In addition, in US soil, Farmaajo will be regarded as an ordinary citizen and won’t have diplomatic immunity. It means that, during his stay there, if allegations are made against Farmaajo, authorities can arrest him.

Faced with this, Farmaajo had two options: to give up his US citizenship and travel on a Somali Passport or not to travel at all. He chose the latter.

Reliable sources tell us that he was not prepared to take the risks; that’s why he sent PM Kheyre.

Critics argue that Farmaajo was more interested in safeguarding his US Passport than representing the Somali nation at the biggest international event.

There’s a conflict of interest here. If, for instance, the US demands the Somali Government to agree on something that might be harmful to the people of Somalia, can Farmaajo object it?

How can Somalis trust Farmaajo, a President who’s not prepared to sacrifice a foreign citizenship for the interest of the Somali nation?

To be clear, ordinary citizens with dual citizenship are different. Our leaders are making decisions of national importance, while we are not.

They must lead by example and give up their citizenship. Successive Afghani Presidents have done just that. We need leaders who can put the Somali interest first. 

By Jamal Osman