The European Union (EU) has allocated 27 million Euros for the Horn of Africa nation of Somalia in its fight against Covid-19 pandemic.
The EU envoy to Somalia, Nicolas Berlanga Martinez, held closed door-meeting with Somaliland’s Civil Society Organizations in Hargeisa. Nicolas has informed that out of the 27 million Euros that the EU granted to Somalia, Somaliland is earmarked for 10 million Euros. Berlanga has further said that the grant will be directly channeled via the Somali Federal Government. He urged the Civil Society Organizations in Somaliland to probe if Somaliland receives its share of the grant allocations. However, it was surprising to know that the EU ambassador to Somalia has posted on his twitter a different plan whereby Somaliland has been excluded in getting its share. The majority of the 27 million Euros grant was added into Somalia’s national budget. According to budget pie chart from EU envoy, 15 million Euros will be earmarked for Somalia’s national budget, 5.5 million Euros will be allocated for Benadir health services, 6.5 million Euros has been allocated for awareness, information and health infrastructure. The remaining 24.5 percent of the EU grant will be divided among the Federal member states of Somalia. It is not clear what has changed EU’s previous plan and excluded Somaliland from getting its allocations. The Somali Federal Government is blamed for the responsibility of altering earlier plan and discarded the EU’s plan allocation of the grant to Somalia and Somaliland. Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdilahi Farmajo had telephone conversations with senior EU officials which is blamed for the EU change of the plan. It is not known if Somaliland government is aware of Somalia’s covert actions which has excluded Somaliland from getting its share of the grant allocations. Somaliland Civil Society Organizations had written an official letter addressed to EU ambassador to Somalia, Nicolas Berlanga but he has not so far responded. The Government of Somaliland and the EU forged closer ties after its EU envoy Berlanga has brokered a deal between the president and opposition groups over the electoral commission dispute.