Information Minister Daid Aweys has confirmed that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has undergone surgery in Abu Dhabi, following recent reports highlighting his medical condition.
Minister Aweys has revealed that President Mohamud has now traveled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he is in good condition and his recovery is progressing well. The president is expected to return to Mogadishu in the near future.
Although the specific cause of the president’s shoulder surgery was not mentioned by Minister Aweys, a statement from Villa Somalia, the office of the president, sheds light on President Mohamud’s visit to Riyadh.
It states that the president is attending the African Union-Arab League summit and engaged in fruitful discussions with UAE leaders prior to his surgery.
“The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Mr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has arrived in Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he will participate in three meetings: the Arab University Conference, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Conference, and the Saudi-African Conference. Many of these meetings revolve around the situation of the Palestinian people,” Villa Somalia announced.
President Mohamud, who has been at the forefront of the fight against Al-Shabaab, had been stationed in Dhusamreb for the past three months.