HARGEISA (SD) – Somaliland denies a report in The Times of Israel that Somaliland’s Minister of Defense Abdiqani Mohamud Aateye (Farid) recently attended a conference on Israeli-African cooperation in France.

“Unconfirmed reports were published in the Times of Israel that the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Somaliland attended a meeting on cooperation between Israel and African countries.” said an statement from the minister of Defence.

The Somaliland government has without providing any prove and as usual called such reports false and anti Somaliland.

“This type of information is intended to tarnish the image of the Republic of Somaliland” said the statement.

The move comes amid recent reports in an Israeli newspaper that Somaliland President’s proposal to forge relation with Israel and Minister of Defense Abdiqani Mohamud Aateye (Farid) participating of a conference on Israeli-African cooperation.