Mogadishu (UM) – In wide ranging interviews UM has learnt that the majority of Somali interviewees oppose the Somali governments blind backing of Saudi Arabia in the murder of the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
In a statement released a few weeks ago by the Foreign Ministry the Somali government said it stood by Saudi Arabia’s side and warned other nations of hurts Saudi interests.
“The statement was crazy because it was released when there could have been conflict between Turkey and Saudi Arabia,” said Maimun Ismail, a Masters student in Turkey. “If Saudi and Turkey disagreed who would we back because our government is obsessed with backing people in foreign issues that don’t concern them.”
“Saudi Arabia always drags poor Somalia into its fights and then makes up with the other side leaving us alone and embarrassed. It is time this government learnt its lesson with all Arabs including Saudi Arabia,” said Mukhtar Abdirashid, a businessman from Mogadishu.
Most of the interviewed believe that Saudi Arabia did kill Jamal Khashoggi and are outraged that the Somali government would openly support the alleged criminal act of a country they see as only using Somalia for its own purposes. Even the most high level visit by Prime Minister Khaire to the Saudi Kingdom to meet with King Salman few weeks ago did not produce very much, all interviewees felt.
“There are many reasons to support a close friendly state but not when they are accused of clear murder. The Prime Minister’s visit last week was not well publicised on Saudi news and he came back with little promise of some budget support,” said Abdulkaliq Mohamed, a former office worker in Saudi Arabia now living in Mogadishu. “Pakistan was promised $6 billion and they were not as loud as Somalia in supporting Saudi Arabia in the murder at their consulate in Istanbul.”
“Does Saudi Arabia respect Somalia? I don’t think so. So I still ask myself why are we so loyal to them? Maybe they give us a little change from their pocket that’s the only thing I can think of,” said Asha Muse, an NGO worker. “Somalis must not jump when they are told to by Saudi Arabia anymore because this will embarrass us and isolate our other international friends. Everybody is laughing at us now.”
Most interviewed agreed that the Somali government should have remained silent on the murder of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi until the Turkish investigation was over. All felt that the $50 million budgetary support given after Somalia cut ties with Iran and the rumoured promise of another package of support after Prime Minister Khaire’ s visit is not enough to support Saudi Arabia in this matter. But some did argue that in supporting Saudi Arabia, the Somali government was looking after its own interest.
“Even if more budgetary support is given to Somalia by Saudi it will only be seen as blood money,” said Mohamed Farah, a student. “But I think Somalia is poor and needs money so it’s decision are going to be guided by this. I guess this is the reality: every country looks after its interest first.”
“Somalia is desperate for money but if Saudi Arabia admits to killing the journalist then it is diplomatically impossible for Somalia to not say it supported this wrong action,” said an interviewee who did not want to be named. “If we want to became seriously in the UN Human Rights Council and by Western partners we need to act more independently of Saudi Arabia and definitely not support murder on the world stage.”