
Somalia: Humanitarian leadership calls for urgent action to mitigate impact of worsening drought in Somalia (11.04.2021)








Now it’s official as yesterday’s failure of moving forward with the upcoming elections is clear. As the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) couldn’t get into an agreement with the Federal Member States (FMS). That is why everything has failed. The September 17th 2020 agreement hasn’t been respected and now there is no accord between the parties.
The term of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo ended already on the 8th February 2021. Since then he has tried to push the Lower House to vote in a motion for a 2 year extension. It has been controversial and he hasn’t moved for more negotiations with the FMS as well. Now, they had the final meeting yesterday and it was a utter failure.
Since Farmaajo have the Somali National Army, Gorgor and Haram’ad are under his spell. These armies and brigades are following his orders and awaiting his next operation. These trained armies can clearly be used to sway a Member State and go after the leaders who doesn’t follow suit. Therefore, the delay of elections seems deliberate.
Farmaajo is the only one winning with this. The former President, turned “interim” and awaiting to become the “transitional” President. As he surely planning a “Transitional Council” and prolong his reign. That sort of move would only be validated by MPs whose term also ended in February and means their validation could be seen as void as well.
Whatever that happens now and the separation from Farmaajo from several of Member States. That he could muffle them and shut them up. He couldn’t get them to be swayed as the ones he has appointed and gotten into leadership roles. Clearly, this man wants to continue his Presidency, but not get an election. As he fears of losing and could easily become a one-term President and that’s humiliating. Especially, when he has served they way he has.
This President has changed the Speaker of Lower House to a allied. He also appointed a second Prime Minister to have another ally there as well. This has all been done to ensure he has his men in roles and to ensure his reign. They are there to serve him and he has the armies too. That is why his not fearing the FMS or any other.
Farmaajo has the guns and the International Community isn’t challenging him either. They have condemned and said its regrettable. But they are not going after him or delegitimizing him. His off the hook and can run his scheme.
The scheme is seemingly being the head of state without any elections. The former/interim becoming a “transitional” one. He will do that in one way or another. Even as Member States and the Council of Presidential Candidates are saying that he doesn’t have a mandate or eligibility to do so. The ones supposed to serve his wishes is already on borrowed time themselves. Unless, they are fearing to at gun-point with Farmaajo.
Farmaajo is risking all security and usage of Villa Somalia just to retain his role and office. His willing to destroy any sort of progress just for personal gains. That is a sad state of affairs and show how not to personify the state. One person shouldn’t become the personification of the state, but Farmaajo have clearly done this and with the added support of his armies.
This is seemingly at this point a never ending affair. Farmaajo will prolong his stay and never let go. That’s why his stalling and not following up pre-election talks. Ensuring they cannot hold elections and he can stay put where he are, and not leave. Peace.

The first term of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo ended on the 8th February 2021. Now we are already in the end of March 2021 or on the 28th March 2021 to be precise. He is keeping himself in power by being “interim” President as the negotiations and the agreements are stalled.
Farmaajo and allies are hoping to stall this even further. As himself and his opponents cannot agree on the way ahead. Farmaajo is hoping his “Gorgor” and Somali National Army (SNA) can keep him in office. Farmaajo is not willing to risk his huge influence and power at Villa Somalia. That is how everything seems.
The out-of-date President is willing to fix the Lower House of Parliament. Where he wanted to get a two-year extension for no apparent reason. He wants the Members of Parliament to just accept. There is reporting that speaker of Lower House Mursal believes this is the right thing to do. That after the Lower House have expelled 15 MPs who opposed the Farmaajo line and the further expansion.
Farmaajo is set to have a closed doors meeting with all the MPs, leaders of Security Agencies and Media Aides. All done today before tomorrows Parliamentary Session in the Lower House. Which is supposed to give him a “legitimate” vote to stay in power without an election. Mursal would clearly do his to deliver this for the President.
By all means… it seems by now that Farmaajo never had the pure interest to resolve the election stand-off. If he did… he wouldn’t have held such conferences that close to the deadline. Neither shown intent or tried to figure out ways forward. Instead, he has ordered the Gorgor on protestors. Have had heavy armed presence on the airport of Mogadishu and even ordered soldiers to Gedo Region in Jubbaland. That is what he does to stay ahead.
Farmaajo must take people for fools. His game is for a long-con. He will blame the International Community. He will blame Kenyan interference. Farmaajo will blame anyone else. Even as he knows perfectly well that he needs international support and without military support from foreigners he wouldn’t even be in office at this current moment.
The interim president seemingly wants to create a huge crisis and other problems as excuses to stay in power. There is not end to this. No matter what the opponents or the Somali National Salvation Forum does. The Council of Presidential Candidates (CPC) haven’t come with any significant solutions either. Maybe they have in closed doors meetings, but none of that has leaked out. As Farmaajo seems to enjoy the “impasse” and the “transitional” period.
Farmaajo wants to be unelected and have all excuses. He wants to pull off what others has done in the region. The Somali President wants to await elections just like Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy did. That is his goal it seems.
So, even if the International Community would warn Mursal and the Lower House. Don’t expect much from there. When they could easily “ban” opposition MPs like they did. They will clearly not care, if they are all on borrowed time and without an official mandate. These folks are just there to be loyal subjects of Farmaajo and deliver his wishes. That is why the previous speaker was kicked out and the Prime Minister too. All of them, because Farmaajo needed with certainty to have loyal cadres in all the right places.
He ensured a delay, now he wants to be in transition from himself and hopefully in that time. Find a way to install himself again legitimately. That is the end-game here. Either by the hook or by crook. Peace.

