Farmaajo heads to Qatar as Somalia's presidential election approaches

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Outgoing Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo will travel to Qatar on Saturday [today] amid ongoing elections in the country which have after all run behind the schedule, causing anxiety and concerns from members of the international community.

Qatar News Agency [QNA] which is owned by the Doha administration termed Farmaajo trip as a "working visit". This is the second time Farmaajo is traveling to Doha amid electoral disputes in the Horn of Africa nation.

His Highness Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani will meet HE the Somali President on Sunday at the Amiri Diwan, to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to support and develop them, in addition to a number of issues of common interest.

Throughout his administration, Farmaajo has been a close ally of Qatar but the alliance has often caused jitters among the public and members of the opposition, who accuse Doha of undermining democracy in Somalia.

For years, Qatar has been linked to internal rifts within Somalia, with former spy chief Fahad Yasin accused of being Doha's main link to the Gulf nation. But in several instances, Qatar has often dismissed the claims, terming them baseless and untrue.

Last week, a former senior official of the Qatar government said the administration has been bankrolling several journalists around the world who act as informers. Some of these journalists, he said, are serving currently as MPs or senior government officials.

Although he did not give specific names, Fahad Yasin could be one of the operatives, who is accused of being used by Doha to destabilize Somalia. Formerly, Yasin worked as a reporter with Al-Jazeera before working as a spy head in Somalia.

Known as a close ally of Farmaajo, Yasin was recently elected as MP in Somalia despite resistance by a number of delegates who raised concerns about the credibility of the exercise. Even after a brief suspension, he was reinstated by the dispute resolution team.

Farmaajo's term expired last year but failing to conclude elections in time has led to a 13-month illegal stay in office. After the conclusion of the Lower House elections, the country will conduct presidential polls where Farmaajo is interested to defend his seat.

GAROWE ONLINE