Somalia cuts ties with Iran, orders its envoy to leave within 72 hours

Somalia’s Federal government has broken off diplomatic ties with Iran in protest against ‘’continuous interference in the internal affairs of Somalia.’’
Following a cabinet decision on Thursday, the foreign ministry summoned acting charge d’affaires of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and handed him an official memorandum.
‘’The Ministry informed the Charge d’Affaire that all Iranian Diplomats and Embassy staff must leave Somalia within 72 hours. This step has been taken after careful consideration and in response to the Republic of Iran’s continuous interference in Somalia’s internal affairs,’’ read the statement.
Somali officials accused the Iranian diplomats of spreading the Shia’sm ideology in some parts of the country. Security forces arrested two Iranian nationals in Mogadishu who were accused of spreading the ideology.
Earlier this week, the Federal government condemned the recent attack against the Saudi Arabia embassy in Tehran, siding with the Kingdom.
Iran was one of the countries reopened their embassy in Somalia after two decades of civil war in 2012. Iran was also one of the countries that offered humanitarian assistance at the height of famine that struck Somalia and the rest of the Horn of Africa region in 2011 following a drought, the most severe in 60 years.
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