Cabays Media:-

Sources closed to the chairman of Somaliland’s Justice and Welfare Party, (UCID) say Somalia’s former Transitional Government President, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed is in talks with Somaliland’s government to visit the country during the week marking Somaliland’s 25th anniversary.

The UCID chairman, Eng. Faisal Ali Warabe is reported of having closed ties with the former Somalia’s TFG president has secured an agreement President Silanyo to roll out the red carpet for the former TFG  as he has a normalised diplomatic relationship with Somaliland’s current government before his term as interim leader ended in 2012 after he started first talks between Somalia and Somaliland governments in London and Dubai.

The UCID party leader is reported of campaigning for Sheikh Sharif’s visit to Somaliland and trying to mobilise a committee preparing his welcoming ceremony in Hargeisa. Other reports also say the UCID leader is working hard to invite the former TFG president on Somaliland’s national day, the 18 May of 1991 which marks the day Somaliland has withdrawn the ill-advised union with Somalia on 1st July 1960, just few days after Somaliland has gained its independent from Britain.

Sources closed to Somaliland’s security services also confirmed for Cabays Media that the government of Somaliland is aware of the desirability of the UCID party leader extending an invitation to the Somalia’s former president.

Its not clear yet how and in what capacity the former Somalia’s TFG president will be welcomed once he arrives in Hargeisa probably few days before Somaliland’s big day and its not clear if Sharif Ahmed will use his visit for his advantage as he also prepares to make a comeback later this year when Somalia selects a new president after the current president his term ends.

If the former the TFG president arrives in Somaliland it could signal a new era that a Somalia’s former president feels comfortable to set foot on Somaliland’s soil despite of its insistence as separate state from Somalia proper.

Also some say if the former TFG interim president visits Somaliland he could use for his comeback campaign when he re-runs for the presidency in Somalia and can claim that he came to Somaliland to persuade Somalilanders not to abandon the unity it entered with Somalia.

Somalia’s former TFG president, however has not yet confirm any plans he making to visit Somaliland but closed aide has quoted as saying that there were talks since early April with Somaliland’s UCID party leader and the former president and a visit to Somaliland could be possible since president Silanyo and his government also have a good relationship with the former TFG leader.

Any visit of top leader from Somalia to Somaliland could spark condemnation from both countries  as their critics will use for their advantage to express their disapproval such visits at this stage.

Other UCID party leaders will more likely to distance themselves from their chairman for luring the former TFG to visit Somaliland when he’s not publicly declaring his support to Somaliland’s independence.

President Silanyo and some of his cabinet are also reported of visiting Dubai in the coming days and it is not clear if they will meet with Somalia’s former TFG there and will discuss this, but since their relationship is good they could finalised there the protocol the former president of Somalia will be received if he visits Somaliland’s capital.

Cabays Media will continue monitoring any developments on this story.

Cabays Media

Hargeisa, Republic of Somaliland

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