Hargeysa, Somaliland, December 30, 2006 (SL Times) – The Somaliland parliament condemned Thursday a remark made on Somaliland by the prime minister of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government during a Wednesday interview with the BBC’s Somali Service.

Asked whether instructions he had just issued banning flights over Somalia would include Somaliland as well, replied that there was no such a thing as Somaliland.

In a strongly worded joint statement, the Somaliland House of Representatives (lower house) and the House of Elders (upper house of Guurti) said that Gedi’s statement was provocative and only served to heighten tension in the region.

The legislators reiterated that Somaliland will not tolerate any infringement on its sovereignty. They also reminded Ethiopia not to allow its resources and military capabilities to be used by the TFG against Somaliland.