Hargeisa (Somalicurrent) – Minister for Foreign Affairs & International Relations of Somaliland Administration Mr. Mohamed Bihi Younis has expressed his administration’s regret of the arrest of 2 Ethiopian diplomats at Gabiley region 2 weeks ago. The minister told the arrest of diplomatic staff in the country was contrary to international diplomatic etiquette.
Mr. Bihi has sent an official apology letter to Ethiopian Federal Government to the infringement of the immunity Immunity privilege of its diplomats.
“The arrest of the 2 diplomatic staff in Somaliland was deplorable, and we have expressed our regret on the incident of arrest of 2 Ethiopian diplomats at Gabiley. We have contacted Ethiopian Liaison office representative in Hargeisa and Somaliland has submitted an official apology letter to him. We told him that the subsequent treatment of diplomats inside our country was “despicable”.” Said Somaliland Foreign Minister,
Minister Bihi has also confirmed that government officials and police officers behind the arrests of the diplomats are being held in detention, as investigation is underway.
He likewise called Somaliland people to respect diplomats’ immunity particularly those from neighbouring Ethiopia..
Vice President Seyli’i in Addis-Ababa to resolve the incident:
Answering Ethiopian complaints regarding the arrests of its diplomats; Somaliland vice president Abdirahman Abdilahi Ismail (Seyli’i) has paid visit to Addis-Ababa in order to officially express his administration’s regret as well as concern over the arrests of the Ethiopian diplomats and that the mistreatment act by Somaliland police not to stain the relations between two parties.
Vice President speaking to the media at Egal International Airport before he left from the country stated, “Somaliland is here expressing its regret and concern over the arrests of the Ethiopian diplomats in Somaliland and that we won’t allow that such despicable issues to hurt our vital and close tie with Ethiopian government.”
Local press in Somaliland similarly reported that Ethiopian diplomats were used physical force before handcuffing them and then taken to the police station in Gabiley, but were suddenly transferred to Hargeisa CID Head Quarters.