Omar’s remarks come as there have been recent tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia over Somaliland. Ethiopia
reportedly came to an agreement with Somaliland that would recognize Somaliland as a country independent from Somalia in exchange for Ethiopia, which is a landlocked country, gaining access to 12 miles of the coastline in the region through a lease agreement.
Somalia flatly rejected the agreement, saying in a statement: “There is no space for mediation unless Ethiopia retracts its illegal [memorandum of understanding] and reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia.”
According to a professional translation of Omar’s remarks acquired by The Daily Wire from an international translation service, Omar referenced the agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland: “A few days ago, we heard the news about some people claiming to be Somalis getting into an agreement with Ethiopia.”
Omar continued:
I got calls from a lot of people saying, “Ilhan, you need to talk to the U.S. government; what is the government of the U.S. doing?'”My answer to their question was that the U.S. government will do what we tell them to do about it. We need to be confident in ourselves. We live in this country; it is the country that we pay tax to, and it is the country that one of your daughters is in. As long as I am in the U.S. Congress, no one will take a way in the Somali sea or water. And I will not support the U.S. government in supporting other people to rob us. Rest assured that it will not happen, Minnesota. The lady that you sent to Congress knows about you, and she feels your interest like you all do.
Omar thanked Somali President Hassan Sheikh for “reminding everyone that even if Somalia is in crisis, we are people of talent who know their country and whose country cannot be put in danger.”
“I want to congratulate the Somalis in Minnesota and the Somalis everywhere on how you all are united and how you all supported our President, who needs our support,” she concluded, according to the translation. “Somalia is Somalia, and Somalis are all one; we are all brothers and sisters. No one can divide our land; we are missing land, and we will search for it soon. No one will divide whatever land that we have now.”