Tribute was paid to Somaliland-born soldiers who fought for Britain during World Wars I and II, as well as other conflicts. The service was held at its traditional time of remembrance at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, and attendants included Somaliland minister of Foreign Affairs, Edna Adan and Defense minister Ismail Omer Adan, in addition to British Ambassador to Ethiopia, Myles Wickstead, his military attaché Col. Charles Comyn, Mrs Jax Comyn, Nigel Bowie, deputy head of Africa Department (Equatorial) UK Foreign Office, Owen Richards, second political secretary at the Addis Embassy, Jeremy Astill-Brown, conflict prevention, Phillip Dash, military officer, and Rev. Andrew Proud from Addis Ababa’s St Mathews Church.

Hundreds of Somaliland war veterans who fought in the Burma campaign side-by-side with British troops attended.

The ceremony also brought together a Chaplin from a Christian church and a Muslim cleric who conducted rituals in both religions. It was the first time that a memorial service of this kind was held in Hargeisa since independence from Britain in 1960.

At the end of the memorial function, Ambassador Wickstead met with surviving veterans of the world war two. The ex-combatants who served in the British Army complained to the Ambassador for being left out without pensions.

At a press conference later in the day, Ambassador Myles ruled out payment of any pension funds to these veterans. He said when the British government gave independence to many of its colonies, resources were passed to governments of those countries, which took independence. Mr. Wickstead pointed out that the resources were meant to enable independent countries fulfill their obligations such as payment of pensions. The veterans complained that they have not been able to receive their pensions since 1988 when state structures began to breakdown.

The Ambassador said although the British government was under no legal obligation, he was sympathetic to the problems of the veterans. “They are people who fought shoulder to shoulder with British troops and what I said to them was that we would look at individual cases put to us,” he said.

A number of veterans gave letters to the Ambassador, explaining their individual circumstances.

Ambassador Wickstead said charitable operations linked to the military could be explored as one possible way for raising support funds for these veterans.

The Ambassador said he will take the concerns of the veterans back to London.

 

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