Sunday April 10, 2022
Mogadishu (HOL) - The Somali security minister Abdullahi Mohmed Nuur has
ordered the security agencies at Mogadishu's Aden Adde International Airport
not to allow the AU envoy for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Madeira, to enter
the country.
According to a statement from the ministry, Abdullahi Nur
also has instructed the immigration authorities to revoke Madeira's permit visa. He
also said that the government has temporarily closed "all operations
at the MOVCOM terminal" until further notice.
On Thursday, Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble
declared Ambassador Francisco Madeira persona non grata after accusing him of
"engaging in acts that are incompatible with his status."
But his accusations were rejected by the country's president
Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and the Chairperson of the Commission of the African
Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat.
President Farmajo called the expulsion an "illegal
action" against Madeira, emphasizing that the president alone had the
authority to expel a foreign diplomat.
The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union,
Moussa Faki Mahamat, reaffirmed his complete trust and confidence in SRCC
Ambassador Madeira. He reiterated the African Union's continued commitment to
support the sisterly nation of the Federal Republic of Somalia in its pursuit
to restore lasting peace, security, and stability.
Somalia's two highest leaders, President Farmaajo and Prime
Minister Roble have been at the forefront of Somalia's protracted political
crisis, which has derailed the indirect federal elections for over a year and a
half.