Ethiopian Minister of Transportation & Communication Makes 2nd Trip To S/land

Hargeysa, 21 July, 2007 (SL Times) – The Ethiopian Minister of Transport & Communication, Mr Atto Junedi Saddo, arrived in Hargeisa on Wednesday for talks with the Somaliland government.

The Ethiopian delegation was comprised of 14 officials from various Ethiopian ministries and federal government departments.

The Ethiopian delegation was met at Hargeysa airport by the Somaliland Minister of Public Works and Transport, Mr Saeed Sulub and the Minister of Fisheries, Mr Ali Qoorshef.

In a brief statement to the media in the airport’s VIP lounge, Minister Sulub Said, “the Ethiopian Minister of Transport & Communication, Mr Atto Saddo and his delegation are here to follow-up on the various cross-border treaties and agreements that Mr Saddo signed with Somaliland, on behalf of his government, back in January 2006.

The Ethiopian delegation preferred not to talk to the media regarding their trip to Somaliland.

Among the treaties and agreements signed by the two states was the Ethiopian government's use of Berbera port and its facilities, the widening of the `Berbera Corridor', a joint EU and Ethiopian funded Berbera-to-Wajale road development scheme, the extension of Ethiopian power grid to Somaliland, customs and excise, and border trade issues.

This is the second visit by an Ethiopian minister to Somaliland in less than 20 days. The last time was when the Ethiopian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Tekedu Elemu came to Hargeysa on 30/06/07 to hold talks with President Dahir Rayale Kahin.

Wednesday's large Ethiopian delegation, led by Minister Atto, included director generals from the ministries of Transportation & Communication, Energy (Electric), Customs & Excise, Trade & Commerce and Federal government departmental heads.

Only this week, Somaliland ministers and regional heads were officially received by the Ethiopian Federal State of Hererge, in Harar, to take part in the city's millennium anniversary celebrations.

Also, this week, the chief Somaliland military commander, Mr Nuh Tani and his deputy were given a motorcade accustomed only to by `heads of state' by the Ethiopian military high command in Dire Dawa. The Somaliland defense chief was invited to take part in the graduation ceremony of Ethiopian military officers, amongst who were 62 military officers from Somaliland who had completed the same training course at the Ethiopian military school in Dire Dawa.

There are two possible explanations for this heightened Ethiopian attention to its relations with Somaliland. The first explanation is that it is an attempt to ameliorate the hurt that many Somalilanders felt when the Ethiopian airlines insisted on searching Somaliland’s president and his delegation as well as their luggage before they could board the Ethiopian airline.

The second explanation is that it is an Ethiopian attempt to address the frustration that many Somalilanders have with Ethiopia’s relations with the so-called Transitional Federal Government, an entity which claims to have jurisdiction over Somaliland.