Tuesday July 23, 2024
A group of federal legislators has in fact publicly called for the resignation of the head of state, in office since May 2022, citing concerns about his leadership conduct, which they say is too "centralized", and about the deterioration of the security situation in the country
FILE - President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud addresses the federal parliament in Mogadishu. CREDIT/ Villa Somalia.
The management of internal security for the president of Somalia is becoming increasingly complicated, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. A group of federal legislators has in fact publicly asked for the resignation of the head of state, in office since May 2022, citing concerns about his leadership conduct, which they say is too "centralized", and about the deterioration of the security situation in the country. The call for Mohamud's resignation came from MP Yusuf Gamadiid, who criticized the president for abolishing the system of governance in three institutions and placing all authority under the office of the presidency. “Mr President, you have failed in the leadership of the country. It would be better if he became the first African president who failed in leadership and resigned,” Gamadiid said, further accusing Mohamud of failing to live up to expectations despite being in the opposition for five years under the administration of his predecessor Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed “Farmajo”.
Abdimaalik Abdalla, another member of parliament, accused the government of instigating clan conflicts and facilitating the smuggling of illegal weapons and drugs into Somalia. Over the last year, in fact, the country has witnessed an increase in conflicts between clans, although at the same time the armed forces have stopped and significantly reduced the offensive against the jihadist group Al Shabaab. “Hassan Sheikh and his team threatened the Farmajo government, denouncing that the country would return to 1991 (the year the civil war broke out). Today I would say, congratulations: you have kept your promise and brought the country back to 1991. Now there are clan wars from Kismayo to Somaliland, which have brought the country back to the dark period of 1991,” Abdalla said. Political tensions have increased in several regions of the country, in particular between the states of the South-West, Puntland, Galmudug and Juba, as well as in the seats of the federal parliament.
To aggravate the internal situation then there is the news of the mutiny of a group of soldiers from the Somali National Army (Sna) stationed at the "Jaalle Siyaad" military academy in Mogadishu. According to reports from “Garowe online”, the officers staged a mutiny on Sunday, contesting the instructions of the Ministry of Defense, in particular a directive ordering them to ask their relatives and their respective clans for weapons and bring them to the front, a request that at the moment neither the Somali federal authorities nor the army have confirmed. In a video that has gone viral, the military is seen shooting wildly and accusing the Ministry of Defense of "serious misconduct and incompetence". It is not yet clear whether the demonstration was aimed at reducing the weapons caches often seized by insurgents after taking possession of front-line bases in the country. Last week several weapons were seized from local militias in the central regions.
In the same hours, perhaps in a non-random manner, Al Shabaab fighters launched a series of simultaneous raids against several military bases hosting the paramilitary forces from Juba and Danab's elite special units - trained by the United States - in three villages along the road that connects the port city of Kismayo to that of Afmadù, in Lower Juba (one of the regions of Juba). The assaults, the latest in a series of counteroffensive operations by the insurgents to reconquer territories lost during a recent offensive by Somali troops, triggered hours-long firefights with the army. The Somali government and regional authorities in Juba said their troops repelled the attacks, while a video shared on social media by accounts affiliated with the regional state showed insurgent corpses and weapons seized in the battle. Meanwhile, social media accounts affiliated with Al Shabaab reported that the militants attacked bases in the villages of Harbole, Mido and Bulo Haji, all on the road connecting Kismayo and Afmadu. Although both sides claimed victory, there has been no independent confirmation of their claims. The fighting comes after thousands of Special Forces soldiers and US-trained regional troops were deployed to conquer the three villages just a few weeks ago, in an attempt to end the longer siege imposed by the insurgents on the town of Afmadù. of a decade.