HARGEISA (Halbeeg News) – The Immigration authorities of the breakaway Somaliland have arrested two former ministers of Ethiopia’s regional state, in Hargeisa.
Two who were identified as Ethio-Somali region’s ministers for Education and Justice, Ibrahim Adam Mahad and Abdimajid Ahmed Jama respectively fled from Jigjiga town after the region’s former leader Abdi Mohamud was forced to resign following Ethiopian federal military intervention.
The ministers were said to have sneaked in Hargeisa, the administrative capital of Somaliland where they have been staying for the last weeks.
The head of Somaliland Immigration department, Tayyip Osman told Halbeeg News that the two were detained at Egal Airport for staying Somaliland illegally.
Mr. Osman said the two had no valid travel documents to stay in Somaliland state.
According to local media in the region, the ministers were planning to travel to the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
“Immigration police at Egal Airport nabbed the two former ministers while boarding a plane headed to Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia,” Somaliland Standard, the local media based in Somaliland reported, “Police questioned the reasons for leaving for Mogadishu and their travel documents and have told that they were going to Mogadishu for trade purposes.”
The move comes barely hours after Ethiopian-Somali People’s Democratic Party (ESPDP)’s executive committee elected Mustafa Muhumed Omer to be acting president in its meeting.
Mr. Omer, 45 will lead the Somali region until the next party congress 2020.
He had served as a humanitarian liaison officer for the United Nations in Mogadishu, Zimbabwe, the United Arab Emirates and Kenya. Prior to that, he held different positions in the Somali region until he was forced to flee by the ousted leader.
Mr. Omer will be replacing Mr. Ahmed Abdi Mohamed “Ilkacase” who has been leading the region for the past two weeks.
Ilkacase had replaced the once-powerful president Abdi Mohamoud Omar who was forced to step down after the intervention of the federal army.
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