Somaliland Representative to Yemen Welcomed in Hargeisa After 55 Days in Detention

    Officials in Somaliland welcomed its representative to Yemen, Idris Adam Rage, upon his arrival in Hargeisa on Sunday, August 9, following his release and deportation from Yemen after 55 days in detention.

Several cabinet members, government officials and local figures attended the reception, marking Rage’s first public appearance in Somaliland since Yemeni authorities ended his detention in Aden.

Media outlets had previously reported his release and deportation. Rage had been held in Aden since June 13. Yemeni reports linked his detention to allegations that he helped Yemeni individuals wanted by the authorities travel from Aden to Somaliland. No official judicial statement has publicly clarified the findings of the investigation.

Somaliland sources, however, linked the case to political tensions surrounding Hargeisa’s growing relations with Israel. Rage was detained one day before Somaliland’s president began a visit to Israel.

A Yemeni government document dating to 2005 indicates that the agreed representation between the two sides was commercial, involving a proposal to establish trade offices in Sana’a and Hargeisa. “Trade representative” or “Somaliland representative to Yemen” is therefore more accurate than “ambassador,” as Yemen does not recognize Somaliland as an independent state.