NAIROBI (Somaliguardian) – Somalia former PM Hassan Ali Khaire on an official visit to Nairobi pledged to normalize relations with Kenya and do more to settle a long-standing maritime dispute.
Mr Khaire held meeting with Somali MPs in Kenya’s parliament on Tuesday, in the course of which he put forward his plea to receive Nairobi’s support in his bid for the Somalia 2021 presidential election, promising to create an economic environment conducive for the two neighboring countries to benefit bilaterally while enhancing cooperation on a number of forefronts.
Somalia’s former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire was ousted in a parliament vote of no-confidence nearly three months ago following a heated internal strife within top government officials over 2021 elections as President Farmajo had become hell-bent on extension for both the executive and legislative branches.
Relations between Kenya and Somalia have soured after Nairobi insisted on helping belligerent Jubaland leader Ahmed Madobe to stay in regional power in defiance of Somali government’s demands for his ouster.
Now, Khaire making use of this rare opportunity have come up with a proposal to ensure he receives the backing of Nairobi with 3 months until the presidential elections. Among the issues he raised is bringing an end to the ban on Kenya Khat introduced by Somalia soon after coronavirus hit the country earlier this year.
The ousted Somali PM told the Kenyan MPs that more genuine and rigid relations between Nairobi and Mogadishu would open up numerous opportunities for the younger generations of the two East African countries. Mr Khaire also assured the MPs that his administration would immediately restore ties with Nairobi if elected to president.
On the issue of current maritime dispute between Nairobi and Mogadishu, Hassan Ali Khaire said he had cut out his work already to provide a sustainable solution to the row and introduce a new diplomatic policy seeking peaceful cohabitation between neighboring states.
In the first leg of his trip soon after announcing his run for Somalia president, Khaire tripped to Djibouti where had talks with President Ismael Omar Gele of which its details have yet to be substantiated.
Khaire is not the first Somali presidential candidate to travel to Nairobi; on the contrary, other rivals have recently visited Kenya to plead for support in their presidential bids and many others may follow in the trail to challenge the incumbent President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo.
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