The immediate former Somalia Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmake has criticised the Farmaajo administration for not severing diplomatic relations with Qatar. Breaking a long silence after leaving the Premier office Sharmake asked the current administration to cut ties with Doha for the benefit of Somalia. In his premiership Sharmake was known to be a close ally of United Arab Emirates and political circles had rumoured a possible financing of his presidential campaign by Abu Dhabi. Somalia took a neutral stance on the Qatar crisis that has divided Arab league nations