President Muse Bihi Abdi of Somaliland granted presidential pardon to Mohamed Omar Arte, a former Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia.
On Sunday, the former Deputy Prime Minister renounced his former views on Somaliland’s independence while visiting Hargeisa.
Later in the day, the Office of the President issued a statement saying that Bihi had pardoned Arte following consultations with the Attorney General and traditional leaders.
Arte is in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, to visit his ailing father.
He had to renounce his sentiments concerning Somaliland to get permission to visit his father.
Usually, Somaliland never allows officers from the Federal Government of Somalia to either live or travel within its boundaries.
The former Deputy Prime Minister is the son of Omar Arte, who served as Somalia’s Prime Minister between 1991 and 1993.
It was during Omar Arte’s tenure as Prime Minister that Somaliland broke away from Somalia.