Somalia to Reopen Its Embassy in UK

The president of Somalia’s western-backed transitional federal government Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed revealed that the Somali government will soon reopen its embassy in the UK capital London.

Addressing to more than three thousand Somalis in London the president said that Britain’s government accepted to help the reopening of the Somali embassy in UK after it has been closed for two decades.

The Somali community members vehemently welcomed the president’s remarks of the reopening of the Somali embassy in UK and had pledged their commitment to work with the Somali government.

The president’s announcement of the reopening of the Somali embassy in the UK comes weeks after Somali foreign minister Ali Jama Jengeli said that because of lack of funds Somalia will close more embassies in key western countries including that in France.

President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed who has been in London for the past few days presented certificates of honor to the leaders of the Somali community in UK praising them for their role in helping Somalia get out of the long-running civil wars and anarchy.

He said that the Somali government is in its final preparations for a big offensive against the Alqaeda-linked Militants to oust them out of Somalia.

It is the first time for the Somali president to meet the Somali community in UK since his inauguration as the war-devastated country’s president 14 months ago.

Somalia has been without a functioning central government since warlord’s toppled former military ruler the late General Mohamed Siyad Barre. Wars and famine have engulfed the lives of more than half a million Somalis, most of them civilians since then.

Shafi’i Mohyaddin Abokar is the NewsBlaze Somalia reporter. Shafi’i has extensive experience in journalism, international relations, and football management. He is the founder of Somali Sports Press Association, a long-time sports journalist and a member of the International Sports Press Association.

Shafi’i has a Master’s Degree in international Relations obtained at De Montfort University in Leicester and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Multimedia journalism from the University of Northampton. The photo shows Shafi’i in action while at CAF Centre of Excellence in Cameroon.