By Abdisalam Mohamud
The debate engendered by the motion of no-confidence brought by section of parliamentarians to unseat president Hassan Sheikh on 12 August 2015 has stirred an argument whether his stay in power or not is in the interest and viability of the state of Somalia.
He is accused of corruption and lack of vision and failure to lead the nation out of its abyss.
However, the president claims that the action of some members of parliament that tabled the motion of no confidence against him have not in their heart the best interest of the country; he asserted that “Somalia has moved forward, and that progress cannot be halted just because obstacles or deceptions by elements who are not working for the interest of the public and the greater Somalia nation.”, and added “This is not the right time to create political spat because of the ongoing important tasks for the country.” Those tasks, he attributed gains he credited his regime has achieved in relations with security that resulted in removal of militants from main towns and the growth of the federal system in some sections of Somalia.
Yet, the facts on the ground belie the president’s claims. Security wise, Somalia is at its worst; the country is at its existential. It is hostage to designs of it foes; the so-called international community has entrusted Ethiopia and underwritten to guide, and be responsible Somalia’s stabilization under the façade of African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). It is suffice to say Ethiopia’s role in Somalia is the biggest factor why Somalia is unstable.
Nonetheless, AMISOM with its 22,000 contingent force stationed in Somalia has so far failed since 2007 to clear Al-Shabab from southern Somalia where it is entrenched. Indeed, AMISOM’s presence adds to the troubles of instability Somalia faces through its frequent massacres of innocent Somali civilians, and the drainage of funds ostensible aimed to assist the revival of Somali state, in which they are the biggest benefiters.
Still, the force that will have brought peace, and security to Somalia, the formation of true national army, not clan militia, which president Hassan Sheikh is the commander-in-chief, has failed to materialize under his aegis. In fact, president Hassan Sheikh is not convinced at all the need for the formation of Somali National Army that could defend the country from the frequent intrusions of Ethiopian forces along with its mercenary wing, the Peace Force, not to mention the wanton crimes carried out by the other members of AMISOM, if only one listens his stated policy wish of what kind of an army that Somalia will need, and where it will be in the future.
Hassan Sheikh believes, because of his ignorance, that it is unnecessary for Somalia to have a strong national army under this era of globalization. He held the view, in case of need of an army to defend Somalia, Ethiopia will meet our demand as the case of now. Moreover, the creation of a strong Somali force contradicts Hassan Sheikh’s stated aim to pave the way for the unification of Somalia with Ethiopia in the long run . Besides, his capacity as agenda setter, President Hassan frequently lauds the role of Ethiopian forces, despite their frequent massacre of innocent Somali civilians; moreover, he refers to them surprisingly as our brothers.
The above fact alone is sufficient for his impeachment and his ouster from power as he has betrayed the trust of Somalis which is the basic function of his presidency.
As for his other claim of the expansion of federalism, the facts on the ground bespeak about its growth; forget at the moment the details of the merits and demerits of federalism; the engine of federalism in Somalia is at the behest of Ethiopia. It was in Ethiopia where the idea of federalism to be adopted in Somalia was hatched in 1993. Ethiopia is the one that arbitrates among the different factions or clans over their claims in constituting the federal states. Also, with Addis Ababa’s blessings, most of the so-called presidents of those regional federal states became presidents. The newly formed federal states of Jubbland,and South-West, Ethiopia was instrumental in their making. Other federal states and the so-called break- away state of Somaliland act as stooges in their dealing with Ethiopia. One wonders then what the expansions of federal states serve as long as they are puppets of outside forces or succeed to create a cloud of misunderstanding as exemplified by the formation of Galmudug state-a state that does not meet the criteria set by the federal constitution regarding the formation of federal states.
As for allegations of corruption charges against Hassan Sheikh, international donors complain of Hassan sheikh’s government of not doing enough to fight graft which corroborates the accusations of corruption charges as one of the reasons listed for his impeachment by those lodging the motion of no confidence. His role in the formation of the the British company Soma Oil and Gas Holdings Limited give further evidence that his administration is corrupted to the core- a company that United Nations Monitoring group has alleged to have bribed higher ranking officials of his regime, not to mention its main investor is an obscure Russian who is member of the Soma board. It has non-Executive Director who is under investigation of fraud by the United States Department of Justice and Securities Exchange Commission .
