Thursday December 17, 2020
NAIROBI (HOL) - Former Turkish ambassador to Somalia Kani Torun has called on President Mohamed Farmaajo to act with ‘maturity’ and ‘compromise’ like his predecessors in handling the ongoing political crisis in the country.
Reacting to the ongoing political tussle between Farmaajo and opposition groups, Torun said there was need for compromise and not confrontation.
“I hope President Mohamed Farmajo shows the same maturity as President Sheikh Sharif and President Hassan Sheikh showed in 2012 and 2016 elections respectively. Somalia needs compromise, not confrontation,” Torun said in a tweet.
Torun who served as ambassador to Somalia from 2011 to 2014 and set the foundation for Turkey’s re-engagement in Somalia becomes the senior-most political figure in Turkey to confront head-on Farmaajo. He is currently the Secretary General of Future Party in Turkey.
Opposition presidential candidates last week urged Turkey to hold back ships of weaponry to Somalia meant for a division of the Somali Army which Farmaajo has been accused of using to fight his political battles.
The council of presidential candidates said it had received information that a Turkish military aircraft was to this week deliver 1,000 G3 machine guns and 150,000 bullets for the Harma’ad brigade.