2017, Farmaajos administration first year in office was marked by strained relations between the Federal Government and the Regional States and as the Somalia head of state kicks off his tour of Puntland on Sunday political analysts say he looks forward to ensuring a lesser tensed 2018.
The Gulf Crisis in far away Qatar was having its effects felt in the horn of Africa country with regional states declaring their stance over who to back ; Saudi Arabia led coalition or Qatar.
Somalia´s Federal government had issued its stand on the matter saying it remained neutral and would not support Saudi Arabia and its allies nor Qatar which the former alleged it was sponsoring terror activities.
Puntland, Hirshabelle and Galmudug would soon publicly declare their support of the Saudi led coalition to the surprise of Mogadishu leading to Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire to strong statement that regional states had no mandate to issue statements on foreign diplomacy.
Then followed the impeachment of Galmudug President Ahmed Haaf after his return from a tour of United Arab Emirates a move that a parliamentary committee resolving the crisis blamed on Villa Somalia machinations .
So strained were the relations that an extra ordinary summit had to be convened in the coastal city of Kismayo to resolve the quickly deteriorating relation between Mogadishu and the regional states coming up with a communiqué on the way forward.
“How the President is going to mend fences with the regions after frosty relations in 2017 will likely determine his leadership in 2018. The previous year proved that relation between the regional states and federal government can threaten the integrity of the country†Abdirahman Muse a Somali affairs analyst told Radio Dalsan.
President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo will be taking his diplomatic charm to Puntland for the first time since taking office meeting his host regional President Abdiweli Gaas upon his arrival in the capital Garowe.
According to Villa Somalia Farmaajo will be touring major towns the vast north eastern region for one week.
Farmaajo will later tour Jubaland, Galmudug, Hirshabelle and South West State in a move to make the first practical steps that followed the Kismayo Summit in October 2017.