Somalia: Farmajo inaugurates embassy building in Washington

WASHINGTON, U.S. – President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has inaugurated the new building of Somalia’s new embassy in Washington DC, United Stated on Friday, Garowe Online reports.

Somali Finance Minister Abdirahman Duale Beileh who is among the delegation accompanying the president confirmed the country bought the new embassy building at Wyoming Aven in Washington from Columbia for $4.3 million.

Speaking at the event, Farmajo expressed hope that the opening of the embassy in the U.S. would mark the start of a new dawn as the Horn of Africa country heals the civil war wounds and standing on its own feet again.

The President has urged the Somali community in the United States to cooperate closely with the diplomatic mission, noting that this building is the property of the Federal Government and the public.

In addition, the leader announced that his Government is committed to restoring dignity to the troubled Horn of Africa nation by reopening overseas embassies and reinstating diplomatic missions worldwide.

Farmajo, who renounced his US citizenship last August to attend the 2019 UN General Assembly, has already vowed to make security a priority in a country where Al-Shabab is still carrying out deadly attacks in Mogadishu, and elsewhere.

Since taking office in early 2017, the President has repeatedly promised to tackle graft in a country many years ranked by Transparency International as the most corrupt in the world due to "no accountability culture".

GAROWE ONLINE