The President of Somaliland, Ahmed MohamedMahamoud known as Silanyo, acting at the behest of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, has just sacked his country's commander of police, General Elmi RoblehFurreh. This decision came three days after Somaliland policemen had arrested three Ethiopian national security officers who had entered Somaliland illegally. According to a source close to the presidential palace in Hargeisa, Meles Zenawi contacted Silanyo directly to obtain the liberation of these two officers and a sanction imposed against General Elmi Robleh Furreh, who had had them arrested. Silanyo took advantage of a mini ministerial reshuffle on 11 June to replace Elmi Robleh Furreh by Colonel Mohamed SaqadhiDubad. The latter is very favourable to the Ethiopian leaders. He has already held this post under the previous President of Somaliland, Dahir Rayale Kahin.
This episode reveals the close nature of the security links between Hargeisa and Addis Ababa. However, Colonel Dubad's appointment is also a gesture of good-will by President Silanyo towards his predecessor Rayale Kahin, who was due to return to Somaliland on 20 June, having left it last year after he lost the election.
