Somaliland government believes how it handles the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 will help in its quest for self determination and exemplify its internal unity to the international community.
The country’s president said in a press briefing that it is vital for the government, opposition parties, business community and the citizens to unite in the fight against the pandemic that has swept across the globe.
Somaliland which is not recognized internationally as a country is not getting any financial aid from the United Nations, the World Bank and the World Health Organisation as other countries in the fight against the Coronavirus despite having reported two cases.
However, the country has put in place measures to curb the spread with President Muse Bihi leading from the front.
Bihi alongside leaders of opposition parties and the parliament applauded the Somaliland national health workers who are at frontline to combat COVID19.
“We have an option to contain the pandemic COVID19 in our Country. The only option we have is to unite together as a nation and follow the precaution measures from National Preparedness Committee for COVID19 and the Ministry of health,” said the president.
He added: “Over the last 29 years Somaliland has continued deliberately to open its civic space. Somaliland is considered the most progressive country in the Horn of Africa in matters democracy.
No matter the difficulties as unrecognised Country, unity has always held us together as one people.
“Through this unity we have been a success story in terms of elections, democracy and political development; it’s in fact, a model for other African countries.
We have perfectly fulfilled the four requirements to be recognized as an independent country.”
He said that it is during this trying moments in the world due to Covid-19 pandemic, “we have to be united for we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided”.
Despite no receiving assistance to fight the pandemic, Somaliland has said that it is ready to assist its war torn neighbouring countries of Somalia and Yemen in testing suspected people that have contracted COVID-19 with its testing lab facility. The country has procured a Covid-19 testing Laboratory machine.
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