Editorial

EDITORIAL | There were positive signs this week in Somalia, so gratifyingly it showed that key political stakeholders were eager to open their dead communication channels for the benefit of the country. Then there were also bad signs bad enough to show that the old perennial problems in Somalia have not yet been tackled. When Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo almost spoke to the presidents of the federal member states for the first time in more than a year; it was good. When the meeting tentatively…

Somalia's week in politics can be very long, especially as elections approach. EDITORIAL | This week, three things happened: The federal government of Somalia participated in advisory talks with Somaliland, the first such tangible discussion in almost five years. Mogadishu also recognized, albeit as interim, the president of Jubaland Ahmed Madobe. President Mohamed Farmaajo also invited all federal Member States to dialogue on security and political issues before the election. We welcome these steps, even though…

EDITORIAL | Somalia's federal parliament reopened on Saturday amid Jews from a section of lawmakers who were angry at the way President Mohamed Farmajo controlled things. In the midst of the chaos, however, President Farmajo is to be commended for having promised that things will be "different" in the upcoming election. The leader promised that there would be elections for a one-person-vote, something that every Somali citizen under the age of 40 has never seen happen in the country. Still, the president told a…

EDITORIAL | There are certain things about Mogadishu that every Somali often agrees with. First, the city has existed for most of the last 11 centuries, has an important port city and is a major business center in the Horn of Africa. It is also the capital of Somalia. At present, however, much of the debate surrounding Mogadishu is political over how it should be run. Like many other capitals in the world, Mogadishu could be like Washington, DC; where the federal government through Congress directly influences…

EDITORIAL | Somalia's political journey may have reached a crossroads this week, as the Federal Parliament pushed back the appearance of the National Independent Electoral Commission by a month. The NIEC's action before Parliament would be crucial in determining the specific dates for elections to be held at least before March next year. It is understandable that many political leaders in the country have been miffed with the postponement. Firstly, delaying such an important meeting means that we cannot know the…

EDITORIAL | There seemed to be something good in all the bad when Italian aid worker Silvia Romano arrived in Italy on May 9 after 18 months in captivity by Al-Shabaab in southern Somalia. Silvia, who changed her name to Aisha after converting to Islam, had been working in the Kenyan county of Kilifi for an Italian NGO when Al-Shabaab militants attacked her residence in November 2018 and fled with her. The details of what happened during the 532 days or so are sparse, and this has led to rumors that the Italian…

EDITORIAL | Somalia's persistent violation of civil liberties is a worrying trend. In the past, this platform has called on the security agencies and President Mohamed Farmajo's administration, by and large, to make sure there is no unconstitutional collection. It did not stop. Instead, reports coming in this week suggested that more of the same continued. On Monday, two senators Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail Fartaag and Iftiin Hassan Basto claimed they had been denied boarding a plane carrying Jubbaland's Minister of…

EDITORIAL | Six people died on Monday when a plane carrying humanitarian medical cargo from Mogadishu crashed after being hit by a mysterious object in Bardale, about 300 km northwest of Mogadishu. Somalia has had a civilian accident at least once every year during the term of President Farmajoo. But this was the first major fatal civilian plane crash in Somalia since February 2016, reflecting the relative safety of Somalia's skies despite the security challenges. But Somali authorities must not sit idly by and…

EDITORIAL | Reports from the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), aimed at journalists who are considered critical of the authorities, give rise to serious concerns about Somalia's commitment to protecting freedom of expression. That these reports came out hot on accusations that NISA was working with Al-Shabaab is even more worrying. NISA has already denied reports that they have had a hand in Shabaab attacks on Kenyan troops. But we would like to point out that such a series of bad publicity only…

EDITORIAL | Somalia's burden of unprecedented coronavirus disease may already be exacerbated. On Friday morning this week, the federal Department of Health reported 328 cases after 42 more patients tested positive. In a country where 16 people have so far died from COVID-19, Somalia is still below the global average of 5% deaths from COVID-19. Yet the growing number of patients could further strain the health infrastructure of a country already overwhelmed by other forces. One of these forces is al-Qaeda-linked…