- On 19 Aug 1940, 🇮🇹 Italian forces captured #Berbera in British Somaliland.
- On 16 Mar 1941, 🇬🇧 British forces retook the port.
Why did #Berbera matter?
Its strategic location connected the Indian Ocean to the Gulf of Aden, Bab el-Mandeb, Red Sea & Suez Canal—vital routes linking Britain with Aden, Egypt & the wider Empire during WWII.
Whoever controls #Berbera holds a position along one of the world’s most important maritime corridors.
Geography made #Berbera important then and it remains important today.
#WWII #Somaliland #History
@YassSomali@Abdirahmanirro If “Somaliland = Isaaq tribe,” as you keep claiming, then why the panic? 😰 Your anxiety exposes the weakness of your argument. Deep down, you know the reality and that’s exactly what scares you. 😂 Somaliland Guul.
@NasraBashiir The day one letter—“A”—changed everything. 🇸🇴
It should be the Somali Republic at the UN, #not the Republic of Somalia.
One letter. A different name. A different history.
Maaliinti British Somaliland la khiyaameyey.
@dhoorebbc The day one letter—“A”—changed everything. 🇸🇴
It should be the Somali Republic at the UN, not the Republic of Somalia.
One letter. A different name. A different history.
Maalinkii Somaliland British la khiyaameyay.
Journalists unreachable in Djibouti
Journalists Micah Reddy of ICIJ Africa and Mohamed “Kooki” Mahmoud have been unreachable since about 1 p.m. Saturday, 19 September. They were last known to be at Hotel Escale International.
The ICIJ said Reddy was not reporting on Djibouti 🇩🇯.
UK and South African authorities have been alerted. Djiboutian authorities have not publicly commented on their whereabouts.
Statement on missing ICIJ journalist Micah Reddy https://t.co/0Cd2QKfnzn by @icijorg
With great concern, I am following the humanitarian crisis unfolding in certain areas of #Somalia, where acts of violence and extreme weather events are exacerbating the already precarious living conditions of the population, particularly of women and children. I hope for the generous involvement of the international community, so that our brothers and sisters may not lack the necessary assistance.
I had a productive meeting with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi yesterday.
Somaliland has already established itself as a reliable partner for the United States on a range of issues, from countering terrorism to protecting shipping around the Horn of Africa. We discussed further strengthening the U.S.-Somaliland partnership.
I have been pushing the United States to deepen our partnership. I am committed to securing American recognition of Somaliland’s sovereignty and, in the meantime, I’m urging the State Department to stop treating Somaliland as the same as Somalia. The U.S. should establish a region-specific Travel Advisory specifically for Somaliland, which would reflect the reality on the ground.
I look forward to continuing our work to advance our shared security interests.