Somalia recalls its ambassador to UN Human Rights Council

BY:HOL

Mogadishu-The Somali government has recalled its ambassador to UN Human Rights Council on Friday, barely a day after Somalia abstained to vote on a resolution condemning the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights.

Ambassador Faduma Abdullahi Mohamed was summoned to Mogadishu by the Somali Foreign Ministry for an unspecified reason.

Mohamed is the Permanent Representative of Somalia to the United Nations in Geneva and Ambassador to Switzerland.

In a letter addressed to the ambassador, the ministry directed Ms. Faduma to return the country as soon as possible.

“You are required to return the country no later than one week from now. The ministry wishes you will come within the aforementioned period,” the letter reads in part.

The development comes as The UN Human Rights Council on Friday voted to pass a resolution condemning the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights and urging Israel to comply with past UN resolutions.

Somalia was among 5 countries that abstained from voting but did vote in support of two other resolutions.

A high-ranking government official who asked for anonymity told HOL that he was surprised by the abstention vote. He added that the vote is at odds with the official government position.

The resolution which was approved by 26 members while 16 mostly European countries opposed the motion to condemn Israel.

President Donald Trump broke from decades of U.S.foreign policy when he announced that the U.S. would fully recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to be in Washington next week to attend the annual AIPAC conference.

Here is a copy of the letter in Somali: