Monday December 16, 2019
By: Mohamud Dulyadeyn
MINNEAPOLIS (HOL) - Somalia’s new ambassador to the United States, Ali Sharif arrived at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport, MSP, Thursday night for a maiden visit to the state.
Respected senior members and others from Somalia’s regional states were there to receive the newly appointed ambassador. During his two-day trip, Ambassador Sharif held private meetings with the community members and representatives from Somalia’s regional governments, the imams, and former politicians. Despite the different political opinions, speakers were highly respectful of the ambassador.
The Somali community in Minnesota, which is the largest in any state, exhibited great enthusiasm upon hearing Ambassador Sharif’s hopeful speech on development.
“I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to the Somali Community in the State of Minnesota”, Ambassador Sharif said. “Thank you for your warm welcome.”
This historic visit comes at a time when the Somali-American diaspora community is struggling with a host of issues.
These issues range from the lifeline money transfer to loved ones in Somalia, the safety of Somali diaspora businesspeople in Somalia, President Trumps Muslim travel, deportation cases to unnecessary requirements of visas at international airports.
Visas in Somalia are provided on arrival at the airport, but there is no clear indication in the U.S. airports. As a consequence, many Somalis travelling to Somalia are stopped and they miss important flights.
Ambassador Sharif expressed confidence in many Somali-Americans to visit Somalia. He was joined by a host of Somali politicians urging the Somali diaspora to come back to the country.
In June 2019, the former ambassador to the U.S., Ahmed Awad, also appealed to the diaspora to return. Somalia’s Foreign Minister weighed in by saying, “The number of diaspora travelers visiting Somalia has increased, we want this number to increase more.”
However, this is not the first time that Somalia’s ambassadors to the U.S. was welcomed by the Somali community in the Twin Cities. In December 2015, former ambassador and the current Foreign Minister Ahmed Isse Awad was warmly welcomed as well.
The Somali community confided in him the issues that existed then as they do now. He was unable to take definitive action because he was appointed as Somalia’s Foreign Minister thereafter. Hussein Islaan wonders, “Will Ali Sharif be any different?”