Obama's Half-brother Arrives in Montenegro

Malik Obama, who runs a charity foundation, on Monday said it was time for the people of the Balkans to turn to one another and cooperate closely to ensure a better life.

"After the wars, peace and friendship can be built again and the Balkans can show that in the best possible way," Malik said on a visit to Bijelo Polje, in northern Montenegro, which the OSCE has named the most ethnic-tolerant town in the region.   

Obama arrived in Montenegro on Friday and has met President Filip Vujanovic and visited the mosque in the capital, Podgorica.

This is his second visit to the Balkans. Last year, he visited Serbia and Macedonia to receive a peace award from a local non-governmental organization.

Malik Obama is the founder and president of the “Barack H Obama” Kenyan charity foundation. Named after Malik’s and Barak’s late father, it aims to improve healthcare, literacy, education and general living conditions for the poor.

Back in 2011, the charity was the focus of controversy in the United States after an investigation reported that the foundation, which collects funds in the US, obtained tax-exempt status in a record period of only a month.

The organization's website stresses that it is “not dependent on the endorsement of his [the founder’s] brother, President Barack Obama”.

Last year, Malik Obama ran for the post of governor of the Kenyan county of Siaya, but lost.

In an interview for the Mail Online last year, Malik, who has 12 wives and has been criticized for his ties to former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, said he was fed up with people accusing him of cashing in on his half-brother’s name.

The brothers were best men at each other's weddings and are still in...

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