Hiiraan Online
Saturday, October 17, 2015
BAGHDAD (HOL) – Somalia has reopened its Baghdad embassy on Thursday after years of war which shattered Somalia's diplomatic and economic relations with other countries.
At a launching ceremony at the new embassy compound in Baghdad, Somalia’s foreign minister Abdisalam Omer and his Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi, cut the ribbon at the entrance to the embassy in presence of other diplomats.
Somalia’s national anthem was also played at the ceremony as the blue Somali flag was raised at the new embassy which would handle Somalia’s diplomatic missions for Iraq and other Middle East countries.
Speaking at the ceremony, Somalia’s foreign minister Abdisalam Omer has described the embassy reopening as ‘magnificent’ moment, saying that the two countries have long shared warm relations before Somalia was plunged into decades of conflict in 1991.
Khadija Al-Makhsumi, Somalia's new ambassador to Iraq
Somalia’s new ambassador to Iraq Ms. Khadija Al-Makhsumi said the reopening of the embassy symbolizes Somalia’s efforts aimed at restoring the country’s diplomatic missions across the world.
Somalia which is recovering from decades of war has been trying to make a diplomatic come back across the world for the past two years and restored normal diplomatic relations with numerous countries.
Many countries including the US severed diplomatic relations with Somalia after a civil war broke out in 1991 that saw warlords fighting for the control of the country.
The new diplomatic exercise comes following the ouster of Islamist insurgents from the capital and surrounding regions, a development which allowed partner countries to start a diplomatic presence in the seaside capital, Mogadishu.