Renson Mwakandana
In a statement posted on Facebook, the self-declared republic of Somaliland’s ministry of energy and natural resources claimed the finding of an oil well in the Sallahey area of the Marodi-Jeh region.
The ministry claimed that after a black liquid leaked from a nearby waterwell drilling site, it conducted scientific examinations, and the findings supported the detection of oil. This is Somalia’s first officially recognized oil find.
The announcement also mentioned that Genel Energy, a UK company, will begin more oil exploration and production.
The finding comes two weeks after the federal government of Somalia cautioned General Energy against conducting oil drilling in Somaliland without Mogadishu’s permission, claiming the company was compromising the country’s sovereignty.
Somaliland, which separated from the southern region in 1991 and has since unsuccessfully sought international recognition, deemed the Mogadishu proclamation to be useless.
