NAIROBI, Kenya – The government of Kenya bid farewell to the Ambassador of Somalia, H.E. Mr. Mohamud Ahmed Nur Tarsan, on the occasion of the end of his official duties.
Abraham Korir Sing’Oei, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs thanked the outgoing ambassador for his effective role in strengthening bilateral relations between the two friendly neighboring countries, wishing him abundant progress and success in his duties in the future.
Tarsan has been Somalia’s ambassador to Kenya since 2018, and during his tenure, he was commended for being a campaigner for peace and stability in East Africa and the Horn of Africa.
“Ambassador Nur was a “valuable friend” and a “true friend of Kenya”. He also praised his “untiring efforts in promoting peace and stability in the Horn of Africa,” said Sing’Oei.
Tarsan said that he is very grateful to the Kenyan government for its “relentless support” for standing by his side during his tenure which has now come to an end after five years.
Relations between Kenya and Somalia have deteriorated in recent years.
In December 2020, Mogadishu cut off diplomatic ties and accused Nairobi of meddling in its internal affairs after Uhuru Kenyatta hosted the political leadership from Somaliland, a breakaway state that Somalia’s central government does not recognize.
Another point of friction involves khat, a cultivated stimulant commonly known as miraa in Kenya. Somalia is Kenya’s biggest market for khat, but it stopped importation of the crop when international flights were suspended because of fear of the spread of COVID-19.
Kenya is a major troop-contributing country to the AU mission in Somalia with more than 4,00 KDF operating in Jubaland state, where they have been fighting against Al-Shabaab since 2011.
