no functioning government with whom we could deal. Unfortunately, Somalia proper has become fertile place for terrorists, where they train their would-be suicide bombers and then wage terrorist attacks on neighbouring countries.

 

Somaliland will be doing everything with which to ensure the safety of the public within Somaliland and forewarns that this may entail some restrictions. Somaliland will never surrender to terrorist groups. The government of Somaliland calls upon Somali-Landers to unit with the view of making Somaliland saver place for all of us.

 

This morningʼs terrorist attacks would not stop the voter registration process, which has been taking place in Somaliland.

 

Mohamed-Aar A Mohamed BSc, MSc, PhD

Somaliland ambassador at large.