Hiiraan Online
Tuesday October 16, 2018
Somalia’s President Farmaajo with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdul Aziz during the former’s visit to Riyadh. FILE
Mogadishu (HOL) - The Somali government reiterated its full support to Saudi Arabia and voiced opposition against attempts to undermine its sovereignty.
In a statement released on Monday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, The Somali government said that they would remain steadfast in their support with the "brotherly" Kingdon of Saudi Arabia. It also warned against attempting to harm Saudi Arabia by targeting its economic interests. The statement goes on to say that the international community should move away from "provocations and deliberate campaigns against Saudi Arabia".
Saudi Arabia is suspected of luring journalist and critic Jamal Khashoggi to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where Saudi agents murdered him and disposed of his body. Since the onset of the incident, Saudi officials have denied any wrongdoing and say that he merely left from a separate exit. They have been unable to provide proof to corroborate this claim.
Somalia joined UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, Oman and Jordan in issuing similarly worded statements reaffirming their support for Saudi Arabia.
The comments come just hours before U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that "rogue killers" could be responsible for the journalist's disappearance. President's Trump's comments appear to be a life jacket for Saudi officials who have been fumbling to explain the situation.
Saudi Arabia has relied heavily on strong-arm diplomacy, threatening the international community that any action taken will be bet by even stronger action by the Saudi government. Domestically, the Kingdom has warned that spreading rumours or fake news is considered cybercrime and is punishable by a 5-year prison sentence and a hefty fine.
The disappearance of Khashoggi has created a diplomatic rift between Saudi Arabia and the West. International firms have already begun pulling out of a high-profile investment summit, the Future Investment Initiative conference, due to take place later this month in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.