Somali President Meets Qatar’s Emir in Doha as He Seeks Support for Re-election

Somali president and Qatari emir

DOHA (Somaliguardian) – Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo met Qatar’s emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in the capital of the tiny Gulf Arab country on Tuesday, his office said, as he seeks more support for re-election bid amid growing challenges from his opposition.

Somali president and the Qatari emir discussed “aspects of strengthening cooperation relations between the two countries in the fields of economic investment and sports to achieve aspirations of the brotherly peoples”, Farmajo’s office tweeted.

They also discussed bilateral and issues of common interest, it added, in a post written in Arabic.

In a separate tweet, Farmajo stressed that he had discussed with Qatari emir “aspects of strengthening bortherly relations and bilateral cooperation between our two brotherly countries… in a way that enhances strong brotherly ties and fruitful cooperation”.

The Somali president traveled to Qatar on Monday on his first visit to the country since his term had expired at the beginning of this year. It comes amid election crisis in the Horn of Africa nation where manipulation and vote rigging activities allegedly sponsored by Farmajo’s administration and allied regional presidents dashed hopes of free, fair and peaceful polls.

Qatar has been a staunch financier and key ally of Farmajo’s administration since he was elected to office in 2017. Over the past weeks, there were reports that Doha airlifted suitcases of dollars in order to support the Somali leader’s re-election bid.

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