Former Nigerian president visits a breakaway region in Somalia

HARGEISA, Somaliland - The former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has on Sunday landed in Somaliland in a surprise visit to the breakaway region in northern Somalia, Garowe Online reports.

Obasanjo, along with a delegation from Johannesburg-based think-tank Brenthurst Foundation arrived Hargeisa city at the invitation of the region's president, Muse Bihi Abdi, according to the presidency.

The visiting former West Africa country president held a meeting with Somaliland's top leaders, including Vice president and ministers at the state presidential palace and discussed a number of key issues.

At first, President Abdi has thanked former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and the delegations from Brenthurst foundation for the visit to his self-declared republic of Somaliland.

Obasanjo served as Nigerian president between 1999-2007.

Sources privy to the talks said that Somaliland President Bihi asked Obasanjo to lobby for his breakaway region in getting a recognization from the African Union [AU] as an independent country.

Nigeria plays a role in the international efforts to stabilize Somalia as it contributed hundreds of police officers to Police in the African Union Mission [AMISOM].

Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia On May 18, 1991. Twenty-eight years on, it still has not received legal recognition from the international community.

GAROWE ONLINE