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South Yorkshire families join London protest
Sheffield Somalis take part in protest outside Parliament
AS many as 100 Somalis living in Sheffield headed to London for a demonstration.
The protesters were calling on the world to recognise the former British Somaliland as an independent country, separate from the main part of Somalia.
The South Yorkshire group were among several thousand people who gathered outside the Houses of Parliament waving the flag of the new state.
The demonstration marked 20 years since British Somaliland declared independence from Somalia.
And the group gained an unlikely supporter - Yorkshire regional Euro MEP Godfrey Bloom, of the UK Independence Party.
Mr Bloom said: “In 20 years, though completely unrecognised by the world, Somaliland has built democratic institutions.
“Though Islamic it has fought off extremists that have tried to destabilise it, has created a Navy that is fighting the pirate threat and is a haven of peace and stability in one of the world’s toughest regions, The Horn of Africa.
“Why will this country not recognise Somaliland’s demand for recognition, why do we let a former Belgian colony, Rwanda, into the Commonwealth, whilst denying that chance to Somaliland?”
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
