Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ali Balcad, on Sunday firmly rejected social media reports claiming he had made a covert trip to Israel.
Calling the allegations “false and baseless,” Balcad said he had not visited Israel at all.
The minister, widely seen as close to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, said there would have been no reason for such a trip, noting that Somalia and Israel do not maintain diplomatic relations.
He insisted the claims being shared online were entirely untrue.
The rumors spread rapidly across social media over the past several hours, prompting Balcad to issue a public denial and set the record straight.
Somalia has long said it does not have diplomatic ties with Israel and has repeatedly backed the Palestinian cause in international forums.
The denial comes as debate intensifies over Israel’s expanding engagement with North Western State of Somalia, a development Somalia’s federal government has sharply condemned as a breach of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
