Hargeisa (SD) – The President of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi, has invited members of the visually impaired community in Somaliland to a reception at the Presidential Palace.

The purpose of the meeting, was to share information with the President and the visually impaired. The President also apologized for not attending to the World Blind Awareness Day celebration with the community.

The president was accompanied by cabinet ministers, lawmakers, the president’s disability advisor, members of the visually impaired and other dignitaries.

Speeches were made to encourage the visually impaired, and exemplified the government’s good relationship with the visually impaired.

The Presidential Adviser on Disability, Mr. Abdirahman Sheikh Hussein Abdi who addressed the gathering, thanked the President for inviting the visually impaired people to the meeting adding that the government’s relationship with people with disabilities in general is strong and fully operational.

The Chairman of the Association for the Blind, Mr. Mahdi Muse Jama, the Chairman of the Association for the Deaf, Mr. Mustafe Mohamed Osman and Mrs. Hinda Muhumed Aqli, a visually impaired, all thanked the President for his meeting and are socially aware of the president’s role in empathizing with people with disabilities.

The President of the Republic of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi, who spoke at end of the meeting, welcomed the visually impaired, pointing out that the meeting was in response to complaints from visually impaired people about the absence of invited officials to World Blind Awareness Day celebration.

“This meeting is the result of your complaint, and we apologize to you. It has never happened before that a responsible person can not do what the people with special needs ask him to do unless he is unable to do so, and our religion, humanity and culture dictates that. Other then the misunderstanding, you should know that no official objects to meeting you.” President Bihi said.

The President made it clear that he was fully aware of the importance of people with disabilities to society as a whole, and is committed as a president to listening to any concerns they may have.