The former presidents of Somalia Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo held a meeting last night in Mogadishu, while they are building a coalition against President Hassan Sheikh and his government.
The meeting came a day after Farmajo returned to the country on Friday, having been away in Qatar where he resided since losing the election.
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In a statement posted by Farmajo on his Facebook page, he said, “We had a fruitful consultation meeting with the former President of the country, Mr. Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, at his residence tonight.”
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The statement added, “We discussed the state of the country, especially the political issues and the recent debate on amending the Constitution, and we underlined the state of the country and the current constitutional issues that require extensive consultation.”
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“We have agreed to continue our meetings and consultations, and at the same time involve the country’s politicians and other sectors of society.”
Farmajo and Sheikh Sharif have been close since the last months of Farmajo’s rule, and it is believed that they have maintained a close relationship since the re-election of President Hassan Sheikh.
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Reports received by Somali Times say that the two presidents will start a large-scale political campaign in Mogadishu to oppose the government of President Hassan Sheikh, the first of which is to prevent the completion of the country’s constitution.
Unconfirmed information on the other hand said that they are also connected to the recently re-elected president of Puntland Said Abdullahi Deni, who is also strongly opposed to the government of President Hassan Sheikh.