Somaliland: UK Sheffield City Council to Vote on Recognising Somaliland

PRESS RELEASE

On Wednesday 2 April, Sheffield City Council will debate a motion calling on “the British government to recognise Somaliland as an independent state and to encourage other governments around the world to do the same.”

This historic debate will be attended by Somaliland’s Foreign Minister Mohamed Bihi Yonis, Energy Minister Hussein Abdi Dualeh, Speaker of Parliament Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, Somaliland’s Ambassador to the UK Ali Aden Awale as well as several parliamentarians.

The motion was tabled by Councillor Mohammad Maroof who today received over 2,000 signatures from the Somaliland community in Sheffield, petitioning the council to support recognition.

On Friday 4 April, Sheffield Central MP Paul Blomfield (Lab) will be speaking at ISRAAC: Somali Community and Cultural Association in support of Somaliland’s case for recognition.

Sheffield South East MP Clive Betts (Lab) has also expressed his support for Somaliland’s independence. In 2009 he asked the FCO to “work with other members of the EU, with the United States and with members of the African Union to see how we can get recognition for Somaliland.”