By Abdiqadir Muse, Hiiraan Online
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and (L) and his Djibouti counterpart President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh
DJIBOUTI (HOL) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Djibouti Thursday and formally opened the Palestine embassy in Djibouti, in a historic visit the West Bank-based state aims to build
its diplomatic relations with other states in an effort to build a Palestinian state.
His visit comes after the United Nations’ General Assembly approved the resolution to raise the flag with an overwhelming majority voting in favour of it late last year followed by recognitions by European countries for the occupied state.
President Ismail Guelleh and other Djiboutian officials received Mr. Abbas at Djibouti’s airport before he was invited to deliver a speech at the parliament.
“The Palestinian people is under occupation and were subjected to daily prosecutions.” He said at the Djibouti’s parliament.
Mr. Abbas has also vowed that Palestinians would continue the struggle for ‘freedom’ in a bid to gain a ‘complete’ independence.
During his three-day visit, Mr. Abbas has also cut the ribbon for a new Palestinian embassy in Djibouti.
According to Djiboutian officials, the Palestinian leader would also visit the strategically located port of Djibouti which is at the crossroads of one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, linking
Europe, the Far East, the Horn of Africa and the Persian Gulf.
The tiny Horn of Africa nation’s geographic location where it guards the strategic chokepoint of Bab el-Mandeb, has attracted the world’s; largest economies in addition it hosts the US’s military Camp
Lemmonier, the only permanent military base the US runs in Africa. China has also recently opened a new military base.
Djibouti also accommodates army presences for France, Japan, Italy and Germany.
Despite the Palestinian state’s political progress, US and Israel opposed the statehood edrive, with Israeli prime minister seeks United States VETO to block efforts by Palestinians and European countries on Palestinian statehood.
However, Some European and Arab countries called for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land in 2016.