Little do Somalilanders know about little notes that matter. One of them that goes far in our estimation is how the home page of the UK embassy in Addis Abeba puts at par with other regional governments indicating that Addis Abeba is where the Embassy represents ‘British interests in Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somaliland and the African Union’.
The page begins with:
“We represent British interests in Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somaliland and the African Union. We help boost political, cultural, economic and social relations between them and the UK by offering a wide range of services and funding of various projects.
We encourage, support and develop strong partnerships between Britain and Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somaliland, particularly those which contribute to positive change, stability, conflict prevention and reducing poverty. We will in particular seek to bolster pluralism, accountability and rights.
We work towards the same objectives in respect of the pan-African and regional bodies based in Addis Ababa and the Horn – specifically the African Union, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and the Intergovernmental Authority for Development . We work closely with other members of the international community in pursuing all these objectives.
We provide balanced and comprehensive reports on the countries and institutions for which we are responsible to our Ministers, media, business and other customers in Britain. We provide friendly, efficient public services as part of our wider efforts to project a positive image of today’s Britain. We work closely together to ensure the achievement of Britain’s goals in the region.”
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