Somaliland opposition leader Feisal Ali Warabe on Saturday issued a hard-hitting reaction to Somalia Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire rejection of the Berbera Port deal calling Mogadishu a failed state that has no jurisdiction over the breakaway region.
Warabe told Khaire to focus instead on the internal problems of Somalia that have dogged it for almost 27 years asserting Somaliland is a sovereign country
“Somaliland exists but Somalia doesn’t exist anymore. It doesn’t have control over any single region. They can’t even go to Halane. Uhuru Kenyatta is nearer to Kismayu than them and Kenya controls it. What does he know about Berbera?†Warabe told reporters in the Somaliland capital Hargeisa.
The UCID party leader dismissed the statement by Mogadishu over the Thursday Berbera deal as empty talk.
“They don’t even exist, so do they have the powers to block Ethiopia today? Do they have the powers to block the Emiratis? Do they have the powers to own Somaliland?†Warabe said.
Warabe revisited the Turkey sponsored talks between Mogadishu and Hargeisa saying an agreement was passed between former Presidents Ahmed Silanyo and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
“It was agreed that each party has a right to develop itself†he added.
He dismissed Khaire as a broker bitter after rejection by UAE to be part of the Berbera deal.
Addressing the media in Mogadishu on Friday Khaire rejected the $1Bn deal to develop the port as illegal since no consultation was made to Mogadishu.
Khaire was on an official tour of the UAE when the deal between DP World, Ethiopia and Somaliland was signed.
