Mogadishu(Mogadishu24)-Somalia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, expressed strong disapproval in response to a tweet by the UK Ambassador to Somalia, Mike Nithavrianakis, on Saturday.
The tweet, which mentioned the UK’s support for the work of The HALO Trust in "Somalia and Somaliland," sparked controversy and was seen as a divisive statement by many Somalis.
Minister Fiqi retweeted the ambassador's post with a pointed response, stating, "The fragmentation of a unified entity and its reclassification under two distinct names is utterly unacceptable and constitutes a blatant attack on the sovereignty and unity of Somalia."
The UK Ambassador's original tweet read: "The UK is proud to support the fantastic work of @TheHALOTrust in Somalia and Somaliland (and elsewhere around the world). It was a pleasure meeting HALO’s Regional Director and new Country Director this week to build on the very successful work they are doing. @UKinSomalia."
The post triggered widespread disappointment and criticism among Somalis on social media, particularly on Twitter and Facebook. Many viewed the mention of "Somaliland" as an implicit recognition of the breakaway region, which Somalia considers an integral part of its territory.
This incident is not the first of its kind. A similar controversy arose when the Denmark Embassy made a comparable statement, leading to public backlash over what was perceived as an attempt to divide the country.
The Somali government remains firm in its stance that references to Somaliland as a separate entity are unacceptable and undermine the sovereignty and unity of the nation.