Mogadishu, 20 June– On the occasion of World Refugee Day, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Somalia pays tribute to the millions of people forcibly displaced all over the world.
World Refugee Day is marked on 20 June each year to highlight the courage and resilience of millions of people forced to flee war, conflict and persecution. The day is also an opportunity to express gratitude to governments and host populations that offer asylum, support and protection to refugees.
The theme for 2019 is “inclusion; inclusion of refugees, IDPs and stateless people”. This year, UNHCR is also rallying people around the world to honour the resilience and determination of displaced people in a global movement dubbed, “Step With Refugees”. The campaign invites people to step in solidarity with refugees by either walking, running, dancing, swimming or cycling. Regional organizations are also taking note of the crisis. The African Union declared 2019 as the year of Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced People (IDPs).
Globally, the displacement crisis in recent years has been unprecedented. At least one person is forcibly uprooted from their homes around the world every two seconds. In total, 70.8 million have been forced to flee their homes globally – among them 25.9 million refugees.
“We are now witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record; and host countries need to ensure the active inclusion of refugees and other displaced families in their countries’ development agenda. Refugees and others in similar situations bring with them great skills and can make meaningful contributions in their communities. Giving them equal opportunities to use their skills also promotes self-reliance and empowerment.” said Takeshi Moriyama, UNHCR Acting Representative.
Somalia is at the epicentre of the refugee and displacement crisis. The country remains one of the top five refugee producing countries in the world with most of its nationals seeking asylum in neighbouring Ethiopia, Kenya and Yemen. More than 2.6 people are also internally displaced mainly due to conflict, drought, floods and evictions. The majority of the internally displaced are located in Banadir, Bay, Sool, and Gedo and Bari regions.
Despite its own internal challenges, Somalia is generously hosting over 34,000 refugees and asylum seekers largely from Ethiopia and Yemen. They mainly live in Woqooyi Galbeed, Bari and Banadir regions. Somali nationals have also been returning home spontaneously from countries of asylum as well as through the UNHCR supported Voluntary Repatriation (Volrep) and the Assisted Spontaneous Return (ASR) Programs. UNHCR has received more than 126,000 returnees from 12 countries including Kenya, Yemen, Djibouti, Libya, Sudan, Eritrea, Tunisia, Angola, Gambia, Pakistan and Cambodia.



An estimated 5.4 million people are likely to be food insecure by September.
GENEVA, Switzerland, June 5, 2019 -This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
Ahead of World Environment Day tomorrow, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is calling for urgent additional support to help people affected and displaced by drought in Somalia.
Below average rains during the “Gu” (April-June 2019) and “Deyr” (October – December 2018) rainy seasons have caused worsening drought in many parts of the country. An estimated 5.4 million people are likely to be food insecure by September.
Some 2.2 million of these will be in severe conditions needing immediate emergency assistance unless aid is urgently scaled up.
The drought has also forced more than 49,000 people to flee their homes since the beginning of the year as they search for food, water, aid and work mostly in urban areas. People who are already displaced because of conflict and violence are also affected by the drought, at times disproportionally.
More than 7,000 people were displaced last month alone.
Three main regions of Somalia – South Central, Puntland and Somaliland – have been affected, despite marginal to average rains and flash flooding in some regions. The worst affected areas include the Sanaag, Sool, Awdal, Bari, Nugaal, Mudug, Galgadud, Hiran regions of the country.
The latest drought comes just as the country was starting to recover from a drought in 2016 to 2017 that led to the displacement inside Somalia of over a million people. Many remain in a protracted state of displacement.
UNHCR and humanitarian partners fear that severe climatic conditions combined with armed conflict and protracted displacement could push the country into a far bigger humanitarian emergency. Decades of climatic shocks and conflict have left more than 2.6 million people internally displaced.
To avert a humanitarian crisis, aid agencies launched a Drought Response Plan on 20 May, appealing for US$710.5 million to provide life-saving assistance to 4.5 million people affected by the drought. To date this is 20 per cent funded.
UNHCR has been working with partners and government agencies to assist those affected and displaced by the drought by providing emergency assistance in some of the most affected areas.
Worldwide, weather-related hazards, including storms, cyclones, floods, droughts, wildfires and landslides displaced 16.1 million people last year alone.
With climate change amplifying the frequency and intensity of sudden disasters, such as hurricanes, floods and tornados, and contributing to more gradual environmental phenomena, such as drought and rising sea levels, it is expected to drive even more displacement in the future.
UNHCR is calling for more international action to prevent climate-related disasters, scale up efforts to strengthen resilience and to protect people affected by climate change using all available legal frameworks.