Sunday September 7, 2025
FILE – Somalia’s newly appointed ambassador to Syria, Abib Muse Farah (left), poses with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa after presenting his credentials during a ceremony at the People’s Palace in Damascus, Sept. 6, 2025.
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s new ambassador to Syria, Abib Muse Farah, presented his credentials Saturday to President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Damascus.
The ceremony unfolded inside Damascus’s grand People’s Palace, with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani looking on. Somalia’s Abib Muse Farah carried a message of goodwill from President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, stressing his government’s determination to rebuild ties once fractured by decades of war and shifting alliances. President Ahmad al-Sharaa received the envoy with warmth, invoking the “fraternal bonds” between the two nations and promising to push for stronger cooperation.
Abib replaces acting ambassador Dahir Mohamud Muse, who helped reestablish Somalia’s diplomatic presence in Damascus and laid the groundwork for renewed engagement after decades of limited contact.
The posting comes at a time when Somalia is seeking to widen its diplomatic footprint. At an Arab League summit in Baghdad in May, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud backed calls to lift sanctions on Syria, presenting the move as a step toward regional stability. Only weeks earlier, Mogadishu had stood firmly with Damascus after Israeli warplanes struck Syria’s Ministry of Defense, collapsing part of the building. Somali officials framed their response not just as solidarity, but as a reminder of their support for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Somalia and Syria share historical ties rooted in education, migration, and cultural exchange. During Somalia’s civil war in the 1990s, Syria hosted Somali refugees who studied and worked there. In recent years, Somali authorities have welcomed hundreds of Syrians fleeing conflict, many of whom have contributed to Mogadishu’s economy as educators, professionals, and small business owners.
