MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble traveled to the United Arab Emirates, where he is due to hold talks with top Emirati officials on strengthening bilateral ties, his office said on Sunday.
It is the first visit by a Somali government official to the Gulf Arab Country since it broke ties with Somalia in 2018 over the seizure of cash from Abu Dhabi by security personnel at Mogadishu’s Adan Adde Airport and federal authorities’ decision to side with Qatar in a rift with other Arab countries.
Somali Premier has received an official invitation from the UAE amid an escalating power fight with President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, a key ally of Qatar – Abu Dhabi’s biggest foe whose successful influence in Somali politics over the past five years has held other Gulf countries at bay.
In a rare diplomatic gesture earlier this month, Roble publicly apologized to the United Arab Emirates over the seizure of $9.6 million and promised to return the cash, though his decision was challenged by the President, who ordered the central bank governor not to release the money.
Before departing from Adan Adde Airport, several presidential candidates met the Premier and asked him for introducing them to the UAE, whose funding support is believed to be vital for presidential aspirants willing to challenge Farmajo in the upcoming polls.
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