Somalilandsun– Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was snubbed at Kenya’s international airport on Thursday after Nairobi failed to send any top level official to receive the head of the Horn of Africa nation who was to attend a regional submit that took place here Friday.
While on official visit, heads of state are usually received at airports by either their counterparts, prime ministers or parliament speakers, something that didn’t happen on Thursday when President Mohamud jetted in here. He was received by IGAD’s envoy to Somalia, Mohamed Abdi Affey and Somalia’s Ambassador to Kenya, Mohamed Ali Nur as well as members of Somali community living in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.
Many Somalis were quick to speculate that because of the cold reception given to President Mohamud at the airport Kenya may have quietely downgraded its ties with Somalia .
Mohamud was expected to hold talks on Friday with Kenyan officials at Nairobi’s State House, Kenya’s seat of power.
Kenya and Somalia were at loggerheads over the management of southern regions bordering the two countries since Nairobi sent troops to Somalia in 2011.
A much-circulated photo this year of President Uhuru and President Mohamud has shown them talking past each other, possibly because no one was listening to or happy with the point the other was making.
President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya is currently on a peace mission to Juba, the capital of South Sudan to help defuse political tension in that East African country.
But as protocol would have it Kenyan officials should have arranged a high-powered official to receive President Mohamud at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Officials of both countries could not immediately be reached for comment.
Hiiraan Online English News Desk
