Somali leaders from across party affiliations have come to the support of Predient Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo amid a smear campaign by alleged UAE sponsored bloggers on Social media.
Mahad Salad who a staunch supporter of former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and a critic of Farmaajo has told UAE to keep off Somalia affairs.
“Though I differ with Farmaajo politically he is the President of this country and a symbol of unity and sovereignity add stated in Article 87 of the Somali Provisional Constitution” Salad posted on his Facebook account.
He accused the UAE government of masterminding the social media smear campaign.
“For foreign countries to attack his person is a mockery to our unity, dignity and pride and we shall not accept foreign countries to over step as they are looking for their own interest” he added.
Former Galmudug regional state President Abdikarim Hussein Guled shared similar sentiments.
“Farmaajo is the rightly elected President of Somalia. He deserves respect.” He posted on his Facebook account .
” We Shall not accept foreign countries to disrespect his dignity and that of the entity of the Presidency” .
Guled is affiliated to a political alignment that backs former President Mohamud and critical to Farmaajo.
UAE bloggers alleged to be sponsored by Abu Dhabi trended the hashtag #SomaliaWantFarmagoOut.
The tweets shared photos of photos from the 2011 famine and recent terror attacks to back claim that Farmaajo had failed to lead Somalia.
Somalia in Social media reacted swiftly by starting a hashtag #SomeoneTellUAE backing Farmaajo.
UAE Somalia relations has been strained since the change of guard at the Villa Somalia in February 2017.
The latest diplomatic row was triggered by the signing of a tripartite Berbera Port deal between breakaway region of Somaliland, UAE company DP World and Ethiopia.
Somalia rejected the deal terming it illegal.
