Somalia: Farmajo begins Qatar visit amid dispute with UAE

DOHA, Qatar - Somalia's President, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has landed in Doha on Sunday, beginning a two-day official visit to the tiny isolated Gulf country, Garowe Online reports.

Upon his arrival at Hamad International Airport in Doha, President Farmajo accompanied by several cabinet ministers was welcomed by Qatar's Minister of Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti and other officials.

The Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani received the visiting Somali President at the Emiri Diwan and held talks on the to discuss the bilateral relations between the two Arab-League member countries.

Farmajo also met with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and discussed on wide range issues not yet disclosed to the media.

This is Farmajo’s second official visit to Qatar since May 2017.

Relations between UAE and Somalia have been steadily declining since the seizure of $9.6m from an Emirati civilian aircraft at Mogadishu airport on 8th April.

The aid money was allocated to pay the salaries for Somali army, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE.

In response to this, the United Arab Emirates has ended last month a military cooperation with Somalia which started in 2014, where UAE was training and paying members of the Somali army.

UAE has also trained Puntland's Maritime Police Force [PMPF] as part of an effort to help Somali Government and the Federal States defeat an Islamist insurgency, Piracy, Illegal trafficking and secure the country.

Qatar, which is seen to be taking advantage of the Somalia-UAE dispute has donated 30 buses and two cranes to the Federal Government last April and sent an extraordinary Ambassador to Mogadishu.

GAROWE ONLINE