Somali president leaves for UAE on two-day visit

The president flew to Abu Dhabi after receiving an invitation from his United Arab Emirates counterpart Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. who seeks strong and close relations with Somalia.

News Keydmedia Online
19 June 2022

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The new president of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has on Sunday left Mogadishu for UAE on a two-day official visit, according to his office.

The president flew to Abu Dhabi after receiving an invitation from his United Arab Emirates counterpart Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. who seeks strong and close relations with Somalia.

The President's two-day visit is aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries, facilitating travel, trade, and enhancing cooperation between the two countries," said the presidency.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, which have been influential in Somalia for the past five years under the Farmajo regime are competing for the dominance of the Horn of Africa country.

The UAE and Somalia had strained relations after NISA confiscated $9.6 million in cash from a plane that arrived at Mogadishu airport in April 2018 from Abu Dhabi. The money was released last month.

Abu Dhabi halted a program to train some of the Somali troops in 2018 in protest of the seized money in a new sign of rising tensions in bilateral relations between the two countries.

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