MPs host dinner for head of breakaway Somali State

By Geoffrey Mosoku

Nairobi, Kenya: Abdirahman Mohamed Farole, the president of Somali’s breakaway State of Puntland ended his week-long tour of Kenya with a dinner on Wednesday night hosted by MPs.

The legislators mainly drawn from North Eastern, who met at a Nairobi hotel expressed support for Farole’s diplomatic meetings with international partners of the Somali peace and reconciliation process.

The Puntland president and the Kenyan hosts also said they supported the breakaway State of Jubaland and its new administration led by Sheakh Ahmed Madobe.

The MPs hailed Farole for his contribution to the return in peace and stability in the region saying under his watch, Puntland’s capital Garoowe and the region had enjoyed relative stability.

“He is a peacemaker with fast hand experience in Federalism, having played a key role in ensuring it works in Puntland,” Wajir South MP Abdullahi Diriye said.

Diriye said the discussions were mainly centred on how to strengthen bilateral relations, trade, regional security and support for the new State of Jubaland. Somalia President Sheikh Hassan Mohamoud is opposed to a federal state in Jubaland.