We will not shift alliances on international allies, Somaliland military says

HARGEISA, Somalia - Somaliland’s regional military has denied claims that it intends to shift alliances on the international stage, drifting from the traditional Western allies to Communists in China, who have been making inroads in the breakaway region of Somalia.

Somaliland has been pushing for international recognition in the last three decades but the international community maintains it is part of Somalia. The region, however, runs a parallel government with its own Central Bank.

Abdirahman Abdullahi Abdidhere, the spokesperson of the Somaliland military, dismissed a document circulating on social media, noting that it 'misrepresented our position and should not be regarded as a statement of our foreign policy intentions'.

The individual within the regional military who authored the document has since been subjected to a disciplinary team, which has since taken action against him, the spokesperson of the regional military added in the statement.

"We apologize for any confusion this has caused and assure our international partners and domestic stakeholders that our foreign relations remain guided by the principles of peaceful cooperation and respect for international norms," Abdillahi added.

The statement circulating on social media earlier this week suggested that a potential victory by opposition parties in the upcoming elections might lead Somaliland to pivot its diplomatic relations towards China and Russia, moving away from traditional alliances with Western countries.

Somaliland signed an agreement with Ethiopia recently, which if fully implemented, would see Ethiopia taking 20 kilometers of the Red Sea, a move which has irked both Somalia and members of the international community, who termed the deal "illegal".

The region in return, would be recognised as a sovereign state by Ethiopia, which has traditionally supported Somalia’s state-building process. China is increasingly boosting its presence in Africa as it wrestles with the Western powers for socioeconomic and political influence.

GAROWE ONLINE