Somalia breaks off diplomatic ties with Guinea

MOGADISHU, Somalia – The Federal Government of Somalia said on Thursday, the 4th July that it is severing all diplomatic relations with the Republic of Guinea, Garowe Online reports.

The country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Isse Awad made the announcement during a press conference in Mogadishu, the Somali capital.

The decision follows after the government of Guinea accorded the protocol of head of state in Conakry to the leader of Somalia’s northern breakaway region of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi in this week.

“Somalia denounces this in the strongest terms and considers as a blatant and egregious violation of its sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity by the Republic of Guinea,” said the minister.

In addition, Awad has sent a stern warning to other countries that were similarly violating Somalia's sovereignty and will not tolerate any such actions harmful to its unity.

This week, Somalia protested formally to Kenya, the foreign ministry in Mogadishu said Monday after Nairobi referred to the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland as a country.

Somalia's foreign ministry said it summoned Kenya's ambassador in Mogadishu on Sunday and presented him a note of protest about the "offensive tweet" by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya.

Somaliland declared independence a year after the ouster of Somali military regime in 1991, but it is not recognized by Mogadishu or any foreign country and is considered as part of the Horn of Africa nation.

GAROWE ONLINE