MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s outgoing president has hired a US lobby group to help organize a visit to the United States and build inroads with Congress as he faces growing pressure to reverse a term extension move and return to talks with regional leaders.
Somali embassy in the US signed a deal with New Jersey-based lobbying firm LFA Holdings last month to help organize a visit by the embattled president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo to the United States.
According to a new filing with the US Department of Justice, LFA is expected to help set up meetings with members of Congress and think tanks, though it is unclear if Farmajo will meet with president Joe Biden, Foreign Policy has reported on Saturday.
Somalia’s government will pay $150,000 for the work, according to Aleman’s individual registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Aleman is the only registered lobbyist on the account.
The agreement was signed on March 22, only three days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement calling for Somalia to hold elections immediately.
Both LFA Holdings and the Embassy of Somalia in Washington have not commented on the agreement.
A former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs under President Donald Trump, Tibor Nagy, said Farmajo may be looking for new allies in Washington amid mounting pressure from the Biden administration.
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