EAM Jaishankar wishes FM Abdisalam Abdi Ali on Somalia's National Day
New Delhi, July 1
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday extended greetings to Somalia's Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali on their National Day.
In a post on X, he said, "Felicitations to FM Abdisalam Abdi Ali, the Government and people of Somalia on their National Day."
Somalia celebrates Independence Day every year on July 1 to commemorate its liberation from colonial rule. The significance of this day is that the northern and southern regions of Somalia, which achieved independence from colonial rule, united and officially declared the establishment of the Republic of Somalia on July 1, 1960, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia says.
June 26 1960, the independent northern region of Somalia broke with British colonial rule and took an important step towards unification with the southern region, which was independence from Italian colonial rule on July 1, 1960. This event confirmed the creation of the Republic of Somalia.
Because of this historic event, July 1 was established as Independence Day and Unification Day, to mark the nation's efforts to break with colonial rule, as per MFA of Somalia.
India and Somalia relations are age old, with strong connect established by traders who sailed through the Indian ocean to buy and sell goods in the Horn of Africa. The connection still continues with presence of Indian business community in Somalia, as per the Ministry of External Affairs.
The diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1960, a year after Somalia's independence. The High Commissioner of India to Mauritius was accredited as Ambassador of India to Somalia. Later, a resident Mission was opened in Mogadishu.
After the outbreak of civil war in 1991, the Indian Embassy in Mogadishu was closed down. High Commission of India, Nairobi is concurrently accredited to Somalia, the MEA states.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Salutations to FM Abdisalam Abdi Ali! 🇮🇳🇸🇴 India's foreign policy has always been about strengthening ties with African nations. But I wonder if we are doing enough to support Somalia's reconstruction given the security challenges there? Our business community presence is a good sign, but we need more concrete development partnerships.
Interesting to see this diplomatic gesture. As someone who follows geopolitics, I think India's soft power approach in Africa is smart. But Somalia still struggles with piracy and extremism. What tangible benefits does this relationship bring to both sides? Just ceremonial greetings without substance won't help much.
"Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" in action! 🌍 India's historical ties with East Africa are often overlooked. We forget that Indians were trading with Somalia centuries before the British or Italians arrived. Our shared struggle against colonialism binds us. Happy National Day to the people of Somalia! May peace prevail in your beautiful land. 🇮🇳❤️🇸🇴
Good diplomatic move by India. However, I'm concerned that we're focusing on ceremonial diplomacy while ignoring the humanitarian crisis in Somalia. The country still faces famine, displacement, and Al-Shabaab insurgency. Our foreign ministry should allocate more aid and peacekeeping support rather than just X posts. Action speaks louder than tweets!
Happy Independence Day to Somalia! 🎉 The unification of north and south in 1960 reminds me of India's own integration of princely states post-1947. Also, the fact that our High Commission in Nairobi handles Somalia relations shows how logistics
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