PM Roble skips Somali-Turkish celebrations amid claims of a fallout with Farmaajo

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, who is also the coordinator of government functions, on Thursday evening skipped dinner hosted by outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, during the 10th anniversary of Somali-Turkish cooperation.

The two nations have been having a cordial relationship, which was activated in 2011 when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan first visited Somalia while he was a PM. Since then, Ankara and Mogadishu have been celebrating the day as a way of bolstering relationships.

But this year's event saw Roble miss, further showcasing possible deteriorating relationship with Farmaajo, even as the country prepares to hold parliamentary polls. Roble has often downplayed the fallout with his boss.

Last week, Farmaajo is said to have been very displeased with Roble's trip to Kenya which was followed by another trip to Egypt. The PM has not been seen in public with the president but has diverted his attention to preparations for elections.

The PM was unanimously picked to steer the elections in the country when a number of stakeholders decried alleged bias by Farmaajo and his team. Presidential elections will be held in October and Farmaajo is expected to defend his seat.

Although it's not clear why he skipped the event, Roble's absence wasn't even defended by his deputy Mahdi Gulaid. Turkish ambassador to Somalia Mehmet Yilmaz promised smooth cooperation with the Horn of Africa nation.

"Proud to celebrate the 10th year anniversary of H.E. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's historic visit to Somalia in 2011. Appreciate the ownership and willingness shown by the Federal Government of Somalia for this valuable event," he said.

"As we all know, following the visit of President Erdogan, Alhamdulillah cooperation between Turkey and Somalia has always reached new heights in the last decade and turned into excellent cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral platforms," he added.

On his part, Farmaajo lauded Turkey for continued support especially in the areas of humanitarian affairs, trade, security, and cultural exchange. Turkey has been instrumental in training special forces in Somalia, particularly the GorGor troops and Haramcad police officers.

"Today, our strong diplomatic relations have created new opportunities for collaboration and partnership in all areas of mutual benefit, including trade, security, humanitarian affairs, and cultural exchange," the outgoing president said.

But despite the smooth cooperation, there have been complaints from the opposition that Ankara was dispatching weapons to Somalia which are used by security forces to attack innocent civilians. The claims have been denied by Somalia previously.

GAROWE ONLINE