Andrew Mitchell Becomes First British Cabinet Minister to Visit Somaliland

[Jacaylbaro]

 

How's this for a photo opportunity? Andrew Mitchell, the international development secretary, is perched on the side of a truck talking to female police officers in Somaliland.

 

Unlike many photo-ops, this is no gimmick. Mitchell this week became the first British cabinet minister to visit Somaliland with a serious purpose in mind – to show how he is redirecting Britain's overseas budget to countries in genuine need. Aid to Somalia is to be trebled from £26m in 2010/11 to £80m in 2013/14.

 

Mitchell occupies an enviable position in the cabinet. His budget was only one of two to be ring-fenced by the Tories in their general election manifesto. The other was the health budget.

 

The international development secretary knows this brings huge responsibilities to show he is spending wisely. Mitchell told the Guardian in July that he is under a duty ensure money is being well spent in light of his "privileged position" of having a ring-fenced budget. David Cameron has pledged to meet the UN target of spending 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) on overseas aid by 2013.

 

Soon after taking office in May Mitchell showed his intent when he announced bilateral reviews of all 102 countries supported by Britain. Some richer countries, such as China and Russia, will lose support as aid is directed towards the needy.

 

And this week we saw where some of that money will go when Mitchell stopped by for his chat with police in Somaliland, a self-declared sovereign state which Britain only recognises as an autonomous region of Somalia. During his visit to the capital, Hargeisahe, he met President Silanyo of Somaliland and toured a hospital.

 

 

READ MORE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/wintour-and-watt/2011/feb/03/development-aid