by Ibrahim Hassan Gagale
Monday, February 22, 2021
The international community guards and finances the government of Somalia on regular basis. It spends billions of dollars on Somalia with the purpose of impeding Al-Shabab takeover of the country and keeping peace, stability and democratic process in order to enable the country to be independent for its own affairs in the future. It is also the responsibility of the international community to oversee free and fair elections and peaceful transfer of power on time to prevent dictatorship that could disrupt the gained peace and stability of the country. The international community bears the responsibility of any rise of dictatorship in Somalia under its watch.
The international community is solely responsible for the current election impasse and political crisis in Somalia because it is one of its major duties to make sure that former president of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, holds fair and free election on time with peaceful transfer of power. Mr. Farmajo is not independent president to endanger the electoral process of the country and to develop personal whim for brutal dictatorship as long as he is guarded and financed by the international community.
The former president of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, is suspect of murder for ordering his security forces to attack and murder two previous presidents of Somalia, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud on the evening of February 18, 2021. He also ordered his security forces to open fire on peaceful rally held on February 19, 2021 in Mogadishu killing innocent civilians and inflicting injuries on others including three presidential candidates, Abdirahman Abdishakur, Hassan Ali Khare, Abdikareem Hussein Guled and parliamentary member Mahad Salad. All these candidates and killed civilians belong to the dominant clan in Mogadishu, Hawiye Clan.
The population of Mogadishu is about 3-4 millions and 85-90% of it is Hawiye. The other tribes living in the capital are fleeing the city these days for fear of their lives. What the former president, Mr. Farmajo, did on February 18-19, 2021 was a coup to subdue Hawiye for his dictatorship. He turned the weapons given to the country to defeat Al-Shabab against the civilian population of Mogadishu. Al-Shabab is much stronger since Farmajo came to power. Instead of fighting them, he saved the weapons for dictatorship.
These attempted murders and murders happened under the watchful eyes of the international Community and still Mr. Farmajo (former president of Somalia) is in the office without having any mandate but eager to commit more crimes in the presence of international community. It is clear that the representatives of the United Nations and members of the international community let Somalia down. The international community bears the responsibility if unstoppable civil wars erupt in Mogadishu as they fail to use AMISOM forces to protect Mogadishu civilian population.
If the international community want peace, stability and democratic elections on time for Somalia, why do they still keep former president of Somalia, Mr. Farmajo, in office after being out-of-mandate since February 8, 2021 and also after being murder suspect of committing crimes against innocent people? The international community in Mogadishu also knows well that he was blocking democratic presidential elections for almost three years for having dictatorship in mind and was ignored. There is some suspicion in Mogadishu that UN Ambassador, James Swan, and US Ambassador Donald Yamamoto are close friends to former president of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, and he still in the office with their pleasure but there is no evidence.
Because former president of Somalia, Mr. Farmajo, is suspect of crimes, he loses all rights of holding talks or being candidate in coming elections. He should accept all the terms that the international community dictates to him as ordinary citizens and caretaker government should be formed as soon as possible with the help of international Community to prepare the country for democratic elections without his participation and influence. Former president of Somalia, Mr. Farmajo, is committed dictator and should be under watch and surveillance by the international community.
Recommendations
Having seen the precarious situation in Mogadishu and the high probability of civil wars eruptions, the followings are recommended to prevent impending disastrous dictatorship in Somalia
1. The United Nations and International Community need to form caretaker government as soon as possible inviting regional administrators, Union of Opposition Parties, Traditional leaders and civil society sector to preempt any imminent civil wars in the country
1. To put all security and armed forces of the country under the supervision of AMISOM to prevent abuse of power and to make the population of Mogadishu feel safe until new president is elected
1. Since former president of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, is murder suspect, he should not be allowed to participate in any talks or become election candidate
1. What happened in Mogadishu warrants serious investigation to find out why former president of Somalia, Mr. Farmajo, is still in the office without mandate and why the crimes were committed.
Ibrahim Hassan Gagale
February 21, 2021.