A third Somali Minister steps down, citing federal government meddling in regional matters.
Mogadishu (AX) – In a surprising political twist, Sadam Mohamud Abdi, the Deputy Minister of Ports and Marine Transport in Somalia, decided to part ways with his post on a Tuesday night, marking him as the third minister to have done so in a matter of days. What’s cooking behind these ministerial resignations?
Abdi, who finds dual roles as a federal parliament member from Northeastern State, now stands with Abdirashid Jire Qalinle and Ahmed Isman Ibrahim Daqare of Jubbaland fame. Both had already thrown in their resignation letters amidst a messy political entanglement involving the federal government’s beef with the leaders of Jubbaland and Northeastern State.
Abdi cited his reasons for stepping down as the politicization of development plans in Northeastern State. He also threw shade at the federal government, accusing it of stirring up trouble in Jubbaland’s backyard. Bold move, don’t you think?
As if on cue, just two days post the ceaseless resignations, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre swooped in with new appointments. Ahmed Nor Sheikh Mohamed Loxox was handed the reins as the state minister for Planning, while Abdirashid Mohamed Du’ale assumed the Deputy Minister of Education role. A seamless patch-up, or so it seems!
Beneath this political hullabaloo lies a deeper tension. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is seemingly at loggerheads with Ahmed Madobe, the chief of Jubbaland. The friction mounts after Madobe’s dramatic exit from the recent National Consultative Council (NCC) gathering in Mogadishu. His gripe? The exclusion of Northeastern State and SSC Khatumo, while Northeastern State stands its ground, boycotting NCC meetings over ongoing wrangles with the federal setup.
These ministerial shake-ups signal profound political undercurrents, possibly reflecting broader power struggles and strategic realignments. Analysts might say this is nothing short of a high-stakes game of political chess. How these actions impact the stability and functionality of the Somali federal system is anyone’s guess, but one thing’s for certain—the political landscape looks like it will be shifting sands for a while.
The ongoing saga offers a lens into the complexities and challenges of Somali governance, decorated with regional powers and federal authorities locking horns. As the story unfolds, will the new ministerial appointments usher in a fresh wave of collaboration or just fan the flames? Only time will tell. Stay tuned, folks, for more political dramatics from the Horn of Africa!
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
