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Somalia slams Taiwan’s opening of office in Somaliland

Federal government will take necessary measures under international law to protect nation’s unity, says ministry

19.08.2020



ANKARA

Somalia’s government on Tuesday condemned Taiwan’s opening of a representative office in the self-declared state of Somaliland, terming the move an outrage against Somalia’s sovereignty and unity.

“The Federal Government of Somalia condemns Taiwan’s reckless attempts to infringe on the Sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia and violate its Territorial Integrity,” Somalia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“The Federal Government of Somalia repudiates such misguided endeavors that seek to sow discord and division among our people."

It called on Taiwan to “cease its misinformed ventures into any part of the territory of the Federal Republic of Somalia. These principles are non-negotiable,” it stressed.

It said Somalia will undertake necessary measures within international law to protect the country’s unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence.

On Monday, Somaliland’s Foreign Minister Yasin Hagi Mohamoud announced that Taiwan will officially open a representative office in Somaliland, a move seen as provocative by Somalia as well as China, which sees Taiwan as one of its provinces.

“I am pleased to co-host together with Minister Joseph Wu,@MOFA_Taiwan, & the Government of Taiwan to officially open Taiwan Representative Office in #Somaliland. From Somaliland side, I would like to announce our Representative Office is due to open in the next few weeks,” Hagi Mohamoud tweeted.

With the new ties, Taiwan raised the number of its recognizing counterparts to 16. Beijing considers it a Chinese province, but Taipei maintains that it has been independent since 1949.

China also refuses diplomatic relations with any country that recognizes Taiwan.

Early last month, Taiwan and Somaliland announced they had established official relations.

Somaliland, a self-declared state in East Africa with a population of nearly 3.5 million, is yet to be recognized by the international community. However, it has its own flag, parliament and currency.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/somalia ... nd/1946229


What does Tawain want from khat addict northern Somalis? Taiwan has a long and sordid history of illegal fishing in Somali waters!!!

Taiwan opens representative office in Somaliland
By Emerson Lim, CNA | August 17, 2020




A pre-recorded congratulatory message by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was played and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) delivered his remarks live via a video call during the ceremony, according to MOFA.

In Tsai’s video message, which was shared on her Facebook page, she said the friendship between Taiwan and Somaliland is based on the common values of freedom, democracy, justice and the rule of law.

She also said Taiwan is firmly committed to working with Somaliland in such areas as agriculture, fisheries, energy, mining, public health, education and information and communications technology.

https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200817-1696673

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Fishing is a multi billion dollar industry and the tuna industry alone is worth $6 billion globally.

Taiwan’s tuna fishing industry is highly dependent on the Somali coastline which has high levels of productivity resulting from nutrient rich upwellings and therefore, Taiwan desperately need to engage Somalia more intensely, European and Asian countries have fished themselves out of their own waters, so Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese, South Korean, Thailand, Russia and EU countries fishing fleets are venturing farther out to Somalia rich fishing waters, the el Dorado of illegal fishing.

The Somali confusing civil war diminished their fishing opportunities in the past, Foreign fleets used this opportunity to fish illegally without authorization from the Somali government or a formal access agreement, Up to 970,000 tonnes of tunas with a processed value of $2-­‐3 billion are harvested annually from the Somali exclusive economic zone by EU and Asian fleets.