Expulsion of Kenyan ambassador an election strategy by Farmaajo-opposition

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU:   President Mohamed Farmaajo is fomenting disputes with Kenya to seek local support in the upcoming elections, opposition presidential candidates have said.

The opposition presidential caucus which brings together 14 candidates said in a joint statement they were ‘concerned’ by the move to expel Kenya’s ambassador to Somalia noting it would hurt relations between the two countries.

The decision, the politicians said would also affect Somalis in Kenya including traders and students, travellers and refugees.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mogadishu announced Sunday it was sending back ambassador Lucas Tumbo and recalling his counterpart in Nairobi Mohamed Tarzan over what it termed as Kenya’s interference with the upcoming elections.

Somalia said its neighbour had pressured Jubbaland president Ahmed Madobe to change his stance on the elections agreement reached into in September.

But in its response Tuesday, Kenya rubbished the claims adding it had not received any formal complaint from Somalia. It termed the accusations as ‘unsubstantiated and unwarranted’.