By: MoDuale
HARGEISA, Aug 17 – Taiwan has awarded scholarships to 26 Somaliland students this year, underscoring growing cooperation between the two sides on the sixth anniversary of their diplomatic relationship.
At a ceremony in Hargeisa attended by around 70 guests, including Somaliland’s Foreign Minister, government officials, and MPs, Taiwan’s Representative to Somaliland, Ambassador Allen Chenhwa Lou, congratulated 26 new awardees for 2025, joining seven already in Taiwan under a security program.
“Over the years, almost 180 Somaliland students have benefited from Taiwan Scholarships. Many have returned home and become leaders in Somaliland’s government, business, academia, and beyond,” Lou said. He encouraged the students to embrace Taiwan’s culture and language, work hard during their studies, and return with knowledge and expertise to contribute to Somaliland’s development.
Lou described the awarding ceremony as “a pivotal event” symbolizing the partnership, friendship, and cooperation between Taiwan and Somaliland since the formal establishment of relations on August 17, 2020. He noted that the occasion coincided with the sixth anniversary of the relationship’s launch.
He recalled that in July 2020, under the Trump administration, the White House National Security Council openly welcomed the new ties. “After five years, Taiwan–Somaliland cooperation has become a template in the Horn of Africa,” Lou said, adding that relations have advanced to a strategic level following the signing of a coast guard agreement to provide a security platform for like-minded partners.
Taiwan, he said, is “glad to see more and more democratic like-minded partners endorsing the values of the Taiwan–Somaliland relationship, which can catalyze greater international support for both nations.”
SOURCE:HORNDIPLOMAT