Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi "Farmajo" Mohamed has officially renounced his US citizenship, a statement from his office says.

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

Mr Mohamed was studying in the US when the civil war started in 1991 and so he stayed and claimed asylum.

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 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.

It is unclear if Mr Mohamed decided to give up his US citizenship in view of the fact that a US citizen he was unable to attend the UN General Assembly as a diplomat - a status which brings with it various privileges. He has not attended the gathering in New York since he became president.