Mogadishu (PP News Desk) — Earlier this week, the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, received a delegation led by Harriet Mathews, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Director General for Africa and the Americas. Harriet Mathews previously served as the UK Ambassador to Somalia during President Mohamud’s first term.
The British delegation commended the Federal Government of Somalia for its ongoing state-building initiatives and efforts to peacefully resolve the conflict in northern Somalia. The Federal Government proposed a peace plan involving the Sool, Sanaag, Cayn-Khatumo administration and the Somaliland administration. The British government expressed support for this initiative, viewing it as a stepping-stone towards consolidating post-transition state-building, an effort the UK has supported in cooperation with the Federal Government of Somalia.
The SSCK leader, Abdulkadir Aw Ali, agreed to the peace plan, which is grounded in respect for the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
In 2023, the Somaliland administration, a secessionist entity, shelled Laascaanood for six months, claiming it was not part of the Federal Republic of Somalia. During that period, former Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi proposed a two-state solution to end the shelling, as the UN Security Council urged Hargeisa to withdraw its troops from the outskirts of Laascaanood.
In 2024, the Somaliland administration attempted to lease a coastal district of Somalia to Ethiopia, in clear violation of Somalia’s sovereignty. In December 2024, during talks held in Turkey, Ethiopia committed to respecting Somalia’s sovereignty after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye facilitated a historic agreement between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
© Puntland Post, 2025
You must be logged in to post a comment.