Mogadishu Somalia - The Federal Government of Somalia has recalled its acting ambassador to Iran and ordered Iranian diplomats to 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," Somalia's foreign ministry said in a statement.
Somalia's, National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) recently arrested two Iranians for propagating Shi'ism on 28th December 2015. NISA released a statement that claimed the two were from a group known as "Khomeini" as VOA reported.Iranian embassy's Chargé d'affaires, Javad Dehqan, in Mogadishu condemned the arrest of the two Iranian citizens and demandedtheir immediate release.
He has also damaged the relationship with Somalia byaccusing NISA (National Intelligence and Security Agency)ofmistreating it's prisoners.
October 17th 2015, the regional government of Puntland seized a Yemeni and Iranian vessels for fishing illegally. More than 100 Iranian nationals and Yemeni's were detained. Puntland President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali described illegal fishing as a ‘’natural disaster". Somalia Illegal fishing isworth an annual $306 million, continues at its current pace according to One Earth Future Foundation.
Somalia joins Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Bahrain in cutting ties to Iran amid the crisis. Other countries have downgraded their ties to Iran. on Monday after the attack by protestors on the Saudi diplomatic missions in the Islamic Republic, due to Saudi execution of a prominent opposition SHEIKH Nimr al-Nimr.
Its seems that Somalia has been having trouble with Iran and its citizens for a while. Iran has been a long term donor to Somalia, what will the expulsion mean for Somalia in return.
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