MOGADISHU, Somalia – The political crisis in Somalia could degenerate into a serious security threat following the recent involvement of the police in the fierce struggle for power control and now lead to the innocent dismissal of Mogadishu police chief Sadak John.
In a statement from the state media, General Abdi Hassan Mohamed Hijar, the country’s police chief, fired Sadak moments after the latter “suspended” parliamentary session scheduled for Monday, which is slated to tackle the “national election” crisis.
General Hijaar has since replaced Sadik as Banadir police chief with Major Farhan Mohamed Aden alias Farhan Qarole, in what could now create divisions in the critical security sector, which has been marred by accusations of bias, inconsistencies and general breaches of the law.
At a press conference, the former Banadir police chief said he had suspended the lower house session and asked all MPs to “seek a new mandate from the people”. He warned that “term extension is unwelcome” during his interview with Universal TV.
Sadik, who has been in charge of security in the capital Mogadishu, asked Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble to take charge of the country and send battlefields “back to the tent” to reach an agreement on elections. “You must not sit and take dictation, you must dictate,” he said.
MPs are ready to meet in the coming minutes to discuss “national elections”, but many observers and opposition politicians insist the session could be used to extend the current administration of Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo’s term, a move that has provoked sharp reactions.
Farmajo’s term expired on February 8, and the country’s political leadership has become involved in a bitter political competition over the composition of the nomination committee among other agendas not yet concluded in several negotiations held before.
It is not clear whether Sadik had the blessings of Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble to issue such a statement. Roble was brought on board in September 2020 after former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire fell out with President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo over the election.
Sources say MPs can push for referendums on universal suffrage, thus extending the term to another two years so the government can prepare for direct elections. By September, management had agreed to implement an improved clan-based model of election that would have seen delegates elect legislators who would later vote for president.
Abdirizak Mohamed, a federal MP, had on Monday rejected the planned lower house session as a “mutilation” of the house’s procedures, adding that “this is a wise way to extend Farmajo’s term”. He reiterated feelings of former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who then warned against extending the time.
Last week, negotiations to resolve the country’s political stalemate collapsed after the federal government collapsed, arguing that “despite doing our best, Jubaland and Northeastern State remain a stumbling block to the progress we have made. They oppose to themselves what we’d agree “. The government insisted it would implement the agreement on September 17 before the election.
But Jubaland and Northeastern State accused the federal government of “blatant lies” and argued that the Mogadishu administration was hell to “hide the truth from selfish gains”. In addition to the withdrawal of federal troops from Gedo, the two states insisted that the February 19 shooting in Mogadishu and the legitimacy of the current administration should be part of the agenda for discussion.
The international community has pushed for reconciliation from both parties and insisted that “saboteurs” of the talks will be subject to severe sanctions. The United States, which is the key to pushing for dialogue, even warned of possible sanctions against those who pull the process.
Somalia has struggled to form stable governments since the dismissal of military ruler Siad Barre in 1991 and has even led to the fallout with Somaliland. Equally thorny, and which has heightened fears among international partners, is the possibility of the Al-Shabaab resurgence at a time when politicians are struggling to agree on a model and gain elections.
AXADLETM
