MOGADISHU, Somalia -                                 Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo” has officially rejected his US citizenship, a statement from his office says.

The statement did not state clearly if Mohamed decided to give up his US citizenship in view of the fact that as a US citizen, he was unable to attend the UN General Assembly as a diplomat – a status which brings with its various privileges.

He has not attended the gathering in New York since he became president.

According to an On-line newspaper, ‘KMA News Agency’, Mohamed was studying in the US when the civil war started in 1991 and so he stayed and claimed asylum.

Although Somalia’s constitution allows for dual citizenship, he decided to surrender his US passport after becoming president in February 2017, it said.

He was working for the transportation department in Buffalo when he was asked to return to Somalia as prime minister.

He served in that position for eight months in 2010-2011 and then went back to the US.

He later returned to Somalia in 2016, leaving his family in the US, to announce his candidacy for president.

Many politicians, including the current prime minister, have dual nationality as a consequence of the civil war.