Thursday October 28, 2021
Mogadishu skyline. Brian Otieno for The New York Times
Mogadishu (HOL) - President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo issued a decree on Thursday suspending the agreement on any new transfer, lease or sale of public land until parliament finalizes the rules and regulations.
The president said the country's current electoral landscape influenced his decision to suspend licenses for the temporary or permanent use of Somalia's land, sea and airspace.
Farmajo issued a similar decree in early August that barred government officials from entering into new agreements during the electoral season.
In February, police in Mogadishu destroyed a boarding the Hamar Boarding School. The school's principal believed that police targeted the property on behalf of outside investors because it sat on prime Mogadishu real estate. Somalia's Police Commissioner, Major General Abdi Hassan Mohamed Hijaar, promised an investigation into the incident.
Farmajo said officials who are found to be misappropriating public funds would be accountable.
H.E @M_Farmaajo in a Presidential decree reaffirms protection of public property & lands and freezes rights to take over, buy or lease especially the current state of elections. Any offender of abuse of power is liable to prosecution to protect these assets of the Somali people. pic.twitter.com/kCxgDEYKjH
— Villa Somalia (@TheVillaSomalia) October 27, 2021