Somalia cuts diplomatic ties with Guinea
Somalia has cut all diplomatic relations with the West African country of Guinea, accusing it of disregarding Somali sovereignty.
Foreign Minister Ahmed Isse Awad announced the decision at a press conference in the capital, Mogadishu.
“It is time the government and people of Somalia refused to tolerate violations against the sovereignty and the unity of the Somali nation. As such, we have cut relations with Guinea, a country in Africa,” Awad was quoted as saying by several Mogadishu-based outlets.
Somalia’s fury follows the recent visit to Guinea by the president of Somaliland, a breakaway region in northern Somalia. He was received there as a visiting head of state.
Somaliland declared independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991 as the country plunged into civil war.
The self-declared republic, which remained largely peaceful unlike the southern regions of the country, has been unsuccessfully seeking international recognition for close to 30 years now.
