Somalia Cuba relations: African countries are rekindling ties with different allies these days, and the most recent country to do so is Somalia.
Somalia-Cuba relations
According to a report, Somalia has resumed diplomatic relations with Cuba after 46 years of estrangement. Somalia’s minister of foreign affairs Abshir Omar Jama confirmed the rapprochement in a Twitter post. The resumption of diplomatic ties is a significant step forward in the relationship between the two countries. This move follows the submission of credentials by Cuba’s ambassador to Somalia, Juan Manuel Rodriguez, to Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, along with two other ambassadors.
The restoration of diplomatic relations between Somalia and Cuba is particularly noteworthy because Somalia broke off relationship with Cuba in 1977 during the war between Somalia and Ethiopia. The Cuban government, under Fidel Castro, sent thousands of Cuban troops to assist the Soviet-backed Ethiopian government during the war, which ultimately led to a cooling of relations between Somalia and Cuba. This strained relationship persisted for almost half a century.
According to Somalia’s former foreign minister, Ahmed Isse Awad, although Somalia and Cuba do not share cultural and geographical relations, the country cannot “self-imprison” to what happened in the past. He also mentioned that Somalia currently enjoys good diplomatic relations with both Ethiopia and Russia.
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According to the report, the immediate concern for Cuba may be to win the release of two Cuban doctors who were abducted by the al-Shabab militant group in northern Kenya in April 2019. Somalia’s former foreign minister, Ahmed Isse Awad, stated that when he was the foreign minister in the previous Somali government, he was contacted by the Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, about the two hostages. He further added that he assured Cuba that Somalia will do its best to play a role in securing the freedom of the two doctors.
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With the resumption of diplomatic ties between Somalia and Cuba, it’s a brand new chapter in their relationship. It shows that even the most entrenched conflicts can be overcome with the power of diplomacy. Now that both nations have restored their ties, they can work toward their mutual interests and forge a new path for the future.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZioWdllyw2s&t=2s