From Somaliland Press, March 4, 2011:
Former Somaliland’s Civil Aviation minister is scheduled to hold talks with officials from South Sudan government ahead of their official independence from Khartoum.
Mr. Ali Mohamed ‘Waran Adde” who served under President Riyale has been travelling by road using his vehicle and Somaliland license plates to cross Somaliland-Ethiopia border and Ethiopia-South Sudan border for the past month.
He told local radio stations by telephone that he encountered a lot of new and exciting things during his journey to southern Sudan. He said it was an eye opener for him.
He added he is expected to discuss general issues related to bilateral ties, like economic and trade cooperation with the South Sudanese government.
The government of Somaliland has not yet sent an official delegation from the ruling party but it has welcomed the south’s independence vote.
Somaliland believes it could use the south’s independence as a precedent as it seeks more support for its case for international recognition. Some foreign observers and politicians believe the Juba government will recognize Somaliland which will pave the way for other regional powers to follow.