Muse Bihi congratulates Preident Hassan Sheikh on his election

GOOBJOOG NEWS|HARGEISA: Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi has congratulated Somali President-elect Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on his election victory.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the 31st anniversary of Somaliland’s declaration of independence from the rest of Somalia, Muse Bihi hailed Somalia for conducting peaceful polls, a process that culminated in the election of a new president.

The Somaliland President wished Hassan Sheikh success in his endeavors as the 10th President of Somalia and also hailed the outgoing President Mohamed Hussein Farmaajo for honorably accepting defeat.

Before embarking on the congratulatory remarks, the Somaliland Head of State was quick to remind Somalia to respect the issue of Somaliland’s independence, accusing Somalia of refusing to recognize the region as an independent and sovereign state.

“After 31 years of separation from 1991 to the present, we have not received any recognition from our brothers and sisters. They all agree that we are a region that cannot claim independence,” Bihi said.

Somaliland celebrates today, May 18, the 31st anniversary from the day it seceded from the larger Somalia in May 1991, with efforts to attain international recognition still yet to bear fruit.