By Dahir Mohamed
Sunday - January 30, 2022
From the outset
the incumbent president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, took office in 2017, the
president has shamelessly begun to misuse the power for his own interest. His
ego-centrism led him to plot extrajudicial killings in less than one year. It
was inconceivable for our people who have been plagued by civil war and their
expectation from a new administration suddenly faded. Most, people were expecting
a sudden change from the takeover of president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud into a new
administration led by president Farmaajo. All of a sudden, things worsened when
the new president Farmaajo, ordered extrajudicial killings in the capital
Mogadishu.
By the time he started his term in office as a
president in 2017, Farmaajo seized the opportunity and ordered extrajudicial
killings by demonstrating his tenacity and possessed a misguided belief and
flaw where he is accused of exploiting the power.
Extrajudicial
killing is the killing of a person or group of people by governmental
authorities without the sanction of any judicial proceeding or legal process.
These types of killings are unlawful by nature because this is against the
process of legal jurisdiction in which they occur. Always extrajudicial
killings target the leading politicians and sometimes socially popular figures.
As soon as new president Farmaajo started his duties on office power struggle
has risen between his government and opposition politicians. As I can remember
president Farmaajo ordered Extrajudicial killings on the seventeen of December
2017, against one of the former presidential candidates Abdirahman
Abdishakur. Our president ordered extrajudicial killing without
ground of legality and this operation was carried out by the Somali National Intelligence
and Security Agents. It was a typical dictatorship behaviour giving orders of
the extrajudicial killing because the main target was former presidential
candidate Abdirahman
Abdishakur Warsame and his bodyguards.
The case of
former president, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo made it clear to see that an
individual can commit a heinous crime and get away with it. I can vividly
remember, in December 2017, the Chief of the National Intelligence and his
comrades were ordered by federal government of Somalia to attack the home of
the Politian Abdirahman
Abdishakur Warsame, nicknamed Abdirahmandhere.
Within an hour,
the assassination team begun their shoot to kill mission. Five
Somali Army guards who were guarding the home were killed in a
barbaric attack. No one has yet been arrested. When I look back and reflect on
the atrocity that secret agents carried out that night, I am reminded of the
behaviour of African dictators such as Mengistu Haile Mariam, Siyad Bare,
Mabutu Sese Seko and others who were proud of executing their own national
without justification.
The Somali
National Intelligence and Security Agency comrades used RPG-7s, AK47s and other
heavy weapons to kill five innocent men
and Abdirahmandhere, showing no mercy during their mission. Local people
watched as the attack was carried out, reminiscent of Rambo III (a Sylvester
Stallone film). The vast majority of the local people were shocked at such a
brutal act—deadly shooting on their doorstep—and none dared to speak out
against this act of horror.
It is hard to
believe that this could happen in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. Everyone
in that area was terrified by the cruel shoot out and afraid that they might be
the next target until the operation was accomplished. Let me say this, the
extrajudicial killing that took place in Mogadishu,2017 was unlawful because
orders were given by our president.
“Firstly, Outside the authority of the
court”
“Secondly, Outside of the normal judicial
proceeding”
I believe
this type of operation carried out by the Somali intelligence and security
members were outside the authority of the court and they did not have court
orders or warrant. As far as I know when this killing occurs without the
authority of the court, it is known as extrajudicial
killing and our president Farmaajo deliberately ordered without fear
of our constitution laws or our law.
Thus,
this type of killing is a violation against democracy
and the human rights act. The orders given by our president Farmaajo to the
national intelligence service to carry out extrajudicial killing was a deliberate
violation
of human rights and freedom of speech for our society. Usually, civil court has the authority to give an order for
execution with rules and it is the highest authority of our land. While
president Farmaajo believes that extrajudicial killing can solve problems for
his government, in reality, it only encourages more lawlessness, civil unrest
and aggravates more violence in our country.
The next day,
all government news outlets were reporting that Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame
had committed
treason against his government. Over the past four years until today
I have not seen concrete evidence showing this to be true; if it exists, why
not share with others, and the justice system? The question that immediately
comes to mind, is how we in society treat someone who commits a crime. A second
question is who decides if someone has committed a crime against the
government, government officials or the judiciary system?
Who takes
responsibility for this barbaric killing and on what legal bases can the Somali
government justify shooting to kill? I truly believe that president Farmaajo
will take responsibility of this specific extrajudicial killings as he was
chief of the army staff in our country and any other military operations occur
during his administration in office.
Finally, looking
back at president Farmaajo in his term in office, his autocratic rule has
flagrantly become fraudulent, in his stand of our society. His unconstitutional
use of power, grab by force or fraudulent has
consequently become blatant. As his move has swiftly been expressed as outrageous
and despicable act of callous. In my
understanding, Farmaajo’s legacy is tainted by unlawful constitution
breach and a total destruction of social trust where sectarian tension and
hostility sentiment is in full force. In conclusion former president Mohamed
Farmaajo refuses to leave the presidential office and he continues to violate
our constitution. The shameless Farmaajo administration has taught our society
more:
“Extrajudicial killing, civil unrest, Egocentrism, Division, Fake
regional election, dictatorship, corruption, attempting coup and unlawful
staying in presidential office”
I
believe that our society will remember Farmaajo’s unlawful stay in the presidential
office and the uncontested failed coup attempt of Farmaajo against Prime
Minister Roble in December 2021. I strongly believe that it is the right moment
for all of society to unite and act together to prevent further Extrajudicial
killings and not allow Farmaajo to prolong his unlawful stay in office for another
term.
Dahir Salaad Mohamed (Rahajel)
[email protected]