Saturday August 24, 2024
Somaliland's Minister of Parliamentary Relations, Abdinaasir Buuni (left), and Waddani Party's presidential candidate, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro (right) at the center of recent political tensions as accusations of ties with Somalia emerge.
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somaliland's government has levelled serious accusations against the opposition Waddani party, alleging ties with Somalia undermining the self-declared republic's push for independence.
In an exclusive interview with HCTV, Somaliland's Minister of Parliamentary Relations, Abdinasir Buuni, pointed to recent comments made by Somali Prime Minister Habza Abdi Barre as evidence. Barre had expressed optimism about potential changes in Somaliland's leadership, which Buuni interpreted as a reference to Waddani's presidential candidate, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro.
"The Prime Minister was clearly addressing Abdirahman Irro, the Waddani candidate, as the figure who might align Somaliland more closely with Somalia," Buuni said, emphasizing the minister's concerns about the implications of such a change.
Buuni criticized Waddani party Chairman Hirsi Ali Haji Hassan's response to Barre's comments, calling it inadequate. He stressed that the Prime Minister's message was not aimed at Hirsi but at Irro, who he claims is being positioned as a unifying force between Somaliland and Somalia.
Further fueling these allegations, Buuni revealed that Somaliland authorities had obtained a letter sent by former Somali Foreign Minister Yusuf Garaad Omar to Qatar. The letter reportedly requests financial support for the Waddani party, which Buuni believes indicates the Somali government's vested interest in Waddani's success.
Prime Minister Barre recently expressed a desire to work with new leadership in Somaliland, though he did not directly name the Waddani party. However, this has led to widespread speculation within Somaliland that Waddani is the preferred partner for Somalia—a claim that Waddani has strongly denied