Somaliland and South Africa Ties Enter new Stage

By M.A. Egge

The future of South Africa-Somaliland relations seems to be on the path of blossoming in the near future following recent evident events witnessed.

The previous visit of South African bureaucratizes, politicians and investors comprising of 11 eminent personalities shone the lights of a new dawn in the relationships of both countries following a lull of quite some time.

According to reliable sources more higher profile personalities are to visit the country early next year.

Having been privy to such information we sought to confirm the new trend of stepping up of the relationship from the youthful Somaliland ambassador to the S.African country when we heard that he was in the country.

Ambassador Ahmed Jama Shire who is a Somalilander resident in S. Africa first joined the diplomatic corps when he was appointed the country’s liaison to SA in august of 2018.

The new frantic but steady diplomatic efforts to catalyze the relationships of both countries to bound may have caught the President’s eye, H.E. Muse Bihi Abdi, who confirmed him as the new official representative of Somaliland to S. Africa in November 2019, raising the ambassador’s stature.

It is worth noting that since he liaised for Somaliland for 14 months the youthful ambassador practically managed to resuscitate the diplomatic relations such that Somaliland Solidarity Group (SSG) was formulated, becoming a fully fledged entity in July this year.

He was also blessed to open a similarly fully functional liaison office in SA.

Through the SSG, he networked to step up the country’s lobby for its aspirations, at every fora whenever and wherever opportunities arose or presented themselves.

Sooner rather than later 11 diverse representatives of various fields visited this country, propped up by Amb. Ahmed.

The delegation who came under the formed auspices of Somaliland Solidarity Group (SSG) early this year visited the country and met several officials, chiefly amongst them the Head of State H.E. Musa Bihi Abdi.

They traveled as for as Berbera and Da’arbuduq and upon their sojourn revealed that they were to make an initial investment in the country by establish a fishing factory. The said delegation comprises a diverse range of expertise and interests such as trade, inventory promotions, stock marketing, minerals, legal and political fields.

Ambassador Ahmed happens to chair the SSG which is graced, as its members, the likes of Andrew of the Johannesburg stock exchange, Anness of the powerful African National Congress (ANC) investment wing, Lebo of the BCL Capital, and Laki and Moropin who both happen to be senior ANC members; gentlemen who were indeed amongst the members of the delegation.

The ambassador who graduated International relations at Vaal University in Kwatein province in 2007 has since been a director with a mining company, AXIS LTD in Johannesburg.

He is a former Farah Omar student.