In addition, his administration is busy with acts that undermine efforts to build a functioning Somali state by stacking state officials whether they are from the army or the civilians with incompetent and inept, if not his cronies or some who have committed high treason like the appointment of Abdirahman Abdi Shakur Warsame who is rewarded of selling some portion of Somalia’s coastline to Kenya when he was the minister of international relations in 2009 with an appointment to be Somali’s permanent representative at the United Nations . Still, the country is reeling the aftereffect of his crime that brought the so-called maritime dispute between Kenya and Somalia.
However, the motion of no confidence against president Hassan Sheikh has been internationalized. The viceroy of international community for Somalia, Mr. Kay, get involved and became part of the fray of t he motion of no confidence. Mr. Kay strongly opposes the motion; he reasons at this juncture the motion will hinder the progress of holding elections in 2016. One wonders what elections. Already Hassan Sheikh has declared that there will be no one-man one vote elections in 2016 as planned; the UN office in which Mr. Kay is responsible has agreed the same. How then the stay of the motion will help the progress of holding election? One may properly be amused if one is not aware the past involvement of international community in similar, but somehow different motion of no confidence brought against Sharif Hassan, who was then the speaker of parliament during the Transitional Federal Government under President Sheikh Sharif. He was removed by the parliament in January 2012; in his place Mr. Madobe Nunow was elected with a majority of 250 out of 287 deputies. The international community was not happy with that action which showed them Somali parliament could act and evolve democratically. They withheld the salary of the parliamentarians that voted against Mr. Sharif Hassan, since the international community was footing their salary as of now. Thus forcing those deputies who voted for Nunow to renege on their support, and place it with Sharif Hassan; then only did the international community paid the salary of the parliamentarians.
Why Sharif Hassan was preferred than Nunow by the international community was the question then needed an answer? The answer was obvious. Sharif Hassan was amenable to the demands of the international community. As of now, he is with the Ethiopians in the South-West State, where he is the president, in which the Ethiopians run the show of that state; he is also known to be inept as well as a wheeler-dealer- a factor president Hassan Sheikh shares with him.
President Hassan Sheikh’s lose thus could definitely be factor that will put a question mark of all the things that he has signed including Soma Oil which is a worrying factor for the international community whose interest lies with themselves, not saving Somalia. Hence, those parliamentarians who have lodged the motion of no confidence should not heed the call of stay of motion from any quarter- whether the call comes from so-called elders, his henchmen deputies or the international community. Any further day Hassan Sheikh stays in power is a day Somalia will be sinking deeper in a cesspool.
Therefore, the option in replacing Hassan Sheikh should be above the fray of politics. It should not be seen as put forward by those opposing the motion -that of power grab by the parliamentarians. Instead, the parliamentarians should choose a capable, trusty worthy, knowledgeable, and a man in his past record stood for Somalia and who has not played any role of past regimes, like Professor Abdi Ismail. Such a person will definitely be able to guide and work in regaining the country’s dignity for the remaining period from August 2016, which is slated for the election of a new president, and help to root Somali on a sound base, where it could take off to defend its sovereignty. Now we are hostage to bogus leadership and so-called international community which has taken unbounded control of our sovereignty.
Abdisalam Mohamud
Email:[email protected]
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Reference
http://voiceofsomalia.net/2015/05/05/dhageyso-xasan-sheekh-oo-itoobiya-ku-tilmaamaya-walaalao-soomaaliyeed/
http://www.africa-confidential.com/article/id/11177/UK_probes_Soma%E2%80%99s_local_ties
http://horseedmedia.net/2015/07/31/why-somalia-has-to-withdraw-case-against-kenya-at-the-icj/;
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/somalia-will-not-drop-border-case
http://wardoon.net/2015/07/cabdiraxmaan-cabdishakuur-warsame-oo-loomagacaabay-safiirka-cusub-ee-qm-caddeyn/
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