Tuesday March 7, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met with the country's former leader, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, on the sidelines of the fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha, Qatar.
The meeting was the first since the handover of power from Farmaajo to Mohamud last year following a protracted and turbulent electoral campaign. The fact that President Mohamud and former President Farmajo were able to meet cordially is seen as a positive sign by many.
President Mohamud reportedly briefed Farmaajo on the government's efforts to liberate the country and the struggle of the Somali people and the army to eradicate the al-Shabaab terrorists.
Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, who served as the President of Somalia from 2017 to 2021, now lives in Doha.
The two leaders' meeting comes as Somalia plans to intensify its anti-al Shabab offensive in south and central Somalia, where the group controls large swathes of land and exerts considerable influence.