Farmajo and Khaire Lied about Our Travel, says Ex-President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

President Mohamed Farmajo and his Prime Minister were responsible for ‘cooking up lies’ that were used to keep opposition leaders from traveling to Beletweyne on Sunday. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, one of Somalia’s former presidents, uttered those words.

While addressing journalists, Mohamud said that the government relied on lies to lend credence to its claims that the Beletweyne airport was unsafe for landing. He further noted that the aviation authority had distanced itself from those orders.

The former President continued by saying that they had called the head of the country’s Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) to ask about the orders barring them from flying to Beletweyne. “The head of SCAA said he hadn’t,” said President Mohamud.

The leader of the UPD Party claims that the two government leaders ‘were in one room’ where they ‘concocted the lies’ to put as many obstacles as possible on their way. Mohamud further claims that they were confined from 7 am to 11 am at the airport.

Earlier, reports showed that the SCAA didn’t permit the flight to Beletweyne to proceed since the airport was ‘wet.’ However, Mohamud rubbished those claims. He noted that the airport was ‘too dusty’ and planed bigger than theirs kept landing at the airport.

Local Television displayed videos showing that the runway was both dry and free of water.

Mohamud accused the person to whom he handed over power in 2017 – President Farmajo – of a policy of lies, intimidation, and bad manners.

The former head of state concluded by saying, “The people of Somalia should know that the government is not doing any meaningful work to address their plight.”