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)

A memo to the AU: If IGAD can’t do it, why do you think Obasanjo can do it?

The African Union (AU) has today appointed the former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo as the High Representative for the Horn of Africa. The African Union Commissioner might have the best interests at heart here and the will to make a difference. However, at this point of time and with the leaders at today. This appointment will go nowhere.

The AU could have appointed a saint, a maverick and a superstar to this role. They could have had the best negotiator even known to mankind and it still wouldn’t resolve anything. In 2021 and with the current head of states. There will not be any will or resolve to silence the guns. No, that’s not happening.

Mr. Obasanjo is getting another pay-check. He is getting another retirement-fund and additional high ranking official status. Being a diplomat and getting VIP treatment in Addis Ababa. He will not lack the perks and the bottle-service. However, that will not change the matters on the ground.

If there would have been a possible change, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) would have made some significant moves. The IGAD is already there to do this and ensure stability on the Horn of Africa. As IGAD says itself: “IGAD to be the premier Regional Economic Community (REC) for achieving peace and sustainable development in the region. Mission: Promote regional cooperation and integration to add value to Member States’ efforts in achieving peace, security and prosperity”.

So with that in mind, the Horn of Africa should already have an organization and the apparatus to achieve peace and security. Now, that is futile and lacking. That’s why the AU is boosting it’s operation and hiring Obasanjo to make things look good. However, he will not go anywhere or get anything done. At least nothing substantial or fruitful. Except for cashing-in and enjoying VIP treatment.

Obasanjo will get the cold-shoulder, which Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has gotten. Not to mention the double-speaking and erratic diplomatic cables of Mogadishu. Which we have seen in coordination with the AU Chair of the Year Felix Tshisekedi. When Hamdok have gotten silent treatment from Addis Ababa. Not like Asmara will be friendly either. Djibouti President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh will be all smiles, as he has all the major powers having military bases and that’s why he feels untouchable.

The former Nigerian President have to magic. He has to show all of his tricks of his trade and negotiations. As there are several of conflicts and not lacking of guns in rotation. There are so much hurt, pain and social animosity. That it isn’t a steady and strong Horn of Africa at this point. No, everyone is pinned in one conflict or another.

If it is battle of clans within Somalia. If it is Al-Shabab sending suicide bombs or retaliating at the AMISOM mission somewhere. If it is Issa-Somali militias targeting Ethiopian regions of Ogaden and Afar. If it is all the Liberation Fronts going to war against the Tripartite Alliance within Ethiopia. If it is the skirmishes and the simmering conflict between Ethiopia and Sudan over the Al-Fashqa triangle. Together with the genocidal war in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. There is no stop of warfare and conflicts currently happening.

That is why Obasanjo have not only a mountain to climb but several actually. In combination with the elections in Somalia. There is no shortlist of hurdles and hardships. If he will even touch on those and not only smile for pressers. It would be likely to have low-level consultations and meetings. However, he will not gather all the hopeful and neither be allowed to meet all parties. No, the states involved rather wants to annihilate and get rid of enemies. They are not willing to talk to them. That’s why IGAD has failed and why Obasanjo will be left astray as well.

Obasanjo will be a nice-poster child for this. He will bring good publicity but not achieve anything. That is the outset and the ones around making sure of. It is not like the heads of state is changing in a matter of no-time and that these are suddenly becoming will partners of dialogue. Especially, when they haven’t considered or even tried before. That’s why the mission of the High Representative is futile.

He should call up IGAD and get their in-put. Because, there is nowhere to hide here and the snakes are ready to bite. Peace.

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

Somalia: Council of Presidential Candidates (C.P.C) – Press Statement (16.08.2021)

Somalia: Three million face starvation and disease, warns IFRC, as it calls for swift action (11.08.2021)

Somalia is vulnerable to extreme climatic conditions, including repeated cycles of drought, seasonal floods, and tropical cyclones.

NAIROBI, Kenya, August 11, 2021 – The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has warned that Somalia is on the cusp of a humanitarian catastrophe. One in 4 people face high levels of acute food insecurity and more than 800,000 children under the age of five are at risk of acute malnutrition unless they receive treatment and food assistance immediately.

In addition to food insecurity, Somalia’s humanitarian situation continues to worsen due to multiple threats, including the outbreak of diseases such as Acute Watery Diarrhoea, measles, malaria and COVID-19.

Mohammed Mukhier, IFRC’s Regional Director for Africa said:

“Somalia is one of the riskiest places on earth to live right now. The country is a catalogue of catastrophes. Climate-related disasters, conflict and COVID-19 have coalesced into a major humanitarian crisis for millions of people. We can’t keep talking about this, we must reduce suffering now.”

Somalia is vulnerable to extreme climatic conditions, including repeated cycles of drought, seasonal floods, and tropical cyclones. The country has also been grappling with the impact of desert locusts. People regularly experience loss of livelihoods, food insecurity, malnutrition, and a scarcity of clean water. Seventy per cent of the country’s population lives in poverty, and 40 per cent is estimated to be living in extreme poverty.

The socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 are likely to lead to worsening nutrition outcomes among vulnerable groups—including poor households in urban areas and internally displaced people, many of whom live in crowded, unhygienic conditions and makeshifts shelters in the context of increasing food prices and reduced employment and income-earning opportunities.

The IFRC, Somali Red Crescent Society and other partners continue to provide support to vulnerable communities. However, the resources are unable to keep pace with needs.

Mukhier said: “We are doing our best to contribute to the reduction of hunger and disease. But, frankly speaking, available assistance remains a drop in the ocean, given the scale of suffering.”

To address some of the many unmet needs, the IFRC is seeking 8.7 million Swiss francs to support the Somali Red Crescent Society to deliver humanitarian assistance to 563,808 people in Somaliland and Puntland over 18 months. This emergency appeal will enable the IFRC and the Somali Red Crescent Society to step up the response operation with a focus on livelihood and basic needs support, health and nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, protection, gender and inclusion, as well as helping communities to prepare for other disasters.

On 15 May 2021, the IFRC released 451,800 Swiss francs from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to help the Somali Red Crescent Society provide more than 120,000 people in Puntland and Somaliland with health and nutrition support. The Somali Red Crescent Society has unparalleled access to remote and hard-to-reach families, including those living on mountains or nomadic communities. Its integrated health care programme, with its network of static and mobile health clinics, is a key provider of health services.

In a country with many nomadic and displaced people, it is challenging to reach communities with consistent health care: mobile clinics are one of the primary strategies to fill those gaps. The Red Crescent mobile teams are uniquely positioned to reach patients in areas that lack vehicle or ambulance services.

Somalia-Kenya: Joint Communique on Bilateral Cooperation between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Government of Somalia and the Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of the Republic of Kenya (08.08.2021)

Somalia: Joint Communique – Call to Action for Urgent Live-Saving Assistance to Millions in Somalia (31.07.2021)

Somalia: Ministry of Information, Culture & Tourism – Press Release (20.07.2021)