Somalia cuts diplomatic ties with Guinea over Somaliland

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somalia’s government announced it is cutting diplomatic ties with Guinea, accusing the West African country of violating its sovereignty.

The decision came after the president of the breakaway northern territory of Somaliland received a red carpet welcome in Guinea’s capital, Conakry, earlier this week.

Somalia’s foreign minister Ahmed Awad announced the action against Guinea on Thursday in a press conference but declined to give further details. Awad said he sent warnings to other countries that were similarly violating Somalia’s sovereignty.

Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia in 1991 and has maintained a measure of peace and stability. But the territory, which is in northern Somalia, is not recognized by any foreign government. Somalia insists that Somaliland is not independent.

Somalia is also locked in a legal tussle with neighbouring Kenya at the International Court of Justice over their territorial waters in the Indian Ocean.

Kenya accused Somalia of auctioning off oil and gas blocks in Kenya’s maritime territorial area that borders Somalia, an allegation dismissed by the Somali government, which accused Kenya of carrying out a land grab.