ETHIOPIAN, SOMALILAND FOREIGN MINISTERS HOLD TALKS ON SOMALILAND ELECTIONS

ADDIS ABABA, Dec 4 (NNN-ENA) — Ethiopian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Tekeda Alemu held talks here Thursday with the visiting Foreign Minister of Somaliland, Abdulahi Mohamed Duale, on elections to be held in that autonomous region of Somalia.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement issued after the meeting quoted Dr. Tekeda as saying that Ethiopia had given prime attention to maintaining peace and stability in the surrounding Horn of Africa region.

He said in particular the effort to maintain peace and stability in Somaliland should further be strengthened as it was significant to bring about peace and development in the Horn of Africa.

Duale said all parties in Somaliland had agreed to make the upcoming elections free, fair and peaceful. He said preparations were underway to hold the elections.

Meanwhile, commissioners of the newly established Electoral Board of Somaliland have shared experiences with officials of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia, according to the ministry.

Somaliland is an autonomous region regarded by all countries as being part of the Somali republic while those which call the area the “Republic of Somaliland” consider it to be the successor state of the former British Somaliland protectorate. Despite establishing its own local government within Somalia in 1991, the region’s self-declared independence remains unrecognized by any country or international organization. — NNN-ENA
 

Source: ENA