The President And His Delegation Were PR Naive

The photograph taken during the Hajj pilgrimage in which President Muse Bihi Abdi of Somaliland was depicted with some cronies from the weak FGS entity was to say the least, unfortunate. I would not go as far as to call our President “naive”, but, the optics and public relations side was unwise? The folks in Mogadishu have nothing left but images and public relation scams. And as we have seen, they are making hay with this photo and running around like kids with a new toy.

We need serious professionals in public relations with the President on his travels, not a soldier like Mohamed Kahin.

I am sure the President was being sincere (although, he is not smiling in the photo) in his effort to great fellow Muslims and Somalis during the Hajj, but, anyone who knows Mogadishu and it’s politicians understands their modus operandi.

I cannot understand why, when there are so many media savvy Somalilanders around, not a single one accompanied the President on his visit. Photos like these are gold dust to the decrepit and corrupted rogues in Mogadishu, we should never give them a photo opportunity like that again.

Our main fault as Somalilanders is that we try to see the good in everyone, there is nothing good about Mogadishu and it’s politicians.

Ali Mohamed Abokor
ruraledcomm@yahoo.co.uk.