Lasaanood (KAAB TV) – Somaliland has revealed that it engaged in discussions with the United States to prevent the planned visit of Somalia’s Prime Minister, Hamse Abdi Barre, to the city of Lasanood.
Abdirahman Dahir Adan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somaliland, who is currently in Washington, shared the details of the talks during a meeting with members of the Somaliland community on X (formerly Twitter). He stated that the US government had expressed its position that the Prime Minister’s trip should be halted immediately.
“We had a significant disagreement with the Prime Minister, who was scheduled to travel to Lasanood today. The US government intervened and urged us to stop him, and as a result, he did not go,” Minister Adan explained.
The minister further added that the US government conveyed to him that the Prime Minister’s trip was being influenced by other parties. According to Adan, the Somali government tends to oppose any positive recognition of Somaliland on the international stage. “They said that the trip was intended to shield Al-Shabaab from Mogadishu, and not to send the Prime Minister to Lasanood,” he added.
Minister Adan also mentioned that his visit to Washington is part of preparations for a larger trip to the United States in May, during which the President of Somaliland is expected to visit Washington.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre had recently announced plans to travel to Lasanood, where the SSC-Khatumo administration had been preparing to welcome him. He emphasized the significance of his visit to the city.