The Minister of Finance of Djibouti, Ilyas Musa Dawaleh, has denied Somaliland President Muse Bihi’s accusation that Djibouti is hosting a rebellion against Somaliland.
On Monday, the Finance Minister posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Djibouti will always remain a beacon of regional dialogue, not a place of regional fragmentation.
“Regretting false and baseless accusations coming from Somaliland officials. Djibouti is a place of togetherness and regional integration. An anchor for regional peace and stability. Not the other way around. Let us make it crystal clear, we will always remain a beacon of regional dialogue, not a place of regional fragmentation. We value the principles of togetherness and always remain out of our neighbors’ internal affairs,” he added.
Mr. Dawaleh urged the Somaliland officials not to involve Djibouti in their internal politics or campaign agenda.
“Remember, yesterday we were accused of supporting Somaliland against the SSC Region,” he said.
The relationship between Somaliland and Djibouti has deteriorated since Somaliland and Ethiopia signed an MoU, allowing Ethiopia sea access and a military base in exchange for potential recognition of Somaliland. Djibouti saw the agreement as an economic threat.
Despite Dawaleh’s denial of Somaliland’s accusations, leaders of the Awdal State Movement (ASM) are currently in Djibouti at the behest of the Djiboutian government. On Sunday night, a Luaench was held in their honor. The movement opposes the Somaliland administration and advocates for Somalia’s unity.
