Somalia: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – Press Statement (21.10.2021)

Somalia NGO Consortium: Humanitarian agencies warn that Somalia is at the brink of hunger crisis (15.10.2021)

Somalia: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – Press Release (12.10.2021)

Somalia: Joint Statement on Dispute Between the President and Prime Minister (18.09.2021)

The ongoing division and politicisation risks undermining the important progress that has been made.

MOGADISHU, Somalia, September 18, 2021 – As Somalis mark the one-year anniversary of the 17 September Agreement, international partners* are increasingly alarmed that the escalating dispute between the President and Prime Minister will undermine Somalia’s stability and derail the electoral process.

We urge the President and Prime Minister to resolve their differences immediately, avoid further unhelpful exchanges of public statements and personnel announcements, refrain from any action that could destabilize the security situation, and re-focus on concluding the overdue elections without further delay.

The Somali people need and deserve effective and inclusive governance. The ongoing division and politicisation risks undermining the important progress that has been made.

* African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Ireland, Italy, Kenya, League of Arab States, Norway, Qatar, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and the United Nations.

Somalia: Council of Presidential Candidates (CPC) – Press Statement (17.09.2021)

Somalia: Farmaajo’s newest gamble

The dispute between former President Mohamed Abdillahi Mohamed “Farmaajo” and Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble has today hit rock bottom. As the former President Farmaajo has suspended his Prime Minister and his activities.

This has happened after the President and his allies has stalled the investigation into ones spy murder. They have tried to conceal and even pay off the family. In regards to this the former President and PM has fought over appointments of leadership within National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). They have also battled over ministerial appointments as well. These two has spatted over everything of late.

That is happening as the PM is in-charge of the security and the arrangements of the elections. The elections, which the former President has stalled together with comrades in the Lower House of Parliament.

Farmaajo is doing this after the PM dismissed the appointed committee to investigate and intervene in the murder investigation. Therefore, this is a personal affair, where they have both butt heads and didn’t give way.

Last time I commented on this, I said the lack of procedure and institutions was the reason for all of this. That’s because the state has been a personification of the ones in-charge. That is evident here and there is no denying the fact.

Because, Farmaajo himself appointed Roble to succeed the longest serving PM Kheire. It was only a mere year ago he was appointed and since then he has played a pivotal role. Now in the midst of planning and arranging the elections. The PM has stood tall on the supposed impartial investigation of a murder. That is clearly sensitive to the former President and his allies. Which is why he has acted like this and in the end suspended his own PM.

That the former President looks foolish is evident. Anyone can see that. It is like his hiding the facts and the reasons for the stalemate this time. He knows who was behind the murder and for what reasons they did so. If he didn’t know or have a connections. Why would he risk the election and at such a dire time? It seems to be a personal reason and at his own expense.

People are claiming the PM has been a renegade and not acted within his mandate. However, he has just followed the constitution and worked for an independent investigation of the murder. Not like he has forced himself in the middle or acted unreasonable. It is the former President who has interfered and stifled it. That shows his intentions and that some of his allies is possibly implicated.

That the former President is pushing for the suspension and does it now. Only shows that he still feels superior and above the rest. That he can use his office and mandate of Villa Somalia to cause more havoc. The former President has already stalled the affairs and the elections. This is further hurdle that he has created.

At this point of time… it is his game to play and everyone else is in his way. That is how it looks like and that’s he intends to further his unelected self in office. This is why he suspended the elections and tried to swiftly takeover power without elections. It isn’t like that was a saga from a long destined time. No, that’s just mere months ago. The former President is cunning and willing to do whatever to further his own cause. Now he had an excuse and could use the office he occupies for the moment to silence a distant PM. That really all here.

The thing that is tragic here is that the family members of the deceased doesn’t get answers and they are entangled into the political games of big-men. While the people and the republic isn’t getting the steady elections or new representations, which they deserve.

That should infuriate them and now he has suspended the one who oversees and is mandated to secure it. This isn’t an coincidence, but a happy outcome for a man who doesn’t want to have polls. Those polls might end his reign and he cannot accept this. He knows it and we all can see it too. Only the naive can think something else at this point. Farmaajo is such a fella and he has no scruples implementing it too. Peace.

Opinion: When institutions isn’t formalized [Roble Vs. Farmaajo]

The truth of the matter is when the state is the personification of the current leaders the institutions are failing. The Somalia state and Villa Somalia is all arranged in a manner, which the leaders and appointed ones has massive influence. There isn’t institutionalized procedure or protocol to ensure safeguards or a possible peaceful transition.

That’s why the battle between Prime Minister Roble and President Farmaajo is very clear. This is all happening over a internal conflict and inquires into a spy’s murder. However, this shows how fickle things are and when all leadership is on overtime. The means to an end is clearly all they see.

The leaders in both the Parliament, Cabinet and appointees can easily lose their jobs after the elections. The President and his military outfit can also be restructured too. So, it is not like this a lasting conflict. The only things it does is to thwart the already slow election process. While serving injustice to the family of the deceased spy. That’s really it at this point.

This isn’t the first time there been squabble and in-fighting, which has turned deadly. No, this President has used allies and the military for own personal gains before. He has unleashed the army and settled the score that way.

The President and everyone involved is all on overtime. It is not like they are there with a sound and clear mandate anymore. No, they are just breathing a sigh relief and using the constitution against each other. While most of them are already violating by still being there. Which is very ironic, especially from the ones who wants to impeach the PM now.

They want him impeached as he has mandated to secure the agony of the elections and polls. The ones the Parliament and the President didn’t want to hold in the first place. They tried to avoid it and it hasn’t been settled yet. There are still meetings, planned schedules and protocol to follow. As the heads of government is butting heads.

This battle of supremacy is just a convenient excuse for furthering the pain and lack of polls. The one in-charge is getting into deep and troubled waters. Therefore, they can easily sink him, and he cannot swim. While the former President can linger on without any sort of problem. As he yet again gets to delay things, because the PM has to clear the air.

It is also very striking when everyone is pinning on the Constitution when everyone involved is on overtime. Not like Lower House or the President have abided by it or cared about it when they postponed and tried to avoid the elections. So, it is very fitting that this is used against the PM.

We can act like this is nothing, but it is not only injustice to victim who just happened to be a spy, but also to the Republic. The Somali government is mocking its citizens and playing a high-risk game for personal benefits over the possible prospects of a peaceful transition. They are undermining the efforts and ensuring more trouble just so they can prolong the agony. That is, it really. It is that simple.

Farmaajo don’t want to have elections and PM Roble knows this. Still, he has tried to make it happen, because the former President never intended for it to go down. Peace.

Somalia: Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujaahidin – “Assassination of Ikran Tahilil Farah by the Apostate Somalia Regime” (03.09.2021)

Somalia: Puntland Development Research Center (PDRC) – Press Release (30.08.2021)

Somalia: Joint Statement – Federal Government of Somalia and the African Union Delegation (21.08.2021)