HARGEISA (SD) – Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi and members of his government are planning to pay their first visit to the United States soon.

According to Foore newspaper, President Bihi’s trip to the United States in mid-March, 2022, will be accompanied by three members of his Cabinet, including Foreign Minister Dr Isse Kayd and Minister Saad Ali Shire.

President Bihi will be accompanied by some of the country’s largest businessmen, a first for a president who is known to strong arm the business community.

On the other, the Minister of Information, Saleban Yusuf Ali Koore, and the Minister of Interior, who were expected to accompany the President to the United States, were reportedly denied Visas.

The United States, which recognizes Somaliland as part of Somalia, has said it will not issue visas to officials deemed to be undermining the country’s democratic process.

The US embassy and the Somaliland government have not yet commented as to why the two ministers were denied the Visas.