‘We were born free and we will stay free,’- Somaliland to China

GOOBJOOG NEWS/TAIPEI: Somaliland Foreign Minister, Essa Kayd fired a warning shot to China Friday, after the Asian country condemned Taiwan for hosting a senior ministerial delegation from Somaliland.

A Somaliland delegation led by the Somaliland Foreign Minister arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen and other senior Taiwanese officials to discuss bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest. 

While speaking to reporters in Taiwan, Essa Kayd reiterated that no country whatsoever, including China, can dictate who Somaliland can have relations with, as it was a sovereign nation and “born free”.

“We were born free and we will stay free. We will run our business the way we want. China cannot dictate, no other country can dictate,” said Kayd.

Kayd added that Somaliland’s doors were open to anyone who respected it as a sovereign country and that it would only do business as long as there were no strings or conditions attached.

“I think that’s as clear as I can go on China.”

The Somaliland Foreign Minister pointed out that relations between Taiwan and Somaliland countries were at its highest level, “the best we can have”.

He added that the two nations shared values of democracy and respect for human rights, noting that Somaliland had successfully held two peaceful elections last year without a hitch, a stark contrast to its neighbor Somalia, which has been struggling to hold elections for the last one year.

Somaliland and Taiwan, set up representative offices in each other’s capitals in 2020, upsetting Beijing and Mogadishu which are all reluctant to let go of the breakaway Somali region.