Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud meets the then Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Akbar Salehi in Mogadishu in November 2012. Photo: REUTERS
GAROWE, Somalia, September 4, 2015 (Garowe Online Exclusive)-Amid Gulf States' growing concern, Iranian government and charitable organizations are trying to gain a foothold in the war-ravaged Horn of Africa nation, informed sources tell Garowe Online.
Iran sent a delegation consisting of senior diplomats and Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation officials to Somalia, forging fledgling ties with local authorities and expanding humanitarian and political projects at the expense of Sunni power, Saudi Arabia.
Just five weeks ago, the Iranian delegation landed at Abdullahi Yusuf International Airport in Galkayo, a town that straddles the border between Puntland and South-central regions and was escorted to the capital Garowe, where they met with President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali. The journalists were kept in dark about the ill-intended agendas of Iranian officials who asked Puntland to grant licenses to fishing vessels with undocumented storage capacities.
WNU Editor: The Iranians (and Somalis) are looking at the long term .... they know that Somalia and the Horn of Africa are strategically positioned to not only be a gateway to Africa, but to also be able monitor all naval traffic that flows pass this region. For the moment .... peace and stability is Somalia`s goals. Long term .... it is the forming of strategic partnerships with neighbouring states .... Iran included.
No comments:
Post a Comment