Medeshi Oct 19, 2008Meeting of Somaliland Community Wales leaders with the Secretary of Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in Cardiff
Meeting with Secretary of Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Hon. David Miliband MP accompanied by Hon. Rhodri Morgan, First Minister of Wales Assembly Government, and Alun Michael MP, Constituency MP. Somaliland Community represented by Ahmed Arwo, Community Chair; Abdirahman Awed, SPA Chair; Abdi Adan- SPA Director; Ibrahim Harbi, SIS Director; Asha Hassan Nur, Fitzalan High School Teacher and group of female students; Mr. Steve Khaire, Youth Development Officer with group of young men willing to volunteer in Somaliland.
UK minister of Foreign affairs accompanied by the minister of Wales met with the Somaliland community in Cardiff on the 18Th of Oct 2008. This meeting was the first of its kind in Cardiff. The minister talked about the general situation in Somaliland and how the Somaliland Diaspora in UK is disappointed with the lagging recognition process of Somaliland by the British government while at the same time condemning the genocide of the Somalis in Mogadishu.
Although most of those present in the meeting were descendants of seamen and members of the British army of Somali origin who were born in Cardiff, there were also lawyers, teachers , civil servants, students and business people. The Somalilanders emphasized the need of Somaliland from the British government in the recognition of Somaliland and help in the reconstruction of the country after the mass destruction by the military dictatorship.
Mr. Alun Michael who is an MP described how Somaliland is a peaceful country and the development achieved by its people without much support from outside as he observed during his last visit to Somaliland along with other UK MPs.
Most members of the community expressed the need to exchange teachers and the preparation of organised visits between the two countries.
The full article in Somali could be found :http://www.togdheernews.com/
Source: http://samotalis.blogspot.com/
