The British Embassy in Somalia marks the Queen’s birthday

Somali President H.E Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has thanked the British Government for their extensive support towards the country’s reconstruction efforts as it recovers from decades of war.
President Hassan Sheikh was the chief guest at a reception hosted by the British envoy to Somalia Ambassador Neil Wigan, to celebrate the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Her majesty was born on 21st April 1926 in London and the day is celebrated in the United Kingdom and its embassies across the world. The day also provides opportunity to acknowledge the consistency of Her Majesty’s service to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth and to celebrate the United Kingdom’s relationship with other countries across the globe.
The event was held at the British embassy in Mogadishu and was attended by senior officials from the Federal Government of Somalia who included ministers, Members of Parliament and civil servants. Also present were UN officials, foreign diplomats and military officers from the African Union Mission in Somalia.
“We are very grateful for the role that the Government of the United Kingdom has played in the reconstruction of Somalia. There is a huge amount of money that has been spent in Somalia by the United Kingdom. But what’s more relevant is that Britain showed the world that Somalia is back at a time when the world was unable to believe. That was when the Prime Minister David Cameron hosted the Somali Conference in early 2015. That was a triggering effect for the world to see that Somalia is back” said the President.
President Hassan Mohamoud further added that beyond the financial resources, Britain’s decision to reopen its embassy in Mogadishu made Somalia a destination for development support, reconstruction and diplomatic relations, which has since encouraged others countries to establish missions in Somalia, as well as the return of Somalis in the Diaspora.
“Somalia is coming back. The only thing we need is a little patience from our international partners. We have been away for a long time and coming back will take some time. It will not happen overnight. So we need our partners to bear with us and have the confidence and patience with the pitfalls they may see in the government system or within the society,” appealed the President.
Ambassador Wigan, who concludes his two-year diplomatic service in Somalia this month said, “I am very proud that Britain was the first EU country to open its embassy in Somalia. The embassy is symbolically important but is also a diplomatic tool for us to meet Somalis and understand Somalia.”