Friday, March 29, 2024
Wardheer News
  • Opinion
  • Slideshow

Does President Hassan Sh. Mohamud Deserve Re-election?

By Liban Ahmad

Four years ago, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took office with a promise to change Somalia for better. His political program was based on Six Pillars to be implemented by the Somali Federal Government. SFG was formed in 2012 to empower national leaders of a new, permanent government to have a better leverage than transitional governments had to engage stakeholders through consensus-building and confidence-building approaches.  In an interview with Newsweek President Mohamud credited himself with turning federalism from an idea on a paper into a political reality. There is some truth in this self-assessment. During his term three federal states have come into existence: Jubaland, which he vehemently opposed initially; Southwest State, which he gave lukewarm support and Galmudug, whose formation he expedited despite setbacks caused by continuing disagreements with the Dhuusomareb-based Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a. President Mohamud’s efforts to create a fourth federal state, Hirshabeele, seem to be materializing.

Hassan
President Hassan

These political achievements are commendable if one loses sight of security implications from the presidency’s direct or indirect involvement in state formation processes. Fragile security situation in Mudug continues to fray relations between the Adaado-based Galmudug and Puntland, as shown by recent clashes between Galmudug and Puntland forces in Galkayo.  In a situation like this the Somali National Army (SNA) would have intervened. The SNA units are based only in parts of Galkayo and surrounding areas under Galmudug administration. This is a monumental policy failure of President Mohamud, who has put political interests before army  integration plans, allowing the  contingents known as the National Army to work alongside a federal state’ forces ( aka clan militias)  that occasionally clash with another  neighboring administration’s forces. This discriminatory national defense policy discouraged Somalia’s partners from funding the Somali National Army.

According to The Times of London “Donors including Britain, the US and the UAE have grown increasingly frustrated with the Somali National Army (SNA), which is “nowhere near ready” to take over from African Union forces despite four years of funds and training. Frustrated by corrupt communist-era generals, donors want to divert resources to regional forces, known as dervishes, which they believe will better fight al-Shabaab militants”

The political realignment engendered by President Mohamud’s leadership style is beneficial to federal states but makes the executive branch of the government to look like a ceremonial presidency in a country that likeness the presidency at the national level to the quickest route to riches.

On the economy front President Mohamud’s government has performed dismally. The government attended high level IMF and World Bank meetings but failed to rebuild financial institutions and curb corruption. To a large extent Somalis depend on mobile payments for daily transactions. Successive conferences held to raise money for institution-building in Somalia  have not produced the desired effect because the international community has not put more development aid into the coffers of the federal government for fear that, in the absence of robust government institutions, money earmarked for development could be put to a personal use. President Mohamud binned the Joint Financial Management  Board unveiled in London Somalia Conference in 2012 but tactically agreed to the Financial Governance Committee set up after donors criticised the government over management   of public funds.” In 2013 President Mohamud appointed an American company to track Somali assets held in foreign banks. In 2014 report by  United Nations’ Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group (UN-SEMG) alleged the Somali Government initiative to recover assets in foreign banks was “a plot to  steal Somali assets“.  The former Transitional Federal Government of Somalia opened   client account with a Turkish Bank,  Ziraat Bankasi. Into this bank account “US$ 9 million of recovered Somali foreign assets … [had been] deposited.” The Somali Federal Government has effectively used the sovereignty argument to circumvent mechanisms aimed at preventing corruption or embezzlement of national assets.

Why should a government that lost credibility with donors be entrusted with Somalia’s assets in foreign banks? According to the Somali Ministry of Finance “the use of recovered assets is a sovereign decision of the Federal Government of Somalia“. On this sleazy foundation, partly rest bilateral relations between Somalia and Turkey.

2016   elections in Somalia are more complex and challenging than the 2012 election. Presidential candidates will compete against a tested incumbent of a fully recognized government that has institutionally relegated itself to the status of its predecessor.  For the first time since Somalia gained independence the centre will depend on the periphery for its legitimacy. Some of the questions each Somali presidential candidate against President Mohamud ought to ponder are:  Will you reverse the policy of channeling development aid directly to federal states?  Will you support the Somali Federal Government to have the sole authority to award fishing and oil exploration contracts to foreign companies?

Somalia needs a change of leadership but if candidates fail to present a coherent and realistic political program, another four wasted years with the incumbent president may be on the cards.

Liban Ahmad
Email:[email protected]
—-
Related articles:

–  HASSAN SHEIKH: THE WRONG PRESIDENT FOR SOMALIA By Mohamed Yabarag
–  SOMALIA ELECTIONS: THE CASE OF HASSAN SHEIKH MOHAMUD By WardheerNews
–  SOMALIA AT CROSSROADS By Ahmed Khalif
–  2016 ELECTION: WHY PRESIDENT HASSAN COULD LOSE By Faisal Roble
–  SOMALIA: HAS PRESIDENT HASSAN SHEIKH SECURED HIS REELECTION? By Mohamed A.


We welcome the submission of all articles for possible publication on WardheerNews.com. WardheerNews will only consider articles sent exclusively. Please email your article today . Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of WardheerNews.

WardheerNew’s tolerance platform is engaging with diversity of opinion, political ideology and self-expression. Tolerance is a necessary ingredient for creativity and civility.Tolerance fuels tenacity and audacity.

WardheerNews waxay tixgelin gaara siinaysaa maqaaladaha sida gaarka ah loogu soo diro ee aan lagu daabicin goobo kale. Maqaalkani wuxuu ka turjumayaa aragtida Qoraaga loomana fasiran karo tan WardheerNews.

Copyright © 2024 WardheerNews, All rights reserved

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.