Qatar’s emir holds talks with outgoing Somali president in Doha

Qatar has been influential in Somali politics during Farmajo's four years in office as president and has been accused of meddling in the country's internal affairs.

News Keydmedia Online
6 March 2022

DOHA, Qatar – The outgoing Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo met with the emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani at Amiri Diwan in Doha on Sunday.

According to Qatar’s News Agency [QNA], the meeting between the two top leaders focused on cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to develop them.

The talks also reviewed a number of regional and international issues, including the latest developments in Somalia, mainly the polls which are over a year behind schedule that led to a political crisis.

Villa Somalia said Farmajo thanked the emir of Qatar for the continued support to the Somali people, especially in the development and economic fields. Doha wants to help Farmajo his re-election.

Qatar has been influential in Somali politics during Farmajo's four years in office as president and has been accused of meddling in the country's internal affairs after the UAE was expelled in 2018.

The tiny Gulf nation has spent large sums of money on Farmajo's election, allowing it to indirectly run Somalia through Fahad Yasin, the country's former powerful spy chief.

Yasin is now serving as the national security to Farmajo after he was kicked out of NISA – the National Intelligence and Security Agency in 2021 over the murder of Ikran Tahlil, a female spy agent.

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